I'm dedicating this post to In The Kan; I'll be supporting my colleague/comic aficionado and techno-wizard Terrence Nell in a film news show/debate on 2Oceans Vibe Radio - tis an online radio station, so log on at 18:00 (GMT) on Tuesday 29th of April, and thence the last Tuesday of every month. ITK hits the airwaves, or stream waves, so you can follow me and hear the sultry sounds of my voice, flowing to your ear canals, enlightening you on what's hot and what's K@% in the movie world (it probably won't be sultry if the debate gets heated, maybe just just a bunch of guys wrestling for the Microphone). In addition to giving you the low down on the latest releases (pertaining to the month in question), we'll also be partaking in a debate on the Marvel Cinematic Universe and general things comic-booky, because we are kind of nerds you know. So here are some of the topics we would most likely touch on - these are all articles that can be found on In the kan, some of which I actually wrote... (click the pics to visit): "Why Superhero films are Overrated" "The Dark Knight Rises Debate Continues..." And for a low down on Terrence Nell and his perspective, have a look at his blog on ITK - "The Hot Box" His latest Post: "The Not-so-Amazing Spiderman 2 Review" Related posts: In The Kan Turns 2 Top Foreign language films of 2012 5 of the Best - listing the best Superhero theme tunes Youtube: KANetwork, featuring ruff-cuts videos by Terrence Nell
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The Bible vs the Blockbuster. Do we really know the story of Noah? Or what do we think we know; have we been reading the Bible correctly? For those still curious, here’s a look at what the Bible actually says about the man from the Bible called Noah, famous for the Ark and the Great flood. Hollywood is infamous for their inaccurate adaptations of any and all stories/books/plays etc, so there was no surprise when Darren Aronofsky’s film started rumblings of controversy – though to be honest, there hasn’t been that much really, not as much as there could’ve been. Perhaps my Review on Inthekan lends some light as to why, but when you compare this to the reception of Mel Gibson’s bloodied Passion of the Christ which was wildly successful because it went further than all others before it in its graphic depiction of the crucifixion, its reception has been almost tame. It begs the question of, do we really know the real story of the Bible, because there are a number of details to this story that even Christians are divided on. What's certain though, is that if you believe this story to be true, one must acknowledge the supernatural elements; in fact, this Bible story is driven by the supernatural. But alas you can’t please everyone, whilst you can piss off very many. This though is an objective look (as objective as I – a Christian – can be). Needless to say it would of course help if you’ve seen the film – and I would recommend it, even if all it does is spark a conversation. Here then is a rendition of events delivered by noted Pastor Joseph Prince - he presents the Real story of Noah as its portrayed in the Bible - but he tells it in a way I, or probably you, have never heard it before. He paints a picture that you've probably never heard in Sunday school... and yes, it would make for a cool but disturbing movie. Interesting further reading: - FACTS on Noah's Ark and the Flood - (this alludes to some interesting notes on the design of the Ark) - Thinking Outside the Box - Explorers claim to have found Noah's Ark - 101 Reasons why Noah's story doesn't float (for a non believer Dr. Justin Long's take on things) Relevant links from this site: - Bible Book Review Female soldiers of the world A few weeks back I did a post called “Ugly Beautiful” focusing on finding beauty within unlikely places, or seeing a different side of something usually perceived as ugly, that one can interpret as beautiful. Or perhaps just unveiling or uncovering some beauty by changing perspective. In this post though, it’s more of a misplaced beauty – beauty within unforgiving environs, or in places most would see as un-befitting. But, people are people and often something we see as odd or divisive, is more a reflection of ourselves than the actual state of the way things are. Female soldiers, specifically, Special Forces; They’re rare and a part of our world that most in society don’t want to acknowledge, because on some level, it violates some moral code, or a puristic ideal and goes against what most believe being a woman is all about. This is perhaps harking back to traditionalists; where women are the nurturers and care givers, and men are the protectors and providers. However, women have immense strength, and besides, what happens when the man falls (as he so often does) – and let’s not forget that men usually go to women to glean strength and support. But really, this is just a slight demonstration of the strength of women, because they can be the best protectors and are already providers, but they can do it without forfeiting their nurturing and softer sides. I was going to get all philosophical about this and delve into the inequality issues and the fight that many women have been fighting for ages, but instead I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves because these ladies are simply badass – if that’s not too crude. I could've also gone into the various roles they'd played over the ages and still do today, from assassins (often in the vein of the John Le Carre coined term; honey-traps), freedom fighters or even bodyguards - the late Muammar Gaddafi was one leader known to be partial-to/fascinated-with female (virgin) bodyguards. And then there's the world's most famous (and perhaps the most beautiful and glamorous) female bodyguard: Anna Loginova. She had a successful modelling career alongside her other profession, including work for Chanel. She died in 2008 in Moscow, at the age of 29, from head injuries sustained in what authorities believed to be a random carjacking. Loginova studied martial arts and in 2005 founded an agency called Stilet (Dagger) dedicated to female bodyguards (trained by ex-KGB operatives) to provide discreet protection for Russian billionaires . We know that women in this profession are in high demand the world over. I'm also only handing a passing mention to past female leader's, known for their unshakeable stance when it came to conflict, strong women in history like Cleopatra, St Joan of Arc - the sword carrying saint, Queen Elizabeth I, Mbande Nzinga Angolan Queen, 1582-1663 - who organized a powerful guerilla army to repel the Portugese settlers (eventually negotiating a peace treaty but refusing to bow to their then King), Queen Victoria, Golda Meir and the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher. If you’re curious, there are other reasons behind my decision to post this – it’s simply because I am actually writing about it – perhaps not women soldiers in general, but my book does contain a central character which happens to be a highly qualified female operative. The fictional character's name is Ayalah Karmin, an ex-IDF paratrooper and Sayaret Matkal vet who is working freelance after a term in Mossad. Of course when I researched this, I did not look into gender battles, but simply looked into the army, the units and disciplines, since all who achieve these exceptional feats need to meet the same exceptional standards. And then of course Israel is known for its equality in the military – with such a small country they can't afford to be stingy on who defends their country… ALL Israeli citizens are conscripted by law at the age of 18, for a mandatory 2 years of service. Anyway, on to the gallery, (Respect): [Image Credits: rediff.com, pinterest.com, alo.rs, yeeeeee.com, warfare.ru, moddb.com, desura.com, beautifulrus.com, news.xinhuanet.com, IDFblog.com, businessinsider.com, izismile.com, userfriendlyetc.blogspot.com, theatlantic.com] "Daughters of the attitude that produced them, certain women will not appeal to us without the double bed in which we find peace by their side, while others, to be caressed with a more secret intention, require leaves blown by the wind, water rippling in the dark, things as light and fleeting as they are." --- MARCEL PROUST, The Guermantes Way "The fear of women is the beginning of knowledge." "For the female of the species is more deadly than the male." Some links from the web: 8 Female soldiers who shattered barriers in 2013 (IDFBlog) Women in the Armies of the World, 70 pictures Most Impressive women in the military 2013 (businessinsider) Related links from this site: Captivating - Unveiling the mystery of a woman's soul - Book Review God's Message to Women --- Artist Feature --- "For me, what I do is about giving birth to an idea. I become obsessive about my ideas. I dream them; they live inside of me. But to be able to stay true to your vision until the bitter end? That's success – there's nothing higher than that." Her eyes light up. "Everything else is just bullshit." It’s been a while since I’ve done an artist feature, so, taking a break from politics and shifting gears but not toning down the mood at all that has been permeating on this blog. So here's an infusion of music; we all need it, even if we don’t know it. Lykke Li (pronounced Lick-E-Lee for those wondering) is synonymous with a variety of instrumental work and her wispy, oft sombre, retro, child-like vocals. She’s been described as being “sweetly melancholic”. Born to self professed hippy parents (a musician father and photographer mother) she says that although she was born in Sweden, she traveled so much that she doesn’t identify with the country of her birth. By the time she skipped out at 19 yrs old and go to NY to pursue a singing career, her family were living in Morocco. So, she’s Swedish without being Swedish… Personally I can’t place why I’m a fan of hers, but I suppose if I must say, then it has something to do with that trademark nostalgia to her sound. It speaks of things past – what we can never get back again, and this is evidenced within some of the song titles – ‘I Never Learn’, ‘Just Like a Dream’ and ‘Never gonna Love Again’. I was only introduced to her late (comparatively) via her second studio album ‘Wounded Rhymes’. The first song I heard was ‘Rich Kids Blues’ and the landmark ‘I follow Rivers’ which had an arguably longer life span thanks to the many dance remixes around (most notably by that of DJ ‘The Magician’). I like the fact that she’s somewhat stand-offish with both her music and her fans, perhaps its just me being a writer, but even though we know a lot of facts about Lykke Li, she still retains an enigmatic air. Otherwise, I just find her paradoxically refreshing. She says touring often pains her, where she was once even diagnosed with PTSD, because in reality, she’s an introvert, so becoming a pop star was probably not the best thing for her, health wise. Coming Soon: Her latest Album 'I Never Learn' (see cover art below) makes its world debut on 5 May. Lykke Li: [Image Credits: prefixmag.com, discodemon.net, facebook.com/lykkeli, followfrisby.files.wordpress.com, studiotota.com, wikipedia.com, ilistenbecauseican.wordpress.com, pastemagazine.com, wanttickets.com] “It's not a very sane thing to try to be great all the time. You want to make something magical; you want to make something wonderful; you want to give to everybody; you want to heal people; you want to still be inspired. That's not easy.” |
[Banner illustration by Joel Kanar]
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