Hyde 2612

I've watched so much TV over the past two days, it makes me feel sick. It must've been at least... Seven episodes of Life on Mars. Granted, it's a fantastic show. But at a full 60 minutes a pop, it adds up rather quickly. I actually saw the series less than a year ago, but it stood up well to another viewing. It really let me pick up on a few of the small details and hints that were strung along the storyline. And it gave me the chance to realize what exactly about the show I find so irresistible - the mix of brutal, gritty realism with absolutely mind-boggling surrealism. On minute it's a down-to-earth cop/crime show, and then this bizarre element gets thrown in from far left field. You'd think that it'd just get annoying, but the pieces fit together so well, it's hard to deny the appeal. That, and Gene Hunt is a fantastically written and acted character. And the fact that Liz White is a rather attractive woman doesn't hurt either.

Aside from that, I took the opportunity this past week to get two more WWII films under my belt. First off, Jakob the Liar. Fantastic movie. Not that I've had any first-hand exposure to Polish Jews, but the movie did a great job with portraying their culture. The fact that despite having English dialogue all characters had appropriate accents really paid off (I'm looking at you, Valkyrie). And I was blown by Robin William's performance. I thought he might turn out to be an awkward actor for the setting and role, but he fit right in. The movie was very similar to Life is Beautiful, both in its nature and plot. Light-hearted tones in the midst of a much darker, oppressive atmosphere with a twist at the end that really tears a chunk of your soul out.

The other film I saw was Grave of the Fireflies. It's an asian-style animated cartoon about a family during the firebombing campaigns on mainland Japan during the last legs of the war. I hesitate to call it 'anime' due to the subject matter... This one was rather serious and depressing. Let me rephrase that - very serious, and extremely depressing. Perhaps it was because the main characters were children who were incredibly out of their depth. It really hurt to watch. There were a few 'sweet' moments a la Life is Beutiful or Jakob the Liar, but for some reason I couldn't actually enjoy them as such. You know they were just the smaller positive steps set you up for an even harder fall. It was really hard to bare. I appreciated it though. The quality of the animation and acting was rather medeocre, but the story was quite unique. Well, for me at least. I'll admit I'm not up on my knowledge of the Pacific Theatre, so I found this to be a bit of an eye-opener. It was a good point of view to be exposed to.



And that pretty much brings me way down off of the high from happy-fun uplifting movies. But in the mean time, I've found bliss in the form of Scala and the Kolacny Brothers. They're a Belgium group comprised of a teenage girl's choir and two composers/pianists. Right now I'm listening to one of their cover albums. It's so... Unsettling listening to such beautiful, elegant and innocent voices singing such dark thoughts and lyrics. I just can't resist this delicious juxtaposition of odd elements.
-Cril

All I do
I can still feel you

Numb all through
I can still feel you
Hear your call
Underneath it all
Kill my brain
Yet you still remain
Crucified
After all I've died
After all I've tried
You are still inside

All I do
I can still feel you

You remain
I am stained

Scala and Kolacny Brothers - Underneath it All