A Series of Series: Jessica Jones, Episode 4-6

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A Series of Series: Jessica Jones, Episode 4-6

Episodes 4 to 6 of Jessica Jones don’t disappoint and continue what the first three episodes started so excellently already. The themes are followed through but by showing more of Kilgrave, the show attempts a little of what Daredevil did with Wilson Fisk, although up to now, he has not really been humanized much more. But he’s not that mystery figure anymore. I also like how all the other characters, especially Malcolm and Will, become more layered and really develop, which is something, just like in Daredevil, these shows seem to do extremely well. I don’t know if Marvel gets enough credit for both shows, not just as good entertainment, like their movies, but really deep, well-made, thought-provoking shows that rarely fall into clichés or stereotypes. This is not just another comic book TV show (but then again, this is not based on just another comic). I’m going to focus on some highlights from the next three episodes (again, spoilers, obviously).

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Kriegerin (2012)

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Kriegerin (2012)

(some minor spoilers)

Kriegerin (Combat Girls, which is a stupid English title as Warrior would work perfectly) is a relentless portrait of two young women who end up in a neo-Nazi organization simply because society doesn’t offer them anything else. It is a very effective movie that doesn’t shy away from anything, making it hard to watch at times. It also doesn’t simply paint people as bad or evil, but mostly as lost, which I will get into in a second. The movie takes its subjects seriously and doesn’t really judge them, it observes, mostly. Marisa, the main and basically title character, is played by Alina Levshin in an amazingly strong performance. I’m unsure if the plot always works and if the off-screen narration at the beginning and end are really necessary (especially the last lines made me cringe a little). The in medias res opening also added a hopelessness that I’m not sure the movie really needed. But this is nit-picking, overall the film is very well directed by David Wnendt and presents a subject matter that is not talked about enough, at least not from this point of view.

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Book Report: Dave Eggers' The Circle (2013)

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Book Report: Dave Eggers' The Circle (2013)

(no real spoilers)

Dave Eggers’ The Circle is a fascinating book that takes a topic that you think you thought about a lot already and makes you think even more and in a different way about it. The topic is the internet in general and social media and privacy specifically. Eggers is always a brilliant writer and his versatility is simply impressive. But still I wouldn’t have expected this book from him, not because of its quality, but because of its themes. It’s a highly enjoyable but at the same time incredibly thought-provoking book that makes you reflect on your attitude towards social media. Sure, you could argue that he is overdoing it a little in depicting the future and the consequences, but then again, who knows? Together with Brian K. Vaughan and Marcos Martin’s The Private Eye, the question of how far are we willing to go and are we aware what it means is really prevalent.

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Music Box: Pulp's "This Is Hardcore"

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Music Box: Pulp's "This Is Hardcore"

Pulp’s This Is Hardcore, released in 1998, is a testament of anxiety in our culture, the diary of someone failing at life despite having success, a war report from the front of unsuccessfully battling to fill the void. Pulp, the Britpop band that had been releasing albums for over 10 years before suddenly having enormous success, published this album three years after Disco 2000 was an international hit and the fallout was wearing them down. Artistically I consider this album their masterpiece, despite its flaws. It’s a bit messy, untrimmed and unfocused at times, but when it hits its mark, it goes straight for the kill. It’s unflinching and bitter and cynical but always with a certain sense of humor and full of brutal honesty. And it’s brilliant. You might feel uneasy and slightly embarrassed while listening to it, but you might also get an idea of an artist struggling with life in this culture, but never stopping from telling us about it.

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