July 6, 2011

Asesinos Delicados - Gabriel Alayza (Galería Forum)

Bebé Requin
Claudio Gallina

Perhaps the best Pascal-Alex Vincent's short film to date, "Bebé Requin" neatly weaves three stories of teenage relationships and the lack of communication in postmodern society. And by postmodern we could understand 'fragmented', that yearns for the whole. Here such fragmentation is related directly to the advent of technology. In the first story, a boy and a girl sit together semi-naked whilst the boy entertains himself with online gaming (technology). The cries of death come from the game as a mumbled cacophony that fills the room. There is not a word spoken between them, and when the doorbell rings, they're forced to get dressed. A boy has come to visit them. And while he stares taciturnly into the screen, he seems to make a decision and "breaks the ice", so to speak.


The recently arrived boy removes his shirt, unzips his pants and walks towards the other boy, demanding to have his penis sucked. Of course, there is no reasonable reaction from either the girl or the boy. They continue to sit down, he continues to play and only ventures that the distraction is going to make him lose, even so he briefly practices fellatio on his friend, although the girl refuses to do the same. They are deeply concentrated on the screen, which is only mirroring the indifference of our time. But what does our era enjoin us to do? We must either survive through the simulacrum or succumb to the real, this foreclosure bequeaths us or sustains turning away from communication. When the girl refuses to provide pleasure to the boy, he hits them both with his skateboard. Once he's gone, we still see the boy and the girl, faces covered in blood, sitting on the couch, and he's still playing with the same feeling of boredom in his eyes.

The second story is a hyperbole of the lack of communication, as a teenager tries, day after day, to talk to another boy. He talks and talks and talks, and he never receives an answer; his interlocutor barely looks at him and keeps on walking. As philosopher Alan Badiou would explain, communication transmits a universe made up of disconnected images, remarks, statements and commentaries whose accepted principle is incoherence. And it's only through the incoherent ramblings of the lonely teenager that we understand the relevance of true rapport.

In the third story, the male body is the center of the narrative. Quoting Badiou: "We will call 'body' the worldly dimension of the subject and 'trace' that which, on the basis of the event, determines the active orientation of the body. A subject is therefore a formal synthesis between the statics of the body and its dynamics, between its composition and its effectuation". It's only fitting, then, to observe the body duplicated, in this case, in twin brothers that carry out different dynamics. After all, one of them is gladly involved in a sexual relationship with a girl, and subsequently the other one is furiously jealous. When one of the brothers hits the other in order to supplant him during the intercourse, it's made clear that the "active orientation of the body" can easily surmount the established boundaries.

Why is this short film a work of art? As Badiou would define it "Art is not the sublime descent of the infinite into the finite abjection of the body and sexuality. It is the production of an infinite subjective series through the finite means of a material subtraction". Pascal-Alex Vincent successfully blends subjectivity with sexuality and provides us with an honest insight into the heart of adolescence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyMkiX3D-74 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOI56AzTWE0

Gabriel Alayza

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Gabriel Alayza

Aunque no pude estar el día de la inauguración de "Asesinos Delicados", sabía que debía ir a la muestra de Gabriel Alayza, actualmente en exposición en la Galería Forum (hasta este sábado). Como un apasionado del noveno arte, me fascina encontrar una propuesta como la de Alayza, que mezcla la libertad expresiva del cómic con personajes de inigualable originalidad; cada cuadro del artista es un manifiesto visual de gran osadía. Hay que tomarse un buen tiempo para ver y leer todo lo que se encuentra en la muestra, no solamente por la inmensa cantidad de cuadros –y hasta esculturas– del artista sino sobre todo por el gran cuidado y dedicación que está detrás de todos los trabajos seleccionados.
My first version / mi primera versión

My final page / mi página final
Me encontré con Gabriel Alayza el jueves pasado en la Galería Cecilia González y le prometí que iría a ver su muestra. He cumplido con mi palabra. A todos los que puedan, les recomiendo que se den una vuelta por Forum. No lo lamentarán.

Adicionalmente estoy incluyendo algunas viñetas de la historia que estoy dibujando para el volumen quinto de THE GATHERING.

Y, finalmente, recordando que la única vez que intenté hacer malfattis desde la masa no me quedaron muy bien, decidí pedirlos a la hora del almuerzo. Hasta ahora mi especialidad siguen siendo los ñoquis, y como le he prometido a mi amiga María Fe, apenas esté lista la mini-cosecha de camote de la casa –plantada al lado de la vereda– le prepararé ñoquis de camote.


malfatti

July 5, 2011

I am Legion (Nury & Cassaday)

At the same time, a commando of soldiers are traveling towards a small town in Romania to meet Ana, a young girl who is possessed by the second strigoi. Unlike Tepes, this second strigoi has no recollection of her past and seems less experienced in the use of her powers. Even so, Ana accedes to be a part of the “Legion” program in which a Nazi official and a group of scientists intend to take advantage of her power of controlling bodies.
Covers / portadas

Meanwhile, Admiral Canaris attempts to assassinate Hitler. Based on real life events, Fabien Nury takes a different moment from the one you could see on historically accurate movies such as Valkyrie, and links it to the situations taking place in “I am Legion”.
Visual planning / planeamiento visual

Fabien Nury and John Cassaday create an extraordinary saga of epic proportions, in which two supernatural creatures fight each other while the humans are conspiring and backstabbing each other amidst the chaos of the world’s greatest war. Truly unforgettable.    
Moving object / objeto en movimiento
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Visual execution / ejecución visual

Paralelamente, un comando de soldados viaja en dirección a un pueblo rumano donde vive Ana, una niña que alberga en su interior al segundo strigoi. A diferencia de Vlad Tepes, este segundo strigoi no recuerda su pasado y no tiene tanta experiencia en usar sus poderes. A pesar de ello, Ana accede a ser parte del programa Legión, donde oficiales y científicos nazis pretenden aprovechar su habilidad de controlar cuerpos.
Symmetry / simetría

El escritor utiliza otras figuras históricas como el Almirante Canaris, responsable de los varios (y fallidos) atentados contra Hitler.
Perspective & movement / movimiento y perspectiva

Fabien Nury y John Cassaday crean una extraordinaria saga de épicas proporciones, en donde dos criaturas sobrenaturales se enfrentan mientras que los humanos se encuentran divididos y dispersos en el caos de la más importante guerra. Inolvidable.
Silhouettes / siluetas


I am Legion (by Nury & Cassaday)


Set in WWII, “I am Legion” is a story of government conspiracies, espionage, secret agendas and supernatural horror. Nury does a top notch work in combining several argumentative threads and weave them into a single, seamless story.
Covers / portadas

First of all there is the British Council formed by some of the most influential and powerful men in England (including Winston Churchill), they are the employers of Sir John, who subsequently hires an uncharacteristic group of detectives / investigators. Their work is simple, find out what happened to a wealthy man who is found murdered in his burned down mansion… it would be a routine work if not for one detail: there is not even the slightest trace of blood in the corpse.
Extraordinary settings / escenarios extraordinarios

As the story progresses, we find out that the infamous Vlad Tepes (the real template for fictitious characters like Dracula) is a “strigoi”, a word that in Romanian means demon and vampire. But be warned, this isn’t your typically crucifix fearing, law abiding blood-sucker. This creature is something entirely different: able to possess other bodies through blood and overpower human or animal will from long distances, effectively enabling full control over any and all bodies, the strigoi is an untraceable and unstoppable creature.
Historical reconstruction / reconstrucción histórica

There are two, one of them is Vlad Tepes, and through the centuries he has managed to be the key figure in several governments (he aims now to seize control of the British Council); he seeks power and that’s his only weakness. Because to put his plans in motion he needs exorbitant sums of money. When the group of investigators find out that the bloodless man in front of them had a fortune of 100 million pounds which is now nowhere to be found, they suspect something larger than a simple crime mystery might be at stake.
Day-to-day life / vida cotidiana
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Composition / composición

Ambientada en la Segunda Guerra Mundial, “I am Legion” es una historia de conspiraciones, espionaje, secretos y horror sobrenatural. Nury hace un gran trabajo al combinar múltiples líneas narrativas y unirlas en una sola dirección.
Gestures & expressions / gestos y expresiones

Primero está el Consejo Británico integrado por Winston Churchill y un grupo de detectives / investigadores que son contratados para averiguar qué le sucedió a un acaudalado sujeto... todo sería un trabajo de rutina si no fuera porque encuentran a este hombre asesinado y sin una sola gota de sangre en el cuerpo.
Movement & Violence / violencia y movimiento

Quien está detrás de todo esto es Vlad Tepes (personaje histórico que inspiraría a Bram Stoker para su Dracula), un "strigoi", una palabra que en rumano significa demonio y vampiro. Pero este no es el vampiro clásico con fobia a las cruces y al ajo. Se trata de una criatura completamente diferente, capaz de poseer otros cuerpos mediante la sangre y controlar cualquier voluntad humana o animal a larga distancia.
Epic battle / batalla épica





I am Legion (by Fabien Nury & John Cassaday)

John Cassaday forced me to buy Whedon’s Astonishing X-Men. Yes, I was one of those skeptical fans that didn’t pay attention to that title, until one day, perusing the first pages of Astonishing X-Men # 7 I simply fell in love with the art. The sequencing, the planning, the framing, everything.
Covers / Portadas

From that day on I’ll buy everything with Cassaday’s name on it (too bad he hasn’t been drawing a monthly for some time now), no matter who the writer is. That’s how I came across Fabien Nury’s “I am Legion”, (originally published in three albums by Les Humanoïdes Associés). And here Cassaday’s art shines with unbridled light. The sheer energy it can emanate in each page is sometimes overwhelming. And that’s why I absolutely love it.
Dynamism & Action / Acción y dinamismo

Sequential art can be tricky. A comic book is not only a compilation of pretty images. There has to be a narrative, a certain structure. An artist can rise or fall because of a panel’s arrangement, or because of the dynamism he can imbue in a certain scene. I’m an amateur artist; penciling and inking indy comics have taught me a thing or two about this medium. And I can see every thought behind Cassaday’s planning. The way he resolves the movement of characters, the mood, the subtle expressions, the need for detail when it’s necessary or cleanliness when that’s what the scene calls for, everything is always in such perfect harmony that I find myself in awe looking at his pages. And to top it all, he always manages to participate in very interesting projects. “I am Legion” is a good example.
Sequence & Composition / secuencia y composición

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Facial expressions / Expresiones faciales

John Cassaday me obligó a comprar el Astonishing X-Men de Joss Whedon. Yo fui uno esos fans escépticos que no prestaron atención al título hasta que, un día, ojeando las primeras páginas de Astonishing X-Men # 7 simplemente me enamoré del arte. La secuencia, el planeamiento, el encuadro, todo.
Parallel framing / Viñetas paralelas

Desde ese día en adelante compro cualquier título con el nombre de Cassaday (una lástima que no dibuje ninguna colección mensual desde hace un tiempo). Por eso, decidí comprar “I am Legion”, escrito por Fabien Nury, serie publicada originalmente en tres álbumes por Les Humanoïdes Associés. En esta ocasión, el arte de Cassaday brilla más que nunca, la energía pura que emana de sus páginas es abrumadora. Y por eso me encanta.
Movement & Details / Detalle y movimiento

El arte secuencial puede ser complicado. Un cómic book no es solamente una recopilación de lindas imágenes. Debe haber una narrativa, una cierta estructura. Un artista puede triunfar o fracasar a causa de los arreglos de una viñeta, o por el dinamismo que podría imbuir en una cierta escena. He dibujado y entintado un buen número de páginas de cómics, y eso me ha enseñado una o cosa o dos sobre el noveno arte. Por lo tanto, entiendo cada iniciativa gráfica de Cassaday. Cómo resuelve el movimiento de sus personajes, el estado anímico, las expresiones sutiles, la necesidad por el detalle cuando hace falta o la limpieza cuando la escena lo amerita; todo siempre está en perfecta armonía. Además, Cassaday siempre se las arregla para participar en proyectos interesantes.
Light & Shadows / Luces y sombras






July 1, 2011

Films (June) / Películas (junio)

So this month I saw 14 films and 19 short films. I’ll start commenting about one of my favorite directors, Gregg Araki, and his Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy formed by Totally F***ed Up (1993), The Doom Generation (1995) and Nowhere (1997). In The Doom Generation actor James Duval conveys all the confusion and insecurities of adolescence, a similar role to the one he plays in Nowhere, in both films, sexual confusion and identity issues are of paramount importance. For a more in depth analysis please check my reviews on IMDB (and vote for them):  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119809/usercomments?start=20
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112887/usercomments?start=70
Araki also directed one of my personal favorites: Mysterious Skin (2004), in which the repercussions of sexual abuse will affect the lives of two boys, but in so many different ways that one could almost wonder if they shared the same experience.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0370986/usercomments?start=90

X-Men: First Class (2011) was a great surprise. At first I wasn’t really interested in it until I found out Nicholas Hoult was playing Beast. This young actor has always participated in interesting projects and X-Men was, indeed, a very solid and entertaining movie that creates a new continuity and background history for mutantkind (as a curiosity I would like to comment that Brendan Fehr, who played a male prostitute in “Sugar”, appears a few seconds as a navy officer). Bertolluci’s Ultimo tango a Parigi (1972), on the other hand, is a disgruntled and grim view on relationships, on sexual activities taken to the extreme and, ultimately, of failure; dramatic and strong, it shows what two people can do to each other.

The men who stare at goats (2009) a hilarious film about a secret division of the US Army trained to be “Jedi warriors”, using a pacifist approach and psychic abilities that no one believes in. Dear Pillow (2004): when a confused teenager starts hanging out with a veteran pornographer things change, not only every conversation they have revolves around sex but also the man seems very interested in the young boy. If you want to read my review and vote for it here’s the link http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389908/usercomments

Lifeboat (1944) is a classic Alfred Hitchcock film that masterfully takes advantage of the settings: a group of survivors in a lifeboat struggle with the sea and against each other. A Single Man (2009): actor Colin Firth creates a most enthralling character, imbued by the sheer emotion of loss and yet adjusted to the repressed feelings he considers necessary to suppress even in his last day on Earth. After losing his partner and lover, there is no deterrence in his decision: he will kill himself at the end of the day. Unless one of his students, played by Nicholas Hoult, tries to stop him from committing suicide. But will they find love in the end or something else? If you want to read my review and vote for it here’s the link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1315981/usercomments?start=50

Biutiful (2010) is a merciless portrayal of poverty and human misery in Spain.30 Days of Night: Dark Days (2010) was a very disappointing sequel of one of my favorite vampire movies. Spun (2002) chronicles the lives of drug addicts and drug dealers in a story fueled by black humor and exaggerated situations. Clash of the Titans (2010) was a bit of a let down, perhaps the only good thing about it is Nicholas Hoult’s presence. And finally, La confusion des genres (2000) is an interesting story about sexual confusion, bisexuality and homosexuality, firmly inserted in the French culture.

And now let’s move onto the short films. Brookton Hollow (2010) is narrated as a fairy tale, and has much of the magic and innocence of children’s stories, although here the protagonist is a gay teenager. Recruiting (2005) presents a very original concept that should be developed into a full length movie. Dear Friend (2011) is a neatly weaved story of teenage sexuality and acceptance.  Verona (2010) tells the story of Romeo and Juliet, except that Juliet is a male character. Bacchanal (2006) delves into the practices of the Dionysian cults.

Drowning (2009): a tender story about friendship and coming-out dynamics. Franswa Sharl: a lighthearted comedy in which a young boy enjoys dressing up as a girl. Tanjong Rhu gives us a glimpse on how homosexuality is punished in Asian countries. Teddy (2009): a bittersweet tale of lost love and longing. Love 100°C shares the intimate moments of a deaf kid and an adult man.  My Last Ten Hours with You (2007) manages to intensify the last moments that two lovers share. Ajumma! Are you krazy? a funny comedy on older women. A la ricercca di Tadzio is a documentary that follows Luchino Visconti through Europe as he searches for the actor that will play Tadzio in Morte a Venezia.

Other interesting works were Freunde that emphasizes in the confusing relationship between two German boys. Bébé Requin directed by Pascal-Alex Vincent, a lucid and personal interpretation of adolescence; in three short stories the French director explores sexual urges, loneliness and sexuality. To take a look at some of the scenes you can check my YouTube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyMkiX3D-74
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOI56AzTWE0&feature=related

Other French productions of interest were Miroirs d’ete that emphasizes the existential doubts in a teenager and his questions about sexual orientation. Basquet et Maths deals with the possibility of romance between two high school students. Les incroyables aventures de Fusion Man is a very funny take on gay superheroes. Omar is a story about exclusion and urban outcasts.

Finally, I would also recommend Everybody is having sex… but Ryan; Different; Billy’s dad is a fudge packer (simply hilarious); The Mountain King; Ron the Zookeeper; Crush; …Lost; The Confession; Same Sex America; Transient; Saint and Tá.

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Bueno, este mes me encargué de ver 14 películas y 19 cortometrajes. Empezaré comentando el trabajo de uno de mis directores favoritos, Gregg Araki, y su Trilogía del Apocalipsis Adolescente compuesta por Totally F***ed Up (1993), The Doom Generation (1995) and Nowhere (1997). En The Doom Generation, el actor James Duval transmite al espectador todas las confusiones e inseguridades de la adolescencia, en Nowhere el mismo actor asume un rol similar; de hecho, en ambos films la confusión sexual y los problemas de identidad son de vital importancia. Para un comentario más detallado pueden revisar mis reseñas en IMDB (y votar por ellas): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119809/usercomments?start=20
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112887/usercomments?start=70
Araki también dirigió Mysterious Skin (2004), una de mis preferidas. Aquí, las repercusiones del abuso sexual en dos chicos afectarán sus vidas para siempre, pero cada uno de ellos enfrenta el trauma de manera tan distinta que pareciera que no hubiesen pasado por la misma experiencia.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0370986/usercomments?start=90

X-Men: First Class (2011) fue una grata sorpresa. Al inicio no tenía mucho interés en verla, pero al averiguar que Nicholas Hoult interpretaría a Beast empecé a estar interesado. Este joven actor ha participado siempre en proyectos interesantes y, en efecto, X-Men resultó ser una película sólida y entretenida que crea una nueva continuidad en la saga de los mutantes (como curiosidad, me llamó la atención ver a Brendan Fehr, que interpreta a un prostituto en Sugar, tan sólo un par de segundos en pantalla). Ultimo tango a Parigi (1972) de Bertolluci, por otro lado, es una desencantada y cruel visión sobre las relaciones, las actividades sexuales llevadas al extremo y, por último, el fracaso; fuerte y dramática, nos muestra lo que dos personas pueden hacerse entre sí.

The men who stare at goats (2009): divertidísima película sobre una división secreta del ejército norteamericano donde los soldados entrenan para ser “guerreros Jedi”, usando enfoques pacifistas y poderes psíquicos en los que nadie cree. Dear Pillow (2004): cuando un confundido adolescente empieza a pasar su tiempo con un pornógrafo veterano las cosas cambian. No sólo hablan de sexo por horas, sino también el hombre empieza a mostrarse muy interesado en el muchacho. Si quieren leer mi reseña y votar por ella ahí va el link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0389908/usercomments

Lifeboat (1944) es un film clásico de Alfred Hitchcock en el que los escenarios son aprovechados al máximo: un grupo de sobrevivientes en un bote salvavidas luchan contra el mar y contra ellos mismos. A Single Man (2009): el actor Colin Firth crea un personaje fascinante, imbuido de la emoción cruda de la pérdida y, aún así, ajustado a los sentimientos que él considera que debe reprimir a pesar de tratarse de su último día con vida. Decidido a suicidarse tras perder al compañero de toda su vida, tan sólo su alumno, interpretado por Nicholas Hoult, parece estar interesado en salvarle la vida. ¿O es ya demasiado tarde para reencontrar el amor en este joven? Si quieren leer mi reseña y votar por ella ahí va el link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1315981/usercomments?start=50

Biutiful (2010) es un despiadado retrato de la pobreza y la miseria humana en España. 30 Days of Night: Dark Days (2010): pésima continuación de una de mis películas favoritas de vampiros. Spun (2002) registra la vida de drogadictos y vendedores de drogas en un relato impulsado por el humor negro y situaciones exageradas. Clash of the Titans (2010), es un tanto decepcionante, quizá lo único bueno de la película es la actuación de Nicholas Hoult. Y finalmente, La confusion des genres (2000) es una curiosa historia sobre confusión sexual, bisexualidad y homosexualidad, al amparo de las costumbres francesas.

Y ahora llegó el turno de los cortometrajes. Brookton Hollow (2010) es narrado como en un cuento de hades, y encierra mucho de la magia e inocencia de las historias infantiles, excepto que el protagonista es un adolescente gay. Recruiting (2005) presenta un concepto muy original que merece convertirse en película. Dear Friend (2011), honesta y bien desarrollada, se centra en la sexualidad juvenil y en la aceptación. Verona (2010) cuenta la historia de Romeo y Julieta, excepto que aquí Julieta es un personaje masculino. Bacchanal (2006) investiga las prácticas de los cultos dionisíacos.

Drowning (2009) es una tierna historia sobre la amistad y la revelación. Franswa Sharl, una comedia ligera sobre un chico que se divierta vistiéndose como chica. Tanjong Rhu nos da un vistazo a la forma en que la homosexualidad es castigada en ciertos países asiáticos. Teddy (2009) es un agridulce relato sobre el amor perdido y la añoranza. Love 100°C comparte los momentos íntimos de un chico sordo y un hombre adulto. My Last Ten Hours with You (2007) se las arregla para intensificar los últimos mementos que comparte una pareja. Ajumma! Are you krazy? simpática comedia sobre mujeres mayores. A la ricercca di Tadzio es el documental que sigue a Luchino Visconti a través de Europa cuando buscaba a un actor que interpretase a Tadzio en Morte a Venezia.

Otros cortometrajes interesantes fueron Freunde que enfatiza el aspecto confuso en la relación entre dos chicos alemanes. Bébé Requin dirigida por Pascal-Alex Vincent, es una lúcida y personal interpretación de la adolescencia; en tres historias breves el director francés explora la urgencia del sexo, la soledad y la sexualidad. Para darle un vistazo a algunas de las escenas pueden visitar mi cuenta en YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyMkiX3D-74
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOI56AzTWE0&feature=related

Otras producciones francesas de interés fueron Miroirs d’ete que hace énfasis en las dudas existenciales de un adolescente y sus cuestionamientos sobre orientación sexual. Basquet et Maths sugiere la posibilidad de un romance entre dos estudiantes de secundaria. Les incroyables aventures de Fusion Man: un muy divertido enfoque sobre superheroes gay. Omar nos habla sobre exclusion y marginalidad urbana.

Finalmente, también recomendaría Everybody is having sex… but Ryan; Different; Billy’s dad is a fudge packer (simplemente hilarante); The Mountain King; Ron the Zookeeper; Crush; …Lost; The Confession; Same Sex America; Transient; Saint y Tá.