Moved
Hello all, I have defected to Tumblr: www.dreamtreader.tumblr.com. This blog will self destruct in approximately 30 days (or after I have shifted all my content across). Hope to see you on the flipside.
Film review: Alice in Wonderland
It's fair to say that there are few stories out there as eccentric, imaginative and downright weird as that of the little girl who falls down the rabbit hole. Depite it's age, Alice in Wonderland is a tale that has constantly been reinvented and reinterpreted by film directors pretty much since the birth of the medium itself (for those interested in a rundown check out March's edition of Sight&Sound). Like most people in their 20s I grew up with the Disney version, which I loved but was always more than a little freaked out by. Even Disney's fluffy dreamworld couldn't stop me being scared witless at the prospect of losing my mind and slipping into insanity like the Mad Hatter or the unhinged Alice. Tim Burton then seemed to be the perfect choice of director to bring out the darkness in the story via his trademark goth-lite style.
It's a shame then that Burton's film is a bit of a disappointment. I went to see it in 3D and, while I know I'm probably prone to use Avatar as a benchmark, I felt the visuals just didn't cut it. I really wish Burton had stuck with using stop-motion animation with Alice... ; the whole film would've had a much more macabre feel to it. As it is I felt that it uncomfortably straddled the fence between gothic and Disney. As this was Burton's first time directing an entire film with green screen I guess we can cut him some slack. I also read somewhere that he was finding it difficult to work in this medium, which hopefully means he'll go back to using stop-motion in future films. Burton's story is also very different to the original and it seemed like parts of the film were needlessly long in order to compensate for some of these changes.
In terms of casting I think Burton was spot-on. Predictably, Johnny Depp was right at home in the role of the Mad Hatter and brought his own brand of whimsy to the role. Slipping into a Scottish accent throughout the film, however, was a bit of a weird addition to the character. And the dance at the end... I mean, what can I say about that? I don't think it quite worked... Similarly, Mia Wasikowska brought a freshness to the role of Alice. It was interesting to see her portrayed as a young woman rather than a child, and I think it worked well to have her using Wonderland as an escape from her approaching adulthood and the responsibility (and restriction - this film is set in the Victorian era) that comes with that for a woman. I like the fact that Alice was a bit of a free-spirited tomboy, it made her really likable. Helena Bonham-Carter was also great as the despotic Red Queen and gave some nice touches to the role. The supporting cast was strong too; Stephen Fry and Alan Rickman added their usual drawling wit to the Cheshire Cat and the Blue Caterpillar, and Anne Hathaway played the White Queen well.
Despite the cast however, I just felt that this was a film that could've been much more. For a 3D film made by one of the most creative directors around the landscape of Wonderland was surprisingly dull, lacking the colour and surrealism that makes the story so memorable. I can't help but think that working with green screen technology was a big mistake for Burton and one that has cost him dearly.
Show some Love
Well, I went to school in Olympia
And everyone's the same
Well, what do you do with a revolution?
Hole - Rock Star
Let's start with the F word: feminism. When I was 14 and saw Courtney on MTV Unplugged, all messy blonde hair, leg on the monitor and gravelly voice, I thought she was the coolest woman alive. To me that was pure hot-blooded feminism drenched in sex. Hell, even now that image does me some serious damage. Now that I'm older and a little wiser I know that there are other women rockers who have been more politically feminist than Courtney - Kathleen Hanna is a good example. But this doesn't detract from the fact that Courtney's image was, and always will be, powerful in feminist circles. Many people will remember how great and give-a-shit she looked circa '94; she was a poster-girl for feminism and she empowered girls through her image. Kathleen Hanna wishes she had this impact! Furthermore, because of her commercial success with Hole, Courtney brought feminism to the mainstream in a way that other riot grrl bands only dreamed of. Like it or not, she was an eye opener for a generation of girls, and the impact of this can't be underestimated. Score 1 for Courtney.
Another bugbear of mine is the language surrounding Courtney in the media and used by the public on blogs etc. I get so tired of reading endless slurs about her written by sad old blokes with nothing better to do. Most of this language just highlights the inherent sexism within the music industry and, in particular, rock. Whenever I read anything anywhere about her the focus is invariably on her looks, her "whining", her age, or her marriage to Kurt Cobain (which she has been unfairly defined by for most of her life). Plenty of men in rock are old, look weird and whine too but people don't obsess over it! If people don't like Hole or Courtney Love then that's fine, but more often than not the dislike is fuelled by some pretty sexist attitudes. I also don't subscribe to this bullshit that she has "cashed in" on Kurt Cobain's suicide; more like she has had it rammed in her face by the public/media for years because for some reason they just won't let it go! Even worse is the nuts accusation that she was behind his death. It's been 17 years since Kurt Cobain killed himself; these whiny little fanboys need to get over it and stop looking for a scapegoat. Unfortunately, this attitude is a problem that stretches beyond Courtney. Women who date famous musicians are often vilified by male fans (see Yoko Ono and Marianne Faithfull); yet another example of the misogyny and sexism they face in the music industry. Score 138,576 million for Courtney.
Courtney Love may not be perfect, but she's rock 'n' roll through and through. When a male rock star is eccentric, drug-addicted and wild people love it; when it's a woman people really struggle with it. People should accept Courtney for the emotional roller coaster that she is and get over the fact that she has a vagina. No matter how uncool it may be, I make no secret of the fact that Hole changed my life. They were the soundtrack to my teen angst and they introduced me to feminism. They made me dream big. When I travelled the US a few years ago I made a special trip to Portland, Oregon purely because I've always been so inspired by the DIY 'zine/riot grrl culture that flourished there; a scene that Hole were at the heart of. Even in today's media-saturated world, I hope that some lonely kid growing up in a small town will stumble across Hole's MTV Unplugged show and find as great a release in Courtney and her music as I did.
Sun Drenched: Songs About California
Artwork by Jenny.
Tracklisting:
01. Joni Mitchell - California
02. Hole - Pacific Coast Highway
03. Bran Van 3000 - Drinking In LA
04. Kings Of Leon - California Waiting
05. Patti Smith - Redondo Beach
06. The Mamas And The Papas - California Dreamin'
07. The Magnetic Fields - California Girls
08. Coconut Records - West Coast
09. Luna - California (All The Way)
10. PJ Harvey And John Parish - Leaving California
Download the full mix here (zip file, includes artwork).
01. Joni Mitchell - California
02. Hole - Pacific Coast Highway
03. Bran Van 3000 - Drinking In LA
04. Kings Of Leon - California Waiting
05. Patti Smith - Redondo Beach
06. The Mamas And The Papas - California Dreamin'
07. The Magnetic Fields - California Girls
08. Coconut Records - West Coast
09. Luna - California (All The Way)
10. PJ Harvey And John Parish - Leaving California
Download the full mix here (zip file, includes artwork).
