12:53 pm - The New Nightwish Okay, so for those that didn't read the whole of this journal way back when I was one seriously whiny twit, I was a HUGE Nightwish fan up until their last album Once. It wasn't so much that I didn't like the album, I just realized that I was bored by the music. I'd discovered EBM and Industrial, specifically A-23 (yes, yes, mock away) and I'd realized that there was plenty of other "dark" music out there, most of it better written than what I was listening to from Finland.
So when I heard that Nightwish's lead singer Tarja left the band, I was not exactly sobbing in the bathroom. Yes, I felt that she was kind of the whole point of the band, but really all she did was sing; she didn't write and she didn't play, so the band wasn't really going to suffer musically. Stylistically, yes. Or at least, that was what I thought.
So I went on Youtube the other day, and on a whim decided to check out Tarja's replacement, Anette Olzen.
And boy was I surprised.
Okay, first things first, this isn't the Tarja era nightwish. She ISN'T an operatic Soprano; no matter how good her pipes are, she doesn't have the ethereal quality that her predecessor had.
And that's EXACTLY what this band needed. The lack of ethereal quality, I mean. Ever since they signed former Tarot bassist Marco Tapani Hietala, Nightwish has become harder, meaner and has moved nicely away from the Tolkein childishness that Eastern European power metal has a reputation for, and more into a style all their own. Only problem is, Tarja was keeping them trapped in this dreamy vocal style that just didn't mesh well with Marco's backup singing.
With Anette, it's different. She's got the pipes to hit the high notes that songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas loves, but with a much more rock background. There's no falsetto here, it's a tight, emotional performance that works as a great complement to Marco's aforementioned metalhead tenor.
I should point out that the lyrics are still just as painful, although at least it's not bad moon june couplets. I just wish they'd ditch the metaphors and just SAY SOMETHING.
Okay, so it's not the Nightwish I grew up with, but I really have to admit that I want to pick up their new album, if only to see if the rest of their songlist holds up to their two videos, especially Bye Bye Beautiful.
If anyone's interested, here's the video:
Current Location:Vancouver Current Mood: impressed Current Music: Take a wild guess
05:35 pm - Maybe He'll Catch Fire (Finally!) So FINALLY the first film I did in Vancouver's been put on YouTube! Now everyone can reminisce over my hair!
12:34 am - Writers Strike! Alright, so being an actor, without an agent, a non-union member and with only 1 professional credit which was done against union wishes (yay!), I feel I should voice some kind of opinion on the strike.
First off, I also consider myself a writer. I have had a script produced (admittedly as a student project, but it's still a production and it wasn't an "everybody gets a trophy" kind of production.), and I'm working on 2 more, these feature length. So yeah, if I could get ahold of some of that money the WGA is fighting for, that'd be great. Except for one thing; I can't. Because I am Canadian, and unless I can get down and start sucking some serious dick, I'm not going to be getting into the WGA any time soon. Which is where my concern for the whole thing arises; namely I had no say in this, and I won't see any of the benefits.
What does this matter to me, you may ask. Well, the jobs that someone of my age range can get are more than likely going to be american productions. Which are no longer shooting in Vancouver. Basically every Vancouver-shot series based in the states moved out last week, and won't be returning for the foreseeable future. Which means that getting a job is going to be that much harder. To make matters worse, with less jobs there will be less openings with agencies, which means I can't even get my foot in the door of working on anything except half-thought out student films, which would seem hypocritical, save for the fact that student films don't pay me anything, and artistic satisfaction only lasts so long before I find myself starving on the street because I couldn't pay rent.
This is really my whole problem with the thing; My life has gotten exponentially harder, and there is no benefit at the end of the tunnel. The frustrating thing about all of this is that I think the writers have a viable complaint. Yes, there's all the naysayers saying writers get a big wad of cash and they're asking for a bigger wad, but they're forgetting that the 4 cents must be split between ALL writers on a project. If it's one, awesome. Hello paycheck. But the vast majority of writers are part of a collective group, and they're usually getting paid peanuts as a paycheck. I dream of residuals, and as a Canadian actor, unless I'm working commercials, residuals are a pipe dream. But the internet issue is one that I believe in. Yes, the "promo" argument is viable, but what about down the road? What about when webisodes become the norm? It's happening already, and writers get nothing. It's still their work, and work gets PAID FOR. Of course, once again being someone who'll be living with a one-time paycheck, I want to scream "suck it up", but I also know that if I was getting residuals, or was part of the WGA, I'd like a bigger paycheck. So, yeah. I do agree with the strike.
But I'd really like a piece of the pie, seeing as how I'm going to be suffering. Current Music: The Damned - Video Nasty
1. Do you have a tattoo? 2. How old are you? 3. Are you single or taken? 4. Fish? 5. Do you dream in color? 6. Ever seen a corpse? 7. Hipsters or Hillbillies? 8. How did we meet? 9. What's your philosophy on life and death? 10. If you could do anything with me, and have no one know, what would it be? 11. Do you trust the police? 12. Do you like musicals? 13. What is your fondest memory of me? 14. If you could change anything about yourself what would it be? 15. Would you cheat ? 16. What are you wearing? 17. Have you ever peed in a pool? 18. Would you hide evidence for me if I asked you to? 19. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together? 20. Which do you prefer - short or long hair? 21. What's your favorite day of the week? 22. What's your favorite color? 23. If you could bring back anyone that has passed, who would it be? 24. Tell me one interesting/odd fact about you? 25. What was your first impression of me? 26. Have you ever done drugs? 27. Will you post this so I can fill it out for you? Current Location:48 hour film fest set Current Mood: tired
08:12 pm - My god! A post! I haven't been online in quite awhile, at least online with LJ. I think I need to sit down and at least make an attempt at an update, seeing as how I haven't one since, I don't know, April? :P
So, second term at VFS is nearly done; I've grown so exponentially as an actor it's actually rather terrifying;; I haven't watched any of my old stuff; doesn't really seem necessary, plus I don't really see the point of watching where I was. I don't need to wince over past mistakes just because I want to see how much I've grown; I already know that. The fact that I am actually becoming a leader artistically; directing a movement project; leading the writing of a (admittedly bad) soap opera script, and overall becoming much more of a rock for people, and being openly available to give those people support, instead of being caught up in my own shit and ignoring everyone. Don't get me wrong, I still get caught up in that self-pitying, but it's not controlling my life like it used to.
I've actually started stepping out of my comfort zone at the clubs, talking to new people and making new friends instead of locking myself into one specific circle (although I do gravitate there. No surprise, really, when you make good friends, you like spending time with them).
I am starting stress though; there's 2 weeks left, and presentations are fast approaching. The reassuring thing is that as I look at what I've written, as well as what has happened today, I'm feeling a lot more comfortable with them than I did yesterday. It's still a time issue, as I never feel like I have enough hours in the day to get any time to myself, but the work itself isn't as daunting as it seemed 24 hours ago. It doesn't hurt that Bill (my acting teacher and head of the faculty) said that my monologue was amazing; it fills me with some real confidence that I can handle the work that people throw at me, even if it's kicking and screaming the whole way.
The movement project is going to be interesting; I directed a retelling of the story of Lilith; with lesbians, demons and Suicide Commando. It's funny, but I'm looking forward to the audience hearing our soundtrack more than the actual performance. Blame it on my burgeoning cult-converter personality.
Can't think of anything to add right now, details will probably follow in the next couple days. Current Mood: Deep Breath
06:37 pm - SPAM! I guess I just need to do a bit of spamming, haven't posted in a while and I might as well do a meme just to take up more space on your already painfully packed friends pages. :P
Your Score: Killian's Red
(66% dark & bitter, 66% working class, 0% genuine)
I'll start with a quote from a review of Killian's Red that I think will reflect on you, too: "deep flavor, somewhat mild, with a moderate head." It goes on to talk about a "light caramel odor," and while that sounds nice, I don't think I can go that far in my analysis.
Overall, Killian's is a very good beer. The only thing that kinda sucks is that even though it says "Irish Red" on the bottle, this stuff's made by Coors, not peaty old Dubliners. I guess that's my way of telling you that you scored on the lower side of the "genuine" part of my test. Here's my guess: you're a sensible, likeable person, and you're popular among different groups of people. The test probably read that as a slight superficiality.
Personality-wise, you have refined tastes (after all, this stuff is kind of expensive), but you know how to savor what you get. Your personality isn't exactly bubbly, but you're well-liked nonetheless. Your sense of humor is rather dark, but that's just another way to say sophisticated, right?
As a real George Killian would say: Sl�inte! Cheers!
I can't get enough of this thing; macho 'cowboys' with Mario mustaches, doing bad choreography, with their glistening muscles showing off just how appealing they are to the 'fillies', although you just KNOW they're all plotting how their going to ambush their pretty boy lead singer in the washroom. Then there's the whole sequence that I'm sure Big & Rich watched a million times saying "We can get a song out of this!" And Annie Proulx probably caught this thing at 4 in the morning and was suddenly struck with inspiration. I just can't get over the dancing! You can see the inner monologue every time the damn thing happens! "Okay, left fist up, no wait, I thrust it down. Okay, now right fist, damn! missed the count! Okay crotch grab, SHIT! That was the opening sequence. Left fist again!" Current Mood: amused
In other news, Sanctuary was bliss, with an amazing set that was agony to drag myself off the dance floor. Brought back memories of the RS Summer. I'm flying so high right now... Current Mood: Joygasm Current Music: She Wants Revenge - Tear You Apart
10:36 am Day 2 of gilt-free sloth. I was excited because it meant I could sleep in and not have any obligations of school or time.
So what do I do? I fall asleep on Monday at 8 o'clock in the evening. Just pass right out. I then woke up at 2 in the morning, and got off the couch and transferred to the bed. I woke up at 9. Big surprise, considering I snagged 6 hours on the couch, but I've obviously been burning the oil a little for the last while. This upcoming week will be good because it will allow me to catch up on that lack of sleep.
In other news, I need new contacts. :( My right one has completely bit the dust and must be terminated, and as it was my last one I must obtain replacements. Me no likey paying for cosmetic eyewear. Ah well, might as well just get it over with.
On the economic side, I finally bit the bullet and raided the stocks, I can now pay off the credit card and not feel like I have the Bill of Damocles hanginbg over me. I wish I could just snap my fingers and suddenly balance my budget and have complete economic security, but I wouldn't be a student if I wasn't struggling with money at every turn. Current Mood: hungry Current Music: Assemblage 23 - Love My Way
11:30 pm For the last couple of days, my knee's been bothering me; I have no idea what it is, and if it wasn't for the fact that it goes away after a half-hour of wingeing and moaning (and rigorous massage) I would be getting off my ass and checking with a doctor. But as far as I can tell, it's either a pulled muscle or some kind of twisted tendon, neither of which a walk-in clinic doctor will help, so I'm going to grin and bear it, and carry some tylenol on hand, and see if this damn joint will fix itself.
On the sickness front, the horrible illness I got hit with seemed to be something that hit the instructors of the school, but not my classmates. Apparently Matt Fentiman got taken to the hospital with a skyrocketing fever; which is what hit me last weekend. Conrad, our movement teacher, got hit with the dangerous fever last week. I'm starting to seriously think that I dodged a very nasty bullet. I'm glad to know that I'm nearly 100% now, and only have a chronic cough to contend with now, which enough Buckley's and sheer bloody mindedness should finish off.
I really should be staying away from the cigarettes, but I'm really not liking the inner monologue that consists of deciding who lives and who dies on my morning bus commute. Not so much the homicidal soliloquy, moreso the knowledge that I'd probably only get halfway through before I was interrupted by something as banal as a SWAT team. And that's depressing. So, nicotine has re-entered my system.
For now.
Until I can obtain a long-range rifle and high-power scope. Current Mood: Healthy! Current Music: Zeromancer - Neo Geisha
My body has finally started to fight against this damn sickness; my fever broke this morning, I'm able to walk around without rushing to a toilet and I can have a somewhat coherent conversation without becoming insensate. (Apparently I was practically speaking in tongues last night; I kept calling Erica Tracy for some reason.)
Liquids are keeping me going, but I really wish I were done and over with this crap; I want to be able to move a limb without grimacing in agony.
Oh well; at least I have Harry Enfield to keep me company, plus lots of MST3K...
10:35 am - Great Galloping Marsupials in a Maternity Ward! When I was younger, I got hold of the Lucasarts Adventure pack, and for a few years that $49.95 CD case defined my life; Indiana Jones was alive and well in the Fate of Atlantis, Day of the Tentacle was the pinnacle of would-be despot defeating adventure, My one dream was to find the full version of Full Throttle, and above all else, Sam & Max were the greatest crime fighting duo/mascots since Jonah Hex and Deadpool became spokesmen for Sam Peckinpah's theatrical supplies.
I continued to play Sam & Max, even after all of the other games dried up; the sarcasm and humour became more and more relevant to me as I grew up, and I continued questioning why; I mean, if a disappointment like Monkey Island 2 was made, why couldn't Sam & Max have another adventure?
I got a slight shot to the arm when the TV show came out, but unfortunately something wasn't the same; I think it was the fact that Max seemed to have been put on some kind of medication, as he never even made an attempt to obtain someones internal organs through invasive means. Plus the Commissioner was completely absent, and instead they had some genius girl in a basement. Okay, yes, the show was aimed at the saturday morning crowd, but I don't quite understand why; 'adult' cartoons were just starting off the ground; admittedly, they were generally psychological and surreal, exploring actual mature subjects instead of slapstick violence and humourously shaped vegetables, but what with Duckman's cancellation, the world had a void for a foulmouthed detective that needed to be filled. The show didn't last long, much to my weeping heart.
But the pain ended quickly, as I learned that along with Full Throttle 2, Lucasarts was making Sam & Max 2! Hooray! I couldn't wait, and searched every day for new trailers and concept art until one day I learned that both games had been canceled, due to the designers leaving Lucasarts in a huff. I gave up on seeing Sam and his Lagomorphic sidekick in any new adventures, until yesterday when on a nostalgic search through Demonoid I discovered that not only had the duo been resurrected, but they might actually have some staying power; it turns out that Telltale Games and Gametap are doing episodic releases of new Sam & Max games, which is pretty damn exciting. Of course, I'm rolling my eyes at the episodic thing, as everyone seems to be doing that and it's getting old fast, but at the same time the idea of getting constantly fresh doses of the Freelance Police makes me warm inside. Now let's see if some poor schmuck with try to revive Full Throttle... Current Mood: happy Current Music: Dead Can Dance - Flowers of the Sea
10:29 pm - I live! So my computer finally came to Vancouver; it required a 30 dollar cab ride, a lot of heavy lifting and some painful unpacking, but now I have internet access, and can actually interact with people online again! I really should be sleeping, considering how little sleep I've been getting over the last couple of days, but the novelty of a private, unlimited internet connection will probably keep me up for at least a couple more hours. Speaking of lack of sleep, I'm definitely not regretting this current drowsiness; sure, the consequences suck, but they're well worth it. :P
Yes, I got the part. So, I'm psyched. Apparently, according to Jerry, the writer/director, as soon as I walked into the room on the audition day, I had the part. I was the only Vincent to get a callback, and so I spent 2 1/2 hours doing improv and line readings (plus slap-fighting with Beezer and Mike) for a job I already had. Ha Ha! Time management.
The bad news about the whole thing is that I am going to have to miss a day of school, because my shooting schedule consists of Tuesday, from 8 PM to 8 AM, and Wednesday from 8 PM to 8 AM. Joy! Now, this wouldn't be a problem as school policy states that working within VFS shoots will give me excused absences, except that by auditioning in the first place I actually kind of broke a major rule of the school in terms of auditioning. So, I don't know. On the one hand I want to talk to the admins of the school and get the day off, but at the same time I might get in a lot more shit than if I just don't show up that day.
In all honesty, the script is...bad. And if it wasn't for the fact that I'll get a copy of the film that I can show off, I would totally blow the thing off and focus on school. But this is a REAL shoot! Okay, the film's only about 10 or 15 minutes long, so it's not going to be doing the festival circuit (although it'd be sweet if it did), but I still would like to have that little bit of extra experience (and bragging rights).
In other news, my monologue is not going so well; I have to perform it on Friday, and I only have half of it memorized. I shall see where I am tomorrow, and I might drop out of the competition if I don't at least have the lines.
I am very tired and really want to go to bed, but didn't want to hit the sack without trumpeting my victory from the highest mountains. Go me! Next week is going to be FUCKING HELL!!! Current Mood: Victorious! Current Music: Voltaire - If I Only Were a Goth
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