Monday, December 11, 2006

Darren Aronofsky Initiates a Fictional Derive 2.0

OK, adopt the altered mindset of your choice, prepare yourself to open your mind to the possibilities, put on Modest Mouse's "3rd Planet"



and then read this:

NASA telescope sees black hole gulping remote star



Watch Darren Aronofsky's The Fountain (don't listen to the mundane critics who do not get this film--it is bold, unique and deep--it is to be experienced ... why are there so few filmmakers that understand that cinema should be an art form that transforms you when you experience the film):





Unwind, revisit, ponder everything while listening to more Modest Mouse (or another favorite)...

Then watch Aronofsky's Pi



Then to keep the pleasant strangeness going read Haruki Murakami's stunningly weird and beautiful Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World (my first time reading one of his books, but I will definitely be reading more--the first 30 pages I was having a hard time grasping the dual worlds he portrays in this novel, then, all of a sudden, it became so real... as if I had been there before and this was not all that strange):

"You are fearful now of losing your mind, as I once feared myself. Let me say, however, that to relinquish your self carries no shame," the Colonel breaks off and searches the air for words. "Lay down your mind and peace will come. A Peace deeper than anything you have known" (The Colonel speaking to the Man, who has lost his Shadow, at the End of the World: 318)

"First, about the mind. You tell me there is no fighting or hatred or desire in the Town. That is a beautiful dream, and I do want your happiness. But the absence of fighting or hatred or desire also means the opposites do not exist either. No joy, no communion, no love. Only where there is disillusionment and depression and sorrow does happiness arise; without the despair of loss, there is no hope. (The Shadow speaking to his Man at the End of the World: 334)




Then have a friend sense that you need some powerful meditative words to ground you:

When all the world is dark and fear surrounds me,
when my night-blind soul cries out for help,
I turn to thee.
For thou are my opening to the Light and hope.
Like a child crouching in the dark, bereft of love,
I call to thee for succor and for comfort.
How long must I remain in darkness?
How long must I suffer the darkness of others
that threatens to engulf me?
From far beyond the ultimate source of Light
comes the voice of my desire.
i lift my head but remain silent, accepting
what I cannot change,
enduring that which seeks to overthrow me.
Hope, that most beloved of messengers,
comes winging down the paths of morning.
The darkness lifts, and I see beyond the shadows
to the sun.
I look to thee and I behold my beloved.
I open the window of my battered ark.
And, like a yearning dove,
my heart flies through the opening to freedom
and the Light.


(Amy S. states that "This is the 15th path on the road to ultimate nothingness-which is the Ain Soph of the Kabbalah.")



and then delve into the 5 volumes of Alan Moore's "Promethea" series (which provides a unique fictional perspective on the development of magical thought and belief):

8 comments:

Susannity said...

I'm looking forward to seeing the Fountain - haven't checked out the reviews on it yet.

That bottom pic is AMAZING! My husband and I go to art galleries periodically in the hopes of finding something beautiful we want to add to our home. I so rarely find anything truly captivating. It's all fruit or simple abstracts my 7 year old HAS done a better job creating himself. Love that picture - thanks for sharing it.

Michael said...

then you will like it b/c it has a great production design--let me know what you think if you go see it--i understand about the art... a friend today told me that there was no computer effects in this film, just increases my respect for what they accomplished

Allan said...

Cool...somehow I missed the black hole. I love that stuff, thanks for the tip.
Wish I could watch movies- that's a fantastic visual and the flick lloks very interesting- tried not to read any 'spoilers' just in case.

Michael said...

Allan, how come you can't watch movies?

Sarapen said...

I like Haruki Murakami. I spent the summer reading all of his books that were at my local library. Everything just flows so well. It was a nice corrective to all the turgid prose one has to wade through in academic research.

Michael said...

J,

Yeah, his writing style is definitely operating in the magical realist tradition (with doses of Kafka and cyberpunk) that initiates a dreamlike state for this reader (which was really nice b/c I was having a bit of insomnia when reading it and it allowed me to access healing dreams, even when my were absent).

I'm on the last twenty pages and have put it off for a couple days b/c I don't want it to end...

Highly recommended!

Anonymous said...

this piece melts in my mind
tender yet challenging
bold and spicy
goes down well with red wine
thank you for the journey thivai

Michael said...

Dear poetic anonymous commenter, I like your words, thank you! Its strange that I see this now, experimented making spicy Tikka Masala for the first time tonight, talked to a dear friend I hadn't seen for awhile, and later was thinking about the journeys of life when I came acorss your words.

Peace