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I needed a break from all the Aqua Teen Hunger Force episodes. Going through Glath Video’s archives, I was taken in by Metalocalypse:

[Metalocalypse] follows the exploits of the part-American/part-Scandinavian metal band Dethklok… They enjoy a popularity level unheard of in reality, being “the twelfth largest economy on Earth.” They are so popular that their fans will do anything their songs tell them, even if it means death (source)

For someone who occasionally listened to death metal during the 90s, this is one helluva treat. Pity that I don’t know anyone else who could find the humor and in-jokes  in the series.

Had a glorious second viewing of Mizoguchi’s Ugetsu on DVD; the first happened several years ago in college, with the first Eiga Sai series at the UP Film Center.

Anyone who champions the Akira Kurosawa filmography must see this, to wash their pallete from the sheer amounts of testosterone in almost all things Kurosawa did. Mizoguchi made films with women as the key characters, and based on Ugetsu, he does this unspeakably well.

Plotwise, I don’t remember seeing anything that seamlessly fused realism and fantasy at this genius-level. This elegantly points out why CGI -or even color!- doesn’t make a fantasy-oriented film more potent than anything else in the genre.

Read Noel Vera’s review of this 1953 Japanse opus here.

(video source)

Drop a comment if you see this on TV. It’s been reportedly submitted already to MYX for airplay.

Again, see you at their last gig on April 12, Saguijo in Makati.

There’re a lot of things going on for Japanese film Linda Linda Linda (IMDB entry, trailer), but lets start first with a scene from it (took the lead from Greencine, who mentioned that it was the 2006 favorite among Japanese movie site Midnight Eye readers):

Then: there’s the next song, the official video of the first song, the original from The Blue Hearts, James Iha writing the film score, a very catchy single from the band’s bassist (actual pro-musician), the drummer being Noriko from Battle Royale, the guitarist being hot, and the twenty-something Korean frontwoman being a photographer.

MUST. SEE. THIS.

I AM CURRENTLY VIEWING THIS!

Will be writing a proper review soon.

Read the review of Linda Linda Linda here.

It has happened countless times before, but I’ve had the intention to be an active daily blog poster this week, since everything else around me decided to stay put and do/be nothing.

Some personal highlights:

• I won’t be going to the US for company-sponsored training any time soon. Details end here.
• Site re-design AGAIN. I’ve always liked what the 3 column layout does to efficiently order content, and ads. I just wish I had the time and pratical know-how to optimize this. Alex King’s site was the ultimate convincing factor.

In photography:

• The cameras I put up to sell are both sold. Thanks Jill and Ronald.
• I was advised to try to get the old family camera I’ve never seen used repaired. Its an all-auto rangefinder camera, the Minolta Hi-Matic F. Its not in the best condition, but Flickr buddy Gary has an impressive set of what this camera can do.
  
• I mentioned the Sigma DP1 digital camera to the RFilipinas, and most were impressed as to how sweet and rangefinder-y it looked. But, even if the Imaging Resource guys tell you it is -even if the Sigma representative doesn’t correct the interviewer- IT IS NOT A RANGEFINDER CAMERA, dammit (YouTube link). They did cover everything else quite nicely though, including the gargantuan Sigma APO 200-500mm F2.8 EX DG lens (YouTube link) I posted about before.

In music:

• I bought CDs of local artists who I wholeheartedly believe deserve support: Paramita, Sound, and Up Dharma Down. Yes, sirs, this is, admittingly, after repeated listening to their songs as downloaded mp3s.
• Rachael Yamagata’s 2004 album Happenstance is record of the week. Lyn, this is your fault.
• The list of post-rock records I’m listening to now is ridiculously long, but I still can’t get over Explosions in the Sky’s All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone record. Watch them perform everyone’s fave song from the album:
  

In cinema:

• Nothing. I’m keeping up with old Aqua Teen Hunger Force (ATHF!) episodes though, anticipating the movie.

In tech, and the internets:

• Still on XP at home, not properly set up for Vista yet, and I’m waiting for the April 19 release of Ubuntu’s Feisty Fawn, before I multi-boot again. Hopefully, with sound (I don’t get sound by default with the Dapper Drake LiveCD with the current rig).
• ZeFrank’s last show will be released tomorrow. Must-watch.