1) http://www.the-crow.co.uk/history.html - This long lost web-page seems to contain information on the early stages in the development of The Crow - and does it contain his real name?? Or is it just more smoke and mirrors?

2) http://www.pointless.net/pipermail/manchesterwireless/2005-November.txt - Why was Goot the Crow getting involved in wireless networking? Was he trying to create a SkyNet style system capable of enslaving the world? It seems far-fetched but we can only assume that he was.

3) Crowfoot Movers. Our spies were carrying out surveillance on a suspected Crow hideout when they spotted this van:

Is it too much of a coincidence for The Crow not to be involved? We certainly think so. What is the significance of the name "Crowfoot"? Is it a cover for a more sinister purpose? If you have any information PLEASE let us know.

The hunt continues, stay tuned....

Wobei das natürlich das Letzte ist, was sich der Mann mit der rot überschminkten Karikatur eines Grinsens im Gesicht tatsächlich wünscht. Denn ohne den schwarzen Ritter im Fledermauskostüm, der wie von Zwangsneurosen getrieben beständig Gutes tun muss, ist er, der Joker, gänzlich unvollständig – doch das beruht auf Gegenseitigkeit. Die Maske des gesichtslosen Outlaws aber herunterreißen, um sein Geheimnis zu zerstören, seine Motive korrumpieren, um sie gegen ihn zu richten, ihn Dinge tun zu lassen, die alles verraten, wofür er steht – das ist der Mordplan des Jokers, und so sehen es die Karten vor, mit denen er spielt. Frei von den Fesseln einer wie auch immer gearteten Vergangenheit, die nur lähmt und fremdbestimmt, aber vor allem unbeeindruckt von moralischen Prinzipien, und damit in beiderlei Hinsicht seinem Gegenspieler ein entscheidendes Stück voraus, stellt der Joker seinen eigenen Regelkanon auf, und der bedeutet meistens: Entscheide Dich zwischen zwei Möglichkeiten, die Du beide nicht verantworten kannst. Folterspiele wie aus dem KZ, nur raffinierter und von langer Hand geplant, formale Terrorakte, die auf allen ideologischen Unterbau verzichten, und ein umfassender Blick auf die Natur seiner Gegner, der ihn immer einen fatalen Schritt voraus sein lässt - das sind die Waffen des Jokers, und sie verfehlen ihr Ziel nur, wenn genau das auch Teil des Plans ist. Kann man einer solche Figur ernsthaft applaudieren? Wohl kaum – aber die Zügellosigkeit, mit der sie über alles triumphiert, was die Zivilisation auch nur im Ansatz zusammenhält, fordert eine Form von Ehrfurcht ein, die sich nicht so leicht von der Hand weisen lässt. Das ist vielleicht des Jokers größter Triumph, und er braucht gerade einmal knappe zwei ein halb Stunden, um ihn davontragen zu können – was so unfasslich ist, dass man das Ganze wieder und wieder verfolgen will, weil man es einfach nicht glauben kann.

Schon das Versprechen am Ende des Vorgängerfilms, mit dem der Joker seine Wiederkehr auf die Leinwand angekündigt hatte, ließ so manchen Fan in echte Verzückung geraten. Waren doch bereits 16 Jahre seit dem letzten Kino-Auftritt des faszinierendsten und unberechenbarsten aller Gegenspieler aus dem DC-Universum vergangen - und das mit einem Stempel, den ausgerechnet der irrste aller Filmirren der Figur damals so nachhaltig aufgedrückt hatte. Die Nachricht, dass der sensible Heath Ledger nun die Lücke füllen sollte, die das frühzeitige Ableben von Nicholsons Joker-Fassung hinterlassen hatte, löste nicht wenig Skepsis aus, denn es schien ein weiter Weg von Mad Jack zu jenem homosexuellen Cowboy, mit dem Ledger sich merklich vom Image des austauschbaren Frauenschwarms ohne nennenswertes Profil hatte lösen können. Doch Ledger hatte die weiterführende Entwicklung seiner bis dato eher eindimensionalen Karriere bereits deutlich im Blick. Mit dem Heroindrama „Candy“ und seiner Interpretation des identitätslosen Bob Dylan in „I’m not there“ war der Schritt, den Ledger als Schauspieler anstrebte, unübersehbar, und die Entscheidung für Christopher Nolans kompromisslose Wiederbelebung des Jokers hätte genau jenen Wendepunkt bedeutet, der wohl auf seiner Agenda stand. Doch bekanntlich sollte es dazu nicht mehr kommen, und als der Schauspieler am 22. Januar verstarb, hat man im Hause Warner vermutlich mit einem unsicheren Balanceakt aus politisch korrektem Bedauern und marktstrategischem Jubilieren reagiert. Alle Aufnahmen mit Ledger waren bereits abgeschlossen und der Film somit nicht in der unangenehmen Lage, digitaler Nachhilfe zu bedürfen (wie etwa im berühmten Fall von Brandon Lee in „The Crow“ oder auch Oliver Reed in „Gladiator“). Für die Vermarktung also galt „Why so serious?“, denn nichts lässt sich in der Entertainment-Industrie so gut verkaufen wie der tragische frühe Tod eines Künstlers.

So erhielt der großangelegte virale Rummel um den mittlerweile sechsten Film des Batman-Franchise eine recht unangenehme nekrophile Note hinzugefügt: Die erste Joker-Actionfigur nach Ledgers Vorbild war schneller ausverkauft als die Kassen klingeln konnten, und ein unisono angestimmtes Oscar-Plädoyer mit dem Beigeschmack einer Erpressung, die sich der Joker selber nicht besser hätte ausdenken können (ein Anspruch, der darüber hinaus in der Mitte des Jahres so sinnlos ist wie die Forderung nach weißer Weihnacht, und der in seiner Absolutheit einfach einmal alles Spätere vorab ignoriert), sicherte dem kommenden Film eine Form der Bedeutsamkeit zu, die sich einzig aus Ledgers plötzlichem Ableben speiste. Am unwürdigsten allerdings gestaltete sich die Invasion schmierblättriger Spekulationen aus der untersten Schublade der Küchenpsychologie, die ungebremst darüber schwadronierten, wie der Schauspieler von der Rolle, die ihm soviel abverlangt hätte, absorbiert und an ihr zugrunde gegangen sei, wie die Trennung von Frau und Tochter ihn hierauf vorbereitet hätte (eine 1:1-Übertragung des Falles Owen Wilson, über den – da für einen Comedian nicht wirklich verkaufsfördernd - längst der Mantel des Totschweigens ausgebreitet ist) und Ähnliches mehr. Für die Legendenbildung sind solche Rahmenerzählungen aus der Kenneth-Anger-Schule unvermeidlich, und das erst recht, wenn ihr Träger ansonsten ein eher unbeschriebenes Blatt ist. Denn Ledger stand – und das unterscheidet ihn von der Riege der einschlägigen Frühverstorbenen – im Grunde für nichts als solides Handwerk: Keine Skandale, keine Ideologien, kein exzentrisches Auftreten. Umso mehr muss der Joker nun für seinen frühen Sturz herhalten. Absurd ist das allemal, und mit der Realität wird es reichlich wenig zu tun haben. Dem Absatzwert des Produktes hilft das ungemein, doch den klaren Blick auf Ledgers unstrittig exzellente Leistung trübt es gehörig. Denn die Heldenlieder, die von Anfang an auf seine Joker-Darstellung gedichtet worden sind, schießen in einer Art und Weise über das Ziel hinaus, dass sie durchaus an Hysterie grenzen.

Dabei wird vor allem übersehen, wie viel von Ledgers Interpretation in erster Linie auf der Grundlage einer perfide gestrickten Joker-Version Christopher Nolans und seines Bruders Jonathan beruht. Denn erst die Entscheidung der beiden Autoren, die Figur dort anzulegen, wo sie in ihrer schlüssigen Einheit aus Faszination und Abscheu für echtes Blockbuster-Kino eigentlich am unerträglichsten ist, und sie damit ausdrücklich von Burtons Vorgängerfassung abzuheben (die immer noch ein geheimes Einverständnis mit dem durchweg amüsanten Jack Napier zuließ), machte den Weg erst frei für Ledgers entfesselnd-verstörende Darstellung. Dabei hat diese Möglichkeit auch viel zu tun mit einer langen Entwicklung von Nemesis-Figuren im Hollywood-Film und der gewachsenen Bereitschaft, mit Abscheulichkeiten Kasse zu machen. Dass Nolans Joker nun auf seine Weise die genaue Schnittmenge zwischen „Hannibal“ und „Hostel“ getroffen hat, ist ein echter Glücksfall. Dabei macht er im Grunde nichts anderes, als sich der vorrangigen Version der Figur, wie sie in den Comics angelegt ist, möglichst weit anzunähern und andere Interpretationen außen vor zu lassen. Alternativen hätte es nämlich durchaus gegeben.

Seit der ersten Ausgabe der Serie von 1940 ein zentraler Bestandteil des Batman-Universums, durchlief die Gestalt mit dem verstörenden Dauergrinsen im Gesicht über die Jahrzehnte ihres Wirkens hinweg einige entscheidende Mutationen – und das ganz ohne Einfluss toxischer Chemikalien. Zu Zeiten der sogenannten Comic Codes Authority etwa, einer Art freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Verleger als Reaktion auf populäre Thesen, denen gemäß die bebilderten Hefte vor allem antisoziales und homoerotisches Verhalten förderten (berüchtigt: Frederick Werthams "Seduction of the Innocent: The Influence of Comic Books On Today's Youth" von 1954), degenerierte der Joker bis in die 60er Jahre hinein zum gemeinen, aber doch eher harmlosen Einbrecher und Spaßmacher, der so lange durch alberne Gimmicks auf sich aufmerksam machte (und von dem Nicholsons Version einiges erbte), bis ihn der damalige Herausgeber Julius Schwartz schließlich in die Verbannung schickte. Erst 1973 erschien der Joker wieder auf der Bildfläche, und das dank Denny O'Neil und Neal Adams nun als echter Soziopath mit Hang zu Mord, Folter und sadistischen Spielereien.

Über seine Herkunft besteht eher Uneinigkeit. Die bekannteste Version – nach Motiven eines „Detective Comics“ aus dem Jahr 1951 - stammt von Alan Moore (dem Vater der „Watchmen“) und erzählt die wilde Geschichte eines erfolglosen Stand-Up-Comedians und ehemaligen Chemieingenieurs, der zwei Gangstern den Zugang zur Fabrik seines früheren Arbeitgebers verschafft, um seine schwangere (im Verlauf der Ereignisse tödlich verunglückende) Frau finanziell versorgen zu können. Die Sache geht schief, und auf der Flucht vor Batman stürzt er sich in ein Säurebad, das seine Haut weiß, seine Lippen rot und seine Haare grün färbt. Der Tod seiner Frau und seines ungeborenen Kindes lassen ihn den Verstand verlieren, und aus dem glücklosen Niemand wird ein gefährlicher Krimineller. Doch wie bei Shaffers Salieri-Historie ist auch die Geburtsstunde des Jokers nur die fragwürdige Erinnerung eines Wahnsinnigen, der von seiner Vergangenheit ausdrücklich behauptet, sie habe vielfache Varianten. Tim Burtons erster Batman-Film etwa geht bekanntlich gänzlich andere Wege.

Von solchen Erklärungsversuchen nimmt Nolans Fassung bewusst Abstand. Ganz im Gegensatz zur detailliert zurecht erfundenen Historie von Bruce Wayne in „Batman Begins“ (ohne Drehbuch des Regisseurs) sollte die Herkunft des Jokers ausdrücklich unthematisiert bleiben. Den Gedanken einer multiplen Vergangenheit, wie Moores „The killing Joke“ (einer der wesentlichen Einflüsse für „The Dark Knight“) ihn durchspielt, übernimmt Nolans Film ein Stück, indem er den Joker Geschichten über den Ursprung seiner Gesichtsnarben der jeweiligen Gelegenheit und seinem Gegenüber einfach anpasst (oder vermutlich schlichtweg erfindet). Bei Nolan gibt es keine Vergangenheit für den Kartenspieler, keine Erklärung für seine Motive. Der Joker ist weder ein Terrorist (wie es eine ganze Abordnung von Kritikern gerne sehen will), noch ein ungeliebtes Kind, noch ein Prophet des Chaos, oder gar schlicht ein Fall für die Psychiatrie. Er ist all dies nur als Projektionsfläche, doch wirft er selber jeden Erklärungsversuch mit der nächsten Handlung wieder über Bord. Er gehört auf diese Weise in die Klasse der bedrohlichsten aller Villains, nämlich zu denjenigen, die sich nicht durch ihre Motive erklären lassen, um den Zuschauer mithilfe von Kausalisierungen in Sicherheit zu wiegen. „Beruhigen“ sollen solche Schemata, sagt Michael Haneke bei Gelegenheit, und damit der Tat selber ihren Schrecken nehmen (weshalb seine Figuren in „Funny Games“ bekanntlich nicht nur unerklärt bleiben, sondern auch noch die gängigen Motivklischees aktiv verhöhnen). Nolans Joker springt zwischen den Motiven, stellt seine Mitspieler (als Gegner würde er sie vermutlich nicht betrachten) so lange vor Alternativen, zwischen denen sich niemand wirklich entscheiden kann, und treibt sie vor sich her, bis sie zerbrechen, sich verleugnen, die Seiten wechseln oder resignieren.

Tragischstes Opfer seines Spiels ist der einst lupenrein demokratische Staatsanwalt Harvey Dent - von Bruce Wayne tatkräftig unterstützt in der heimlichen Hoffnung, mit Dents Aufstieg seine eigene Existenz als Batman beenden zu können. Doch Dent, der Mann der gerne eine Münze wirft, wenn Entscheidungen anstehen (ohne jedoch irgendetwas dem Zufall zu überlassen, denn seine Münze hat zwei identische Seiten), wird im Joker seinen Frankenstein finden und damit, wie es in Superhelden-Comics oft der Fall ist, auch den Vater seiner Identität als Monster. Wo die Münze zuvor Dents unbedingten Willen zur Entscheidung repräsentiert, wird sie später – nun wirklich mit zwei Seiten versehen (den sprichwörtlichen zwei Seiten der Medaille, und damit Spiegelbild der Figur selber) – den radikalen Wandel eines Weltglaubens zum Prinzip erheben lassen und den Zufall an die Stelle der Moral setzen (eine Technik, die sich auch der Bolzenschusskiller Anton Chigurh aus „No country for old men“ zueigen gemacht hat). Doch von derartigen Spiegelungen, Doppelungen und Inverssetzungen ist „The Dark Knight“ ohnehin randvoll.

Für Nolan ist die Verzahnung zweier Figuren, die sich gegeneinander definieren, bedingen und ausliefern, ein beständiges Motiv, das selbst in den Filmen, deren Vorlage er nicht selber geliefert hat, deutlich hervorscheint: Beobachter und Beobachteter in „Following“, in dem letzterer seinen Verfolger zum Komplizen und gleichzeitig zum Spielball macht, wenn er die Beobachtung potenziert – Leonard in „Memento“, der seine schwindenden Erinnerungen mithilfe von Tätowierungen festhält, und diejenigen Menschen, von denen er sich eine wiederkehrende Stringenz erhofft, selber aber zu deren Opfer wird (Natalie) oder ihre Identität bewusst umlenkt (Teddy) – die beiden rivalisierenden Magier aus „The Prestige“, ihre vielgestaltigen Doppelgänger und die Frau zwischen ihnen, deren Schicksale durch gegenseitigen Verrat bis in den Tod unlösbar miteinander verbunden bleiben – selbst Detective Dormer und der Kindermörder Finch aus „Insomnia“ sind durch den verschleierten Kollegenmord des Ermittlers und die Mitwisserschaft des Verfolgten so eng miteinander verbunden, dass keine klassische Auflösung möglich wird – und schließlich ist es Bruce Wayne selbst, der in „Batman Begins“ von Henri Dunn erst zu dem gemacht wird, der er als schwarzer Ritter mit Fledermausmaske sein Leben lang sein wird, nur um demselben Mann später als erbitterter Gegner gegenüberzustehen. In der Konfrontation von Batman und Joker finden derartige Motive ihre Nahrung und werden auf eigene Weise noch eine ganze Stufe überhöht.

Doch doppelte Existenzen und schicksalhafte Zweierkonstellationen stellen auch anderorts in „The Dark Knight“ die Koordinaten für dramaturgische Einheiten bereit (Wayne / Dent, Wayne / Rachel, Rachel / Dent, Dent / Joker, Dent / Twoface, Twoface / Gordon und andere mehr). Überall wird vorgetäuscht, mit Identitäten gehadert, versprochen und nicht gehalten, die Wahrheit verschwiegen oder umgestaltet – und überall ist es die Münze des grausem entstellten Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhardt, wie man ihn noch nie gesehen hat), die als zentrales Symbol das beständigen Ringen um die Seele von Gotham City repräsentiert. Am Ende bleiben die Versuchungen des Jokers Zeichen dafür, dass irgendwo in der Stadt ein schwarzes Loch darauf wartet, alles in sich zu verschlingen. Von nirgendwo gekommen und auch auf seine Weise nach eben dorthin wieder verschwindend, ist die bloße Existenz des bösen Clowns Beweis genug für die ständige Bedrohung eines grausamen Weltenendes. Mehr Mephisto als alles andere, was man in ihm sehen mag, hält er Batman am Leben und raubt ihm dasselbe im gleichen Atemzug. Denn kaum Schlimmeres hätte er ihm antun können als dasjenige, was dem um Luft ringenden Zuschauer mit unumstößlicher Sicherheit bald schon eine weitere Fortsetzung der Serie bescheren wird. Batman forever.

Artikel © 2008 Thomas Lenz. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.
Filmplakat: Warner Bros. Entertainment GmbH

When Spawn first came out in Europe I had been convinced by a friend to see if I might enjoy it and become a collector. So I went and bought the first issue of Spawn in German. It was the beginning of a long friendship that was ripped to shreds by all kinds of different factors.

But let me start at the beginning of the series. "Spawn", to me, had always been a fascinating character. Al Simmons was the kind of man that would do anything for his wife. He was a secret government hitman with military background, before he decided to quit the force. But the military would not let him quit... they killed him during his "last" mission and send him to Hell. And somewhere on the lower planes of Hell, Malebolgia heard him scream his wife's name and decided to offer him a deal; one of those deals that usually don't end well. Al Simmons was offered to see his wife again and in return would become the leader of this particular demon's army against the forces of Heaven during Judgment Day. He accepted, but of course there was a catch. Al Simmons arrived on Earth as "Spawn", a demonic figure with evil powers, five years after his death. His beloved, Wanda, was already married to Al's best friend, Terry, and they had a little girl, Cyan. When he realized this, Spawn became a desperate and miserable figure and hid in the shadows of the backstreets of the city. His only friends became the bums and the rats. He tried to avoid everything and everyone around him, but was constantly confronted with evil and pain. He tried to hold on to the last good thing that still breathed somewhere deep inside of him... the memory of his loved ones. However, the forces of evil came after him, as he was supposed to train and evolve his powers, so that he could be a perfect leader to the armies he had signed a contract with his blood for.

Well, so much for a little storyline. Don't worry, for those that have never read Spawn, this wasn't really a spoiler, because all of this can be read in the first issue or seen in the movie "Spawn", one of the first main stream movies about a non-Marvel/DC character, after the Crow and Crying Freeman. Although it never became a big blockbuster, I did enjoy it, especially the hilarious performance by John Leguizamo, playing the Violator.

Spawn has a solid base story, but over the years, it seemed that the writers had a lot of trouble keeping the story interesting. I guess this was mostly due to the fact that the Spawn story can be divided into an introduction (creation of the superhero/villain), a middle part (discovering what he can do, dramatic turn of events) and an end (Judgment Day). But as far as I could read, before they changed the publisher in Germany, they never really got to the end. Instead, they just kept on trying to continue the line of events, even introduce several side stories (Violator, Angela, Curse of Spawn, Spawn - the Dark Ages, Bloodfeud...) or put heaps of merchandise, especially action figurines, on the market to keep people interested. I myself bought a very fine looking Spawn figurine with angel wings (Redemption Spawn). My sources from beyond the grave (Wikipedia) though tell me, that the story did continue by taking epic proportions and culminating in a raging and devastating climax. I will try to acquire those last issues that never made it into the bookstores in Luxembourg and hopefully find a more satisfying ending to Spawn’s story than the one I got.

I think you could compare the success behind the Spawn comics, to the success of the Batman comics. Spawn lives in a city full of misery and pain, the kind that you can mostly find in Film Noir, and he himself is a questionable hero, having been created out of a personal tragedy. He seems to be a good man underneath his demonic appearance, but he is still supposed to be the leader of Hell's armies, so his destiny is unknown and he is constantly challenged to turn evil. But in that lies the controversy: Does "not being bad" means "being good"? Does the absence of darkness equal the presence of light? Spawn has given up on his life, his destiny, his very existence. He wants to be left alone. It is only out of mere self defense that he fights. So can he really be a superhero? Does he have to be, to be interesting?

I don't think so. Antiheros are much more interesting nowadays than shiny cape-wearing heroes (although Spawn is wearing a cape, and a pretty long one too). So, if you are the kind of person that likes to see a broken man, trying to mind his own business but always being pushed to his limits and if you like the mysterious and terrible depths of Hell depicted in a great style by the genius of Todd McFarlane and Greg Capullo, go and get Spawn, the first comic I ever collected and one very fascinating bad/good guy.

Malik

Olen onnistunut viimeisen vuoden aikana kehittelemään itselleni matalapainepäänsäryksi kutsumani hassunhauskan kolotusvaivan, joka siis iskee joka kerta, kun ulkona sataa kaatamalla ja ukkosen mahdollisuus ilmaantuu. Se on aika ärsyttävää, voin kertoa, eikä se mene ohi kuin nukkumalla. Ja kun laskee yhteen Suomen yllä leijuvan matalapaineaallon (tai jotain sinnepäin, en ole kovinkaan älykäs tällaisissa asioissa) ja tämän vaivani, voi vetää johtopäätöksen, että olen useammin kuin kerran pohtinut mielessäni, että "IT CAN'T RAIN ALL THE TIME?" (sitaatti elokuvasta The Crow, 1994)

Sade on parhaimmillaan ihanan rauhoittava ja runotytön herkistävä luonnonilmiö, mutta oikeasti, rajansa kaikella, ainakin sateesta tehtyjen kappaleiden suhteen! THESE CAN'T STUCK IN MY HEAD ALL THE TIME? Eli siis kaksi "eivät lähde kulumallakaan" -tittelin omissa tilastoissani ansainnutta kappaletta. Jos se sade ei nyt lopu, niin... se kai sitten jatkuu.

Singin' in the Rain (säv. Nacio Herb Brown, san. Arthur Freed, 1929, tämä versio samannimisestä Hollywood-musikaalista vuodelta 1952, esittäjänään Gene Kelly.)

Geri Halliwell - It's Raining Men (alkuperäinen versio vuodelta 1982 The Weather Girlsin esittämänä; tämä versio vuodelta 2001, Gerin albumilta Scream If You Wanna Go Faster)

Äsh, painun kyllä pidemmittä puheitta peiton alle lukemaan kirjaa (Sieppari ruispellossa), alkaa juuri sopivasti taas sataakin.

HUOM! Kaipailisin vinkkejä hyvistä äänikirjoista! Hyvä äänikirja = sellainen, jossa ensinnäkin on mielestäsi hyvä tarina sekä lisäksi myös hyvin ja luontevasti etenevä äänimaailma. Jos siis satut tietämään joitain kuuntelemisen arvoisia teoksia, jätäthän puumerkin kommenttilootaan. :) Otin kommentoinnista nyt pois sähköpostiosoitepakon, eli voitte jättää tästä edespäin kommentteja astetta enemmän anonyymeinä, jos siltä tuntuu. Kiitos jo etukäteen!

www.blogmewhat.com

Mark Dacascos is an actor we've wanted to have on the show for quite some time.  His name often came up when we were casting guest roles on SG-1 but, time and again, it just didn't feel right to have him put in a cursory appearance as a Jaffa commander.  After all, this was Crying Freeman.  The Crow.  Mani from Brotherhood of the Wolf.  The Chairman!  If we were going to cast him, we wanted to make sure it was a role worthy of his talents as both an artist and, oh yeah, a martial artist.  Well, the perfect opportunity presented itself last year when we were looking to cast Tyre, the part of Ronon's former Satedan buddy turned wraith-worshiper.  There were a lot of great auditions for the role but Mark's interpretation of the character proved exactly what we were looking for.  We wanted Tyre to be tough, a bad-ass, yet charming and, ultimately, sympathetic.  Mark captured that spirit.

Mark did a wonderful job for us on Reunion, then came back and blew the doors off with his portrayal of a suffering, conflicted Tyre in season 5's Broken Ties.  He delivered a beautifully nuanced performance in addition to a thrilling sword duel every bit as spectacular as his throwdown with Ronon in Reunion.    We were lucky to have Mark on the show and I'm not exaggerating when I say that many members of our crew were truly saddened to see him leave.   He was a pleasure to work with, a gentlemen through and through, and I would consider myself fortunate to work with him again. 

Over to Mark... 

Thank you to Joseph Mallozzi and company for having me on SGA. Thank you to Joe for inviting me on his blog-site. Thank you to the friends and fans of SGA for the support and questions. I am grateful, honored and extremely happy to have played a small part in the SGA story.

Shiny writes: “After playing dark and intense characters on The Crow and SGA, how was it playing the irreverent Sensei Ping on Middle Man? I had to do several double takes to make sure it was Mark behind Sensei Ping’s Lucha Libre mask. Does he want to do more comedy in the future or does he prefer the broody hero types?”

MD answers: It was fun and exciting to play Sensei Ping. I enjoy comedy and hope to do more in the future. In addition to my continuing studies with acting-coach, Larry Moss, and Shakespeare/voice teacher, Patsy Rodenburg, I started taking improvisation workshops with Gary Austin, the founder of The Groundlings, last year. We ( Gary’s ensemble) performed “live” to a sold out audience at The Groundlings theater this past summer. I had a blast and am now looking for projects that would incorporate comedy, action and possibly a “food” theme. Any ideas?

Skye writes: “What Drew you to the Character Tyre?  Just wanted to say My mother loves watching you on the food network as the Chairman and any of the movies that you have done.”

MD answers: I admire the discipline, courage and honor of warriors. Tyre’s situation intrigued me and the way Joseph M. ended the episode in REUNION left me wanting more. I didn’t know if Tyre would ever come back to redeem himself, but had hoped he would. When I received the script for BROKEN TIES, I was relieved and ecstatic with the way the story ended. And my “aloha and mahalo (‘love and thank you’ in the Hawaiian language) to you and your mother.

Eileen writes: “1. I've been a big fan since I saw you in the French film "Brotherhood of the Wolf." You were amazing in that movie (I recommend it to everyone, subtitles and all)! It seems that your career has mostly been focused on portraying characters with a martial arts flair. Your work as Tyre in SGA fits in with that, but I'd love to know how you went from Native American shaman/warrior in Brotherhood of the Wolf to "The Chairman" of Iron Chef America with occasional visits to the set of SGA.   2. Do you have any other projects that you are/will be working on?”

MD answers: Eileen, thank you for watching “Brotherhood of the Wolf.” That was one of my favorite film projects to work on and “Mani (my character)” is someone I’d like to be more like. Another film I did, “Crying Freeman,” was a movie about an assassin who “cries when he kills.” I played the title role and we shot that in Vancouver, B.C (just like SGA!).

Both BOTW an CF were directed by Christophe Gans, and both were successful in Japan, home of the original “Iron Chef.” I can only deduce that someone associated with IC must have seen or heard about one of my movies and put my name on the list for possible “chairmans” they would approve of for Iron Chef: America. My managers received a call from ICA’s producers for me to interview for the role of Chairman Kaga’s “nephew.” I was thrilled with the opportunity to do something completely different from what I had been doing, but I did wonder if they knew I was known for “kicking” not “cooking.” Two days after the interview, I was offered the role as The Chairman, the American-born nephew of Chairman Kaga. That was my journey from shah-man to chair-man.

Davidd writes: “Hey Mark. I was wondering how long did it take for you to get your role on Stargate? From your first audition. Were you part of 3 top auditions for the role, or did you just get it with no other real competition?  Thanks Mark!”

MD answers: Two days after I auditioned I was told that I was one of two choices. A day or two later I was offered the role of TYRE. We began filming the REUNION episode a few weeks later.

Lindsay writes: “Question for Mark Dacascos: I’ve heard you’re a super nice guy. Is it difficult playing a not-so-good guy on screen? (I’m thinking particularly of your betrayal scene with Jason Momoa– the one in which he’s tied to the chair and is so very, very emotional. It was hard to watch. Was it hard to play?”

MD answers: Thank you, I try to be a good person each and everyday. Some days are easier than others. I find that every role I play has characteristics that I can identify with.

TYRE, while he’s under the influence of the Wraith enzymes, doesn’t know that he’s really doing anything wrong. He’s somewhat “brainwashed” and trying to survive. What makes him bad is that what he’s doing is only “good” for him, not for his friend. The bad guy does good for himself, the good-guy does good for others. Both believe in what they’re doing. I felt like I connected with TYRE’S heart and in that “chair-betrayal-scene” with RONON, as an actor, it was not difficult to play. As TYRE the character, it was a difficult moment in life.

StarWars9771 writes: “Mark, loved your appearances on SGA. When is Joe going to make an appearance on Iron Chef America? What did you like best about working on the show SGA? Other than food and acting, what other interests do you have? Thanks bunches!!!

Jen from Indiana

PS Tell Alton Brown “Hi”. My oldest daughter and I are big fans!”

MD answers: Thank you, Jen and oldest daughter. I would love to see Joe on ICA. I think he would be a wonderful judge and I will do my best to get him on. I really enjoyed and appreciated the camaraderie and “aloha” spirit the cast and crew extended to me while being a part of SGA. When not on set, I enjoy playing drums and guitar, surfing, yoga and Martial Arts. I also like to read biographies, writing, and watching Foreign Films.

drldeboer writes: “Question for Mark D do you have formal martial arts training, if so in what discipline(s) and how long have you been studying? the sword fight was absolutely great, can’t wait to see the whole thing included in the DVD box set next year.”

MD answers: Thank you, drldeboer. Yes, I do have formal Martial Arts training. My mother and father are both Kung-Fu teachers. I started training with them when I was 4, entered my first Martial Arts tournament when I was 7, and unofficially retired from competition when I was 18. I’ve studied Northern Shaolin under Muo Hui Shen in Taiwan. I’ve studied Capoeira under Mestre Amen Santo and together we made the film, ONLY THE STRONG. I’ve studied Wushu under Professor Jiang Hao Quan and Coaches Eric and Debbie Chen. I am currently studying Muay Thai with Kru Puk.

Patricia Lee writes: “Your portrayal of Tyre was amazingly haunting and caused me to shout out loud, (“NO… he can’t die, not now”), when I saw in your facial expressions your decision to self sacrifice. The intensity of your withdrawal scene caused me to cringe in sympatric pain. Thank you so much for bringing such a great performance to my favorite show! I was sad to see your character die!   My Questions:
1- How do you prepare for such intense emotional scenes, such as the withdrawal?
a. Where do you go in your mind?
b. Is there a personal, real experience you draw upon to get that dark or can you just turn it on?
2- I know you are an accomplished marital artist. I was wondering, for the fight scenes do you work out before a take to get your blood rushing? What kind of preparations do you go through before a big fight scene?
3- I love Iron Chef, (I am Food Network junkie) and I was wondering; seeing that Joe Mallozzi is such a foodie, and great at writing about his dining experiences, would you ever consider having him as guest judge on Iron Chef? A show With Joe Mallozzi would bring hoards of new viewers to Iron Chef just to see his opinions of the meal being judged!”

MD answers: Thank you, Patricia. Prior to filming an intense emotional scene I relax. When my breath is deep and consistent, when I’ve released the tension in my muscles (including in the face), I am ready to work. I equate it to a river. If I stop breathing, or contract my muscles, it’s like putting a dam in the river. As an actor, I need my feelings to be able to flow like the water moving down the mountain. I actually try to apply that philosophy to everything I do. Before I do an action/fight scene I always warm up by stretching and running through the choreography. It’s important to prepare my body and mind for what’s to come. And again, I relax. I want to be supple enough to snap like a cracking whip.

SparrowHawk writes: “A couple of questions for Mark Dacascos: 1. It seems that your career has mostly been focused on portraying characters with a martial arts flair. Tyre in SGA fits in with that, but I’d love to know how you went from Native American shaman/warrior in “Brotherhood of the Wolf” to “The Chairman” of Iron Chef America.

MD answers: Please see answers above.

2. Do you have any other projects that you are/will be working on?”

MD answers:

So far this year…

We filmed 26 new episodes of Iron Chef: America as well as a half-hour holiday special.

We have the Iron Chef: America - Nintendo Wii game coming out in September or October. I did 9 episodes of a new series premiering in March, 2009. I filmed an action-drama movie with Armand Assante, Tom Sizemore, Steven Bauer and Bruce Boxleitner. I just wrapped my first vampire movie in Louisiana with Yancy Butler, directed by Griff Furst.

I have a few movies I’m preparing to direct. One of them is a Capoeira movie. Another is a film based on my life as a 16 year-old, son of Kung-Fu teacher parents, growing up in Germany.

Trish writes: “My question to Mark Dacascos: First, thanks for stopping by and answering our questions! Second: Great performance in “Broken Ties”! You made me fall for Tyre; something I thought impossible the last time he ran into Ronon. My questions: Were you a fan of Stargate SG-1? Or any sci-fi? What would be your dream role? Again, thank you!”

MD answers: Trish, you’re welcome and thank you for your kind comments and your questions. I had only seen a few episodes of SG-1 or SGA prior to auditioning for the show. I had thought the show was extremely entertaining. One of my favorite Sci-fi movies is BLADERUNNER. One of my dream-roles would be a “Miyagi-like” character from the original KARATE KID movie.

Wolfenm writes: “Questions for Mark: Did you know from the get-go what your character’s fate would be? Either way, how did you feel about it when you found out?”

MD answers: Please see answers above.

Thornyrose writes: “A few questions for Mr. Dacascos, and I’ll call it a night.
1) I’m curious as to how you came into the role of Chairman on Iron Chef America. Was that simply something that you auditioned for, or is there more to the story? 2) What projects other than IC-A are you currently considering or engaged on? 3) How much time do you devote every day or week to physical training, including but not limited to your martial arts skills? 4) What would be your “dream role”, whether TV, cinema, or live theater? 5) Any secrets you would like to share about Atlantis, or Mr. Mallozzi? Thank you very much for taking the time to participate here, and many thanks to Mr. M. for making it possible. And I do hope that whether its a miracle reappearance of Trye, or the creation of a differnt role, that we get to see Mr. D. on Stargate Atlantis in the future.”

MD answers: Thank you, Thornyrose. Please see answers above and…When I’m not in production, I train 6 days a week, anywhere from 1 to 3 hours a day. I cross-train with mountain-biking, yoga, Martial Arts, running and surfing. The exact format of my workouts changes quite often. Prior to a specific project and depending on what’s required of me, I’ll train significantly more. 3 months prior to fighting Jet Li in CRADLE 2 the GRAVE, I ran a 6-minute mile and practiced Yoga 6 days a week, and practiced Wushu 2 hours a day on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with the Coaches Chen.

Enzo Aquarius writes: “A question (two rather) for Mark Dacascos: As an Iron Chef America fan (and Iron Chef overall), I am curious if you ever get full in the middle of the judging segment? I always wonder if one could get full depending on the portioning. Also, a possibility of our own Joseph Mallozzi becoming a judge? The man has quite an appetite and always talks about his culinary adventures.”

MD answers: Please see answers above and…On ICA, I almost always limit myself to 2 bites a course, even if I love the dish. We usually film 2 shows a day and it’s my duty to be fair to all of the chefs and not be so full that I can’t appreciate their work. Even if I don’t score the chefs myself, it’s only respectful to honor their creations by tasting them.

Raindrop writes: “And I have a question for Mark Dacascos - with your extensive martial arts background, did you find it harder to prepare for the fight scenes or for the dramatic scenes (like Tyre’s withdrawal)? I thought both were really well done.”

MD answers: Thank you, Raindrop. I found the fight-scene more difficult since we were performing an extensive sequence with very little time to film it. Most of the fight was filmed from beginning to end without stopping. I have the utmost respect for fight-choreographer, Bam-Bam, his assistant, Don Lew, and Jason Mamoa for being so prepared prior to me coming to Vancouver.

Rachael writes: “It must be immensely satisfying as a guest star to have the opportunity to play such a complex character, to have a strong backstory to work from and a full arc to explore from bad guy to redemption. My question is, did you prefer playing dark-side Tyre or redeemed hero Tyre?”

MD writes: Yes, it is immensely satisfying for an actor to play a character with a full arc. Thank you, Joseph M. and team. I enjoyed playing the dark before the light, just like I appreciate the night before the day. And it is truly scary how much I sound like my father as I grow older. Seriously, I enjoyed both, and seriously, I really am starting to speak in metaphors just like my father. Scary!:)

Jean writes: “To Mark Dacascos - I thought you were great in this episode! Joe M has mentioned that Jason really likes Tyre’s sword - did you find it a nice weapon to use as well? Also, if I may ask a non-SGA question - I often drool at the culinary concoctions on Iron Chef America - as chairman, do you get to sample the dishes too? Have there ever been any duds?”

MD answers: Thank you, Jean. Yes, Bam-Bam called weeks before filming BROKEN TIES and respectfully asked what kind of sword I’d prefer. I said I’d like something well-balanced with a good grip and that I would trust whatever he’d choose for me. And he did a great job in selecting TYRE’S sword. Yes, on ICA, out of respect to the chefs, and to my pleasure, I do sample everything they cook. And yes, once in a great while, I do eat something I’d prefer to never eat again. But that is rare. The chefs are truly amazing and I am spoiled and I love our show. And Alton Brown really is that smart and quirky.

Gen writes: “Really enjoyed your work on Broken Ties. We’ve seen your involvement in Iron Chef, is that your primary interest right now? Do you have any other projects coming up where we might see you act?”

MD answers: Thank you, Gen. Please see answers above.

AntiSocialButterflie writes: “Thanks for talking to us, we really appreciate it. Did you enjoy working with BamBam and Jason? How many times did you have to practice the sword fight before filming?”

MD answers: Thank you, AntiSocialButterflie. I appreciate you. Yes, I am a fan of both Bam-Bam and Jason. Both are great guys and very professional. I actually have no idea how many times we practiced. I’d rehearse with Jason, Bam-Bam and Don depending on whoever was available at the moment. Jason did the same. We’d rehearse in between scenes and whenever he had a few spare minutes.

Pauline writes: “1/ I understand that actors try to get close to the characters they play, are you pleased that in the end Tyler cast off his traitor image to become the hero.  2/ Characters that appear on SA have a habit of coming back from the dead, if Joe brought Tyler back would you be up for a rematch with the Wraith?”

MD answers: Yes, I felt very close to TYRE and yes, I am happy he became a hero.  If TYRE came back, I can assure you he would love to kick some Wraiths in the head.

Linda Gagne writes: “Question for Mark D. What was the most fulfilling scene in Broken Ties for you? What was the most difficult for you (physically and/or emotionally)?”

MD answers: I had a lot fun playing the scene where RONON tries to get TYRE to untie him. I thought the dialogue and the set-up really showed the depth and complexity of their relationship. For me, the fight-scene was the most challenging scene.   If you make a mistake doing dialogue, you just do it again. If you make a mistake with swords, someone gets hurt. During our scene, no one got hurt -- Thank you, Jason, Bam-Bam and Don for allowing me to leave SGA with all the limbs I arrived with.

Joseph Mallozzi, the SGA team and friends and fans of SGA,

Mahalo and Aloha. Mark Dacascos aka TYRE

I have to admit that if I had listened to my intuition, I never would have seen it. I had an aversion to it even though I had enjoyed the first movie well enough. Part of that feeling was probably due to the death of Heath Ledger, whose image and performance I knew would be exploited in the hyper-promotion of the film. A real death cult can arise around certain tragic movie stars who die before their films come out. Think of the weird and crazy fans of Brandon Lee, the son of Bruce Lee who was actually killed while filming the movie The Crow from a supposed mistaken firing of a gun that everyone thought was loaded with blanks.

I could sense that a similar cultural fixation was arising around Heath and his death from a drug overdose, and that the viewing of Batman was going to be turned into a ritual vortex of negative energies.

Still, I went to see it with a friend.

It was a complicated, convoluted film with too many characters. Heath Ledger's performance was fine enough and the movie would have been better if it had just been about him and Batman. But there were lots of subplots, and one particularly gruesome plot line involving Harvey Dent which was just inexcusable for a PG -13 movie. The kids in the theater with me were noticeably traumatized by the gruesome stuff going on with Dent at the end of the movie, and their parents should have been warned. These were kids of 12, 13, far too young for what should have been an R rated film.

So the entire PR machine around this film was getting very dark, and after seeing the movie I felt that it was essentially a ritual sacrifice type of movie exploiting both the energies of Heath Ledger and his death and also something very dark and nasty, probably demonic, riding in on the scenes of Harvey Dent's mutilation and possibly a lot of mind control and subliminals also woven into the film.

Compare that with Hellboy 2, which I found to be a spiritually compelling, fascinating, funny and fun exploration of life in many dimensions - from supernatural creatures to earth devas to elves. Fascinating and good movie - check it out if you haven't already. It's a very interesting film from a metaphysical standpoint and it does not celebrate darkness at all - in fact, it illuminates morals and love in a really cool way.

Batman had none of that. It was just a suffocating immersion in yuck.

Well, I had a feeling that there was more weirdness to come with Batman.

It of course made an obscene amount of money in a short amount of time.

Then around the time of the Batman premiere in the UK, Batman star Christian Bale was arrested for assault in a weird incident involving his mother and sister.

In the UK the definition of assault is a little different than it is here in the US. In the US assault has to involve physical touch. In the UK it can just involve threatening words.

Reports from the scene contradict each other, but apparently Bale has long been estranged from his mom and sister, and I believe the women have each had reported problems with drugs. Anyway, they supposedly showed up at his hotel demanding to be let up to his room and caused a scene. Then they were very unruly when he let them into his room and may have made threats like "You owe us!" and said something derogatory about Bale's wife. Bale got mad and probably made some threatening noises like "Back off," and the entire thing escalated into a case of "He said vs. she said and she said," and it ended in his brief arrest.

I felt like Bale, being the center piece of this movie, was being bombarded by a lot of negative and strange energy as this film came out, and these chaos energies or even Custodial energies were working on everybody involved with the movie.

Well, today I was saddened to hear that Morgan Freeman, another star of the film, was just in a very serious car accident. Apparently they had to use the jaws of life to extract him from the car. He has supposedly broken a shoulder and an arm and is is serious but stable condition. I hope he is okay as I really like him and he brings a unique humane quality to all of his work. He's kind of an elder wise man type and I do hope he and his family are okay.

The problem is that Freeman was just in two very dark films - his role in Batman was rather small, but he also played a leading role in a dark movie called Wanted. Wanted is about a young kid who discovers he has unusual genetics which allow him to react fast and heal quickly, and he is recruited to become an assassin by a mysterious group called The Weavers. Morgan Freeman plays the head of the Weavers who decides who must live and who must die (for the greater good, supposedly.)

It's a somewhat mindless shoot 'em up movie, and the kid character is kind of funny and offbeat, yet the movie overall is very dark. It's all about teaching the kid how to kill people.

I wonder energetically if being involved with Batman and Wanted plugged Freeman into too many Custodial or dark energies, and if it stirred up chaos in his life, leading to his car accident.

Something very negative is "feeding" off the Batman movie, its watchers, and its actors right now.

I would advise psychically shielding yourself before you watch either movie as there are probably a lot of undesirable parasites hanging on in the etheric surrounding both films. And if you feel restless, angry, or emotionally disturbed after viewing either picture, then you definitely need to do some psychic clearing on yourself to shake off any residual goop.

Editor's Note: This blog entry has a follow up post here: Psychopaths, It's All in Your Brain.

I found a blog that is throwing the movie The Crow and Linkin Park into the "emo" fold.  And that's just wrong.  So in my ongoing effort to right a musical wrong, I present to you three more songs that are actually emo.

The first track is from a singer/song writer named Denison Whitmer (24 Turned 25).  He's been involved in a Philadelphia based music collective called Burnt Toast Vinyl for years.  Denison writes very honest lyrics and creates striped down music without writing dumbed-down lyrics.  Paris, Texas' (Brilliant) is from that Polyvinyl scene.  A bit more aggressive musically than Denison, but still incredibly talented musicians.  The third song is from a band that I only experienced passively through random MP3 downloads over the years.  Windsor for the Derby (How We Lost) is just another strong emo band from the era when emo didn't look like an episode of Invader Zim.

So now, quit wasting my time and download 3 tracks of actual emo music.

By the way, if you're looking for a compendium of emo music, go get Deep Elm Records' "Emo Diaries" series of comp CD's.  Excellent stuff.  A lot of the top unsigned talent, and even some bands that went on to sign to Deep Elm.

July 28th, 2008

And so I finished the last installment of these compilation CDs and it's only fitting that I finished with The Cure.  I know I have said it before that these aren't greatest hits mixes or best of, they are simply my favorites.  This was by far the hardest one to make because there are so few Cure songs that I don't like, I daresay none that I don't like, just some that I have overplayed and then some that sound too much like their older or younger counterparts.  So this is just the first of many, like skimming off of the top of my library, the tracks that peaked their heads out of the archives.  One thing to note, I still buy every album The Cure puts out, I've never wavered because they have never wavered.  Unlike U2 and R.E.M., The Cure has been constant.  Robert Smith is true to what he laid out on the table almost 30 years ago, that is 89% of the reason that they are my favorite band of all time, 1% moodiness, 5% wallowing in own self pity, 4% men in black eyeliner/obnoxious red lipstick/big laceless sneakers, 1% this lifelong reoccurring dream that I was Sleeping Beauty in a past life.  Is that 100%... okay, good.

1. Boys Don't Cry from Boys Don't Cry 1979

2. Jumping Someone Else's Train

3. The Figurehead from Pornography 1982

4. A Forest (originally from Seventeen Seconds 1980; this version was released in 1990 on Mixed Up)

5. In Between Days from The Head On The Door 1985

6. Six Different Ways

7. Close To Me

8. The Walk (originally from Japanese Whispers 1983; this version was released in 1990 on Mixed Up)*

9. Just Like Heaven from Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me 1987

10. Hot Hot Hot!!!

11. Why Can't I Be You?

12. Plainsong from Disintegration 1989

13. Pictures Of You

14. Fascination Street

15. From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea from Wish 1992

16. Jupiter Crash from Wild Mood Swings 1996

Bonus track: 17. Burn from The Crow soundtrack 1995

*Side note: I only had this album on cassette, along with The Top album; I should really buy the CDs.  Japanese Whispers is not available on iTunes.)

From South Park:

SATAN: SILENCE! Halloween is about me! And I deserve a par-ty! This... shall be MY Super Sweet 16!!  Minions of Hell! The time has come for us to rise! For my Super Sweet 16 Halloween party!!I got Bacardi, and Ghetto One to sponsor the party, and I'm calling it Hell On Earth 2006! But now, heed my words: in order to get in to the party, you have to RSVP and get a blue wristband. Everyone is gonna try and get into this party, so if you don't get your wristband in advance, or you're not wearing that wristband at the door, you're NOT GETTING IN!! 

And NOW know this: It's a costume party, so you have to wear a costume. BUT... nobody better show up as The Crow! I'm serious. Every costume party there's like fourteen guys come dressed like the Crow 'cause they wanna look hot and hook up. It's lame! If you come dressed as the Crow, you're NOT GETTING IN to the party!! Go now and prepare!! If you miss my party you are a looozer!! 

Watch full episode here!

Again with the Evanescence.

One of my favorite actors, Christian Bale, has been charged with assault by his mother and sister in his native UK. He's now out on bail after having been arrested after the premiere of his box-office record holder The Dark Knight (which incidentally I haven't watched - reminiscent of how I waited for a year before I watched his first Batman movie Batman Begins [even after having scoured the internet for everything Batman, haha!]).

So sad, so sad. I really hope the assault isn't true... and there was just some sort of misunderstanding. And for the sake of the Bale women, I hope they didn't suffer any major injuries, if indeed the assault were true.

Anyway, I'm scared stiff of watching The Dark Knight, because I expect it to be really good, especially Heath Ledger's performance. I remember having expected a movie to be really good, and then being disappointed because the movie didn't exceed my expectations (apparently I expected too much).  But but but -- Bale's first Batman movie didn't disappoint me, notwithstanding my high expectations.  So here's hoping that lightning strikes twice.

And I'm very much ready to be wowed by Heath's last performance. It's freaky that in my mind I relate his role as the Joker to Brandon Lee's role in The Crow -- dark roles wherein their actors succumbed to death afterwards. In Brandon's case it was accident on set.  In Heath's, well, I'm thinking the role disturbed him too much that he needed sleeping pills to let him have a few minutes of physical rest.

I'm looking forward to watching the movie this Friday with a dear friend (she on her second), but that will only happen if we both could afford the tickets. Man, it seems I really haven't been out to watch a movie for a long time - the ticket costs 180 bucks now? I think the last time I paid something near it was when I watched Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in Greenbelt - 150 to 170, I can't remember how much exactly.

And it's on IMAX. :(  I want to watch it on IMAX. Siiiiigh.  I missed out on Superman Returns before (of all movies!), but at least I was somewhat able to redeem myself by watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on the big big screen.  Siiiiigh.

Influence Meter: ++++++++++

yes, i have a superbly long summer holiday and a horrible form of plague, so i'm staying inside a lot with not much to do except veg around in my jamas watching films on my laptop and start a blog.

cloverfield was good, i won't ruin it for those of you that haven't seen it. but it was quite good, the hand-held-camera effect was cool and unusual but did make me feel really sick and a lot of the time i felt like they were using it to just skimp on the CGI, but it was good.

hard candy was really really just wowww =]. i loved ellen page in this. i also totally want the red hoody she wears, and will start a hunt as soon as i stop being house-bound. all the little details of this film and the way it really makes you think were incredible, i really enjoyed it.

the crow. i loved this film. probably because i was geeky enough to have read the graphic novel form of it before, but i just thought it was really well filmed and dark in just the right way. it was really well produced, and the end was beautiful. i loved the costumes, especially sarah's whole look. i found it quite odd how similar brandon lee's make-up as eric was to heath ledger's make-up as the new joker in dark knight, but i don't think it's a bad thing. it's so sad that brandon lee died on the set of the crow =[

and finally, bewitched :D i've just this second finished watching bewitched. it's awesome. i had no idea it was a film about remaking the original series. the sound track is great =]. will ferrel and nicole kidman work perfectly in it. it's such a light-hearted funny feel-good film, which is just what i needed after those three ^ ^ ^ haha. i used to watch the original series when i was little, and i think this was a brilliant way of re-doing it. michael cane was really good in it too. i really didn't expect it to be as good as it was. the story line was good, and it made me laugh a lot. i was going to say something else but now i can't remember what. damn it -_-.

anyway i should probably sleep again, it's 1.15am, and staying awake won't help me get better. yay for good films :).

love x x x x

With the Crookers Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1 just days away I've decided to post yet another Crookers mix from my collection. I'm not sure how hold this thing is, but whatever. It doesn't matter how old the mix is cause we all know you're gonna download it anyways.

Crookers Mix 4 Loose Cannons (Kiss Fm)

And as a little bonus, here's a tune that hasn't been blasted all over the interweb...

Crookers - The Crow [audio http://www.fileden.com/files/2008/6/9/1952519/The%20Crow.mp3]