.:Confessions of An Information Junkie:.

So about a month ago, I was in Dubai and my friend Sireesh and me were going on a ride among the sand dunes and he pops this mp3 cd into his player and this song suddenly starts playing,an orchestra but with a techno beat in the background,it was totally brilliant!!The song was simply stunning as it gave you this feeling that you were on a rollercoaster (Hi to Low..then to high...u get the picture right??!) and so I ask him where the 'F' he heard about this and he tells me that its from the soundtrack to this movie Requiem For A Dream and tells me that the movie is as good as the song.And so watch the movie we did,hooked up his laptop to the TV,popped the cd in,kicked back and relaxed as he warned me that I was in for a ride. And there I sat waiting with no idea wat i was in for...






So the movie starts with Jared Leto(Harry Goldfarb) squandering with his mother Ellen Burstyn(Sara Goldfarb) over the television. Initially confusing to follow as to what is going on, the movie progresses to show that him and his friend Tyrone(Marlon Wayans) pawns the television in order to come up with some cash so they can get their stash of heroine.Yes, that is what this movie primarily deals with, drugs. Darren Aronofsky slowly draws us into the world of drugs and addiction.The movie goes on to introduce us to Harry's girlfriend Marion(Jennifer Connelly) who herself is an addict.

Sara, a widow and a loner has an obsession with a television show dealing with diet control. She then gets a call from a television network to participate in a game show. Overwhelmed by this turn of fortune, she starts taking diet pills so she can fit in her 'red dress'.

Tyrone and Harry hatch up a brilliant plan in which they make major money out of dealing out drugs on the street.Life is good. Marion and Harry are going great. The money is flowing in and Harry goes home to gift his lonely mother a television.

So..what could possibly go wrong?

And its here where the pure genius of Darren Aronofsky, shines. Employing shock techniques and interesting camera work with quite exquisitely crafted split screen sequences,he portrays the downward spiral of all four characters in a chilling manner. The whole atmosphere of the movie suddenly becomes gloomy and dark. It was an emotional assault, one would go as far as to say that it was torture to sit through it. But, one still does! Darren Aronofsky crafts the movie in such a manner that it demands the eyes and ears of the listener. Clint Mansell provides a beautiful and equally haunting score. One cannot help but feel to go out and reach out to the characters on screen and help them as their world crumbles around them.

Ellen Burstyn puts in a powerful performance, definitely the best I've seen from any Hollywood actress. It is her character that you would feel for the most. The whole cast puts in a powerful performance but who surprised me the most was Marlon Wayans. He slipped in so comfortably in this role which is very well quite different from all the B-grade comedies he does.

This movie is a raw and real depiction of drug abuse.It is intense(that would be an understatement).Requiem For A Dream is definitely not for the weak hearted.It will make some cringe, some cry and some may even throw up.But it is a strong film, and required to be seen. Although very graphic in nature, every teenager must see this film.

Cast:

Ellen Burstyn as Sara Goldfarb

Jared Leto as Harry Goldfarb

Jennifer Connelly as Marion Silver

Marlon Wayans as Tyrone

Directed by : Darren Aronofsky

So, its about a week left for my fifth semester exams to start and as usual, I was far from prepared and totally frustrated with the Herculean task ahead of me, I thought I'd make my usual trip to my second home on campus,the NET LAB.Logged on and began my search for some new music and made my regular rounds of music sites and saw this album 'endive' by this band I hadn't heard before.I faintly remembered reading this name in one of the metal forums I check out so I was like "What the hell..let's give it a shot". And boy, was I glad!! The album starts with "Annihilation", and I was like "woooaahh!!", I've never heard anything like this before. And then they move on to cover John Lennon's "Imagine" and before I knew it, I had listened to the whole album and hadn't moved out of my chair. I was totally in shock cause I thought I would never survive music from a band like this, especially after spending the whole semester listening to the mammoth 9 member nu-metal outfit Slipknot. But there I was, mesmerized by this band and a vocalist who had the most chilling voice I had ever heard. And then began my journey with A Perfect Circle.....

A Perfect Circle, a modern rock outfit(actually their music is very difficult to categorise) made its debut in the year 2000 with their smashing hit album 'Mer Des Noms'. The band, headed by lead vocalist Maynard James Keenan happens to be the lead singer of Tool. Maynard vehemently denies that 'A Perfect Circle' is a side-project and it definitely reflects on every album they've recorded so far.The band serves as an outlet for Maynard's poetic side as he deals with everything from addiction to lost love in his songs. Like most of his work with Tool, the lyrics require some deep thought from the listener but in the end, turns out to be a truly gratifying experience.

Their debut album, Mer de Noms (Sea of Names in French) consists of songs whose names and lyrics themselves contain references to ancient Greek mythology and the Bible.This cd spawned hits like "Judith", in which Keenan lashes out at the unabated blind faith that people place in God.The mood of the album varies between the dark and depressing to the more peaceful and uplifting. There in lies the beauty of the album.

The year 2003, brought the release of their second album Thirteenth Step. Although, there has been no reason given by the band for naming the album so, but many among the APC fan base believe the name is derived from the fact that it takes twelve steps to completely rehabilitate an alcoholic. And the songs to some reflect the similar mood. The standout song from this album for me personally has to be "The Noose". A very chilling song in which Maynard basically makes the listener shiver.Other songs to check out from this album are "Blue" and "The Outsider".

A Perfect Circle, decided to join the bandwagon of artists in the anti-Bush parade and decided to release their new album eMotive on the day of the US elections. The album sadly did not receive any critical acclaim and also caused a fall out from their fan base. Through this album the band, basically made their stand on issues regarding war, with covers of John Lennon's "Imagine" and Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On?". Only two originals made it to the album which were "Counting Bodies Like Sheep to The Rhythm Of The War Drums".This I think, was the reason why the album was not well received because many believed that the songs they covered should have been simply left alone.

The lyrics in their songs are intriguing and Keenan's poetry will definitely demand multiple interpretations from the listener. Truly, one of the, if not THE best rock vocalist of our generation.This is music, not for the casual listener.But check it out if you want thought provoking and insightful music.

Line Up:

Billy Howerdel: Guitar
Maynard James Keenan: Vocals
Josh Freese: Drums
Jeordie White: Bass Guitar
James Iha: Guitar

Discography:

Mer De Noms(2000)
Thirteenth Step(2003)
eMotive(2004)

Raghu Recommends:

eMotive-"Passive"
Mer De Noms-"Judith"
Thirteenth Step-"The Noose"

Okay!! finally settled on a template, but still do want to make some changes but then I just had to post just for the F of it, otherwise i wouldnt have been able to see how things were. Well, thats pretty much it for now.
Peace..