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From The Digital Sweatshop
The Music, Art and Travels of Alan D. Oldham a.k.a. DJ T-1000.

Penelope 2.

Thursday, March 23, 2006


Here's the second painting in the Penelope series. I still have to do something interesting with the background. I haven't figured it out yet.

I was on the train earlier today listening to A Certain Ratio ("Force") and reading Interview (latest issue with Gretchen Mol on the cover). I caught myself in a moment. I'm such a pretentious art/music/movie fucker, it's ridiculous =)

Giaxia brought over a new promo CD from this band called Bitcrush (coincidentally, the name of a VST plug-in). I haven't figured out who they sound like, but I like it so far. Really drugged-out and slow. They're not better than Airiel, though =)

This is just my week for new bands, I love it. Just when I thought there was no more good music out there.

You'll be interested to know I'm actually working on a track on Cubase as I write this. Gasp!


A Suggestion.

Friday, March 10, 2006

When viewing this blog, use Camino or Safari. I just noticed that the pics are off-center when you look at it through Internet Explorer.


Ultraviolet.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006


Checked it out last night. It's written and directed by Kurt Wimmer, who did "Equilibrium" with Christian Bale (very underrated).

This time, Kurt's got more money to play with. The movie opens with comic book covers from fictional Ultraviolet comic books drawn by top creators. The covers themselves were sweet. I found it ironic that a movie that's NOT based on a comic at all would make like it is.

The piece itself is very derivative, and unashamedly so. Bits of "Blade II," "Minority Report," "The Matrix," "Aeon Flux" (animated version) and other sci-fi action pieces flash by at lightning speed. But dammit, the cinematography was animated and colorful, the fight scenes were the shit, and Milla was completely destroying as Violet.



I dug how Violet's hair and clothes would change in mid-fight, and loved her extra-dimensional arsenal of weapons. I also liked how Violet's world was all soft-focus, primary colors (they did the same thing in "Sky Captain," only in low-key sepia tones), and her world also had it's own alien-looking alphabet (see the original animated "Aeon Flux"). Strangely enough, there was one thing in the movie in the normal, English alphabet, I'll leave you to find it in the movie.

In a couple of fight scenes, Milla did some variations on Gunkata, the fictional kung-fu style that incorporates handguns that was the centerpiece of "Equilibrium." Gunkata looks sexier when a chick is doing it.



As you would expect, high on concept, but story fell short. Nowhere did they explain just how Violet got so deadly, and her motivations were a little unclear. Can't say too much more without giving away details.

The internal logic of "Ultraviolet" is just enough to carry the flick, though. The story wasn't completely horrible like "Domino" was (another sexy-female-led action movie with adventurous visuals and weak story; do they think tits and ass will carry these flicks?).

While great on the big screen, "Ultraviolet" will rock on DVD, where you can fast forward past the boring parts. Can't wait for the commentary.

I've been writing/laying out new comics lately, so I'm really into visuals and story at the moment, guess you can tell.


Academy Awards.

Monday, March 06, 2006

Watched it last night. I thought it was really interesting, more so than last year. Jon Stewart was a nice, safe choice as host. I don't think he pissed anybody off like Chris Rock did last year.

I liked the graphics makeover they gave the show, the new modern typeface and branding.

The show usually drags on and on, but they really tightened it up. No corny musical numbers, just a couple of live performances. The speeches were nice and short, too. It was interesting how they played music even under people's speeches, hurrying them along.

As usual, half the nominated films I haven't seen yet, but they pretty much got the awards right. George Clooney (Best Supporting Actor winner for "Syriana") is officially the coolest white man in America. Even Three 6 Mafia (they won a goddamn Oscar!) had to give him a shoutout. "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp" should be Clooney's theme song.

I wanna see "Capote."

The Reese Witherspoon Best Actress win for "Walk the Line" was a shock. I really thought Felicity Huffman had it won for "Transamerica." Seemed like it was the year of the gay/transgendered, you know, with all the "Brokeback" hype.

Reese was America's honey, though, a blond Southern chick playing a country icon, it all makes sense. Just where the USA is at right now. The same reason Carrie Underwood won the last American Idol. Red state heaven. Yee hah.

Who says Hollywood is out of touch with America?

It was funny to watch her husband Ryan Phillippe's reaction shots during her speech. He was gritting his teeth. It seemed like she was gonna forget to thank him, a la Hilary Swank a few years ago, but she FINALLY mentioned him at the very, very end after thanking everybody else under the sun. She will probably be a bitch to live with, too. I don't envy poor Ryan.

At least Ryan was in "Crash," so he got a little dap this year, being in a hot flick.

It would have been cool if Terence Howard had actually won Best Actor for "Hustle & Flow" (I knew he wouldn't), but I liked his "Crash" performance better (he was actually an intelligent black man in that role as opposed to a pimp). Oh well, he was nominated at least, that will drive his price up. He's had a hell of a year. Good for him.

I can't think of a recent movie I've been less interested to see than "King Kong." I mean, whateverthefuckever. I can't believe it won for Best Sound Design over "War of the Worlds."

In fact, Spielberg got slaughtered. No awards for "War" or "Munich," not even technical ones.

Jessica Alba was hot, by the way. God, Jesus. I bet those women left the show and went straight to McDonald's. They looked like they starved themselves for a month to fit in those dresses.

"A History of Violence" was up for a Best Cinematography award. The film was based on a graphic novel. I know the guy who drew it. We used to draw for the same local comic book company back in Detroit, Caliber Comics, way back in the day. His name is Vince Locke. He got a shoutout during the awards.

Looking at the way techno turned out, maybe I should have kept on drawing comic books.


Domino.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Finally got to see "Domino" last night. I was really looking forward to it. Unfortunately it was a huge letdown.

Visually, it was on point. Director Tony Scott is still the man, and it's interesting how he's still breaking down barriers and testing his audience's limits after so many years in the game. It was storywise that the movie fell short. The screenplay was written by the guy who did "Donnie Darko," which explains everything. Another weirdo flick I hated.

I thought it was supposed to be about this badass model-turned-bounty hunter chick, played improbably by the pale, waifish Keira Knightley, and her crew, led by Mickey Rourke. But it quickly devolved into this kind of reality show/talk show/media satire on acid type-thing that Oliver Stone did first and better in "Natural Born Killers" over a decade ago.

Mo'nique was in it playing a tacky, loud, ghetto black woman. Macy Gray was in it, too, playing basically the same character she did in "Training Day" (I don't think the NAACP will be giving either of them Image Awards for this one). Why? Why was Jerry Springer in it? Why were the Latino and Arabic characters speaking their native tongues to a bunch of gringo Americans (with subtitles) as if they understood?

I hated the Latin character by the way, and was waiting for him to get killed or something. He was doing that same shit with his hair that Antonio Banderas does, that flip, all through the movie. GET A HAIRCUT, FUCKER, OR LEAVE IT IN A PONYTAIL. YOU'RE ANNOYING WITH THAT SHIT. Why was Domino and the Latin guy having sex in the open desert just after a horrific car crash? Where was Rourke's character during all this? Tom Waits appears as a guardian angel. Or a good samaritan. Or both. How come? The whole reality show thing with the 90210 guys. What was the point?

Oh, and the Latin guy blew somebody's arm off with a shotgun. This was an actual plot point.

Domino Harvey was a real person as it turns out. She was a lesbian bounty hunter who died of a drug O.D. right before this movie came out. They show her at the end and dedicate the movie to her. She wasn't as hot as Keira.

If you're into drugs, or maybe if you have a home theater system/flat screen TV, "Domino" is something cool to have on in the background when your friends come over. Otherwise, "Man on Fire" was a far better Tony Scott movie.

Meanwhile I'm gonna watch the commentary and see if I can get any understanding from the man himself.