Clare Townhill

Organizing Lightning

George Carlin - "Electricity is really just organized lightning."

Is TV the new Radio?

I've been reading and enjoying Carrie Brownstein's blog "Monitor Mix" for a while now. Here's an excerpt from today's post 'Radio on the TV':

I don't watch a lot television. But I am aware, and have been for at least a decade, that when I tune in, it's very likely that I'll discover a band, listen to the premier of a new single, or hear an old song that I love. This phenomenon is one that I now take for granted. But when exactly did my television turn into a jukebox?

General consensus is that The OC transformed the musical television landscape, though that probably had a lot to do with being in the right place at the right time. As mainstream radio support for indie bands waned, The OC picked up the torch, becoming a stand alone albeit surreal context to discover up and coming bands. And while other shows had merely played a few seconds of a song to bolster or foment emotion in a scene, The OC acted in a more curatorial and intentional fashion. The music was part of the characters' lives, which further cemented the identification that the audience felt with the show. The OC gave boosts to bands like Phantom Planet, Modest Mouse, and Sufjan Stevens, releasing CD "mixes" in the style of CMJ music samplers instead of soundtracks.

But let's be honest. Most of us didn't watch The OC, and if we did, we certainly wouldn't credit them with anything more than having a shrewd and perspicacious music supervisor. Additionally, they weren't first in marrying the two mediums. But who was and who was actually good at it? 

The rest

Children's Films, Adult Problems

Hugely anticipated and vastly over budget Spike Jonze's adaptation of 'Where the Wild Things Are'. Whilst drawing praise from fans and critics Warner are worried about the adapt and more acutely the marketing department are concerned about the breadth of the films appeal. A film with so bloated a budget needs big audiences;Warner's 'private' concern has surfaced very publicly in Adage:

"It doesn't look like a family movie," said the head of creative advertising at a rival studio familiar with Warner's angst. "Are they going for the cineastes or are they going to convince kids to go? It's the most interesting marketing problem in town right now."

Adage: Marketing 'Where the Wild Things Are' won't be child's play'

Which brings me to the other kidult film dilemma: the woeful Coraline. Billed as a 3D spectacular, today's darling format. Sadly, even in 3D this would be a disappointment unless those specs have acquired the magical property of being able to add a dimension to the characters. Two hours of deeply unnerving if beautifully crafted animation. Largely devoid of charm and bizarrely passed as PG. Coraline is very scary: at one point I grabbed the arm of the male friend who I was with for comfort, something I haven't done since I watched the Omen for the first (and last) time. Despite all this reviewers can't seem to get enough of Coraline and her nasty button-eyed friends. Five stars all round. Odd. Very odd indeed.

Who says romance is dead?

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