Movies and Stuff
By Alex Ness
July 16, 2025
NEWS
I had written this article weeks ago, but when Trump authorized bombing Iran, I delayed posting it. The reason being, I thought it possible far more serious events would be going on, making my post even more meaningless than the worst outlooks could perceive my work as being. Life, is not a predictable thing. I have done a lot of written works under a pseudonym, for non profit organizations, for grass roots political organizations, and others. I try to be an unbiased voice to help groups I think deserve to have the voice made greater. I did watch a great many movies in the last two months, I've begun covering music in shows, CDs, and enjoyment. It has changed my outlook in many ways, as I used to see more shows, in one summer saw the Replacements, Hüsker Du and many more, and worked many summer hours. It was in between college semesters and I was energetic, hopeful, and I didn't want to miss out on life.
With cancer in 2013, broken neck in 2019 and surgery for it in 2020, I'd retreated in life, from dealing with others. With five surgeries since 2020, lost the ability to move, sleep, or be active changed my being. If you saw my previous music show reviews, I feel as if I am being restored. If by music alone, that is worth noting, if I'm healing in body from other sources, that's cool too. I can't promise the path that the future offers, but it will have me moving forward.
When I am not watching, reading or listening to media, I write and have written over 6000 poems and poetry on AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com and have many books published, both in fiction and non fiction, poetry, prose & comics. If you'd like to support my work, contact alexanderness63@gmail.com.
FIND MY PUBLISHED WORKS HERE
The change over to two focused sites over just one covering depends on opportunity and effort. I hope to change in late Summer.
MOVIES WATCHED IN RECENT VIEWINGS
I was interested in
watching numerous films with the Cold War as the setting, and focal
point. There was an alternative purpose for this, as I was invited to
help someone creating a one shot comic book with a political global
stalemate, that led to an arms race that includes giant robots. That is,
it went into the deeper future. However, the creative talent interested
in my participation looked to a real foundation for the situation, so
that when violence occurs, it would feel real, and it would have an
impact worth the attention given to it all.
FAIL SAFE is a
taut thriller where the action is only shown to illustrate the ongoing
human dialogue and considerations of the consequences of the p.o.v. of
enemies using nuclear weapons with little ability to fix mistakes once
made. The world is therefore kept in a terminal face off, with few means
to alter the forward path. This work is one that delivers a blow of
enormous power, it kills almost no warriors, only civilians, and most
with no knowledge of the war being carried out.
THE BEDFORD INCIDENT
is a work about a direct cat and mouse chase and acts of war in a war
that isn't active, declared or truly ongoing. It is a battle in
modernity that demonstrates that no matter how the wars are fought, it
is the perceived field of play that demands of the warriors a certain
kind of mind, and heart. In Bedford Incident the two antagonists are not
warriors locked in battle, it is the differences between two men
deciphering each man's view towards the ongoing "war" in a Cold War.
The acting, set, concept and story are truly exquisite.
The film THREADS
is not political work through analyses of politics leading to the
event. Rather, by showing the war as a disaster and creator of human
despair, all failed policies are illustrated. Despite this not being a
war film, as in constant fighting or the results and consequences of
showing effects of bombs falling, is war and shows combat, death, and
the consequences of the war's violence. Mostly, this is a documentary of
sorts showing what it doesn't fictionalize. It is a chilling work, as
it shows the results of failed policies leading to active war, and
consequences of using weapons that have no nuance, no way to use them
without complete disaster. The human suffering is enormous, and the
choices people make aren't by their own agency, but choices from limited
choices available. Human reproduction, hunger, suffering, and despair
are all greatly effected, in ways one might not have understood prior to
the event. I've heard people say this is a great film, and I don't,
necessarily, think it is a great work. But it was a work with a legacy
of having shown an unimaginable event, in very clear vision.
All three films belie common story telling, there are no easy concepts, lastly, if jingoistic language was used, it was not meant to express the film maker's voice. It was the background noise of humans dealing with a world that has stopped making sense.
KINSKI/HERZOG
I watched a great many films through my early to late 20s. In university I invested a great amount of time finding and watching film from Director Werner Herzog and actor Klaus Kinski. While I would not have thought, from simply viewing their works, they were said to greatly have disliked working with one another. The two were visionaries, and despite their issues with the other, the end results proved to be brilliant, even if by tortures they were achieved. Their collaborations, seem to have been achieved in service to a muse of frustration and pain. Their joint works, AGUIRRE: THE WRATH OF GOD, NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE, FITZCARRALDO, WOYZECK, were masterworks. Aguirre and Nosferatu were both brilliant, dark and horrifying. And yet, I don't wish to view them again. The interplay between the characters of the cast, including Klaus Kinski evocatively shared the fears and hopes, drama of human hearts at war, and darkness.
THOSE STINKING NAZI BASTARDS! MOVIES WITH NAZI BAD GUYS
I usually watch history documentaries and films, regarding the subject of war, disaster, exploration and human behavior. But when I watch film that isn't about research or comfort, but just stuff to play in the background, recently I've chosen to watch six films that featured Nazis and a variety of ways in which they tried to win the war by alternative means, or were placed in a situation where they'd normally be the protagonist, but it rarely turned out to be just that.
FRANKENSTEIN'S ARMY 2013
This is a story of Russian recon troops discovering a hidden and secret German lab. Within the lab the project is about former humans and now patchwork humans, sewed back together amidst the wounds. It is ok, didn't thrill or scare me, but ok.
SHOCK WAVES 1977
At the end of the Second World War, the Germans were desperate, and created beings who could fight in any environment, and at the end of the war, Allies assumed this group were created by the Nazi science. They disappeared from Europe and escaped the war's end... only to be found elsewhere. I first saw this a long time ago, and it scared me shitless, so even though it isn't great, it created a mood, a look, and had Peter Cushing in it, and John Carradine, as well as Brooke Adams... who I didn't necessarily watch the movie for her acting... Recent watching did not reward in horror or jump scares. But it was fun. This might be so bad it is good, but I liked it for more reasons than being cheesy.
THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL1978
This is not a film similar to the others on this list, it is a true horror that in ways could in fact happen. It is fiction, written by Ira Levin, author of Rosemary's Baby, but it anticipates DNA use, and a secret underground of Nazi science, and secret plans. A brilliant work and a scary one too.
THE KEEP 1983
In a backwater region of the 3rd Reich's territories an ancient tower, once used for ancient wars, now, is seen as cursed, and avoided. Until a passing Wehrmacht unit makes plans to use this tower as an area to make camp, and perhaps use in defense of the region. But the unit isn't going to fight Russians or partisans. It is a good enough film, but the book was substantially better. It was interesting in ways, and was made with quality. I think an honest remake using the original material would truly play well.
THEY SAVED HITLER'S BRAIN 1968
Imagine keeping der Fuhrer's brain alive, so that he might rule in the future. Would this be a seed to grow into the future, and the 4th Reich? If it had quality, it might have been ok, but it is pure cheese. I am not saying so bad it is good. It is so bad, it is bad.
DEAD SNOW 2009
This was not a fun film, despite calling itself a satire and comedy of horror films. A team of med students visit the Arctic for a ski vacation. And one by one, they discover who was there before them. (Hint, it was Nazis.) A zombie film that easily could have been better with a different focus.
CD Holy Blood Genre:
Unblack Metal
From: Ukraine
I am turning to doing more in the area of music as I blog. This was a subject I avoided in the past since I am mostly not a deep thinker in how music is made or what its roots and links are. My moods or intuition are what informs with music, and as such, it feels to me like I am saying, ummm I like it. But aside from how that is insufficient, I think most music, creative products, work that way at one level. One must build an understanding and enjoyment of what they write about.
In this case, I was a friend of Ukraine since long before the tragic wars with the tyrannical neighbor Russia. As such, I indulged in the food, the hockey team in the Donbass region. I listened to their speakers on World band Radio. And I was invited to listen to a Ukrainian band, of a genre of metal. Holy Blood is a Christian band, and utilizes the genre Black Metal (called Unblack Metal by the band in a lovely juxtaposition). It is loud, but rhythmic, with death metal growls, but it balances with that, Celtic and Nordic sounds and themes. I like it a great deal, and I especially appreciate that when the 2nd Ukraine War in 2022 began, they created a song called, We Know Who We Are, and it featured vast panoramic views of the country, waving of flags and you need not wonder their allegiances in the war. It moves me and plays into my sympathies as much as is the music to which I enjoy listening.
I know this is an acquired taste for many, and non starter for many people I know who claim Metal as a genre they enjoy, due to the language difference. I read the lyrics and eventually, I imagine the words, as there is no secret, they print them in English.
For all your printing needs, Matt at Speed Print Inc is amazing.
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