Love and Mercy

i love this song 

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There probably isn't a way for me to eloquently express my feelings for this song - I'm just not poetic like that. However, I can republish what Bono said  recently:

“Love and Mercy” is one of the greatest songs ever written. The thing about song lyrics is: with the cadence and the way the melody falls, they can be more articulate than any pure literate response. Feelings travel better than thoughts. I can’t think of a greater song to be sung than Brian Wilson singing “Love and Mercy.”
– Bono 

"One song, just one great song" - As a musician/song writer, that is what many of us aspire to. Here is a man that has so many great songs. Such a life, a light and an inspiration. More of this, more of Brian Wilson in this world.

Raw Deal

When I think of Noir, I think of John Huston

Not this time though, now I'm thinking Anthony Mann.

Raw Deal is Noir.

There is a jail break, two women fighting for the affection of a tough-guy, police chases, gun fights with bad guys, cigarettes, booze and seedy hotel rooms. I think that is every item on the Noir checklist.

Raw Deal is realistic black & white action/adventure in the hard boiled streets of 1940's San Francisco. The film, while focusing on the flight to freedom for Joe Sullivan (a recent escapee from prison) is truly telling the sad love story of his long-suffering and devoted girlfriend Pat.

Pat is played by Claire Trevor.

Claire Trevor

...right, never heard of her.
In fact, I had never run across any of the cast - Denise O'Keefe, Marsha Hunt...

Oh wait

I have heard of the dude that played the bad guy - Raymond Burr
Seeing him in a role other than Perry Mason or Ironside was fantastic.
He was not a good guy. Raymond Burr added a dimension to Raw Deal
by portraying the villain with real depth. He was tough, merciless and cowardly. It was enjoyable to see him get his desserts.

But back to Claire - this is her story, and in keeping with the tradition of Noir, she is jealous of the other woman (this time played by Marsha Hunt). She watches the man she has invested so much of her life into fall little by little for the woman that they both need to ensure their escape. It is an unmanageable position and she can only continue to fight her way to safety while hoping for the best.
It isn't until later that she seizes the opportunity to "solve" her problem at the expense of the other woman.

The peak comes as Claire realizes that she'll never have Joe's heart and sends him to save the woman that is competing for his love. This finale is a master class for Noir with as much heartbreak as there is action. 

SPOILER BELOW

It ended with Claire watching the man she loved die in the arms of the woman he loved.
Poignant, hard and gritty. The only end possible in this King of Noirs.

The Long Hot Summer

I don't know very much about Paul Newman

I've seen Butch Cassidy and I've seen Cool Hand Luke - loved both those movies, but for some reason, I've never given Newman much thought. So it really didn't cross my mind to check out The Long Hot Summer, and honestly, I have no recollection as to why I decided to watch it this weekend. But I suppose Malcolm Gladwell would say I've hit the tipping point, because now I'm a real fan.

So the specifics:
The Long Hot Summer is a 1958 melodrama directed by Martin Ritt
It stars not only Paul Newman, but also Joanne Woodward and Orsen Wells. <in fact, Ritt became known as "the Orson tamer" due to his diplomatic handling of the emotional star>.

IMDB has a 7.4 rating and Rottentomatoes says 88% fresh - not bad

This is a well established classic and you can find lots of details online if you like.
I really just want to comment on how much I enjoyed this film.

At first, I didn't know how to categorize this film. Usually I'm watching Noir or Horror. So this is the first time that I've identified "melodrama" as a style that I enjoy.

But now as I mull it over a bit, I put The African Queen at the top of my favorite movies list, so I suppose it makes sense.

Here was a movie where the heat and grittiness of the weather combined with the story to immerse me as a viewer.

The story line was involved and engaging. Newman was a newbie to town and as a smart "quick" guy, he in short time, ingratiated himself with the leading business man. Now the fun starts as the family responds to an outsider that is on such good terms with the father that none of them can please.

Acting: 
This is an A List cast. Performers at the top of their art - and so many names!

First of all, who can resist Lee Remick as Eula :)
She was a fantastic party girl with nowhere to party.
 
Eula's husband Jody was played by Anthony Franciosa. He nailed the 1950's angst as young Varner (reminded me of Sal Mineo's performance in Rebel without a Cause. 

Orson Wells was a surprise as well - what a powerful portrayal of a hard headed , self-made business man.

And Angela Lansbury was there too - giving life to her tough, seen-a-lot-of-life character.

Music: 
The soundtrack fit the picture well and the opening tune with Jimmy Rogers set the tone

I certainly recommend this film - in fact, I did recommend it over lunch today.
You can find it on Netflix right now.

The Kennel Murder Case - Noir?

I'm not sure what made me think that this Philo Vance adventure was billed as a noir, but it isn't.

First the facts:
This is a 1933 mystery drama that runs 1:33.
It stars William Powell (later to do the Thin Man series)

It is entertaining, but being so early, the production values are not what they were even for the Thin Man series. Even this digitally remastered version had some challenges.

But if you are a fan of The Thin Man, then you will understand the feel of this film. It is light-hearted, while not as comedic as the Thin Man. What struck me as I expected a noir, was a total lack of grit or underworld culture. This was a foray into sophisticated society.

The action starts with very little per-amble. We jump right into the action. It is a bit of a jolt and it is very important to pay close attention as characters are being introduced left and right. I had a hard time keeping track of who is who (but not to worry, it eases up and all becomes clear later on).

Robert Barratt is the villain and does a fine job making himself a target by alienating everyone he comes into contact with and Mary Astor helps add to the intelligence of the plot. There is a good scene where she is alluding to a confession and recants when she learns more around the circumstances of the murder. It was worth-while to read between the lines and see how she was suspecting her boyfriend and covering for him and then backing out as she learned it was impossible for him to have committed the crime.

So as I was saying, this was more of a Holmesian adventure and they probably should have credited Arthur Conan Doyle. It had more in common with the Basil Rathbone Sherlock series (that would come later in the 1930's) than it did with the noir style that I think started in the mid 1940s.

But if you like little dogs running about discovering dead men (this foreshadowed Asta), and comedic police that depend on independent detectives to do their work, then this is a fun, enjoyable film.

On the minus side, there is some minor racist commentary - maybe to be expected in a film from the 30's. However, at least they hired an Italian and Asian actor to portray these characters.

So while I was disappointed that I didn't get the noir that I was hoping for, I did have a bit of fun.

The Lark Ascending - A Tale of Two Violinists

One of my favorite pieces of music is Vaughan Williams' "The Lark Ascending".

It is majestic, fragile, happy, sad, vibrant, subdued and emotional.
Every note, every harmony is perfect from the beginning of the piece until it whispers to an end after 16 minutes.

This "pastoral romance for orchestra" resonates through the listener with an almost spiritual bliss. It brings me back over and over again.

I think I probably heard it first on Laura Carlo's WCRB program. [She has introduces me to much of my favorite music]  Because of my love for this piece, I became curious as to how other musicians and conductors handled it. The questions in my mind were - "would I love every rendition?", "how different would it be with another conductor?"

There are no shortage of versions of this amazing work. However, being a bit of a Julia Fischer fanboy, I of course started there. Actually, I was researching her violin...

Julia played the Booth Stradivarius for ~ four years.

Haven't you wondered how a top-shelf virtuoso chooses the instrument that they play? How they care for such a treasure? I often even wonder what the responsibility of care-taking a priceless human wonder (like an original Strad) would feel like. So as I was reading about the Booth, I discovered that it was once owned by Iona Brown. <question arises> what must she have sounded like - to play such an insrument <end question>

After a quick search on youtube, I found Iona playing The Lark Ascending :)
A very happy discovery for me.

So now I have two of the most wonderful classical musicians of our time playing the same piece (maybe on the same instrument?).

Iona's version was recorded in 1972 with the Academy of Saint Martin in-the-Fields (Neville Marriner conducting).

Julia's was from a 2011 recording with Orchestre Philharmonique De Monte Carlo.

The obvious difference is the quality of the recordings. After all, it was a 40 year interval between the two. The Iona Brown version sounded weaker with the violin a bit further down in the mix. I suppose with modern recording, Julia's performance was able to be brought forward, as it is more pronounced.

Aside from technical improvements, the two recordings are strikingly similar.
Both artists are masterful in their renditions and both supporting orchestras are flawless.

Listen to Iona Brown's version on youtube: CLICK HERE

Listen to Julia Fischer's version on youtube: CLICK HERE







So a fabulous piece of music with many wonderful interpretations.
In fact, as I am writing this, I am listening to the wonder Hilary Hahn (2 x Grammy winner) perform this piece with the London Symphony Orchestra - and her heartfelt rendition may become one of my favorites. Listen to it here

Harvester Review

Get it from Steam

Harvester is the epitome of what a good, horror point and click game should be.

The puzzles in this game while difficult, are fairly creative and enjoyable. Some of the tools you need are hard to find, and it can get a bit frustrating at times; However, the game does have tips, and once you figure out the solution it really feels like you've accomplished something. The gameplay is standard for the point and click genre, but there is some combat thrown in. HERE'S where the game gets a little nasty.

The combat is terrible. It feels clunky, unresponsive and boring. This would be forgivable if it were sparse, but during the last third of the game it's almost the only thing you do. In fact, the entire last third of the game is probably the weakest part, simply because of all the combat and that the area you have to trudge through is feels very disjointed.

The atmosphere is fantastic. I really felt alone while I explored the town, and the fact that there is no clear goal from the start made me feel all the more involved. I was really interested by the town of Harvest, and I really wanted to learn more. In fact, the story is a big part of why I kept playing. Along with the fun puzzles and creepy environments, the story really pulled me in. I was interested in the world of Harvest, and I wanted to see the mystery unfold.

Character interaction makes up most of the first third of the game, and its done very well. All of the characters are unique and memorable in some way, from the meat obsessed father of your bride-to-be, to the school teacher who punishes disobedient children with a baseball bat. Some characters will die, some characters will evolve into something much more sinister.

Though the graphics are dated, the world feels like a lot of detail was put into it, and I couldn't help but feel creeped out every time I stepped into the mortuary. The soundtrack contributes to this feeling, with tracks ranging from a relaxed radio tune to a tense nighttime heist.

Throughout the story, you are forced into more and more uncomfortable situations; Maybe you start by scratching a car, but soon enough you'll be burning down a diner. After every task you complete, you are able to talk to the townsfolk and witness their reactions to what's happening around them. I felt immersed in the world and interested in what everybody had to say.

"Though the graphics are dated, the world feels like a lot 

of detail was put into it"

The cheesiness does show through sometimes, though; But when it did, I couldn't help but laugh. This game mixes humor and horror perfectly, allowing for some scenarios that other games don't.
For instance: There is an armed gaurd (who happens to be missing both of his legs) you talk to at a few points during the game, and you soon find out that he controls a group of nuclear missiles that could cause a holocaust. If you continue to talk to him, he will accuse you of being a communist. If you do not persuade him that you are not, in fact, a "pink-blooded commie", then he will shoot you in the forehead and then accidentally set off all of the missiles (with gore out the wazoo, of course).
Its scenes like these that help to keep the atmosphere campy and fun despite the serious undertone of the game, and I feel that it makes it one of the most memorable point and click games that I have ever played.

Average game time will differ depending on the person. Some people will skip most of the dialogue and rush through the game, while others (such as myself) prefer to "smell the roses", so to speak. I personally recommend playing it at a moderate pace, because if you go through it too fast you might miss some of the great scenes and fantastic writing. It took me about nine hours to play through the game at a fairly slow pace, talking to all the characters and examinating all of the objects. It is possible to beat this game in around five hours, but that's if you're really rushing.

All in all, this is one of my favorite point and click games of all time, despite the lazily implemented combat and bugs. So if you can stomach the gore and enjoy some campy horror every once in a while, than I would highly recommend this game. I can guaruntee that if you enter with the right expectations and an open mind, you won't be disappointed.

JOIN THE LODGE

 ~Rowan L. (guest blogger)

Bioshock Infinite Review

Buy it HERE

Bioshock: Infinite is the third installment in a series of first person shooter games based upon exploring destroyed utopian societies. First, we saw Rapture; An underwater society built by a Russian  philosopher who sought to create a paradise of freedom and prosperity. Then, we saw Rapture through the eyes again, but this time through the eyes of one of its inhabitants. Now, we are viewing a new world; the only difference being that this one is still alive. You get to experience firsthand the horrors that play out in the beautiful floating island of Columbia; The question is, is it worth the dough?

Let me start off by saying that I will not reveal any spoilers in this review. I love the story of Bioshock: Infinite and I want all of you to be able to experience it yourselves.
 But now that we're on the subject, lets talk about the story. This game's story appears mediocre at first glance: "Guy finds floating city, guy must find girl and give her to some shady businessman who in return promises to "wipe away" his debt. Pretty simple, right?
 Wrong. The game's plot gets very interesting further on in the game. It also gets extremely complicated, but never enough to make your head hurt. Bioshock: Infinite also balances story pacing and game-play wonderfully, spacing out the story segments to allow for action, and vice versa.
Again, I won't talk too much about the plot, because I don't want to give anything away. However, I will say that the narrative is very well written and engrossing from start to finish.

The moral choice system however, is very underused. I was sad to see that almost none of my choices seemed to matter in the long run, unlike the first two games which took full advantage of that system with the "little sister" dilemma. The first games had multiple endings, whereas this game only has one. Even if the ending is amazingly well done compared to the first two game's endings, I have to take off points for the fact that your choices don't really matter.

Moving on, the game's visuals are breathtaking. The texture quality is great, the anti-aliasing is up to date, the draw distances are exceptional, the skyboxes are stunning, and the game's world feels alive and thriving. You feel immersed as you explore this beautiful land in the clouds, and never feel detached from the experience. Even on the lowest graphical settings, the game still looks up to date. Its graphics are on par with Tomb Raider, and never cease to amaze.

The sound design is also exceptional. The soundtrack keeps your blood pumping as you blast baddies and the voice acting is phenomenal.

The AI is spectacular. Enemies take cover when under fire and Elizabeth feels alive and breathing. When you're not under attack she will lag behind and explore the environment until you're ready move on. She will rest on walls and skip rocks while idle, as well as throwing you supplies and opening "tears" during combat.

Tears are doors to another world, as Elizabeth puts it. And she can control them with the snap of a finger. Tears can prove invaluable during combat as they can conceal friendly turrets, med-kits, cover, and guns as well as other useful supplies.

"Tears are doors to another world, as Elizabeth puts it"

In terms of game-play, Bioshock: Infinite also excels. While the gun-play is not exceptional, the game keeps combat engaging with sky-lines and vigors. Sky-lines allow the player to zoom around the battlefield and get from one place to another with ease. You can launch yourself from sky-lines to slam down on opponents, or you can shoot from above. This is improved upon even further by the addition of being able to control your speed. You can come to a halt, or speed through the clouds with just the press of a button.

All of this makes using the sky-lines feel fantastic and exciting throughout the entire game, not to mention it's pretty useful in a pinch.

And then there's Vigors. Vigors are to Bioshock: Infinite as Plasmids were to the original. In a nutshell, Vigors are abilities that allow you to change combat in many ways. For instance, there's Bucking Bronco, which allows you to launch enemies into the air and stun them while you whittle away at their health bars. Then there's Return to Sender, which basically acts as a shield. All of these Vigors also have alternate abilities which are triggered when you hold down the button for a couple seconds. The vigor "undertow" for instance, has the alternate ability to grab enemies from afar and pull them in close allowing you time to hit them with fire, bullets or whatever you prefer.
All of these Vigors are powered by "salts" which can be replenished by eating certain foods or

A Vigor

drinking certain liquids found around the game. Two Vigors can be hot-keyed at all times, so combinations are possible and useful.

Along with all this, the game offers vending machines throughout the game where you can stock up on ammo, health, and salts as well as upgrade your guns and plasmids.

The battlefields are also fantastic. You will find yourself in the destroyed city of Columbia, flying through the skies on airships and battling through buildings throughout the game. The enemy variety is fantastic and the distinct enemies that you will encounter never fail to remain interesting and fun to fight.

The game managed to capture my interest the entire way through, and I almost never felt bored. The only area during the game in which I felt like I didn't want to play was about mid way into the story and lasted about an hour. Now, I won't spoil anything, but it was very dull and repetitive; However, it didn't last very long and after it was over I was back into the mood of the game. After that sequence, the game didn't lose my interest again.

The final battle was slightly disappointing, because throughout the entire game you expect to clash heads with "Songbird" (a giant mechanical creature that's soul purpose is to protect Elizabeth from anyone that wishes to take her away or harm her), yet you never get to. It's quite a missed opportunity and I feel that zipping around the sky while blasting away at the creatures eyes would have been an amazing experience.

With all of this said, I still think that this game is one of the greatest games of last year, and it is definitely 100% worth your money. Everything feels smooth and polished, the game-play is fun and fresh, and the story is one of the best that has been told this year.

I highly recommend Bioshock: Infinite to anyone who enjoys shooters or story driven games.

-Rowan L. (guest blogger)