1) It's a soundtrack... TO A BOOK!!!
2) Composed by L. Ron Hubbard.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Things that somehow exist but shouldn't: #324
Posted by user BearJazz at the Something Awful Forums.
1) It's a soundtrack... TO A BOOK!!!
2) Composed by L. Ron Hubbard.
1) It's a soundtrack... TO A BOOK!!!
2) Composed by L. Ron Hubbard.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Oh yeah...
...sometimes I make music.
This is just the typical type of thing I can kind of crap out in an hour. Then I end up spending hours and hours mixing and mastering it for practice. It's a bad habit that I need to break. Instead I should take the time to write out a non-generic piece of music, then not mix and master it unless I actually, y'know, have a reason to.
This is just the typical type of thing I can kind of crap out in an hour. Then I end up spending hours and hours mixing and mastering it for practice. It's a bad habit that I need to break. Instead I should take the time to write out a non-generic piece of music, then not mix and master it unless I actually, y'know, have a reason to.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Of Logic and Ninjas
My very first post of this blog was about Logic 8. In summary, I started using Logic 4, moved up to Logic 5, Apple bought the company that originally made Logic, Emagic, Logic 6 was Mac-only and I didn't have a Mac at that time, then I got a G4 12" Powerbook when Logic 7 came out. I bought two ~$25 books put out by Apple's training series on how to use Logic 7, and I got pretty fucking good at it. At that point, Logic 7's interface was pretty much the same as Logic 4 and 5's interface.
Then came Logic 8. This is the point at which Apple decided to give the interface the Apple touch. Don't get me wrong, Emagic's Logic was always, always notorious for its "steep learning curve" due to its interface. Some people just "got it," some people never did. I was one of the people that "got" the old Logic interface. I had tried Cubase and Digital Performer, including 4 separate semester-long college courses on the latter, and neither clicked with me the way that Logic did. However, I must concede, Apple's new direction with the Logic interface is probably for the best. The problem is, I have 6 years of Logic and its key commands stuck in my head.
So I have two books, really good books, that I spent about $50 on that are now, for all intents and purposes, completely outdated, and I don't really feel like spending the money on the new Logic 8 books from the same series.
Well just last week, I was fucking around in Logic 8 and found that I couldn't step sequence the way I used to be able to in Logic's Matrix editor. Step sequencing is the most simple, most retarded way of programming a sequence in the world, so it was really fucking frustrating.
Fortunately, I found a series of YouTube videos by a guy calling himself SFLogicNinja that are actually really, really good. SFLogicNinja is apparently a guy named Dave who teaches Logic for some weirdo "music academy" called Pyramind. Whatever. His videos have been great. They're really good for showing the bare bones basics of what Logic 8 can do, which is great for me because I've pretty much found myself re-learning everything I used to know how to do. He teaches the new key commands as they come up in his videos, which helps, plus he goes over some of the old Logic stuff that many found so esoteric, like the infamous Environment, the Transformer Window and Logic's weird ass Touch Tracks. (On the subject of Logic's Environment, I only wish they would go whole hog and incorporate Miller Puckette's Pure Data into it somehow - that would be awesome.)
Browse all of his videos.
It didn't take me long to find the help that I needed with my step sequencing problem - namely that in old Logic, each different editor window "reinvented the wheel," meaning that a lot of the major parameters were on each new window. I needed to change the step sequence resolution from 1/16th notes to 1/32nd notes, something which used to be accessible from the left hand side of the matrix editor.
Apple is going for a more all-encompassing approach with their new UI, so they had stuck my precious note resolution on the bottom - in the transport bar (where you hit start and stop). It seemed fucked up at first, but then I realized, Apple's way has it so that I have the arrange window still in the top half of the screen, the Matrix editor on the bottom half of the screen *when I want it* and the transport bar always, always, always along the very bottom of the screen - therefore the note resolution parameter is always, always, always handy. (Side note: having the transport bar at the bottom is funny because that is Apple's default location for the Dock, but I had already gotten use to moving the Dock to the left hand side of the screen in Logic 7 so that it didn't get in my fucking way...) So in the end, I can kind of see the new way as better, but it all takes getting used to. Fortunately the SFLogicNinja videos are there to get me reacquainted with the new shit.
Then came Logic 8. This is the point at which Apple decided to give the interface the Apple touch. Don't get me wrong, Emagic's Logic was always, always notorious for its "steep learning curve" due to its interface. Some people just "got it," some people never did. I was one of the people that "got" the old Logic interface. I had tried Cubase and Digital Performer, including 4 separate semester-long college courses on the latter, and neither clicked with me the way that Logic did. However, I must concede, Apple's new direction with the Logic interface is probably for the best. The problem is, I have 6 years of Logic and its key commands stuck in my head.
So I have two books, really good books, that I spent about $50 on that are now, for all intents and purposes, completely outdated, and I don't really feel like spending the money on the new Logic 8 books from the same series.
Well just last week, I was fucking around in Logic 8 and found that I couldn't step sequence the way I used to be able to in Logic's Matrix editor. Step sequencing is the most simple, most retarded way of programming a sequence in the world, so it was really fucking frustrating.
Fortunately, I found a series of YouTube videos by a guy calling himself SFLogicNinja that are actually really, really good. SFLogicNinja is apparently a guy named Dave who teaches Logic for some weirdo "music academy" called Pyramind. Whatever. His videos have been great. They're really good for showing the bare bones basics of what Logic 8 can do, which is great for me because I've pretty much found myself re-learning everything I used to know how to do. He teaches the new key commands as they come up in his videos, which helps, plus he goes over some of the old Logic stuff that many found so esoteric, like the infamous Environment, the Transformer Window and Logic's weird ass Touch Tracks. (On the subject of Logic's Environment, I only wish they would go whole hog and incorporate Miller Puckette's Pure Data into it somehow - that would be awesome.)
Browse all of his videos.
It didn't take me long to find the help that I needed with my step sequencing problem - namely that in old Logic, each different editor window "reinvented the wheel," meaning that a lot of the major parameters were on each new window. I needed to change the step sequence resolution from 1/16th notes to 1/32nd notes, something which used to be accessible from the left hand side of the matrix editor.
Apple is going for a more all-encompassing approach with their new UI, so they had stuck my precious note resolution on the bottom - in the transport bar (where you hit start and stop). It seemed fucked up at first, but then I realized, Apple's way has it so that I have the arrange window still in the top half of the screen, the Matrix editor on the bottom half of the screen *when I want it* and the transport bar always, always, always along the very bottom of the screen - therefore the note resolution parameter is always, always, always handy. (Side note: having the transport bar at the bottom is funny because that is Apple's default location for the Dock, but I had already gotten use to moving the Dock to the left hand side of the screen in Logic 7 so that it didn't get in my fucking way...) So in the end, I can kind of see the new way as better, but it all takes getting used to. Fortunately the SFLogicNinja videos are there to get me reacquainted with the new shit.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Curse of the Demon
Curse of the Demon, aka Night of the Demon - I recorded this over a year ago off of TCM Undergound - back when it didn't suck. A psychiatrist seeking to debunk the paranormal comes up against a cult leader who claims to have the power to conjure demons and set them upon his enemies. Early in the film, we are treated to the appearance of the demon, which, considering this was done in 1957, looks really good. Rather than merely giving us a guy in a rubber suit, the directer, Jacques Tourneur, uses camera tricks and strategically-lit smoke to prevent the demon from looking lame and he succeeds. Furthermore, the story is airtight, the acting is competent and the villain is awesome. Dr. Karswell, the cult leader and conjurer, carries on with an overtly friendly, yet menacing demeanor. There is one particularly effective scene where the protagonist comes upon him hosting a childrens party doing magic tricks and dressed up like a hobo-clown. The conversation that ensues, about Karswell's self-proclaimed power over the occult, while dressed like a clown is one of the best scenes in the movie.
Overall, this is probably the best movie I've subjected myself to in a long time now.
Overall, this is probably the best movie I've subjected myself to in a long time now.
French horror just isn't doing it for me...
Watched another movie off the DVR tonight - I recorded this one off of Sundance. The movies I tape off of Sundance seem to consistently disappoint, so I'm thinking that from here on out I'm not recording anymore horror movies off that channel.
Sheitan - A French movie; the title means "Satan." The first hour is a bunch of club kids hanging around and being assholes on a farm, the last forty-five minutes is when stuff happens - but (spoiler alert!) no one dies (spoiler alert!)
The gist of the movie, I guess, is that someone's bringing about the birth of the Anti-Christ. Reading the imdb boards (for whatever that's worth), it seems like there is a legitimate case to be made that there's a lot of symbolism and biblical allusion going on in this movie. Being a heathen myself, it all pretty much just went over my head.
If the first hour wasn't so boring, I'd forgive the movie just on atmosphere and general fucked-up'ness alone. However, the build up is far too slow for the (lack of) payoff that's delivered.
Here's a link to Horror-Movie-A-Day's review. This is one of those movies that seems to send one to "the internets" to get other people's take on it. It's strange, but not exactly good. Probably good to see in a group so everyone can discuss/bitch after it's done.
Sheitan - A French movie; the title means "Satan." The first hour is a bunch of club kids hanging around and being assholes on a farm, the last forty-five minutes is when stuff happens - but (spoiler alert!) no one dies (spoiler alert!)
The gist of the movie, I guess, is that someone's bringing about the birth of the Anti-Christ. Reading the imdb boards (for whatever that's worth), it seems like there is a legitimate case to be made that there's a lot of symbolism and biblical allusion going on in this movie. Being a heathen myself, it all pretty much just went over my head.
If the first hour wasn't so boring, I'd forgive the movie just on atmosphere and general fucked-up'ness alone. However, the build up is far too slow for the (lack of) payoff that's delivered.
Here's a link to Horror-Movie-A-Day's review. This is one of those movies that seems to send one to "the internets" to get other people's take on it. It's strange, but not exactly good. Probably good to see in a group so everyone can discuss/bitch after it's done.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Iron Man touched my butthole
I finally saw Iron Man this weekend, and it's still at 93% positive with 208 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but I thought it was pretty "meh..." overall. I pointed out in a previous post how that's pretty much the same rating Schindler's List has. I have no idea where all this critical goodwill is coming from. Personally, I prefer Batman Begins.
Iron Man starts out pretty strong, with Robert Downey Jr. fighting against terrorists in Afghanistan. I mean, really, that could've ended up being pretty fucking silly, but I think Iron Man pulled it off tastefully enough. However, once he singlehandedly wins the U.S. war in Afghanistan halfway through the movie, it just kind of loses steam.
Look, CGI is great when used subtly. Give me a man in a suit using CGI effects against an army, make it look good, and it's great. Give me two CGI robots fighting each other, you might as well be watching Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam smacking the shit out of each other. That's why I didn't go watch Transformers, that's why I'm not going to go see The Hulk (redux). I'm not impressed by the fantastical feats of cartoons. That's probably why I don't like anime, even the supposed "good" ones like Akira - it just doesn't impress me.
And that's probably why I'm gay for Batman. Live action. Mano-y-mano. People hitting people, not cartoons. Yeah, I know there's CGI there, but I can't fucking see it, so who cares?! It's awesome!
Meanwhile, I've continued cleaning out the DVR.
The Dark - This movie feels like it was made as a low budget direct-to-DVD movie during downtime on the set of the Silent Hill movie. It even has Sean Bean. Turns out it was made and released a year before it. The overall structure is eerily the same; child disappears, mother goes apeshit trying to find her, father shuffles around in crazy mother's footsteps trying to piece together what's going on. It just begs the question, if this movie was already out when Silent Hill was being made, why the fuck couldn't they have learned from its mistakes?!
The Burning - I have a quest to see every movie that made the UK's "Video Nasty" list. I actually vaguely recall seeing this in high school, either on USA's Up All Night, or TNT's Monstervision with Joe Bob Briggs. This is one of a slew of summer camp slasher movies that came out after the success of Friday the 13th. It's hook was that the killer, a groundskeeper named "Cropsy" of all things, was a horribly scarred burn victim. (The other thing it has to differentiate itself from other camper slasher movies of the era is a young Jason Alexander from Seinfeld - with hair!) This movie is good mindless fun, but you've got to think - how hard would it be to kick a burn victim's ass? I don't care if their coming at you with a pair of garden shears, I'm pretty sure just laying your hands on them would be incapacitating, let alone a good, solid punch.
The Black Dahlia - I didn't want to see this, but Gemma's had a hard-on for it ever since it was in theaters. No one really likes this movie, and that's because it's ass. The movie is based off of a fictional novel loosely based on the infamous Black Dahlia murder. Everything but the fact that a girl was murdered and severely mutilated is made up and it all sucks. The photography/cinematography is pretty neat; the movie is made too look like an old photo, but the corpse of the Black Dahlia itself is some CGI abomination seemingly inspired by American J-horror remakes - it really clashes with the rest of the film and not in a good way, in my opinion. The pace of the movie is mind-numbingly slow, the Black Dahlia murder seems to be a minor subplot of the entire movie, and the ending is just total ass and poo smeared together on Wonderbread and served on a paper plate. The best/worst thing about it is that there is something about this movie that just screams, "This was made to be Oscar bait!!!" which is hilarious given just how spectacularly it fails. There's a cheap direct-to-video knock-off of the same name on FearNet right now that is apparently even worse, which is really unfortunate, because this is one of those rare opportunities where an independent film maker with an extremely low budget could have actually have made a better movie.
Iron Man starts out pretty strong, with Robert Downey Jr. fighting against terrorists in Afghanistan. I mean, really, that could've ended up being pretty fucking silly, but I think Iron Man pulled it off tastefully enough. However, once he singlehandedly wins the U.S. war in Afghanistan halfway through the movie, it just kind of loses steam.
Look, CGI is great when used subtly. Give me a man in a suit using CGI effects against an army, make it look good, and it's great. Give me two CGI robots fighting each other, you might as well be watching Elmer Fudd and Yosemite Sam smacking the shit out of each other. That's why I didn't go watch Transformers, that's why I'm not going to go see The Hulk (redux). I'm not impressed by the fantastical feats of cartoons. That's probably why I don't like anime, even the supposed "good" ones like Akira - it just doesn't impress me.
And that's probably why I'm gay for Batman. Live action. Mano-y-mano. People hitting people, not cartoons. Yeah, I know there's CGI there, but I can't fucking see it, so who cares?! It's awesome!
Meanwhile, I've continued cleaning out the DVR.
The Dark - This movie feels like it was made as a low budget direct-to-DVD movie during downtime on the set of the Silent Hill movie. It even has Sean Bean. Turns out it was made and released a year before it. The overall structure is eerily the same; child disappears, mother goes apeshit trying to find her, father shuffles around in crazy mother's footsteps trying to piece together what's going on. It just begs the question, if this movie was already out when Silent Hill was being made, why the fuck couldn't they have learned from its mistakes?!
The Burning - I have a quest to see every movie that made the UK's "Video Nasty" list. I actually vaguely recall seeing this in high school, either on USA's Up All Night, or TNT's Monstervision with Joe Bob Briggs. This is one of a slew of summer camp slasher movies that came out after the success of Friday the 13th. It's hook was that the killer, a groundskeeper named "Cropsy" of all things, was a horribly scarred burn victim. (The other thing it has to differentiate itself from other camper slasher movies of the era is a young Jason Alexander from Seinfeld - with hair!) This movie is good mindless fun, but you've got to think - how hard would it be to kick a burn victim's ass? I don't care if their coming at you with a pair of garden shears, I'm pretty sure just laying your hands on them would be incapacitating, let alone a good, solid punch.
The Black Dahlia - I didn't want to see this, but Gemma's had a hard-on for it ever since it was in theaters. No one really likes this movie, and that's because it's ass. The movie is based off of a fictional novel loosely based on the infamous Black Dahlia murder. Everything but the fact that a girl was murdered and severely mutilated is made up and it all sucks. The photography/cinematography is pretty neat; the movie is made too look like an old photo, but the corpse of the Black Dahlia itself is some CGI abomination seemingly inspired by American J-horror remakes - it really clashes with the rest of the film and not in a good way, in my opinion. The pace of the movie is mind-numbingly slow, the Black Dahlia murder seems to be a minor subplot of the entire movie, and the ending is just total ass and poo smeared together on Wonderbread and served on a paper plate. The best/worst thing about it is that there is something about this movie that just screams, "This was made to be Oscar bait!!!" which is hilarious given just how spectacularly it fails. There's a cheap direct-to-video knock-off of the same name on FearNet right now that is apparently even worse, which is really unfortunate, because this is one of those rare opportunities where an independent film maker with an extremely low budget could have actually have made a better movie.
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