It Is Finished

I just finished the last Harry Potter book. I'm going to go to my room and cry now.

Let's Review Some More

My inner child is mildly autistic, and sometimes I have to submit to some of the more deranged whims of this imaginary person. You see, my psyche brat (whom I refer to as "Trevor") likes to eat dinners made up of food that begins with the same letter. Well, "Trevor" was especially demanding this evening, and so I acquiesced and ate a dinner consisting of the following foods: Cashews, cherries, crackers, cheddar cheese and cherry cider. Thus satiated, I can get on with my life. Such as it is.

So let's get on to the reviews!

Moving Pictures

Transformers Though this film drags a bit when the story is revolving around the puny humans (and that chick who plays the girl human -- her entire emotional range consists of basically two expressions -- bored and mildly amused. The robots were more emotive than she was! Plus those fakey long eyelashes that pointed straight up to her eyebrows were freaking me out!) But when the 'bots finally show up, boy, oh boy, oh boy!!!!! Giant robot smackdown! Plus, Optimus Prime is a total badass! I thought for sure I'd be a Megatron girl through and through (because he's mondo cool-looking and he's voiced by Hugo Weaving), but Optimus Prime completely stole my heart. Don't expect High Art. This movie is based on an '80s cartoon that was primarily made to sell toys to susceptible children (Hasbro is in the credits, dear). Leave your brain at the door and have a good time.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Let me start this by saying that Order of the Phoenix is my least favorite book in the HP series. It's overly long and Harry's all surly and unpleasant and Sirius is a big grump too and the whole Cho Chang romance thing is kind of insufferable... But this. movie. rocks. Why? Well, pull up a chair, Dear Reader, and let me 'splain.

1) Screenwriter Michael Goldenberg was able to cut away to the real meat of the story. And when it's whittled down to the essentials, this story is riveting and engrossing. (And timely, considering the current New World Disorder.)

2) This film is the first one just for the initiated. Yep, this means that if you haven't read the books, you'll probably have a tough time following the story. C'mon people! This is the fifth movie! If you're not on board yet, get off the platform! Kudos to David Yates to being the first director to reward the faithful.

3) The film medium is used to it's fullest potential: Plot lines are shown and not narrated, mood is evoked with lighting and camera angles. You really have to pay attention and keep up, and I appreciate that. I won't go into too many details here, because of the possible spoilers and the ensuing angry mob that comes with such indiscretions. But I will tell you that the movie starts out very bright and super-saturated . . . until the Dementors arrive. And then it gets very dark and it stays dark throughout the movie. A clue to the events yet to come.

4) Ron finally gets some dignity. Thank god!

This is an excellent, excellent film. I'm going to see it again. But this time, I might go see the IMAX version because of the 3D ending! Because I'm a dork!

Recordings

Somewhere Else by Marillion. Marillion is one of those bands that most people are surprised are still together, if they remember them at all. And because people like labels, Marillion gets pigeon-holed as a prog-rock throwback from the '80s, unfortunately. But they are one of those bands that really defy categorization. Their music is dense and versatile and it's hard to tell an outsider what they sound like. Because they sound like Marillion. But I will say this: this is the kind of music that sounds best when you turn off the lights and listen with the headphones on.

Somewhere Else is Marillion's 14th album, and the 10th with lead singer Steve Hogarth. (It is a follow up to the outstanding Marbles from 2004, which is really worth checking out if you are unfamiliar with them.) Though it suffers from being the follow-up to one of their magnum opus releases (and fans will know what I mean when I list Clutching at Straws and Afraid of Sunlight as follow-up albums) which means it has a lot to live up to. However, this work fairs well on its own. The songs are intense and emotional and the sound is a bit more stripped down than Marbles, but still wonderfully full. As most Marillion fans know, Steve Hogarth likes to write really, really personal songs. The songs are so personal, that when I see the band live, I have a hard time looking at him, because I feel guilty. Like I read his diary without permission, or accidentally walked in on him in the toilet. Or something. On the other hand, this songwriting style also leads to truly gorgeous, powerful songs. It also helps that Steve Rothery is probably the best guitarist you've never heard of. In fact, he's better than most of the one's you have heard of. Not as gorgeous as Marbles, but still a fabulous album.

Favorite tracks: "The Other Half of the Sky" and "Somewhere Else"

Oh, Perilous World by Rasputina. Another band that gets erroneously labeled, Rasputina is often dismissed as a "goth band", mainly because the costume is 19th century and the instrument of choice is the cello. But you would be remiss in forming such a biased opinion. Though portrayed to the public as a band, Rasputina is the handiwork of that mad genius Melora Creager. Always innovative and truly interesting, Miss Melora performs inspired experiments on non-rock oriented musical instruments such as the glockenspiel, the dulcimer and (of course) the cello, and is almost always successful. Each new album is always a delightful surprise. And she can rock the hell out of a cello. (If you don't believe me, go to CD Baby and listen to Rasputina's rendition of "Barracuda", you're so smart.)

Oh, Perilous World is no exception. In fact, I can't get over how stunningly brilliant this album is. Structured as if it were a soundtrack to an existing Broadway Musical, OPW tells a story that is a crazy mishmash of historical events, current headlines and Melora's fertile imagination. (Queen Mary Todd declares war against the descendants of the Bounty Mutineers and sends her army of blimps to invade Pitcairn Island!) But what on the surface seems like a goofy alternate universe is in reality a sharp political satire of the current world situation. Some of the lyrics are culled directly from news articles. For example, Thursday October Christian's impassioned show-stopping song "Choose Me For Your Champion" is made up of quotes attributed to Osama bin Laden. And the track "We Stay Behind" uses headlines, first-hand accounts and imagery from the Hurricane Katrina disaster and its aftermath. (If you remember any of the news footage from those awful weeks, this song will break your heart.) The veiled political criticism of this work feels as if it's a construction of what art and theater would be like if we lived in a regime that suppressed dissenters.

Hey... wait a minute!

It's hard not to listen to this from beginning to end, because the story is woven so expertly and fancifully, with a knowing wink that tells you it's about something else entirely. But I have to say that my favorite tracks are "1816, The Year Without A Summer", "In Old Yellowcake", and "Oh Bring Back the Egg Unbroken" (which describes the Birdman Cult ritual from Easter Island).

I can't recommend this album highly enough. But with a warning: Rasputina is like nothing you've ever heard before. Melora's voice is odd and sometimes she takes it to places it doesn't want to go. But she pushes it to achieve her goal and most of the time she succeeds gloriously. The cello is not what you will expect. Oh, sure there are the lovely classically inspired pieces, but along with it you'll get a good dose of jazz, blues and hard core rock. It may take you a few listens before you warm up to it. As one reviewer said on NWsource.com (unfortunately, the article is no longer up) "Rasputina . . . is an acquired taste that's worth acquiring".

Poetry Corner

As I was taking a crowded, hot and unpleasant train ride home one evening last week on the El, I raised my eyes up to the adverts to avoid my neighbor's halitosis. Up there was an ad that said "A gourmet kitchen can really improve your outlook" and had a photo of a frying pan with eggs and sausage inside it arranged into a smiley face (like how you do with your breakfast). On the side of this picture was this hand-written poem:

Everytime I see
you I laugh. When
you walk I smile.
For some reason I've
found retarded
people funny.

Well, goodnight citizens! This has been an epic blog posting for me and now I need a lie down.