Shutter Island

Shutter Island was and was not what I expected. It may have been predictable, but that didn't stop it from leaving an unsettling impression. I've enjoyed Martin Scorsese/Leonardo DiCaprio pairings in the past, but something was lost in this attempt. Scorsese managed to build up the mystery and characters with intensity, but when the ending was finally revealed, it seemed to fall flat.

Visually, the movie was stunning. I could see myself buying it, if only to dive into the imagery. Bold bloody reds, stark contrasting light, a lovely excess of dreamy hallucinations. It carried such great potential, but it had a hard time living up to the conclusion it promised.

The thing that I really enjoyed about the movie was the way Scorsese portrayed the different variations of "insanity." I'm fascinated with the idea of mental hospitals. I wouldn't want to be stuck in one, and I'm utterly frightened by the idea of being admitted by force, (imagine the the feeling of helplessness!), but sometimes I feel like there's a moment in which people choose to tip the balance. Some of the patients in the movie were so convinced by their intricate personal realities that it almost seemed a shame to treat them.

On a larger level, it's easy to infer that all of us, in essence, are crazy. Isn't it human nature to judge the world based on perception, (or perceive the world based on judgment)? It can be an ongoing hostile environment, or a white picket fence fantasy, but it's not impossible--nor is it rare--that the same story can sound completely different when given from two separate perspectives. So when does a person's perspective peel away from the norm? When does the scale tip, and cause someone's world to differ so much from our own that we consider them insane? The idea that we are capable of existing solely in our mind is as exhilarating as it is frightening.

Theories aside, I would watch the movie again. The ending may have rubbed me the wrong way, but I don't necessarily blame the direction or the acting. I think Scorsese did the best he could with what he had. And considering it was based on a novel, perhaps it was the best screen translation possible.

On a side note, considering I've enjoyed DiCaprio's past performances, but never really found him romantically appealing, I was pretty surprised at how intensely attracted to him I was in this movie. It was like realizing you have a crush on a best friend...Where did that come from?

MD. net Clinic Akasaka by Nendo

Dezeen features the coolest stuff!

"Japanese designers Nendo have completed the interior of a mental health clinic in Akasaka, Tokyo, where none of the doors open and patients and staff instead move around the building by opening sections of the walls."




"Called MD.net Clinic Akasaka, the project includes sliding bookcases behind which the consultation rooms can be found and a single opening door at the end of the corridor that reveals a window to the outside."

Masks by Morgan

I've had a mask fetish lately. It would be so awesome to hang these on a wall:







To see more wonderful work, visit the artist's site. She has some neat user pics from Winter Wolf Studios.

Appaloosa

I know it's not a new movie, but I watched it again a few nights ago, and I really enjoy the lighting and cinematography...

Robb Report Ultimate Home 2009

Last week I saw an old Robb Report magazine that featured a crazy custom-designed home in Palm Desert, California. I had to search high and low for the images online, (because God forbid the site feature anything remotely similar to the article,) but I finally found a few. To read the text that I chopped out, check out the PDF here.














Click on the last picture to see some specs on the size and magnitude of this place. The Aquarium holds 100 fish, and weighs 43,000 pounds when filled!

Bubelle Dress

From the original article:

"The Bubelle Dress is made up of two layers, the inner layer contains biometric sensors that pick up a person's emotions and projects them in colours onto the second layer, the outer textile.

The sensitive dress, which was designed by electronical giants Philips, works by monitoring physical changes associated with different feelings.

Emotions such as stress, arousal, or fear affect the body's temperature and sweat levels and these generate the light that changes the pattern and colour on the dress.

Also, a new kind of tattoo mentioned in the same article grabbed my attention:

"Scientists at the Dutch firm have also designed emotion-sensitive electronic tattoos as part of their design project. A spokeswoman said: "In much the same way as make-up is put on and taken off to suit the occasion, a tattoo could alter whenever desired.

"The tattoos could even change in response to gestures or emotions."

The Third and the Seventh

I think there is something profoundly beautiful about this film. I found it on Amy Stein's blog. My recommendation: Full screen and with headphones.

The Third & The Seventh from Alex Roman on Vimeo.

The Vine Hotel

Of course, this would have to be in Madeira! See more at the hotel's official website.