Friday, July 31, 2009
Silly Internet Stories #4904349
I don't like Once. I sorta-but-not-really liked it back in 2007, but I was being polite because, back then, I wasn't as steadfast in sticking to my negative opinions of movies that everybody else loved (see also: An Inconvenient Truth. A D- film in retrospect that I gave a Csomething grade to to be uncontroversial).
Nevermind that though, I got an email today from somebody doing marketing for The Swell Season. O...kay? If these people were somehow smart enough to find this blog and to get my email and to type a letter then surely they were smart enough to find out that I didn't like Once and that I thought the female singer - whatever her name is, I don't care - was a daft twit. SOME PEOPLE!
Also: I wonder if anybody out there from the Inconvenient Truth brigade is feeling foolish about that today. "OMGWE'REALLGONNADIE!" Hardly. That PowerPoint presentation probably burnt up more toxic greenhouse emissions than me leaving a lamp on by accident. I wish Al Gore would just go away, please.
Nevermind that though, I got an email today from somebody doing marketing for The Swell Season. O...kay? If these people were somehow smart enough to find this blog and to get my email and to type a letter then surely they were smart enough to find out that I didn't like Once and that I thought the female singer - whatever her name is, I don't care - was a daft twit. SOME PEOPLE!
Also: I wonder if anybody out there from the Inconvenient Truth brigade is feeling foolish about that today. "OMGWE'REALLGONNADIE!" Hardly. That PowerPoint presentation probably burnt up more toxic greenhouse emissions than me leaving a lamp on by accident. I wish Al Gore would just go away, please.
It Is Fantastic
I am mildly obsessed with this newly releases trailer for Wes Anderson's The Fantastic Mr Fox. I hadn't been anticipating the movie much at all - Anderson doing claymation adaptation of Roald Dahl? - and the pictures I had seen weren't filling me with confidence, but seeing it in motion has made all the difference. Truly looks amazing.
It is amazing how well Anderson's self-contained world has been worked in animation (at least in the trailer - whether an entire movie of it will work is to be decided at a later date) and there really are some great visuals in there. Plus the voice work seems good, too, especially Bill Murray. "Demolitions expert!" Teehee. Claymation for the win!
It is amazing how well Anderson's self-contained world has been worked in animation (at least in the trailer - whether an entire movie of it will work is to be decided at a later date) and there really are some great visuals in there. Plus the voice work seems good, too, especially Bill Murray. "Demolitions expert!" Teehee. Claymation for the win!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The Album Covers of Madonna
With the upcoming release of Madonna's Celebration, an all-career encompassing career greatest hits package, on the horizon I thought it was time to give Madonna the treatment I have given Dolly Parton, Diana Ross and Grace Jones before. I would also like to direct you to Adem with an E, a fabulous site in its own right, but which is reviewing each of Madge's albums in anticipation for the Celebration release. It has totally gotten me into a Madonna splurge lately.
I have included single releases in here too. In fact, the majority of images are singles since Madonna doesn't have as many albums as Dolly or Diana and they generally have uninspiring album art (with a few key exceptions).
"Everybody" (1982)
"Burning Up/Physical Attraction" (1983)
Madonna (1983)
"Holiday" (1983)
"Lucky Star" (1984)
"Like a Virgin" (1984)
Like a Virgin (1984)
"Material Girl" (1985)
"Crazy For You" (1985)
"Angel" (1985)
"Into the Groove" (1985)
"Dress You Up" (1985)
"Live to Tell" (1986)
"Papa Don't Preach" (1986)
True Blue (1986)
"True Blue" (1986)
"Open Your Heart" (1986)
"La Isla Bonita" (1987)
"Who's That Girl?" (1987)
"Causing a Commotion" (1987)
"The Look of Love" (1987)
"Spotlight" (1988)
"Like a Prayer" (1989)
"Express Yourself" (1989)
"Dear Jessie" (1989)
"Keep it Together" (1990)
"Vogue" (1990)
I'm Breathless: Music from and inspired by the film "Dick Tracy" (1990)
"Hanky Panky" (1990)
"Justify My Love" (1990)
The Immaculate Collection (1990)
"Rescue Me" (1991)
"This Used to be My Playground" (1992)
"Erotica" (1992)
Erotica (1992)
"Bad Girl" (1993)
"Rain" (1993)
"I'll Remember" (1994)
"Secret" (1994)
Bedtime Stories (1994)
"Take a Bow" (1994)
"Human Nature" (1995)
"Love Don't Live Here Anymore" (1996)
"You Must Love Me" (1996)
"Ray of Light" (1998)
Ray of Light (1998)
"Don't Tell Me" (2000)
"What it Feels Like for a Girl" (2001)
"Die Another Day" (2002)
"American Life" (2003)
American Life (2003)
"Hung Up" (2005)
Confessions on a Dancefloor (2005)
"Sorry" (2006)
Celebration (2009)
As you can tell, I didn't think much of the Hard Candy artwork. But just look at all of those images up there. So many iconic - btw, I prefered the original Iconography title of Madonna's new greatest hits package - images and photographs in there. And there are plenty I don't care for that many probably love (the Like a Prayer artwork for one).
In terms of albums I think the American Life work is by far the best. So many things going on with it - and the music from it - that went so far over people's heads it's astonishing! My favourite single artwork world have to be between her two first singles, "Everybody" and "Burning Up/Physical Attraction". Those are from the time when Warner were not trying to let people in on the fact that Madonna was white (crazy, I know!) and so they either didn't put her on or mearly disguised her. I do find it interesting that so many of the single covers have nothing to do with the videos that accompanied the songs. "Express Yourself" being the biggest example. The video is dripping with references to Fritz Lang's Metropolis and yet the cover of the single is an oddly placed image of a Madonna dancing surrounded by dots with cutesy writing. Hmmm...
Love her, love all of these.
I have included single releases in here too. In fact, the majority of images are singles since Madonna doesn't have as many albums as Dolly or Diana and they generally have uninspiring album art (with a few key exceptions).
"Everybody" (1982)
"Burning Up/Physical Attraction" (1983)
Madonna (1983)
"Holiday" (1983)
"Lucky Star" (1984)
"Like a Virgin" (1984)
Like a Virgin (1984)
"Material Girl" (1985)
"Crazy For You" (1985)
"Angel" (1985)
"Into the Groove" (1985)
"Dress You Up" (1985)
"Live to Tell" (1986)
"Papa Don't Preach" (1986)
True Blue (1986)
"True Blue" (1986)
"Open Your Heart" (1986)
"La Isla Bonita" (1987)
"Who's That Girl?" (1987)
"Causing a Commotion" (1987)
"The Look of Love" (1987)
"Spotlight" (1988)
"Like a Prayer" (1989)
"Express Yourself" (1989)
"Dear Jessie" (1989)
"Keep it Together" (1990)
"Vogue" (1990)
I'm Breathless: Music from and inspired by the film "Dick Tracy" (1990)
"Hanky Panky" (1990)
"Justify My Love" (1990)
The Immaculate Collection (1990)
"Rescue Me" (1991)
"This Used to be My Playground" (1992)
"Erotica" (1992)
Erotica (1992)
"Bad Girl" (1993)
"Rain" (1993)
"I'll Remember" (1994)
"Secret" (1994)
Bedtime Stories (1994)
"Take a Bow" (1994)
"Human Nature" (1995)
"Love Don't Live Here Anymore" (1996)
"You Must Love Me" (1996)
"Ray of Light" (1998)
Ray of Light (1998)
"Don't Tell Me" (2000)
"What it Feels Like for a Girl" (2001)
"Die Another Day" (2002)
"American Life" (2003)
American Life (2003)
"Hung Up" (2005)
Confessions on a Dancefloor (2005)
"Sorry" (2006)
Celebration (2009)
As you can tell, I didn't think much of the Hard Candy artwork. But just look at all of those images up there. So many iconic - btw, I prefered the original Iconography title of Madonna's new greatest hits package - images and photographs in there. And there are plenty I don't care for that many probably love (the Like a Prayer artwork for one).
In terms of albums I think the American Life work is by far the best. So many things going on with it - and the music from it - that went so far over people's heads it's astonishing! My favourite single artwork world have to be between her two first singles, "Everybody" and "Burning Up/Physical Attraction". Those are from the time when Warner were not trying to let people in on the fact that Madonna was white (crazy, I know!) and so they either didn't put her on or mearly disguised her. I do find it interesting that so many of the single covers have nothing to do with the videos that accompanied the songs. "Express Yourself" being the biggest example. The video is dripping with references to Fritz Lang's Metropolis and yet the cover of the single is an oddly placed image of a Madonna dancing surrounded by dots with cutesy writing. Hmmm...
Love her, love all of these.
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