This is a brief yet initial post to get the ball rolling on a conversation about that most unique piece of Japanese black & white cinema, "Onibaba". All those with questions, opinions, proclamations, et cetera, about this film, should post here.

Has anyone seen it?

Last week some children were playing football with it.

This story is similar to 'Rashomon' in that there is no one story, nor one fixed conclusion to the drama unfolding. You figure it out for yourself.

The killing machine that Nakadai (Ryunnosuke Tsukue) portrays here finally flips out ultimately, because, up until the point towards the end, when he runs into Mifune & the granddaughter, he was incapable of seeing the world as others do.

He got away with this, because of his great skill. He was able to be out of bounds, yet still be in the game.

Was he, up to this point, unable to fathom right…

Swede to Put Moose Meat on Space Menu

November 9, 2006, 6:30 PM EST

STOCKHOLM, Sweden – The first Swede in space knows just what to serve his astronaut colleagues for dinner: moose and crisp bread. Christer Fuglesang, who is set to become the first Swedish astronaut to embark on a space mission next month, said Thursday he will bring a decidedly Scandinavian flavor to the food menu aboard the International Space Station.

Fuglesang will serve dried moose meat, crisp bread and gingerbread cookies – a Christmas favorite in Sweden – to his colleagues on one of the 12 days…

'Love is Blue' hitmaker dead

November 8, 2006

PARIS, France (AP) – Paul Mauriat, a French conductor whose arrangement of "Love is Blue" topped U.S. charts in the 1960s and who garnered a large following in Japan, has died. He was 81.

Mauriat died Friday in Perpignan in southeast France, according to a cousin, Laurent Mauriat.

Paul Mauriat grew up in Paris and began leading his own band in World War II.

His 1968 arrangement of "Love is Blue," written by Andre Popp and originally recorded by Vicky Leandros, was a No. 1 hit in the United States.…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na_3r_bf5gA

Finland makes Latin the King

By Jonny Dymond

A Finn has translated Elvis Presley songs and sings them in Latin

Finland is one of the quieter members of the EU. But now its turn at the EU presidency has thrust it into the spotlight - and exposed an unusual passion.

Like the boy at the party with cheese straws stuck up his nose, it has been caught doing something vaguely disturbing - indulging a penchant for Latin.

It is the only country in the world which broadcasts the news in Latin.

On its EU presidency website one can find descriptions…

Fellow Last FM people:

I have just downloaded some fascinating software by Leafcutter John, which is for mac os x only, sorry windows xp fans (i use both os's @ home, so i suppose that i'm lucky).
the software is called 'forester' and it adds some really nice random touches to music that you listen to.
i downloaded it from 'the wire uk' website. here's some info that i'll just simply copy and paste it:

http://www.thewire.co.uk/web/leafcutter.php
(i'm listening to the precambrian trio doing 'drama by shakespeare', and the software, at minimum setting, does some really cool shit, almost like…

Enigmatic Gould in his own words

Oct. 5, 2006

JOHN TERAUDS

CLASSICAL MUSIC CRITIC

GLENN GOULD HEREAFTER By Bruno Monsaingeon (Idéale Audience) (3 out of 4)

French filmmaker Bruno Monsaingeon is an accomplished violin player, which may account for his uncanny ability to bring music and musicians to life in his documentaries.

His films often feel like formal compositions, with themes and developments, counterpoints and occasional flights of melodic fancy. It makes for fascinating biographies that explore deeper poetic meanings.

Nowhere is Monsaingeon as fascinating as with Canadian pianist Glenn Gould, who died in 1982 at age 50.

An…

Crazy, crazy nights for Kiss tributes' warring dwarves

By David Usborne in New York

Published: 21 April 2006

The face-glitter and mini-fists are flying between two musicians vying for ownership of a concept most of us would never have imagined to be viable in the first place, let alone something you would pay money to enjoy - the dwarf Kiss tribute band.

In one corner stands Joey Fatale, the 4ft 4in founder of and front man of MiniKiss. His is an all-dwarf group that has found a niche in America's entertainment scene for covering the songs of Kiss,…