One Christmas Song - Gaudete

Traditional 16th century

The first classical piece I want to talk about for this series. Gaudete is a song that has always resonated with me on multiple levels and is what I point people in the direction of when they complain about boring old fashioned carols.

It is a deeply religious piece but then it is a carol of celebration. Not a modern vapid song about a nebulas Christmas spirit. It has it’s meaning plain it the title. Gaudete. It means Rejoice; and the carol tells us why we should.

Well it tells you if you know a bit of Latin I suppose. Even with a simple grasp on Latin the chorus is easy to understand. For the rest of it as with a lot of the traditional carols it is both in praise of and informative about the birth of Jesus.

Tempus adest gratiæ

Hoc quod optabamus,

Carmina lætitiæ

Devote reddamus.

So which version to listen to? The is the famous rendition by Steeleye Span but that has never sat with me quite right, I prefer a version by a choir. Preferably a mix of male and female soloists, with each verse in a different voice. It adds to the feeling of many people sharing the story.

With a song this old it is perhaps wrong to say the is a correct way it should be preformed. The are many takes on it that I like; from all male voice choirs to children and acapella. Though just the one strong voice for the verses and a good group for the chorus works best.

Deus homo factus est

Natura mirante,

Mundus renovatus est

A Christo regnante.

I'm not the biggest celebrant of Christmas but this is one song that never fails to put me in the right mood. And to be fair this has become more of a song to be sung before christmas. Traditionally it is sung on the third Sunday of advent with is also known as Gaudete Sunday and the first of the Sunday that look towards the coming of Christ. (the first two looks towards his second coming)

It is the first song of the season that I listen to. I hate the trend of starting Christmas early. I don’t even like having the tree up until a few day before Christmas. As a song this fits into the time frame to begin preparing myself mentally for the season to come. And it is a season, it last weeks after the day its self.

Ezechielis porta

Clausa pertransitur,

Unde lux est orta

Salus invenitur.

The one way that this song appeals to me is in my taste for rock and metal music. I have with the help of this song developed a love for symphonic metal. The are so many similarities between the two types of music and the overlap in the skill required is large. It is no surprise that some of the Rock greats have been classically trained, and if you dig into a lot of classical pieces the are some very rock-like themes.

It just comes down to liking uplifting heavy music more than any other type. And if the is no better time of year than winter for uplifting music. And again music with a story and a meaning is what I prefer and this has both along with a very catchy tune.

Ergo nostra concio

Psallat iam in lustro;

Benedicat Domino:

Salus Regi nostro.

While I do appreciate many kinds of music I have my loves and this fits squarely into it. It is my herald of Christmas time, it sets the tone of how I celebrate.

Gaudete, gaudete!

Christus est natus

Ex Maria virgine,

gaudete!

2017 Film Log [December]

This is going top be a good one. INDEX

01. Dark City (01.12.17)
The is so much going on, and amazingly it is only brought down in a few places by it's 98 era effects. I love the setting and story, the subdued acting works well and it ties together to make for a distinctive and compelling film.

02. Captain America - Civil War (02.12.17)
Yes again. Such a good film and a few points fell into place, the is time for the requisitioning of help for the big fight. So no plot hole there.

03. The Animatrix - Final Flight of the Osiris [short] (03.12.17)
A hole filler fore the second Matrix film but it has nice characterization. The CG is showing its age but it has the polish to hold up. I have seen the Matrix films a lot but this will be my first viewing of the animated shorts.

04. Alice in Wonderland (05.12.17)
Well that was delightful. For 1903 the were some clever in camera tricks used. Short but it follows the narrative. Though if you were unaware of the story i'm not sure how much sense it would make. It's a shame the version I saw had no music.

05. Pixels (06.12.17)
Even with no sound on the film is barely tolerable. Watched with a commentary track, two guys being funny and mad at the film helped a bit. How can a film be this bad.

06. The Autopsy of Jane Doe (08.12.17)
This is how you make a effective horror film. Very small scale and very very creepy. The were different ways this could have gone and in the end the plot was solid. Very good acting and direction. The procedure was one of the more unsettling parts.

07. The Animatrix - The Second Renaissance [short] (09.12.17)
A look into the history of the world as known from the time of the Matrix. Very stylised but I could have done without the recreations of iconic moments from our history but now with robots. A few were very on the nose.

08. Battle Angel (10.12.17)
Classic 90s anime. I was intrigued after seeing the trailer for Alita: Battle Angel so I gave this a go. Very interesting setting and plot. Like most OVAs of the era it could have done with being a tad bit longer. I may see if I can give the Manga a look.

09. The Animatrix - Kid's Story [short] (11.12.17)
Watanabe gives the Matrix his own twist. Very cool style even if the action animations is daft. This hits the side of the matrix that for me is the crux. The perception of real.

10. Star Wars - The Force Awakens (13.12.17)
2 years on and its still a compelling watch. It flows so well and the pay-offs are so damn good. Not long to wait now for the next one, if it is anywhere near as good as this I will be happy.

11. Star Wars - The Last Jedi [cinema] (14.12.17)
It's different. They try hard to twist and turn things in ways that could work but then go another way, which luckily also dose work. Fun and engaging and I can't think where this is going next. It will be loved and hated but I think it works with only a few minor gripes.

12. Tekkonkinkreet (15.12.17)
I'm lost. It was odd and captivatingly beautiful. I don't know what the plot was or how it all fits together but the ride was good. For so perspective the title translates to 'steel reinforced concrete' but as if wrongly pronounced by a child. 

13. Ruka (The Hand) (17.12.17)
A subversive anti propaganda film from 1965 Czechoslovakia. It wasn't even banned until after the creators death a few years later. Though not on the nose it it clear in its meaning.

14. War for the Planet of the Apes (20.12.17)
Up there as one of the best trilogy. Very very good film. I love how the shift in focus over the films went from humans to apes. The apes were enough to carry this film and the ties to the originals were very well thought out. Next year I will have to re-watch all the originals i think.

15. Street of Crocodiles [short] (21.12.17)
Or 'nightmare fuel' would be a fitting title. Its good but a little bit strange. Going from vaguely interesting to very freaky to end on a pure mental note. I'm not sure what to think but it is very very interesting.

16. Dunkirk (22.12.17)
It was like a clever poem. The film structure is very unconventional but it works so well. The tension and pacing is always great and the story works by connecting all the levels together into a very strong narrative. Nolan is a genius and this is one of his best. It also doesn't feel the need to give too much about the event it shows enough for its story.

17. C'était un Rendez-vous [short] (23.12.17)
Recommended by Jeremy Clarkson on the latest episode of The Grand Tour. Very cool concept and very well executed. I like it when films have long shots and this one being just one must have been tricky to pull off.

18. Reservoir Dogs (27.12.17)
A masterpiece of story telling and character interactions.

19. Rambo 3 (30.12.17)
Like a paint by numbers were they got board of the small fiddly bits. It rushes what could have been a solid first act. then it is a standard action film structure. It hits the beats but none of it is deserved. Could be fun but the action is too over the top to be.

So the year ends, A slow one but the were some good films. No breakdown this year but I want to focus one the best. Of the month by a hair Dunkirk. The best of the year is Blade Runner 2049. I talked why is my last post of the year. Same again next year?

2017 Film Log [November]

November!!! Here is the INDEX

01. Junk Head [short] (02.11.17)
All made by one guy! This is great is feels so immersive and creepy. I love the style and though some bits were dodgy it adds to the charm. Nice story the I could very easily see and a game by Play Dead in this vain.

02. Captain America - The Winter Solider (13.11.17)
The best Marvel film? Perhaps the are ones that are more fun but this for drama and action is up there. It flows well and the plot makes sense with enough going on for it to be compelling.

03. Doctor Strange (24.11.17)
A solid film, not a retread of Iron Man like some say. It flows better then I remembered and the acting is great. The villain always gets left behind but at least he did seem strong enough to be a threat.

04. Cowboy Bebop - Knockin' on Heavens Door (27.11.17)
Just shy of being a masterpiece. It's look and feel with the music evoke so much but the story should be better. Watanbe is great but like some of his newer stuff it lacks in the plotting department. The story works bu the needed to be some connecting tissue in the first act. I love the film it feels like a long episode of the show. (I need to re-watch that sometime)

05. Next Floor [short] (28.11.17)
Fantastic. Denis Villeneuve is one of the most stylish directors around. I just enjoyed it I don't want to over analyse the themes its just very well made and a bit bonkers.

A very busy month with a lot of distractions but the were a few moments to watch a film. Best, Knockin' on Heavens Door. I will be seeing more next month.

One Song - ‘39 [Queen]

Track 5 ‘Night at the Opera’

Written by Brian May

Released 1975

Queen was for the longest time In my early teens my go to music. I would always say that they were my favourite and the best song of all time is Bohemian Rhapsody. Times change and so do tastes, we hear and experience new and different things. After all of this time is Queen still the best?

I’m not sure I consider any song to be the best of all time any longer. Yes Queen are great but I haven't listened to them with any kind of obsession in years. But when I put a song on I love them. Now I love to listen to some of the lesser known stuff or things that are less played; ‘Las Palabras de Amor’ and ‘Spread your wings’ for example. The is a song that I heard for the first time maybe five years ago and it has stuck with me more than most.

In the year of '39 assembled here the Volunteers

In the days when lands were few

Here the ship sailed out into the blue and sunny morn

The sweetest sight ever seen.

‘39 is a strange title for a song and with the first listen is is odd. Not only the style but the fact that the singer is Brian May. The song is so atypical to the most well know Queen works no Freddy belting out the words no complex music and the folky style. But it works. It is very well preformed by all sides. And then the is its story to unpack.

I love the style and May’s voice is so under rated. It sells the story and the emotion through the lyrics. ‘Your mother's eyes from your eyes cry to me’. So many layers and preformed with empathy. Queen had no qualms about doing things differentially it is why they have something for everyone and this style may not have been repeated but I am glad they did it here. Wile it seems to sell the story in one direction it exist and another entirely.

In the year of '39 came a ship in from the blue

The volunteers came home that day

And they bring good news of a world so newly born

Though their hearts so heavily weigh

The story is basic but with a deeper layer to understand, it is told strait forward and simply. But only makes sense when you understand that it is a science fiction story. The larger world is hinted at but it is a simple tail about some astronauts looking for a new world. They return after a year to find 100 years have passed at home (or is it longer?). It is both happy and sad, their job was successful but they lost time with their loved ones.

Time as we know it is relative, it is shaped by you and your surroundings. The speed at which you go through life is not constant in more ways than one, you have the time to spend with your loved ones if you so choose. Time is powerful but it bends and it is this bend that hits the hardest in the song. Like in Interstellar or Alien space travel is the great separator, taking time and displacing us from it.

For the earth is old and grey, little darling we'll away

But my love this cannot be

For so many years have gone though I'm older but a year

Your mother's eyes from your eyes cry to me.

The are perhaps deeper things at play here. Time can be lost, it happens all the time in sleep and in the rush of life but what can be bought with that lost time. Should we pity them? Praise them but yes they have lost in such a hard way. Queen had songs with messages of many kinds, some were face on like ‘Scandal’ but many are more than they seem. That is just one reason why they are still my favourite.

The themes of loss are clear but that loss is the cost to give hope to your descendants.

Save the world for them, not for us.

For my life

Still ahead

Pity Me.

2017 Film Log [October]

October, I actually have a horror film or two saved up from this month. Oh and Blade Runner and Thor in the cinema. Much to look forward to. There is the Year INDEX.

01. Blade Runner (01.10.17)
The Final Cut. I don't know which scene is the best. I would have said the tears in rain speech if asked yesterday but what hit me hardest toady was the confrontation with Tryell. It is played so well by both actors and is the harsh but final end for Roy Batty. His look in the lift after is pitch perfect. I can't wait fr the new film and if it is even close to this masterpiece it will be great.

02. Blade Runner - 2049 Nexus Dawn [short] (02.10.17)
The second short chronologically Setting up the bad guy? the new replicants are here and so is the charismatic man that made them. It setts the world up nicely going forward. for glorified ads these are great.

03. Blade Runner - 2048 Nowhere to Run [short] (02.10.17)
The is something imposing about Dave Bautista. I think he is the one wrestler turned actor who has any kind of range, he shoes some of it here but its his way with action that has me excited for the new film. He has a way of showing weight to the actions other actors can't. Good short and these have been a fantastic way to sell and new film.

04. Blade Runner 2049 [cinema] (05.10.17)
Bold, beautiful and loud. This is how a sequel can work. I love the settings the plot and the world. It is obvious in hindsight how to up the stakes in the mythos but it caught me so off guard it floored me. The cg is life like and it just works. The are interesting themes and ones that run deeper. Not much retreading of old ground it made its own perfect path.

05. Paths of Hate [short] (07.10.17)
Smooth and very well directed animation, the dog fight is great but the story that builds is fantastic. I like how it goes through ups and downs with the big crack coming at the loss of what they both are fighting for. You can feel the hate they have for each other.

06. The Sixth Sense (08.10.17)
Oh how i wish I hadn't had this spoiled for me. I remember when it came out and all that I heard about was I see dead people. The twist is very well done and works when it is known. Great acting and a solid film.

07. Wonder Woman (09.10.17)
I'm not sure, it is a good film but I have a few issues. My main one is kind of strange, I don' t like how they characterised Ludendorff. Using a real person as the medium for a fantastical bad guy is strange. The story works but again I found the time frame and setting to be strange but that because I am familiar with the in and out of the end of the great war. The were too many liberty's taken for my liking but it is still the best modern DC film.

08. Psycho (13.10.17)
Not sure I have seen much Hitchcock before. Being Friday the 13th in October I wanted to watch a horror film tonight and this is one I had wanted to watch for a while. I love the clarity of the film and the shine that comes through, the eyes are very distinct. A very solid plot and I'm glad I didn't have this spoiled for me. The end monologue is very very good.

09. Codehunters [short] (14.10.17)
Like a superhero team up this has a lot of style in getting the people together. The action was good and I love the aesthetic. A bit lacking in story but it is leaves me wanting more. Made for MTV the may be more to this.

10. The Red Turtle (15.10.17)
Art. You could take any part of this film and hang it in a art gallery. A Ghibli co production and in keeps with their style of not having a plot just a story. No words were needed the sight and music made this film special. One of the best and most beautiful works of art.

11. Blade II (16.10.17)
Competent if very by the numbers. Though to be fair it did some of the first maths for the genre.

12. Paranorman (20.10.17)
It is the shell you place around the story skeleton that makes it work. Here is is patchy in places but where it is good it shines. The animation as expected by Laika is great and so is the voice acting. Funny and suitably creepy, not quite as good as Coraline but that did have Gaiman's hand in it.

13. Hannibal (25.10.17)
Charming and creepy. Well shot and well acted, the story was simple but the was enough there for all parties. Good enough to follow in the foot steps of 'Silence of the Lambs'.

14. Thor: Ragnrok [cinema] (27.10.17)
Funny and punchy. It moves the greater plot along while being a good self contained story. Things have changed and they have gotten funny. Most of the gags land but they undermine too many big moments with a joke. It looks awesome from the saturated colours to the renaissance painting like aspect to some shots. Great overall.

15. Little Heart [short] (29.10.17)
Nice little story, nothing new as such but mostly well made. The was a very dodgy music edit and I don't think the dolls faces fit in with the design. Solid but not great.

16. Oldboy (30.10.17)
The Second of the vengeance trilogy and it has a very interesting premise. One of the best fight scenes put to film and a damn ugly ending. It is a great film but not for someone with a weak heart. 


Blade Runner 2049 no contest! A very strong month.

2017 Film Log [September]

Into Autumn. INDEX

01. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (02.09.17)
Still great. The second time 'The Chain' hits is one of the the best Marvel moments. Faster paced than I remembered but its good. Hard to choose which of the Guardians films are better.

02. The Inglorious Bastards (03.09.17)
Tarantino has a certain charm, a damn ugly charm but very visceral. I love the build ups in this film, they take their time and set things out and stretch out the tension finely. The explosions that come after are glorious.

03. Draw With Me [Short] (04.09.17)
A powerful and beautiful short. I love the art and story.

04. Drawn With Me: I love you. [Short] (04.09.17)
A squeal as such but with a simple story told in a cute way. Much more developed that the last but it has more time to play with. The lack of sound is odd but it kid of works.

05. Rogue One (06.09.17)
A great connecting film. The bigging is a bit to jumpy but it soon settles down and becomes a very well shot film. The effects are beautiful and the endings give me shivers.

06. POLYBIUS - The Video Game That Doesn't Exist (08.09.17)
Another great documentary by Stuart Brown of Ahoy. A look in t the making of modern legends and some of the length people will go to propagate them. Some very cool detective work and reasoning. As always the style and quality is far above some TV shows.

07. 12 Monkeys (09.09.17)
A compelling and very well crafted time travel story. I like this type of story that has all of the parts that need to slide together. Some very cool moments and the settings and character types are very unusual. I love it to bits.

08. La Jetée [Short] (10.09.17)
The French short film that has had major influences on sifi films. In fact the are so many things lifted from this that made it into 12 Monkeys. Very cool film the stills and music make for a unnerving watch. I had issues finding a version to watch and had to settle for a English voice over but I have also seen the original to soak in the atmosphere.

09. Pi (11.09.17)
I love the strong contrast back and white style. The music is very distinctive and like in Requiem for a Dream the main track is iconic. The theme of being destroy by your desire to achieve the goal is deep and is shown through several angles. I also like the clash and symmetry in the modern big business verses religion. Such a great film that I could get something out of time after time, like all of  Aronofsky's films. Side note I've done some look into the film and I've come across so much I will have to blog about this one. Including a huge coincidence where life imitates art.

10. Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (18.09.17)
A artistically brutal film. Some dark humour and farce thrown in for good measure. So many bad choices and all of the tragedy that follows the film around make for a tough watch at times. The direction is stunning and the acting is fantastic. The main charter is interesting and his disability's are show well. Park Chan Wook is a very compelling writer and directer up there with some of the best.

11. Finding Dory (20.09.17)
Finding Nemo came out at a time when Pixar was unstoppable. they have hit bumps since but this film is up there with their best. I prefer the first one but this film work on so may levels. Fun thoughtful and very well made.

12. Fantastic Mr. Fox (22.09.17)
The is no doubt that Wes Anderson is a great film maker and that this is a brilliant film, but, the is something about it that is odd. I love the style and even the quirky dialogue. Perhaps its because this is my favourite Roald Dahl story. I have memory's of listening to it on tape over and over when I was young. The story changes work for the film but the book captures the fell better.

13. Memories of Murder (23.09.17)
My foray into south Korean films continues. This is a film that has been on my list since I saw this video and it sure lived up to the praise. Dark and funny but with a solid core of humanity that runs through. Seeing people changed by the world is hard and when it is due to murder it is moor so. The ending confrontation after the last body is found is powerful.

14. Silent Movie (24.09.17)
A bit of a cheat when its the music that makes this film work as well as it dose. Why pass up on a easy joke when you could do it is such a over the top way? Very well acted and the stunts were top notch. Mel Brookes has his style and it works here without coming off as forced.

15. Noitamina Poulette's Chair [short] (25.09.17)
Mostly montage but is coveys a lot of character in a small amount of time and in a object. Not sure what if any message is behind the film but it looks and flows nicely. Very well made and touching at times.

16. Imperfect [Short] (26.09.17)
A very well shot and scripted noir. It didn't need the sifi elements just the juxtaposition of the main charter worked well. It looks very cool and the eyes are captivating.

17. Blade Runner - Blackout 2022 [short] (27.09.17)
A prequel tot the new film but made by the great Shinichirō Watanabe (I must re watch Coyboy Bebop). So many thematic call backs to the original but not so much it out shows the story. Very cool idea and it makes scene that it would be the next step in the world.

18. Brian & Charles [short] (28.09.17)
Dark and depressing but with a underling hummer that is common in a lot of British humour. Only a few issues with is, what is the conceit with having the camera as a charter? The story was predicable but it did work well.

19. Ghost in the Shell (29.09.17)
The new live action version. It felt like GinS but i have issues with the changes they made to the Major; like in Arise she was new but even less skilled. She is meant to be satisfied in her being not questioning her existence, her troubles are deeper than that (what is a person and can a ghost be digitised). The plot was ok if almost a greatest hits of the films with some Stand Alone Complex throne in as well. Looked good but some of the back drops wont age well. Solid a sequel could work if they focused on the deeper stuff.

20. Children of Men (30.09.17)
The sound design in the last act was phenomenal. Such a cool concept with so many thought paths to go down. Very well made film and I liked all of the touches that showed it was the future. A tatted London 2012 hoody for example (the film came out in 06) Touching if a little disconnected at times but over all great. Oh and nice use of Court of the Crimson King.

Full month this one. Best? Pi I think.

Suddenly Autumn!

This seasons change has come in early this year. The feel of the air, the hint of cool rain and the dull day ending early. It all feels very autumnal.

Leaves have begun to turn and some of the sun sets over the last weeks have been stunning. To add feel my neighbour has spent the day taking down several tall conifers. The sound of the chainsaw in the distance mixed with the sound of chickens and wild birds paint a setting to be enjoyed.

All of this has only just dawned on me. I have been a bit distracted sine I came back from down south for a week. The hint of autumn has just caught me off guard as I was watering the garden. It likely will be a job I wont need to do much of soon and very likely one of the last times I do it in shorts and flip flops.

 

 Rail to Nowhere

 I have been back just shy of a week and my sleep has just about caught back up. The time has been a blur from working on over a 1000 photos from the week away to spending my birthday in Sheffield with some mates and catching up on the world as a whole.

I like going away with cadets but time gets very disconnected. Even if the is signal the is not much time to spent browsing the net. It is very odd to come back and to see what has changed. It puts some things into perspective, just how much media do I need to consume?

Things are getting back to normal, or probably a new normal. A few changes can't be bad. I have done well this year but the is always room for improvement.

Too Old For This

A small side note, I am very excited for a new season of the fantastic 'Within the Wires' podcast. The first season was only ten episodes but the conceit was awesome and the story was so impressively told. This second is looking to go off in a different direction but from the promos it sounds good.

Staying on the theme of upcoming story's; Brandon Sanderson's ‘Oathbringer’ is out in a month or two and the previews are getting me very excited. The Stormlight books are some of the best high Fantasy I have read and I can’t wait to get it into my hands. Though I'm not sure If my shelf can handle another book of its size.

Ending

Autumn my favourite time of the year. Be it on a nice sunny afternoon or a dull windy atmospheric day it all evokes nice feelings. I love the feel of being outsize be it urban or rural it just feels nice when you have the right frame of mind to enjoy nature.

I must spend more time away from my desk.