random

I started reading The Sandman years before I became aware of the full array of modern yoot subcultures. My social context at the time was that I had just started college at UMaine, where I was exposed to only those subcultures that thrived in that climate -- most obviously, hippies and "crunchies" (outdoorsy types always dressed for a hike, named after the sound of granola), as well as the unavoidable "chads" (generic binge-drinking chumps) and the geeks I got to know through the compsci program. Before that I had been at a tiny Catholic high school and didn't socialize with peers at all.

And then, the comic concluded just as the Web was really starting to crank up and spreading awareness-slash-mockery of visually interesting subcultures to those who hadn't otherwise been exposed to them.

So I realized only the other day that Death is meant to be a parody (in the generous sense) of goth culture. Seriously, for the last, I dunno, decade when I saw a goth girl I would think on some level "hee hee, she looks like Death from the comix, I wonder if that's on purpose" and leave it at that, never approaching the remarkable similarity from the other direction.

I just thought it was kind of funny.

Thank you, Guy Maddin

Just as I thought I would: found a link to jhango's new favorite movie available in its entirety on the IFC website. (Quicktime format)

(It was one of the short films on the DVD of The Saddest Music in the World, which I saw again yesterday. I still love it.)

Channel 3 Friday

"ERA The Real Estate Answers Show": Four real estate agents at a small round table, talking shop. The one moderating is a young man who does a reasonable job keeping up the flow, but is distracting to watch; he's sitting in a half-curled position and is fidgeting and rocking absentmindedly. (I do the same thing a lot, but not on TV.) I imagined that he's pretty charismatic and energetic in person, but didn't quite know how to handle a staged setting.

Interesting style point: the moderator sits such a way that he has to face sideways or even away from the camera when talking to the others. Probably, he should have sat in the center of frame.

Frequent redisplay of subtitles bearing the agents' names and agency names, which is fine. At the start, though, the agents all rattled off their email addresses and phone numbers but there were no corresponding subtitles. Surely they could have thrown some together.

They're talking this week about selling one's house, so I'm not really listening.

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Café SCAT: nifty, a local music showcase. Just a band performing a set in the SCAT studio. I note how the website invites people to just walk in and watch the tapings. There is indeed an unseen but audible crowd present.

Hard to say much about this one. They mix up the camera work just enough to keep it interesting, without being obtrusive about it. The sound is handled just fine. And other than that, it's just here-have-some-musicians. But, I love local stuff, and I may make a habit out of this one.

Oh, it's also the first hour-long show I've encountered on this station. I'm glad the option is available. I have the idea in my head that our show will be half an hour, but I won't worry about not having the room to do a holiday special or something.

The TiVo thing

Have cast three lines, all email, regarding my query about getting SCAT's shows in the TiVo listings.

SCAT hasn't gotten back to me about their feelings on the matter. That's OK, it's not like I can't just troop in there someday and ask in person. If I don't before classes start in April, I'll do it then. But, as threatened (to nobody in particular) I went ahead and contacted the other parties.

A person in TiVo PR got back to me lightning-fast about her company's schedule sources. It all comes from Tribune Media Services, and she gave me the contact info for someone there. I fired off a third email in that direction yesterday afternoon and haven't heard back. I think I'll follow with a phone call if I don't hear anything in a week.

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Yeah, in some ways it's just another oo-shiny-new-thing obsession, but I am happy to have actually gotten my teeth into the TV thing. It's been a long time since I've worked from within the media, and television is a whole new world for me. Starting to formally learn about it next month will be fun.