ampdead

An argument about aesthetics.

Three things lead to this post.  The first can be found at Blackfive:  On PTSD, or More Properly, On Coming Home.  The second is a 2005 essay written by Frederica Mathewes-Green:  Against Eternal Youth (found via Ed Driscoll).  The third is a thread at the Conservative Punk* boards:  RIP:Norman Mailer-Didn't Know How to Spell Fuck.

How odd the evolution of thought.  Even so, read those three links (plus Dricoll's if you have time).  Then make a judgment call about the following sculptures.

Notes and related thoughts.

I cannot speak to PTSD - especially in regards to combat as I've never been beyond the walls Grim describes.  Grim doesn't want to call it an illness per se, and he's correct to a point.  But mental illness in general, as I can speak to - whether due to environment or physiology - may rise to the definition of an illness.  The end is the same, however - it is not something to be ashamed of.  Likewise, it is not something to let fester as it only gets worse with time. 

There is nothing at all weak about facing one's demons.  It may, in fact, be the hardest battle ever.  In any case:  If you have a broken arm, you seek to mend it.  In that simplified sense, mental 'illness' of any sort is no different - the treatments, as Grim accurately describes them, are, however, far more varied than a trip to the hospital and a cast.  The most difficult part, though, is no one else can make you well.  Worse yet:  Defeating those demons means living with them.  Ride deep.

There's something to be said of the generational gap that permeates that Mathewes-Green piece - that hyphenated name may be detrimental to such sentiments though.  We can, of course, wallow in the fact that we are not the Greatest Generation.  That sort of sorrow, however, generally doesn't lead to greatness. 

There was the story, for instance, of the Clinton administration lamenting the timing of the 9/11 attacks.  A sort of thinking that neglects to say the event was horrible and should never have happened in favor of saying we could have responded better, and our response would have ensured our own place in history.  A sort of masochism, being envious of other's suffering.  When the debate grinds down to who can cut themselves better, something is wrong.  Not wholly new however.

Victor Davis Hanson in his book, A War Like No Other, describes the generational divide between the Greeks who fought the Persians at Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis and then the Athenians and Spartiates who fought each other during the twenty-seven year "Great Ancient Greek Civil War" (as VDH names the Peloponnesian War).  That is, trying to mimic a previous generation in ends when, really, the point is to deal with the circumstances at hand as best as one can as previous generations dealt with their own circumstances as best as they could.  Not everyone may be numbered amongst the 300 afterall - nor should just anyone be.  Likewise, not everyone may be numbered amongst the Silicon Valley greats - nor should just anyone be.

We do our best in the context of everything.  You know the rest of that thought already.  Live up to what and who you are.

If you've read through the thread about the late Norman Mailer then you know I didn't think much of him or his writing.  This, I think, sums up this post.  Shouting inanities versus mumbling truth.  Big talkers versus big sticks.  Art, it seems to me, should take the latter course.

There is no pretense in Michelangelo's David.  There is no boasting.  There is nothing to prove.  There is the simplicity of understanding one's limits, accepting those limits, even, while seeking to go beyond them.  David rides deep, slingshot in hand, despite this seemingly impossible task.  He is ready to confront that which he should not be able to defeat.  Circumstance has brought him to this point.  David will face Goliath.

That, in my mind, is true art if art is understood as a reflection of life.

*Yes, there is such a thing as a Conservative Punk.  Those boards are, in fact, generally interesting if you enjoy no-holds-barred debating - they don't exclude anyone from voicing opinions except bone fide Communists or Fascists.  Although, I admit, citing anything punk in a post that decries shouting inanities is somewhat antithetical.

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Is it just me, or is The End of Entertainment As We Know It a bit surreal? I mean, I'd take a scab job at Chrysler, Ford, or GM if I could and that's kinda like, you know, actual work.

Still, in these deeply dark days devoid of sunshine for Hollywood, the writers maintain their, ahem, 'sense of humor.' Though if this is funny, why are they getting paid at all?

Resistance to teh funnay iz teh futile.

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At the theater even, with $9 tickets, larger-than-life commercials, and all that other happy crap.  The only thing that seemed remotely worth seeing for the price was Elizabeth:  The Golden Age, but the times didn't fit our schedule - a whole three showings on a Saturday.  Instead we just went to dinner. 

Then we remembered we have a DVD player.

So, one of the complaints coming from Hollywood is people are staying home and using their "home theaters" instead of going to the theater to see movies.  Thus, Hollywood is losing profits.  Sorry, kids, I don't have a home theater - I have a television with a DVD player hooked up to it.  Granted, this swanky setup I have is passable for watching movies, but it ain't no theater.  And no "home theater" I have ever seen comes close to the experience of being in a large space with a huge screen and a sound system that would get you arrested.

It's like saying listening to a recording of a live concert is the same as being at the concert.  What a stupid thing to say.

Transformers grossed $318,346,000 domestically (plus $383,326,113 foreign) in it's 111 day run in theaters.  It's opening weekend grossed $70,502,384 with an average of $17,577 per theater.  It was made on a budget of $150,000,000.  I get that it may not be a "high concept" film - giant robots fighting each other isn't high art, of course.  Then again, perhaps the giant robot thing was just a spiffy facade for a film that does do what film is supposed to do - namely, entertain while delving into the certain basic truths of being human.

By the way, I'm guessing such creators of high art as Raphael would greatly appreciate the precision and obsessive attention to detail put into creating those giant robots.

So, we ended up at Meijers after dinner.  I saw Transformers when it came out in theaters with my brother-in-law, but Dianne hadn't.  We bought the 2-disc special edition version for less than what two tickets and two drinks would have cost us to see the unmitigated flops in theaters now.  The price really didn't matter though.  I was willing to, and did pay for the privilege of seeing it in theaters.

One of the things I think makes a good film is that transition from theater viewing to home viewing.  Movies are supposed to be larger-than-life and you inevitably lose something of that between theater and home.  Twister may have been decent in theaters, but there's really no point in watching it at home.  It's a thrill ride that loses its thrill.  I suspect the same may be true of, for instance, 300 - I've yet to buy the DVD for that reason even though I saw it twice in theaters, and loved it.

While some of the pizazz may have been lost with Transformers, it retained the other, more essential qualities.  The the theatrical destruction was toned down a bit due to the limitations of my "home theater system," but the themes that moved the story couldn't be stripped away by merely shrinking the size of the screen and speakers.  The explosions, the giant robots - all of that - nicely settled into their role as complimentary framing for what is a pretty decent story.

The second disc provided some interesting tidbits about the movie's production.  Good things must be said about a director who is willing to take a pay cut in order to keep production, or most of it, in the U.S.  More so for a Hollywood director, given current movies, who doesn't portray the U.S. military as a bunch of incompetent, slobbering goons bent on rape and pillage.  Doesn't hurt that actual off-duty military were cast as extras (including speaking roles).  Even better:  They're portrayed as capable people doing their best against seemingly unbeatable odds.  Oh yeah, and they - along with the rest of the good guys - triumph.

That being a refreshing change, a radical departure from the norm in Hollywood is a strange thing.  Who says radicalism can't be profitable?

Sure, there could be changes made, but overall the movie works.  It works so well I saw it in theaters, and will watch it many times to come at home.

Edit:  I want to point out I'm not a big Michael Bay fan.  Armageddon was OK, never saw Pearl Harbor, and The Island was, er, something.  I've never been big on horror pics either; although, it might be interesting to see what he does with The Birds - maybe.  And I just found out there's a Michael Bay website - with this post in particular where he says about the same thing I did about recreating the theater experience outside the theater.

Watching a movie on an iPod?  Lame.

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Redacted 2:  Sierra Leone and then Redacted 3:  Sudan

Actually, no.  There's no need to rip-off De Palma's brilliant title.  We'll Kill You If You Cry will work.

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Dirty Harry at Libertas jumps into the lake I was swimming in here and here.  I have nothing to add - it's a brilliant post that focuses on the power film has, and the inability of Conservatives to wield it.

But it was a means to rip-off a John Lennon line, and I couldn't pass that up.

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Moriarity at Ain't It Cool News posted a reader-submitted review of Redacted by someone who saw it in Venice.

The reviewer gave it five stars saying, "Disturbing.  This is the only word I could think of when it finished."  I sure as shit hope anyone would find this sort of thing disturbing.  No mention of whether or not the film depicts the full force of the UMCJ coming down on these bastards.  I'm guessing it doesn't since that would take away from the message.

Highlights from the review.

There is a full out rape of a young woman on camera.

The film stars are all relatively unknown which is key considering its premise - a story told from video journals of a soldier, a French documentary film maker, and an Al-Jazeera like network.

All seem like relatively normal Army guys. Mostly bored and horny. Everywhere pictures of naked women hanging on the walls. And constant talk of getting laid.

A bit further on, the film then switches back to the Americans where a car appears to be running a checkpoint. They order he car to stop but it won't. The Americans open fire and the car stops. Out comes a man trying to take his sister to the hospital as she is giving birth. The sister has been shot. The Al-Jazeera network takes over at which point we learn the woman and baby both died.

And if you were grossed out by the bathroom scene in Scarface, this one blows that way with a revenge decapitation. The sound effects used still make me flinch when thinking about them.

The movie ends with real pictures from dead civilians in Iraq including a pregnant woman who was clearly killed at a checkpoint.

The movie opens with a statement that the events pictured in this film are fictional.

If you think its a good idea we should be in Iraq, or that we have a clue and know what we are doing, then you need to see this movie. If you are opposed to the war, you still need to see this movie to see just how bad it really is.

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One of the credited producers of Brian De Palma's anti-military screed, Redacted, is Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks.  Coincidentally, Cuban is also "planning to use his media muscle to distribute Loose Change in theaters this year."

I'd start crying conspiracy, but I took my meds today.

h/t Pat Dollard

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DrewM posts about the De Palma tripe over at Ace of Spades.  The sentiment is fairly the same across the blogs I regularly read.  Frankly, it's a bit infuriating.  That he's harping on De Palma?  No, of course not.  That he's not harping on someone or some people who have the ability to at least balance the De Palmas of the world, yes.

Let's see.  AoS, HotAir, Michelle Malkin, etc. all had a huge hand in destroying that so-called immigration bill awhile back.  Why?  Because they have clout.  They have managed to rip the power to influence away from traditional media, and have used it to good effect - as evidenced by the destruction of the so-called immigration bill.  It's probably more of a curse than a blessing in the sense that they will now be expected to get accomplished other things.  But I have faith.

I have faith because getting people to not see movies is arguably a hell of alot easier than getting people to call their Congressman or Senator.  The Law of Inertia alone dictates this.  Hell, if you can get someone to write a letter to their Congressman or Senator, you can probably get people to write letters to various Hollywood types - especially those who espouse an affinity for the efforts of the U.S. military.  Something simple like:  If you claim to support our troops and their mission then, GODDAMNIT, scream it from the mountaintop because, if you haven't noticed, we're going to lose the whole thing if you don't raise your voice against your fellows in the media.

Sure, go back to Vietnam if you must.  We all know there's a whole slew of stories waiting to be told - nay - immortalized in film.  Like this:  So that Others May Live. 

Considering the current mood in DC, maybe a story about the aftermath of Vietnam - the aftermath of the U.S. once again forsaking it's sacred honor.  Here's an easy script - 2,000 words worth.

FADE IN:

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Back in 2005:  Bruce Willis to take on career-killing endeavor.  The Times Online story Libertas linked to  has moved here.  He also attended the 'Punisher's Ball' where he, according to Michael Yon,

[...] gave the most impassioned speech I can remember, using clear terms—including some well-selected profanities to describe terrorists—to express his admiration and support for the troops. Bruce’s speech was so accurate in his description of the war, and so charged with emotion, that he seemed ready to lead the troops himself back to Iraq; and they were ready to go.

Thirty-three years after his death, during one of the bloodiest days of the Vietnam War, Air Force Para-rescue Jumper William H. Pitsenbarger is awarded the Medal of Honor after a young Washington bureaucrat and fellow veterans of Operation Abilene get Congress to reconsider the legacy of his sacrifice. From a true story.

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