Movie Night

 

Greetings 21st Century Terrans.  My name is Patrick Fitzroy, 7th emanation of the Atlas Tree.  When the site administrator asked me to do a blog post, I considered my options carefully.  I wanted to focus on my love for literature, but at the same time, I didn’t want to convey the impression that my literary ambitions are a solitary pursuit.  Nothing is a solitary pursuit for a Cu’enashti.  Then I had a brilliant idea: I would ask the other members of my literary circle to join me in a sort of movie review.  I didn’t want something too polished; I preferred a raw, real-time response to a film that we were viewing together.  So I chose the film, and then gathered up my fellow commentators: Cillian, Evan, Dermot and Lorcan.  What follows is a transcript of what occurred.  If you want to watch along with us, you’ll have to go to the YouTube link Amazing Plants since the Smithsonian Channel disabled embedding.  I suppose they were afraid of someone dodgy getting hold of the video and damaging their respectable image.  A little paranoid, if you ask me.  Nevertheless, I’ll do my best to screenshot the most exciting aspects of tonight’s feature.

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Patrick: The film is entitled Amazing Plants.  It’s produced by the Smithsonian Channel.  As I understand it, the Smithsonian is a research institution of notable reputation, so I expect something highbrow and elucidating.  Let’s get started.

Lorcan: You haven’t tried surfing the net yet, have you?  I don’t think this culture entertains the concepts of highbrow and elucidating.

Evan: Can we not argue before the credits have even rolled?  I’d prefer to keep an open mind.

Cillian: Wait, G-rated?  Doesn’t that mean there’s no sex or violence?  I’m going to be bored off my roots.

Amazing Plants - Amazing Plants (Full Episode).mp4_snapshot_02.02_[2014.04.30_22.03.50]

Dermot: It looks like some kind of a medical drama.  I wasn’t expecting that.

Patrick: The nurse has brought the mimosa plant into the operating room.  Interesting.  I was under the impression that medical care for plants was very poor in this era.

Lorcan: Wait, she’s not performing a medical procedure on that mimosa.  She’s drugging and torturing it.  This is a much better flick than I expected.

Cillian: If any bitch poked at my leaves like that, I’d [expletive for animal procreation deleted] kill her.

Evan: Did she just cut that leaf?  For no apparent reason?  I feel ill.

Dermot: Wait, what’s this about carnivorous plants?  There are very few carnivorous plants.  Is this some kind of sleazy anti-plant propaganda?

Amazing Plants - Amazing Plants (Full Episode).mp4_snapshot_06.26_[2014.04.30_22.06.25]

Cillian: Holy compost!  Did you see that bladderwort eat that flea?

Lorcan:  The camera work is brilliant.  I love the added sound effects of the squealing fleas and the little chomping noises the bladderwort is making.  Complete artistic license, you realize.

Evan:  It’s a good thing we don’t sleep.  I’d have nightmares after that.  Wait, that pitcher plant isn’t real, right?  This must be a horror film.

Dermot:  Jamey says it’s real.  Monsters like that were never brought to the Domha’vei in the gene banks.

Amazing Plants - Amazing Plants (Full Episode).mp4_snapshot_08.35_[2014.04.30_22.11.12]

Cillian:  Look at the ants drowning in the digestive fluid.  It’s like a Hieronymus Bosch painting of hell.

Amazing Plants - Amazing Plants (Full Episode).mp4_snapshot_08.14_[2014.04.30_22.13.45]

Lorcan: “Every pitcher is a slippery death trap.”  You know, it reminds me a lot of Jonathan Edwards’ “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”: “Their foot shall slide in due time.”

Evan: I don’t think I can stand to watch any more.  I thought this was rated G.

Dermot: And now strangleweed.  This is a hate-filled screed.  If it were shown on Dolparessa, there would be a mass outcry.

Amazing Plants - Amazing Plants (Full Episode).mp4_snapshot_10.18_[2014.04.30_22.19.33]

Patrick: Are you okay, Evan?

Evan:  That poor tomato.  I can’t watch.

Cillian: Evan, you might want to look now.  We’ve gotten to the porn.

Amazing Plants - Amazing Plants (Full Episode).mp4_snapshot_13.48_[2014.04.30_22.20.56]

Evan: Oh, my word!

Tommy: Did someone say porn?

Cillian: Hey, you’re not in the literary circle.  Who invited you?

Tommy: I know more about porn than all of you put together.  If anyone’s qualified to be a critic, it’s me.  Pass me a beer.

Amazing Plants - Amazing Plants (Full Episode).mp4_snapshot_15.40_[2014.04.30_22.25.00]

Cillian: Um, is that wasp humping that orchid?

Dermot: The narrator said that the orchid produces a scent that smells like wasp pheromone, and the fur feels just like wasp fur.

Tommy:  Like one of those expensive Japanese sex dolls.  Wow, this is some kinky hard core stuff you’ve found, Patrick.

Amazing Plants - Amazing Plants (Full Episode).mp4_snapshot_17.46_[2014.04.30_22.29.00]

Cilian:  It’s an orgy!  That skunk cabbage is having an orgy.  Look at that pollen!

Lorcan:  Apparently it smells like rotting flesh and excrement.  So there’s a scatological angle here, too.

Amazing Plants - Amazing Plants (Full Episode).mp4_snapshot_18.19_[2014.04.30_22.30.07]

Tommy:  Whoa.  WHOA.  Did you see that stamen?  I feel so inadequate.  Let’s not show Tara this movie.

Evan:  We are never, ever showing Tara this movie.

Dermot: Well, this next section about the acacia seems a bit brighter.  The acacia seems to have formed a working relationship with those ants.

Evan:  Yes, it’s quite inspiring…AAAAAAAAGH!

Amazing Plants - Amazing Plants (Full Episode).mp4_snapshot_20.44_[2014.04.30_22.35.39]

Cillian: That dude just came out of nowhere and maimed that tree.  This is severe.

Dermot:  It’s making me very uneasy about what humans will justify in the name of science.  I think we’ll need to have a long talk with Cuinn.

Amazing Plants - Amazing Plants (Full Episode).mp4_snapshot_27.22_[2014.04.30_23.23.47]

Evan:  Oh oh oh.  I don’t care if I don’t sleep.  That will definitely give me nightmares.

Patrick:  Dermot, I’m coming to the conclusion that you’re right.  Listen to them vilify that tobacco plant: “the evil weed.”  All it did was defend itself from being eaten by those caterpillars.

Cillian:  I think humans have got a grudge against tobacco.  The lung cancer thing.

Patrick:  Well, all it did was defend itself from being smoked by those humans.

Amazing Plants - Amazing Plants (Full Episode).mp4_snapshot_34.48_[2014.04.30_22.41.38]

Dermot:  That erodium seed has a really good design philosophy.  Like an automated corkscrew!  I think Owen would be interested in that.

Cillian: If we wanted to make sure our seeds got planted, that is.  But I’ve got enough on my hands with one kid already.  I’m going seedless the next time I fruit.

Tommy:  Look!!!  Did I just see that?

Amazing Plants - Amazing Plants (Full Episode).mp4_snapshot_36.20_[2014.04.30_22.54.25]

Cillian: Holy compost.  A [expletive for ejaculation deleted] shot in a G-rated flick?

Amazing Plants - Amazing Plants (Full Episode).mp4_snapshot_36.16_[2014.04.30_22.47.08]

Patrick:  They’re repeating it again.  The squirting cucumber.

Tommy:  I think I gotta take a cold shower now.

Cillian:  I’ll join you.

Patrick:  Me, too.

Dermot: And that wraps up the movie night.

Evan:  Where is everybody going?

Lorcan: I thought you didn’t want to watch the movie.

Evan:  Well, it was starting to get interesting…

 

Favorite Songs, pt 2

I was rather hoping that Whirljack would write the obligatory piece of introductory prose, but he seems to have shoved the project into my lap.  So here it is…the second installment of the favorite songs list, emanations 11-20 – ed.

*****

Cillian – This is easy: the greatest song ever produced by human civilization is Julie and the Mothman by Kasabian.  There’s no argument.  Just listen to these stunningly poignant lyrics: “I am the mothman, I wanna eat right through your clothes.”  Gives me chills.

Davy – Soul Candy by Earthphish.  Why do I like it?  It’s obvious.

Wynne – The Last High by the Dandy Warhols.  It sounds like just the sort of situation I’d get myself into. [But what is up with that vid?  New Romantics in 2009?  Was it some sort of pathetic homage, or an attempt to be cooly ironic?  I’m embarrassed just to watch it – Driscoll.]

Owen – I got all choked up when I first heard Cliquot by Beirut.  It’s so sad and so beautiful.

Driscoll – I put a lot of thought into this choice.  At first, I thought I should go with a timeless classic, but then I realized that the classic is always the safe bet, a hallmark of small minds.  But if not a classic, then what?  If I chose something trendy, it could become dated, a bagatelle eventually dismissed as “so 20th Century.” Worse still, if I chose a work by cutting edge darlings, they could eventually do the unbearably unthinkable by becoming famous, important and thus plebeian (Cillian, take note!)  There was only one way out of this conundrum: kitsch.  Something wonderfully campy would give me the luxury of liking it whilst winking one eye at the cognoscenti.  In retrospect, there was only ever one possibility: ABBA.  And what could be better than this obviously lip-synched performance of Kisses of Fire?  Blue eyeshadow, lip gloss, garishly colored satin leggings…I swear I’m going to dress the Panic-droids at the casino like that.

Ross – Fallen, not Broken by the Wolfgang Press.

Callum – Do I have to?  Having preferences can really be troublesome for a submissive.  If I have to, I suppose this one. [M&Ms by Tei Shi – ed.]  “I deserved it.  I deserved it.”  Just so.

Suibhne – My favorite song is Moro, Lasso, al mio Duolo by Carlo Gesualdo.  My favorite song is Some Velvet Morning by Nancy and Lee.

Tarlach – I was one of the ones who had to do some research, as my tastes gravitate towards IndWorld Zonepopp.  As it turns out, I’m grateful to have had this opportunity.  I discovered an enormous amount of amazing music in the 20th Century alone.  Of everything I listened to, the one which really stuck with me was Let’s Make This Precious by Dexy’s Midnight Runners.  It’s a lot more organic than the music I normally like, but it’s infectious, and so positive and upbeat.

Lugh – I think Feel Good, Inc. by Gorillaz is a great song with a great message.  And I love the part in the vid with the flying windmill, although you can really see the limits of the 21st Century vidding technology – wouldn’t this performance be great as a holo?   Anyway, I wish we had one of those windmills.  Maybe Owen can build one.  [That video is positively dripping with poisonous irony.  How, how, HOW could you miss it??? – Driscoll.]

[Wait, where in the rules did it say that Driscoll gets to comment on our choices and really make a compost bin of himself? – Cillian.]

[Don’t ask me, I’m just the editor – ed.]