453 of 1001 Albums: Joy Division's Closer

Closer would arrive in 1980 after the suicide of singer, Ian Curtis. The album would go on to be a hit for the band though. The album closely reflects what was to come though. Not only by the cover, but by the dark lyrics including themes of isolation and depression.

The cover of the album was chosen before the death of Ian Curtis. This did cause much concern for the record company. The photo was done by Bernard Pierre Wolfe, and is of the Appiani Family Tomb. The tomb is in Cimitero Monumentale di Staglieno in Genoa, Italy. Martyn Atkins and Peter Saville were behind the cover design, which depicts a funeral. While they might have been concerned, I think it reflects the atmosphere and deeper workings of the album well.

Unknown Pleasures, their debut album, was a hit for the band, so much success was predicted for the follow up. They even had their first United States tour on the books, but it was never done since the singer died before they could embark on it.

My favorite parts of Closer were the instrumentals. With the English post-punk and gothic rock mixings it makes for an innovative blend of genres and sounds that progress the tunes past the 80s. With Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook on bass and guitar they carry much of the rhythm of the music. Stephen Morris contributes with drums and other percussion for a beat you won't forget as well. 

The talent of the musicians give the best backing there can be for Ian Curtis' voice. The gothic, baritone voice is given light with the instruments. Most of all I would recommend emotionally preparing for the album. The lyrics are depressing. The sound is goth. For many you might be thinking of death of the singer taking place around the release of this album as well. Putting all that together it makes the experience of listening a lot darker. This makes the album real and honest though. I was in the mood to listen to something I figured I might enjoy and also contributed to diving into a bit of music history. This was the perfect listen for that. It also gave me a new book to potentially check out, Deborah Curtis' Touching From a Distance: Ian Curtis and Joy Division.

281 of 1001 Movies: The Shining (1980)

Earlier this year I read The Shining for the first time. I have certain movies I won't watch, until I've read the book, and this was one of them. I also found it intriguing that Stephen King has such hate for the movie considering other adaptations, like, you know...Under the Dome. The Shining definitely differs in a lot of ways, and Kubrick adds all his own touches to the film. I can't say that so far I'm hugely sold on Kubrick, but his stylish yet minimal way of shooting is entrancing, and brings out the horror more than anything else could.

Summary: Jack Torrance finds an opportunity for good work at the Overlook hotel. Upon being hired for the job it comes with a warning. The last family that lived there alone for the winter turned into a tragedy of a story. Jack takes the job with no hesitance though, and moves into the hotel for the winter with his wife, Wendy, and son, Danny. At first the weeks begin peacefully until the horrors that have happened in the hotel in the past bring the hotel to life, and it consumes Jack and Danny in very different ways.

The Shining is a classic horror movie that anyone, horror fan and not alike, have heard of. There a couple of reasons the movie is a classic. One being the performance of Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, and the direction of Stanley Kubrick. This is one of the few movies that even a non-Kubrick fan can enjoy as for the first time he seems to drop a lot of the deeper and psychological analyzing in this movie, in lieu of just giving straight horror.

Jack Nicholson does a great job as the guy Jack Torrance, at least in making him look psycho. Movie wise there is no other guy you can imagine doing it. I don't know if this can be more attributed to the script, I would assume so, but the guy starts out crazy and ends crazy. Perhaps it's just me, or the fact I read the book, but I would have liked to see a guy who was more so a victim of his of his own weakness who was trying to be really just a good guy. Ultimately, that is one of the huge differences in the vibe between the book and movie. For Danny especially, he really wants to love his dad, and the moments his dad shows him love as a father, you have hope for Jack. Jack though battles with a lot of demons, most strongly alcohol. Without all those elements at play it makes the hotel taking him over look a little less scary, because they never had a guy to corrupt from the place he worked hard to recover from. Plus, the whole issue with Danny and The Shining, and what the shining even is seems a lot less prominent, and even not understandable in comparison to how the story could have played it.

As said, this is shocking considering Kubrick adapted the likes of, A Clockwork Orange. Maybe that is because I never cared for the writing of that book though, so the adaptation was clearer to me. It seems like he would be good at throwing us into the chaos of a troubled mind, particularly one that is naturally bad and you can't change no matter how much is tried. The huge different between the lead character in that one and Jack Torrance, is that Torrance was actually a guy the audience could try to hope changed because he wasn't hardened in the heart yet, but the movie makes it out that he is. The direction though is very sleek and Kubrick though. Everything from the scenes involving Redrum to the ending scenes in the garden capture the terror you imagine when choosing to watch a movie like this, and Kubrick still holds his own style in the middle of it all.

Overall,The Shining is a horror classic. For the time it was released it wasn't anything like the horror that was really driving the market of then, and it does have real terrifying moments. I hate to sound pretentious, but it's more so horror for the fan who doesn't want to openly like the genre of horror as a whole. By the way, I should bring up the only I didn't like about the movie because it was a distraction, and that was Shelley Duvall as Wendy. Why she was ever cast I don't know? Her role is just screaming, and running around in bewilderment. She doesn't contribute much, and isn't near as strong as the book version of her. Otherwise, I did enjoy the changes in the ending, was really terrified, and will drag the movie back out again for Halloween sometime.

279 of 1001 Movies: The Elephant Man (1980)

After watching Blue Velvet I didn't respond how I had hoped to a David Lynch movie. I then unknowingly rented The Elephant Man without the knowledge it was  Lynch movie till I researched in the moments of watching. It gave me hope that I can be a fan of Lynch's movies, and it's revived the interest I had in seeing Eraserhead. The great direction is one thing, but I don't know if more so the power of The Elephant Man is more in the acting and story than it is Lynch's talent.

Summary: Frederick Treves is a doctor who stumbles upon a sideshow freak act, The Elephant Man, who's name is John Merrick. John though is known to no one else but as The Elephant Man though. Treves though takes interest at first in only Merrick's value as a new piece of study in finding what has caused his body to become deformed as it has. Instead Treves strikes up a friendship with Merrick, and introduces him to society as more than just a freak show act.

Acting: Anthony Hopkins is the noticeable lead in this movie as Fredrick Treves. Hopkins brings his best as he usually does in a story about a man who is fighting his own want to be known for a new discovery in the doctor field by finding John, and also his own growing friendship with John who is beginning to convict him of how he is using him. He rides the line well, and still makes Treves feel like a real guy. The less noticeable lead who is John Hurt as John Merrick. Hurt brings one of his best roles to life as the guy who has been ridiculed by society for his appearance. Considering he was wearing more costume makeup than I've ever seen, he still brings the emotions through enough even though he can't make a lot of facial expressions. You still grow to really like John. There are also other cameos in the movie that are worth watching for like Anne Banecroft as the actress, Ms. Kendal. Even with her short appearances she adds a lot to the movie. There is John Geiglud as Carr Gomm who helps Treves navigate his treatment of John Merrick as well.

Plot and Filming: There has been a lot of questions as to why the movie was filmed in black and white, and in some ways I don't know how after watching you could even ask? The movie wouldn't have captured the time period the same way, and I imagine the makeup artistry just wouldn't have looked as good had the movie been in color. There is an atmosphere about the time in England they are trying to capture that is so much better brought to life in black and white, and I'm not someone who would often say that.

As for the story, it's based on a real account of a man who had the same physical deformities. The fact that it is based on his story makes the movie that much more impacting and tragic. This movie I don't think is to leave you with any greater deeper knowledge about the world than most might already know, but it is a reminder of how we treat others affects them, and how the norm for us isn't the one for others. At the very least you are getting the account of someone told that did exist, and become aware of some interesting historical stories that exist out there.

I ended up enjoying The Elephant Man more than I expected. Lynch throws in his own bought of being an artist in how he captures the flashbacks of Merrick's childhood without giving us a full blown flashback. For those searching for some deeper connection, that just isn't what this movie is about. It seems more powerful emotionally in a more human and personal way.

433 of 1001 Albums: Judas Priest's British Steel

It was unexpected, but there were some catchy songs on the album. I even had "United" stuck in my head all day as well today. I was walking through my workplace with that song on repeat in my head. Judas Priest though thankfully left a lot of their darker lyrically themed music behind for this one. I don't like that sort of music, and it would have just made me more hesitant to listen. This album is a little more safer for the mainstream audience.

History: It's 1980 and Judas Priest would release their sixth album. The sound they would return to for this album would be classified as more commercial, and for the fans who enjoyed their darker metal stuff, this would be drawing away from that. The album would also feature some new musician lineups. The reviews for this album are quite positive with critics.

411 of 1001 Albums: AC/DC Back in Black

AC/DC is probably one of the hugest bands out there. Most people can name a song by them, and a lot of people enjoy their music. It makes sense though because it does have a lot of attitude and instrumental talent. They also have a ton of history to explore through if you're someone who is a music historian.

History: Bon Scott instantly began putting together a new album after their hit album, Highway to Hell. The band would encounter some major setbacks though before they could bring Back in Black though. Scott died during songwriting for the new album leaving the band without a vocalist. Brian Johnson would later arrive to be the vocalist of the band for this album. Not only that but the band decided to record in the Bahamas where they were met with storms that caused power outages and also they experience some luggage problems at the airport. With all the problems though this album would become worth it of for the band. It is now the 2nd biggest album worldwide and the 6th most best selling album in the U.S. of all time.

403 of 1001 Albums: Steve Winewood's Arc of a Diver

Steve Winwood is a hugely talented guy. As a former member of several acts including, Traffic, before this album, he is an all around great instrumentalist and vocalist. He has that very 70's merging 80's sound. It's a bit of rock and something else. It's dated, but it sounds very smooth and stylish to still listen to. The jazzy quality I can appreciate on the album.

History: Steve Winwood released his second album and combined every bit of talent he was capable of to do it. He wrote all his own songs, he played the instruments and did the vocals. Now that is a lot, and he did it all on his own farm where he has a studio. This album would also be his breakthrough solo. It reached number three on the charts and got him commercially known.

383 of 1001 Albums: Motorhead's Ace of Spades

Motorhead is very gritty, sort of rough sounding, heavy, and very metal. They sound a bit ahead of their time considering you wouldn't think to associate metal acts as theirs with turn of the decade sounds happening in the 80's. Motorhead is very macho charged in their approach to music though with lyrics that make women sound like trash, and men to be into all the stereotypical endeavors they enjoy.

History: The band sought for a producer it seems to clean out their metal sound as they couldn't depict what was going on in their music on previous albums, but the band members were pleased with how the crafted sound came out on this album. After it's release, they would follow with "Ace of Spades" as the title song for the album. This album has been a critical success since it's release. The album is still deemed with being one of the most influential to the metal genre.

96 of 1001 Movies: The Big Red One (1980)

Samuel Fuller is a classic director of B-Movies, but he probably made the most expensive B-movie there has been when he set out to direct, The Big Red One, which is now a staple war classic for it's blend of humor and the ability to showcase the horrors of war. With a myriad of memorable scenes that really do blend horror, and comedy, and other scenes that purely show the touching actions of the men in the unit it ties up to be a nice film. It's really long though, and has a lot of male humor that does appeal to a wide range.

Sergeant leads his man through battles all over the world beginning in North Africa, and traveling through a variety of places in Europe including Sicily, and parts of Germany. New man come in to replace old ones, but the four we start with keep on pushing through despite the loss of their surrounding men.  The guys you follow are Griff, Zab, Vinci, and Johnson. Their journey will lead around to the end of World War Two, and a very nostalgic ending for Sergeant.