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Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus by Nick Cave / Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus by Nick Cave / Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
2004 | Alternative
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I think one of the main reasons I picked Abattoir Blues and Lyre Of Orpheus was because, as a double album, you get more bang for your buck. Abattoir Blues has a more gospel feel to it, background vocals and big crescendos. Lyre Of Orpheus was generally a quieter record except for the title track, which is one of my favourites. I love the lyrics to that song. One awesome thing about Nick Cave is the darkness and the humour in his stuff. On Abattoir Blues, I love 'There She Goes, My Beautiful World', 'Hiding All Away' and 'Nature Boy'. Just good tunes man. At this point you can hear the Warren Ellis influence. I've always been a Nick Cave fan, since The Birthday Party. My roommate at the time, Charles Peterson [Sub Pop photographer], had a copy of Prayers On Fire and I've been listening to and following Nick Cave ever since then. First time I got to see him he didn't play Seattle, so me and my friends drove three hours north to Vancouver and that was on the First Born Is Dead tour. My favourite ever Nick Cave lyric was going way back to 'Deep In The Woods' [from Mutiny/The Bad Seed] - where it ends with the line, "Tonight we sleep in separate ditches"; that always cracks me up. 20,000 Days On Earth was the best music documentary I've ever seen. It didn't follow the normal " and then he did this and then he did that" of those Behind The Music narratives, it was a surreal and cool peak in to Cave's world. Something I learned about him that I didn't know already is that he likes to eat pizza in front of the TV!"

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Rabbit Ears: The Fool and the Flying Ship
Rabbit Ears: The Fool and the Flying Ship
1991 | Comedy, Family
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
TV Show Rating
Honestly, this is my most favorite story from the Rabbit Ears series because it has everything that you would want to see happen in a fairy tale: comedy, fantasy and creative storytelling! Robin Williams was brilliant in narrating this story as he gave each character a distinctive voice and brought so much life to this story! I really enjoyed the creative tone of this story as the idea about having a flying ship that can take you anywhere in the world and having friends who have special abilities that can help you in a tight situation was really amusing to me! I also loved the characters in this story, with my favorite characters being the Runner and the Fool as they were extremely hilarious and interesting to look at. I also loved the focus on humor in this story as it made the situation and the characters much more memorable and lovable. Henrik Drescher's artwork is what truly made this story worth watching as the illustrations are bizarre yet hilarious to look at and I always loved the artwork of all the characters, especially of the Fool (who almost looks like Pinocchio), the Runner who has antlers in his head and the Puffer who looks like He-Man when he transforms into his muscular self.

The only problem with this story is that Henrik Drescher's illustrations might be an acquired taste for many people. Some people might like Henrik Drescher's illustrations for its creativity and its bizarre style while others might hate the artwork for being too ugly or too bizarre.

Overall, "The Fool and the Flying Ship" is a fun and creative video to watch and I am sure that many viewers will enjoy this story for its surreal humor and creative tone!
  
Mythology (Mythology #1)
Mythology (Mythology #1)
Helen Boswell | 2012 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The world of Hope Gentry has always been a little strange but it's about to become surreal.

Hope is a girl with a gift and a history, not all of it good. She is just trying to make it through High School as easily as possible without freaking everyone out. Then along comes Micah. A guy with his own problems who blows Hope away (in a good sense). Let the story commence!

This story is fantastic! At 418 pages long, it is big enough for you to sink your teeth into and completely immerse yourself in their world. Speaking of which, the premise of this book is extraordinarily well thought out and the abundance of characters, with their individual quirks and wittiness, is a pleasure to read. There are some amazing one-liners in this book including one which resonated with me - "Give me Dante's Inferno or Homer's The Odyssey over a math problem any day"!!! I completely get that!

The characters interact with each other brilliantly and I loved Micah. That boy is something else! As wrong as this will sound (unless you've read the book) I loved the interaction with Jonathon. You could almost see the sparks that flew between those two. Jonathon's wit and ability are just two of the things that make him shine. And Hope is a breath of fresh air. She is blunt, sometimes at the expense of tact, and is not some cowering wallflower.

I was gutted when I finished the book as I needed more but I am happy to say that Book 2 is to be released this month (according to GoodReads) and it's already on my to-be-read list.

Highly recommended!!!

* Verified Purchase on Amazon *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Sep 14, 2013
  
Her Body and Other Parties: Stories
Her Body and Other Parties: Stories
Carmen Maria Machado | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, LGBTQ+
8
6.0 (8 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is another book off my Wronged Women list - women who have been part of the #metoo movement. Specifically the ones that have come out against Junot Diaz and Sherman Alexie, but I hope to expand it to others as well. Her Body and Other Parties is a collection of eight surreal stories. Magical Realism is probably the best categorization for them, as they're not really fantasy. Real World stories with a touch of magic, or events that we're not sure whether they could be magic or are just in the narrator's head.

The Husband Stitch is the first story, and it's a retelling of an old children's story that I recently saw being discussed on Twitter - the one with the woman who had a green ribbon tied around her neck. Her husband always wanted to ask about it, but she refused to answer any questions about it, and wouldn't let him touch it until she was on her deathbed. In Machado's version, it isn't just the narrator that has one. Every woman does. It's different colors, in different places, but it's still never talked about. I think she means it as a metaphor for trauma. It works well.

Eight Bites is a particularly haunting piece about self-hate, body acceptance, and peer pressure. It's probably my second favorite story after The Husband Stitch.

The only one I didn't love was Especially Heinous. It was written as episode synopses of a television show, and it was interesting, but it just went on too long.

All of the stories are written well, though, and each one makes a different point. I think this would make an amazing Book Club book, because I'd love to discuss the meanings of the stories with other people. Other women, specifically. It would definitely be a great book for discussion.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
  
Rings (2017)
Rings (2017)
2017 | Horror
5
3.8 (21 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Going in I have to admit I had the lowest expectations for this movie. And indeed it starts off seeming like a complete joke with a scene on a plane that is reminiscent of “Snakes on Plane” but with an evil spirit, flies, and black sludge instead of snakes. The theater filled with laughter for the first five minutes.

A plot about a film that kills people who watch it is in itself offputtingly hokey. Previously I was never a fan of “The Ring” or “The Ring 2,” and I did not find either of them memorable to say the least. But, this sequel starts off in such a comedic fashion that most people will no longer have expectations to be scared. But this may not be a bad thing at all.

After the first few scenes something happens, and the film begins to be more artsy rather than hokey. Trippy effects like rain flowing upward or weird black liquid that almost looks like melted latex flowing out each time the evil spirit is coming, make this a surreal piece of entertainment. This film is actually best described as a modern day dark fairy tale and not a horror film.

Parts of the plot are very dark as you learn the complete story of Samara. Themes of captivity, murder, infanticide, and child molestation subtly peak into the plot. But it does not delve too far into these aspects which could have been truly twisted, instead it veers off into a more modern theme.

A college professor, Gabriel (Johnny Galecki), who teaches an experimental biology course and studies the afterlife, discovers the deadly film when he buys an old VCR. After watching it himself he comes up with a creative way of keeping himself and others who watch it alive. Hint – it involves a selfish pattern of sacrifice, which is a bit darkly comedic but also a realistic and shadowy reflection of human nature.

“Rings” is no horror masterpiece, but it is entertaining, unique, and a tad bit creepy.
  
    ARTLAND - Artworks & Artguide

    ARTLAND - Artworks & Artguide

    Art & Design, Lifestyle and Social Networking

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    Artland connects art collectors, art lovers, galleries, and artists worldwide. Whether you are an...