Roland Orzabal is one sick bastard . . .
May. 30th, 2009 12:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
omorkaI suppose one shouldn't expect a picture of mental health from a band named after a book on primal scream therapy; else they probably wouldn't have had the book around to begin with, ne? But listening to ten different versions of "Mad World" is not good for one's composure. The bad dance remix is a relief in comparison, simply because all the others are so very claustrophobic. But "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" isn't exactly a nice happy song, either; neither are "Shout" or "Mother's Talk," and "Head Over Heels" has the line about "It's hard to be a man with a gun in your hand." In fact, it's possible that their most optimistic song is "Break It Down Again," which boils down to "things fall apart; it's beautiful" (or possibly "every good thing needs replacing," depending on which direction you're going).
And then there's "Sowing the Seeds Of Love." Because consistency is too much to ask for.
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Memeage!
Name your Top 10 Comfort Movies - the ones you go back to over and over, for a pick-me-up, to drag yourself out of a funk, or just because they're that awesome. Not necessarily your ten favorite movies - these are the ones to re-watch, whether you think they're actually good or not.
10. Enron: The Smartest Guys In the Room. Yes, this is a documentary, and not one with a happy ending, exactly. I'm not sure why I find it as compelling as I do, but I'm sure part of it is taking what should, by rights, have been an impenatrable story about accounting, and made it as story about dramatic human flaws and the dogged pursuit of truth. (n/a)
9. The Last Starfighter. This is one of the simplest stories I know of, in the sense that it's all text - there's very little subtext in the film. Like a rendered object, it's all surface, but such a shiny surface! (2)
8. Saved!. That's not the end of the evangelical subculture that I was raised in, but I recognize it wholly. That people do escape, that its gravitational pull can be overcome and that people do constantly, is incredibly comforting for me on my "how can you be such a pervert" days. (p)
7. Stand And Deliver. Just in case I ever doubt my profession, this reassures me all over again. Lovely, lovely stuff. (p)
6. Short Circuit. It's fantastically cute. It has Austin Pendleton in it. Screw you, it's great. (1)
5. The Princess Bride. I can sing along chapter and verse through the whole movie. It's a good film, but the comfort factor is knowing it so well, the utter familiarity of it. (3)
4. Real Genius. Partly for the same reasons as #6, and partly because it's a nerd movie. (2)
3. The Lord of the Rings. Yes, I consider it one movie in three parts. Yes, I mean the Extended Editions. For the extra comfort factor, one of the commentares should be on. (I actually should probably list the DVD extras separately, as they're also major comfort watching for me.) (2)
and, tied for my #1 comfort movie -
1a. Ghostbusters. You knew this already. I've said as much about this film as I can possibly say. No, that's not true, but you don't want to hear it at this point. Let's move on. (2)
1b. TRON. You knew this, too, if you've read my LJ for any length of time. It's a technopagan "As Above, So Below" story. It's the Matrix without guns or drugs. It's smokin' hot Bruce Boxleitner, Jeff Bridges, and Danny Shor in skintight pajamas. It doesn't write out the poly ending, even if it doesn't actually go there, either. What is there for me not to like? (1?)
The number at the end of each description is the step of the Bechdel Test the movie fails on; a p means it passes. That's not part of the meme; I was just curious.
And then there's "Sowing the Seeds Of Love." Because consistency is too much to ask for.
--
Memeage!
Name your Top 10 Comfort Movies - the ones you go back to over and over, for a pick-me-up, to drag yourself out of a funk, or just because they're that awesome. Not necessarily your ten favorite movies - these are the ones to re-watch, whether you think they're actually good or not.
10. Enron: The Smartest Guys In the Room. Yes, this is a documentary, and not one with a happy ending, exactly. I'm not sure why I find it as compelling as I do, but I'm sure part of it is taking what should, by rights, have been an impenatrable story about accounting, and made it as story about dramatic human flaws and the dogged pursuit of truth. (n/a)
9. The Last Starfighter. This is one of the simplest stories I know of, in the sense that it's all text - there's very little subtext in the film. Like a rendered object, it's all surface, but such a shiny surface! (2)
8. Saved!. That's not the end of the evangelical subculture that I was raised in, but I recognize it wholly. That people do escape, that its gravitational pull can be overcome and that people do constantly, is incredibly comforting for me on my "how can you be such a pervert" days. (p)
7. Stand And Deliver. Just in case I ever doubt my profession, this reassures me all over again. Lovely, lovely stuff. (p)
6. Short Circuit. It's fantastically cute. It has Austin Pendleton in it. Screw you, it's great. (1)
5. The Princess Bride. I can sing along chapter and verse through the whole movie. It's a good film, but the comfort factor is knowing it so well, the utter familiarity of it. (3)
4. Real Genius. Partly for the same reasons as #6, and partly because it's a nerd movie. (2)
3. The Lord of the Rings. Yes, I consider it one movie in three parts. Yes, I mean the Extended Editions. For the extra comfort factor, one of the commentares should be on. (I actually should probably list the DVD extras separately, as they're also major comfort watching for me.) (2)
and, tied for my #1 comfort movie -
1a. Ghostbusters. You knew this already. I've said as much about this film as I can possibly say. No, that's not true, but you don't want to hear it at this point. Let's move on. (2)
1b. TRON. You knew this, too, if you've read my LJ for any length of time. It's a technopagan "As Above, So Below" story. It's the Matrix without guns or drugs. It's smokin' hot Bruce Boxleitner, Jeff Bridges, and Danny Shor in skintight pajamas. It doesn't write out the poly ending, even if it doesn't actually go there, either. What is there for me not to like? (1?)
The number at the end of each description is the step of the Bechdel Test the movie fails on; a p means it passes. That's not part of the meme; I was just curious.
