Betty versus Veronica

A thousand pictures

Monday, October 31, 2005

Personal email

Begin forwarded message:

From: Martin Tran
Date: 31 October 2005 2:04:58 PM
To: Tamara Frangelli
Subject: Me and you


http://www.stylusmagazine.com/feature.php?ID=1727

The comments were extra special this time. People really got into this review. I liked it, too... a bit more analytical than the SMH one, but true Stylus style.

Additionally, somebody by the name of 'mirandajuly' commented, 'how dare you.' This could be the director/writer/actor.

I smile at lunch, now.

I read reviews to know what to think.

MT

8 Comments:

At 01 November, 2005 23:50, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Let me try to do it myself:

Martin: But Martin! I've seen you express negative comments about reviews [such as... where it's obviously you]. It doesn't seem like you need to be told what to think.

Although, I note that the email was quite poorly written - you didn't get a chance to do a draft, did you?

 

At 01 November, 2005 23:58, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Martin: Okay, okay, Martin, those words weren't as carefully thought out as such a 'posting' would suggest.

The back story could be that, reading the review and comments during my lunch break, I am eager to tell somebody about the excitement of possibly reading a response from the actual director of the film, I string together some sentences and click send.

Do you think it was her? Could be...

Furthermore, I do sometimes read reviews to see if the reviewer picked up something that I didn't pick up, this film especially. It was about love. That's the general concensus. And there I was, just thinking it was just a bunch of stuff. And the stuff didn't really impact you, like make an impression. It was 'soft'. And when it ended, I was confused.

You saw it, too, what do you think?

 

At 02 November, 2005 00:03, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Martin: You know, I had the exact same response to the film! I just wonder about how you approach reviews. Most people read reviews before going to see/hear/whatever something. I note that you often do the reverse, reading after the fact.

And, I reckon it was her.

And, and, sometimes you go to see a movie to be a sponge. I noted that of you that night. Too bad it was the wrong sort of movie to be a sponge at.

 

At 02 November, 2005 00:08, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Martin: I find that I catch onto things late. Also, the choice of that movie was pretty much based on the desperate need to make Saturday night more interesting than doing nothing, and an interesting poster in the paper. It wasn't because I/you/we wanted to see it. I didn't even know it existed before I decided to watch it.

I realise that I'm waffling on, so I'll stop there. But I think my point has been made.

 

At 03 November, 2005 22:38, Blogger schteve said...

So you liked the film or not?
Is it a Martin-recommended film of the week? I hadn't heard of it either until now. But that blows cos if I do end up watching it there'll be expectations.

What else do you smile at?

Miranda July, very cool name. It seems like hibeside and july have a very interesting relationship, if in fact they are who they purport to be.

Enough questions?

 

At 03 November, 2005 22:45, Anonymous Anonymous said...

It must be nice, to have a dialogue with yourself to find out what you like. Martin preempted my curiosity as to whether you read reviews pre or post movie / album / book / other possible interests. If you read reviews pre, does that influence your mindset during? And your review post? If you read reviews post, does that influence your mindset after? And your review post? What if you review pre reading reviews? Then how do you know what to review? Oh is it Friday yet?

 

At 04 November, 2005 00:20, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't think it matters if I liked the film. It matters that you know about the film, and you've read stuff about it. I'm not telling you to watch it. But, if you happen to find yourself in the cinema with that film starting, you'll have had a good foundation for the next two hours or so. And, it's about love.

I'm going to nerd things up now, and say that I did a 'review of a review', for Yinong's History Theory. I thought I was quite clever. I think I got a distinction. Do you remember? It was about remembering!

And, I do it still - I'm not about to buy Destiny's Child's #1's [or will I?], but I read the review. Eh.

Don't worry, I'll try to think of something more interesting than reviews for the next post. [That discounts a third of my life... wait, wait, I don't think I want to talk about the rest of me.]

More questions, please. [I'm going to address smiling elsewhere... didn't Lin tackle smiling?]

 

At 04 November, 2005 17:50, Blogger schteve said...

Lin said something about grinning and smiling last night and she was right.

Another question on top of 'what do you smile at' would be 'what do you grin at?'

and you still do reviews of reviews these days anyway.

 

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Sunday, October 23, 2005

Heathers

Friends,

Did you see the movie Heathers?

It's this shitty little teen comedy about teen suicide. Except Winona Ryder and Christian Slater are killing the teens instead of them killing themselves. Quite hilarious, though.

Anyway, Winona's drafting a suicide note after killing one of the Heathers, and argues with Christian about whether the Heather would use the word 'myriad' in the note (oh, I had to do a bit of research, there). Christian says that the Heather would use that word, knowing the Heather got the spelling of that word wrong in class, and so would use it so as to highlight her failure in life, or something along those stupid lines.

On another note, I'm doing the transition thing with this online experiment.

I've written a few drafts for some posts, which I'll contemplate finishing and posting.

I like this first post. It is like me, in that it is pointless.

So I watched a few movies over the weekend. Two of them inspired me to write. The third, Goodbye Lenin, (Thanks Tam; I remember us talking about it while walking to Besos Park) was interesting, and I enjoyed it much, but I don't have anything to say about it. Except maybe a negative comment about the idolisation of film scores.

Oh, and, last time, I was all cryptic in asking you to comment (most of you understood Perth: What is all the fuss about? Please respond, and commented). This time, I'll say it straight: Please respond.

I had in my head a dialogue.

I know, this doesn't make sense. Don't worry, there's no hidden meaning.

9 Comments:

At 24 October, 2005 17:27, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm happy to see the re-birth / resurrection of advarp. I always enjoyed reading your posts. I'm excited! Goodbye Lenin is a great film. It's amazing, the things you do for the ones you love. I've always been a fan of foreign films, the French and Germans rate highly on my list. Have you seen The Edukators? I think you would like it.

 

At 24 October, 2005 17:36, Anonymous Anonymous said...

p.s. For the first time since the beginning of advarp, you've left a loud "Please respond" mention in your post. I was excited to see the number of comments were four, and then disenchanted to see that they were all from online advertisers. Bloody hell. I never really understand why people think anyone would be interested in online loans, gambling, viagra and Robopet By Mark Tilden through online junk advertising. Do you?

 

At 24 October, 2005 21:50, Blogger schteve said...

yay charmaine finally discovered nonymous commenting!

Tell us about Mussle Rock, is a horse in transition. I only know it's some Pavement B-side song?

 

At 24 October, 2005 22:08, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Mussle Rock is this catchy little number. It follows the song Kris Kraft, which could be in reference to a backwards 'hip-hop' duo of the nineties. The drum track on Mussle is played backwards, giving a wonderful swell of the ride that's most apparent in the denouement (or not really). As with about ten percent of Pavement songs, it is written and sung by Spiral Stairs, aka Scott Kannberg. If you were drunk enough, it would be magnificent to dance to. If you're sober, it's a toe tapper/head nodder. As with all Pavement songs, the lyrics don't mean anything, or I don't pay any attention to what they mean.

 

At 24 October, 2005 22:16, Blogger schteve said...

The lyrics don't mean anything... I remember someone else saying that too. "...people who listen to my music read too much into my lyrics, I just chose words that sounded nice or had a nice ring to it." -or along those lines...

Who?

 

At 24 October, 2005 22:23, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yeah, I did delete that, didn't I. Mike Patton. It was in my post, Peace, Love, Empathy: The Nineties: Part One.

Mike Patton was in a band called Faith No More. The keyboardist of FNM, Roddy Bottum, formed the band Imperial Teen, which was also mentioned in that post.

It might have been that I was thinking about the connections, and so wrote it in, or that I wanted some clever person to pick it up... no, I didn't think anybody who read the site would know.

Good work, Steven, this is what it's about.

 

At 24 October, 2005 22:32, Anonymous Anonymous said...

To all. I have played around with history, because I am a megalomaniac. I have deleted most, but not all of the junk comments that Charmaine referred to. She refers to one by name, and so I feel obliged to leave that one. Lucky you, Mark Tilden.

Chaz, did they steal your thunder? Did they debase 'anonymous' for you? Are Steve and I revealing too much of you? Doesn't matter, nobody remembers.

 

At 25 October, 2005 20:48, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dear martin & schteve,

Hurrah for nonymous commenting! I feel a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, now that I am no longer "anonymous".

Not really. Well, I feel as though what I say now matters more. So, they did not steal my thunder. Also, I didn't want to be confused and associated with the world of Mark Tilden & Co. Charmaine likes advarp enough to be leaving comments she thinks are of some worth to her name.

Perhaps, as a final farewell to anonymous, I will contribute a piece of free advertising myself:

Happy Birthday Schteve!
That is all.

 

At 26 October, 2005 00:44, Blogger schteve said...

Thanks Charmaine:D But in order to maximise capital gain through free advertising you need to promote yourself a bit more profusely but inconspicuously...

 

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