Monday Morning Music - DM Stith - Ichabod & Apple (2005)

I had the pleasure of discovering the music of David Michael Stith as the support act to Sufjan Stevens in Dublin nearly 3 years ago. Twas a lovely surprise, now its time for you to enjoy him too. Melancholic tunes to wind away your Monday blues, or perhaps add to them. A lovely mix between Nick Drake and Elliot Smith. Just what I need today.

Bill Murray in Glasgow for the Film Festival?

 

Is Bill Murray roaming the streets of Glasgow today after a mad night at the 10th Glasgow Film Festival opening gala?

I doubt it or I would have expected to have seen him at the Gala last night, trust me I was looking.

 

The Grand Budapest hotel (2014)- a view

The king of whimsical hipster film has returned, this time with something a little more disappointing.
The usual cast assembled, the trademark 180degree pans appeared and the POV shots established right from the start. Unfortunately The Kinks and Elliot Smith don't sit well in 1930's Europe so that's a swing and a miss.
I was let down with the plot, it was rather boring with small snippets of humour. It seemed not as much effort had been poured in. No elaborate lists or wonderful collections. No Wes worlds, at one stage there is an escape route map, we hardly see it. It's those small wee details that took the magic away a bit.
The aspect ratio also frustrated me. A mix between 16:9 and what seemed 3:4 to distinguish between periods of time. Not necessary and rather distracting.
It's a nice film, something to enjoy but it most certainly is not his best. Go instead to see The life aquatic on the Talk ship as part of the Glasgow Film Festival, see Murray at his finest.
Good night

Archive photography : Russian ballet in Australia

Sometimes while browsing an archive you discover something that just completely sucks you in.



(source)


(source)


(source)

These shots from the Ballets Russes Australian tour in 1940 are just amazing. 74 years old and still striking and empowering.  The reflection in the behind the scenes top shot is gorgeous and the intimate feel was what first caught my eye. The intensity of the other two sent me on a wild tour going through the Flickr Commons.



(Enjoy the rest of this visual treat)

Star trekking across the south side of Glasgow

 

BIGFOOT COUNTRY - A Wednesday afternoon visual pick me up

BIGFOOT COUNTRY: The Adventures of Woody and the Blue Ox from Woody and the Blue Ox on Vimeo.

Hipster kitty - Parks and Rec

During February Hipster kitty stops watching Twin Peaks for a week, fearful of Laura Palmer coming back 25 years later.
So instead he watches Parks and Rec. He worries about Rob Lowe leaving.

The morning commute v2.0

At the start of my work commuting I began with headphones in and power walking. Now I have matured, developed some would even say evolved, now not only am I music less I also dander, ponder and photograph.
Since making the switch I have written and developed in my head two short films(now both actually written down) have written dozens of posts and taken giga bytes of photographs. Case in point.


I'm not saying music isn't inspiring or is a waste of time. I feel however that nature Glasgow nature and all it's weird and bizarre quirks can be so uplifting once we stop from our busy lives for a minute and embrace it. I would like to point out the lovely irony from this as I have sub-sequentially blanked most of my commute while I write this.

High school girls training in marksmanship - Archive photography (1942)

(Source)

Dntel - Life Is Full of Possibilities (Full Deluxe Album Stream) via @subpop

Such a great album and has to be one of my top walking albums. Gives you an electric soundtrack to your environment. Now the ever wonderful and one of the good sellouts subpop has the full thing up on the you tube. Enjoy.

Detective Jimmy - Films that shouldn't be made

"He grabbed another tesco jam donut, they were out of date and the jam was near solid. Jimmy wished he was on a stake out, this was just another depressing night of sleeping in his car."

The 8 hour art house film the critics are calling....

"painfully boring"

"...a grown man crying himself to sleep in a car"

And

"Sorry I left after the first 15 mins so couldn't honestly give you a genuine review"

Philip Seymour Hoffman (1967–2014)

It is even on the BBC website so its official, Philip Seymour Hoffman  has dies in New York.

Well that is horrible news. A truly great talent and such a sad loss of a father. Only recently watched him in Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master, also easily my favourite Capote.