Odd Drawing, and a Lot of Poorly-Edited Writing.

Since I do a lot of this drawing while watching DVD movies, and I’m trying to get back into typing more (funny for a writer, but typing in a long-winded computer “journal” was another form of relaxation for me, akin to these sketches.) But lately, I’ve been only writing notes in my book, and typing for work. And also, leaving comments in other people’s blogs.

I’ve decided, at least for now (because these decisions don’t always take), to try more written material. Don’t know if the few visitors who come here to look at pictures will want to read. I usually don’t want to read long articles in other people's blogs, unless something is absurdly entertaining. Here, at times, I feel, this blog is anti-entertainment: look at the effort I put into an unpleasant drawing, for instance, rather than trying to please the eye.

This is a long way of saying, I want to try more film reviews. Believe it or not, I used to be a professional reviewer. Back in the day, in the Calgary Sun, and numerous book and art magazines. The review below is very rambling, but maybe I’ll sharpen up. That feels a lot like work, however. On to the film:

Watched the movie Stoned last night, about the late Brian Jones, founder of the Rolling Stones. Kind of a wasted opportunity, in that it was mainly a dragging tale of dissipation, on the order of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” when it could have shown more of what made the man an artist. The only hint of that we get is the bit in Marrakesh, when he’s listening to the pipes which sounds like the ones in “Paint it Black.”

But they don’t play that song, and you have to figure that out yourself, and pick up on the dozens of references which are apparently scattered throughout the film. What we see on the screen seems to be the same, and more of the same. Some very obvious lines from characters explain things, but that only makes it more stupid. There was interesting interaction between the builder and Jones (gay? Repressed? – that would be too simple!), but I wish they had gone into it more. As it is, it only seems that the drugs take a toll. Maybe he’s jealous of the girlfriend. Anyhow, the stupid, obvious parts push you away from it, like the symbolism of the house falling apart as the builder’s life goes downhill. And, he didn’t seem terribly affected by it all. The murder seems to be a bit of bullying and homophobia, which wasn’t prepared for by the story.

Interesting how completely forgotten Brian Jones is, even though he basically put together one of the most famous rock groups in history. The Stones go on, but there isn’t even some sort of mythology about him. The deleted scenes on the DVD show him with a little bit of talent, and I liked the aspects of surrealism, the actors, and the art direction.