El Hermo's Movie Recommendations 4

And so, I have returned to the main blog after a loss of faith in its ultimate scope. Faceblogging, while reaching more people who care, is hollow and meaningless.

Therefore, without further ado, the latest installment of El Hermo's Movie Recommendations:

I've seen some cool movies this last month:

1) Volver - Pedro Almodovar is, for those of you who don't know, the quintissential Spanish filmmaker. His latest movie, "Volver", which means coming back, is an intriguing tale about family, life and death. Penelope Cruz is awesome in this film, and there is a standout part where she lipsyncs a really moving song. I like spanish music, and hence, the lipsyncing isn't really a problem because the song really does kick ass!

2) Note on a Scandal - your classic, messed up, british chick flick with Judi Dench as a psychotic vampiric geriatric who feeds off the life forces of younger woman in order to make herself happy. Its an excellent film with brilliant performance from Dench, Cate Blanchett and Bill Nighy, who more and more is beginning to seem like a legendary actor. If you feel like a thriller/soap opera of real quality, then i highly recommend this one.

3) Marie Antoinette - I've said this to plenty people and i'll say it again...Marie Antoinette is a Tommy Hilfiger advert set in 18th century France. Aesthetically, its in a class of its own - breathtaking cinematography, awesome costumes - its an accurate depiction of the Bourbon Dynasty in all its unadulterated decadence and laziness. Falls flat substance wise, but I thought it was pretty sweet.

4) Babel - If you've seen "Amores Perros" and "21 Grams", you will know that Inarritu follows a certain formula. This is also evident in Babel, which can be understood as an application of Inarritu's formula on a global scale. Even with its typically overblown moments of despair, Babel is an intriguing film. The portion of it set in Japan is excellent, but I do feel that it tries to be too political in the other segments. All in all, excellent but formulaic.

5) Lost in Translation - Watched it for the second time this week, and feel in love with it properly. Besides for the outstanding performance, Coppola captures the essence of what it means to be alone in an alien environment, but also how unexpected relationships can be forged in these places. These relationships enable the individual to see new environments in a refreshing manner, and this is what ultimately enhances the experience of being in completely different and foreign environments. The soundtrack rocks too. Lost in Translation rules.

Monotheistic Asparagus Death

A white porcelain plate, scratched with a floral border, sits idle. Asparagus that he doesn’t feel like but can’t throw away watches his every move. His mother would not be proud… she would have said, “Eat your vegetables,” and he would have eaten them, one time. He places his cutlery in a metal “X”. He’ll come back to it, signifies his knife and fork. But he won’t come back. He hates asparagus. Asparagus is death – Asparagus is a green death stick. A comic book comes to mind, he remembers the Asparagus people and how their planet was destroyed by a merciless cosmic power. The Asparagus people…the Asparaguses…the Asparagi. Does he have the power to destroy? Is he the one?

No. His hands carry the plate across the kitchen, and dump the contents in the bin under a barely rusted basin. He says aloud, “Asparaguses, your end is coming soon. But your destruction will not be reaped by my hand.” Closing the bin, he walks back to his chair. He sits, and thinks about asparagus.

Untitled

A strange bloom of words
that shocks you,
like iced grass on a June morning,
sprinkler pumping through
a frozen night.

Do you skim like a kingfisher,
or a rock, soft splashes,
absorbed into a silent lake?

Eat my brain for fun

I need someone to eat my brain for fun.

Please eat my brain.

It will be fun.