Synaesthesia

This isn’t a review.

It’s a rabid fangirl’s musings.

No, I’m kidding, it isn’t that either. Well, sort of. Don’t run away!

I was supposed to be packing for my triumphant return to campus, but I got sidetracked (homesickness already seeping in, I get so emotional) and ended up watching TV to get my mind off leaving and other things going on in my life (coughheartachecough). So, silly me, I started watching The Covenant.

I am not so dense that I didn’t pick up on how bad The Covenant was within the first thirty seconds. But I couldn’t help myself. Steven Strait is soooo handsome (eep! he’s about my age!), and after seeing him in Sky High, I wanted to watch him onscreen just a little more…

Yet The Covenant was SO BAD. It could have been anime – one of those crappy anime that tries to make up for its horrible, low-budgetness with bishounen (beautiful boys) and…well, the central girls in The Covenant weren’t slutty, as they probably would have been in a crap anime, so I guess they were bishoujo (beautiful girls) – but who uses that term anyway?

As someone on Rotten Tomatoes commented, the actors in this movie were probably hired for their looks rather than their acting. They were so pretty they could have been vampires – that pretty type of vampire – but they were witches (wizards? warlocks?) of some sort. I didn’t watch the whole movie because my mom walked in and made me change the channel because she said (in Spanish, so it sounded less nasty) they smelled like their mother’s milk. Yeah, I guess they’re young (err…my age).

So again about their prettiness…and anime. With this cast, this could have very well been a vampire movie and taken its cues from anime, playing up the whole homoerotic thing that my “rabid fangirl” in the closet was shrieking about through her gag. With this cast, this could have been a live-action Vampire Knight.

And yet, the movie didn’t seem to know what to do with its beautiful people except show them half-naked… That wasn’t very fun. And the plot? Well, it was a mish-mosh of school drama (weird that they were in high school – they seemed older…though I guess Steven Strait would have been high school age when he filmed this) and paganism. This is the kind of movie you watch with your friends to either gawk at the pretty people (the pretty men, I’d say) OR make sarcastic remarks/dub the movie yourself as you watch. Which could be relatively fun. At least more fun than watching it for content. Btw, it got a 3% on Rotten Tomatoes.

I saw War today in New York City at an AMC Loews. Even though my friends and I showed up for the noon showing, the first showing of the day, the movie didn’t play well at first, and we saw the whole ninety minutes slightly out of focus. Partly due to this, I’m happy we got vouchers to go see another movie at an AMC, but also, I’m happy that I got a semi-refund, because War was HELL. It was SHIT.

I love Jet Li. In my mind, there’s Jackie Chan, who does the fun, slapstick type martial arts recently seen in Rush Hour 3, which was okay and often strained. Then there’s Jet Li, whose movies are generally darker, and when he kicks someone, it definitely looks like it hurts.

I also love Jason Statham. My friend recently introduced me to him via Snatch, a fantastic film I had to watch with subtitles because of all the accents, and then I watched the Transporter, which I enjoyed verily.

Jason Statham and Jet Li in one movie? That happened once. It was The One, and Jason played a cop while Jet Li fought himself in the final badass action sequence. The ending to The One was a bit of a cop-out, but was also funny. In general, though, The One was typical Jet Li fare – people getting hurt and dying in a very serious manner (although it was funny to see him hit people with motorcycles), people getting kicked by Jet Li. Nice.

Now War brings them together again. JS is an FBI agent, and Jet Li seems to be the mysterious assassin Rogue. And what do they do? They…talk…and talk…and shoot guns…and kill other people…and talk… And the Spoiler Alert! final battle? It lasts around three minutes, and because of a strange plot twist that makes Rogue less of a bad guy, the battle isn’t as hardcore as I wanted it to be. Not much happens. The one good fight in the whole movie might be a sword fight between Rogue and a former boss, but there’s nothing fancy at all.

Why would you have Jet Li in a movie if he isn’t going to kick ass using martial arts? All he did was shoot his gun while blabbering some stuff about “not having a master” to all the guys who were supposed to be his bosses.

And the plot? Made no sense, and when a plot doesn’t make sense in a martial arts movie, you’re supposed to cover it up with, say, MARTIAL ARTS! Like in The Protector, let’s say, in which Tony Jaa kicks butt while the plot is almost laughable (although that might be because it’s not an American movie, i.e. I couldn’t sympathize so much with the elephant search?).

War is not as badass as the commercials make it out to be. It would have been better if they’d just looped the commercial for ninety minutes.

And the ending? Oh, it looks like someone just chopped up the film and tacked on some ending credits. Who edited this movie? Who directed it? Philip G. Atwell, you should be ashamed of yourself. As of this writing, Rotten Tomatoes gave your piece of crap movie a 23%. I give it 5% because I actually laughed – when I wasn’t supposed to – and slightly, SLIGHTLY enjoyed recognizing Devon Aoki from Sin City and Luis Guzmán and…one of the bad guys I’m sure was in Rush Hour, but I can’t remember which RH…or maybe he was in something else… If you know what he was in, please let me know. Because that’s what I was wondering during the action sequences. Excuse me, I meant “action” sequences.

I hate to say it, but War is bad. Extremely bad. I’ve seen movies I wanted to walk out of, and this wasn’t one of them. Because I knew if I sat through it, they’d give me a refund.

Haha, okay, I’m acting as if Viz is stupid, when it is in fact far from it. After all, wasn’t acquiring the rights to distribute Naruto a smart move? I’d say it was a very smart move. Nevertheless, the fact that the anime outpaced the comic was not good. I wouldn’t be surprised if it had affected the manga sales, since many people (myself included) already have a good handle of what’s going to happen next in the English releases. Perhaps because of this, Viz decided to release 3 Naruto manga volumes a month until December. That’s right, THREE volumes! I’m so excited because I have made it a point to avoid the anime (can’t stand “Believe it!” and the slow pace of the action – it goes by faster if you just read it fast, lol), and now I can finally know the exact details leading up to the break between Naruto and Sasuke. Hurrah!

Then, apparently, Shounen Jump is going to pick up on the series after the three-year time lapse. Another hurrah!

So, I guess the point of this blog entry is to say, Thank you, Viz. For giving me a reason to spend $20 or so in one shot – for friggin’ manga. Hehehe.

I just found a video displaying a technique that many soccer players might not think they need to know, but that they MUST know. Particular national teams happen to be very good at it…lol. And I’ll never forget how loud Cristiano Ronaldo cried out during the World Cup when he took a dive – I heard it on my TV, haha.

One of the reasons I enjoyed watching this season of So You Think You Can Dance was, besides the impressive dancing, the chance to hear cool new music. I recently downloaded the Junior Boys’ “In the Morning” after seeing Lacey and Pasha dance hip hop to it. But the song I’m really recommending is:

Are You the One? by the Presets

Starting out, the song reminds me of the music you’d hear in a boss battle on a video game, hehe. On a lyrics website, farouhk describes this song perfectly, “It sounds like david bowie, a robot, a haunted pipe organ, and electricty all had sex or something, and this is what happend [sic].” It’s a dark, sexy song for sure, and distantly reminds me of another song I found extremely sexy – Alice Cooper’s “Poison.”

In any case, I’m not sure what the lyrics to “Are You the One?” mean, but I recommend giving the song a listen and watching the clip of Danny and Neil’s dance to it on YouTube. I won’t link to it, though, since the videos are always being taken down and put back up, but just search and you shall find. The song’s title fits their duel, choreographed by Mia Michaels, to see who will win SYTYCD. And the clapping part in the song is well executed in the form of Danny’s annoying clapping in Neil’s face. I didn’t know clapping could look that great.

I watched the So You Think You Can Dance finale the other day. Wow. I’ve been sort of following this show all summer, since the first auditions, I think. I missed a lot of Wednesday shows, though, because my jiu jitsu class cut into it (just got promoted to yellow stripe, btw – hooray!). Still, I tried to make up for it by watching the dances on YouTube.

I was verily impressed by the dancers that made it to the Top Four. I knew from the beginning – from that contemporary dance with Kameron – that Lacey would make it to the end. I think she was an excellent dancer; seriously, I was never unimpressed by her. Why she didn’t win, I’m not sure…well, I know I wanted to vote for Sabra (but couldn’t because the lines were busy! and then I forgot to call back after the fourth try) and not Lacey partly because Lacey’s brother won last year, and something about her seemed unfair. She was sooo good, and sometimes maybe her personality didn’t match up with what I wanted to see? I still think Lacey was great, though, and extremely professional.

The New York times had an article about Danny on July 11 entitled “So He Knows He Can Dance: A Prince Among Paupers.” Probably because I kept missing parts of Wednesday shows, I never really caught on to Danny’s talent until the Viennese Waltz he did with Anya. I fell in love with his hands. His fingers seemed to speak during that dance, and they did again during his dance-duel with Neil, when he was doing that infuriating clapping. Some said he was arrogant? I guess he had that kind of air about him, and the prince role sure suited him in that dance, but I really wanted to vote for him. He seemed like a nice funny guy, and he was also a marvelous dancer. And I know this is dumb, but I thought he looked a little like Hayden Christenson (not that I like H.C. – I really hated Anakin Skywalker…).

Neil. Ah, Neil… To be honest, I really wanted him to get kicked off the show, again probably because I was missing so many Wednesday episodes. The only dance I clearly remember him doing is his fiasco from Week 1, although I later remembered he did that neat hip-hop routine with Lauren. I didn’t like that routine at first, but after watching it again today, I do like it. I’m just not crazy about Lauren’s outfit. What was up with that tutu? Why did the girls always get such weird costumes? Neil definitely impressed me during his dance-duel with Danny; the way his fingers moved at the beginning, and his facial expressions. Very, very nice. That dance was one of the sexiest on the show.

And Sabra? I loved her from way before and thought she was a bit of an underdog. Even when her dances maybe weren’t so amazing, I still rooted for her because she seemed like she had potential and had a cool personality. And look! She won!

I’ll miss so many others from the show, among them Hok (who won’t miss him?) and Sara and Jesus and Pasha. There were so many dances too, like the hummingbird dance, and the contemporary dance Lacey and Kameron did, both of which blew me away. I know nothing about dancing, but just watching those made my jaw drop. The dance Mia Michaels choreographed for Neil and Lacey was also beautiful. Interestingly enough, when I first saw the dance, it was for the finale – a sort of replay – and I missed what the dance was about. I, stupidly, and ignoring all the cues, thought the dance was about two lovers meeting on a field of flowers. Dumb, dumb, dumb me. When I watched it again on YouTube, and saw what Mia had intended the dance to be about, I nearly burst into tears watching it, because then the emotion just shone through it for me. It was so touching.

What an amazing season this was. I seriously hate myself for missing the two previous seasons, but I hope to watch next year’s for sure!

As a sidenote, one of the things I really enjoy about SYTYCD is the lack of drama. I’ve been watching old seasons of America’s Next Top Model and, God help me, Charm School, and I am sick of the drama people make up to do – what? Make themselves anxious and worried? On SYTYCD, I never saw (and please tell me if I missed something) anyone trying to backstab another dancer. It was all about everyone doing their best with their partners, and teamwork. Awesome.

Also, I loved the new songs I heard on the show! After watching Pasha and Lacey dance to “In the Morning” by the Junior Boys, I just had to download it. And now I’m thinking of downloading Ne-Yo’s “Make It Work” after seeing Dominic and Sabra dance to it (I absolutely LOVED that dance – the story, the story!).

Okay, wtf? I was watching So You Think You Can Dance videos on YouTube, and my mom urged me to watch the video for “El baile del koala.” So I thought to myself, Okay, it might be cute. My mom said it was a new dance coming out in South America, so I thought of the Macarena, the Ketchup Dance…the dance from Haruhi Suzumiya, even though that isn’t South American…okay. But then I searched the video. Wtf? I had to close the window halfway through because I didn’t know how much dirtier it would get; meanwhile my mom was laughing her butt off. Since when do koalas hug like that!? Anyway, it’s weird and disturbing, so if that’s your thing, check it out. I just don’t know what to make of South America anymore (and before anyone flames me, I’m Chilean(-American)). Wtf, please?

Yin Wei Ni by Elva Hsiao

I came across this unexpectedly: a random download. The song is in Chinese, so I had to search for the lyrics, and surprise surprise, I found them. They’re not amazing but the translation on this site has some cool things going on, and it just sounds beautiful on the song. The song is upbeat, with chorusing and but few harmonies. Makes you want to sing along – and with the Chinese written out on that link I posted, you can! Takes some getting used to, though, but I actually would like to learn the lyrics… A very singable song, I guess. And it has a small section that’s rapped.

I don’t see colors or imagine anything for this song. I just enjoy it. And feel the urge to sing along. I recommend this for those who like…R&B, I guess, and pop.

Elva Hsiao, from what I gather (and correct me if I’m wrong), is Taiwanese but sings in Chinese, and she was in Infernal Affairs, the movie on which The Departed is based. Pretty sweet, eh? I recommend her music for sure.

Warning: Spoilers. Please do not read on unless you want to spoil this for yourself. And why would you want to do that?

The following is just my emotional gushing…

I just got Vagabond Vol. 25 from Amazon.com today. I was so excited!! And now I cannot wait for Vol. 26, of course…

But I am so sad TT_TT I know Denshichirou dies in the book, but did he have to die in the manga? At least Musashi didn’t kill a little kid like in the book; that was truly terrible. I really, really liked Denshichirou, though – not as much as Musashi, whom I LOVE, but I thought he was a great guy and very honest. Seijuro was cool too but come on – Denshichirou was sweet in the way he tried so hard to be great and never made it.

Also, I’m glad the author is pushing the relationship between Musashi and Otsu a little more, though it’s still not quite to my taste. At least Musashi isn’t completely ignoring her, which is what he basically did in the novel, until at last I believe he told her he’d marry her. So odd.

The best part of this volume, I believe, was the reunion between Musashi and Matahachi. And of course Matahachi has to get drunk and ruin it because deep down I think he loathes himself and wants to destroy everything great in his life, and of course he has to say something bad about Otsu, and of course Musashi has to clock him one. Nice….

And in Vol. 26? Musashi is going to take on the rest of the Yoshioka School – all 70 of them. I cannot wait… Isn’t this where he comes up with the two sword style? Oh please be so, oh please be so…

Every now and then I get stuck on a song that I really like and I just have to play it over and over… My roommate at college would do the same, only she’d play the song a hundred or so times – I’m not quite that extreme, but sure, it’s possible. So, before I go any further, let me define what makes a song enjoyable to me:

1. Creativity.
2. If there are lyrics, poetry in the lyrics, even if it’s something lame. I really dig Nick Cave’s lyrics, and Imogen Heap’s (love Say Goodnight and Go, and that AMV fave Must Be Dreaming).
3. My ability to conjure up emotions and sensations when I listen to the song.
4. The colors I associate with the song. I do not have synaesthesia, the title of my blog, but I think it’s interesting, and as an artist, I try to get colors to come out of the music for me (only it’s in my head – my senses aren’t actually doing it).

I enjoy listening to the radio, but every now and then I get sick of them playing the same old songs, or taking new songs and repeating them until they smell like yesterday’s socks. Like “Umbrella” by Rihanna. I loved that song, and then they repeated it so much I wanted to turn off the radio, and then Chris Brown did a remix, and although I liked the tag about Cinderella, I couldn’t get over the fact that he might sing even higher than Rihanna…

But enough of that. My point is that I think we need some variety, and I don’t claim to be extremely knowledgable about music. My only knowledge is in knowing what I like and being open-minded, so on the “Song of the Day” I’ll try to introduce songs that the American mainstream may not have paid attention to.

Song of the Day #1:
Bir Derdim Var by Mor ve Ötesi

I discovered this song when my Turkish friend posted it on her myspace page, and since then, it’s been true love. According to Wikipedia, the song title means “I Have a Problem,” and I want to ask my friend for a translation but have yet to get around to it. In any case, the band is apparently alternative, badass rock. I’m not sure why, but the song reminded me a tad of Juno Reactor’s “Conquistador,” though they’re vastly different. There is power in the singer’s voice, and he has a smooth, almost oily, voice. Even without knowing what he’s singing, I feel I can understand the emotions, especially knowing what the translation for the title is. I found myself mouthing the lyrics on the trainride to work (btw, fell asleep on the train today – would have missed my stop if it hadn’t been the end of the line, lolz). The colors I associate with this song: black, dark green, powder blue. I definitely recommend the song for lovers of powerful, emotive songs, and lovers of Gackt. And if you don’t like Gackt, this song is good for you anyway.

Song of the Day #2: (because this is my first time doing this)
Once in a Lifetime by Wolfsheim

An older song, I first heard it on the radio many, many years ago (probably in 1999 or 2000, I guess, since the album it’s on came out in 1999). I heard it on the radio, got hooked with the (very clearly sung) lyrics, and looked it up online. Eventually I tracked it down to Borders and bought it (Barnes & Noble didn’t carry it in my area, nyah). It’s from the album Spectators. I bought their album Casting Shadows when that came out, though Spectators is probably my favorite. Wolfsheim’s lyrics tend to be touching. Some of their songs might have very simple, repetitive lyrics, but that doesn’t necessarily make them boring. After all, it’s kinda clubby electronic music (see Wikipedia for a better idea ’cause I suck at this) so it seems to me that lyrics wouldn’t matter so much…but they do, and Wolfsheim often nails them. Their German songs are lovely as well.

Still, Once in a Lifetime has very, very beautiful lyrics. I brought this song to a creative writing class once and my teacher even asked me if it had to do with Hurricane Katrina, though the song came out many years earlier.

I don’t associate colors with this song, but I do like imagining the story the song tells. A lovely fantasy story maybe. I want to write one where the hero dies, for sure.

One of the best moments, I think, is the harmony on the word “lonely” around 1:40.

If you like this song, check out also “Heroine, She Said” and “Kein Zurück.”