h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yeah well it's only a very short thing. And I like what I was trying to say with the film. I love really short art and really long art. Like one of my favourite films is Fassbender's Berlin Alexander platz which is about 11 hours long, and Andy Warhol's 24 hour 'Empire State Building'

Mine's the other end of the scale you might say.

Have you ever seen the film Russian Ark? It's a 90 minute film done with a single steadicam shot, weaving through a museum, with characters coming into and out of the shot. Bet you'd like it.

That film sounds excellent. Will watch ASAP. I see the museum featured is the Hermitage in St Petersberg, the former winter palace of the czars. It's pretty amazing. I also bought The Piano today, which we've spoken about before. I want my own copy.

I saw my film today on a big screen. And could see everything that was wrong with it. Too much to mention. But I learnt loads seeing it big, and to a degree 'objectified' by being shown in the context of a public space.

I'm going to edit it, to make it shorter and re-shoot some of it. I'll then submit it to other things.

Hope you're enjoying your hypnosis and meditation stuff.

Oh sorry didn't explain properly. I've visited the Hermitage.

(I keep doing this with posts lately. My brain works much faster than my pathetic keyboard skills. And I forget I haven't actually typed what I'm thinking. I had the same problem as a kid, with my handwriting, which was appalling. Not in synch. as it were).

And with online stuff, I'm often too lazy to 'preview'.

Oh wow, you actually got to visit the Hermitage? Cool! Where else have you traveled? I've visited the following places: Washington DC, London, Paris, Aix, Marseilles, Florence, Venice, Lucerne, and Heidelberg. London and Venice were my favorites; I just adore those cities.

Have you noticed that when projecting a film for other people, it tends to slow down incredibly? Maybe it's just self consciousness, but that how it seems to me. I've been thinking a lot about my old film classes. I wanted so badly to please my teachers and stand out. At first I did, but later it seemed like everything was pushing against me. That's why I turned to painting. I control what goes on the canvas, and I don't have to worry about having a crew!

The Piano was such a cool film, I've said that before, but will say it again. The last shot is haunting.

I've travelled to a lot of places in the world, in fits and starts. Russia three times. I actually stayed for a month with a family there on the last occasion in St Petersberg, I'd met the mother of the family by accident on a previous visit in a cafe. She helped me out because she could speak a little English. It was amazing to stay with a family. We visited all the main palaces in and around St Petersberg, and also stayed for a few days in a little log cabin they had built in the forest.

I have also visited the east coast of the US, Philadelphia and up to Vermont. It's such a long story, but I got to meet a lot of Americans because of the reason for my trip. We stayed with some people in a small town in Vermont, near where Grandma Moses lived..

I got on well with people because of their warmth. Ironically that's what I liked about Russians so much too - their warmth.

Haven't been to Venice or any of Italy, apart from half an hour on a coach trip to Turkey years ago.

I shall defo visit Italy one day, to see all the art stuff and enjoy their brilliant food, wine, opera etc etc

I'll talk more about art in another post. I'm a bit buzzy at present, and trying to keep calm..

Honestly these mood swings. Labile my doctor calls it. Slippery slidy moods.

It's so confusing sometimes.

Take care.

Not much happening tonight. *shrug*

Your trips to Russia sound nice.

Maybe I'll get some painting done tonight.

Ah, I did paint tonight, and feel pretty happy about it. My large abstract is almost finished.

I watched the interview on the special edition DVD of Piano, with Jane Campion, earlier. It was very interesting. She spoke about her fascination with the nineteenth century and Romanticism. She mentioned Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, (a massive favourite of mine). I can see the connection with the Harvey Keitel character and Heathcliff. She talked about the fact that the Holly Hunter character is dumb, because of her powerless position, as much as for being a woman in such a male dominated society, as for the strong puritanism of her Scottish presbyterian background, and she has an illegitimate child who speaks for her.. She herself can only 'speak' through her piano, which both represents 'civilisation' and 'passion'.

I like all Jane Campion's films because she highlights the difficult position of highly intelligent women being trapped in a seemingly powerless position in relation to men, and not wanting to compromise one iota, and so possibly giving up the chance for a proper sexual relationship with a man. And the attempt to reach an intense and deep sexual relationship with men, as true *equals* outside of all moral/religious codes .. Jane Campion also fully admitted that it's a mythical fantasy, this 'Romantic male', as portrayed in her films.

But it's great in the Piano that the heroine ultimately chooses *life* (that brilliant scene underwater, as you pointed out), and so can have that proper intense relationship with Harvey Keitel. Unlike in 'Portrait of a Lady' where Isabel Archer, chooses the 'death' of marriage to a man, who is one of the most vitriolic in all literature, (Henry James, novel), and once she realises the depths of his calculation and emptiness, refuses the chance of love with the man who she really loves, for moral/religious reasons, because she is married.

It's well worth getting the 2DVD special edition for the interviews.

Have you seen Jane Campion's more recent film, 'In the Cut'? Set in New York. The themes are similar. It's excellent.

****

Have watched the Russian Ark. Very interesting film. The way it is shot, as 'theatre', as if in real time, and through time, and for all the issues it brings up for Russian identity.

Thanks for the recommendation.

You're welcome! Haven't seen the new one by Jane Campion.

Your post is so erudite, I don't know where to begin! Agree with assessment, so not much to add. Plus I'm rather sleepy headed at the moment. Agree that the character "speaks" through her piano, very much.

On a purely mundane level, I may be getting a nicer TV! They're getting ready to switch to all digital transmission in February. Rather than hassle with converter boxes, I may shell out for a nicer digital model. Makes sense, since I watch so many movies.

Talking of movies...short speedy ones that is, I've re-done 'Underwater', with some of the old footage and some new. Doing it has been useful in trying to get a grip on the editing software, Final Cut Pro. I've re-done it with abrupt audio transitions as well. Would you have a look and tell me what you think? I think because of the nature of the thing, it works best rather than slow audio dissolves. I haven't done any titling stuff for it yet, but I'm asking people's opinion about the abrupt style of it, in terms of audio. It changes a lot in this piece. It's this idea of going deeper into the tunnel and 'coming up for air' gradually. I reshot it with the camera clamped down heavily to minimise shake, which was too much with the other thing. Obviously it's compressed for internet showing, and it's best to let the film load fully first, before watching, to get the wonderful speedy effect of it....

http://gallery.mac.com/flyingants#gallery

Oooo, I completely missed your post last week, sorry! Let me go take a look at your footage.

Awww, dang, my computer can't view it. (I would have to download yet another version of Quicktime, which would be almost certain to mess up my Netflix veiwer.)

I don't see why more abrupt audio transitions wouldn't work. I rather like such transitions in films.

Speaking of films, I saw a rather unusual film called The Fall, that had some glorious cinematography, as well as some truly exotic locations. (But maybe it just looked nice on my new tv!)

I went to a craft fair yesterday and bought a beautiful necklace, and a pretty enameled box to put it in!

Hi JEllen

How's things with you? I must say it's a relief to know you are here. I'm feeling generally very alienated from other human beings at present. But art is there and other artists; it/they is so wonderful to me as something that I can always turn to. Really sometimes I can hardly believe I'm the same species as other people, I feel I have so little in common with them at present.

I don't want to go on about it too much. And it's more an existential type thing really. And the funny way my brain seems to work. But I just wanted to make contact with you really, because I feel safe with you. There's plenty around that I don't at present...

Hope you're okay.

(BTW I saw Obama the other night and was most encouraged how so so much more impressively presidential he now comes across. I don't know if it's my slightly strange perceptions/thinking at present, but what is it with McCain's face? it looks kind of 'plastic' to me, and his eyes look funny, and his swollen jaw, I was quite disturbed by it, if I'm honest.

I'm warming more and more to Obama. I just can't believe how anyone could vote for McCain, the way he comes across, let alone the weirdness of Palin. It wouldn't surprise me if Obama doesn't end up winning by a landslide...I hope that's not more of my strange thinking at present...)

Hi there!

That's quite a compliment you've given me, that you feel fine around me even when other people put you off. Thanks.

I think Obama will win by a narrow margin. I'm very hopeful.

I had a very good night. I've been painting most of the night. I'll post a link to a photo of the latest painting in my journal, soon as I'm finished.

PS I'd post more, but I'm pretty sleepy, having been up all night.

Just lovely to hear from you JEllen.

And I loved hearing about you doing all that painting.

Sweet dreams kiddo!

Ah, can't sleep cause I almost had a minor fenderbender. I swear I looked right before I turned, and didn't see anyone, but someone almost hit me a second later. Luckily they braked in time, but they must have been speeding, to come out of nowhere.

Wow.

Crikey.

I'm so relieved you're okay. You'll probably replay it over in your mind a few times. That's to be expected. But the main thing is your fine.

I recommend extra zopliclone.

Am sending you my very best love and good thoughts...

Thank you.

I've been mistaken for a European, by the way! I've been told to go to America and learn a few things. Hahahahaha.