All Blog posts
Links and Things I liked in April
Here, in no particular order, are some things I enjoyed over the last month:
'Birdman', Superhero Films and Spectacle
Riggan: How about Jeremy Renner?
Jake: Who?
Riggan: Jeremy Renner. He was nominated. He was the Hurt Locker guy.
Jake: Oh, okay. He's an Avenger.
Riggan: Fuck, they put him in a cape too?
One of the best and most inspired films I've seen recently is Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), a fantastic multi-layered meta commentary on hollywood and the creation of art. It features Michael Keaton as an middle-aged actor struggling to make what he sees as 'real art', after playing a superhero called 'Birdman' twenty years ago. This superhero, or possibly his diseased mind, torments him throughout the film. It taunts him about his perceived lack of talent and asking why he's bothering to attempt a serious play on Broadway. Near the film's climax, the Birdman appears and directly taunts the audience, showing them explosions and fast action, before turning directly into the camera and saying:
The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan- Book Review
I picked this short novella up recently and devoured it in about a day. Having previously read some of Ian McEwan's later novels such as Saturday and On Chesil Beach, I wasn't expecting such a violent and horrible little story. It deals with four children left abandoned in their house when both their parents die, and the unpleasantness that follows their isolation.
The Work Never Stops
After I published my first book of short stories, Amber Stars, I took a week off writing. I enjoyed the achievement of actually finishing a project and publishing a book. So I kicked back, read some books, browsed the web a lot and created absolutely nothing.
Newspaper Blackout Poems
In the past month, I've been messing around with a strange form of 'writing' called blackout poems. I was inspired by Austin Kleon, who helped popularise the form. Since then, hundreds of people have ran with it, creating new and different poetry using existing texts.
Zaireeka and the live experience
The live music experience is still thriving, even as CD sales fall. For many bands, it is the primary way of making a living. It seems odd that even as we devalue recorded music, live music has stayed important. I believe it comes down to the experience.
Thoughts on 'High Rise'
Last Saturday, somewhat spontaneously, I went to see High Rise, the newest film by Ben Wheatley. I'd previously seen Sightseers and A Field in England and enjoyed them both. The later wasn't wholly successful, but it felt very different to any other film I'd seen before.
On Writing and Publishing a Book
Last Good Friday, I found myself hunched over the computer, fiddling with styles and formatting while outside was bright sunshine. It was all in aid of getting my first collection of short stories published, Amber Stars.
Marbles and Creation
Why not take five minutes out of your day to watch this: