I sat down to finally watch Across the Universe. I had heard nothing about it until a bunch of kids at college started talking about how excited they were for it. So after waiting months and months, I accidently sat down to watch the entire thing.
The movie, for me, was really boring and made the Beatles even more boring. The movie said nothing fresh or moving. The story relied on two beautiful people who wanted to love each other which was formulaicly told mixed with another generic tidbit about another loved one going into ‘nam and the simmering revolution at home in America played by kids born in the 80s.
The real 60s were interesting enough without the help of any fictional narrative that was pitifully written. Why go back to an era that’s so complex and exciting and tag a bunch of generic boring characters to it and have them dance around to Beatles songs? Did you think that summed up the 60s? Do the Beatles really need to be introduced to a younger generation with the help of this movie? Honestly?
How about instead, you watch The Weather Underground (2002) documentray and Gimme Shelter (1970)? Both of which do a better job describing the 60s not only because they’re REAL accounts through documentary, but because they’re much darker and honest about what happened at the end of that amazing decade.
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I’ve wanted to make a Radiohead video for a long time but whenever I listen to them, I don’t get any images. Radiohead’s songs are a world of their own. To me they are pure sound.
My favorite Radiohead videos are the ones of them performing. The video for “Idioteque” used digital camcorders to record Radiohead perform the song live from a bunch of interesting angles. Mixed with the standard cinematic smooth pans and dolly movements are very mechanica—almost pan and scan type camera movements that were done in post, more than likely. These robot pans act as digital zooms, it has an artificial quality to it that is sort of uncomfortable and strange which makes the video powerful.
Another favorite is the video for “No Surprises.” It’s reminiscent of that Sinead O’Connor video. Thom Yorke’s head is in some sort of glass or plastic bubble as it slowly fills up with water. Lyrics to the song scroll up the transparent bulb. It’s great. Exactly how I would feel after touring the planet for months and months. Watch Meeting People is Easy.
