Semantics won't do

Nouvelle Vague, easy to love mainstream tribute cover band. They seem to really love that kind of music, and they don't show it by wearing mohawks, but by making three records. To make it their music somehow. Music from that era was blamed by uptight British media in the 70's and 80's and was hailed by very young middle class people because it spoke the truth.
My favorite songs are In a matter or speaking and Master and Servant, both originally by Depeche Mode. Also, I can't help not to keep listening All my colors (Echo and the Bunnymen), the Bauhaus and the Clash covers. And there's also the DEAD KENNEDYS cover, the Cure cover and the Sex Pistols cover. And the... I'll stop now...

on youtube

A Bad Night

Trailer for Mala Noche

Gus Van Sant is best known by film freaks for his early work (Discipline of D.E., Mala Noche, Drugstore Cowboy, My own private Idaho). Future film freaks know him for Elephant and Paranoid Park and normal people for Good Will Hunting and maybe, Milk, the eight Oscar nominations blast. Whatever category you're part of, it's your business.

25000$ and 16 mm film Mala Noche took to be made in 1985. This high contrast, under and overexposed film tells the story of Walt's friendship with two illegal immigrants and his unfulfilled love with one of the boys. It's not a big deal this mixed up story about 3 guys, but the courage and sincerity behind it turned it into a great debut.
Walt, played by Tim Streeter is a young "privileged" American who falls in love with 16 years old Mexican, Johnny. While having the charm, but not having the money, he fails to make the stubborn Mexican share his feelings. What he gets though is his friend, another young and confused one by the name of Pepper. These two end up having a short, meaningless relationship.

An achievement of this experimental movie is that the non-narrative formula was very creatively sustained by, maybe sometimes improvised, but powerful cinematography of John Campbell. Along with film noir aesthetics there's also a grunge mood and look throughout this movie, and I don't mean Streeter's shirts and torn t-shirt he's always dresses with (he's the stereotypical Gus Van Sant character that you also see with Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix in his next film).
What makes this film a pleasure to watch are the grainy black and white shots (some people know what I mean...) along with the contrastry images. Powerful scenes are shot at night where you hardly see dark streets (by day or by night, I'm sure Portland doesn't look in real life the way this director shoots it) and characters wrapped in cigarettes smoke. In this film the heart shaped ashtray is always full and glasses always empty. A must see for the first category I named in the beginning.

Retouch

Blog needed retouching... I quite like the way it looks now.

Girl

"Nevoia de mit,

Mi-a povestit cineva despre niste exploratori de pesteri care au umblat pana s-au ratacit. Si apoi multa vreme au trebuit sa caute prin intuneric. Nimeni nu mai spera, in acel labirint complicat si intunecos, care parea de neinvins. Dar intr-o zi o raza de lumina i-a condus spre drumul catre aer si soare. Priveau acel drum, mergeau pe el, hotarati, chiar daca la iesire lumina avea sa fie prea tare pentru ochii lor neobisnuiti cu ea si sa-I arda. Si nu le ramanea in acest caz decat sa umble apoi orbi prin lume. Dar mergeau mai departe. Nu stiau decat ca vor face doar asta." (Octavian Paler)