new blog

Hello Internet! I am currently traveling around the Eastern Coast of the United States of America, getting ready to head off to an adventure in India on November 18th that should last about a year (!!). To track my movements hence-forth, may I direct you to my new, fancy, "travel blog" which can be found here: welltraveldcuttlefish.wordpress.com

There's nothing there at the moment, but this will change momentarily. This blog will remain as well, for less-travely pursuits, so check back to both frequently, if you want to see awesome.

Thank you and goodnight.

these last few months

I have been shamefully delinquent. But I am here now.
Many things have happened since I wrote to you last.

For example, I received an MFA from Edinburgh College of Art. Check out images from my degree show here: http://www.culturedcuttlefish.co.uk

I saw Errol Morris' new film, Standard Operating Procedure during the Edinburgh Film Festival, and I got to hear him give a live interview before the film, and a Q&A after. He said something along the lines of, "I wanted to make a film that would make people wish they had never been born." I'm not sure you achieved that exactly, Errol, but you did make a very, very sad piece of work. It is absolutely worth seeing, and I'd recommend it all around, but don't expect to be uplifted . . . the film attempts to explain -- no, not explain, but examine -- aspects of our humanity that are unbelievably difficult to understand, to explain, even to accept. It's an important film, I think, though I hope I never have to watch it again.

I went camping in the outer hebrides on an island called Barra, which is all rolling hills and expansive sandy beaches, sheep in the meadows and cows on the sand dunes, and pipers in the castle. Let me see if I have some pictures . . .



I went on a bus tour of the scottish highlands with my mom -- a bizarre-o three day trip that showed us exceedingly beautiful parts of scotland and exceedingly ugly parts of tourists. More on that soon, hopefully.

I did some volunteer private catering for artists in a town called Strontian, which leads on to the fact that I'm moving to the highlands at the end of this month, and before the end of the year, going very far away indeed. More on that soon as well.

I saw TOM WAITS in Edinburgh. I'd seen him once before, four years ago, in Seattle, but in all honesty this show was better better better. It was all grunts and growls, rags and bones, dusty shit-kickers and bowler hats, spastic dancing and contorted faces, bad jokes and junkyard orchestration. Absolutely brilliant. Worth every penny of the exorbitant ticket prices (truth be told, I paid more to a seller on ebay to see him in Seattle). This ain't no rock show, it's a full theatrical experience.

That pretty much sums up my last several months. Bringing us up to date. I saw The Dark Knight the other night. It was entertaining, but flawed -- too much plot, too many explosions, way too long. Christian Bale was a snotty, beefy, obnoxious batman with no endearing character traits, or even character flaws. A very cardboard portrayal, and too much growling (leave the growling to Tom Waits). The best thing about the movie, by far, was Heath Ledger's Joker, which, in itself is just a damn depressing and tragic thing. I found it very difficult to not keep reminding myself, each time the joker came on and was really fantastic, that the man behind the mask died too young, and under incredibly tragic circumstances.

hurts so good

dear edinburgh,

thank you for the sunburn. i didn't know you had it in you. i feel guilty for all the insensitive, hurtful things i've said about your foul weather, your gray skies and wind and rain, your inability to shine when it's needed. i have been wrong. you never cease to amaze me. don't sell yourself short.

i hope you won't be offended if i wear sunscreen tomorrow.

love, jana

Errol Morris

I've just stumbled upon Errol Morris' website -- that is Errol Morris, the documentary filmmaker of 'Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control' fame, 'Gates of Heaven' and 'Fog of War,' etc. If you're not familiar with his work, you ought to be. He's a completely brilliant documentary filmmaker.

Turns out he's got a new film dealing with the tortures at Abu Ghraib Prison coming out sometime this year. Came in second at the Berlin Film Festival.

Anyway, his website is fantastic. His blog is fantastic, and there is text from a lecture that is totally captivating. Check it all out, please:

http://www.errolmorris.com

DDLing

So, on a bit of a Daniel Day-Lewis high this week, I decided to watch Last of the Mohicans, which I'd never seen. Yeah, it's not really that great -- I mean, it's entertaining, don't get me wrong. But it's not, like, goood. It does, however, have the best canoe chase scene in all of cinema history.

Also, I've come to the conclusion, after this and The Unbearable Lightness of Being which I watched a few weeks ago, that Daniel Day-Lewis only really shines when he's either got an Irish accent or a huge mustache. Fair play -- I'm becoming more and more convinced of the inherent power of a good mustache (on a side note, that's musTACHE, not MUStache). I think all men capable of growing a big mustache should do so, immediately, and should kick themselves for living so long without one.

in summary:

good







not so good















very, very good

There Will Be Blood

As I mentioned yesterday, I saw There Will Be Blood last week. It was the first film in a very long time that I immediately wanted to watch again. I nearly went back and saw it a second time this afternoon, but stopped myself as I had other obligations. I'm sure I'll watch it again before it leaves the cinemas out here.

So, I'm not entirely sure where to begin a discussion. Part of it has to do with the fact that I was already in a heightened emotional state when I saw it, for various reasons, and so I was more receptive to the emotional content of the film. I can't get the thing out of my head, and this is generally a very good sign. The thing is . . . it's not just the story, or the acting, or the cinematography or the dialog or the sound editing or the musical score or the sets or the sweeping panoramas -- don't get me wrong, I think all of these things were handled masterfully -- but in watching this film, even while I was utterly captivated and carried away into the world it creates and the personalities that inhabit it, I always, at every moment, had the distinct feeling that I was witnessing a creation borne ultimately out of a total love for the form. I trusted the filmmakers implicitly to make the right choices for the story and the characters, because their love was so pure.

This is an emotional response -- it is not rational. Rationally, I can look at the film and say, everything was handled very expertly, there is maybe a scene or two toward the end I would have handled slightly differently, but not really . . . maybe a point, just one, where I thought Daniel Day-Lewis hammed it up just a touch too much, so that I was distracted by the fact that it was Daniel Day-Lewis playing this character . . . but on the whole an incredibly well-made film. Emotionally, however, I feel compelled to pronounce it an utter and complete masterpiece, without any flaws, or even to say the flaws are a necessary part of its brilliance, and to remove them would do the whole a grave disservice.

Not being able to get it out of my head, I did some research and found this video:



which is Paul Thomas Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis talking about the movie on Charlie Rose. If you enjoyed the film half as much as I did, I'd recommend watching this episode of Charlie Rose, especially if you have a love for cinema in general. It is ultimately a conversation with two people who LOVE their chosen crafts, and to watch them describe their work process and creative process is inspiring. P.T. Anderson is approaching filmmaking in exactly the right way -- he talks about this totally organic process of collaboration and creation, and I know he didn't win the oscar last night, and maybe he didn't deserve it anyway, but listening to him talk about filmmaking convinces me beyond any doubt that he has a long and incredibly artistically successful career ahead of him.

Daniel Day-Lewis, meanwhile, reminds me that acting is actually an art, and quite a stunning one when approached with the love and devotion he holds for it. I so often write actors off, or think of them as simply props for the director to manipulate. Listening to Day-Lewis talk about his craft is such a great wake-up call from that way of thinking. He can be a bit hammy, but on the whole I agree with Charlie Rose in thinking he is one of, if not the best actor working today. He certainly sacrifices more of himself than most for the roles he plays.

Anyway, as is probably fairly obvious, I'm quite taken with this film, even more so than the other films I've been so taken with recently. If you haven't seen it, GO SEE IT. If you didn't feel the same about it, I'd be up for a discussion -- let me know what you thought.

Oh, on a side note, I found this website called http://www.idrinkyourmilkshake.com, which, among other nice things, allows you to listen to the milkshake line over and over and over again, which is really more enjoyable than I could have imagined possible. Yeah.

oscar picks?

How about some Oscar picks? You know, I've been looking all day for a place to stream the oscars online, but no luck thus far. Not having a tv and living in the land of kilts and haggis is not boding well. Normally I wouldn't care, but as there are a bunch of really good movies nominated for oscars this year, I do wish I could watch. Oh well. Anyway, here they are -- not my predictions, mind you, but my picks. If all was right in the world, good and just and everybody could understand that I am always right, these would be the winners:

Best Picture: There Will Be Blood. I know that No Country For Old Men will probably win, but it shouldn't. There Will Be Blood is monumental, groundbreaking, epic -- I saw it a week ago and I'm still too speechless to even write up my thoughts on the thing. I need to see it again. Several times.

Best Director: If I were thinking diplomatically, I would say the Coen Brothers deserve this one, because their back-catalog is so strong on top of No Country, which is a brilliant little film. But I'm very torn, because P.T. Anderson has done such a stunning thing this year. I guess I'd give it to the Coens, and expect that Anderson's next film is going to be so undeniably fantastic that there will be no doubt he will win then. I should make the disclaimer that I have yet to see The Diving Bell and The Butterfly, so I can't speak about that nomination.

Best Actor: Daniel Day Lewis, absolutely no question. Though I do have to say I was surprised by what a nuanced little performance George Clooney pulled off in Michael Clayton. Nothing compares to Lewis though. Seriously.

Best Actress: Ok, I've actually only seen Juno -- for some reason the movies with meaty roles for women rarely appeal to me. Not enough blood, maybe? Anyway, Ellen Page was great, but I'm not gonna make any pick in this category.

Supporting Actress: Ditto -- the only one I caught was Michael Clayton, and I wasn't particularly moved by Tilda Swinton's performance in that.

Supporting Actor: I am fairly certain Javier Bardem is going to win this one, but if all were right in the world, I have to say the award would go to Casey Affleck -- it was a more challenging role, and he totally slaughtered it. Don't get me wrong, Bardem is fantastic. I just think Affleck is more fantastic.

Cinematography: I feel very passionate about this one. I think that The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford is hands down the most beautifully shot movie made in a very long time. It blew me away, and even though There Will Be Blood comes a close second for me in this category, there is no question in my mind that Jesse James deserves it.

Music (Score): Just a comment here that Jonny Greenwood was totally and completely robbed. I don't know what the controversy was, but his score for There Will Be Blood is easily the best score this year.

Music (Song): Once. Ok, I didn't see any of the other films, but that song in Once is so lovely, it should win regardless. I'm sure it's more lovely than the other songs nominated.

Sound Editing: There Will Be Blood. For the opening scene alone. It's not even a contest, really.

Adapted Screenplay: The Coen Brothers have made absolutely the most perfect adaptation of a novel to the screen ever. Seriously. They made No Country For Old Men look like it did in my head when I read the book. Perfect.

Original Screenplay: Juno, though I haven't seen The Savages. On a side note, how the hell did Lars and the Real Girl get nominated? That movie was bad, the writing was awful, it was barely watchable and then only because of moderately descent performances.

These are the only categories I want to comment on, because the others are full of movies I haven't watched. If all was good and right in the world. Hm, I want to go to the movies now.

words

It's not that I don't have things to say, or the words to say them. Increasingly, I prefer expressing myself with pictures instead of words. And after an extended period of relishing a raw, open, cynical vulnerability, I find that I once again prefer to keep things to myself -- to build a little wall between you and me, to protect myself from the subtle pains and regrets. I do, in theory, want to be wide open for you. The problem is that I don't trust myself or my perceived honesty. From one day to the next, I see things differently. Monday's truths are Tuesday's blatant fallacies. The best I can hope is to latch on to those things that show a pattern of falling on one side or another. But of the things that are so changeable as to make my head spin, well, for now I suppose it's best to just keep them to myself.

I'm coming to a comfortable middle-ground with my existential unknowns. It is not answers, nor is it solace or relief. It is not faith, exactly, and it is not nihilism. It is just an ability to ponder and explore without debilitating pain and anxiety. I take this as the most convincing sign I've had that I am becoming, finally, adult. Not abandoning the playful curiosity of childhood, but shedding, finally, the insecurities and compulsions and anxieties and the pure madness of youth. Accepting, finally, the inevitabilities -- not embracing them, not excited about them, but accepting them. Which is infinitely better than fighting against something it is utterly impossible to alter.

So, I've been watching a bit of Bergman lately, especially the later stuff. Fanny and Alexander, the full 5 hour miniseries version, is fantastic, absolutely worth the time, totally recommended to everyone.

Union Station, Sacremento

The urban cowboy wears a cowboy hat, shiny red snakeskin boots, a big gold watch, and a black leather coat -- mid thigh length, unless he's a serious hustler, in which case he might sport a duster. He has an expertly manicured goatee and small, piercing eyes. The painted-on wranglers, crisp unfaded black. Silver bolo to match a silver belt buckle. He walks tall with his shoulders thrown back, and when he stands to contemplate something, he cocks one hip out and places the curled pointy toe of his right boot at a fourty-five degree angle from his elbows, which stand out from the hips on which his hands are placed.