To the shitty Canadian Government

This year the Canadian Administration will be as insensible, cruel and stupid so as to grant the killing of over 350,000 Harp Seals, Phoca goenlandica, specially the younger ones. It is really insulting, if you consider that Canada sells itself as a foremost member of the Developed World. Yes, developed that country may be, but inside, in its innemost entrails, there lies a criminal heart and an Administration obviously unable to find a decent way to feed that part of its population. Far from there, in Russia or China, some stupid rich bitch, or a man, will use the seal's fur as a valuable prize, a sign that they are the dons of the underworlds where they dwell.
Please help PETA fight this insensible and cruel slaughter
Image: Orange Room

We all know you will come back...

Image: Marvel.

Questioning

1. ¿Why are you blogging?
During my teen years I used to keep a diary, a rather dull and pretentious one, which was fortunately incinerated. When my friend the Monster talked about her blog I inmediatley follow suit.

2. ¿About what do you write and why?
About every possible thing because I am grotesquely curious.

3. If people stops reading you, ¿will you keep writing?
Yes, of course, but I would do it in a more esoteric, intimate way, as I did in my old diary.

4. ¿Do you think that blogging implies Ethics?
Absolutely, as in the old saying, "don't do to others...", otherwise one would become caothic.

5. ¿Are you a part of a community? ¿Why?
I am human and as Darwin said, a social being.

6. ¿Do you have a close group of bloggers so as to do a project with them?
Yes and all of them are really good at what they do.

7. ¿Do you think blogs can change the world?
It's a hard job but, slowly, bloggers do change things they dislike. I mean, honest bloggers, not those who use the Blogosphere to sell products, ideas or push idiocies around.

8. ¿What else would you like to do over the Internet to enhance your interests and why (like podcasts/videocasts, communities, wikis, social nets, etc)?
Web pages on alternative art, photography, literature and cinematography because these artists usually don't find an easy way in the real world.

If you have not compleated this, please feel free to copy-paste and, keep it going!

Image: Still from Rambo 3.

Three Regards on Cazadores de Amores

“An artist is a creature driven by demons – he usually doesn't know why they chose him and he's usually too busy to wonder why”.

William Faulkner

I Inferno
Pluto in 26° Libra

According to C.G. Jung deep inside any of us lie, usually dormant, a complex structure of blocks fundamental to build what is known as archetypes. Sculptor Sebastián Barrientos is a rare fisher who probes the deepest, turbid and brave waters of the id, not knowing what kind of creatures will surface from it, or if they will be upset outside of their abysmal lairs. But, once caught by him, these ideas take shape in the material world, not by the brutal striking of a chisel, but with the care needed by a Pathologist to describe a terrible malady. Every one of his creations goes beyond its own shape, because if you change the point of view, or if use a different light, so the sculptures will render a newer meaning. That way, they become a legion, a terrible surreal legion of fractal compositions that appeals to the deepest voids of the collective unconsciousness. Thus, they become a nightmare for some, and a balsam for others. The textures colorized with organic hues, represents a narrative created by him. Simple at first sight, these sets come from a master hand, suggesting conflicts, lamentations and cursing, reminding us of that place where there will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth".

II Purgatorio
Jupiter in 9° Scorpio

If you look closely at Los Hacedores de Rosas, you will notice that its wings are adorned wit roses. This flower has always been a powerful symbol of exalted consciousness to the West, reminding us that it is imperative to cross the Abyss and reach what Huxley called, The Doors of Perception. Perhaps looking for the Φ Number, Sebastián’s oeuvres are beautiful to the eye. They look even normal when displayed in big spaces and invite the onlooker to bond with them, although if he/she is not careful enough, they will be devoured by them. However, they have the beauty of the pristine hand, of the new uncontaminated artist. We are seeing how a bold creator is born, albeit his roots are deeply planted in an artistic family tradition.

III Paradiso
Mercury in 16° Aquarium

Barrientos sculptures are beautiful examples of 3D experimentations that become a dance done for exploring the limitless possibilities of a space defined by the artist’s hand. They come from the deepest ponderings of our age, descend from the rich worlds of Marvel and other such creators, but also take their share from traditional Sculpture and Design (in fact, some of them resemble Greco-Roman gods). In all of them there is a way to feel the eruptive passion that drives Barrientos efforts. Sometimes his works leaves the soul with an eerie sensation, and sometimes they sooth it like an encounter with bliss and beautiness. If we have enough imagination, we would find it easy to believe that they will talk to us in an arcane language, to tell their stories and help us look into the beyond and perhaps find that the old teaching of the Alchemists (that everything in the Universe, from Heaven to the most insignificant thing, is alive), is true.

Los Cazadores de Amores, Mar. 8 – 31, by Sebastián Barrientos, in Museo Nacional de Arte Moderno, Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Text translated from the Spanish original © León Aguilera Radford, 2007.
Photos by Mauricio Acevedo, courtesy of Fundación G&T Continental. Sebastián’s chart courtesy of this Web site.

Ghost Rider, a failed experiment

There should be something about the Ghost Rider, since both Johnny Depp and Jon Voight sought to perform the flaming skeleton in this film. However, Nicolas Cage got the impersonation after seeking it with penchant, and offering to help the production financially. He, for one, has a tattoo to prove his affection for this Marvel Comics character, created by writers Roy Thomas and Gary Friederich, with artist Mike Ploog (Marvel Spotlight, vol. 1, #5, Aug. 1972).

The film’s story follows closely the comic's one: Johnny Blaze (Cage, as a grown up and Matt Long, when younger) saves his father from Cancer by signing a pact with Mephistopheles (Peter Fonda). In exchange, he is bonded to become a bounty hunter for the Devil, whenever he calls him for duty.

It happens that one day, enters Blackheart (Wes Bentley), Mephisto’s rebel son who surfaces to the Earth with three demons in order to conquer humanity. Here, for some obscure reason, the all powerful Mephisto has no power, so he calls Blaze to send Blackheart and his minions back to Hell.

Blaze, amidst a desperate investigation to know if there is a way for a damned to get a second chance from God, goes transformed into the Ghost Rider after his preys, but with a serious setback: his teen love, Roxanne Simpson (Eva Mendes, and Raquel Alessi, when younger), returns to his life as a savage beautiful creature, even a semi demon like Blaze would not ignore. And, as Blaze needs guidance, he finds it in an old cowboy, who later reveals himself as the previous Ghost Rider, Hamilton Slade (Sam Elliot).

Mark Steven Johnson performance as a director here, is in no way as good or as bad as it was in his previous films, Elektra and Daredevil. Good enough to entertain for a while, but unable to offer a solid story. As he also wrote the screenplay he is to be double charged for the film’s many flaws: a flat, predictable story, with pedestrian characters and simple theological argumentations. Besides, FX work is not as good as expected (just look at the fire rain that comes along with Blackheart). Edition is so weak that it seems made by a novice.

Now, let’s see some props: the Ghost Rider’s bike is a laughable piracy or the designs by H.R. Giger, although I shall concede, Johnny’s one is a perfect replica of the bike used by Peter Fonda in Easy Rider. Also, Slade’s gun, a repetition Winchester model 1887, probably would have been comfortably in the hands of a cowboy in the late 19^th Century.

Director Johnson was happy with sound designer Don Davis final voice for the Rider. He filtered Cage’s voice along the growls of three different animals played backwards. It was supposed to rock the theaters. Well, perhaps, you should go and see for yourselves. But, for me, it was not impressive at all. A good asset for the film is the Pennant’s Stare, “a powerful weapon”, according to Slade. However, it was not fully exploited; instead, FX people just marred it in a fiery mess.

Finally, Cage's performance is poor. Mendes limits herself to be herself (great for any teen male) and Peter Fonda goes without inspiration, although that’s a character limitation, not to be blamed on him. I didn’t like the Soundtrack, either. It is pedestrian to use old songs to emphasize what you are obviously watching.

According to James Berardinelli this film is an unholy mess. I am sorry to agree with him, but I am confident that perhaps someday there will be a second part, and that then they will look for a better director. It has happened before. Perhaps it will happen again.

Images: Sony Pictures.