a weekend's ramblings...

The new Wilco LP, a ghost is born, has been given a rave review over at Stylus (what is it with the small caps in the title?). Having not yet heard it, I cannot judge, but Summerteeth was one of my favourite albums of 99 and YHF was almost as great so I am really looking forward to the new platter when it is released here.

Amusing aside: I was introduced to Wilco by my Dad. Uncle Tupelo, too.

Meanwhile, Spielberg's latest film The Terminal, seems to be getting his worst reviews since Amistad. I found Catch Me If You Can mildly diverting, and greatly enjoyed Minority Report despite its flaws in the last act. It (and A.I.) were probably the most visually inventive sci-fi since Blade Runner.
Anyway, the general consensus seems to critique the lack of political bite in the film, and J Hoberman at the Village Voice correctly ponders what would have Jacques Tati done with the intriguing premise.

I also saw Harry Potter at the weekend and was very impressed, especially upon a bit of reflection. Cuaron infuses a sense of brooding menace that the earlier, forgettable Potter outings lacked, as well as a real sense of wonder. The film was surprisingly slow-paced, with many long takes at a distance, slow fades, and some great compositions and cinematography. It's always refreshing when a high level of artistry (rather than just craftmanship) is found in a Hollywood studio picture.

The Wellington Film Festival guide is out...lots of great stuff (especially animation this year)...will blog about it later.

Sim City

The NYT has a short, but sweet article on the vocabulary of urban sprawl.

Included is one scary, bizarre image. Reticulated splines indeed. One point in that circle layout is much like any other, leading to sense of no place.

I was in Auckland last weekend, and its easy to forget just how big the city is when you don`t live there. Development on the edges of a city is always an issue, and coming from the topographically obsessed Wellington where one is always aware of their place in relation to the city, I felt quite lost out in the wilds of Pakuranga and Howick. The weather was great though.

Definition, declaration, generalisation?

To begin, a declaration:

I tend to prattle on about all and sundry if given space, time and an open ear, and this blog will most likely be similar.

I'm generally better at generalisations than declarations, so expect this blog to reflect my general interests of art & media, architecture & urbanism, film, music, sport, politics, and so forth. Yes, it covers a pretty wide gamut, but then the view up here from my tower is rather expansive...

Out of curiosity, I looked up 'belvedere' in my Penguin Dictionary of Architecture (the one that every first-year arch student buys), and the entry read thus: see GAZEBO
Which seems somewhat appropriate in this day of Changing Rooms and DIY Rescue.