Curse of the Blair Witch

Not in the best of moods right now, but wanted to jaw 'bout the Blair Witch some more. Got to watch it last night. Found myself paying a lot of attention to the shot selection and cinematography. Buried in the mockumentary format are quite a number of classic narrative shot conventions. At one point point Mike is framed in the lower left third of the screen, while of the screen is trees and air, while the look of the black/white footage struck me as poetic, possibly lyrical.

What does black/white mean in this context? What does TOGGLING between color and b/w mean in this context? The easy answer is perspective or possibly aesthetic distance (black and white promotes a larger distance, color brings you closer to the subject). I think this is part of it. It plays with the rational/irrational tension often found in horror films. Heck the viewer even see the same footage rendered in both formats. This is a blurring of boundaries, an interrogation. [Taking a moment to scoff at anyone who thought they could film this themselves]. This blurring/toggling also reminds the viewer of a technological presence in the film (the cameras). Although both devices bravely record the tragic downfall of Heather and her buddies, as tools against the Blair Witch (the irrational) and their fates, the cameras are impotent. This is a far cry from Stoker's Dracula, in which technology served to record trangressions and allowed the heroes to save the day.

Not bad for a micro budget film that has earned the ire of thousands ;)
Oh! One last thing of note. This film falls into the 10% of movies that do NOT have any love story whatsoever. One could argue there is a triangle, but it's not a love triangle; it's a fear triangle or a paranoia triangle.

OW!!!

Managed to trip over my dog and go pinkie toe first into a door, which for those keeping score is a sharp pain not an ache or itch. Was too busy screaming and clutching my foot on the floor to berate the dog, which wouldn't have mattered anyway.

The Blair Witch Project

I love this movie, really love this movie, but man does it have vicious detractors. "It was stupid! It was boring! I could make this movie! I got motion sick! It wasn't scary!" and so on and so forth. I was mildly surprised to see the AVclub review it in their New Cult Cannon series, and I was really surprised--and a little ecstatic to see it defended AND see a large chunk of the commenters embrace it for the classic it is. Heck, the response got me so revved up I went out and rented it tonight. They spoke as if deeply effected by the film, genuinely frightened. (I was too, had the lights on when I went to bed).

I never understood the "it wasn't scary" reaction. If the Blair Witch doesn't scare these people, what does???

Taking it easy(?)

Doing my best to cut back this week, would like to be healthy for the tournament, but I'm so damn obssessive sometimes. Went to the 7:30 basic jujitsu class, skipped the 8:30 class, got to do a little rolling after working basic side control escapes. Think I prefer the two hands in method.

Little Victory: Made B. tap to a classic kimora(arm lock??) from side control.
Remember, it's like a paintbrush

State of the body 2

My nose, as luck would have it, is fine; in fact, since the sinusitis has subsided (never going off respa ever again) my nose is close---very close--to being fine AND dandy. My toe is up and down, forcing me to reassess its status yet again. Something has to be broken, it is still very sensitive to pressure, but there's not much I can do.

Took Sifu's advice about kicking with my hamstrings a wee bit too seriously. Felt something pop last tuesday, thought it was just a cramp--not that lucky. Gonna have to treat it with pain killers and ibuprofen cream.

Let the record show

I was hit in the nose on Thursday in fitness kickboxing. I did not have a flashback.

Monday Redux

Wednesday's practice was just as rough, if not moreso, than Monday's. Ah Monday, that day of the week were the guantlet was done in one minute intervals soon to be replaced by Wednesday's zealous two minute intervals. I think I only managed to collect one new blister, while keeping the others reasonably controlled. This time the groups were segmented into Gi and no-gi. And as fate would have it that would put me in with all the middle weights and light heavyweights. I was in for two minutes against a very strong, cool, personal trainer. He's not particularly emotive; I guess stolid would be the term, the kind of guy who might be a dick, who might be mistaken for being an arrogant dick while he's really just stoic, you just don't know (he's always been careful never to do any serious harm to me).

I did alright circumstances pending. He tapped me out once, but I was able to launch a few counter offensives via gi, which can be a great tool to mitigate size and strength differences. At one moment he tried to stack me, and to my surpirse I didn't just roll out of it, I rolled out and popped to standing in a fluid motion. Next time I'll have to try to take advantage of that, or at least roll through in a way that sets up a submission.

There was a switching around of a few people between groups and I found myself in the smaller (by weight) no gi group. The fighters who I consider to be more dangerous than the larger fellas (not to take anything away from them). I got a submission and a take down, but one thing I learned last night is that I have a long way to go before I have a consistently effective take down. I simply got trapped in the guillotine one too many times (I escaped a couple times but was submitted once). I was the last person through the gauntlet though, and boy it was ugly. I ran on fume and two legs because I arms were dead dead dead. I couldn't feel my biceps, and my elbows are STILL killing me (we drilled arm bars in the beginner class before hand).

Final note: I need to start working on my no-gi hip throw. It really looked pathetic!