Musings of a Goldfish gone astray

I miss the 1990s....

vem1987@aol.com — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:42:50 GMT

A couple of days ago I was watching a few documentaries, one on Oasis from 2006 and one from Radiohead from thier 1997 "Ok Computer" tour.

I was 10 in 1997, just about getting into music with my own tastes, but while I listen to the likes of Boyzone, Spice Girls, Eternal and Billie Piper, there were groups that I was aware of but never wholly paid attention to, including Radiohead and Blur.

After these docus I went to youtube and stuck on some Radiohead, instantly I was captivated. Whilst not exactly what I was listening to at the time, Radiohead, Blur and others probably would have been what I would have listened to if I had been 20 instead of 10.
Music to my mind these days has gone waaaaaay down. Of course there are some good stuff around, but as of about June 2005 I gave up listen to the radio, dominated by RnB, hip hop, indie and bands that were made on reality TV shows..... of course, bands in the '90s were all about maufactured boy and girl groups, but somehow they've managed to last longer than some of the tosh now. Although it is very funny to hear a song from a group who had a one hit wonder then died away and all became IT managers someplace.

Also I daresay listen to Britpop of the '90s has just made me very nostalgic for a time where I wasn't aware of the outside world, of stress, jobs, life, economy, politics, wars, money, filling in forms etc. I was either at school or at home with my sisters dancing around to "Hall of the Mountain King". Now almost 12 years later I'm 21, facing the last months at university, never had a job before and attempting to get one in the middle of a world wide economic recession whilst trying to face up to the fact that by July I will have to be a responsilbe adult.

*Sighs*

Ye gads!

vem1987@aol.com — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 13:28:33 GMT

I was rudely awaken from my slumber this morning by a text from my sister informing me that Heath ledger had died of an overdose. "what?" I cried and checked the interent, thinking the silly food had made a mistake with an actor who had died of an overdose last week. Alas this was not so and now I am in mourning for a talented and all round good actor.
I am most curoius to see him role as the Joker in The Dark Knight, I am sure the slight irony of the role will not be lost on most.

Still, on a more cynical note, the publicity dept for the Dark Knight will be having a metaphorical field day, as the hype for the film will increase hugely due to it being Heath Ledger's last performance, I also have no doubt that Heath's performance will be hailed a masterpiece, much like his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain. While I am sure he will deserve all the praise he will get (The trailers for the film do look incredible) there will always be a deeper layer of corporate crap that will use this to thier advantage.

RIP

A Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence Fic

vem1987@aol.com — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 10:14:55 GMT

A small fic I wrote for Merry Christmas Mr. lawrence. Damn fine film =)

Type your cut contents here.

Disclaimer: I don’t own anything here except this piece of fic, all else belongs to those who owns them and not me. No profits were made in making or distributing this fic, only as a thank you to a kind lady!

Pairing: Yonoi/Celliers

Warnings: Homosexuality is here folks, don’t like, don’t read

Rating: Erm…a PG-13 (12 for UK) not a graphic fic, but has some ideas.

Summary: We understand that by the end of MCML, Yonoi is dead and had asked Lawrence to take Cellier’s lock of hair and dedicate it in shrine for him in Japan. This is from Yonoi’s POV.

BALANCE

Captain Yonoi was not the most easily…put-out of men who ever ran a POW camp. He prided himself on his job and his men. The running of his camp reminded him on the fact that he was in control of himself, that his balance of emotional response was even and smooth.

Until he came, of course.

Certainly Yonoi had been honoured to attend the trial, and with such honoured persons as the ones he served with on that trial. But the prisoners…the moment Yonoi saw him he felt his strongly-held balance slip slightly, ever so slightly, at the blonde-hair rogue known as Jack Celliers. His strength and lack of care, as well as a mysterious distance that he maintained between himself and others fascinated Yonoi. He pulled his strings and got the man into his POW camp, but not before attempting to break that inner strength by a fake firing squad, which in the end, Yonoi realised, did nothing.

Colonel Lawrence knew him, Yonoi envied that, even if it was only an acquaintanceship rather than a friendship, the man still knew more than Yonoi did. He wanted to make Celliers commander, instead of that group-captain who, to Yonoi, was every bit as boring as his manner suggested. Lawrence and Celliers were different Yonoi hoped that they would help to smooth things over with the prisoners, as well as provide him with information he required but he held the tiniest bit of hope for that, if nothing else Lawrence and Celliers were honourable men.

Yonoi could not account for such feelings towards him. He supposed that the man reflected a part of him he wished to be, more daring, braver, the ability to bring an air of self-confidence and to break rules without care. He frightened Yonoi, frightened him because there was nothing else to feel about him except…that…and Yonoi did not wish to dwell of that for too long.

Now he was in his cell, awaiting his own execution, the war was lost and now he was the prisoner of the British, who were killing him for his crimes. What’s more, Colonel Lawrence was waiting outside, no longer a beaten and bedraggled outsider to all parties but an officer restored to his full glory. Lawrence had always puzzled him, this Japanese-speaking sympathetic Englishman, but a most kind Englishman it had to be said.

Lawrence walked in, in uniform, cleaned and pressed, not a mark lined his face except perhaps, weariness. He bowed in greeting and sat beside him with the air of sympathy and understanding he had had all the way through his imprisonment at Yonoi’s camp.

Yonoi gave him the lock of Cellier’s hair, what could he do with it now, other than rely on this sympathy and understanding? He needed to honour Celliers because…he needed to honour what wasn’t there, what could have been there, what might have been there.

Celliers had broken him. The kiss in front of all those men had not only tipped the balance so far as that Yonoi could no longer hold on, it had shattered it on some imaginary hard surface of reality.

Lawrence smiled and nodded, he understood, he always understood. If there were to be any word to describe Lawrence it would be understanding.

Any word to describe Celliers would be forbidden.

Well Uni....

vem1987@aol.com — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 14:00:42 GMT

Portmouth's a funky city, got a gay pub right down the street, a theatre, several chinese and indian take aways, two shopping centres and outlet and a habour, plus a historical dockyard....not bad eh??
Brought "Capote" today, my 7th or 8th DVD I have brought since being here. I can't wait to watch PSH's oscar winning performance.

Cheerio!

GGF

Cool fan vid

vem1987@aol.com — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 22:15:07 GMT

Ok am on youtube.com, which is just awesome and I am looking up Spock (yes am shameless lover of the Kirk/Spock shipper slash =) ) anywho this vid by t. jonsey & killa, to the music of NIN's closer is just brillient in how it's constructed and presented. As A film student, to me this is just amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PwpcUawjK0

Now hear this...

vem1987@aol.com — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 00:30:34 GMT

In order to get some life into this journal I am now proposing that you the general public, may review anything you want, here on my wee journal.

So got a film/book/tv show/play you wanna tell peeps about? do it here!!

Film reviews

vem1987@aol.com — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 23:58:29 GMT

OK, so with the encouragment of my firend Mr.Joey Jones, I am using this journal for something other than posting dirty fic.
I am a film student, so therefore, logic dictates i use it.

GINGERGOLDFISH’S MOVIE REVIEW
(The best POV a fish can have)

Not my first ever review, but my first here...onwards Pegesus!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS MR.LAWRENCE (1983)

Not a lot to do with the festive season alas, but instead a truly provoking POW drama set in a Japanese POW camp in Java 1942.
This film caused a great stir on its release because it starred none other than our very own Mr. David Bowie, in what has been described as one of his greatest performances. To be fair though, I have not seen “The man who fell to earth” which may be considered his greatest but I hope to see it at some point.

Anyways, this film is the first English speaking film of great Japanese director, Nagisa Oshima.

It concerns four main characters in the form of the “Mr. Lawrence” of the title; actually a Col. Lawrence played by Tom Conti, a Japanese speaking British liaison officer. Misunderstood by the Japanese and mistrusted by his fellow soldiers, Lawrence strikes up a peculiar friendship (which includes being beaten within an inch of his life) with brutal officer Sgt. Hara, played by Japanese comic/actor/director Takeshi “beat” Kitano. These two men are on the sidelines to witness the eruption and sexual friction that is young and idealistic camp commander Yonoi (Ryuichi Sakamoto, who also did the soundtrack/score) and the charismatic eccentric Major Jack Celliers (David Bowie). These two men kinda have the hots for each other yet are so stuck within their own identities as Eastern or Western ideologies that any sort of relationship wouldn’t be without major hitches.
Celliers also harbours a guilt-ridden secret while Yonoi fights to control his desire for Celliers. This little odd-ball love affair sadly ends in tragedy when Yonoi and Celliers go a bit crazy. Lawrence and Hara meanwhile come to understand each other and progress over their cultural differences to become friends of sorts.

This film has stood up very well to the test of time, made 23 years ago even my parents commented on how modern it is. It strikes hard at the issue of culture and the notorious Japanese camps which left many of our grandparents unable to overcome their mistrust of the Japanese. Bowie is very good in his role and fully concentrates on his acting, rather than providing a bit of music as well which would overpower his talents as an actor (he was required to sing out of tune in one scene!)
Tom Conti is just beautiful as our Lawrence, the only man who truly seems to understand, or attempt to understand anything of the situation that these men are in. Nobody listens to him and in the end everyone pays the price but him. Poetic justice indeed.
Our two Japanese leads only go to show what sort of amazing talent Japan have and it is a pity that their sorts of films aren’t made mainstream and are only really known to younger audiences for their amazing animations. Ryuichi Sakamoto’s film scores are particularly something I look out for.

Also make note of the fact that it is a JAPANESE director portraying the events in the film, not an English or American one…..some of it must have been hard to do….

Despite is poor reception at the box office, most likely induced by the politics and the over-promoting of Bowie’s involvement, this film is something special. It has links with the famous “Bridge on the river Kwai” and it is mostly dialogue based, so no big explosions here, or loud soundtracks.
If you want a low key, but quietly powerful film then “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence” is the film for you, plus it won’t hurt if you’re a Bowie fan.

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence
Year: 1983
Director: Nagisa Oshima.
Cast
Celliers: David Bowie
Lawrence: Tom Conti
Yonoi: Ryuichi Sakamoto
Hara: Takeshi “beat” Kitano
Hicksley: Jack Thompson
Country: UK/Japan
UK rating: 15

Ciao for now!!!