Oh..oh, this one requires at least a second viewing before I can coherently put my thoughts to paper. WATCH IT!

Cardboard car chase movie, not nearly as good as ‘Two-Lane Blacktop’. The three leads, including a cruising Peter Fonda, are too clean-cut to pass as 7-11 robbing, nascar-wanna be’s plus accompanying flusy. I refused to buy in to some existential, deeper meaning; it’s not there. I just sat back and enjoyed the cars and the engine noises.

the transportation of detainees

Oscar-winning documentary about the death of an innocent taxi driver in Bagram prison, Afghanistan. Officially Dilawar was said to be the victim of the unauthorised treatment by a few bad apples, lower ranks who subsequently got punished for it. This documentary places this incident in a pattern that has unrolled after 9/11 and was instigated by Dick Cheney. Aim was to give the intelligent agencies more capabilities to be able to ‘extract information’ from detainees. The results of this decision is now fairly well documented, with the stories from Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. But the spin around these ‘incidents’ is painful to watch. The moral superiority with which the Bush administration operated is just unbelievable; after 9/11 they decided that the Geneva Conventions did not apply to the combatants apprehended in Afghanistan. When later the supreme court said they did apply, Bush said OK, but I am free to interpret the definitions of, for example, what is torture myself. Still some 80.000 people are said to be imprisoned as a result, without charge, without legal representation, without basic human rights.

Woman heading west at 71 mph on Interstate 44 outside Rolla, Missouri, at 11:43 a.m. in January 1991

complete collection

Against the backdrop of a darkening Amsterdam skyline I saw the Bimhuis part of the Viral Radio Festival. Icarus performed a strong set with very nice visuals (by Laurent Duriaud, check it out here, with Icarus soundtrack). Moritz von Oswald trio was very good, with great integration of live percussion. After a slow start with Moritz von Oswald solo on keyboard, on the verge of sounding esoteric, slowly the groove came in with the arrival of Vladislav Delay (drums) and Max Loderbauer (sounds/atmospheres). Building a very strong soundscape, (‘music to watch trains by’), at some times the connection between the three seemed off, or von Oswald seemed to overthink the music, but those moments were few and far between.

Take vs Pete Concrete, on the decks in the bar in between shows, provided a nice break from the somewhat academic atmosphere during both concerts.

Made some crappy video impressions, shown after the jump.

Icarus

Moritz von Oswald Trio

Take vs Pete Concrete

Six artists in this show. Main theme is the city as reflection of the soul. This is a very broad theme and this is reflected in the works on show. Some are beautiful, but there is no strong reason why these works need to be together. I liked the pictures by Awoiska van der Molen of forgotten buildings in bad parts of town. Also nice were the objects by Tonio de Roover (didn’t like his installation, though).

Monadnock             Awoiska van der Molen

Four seasons in the Normandy / La Manche landscape with elderly farmer Paul Bedel, his two sisters and four cows. A story about the disappearing of the old ways in the French countryside; no regrets, this is how it has to be.

via monscope

City of Shadows complete series

To jump right into it; this is by no means a perfect movie, but in a strange way, that’s what is perfect about it. In a movieworld dominated by slick Hollywood productions, this quirky movie stands out and refocuses on the true love for film; a good story and originality go a long way in this age of over-produced blockbusters and endless sequels. That the story itself is a celebration of the films in our collective memory seems like a coincidence, but as this is a Michel Gondry film, it probably isn’t. The story has everything; from bizarre via comedy to sentimental (in a good way). Sometimes it stutters, drags its feet, then it speeds up, slows down again and stays clear from the Hollywood ending. The characters are all familiar to us; Jack Black is tolerable in his ‘High Fidelity’ role and Mos Def plays his Ford Perfect from ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’, but still it all fits perfectly into this film fest.
(Make mental note; have to re-watch ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’)

Be Kind Rewind official site

let’s all swede!!