Critics

Everyone is one. Luckily, these guys are good ones.

Novels Aren't As Easy As I Thought

I've been putting off updating the blog recently due to starting out on a long process of writing my own novel just for the fuck of it. It's hard. Like, really hard. A Spanish screenwriter married to the mother from Pan's Labyrinth once told me that you cannot wait for inspiration, and instead must move forward with writing as if it were a job in order to get what you want finished. Taking that advice to heart, I actually managed to produce more finished products (2 short film scripts vs. my 0 finished items before talking with him) than ever before and I'm feeling much better about my career choice.

However, this book proves to be a horse of a different color. So far, I've typed up about 3,000 words worth of outlining and still have 2 more documents to flesh out before I even consider trying to start writing the narrative.

(little image must be clicked)

So, what's next on GT's list of things to do? Get all the back-stories for each character in order, and then do all the research it's going to require to write about certain things in the book itself. What is the subject, you may ask? Well, Post-Apocalyptic fiction, of course. I can't get enough of the stuff.

All this aside, here's some thoughts on some movies:

The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008, Ji-woon Kim)

This "Kimchee Western" (as dubbed so by the director, meaning Korean Western) follows in line with a lot of other foreign efforts at the Western genre. I was discussing the phenomena of the Western abroad with a friend of mine on the way to the theater, and we both shared the surprise at such an "American" genre being so wildly popular across the seas. I suppose I'd equate it to the popularity of Kung Fu flicks here (Hi, Wu-Tang); the difference being that Spagghetti/Kimchee/Japanese Western movies are actually good while American efforts at martial arts often flounders (Lol Ninja).

Good, Bad, Weird is a sprawling tale that centers around an eccentric outlaw who happens upon a treasure map during a train robbery. Multiple groups of people are hot on his tail, all desiring to find the map and the treasure it promises, and what ensues is not only one of the most extravagant Korean films I've ever seen, but one of the best, too. Ji-woon Kim proves again what a talented Director he is (after seeing A Tale of Two Sisters, I was thoroughly impressed with him, and to learn he was doing this film too had me giddy), and Kang-ho Song (of The Host and Thirst fame) steals the show with his performance of "The Weird". If you live in Eugene, go catch this flick at the Bijou as fast as you can before it leaves town. The action is stunning, the acting is comical and yet well done, and the story is engrossing enough that you don't feel the over-2-hour length at all.

I'll give it:

"You're the coldest Korean I've ever met"/10

(Note: If you're looking for more Oriental Western movies, check out Sukiyaki Western Django)

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

I hadn't really thought about how much of a super-nerd I am until the girlfriend and I went on this journey to Middle Earth by marathoning all 3 of these massive movies. Though enthused about the story, it must be said that Gutter Trash has never ever read the Tolkien books and for this, I am very sorry.

The movies are long, much like Frodo's journey with the ring, but you never really feel the length until you glance over at a clock and realize that nearly 3 hours have passed. Jackson built a rich visually enchanting world while at the same time managing to direct the actors to deliver a performance that marks the careers of many of the participants. Obviously someone like Viggo Mortenson has done plenty of other work (all of it good, the guy is so solid) but I'll always think of him as Aragorn, heir to the throne of Gondor.

I know plenty of the lines, I know which parts of Sam and Frodo's journey can be skipped without losing anything (let's be honest, it's usually the most boring part of the story) and get all excited whenever Gimli's kicking ass. A super nerd indeed.

As a side note, while viewing these movies, imagine that Sam and Frodo, Merry and Pippin, and even Legolas and Gimli are gay couples. There's plenty of evidence in the film that could lead to the insinuation of such, and it's fun in a way. Obviously, Tolkien seems to have been ahead of his time in creating the "Bromance" genre without even knowing it. Whoever wrote I Love You, Man owes everything to him.

I'll give the Trilogy:

I cannot jump the distance, you'll have to toss me/10

And that's all for now. Expect an "After" conclusion to the room makeover, more thoughts on movies, and maybe some youtube videos of music in the coming week. For now, this has been your beloved Gutter Trash saying:

Absence Due to Bees

And by bees, I mean the illustrious Vuvuzelas that all of the goddamn fans in South Africa constantly blow during every game of the World Cup 2010.

I know what you're thinking; "But Gutter-Trash, how could these adorable children and their silly instruments be anything but KEWT?!" I'll tell you how. This makes the stadium sound like a beehive, and a fan cannot enjoy the usual cheering, drunken screaming, lewd comments, and best of all, the team chants! It's all drowned out by this nonsense and I wish to all hell it'd fucking stop.

Bees aside, the cup this year has been somewhat of a letdown for me. Not only has England been doing absolutely dismal in the group stage (the part of the cup where each team in a particular group plays everyone else within their group), but Japan lost today, S. Korea lost yesterday, and I'm sure Spain is gonna get buttfucked whenever they choose to play. My bracket is toast. In any case, come on England! Get outta the group stage and do us proud!

[Reading]

I seem to have a knack for seeking out and finding books that have lovely premises and are executed poorly. As you nonexistent readers are sure to remember, my last posting (all those years ago) featured my initial reaction to The Hunger Games, a Battle Royale ripoff novel that I wasn't exactly sure what to make of at the time of writing.

Well I finished it. And goddammit, I want hours of my life back. The writing feels rushed, but then again, the Twilight series of books has somehow managed to be successful and if that's any indication, you can get anything published these days. It's no wonder that the Games has exceeded in drawing in the teenage crowd to young to remember Battle Royale and apparently too stupid to realize when they're being fed utter bollocks. The book clips along fast enough to keep me semi-interested enough to finish, but there was a glaring problem with the entire execution of the narrative. The main character, randomly named Katniss (the fuck? I mean, her "love" interest is named Peeta and shit, but Katniss isn't a tight name), does very little killing in a gameshow centered around just that. Things always seem to fall into place so that our lovely teen heroine can avoid all sorts of nasty situations without drawing blood (I think her kill count at the end was something like... 1 directly, and like 3 from dropping "special mutated hornets" on a pack. Easy way out considering there were 21 contestants to start). C'mon, son, I chose to read this book thinking it would be an interesting first-person narrative about what it takes to kill, the after effects of murdering someone, the hunger and strain a body undergoes in a gameshow like this but what do I get? A love story.

When the author isn't avoiding the only reason her book has a chance of being good, she's making sure to delve into great detail about the makeovers her main character receives when it's time for Katniss's many television interview appearances both before and after the Hunger Games take place. Thanks! I really enjoy reading abou- no I don't, stop that shit. Fuck.

All in all, The Hunger Games certainly doesn't leave me hungry for more.

Holy shit I'm witty.

[Musics]

If you're not aroused by the end of this video, having stared at that CD cover for the 3 minute duration, there's no hope for you. I really wish they would start doing album covers like this again. Just drive the artist out to the middle of nowhere, get him in some denim and make him smile erotically. Come on, Bobby, pretend like you're not about to do loads of coke with Whitney Houston and absolutely tarnish whatever career you had!

This shit is so funky. I'm not into bigger women, and that gap tooth is atrocious, but they sing/flow so well and have such a chemistry that it reminds me I shouldn't be so shallow. I remember waking up in the mornings, turning on MTV, and catching this before High School. Or.. Middle School. Whenever it was. Was it even MTV? Did they ever play Music Videos?

Say bye-bye, liver! TiRon is my favorite up-and-coming artist. It used to be Drake, but he signed with those Young Money clowns and suddenly sucks (not cuz he's popular, alright, I'm not A-Ton! it's just I don't like how he's changing his sound to fit in with theirs.) Ronnie here has lots of energy, a winning smile, and fun ass songs to listen to. Both his mixtapes Ketchup and MSTRD are honest enough and feel like I'm listening to something i can genuinely nod my head to. Dude is dope, you heard it hear second!

I'd link a bunch of other stuff, but I'll save that for when I'm not operating on 4 hours of sleep. Now, on to the final section:

[Living Room Makeover: Gutter Trash Style]

Moving into a new place is hard. If you're a pussy.

I finally got around to getting all the way into my new 1-bedroom spot that's practically on campus, and I'm totally stoked. However, I'm sad to report that my "moved-in" status isn't exactly official, SO, I went to Ikea with the girlfriend on a weekend trip to Portland, made some key purchases and am poised to recreate my living space into something hip, hot, and a dope spot. (I could be a rapper, I swear to God)

Hit the image for the full breakdown of the "Before"

Stay tuned for the after, more music, and some movie reviews!

As always, this is Gutter Trash saying:

Books r Hrad to Raed

My Sony E-Reader's been getting a lot of attention recently, as I've sampled two new (I think) books. I'll tell you about them, get ready!
BUT BEFORE YOU DO THAT:
Alec over at A-Ton is swiftly approaching his 100th post. This monumentous occasion can be found at this location.



Chuck Palahniuk happens to be a great source of inspiration for me, so I've always looked forward to anything he's published. Tell All, his latest novel, was a sleeper release for me, odd since I'm usually on top of everything this man is putting out, but this book caught me completely by surprise.

Headed out to the University of Oregon bookstore and copped this jawnt with the quickness upon learning of it, brought it home and started in. It opens rather confusingly, but this isn't exactly farfetched for a Pala book. However, it kind of keeps that entire motif throughout (and it's only a couple hundred pages).

All things considered, the book was pretty good. The plot is odd enough, but works along with Palahniuk's very unique writing style which makes Tell All pretty fun to read. However, it's not even close to my favorites of his, so I don't know. Wait for this one to hit secondhand bookstores.




If I was a teenage girl, this book would be the shit. Trouble is, I'm not, so this book is shit. It's a Battle Royale-inspired romp coupled with Twilight-esque female protaganist who is a blank slate upon which all the female readers can project upon without fear of interfering with the character developement which happens to be... boring.

When it's not biting Battle Royale, it's ok. I like the premise enough, and the world Collins has created is an interesting and full Dystopia. The prospect of learning more about society in the book's universe, as well as how it came to be that way, is really what keeps me going. That and what I hope will be gory fights pitting youngsters against their peers. I've only plowed through about half of the book, so I can't really tell you how it went as a whole, but if the first half is any indication, you could skip this without missing much.

-GT