Sun, 28 April: Weekly Review 8

I finally got around to watching Konosuba, The Legend of Crimson, the anime movie from 2019. I liked it a lot, gave it four stars over on Letterboxd, but had some reservations. This film comes after the first two seasons of the Isekai tv anime, and continues to follow the adventures of Kazuma, Megumin, Aqua and Darkness. The plot, such as it is, has them visiting Megumin’s Crimson Demon Village to help her clan defeat one of the Demon King’s generals called Sylvia. It’s a fun time, with some great animation and humour, but some of that humour is questionable – at least to my Western eyes. There’s a scene where Kazuma is almost raped by a horde of female orcs with pig faces. Because, you know, rape is apparently funny – or at least when it’s being done to a man. Something similar happens later when Kazuma encounters Sylvia, a big-breasted giantess demon who it turns out has ‘something extra’ downstairs (ie, ‘they’ are trans). Some reviewers on Letterboxd suggested that Kazuma was transphobic because of his response to Sylvia. I’d like to know the specifics of this criticism, because my reading of Kazuma is he’s just responding normally to some sexual harassment. As usual, the ‘Japanese’ sensibilities of some story points continue to fascinate and appal me, the fan service keeps coming, and I keep watching these things, because I love them so much. I am so watching this one again very soon!

Watched some Youtubes. One was from Whatculture about 20 Most Shocking TV Character Deaths Ever. Yeah, I can be a sucker for a good clickbait heading, even a stupid one. I thought some of the intro commentary was at least interesting. It mentioned the criteria needed for an effective character death. These boiled down to it shouldn’t happen too soon, because no one will know the character, nor too late, because then no one will care; and it shouldn’t be the ‘wrong person’. Examples were given from Deadwood, Dexter, Futurama, Sons of Anarchy, The Wire, Homeland, Breaking Bad and a few others. Right, gotcha…

There was a nice AMV based on some Urusei Yatsura clips using the song Say So by Doja Cat. The Youtuber, Gabsbaixo, seemed to be inspired by the UY dialogue, Ataru to Lum: ‘-You idiot, if I say “I love you” under these circumstances, how do you know if I was telling the truth?’ Lum: ‘-I don’t care if it’s a lie. I just want you to say it.’ included in the description. That is classic Lum-thinking. A lot of the UY clips used in the video were new to me. And I liked the song.

Lastly, there was a really nicely edited and presented video from Pitchfork about Stereolab‘s 1997 album Dots and Loops. The description says, ‘The British-French band Stereolab was somehow of its time and from another time altogether. On their fifth album, 1997’s Dots and Loops, Stereolab synthesized their retro-musical mastery and brainy ambition in a newly seamless way, creating a dreamy, detail-rich triumph that channels the vibes of the 90s while hinting at something more futuristic.’ I remember buying that album back in the day. I bought it in Fitzroy as a sort of consolation prize, because I’d missed seeing Stereolab play at the Forum that night. I don’t agree it’s their best (maybe Chemical Chords or Emperor Tomato Ketchup, though Mars Audiac Quintet is my favourite), but it’s a nice album. Specially love the skittery drum and bass of Parsec.

I read an interesting article in Allkpop News about a new Kpop boy band that’s made up of members who are all hearing impaired. They’re a three piece called Big Ocean. They have hearing aids and cochlear implants to help them hear, and they have started incorporating sign language into their choreography. Sounds pretty inspiring, doesn’t it? How does that even work? They have a debut song out called Glow. I hope it all goes well for them.

Music for my van run today was a great little compilation album called C’est Chic! (French Girl Singers of the 1960s). It was truly sumptuous. Some wonderful singers and actresses featured, like Anna Karina, Brigitte Bardot, Francoise Hardy and France Gall (whose Laisser Tomber Les Filles was covered later by April March and appeared in Tarantino‘s Death Proof). There is truly something about that Ye-Ye sound that can’t be beat. I’m transported back to the Sixties in Paris, sipping coffee in a cafe, wearing shades and everything’s in black and white, like an early Jean Luc Godard film. And Anna Karina is by my side.

I finished the scifi book, All the Colours of Darkness, by Lloyd Biggle Jr. It was a strange but worthwhile read. The first half was about the struggles of scientists and businessmen to set up a matter transportation business. Then the second half became a rescue mission with a nice overlay of human/alien connection, going from fear to trust. Lloyd did a good job of making us see the strangeness of his aliens, not just the way they look but also the way they think. The book’s title came into play here as the aliens see us ‘primitive’ Earthlings as bound in darkness. By the end of the book a little lightness, and hope, is suggested for the future of us puny Earthlings. All due to the heroic and selfless actions of one man, one hu-man. But the really strange thing about this book was the cover of this edition, which has no relation whatsoever to the content. None. Nada. It is nice though (by the excellent Bruce Pennington, whose Dune covers were iconic).

The Twitter world in my Twice neck of the woods is abuzz with reports Twice will be releasing not one, but two full albums this year. Yay! I always knew there must be a new full Korean album, but a new Japanese album is a surprise. I’m guessing there will also be a single preceding it. The product never stops coming, for which I’m glad, but a little bit worried for the girls and their workload.

I watched the last of the season two 2wice Date videos today as well. As expected, it featured Jeongyeon and Sana, this time ‘glamping’ in some un-named facility. I hadn’t heard the term before, so that’s a new one on me – apparently it means a form of camping more luxurious than those associated with traditional camping. Which makes sense. Jeongyeon, who is a committed camper, was cooking up a mess of food, including something called tomahawk steak, for Sana, who mainly just sat back and ate. It was one of the most relaxed of the date videos, similar in a way to Jeongyeon’s date with Mina. Jeongyeon seems to have a relaxing way which puts people at ease. But, then again, so does Sana. Jeongyeon made a thing called tanghulu for dessert, which is basically glazed grapes, but I don’t think they came out too well – going by Sana’s response to them. I had these when I was in Japan, and they were one of my favourite things: like toffee apples but with grapes. I liked that they felt comfortable enough to talk about their strenuous work load. There was also a little reveal about the aborted Cry For Me album, which the group decided not to pursue because Jeongyeon could not participate in it (she was on medical hiatus). During the date they came up with a new ‘chemistry name’ for themselves (basically when two member’s names are combined as a friendship team). It was ‘No TG’ – a shortened version of ‘don’t take things for granted’. I wonder if there’ll be another season of 2wice Dates. If so, I want to see Dahyun and Jihyo together. Have they ever teamed up?

I got around to watching one of the films on my PVR today. It was The Stars Look Down, a 1940 black and white, directed by Carol Reed (who later made The Third Man) and based on the A.J. Cronin novel. It’s a ‘down t’pit’ coal mining town film, well-acted by Michael Redgrave, Margaret Lockwood, Emlyn Williams (him especially) and others, and mostly well-made – though the cinematographer seemed to have slipped his f-stops a couple of times when scenes were almost whited out. There’s an exciting mine cave-in scene near the end. But the best bit is Redgrave’s character Davey Fenwick giving a fiery polemic against the privatisation of coal mines and other industries that use natural resources. It should be mandatory viewing for all mine owners; though I suspect Gina Rinehart and her ilk would just laugh it off. Reed includes a montage of honest work being done at the coalmine overlaying the speech. A nice stylistic touch. Otherwise, the politics are a bit soft. The film opens with the mine workers holding a wildcat strike against the Union’s orders, but we’re never given any insight into the union’s activities, or its objections. Later, the greedy duplicitous mine owner is shown heroically helping the miners during the cave-in. But it’s too little too late. Presumably, the stars look down…and cry.

I just found out Michael Pinder, of the Moody Blues, died on Wednesday, the 24th. He was their keyboard/piano/mellotron player from their inception (the last of the original members) to 1978. Next to Justin Hayward, he was my second favourite songwriter in the band. His songs were so soulful, so spiritual, so Cosmic. He was Mr Cosmic in the band. The song titles say it all: The Best Way To Travel (ie, is thinking), Om, The Voyage, Out and In, When You’re a Free Man (about Timothy Leary in exile in Canada), One Step Into the Light. He was also the voice used to recite drummer Graeme Edge‘s lyrics for his poem pieces featured throughout the ‘Core 7’ era of albums. He continued using his mellifluous voice in later solo albums, like his award-contending album A Planet With One Mind of 1995, a record of spiritual and cosmic children’s stories featuring Mike’s voice and instrumental backing. I have a signed copy! A year before that he released his last solo album of songs, Among the Stars. When he left the group in 1978, much of the soul went from their music. His replacement, Patrick Moraz, an amazing technical player, helped take them to further success in the 80s, but it lacked Mike’s soul. So, here’s to you, Melancholy Man, Mellotron Man, Mr Cosmic. Mike Pinder, finally out among the stars.

Had a listen to that Brian Wilson tribute album, Smiles, Vibes & Harmony, I bought at the Box Hill Record Fair. Wow, it’s so raw and garagey! Most of the bands were unknown to me, but there was Sonic Youth, Billy Childish and thee Headcoats, and The Records, who are known to me. The Records are classic powerpop, and I have a cherished copy of their Starry Eyes single. They cover Darlin’ on the album, and it’s probably the most mainstream moment with the best vocals by far. They would have to be, as Carl Wilson’s vocals on the original are pretty amazing. But that was one of the interesting things about this album: unlike any Beach Boys album, it’s not about the vocals, it’s more about the rough indie vibe. A cover that stands out is the version of Wind Chimes by Mooseheart Faith, which is really different in that the band have given it an uptempo treatment. Imagine that: an uptempo version of Wind Chimes. Great! I Know There’s An Answer, from Pet Sounds gets the Sonic Youth treatment and sounds great, as I knew it would. It was probably their involvement in this project that tipped the scales in me buying the album, truth be told. My favourite Beach Boys album is Love You, and there are two songs from that album here: Johnny Carson and I Want To Pick You Up. The original version of the latter, with Brian and Dennis singing, has been known to bring me to tears. I don’t know if Sharky’s Machine‘s version will ever do that, but I like it and salute them for choosing such an unheralded gem to cover. It sometimes gets criticised for being a little ‘pedo’, but that’s downright bullshit. I’ll enjoy discovering the joys of the other tracks as I keep playing this marvellous record.

There was a funny thread on Twitter/X about blockbuster author James Patterson. Because he’s so popular and so ‘prolific’ (see comments below), basically just a brand name these days, we in the library world tend to look down on him. It doesn’t help that lately he’s been seen making comments about how libraries shouldn’t be concerned about how books and authors are being targeted for banning – usually by parents groups, and usually in the US. Easy for him to say. One Tweeter, Stacked Librarian, responded ‘As one of the wealthiest authors of the 21st-century, James Patterson does not get to tell Library Staff that we are overreacting to the book ban crisis.’ Another, Jenny, spilled the beans a bit with, ‘Is he even writing his books now? Thought it was all ghost writing.’ Indeed. I liked Snarking Boojum‘s comment, ‘My librarian daughter’s favorite work activity is getting to cull the Patterson collection once a quarter to keep him from taking up more than one shelf.’ This is a suggestion I want to take up with my own library system.

I happened to be watching commercial television today (don’t ask why) and saw a travel ad using I’ll Be Your Mirror by the Velvet Underground for its sales pitch. And it wasn’t a cover version, that was Nico‘s unmistakable voice I heard. Firstly, kudos to the ad agency for not only getting the song, but for choosing such a cool classic. But geez, Lou Reed and Nico must be turning in their graves. I have been seeing another ad recently that uses Aespa‘s Next Level to flog Hyundai. This time it’s a cover version. That one needs some explaining.  Did the ad agency think Australian audiences would be clued in to the songs of Aespa? Or were they just going with the ‘I’m on the Next Level’ lyric as a cool tagline? Pop songs in ads: it’s a thing. I’m not a fan of ads in general, but I definitely have a favourite one. It’s the old Uncle Tobys ad that features a cute girl called Sally grooving to All Day and All of the Night by the Kinks. She’s even sporting a vintage Word of Mouth t-shirt.

Culled some things on the PVR today. There must be at least 50 films and tv shows on there at the moment, not including the Rage music videos. I found I’d doubled up on a number of the films. I sometimes forget what I have on there. One of the doubles was Orson Welles‘ The Trial. Weirdly, on one of the recordings the station (Channel 31, a community station), had broadcast it in wide screen rather than its normal 3X4 format. This made Orson look even more portly than he was. Obviously that was the recording I erased. Ah, so many films, so little time. I also discovered I still had a bunch of music videos I’d transferred from an external hard drive, the one that has my music video collection on it. Why did I do that? I don’t need them because I can play them direct from the drive. This is what comes from being Swamped by pop culture! Or allowing yourself to be…

So yes, it was Anzac Day today, when we honour our fallen dead in times of war, especially the Gallipoli spirit. Old soldiers and sons and daughters and grandkids of old soldiers march down the main streets of many towns, including the much televised Melbourne march. But it’s usually not Anzac Day if there isn’t some controversy. Like Australia Day, Anzac Day belongs to a certain sensibility, one that says there must be no dissent, no protest on this day that might suggest it is anything other than glorious. Just wave them flags! The false outrage came from people complaining about the Gaza protest at the war memorial today, as if that has nothing to do with war. The soldiers they honoured are sometimes expected to die in wars, civilians are not. Well, the media are calling it a war, instead of the massacre that it is. On a much lighter note, the Collingwood versus Essendon match was a ripper. Collingwood player, Jamie Elliott, made a screamer of a mark. And it was a draw. Although I’m a Collingwood fan, I think the Bombers should have won it.

I was working in a sleepy little town near a nice old-school cinema today, and so I went there after work and saw a film. It was Alex Garland’s Civil War. The basic idea is it’s some time in the future and some of the US States, especially California and Texas, have broken away from the rest of the country resulting in a Civil War. It stars Kirsten Dunst as a photojournalist on a quest to travel from New York to Washington DC to witness and hopefully interview the President before he is deposed or assassinated. That’s the basic McGuffin of the story, but it’s really there to give us a glimpse of an America under the heal of civil war. And boy do we see it!

An interesting aspect of the story is that a lot of what Dunst and her journalist pals see is straight out of the Middle East conflict playbook, just transplanted to the US. Cities reduced to rubble, refugees moving along roads, gunmen on roofs, suicide bombers rushing in with American flags to blow up ‘the enemy’. All the gun maniacs come out of the woodwork, and the White House is stormed by troopers and our journos in a deliriously crazy as batshit finale, which I loved. It certainly gives one pause for thought.

I’m not sure how much sense we’re supposed to make of all this though. I think one of Garland’s ideas is that wars don’t make sense. We don’t even know why the war started, and we certainly don’t know whose side to be on. Even the fact that Dunst’s photojournalist uses a digital camera to record what she experiences, while a younger protege, played by Cailee Spaeny, uses a film camera, complete with developing tank (hey, I used to have one of those!) lacks sense. Is the Cailee character expecting things to get so bad there’ll be no electricity at some point? Looking for practicalities in this film is pointless. Personally, I doubt very much whether journalists will keep doing their job when the shit hits the fan. They’ll have no one to present their reportage to, for starters. I suspect gung ho journos like we see in this film almost only ever exist in Hollywood. And doesn’t the White House have bunkers and escape tunnels out of there and shit? Isn’t there a helipad on the roof?

No, I think this film is a warning, or a presentiment, of things to come if the American people and the American system don’t get their act together. Garland seems to be pointing to the possible re-election of a certain crazy as batshit ex-President. Which, when you think about it, is a pretty interesting reason for a film to exist.

Before the film, I went to the bookstore next door and bought a How To Learn Harmonica kit. It was just this nice old-timey looking box that included a ‘blues harmonica’ and a booklet detailing how to play. I’m a sucker for that kind of thing. My harmonica abilities are quite rudimentary – I can play Swanee River, and that’s about it. I can definitely do with a refresher course. Hopefully, it won’t just sit with my Idiot’s Guide To Ukulele unused (I don’t even own a ukulele, but yeah, it’s another future project). From blues to soul, I may as well include here the fact I borrowed an album whilst working at my library today. It was a compilation of Dusty Sings Soul, by the fabulous Dusty Springfield. This is something else I am a sucker for. It’s just another compilation of Dusty songs with a slightly novel edge, bringing with it the hope, the promise that I won’t actually have some of these songs. Her discography is so haphazard, with obscure singles and albums not released, then finally released, etc, I can’t always keep up with what I have. Guess I’ll find out soon if this comp was worth borrowing…

One final relatively unsung musician I’d like to highlight here is Maurice Gibb, of the Bee Gees. I watched a Youtube video about him tonight that clued me into an aspect of the band I wasn’t previously aware of. The video was titled The Uncelebrated Bass Legend Who Ignited the Disco Inferno, by Youtuber Andrew Freed. You can guess from the title and my comments who the ‘legend’ was. I simply didn’t know he came up with those bass lines, like You Should Be Dancing, Jive Talking, Stayin’ Alive and Night Fever. Impressive. Not just the third singer in the Bee Gees, then.