Saturday Music for The Gentleman of Leisure

THE FUTURIST! dedicates this Saturday's music offering to his European friend The Gentleman of Leisure, who can claim today as the anniversary of his birth 24 years ago. The song posted below is by Billy Joel and is entitled VIENNA. THE FUTURIST! loves this song and it's Kurt Weill inspired piano tinkling. THE FUTURIST! owns that very Billy Joel album. He feels this song best fits The Gentleman's current life of ease. The lyrics imply not to rush, to enjoy and do what you need to do for just yourself ... Life progresses at the same rate for us all. As THE FUTURIST! understands it, Vienna is a metaphor for a future place of happiness and well-being. Perhaps, THE FUTURIST! will find his Vienna away from Utter Despair, too.

So, this song, with its melancholy instrumental sound imbues a sense of optimism. It fits The Gentleman. THE FUTURIST! sees The Gentleman kicking back in his usual European haunts and sighing with laconic pleasure today. Besides this vision, TF! wants to acknowledge that today is, also, the birthday of his faraway friend Dara Moroney (who you can read about here). Dara is one of the most amiable people, with a driving ambition, THE FUTURIST! knows ... a bit different than The Gentleman oddly. Oh, wait ... today is, also, the birthday of THE FUTURIST!'s friend in faraway Ireland, Detective Cannon of the Galway police department. What a day of birthday cake over eating! Great Pagan Gods ... good thing THE FUTURIST! isn't overseas in their company today. He would have severe sugar overload ... or too much Guinness or whiskey.

Happy Birthday, to all the gentleman mentioned above.
THE FUTURIST! thinks of you all as one this Saturday
and sends you his very best of wishes for happiness.

Listen:


VIENNA
written and performed by Billy Joel

Galway Birthday

THE FUTURIST! wishes a very Happy Birthday this November 6th to one of his most faithful followers of and contributors to this blog ... young Mr. Dara Moroney of Galway, Ireland. THE FUTURIST! can't exactly recall when he became acquainted with Dara and his creative team of FAKE DOG FILMS; it was through another Internet source and not the blog you are currently perusing. Dara and his creative partner in film, Paul "Webby" Webster, have been under the scrutiny of THE FUTURIST! for some time. He has watched their films from the very first they created (a parody of the television show LOST) to the very latest they have produced. Though crude in its execution, their first short film provided THE FUTURIST! with great chuckles due to their sense of capturing the show's stop and stall sense of plot structure. It had an aura of intelligent spoofing and Dara was a perfect stand-in for Matthew Fox with his short cropped hair and rumpled suit wandering throughout a stark Irish wooded plot of land which stood in for the mysterious island. This film made THE FUTURIST! want to see what else they would accomplish. Dara and Paul continued to make more films and music videos for local and more prominently known Irish bands.

They've made several of these music videos (a style they seem very comfortable with), a couple of pieces featuring them as themselves in a situation comedy sort of manner and a short (and sequel) that tries to capture a 70s feel of "buddy cop" films. Though not THE FUTURIST!'s favorite of their endeavours, the Cannon and McGrath cop characters have a certain charm and their first "adventure" has an exquisite opening that might impress Godard. Dara, also, has a favorite look in these films that THE FUTURIST! finds perfectly retro 70s and quite amusing .. look at that moustache (below)

Whether you find their films funny or whimsical or amateurish or not to your liking at all ... well, that is not the point to THE FUTURIST!'s collection of words he has gathered together here to, hopefully, make sense of how he feels about the wonderful drive, creativity and optimism of these Irish gentlemen and their wonderful cohorts in film making. THE FUTURIST!'s main motto is "The Future is not bright", but Dara makes THE FUTURIST! smile and gives him hope. Dara's ambition and bravado to strive to be better and accomplish his dreams is to be admired. THE FUTURIST! wishes Dara the happiest of birthdays today and hopes he embraces every minute of a day he can truly call his own.

If it weren't for the wonders of the Internet, THE FUTURIST! would not be able to bring a little of Galway to Utter Despair, even though it is an ocean away. And he would not have been able to see the creative growth of Mr. Moroney and his merry men. The following videos are favorites of THE FUTURIST! and they are both music videos. Please take note of the progression in style, design, editing and thought put into each, but ... brought to a shining evolution in the second video. You will see Dara in each video as the runner in the first and the electrical handyman in the second. THE FUTURIST! must admit he does not fully understand the first in regard to song tied to visual, but he loves the idea and the mood it instills.


NEXT YEAR
music by Buttefly Explosion



BRING THE DANCE
music by Simon Fagan

Grand, isn't it?

Happy Birthday, Dara ... and thank you for providing THE FUTURIST!
with one of those little oases of refreshment in the desert of Life.

Dara and Paul

FAKE DOG FILMS

Introducing The Gentleman of Leisure

The Gentleman of Leisure relaxes

More of THE FUTURIST! news from The Emerald Isle.

THE FUTURIST! has been in contact with The Gentleman of Leisure. As many find THE FUTURIST! to be a mysterious figure, so does THE FUTURIST!, likewise, finds The Gentleman of Leisure. The only information THE FUTURIST! has ascertained is that The Gentleman resides in Galway, Ireland, drinks Jameson Whiskey, is not employed, appears disheveled in appearance (though he does dress very impressively), is overly confident and must own a laptop. Why must he own a lap top computer? Well, this is how he communicates with THE FUTURIST!. Recently, he even sent several communiques while riding public transportation.

The mysterious Gentleman is a very amusing debonair fellow and THE FUTURIST! will continue to engage him in electronic communication. Asking for a photograph, THE FUTURIST! received the visual above. The Gentleman looks very relaxed and cool and straight out of a 1960s Fellini or Richard Lester film. THE FUTURIST! likes that.

In honor of SHOCKtober, THE FUTURIST! asked The Gentleman for his five favorite horror/scary/thriller films. The Gentleman wanted to add many James Whale films, since he admires his work, but refrained to provide variety. Perhaps, in the future, The Gentleman will provide more lists ... we shall see.

THE GENTLEMAN OF LEISURE'S
FIVE FAVORITE SHOCKtober FILMS
(in chronological order and with his own commentary)

1. Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922)
A bizarre, silent "documentary" that features the director as the
devil at one terrifying point. Whereas most horror films become cheesy
with age, I think silent ones become eerier.

2. The Invisible Man (1933)
I've included only one of James' films, for variety. This was the film
that got me into classic cinema. Aspects of the film might seem
laughable now, but there's still something quite scary in Claude
Raine's demented vocal performance.

3. Eyes Without a Face (1960)
Not a great film, but one with some really eerie moments. Also, a
Billy Idol song.

4. Don't Look Now (1973)
Nicolas Roeg's bizarre tale of loss is the one film out of this list
that genuinely freaked me out. Also, has Julie Christie in the nip.

5. Scream (1996)
A clever take on the slasher film. It dissects the genre, while still
fitting nicely into it. I remember the opening scene being scary when
I was a lad, though I haven't seen it in years. Very influential on
popular culture, for better or worse.

THE FUTURIST! approves greatly in the choosing of THE INVISIBLE MAN and DON'T LOOK NOW. The Gentleman has good taste in his horror, as well in his clothes.

Thank you, Sir.