Blessed Beyond Buzz

Considering the fact that Thanksgiving day is one day behind us, I would love to make this announcement. This is my moment of clarity. Haha. I should start off by saying that words cannot express the gratitude I feel each and every single day for the life I live. I come from the best family I can imagine and I have a really wonderful group of people around me - I mean, I could not be any luckier. The truth is, people have always been the most intriguing inspiration in my life. Just the idea that the people I care about exist motivates and gets me fired up. In a positive way, of course.

In the hindsight, I thought to myself so many times: "Well, there is nothing left to prove. I've reached my peak. That's it, I'm done." But as I got older, I realized that there are still so many obstacles I have to overcome. That's why I am still super-excited about things in life. I always try to find new ways to get better. Of course, there are times when it's very challenging... But I believe that, at this point, I have navigated these challenges for my personal benefit.

I'm tellin' ya' how to do it right! Brum. Brumm.

Just don't expect any preachy and would-be heartbreaking advice how to do things right. I am too young for this bull. The moral of the story is that there is not just one right way. Don't believe everything that you breathe. Period.

Those with loaded guns, and those who dig

I must say - there is no better game than Red Dead Redemption. Computer games may be beyond my craft threshold but I am 100 % certain and positive that when it comes to Red Dead Redemption and its exceptional storytelling, other games just don't stand a chance. Even now, in the age of higly praised Grand Theft Auto 5,  I still believe that John Marston's story has not been matched yet. I finished the game 3 years ago but the only thing I can hear in my head each and every single morning  is the song "Exodus in America". What a brilliant job with the soundtrack composed by Bill Elm and Woody Jackson. Morricone must be proud.

The sounds of the game might be a pivotal aspect for my assessment, but nope, this game has many other things and remarkable features to offer. The storyline is touching and very deeply elaborated like never before. From my point of view, just a look at the raw, vast swath of a southern american countryside is a glittering lure enough.  If there is any negative criticism I could level at the game, it is perhaps the playable character of Jack Marston. And that's just because of the fact that I can't see by any stretch of the imagination anybody  filling the shoes of his great father.

"I'm many things, most of 'em bad."

(picture courtesy of ps3blog.net)

The old bar set by RDR is still at its highest. It's a standard upcoming games must strive to reach. Rockstar Games are like American Movie Classics. There is simply no mediocrity. The best or nothing. As far as the story is concerned, the latest western movie blockbuster Django Unchained is nowhere near compared to this soon to be called masterpiece. The game of Marston's redemption will never be rendered obsolete. Ever.

So, which "R" you filled with?

When it comes down to movies about lying, the first one that comes to mind is unquestionably Kill Bill series.

The way I see it, along with the famous pub scene from Inglourious Basterds, Kill Bill is probably the last properly made and positively acclaimed movie directed by Quentin Tarantino. Yep, I am going out on a limb by saying that he's a bit long in the tooth and slightly overrated. Of course, so many scenes and shots can be interpreted as totally characteristic for him. For example a classic Tarantino scene goes like this: An epic fight full of hatred, violence and gore is soon stopped because of a friendly coffee break. The fact of the matter is that he is highly influenced by other directors. Enormously I should say.

However, the whole film is piled up with machination and lies. All this is caused by individual diversity of villains and bad guys. They suffer from disunity and are eventually under fire from own ranks. The plotline is all about setting out for payback and revenge.

It's the final countdown!

4 biggest lies in the story of Beatrix Kiddo

1) The Black Mamba is dead
People and even zombies would not survive a headshot, but Beatrix Kiddo is clearly a different breed. A coma, the Pussy Wagon, wickle your big toe and here we go again! But Bill does not have a clue.

2) The baby is dead
Apple doesn't fall far from the tree. It stands to reason that even Kiddo's fetus can survive anything by any means necessary! But Kiddo does not have a clue.

3) The guy from Okinawa will never make Japanese steel
Poor Hattori Hanzo. That blonde American woman moves insolently into his apartment and forces him to break his promise. Shame on you, Hattori! But Bill and the rest of his crew do not have a clue.

4) Just an ordinary suitcase full of money
Little blonde sister Elle Driver... She did not think this through. One of the most venomous snakes in the world has nothing to do in your baggage.  As for credulous Budd, this is rather a dubious pleasure indeed. But he does not have a clue.

Y Control again? Alison says no

If I had to pick just one artist of our contemporary music, I would probably pull the trigger on Alison Mosshart as the best musician all around. The reasons of my choice are plain and simple... Her voice along with her guitar skills are beyond comprehension. I can easily relate to her music style, which actually does not happen very often. I hope I will not lose my credibility by alleging that "VV", "Baby Ruthless" and foremost Alison Mosshart are the best female singers of our generation. All in one person.

  It took her years to claw her way up to my very top and needless to say, this notional award is well deserved. She stands up for what she believes in, which can be heard in every single song she's made. This distinctive combination of raw bluesy, lo-fi sound has really captivated me. From my standpoint, she is the epitome of music quality. Plus, she has several opinions about culture and music as a whole I totally agree with. For instance, I feel that I live in a strongly, positively biased anglican environment and when Mosshart stated in one of her interviews that "London is the most boring place in the world" - that really made a gleeful and heartwarming smile on my face. Haha.

 Every band associated with  lovely and formidable Mosshart is destined for success, at least in my eyes.  The Kills and The Dead Weather are one of the very best music groups to date. 

And even boys wanna be her!

Out with the old and in with the new

It’s tempting to just paste my first article here and call it a day. I think that it is safe to say that my opinions are changing with the times. I am not attached to the past as some people would think. I may have some conservative attitudes but that does not change the fact I devote time to our contemporary culture with great excitement. I just respect the vintage for its innovation and originality. But the thing that often goes unnoticed is my strong faith in nowadays culture and society. In my mind, many people would suggest that these times are "bad in every possible way".

 Just brush it off, it's our attitude towards changes in contemporary works, culture and society that makes this poor mood. A change is an inexorable process that cannot be avoided. It does not need to be good or bad, it simply is. I have heard it so many times: "We were better off in the 60's, we had the Beatles, a decent fashion, and today, manners are just disappearing and the youth are sassy and lazy." No, grandpa. You are lazy, because you are not open to anything new. You fail or decline to realize that the time has moved on. An ordinary "grandpa" thinks that everything that disobeys conventional expectations is doomed to failure. This idea needs to be pared down and probably should not even be taken into consideration at all.

Come hell or high water, one way or another, words cannot describe how grateful I am for the time I live in. I am completely able to absorb new things in my life. Be that as it may, that is why I am rooting for everybody who does things his way. Put that in print, you don't need anybody's approval to do so.

Call me a conservatist again! I dare you, I double dare you! (haha)

About music nowadays: What a rip off!

Why mainstream music usually feels and sounds tacky? I don't want to deflect blame on anything or anybody but I have been exposed to the music of silver spoon kids for quite long. I know about their strenuous journey, lack of time and everything bad that comes with fame... Don't get me wrong, I do not want to denounce their contribution to their respective works, they paved their ways for bigger and better things in their lives and I have nothing but profound respect for them. I just think that the whole evaluation process is far out of whack. That is the way it is and there is no solution in sight.

Fortunately! Keep notable artists hidden and away from the masses.

As I indicated before, I truly believe that the driving force of music are independent artists. I intentionally do not use the term "indie", because I mean "independent" in every conceivable way. In order to do things properly, you need to do them on your own without any external pressure. You try to do something that was never done before, you diversify. I really feel that this liberal approach is absolutely crucial for basically any independent artist that needs to create a separation. Creating a separation is a fundamental cornerstone of the independent music nonetheless.

The all-time great Robert Johnson is a prime example of what is mentioned above. Almost nobody knows about him, because he and his talents could not embrace their constant struggle for recognition.  His impact on music is often diminished by our lack of perception and maybe even worse, by our ignorance. However, if it weren't for him, there would be no commercially succesfull band you have known and admired. Justin Bieber didn't start anything new. The Rolling Stones (Muddy Waters even had to create  their name) didn't start anything new. The Beatles didn't start anything new.  The timeless Robert Johnson had started it all. Many people fail to realize where rock music came from. This is a legitimate answer:

 No Robert Johnson. No Rock n' Roll. 

And yeah, Robert Johnson was not independent. He had the devil on his side.

The bad is meant to be broken

The whole idea of a man that lost his step somewhere along the line, struggling against a fatal disease and turned to a life of crime seems to be hasty at the very least. But this statement could not be any further away from the truth. The main plot revolves around protagonist Walter White and his transition from a good guy to a villainous alter ego called Heisenberg.

The Breaking Bad series has an abundance of raw moments that may not neccesarilly meet people's expectations. If you are looking for a tedious, pandering repetition and so called "lighthearted agreement with audience", go watch the likes of the Big Bang Theory. While watching the scenery of Breaking Bad, you feel like living in a world where literally anything can happen. It is crude and rough in a good sense. Momentum of each character changes exponentially in nearly every episode and therefore it is very hard to say how it all will turn out in the end.

Has there ever been a better opening theme than this one? The answer is: Nope.

The Verdict:
It does not have powerful quotes and lines like Mad Men. It does not contain showers of blood and gore as represented in Dexter. It is an unique tension and credibility of characters that make this show unanimously the best drama experience I have seen in years. The plot line can be interpreted as tantalizingly pessimistic, albeit extraordinarily thrilling and gripping at the same time. As opposed to any other mainstream channel, the American Movie Classics know how to put out a high quality product. And at long last, the bar is set very high. All hail the King.