Labyrinth Of Fiction And Reality

This spanish movie managed to gain lots of attention and some well-deserved Oscar nominations. Indeed, its climb in imdb's top movie list is very impressive. Given my attraction to fantasy- related movies, I naturally checked it out. The pleasant surprise was that "Pan's Labyrinth" uses its fantasy elements in a very original way. Fantasy movies usually have very realistic messages or very strong allegories. In this case, we have a fantasy that is only a by-product of a very realistic story and empty of most meaning on its own. This is something that one can be very critical of, since the movie's main attraction are the special effects of its fantasy aspect. However, meaning and imagery are not qualities that are required to be present in a uniform way in order for a movie to achieve its purpose.
To be more specific, "Pan's Labyrinth" deals with a young girl's fascination with fairytales and the way this fascination is put to use when her life in fascism-plagued Spain takes an unpleasant turn. The realistic part of the movie is very reminiscent of some greek movies with similar theme. The portrayal of the dictators' evil and the rebels' heroics is very simple and direct, but also very effective. The fantasy part of the movie is there just to amaze the viewer with beautiful and/or disturbing images. It is very effective in this as well. The lack of a deeper message is no drawback. The sadness of the story, coupled with the original use of fantasy elements more than make up for it. Even though I hesitate to call it a masterpiece, it appears that internet movie-lovers seem to think so. I urge you to decide for yourself.

Not Quite In Portland... *spoilers*

It's been 3 months without "Lost". Some people were frustrated, some were waiting patiently, some forgot the show's existence. It's too early to say whether this long break was as good an idea as it first seemed. What's pretty safe to say is that those who are really into the show's spirit and pace will not be disappointed by the returning episode.
Juliet, the seemingly cold and determined Other, gets her first flashback where we learn that she is not who we think she is. There are several new things we learn in this episode, and several new questions arise (as always) :
The Others are not above using aggressive brainwashing technics. What we don't know is for what purpose and why poor Karl?
Alex is Ben's daughter. Adopted daughter of course, because we know she is Danielle's daughter and Danielle was pregnant when she arrived on the island. Alex probably ignores Danielle's very existence. It is mysterious though that she would turn out to be so rebellious considering she was raised by the leader himself.
Finally, we learn why Juliet wants Ben dead, or we can begin to suspect why. She was manipulated into joining the Others' jolly team of scientists and has been a prisoner on the island for three years, forced to abandon her life and her pregnant sister. We also see that she is not above murder to accomplish her escape from the island, removing that annoying Picket from the picture.
In the end, the status changes once again. Kate and Sawyer find their way back to the home island, and Karl joins the castaways. Let's hope the brainwashing didn't erase some valuable info he could have about the Others. Jack remains a prisoner and we can't be sure what Ben's reaction will be to his ploy that freed Kate and Sawyer.
We will learn soon enough. Lost is on every week until the season finale. Finally!

Anneke FTW!

The Gathering is one very special band. It's been a long time since they first popularized the concept of woman-fronted metal band, and it's now quite a common phenomenon. But that's not why they're special. It is because ever since Anneke Van Giersbergen joined the band in 1995, they make their own unique way in music. Sometimes dark, sometimes happy, sometimes heavy and sometimes mellow, but always making you sing. I had seen them live in 1998, so it was definitely time for refreshing my memory. It would be a shame to miss this concert.
Maybe my preconception that concert attraction has dropped is mistaken, but Ydrogeios Club was fully packed. It would be nicer to have more space to move, but that's where my complaints end. The band's sound was great, and I found that many new songs sound a lot better live. Anneke is the kind of frontwoman who tries to keep a low profile but fails utterly. She's not the most beautiful woman out there, true, but it's hard not to be adored by the fans when her expressions and her movements are so cute, and her smile so enchanting. What's more amazing is her crystal-clear voice that is at the same level it was 12 years ago (if not better). The woman simply delivered the goods and made the cd recordings sound poor.

As for the setlist, and I know I speak for the majority of the greek fans, it couldn't be better. "Shortest Day", "Waking Hour", "Monsters", "Liberty Bell", "Leaves", "Probably Built In The 50s" (awesome!), "Even The Spirits Are Afraid", "Saturnine", "Great Ocean Road"...I sure am forgetting some, but the encore was unforgettable : "Eleanor", "In Motion #1" and "Strange Machines" (I'm sure they knew they couldn't get out of there without playing it!).

In the video, a song from the concert (thanx to RoughSilk!). Enjoy!

Death By Black Hole

That's the title of Neil deGrasse Tyson's new book, and here's a video of his appearance in the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Tyson also gave an awesome speech at last year's "Beyond Belief" conference. Watch the video, it is simply hilarious!