en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/ Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 Thu, 1 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000 60 http://www.audioscrobbler.net/data/webservices http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal The Last.fm journal for TheCrossingZine. Last.fm journals are a place to talk about all things music. http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/05/21/3nk1wq_men_who_hate_women:_the_girl_with_the_dragon_tattoo Fri, 21 May 2010 22:40:57 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/05/21/3nk1wq_men_who_hate_women:_the_girl_with_the_dragon_tattoo For a film so dependent on its plot, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo‘s story isn’t as gripping as it needs to be. Though seemingly meant to genuinely unsettle us, it too often feels like little more than an exercise in paint-by-numbers. Take its premise, for instance: a falsely-convicted journalist whose name has been dragged through the mud gets a chance to redeem himself and make a few bucks in the process; a family with much to hide on a secluded island adds layers of intrigue; alternative-looking love interest helps everything fall into place and the skeletons come out of the closet one by one. The murder mystery that serves as Dragon‘s catalyst is fine as a starting point, but director Niels Arden Oplev seems less interested in turning the late Stieg Larsson’s 2004 novel into a resonant look at the innate darkness of his native Sweden than an atrocity exhibition a few rungs higher up the ladder than Saw. To this end, there are liberal doses of graphic violence, three rape scenes that add nothing to the plot–and far too little in the way of character development–to justify their inclusion in the first place (to say nothing of their excessive length), and an undercurrent of Nazism lest we forget that even a socialist haven like Sweden has its dark underbelly.

Lisbeth (Noomi Rapace), the girl of the film’s title, stands out immediately, if only outwardly. A highly-skilled hacker with Goth sensibilities, she’s more than capable of defending herself against the numerous men who try to harm her sexually and physically–which is lucky, since there seem to be so many of them. Unfortunately, Lisbeth does little that isn’t in keeping with the way she presents herself to the world: she looks like a tough chick with no intention of taking anyone’s shit, and acts accordingly. From her piercings and haircut to her motorcycle, Lisbeth ends up being more stereotypical than distinctive. Only during the small handful of scenes where Lisbeth shows even an iota of vulnerability did I find myself especially interested in her; these moments, though worthy, are few and far between.

Mikael (Michael Nyqvist), on the other hand, is a bit of a cipher. The character seems to have been painted in such neutral colors as to never allow us a close look at him. Even when faced with mortal danger, he simply doesn’t seem too bothered–and not in a James Bond kind of way, either. At the onset, it appears as though his immersion into the investigation of his babysitter’s disappearance almost forty years earlier might lead him, Zodiac-style, into an obsession that reveals...

click here for the full article.
http://thecrossingzine.wordpress.com/2010/05/21/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo/



Michael Nordine - the Crossing
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film, movies]]> http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/05/21/3nk1my_first_annual_black_book_sessions Fri, 21 May 2010 22:37:31 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/05/21/3nk1my_first_annual_black_book_sessions Those of you kind enough to recall the recent event at Known gallery I mentioned, take note: not only is this another twofer, it’s on the same night as the opening at Known. Best of all, the two are only a few blocks away from each other. This should prove to be an amazing event. Gallery 6ixty6 is hosting a gala of its own, also on the 22nd of this month, the first part of which is a showing by MZK crew, such legendary Los Angeles graffiti artists as TEWSR, and special guests photographer Spencer 14.2.1 and artist Dytch 66.

The second helping of creativity comes in the form of the first annual Blackbook Session, a live drawing exhibit by the artists listed below. For the uninitiated, a black book is a sketch book that graffiti artists regularly use, sometimes for collecting different artists’ works. This could be a chance to go home with a one-of-a-kind creation, guys. The event is sponsored by Copic Markers, a sign that the work will be of the highest quality. As always, bet on me being there, and come say hello.

click here for all the details.
http://thecrossingzine.wordpress.com/2010/05/20/first-annual-black-book-sessions/

Brandon Scales - the Crossing

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los angeles, art]]> http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/05/20/3nh709_massive_attack_in_l.a. Thu, 20 May 2010 21:53:23 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/05/20/3nh709_massive_attack_in_l.a. Tonight is the third and final night of Massive Attack at The Wiltern here in Los Angeles. Tickets are not sold out for tonight’s show as of now (10:18am), which means you have one more chance if you missed the first two sold-out shows.

If you miss them again, you can try your luck at the free outdoor mini-concert for the Jimmy Kimmel show tomorrow night. You can request free tickets online here. I don’t know how mini this mini concert is, but my sense is that you’d have a better chance at The Wiltern.

Omeed Izadyar - the Crossing

http://thecrossingzine.wordpress.com/

http://thecrossingzine.wordpress.com/2010/05/20/massive-attack-in-l-a/

Massive Attack]]> http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/05/19/3nefk0_isis_announces_farewell_tour,_impending_breakup Wed, 19 May 2010 23:51:09 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/05/19/3nefk0_isis_announces_farewell_tour,_impending_breakup According to a post on the band’s official blog, ISIS is throwing in the towel. Their reasoning is actually quite commendable:

"Simply put, ISIS has done everything we wanted to do, said everything we wanted to say. In the interest of preserving the love we have of this band, for each other, for the music made and for all the people who have continually supported us, it is time to bring it to a close. We’ve seen too many bands push past the point of a dignified death and we all promised one another early on in the life of the band that we would do our best to ensure ISIS would never... click the link below for the full article

http://thecrossingzine.wordpress.com/2010/05/19/isis-announces-farewell-tour-impending-breakup/

Michael Nordine - the Crossing
http://thecrossingzine.wordpress.com/

Isis]]> http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/05/19/3nef5o_jesu%27s_new_sister:_pale_sketcher Wed, 19 May 2010 23:45:36 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/05/19/3nef5o_jesu%27s_new_sister:_pale_sketcher It seems Jesu’s days of infusing electronic elements into its otherwise guitar-laden sound are over. Justin Broadrick has decided to distance these two sounds in order to explore each one more extensively. Jesu will remain guitar-based, but the electronica side of Jesu has splintered off to form a new project called Pale Sketcher. Pale Sketcher will be Broadrick’s new outlet for his “Jesu electronica”.

Jesu, Broadrick says, will be exclusively guitar-based from now on, which is a little bit disappointing. I’m not really worried, since pretty much everything Broadrick releases is good, but, since I’ve always liked the mix of the two sounds in Jesu, I’m a little bummed about the split.

You can hear two full Pale Sketcher tracks from the forthcoming Jesu: Pale Sketches Demixed album on... click the link below for the full article including info about Brodrick's entry in the Continuum Recyclings series.

http://thecrossingzine.wordpress.com/2010/05/18/jesus-new-sister-pale-sketcher/

Omeed Izadyar - the Crossing
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Jesu, Pale Sketcher, Steven Wilson, Dirk Serries, Continuum, Jesu: Pale Sketches Demixed, Continuum Recyclings Volume Two, Justin K. Broadrick, Ghostly International, Tonefloat]]> http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/05/19/3neeqn_the_lull Wed, 19 May 2010 23:40:02 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/05/19/3neeqn_the_lull As you’ve no doubt noticed, we’ve been kind of lagging on our posts as of late. One thing came up after another and, well, we kind of got distracted. But we’re back now, and things are looking good–soon we’ll be back to our usual barrage of posts regarding things that don’t suck.

We apologize for the lack of updates, and we’d like to thank all of you for being patient with us.

Things may have been slow here on the site, but we haven’t forgotten about the Crossing, or you. We’ve been working hard on some very exciting new projects to make the Crossing even better. We’ll be putting our money where our collective mouth is and giving back to the creative community instead of just critiquing it.

Get ready for some big surprises. Think vinyl, think concerts, think the Crossing made flesh.

the Crossing

http://thecrossingzine.wordpress.com/

http://thecrossingzine.wordpress.com/2010/04/29/the-lull/]]> http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/03/26/3inqxi_metal_blade_sign_hammers_of_misfortune Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:38:15 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/03/26/3inqxi_metal_blade_sign_hammers_of_misfortune Hammers of Misfortune announced today that they have signed with Metal Blade Records. After not really knowing what the label situation with this band was for a while, this comes as a bit of a surprise.

Metal Blade will be re-issuing all four Hammers of Misfortune full-length albums this year with a new studio album to follow in 2011. That means not only can you finally get yourself a copy of The Bastard, but we also get a new Hammers of Misfortune record.

This band has been one of my favorites ever since I first heard The August Engine years ago and I’m happy to see them getting some more exposure because they deserve it more than most bands. Everyone should own every one of their records and it looks like Metal Blade agrees. Maybe if we all complain enough we can get

Metal Blade to reissue the Unholy Cadaver demo too!

After several changes, the current Hammers of Misfortune line-up is:
...click here for the full article.
http://thecrossingzine.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/metal-blade-sign-hammers-of-misfortune/

Omeed Izadyar - the Crossing

http://thecrossingzine.wordpress.com/


Hammers of Misfortune, Unholy Cadaver, The Bastard: A Tale Told in Three Acts, The August Engine, Metal Blade]]> http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/03/26/3inpt2_new_works_from_patrick_martinez Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:28:59 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/03/26/3inpt2_new_works_from_patrick_martinez Patrick Martinez is a Los Angeles-based fine artist originally educated on the streets. As a graffiti writer in the early 1990s, he found his love for the creative process and began developing his skills. After attending Pasadena High School of Visual Arts and Design, he went on to Pasadena Community College. While attending school, and for some time afterward, Martinez worked primarily in the hip-hop community that raised him–he served as Art Director for Concentrated Entertainment for two years, all the while freelancing for other labels such as Stones Throw and Divine Forces.

His own personal work stayed on the back-burner until 2001, when he felt it was time to move forward and got himself into Art Center in Pasadena. Finally focusing on himself as an artist, he left his final schooling with a BA in Fine Art and found himself working on the things he had always envisioned: showcasing the scenes and people of Los Angeles, giving us examples of the everyday beauty we as Angelinos usually take for granted.

His newest works are just that: the beauty and simplicity that has surrounded him from childhood. In my opinion, few modern-day painters use a brush the way classic masters did–as an extension of the body–but Patrick Martinez is an... click here for the full article.
http://thecrossingzine.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/new-works-from-patrick-martinez/

Omeed Izadyar - the Crossing

http://thecrossingzine.wordpress.com/]]> http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/03/25/3ij9pv_free_winterthrall_show_this_easter Thu, 25 Mar 2010 12:45:36 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/03/25/3ij9pv_free_winterthrall_show_this_easter What better way to celebrate Easter than a night of free blaspheming?

This Easter, make your way down to The Dragonfly in L.A. at 8pm to see our friends
Winterthrall with Exhausted Prayer and It’s Casual!

This show is 21+ (sorry, kids!), so don’t leave your wallet/purse/pants at home.

Click here for more details.
http://thecrossingzine.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/free-winterthrall-show-easter-sunday/

Omeed Izadyar - the Crossing

http://thecrossingzine.wordpress.com/

Winterthrall, Exhausted Prayer, It's Casual]]> http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/03/25/3iibvs_lesbian_announce_%22left_coast%22_tour Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:49:29 +0000 http://www.last.fm/user/TheCrossingZine/journal/2010/03/25/3iibvs_lesbian_announce_%22left_coast%22_tour Lesbian have announced a spring tour of the United States’ “left coast”, entitled the “Rainbow Urine Snake Attack Tour”.

This, 12 date tour starts tomorrow, March 25th, in Bellingham, Washington.

Of course this happens right when I’m out of town. If I’m back in L.A. before they go on next Saturday at the Mountain Bar, I’ll see you there.

Click the link below for the full list of dates.
http://thecrossingzine.wordpress.com/2010/03/24/lesbian-announce-left-coast-tour/

Omeed Izadyar - the Crossing

http://thecrossingzine.wordpress.com/

Lesbian]]>