LIST: Nine Most Disturbing Films

WARNING: The following article contains some frank discussion regarding the peak of disturbing cinema.


The review for A Serbian Film has gotten a lot of feedback from readers. Many have requested a list of other disturbing films. Of course, making such a list might seem pointless. After all, if you have seen A Serbian Film, there is really nothing as disturbing as that. If you are on a quest to see the "most disturbing film," you've already reached the end of the journey.

Nonetheless, let us assume you want to some disturbing films with some value aside from whether or not they are the "most disturbing ever," since even I can admit that watching movies for that reason alone is kind of crass.

So, after much consideration, I hereby present the following list of the "Most Disturbing Films." Now everyone's idea of "disturbing" is different, and a few criteria have been used here. These fit into the "disturbing violence" category, and are not disturbing for other reasons. For example, the film Kids is disturbing, for reasons other than overt violent content, but a film like that will not appear on this list. Also, the movie must be "good" in addition to being disturbing. There are all too many movies that are just "gross" but they aren't any good, so who cares?


9. CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST

Our first entry in this list is borderline trash. On the surface, it's a rather exploitative and distasteful horror film. On a deeper level... well, it's pretty much the same. Yet it does create a genuine sense of horror that is missing from more polished works. The faux documentary style is very effective and creates a compelling narrative structure.

This film has been banned in numerous countries. One of the reasons is that real animals were killed on film. Not being a believer in animal rights at all, I am not hugely concerned by the fact that they killed animals on film and then ate them. Although it is certainly gross when they cut apart the turtle and eat it.

Instead, the main boost to the disturb-o-meter is that there are many scenes of legendary graphic horror -- there is a disturbing abortion ritual, a rape committed with some crude implement, the victim of a gruesome impalement, and the chaotic climax where bloodthirsty cannibals converge on the film crew. There is also interesting fact that the "civilized" people are painted as the real monsters for the bulk of the film. They run around razing, raping, and killing with apparent glee. That is more disturbing in some ways than cannibals simply eating people.


8. CUTTING MOMENTS





This shocking short film is a nightmarish parody of suburban life. It's not entirely clear to me what the meaning of this film is, but it scarred me deeply nonetheless. It depicts a dysfunctional family where the mother seems distraught by a lack of family communication and profound lack of affection from her husband. It is not explicitly stated, but it is implied that the husband has a sick interest in his son. Somehow, this evolves into a situation where the wife feels the only way to provoke her husband's lust is to mutilate herself, which, strangely, seems to work. It culminates in graphic mutilation during sex, leaving you with a shocking image you won't soon forget. If this movie doesn't make you cringe, you are way too jaded.


7. I STAND ALONE

Gaspar Noe is an outlaw director. His films provoke powerful responses, both positive and negative. Of the two films of his that appear on this list, I Stand Alone is the inferior of the two. Arguably, however, it is higher on the disturb-o-meter. Maybe. The amount of violence in this film is pretty low. However, the acts of violence themselves are extreme. The protagonist beats his pregnant girlfriend, punching her repeatedly in the abdomen while declaring, "Your baby's hamburger meat now!" He later envisions a sick violent fantasy in which he murders his disabled daughter to "protect her" or some such nonsense. All this is bad enough, but the reason this is really offensive is just because the main character is quite possibly the most awful person I have ever seen on film. He hates everything -- his life, his job, his girlfriend, and really all the people around him. He blames everyone else for his misery, but he lacks the maturity to recognize that he is responsible for his own failures. The film is largely narrated by this guy, who you have to follow along with the supremely spiteful But wait! Even this man, so consumed with loathing for self and others, manages to show love and tenderness at the end -- albeit not in a way that people should be showing their love. So might we venture to say that this film has a 'happy' ending? Well, that might be too much of a stretch...

6. ANTICHRIST

Much has been said about the graphic sex and violence in Antichrist. It is certainly disturbing in a profound way (especially for a dude) when a man's testicles are smashed with a block of wood, and has a hole drilled through his leg. Likewise, it is extra nasty when a woman jerks off her tortured husband and makes him ejaculate blood.But the disturbing-factor with Antichrist goes much deeper than graphic depictions of physical abuse. The "therapy" that the husband provides to his wife before things turn violent but there is the "therapy" the husband provides to his wife, which seems to be a form of subtle emotional abuse. Although they have lost their son to a tragic accident, he seems to imply she is wrong to be traumatized. In the twisted Bizarro world of Antichrist, the one spouse torments the other with rationalizations and psychobabble rather than provide emotional support for the death of a child.

5. MEN BEHIND THE SUN



Supposedly based on the true story of a Japanese prison camp in China during World War II, this film depicts shocking medical experiments. In terms of nasty graphic gruesomeness, this film is hard to beat. There is what appears to be actual autopsy footage, an especially gross scene involving a pressure chamber, and the classic "cat scene" in which hundreds of swarming rats attack a cat. This film is actually pretty decent overall, as it is also an important reminder of the true evil that manifests during war and conquest.

4. SALO, OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM

If ever there was a film to make one feel miserable about humanity, this is it! A bunch of fascist assholes round up a group of teens and take them to a castle for several days of diabolic torture and rape. This film is actually not all that graphic and explicitly violent compared to other films on this list. There is mutilation, murder, forced coprophagia, and sexual assaults, but the depictions are not as bad as you might imagine... Still, few movies are more upsetting than Salo. I think this is because it depicts villains so utterly drunk with power that nothing is beyond the pale to them.

3. IRREVERSIBLE




Not only is this movie disturbing, it is amazingly powerful on an emotional level. It is a "rape & revenge" movie told in reverse, so it starts with the revenge and then moves through the events that led up to it. But the "revenge" is not satisfying, and the rape is even more awful when you get to the last scene in the film (the first scene in the story). For a more comprehensive review, see here.


2. HENRY - PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER



This is the best serial killer movie you will ever see. It does not have a lot of graphic violence, although the home invasion scene is truly harrowing. Instead, it is disturbing because it just seems so... realistic? I mean, I don't know any real serial killers, but Henry seems like the real deal. Yes, you could watch the August Underground series for the most gruesome and "shocking" serial killer movies, but those are just disgusting trash. They aren't disturbing in any serious way. Henry is subtly and profoundly disturbing, from the simple way he coldly stalks strangers as potential victims to how he plans to avoid capture to his actual carrying out of murder. The shoe-string budget actually gives more credence to the whole realistic atmosphere.


1. A SERBIAN FILM

See my review. What more can be said? You would never think that a horror film with such depravity could be good at all. But it is a great film in its own way, and there is nothing more intensely shocking and disturbing.

X. SAILOR MOON R - THE MOVIE

After watching all these messed up movies, you will need something that makes you feel good about life. Something that shows the power of kindness and friendship. Plus you will need epic anime battles to make it awesome. So watch this movie. BUT FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, don't watch the American version. It's for whiny little losers. JAPANESE ORIGINAL ONLY.

BOOK REVIEW: The Stone Angel, by Margaret Laurence

"The most unbelievably awful book ever written -- THINK OF THE CHILDREN!"

Poor Canadian kids in the PRISONS otherwise known as ALBERTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS. They are forced to read this book. Pardon my language, but giving the title of "shittiest fucking book ever" to The Stone Angel is not a stretch. I have read some truly bad novels in my time, but The Stone Angel is simply horrifying. Never has there been a more repulsive protagonist than Hagar, a neurotic, arrogant, despicable old woman. The book is told in a series of intermittent flashbacks that seem pointless in conjunction with Hagar's current situation (which is that her family wants to put her in a nursing home). Hell, she is so miserable and and disgusting that instead of a nursing home, they should put her in a barn.

At first I was mildly interested by the florid writing style, but the book soon made me numb (it actually caused me physical pain). The reason for this is that the Hagar of The Stone Angel's story is the most repulsive fictional creation I've ever beheld. Hagar's bloated idiocy renders her ineffably repellent after just a few chapters. Vivid descriptions of her rotting bowels spewing putrid gas is just nasty. Yet most chapters put forth considerable description of her nasty flatulence. Yuck. Being 90 years old, her thoughts and dialogue are completely separated from reason, destroying any interest a person could have in the progress of the story. Her flashbacks further reinforce her overweening nature. There are no flashbacks of when she was a nice young lady -- she was miserable and arrogant always. I suppose this book has merit if you wish to enter the mind of a 90-year old arrogant woman whose logical faculties have been shattered, but who really wants to read about that? I mean, subject is not inherently uninteresting, but this character is just gross. Sure it's realistic (for which some reviews have credited it), but why on earth does anyone care about a cantankerous old hag with bowel problems? Talk about the ultimate anti-hero!

By the end of the novel, Hagar recognizes that she is a loathsome human being and attempts to reconcile that fact with herself. However, all throughout the book, there is no indication that this realization is flowering. All of a sudden, it just occurs spontaneously. Such a hackneyed literary attempt at character revelation. This is both incredibly unrealistic and incredibly disappointing for a reader who has put up with the dross of this novel for 250 pages (give or take). Apparently Laurence realized that her character was beyond hope so she endeavored to hammer in an epiphany that could justify her tedious banter that protracted the horrible, horrible book.

Some will surely argue that the book deserves stars for style and canny art sensibility. I disagree. Stylistic merit is only a virtue when anchored by a story and characters that don't sicken the person reading the book. This book belongs in the garbage and all remaining copies should be rounded up and destroyed. This book proves the necessity of abolishing public schools. The damage done to children's minds by forcing them to read about a farting old hag is just too great to ignore.

MUSIC REVIEW: Rush - A Farewell to Kings

"Add this to a list of 'Rush's Best.'"


While 2112 was the first Rush song I ever heard, A Farewell To Kings was the first Rush album I owned (the store didn't have 2112 at the time). Sentimentally, it's a favorite because it was among my first progressive rock albums, but beyond the gushiness I still love this album because it's great music.

For a band that critics hated, Rush had quite a following at this point, picking up numerous fans who'd been dazzled by the band's stunning musicianship, philosophical reflection typically disguised as fantasy/sci-fi stories (but not always...sometimes it was just a story), and the fact that they freakin' rocked. A Farewell To Kings produced one of the band's most popular songs, "Closer to the Heart," which continues to receive the attention of classic rock radio stations all over the place. I don't use superlatives too much, but I must say that this is the best rock song under three minutes EVER. The socially conscious title track squeezes a lot of "progression" into a 5 minute song. The highlights of this album are the mesmerizing epic "Xanadu" and the rockin' space adventure known as "Cygnus X-1, Book I." Even though the latter is best appreciated as a precursor to the phenomenal "Hemispheres," it's a great song even on its own. The first movement is ominous, the second is catchy and exciting, and the third is an insane rhythmic assault underscoring Lee's screaming vocals.

Finally, like most of Rush's work, this really doesn't sound dated at all, despite being released in the late 70s. Timeless music is great music!

Critics are retarded. Rush rules. Or something. But I'm pretty sure I'm right.

MUSIC REVIEW: Power of Metal [compilation]

"Awesome live Conception tracks."

I am a sick, sick Conception fan, evidenced by the fact that I paid an insane amount of money just to get the five Conception songs on this disc. Now this release is totally obscure and out of print. But if you can get lucky enough to find it, AND you are a mad Conception fiend, you need it. Hearing Conception live just affirms their stature as one of my favorite bands. Vocalist Khan doesn't seem like the kind of guy who'd be powerful in the live forum, but he rocks. All of these overt metal tracks are from the band's CD, Parallel Minds, which rocks, although the studio versions seem tepid in comparison to the awesome live ones. I know nothing about the other bands, so I won't comment, but I don't listen to them anyway. If you're a sick, twisted Conception fan like myself, get this. I will use the argument of intimidation: If you don't this, you aren't a *real* Conception fan (hehe).

MUSIC REVIEW: Buckethead - Monsters & Robots

"A truly great guitar player."

As a music lover I admire technical guitar albums that do nothing but show off amazing skill. Still, as a listener, I get a bit impatient with such indulgence if the songwriting isn't good. That is why listening to Buckethead's music is such a pleasure for me. He'll stun you with technique, but he'll also catch your ear with his great melodies. Beyond the thrash, funk, and rock you might except from Buckethead, things gets pretty weird too. Rap? Kung-fu music? Only Buckethead can take these things and combine them into a successful product like this. Awesome songs, awesome talent. Buckethead is da man.

MUSIC REVIEW: Vanden Plas - Far Off Grace

"Fine music, unfortunate singer."

Vanden Plas lingers in the ether realm between progressive metal and power metal, with tendency to lean more to the former, although some of the arrangements favor the forthright approach of the latter. Their musicianship shines and they incorporate some interesting ideas into their music. Being the fastidious listener I am, I found several deleterious factors beyond the prima facie virtues. My biggest problem with the album is the vocalist (and I'm really picky about that). He's a decent singer I guess. I just can't stretch myself to say he fits Vanden Plas' heavy, aggressive musical direction. His range is terribly thin, leaving him with a high, impotent sound. So, while he sings well, he lacks a fierceness that would have fit the music, or a soaring quality found in singers like James LaBrie and Geoff Tate.

The music, however, shines. Mostly. Well, sometimes. It features some beautiful piano quotes and some cool touches (like the Eastern influence of "Fields of Hope") among the fiery, relentlessly crunchy riffs. Even so, much of the music is disappointingly straightforward, almost mechanical in the way the band executes riff after riff with the requisite synthed accompaniment (which rarely adds anything to the song). Nearly every song is 5-6 minutes, which hardly keeps the album fresh from track to track...especially with music like this. Combined with the kind of muddy guitar tone, the things quickly grow tiresome. The corny ballad "I Don't Miss You" is totally lame.

Far Off Grace is might be worth checking out if you're into this kind of music (I know I am), but that recommendation doesn't change my admonition. Wimpy vocals and general tedium undermine the album's quality. Too bad.

MUSIC REVIEW: Ice Age - The Great Divide

"A band with promise."

These days, the most difficult challenge for a progressive rock/metal band is finding its own unique sound. While some bands succeed, but most fail. While Ice Age fails to generate originality, they are good musicians and they write good songs, evoking I&W-era Dream Theater (lots of string synths, keyboard-guitar unison lines) at times and Rush at others. The production, while muddy at times, complements the band's energy. The vocalist has talent, and at times he sounds great, but there's times when he tries to sing beyond his abilities (not cool).

"Perpetual Child," a heavy and crunchy song seething with energy... energy that much of the album lacks. Hard to follow up a song that good. That's not to say there's no other impressive material here. "Spare Chicken Parts," while perhaps unfocused and too ostentatious, is an exciting instrumental. "Ice Age" is great hard-edged progressive music, with all it's varied constituents molded together nigh-perfectly. "To Say Goodbye" is the appropriately grand album closer (lots of great piano in this one). (Note that these are all the album's longest songs, totaling nearly 40 minutes.)

I haven't really warmed up to the rest of the album. Maybe I won't. Although the band is skilled, I find the shorter songs fail to be all that stimulating. It appears that when the band is not writing epic pieces with ambition and lush orchestrations, they meet with less success. Still, this is a worthwhile album that makes a good impression, for the most part. I've heard that the band's follow-up, Liberation, is much better than this one, and I'm inclined to check it out. The Great Divide shows a band with promise, so it would be no surprise that Liberation reveals flowering ability.

MUSIC REVIEW: Queensryche - Empire

"Empire is commercial, and darn good too."

Many of the Queensryche fans who loved the band for their heavy metal days despise this album, but that doesn't change the fact that one of the most listenable rock albums of the 90s. Yes, Queensryche went commercial, but they maintained their high standard of excellence that made them so distinguished when they were a brash heavy metal band. Other metal bands went commercial, and they turned into crap. Queensryche remained excellent... at least at first. Geoff Tate sings in lower ranges this time around (making the band's music more accessible to those outside of the heavy metal crowd), and his emotional clarity and skill that made him one of the best metal singers carries over and makes him one of the best rock vocalists. The band shows tremendous versatility in crossing over to the mainstream. Chris DeGarmo, the group's principal writer, has a keen sense of balancing commercial appeal with quality. It really shows here.

"Anybody Listening?" is my favorite song here. Slow and heavy, it is an introspective examination of the loneliness and sadness that accompanies life in the spotlight. It ranks "up there" with my other favorite 'Ryche songs, "Roads to Madness" and "Eyes of a Stranger." "Silent Lucidity" (about dream control, of all things) is the group's best-known song, and it resonates emotion with simple yet exquisite musicianship, validating the fact that a band smacked into the "heavy metal" genre can still write beautiful music. In fact, all the songs here evince astute emotional expression. Although I've never liked "One and Only" due to cheese-factor, the rest of this album is truly some of the best hard rock you'll ever hear.

MUSIC REVIEW: Yes - Fragile

"Close to the zenith."

Behind all the Jon Anderson jokes, the derision from the critics, and perplexing lyrics is one of the best progressive rock bands ever. Fragile was the album that really concretized the band as an estimable member of the progressive elite. A few steps up from The Yes Album, Fragile has the band incorporating more complexity, and more ambition into their songs. With new recruit Rick Wakeman on keys, the band was slowly revealing the extent of their musical aspiration.

Not including the individually performed pieces, there are only four songs on this album. "Heart of the Sunrise" features a crushing rhythmic attack from Squire and Bruford, and combined with the quieter vocal passages, it makes for the most interesting song on the album. "Roundabout" proves that progressive rock can be catchy and fun. Squire shows incredible dexterity on the song's main bass lick, Howe's guitar simply rocks, and Wakeman's solo soars. It was the radio edit of this track that introduced a whole new legion of fans to Yes' music. They bought Fragile, liked the full version of "Roundabout," and liked the rest of the album. The individual pieces are interesting, although Bruford's is over so fast I barely realize it's gone by. Squire's "The Fish" (which shows just how versatile the bass guitar can be) and Howe's "Mood for a Day" (graceful, unaccompanied classical guitar) are my favorites of these.

With the next album, Close To The Edge, the band's progressive enterprise would flower completely and they'd create what I think is their best album. Although CTTE's greatness overshadows Fragile (and almost anything, for that matter), Fragile holds a special place in the Yes catalogue because of its fine balance of accessible songcraft and progressive elements.

MUSIC REVIEW: Yes - The Yes Album

"Prog greatness begins."

With this album, Yes asserted itself as a band that would quickly become one of the most important progressive rock bands ever. The Yes Album was the first in a string of stunning progressive albums (that ended with Going for the One) that all merit deference. While The Yes Album is not as experimental as Relayer, or as epic as Close to the Edge, the songwriting, while progressive, is still accessible and engaging. The addition of guitarist Steve Howe was significant, for he became one of the band's most important songwriters. Chris Squire's bass guitar is unique in sound and use. Is it a rhythm or a lead instrument? It's both, really. At the same time, Bruford's jazzy drumming, and Anderson's catchy vocals contribute to this great disc. And while keyboardist Tony Kaye isn't the virtuoso that is Rick Wakeman, his contributions work effectively in context with these songs, which are more subtle than, say, "The Revealing Science of God."

The album has its share of classics, from the grandiose and mesmerizing "Starship Trooper" to the hook-soaked "I've See All Good People." (Most people know the latter because Part I gets a lot of classic radio play...but they're missing the great jamming in Part II.) The songs are all fairly in-depth compositions but they are catchy as well. "Yours Is No Disgrace," with crazy lyrics and rockin' prog-i-tude, is one of the most exciting opening prog tracks of the 70s. More than 30 years after this album was recorded, I can listen to these songs and they still sound fresh. It really hasn't dated at all.

MUSIC REVIEW: Spiral Architech - A Sceptic's Universe

"Anarchist metal."

Spiral Architect doesn't dig the concept of "boundaries" or progressive metal convention. They don't play by the rules. Deep, mega-complex, absorbing...not easy listening, and honestly it has taken a long, long time for me to even get sucked in by its excellence. Focus often hovers around the phenomenal bass playing of Lars Norsberg, and though your attention will often be focused on him, you'll also want to lend an ear to the amazing musicians complementing. Thinking man's metal? Hell yeah, even if you're Einstein. But you know what? Other than the heaviness, the vocals, and the general instrumentation, it resembles jazz-fusion more than it does your usual prog metal. Neil Kernon produced it, which is an accolade in itself. Buy it.

MUSIC REVIEW: Conception - Parallel Minds

"Great, but less ingenious than other Conception albums."

I didn't discover Conception until recently, and it was quite a discovery. The Last Sunset, Conception's impressive debut, featured many typical characteristics of a band's first record. While it shows a bit of youthful naiveté and enthusiasm, sometimes an imbalance between ambition and songwriting, but nonetheless, it is an excellent, distinctive release. Parallel Minds, Conception's second release, shows the band's budding maturity that would come to full bloom on the subsequent In Your Multitude and especially Flow.

Parallel Minds' rhythms are fairly straightforward, and song diversity is a slight problem, but it's still a great metal album. It has a solid punch of insatiable riffing, fiery tempos, and impassioned vocals (Roy Khan is one of the best voices in metal, in my opinion). The progressive tendencies demonstrated in the debut are more interesting this time around, especially in the 9-minute piece "Soliloquy," which offers a ferocious mix of ardent guitars, piano, and a mix of loud and quiet passages. Other than the largely acoustic ballad "Silent Crying," most of the tracks are carnivorous metal cuts. Check out the menacing riffs of "Wolf's Lair," the chugging viciousness of "Roll the Fire," or the crushing title track. You'll see what I mean.

I believe all Conception albums are now out of print. Even if it takes a bit more work than normal, I recommend hunting down all four of their releases.

MUSIC REVIEW: Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee

"Music doesn't get any better."

Toy Matinee is really nothing more than a highly sophisticated pop record, although its sublime excellence goes far beyond anything like it. Kevin Gilbert and Patrick Leonard have an unmatched sense of melody and canny pop sensibility, and -- with plenty of diversity from song to song -- they've whipped up the perfect album. I find this album's greatness impossible to express. Quite simply, the ears hear what words cannot describe. The English language would need countless synonyms for "great," but it wouldn't be enough.

I'd like to say more, but little comes to mind. Every song offers here something different and exciting, and every facet of the album is flawless. It's well-composed, well-crafted, clever, charming, and...perfect. Certainly one of the best albums I own.

(Note: Kevin Gilbert was by far one of the most gifted musicians around, and his untimely death is truly a loss to the world. Check out Gilbert's other albums, Thud and The Shaming of the True, the former being great and the latter being an unequivocal masterpiece.)

FILM REVIEW: A Serbian Film

"The most powerful horror film."

Where do you even start with a review for this movie? This might not even qualify as a "review" in the typical sense.

Well to explain the paradigm from which I'm coming from, let me say I've always had a fascination with violence and "disturbing content" on film and in the media. So I've seen a lot of "horror movies" but also a lot of other weird and/or disturbing things. I've explored the worst of the worst but virtually never is there a film where violence is used to inflict really, really soul-scarring damage. That is because, you see, most "extreme" violence films are what I would call "trashy". This can refer to the poor quality of their presentation, but more often it refers to a type of attitude about violence.

Violence used for entertainment, I think, is perfectly okay and sometimes very awesome. On the other hand, violence in film can be a tool for evoking a different emotional effect has an entirely different impact on us as a viewer. And I have always been interested in this latter use of violence. I don't know why. Humans have always had that curiosity, they just externalize it differently. For me personally, I firmly against any form of aggressive violence so films that represent violence as something terrible, rather than "fun", have a certain appeal.

Most of the "most disgusting/violent/disturbing movies", according to the internet, are actually in the "trashy" category, so they aren't really all that disgusting or violent or disturbing. That is because they are just dumb and do not create an emotional effect beyond something superficial and shallow. Often they are just bad films, so they generate contempt for wasting anyone's time. They certainly do not create a real sense of HORROR or TERROR. And you know, I have always wanted to find the pinnacle of really disturbing/violent films for years now.

So now we come to A Serbian Film. This movie is definitely the most violent and disturbing film I've ever seen, without any doubt. I will not discuss the story at all or refer in detail to any specific scenes. I don't even really think anyone should watch this movie, and you can go read more about it elsewhere if you want to know specific details. I'm not really here to make this movie sounds interesting so that you go watch it, and honestly the basic premise is pretty clever so if I avoid that issue it's probably for the best.

With that preamble out of the way, I will say -- without hesitation, but still feeling a bit weird about it -- A Serbian Film is a MASTERPIECE. It is the scariest film of all time, easily. The way it creates an emotional attachment, establishes an atmosphere of utter, paralyzing dread, and its escalation from one unbelievably devastating, brutal, and shocking scene to another, is really, really effective. This movie really really, really terrifying. In terms of craftsmanship, the filmmakers really deserve credit. They know what makes a good horror film, and then they just raised the intensity and brutality to infinity and beyond. The level of depravity and cruelty inflicted upon people in this movie is really unimaginable to the average person. Even to me, and I assumed going into this film that I was "ready" for it.

Your heart will feel like it's going to explode about halfway into the film... and then it gets way worse. I almost couldn't bear to see what was going to happen in the end (although it's somewhat predictable... which actually makes it WORSE as the end approaches, because you start to anticipate what is coming). But I stuck it out to the end and it sucked. No, the ending did not suck in the sense that it was "bad", because it was a good ending in terms of climactic narrative, but in the sense that it BAD -- like "that's the worst thing I can ever imagine happening" kind of BAD.

Some people will jump in at this point and say, "Oh well it can't be as bad as X". No, shut up. You don't know what you're talking about. It's way, way worse than X. I promise you, I have seen all those obscure movies you scour google for days and weeks to find. "Oh but have you seen--?" Yes, I've seen it. "But i bet you haven't seen--". No, I've seen that too. And it's mostly trash.

But here is why this movie is not "trash". First of all, it is extremely well made. The production values are not ghetto at all. They are excellent. The cinematographic quality is exceptional. The quality of film and camera work and direction is great. The acting is very effective and the writing is sharp (even with some nice moments of tenderness and humor early on). But most importantly the story, which is not exactly realistic or anything, but it is completely absorbing and it makes the viewer care. We can appreciate the main character's situation. He seems to be a likeable dude. We want good things to happen to him and his family. But, then he is lured in by what seems to be a good opportunity and becomes quite literally enslaved to evil. Our empathy becomes horror magnified a thousandfold by the fact that we give a damn, and by the unbelievable intensity of evil perpetrated -- manipulating someone into doing something they would never do, something that is so vile that even talking about it will make you puke.

It almost makes you forget that you are watching this movie because it's supposedly the "nastiest ever" and not because it's just a good movie. Almost. But then it beats you like a sledgehammer as a good movie and the nastiest.

And yet here is the paradox. This is not really a good movie, like "I recommend this" or "I would watch this again." In that sense, it is the worst movie. But because it is the best worst movie, it is actually amazing. But your soul will be shattered when you watch it. The ending is literally the most horrible thing ever on film. I will certainly never, EVER watch it again. Just thinking about it makes me feel bad. But I cannot deny that it is incredibly powerful on its own terms, and it has to be taken seriously. This is not like our normal horror movies where violence is really part of the fun. Here with A Serbian Film, you dread violence like you do in real life. Well not quite, but you know what I mean. All possible goodness in this movie is utterly broken, corrupted, and destroyed by the end, through abject violence. Your soul bleeds into the ether as the credits roll. That is a powerful effect and there are not a lot of films that do that.

Is this movie "deep" or interpretative on some level? I don't know. Maybe it doesn't matter. "This is a diary of our own molestation by the Serbian government... It's about the monolithic power of leaders who hypnotize you to do things you don't want to do. You have to feel the violence to know what it's about." Those are the words of the director, Srđan Spasojević. Take them for whatever they're worth. Indeed, truly horrible things happen to people in real life. Real horror is real people dying and suffering and being forced to do awful things with real consequences. Look at real-world conflicts, with real rape and slaughter and torture. In that sense, this film is not so bad. No one died. No one got hurt. No actual children were exposed to anything inappropriate. But by drawing on some a real sense of loss and tragedy and horror they grew up with, the filmmakers create a really powerful horror film. I find that interesting.

My heart is racing just thinking about this movie. I feel like i could faint. Why did I even write this review? It makes no sense, I give it the highest possible "rating" while saying no one should see it and you will be scarred by it and probably react negatively even if you normally dig this stuff. Seriously. I could give it "zero-star" review and have the same content for this review. Another reviewer somewhere said it best, "You don't want to see this movie. You only think you do." Be careful. You can't go back in time and un-watch this movie after you watch it.

And so in seeing A Serbian Film, my quest for the most violent and disturbing film of all time is over. After seeing this movie, I am reduced to spending the rest of my days watching nice happy things like episodes of "Sailor Moon".

[CHIMP NOTE: This film has been banned in various countries. Read more at Wikipedia. People have gotten in trouble for showing this movie. I assume some countries' customs agents would confiscate it if they found it. Just so you know. Of course, you might just consider downloading it.]

SITE UPDATE: Almost 100 reviews!

Importing old reviews is going pretty well, although we encountered a delay over the last weekend. Even so, we are up to nearly 100 reviews of various awesome stuff. MORE TO COME.

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - Afraid of Sunlight

"My favorite Marillion album."


This is Marillion's stunning album about the trials and tribulations of a life in the camera's eye and the price of fame. Lots of variety, but it never drifts away from the classic Hogarth-Marillion sound - that is, lush and atmospheric arrangements, swells of emotion, and of course, awesome guitar solos from Rothery. The band's command of its vast, ever-expanding musical vocabulary is so complete, and its sense of purpose so clear, that I've come to realize that Marillion is able to realize practically any direction it wishes to go.

Afraid of Sunlight is nothing like the to the grand, emotionally wrenching big-hearted rock of which mastered with Brave, and nothing like the pop-inflected Holidays In Eden. Afraid of Sunlight is minimalistic, heavy with keyboards, and relatively hookless. The album and introspective, atmospheric, moody, with progressions that are hard to grasp. But at the same time, it's instantly enjoyable. The album encapsulates the sensitivity and the beauty of Marillion better than ever. If I had to complain, it would be that the album is mostly lugubrious through and through, with no uplifting finale. Even Brave seemed to have a happy ending!

But whatever, right? This is Hogarth-Marillion's crowning achievement in terms of songwriting and musicality.

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - Brave

"Probably Marillion's most ambitious work."

It was fifteen months of work that led to the completion of this record, which is in many ways the most 'progressive' thing the band has done. It is the touching story of a disillusioned young girl who runs away from home, attempts suicide, gets picked up by the police, and learns a thing or two about life and love. The story is told through a non-linear approach with intermittent flashbacks establishing the shattered emotional state of the story's protagonist.

After dabbling with pop for Holidays In Eden, the band headed in a challenging art-rock direction for this release, the most challenging of the Marillion catalogue (from Fish or Hogarth eras). The album features several moments of subtle beauty, emotion tumult, and brash hard-rock (some of the more audacious Marillion songs are on this album). The production is subtle and the arrangements are richly textured. Brave's music is not complicated, but it is densely layered with myriad sounds (more so than any other Marillion album).

For this reason, the album is only truly appreciated at high volume levels or with headphones. For instance, the lengthy instrumental passage on the 12 minute "Goodbye to All That" appears meandering, but headphones reveal considerable depth and ingenuity in the composition. The band adds a quick note in the liner notes, "Play it loud and with the lights off." This is definitely a must (although a candle might be handy so you can read the lyrics - it will still preserve the mood). Even saying that, I think the dynamic range of this album is just too extreme. Some parts are so quiet as to be nearly inaudible if you are listening at a "regular" volume. That's annoying, but I don't think it's a fair criticism in and of itself, because Marillion wasn't intending this to be for casual listening. Basically, it means you can't really listen to this album in the car without a lot of fiddling with the volume.

This is a wonderful album. Certainly one of the better discs from the Hogarth days.

FILM REVIEW: Gladiator

"Well, there is a really cool chariot battle!"

Gladiator has somehow garnered adulation. It snagged the Oscar for Best Picture, which I find interesting but the Academy Awards have generally followed a logic I cannot grasp. It made lots of money, and collected a lot of critical acclaim. But even after watching it (twice), I steadfastly stick to my conclusion that Gladiator is not a great movie...not even a good one.

Gladiator holds promise for a heroic story with a liberal dosing of Classical-Era battles. In the end, I am left with a feeling that the film is a blatant retread of Braveheart and other more successful varieties of the "hero fighting for freedom and revenge" plot. Our hero, Maximus, spouts several turgid speeches that sound like Braveheart-lite, and his lack of emotional power render his recitations tepid and uninspiring. Maximus' forgettable dearth of emotionalized feeling when his family is mercilessly slaughtered is really pathetic. Crowe's entire role is too halfhearted (he won the Best Actor Oscar!), helped little by the cheesy script. Don't even get me started on the implicit affection between Maximus and the emperor's sister, which was so contrived as to be painful.

The battle scenes are ambitious in their orchestration, but ultimately they are filmed poorly thanks to erratic camera movement that forsake clarity or the exhilarating involvement of, say, Saving Private Ryan, where the chaos is internalized with the camera technique. Admittedly, the chariot battle is stunning, with its genuine sense of urgency that the filmmakers captured here. But why didn't they do it for the rest of the movie? It doesn't help that the different battles seem like disparate events unforgivingly adhered to an existing story line to add violent physical conflict. Like when he fights while surrounded by tigers, it doesn't seem cool or interesting, it just seems like they said, "It would be cool if there were TIGERS in this movie!" What Maximus is fighting for becomes unclear amidst the series of battles, which lack fiery emotional intensity that SHOULD be present when someone is fighting for freedom and revenege. One area that deserves accolade is the incredible sound. All around, you can hear arrows whiz by, the cacophony of clashing steel, and anguished screams. Very impressive!

And then comes the big kick in the face: the woeful anticlimax. I won't go into detail, but prepare to be disappointed. Suffice to say, Maximus becomes a martyr, but what did he accomplish? Bad, regurgitated speeches? Passionless action? Great work!

Gladiator may have been a better movie if it had been thirty minutes shorter, cut out the sordid insinuations of romance, and had more chariot battles. But when you're making a big Hollywood blockbuster, you've gotta have reams of dross (cheesiness, lame insinuated love interest) to guarantee it sells.

FILM REVIEW: Crash

"Well made, interesting premise -- but execution falls flat."

This movie always appealed to me because critics said it was "gross" and I like Cronenberg and James Spader. Crash has been derided for gratuitous sexuality and the lack of a conventional story arc. But beneath the "repelling" qualities is a compelling movie that sadly suffers from a few artistic excesses that hurt the experience. This film is definitely unusual and weirdly fascinating (and certainly disturbing at times). The amort color scheme (think noirish and dreamy) augments the passionless nature of the characters, who are deliberately acted with a lack of emotion, with sparse dialogue. The gloomy soundtrack is good as well. These qualities are all effective, as they accentuates the unhappy nature of the characters.

This is a strange, sad flick about a group of people who cannot experience pleasure, and find ways to vicariously heighten their zest by enjoying a unique fetish revolving around bloody car accidents. These neurotic people try and rationalize their woeful lives, but by the film's end it becomes clear that they cannot be truly liberated from their distressed condition. Note how the (many) sex scenes are not remotely titillating, because the characters engage them in such a torpid manner. Even the car accidents are calm little smashes. Thematically, the film asks what gives us pleasure, and where is the line between pleasure and pain?

While it's interesting to ponder, in the end I was left with more of a love-hate feeling. The film waxes the artsy elements a too much and feels boring and redundant. Beating a dead horse is no fun, and there's many scenes that just seem to repeat each other. There is a lack of development and causes me to lose interest. About half of it is genuinely effective, but the rest is plodding. I know that's the point, but I think some more attentive work could have made it more effective in the end.

MUSIC REVIEW: Rush - Permanent Waves

"One of the best rock albums ever."

It is with Permanent Waves that Rush began to shed their progressive trappings and garner more interest beyond the steadfast progressive crowd. Geddy Lee began to sing at lower ranges, complexity was trimmed, but excellence was preserved. It is a precursor to Moving Pictures; a bridge between their recondite progressive rock days and their immersion in the mainstream. But while most transitional albums merit dismissal, Permanent Waves remains one of the band's best releases, accessible to the band's aficionados from their progressive era or their lush pop/rock days.

"Spirit of the Radio" and "Free Will," both recipients of lucrative radioplay, prove that songs can be commercially accessible without sacrifice. Neil Peart's superb lyrics lift "Spirit of the Radio" from a mere tribute to radio in Toronto to something markedly intelligent (he could always make something simple seem deep), and it features some of rock's most memorable guitar riffs. "Free Will" is an anthemic piece with inspiring individualist lyrics and an energizing solo by Lifeson.

Beyond the album's most recognizable songs, there's plenty of great material. "Entre Nous" is a love song with brains, all the better because it never uses the word love (all of the best love songs eschew the word, I find). "Different Strings," featuring some piano during the chorus, is a pretty song, and my favorite of the band's ballads. "Jacob's Ladder" is one of the band's most mysterious compositions. The stormy arrangement is dense, with swirls of synthesizers and fierce, chaotic riffs. The epic "Natural Science" is the closest thing to their previous epics, written in three movements and covering plenty of musical ground, from the enigmatic opening, to the futuristic-sounding mid-section, to the anthemic finale. It's as good as anything they ever wrote.

In the end, Permanent Waves is a rock milestone. A remarkable synthesis of progressive rock and commercial music, although there's nothing really commercial about it. Just great music, plain and simple.

MUSIC REVIEW: Rush - 2112

"Totally awesome rockin' prog and memorable sci-fi story of heroism."


2112 was an important album for Rush, because it combined with breadth of scope that they'd previously flirted with combined with tighter songcraft. Not to mention, absolutely memorable proto-prog-metal rockin' awesomeness. Up to this point, it was their best album. It was also their breakthrough record (well, comparatively speaking), and showed that lots of people would like a twenty minute epic if it was done so well.

2112 is NOT a concept album (a lot of people mistakenly label it as such). Anyone who says it is has the burden of showing how the title track is at all related to any of the other songs. Trust me, no such connection will be made unless you've hit the bong about 1000 times.

In any case, the big title track does tell a heroic story about one man who fights for individualism in a collective world. Ostensibly inspired by Ayn Rand's novella "Anthem," it uses a frightening sci-fi setting to tackle the good old debate of the individual vs. the collective. For the first time, the band writes an epic that seems about half as long as it really is, with inflections of driving riffery, soft acoustic moments, and virtuoso proficiency throughout. Reams of ear-catching riffs drench the "Overture," and the song progresses through its seven movements of rocking euphoria. This SOB is one of my favorite Rush songs ever, and it's the one that really got me turned onto the band.

The rest of the album is pretty good, but "2112" is what this disc is all about. A must own rock album.

MUSIC REVIEW: Rush - Hold Your Fire

"Attack of the 80s Part III."

Sure, the unequivocal 80s pop sound is evident here, like synth-soaked songs, the vocal stylings, and whatever else. That's not inherently bad news, however. You see, unlike most progressive rock bands, Rush fared well when the 80s sucked them in (Yes or Genesis, on the other hand, were turned to crap by the 80s). There is nothing tremendously distinctive about the songs themselves, other than the fact that the writing is very high caliber all throughout. Hold Your Fire is similar in sound to Power Windows, but it rocks a little less and shines a bit more often from track to track. I can empathize with the prog rockers who were PO'ed when Rush went in a very commercial direction, because it can be frustrating when a band goes through radical changes. I dig this record though. Neil Peart maintains his reputation as rock's best lyricist, while Lee's continued flirtations with synthesizers yields some effective results. Some people say "Damn you, Lee, drop the keyboards and pick up your bass guitar!" Cripes, listen to the album! It's full of dexterous bass playing, and combined with Peart's drumming it rounds out one of the best rhythm sections around. I kind of feel sorry for Lifeson, who is one of rock's most original guitarists but whose role on this album is diluted (although he provides an awesome solo on "Mission" and some vital energy on "Force Ten" that make that song so great, and some great ambient chords on "Tai Shan"... and lots of other cool parts, so whatever). Although I've never really warmed up to "Turn the Page," I dig this album... and this is from an overweening progressive rock fan. So, I give Hold Your Fire 5 stars.

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - Holidays in Eden

"Marillion goes pop and does it well."

Call me crazy, but I sincerely enjoy Holidays In Eden. I won't deny that it's commercially directed, a bit streamlined, but when the quality of the music is this good, who cares? This may be one of the few glowing reviews from a Marillion fan, but it deserves it. It is still characterized by good old Marillion attributes (awesome guitar solos, ambient arrangements, and lots of emotion), but it's diluted a bit by the pop endeavor.

Highlights include hook-laden "Cover My Eyes," with Hogarth showing off his deft vocal acrobatics, "Splintering Heart," a dramatic piece of classic Hogarth-Marillion (it's even a bit "Fishy"), the peppy title cut, and the radio friendly triad "No One Can," "Dry Land," and "Waiting To Happen." My favorite song would be "The Party," the moving story of a young girl who attends her first party (of the drugs, drinking, and promiscuous variety), and loses an element of her innocence as a result. A generic little idea that's made markedly compelling thanks to interesting lyrics and sad, atmospheric music. The final song, "100 Nights," also proves absorbing when given the attention ('cause it doesn't grab you right away). Under-appreciated, but many great things are.

MUSIC REVIEW: Rush - Hemispheres

"Awesome Rush."

Rush's days of progressive rock hit their zenith with Hemispheres. It was big, bold, pretentious, orchestral...and it rocked. The incredible piece, "Cygnus X-1 Book II," proved that the band had mastered the epic format. Written in six movements, tied together by thematic unity, and telling the story of the philosophical conflict between reason and passion, it is possibly their best epic. Here, the band combines classical music's sense of space and monumental scope with rock's raw power and energy. The mixture of loud and soft passages and crescendos do more than add to the dynamics of the arrangement, but also perform well in translating the emotion of the composition, which is important given the song's philosophical overtones. Eighteen minutes never went by so fast...which is complimentary. It takes considerable skill not to make an epic seem long, and even more to make it seem short. This is especially laudable in Rush's case, since they don't have the added dimension through an emphasis on keyboards that most progressive bands have.

Side 2 of the album features two short songs and a 10 minute instrumental. The short songs are stronger than most that have preceded this album. "Circumstances" is a classic short Rush song (they have so many!), characterized by Lee's trademark shriek (really high on this one!), tight riffs and a great melody. "The Trees" is another favorite. A forest is used as a metaphor for socio-economic issues. Corny? Nope, just really smart. The serene interlude complements the natural setting, with some inventive percussion from Peart. "La Villa Strangiato" is what the band called "an exercise in self-indulgence." Ten minutes of awesome instrumental virtuosity that affirms the skill of the band. They say it's pompous, but the song is good enough that non-musicians can still appreciate it. Lifeson's guitar solo here is one of the all-time best Rush moments.

MUSIC REVIEW: Rhapsody - Dawn of Victory

"MY MAGIC SWORD!!!"

Now I'm the jerk who wrote the reviewderiding Rhapsody's exceedingly foreign vocals and cheesy lyrics. While I stand by that assessment, it was unfair for those characteristics to denigrate Dawn of Victory's rating. So this is meant to be a more "fair" review.

Rhapsody's story of fantasy adventure is something that generates emotional fuel. Even if the story is very generic, what counts is the feelings that come through. Metal bands these days are turgid and excessive in their negative attitudes, and Rhapsody's feeling of heroism is refreshing and pleasant. And, this is just my opinion, but I'd rather listen to songs about dragons and warriors than drinking beer, driving a truck, or having the hots for the girl at the office.

Rhapsody feels no embarrassment when tackling songcraft of this type. So it's the "good" kind of campiness. Because they are so enthusiastic about what they are doing, their energy is certainly infectious, aided by their excellent musicianship and Luca Turilli's incredible sense of melody. Many of these songs have the hooks of pop, but the energy and intensity of heavy metal. However, Rhapsody's inclusion of symphonic elements makes it something else entirely. Operatic choirs, REAL strings (not keyboards), among other things, all add credence to the band's style.

Unfortunately, the band seems to have lost some of its creativity since their previous release, Symphony of Enchanted Lands. SoEL is more creative, with greater ebbs and flows of diversity, and more interesting orchestral passages. While Dawn of Victory is still very good and has several great songs, they are more and more interchangeable with less emphasis on the orchestral side and a heavier lean towards the metal end. That's not necessarily a bad thing in itself, but doing so sacrifices an important factor of originality that they once possessed. Another drawback is the album becomes very homogenous sounding in the second half, whereas the first half has better songwriting and songs sound more variegated. Check out Symphony of Enchanted Lands before you check out this out.

A good album. It's cheesy, but that's part of what makes it great.

GUEST MUSIC REVIEW: Queensryche albums, post-Promised Land

Submitted by: ASTRO CHIMP


Astro Chimp, one of Lord Chimp's allies in the fight for justice, has provided Lord Chimp's Revenge with a comprehensive overview of all Queensryche's albums since Promised Land, which we regard as their last really great album. So is everything since then as bad as some people say? The answer is: probably not! Read on to find out more.

___________



I little while back I kinda ripped on Queensrcyhe, and I think I want to moderate that opinion a bit. Now, Queensrcyhe was clearly at their best up to Promised Land. But I think that if one gets over expecting them to be a progressive metal band (which they only really were on a couple of albums anyway), and just take them as being a hard rock/metal band that will always keep you on your toes, then there's been some good stuff since. I'm going to take the time to go through their albums since Promised Land, since many people have not given them much attention due to a more-or-less knee-jerk reaction.

Hear in the Now Frontier




Ok, this one is not that great, There's a couple of songs on it that are nice ("Sign of the Times", "Some People Fly"), but mostly it's blah. And not because it's not metal (remember, I'm disposing of the metal requirement here), but just because it's not very inspired. Maybe there's a few other decent songs in there, but I can never get through it from start to finish (although I do like those songs I mentioned).

Q2K




Well, I know this one gets a bad rap as being "Q2Gay", but I actually dig a fair amount of it. There are some blah songs, and some bad lyrics (typically the ones where Geoff lusts after his wife, which reappears in uncomfortable fashion at times on Dedicated to Chaos), but songs like "Liquid Sky" and "Falling Down" are decent rockers, When the Rain Comes is quite wicked, and "Right Side of My Mind" is a bonafide QR classic. Maybe it's the rock fan in me, but Q2Gay is not all that gay. I do listen all the way through from time to time and enjoy myself.


Tribe




I actually dug this one a lot when it first came out, although now I find it a bit depressing. It has DeGarmo back on it (although he didn't rejoin as a member), and it has some cool songs...but like I said, it's got an overall dark vibe and production that rather than setting a mood gets rather depressing at times. Still, not bad. Not great, but not terrible.


Mindcrime II




This one is actually quite wicked. It has the exact same sound as the first one (they went to great lengths to get the same equipment and relearn tunings, etc...and they did a good job). The one thing that is not so good, especially considering how the original built and built and built to an amazing end...is that there is a substantial section after the middle part, or a few songs, that is just kinda blah...not much happens musically, and I'm not sure what is going on story wise. The disc ends decently, but its the first half that really kicks ass. "I'm American", "Hostage", "One Foot in Hell", "Signs Say Go"...all kickass straight up metal tunes that fit well in a MC sequel. It would be an decent album for old school QR, but it's pretty wicked for new QR. Worth a listen, and goes good back to back with the original. Cannot come close to that original Perfect Masterpiece, though.


American Soldier




Ok, this one is actually wicked. Not like their old stuff (not much in the way of solos and stuff), but it is just wicked. Concept story about the affect of war on people from the view of actual military members and their families (interspersed with actual interviews that the band made), the album claims no bias whatsoever and just lets the people tell their story. Really awesome stuff that totally maintains the spirit of QR from the day, if not the sound. I think this on is really really good, even though it took me years to get around to picking it up.


Dedicated to Chaos






A strange one. The band is afflicted by some wish to be popular again, and is falling into the trap of saying 'people just listen to their iPods on shuffle, so there's no need to make a structured album' and 'groups like Lady Gaga are huge these days, which rely on rhythm rather than guitar riffs and solos, etc...', so that's the approach that we need to try (these are paraphrases, but are admissions that the band made on numerous occasions). There are actually some good songs on it. Get Started is a decent rocker to open up, even if the lyrics are a bit lame, Around the World is actually a sweet ballad that reflects the Beatles calls of "All you need is love" that is actually quite moving, and album closers "The Lie" and "Big Noize" have that QR spirit. And the album sounds great (really nice production). But most of he rest of the songs are kinda blah (I don't claim to know the middle songs very well yet), and some of the songs go back into the Geoff-trap of drooling over his wife...which is just awkward. Nothing wrong with being turned on by your wife...but man, keep it out of the lyrics, dude. Yeesh. I break this disc out every now and then, but its a case of tune in to the good stuff, tune out during most of it.

They're already working on their new one (prolific!), so hopefully Wilton has his way and they put guitar melodies and riffs back in...it doesn't have to be metal, just more inspired and less lame lyrics! There's so much fucked in the world now, socially and politically, that this should be QRs time to shine!!!

So yeah, as a rock fan I don't mind Q2K, MC2 is pretty wicked for about half of it, and I actually dig American Soldier a lot. Maybe also because I come from a family with lots of military service, my wife is in the military, I have a strong interest in military history, and have long considered joining (I know, that clashes hard with libertarian views...what can I say), but I don't think so...it's just a really cool album.

Anyway, thanks for reading my thoughts! Love QR.

MUSIC REVIEW: Yes - 90125

"Negative review from loudmouth prog fan with an arrogant opinion."

This should have never been a Yes album. Chris Squire and Alan White had the right idea when this project was started as a new band called "Cinema." Unfortunately, things got ugly when this turned into a Yes project. As such, this comes across as quite lame compared to Yes' glory days, when they were a band that was once known for their brilliance and their originality.

That said, it is not entirely fair to compare it to classic progressive rock albums. But even compared to any good intelligent pop music, 90125 is too cheesy for my tastes. The album waxes insipid lyrical subjects and corny keyboard sounds that gave 80's pop a bad name. The rocking songs have no hooks, and the ballads lack the beauty that made tracks like "Turn of the Century" so pleasant. Strictly on a basis of musicality, the album is average (thus banal) adult pop. I have to admit that a few of the tracks of moderate interest, like "Leave It" and "Changes," but the rest - even the 'classic' "Owner of a Lonely Heart" - leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There is not enough redeeming material here to make anyone care.

MUSIC REVIEW: Marillion - Seasons End

"To lose, to gain..."

Marillion fans must have been freaked out when the band brought in Steve Hogarth to replace the idiosyncratic Fish. It seemed that the band was toast when Fish took off, taking his uniquely expressive voice and his amazing poetic faculty with him. His influence on early Marillion music was unquestionably big.

But Hogarth's first outing with the band collectively removed most fans' apprehensions. Although Hogarth lacked Fish's poetic abilities, he suited the band perfectly with his fine vocal abilities and remarkable emotional expression. The music is the classic neo-progressive stuff that the band does so well, and the band retains its ability to touch the listener in myriad ways. Hogarth-Marillion's lyrical subjects are less personal than Fish's, and tackle social issues (like "Easter," which implores for peace in Ireland, or the title track, which explores environmental spoliation in a pretty way), but they are emotionally intuitive nonetheless. The album is perfect if one disregards the rather trite "Hooks In You," a fairly standard pop song that represents the album's weakest moment (fortunately it's less than three minutes long). Rothery's solos are as elegant and emotive as ever, and Kelly's keyboards add an important layer of beauty to the songs.

There's song highlights aplenty. If you make a CDR without "Hooks In You," you get one of Marillion's best albums, from either era.

MUSIC REVIEW: Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans

"Mystical and beautiful."

I can imagine the time when this album first came out. Yes fans must have praised the album for its daring, its ingenuity, its LENGTH. Now I can imagine things ten years later, with rock critics ridiculing the album for everything from its mystic lyrics, pompous songwriting, indulgent musicianship... everything for which progressive rock has been derided. Even Yes' diehard fans have decidedly mixed feelings regarding this epic work. To them, it could be the pinnacle achievement of Yes' estimable career, or it could the be the most unnecessarily grandiloquent prog album EVER.

On occasion I've tried to empathize with those who dislike this album, thinking that perhaps their criticisms have some merit. Still, I can't get over the fact that this is truly excellent work. I think the music is simply sublime, many of the most wonderful passages that Yes ever recorded. Not as cohesive as the epics on "Close to the Edge" (still my favorite Yes album), but certainly more dynamic, it takes countless listens to fully appreciate. Even 25 years after its release, I'm still finding new elements to this richly absorbing work.

It's all anchored by that awesome rhythm section of Alan White's drums and Chris Squire's mammoth bass guitar, while Wakeman's lush synthesizers add ambiance and depth, and Steve Howe's guitar artistry is sophisticated and engaging. Jon Anderson's trippy lyrics and soulful, elf-ish singing are topnotch. Although the lyrics are mostly confusing, I believe their meanings are meant to be vague. They rely on surreal and romantic imagery to generate feeling in the listener in musical context. It doesn't really matter because the lyrics attain an emotional connection regardless of what they are actually about. I've always believed that Yes' individual elements are impressive, but less important than the unified result of their efforts.

The songs could enjoin a complete review for each one, as each song is brimming with depth and complexity. "The Revealing Science of God" is absolutely spellbinding. From the moment you hear the unmistakable thematic development in the vocal section at the beginning, you know it's going to be something great. A mostly placid epic that occasionally drives into fast-paced energy. Approaching the song's finale, this one climaxes with a mind-bending solo from Wakeman. Cryptic lyrics focused on metaphysical objective values (I think; who really knows?) are tied some of the group's best arrangements.

"The Remembering" is a standout for Rick Wakeman. There's moments of fierce swirling synths and mellotrons, and him and Howe alternately repeat the song's main theme on different instruments. Lots of memorable melodies here, and the song gets pretty intense at times (like the "Relayer" passages).

"The Ancient" is the most difficult song to appreciate. But it is the best song on this album. Its heavy focus on abstruse instrumentation bores many people. That alien guitar tone and the clattering percussion is an amazing combination! I'm a huge fan of music that implements Eastern influences, and this track is filled with them. The band shows incredible versatility in their endeavor to underscore the idiosyncratic beauties of these cultural influences. Towards the end of the song, Howe's acoustic wizardry is displayed. Awesome!

"Ritual" is a sprawling piece that is very symphonic at times. A lengthy instrumental passage opens this one, and just when you think the track is starting to meander, it gets back on track. This one never gets too pretentious, and it's beautifully melodic and excitingly played and arranged. At the 15-minute mark, there's this unforgettable orchestral interlude with devastating percussion and harrowing strings (synthed, of course). The ending is gorgeous, with clean electric guitar/piano interplay and Anderson's delicate vocals.

Like complex jazz, some of Yes' music is far too esoteric to be appreciated by everyone. That's perfectly fine. I don't consider myself intellectually superior to the many who have no taste for this admittedly convoluted work of music. Still, it moves me, it engrosses me, and it never bores me. It may not tap the conventional spirit of music, but to me, that's part of what makes it special. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Honestly, I think that 'prog fans' who don't like this album just don't have TRUE PROG LOVE in their hearts.

MUSIC REVIEW: Yes - Close to the Edge

"A timeless prog masterpiece."

I think it's great that Yes fans have such diverse tastes when it comes to their favorite albums. This shows that the band appealed to many different people on many different levels. One thing that's common from fan to fan, however, is that most favorites come from the glory days, those between The Yes Album -- when their progressive leanings began to appear in earnest -- and Going For The One -- when they started toning down on the experimentation. The reason is simple: during these years, Yes produced some of the best and most important progressive rock albums ever.

I like or love all of these albums, but to me, Close To The Edge is a big notch above the others in terms of supreme quality. This is Yes at their zenith, as a unified band brimming with originality. I still listen to it frequently, proving that great music oversteps trends. This sucker is a true masterpiece.

"Close to the Edge" is one of the band's best and most cohesive epics. I also think it's the most difficult to describe. The instrumentation is so wonderfully eclectic, and yet the music works so well together. The effect is only comparable to an orchestra, where each section works with others, aspiring for the overall effect, not individual elements. The ultimate synergy. Howe's compelling guitars create a hypnotic effect, while Wakeman's sublime flourishes serve as both an symphonic backdrop and a commanding lead instrument. Bruford's unique jazzy drumming affixes the solid rhythm section, and Squire's low-end bass rumblings straddle the line between maintaining rhythm and functioning as another lead instrument. The cacophonous opening that sunders the serene nature sounds is wonderfully crazy, with time signatures only a supercomputer could notate correctly. The lovely middle section "I Get Up, I Get Down" is beautiful, with Wakeman's soaring organ bringing it to its climax, then segueing into his incredible keyboard solo. The song culminates as it returns to its main theme with uplifting vocal harmonies that never fail to give me goose bumps.

This masterful work brings side one to a close (irrelevant on CD, of course), but Yes keeps you riding on that musical high for the next two songs.

I don't consider "And You and I" a love song, but somehow it's very beautiful, almost romantic. There's something imaginatively lovely about lines like "And you and I climb, crossing the shapes of the morning | And you and I reach over the sun to the river." The song begins with the simple charm of Howe's acoustic guitar and Anderson's folksy melodies. The song climaxes not once, but twice, as it goes through the two main themes. I think Anderson's delicate vocals are the highlight here. Awesome, awesome song.

"Siberian Khatru" is a cool tune. Some Eastern influences merge with gutsy rock n' roll, making for a snappy song that's remarkably catchy for such an in-depth piece. Lots of tight harmonies and intermittent melody shifts make this great song better.

Critics have called Yes' epics fragmented and meandering, but this is one album where that criticism fails. All the songs cohere intelligently, never meandering beyond the song's established musical themes. This album is absolutely perfect.

COMMENTARY: Objectivism

I received an email in response to my mini-review of Objectivism.

"CHRIS U", a guy with a physics background, writes:

Hmm, very interesting...I don't have a strong enough either philosophical or economic knowledge base to be able to discuss most of this (no time at the moment to read Mises since I've got to read engineering instead...but one day, and one day soon).

I always enjoy discussing Metaphysics in terms of proper Physics...I took a Metaphysics class (which was gay) with a few fellow Physics students, and we shot every theory the class was discussing out of the water with hard Physics. With the concept of Metaphysical realism, where reality is independent...I wonder about it on two grounds. Looking at in 'Quantum-mechanically', where everything exists as a superposition of all possibilities which is not collapsed to a result without observation, then definitely reality can be said not to exist without a consciousness to perceive it. If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to see it, does it make a sound? Well, until a consciousness measures the sound, it both does and does not, but more importantly until a consciousness measures the existence of the tree, it has both fallen and not fallen (and if you want to progress further it is both there and not there...). It gets a little weird when one expands beyond scientific measurement of electrons and protons and whatnot, but the thought experiments were, i.e. Schroedingers cat and all that. However, how about the fact that anybody measuring the wavelength of the color red, so long as they have established the axiomatic framework of logic and math, will always measure at as 700 nm? They would have at the start of existence, they will at the end...if dogs were smarter they would do the same...it is always the same. In that instance, does it not suggest that reality seems to exist in spit of consciousness or lack there of? If people all died out, so all consciousness was gone, and then robots or something (dumb ones, not Skynet robots) in a med lab found a frozen egg and sperm and recreated a person, and they managed once being born to measure the color red...they would find it being 700 nm...so what does that say about reality?

I'm not sure...I don't really know anything about rationalism, so I might be making an ass out of myself, but it's interesting to discuss! Although I didn't wish to do the actual work of a Physicist for a career, I find Physics to be immensely satisfying mentally...after all, it is determining the very clockwork of the universe! Wicked...

Hmm, now doesn't epistemological empiricism clash with my points about reality (the whole 'red' discussion)? How can perception color the hard sciences when they are based solidly on math and logic, and where measurements are never colored by perception, only by having made the measurement? It seems to me that if one has an actual grip on science, then the first two points of Objectivism clash.

The point about the limited state is interesting, because it always seems like there is a need for some for of a state (mainly, military), and that's a tough one to discuss for me without having read Rothbard's books yet. I know that I am getting more and more fed up with and sick of the state...and yet, I know from reading history that mad men exist. That mad men arise. Weather for lust of power, or religious fervor, or what have you...that evil people appear and will seek to conquer otherwise, seek empire, etc. etc. etc. It's always happened. If that happens in, say, a neighboring region, what does one do if there is no standing military? How does one stop themselves from being victimized and butchered? It seems to be a deep rooted part of human nature that I doubt will ever entirely go away. Will it matter if everyone is living in a free-market society if some religious nut grabs a hold of a pile of fanatical followers, makes a private army, butchers a bunch more people, etc.. and the whole thing snow balls? NOW, I am not advocating the US method of being a peacemaker, and roving the world kicking everyone's ass who doesn't think like them...but again what about defence? If one looks at WWII (and lets not look at the reasons going back the previous half century for the rise of Nazism and all that)...if you look at Poland, they were conquered on both sides by aggressive groups that simply wanted the territory. Having a standing army didn't help them much, no...but being nothing but a free market would not have helped at all. So it seems that it will only work if everyone in the world buys into free-market capitalism at the same time...

I could be making some stupid arguments there, and again I have not been able to yet read the foundation books of libertarianism...and I do truly love the idea, and the bits that I have read of Rothbard (and I watched a lecture as well) he seems fantastically inspiring. But I just wonder about all of that...what are your thoughts?

Thank you for writing. Honestly knowing physics and science is probably, in most cases, better than having a philosophical background when it comes to metaphysics, because at least you can formulate theories that are consistent with hard science, which is on stronger ground than most metaphysical bullshit. And really... what is science, if it is not something that tells us how things work, and what sort of things exist? That is what metaphysics tries to answer. It's not like the two need to be considered in complete separation without reference to one another. To do so, as a crappy metaphysician would be wont to do, would be foolish.

Your point about the wavelength of the color red is important and we can explore that a little further. The fact that reality has an objective reality independent of our individual consciousness does not mean that objective reality is independent of consciousness as such. I would not claim, as the subjective idealists do, the primacy of individual consciousnesses over the "real world." If, like you say, there were no conscious observers at all, then red would still be 700 nm, although practically speaking there would be no one to make that measurement. But if there were, that measurement would be the same for everyone.

I do not think I took care in my previous email to distinguish the two kinds of metaphysical realism and their relation to objective idealism.

I need to clarify two positions:

"Realism" - the view that reality is independent of consciousness.
"Idealism" - (in my nontechnical description) the "stuff" that is in reality is the same "stuff" that is our knowledge in our mind.

These are not, under this formulation, mutually exclusive positions. Properly understood, "objective idealism" is a form of realism. At its most basic level, all realism says is this: there is a reality beyond our individual consciousness, and that the object known is different from the individual mind or thought that knows it. This is fully compatible with objective idealism.

The point where these two positions diverge is when you use a more radical, specific form of metaphysical realism.

This form of realism says, described well by Josiah Royce: "whenever you know any object or being that is not yourself, your object is primarily and logically independent from knowledge. So, whether your knowledge comes or goes, is true or false, your object remains whatever it was." This was Rand's explicit view. It is very similar to Searle's "external realism", and others. It is not an uncommon philosophical position.

So, more radical realist must conclude the "3" I am thinking of is different somehow than the "3" in the three cats I am looking at. But if that is the case, then how is knowledge about the external world even possible at all? This sounds crazy, but this is the consequence of the "radical realist" view -- utter skepticism about knowledge.

On the radical realist theory, our ideas are absolutely independent of their supposed objects, and therefore not linked by any relation -- including causality. The idea has no true relation with its object, and the realist cannot consistently take his own ideas as having anything to do with external "independent" reality. The radical realist theory ends in self-contradiction. It basically makes knowledge about the external world impossible. But we know that knowledge of the external world is possible -- look at the progress of science. So the radical realist position cannot be correct.

Still, there is an "independent reality" beyond our individual consciousness, NO DOUBT. Only subjective idealism denies that an independent reality exists. Objective idealism does not. It merely says that the objects of our knowledge of the external world are the same "stuff" that can be "in" the mind, i.e. reality as such has to be "thinkable." Basically existence and consciousness are abstractions that cannot be understood unless they are basically the same "kind" of "stuff".

As for empiricism, it is easily shown to be self-contradictory. For the empirical thesis that "all knowledge comes from perception" is itself not a proposition that can be known by perception. So there must be some other grounds for justifying knowledge.

As for the limited state vs. anarchism, most arguments against anarchism take the form of "anarchism does not 'work'". If there is no government police or government military, "something bad will happen." But limited government doesn't "work" either. If something bad can happen and that means "X does not work," then any form of government, even strictly limited government, has the same problem. The question is, what would work better? And for that we must consider economic theory -- and economic theory tells us that free markets are always the most efficient way to allocate resources and serve consumers, whereas states are always inefficient. So the anarchist position does not depend on things being perfect, just that it is a) more moral and b) works better economically.