Posts by Lisa Davis46

Peter Hammill, man...
this album is something else.
🙏 😍

redbear12, I'm glad you liked it and that it reminded you of Julia Holter. I just had to share it—she's amazing.

from the selection:

Peter Hammill - Over
I honestly shouldn't have even hesitated while voting, since this is one of my absolute favorites. Even though I figured there was zero chance, I really hope it stays on the list somehow... I wouldn't have dared to suggest 'Over' specifically, though. I try to avoid suggesting my all-time favorites from certain artists because I never know what to say about them. It's hard to stay objective when you love something that much... so I'm pretty curious to see what Arthur Brown6 writes in the intro.

Rei Harakami - Colors of The dark
I absolutely loved this today! I listened to it a few times, along with another one of his, 'Wasuremono'. Just beautiful, calming Japanese electronica and minimalism. It reminded me of something. I'm hoping for a tie! Maybe I should dig up some of his earlier stuff too.

Morphine are great; I love 'Good', but 'Cure for Pain' is definitely my favorite. Brian Eno has plenty of better, more important albums out there; this one is okay, I guess, but it didn't really grab me... I couldn't get to Valentino Bošković today, wasn't really feeling it, but I will when I get a chance. It's cool that there's a new album out! And Car - The Waking hour are interesting. That's about it. There's more, but I haven't had time to go through everything like I usually try to. Oh, and I missed Prince too. Maybe tomorrow...

...Alright, here it is, finally.

Just a quick heads-up, the poll stays open for 24 hours after it's posted.

Julia Holter - have you in my Wilderness ( 2015)



I just gave this a spin yesterday. I needed something new, and I’d honestly never heard of Julia Holter before... but man, she blew me away after just a few listens. It’s rare to hear such intuitive vocal work in modern music. 'Lucette' was a total revelation for me, especially the live izvedba.

+

Julia Holter sings here of a woman that wakes up on a Balearic island, badly wounded and strewn with cactus leaves. As the song proceeds, she explores the woman's flickering consciousness.

The song is based on a minor character fra a Colette short Story.
(...)
"I was interested in the state of waking up from being unconscious in an unknown place. I wanted to make a song that was kind of grotesque that captures that moment of confusion and gradually the mind gets to remember what happens, and you start to see things emerge more clearly."

Not to mention, I was pleasantly surprised to find this album inspired by my favorite Scott Walker track from 'Scott 4'—which has basically been on my daily rotation for the last month. Because of that, everything about this felt incredibly natural to me yesterday and today. I don't even know if it's actually that good or if I'm just imagining things (and that's saying something, since you really need to hear this track with fresh ears, early in the morning, to get the full experience).

Uh, this is actually a really solid set.

I'm waiting on one more suggestion since I'm holding onto the last one myself, even though I hadn't planned on it.
So, hurry up if anyone had something in mind. 🙂

Dennis Hall41 said:Did you know about this?

Nah, first time seeing this! Thanks... I wish there was live footage, but there isn't.
The Thin White Duke persona isn't captured well here. At least there's a film. 😍

'Young Americans' is its own thing entirely...

Dennis Hall41 said:When it was...
This was my first encounter with Bowie, back in the early '90s. I think it was around
(...)
I'd give up a year of my life just to experience that afternoon again for five minutes.

This is great. You should write more often using those Proustian descriptions of sights and smells. 😁

I've been stuck on NP for a few days now,
thin white duke... 😍

When I first discovered this album, I listened to nothing else for maybe ten days straight. Then I went out and bought the vinyl—it was actually my very first Bowie record. It’s still my favorite, and honestly, maybe one of my all-time favorites (even better than his earlier stuff, the trilogy, or 'Scary Monsters,' which is great too). You could probably analyze the lyrics of this track forever; there was enough white powder involved to fuel a small city... it's just a shame we don't have any high-quality live recordings from that era.

...title track:

station to station 🙏

...well, here we go! 🙂

Just don't forget, there's no limit on how many votes you can cast...

Look, Steven Newman50, you just aren't getting my point. 🙂 I think that was actually the whole intention, honestly. It’s kind of breaking stereotypes because the movie shows two women heading out with their own agendas (instead of just two guys), and there's a huge focus on how different their personalities are.

Marilyn seems way more insecure than Martha, even if she is a total knockout. Just because she puts on a show for the world—because that's what people expect from her—doesn't mean that's who she really is... I think it was pretty obvious in certain details. To me, Martha is actually the brave and honest one here. 🙂

Such a beautiful movie. It’s a really skillful, tense look at those sensitive teenage years full of confusion and insecurity. There are just so many emotions here that feel universal, and everything we see happens mostly beneath the surface, without needing much dialogue.

The camerawork is gorgeous, and the editing too—the transitions are really smooth. The music plays a huge role here, just like the dancing does. Whether it’s when Alan dances alone (thinking he's by himself, so he's totally free—that scene was great) or when the dance becomes a way of entering or leaving someone's personal space. Touch is such a key element; everything feels subtly erotic and sensual. Body movement is a big deal for Dennis. And the stripping is always about much more than just getting naked.

Gregoire Collin was excellent, and Alice Houin was wonderful; they clearly have this intense connection. They played brother and sister in 'Nénette et Boni' later on, too. I haven't seen that film in ages, but besides the character similarities, I remember it having that same heavy physical and emotional intimacy—the kind of intensity usually reserved for romantic partners.

With everything you guys wrote, I have a different take... I actually think it's good that that part isn't explicitly shown. It feels like Dennis is intentionally leaving it up to the viewer to decide: I also think Marlene is only experienced on the surface. While they're getting ready and doing makeup, she's just repeating what she's been told and learned to Martine. She wants to project that image to the world, maybe even to Alan, because she likes him—we see that at the start. As for the other question, since they're shown semi-clothed in the first long scene and she looks visibly tense, but then in the other scene from Martine's perspective they are completely naked, it seems to me that sex actually happened. But for her, it was either bad or painful (or both). His angry reaction and his later whining about how all girls are easy says a lot more than a purposefully blurry scene ever could.

Regarding the music, yeah, that Prince song was great; it breaks the tension in the car perfectly. And all the Animals and drone tracks are somehow the most impactful because they follow the scenes that drive the plot. I loved the moments where dancing becomes fun for Martine, just for herself, rather than for others. First, she danced with that laid-back, fun guy right before the creepy guy showed up, and after that guy's failed attempt, I specifically remember the scene with 'in the midnight hour'. 🙂

And Martine made a good choice... in the end. It's probably not a coincidence that Dennis chooses her so often. 🙂

I went to look up who else filmed in that series 'all the boys and girls of their age,' so I had to watch the third part directed by Chantal Akerman, titled 'Portrait of a Young Girl at the End of the 60s in New York'. It might be slightly weaker in the writing, but the directing is still amazing. The lead actress carries the whole thing; she's great! There's also this awesome scene involving a pretty bold theft of some vinyl records, which ties back to this week's album.

From what I can tell, the goal for the TV series was for nine different directors to make a short story about growing up during the era they themselves grew up in, provided there's at least one party and some dancing scenes. It seems like every piece is somewhat autobiographical, so it's pretty obvious who the director (was) in our film.

I really needed this today:

e a r t h
h e a r t

☼ ☽

...here it is above.

analogbear40, let's do one album per person. I'll put it under my name, just tell me which one you want.
(but you're the one writing if it actually clears... 🙂)

Definitely open this up so we aren't just sitting here waiting on you guys generically.
It doesn't need to be some massive manifesto... just a quick intro. 🙂

Anyway, if you're feeling inspired to pitch something, let's hear those suggestions! I mean, why not? It’s not like there’s a huge difference whether we have 10 or 11 albums in the rotation, and we’re sticking to the rules this time anyway: just one album per week.

With the movie of the week, those breaks and extensions didn't work out and interest just tanked. We had to draw a line last week. Honestly, it isn't fair to go to other parts of the forum to push your own picks. I think it's in everyone's best interest if we don't waste time deleting posts in the Fun section or hunting down clones. 🙂

You can keep sending in suggestions until the end of the day.

🙂
Yeah, maybe things would've gone differently.
(Though I highly doubt it.)

Honestly, this movie is the first time I've ever read about him,
but he really seemed like a wonderful guy, he just had terrible luck, I guess...

It’s not quite that simple...

I just got some verified info from a source I trust more than I should. 🙂
(I'll drop it in now.)

My take? Stojanović was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
He seems like a sensitive, level-headed guy, and he’s been an anti-war activist his whole life.
Plus, other filmmakers from that era were shooting way more provocative stuff...
without ending up behind bars.

But here's what I was told regarding why he was charged, convicted, and why nobody from the Academy could (or would dare to) back that film... it comes down to the missing parts after the bunker shot (check the censorship frame in the post above):

The issue was deeply personal. He used footage from Ljubiša Ristić's wedding—who eventually "evolved" into a JUL-ovac, Mira Marković, the wife of Slobodan Milošević—where his own parents, who were decorated veterans, were also present. He wove them into a narrative that was pretty damn provocative for the ruling party, and—boom—prison. If I remember correctly, Pavle Levi wrote about him.

I actually just got my hands on Levi's book, 'The Collapse of Yugoslavia in Film',
which covers the movie extensively, but I'll just pull this specific part:

Jessica Morris6 said:If you try to watch this as just some standard motion picture, it makes absolutely zero sense; everything feels totally incoherent and disjointed. You can barely even track the main plotline through all the other stylistic noise... The only redeeming quality here has to be Tom Gotovac's performance, because he actually carries himself with such a natural presence.
As an experimental art installation, though, it’s actually quite compelling, since most of the scenes managed to provoke some kind of visceral reaction. That said, leaning on the whole "patriots vs. rebels" trope—essentially just fishing for cheap emotional payoffs—isn't exactly groundbreaking territory...

When you step back and look at the big picture, it's an interesting piece, despite its glaring flaws.

I watched the remastered version and that definitely wasn't in there.

It’s pretty funny how you guys all jumped down my throat over one single point that I literally mentioned in the intro wasn't even verified info. But hey, at least the thread is active now. 😁

And thanks, Amanda Robinson4, for clearing up that mystery! I haven't seen the second half yet—hopefully tonight if I can actually wrap up everything else I have to do.

Jessica Morris6 said:It’s pretty clear he didn't leave much of an impression if this is his one and only shot at it. ☕
I think I'll try to sit down and actually watch it today...

Amanda Robinson4 said:The style really reminds me of Godard... especially with that way of stitching scenes together, and even the framing of the shots (that non-documentary/fiction part featuring Tom Gotovac). There’s also something about the dialogue—this casual vibe in those provocative lines that just lays bare what the director is thinking.

By layering archival footage of life under totalitarian regimes (and WW2 troops), they’ve created this really cool contrast with the scenes involving Tom Gotovac.

And honestly, I don't get why it was so controversial that the guy actually ended up in jail. I mean, I get it. But regardless, the movie is actually pretty benign, which matches what the Academy commission originally thought.

It’s experimental, and those "sexually explicit scenes" aren't even meant to be provocative in that sense... it isn't some weird thing about minors; it’s more like someone playing softcore clips on a projector in front of a kid, who isn't even paying attention, until the kid's mother walks in and starts lecturing them about letting him watch stuff like that. 😁.

All in all, it’s an interesting watch... feels more like a time capsule of an era, especially when you factor in all the drama surrounding the film itself.

Yeah, that's actually the most problematic part of this whole thing for me. And what Amanda Robinson4 mentioned in her last post too. The reality is, we're talking about a young guy who made this as his final project at the Academy, under actual mentorship. He presented it to a committee that gave him an A—the highest grade possible. It makes you wonder: why did nobody stand by him or defend the work later? Does the student just shoulder all the blame alone? At our university, they'll fail people during their final defense if a project doesn't meet every single requirement (or people just bail before the presentation). If I've got my facts straight, the guy ended up in prison twice—first back in '73 right after being convicted, and then again in the '90s after the film was cleared.

I guess it's pretty questionable whether he ever had a real shot at making anything else, or even staying in the film industry after all that... though he clearly had potential. I don't know if there's more info out there; I barely found this, from the intro.

Jessica Morris6 said:If you try to watch this as just some standard motion picture, it makes absolutely zero sense; everything feels totally incoherent and disjointed. You can barely even track the main plotline through all the other stylistic noise... The only redeeming quality here has to be Tom Gotovac's performance, because he actually carries himself with such a natural presence.
As an experimental art installation, though, it’s actually quite compelling, since most of the scenes managed to provoke some kind of visceral reaction. That said, leaning on the whole "patriots vs. rebels" trope—essentially just fishing for cheap emotional payoffs—isn't exactly groundbreaking territory...

When you step back and look at the big picture, it's an interesting piece, despite its glaring flaws.

I watched the remastered version and that definitely wasn't in there.

I’m really glad you pointed that out. That's honestly how I saw him, too. He was just... effortless.

I don't know, I'll probably get back to you once I've had a look...
🙂

and it looks like some of those music and history clips
actually have a few segments that ended up stuck in the bunker:



and just a quick reminder here—we're looking at a senior thesis.

You’re reading it fine. 😁

But look, this isn't some documentary.
I guess thinking is a crime now?

absolute perfection, pure gold:

the gift 😍😍

is the new movie of the week: imdb

just a heads up, I haven't actually finished this thing yet, just made it through the first half...
but I’ll get to the end this week, it’s pretty short. No need to go hunting for it because it's right here:
1 + 2 (looks like you need to make a profile for the second part, I guess)

so my intro is probably going to be halfway there too, but we're just starting to watch...
🙂



The main guy is Tom. He's from New York, and he takes us through the streets of Washington, D.C., where he's trying to shoot... some kind of project. Tom is a filmmaker, and he likes photography too. He steals books because he loves reading. Tom likes both women and men. He loves his body and isn't shy about showing it off, right at the start. Tom is sensitive, hates authority, religion, and all those different ideologies, but he's a likable, smart provocateur. The story he tells feels pretty close to what we're dealing with today. It might not be a masterpiece or anything, but it seems thoughtful and fun enough.

Besides following Tom's life stories—which is probably semi-autobiographical—the movie includes documentary shots and a bunch of archival footage. From what I read, this is the only film from the old Yugoslavia era that actually landed the director in prison. It was directed by Lazar Stojanović as a thesis project at the Academy in Washington, D.C. Interestingly, when he defended it, the committee gave him the highest grade possible. The whole idea was supposedly just to capture a hippie-style story about life and love. Apparently, nobody suspected the script had an agenda back then, but now everyone is washing their hands of it—the mentors, the professors, the whole committee...

So why was this dark film such a problem and why did they bury it? Well, first, it caused a stir because of the explicit sexual content. Not the stuff people usually overlook, but scenes where our friend Tom walks completely naked (and innocent!) through Washington, D.C., does a little prostitution, kisses a man, and apparently masturbates to minors (I didn't see that part, I'm guessing it's in the second half based on what I read). But the real headache came from the other kind of prostitution and pornography—the political kind. It criticized the repression of the time and mocked totalitarianism, because sequences of Hitler's Nazi propaganda were clearly being compared to the imagery used by Tito, the communists, and various other factions.



more info is: here

and some other sources: + + +