19 HALLOWEEN? I HARDLY KNOW HER
Hi everyone! I hope you’re all doing well and surviving the annual adjustment into deep autumnal weather. Out of curiosity, is it just me who’s had a lifelong belief that winter - as in the season of winter - starts in November? I mean, it makes sense. November is the month where the weather changes. Anyway, if so, we’re wrong! I was today years old when I discovered that Autumn runs right through until the 22nd of December! Who’d have thought (If any possible future employers are reading this, please let me assure you that despite what I may have just written, I’m genuinely quite capable).
Anyhow, perhaps it’s the change in weather that’s been the cause of my recurring shark attack dreams. In these nightmares, I’ve duck-dived to the seafloor, when suddenly, out of the blue (literally), a nasty-looking great white shark races towards me and gobbles me up. I then wake up in a cold sweat. According to Google, there are several possible reasons for them: they’re a warning about a situation/person that is going to bring me harm or betray me in my “waking life”; they indicate difficulties and ill luck; they’re sent from the spirit world to warn me of “pending dangers”. Personally, I think that my recent Blue Planet binges could be to blame. But, if any friends/family are reading this and are plotting to betray me in some malicious way, my unconscious is one step ahead and I’ll be ready (for what, I’m not quite sure).
Other than that, the past two weeks have been pretty uneventful and my life remains as insipid as it was before. The BBC haven’t offered me the role of political editor, I haven’t won the lottery, I’ve not become an Olympic-level skater and Cillian Murphy hasn’t knocked on my door asking to listen to music with me. However, I did visit Cam in Bristol and we had a crazy Halloween weekend! (we cycled to Bath and made a Rogan Josh from scratch - not at the same time). This was the first year since I was 16 that I haven’t celebrated Halloween. Aside from feeling old and an overwhelming sense of melancholy, it was a relief to not have the stress of sorting a last-minute attempt at a costume, just for everyone just to ask, “what are you meant to be dressed as?”
I’ve always hated Halloween. I’m aware that in saying that I come across as a bit of a fun-sponge, but Halloween is like New Years Eve: only 1 in every 4 is actually enjoyable. The other 3 just fall into the category of being overhyped and over-planned. We all know that the best nights are accidental or spontaneous, whereas occasions like Halloween, New Years Eve and dare I say it… Christmas… we get psyched-up all year and then the day comes and slowly deflates like a malfunctioning, fartless, whoopee cushion. Anyway, according to my statistics, I would’ve had a terrible Halloween this year as 2022’s was a triumph. Furthermore, based on my theory, I should miss the next two Halloweens and return with vengeance in 2026 - see you all there!
So instead of celebrating Hallows’ Eve, Cam and I went to watch Martin Scorsese’s new film, Killers of the Flower Moon. Now, I quite enjoy reading film reviews so I thought I’d attempt my own. Titled Vague Reviews for spoiler evasion purposes, lets welcome a new feature that may pop up in the blogs every now and then, when my life is simply that dull I feel the need to turn to the world of cinema for content conpensation. Feedback is welcome!
VAGUE REVIEWS: Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
Whilst Scorsese’s new screenplay was certainly too long (no film should ever be over three hours), the narrative proved absorbing, shedding light on a real-life subject I had no previous knowledge of thanks to my somewhat ignorant, certainly white, sheltered existence. Of course however, I’m aware that historical accuracy in cinema can often be misleading, so I made sure to watch with caution.
In essence, the film follows the dispossession of oil fields – and the subsequent headrights - of the Native American Osage people through a series of sinister marriages and horrible murders. Lead actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, was as brilliant as ever portraying Ernest Burkhart, the dense nephew of crime lord William King Hale, played by Robert De Niro - the most successfully unvaried actor in the history of acting. Controversial, I know.
For me though, Lily Gladstone’s performance was standout. Gladstone, who herself was raised on an Indian Reservation, portrayed the character of Mollie, a head-rights owner whose life takes a dramatic turn once married to Ernest Burkhart. Given Gladstone’s personal background, I think it's possible that she may have brought a unique and heartfelt element to her role, making her portrayal of Mollie extremely impactful and truthfully, validating the acclaim I’m sure its likely to receive at the awards.
Overall, considering the historical context, Scorsese's latest film proved fascinating and worth a cinema-visit for its beautiful cinematography. Though admittedly, similar to Scorsese’s 2019 film The Irishman, I doubt I’ll spend another 3 hours rewatching Killers of the Flower Moon. Personally, I think he should consider a new editor…
THE BIWEEKLY JAMS
Now time for yet another feature – the Biweekly Jams! As per, the Biweekly Jams feature consists of me choosing three songs that I recommend you guys give a listen (even if they’re already familiar to you!).
Last week, I made a foolish and arguably criminal statement. You may be wondering, “which one? you say so many!” Well, lets rewind to this particularly silly sentence:
“I often find that layering music with speak-singing, or ‘sprechgesang’ as it’s more commonly referred to, can be pretty awful to listen to”
After rereading my blog and skimming through my Spotify collection, I realised that this was in fact an extremely bold declaration, which in hindsight, I regret writing given I like so many songs using the sprechgesang style. So, to atone for this sin, I’ve chosen three more sprechgesang style songs this week.
“Talking Reality Television Blues” – Tom Jones (2021). A cover of singer-songwriter Todd Snider’s song of the same name, “Talking Reality Television Blues” is a gem among Tom Jones’ extensive music collection. Within the sprechgesang style, this song is also written in Talking Blues, a form of folk and country music characterised by rhythmic speech, a free melody, and a strict rhythm. The narrative follows the development and progression of the television and its influence on people over the years. NME labelled the song ‘Radiohead-esque’, so, if like me, you’re enormous Radiohead and Tom Jones fans, this is a find for you.
“The Jackal” – Ronny Jordan, Dana Bryant (1993). Known for being an integral part of the acid jazz movement, guitarist Ronny Jordan’s collaboration with Dana Bryant has been in a crucial piece of my Spotify playlists for some years. Bryant’s smooth storytelling of an illustrious ex-boyfriend (The Jackal), accompanied by an effortless Ronny Jordan, makes it an incredibly satisfying piece of music and well worth the seven minute listen. Oh, and I also recommend the whole album!
“Ride”- Joe Unknown (2021). As a relatively new artist, Joe Unknown, as the name suggests, is largely unknown. So, I’ll concentrate on the song by summarising it in three words: manic, unrestrained, punk. Essentially, “ride” is an animated, messy ramble and is one of those songs where, without sounding too pretentious, you can really feel his energy. Though it may not be to everyone’s taste, it’s a great piece of music! Shoutout to my brother Adrian for introducing me to this track!
Unfortunately (or fortunately), I haven’t much more to say, so, if you’ve made it this far, I’m both surprised and honoured. Thanks for reading! Appreciate the support as usual :)
