tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63408927774439257392024-03-12T22:01:00.907-04:00The Purple Mix TapeA blog about pop culture, music, movies, literature, and whatever comes into my mind.
Un blog sobre cultura popular, música, cine, literatura y lo que se me ocurra.PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-16874739820603276692016-09-07T00:01:00.000-04:002016-09-08T22:36:46.641-04:00Goodbye, Prince<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5yGICt_ro0o/V83VKZZVbVI/AAAAAAAAAL8/Fsg0X91MxH43oWSmzn7kM6O0_LJsYyh9QCLcB/s1600/Prince.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5yGICt_ro0o/V83VKZZVbVI/AAAAAAAAAL8/Fsg0X91MxH43oWSmzn7kM6O0_LJsYyh9QCLcB/s400/Prince.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve been meaning
to write this goodbye post since the day Prince left us for the afterworld that
he always dreamed of. You know, the one where you can always see the sun,
either day or night. However, life kept surprising me with other sad news,
including the loss of my father. I can’t help thinking that my father’s
birthday was on April and Prince died in April, and that my father died in June
and Prince’s birthday was in June. Life has a twisted sense of humor, indeed.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was 5 years old when
I was first exposed to Prince’s music. My mother took me to the movies to watch
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman</i>, in 1989. Unfortunately, I
didn’t even notice <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWx_sv8MH6Q" target="_blank">Prince’s music</a> because of how young I was. I paid more
attention to the images of Batman and the Joker dancing with the devil on a
pale moonlight. And that wasn’t bad at all, because at least I became a Batman
fan.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I think the first
Prince song that I can remember listening to was “The Most Beautiful Girl in
the World”, which was a huge hit in the mid 90’s. At that time, he made controversy
because he changed his name to the now iconic and unpronounceable symbol, so the
media baptised him as “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince”. At that time, I
thought he was just being silly. Then again, I was too young to understand and
I had no idea that he had to do that in order to free himself from his Warner
Bros. contract and fight for his music.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NFXPpX--kB4/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NFXPpX--kB4?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first song I
liked from Prince was “When Doves Cry”, but <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8uqQ5FgHYs" target="_blank">in the voice of Quindon Tarver in 1996’s <i>Romeo + Juliet</i></a>, a movie that I
still adore and that has an outstanding, beautiful soundtrack. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Three years later,
a local radio station started playing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKgCNT614ZU" target="_blank">“1999”</a> because it was, well, 1999. I
LOVED that song and it made it to the station’s top 20 countdown every
Saturday. Even though its apocaliptic lyrics, I saw it as a fun dance tune. But
what’s really interesting is that I actually thought that song was new, when in
fact it was released in 1982. I can vaguely remember listening to his other
songs on the radio, like “When Doves Cry” and “Purple Rain”. I think I even
downloaded them on Napster at some point. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2010 was the year
that The Purple One finally came fully into my life. A dear friend of mine
introduced me to his music and shared with me some of his albums. I’ll be forever
grateful for that. The first album I listened to was a greatest hits
compilation. Songs like “She’s Always in my Hair”, “Let’s Go Crazy”, “Gett
Off”, “Diamonds and Pearls”, and “Raspberry Beret” instantly captured my ears and my soul.
But then I listened to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Purple Rain</i>
soundtrack (which is my favorite Prince album) and one of its songs made me fall in
love madly with Prince: “The Beautiful Ones”, a hauntingly ravishing and heartbreaking
song about unrequited love. Sure, there are gazilions of songs about that
particular subject, yet this is the best and most powerful one so far. The song
starts smoothly, then it grabs you by the hair and takes you to confront your
unreciprocated feelings in a tormentuous climax, only to leave you laying down
on the floor, hardly catching the breath that was taken away from you because
of all the misery that the unrequited love brings you. Prince conveys all those
sentiments to life not only with his lyrics and the way he sings them, but with
his performance in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Purple Rain </i>movie
as well. With that song, I said to myself: “Ok, Prince, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFXVxiW1_7U" target="_blank">take me with u</a>.”<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NhWs0XLBTHw/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NhWs0XLBTHw?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I kept exploring
most of the albums from his repertory, the ones that I could get, and I was
mesmerized. His love lyrics were so relatable. His social commentary was on
point. His funky songs made me feel like a star when I sang them while folding
my laundry. His provocative and sexually charged songs taught me another
perspective of sexuality and its beauty. In conclusion, Prince took me to
another place in where it’s ok to let loose and express yourself completely. I
admire the guts he had to empty all of his dissapointments, vulnerabilities,
sexuality, and other feelings into his songs and share them with the world. He
did it in such an unique way. He also reinvented himself constantly and created
so many iconic visuals with his outfits and videos. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And that’s how he
ended up becoming a significant part of my life. These past six years I've listened to him basically every day. “The Beautiful Ones” is still a staple in
my everyday playlist. It was a goal of mine to see him live. He meant so much to
me and I respected him greatly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One month before
his death, I had a dream with Prince, which I wrote on my phone so I would
never forget it. I dreamt that I was in London to see him live on his “Piano
& A Microphone” tour, which now we know would be his final tour. He looked
exactly like he was looking lately: with his gorgeous afro and wearing clothes
that made him look like a funky yoga instructor. He was all around surfing between
the crowd. Then, he sat in my line and there were two persons sitting between
us. Suddenly, he took my left hand. I obviously freaked out! I thought:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’m never washing this hand again!”. Later,
I saw him outside and he let me hug him. I got close to his ear and told him
that I was grateful for his music and that it was very important to me. And the
dream ended. Frankly, I didn’t remember the dream until days later after he
passed away when I was browsing my Notes app. Then the dream made sense to me:
without knowing it, that was my goodbye to him.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--hd9uW1G-nU/V83cYH-cKaI/AAAAAAAAAMk/A9YRUjUj8iUbmj0UdXtbvl-92B8EEHqBQCLcB/s1600/prince%2B2015.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--hd9uW1G-nU/V83cYH-cKaI/AAAAAAAAAMk/A9YRUjUj8iUbmj0UdXtbvl-92B8EEHqBQCLcB/s400/prince%2B2015.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The day he left us
was horrible. The same friend who introduced me to his music sent me a message
with the sad news. I was about to have lunch at home, since I was working from
home at the time, so my plate remained unattended for a while. I wasn’t able to
do anything else but cry. I couldn’t believe it. I thought Prince was fine
after he was released from the hospital a week earlier. It was reliving the
nightmare I had when Gustavo Cerati died almost two years before.
It was also reliving the darkness and emptiness from the day that David Bowie
died just three months prior. It didn’t feel right nor real. My phone slipped
from my hands towards my bed and I started to cry. The pain was keen, like if I
had known Prince in person. I felt a sense of unfairness. Once again, a great
artist was gone too soon. Someone who deserved to live didn’t exist anymore. I
would never see The Purple One live. All my dreams of seeing him performing
live shattered in a second. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I miss Prince
everyday. He will definitely keep living through his music and performances,
but I miss him. It’s devastating when all your heroes start to leave this planet.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span lang="ES-AR" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">I don’t believe in
the afterworld, but if it exists and if Prince found it, I hope it is just like
he described it in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDcx9ZtZx-c" target="_blank">“Let’s Go Crazy”</a>: “</span><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;">A
world of never ending happiness.” Also, if it exists, it’d be nice to see him
there and tell him all those things that I told him in my dream. And you can
bet that I won’t wash my hand if he takes it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 12.0pt;">Goodbye, Purple One. You will be “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzgcXci14pk" target="_blank">forever in my life</a>”.</span></span></div>
PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-19104603265235406832014-09-18T16:37:00.001-04:002014-09-18T16:44:15.758-04:00La cercanía está en el botón de play<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E1EOhIp4tfg/VBsbOtV5CaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/x6wN7Hlc2so/s1600/365164119_eb8a463749_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-E1EOhIp4tfg/VBsbOtV5CaI/AAAAAAAAAKk/x6wN7Hlc2so/s1600/365164119_eb8a463749_z.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><i>Foto por Jim Rafferty vía flickr, bajo licencia de <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a>.</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nunca antes había pensado en el poder tan grande y subestimado que tiene el botón de <i>play</i>. Recién me doy cuenta de que la acción de reproducir películas y música impulsada por ese botón me ha cambiado la vida muchas veces, pero también descubrí que tiene otro poder: lograr la cercanía. </span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Para enfrentar y mitigar</span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">el
dolor</span><b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">que siento por la muerte de
Gustavo Cerati, he escuchado mucho su música en estos días. Es extraño, pues
desde que le ocurrió el ACV y quedó en coma, empecé a escucharlo menos. Dejé de
hacerlo porque cada vez que lo escuchaba me ponía triste al recordar su estado
de vida sin vida. También recordaba el sufrimiento diario de su mamá, sus hijos
y sus demás allegados. Aunque nunca tuve el honor de conocerlo en persona, </span><a href="http://thepurplemixtape.blogspot.com/2014/09/gus-y-yo.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">él y su música han sido muy importantes para mí</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Por lo tanto, estos
cuatro años insertaron preocupación y melancolía en una porción mi corazón.
Para no afligirme, me fui alejando musicalmente de Gus, aunque
nunca dejé de pensarlo y de desearle bien.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ES-TRAD;">En estos días me he dado cuenta de que cada vez me aferro más a su
música, como cuando empezaba a descubrirla hace doce años. Me sorprendí al reconocer
que esto es provocado por un deseo muy grande: el querer acercarme a Gus una
vez más, aunque sea de manera simbólica o espiritual. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ES-TRAD;">Claro, él ya no está presente en el plano físico. Sólo quedan sus
restos en una caja cruel que se encargará de guardar su belleza deteriorada por
el sueño eterno. No obstante, siento que si lo escucho hasta el cansancio podré
acercarme de alguna manera y Gus reaparecerá. Se siente como si fuera una última
oportunidad de agarrarlo antes de que él continúe con su viaje, como si poner
su música se tradujera a un “¡Espera! ¡No te vayas todavía!”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ES-TRAD;">Otro hallazgo es que ya no me siento triste al escucharlo. Sólo me
sucedió la primera vez que puse una canción suya luego de su partida definitiva.
Dos o tres días después de la noticia, decidí escuchar <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJoB_SWEqEg" target="_blank">“En la ciudad de la furia”</a> para saber mi reacción y eliminar el temor de la posibilidad de sentirme
triste. Esa fue la primera vez en mi vida en que se me hizo difícil darle <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">play</i> a una canción. Si mi iPod hubiera
tenido conciencia, se hubiera impacientado y quizás me hubiera agitado para que
le diera <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">play</i> y no prolongara más la
cuestión. Finalmente, lo hice. Al minuto ya se me habían escapado unas
lágrimas. Fue agridulce el escucharlo, pero también fue bueno degustar la voz
de un Cerati más joven cantando uno de los temas más icónicos del rock en
español y uno de mis favoritos. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ES-TRAD;">Cuando la canción terminó, más lágrimas habían salido. Ese simple acto
de darle <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">play</i> a una canción se
convirtió en un proceso catártico que yo necesitaba, de derramar unas lágrimas adicionales
que faltaban por salir. Eso me dio el empujón y el valor de seguir escuchando a
Gus, de tener cercanía luego de la lejanía.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: ES-TRAD;">Ahora que ya no está, lo siento más cerca. Su música se fusiona con mi
alma. Ha quedado nula la porción de agonía en mi corazón, pues él ya no está
confinado a la inmovilidad de su tiempo congelado.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-82552477877850958732014-09-12T11:39:00.001-04:002014-09-18T16:41:17.508-04:00Gus y yo<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Atsg_gpzTjY/VBJeI-g7SMI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/VvDOkwCqBVA/s1600/Gus%2BC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Atsg_gpzTjY/VBJeI-g7SMI/AAAAAAAAAKQ/VvDOkwCqBVA/s1600/Gus%2BC.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Gustavo Cerati llegó a mi vida en una etapa crucial: la transición de </span><i style="font-family: Helvetica;">high school</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> a universidad.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">En ese momento, yo tenía 18 años. Faltaban par de meses para graduarme de escuela superior en el 2002. Un día, hablaba con un muchacho por ICQ. De repente, él me envió el mp3 de la canción “Bocanada” y me pidió que la escuchara. El darle clic al botón de <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">play</i> cambió mi vida.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Me sorprendí de principio a fin. Nunca había escuchado algo así. Últimamente estaba escuchando algo de rock en español, pero esto era distinto. La voz era deliciosamente seductora, algo etérea. Los arreglos musicales y vocales eran como los de un bolero, pero del nuevo milenio. Los coros de fondo eran fantasmagóricos. La letra era sofisticada y profunda. Me enamoré de la voz, pero mi joven mente no pudo evitar la suposición superficial de que lo más seguro Gustavo Cerati era feo, pues hay buenos cantantes que no necesariamente se considerarían como “guapos”, lo cual realmente es algo subjetivo y sin importancia. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anyway</i>, curiosa por comprobar esto, busqué fotos de él en Internet. ¡Qué equivocada estaba! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Me enamoré de sus ojos azules y tiernos, pero desafiantes; del abundante pelo negro; de sus facciones; de todo. Desde ese momento, Gus se convirtió en mi ideal de hombre en cuanto al físico y al talento. En ese instante, dejé atrás los rubios de <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">boy bands</i> y de Hollywood. También fui dejando atrás la música que más solía escuchar, como la de los Backstreet Boys y Ricky Martin, pues empecé a tomar un rumbo musical distinto. Buscaba algo que me satisfaciera de manera más constante y que me ayudara a conectarme más con el lugar al que pertenezco: Latinoamérica.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> No me satisfacía lo que escuchaba mi generación en la radio comercial. En aquellos años había empezado a refugiarme en otros géneros: el pop y New Wave de los 80, el rock clásico en inglés y el rock en español. Era la prueba inequívoca de que no solamente estaba madurando en edad, sino en mente, en sentimientos y en gustos. Fue así como mi obsesión por Cerati comenzó.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/SIPqN7iLgak?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Empecé a bajar otras canciones que me recomendaban de su etapa solista y de sus años en Soda Stereo. Con cada tema me enamoraba más: “Lo que sangra (la cúpula)”, “En la ciudad de la furia”, “Cae el sol”, “Sweet Sahumerio”, “Puente”, “Te llevo para que me lleves”, "En remolinos", entre otras. Cada canción narraba una historia fascinante y visualmente rica. Gus me enamoraba cada vez más con sus metáforas eróticas. Siempre me ha fascinado su talento para escribir sobre sexo sin caer en clichés o en vulgaridades. Ahora que lo pienso, creo que lo hacía desde una perspectiva más espiritual, pero sin ponerse en un angustioso <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hippie mode</i>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Cerati fue mi <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">rite of passage</i> musical. Hasta el día de hoy me siento muy afortunada pues, lamentablemente, no muchos tienen esa experiencia. Además, yo no tenía un <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">cool older brother </i>que me pasara música brutal, por lo que esto parece un golpe de suerte, aunque no creo mucho en las coincidencias. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Unos meses después, empecé a comprar discos de Soda y Cerati. Empecé con el compilado de éxitos titulado “Chau Soda”, en alusión a la despedida de la banda en 1997. Luego fui comprando los demás y seguí descubriendo canciones. Más tarde, pude llevármelos a la universidad, pues mis papás me regalaron lo que tanto ansiaba: un <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">CD player</i> portátil. En mi segundo año de bachillerato tenía muchas horas libres entre clases, así que me sentaba a escuchar música en mi <i>spot</i> preferido: una esquinita en un pasillo de la Facultad de Humanidades, en la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras. Lo más que escuchaba era Soda y Cerati. Hay canciones específicas que recuerdo haber escuchado en ese pasillo y que relaciono con mi años en la UPR, como "Ángel eléctrico", "Ahora es nada", "Mundo de quimeras" y "Rombos". </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Mientras Gus me cantaba, yo hacía mis asignaciones de francés o veía a los estudiantes y profesores pasar de un lado a otro. Fue así como las canciones de Soda y Gus empezaron a convertirse en el </span><i style="font-family: Helvetica;">soundtrack </i><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">de<i> </i>mi vida.
Incluso, varias formaron parte de los CDs que yo grababa con música
variada par</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">a </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">las fiestas que hacía en casa.
Nunca faltaban canciones como "Persiana americana" o "¿Por qué
no puedo ser del jet-set?". </span><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/YBAhDUhxovc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">En varias ocasiones lamenté no haber nacido antes o no haber descubierto esa música en mi temprana adolescencia. Sin embargo, algo que he aprendido es que hay música que llega a la vida de uno en el momento indicado, en el tiempo en que estamos listos para acogerla y valorarla. Mi recuerdo más remoto de Soda fue para el 1996 o 97, cuando en el canal de videos musicales The Box pasaban “Ella usó mi cabeza como un revolver”. Yo lo ignoraba porque andaba más pendiente a las Spice Girls, pero logró ser memorable y se quedó en mi cabeza. Aparte de eso, sólo los conocía de nombre, pues la radio comercial de Puerto Rico también optó por ignorarlos al igual que yo. Lo único es que yo tenía 13 años. Los de la radio, no. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Al menos pude ser testigo de gran parte de la etapa de solista de Gus con el lanzamiento de sus discos del 2002 al 2009. Incluso, tuve la maravillosa oportunidad de verlo en vivo la segunda vez que vino con su gira <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ahí vamos</i>. El 27 de abril de 2007, en el Coliseo Roberto Clemente, en San Juan, lo tuvimos sólo para nosotros. Recuerdo que, para comprar mi boleto ubicado en arena, usé parte de mi primer cheque de mi trabajo a medio tiempo. Esa ha sido la mejor inversión de mi vida, una que el tiempo jamás podrá desgastar ni destruir. <o:p></o:p></span>
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">
</span><br />
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/X7a-OSgIJMo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Aquella noche yo no podía creer que estuviera a unos pies de mi ídolo, de mi <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">crush</i>, de mi poeta argentino, de uno de mis dioses musicales. ¡Respiramos el mismo aire! ¡Yo escuché sus acordes en vivo! ¡Nos cantó en vivo! ¡Pude grabar su voz con mi celular! Fue algo tan hermoso y emocionante, que todavía se me hace difícil buscar las palabras precisas para describirlo. Estuve como por dos semanas hablando del concierto. En fin, es una de las mejores noches de mi vida. Yo no quería que terminara esa noche. Todavía no quiero que termine.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Dos años después, cuando se publicó <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fuerza natural </i>(su último disco), ya tenía mi plan trazado: ahorraría suficiente dinero para comprar un boleto en primera fila para su próxima gira. Esta vez yo tenía que estar más cerca de él y sin mares de cuerpos entre ambos. Quería tener la posibilidad de intercambiar una mirada con él, de que al menos supiera por un segundo que yo existía. Con eso me hubiera conformado. Lo menos que yo imaginaba era que no lo volvería a ver ni tan siquiera en la tele. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">
Para los que preguntan, a partir de marzo sigue la gira: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, USA, Centroamerica, Pto Rico, España, etc<br />
— Gustavo Cerati (@cerati) <a href="https://twitter.com/cerati/status/5995396781">November 24, 2009</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Ya ustedes saben el resto de la historia. Más de cuatro años de espera, de agonía. Todos los días me acordaba de él y los suyos, quienes sufrían cada minuto. El mundo seguía girando. Todos seguimos creciendo y viviendo. Otros se fueron en el camino, como Luis Alberto Spinetta, una máxima figura del rock en español y el ídolo músical de Cerati. Ambos cosecharon una amistad y compartieron escenarios. Cerati hasta hizo <i>covers</i> de sus temas. Tristemente, Spinetta se fue del mundo con la incertidumbre de saber si Gus volvería, mientras que Gus se fue sin saber que su ídolo había enfermado y desaparecido. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Por los datos científicos y por la situación delicada, sabía que la posibilidad de que Gus despertara bien o de que tan siquiera despertara era imposible. No obstante, en lo más profundo tenía la esperanza de que algo mágico sucediera y Gus despertara con buena salud para que siguiera adelante con su vida. Al final, todos somos humanos y, por más que uno luche por ser realista, siempre tenemos la esperanza de que todo tenga un final feliz. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Yo siempre pensé que estos cuatro años me habían preparado para lo peor, pero también me temía que en el desenlace eso se vendría abajo. Así fue. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Sucedió el 4 de septiembre, un mes cargado de tristezas históricas y personales, incluyendo la partida de mi abuela materna hace 16 años. Leí la noticia en mi teléfono, en Twitter. Estaba en mi cuarto. Lo único que alcancé decir fue “no”. Lloré con dolor, como si hubiera perdido a alguien con quien compartía en persona. Aunque Gus realmente se había ido hace cuatro años y yo no estaba muy de acuerdo con mantener una vida en esas condiciones, su partida física era la confirmación absoluta de que aquello mágico que esperábamos ya no ocurriría. También fue una confirmación de que ya él no volvería a grabar un disco, que no escucharía canciones nuevas de él, que no lo vería en videos nuevos y que no volvería a verlo en vivo. Tampoco podría conocerlo, darle un abrazo o decirle lo mucho que significaba su música en mi vida. Ese cuarto día de septiembre, ese jueves, Buenos Aires se veía tan susceptible, como describía Cerati en el tema "En la ciudad de la furia".</span>
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">
</span> <br />
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/PJoB_SWEqEg/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/PJoB_SWEqEg&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/PJoB_SWEqEg&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Cuando mi familia y yo tuvimos que sacrificar a mi perrita en marzo del 2007, en esos días escuché mucho la canción “Adiós”, de <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ahí vamos</i>. La partida de mi "cabecita de melón", como le decía de cariño, me dolió muchísimo y esa canción fue una de las cosas que me ayudó a superar ese doloroso episodio. Versos como “Pones canciones tristes para sentirte mejor”, “Del mismo dolor vendrá un nuevo amanecer” y “Poder decir adiós es crecer” resonaron en mí. Era como si Gus me estuviera hablando, como si me estuviera consolando y ayudando a crecer. Y eso es precisamente lo que Gus me ha enseñado en estos doce años de seguirlo: a crecer. Esa canción junto a otras de Soda y de él me han servido de elixir en otros momentos de tristeza y desilusión. Empecé a crecer a los 18 años con su música al graduarme de <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">high school </i>hasta el día de hoy, en mis 30. Hoy escucho "Adiós" para calmar un poco el dolor de haberlo perdido. Sin saberlo, Gus nos escribió un <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">pep talk</i> para seguir adelante en varias etapas, desde superar desamores hasta aliviar el dolor de una pérdida. Gus me sigue hablando, me sigue haciendo reír y llorar, me sigue haciendo cantar y sentir que soy una <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">rock star</i> al imitar sus acordes con mi <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">air guitar</i>. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Aunque ya no esté en cuerpo y alma, la historia entre Gus y yo seguirá. A través de los años y por mis experiencias vividas, he podido identificarme poco a poco con sus canciones y entenderlas mejor. Por ejemplo, "Corazón delator" es el himno oficial del no poder ocultar lo que sientes por alguien, "Beautiful" es el tipo de canción que escuchas cuando tienes un nuevo <i>crush</i>, "Planta" es la canción perfecta para irse en un viaje musical y "En camino" sirve de motivación para seguir adelante luego de alguna situación dura.</span>
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">
</span> <span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Aún falta mucho por recorrer, y sé que con el paso de los años seguiré descubriendo y redescubriendo letras con las cuales identificarme. Su música seguirá sonando en mí y ayudaré a que suene en futuras generaciones. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Gracias por acompañarme en momentos alegres y tristes. Gracias por iluminarme con tus ojazos azules. Gracias por ayudarme a crecer. Gracias totales, Gus. Te querré siempre.<span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <!--EndFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-18748250579469355062014-03-30T23:38:00.000-04:002014-03-31T00:16:55.690-04:0075 years of Batman: My favorite bat-things<div class="MsoNormal">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
p.MsoListParagraph, li.MsoListParagraph, div.MsoListParagraph
{margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-add-space:auto;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
p.MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst, li.MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst, div.MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst
{mso-style-type:export-only;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-add-space:auto;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
p.MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle, li.MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle, div.MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle
{mso-style-type:export-only;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-add-space:auto;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
p.MsoListParagraphCxSpLast, li.MsoListParagraphCxSpLast, div.MsoListParagraphCxSpLast
{mso-style-type:export-only;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-add-space:auto;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
--></style>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">It’s official: Batman
can be old enough to be a grandpa! But like good wine, he and his universe have
aged exquisitely. </span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Batman has been a
constant figure in popular culture for more than seven decades. It all started
with his first appearance in the comic book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Detective
Comics #27</i>, released on March 30, 1939. Bob Kane made the artwork, while Bill
Finger penned the script (unfortunately, Finger was not credited for decades as
the co-creator of Batman, and ironically Finger was responsible for numerous
important contributions to the character’s mythology, like the Joker). Since
then, we’ve seen many incarnations of Batman in comics, TV series, movies, cartoons,
and a plethora of merchandise. We’ve also been provided with great music that
goes from totally corny to completely serious. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sqL9VHoHJtU/UzjB5t3E6NI/AAAAAAAAAI0/VGdViF2ne18/s1600/Cover+for+Detective+Comics+no+27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sqL9VHoHJtU/UzjB5t3E6NI/AAAAAAAAAI0/VGdViF2ne18/s1600/Cover+for+Detective+Comics+no+27.jpg" height="640" width="457" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #666666;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">Cover of <i>Detective Comics #27</i>. Although it says "May 1939", it was published on March 30, 1939.</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Coincidentally, this
celebration coincides with my 25th anniversary as a Batman fan. In 1989, when I
was 5 years old, Tim Burton’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman</i>
was released. My super awesome mother took me to the now abandoned <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=394864643919280&set=a.198723133533433.50086.145605908845156&type=3&theater" target="_blank">Paramount theatre in the Santurce neighborhood</a> (San Juan, Puerto Rico) to see it. That day I
became a fan instantly, thus changing my life forever and becoming my first pop
culture obsession. Batman has accompanied me for basically all of my life,
helping me to understand the kindness and darkness of people, and even the gray
areas throughout the complex characters of Gotham City, including himself. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">To celebrate the Dark
Knight’s birthday, I’ve listed five things that I’ve loved the most about Batman
through the years. Let’s begin, shall we?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g_l_GDhdcQQ/UzjC9pdAGVI/AAAAAAAAAI8/pqAgyTT7ras/s1600/IMG_0244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g_l_GDhdcQQ/UzjC9pdAGVI/AAAAAAAAAI8/pqAgyTT7ras/s1600/IMG_0244.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My copies of </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>The Long Halloween</i>, <i>The killing Joke</i>, and <i>The Dark Knight Returns.</i> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(Photo credit: The Purple Mix Tape and M.Z. Carrillo. Copyright </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">©2014.</span></span>)</span><br />
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
--> </style>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>1. Great comic book stories </b></span><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></b></span>
</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Undoubtedly, we would
not be talking about Batman 75 years later if comic book writers would’ve </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">only </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">done lame and unmemorable stories. Just like in literature and films, a comic book
needs to tell a great story in order to become part of collective memory
forever. Sure, we have read and seen cheesy situations and characters in
Batman’s comic books (I’m looking at you, </span><a href="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/icon_uk/11800056/409393/409393_original.jpg" style="font-family: Helvetica;" target="_blank">Crazy Quilt</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">!),
but we’ve also been rewarded with complex and dark stories that truly
capture the duality and complexity of Bruce Wayne, his alter ego, and the
villains. Writers like Alan Moore, Frank Miller, and Jeph Loeb penned a darker Gotham in</span><i style="font-family: Helvetica;"> The Killing Joke</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">, </span><i style="font-family: Helvetica;">The Dark Knight Returns</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">, and </span><i style="font-family: Helvetica;">The Long Halloween</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">, respectively. These are part of my
favorite Batman stories and it’s no coincidence that they were some of the
references used by filmmaker Christopher Nolan for his "Dark Knight Trilogy". Those and other stories have given us great other characters that we love (Alfred
Pennyworth, Commissioner Gordon, Barbara Gordon/Batgirl, Lucius Fox, Catwoman) or despise (the Joker, Poison Ivy, the Penguin, Scarecrow, Bane). And
let’s not forget that Gotham City itself is a character and a metaphor of New
York City.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uRhN6YHAKFA/UzjFjGeNqbI/AAAAAAAAAJI/NuAB3A2cRZ4/s1600/IMG_0254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uRhN6YHAKFA/UzjFjGeNqbI/AAAAAAAAAJI/NuAB3A2cRZ4/s1600/IMG_0254.JPG" height="640" width="432" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Bitch, please! No photos! Don't you see I'm chillaxing in <i>Paree</i>?" </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #8e7cc3;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(Photo credit: The Purple Mix Tape and M.Z. Carrillo. Copyright </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">©2014.</span></span>)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">2. Batgirl</span></b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Batman has had many
sidekicks, including the (in)famous Robin, who later became Nightwing. However,
it is Batgirl who has my heart. My first encounter with her was on the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman</i> TV series, where she was played
by the awesome <a href="http://i2.wp.com/nerdpai.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/batgirl-Yvonne-Joyce-Craig.jpg?resize=940%2C527" target="_blank">Yvonne Craig</a>.
Even though the cheesiness of the show, she’s still one of my favorite Batgirl
iterations because it remained close to the source material: the daughter of
Commissioner Gordon who was a librarian by day and a redheaded crime fighter by
night. She has always been a role model for me when it comes to being a strong
and fierce woman. In fact, she was one of the reasons that inspired me to
change my hair color to red. As a little girl, I would put on a Batman costume (bought by my bat-mom, of course!) to pretend that I was Batgirl and fight with my invisible foes. I also love the
fact that she works surrounded by books, since I love reading and libraries. Another
cool portrayal of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr72r-3SxW8" target="_blank">Batgirl was in <i>Batman: The Animated Series</i></a>, in which Melissa Gilbert voiced her.
I’m still hoping that Hollywood will finally get her right at some point and redeems
itself from the disaster in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman &
Robin</i>. A blonde Batgirl with a terrible script and changed origins? Hell no,
sister! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QJhC5yDkZcA/UzjUxtxHAII/AAAAAAAAAJo/oGNpXiMDL4o/s1600/IMG_0237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QJhC5yDkZcA/UzjUxtxHAII/AAAAAAAAAJo/oGNpXiMDL4o/s1600/IMG_0237.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My cassette of the <i>Batman Forever </i>soundtrack. Original release from 1995. <br />(Photo credit: The Purple Mix Tape and M.Z. Carrillo. Copyright </span><span style="color: #8e7cc3; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">©2014.</span></span><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">3. Killer soundtracks</span></b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Even though not all
Batman movies have been particularly great (I don’t need to remind you the
films in question, right?), they all share the fact that they’ve had great
soundtracks. This even goes back to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rebg5YfiBEI" target="_blank">theme song for the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman</i> series in the 1960’s</a> (if you haven’t sung it,
you’re a cold human being). Years later, for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman</i>, Danny Elfman provided us with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRZAk2rfESU" target="_blank">another theme song</a></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRZAk2rfESU" target="_blank"> that also proved to be iconic</a>. For the same
film, Prince was commissioned as well to create a soundtrack that ended up
delivering great songs (check out <a href="http://video.yandex.ru/users/crow-jane/view/10/" target="_blank"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"Scandalous!"</span></a>, one of the best and sexiest songs Prince
has ever recorded). Elfman also delivered scores for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman Returns</i>, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman: The
Animated Series</i>, and videogames. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman
Forever</i> gave us a soundtrack that felt more like an eclectic mix tape that
your cool older brother made (I’m pretty sure you’ll never see Brandy and Nick
Cave share credits in an album ever again). It also includes one of the best
pop tunes ever made: Seal’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ateQQc-AgEM" target="_blank">“Kiss From a Rose”</a>
became one of my favorite songs of all time and has been a staple of my singing-in-the-shower
repertoire. And let’s not forget U2’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zuy4828wpvg" target="_blank">“Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me”</a>,
which is one of the last cool songs they recorded. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman & Robin</i> left me wondering for eternity what Jewel’s heartbreaking
song <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO6jdOMhMC4" target="_blank">“Foolish Games”</a> has to do with the movie. Meanwhile, Hans Zimmer (along with James
Newton Howard on the first two soundtracks) gave a new sound to Batman in the "Dark Knight Trilogy" with his trademark percussion and haunting sounds, like the
chill-inducing <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eTU7EOjBUg" target="_blank">“Why So Serious?</a>” from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Dark Knight</i>. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">All of these soundtracks have become essential
to avid soundtrack collectors, as well as timeless musical jewels. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://ytimg.googleusercontent.com/vi/1T__uN5xmC0/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/1T__uN5xmC0&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="https://youtube.googleapis.com/v/1T__uN5xmC0&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h3>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">4. Christopher Nolan’s “Dark Knight Trilogy”
(2005-2012)</span></b></h3>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Even though I will
always respect and cherish Tim Burton's <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman </i>and <i>Batman Returns</i> for what they represent and what they started, the best portrayal of the
Caped Crusader in celluloid was in the “Dark Knight Trilogy”, by filmmaker
Christopher Nolan with writers David S. Goyer and Jonathan Nolan. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman Begins</i> restored our hope of
finally having a more than decent movie for our hero and better films for other
comic book institutions, while <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dark
Knight</i> transcended the comic book genre and can even compete with other movies
outside of it. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Dark Knight Rises</i>,
<a href="http://thepurplemixtape.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-dark-knight-rises-positives-and.html" target="_blank">even with its flaws</a>, gives an appropriate closure to our beloved characters. It also brought us breathtaking
and unforgettable performances by its A-list cast: Christian Bale, Sir Michael
Caine, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson, Cillian Murphy, Heath Ledger,
Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Joseph
Gordon-Levitt, among others. We even got to see the great <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HU7Ga7qTLDU" target="_blank">Rutger Hauer in <i>Batman Begins</i> as a nod to <i>Blade Runner</i></a>, a film that was one of the
inspirations for Nolan’s take on Gotham City. Not only I ended up becoming a
fan of these fine actors by exploring their other films, but I also became a
fan of Nolan’s work in general. I’ve even found myself cheering when Nolan
reunites some Batman cast members in his other films. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I had never been <u>emotionally
invested</u> in a Batman movie before, but Nolan’s realistic approach and
themes changed that. I don’t even know if that will ever happen to me </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">again</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">,
but I will always be grateful for the work done in those masterpieces.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1XaoflABozo/UzjKeG0Ls4I/AAAAAAAAAJY/xVgQD2t5a_k/s1600/batman+returns+cereal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1XaoflABozo/UzjKeG0Ls4I/AAAAAAAAAJY/xVgQD2t5a_k/s1600/batman+returns+cereal.jpg" height="231" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">(Source:</span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> mrbreakfast.com.)</span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: x-large;">5. The <i>Batman
Returns</i> cereal!</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Back in 1992, a </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">cereal themed after </span><i style="font-family: Helvetica;">Batman Returns</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> was released as a
promotional effort for the film. I only ate one box, and that one box was
enough to make me obsessed with that cereal. I can still remember its smell and
taste; the delightful chocolatey taste of the squares mixed with the bat, Catwoman, and
Batmobile shaped marshmallows. All those flavors melted in my mouth
beautifully. It was so damn delish! I’ve daydreamed throughout my existence of eating that cereal
again (of course, one made nowadays and not an old one from eBay). This cereal
is the only reason why I would travel back in time to 1992, so I could buy
hundreds and hundred of boxes! Who would've thought Batman could taste so freaking
good?! Bring it back, puh-lease! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<h4>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Bonus: The Batusi</span></b></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Holy dancing, Batman! This
could NOT be left out! Hmm, I wonder how much LSD they took to film this scene...
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/L8BZDwLExPI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Here’s to 75 more,
Batman! In the words of Alfred in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Batman
Begins</i>: “Happy many returns!” </span></div>
PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-48991140604902896582013-12-02T01:05:00.000-04:002013-12-02T01:05:30.571-04:0030 years of Michael Jackson's "Thriller": A personal retrospective<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/50/Michael_Jackson's_Thriller_title_card.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/50/Michael_Jackson's_Thriller_title_card.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Today, the world
remembers when 30 years ago the music video for Michael Jackson’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thriller</i> had its premiere on MTV. I’m sure
a lot of writing pieces will be published regarding this event, but I didn’t want that to stop me from sharing my personal experience about it.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I must confess that my
history with this video is unclear. To begin with, when the video came out on
December 2nd, 1983, I was inside my Mom’s tummy, so I obviously missed out on
that historic moment. My first images of Michael Jackson were in the early 90’s
with his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Black Or White</i> video. At 7
years old, I was truly mesmerized by it and thought it was awesome that
Macauley Culkin was featured in it. Like all of the other MJ videos, it has magic and
escapism, both of which undoubtedly fascinate people of all ages. Michael was a magician on
his own right with rhythms, lyrics, and images.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Then I remember seeing
videos for his other singles from <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Dangerous</b>
(1991) and even <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9cQOcAC_K8" target="_blank">his mostly forgotten musical collaboration with Eddie Murphy</a> (and I’m not referring about his participation on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Remember The Time</i>). I can’t exactly recall when and where I saw <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thriller</i> for the first time. I believe I
must’ve probably seen it on VH1. I remember they used to show it and right
after they would play a behind-the-scenes documentary. Curiously, I don’t have any memories of being scared by the zombies or the werewolf at all, coming from
someone who would run away from the Halloween costumes aisle at the pharmacy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I do remember that I
would always watch that short film with close attention, not being able to get
my eyes off it. Even the title card with the warning at the beginning had its
own mystique, adding some creepiness to the whole thing. Then, as a teenager
and a young adult, I would always play the song on Halloween, because <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thriller</i> is the universal synonym of
Halloween. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QkyFNZlik6w/Upu-GiZF1XI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/OSauWCbh22Q/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-12-01+at+6.53.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QkyFNZlik6w/Upu-GiZF1XI/AAAAAAAAAIQ/OSauWCbh22Q/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-12-01+at+6.53.08+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Warning title card at the beginning of <i>Thriller</i>. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">After MJ’s unfortunate passing
in 2009, I rediscovered his music, the one that I used to enjoy as a child
before the scandalous details that the media would contaminate us with. Granted,
he was not your typical person and he had strong issues throughout his life
(maybe we’ll never know what else was in his mind), but suddenly the world
decided to ignore his hugely influential artistic contributions and instead
would assign him the terrible role of a tabloid freak. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">One of my post-mortem rediscoveries
was <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thriller</i> as a song, as a music
video, and as an album. I watched the video on YouTube many times, refreshing
my memory with the iconic choreography and attempting to recreate it. Also, it was
constantly shown on TV as a tribute to MJ. No matter what, I could never stop watching it or change the channel. Since the year of his death, on Halloween night I put the DVD of his videos and play <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thriller</i>
as a holiday tradition. I always enjoy it greatly. I’ve also found myself
playing the video for no reason throughout the year. When I hear someone
playing the song or the album, I get excited and I want to dance. I’ve even dreamed
of dancing the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thriller</i> choreography
with a crowd on the street. Wouldn’t that be fun?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7IEOVEPyS-s/UnRoFJNlwSI/AAAAAAAATo0/PNG0eMuoGq8/s1600/THRILLERmjshoulder.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7IEOVEPyS-s/UnRoFJNlwSI/AAAAAAAATo0/PNG0eMuoGq8/s400/THRILLERmjshoulder.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I do this, it isn't a nervous tic. It's art. I think MJ would agree.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">MJ and John
Landis, the director of this masterpiece, gave us a world of cool zombies with swagger. If you ask me, those are
the coolest zombies ever, because they can dance better than many of us who are
alive. This video has all the fun elements of a horror movie combined with
powerful music and even funny moments. One of the moments that I find
particularly cute and funny is when MJ is chewing popcorn with his mouth wide open and smiling while sitting at the movie theater. I’m so geeky that I’ve found myself
imitating him on the theater! How is it possible that one man can even
influence the way we eat popcorn? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GJLZXLN13Nk/Upu_-cK-yFI/AAAAAAAAAIc/xZaG3hMefVw/s1600/popcorn_59233122.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GJLZXLN13Nk/Upu_-cK-yFI/AAAAAAAAAIc/xZaG3hMefVw/s400/popcorn_59233122.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"I loooove <i>my</i> movie!"</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">We’ve seen many artists
and directors take notes from this and other MJ videos. Even the Backstreet
Boys gave us a nice <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thriller</i> homage
with their video for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M6samPEMpM" target="_blank">Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)</a></i> (1998). The influence has gone so beyond that fans all over the world have made countless videos in which they recreate the choreography on the streets, on weddings, and even in jail, reminding us of the great power that music has within us. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">We can all agree that what Charlie Chaplin was to movies, Michael Jackson was to music videos. They both helped
change the game in each of their eras, along with other artists like Buster
Keaton and Madonna, respectively. In fact, it’s no coincidence that <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_vqHaCz-hCqw/TCdjPsfEEXI/AAAAAAAACvE/Mt4oVAPGqoU/s1600/charlie_chaplin_michael_jackson_01.jpg" target="_blank">MJ always proclaimed himself as a Chaplin fan</a>. They gave us art that would fuel our imaginations and inspire us for
decades. Centuries will pass, and I’m sure people will still be talking about their
work. Kids, adults, and elders will be dancing to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thriller</i> while covered in “city lights”, no matter how “modern
times” will become. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Happy Birthday, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thriller</i>! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/sOnqjkJTMaA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-54486016432593813782013-09-22T14:00:00.000-04:002013-09-22T14:04:19.831-04:00¡Bienvenido, otoño! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L2LyplF6-Wg/Uj8sOoGhz9I/AAAAAAAAAIA/8HnOQh7ymMs/s1600/Autumn_Koyasan_Wakayama04s5s4272+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L2LyplF6-Wg/Uj8sOoGhz9I/AAAAAAAAAIA/8HnOQh7ymMs/s320/Autumn_Koyasan_Wakayama04s5s4272+(1).jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>Monte Kõya, prefectura de Wakayama, Japón.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>(Foto de 663highland, de Wikimedia Commons.)</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Hoy comienza mi estación preferida: el otoño. Mi fascinación de ver las hojas secas en el suelo nunca termina. El pisar esas mismas hojas y escucharlas crujir es un placer insaciable, pero a la vez sencillo e inocente. </span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">El otoño tiene matices de tranquilidad y el calor comienza a abreviarse. Se percibe un aire distinto de romance, la pasión se transforma. Se siente más madurez en todo. Atrás queda la agitación veraniega. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">El otoño huele libros y suena a jazz. Tiene apariencia de ladrillos, de bibliotecas donde besaremos libros con nuestros dedos y los desnudaremos con nuestros ojos, con la esperanza de que allí encontraremos a alguien que comparta ese sentimiento. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Del otoño también me apasiona la moda. Para esta época, las calles de Nueva York se llenan de piernas femeninas en medias negras. Los abrigos largos empiezan a hacer sus apariciones. Para mí, la ropa más bonita y elegante es la de otoño: los colores, las telas y las formas siempre me cautivan, pues son más elaborados. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Comparto con ustedes dos poemas del uruguayo Mario Benedetti, quién es mi dios en asuntos poéticos. ¡Feliz otoño a todos!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><b>Otoño</b></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Aprovechemos el otoño</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">antes de que el invierno nos escombre</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">enfrentemos a codazos en la franja del sol</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">y admiremos a los pájaros que emigran</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">ahora que calienta el corazón</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">aunque sea de a ratos y de a poco</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">pensemos y sintamos todavía</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">con el viejo cariño que nos queda</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">aprovechemos el otoño</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">antes de que el futuro se congele</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">y no haya sitio para la belleza</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">porque el futuro se nos vuelve escarcha.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Soneto del otoño </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">En el año el otoño es un sosiego</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">y es la más suave de las estaciones</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">en ella se perdonan los perdones</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">y renace el anhelo solariego</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">el otoño no tiene sol de fuego</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">ni turbas ni dramáticas visiones</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">los dolores se van de vacaciones</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">y la brisa en las tardes es un juego</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">en el otoño pasa la jornada</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">lentamente / con calma / con olvido</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">y con la mente bien despabilada</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">digamos que en la paz está la clave</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">del ocio saludable y compartido</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">porque el otoño es eso / vida suave.</span></span>PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-45954323823662197952013-08-22T23:21:00.001-04:002013-08-22T23:41:29.155-04:00Reseña: La jaula de las locas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ppxvlx0VPRE/UhbSRUspeVI/AAAAAAAAAHw/oFxeD2VFVaM/s1600/jaula.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ppxvlx0VPRE/UhbSRUspeVI/AAAAAAAAAHw/oFxeD2VFVaM/s320/jaula.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Por primera vez en Puerto Rico sube a escena <i>La jaula de las locas</i>, una adaptación de <i>La cage aux folles </i>(1973), obra musical del dramaturgo francés Jean Poiret. Por espacio de casi tres horas, los espectadores fuimos transportados a un club nocturno en Saint-Tropez, del cual no queríamos salir.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tan pronto me enteré hace unos meses de que Braulio Castillo, hijo, y Rafael José serían los protagonistas de <i>La jaula de las locas</i>, supe que asistiría sin falta. ¿Cómo me iba a perder a dos de nuestros íconos ochentosos dándole vida a unos personajes tan queridos y fabulosos? Crecí viéndolos en la televisión, pues de pequeña me encerraba con mi abuela en su cuarto -para evitar que me descubriera mi madre, pues era muy bebé para ver esa programación- a ver la telenovela <i>Pacto de amor</i>, protagonizada por Braulio junto a Millie Avilés y transmitida por Telemundo. A Rafael José lo veía sin falta en <i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9ail2KsX44" target="_blank">El cuartel de la risa</a></i>, en el desaparecido SuperSiete (“¡Boca ‘e chopa!”). Ciertamente, mis expectativas eran altas, y me complace decir que fueron superadas.</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">La obra trata sobre Georges y Albin, una pareja homosexual que trabaja
en dicho club nocturno. Georges (Braulio Castillo, hijo) es el propietario del
lugar, mientras que Albin (Rafael José) es artista del transformismo y deleita
a todos al convertirse en Zazá. La vida de ambos se complica cuando Jean
Michel, el hijo de Georges, anuncia su compromiso con su novia, Anne. Esta es
hija de un político ultra-conservador, quien tiene posturas en contra de la
comunidad gay y amenaza con cerrar los clubes nocturnos en donde ellos se
reúnen. La inminente visita de Anne junto a sus padres provoca que Georges y
Jean Michel planifiquen ocultar la extravagante personalidad de Albin, pues Georges
y él criaron a Jean Michel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A medida que transcurre la obra, vemos la lucha que hay entre Georges
y su hijo para transformar a Albin y hacerlo pasar como el tío macharrán de la familia. A pesar de los esfuerzos de Albin por cambiar aunque sea por un
día, se le hace imposible y lo que logra es aceptarse más a sí mismo y estar
orgulloso de ser como es. Rafael José logra transmitirnos el dolor que siente
Albin no sólo con su actuación, sino al cantar. Su interpretación nos recuerda
su talento en la canción, el cual deberíamos tener la oportunidad de escuchar
más.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">La actuación de Braulio Castillo, hijo, fue sumamente deliciosa y
hasta enternecedora. Logró proyectar el carisma que el personaje requiere. Sin
embargo, hubo veces en que no se entendía muy bien lo que cantaba. Me encantó
verlo en un papel como este, pues estoy acostumbrada a verlo mayormente en
personajes dramáticos y no tanto en comedia. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/WSN4FCDD2yU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fue
fascinante y refrescante ver a ambos actores en estos papeles, pues no habíamos
tenido la oportunidad de verlos desprenderse de su masculinidad. Lo hicieron de
manera respetuosa y sin caer en la burla. No le quitaron en ningún momento la
humanidad a Georges y Albin/Zazá. De haberlo hecho, se hubiera desvirtuado el
mensaje de aceptación que contiene la obra, el cual ha cobrado más fuerza en
tiempos recientes. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pero no todo se reduce al talento de los protagonistas, pues el resto
del elenco hizo un trabajo extraordinario. Cabe destacar la participación de
Bryan Villarini en el papel de Jacob, la “mucama” de la casa de Georges y
Albin. Todas sus intervenciones fueron acertadas y llenas de chispa, incluyendo
sus múltiples cambios de ropa “drag”. El actor también fungió como diseñador de
maquillaje y peinados, los cuales fueron impecables y fabulosos. Otras
participaciones que deben destacarse son las de las “cagelles",
interpretadas por un grupo talentosísimo de hombres que supieron honrar ese
título con sus voces y las coreografías, montadas por Carlitos Hernández. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">La música en vivo fue otra protagonista. El excelente trabajo de
Aidita Encarnación en la dirección musical quedó demostrado en la labor de los
músicos y de los actores al cantar. El sonido estuvo limpio y las melodías fueron
perfectamente ejecutadas.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span lang="ES-TRAD">La jaula de las locas</span></i><span lang="ES-TRAD"> nos deja
con ganas de más por lo completa y magistral que estuvo. Esta servidora quería
quedarse en la jaula para siempre, transformarse en una de las cagelles e
intercambiar risas entre copas con Georges y Albin. O, al menos, seguir siendo una
espectadora, pues el transformismo es un arte que siempre me ha fascinado admirar
y estudiar. Mi deseo es que esta obra inspire a la creación en Puerto Rico de
un club nocturno al estilo <i>La cage aux
folles</i>, pues talento hay de sobra. Y bueno, si ya existe un lugar así,
díganme dónde queda para perderme en él. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span lang="ES-TRAD"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*<b>La jaula de las locas</b> continúa presentándose en el Centro de Bellas
Artes de Santurce hasta el 1 de septiembre. Para más información, visita su página en Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lajauladelaslocasmusical" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/lajauladelaslocasmusical</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-21847102235796764122012-12-26T23:47:00.000-04:002012-12-26T23:51:15.424-04:00Dos décadas de Dynamo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C1Ty9wtTeUE/UMkv8Hr8uyI/AAAAAAAAAHM/ZAejSdMAvFk/s1600/portada+dynamo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C1Ty9wtTeUE/UMkv8Hr8uyI/AAAAAAAAAHM/ZAejSdMAvFk/s400/portada+dynamo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">E<span style="font-size: large;">l 1 de octubre</span> 1992</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">, la banda argentina </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Soda <span style="font-size: large;">Stereo p</span>ublicó <b><i>Dynamo</i></b>, su sexto <span style="font-size: large;">á</span>lbum<span style="font-size: large;"> de estudio. En aquella época no contó con el mismo respaldo masivo que su predecesor, <i>Canción Animal</i>, debido a que el grupo cambió de disquera<span style="font-size: large;"> (lo que afectó su promoción<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">) y por el sonido experimental<span style="font-size: large;"> que traía consigo, apartándolo así del resto de su discografía. Para muchos<span style="font-size: large;"> (incluyéndome), es un disco adelantado a su época y el mejor o uno de los mejores de<span style="font-size: large;"> la banda</span>. Al escucharlo<span style="font-size: large;"> hoy, en el 2012, <span style="font-size: large;">su sonido no está expirado, sino que mantiene un sonido vigente y<span style="font-size: large;"> fresco. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Según el diccionario de la Real Academia Espa<span style="font-size: large;">ñola, un <i>d</i><span style="font-size: large;"><i>ínamo</i> es una "máquina destinada a transformar la energía mecánica en energía el<span style="font-size: large;">éctrica<span style="font-size: large;">". L<span style="font-size: large;">a cienci<span style="font-size: large;">a</span> no es mi fuerte, pero si nos vamos por el hecho de que<span style="font-size: large;"> una de las definiciones de <i>mecánico</i><span style="font-size: large;"> </span>es un acto "au<span style="font-size: large;">tomático" y "hecho sin reflexión", tiene sentido la elección de<span style="font-size: large;">l título <i><b>Dy</b></i><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>namo</b></i> <span style="font-size: large;">para este disco<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">: s</span>u sonido no es nada <span style="font-size: large;">mecánico<span style="font-size: large;">. Soda se alejó de cualquier impulso automatizado que pudieran tener. Ellos fácilment<span style="font-size: large;">e</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">pudieron </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>haber <span style="font-size: large;">repetido como fórmula los sonidos de sus éxitos anteriores<span style="font-size: large;">. A</span>unque
estos gozaban de gran calidad, hubiera sido un pecado pretender
duplicarlos para obtener un triunfo seguro, lo cual hubiera resultado en una car<span style="font-size: large;">encia de <span style="font-size: large;">evolución musical</span></span>. Aquí Soda se las jugó al
querer transformar lo mecánico a lo eléctrico, y es que si fuéramos a
def<span style="font-size: large;">inir este disco con adjetivos, <i>eléctrico</i> es uno de los primeros que viene a la mente. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Para c<span style="font-size: large;">elebrar<span style="font-size: large;"> este aniversario<span style="font-size: large;">, elegí los cinco temas del disco que m<span style="font-size: large;">ás me han gus<span style="font-size: large;">tado a través de los 10 años que llevo escuch<span style="font-size: large;">á</span>ndolo, ya que me hice fan de Soda<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>precisamen<span style="font-size: large;">te en el 2002. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cabe destacar que cuatro de los cinco videos fueron tomados de la presentación en vivo que hiciera <span style="font-size: large;">Soda en el programa argentino <i>Fax en </i><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Concie</i><span style="font-size: large;"><i>rto</i><span style="font-size: large;">, grabado el 21 de noviembre de 1992. Allí la banda presentó su entonces nuevo material. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/F9gzG5TCprg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">En remolinos<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Flo<span style="font-size: large;">recer mirándome a los ojos, perfección. Florecer los dos, florecer.<span style="font-size: large;">" </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-family: arial,tahoma,verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Algo que siempre me ha gustado de las letras de Gustavo Cerati es su capacidad de escribir sobre la sexualidad sin caer en lo vulgar ni en espacios comunes. Cerati siempre ejerce poesía cada vez que esc<span style="font-size: large;">ribe un tema sexualmente cargado. <span style="font-size: large;">"En remolinos<span style="font-size: large;">" <span style="font-size: large;">es un gran ejemplo de ello. Cerati nos seduce no sólo con <span style="font-size: large;">su letra, <span style="font-size: large;">sino con su voz y el arreglo musical<span style="font-size: large;">. Él narra con profunda belleza el inicio, el desarrollo, el climax y el dese<span style="font-size: large;">nlace de un acto sexual<span style="font-size: large;">. Esta canción hace que nos e<span style="font-size: large;">namoremos perdida<span style="font-size: large;">mente de Soda y de su voz principal.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/amPVFcqBKG4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Luna ro<span style="font-size: large;">ja</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Cuídame<span style="font-size: large;">, y</span>o te cu<span style="font-size: large;">id<span style="font-size: large;">aré."</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Este tema se caracteriza por su aire misterioso, ya que se ha comentado que trata so<span style="font-size: large;">bre el SIDA. </span></span>Tiene un ritmo y letra embriagantes<span style="font-size: large;">. A <span style="font-size: large;">veces cuando la <span style="font-size: large;">escucho, pienso que cuando al final repiten <span style="font-size: large;">el verso "Es peligrosa" se refieren a una mujer. Esto es lo maravilloso de <span style="font-size: large;">la música: que cada pers<span style="font-size: large;">o<span style="font-size: large;">na la ve de<span style="font-size: large;">sde su<span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-size: large;">propia perspectiva y le da su interpretación<span style="font-size: large;">, lo<span style="font-size: large;"> cual nos hace imaginar <span style="font-size: large;">y conoc<span style="font-size: large;">er mundos nuevos. Lo mismo sucede con la literat<span style="font-size: large;">ura.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/iyLO3i_tLv4/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iyLO3i_tLv4&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iyLO3i_tLv4&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sweet Sahumerio</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Ella juega en el sill<span style="font-size: large;">ón, est<span style="font-size: large;">á descalza<span style="font-size: large;">. Algo sobrenatural la desplaza."</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Uno</span> de l<span style="font-size: large;">o</span>s primer<span style="font-size: large;">os temas de Soda <span style="font-size: large;">que me enamoraron<span style="font-size: large;">. Esta canción tiene m<span style="font-size: large;">ás misterio todavía, ya que realmente lo qu<span style="font-size: large;">e narra son metáforas dif<span style="font-size: large;">íciles de comprender </span>sobre una mujer</span>.<span style="font-size: large;"> Yo lo considero como un fluir de conciencia, como una libertad creativa de carácter si<span style="font-size: large;">codélico. Hay veces que eso sale bie<span style="font-size: large;">n y otras en que puede sali<span style="font-size: large;">r mal. En este caso, Soda sale a flote con <span style="font-size: large;">este tema<span style="font-size: large;">. Aunque todavía no comprendo bien de q<span style="font-size: large;">ué</span> exa<span style="font-size: large;">ctamente trata "Sweet Sahumer<span style="font-size: large;">io", eso no me impide disfrutar de ella. <span style="font-size: large;">De hecho, es un <span style="font-size: large;">tema que escucho </span>en momentos de tensión, puesto que sus sonidos relajantes y sicodé<span style="font-size: large;">licos me <span style="font-size: large;">transportan a otro nivel. Sin <span style="font-size: large;">duda alguna, es el tema que más se aparta de la discografía de Soda Stereo p<span style="font-size: large;">or el alto nivel<span style="font-size: large;"> de experimentación sonora, convirtiéndola así en una <span style="font-size: large;">majestuosa obra de arte. Siempre me <span style="font-size: large;">gusta escuchar <span style="font-size: large;">varias veces la parte en que Cera<span style="font-size: large;">ti vocaliza como si estuviera en medio de ese trance (esc<span style="font-size: large;">uchar el minuto 4:11 en el video). <span style="font-size: large;">Una buena versión es la de <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70Y1PZ6HLu0" target="_blank"><i>11 <span style="font-size: large;">Episodios Sinfónicos</span></i></a><span style="font-size: large;">, de Cerati.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </h3>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/CLRIPRyU_mM/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CLRIPRyU_mM&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CLRIPRyU_mM&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ameba</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Toda esa gente dice que te ama<span style="font-size: large;">. Toda esa gente dice que te odia."</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Me fascinan su letra y arreglos dinámicos. Es una canción sincera y hasta simpática<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">.<span style="font-size: large;"> Es un buen ejemplo de por qué a <i><b>Dynamo</b></i> podemos definirlo como el<span style="font-size: large;">éctrico<span style="font-size: large;"> no sólo de forma abstracta<span style="font-size: large;">, sino literalmente, ya que <span style="font-size: large;">al final se escucha un<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>cortocircuito. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/41t8yzpcgEQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Nuestra fe</b> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Tengo aquí el cristal en mis manos<span style="font-size: large;">; ya soy todo un corazón<span style="font-size: large;"> que no <span style="font-size: large;">para de crecer."</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Debo confesar que hace muchos años solía saltar este tema cuando escuchaba el disco completo. Sin embargo, el 27 de abril del 2007, me di cuenta del error que estaba cometiendo. En esa noche de primavera, vi a Cerati en vivo por primera vez en mi vida<span style="font-size: large;">: se presentaba en Puerto Rico por segunda vez en menos de un año con </span>su gira <i>Ahí Vamos</i>. En esa velada mágica, él cantó "Nuestra fe". Esa interpretación me hizo redescubrir y repensar esa pieza. Cada nota me hizo enamorarme de ella. Cerati, con sus acordes y su voz, me hechizó para siempre. Sentí algo especial en ese momento, una conexión que jamás había sentido con esa canción. Al día siguiente, le di <i>play</i> al corte número 9 de <b><i>Dynamo</i></b> y no volví a saltarlo. Es increíble cómo el haber presenciado una versión en vivo de este tema cambió mi opinión. Es algo que por más que trato de explicarlo de manera más profunda<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>no puedo. Podr<span style="font-size: large;">í</span>a decir que <span style="font-size: large;">la</span> misma canción expresa mi imposibilidad de ello con este verso: "Con el sol de abril y sin saber por qué...". Por otro lado, el significado de esta pieza ha cambiado desde <span style="font-size: large;">mayo del 2010<span style="font-size: large;">. Gus<span style="font-size: large;">, ¡nunca olvides que </span>nuestra fe </span></span>no para de crecer! ¡Te esperamos<span style="font-size: large;"> con los brazos abiertos!</span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<i><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">¿Cuál es tu tema favorito de <b>Dyn</b><span style="font-size: large;"><b>amo</b>? ¡Comparte tu sentir y tus experiencias soderas abajo en la sección de comentarios! </span> </span></span></span></i></h3>
PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-30721200422849876582012-12-04T01:13:00.000-04:002012-12-12T22:00:29.832-04:00Quotes Mix Tape: The Dark Knight Rises<h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>"Quotes Mix Tape" is a series of posts in which I present and discuss five quotes </b></span><b style="color: purple;">from films, literature, TV series, or music </b><b style="color: purple;">that made an impact in my life. </b></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b style="color: purple;"> </b></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Today is the Blu</span></span><i>-</i>Ray<i> release of <b>The Dark Knight Rises</b>, which is the epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy. To celebrate (and hell, even cry about) this, the last video release of this Batman franchise, I dedicate this post to this event.</i></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m9IPN5NS24Y/UL1vDM6bwwI/AAAAAAAAAG8/0RBj_jAOv1g/s1600/Gordon+Dent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-m9IPN5NS24Y/UL1vDM6bwwI/AAAAAAAAAG8/0RBj_jAOv1g/s320/Gordon+Dent.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple;">1. "I knew Harvey Dent. I was his friend. And it will be a very long time before someone inspires us the way he did. I believed in Harvey Dent." -Jim Gordon</span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple;"> </span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since the first time I watched<i> The Dark Knight Rises</i> (TDKR<span style="font-size: small;">), I loved that <span style="font-size: small;">it starte<span style="font-size: small;">d exactly where <span style="font-size: small;"><i>The D</i><span style="font-size: small;"><i>ark Knight</i> <span style="font-size: small;">lef<span style="font-size: small;">t us: at Harvey "Two-Face" Dent's funeral. It was even harder to see our beloved <span style="font-size: small;">c</span>omm<span style="font-size: small;">issioner </span>Jim Gordon praising Dent afte<span style="font-size: small;">r threatening his child and killing others. This scene also set stage to the events of TDKR, thus establishin<span style="font-size: small;">g that<span style="font-size: small;"> Dent's actions <span style="font-size: small;">would cast a big shad<span style="font-size: small;">ow in this movie<span style="font-size: small;">. In a way, it was heartbreaking. <span style="font-size: small;">Gordon, played by the great Gary Oldman<span style="font-size: small;">, has had <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmTKtKgVgEw" target="_blank">s</a><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmTKtKgVgEw" target="_blank">ome of the most moving speeches throughout </a><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmTKtKgVgEw" target="_blank">The Dark Knight Trilogy</a> (more o<span style="font-size: small;">n</span> that later). </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-size: small;"></span></span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/_zVSZPzkx64/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_zVSZPzkx64&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_zVSZPzkx64&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple;"> </span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple;">2. </span><span style="color: purple;">"We will destroy Gotham and then, when it is done and Gotham is... ashes... then you have my permission to die." -Bane</span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"> </span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The edited version of this quote ("When Gotham is ashes, you have my permission <span style="font-size: small;">to die") </span>has been a fan favorite since it was featured in the trailers<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">. It also has </span>become a pop culture p<span style="font-size: small;">henomeno<span style="font-size: small;">n<span style="font-size: small;">, <span style="font-size: small;">inspiring <a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m903pfmQpL1rdn9z5o1_1280.jpg" target="_blank">many hilarious spoo</a><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m903pfmQpL1rdn9z5o1_1280.jpg" target="_blank">fs</a>. The fact that these words are said by Bane to our Caped Crusader fills us with fear and worry. Bane th<span style="font-size: small;">reatens to kill both Go<span style="font-size: small;">tham and Bruce Wayne, and killing Gotham is like killing Bruce's soul. It is a deadly domino effect. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://1.gvt0.com/vi/3C_BubeBU8E/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3C_BubeBU8E&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3C_BubeBU8E&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple;">3. </span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">"Do you feel in charge?" -Bane</span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"> </span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">Because we all fantasize of asking this to someone. xD Major ownage!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/1DaMlUu13mc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple;"> </span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple;">4. "</span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">A
hero can be anyone, even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as
putting a coat around a young boy's shoulders to let him know the world hasn't
ended." -Batman</span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm so <span style="font-size: small;">glad and grateful that this scene was construc<span style="font-size: small;">ted <span style="font-size: small;">just the way it was: heartfelt words, a <span style="font-size: small;">flash<span style="font-size: small;">back from<i> Batman Begin</i><span style="font-size: small;"><i>s</i>, and commissioner Gordon finally knowing <span style="font-size: small;">—</span>in a lovely way<span style="font-size: small;">—</span> the identity of his old friend, who<span style="font-size: small;">m he had actually known since the day that changed his life. We could say that Gordo<span style="font-size: small;">n has been with Bruce/Batman since day one. This scene is the one <span style="font-size: small;">that sta<span style="font-size: small;">rted<span style="font-size: small;"> to make me shed some tears. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/PYDlRUnTL9g?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple;">5. </span><span style="color: purple;">"I see a beautiful city and
a brilliant people rising from this abyss. I see the lives for which I lay down
my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy. I see that I hold a sanctuary
in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations
hence. It is a far,
far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest
that I go to than I have ever known." -<i>A Tale of Two Cities</i>, by Charles Dickens. Quoted by Jim Gordon</span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="color: purple;"> </span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small;">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Arial;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin-top:0cm;
margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page Section1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
</style>
</span></span></span></h3>
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">If quote #4 made me shed some tears, this one made me cry like a baby in need of his blanket. Once again, Gordon doesn't disappoint us and delivers a moving speech by quoting one of Dickens' classics. This was a great way to honor our (fallen?) hero. It also was a way for Christopher and Jonathan Nolan to tell us that <i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> had a huge influence on TDKR. It is always fascinating to see movies and literature converge. Everything starts in the books.</span></span></span></span>
<br />
<h3>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Arial;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin-top:0cm;
margin-right:0cm;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0cm;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page Section1
{size:612.0pt 792.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:36.0pt;
mso-footer-margin:36.0pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
</style>
</h3>
PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-57070465570476995252012-08-29T07:21:00.001-04:002012-12-03T00:20:09.015-04:00Quotes Mix Tape: Michael Jackson <br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>"Quotes Mix Tape" is a series of posts in which I present and discuss five quotes </b></span><b style="color: purple;">from films, literature, TV series, or music </b><b style="color: purple;">that made an impact in my life. </b></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Today, Michael Jackson would've turned 54 years old. To celebrate his life and his art, this edition is dedicated to him. </i></span></div>
<div>
<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></i><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/snihdG1rE0Y?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: purple; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: purple; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: white;">1. "</span></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Every time I think I've had enough and
start heading for the door / There's a very strange vibration piercing
me right to the core / It says turn around you fool, you know you
love her more and more / Tell me why is it so?" </span></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">-<i>Never Can Say Goodbye</i>, The Jackson 5 (1971) </span></h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">MJ was only 11 years old when he </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">recorded this song,</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"> yet he managed to sing it with such a feeling, that you might think he had an old soul trapped in his body. Then again, his main issue and obsession in his life was growing up too fast and losing his childhood. I can't really explain why I like this part of the song so much. I do know that every time I hear this part of the song, I sing it and I even act it out in a very dramatic way (I only do this in the privacy of my bedroom, thank you very much!) Maybe I like it because it deals with the eternal battle between the heart and the brain: Should I follow my heart or should I follow my brain? That's up to each one of us to decide.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xg0AsWruz4k?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: purple; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: white;">2. "</span></span></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Lift your head up high / And scream out
to the world / I know I am someone / And let the truth unfurl / No one can hurt
you now / Because you know what's true / Yes, I believe in me / So you believe
in you / Help me sing it! Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa! / Ma ma se, ma ma sa,
ma ma coo sa!" -<i>Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' </i>(1983)</span></h3>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think pretty much the whole song is quotable, since it has very interesting metaphors that describe MJ's relationship with the press (You're a vegetable / You're just a buffet / You're a vegetable / They eat off of you). It even has a shout-out to Billie Jean. I chose the last verses for a simple reason: because they are uplifting and they make me feel good. It was MJ's way of saying that no matter what people said about him, he would not let them get him down and that he believed in himself. Of course, the last years of his life weren't exactly like that: we'll see in some of his other songs that his own lyrics contradict the way he led his life (the media scrutiny affected him deeply, adding up to his other issues). However, we can still apply those positive messages to ourselves and be inspired by them. I also chose this quote because I love singing out of my lungs "Ma ma se, ma ma sa, ma ma coo sa!" It's liberating!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Pglj4ro0pjw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></b>
<br />
<h3>
<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small;">3. "</span></span></b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">If this town / Is just an apple / Then let
me take a bite” -<i>Human Nature </i>(1983)</span></h3>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is definitely one of the most beautiful songs that I've ever heard. It portrays MJ's fragility. Its lyrics about the desire to go out to the world and see what's out there, even though he didn't write them, seem autobiographical. His broken soul and his pain can be heard especially in the last part of the song, in which he only vocalizes. It would've been great if this song would've been promoted more heavily and that a music video would've been made for it. With MJ's imagination, I'm sure it would have been out of this world. Other quote from this song that strikes me is "Electric eyes are everywhere", because of its powerful imagery. For me, the electric eyes are the city lights, which are always fascinating no matter how many times you've seen them. One of the best versions of <i>Human Nature</i> is the one featured in<i> </i>2009's <i>This Is It</i>, which you can see above.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/dsUXAEzaC3Q?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<h3>
<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></b></h3>
<h3>
<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small;">4. "Your butt is mine" -<i>Bad </i>(1987)</span></span></b></h3>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">Enough said! No wonder</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"> </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6M0WjGyC-E" target="_blank">Prince turned down the idea</a></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"> </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">of</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"> </span><i><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">Bad</span></i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';"> </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">being a
duet between MJ and him.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/F9Nh84lfvW0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: small;">5. "</span></span></b><span style="color: purple; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">I'm starting with the man in the mirror /
I'm asking him to change his ways / And no message could have been
any clearer / If you wanna make the world a better place / Take a look at
yourself and then make a change" -<i>Man in the Mirror </i>(1988)</span></h3>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">This
is a song that a lot of people need to listen carefully. It contains a strong
message that still applies to present day (this song is 25 years old). No
matter how many peace messages from religious personalities or PR campaigns are
released, things will never change if human beings don't start making a change
within themselves and their households. As long as there's selfishness, this world
and most of its inhabitants will keep on rotting themselves and succumbing to
secret agendas. I guess it's time to </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">finally </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue';">look ourselves in the mirror.</span><br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: purple;">One more thing: Happy Birthday, MJ! Hee heeeeee! Auu!</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/TVxCIoKmjcQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--></div>
PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-63414167478018102542012-08-20T23:48:00.024-04:002012-08-26T17:15:20.212-04:00The Dark Knight Rises: Positives and Negatives<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">To
say that </span><i style="font-family: Helvetica;">The Dark Knight Rises</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> (TDKR)
was a horrible movie is a big mistake, but to say that it was perfect is also a
mistake.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I
waited four long years for it. As a huge fan of Christopher Nolan’s realistic
interpretation of Batman, I was looking forward to the conclusion of his
trilogy. I had larger than life expectations, and the trailers promised a feast
for both the Bat-fans and the general public. My worries for a bad follow-up
decreased with each trailer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I
finally watched TDKR on its release date (July 25<sup>th</sup> in Puerto Rico).
I clapped and cheered on many occasions along with the audience (I LOVE when
that kind of stuff happens!) I even cried a lot during the end. Yet, there were
some things that didn’t quite feel right. I left the theater with certain
satisfaction, but those other things bothered me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I watched it for a second time. I enjoyed it and my eyes got
watery in the end, and this time I ignored what went wrong. I thought it wasn’t
a major deal and I built a theory that t I thought justified the outcome (more on that later). But then I watched it for a third time, and those details that concerned me came to life again. In fact, I felt
more confused than ever. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I’ve
had discussions with several friends and we seem to coincide on some of those
points. People have asked me if TDKR is better than <i>The Dark Knight </i>(TDK), yet I wasn't really able to give an answer. I’ve read people in social media saying that the film is “boring”,
which makes no sense. Something certain is that TDKR is very entertaining, which is not an easy task for
a film that’s 2 hours and 45 minutes long. If you got bored, I’m afraid there
might something wrong with your health.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">I’ve
had a hard time on finally writing a commentary of some sort about the movie. The
mixed emotions I’ve experienced made it very difficult for me, especially as a
Batman/Nolan fan. That’s why I’ve decided to do something more organic for me
in this situation: I’ll list the positives and negatives of TDKR. The positives I listed are mostly about characters and story details that I liked in particular, which I reviewed in my style. There are other details I liked, but I focused on what I liked the most so I would not extend myself too much or because they're too obvious details. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Again, this
is my personal opinion. If you disagree with anything, you can share your thoughts in the comments section below. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<h4>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: purple;">Positives</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
The intro with the bat-logo inside the broken bat-signal and, as always, no credits or movie titles. Something I've always looked forward to in this trilogy is the intro with the bat-logo, which has been refreshing every time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
The film starting literally right where<i> </i>TDK left us: Commisioner Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman)
speaking at Harvey Dent’s funeral, saying what was in our minds all this time: “I believed in
Harvey Dent.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
The airplane scene. Truly impressive. “The fire rises!”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">• Bane's Scottish accent and his intimidating attitude. I also enjoyed the intonation that Tom Hardy applied to certain words. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
The Two-Face flashbacks during Gordon’s speech. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
Selina Kyle’s introduction and all her other scenes. Anne Hathaway really nailed the cat-like body
movements throughout the film. She was incredibly confident, stylish, and sexy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Robin John Blake! Now I love him more than ever.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
The music by the great Hans Zimmer, especially the track <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6GX0K5IjC4" target="_blank">“Gotham’s Reckoning”</a>
(it was played during the airplane scene). This track in particular shows the immense classical music influence that
Zimmer has, giving each musical piece an emotional and epic feeling. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
The return of the Bat-cave! And you still have to tap those three keys in the piano to get in! (I would love to know which keys are, by the way. I guess I'll use my Casio keyboard from the 80's to find that out.)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">• The piece of classical music played while Bruce and Selina were dancing: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqAlMItkV44" target="_blank">"Pavane pour une infante défunte"</a> (Pavane for a Dead Princess), by French composer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Ravel" target="_blank">Maurice Ravel</a>. I recognized it immediately, since I'm a huge fan of Ravel's work and classical music in general. Something that I love about Nolan's musical selections is that he chooses pieces that I love and that have a personal meaning for me. It feels almost like he's speaking to me. For example, in <i>Inception</i>, he used Édith Piaf's "Non, je ne regrette rien". That meant a lot to me because of many reasons: I love Piaf, that song is one of my life philosphies, I speak French, and Marion Cotillard, who was also in the film, played outstandingly the role of Piaf in 2007's <i>La vie en rose</i>, which won her an Oscar. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">• The topic of economics, which is parallel to the world's current financial situation. Economics were also once again a strategy of the League of Shadows to destroy Gotham.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">• Bane's motorcycles/Batman’s comeback chase scene. It had many great things.
Matthew Modine did a great job playing the not-so-likable Commissioner Foley by
uselessly trying to capture Batman. The hysterical kidnapped yuppie at the back
of one of the motorcycles was hilarious. He reminded me of Patrick Bateman in <i>American Psycho</i>, since he was <a href="http://mediafiles.cineplex.com/Blog/English/FullSize/americanpsycho632.jpg" target="_blank">wearing the same exact look of Patrick in one of AP’s scenes</a>. Perhaps it was a salute to Christian Bale’s classic role? I’d like to think so!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">• The Bat!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
Batman stating to Selina that he didn’t use guns. The timing couldn’t be
better due to the unfortunate real world circumstances we all know.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
Batman finally knowing how it feels to be left all alone while in the middle of
a conversation. Thanks, Selina!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
Alfred leaving Bruce. Honestly, I thought Alfred would come back, but he didn’t.
Lesson learned: <i>Nevah</i> take Alfred
Pennyworth for granted!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">• É</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">dith Piaf and Bruce Wayne had sex!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y72JQwyyywQ/UDBskhgvLyI/AAAAAAAAAFM/dOv18LT0s4g/s1600/Bruce+and+Talia+.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y72JQwyyywQ/UDBskhgvLyI/AAAAAAAAAFM/dOv18LT0s4g/s1600/Bruce+and+Talia+.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: purple;">If I was her, I'd sure be singing <i>La vie en rose</i>!</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
The first fight scene between Batman and Bane. From the constant League of
Shadows references to paying homage to <i>Knightfall</i>,
it was superb.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g_k4rgVx3sQ/UDBtG2FSH0I/AAAAAAAAAFU/PDLfvUiIbFU/s1600/knightfall.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g_k4rgVx3sQ/UDBtG2FSH0I/AAAAAAAAAFU/PDLfvUiIbFU/s400/knightfall.jpeg" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: purple;">Cover of<i> Knightfall </i>(1993)</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
The return of the League of Shadows, since it brought the trilogy to full circle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
Liam Neeson’s cameo/comeback as Ra’s Al Ghul. It was really nice to see him in
something that wasn’t a trailer for a movie that also features Rihanna (cough<i>Battleship</i>cough).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">•</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb57887/batman/images/f/f1/George_Fredericks.jpg" target="_blank">Fredericks, from <i>Batman Begins</i>,</a> once again in the Wayne Enterprises board. It was a nice detail to bring him back.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">•</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> The haunting chant: "Deshi deshi basara basara!"</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
Bruce Wayne’s return to prison and his triumphant escape. If you didn’t clap
the first time you saw the climbing scene, you should go back to the movie
theatre, rewatch TDKR and do it. You should also check out if you’re a human being.
Even if it was predictable that he was going to make it, you had to be happy
for him, because he’s our boy! I loved the bats’ appearance and Bruce’s
flashback of when he fell down the cave as a kid. Hearing Thomas Wayne saying
“Why do we fall?” once again was moving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">• The influence of Frank Miller's <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Knight_Returns" target="_blank">The Dark Knight Returns</a></i> (1986). If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend that you do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
Cillian Murphy’s cameo as Scarecrow/Dr. Crane. I love the fact that he was in
all three films. Even if he only says one word, he always manages to be
absolutely brilliant. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kJajomGxZjw/UDBvK23uvrI/AAAAAAAAAFs/Kxf6ZRXKBDk/s1600/cillian-murphy-scarecrow.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="365" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kJajomGxZjw/UDBvK23uvrI/AAAAAAAAAFs/Kxf6ZRXKBDk/s400/cillian-murphy-scarecrow.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>"Sure, I might be crazy and roaming around Gotham for years without taking a shower, but I still look fabulous."</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
Another cameo I liked: Desmond Harrington as the policeman who was arguing with
Blake at the bridge. Desmond appears in two of my favorite shows, <i>Dexter</i> and <i>Gossip Girl</i>, as Detective Quinn and uncle Jack Bass, respectively. And
yes, I have no shame on admitting that I watch <i>Gossip
Girl</i>. After all, man shall not live on <i>Mad
Men</i> alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">• Edith Piaf is Ra's Al Ghul's daughter!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
The exchange between Batman and Gordon before Batman’s “death”. Something that
I really wanted to see in this film was both characters remembering when Gordon
comforted young Bruce when his parents were murdered. It was a beautiful and
powerful scene that reconnected them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">• Gordon reading the <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/98/98-h/98-h.htm#2H_4_0048" target="_blank">last lines from Charles Dickens’ <i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> </a>during Bruce’s funeral, because <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh8Fe3liIIc" target="_blank">Gary Oldman reading anything at all can do no wrong</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
The ending scenes. I was very moved by them. Alfred saying to Bruce’s tomb that
he failed him was heartbreaking. Seeing all the signs that Bruce left to his
close friends to let them know that he made it was lovely. Realizing that John
Blake was Nolan’s version of Robin, even though he’s really a continuation of
Batman. Blake being initiated by the bats at the cave (like Bruce in the good old days) and rising. Alfred seeing Bruce in the same old café in Florence, being alive and
happy with his significant other (Selina Kyle!) I love that Bruce finally found
the peace he truly needed. I’m a sucker for tormented characters who finally
get into a peaceful state, maybe because at the end of the day that’s what we
all dream of for ourselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">• The cast: exquisite as always!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5zXRNSW4-34/UDGuvhxm-eI/AAAAAAAAAGg/Qq1h3MZ2a0c/s1600/gty_dark_knight_premiere_cc_120720_wmain.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5zXRNSW4-34/UDGuvhxm-eI/AAAAAAAAAGg/Qq1h3MZ2a0c/s400/gty_dark_knight_premiere_cc_120720_wmain.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>"We're sexy and we know it."</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<h4>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: purple;">Negatives</span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></b></h4>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
Alfred didn’t say “Nevah!” again. :(<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OIP-Na_tjdo/UDGc7AXVKWI/AAAAAAAAAF8/M8vJQplzAKY/s1600/DarkKnightRises_MichaelCaine_14.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OIP-Na_tjdo/UDGc7AXVKWI/AAAAAAAAAF8/M8vJQplzAKY/s400/DarkKnightRises_MichaelCaine_14.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>Yes, Alfred, you failed me!</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
The film seemed cartoonish at times. I know that any comic book based movie
will always have at least a couple cartoonish moments. However, with Nolan we
got a more real grasp of Batman’s universe in the two previous films, which seemed
more plausible. They were better crafted in that sense and more believable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
The new characters were not well-developed (with the exception of Blake, and if you think about it, this movie mostly belonged to him). I know the film was long, but as a writer
you need to develop your characters in a complete manner, no matter the time
that you have. There are many ways to do that, and that should flow naturally
within the writing process. Both Bane’s motives and Miranda’s twist at the end
seemed very rushed (even though there were a few previous scenes in which she was starting to look sort of menacing). Selina’s friend was unnecessary, so much that she
disappeared out of the blue (not that I missed her, though). There was an
attempt of her being TDKR’s version of Holly Robinson (Selina’s prostitute
friend in the comics), but she served no true purpose at all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
The second fight scene between Batman and Bane. I hate to admit it, but Batman
defeated him only because he broke the tubes of Bane’s painkiller mask. I expected
that Batman would be stronger and more of an equal match to Bane. Batman still
seemed weak, unfortunately.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">• Bane's real motive for causing all that trouble: love. I've always had a conflict with this. It was kind of refreshing to see that love was a motive for Bane, but we didn't exactly expected this because of the way the character was presented. Twists are great in stories, but the writer must be careful with them. A simple twist can ruin the whole story. I believe this didn't work properly because it felt forced. Maybe it would've worked better if Bane was only left as Talia's protector or accomplice. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">•
Selina Kyle killing Bane. Despite the fact that it was cool to see some “girl power” there,
I won’t justify that scene out of plain feminism, starting with the fact that
I’m neither a feminist nor a male chauvinist: I’m a humanist. It would be
irresponsible and subjective to justify that scene like that. The movie <i>is</i> about Batman, and therefore he should’ve
been the one to get rid of Bane. Why? Because he is bloody Batman and we want
him to beat the villains! Both characters had a huge beef, and after all the
work and pain Bruce went through, he deserved to win that battle all by himself. It seemed like an easy exit. </span><br />
<b style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="color: purple;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<h4>
<b style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="color: purple;">Conclusion</span></b></h4>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Although I ended up with more positives than negatives (quantitatively speaking), those negatives are considerable (well, okay, maybe the "Nevah!" one isn't), since they have to do mostly with story development. The filmmaking process is not only about the technical stuff; it's a mix of many things. An excellent movie needs a solid script with well-developed characters, iconic visuals, a professional group of actors, an outstanding crew, great musicians for the score, and a visionary director who can lead them all. These elements need to work out as a whole. TDKR has all of these, except the solid script and characters. I don't feel 100% comfortable with the movie and, until this day, I'm still trying to fully understand and analyze what didn't work out. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">My personal theory that I previously mentioned is the following one: I've never been able to say that TDK is better than BB, because without BB there would be no TDK, and BB has been underrated since TDK came out. I couldn't say that TDKR was better than TDK because the latter one lead us to the final movie. This lead me to this: a</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">ccording to Nolan, the three movies are meant to be seen as one. I'm able to see them as one, although there are things that distance TDKR from both BB and TDK. The trilogy can be seen within the structure of a complete literary text: </span><i style="font-family: Helvetica;">Batman Begins</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> is the introduction, </span><i style="font-family: Helvetica;">The Dark Knight</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> is the climax, and </span><i style="font-family: Helvetica;">The Dark Knight Rises</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> is the end. My theory has truth in terms of narrative structure, but it doesn't justify the </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">weak links in TDKR. At the time I came up with it, I thought it did justify them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I believe it would be exaggerated to think that TDKR didn't need to be made, or that even BB wasn't necessary. Yes, we've all known Bruce Wayne's story, but previous movies presented it superficially. BB allowed us to feel closer to Bruce's tragedy and identify with him even more. His human motivations were clearer than ever and we witnessed his transformation and training. TDKR gave us a closure that we all needed, since it would forever kill us to think that Batman was always going to be hated by the law and that he, along with Gordon and Gotham, would always be living under the shadow of a lie. We needed a finale to this journey and we needed to bid farewell to those characters that have become our cinematic family. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">TDKR was not the best movie of the trilogy. However, it wasn't a terrible waste of time that some people think it was. It could've definitely been better, since Nolan was capable of that. But it's also very easy to sit back and start pointing fingers. Being an artist of any kind is not that simple. Some works will be better than others. We still don't know the circumstances and problems behind the creative process of this film. If anything, Nolan and his crew should learn from this experience and improve upon it. As a writer myself, I can somehow relate to the pressures of creating a good story. If I've felt stressed creating characters and stories worth telling, imagine how Nolan, his brother Jonathan, and David S. Goyer should've felt. Don't get me wrong: Hollywood's pressures should not be an excuse to produce mediocre films in any sense, but it's not an easy place.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Debates about TDKR will go on as time goes by. I might even develop new thoughts about it. Nolan has proven that no matter what, his films are still going to make us go deep into them and discuss them, which is fantastic and it demonstrates that he is indeed a remarkable filmmaker. I have come to terms with the fact that TDKR was not the perfect movie I was hoping for, but I'm not fully disappointed. I'm accepting it's imperfections and embracing the things it got right. I'm glad with the way Bruce, Selina, Alfred, Lucius, Gordon, and Blake ended. I really hope they're still doing fine, either in Gotham or Florence, and I'll be forever thankful for this trilogy that restored my faith in Batman. </span></div>
PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-7794365458102664092012-07-19T23:26:00.013-04:002012-12-03T00:20:48.537-04:00Quotes Mix Tape: The Dark Knight<h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>"Quotes Mix Tape" is a series of posts in which I present and discuss five quotes </b></span><b style="color: purple;">from films, literature, TV series, or music </b><b style="color: purple;">that made an impact in my life. </b></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">In anticipation to this month's release of </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Dark Knight Rises</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">, I'll dedicate this edition to 2008's </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Dark Knight</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">, which was the sequel to 2005's</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Batman Begins</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/UfcemNhlqyA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
</h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-size: small;">1. "</span><span style="color: purple; font-size: small;">You either die a hero or you live long enough to
see yourself become the villain." -Harvey Dent and Batman </span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-weight: normal;">Harvey
Dent was the symbol of hope that Gotham City had been waiting for a long time.
Besides Batman, he was an authority who was willing to fight against corruption
and crime. In this quote, Harvey predicts what would eventually happen to him.
Although he didn’t really die as a hero, Batman decided to adopt what Harvey
had said in order to give Gotham the hope they needed. As a result, Batman
ended up being the villain by taking blame of all the murders committed by
Harvey so the Joker’s plan to destroy Gotham's soul wouldn’t kill the city’s
morale and hope. In Commissioner Gordon’s words, Harvey Dent ended up being “a
white knight”, while Batman became “a dark knight”. </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/efHCdKb5UWc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><b>2. "Some men just want to watch the world burn." </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><b>-Alfred Pennyworth </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alfred has always been Bruce Wayne’s father figure and voice of reason.
His words of wisdom always make me feel right at home, like if he was my
grandfather. When Bruce is trying to understand the Joker’s erratic behavior,
Alfred gives him an amazing explanation of why someone is capable of destroying
the world for no particular reason. Alfred explains that “some
men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought,
bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world
burn.” In
the violent times we’re living in, these words couldn’t be more true. We are
always trying to find explanations to certain horrendous actions, yet we end up
without any conclusions. Perhaps this quote is the answer to our burning
questions. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5iwf20t9J1k?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">3. "Introduce a little anarchy. Upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I'm an agent of chaos. Oh, and you know the thing about chaos? It's fair!" -The Joker </span></h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve always been
fascinated by how the concept of anarchy was presented on TDK through the Joker.
But it fascinated in terms of having a movie based on comic book characters
that deals with these kinds of subjects that affect society. It’s something
that I’m sure made us all think about. When the Joker meets Harvey Dent after
he burned half of his face, the Clown Prince of Crime completes his plan of burning
Harvey’s soul by justifying the chaos he has created. The Joker addresses how
everybody has their own schemes, which is why there should be anarchy and a
reign of chaos. Harvey, angered by what he already lost, is brainwashed by the
idea that chaos is fair and decides to transform completely into Two-Face in
order to have revenge. This would have a huge impact on the film’s ending. </span></span><br />
<h4>
</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/3dtFIjaD5hA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">4. The Joker: "I think you and I are destined to do this forever." </span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Batman: "You'll be in a padded cell forever." </span></h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Both in comics and on screen, Batman and the
Joker have always been eternal enemies. They have become pop culture icons of
good and evil, respectively. By the time TDK was released, Heath Ledger had
unfortunately left us, which gave a double meaning to this quote. If the actor
had lived, we all would’ve logically thought that the Joker was definitely
going to return in the next film and that both characters would be battling for
many years to come in their universe. When I first watched the movie and heard the Joker saying
these words, I felt heartbroken. I knew they wouldn’t do that “forever”, in the
sense that there was no way that our favorite Joker would come back to
terrorize Gotham. At the same time, Batman’s reply accidentally served as a
reason for the Joker’s absence in <i>The
Dark Knight Rises</i>. We could all suppose or imagine that the Joker never
came back because he was locked up forever in Arkham Asylum, or that he died in
there. I believe he died, since he
described himself as an “unstoppable force”, and we all know that the only thing
that could stop a man who wants to watch the world burn is death. Also, this
raises a question that I don’t even know if we’ll ever get the answer to: If
Heath was still alive, would his character have returned at all? I guess we are
all destined to ask this to ourselves forever. </span><br />
<h4>
</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/rNmuG78rryg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: purple;">5. "</span><span style="color: purple;">Because he's
the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now. So we'll hunt
him. Because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian,
a watchful protector. A dark knight." -Commissioner Gordon </span></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While rewatching this last scene of the movie for this post, my eyes filled with tears. The same thing happened to me the first few times when I watched it years ago. This final speech by Commissioner Gordon (beautifully and heartbrokenly delivered by the great Gary Oldman) is the last piece for the creation of the "criminal Batman". After Batman decides to take blame for Two-Face's crimes and become a fugitive, Gordon justifies this decision to his son, who believes that the Caped Crusader "didn't do anything wrong." In this way, Batman changes from a hero to an anti-hero, daring to put himself in the chopping block in order to restore Gotham's faith and heal its devastated soul. After Gordon says the words "a dark knight" while Batman runs away in his Batpod, the screen turns to black, revealing the film's title. At that moment, those words gain a different meaning beyond their literal one and give birth to a new phase in Batman, Bruce Wayne, and Gotham City.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<h4>
<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Honorable mentions:</span></b></h4>
<span style="color: purple; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Dd4WbL8pgs" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">"I believe whatever doesn't kill you simply makes you... stranger."</span></a> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">-The Joker</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzaMs5iaX7w" style="color: purple;" target="_blank">"And I thought <i>my</i> jokes were bad."</a> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">-The Joker</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6LWmD9YRpU" style="color: purple;" target="_blank">"Do you wanna know how I got these scars?"</a> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">-The Joker</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxRYgUlIDpY" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">"To them you're just a freak... like me." </span></a> </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">-The Joker </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(And pretty much the whole interrogation scene.) (Ok, no more Joker quotes!)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmOBGRkWnXU" style="color: purple;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">"You think that your client - one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in the world - is secretly a vigilante who spends his nights beating criminals to a pulp with his bare hands, and your plan is to blackmail this person? </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">Good luck."</span></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> -Lucius Fox</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY7xhnJtlkE" style="color: purple;" target="_blank"><span id="goog_1475165495"></span>"You thought we could be decent men in an indecent time. But you were wrong. The world is cruel, and the only morality in a cruel world is chance."</a><span style="color: purple;"> </span>-Two-Face</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 24px;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDQob4AOCsQ&feature=related" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Because sometimes... the truth isn't good enough. Sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.</span></a> -Batman</span><br />
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="color: purple;"></span></div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">
</span>PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-74755083603780247692012-07-08T21:42:00.002-04:002012-07-08T21:46:30.741-04:00My Amazing Spider-Man Experience<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ps97wB-Kmis/T_olq8qhPvI/AAAAAAAAAEE/xaIlEmGcqWw/s1600/spiderman.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ps97wB-Kmis/T_olq8qhPvI/AAAAAAAAAEE/xaIlEmGcqWw/s400/spiderman.jpeg" width="268" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Recently, I began reading good things about <i>The Amazing Spider-Man </i>(TASM), which awakened my curiosity to watch it. Also, the fact that Andrew Garfield (Peter Parker/Spider-Man) and Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy) were in it motivated me too, since I’ve enjoyed their work in other films. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, I haven't really been a Spider-Man fan for some reasons. To begin with, it’s no secret that </span><a href="http://thepurplemixtape.blogspot.com/2012/06/dark-knight-trilogy-cinematic-journey_17.html" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">I’m a Batgeek</a><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and that I've only been drawn to Batman. Since 1989, he's the only comic book hero that I’ve followed, and later on I became a Batgirl fan. This year, I’ve set myself the goal to expand my superhero horizons outside Gotham City. I started by watching </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Avengers</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, which was pretty good and has motivated me to see the solo films of its superheroes (before </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Avengers</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, I had only watched </span><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Iron Man</i><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the other hand, I must admit that I’ve always kind of made fun of Spidey. I thought it was ridiculous that the dude became a superhero just because a spider bit him. Now, fan boys and fan girls, don’t threat to kill me (at least for now). I’ll explain my reasons for this. Something that has kept me glued to Batman and away from other comic book heroes is the element of realism. In a way, we can all relate more to Batman than to other superheroes: he’s a human whose motivations were based on a personal tragedy and who, without any super powers (Is being a billionaire a super power?), decided to take a stand against crime. Personally, I always prefer more realistic stories when reading or watching fiction. Of course, I do like some fantasy, but I always lean more towards realism (even though I’ve always been a dreamer).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In addition to this, I also have to admit that I’ve never read a Spider-Man comic book because of the reasons I’ve already established. From the previous movie franchise, I only saw <i>Spider-Man 3</i>, and you don’t have to be a fan to know that the movie is <u>terrible</u>. I mean, I’m still trying to erase from my mind <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4tDbEuMxys" target="_blank">Peter Parker acting like an emo</a>. I’ve heard that the first two movies were good. I also recognize that they helped to pave the way for making comic book films in a different light. (Note to self: Add those two to my movie queue.) With all that said, my purpose with this post is to express my feelings on TASM from the perspective of someone who's not a Spider-Man connoisseur. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After watching<i> </i>TASM,<i> </i>my views on this superhero and his origins have changed completely. I was able to see a human side of Spider-Man that kept me interested in knowing his story and those surrounding him throughout the film. The conflicts that Peter Parker had about not knowing the whole truth about his parents absence were perfectly displayed, thanks to good dialogues and great performances. Martin Sheen and Sally Field, who played Peter’s uncles (Ben and May), were simply adorable and authoritative at the same time. The scene of uncle Ben’s death really touched me. When Peter was crying over his uncle’s dead body, my eyes filled with tears. Of the comic book movies that I’ve seen, the only ones that have evoked in me those same emotions have been<i> Batman Begins </i>and <i>The Dark Knight</i>. Ben's death scene reminded me of how the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents was portrayed in <i>Batman Begins</i>. It had the same emotional intensity, which made me able to share the pain that Peter was going through at that moment. These emotions were felt in other scenes as well. I was glad to see that Peter's loss triggered him to fight crime. Although I'm not very clear if this is exactly what happened on <i>Spider-Man</i>, it's always good to see humanistic motivations in superheroes. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The scene in which Peter gets bitten by the spider was beautifully crafted and unexpected, at least for me, since it was featured in one of the trailers but I hadn't seen it. I thought it was an unique effort to make it different from what <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FR-du9JZqzQ" target="_blank">we've seen before</a>. Another great performance was by Denis Leary, who played Captain George Stacy. He surprised me, since I've mostly known him for his <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrgpZ0fUixs" target="_blank">raw comedic style and for showing a lot bad-ass attitude</a>, which I like. It was precisely that attitude that helped him portray Captain Stacy, yet that didn’t stop him from displaying a fatherly side as Gwen Stacy’s dad. </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The humanity of Spider-Man was also displayed in his relationship with Gwen. Both actors had great chemistry and seemed to enjoy their respective roles. They gave us romance without going into cheesy territory. However, I must confess that I think I fell in love with Peter Parker (Don’t worry, Bruce Wayne, you’re still #1 in my heart!). #SuperheroCrushes </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bo0BiSPeyU0/T_o0EaX6p0I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/MDIZH6DqX-8/s1600/emma+and+andrew.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Bo0BiSPeyU0/T_o0EaX6p0I/AAAAAAAAAEQ/MDIZH6DqX-8/s320/emma+and+andrew.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Awww!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I liked the complexity of Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard, played by Rhys Ifans. Although he did terrible things (and other ones that I’m sure we’ll know in the sequel), in some occasions he seemed to care about people, but he was so blinded by his newly acquired power and his desire to be "perfect", that he ended up destroying others and himself. Of course, that doesn’t stop us from wanting him behind bars, because we don’t want creepy little lizards running around our streets, don’t we? ;)<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was cool to see actor C. Thomas Howell in a small, yet important role. For those who don’t know him, he was<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e83/tothemoonalice02/blog%20photos/ponyboy.jpg">Ponyboy Curtis</a> in Francis Ford Coppola’s film version of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The Outsiders</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>(a novel by S.E. Hinton). As a fact, Emilio Estevez, who’s our eternal Brat-Packer and <s>Uncle Ben's</s><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Martin Sheen’s son, was in<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The Outsiders<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>as well. Also in it was Rob Lowe, who worked with Sheen in the TV series<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The West Wing</i>. #PopCultureParenthesis <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And we can't leave behind Stan Lee's cameo. Gotta love that man! He should get an Oscar for all his Marvel movie cameos. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s safe to say that I’m excited to watch TASM’s sequel. I’m kind of bummed out that we won’t see Martin Sheen and Denis Leary reprising their roles (unless there are flashbacks), but I understand that it was all part of the story. It’s also good to feel this way about the characters, because it means that they were well written and well performed, thus leaving us wanting for more. Congratulations to director Marc Webb, cast, and crew for delivering a great film. If things keep heading in the right direction, I’m sure that this new franchise will be truly, erm, amazing! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
P.S.: Please, Andrew and Emma, don’t break up! We still need that chemistry. Seriously. </span></div>PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-15386218913222122562012-07-02T09:00:00.004-04:002012-08-27T22:41:55.221-04:00Quotes Mix Tape: Batman Begins<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica;"><b>Today I'm introducing a new series of posts called "Quotes Mix Tape", in which I'll present and discuss five quotes </b></span><b style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica;">from films, literature, TV series, or music </b><b style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica;">that made an impact in my life.</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt; mso-outline-level: 4; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0cm; mso-para-margin-right: 0cm; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .1pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: .1pt; mso-outline-level: 4; mso-para-margin-bottom: .01gd; mso-para-margin-left: 0cm; mso-para-margin-right: 0cm; mso-para-margin-top: .01gd;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-style: italic;">In anticipation to this month's release of</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The Dark Knight Rises</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-style: italic;">, I'll dedicate this edition and the following two to </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The Dark Knight Trilogy</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-style: italic;">. I'll start with 2005's</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Batman Begins<i>, which marked the triumphant return of the world's greatest detective to the big screen. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/hURajfBiJjQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<b style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</b><br />
<b style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica;">“Why do we fall? So that we can learn to pick ourselves up.” -Thomas Wayne and Alfred Pennyworth</b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">From start,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;"> one of the topics of </span><i style="font-family: Helvetica;">Batman Begins </i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">(BB) </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">is falling down and getting up again in life to move on. We first hear this quote when Thomas Wayne says it to his son, Bruce, after he fell into an abandoned well full of bats. Years later, when Bruce becomes Batman and feels that he failed to save Gotham City, Alfred repeats that message, officially establishing his role as a father to Bruce. The cherry on top for this touching moment is when Bruce asks Alfred once again: "You still haven't given up on me?", which Alfred answers by saying, in his lovely English accent, "Nevah!"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/7aoVQSPGRhE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Helvetica;"><b>“If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal and if they can't stop you, you become something else entirely – a legend, Mister Wayne.” -Henri Ducard/Ra’s al Ghul</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">One of the things I like about Christopher Nolan's vision of Batman is that he wants to establish this character as a legend. Of course, this can be seen on many comics, but previous films failed to position the Caped Crusader as such, thus making him look like a cartoon. In BB, inspired by Henri Ducard's advice, Bruce decides that in order to fight crime more than efficiently and to be indestructible, he must use a symbol not only to terrorize criminals, but also to help him achieve a legendary status. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">This theme will be part of</span><i style="font-family: Helvetica;"> The Dark Knight Rises</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">, since marketing for the film uses the tagline "A legend ends", obviously referring to Batman. We've also seen in trailers a kid drawing with chalk a bat-shaped figure. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">Speaking of symbols and as a curious fact, psychiatrist </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jung" style="font-family: Helvetica;" target="_blank">Carl Jung</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;"> made contributions to the study of symbolization. Jung was mentioned by Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow in the film –"Jungian archetypes"–. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/P-7QsBWWpA0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: purple; font-family: Helvetica;"><b>“Swear to me!/Do I look like a cop?” -Batman</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">This is one of the most badass moments and quotes from the entire TDK Trilogy. Batman interrogates the corrupt Detective Flass, whom he has hanging upside down, under the rain. It's one of the scenes in which we see a very angry Batman and his raw nature: it's a definition of who he is. I remember seeing this image in one of the Batman's comics shown on the bonus features for the BB DVD, but unfortunately I haven't been able to find the image nor the issue. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow; font-family: Helvetica;"><b><br />
</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/WW1a_cNKapY/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WW1a_cNKapY&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WW1a_cNKapY&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">“It's not who I am underneath, but what I</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">do</span></i><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">that defines me.” -Batman</span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">When childhood friend Rachel Dawes sees Bruce after 7 years of his absence, he seems to be partying with girls and behaving in shallow ways. Although he's constructing a playboy image to conceal any connections with Batman, he wants her to know that isn't the real Bruce Wayne. When he says to her that <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-zNnq7kHMI&feature=related" target="_blank">he's more than that</a>, Rachel responds by saying: "It's not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you." As Batman, Bruce later makes this quote his own when Rachel asks for his name, therefore revealing his true identity to her.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/9-Dvu_Zidj8/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9-Dvu_Zidj8&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9-Dvu_Zidj8&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: purple; font-family: Helvetica;"><b>“I won't kill you. But I don't have to save you.” -Batman</b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">While defeating Ra's Al Ghul in the train, Batman decides Ra's fate with this controversial decision. It's controversial in the sense that Batman has one rule, which is not killing (a rule that was also later explored in </span><i style="font-family: Helvetica;">The Dark Knight</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">). Yes, Batman doesn't kill Ra's with any weapons or other methods, yet he chooses not to save him of the impending destruction of the train, which would probably end the villain's life. In a way, he leaves up to chance Ra's death, but it could be also interpreted as an indirect way of killing him. In my opinion, this was a consequence of Ra's actions, since he put himself in a dangerous situation in the first place. I think he knew that he was risking his life, regardless if he succeeded with his plans or not. We could be hours debating the ethical implications of this, but there's no denial that this is an amazing quote with philosophical content. The panelists of <a href="http://www.modernmythmedia.com/" target="_blank">Modern Myth Media</a> had an excellent debate about it on their <a href="http://www.modernmythmedia.com/2012/06/mmm-podcast-episode-75-batman-guru-turned-dc-architect/" target="_blank">75th podcast</a> that's worth listening. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/SvmREuGgZ00?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: purple;"><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica;">“Now, take this new guy. Armed robbery, double homicide. Got a taste for the theatrical. Like you. Leaves a calling card.</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">” -Jim Gordon</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Yes, I'm aware this is quote #6, but exceptions will be made in these kinds of posts. ;) In the final scene, Batman and Lieutenant Jim Gordon reunite to debut the bat-signal and to catch up on things that still needed to be fixed in Gotham. Then, Gordon starts talking about a new criminal whose impact is already being felt in the city. W</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">hen I started hearing those lines on my first viewing of BB, I began to think that something huge and familiar was coming up. It only took a couple of frames of a playing card to reveal the next villain to terrorize Gotham: The Joker! When Batman flipped the "calling card", all of us in the theater cheered and clapped. At that moment, I wanted to see the sequel immediately. The scene ends with a memorable exchange between the lieutenant and the Caped Crusader, when Gordon tells him "I never said 'thank you'" and Batman replies "And you'll never have to." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Even though you don't want us to thank you, we will. Not only we'll thank you, Batman, but we'll also thank Christopher Nolan and his crew for the beginning of an <a href="http://thepurplemixtape.blogspot.com/2012/06/dark-knight-trilogy-cinematic-journey_17.html" target="_blank">amazing journey</a> for us Bat-fans. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>Honorable mentions:<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1j6q4RrYv8" target="_blank">“You’re not the devil. You’re practice.”</a> -Bruce Wayne<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJCxgt7Qb6k" target="_blank">“You never learned to mind your surroundings.”</a> -Ra’s al Ghul and Batman<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqHp9vLCYzM&feature=related" target="_blank">“The training is nothing! The will is everything! The will to act.”</a> -Henri Ducard/Ra's al Ghul<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCELYhYlLtU" target="_blank">“Would you like to see my mask?”</a> -Dr. Jonathan Crane/Scarecrow<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXzZxJaTfk8" target="_blank">“Didn’t you get you get the memo?”</a> -Mr. Earle and Lucius Fox<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Got any other quotes from BB that you feel were left out? Share them on the comments section below! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span></div>
</div>
PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-91536659171219531102011-12-01T22:02:00.001-04:002014-07-11T14:55:08.589-04:00Welcome back, Bob!<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/JhXsgQR4hr4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">There’s
always a resident of the TV tubes that captures our minds and hearts, and I’m
not necessarily referring to a character in a series. This time, I’m talking
about someone who’s more than a TV host: Robert Osborne.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Mr.
Osborne has been a host for the cable channel Turner Classic Movies (TCM) since
its birth in 1994. For 17 years, he’s been part of many people’s lives and has
introduced us to classic films from different decades with anecdotes and
priceless information about them (he has written books about Oscars’ history
over the years, so he knows plenty of movie related facts and stories). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Last
summer, TCM informed that Mr. Osborne would be taking a 3-month break from his
duties at the channel, which turned into a 5-month hiatus, to have “minor
surgery, followed by a vacation”. It was never informed what the surgery involved,
but in his last appearances, I noticed his voice sounded like there was
something wrong. I figured he was sick, which worried me. It even worried my
Mom (She’s also a TCM fan and taught me into watching it!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">A
couple of months ago, a promo was shown in the channel with Mr. Osborne saying
that </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">he would be back on December 1<span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">. Boy, was I happy to hear
that! I’ve been counting the days for this! Although his substitutes did a
great job introducing the films, it wasn’t the same without Mr. Osborne around.
I’ve been watching TCM for a little more than 4 years, and I’ve developed a
profound respect and even affection for him. He has become like a relative to
me. I’ve been watching him almost every night for 4 years! I always check TCM
at 8:00 just to hear what he’ll say about the night’s feature presentation and
to see if he’s okay, even if I’m not going to watch the film.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">So
tonight, he finally returned! I was anxious when the clock hit 9:00 (local
timezone right now because of Daylight saving time) and the opening for <i>Feature presentation</i> came on screen. Then,
Robert appeared saying his usual greeting: “Hi, I’m Robert Osborne!”. Gosh, how
much I missed hearing that! I automatically clapped! He even brought a smile to
my face, which was something that I truly needed tonight after a long day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">It
was very nice to search his name on Twitter and see lots of fans beautifully tweeting
about Mr. Osborne’s return. There was even a hashtag created in his honor:
#WelcomeBackBob.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">So,
#WelcomeBackBob! You were truly missed and you’re a class act. Thank you for
bringing film knowledge to all of us who are either revisiting or still
learning (like me) about classic films. I wish you all the good health in the
world so you can keep visiting us every night. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-6362819920540112502011-10-31T00:00:00.003-04:002012-07-04T21:59:25.981-04:00The orange mix tape: Halloween<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Halloween is one of the coolest holidays. It gives you the chance to eat lots of candy and become someone else for one night, because you have to admit that we all fantasize about becoming someone else for a moment. It’s part of the human condition.</span><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">But before I get more psychological here, I’ll introduce a Halloween mix tape especially prepared for this celebration. So grab a bunch of candy and listen to my mix tape, <i>if</i> you dare. Buahahahaaa!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ej8-Rqo-VT4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Dexter Main Title</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">, Rolfe Kent (2006)</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">TV series <i>Dexter</i> is basically an homage to Halloween: terrifying crime scenes and a serial killer who disguises himself everyday as a normal person in order to function within society and cover-up his murders. The theme song of the show may sound innocent and even simple, but it has a spookiness going on at the same time: just like our beloved anti-hero Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall). <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/9CHqhsMP80E?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Danse macabre, Op, 40</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">; Camille Saint-Saëns (1874)</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A beautifully creepy piece, Danse macabre is about Death. Every Halloween night, Death shows up playing his violin and calls the dead so they can dance alongside their tombs. All the corpses dance until dawn and return to their graves until the next Halloween. Personally, this makes me a bit sad, since it’s a way for the dead to get one more chance to “live” again and have some fun. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/C5m7zqyRKJY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">No es serio este cementerio</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">, Mecano (1986)</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“Y los muertos aquí la pasamos muy bien entre flores de colores…”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This song could be considered a sequel to <i>Danse macabre</i>: it’s about what happens once you’re dead and resting in a cemetery, and the opportunity to hang out a little in the afterlife. The lyrics are clever and funny, yet it has ghostly music and vocals that give ambience to the song. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-QjuEWsdgEc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></i></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Why so serious?</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">, Hans Zimmer (2008)</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Razor blades on string instruments = creepiness = pure genius. This piece served as a musical theme for The Joker in 2008’s <i>The Dark Knight</i>. It has a very haunting sound that describes perfectly the Clown Prince of Crime. It’s the kind of sound that gets under your skin and stays with you. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/BUpSEVJtxXM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Imágenes retro</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">, Soda Stereo (1985)</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“Sueño con telarañas que cuelgan de mí…”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">A song about a sleepwalker who dreams with spider webs that hang from him. This, along with the fact that the sleepwalker feels like he’s on a wax museum, evokes images of an old scary film (imágenes retro = retro images). Halloween at its best. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/6gHKNwpny9o?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Witch Hunt</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">, Rush (1981)</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“The night is black, without a moon. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">The air is thick and still. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">The vigilantes gather on </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">The lonely torchlit hill.”</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Just the concept of the song itself (manipulators who control ignorant masses) is scary enough. The lyrics have a Halloweeenesque feel from beginning to end. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/mYIvs9-UXOI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Los fantasmas</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">, Menudo (1977)</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“De pronto un esqueleto muy delgadito <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Se puso a bailar salsa muy despacito.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">An innocent, cute look on ghosts. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/jvUg41n8n2I?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Corazón delator</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">, Soda Stereo (1988)</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“Oh mi corazon se vuelve delator<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">traicionándome”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">This song is not about monsters, werewolves, or ghosts. It’s about love, which can be even scarier than anything else. The song was inspired on Edgar Allan Poe’s classic tale “The Tell-Tale Heart” (<i>Corazón delator</i> is the Spanish translation of the title), in which a man murders and dismembers another one, and buries him under the floorboards of his house, causing the murderer to think that the victim’s heart is still beating. In this song, the musical voice is talking about how his heart gives away the fact that he’s in love with a woman, which happens when they see each other. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/qLnS-2h_nog/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qLnS-2h_nog&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qLnS-2h_nog&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p><b> </b></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Monster</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">, Kanye West featuring Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj and Bon Iver (2010)</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“Everybody know I’m a motherfucking monster!”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Kanye and his pals tell us all about being a monster. The gore images of the video translate the gore sounds of the song, including Nicki Minaj’s mad lyrics. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/sOnqjkJTMaA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">Thriller</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial;">, Michael Jackson (1983)</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“The foulest stench is in the air</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">The funk of forty thousand years</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">And grizzly ghouls from every tomb</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial;">Are closing in to seal your doom”</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Every year in Halloween I have a tradition: watching MJ’s <i>Thriller</i>. No Halloween mix tape is complete without this song. If you ask me, this is the epitome of all Halloween songs. Vincent Price’s voiceover is truly classic, and it’s one of the essential components of the epicness of this song. Now if you excuse me, I have to go practice the choreography. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Happy Purple Halloween! <o:p></o:p></span></div>PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-79279925572681040682011-10-09T14:35:00.003-04:002011-10-09T14:41:42.059-04:00I'm in the newspaper!Yes! And I didn't have to kill anyone or get drunk in a reality show!<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Journalist <a href="http://www.twitter.com/lynetonline">Lynet Santiago</a>, from the local newspaper <a href="http://www.vocero.com/">El Vocero</a>, interviewed the creator of this blog (me!) as part of a series of articles dedicated to bloggers in Puerto Rico. I talked about my blog, my contributions for <a href="http://puertoricoindie.com/author/purplemixtape/">Puerto Rico Indie</a>, and even alternate media. <a href="http://www.vocero.com/escenario-es/mercedes-zoe-en-sintonia-con-la-cultura-pop">Click here for my interview.</a><br />
<br />
My good old friend <a href="http://www.twitter.com/mildredmelendez">Mildred Meléndez</a>, from the awesome blog <a href="http://www.desdelaspalabras.com/">Desde las palabras</a>, was interviewed as well. <a href="http://www.vocero.com/escenario-es/mildred-melendez-en-sus-palabras">Click here for her interview.</a><br />
<br />
I must say that I had a great time while being interviewed. I was really nervous, but thankfully everything went incredibly well. Thanks again to Lynet, the photographer (I don't know his name, but if anyone does please tell me), and another good old friend and blogger <a href="http://www.twitter.com/cafricultura">Luis Ponce</a> from <a href="http://latribudeloscafres.blogspot.com/">La tribu de los cafres</a> (another awesome blog), who recommended both Mildred and me to Lynet.<br />
<br />
Like the great Gustavo Cerati would say: ¡Gracias totales!PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-67294908899447953522011-09-12T22:20:00.000-04:002011-09-13T16:30:17.039-04:00Bon anniversaire, Mylène!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hn7ThbNNUSw/Tm69Z-6TDXI/AAAAAAAAAC4/1Miv4mw2svc/s1600/mylene-farmer_clip_que-mon-coeur-lache_captures_00025min_0+%25281%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hn7ThbNNUSw/Tm69Z-6TDXI/AAAAAAAAAC4/1Miv4mw2svc/s1600/mylene-farmer_clip_que-mon-coeur-lache_captures_00025min_0+%25281%2529.png" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Today
marks the 50<sup>th</sup> birthday of one of the most amazing artists: Mylène Farmer.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Maybe
you haven’t heard from her, because she’s one of the best-kept secrets in the
music scene. Not a lot of people in the New World (where I live) know about
her. Luckily, fans have gathered on the Internet to make her art known by
creating pages devoted to her. I also did my part, too. Last May, I wrote an
article about her career for <a href="http://puertoricoindie.com/">Puerto Rico Indie</a>, a blog dedicated to independent expressions in
art. I’ve been writing for it for more than a year (I will be sharing with you
all what I’ve published there very soon), and I decided to use that opportunity
to share Mylène’s music with others. It has also connected me with some of her
fans in Latin <br />America, since I got positive feedback from them on my post. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">To
celebrate her birthday, I’m sharing that post I wrote. It’s in Spanish, but you
can use a tool like <a href="http://translate.google.com/">Google Translate</a> to read it in English. Or you can just
simply sit back, watch the videos I posted and listen to the music, which is in French (yep, we’re getting
all trilingual here!). Don’t be scared if you don’t understand French. After all,
music is a universal language. Hell, I learned some French in college, yet I
don’t understand all of Mylène’s lyrics. However, that doesn’t stop me from
listening to her. Trust me, it’s worth it! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">To
read the post, <a href="http://puertoricoindie.com/2011/05/09/pop-a-la-francesa-descubriendo-a-mylene-farmer/">click here</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Once
again, <i>bon anniversaire,</i> Mylène! Here’s
to 50 more years of <i>merveilleuse musique</i>!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-62648721029903350682011-09-07T00:00:00.000-04:002011-09-07T00:00:05.278-04:00El 7 de septiembre: Día Internacional de Mecano<div style="text-align: right;">
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i><i>El siete de septiembre<o:p></o:p></i></i></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">
</span><div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">es nuestro aniversario <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">y no sabremos si besarnos<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">en la cara o en los labios.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">-“El 7 de septiembre”,
Mecano</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</i></span></div>
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #35456e; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">O al menos
eso pienso yo. </span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Desde que empecé a seguir la música de Mecano en el 2005, he
mantenido la tradición de escuchar su clásico “El 7 de septiembre” el 7 de
septiembre (valga la redundancia) de cada año. No sólo hago eso porque las
fechas coinciden, sino porque es una muy buena excusa para escuchar tan
majestuosa canción. Casualmente, es uno de mis temas favoritas de Mecano y una de mis canciones favoritas de todos los tiempos. Además, fue uno de las
primeros temas que me hizo enamorar de la música de esa agrupación.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“El 7 de
septiembre” es una canción triste y nostálgica, ya que evoca el recuerdo
de un amor pasado. Sin embargo, es como un himno que se apodera de nosotros,
hayamos tenido o no alguna experiencia como esa. Es de esas canciones que te
vives, aunque no te haya sucedido lo que se narra en ella. La
voz de Ana Torroja le imparte una fuerza mezclada con la fragilidad hechizante
que puede provocar la nostalgia. A esto se le suma el hecho de que “El 7 de
septiembre” fue un tema inspirado en la vida real, ya que Nacho Cano,
tecladista y productor de Mecano, escribió el tema inspirado en la
relación que tuvo con una ex-novia: aún después de haberse separado,
ambos se reunían en su aniversario. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Para
celebrar el Día Internacional de Mecano, o sea, el 7 de septiembre, comparto
con ustedes algunas versiones de la canción:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">El video
musical, lanzado en 1992, el cual tiene un ambiente de industrialización:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/P7fKL9oyxxg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">En vivo, en una de las giras de Mecano:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/tjL1QoHjZaU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">En vivo,
con Ana Torroja y Miguel Bosé (otro de mis cantantes favoritos) en su gira “Girados” (2000):<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/lv8pf7rmqi8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">La versión
en francés, “Le 7 septembre”:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://grooveshark.com/s/Le+7+Septembre/3TQ6lK?src=5">http://grooveshark.com/s/Le+7+Septembre/3TQ6lK?src=5</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">¿Conoces
alguna otra canción que tenga una fecha o mes en específico? ¡Compártela! ¡Feliz
7 de septiembre a todos! </span></span></div>
PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-76104653315727640022011-08-16T01:24:00.010-04:002011-08-24T00:08:42.933-04:00Happy 53rd birthday, Madonna!<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3146/2898421080_9c5aa90b4b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3146/2898421080_9c5aa90b4b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><i>Photo by Crazy-Heart (via flickr)</i></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today marks the 53rd birthday of the one and only Queen of Pop: Madonna. She’s one of my musical goddesses (note to self: write a post about all my musical gods and goddesses), and I always like to <a href="http://thepurplemixtape.blogspot.com/2011/08/los-52-de-cerati.html">remember the birthdays of those musicians</a> and actors whom I admire. Usually, when one of my favorite musicians is having a birthday, I celebrate it by listening to his or her music. Today will be no exception.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For the occasion, I’ve prepared a list of my top 7 favorite songs and videos from Madge. Why top 7? Because I <s>couldn’t choose only 5</s> wanted to do something different, of course!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/_CQHIP-38jA/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_CQHIP-38jA&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_CQHIP-38jA&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Material</b> <b>Girl</b> (1985)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: black;">You know that we are living in a material world</span></i><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ccccdd; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: black;"><br />
</span></i><i><span style="color: black;">And I am a material girl</span></i><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I must confess that I’ve always fantasized of reproducing this Marilyn Monroe-based video. Who wouldn’t want to wear that pink dress with the huge bow in the back and a bunch of jewels? Ok, maybe you don’t, but I do. The actor who plays Madonna’s romantic interest is Keith Carradine, who I dearly remember as FBI Special Agent Frank Lundy in <i>Dexter</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZrLJXp3nYiE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Into</b> <b>the</b> <b>Groove</b> (1985)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m tired of dancing here all by myself<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tonight I wanna dance with someone else<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to this song, I fell in love with Madonna's music. Its video can be described as repetitive, but that same repetition makes me want to watch it for some reason I can’t explain. Maybe it’s the dancing dude with the A Flock of Seagulls hairdo at 0:15 and 2:26. It is filled with scenes from <i>Desperately Seeking Susan</i> (in which Madonna starred alongside Rosanna Arquette) that are repeated twice. A great song to dance and workout to, but it might be even better if I could replicate the moves from the dancing dude. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/azsdap3Q-jw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Crazy for you</b> (1985)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I see you through the smokey air</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: black;">Can't you feel the weight of my stare?</span></i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ccccdd; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ccccdd; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The video itself is not like her other ones. Perhaps it’s one of her most simple videos, yet the song is powerful. It’s the kind of song you want to replay when you have a crush or when you’re in love. It’s like an anthem for that. Also, it’s definitely one of Madge’s most powerful ballads. The movie scenes featured in it are from <i>Vision Quest</i> (with Matthew Modine, who will be seen in next year’s <i>The Dark</i> <i>Knight Rises</i>) which, like me, you most probably haven’t seen. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/6lypkFQ3bPg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Express Yourself</b> (1989)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: black;">Don't go for second best baby</span></i><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ccccdd; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: black;"><br />
</span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: black;">Put your love to the test </span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This marks Madonna’s first music video with director David Fincher (<i>The</i> <i>Social Network</i>), who also directed the next two videos on this list and the video for “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvVvN0QvzTk&ob=av2e">Oh Father</a>” (no wonder why I liked so much the directing style in <i>The Social Network</i>). In this <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_(film">Metropolis</a></i> inspired video, we see a more empowered Madonna than ever before. This video marks a new stage in her career and, in some way, it gave us a taste of <i>Vogue</i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/UaIOilmo9z4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Vogue</b> (1990)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Greta Garbo, and Monroe</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: black;">Dietrich and DiMaggio</span></i><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ccccdd; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: black;"><br />
</span></i><i><span style="color: black;">Marlon Brando, Jimmy Dean</span></i><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ccccdd; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: black;"><br />
</span></i><i><span style="color: black;">On the cover of a magazine</span></i><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Vogue" was a much-needed dose of glamour into pop music and it added some iconic elements into pop culture. It introduced us to many things: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vogue_(dance)">voguing</a>, <a href="http://assets.flavorwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/madonna-9.jpg">the cone bra</a>, and the phenomenon of us mortals trying to <i>strike a pose</i> with our hands while looking terribly ridiculous (You owned us, Madge!). David Fincher pleases us visually once again and elevates his already outstanding work from “Express Yourself”. The visuals in "Vogue" and the rap section, in which sixteen classic stars are named, evoke the long lost Hollywood glamour era. Of all of those stars, Lauren Bacall is the only one who's still alive. If you enjoy this video, you'll love <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7xooONFtso">this kid's rendition from 20 years ago</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/stTOHOsmpBw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Deeper and Deeper</b> (1992)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Someone said that romance was dead</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">And I believed it instead of remembering</span></i><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ccccdd; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: black; font-family: Arial;"><br />
</span></i><i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">What my mama told me</span></i></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Both the song and the video are inspired in the 70's disco era (which I admit I like). It’s one of those feel good songs that always makes me joyful and wanting to dance. The video starts with German actor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Udo_Kier">Udo Kier </a>screaming words in his native tongue, while looking like he’s about to slap your face if you eat the ice cream he’s been saving for a week. It also features a cameo by director Sofia Coppola.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/bmX29GpZMvc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Bad Girl</b> (1993)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bad girl drunk by six</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: black;">Kissing someone else's lips</span></i><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ccccdd; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: black;"><br />
</span></i><i><span style="color: black;">Smoked too many cigarettes today</span></i><i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #ccccdd; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: black;"><br />
</span></i><i><span style="color: black;">I'm not happy when I act this way</span></i><i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two words: Christopher Walken. Besides that, another amazing ballad from Madonna and more captivating visuals by David Fincher. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After this musical ride, there’s only one thing left to say: Happy Birthday, Madonna, Esther, or whatever your name is nowadays! Long live the Queen! </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have a favorite song and/or video from our birthday girl, feel free to share it!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-40899535856955765542011-08-11T00:01:00.002-04:002012-08-11T16:28:50.037-04:00Los 52 de Cerati<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Hace 52 años, el 11 de agosto de 1959, nació en Buenos Aires, Argentina, uno de mis dioses musicales: Gustavo Cerati. </span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Desde hace poco más de un año, él ha emprendido un viaje que todavía me cuesta entender. Nunca lo he conocido en persona (lo más “cerca” que he estado de él fue a varios pies lejos de mí, cuando lo vi en concierto en mi natal San Juan, Puerto Rico, para su gira de <i>Ahí vamos </i>en el 2007), pero por nueve años ha formado parte de mi vida con su música. Esto me hace sentir como si él fuera alguien cercano a mí, por lo cual siento fuertemente la contradicción de su ausencia en su presencia.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Por otro lado, a pesar de las circunstancias, no debemos ponernos tristes. Los cumpleaños son siempre una oportunidad de celebrar los buenos momentos y de olvidar todo lo malo. El cumplir otro año nos da la esperanza de seguir viviendo y de un nuevo despertar. Hoy más que nunca, <i>ya no para de crecer el poder de nuestra fe</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="ES-TRAD" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Que tengas un hermoso día en tu viaje misterioso, Gus. Te esperamos. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/TUbbwBgndm8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span></div>PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-29737658201430661562011-08-08T21:00:00.024-04:002011-08-24T00:10:43.781-04:00Say NO to movie spoilers!<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/179/439834769_9b65fee53e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/179/439834769_9b65fee53e.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Daquella manera via flickr</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">In recent days, websites and fans have posted spoilerish pictures from the set of <i>The Dark Knight Rises</i>, which is next year’s most awaited film. I’ve received links of those sites and I’ve seen some tweets and Facebook posts regarding them, yet I have refused to see any. Why? Because I hate spoilers.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">In my opinion, spoilers ruin the entire movie experience. </span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">When I go to see a movie, I like to be surprised and without expecting detailed things. In fact, I've enjoyed a lot films that I know little or nothing about. Consider this: Is it worth it to pay for a movie and watch it while knowing crucial scenes or secret cameos? After all, they were meant to surprise audiences, which brings me to the next point: the filmmaker’s intention. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">When you cook something for yourself or someone else, you want it to have a delightful taste and texture. In other words, you have an intention. Film directors (the good ones) also have an intention with their creations. They want audiences to witness storylines and characters in a certain manner. Also, they want to surprise viewers in ways that will leave them breathless and begging for more. Even if a director can’t wait to show his or her work to others, he/she knows that nothing should be spoiled. A spoiler may not only turn off the audience’s desire to watch the final product, but it might ruin the carefully crafted intention that the filmmaker has. That intention is essential to the movie, since it’s part of the glue that holds it together. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/8/7101502_037f67d766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/8/7101502_037f67d766.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>emdot via flickr</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">The reason I’m writing this is because I can’t understand why some people are so obsessed with knowing every little detail of a film they're waiting for. Don’t get me wrong: I do like to see trailers, posters, and a couple of officially released production stills from a movie I’m anticipating. But seeing leaked pictures or videos of scenes that I’m supposed to see on the big (or small) screen is way too much. It’s unfair to those who value the filmmaking process and even the people who are involved in the project. Also, I write this because of an experience I had with <i>The Dark Knight</i>. When it was about to come out, the first seven minutes of the film were leaked in the form of a crappy cell phone camera recording. I was so anxious to watch the movie, that I took the wrong decision of watching that footage. When I went to the cinema to see TDK, my experience was somewhat <strike>ruined</strike> <b>spoiled</b>. Until this day, I regret it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">And believe me, I've been dying to watch <i>The Dark Knight Rises </i>from the moment I watched for the first time the final scene of <i>The Dark Knight</i>, but I know I must wait 11 more months for that. If I’ve been able to wait for 3 years, why not wait a bit more? In the end, it will all be worth it. So if you’re considering seeing, sharing, or even capturing spoilers from a movie, think twice. If you still want to do it, <b>don’t spoil the experience for others </b>by being careful with what you post and where you post it. Things like this make the world a better place (or a bit better, at least). So this is why I say NO to spoilers!</span></span></div>PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-3566515441943490242011-08-03T22:16:00.001-04:002014-07-11T14:53:00.239-04:00MTV after 30 years: On why we don’t talk with it anymore<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During my teenage years in the late 90’s, when I started learning about MTV’s origins, I always dreamed of watching the channel’s first hour. When it happened, I wasn’t even alive (I got here three years later, while Madonna was proclaiming she felt “like a virgin”). I wondered all the time what it might’ve felt to witness that historic moment back in August 1<sup>st</sup>, 1981 not only because of its importance, but because I’m an 80’s fan. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's why I would do anything to hop in a time machine and go back to that decade, and then visit the roaring 20’s.</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> A couple of nights ago, my dream came true, but without any travel arrangements or DeLoreans. Last weekend, VH1 Classic showed MTV30, which consisted of good old MTV programming (you know, back in the days when you didn’t need to be a pregnant teenager or a drunk jerk to be on MTV) to celebrate the channel’s 30<sup>th</sup> birthday. Should I repeat that this was shown on VH1 Classic and not on MTV? I guess someone doesn’t want to remember a birthday (or “lose” advertisers and young, brainwashed viewers). It was great to re-watch, or even watch for the first time, some classic MTV moments. Sadly, only 12 hours were programmed and repeated over and over for three days, because 30 years of great stuff (make it 20, because the last 10 years have been awful) can be summed up in 12 hours. Right. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> At least I was able to watch on TV and not on YouTube some great Michael Jackson and Madonna moments (two of my musical gods). Also, I got to re-watch the last part of TRL’s finale show (originally aired in November 2008), which was truly the end of an era for me (even though I stopped watching the show around the time I started college six years before). TRL was important for me, since it my after-school distraction and home to my teenage obsession: the Backstreet Boys. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some other re-watches were Beavis and Butthead, my beloved Daria, Fashionably Loud, Britney Spears on the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) performing and dancing like she actually enjoyed it, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bb61PfRAMW8">Chris Rock’s classic opening monologue for the 1999 VMA’s</a> (which, in today’s different pop culture context, was <i>very</i> surreal to watch). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also enjoyed some classic moments that I’d never seen before: the first scene for the first season of <i>The Real World</i> (a show that completely lost its point years ago), <a href="http://www.vh1.com/video/interview/fab-5-freddy/676140/fab-5-freddy-explains-e-mail-on-yo-mtv-raps.jhtml#id=1581716">Fab 5 Freddy on Yo! MTV Raps giving a priceless explanation of what is an e-mail</a>, Control Remote (featuring Adam Sandler and Colin Quinn pre-Saturday Night Live), MTV promos for contests featuring artists (the last time I remember seeing an MTV contest promo following that style featured N’Sync), the Beastie Boys walking and rapping around New York streets, among others. But nothing prepared me for MTV’s first hour.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7QjHPGLW7LQ/TjnvX8BdtNI/AAAAAAAAACw/cE1hr1am2So/s1600/IMAG0341-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7QjHPGLW7LQ/TjnvX8BdtNI/AAAAAAAAACw/cE1hr1am2So/s320/IMAG0341-1.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">“E-mail, for those who don’t know, is electronic mail and it’s something that goes from <i>computah</i> to <i>computah</i>.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> On August 1, at midnight, VH1 Classic showed the full hour, including its technical difficulties and ads (seeing the Superman II trailer was rather interesting, when right now a reboot is being produced by my cinematic hero and Batman savior, Christopher Nolan). The 10-minute countdown footage of the first launch of the Space Shuttle <i>Columbia</i> was a little painful, yet filled with suspense. Then, the magic spell was cast: “Ladies and gentlemen: rock ‘n roll”. I must confess that I started applauding and cheering, like it was something new and suddenly I was in 1981 instead of 2011. The first video was The Buggles’ classic <i>Video Killed the Radio Star</i>, which I love and coincidentally features my favorite soundtrack composer Hans Zimmer (another Batman connection!) on keyboards. Then there were some abruptly edited interventions by former VJ Mark Goodman, who promised us that if we wrote to their address, we would get a “MTV Dial Sticker” (If anyone still has it, please send me a pic!). We also saw a glimpse of the other four original VJ’s: Nina Blackwood (whose style I want when I grow up), J.J. Jackson (R.I.P.), and Alan Hunter. Artists like Pat Benatar, The Pretenders, and the amazing The Who were also part of that initial hour, but I was shocked by a man I’ve never seen in my life: Cliff Richard. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Cliff’s video for his 1979 hit <span id="goog_868881052"></span>“<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt_n09c9tF0)">We Don’t Talk Anymore</a>”<span id="goog_868881053"></span> was the sixth video played on MTV. In it, we see Cliff singing in front of a black background, and his feet are covered in dry ice that looks like clouds. It seems like Cliff and his band are in heaven, where there are only black walls and clouds with shiny lights (where are the so promised cherubs?). “Cheesy!”, I thought. Boy, was I wrong! Now <i>this</i> is cheesy, but mostly awkward:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x3RchlaW6SQ/TjnwI3a1lOI/AAAAAAAAAC0/j4xm8Aq7VcY/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x3RchlaW6SQ/TjnwI3a1lOI/AAAAAAAAAC0/j4xm8Aq7VcY/s320/Picture+2.png" height="182" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Holy rubik cube! What is this? A floating head?! It seems like poor Cliff was decapitated and sent to shiny-lights-with-black-walls heaven or something. I don’t quite know. The thing is that I haven’t been able to take that image away from me. It has been haunting me these last few days. The next day when I got back home from work, that first hour was shown again, and there he was: Cliff bitching about that we don’t talk anymore. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> And then other bad videos from some bands that I’ve never heard of were shown. Before watching that initial hour, I was under the impression that it was saturated with perfection and that cooler videos were shown (besides the ones I liked) during that first hour. But, then I realized something: MTV had its awkward moments while growing up, just like we did when we were growing up and watching MTV. Then, we got older and wiser, and that the music shown on MTV during our awkward years made everything cooler and became part of who we are nowadays. I just hope we won’t end up losing our essence and original purpose, just like MTV did in these last years. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Maybe that’s why Cliff and his floating head insist on saying that “it’s so funny that we don’t talk anymore”, because current generations don’t have that musical conversation we were able to have with MTV. New trends and marketing research shut it down and paved the way for things that have no musical conversation at all. The artists that had something to say were set aside to give room to creatures that have nothing to say at all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Cliff Richard may not be the best or hippest artist on the face of the earth, but at least he got played on MTV because he was making music. All right, Cliff, let’s talk. I’ll hear you. Let’s talk somewhere else, like YouTube, because it looks like a stranger invaded our place. But first, put back your floating head on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6340892777443925739.post-77587665756850550692011-08-03T22:11:00.001-04:002011-08-24T00:13:40.868-04:00Intro<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">So here it is! The moment that I've been dreaming of for three years: the birth of my blog!</span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">You might be asking yourself: “What is this blog about?” Well, I’ll be writing about pop culture (music, artists, films, TV shows, ads, etc.), my obsessions, some literature, and random (but coherent) thoughts I’d like to share. I’ll be writing in both Spanish and English. It will depend on the subject and how I want to communicate it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">I hope I’ll have the privilege of you sticking with me on this new adventure of mine. Don’t be afraid to comment on my posts. If you need to contact me, feel free to send me an <a href="mailto:thepurplemixtape@gmail.com">e-mail</a> or <a href="http://www.twitter.com/PurpleMixTape">follow me on Twitter</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Thank you for your visit! <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Helvetica;">PurpleMixTape<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">Editor and Writer of The Purple Mix Tape</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>PurpleMixTapehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10625689169837498412noreply@blogger.com3