I’m also a sucker for high-energy, technical, riffy punk music. I am a sucker for well-executed gang vocals and self-deprecating lyrics. Top tracks: “Sleeping Bags in a Row,” “Endless Days at Strouds,” “Milkshakes in the Rain” This release puts me right in my feelings and is absolutely required listening for 2016. If you live in Athens/participate in the music scene you may even recognize some of the names and certainly some of the landmarks. Blithe Field (aka Spencer Radcliffe, a former Athens resident,) carefully crafted an experimental album composed of room recordings, humming and whirring electronics and simple melodies that manage to capture the bliss of living in Athens, as well as the feeling of moving away. This Orchid Tapes release snuck quietly into existence in January and immediately burrowed its way into my soul.
Blithe field genius series#
Keep tabs on the series throughout the month here.įace Always Towards The Sun by Blithe Field If you have questions, where can you go in the Bible to find answers? If you have a Bible handy or even an on-line version, check out these options.This is the fourth installment of a December-long series that examines what Athens-centric tune heads have been jamming to all year long. Angels, demons and the Holy Spirit (or by another name, The Holy Ghost) provide an alternative view to Hollywood’s expression of spirits, but this film should challenge us all to search for the answer. From the beginning to the end of the Bible, God answers the celestial beings' notion on the side of good and evil. Even though she uses less than reputable methods, Dame Judi Dench’s character is still trying to address the questions that have plagued humanity throughout the ages.Ĭonsidering the spiritual realm is a topic that is something that everyone must confront at different times in their lives. As a spiritualist, she shows that she genuinely believes in ghosts and spirits. Madame Arcati represents a field of study that considers the spiritual realm. Hopefully, if this version does anything, it would inspire people to go back and watch the 1945 classic and truly experience Noël Coward's genius. This leads to an on-screen experience that comes off as bitter instead of funny, especially when it comes to Elvira’s actions.īlithe Spirit has the pedigree and the legacy to be a comedic gem, but this resurrection proves to have little lustre. Dench, Stevens, Mann and Fisher are all accomplished comedic talents, but very few of their lines seem to provide the audience's laughs. Yet, other productions have made the transition across the years, but Hall’s interpretation proves to be too slow and forced to deliver any substantial humour. Also, how overacting was a normal part of the era that this was written into. Some of the issues can be blamed on the generational shift of the expectation of comedy. This impressive cast seems to be up for the challenge of delivering the hilarity of this unconventional comedy, but nothing seems to bring this film to life. To capture the quick-wittedness and the uniquely British humour of the famous playwright does take a steady hand and fine-tuned awareness of the past. One of Hall's most significant hurdles with reinterpreting Coward’s screenplay for modern audiences is holding on to everything that made the original story magical. This means he must confide in his second wife to find the best solution to remove this sultry poltergeist from this home and marriage. The only problem is that Elvira does not want to let go of this new lease on life and begins to wreak havoc on the writer’s life. They even begin to rekindle their romance in this strange spiritual realm, until the novelist realises that this will never work and he needs to remain faithful to Ruth. Since she had been the inspiration for all of his novels, he looks to his muse once again to finish the screenplay. Initially, Elvira’s appearance is the very thing that Charles needs to break through his blockage. Condomine begins to cause challenges in his current marriage. Even though he is the only person who can see her, the first Mrs. An act that accidentally leads to the ghost of Charles’ deceased first wife, Elvira (Leslie Mann) to haunt his life. In a desperate attempt to get out of this rut, the writer decides to hire Madame Arcati (Dame Judi Dench) to his home to conduct a séance for artistic inspiration. His writer’s block has left him sequestered to his office and has pushed his wife, Ruth (Isla Fisher), to the point of breaking. Going back to the golden era of filmmaking, novelist Charles Condomine (Dan Stevens) struggles to write his first screenplay. As he transitions from television to feature films, director Edward Hall attempts to capture the legendary writer's magic by conjuring up the spirit of this classic tale.