Call me Irish, but I’ll dance Hindi
Ok, kind of a random title I know. But for the longest time I’ve enjoyed the Pogues, a late 80’s early 90’s Irish Punk/Celtic Band, they’re more irish folk, but they’ve inspired a lot of other Irish bands. Such as Dropkick Murphys, whom I have recently taken a greater interest in. In fact, I have an Irish inspired playlist, yeah, it just has those two bands on it, but it’s great going from the Murphys heavy punk sound, to the Pogues who have more than one song that seem to only feature a guitar and a whole bunch of irish guys singing (which have given me the urge to move to Ireland, take up drinking, and sit all day in a pub singing drinking songs). Don’t worry though, I wont. Speaking of Irish bands, if anyone has some Flogging Molly (whom has been recomended to me multiple times now) let me know so I can pirate it off your computer… screw it, I’ll just head over to Pirate Bay right now. *WINK*
Yes, Irish folk punk music is wonderful and different, but it honestly has nothin on the wonderful Hindi tunes. Last Christmas I became an instant fan by way of Saawariya. Followed not closely enough by Om Shanti Om, both films, in my not so experienced Bollywood opinion, are wonderful showcases of how the Indian film industry enjoys mixing song and dance into their movies. They’re also both very different and allow us to see seperate aspects of Hollywoods Hindu step-sister. My relationship with India has lasted over a decade now, as I remember when my mom was there for a year and we almost moved there. Once my mom came back, my Indian/Hindu culture education began. I even represented the India culture at our 6th grade International Showcase. I started eating Indian food soon after. While I have no first hand experience of that country, I definitely have an appreciation for it. So it was a wonderful surprise when Slumdog Millionare was such a hit, I mean, it is an amazing film. Even though it’s not strictly Bollywood, it’s a wonderful representation of Indian culture.
So all this lead me to FINALLY download some music that I’m familiar with (both the Slumdog and Saawariya soundtrack), and I can’t wait to get up to Park City, my mom has LOADS of Hindi music. I don’t even know if that’s what it’s actually classified as, but it’s so incredibly fun! If you’ve never seen a giant Bollywood dance number, or a Hindi woman dancing tradition style, black girls ain’t got nothin on them. They can move their bodies in ways most dancers only dream of, screw ballroom! I want a class that teaches THAT at UVU. Anyway, I can’t wait to roll down the street blairing my music where the singers are singing in a language I will probalby never understand.
Children Of Men Asks Questions
What would happen to our society if a global pandemic of infertility struck women? What if no child had been born for 20 years? These are the questions ‘Children of Men’ ask. It then shows you a picture of a world and asks “Might this be the outcome, is this so unbelievable?” There are no laser guns, no robots. Other than transclucent and paper thin television screens, as well as being set in the future, you might forget this is a sci-fi movie.
But what hits the home run in my favoritist of genres (movie, book, TV show, ANYthing) is that ‘Children of Men’ blasts you with curiosity for the first half of the film. You’re trying to really figure out what happened, not just to the world, but to these characters. This movie drew me in with such ease and fluidity that I was extremely upset when I had to leave the world of Men and answer the door. Clive Owen plays his role well, which isn’t surprising, because it seems every movie I’ve seen him in, he is absolutely phenomenal at making his character real and believable. Everything seemed to work well during this film, sound was great, picture was great and the gore, yes GORE was done right.
Speaking of the violence of this movie, it was needed to tell the story. In fact, I heartedly condone the portrayal of violence. Mainly because it wasn’t done unnecessarily. How can you tell THIS story, a story of a man trying to save the LAST hope of humanity, without showing the measures taken by him, and those who hope to exploit that hope. Of course, this then asks the question, what would YOU do should the future of the human race be thrust under your wing to protect? If you don’t think you could maim or kill others to do so, I hope you aren’t ever put in that situation.
Returning to my talk of sci-fi, this was another return to the roots of sci-fi. Allagories. That’s really what the science fiction greats (Vern, Wells, Asimov, Clarke) all did with what they wrote. Unfortunately, this has been forgotten by most and we look at sci-fi as something less than what it should be. Not this movie, not ‘Children of Men’. And even though it is wholly sci-fi, it trancends the bounds of that genre by providing a mechanism that plays off every compassionate bone in your body. Within that mechanism, a wholly too realistic urban warfare scene that makes you cringe (and had even ME nauseated) is followed immediately by the most sincere human reaction possible by those who had just been causing said warfare. These few minutes of cease fire remind us what it is we should be fighting for every day of our lives.
My last few words about ‘Children of Men’? It’s… well, let’s just say that it was under appreciated, probably because it wasn’t “entertaining” enough. Just as I wish more people appreciated this country, I wish more people appreciated a good movie. Yet all those who built the genre of science fiction are probably looking down on ‘Children of Men’ and saying “Well done!”
My Sci-Fi 
