Today is the ten-year anniversary of Slayer Guitarist Jeff Hanneman's death. Hanneman's work inspired a generation of guitarists; almost every solo and riff the guy wrote is a classic, so choosing a favorite is tough. That said, "Spirit In Black," from 1990's Seasons in the Abyss, is one that always makes me stop and listen. The sinewy, circuitous path Hanneman shreds up and down the neck just blows me away every time.
Watch:
I finally had a chance to see Ari Aster's new film, Beau is Afraid last night:
Okay, so I went into this film knowing nothing about it other than a few references I've seen to it being a "Nightmare Comedy." While we probably all know enough about Nightmares and comedies to be able to marry the two theoretically, I had some trouble picturing what this term would mean, let alone in the hands of Ari Aster. After seeing it, I will say this: Nightmare Comedy is the perfect summation of this film. Beau is Afraid is Anxious, breathtaking and sometimes horrifying. Also, it's very, very funny; I laughed out loud quite a bit, with one scene in particular evoking what was probably my longest laugh since either Barry season 2 episode 5 or the South Park: Pandemic Special.
I just couldn't stop.
Granted, the scene in question would likely horrify others, but by saying that, I don't want to mislead anyone. This isn't a "Horror" film and there's nothing as severe as the most memorable events from Hereditary or Midsommar. Or, perhaps it's better said there are some fairly severe moments - some that evoke Midsommar especially - but in Beau, these elements are not presented with the same severity. So, while visually, or in concept a few scenes create similar violence, in Beau that violence is, remarkably, played for laughs.
And it works.
This feels like Aster's "Gilliam" piece, but I also detect notes of Gondry, the Cohen Bros, and Peter Weir. I'm typing this portion of this post about two hours after leaving the theatre on Monday night, and I'm honestly considering going back tomorrow and seeing it again. There's a thrill to the discovery of what this movie is that I won't be able to recreate now that I know its arc, but would still be damn fun to try.
Playlist:
Witchfinder - Hazy Rites
Ruby the Hatchet - Fear is a Cruel Master
Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss
Slayer - Show No Mercy
The Darts - Snake Oil
Screaming Females - Desire Pathway
I did something a bit different for today's Pull; I started with the Bound Tarot and then decided to see what a similar, three-card spread in Thoth would look like. Here's what I got:
Victory over unconscious motivations obscured by two elements fighting one another - Will and Money.
Approach emotional obstructions in an elegant fashion and Will should increase.
Taken together, this is a hodge-podge of what I already know: I'm slipping on discipline in several areas and it's affecting my output. Victory (completion of a project) is obscured by a failure to place logic over emotion. In order to achieve the desired outcome, decisive action must be taken.
