The Doom and Gloom Edition

Frédérik SisaOP-ED

In my last column, I chirped optimistically about can-do attitudes. This time around, I’m going to grouse about how the world – not to put too fine a point on it – sucks.

Let’s start with Iraq. A study recently published by Mother Jones and conducted by research fellows at the Center on Law and Security at the NYU School of Law concludes that the number of global terror attacks has increased as a result of the Iraq war. (http://www.motherjones.com/news) Studies by the U.S. State Dept. also indicate a rise in terror attacks. (http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt/2006/)

Bargain-Basement Nihilism — ’28 Weeks Later’

Frédérik SisaA&E

We’ve seen this kind of ending before; the standard horror movie type ending. It’s the last few shots of a horror film in which, after the protagonists survive a horrific ordeal, a predictable “twist” places their happy ending into question. Why this sort of “resolution” attracts horror filmmakers is open to interpretation. Perhaps it’s to make more money by leaving open the possibility of a sequel, despite the fact that films like the “Alien” trilogy (I’m ignoring the fourth) show how unnecessary open-ends are for making sequels. Or perhaps they think it’s frightening, as if fictional characters on a movie screen can ever engender anything other than fictional fear.

‘Tideland,’ the Overlooked Almost-Masterpiece

Frédérik SisaA&E

Terry Gilliam’s “Tideland” – an adaptation of Mitch Cullins’s book – pretty much flew under the radar, never really getting into wide release. A critical roasting probably didn’t help. Rottentomatoes.com’s freshness rating for the movie is 28 percent, with the grim consensus summary for the naysaying majority reading “disturbing, and mostly unwatchable.”

Bring Back That Can-Do Attitude!

Frédérik SisaOP-ED

If I understand fiscal conservatism correctly – in a broad sense – there are a few common-sense principles underlying a sensible economy. Don’t spend more than you earn. If you do, pay back what you owe. When you have a surplus, spend modestly and don’t forget to save – there’s a future to think about. Of course, sacrifice is sometimes necessary. Deferred gratification. Sacrifice now, reap the rewards later.

These are sensible notions, of course, and it should come as no surprise that they actually apply to more than economics. Or, to be more precise, they also apply to economics as defined more broadly than just money. When we recognize how our quality of life depends not only on how much we get paid to do our jobs and how we spend our money, but also how we do our jobs, we recognize how the seemingly tangential can actually be very relevant.

Seeing ‘The Invisible’

Frédérik SisaA&E

Invisibility makes for a pretty strong metaphor for teenaged alienation. In a “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” episode, for example, a socially invisible teen becomes, quite literally, invisible – and more than a bit nuts as a result. “The Invisible,” a remake of a Swedish movie that is itself based on a book, doesn’t follow the same slasher-ish route, but has an invisible teen concept whose pedigree could very well include “Ghost,” “The Others,” and, vaguely, “The Sixth Sense.” Bright student Nick Powell (Chatwin) finds his metaphorical invisibility realized when circumstances leave his body dying and his consciousness wandering around like a wraith, unable to interact with anyone or anything. Stuck trying to figure out a way to get himself rescued so he could rejoin the world of the living, Nick contends not only with his mother or learning how his peers really feel about him, but trying to reach out to the violent and volatile girl (Levieva) whose actions put Nick in his predicament.

Visiting the Underworld

Frédérik SisaA&E

In the wake of New York World Dance’s Gothic Bellydance DVD comes Bellydance Underworld, a production that comes not from the East Coast, but from our own neck of the woods, courtesy of the Hollywood Music Center. Right off the bat, before even watching the program, there are good omens aplenty. Ariellah – the highlight of Gothic Bellydance – as the dancer ushering in the program is most definitely one. The musical choice of Jill Tracy’s Doomsday Serenade for Tempest’s performance is another.

The good news is that Bellydance Underworld lives up to the anticipation. To start with, the production quality is dead-on and professional. Actual sets are provided for the dancers; oriental rugs, drapes, assorted ornaments. Combined with kinetic lighting and the occasional smoke effect, the dancers are offered atmospheric, evocative environments for their performances. In a similar vein, Vigen Khatchatourian’s direction certainly has a music-video flair – doubled images, quick cuts – but doesn’t get carried away by silly camera tricks and overly flashy editing.

Mr. Sisa, on the Left, Says, ‘You’re Promoting Guns by Blaming Victims

Frédérik SisaOP-ED

In reading reactions to the Virginia Tech shootings from the gun lobby and their pop-conservative cheerleading squad – everyone from Michelle Malkin and John Derbyshire to Tom DeLay – I’ve seen first-hand how there isn’t a line of reasoning that, to these people, won’t culminate in the conclusion that we need more guns. For example:

All men are mortal.

Socrates is a man.

Therefore, Socrates needs more guns.

Gore in This New Movie Is Unrelated to Global Warming

Frédérik SisaA&E

Two words describe “Hot Fuzz,” the latest film by the people who brought us “Shaun of the Dead.” The first is unprintable in polite society. The second is “hysterical.” Why is difficult to explain without spoiling the experience or taking yet another pedantic detour into how subjective humor is.

I could start with the basics: “Hot Fuzz” is superbly directed by Edgar Wright, offering zippy camera work that clicks with a dynamic editing style. The film looks good, flows well, and succeeds at being riveting from beginning to end. From a writing standpoint, Wright and co-writer Simon Pegg hit the nail right on the head, which is a rather obvious thing to say given this review’s opening paragraph. As for the performances, well, there’s certainly nothing to complain about. Headliners Pegg and Nick Frost demonstrate the same fizzy chemistry they shared in “Shaun of the Dead,” and are supported by a cast so accustomed to doing a bang-up job – need I sing the praises the Jim Broadbent? – it almost seems redundant to point it out.

The Tyranny of Pop-Ideology

Frédérik SisaOP-ED

Despite my occasional writing on the topic, I’ve discovered that I never really answered, to my satisfaction, a simple question: What the bleep are conservatism and liberalism?

As I thought about it, I remembered something from The American Conservative – a discussion, as it happens, on whether the terms “liberal” and “conservative” are still useful. http://www.amconmag.com

Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the participating authors couldn’t quite agree. See for yourself at the link above; it’s great reading. Even more fascinating are the consequences of that utter lack of consensus. We’re still no closer to defining conservatism or liberalism, and we have to wonder what, exactly, the punditry – that vast media machine of opinion-peddling – is blabbing on about when they rail against “liberals” or “conservatives.”

Two Incidents Involving Religion

Frédérik SisaOP-ED

The intersection of religious belief and human behavior is, of course, not the only thing to fit in the category of things that make me shake my head in puzzlement. But it sure can take the cake. For example: As reported by Agence France-Presse, Elizabeth Hurley and her new husband Arun Hayar could face up to three years in jail in India for the way they carried out their wedding at a Rajastan fort in Jodhpur. Why? Because a Jodhpur resident – after seeing the photographs taken by Hello! Magazine in exclusive coverage worth $3.9 million – felt their wedding mocked the Hindu religion, which is a crime under Indian criminal law. “I want them to be severely punished,” devout Hindu Vishnu Khandelwal told Agence France-Presse. He was reportedly upset by pictures showing them drinking alcohol prior to the ceremony and kissing near the sacred ceremonial fire. This, in addition to Hurley allegedly wearing leather shoes near said fire, a big no-no in a country for whom cows are sacred, and failing to convert to Hinduism. And the cherry on the icing, according to Khandelwal: “They sat on a sofa and they were supposed to sit on the floor.”