Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey

It’s in the very least ironic that the ambiance music playing while we waited for the movie to start was classical music. Especially since the movie we were all waiting to see was the documentary Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey. This fact becomes even more ironic when we learn, at the beginning of the movie, that one of the influences of what we call heavy metal was in fact classical music itself.

One of the main triumphs of the documentary is precisely that. The anthropologist and metal-head, as he classifies himself, Sam Dunn is able to lead the audience on a fascinating and accurate journey of the origins of heavy metal and how it became the phenomenon that it is today. He manages to do this on his way to answering the question of why “heavy metal is the most hated and the most loved music genre out there”. While keeping a very personal outlook on the whole journey, brought about mainly by the voiceover narration that Mr. Dunn does throughout the movie, it is inevitable that the documentary would become almost a “members only” club, one that metal-heads only would enjoy and understand.

I’m not a heavy metal lover. I don’t “live” that lifestyle, like the film says. However, I must say that I was hurt by Mr. Dunn’s last words. Just because I don’t “love” it does not mean that I do not or cannot understand that genre of music or what it’s all about. What about those who, like me, enjoy it, like listening to it, but aren’t defined by it? They say punk fans are the most elitist people out there; that they don’t allow punk listeners to listen to anything else because it would take away from your “punkness”. But after watching this documentary I have to say, heavy metal fans are just as bad. If you don’t classify yourself as a “metal-head” then you don’t understand the music? That sounds pretty elitist to me.

That being said, I loved the movie. The documentary was able to bring through, even to an unworthy heavy metal fan, like myself, according to the movie, the essence of metal. It brought through why this music is amazing and why it lives on, with an enormous following, even to this day. Ultimately, maybe without meaning to, Mr. Dunn was able to show to those who still believe that heavy metal is “the devil’s music” that in truth it’s not. It’s just another music sub-culture just like so many others out there. The difference is, those who live that lifestyle really live it, and never grow out of it.

- Gabriela Becker

Hairspray

Hairspray (2007), directed by Adam Shankman, is a movie that was adapted from the Broadway musical (2002) and the John Waters movie (1988), both of the same name.

At first glance, it looks like just another superficial musical with a futile plot and not very consistent. The vibes of the plot, taking place in 1962, is artificial on purpose. Tracy Turnblad’s story, a girl who does not fit into the beauty standards of the time but, still manages to get a lead role on the most successful program in Baltimore, “The Corny Collins Show”, is used only as a background to a much more serious discussion about racism.

With lots of music and dance, it criticizes de society of the time, highly futile and very consumerist. This movie’s story suffered reformulations with regards to the original one, but it generally maintains the same construction line. Its look with regards to the social segregation is light, however, extremely insightful. It shows very clearly all the existing prejudice, but its main focus is that towards the black population.

Musical films are considered, in the most part, silly, childish and inconsistent. This one, especially, for being simple in its approach to a controversial topic, but still trying to show not just the central problem, but also ways in which to fix them, ends up becoming a more consistent and valid film than those which might be considered “cult”.

Hairspray, ultimately, is an extremely fun and danceable film, which cannot lose its acidic and confrontational characteristic towards social injustices. It is commercial without being numbing. Finally, even for those who do not enjoy this genre, it’s an interesting piece that should be seen, interpreted and discussed.

- Thais de Luna

Operationsmile.org

All of us have the right to be happy, spreading this with a simple smile. However, not everybody, unfortunately, can enjoy it this way.

Operation Smile was founded in 1982, in Virginia, by Dr. William P. Magee, a plastic surgeon, and his wife, Kathleen, a nurse and clinical social worker. With the purpose of helping children that suffer with cleft lips and cleft palates, the Magees traveled to the Philippines with a group of medical volunteers. During this journey, they discovered hundreds of children ravaged by deformities and helped many of them. From then on, the Magees saw the need and Operation Smile was born.

Coordinating more than 30 medical missions in 25 countries annually, in 2006, medical volunteers provided free surgeries for 9,334 children. Operation Smile’s partner countries include: Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gaza Strip, Honduras, India, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Thailand, Venezuela and Vietnam.

Operation Smile will commemorate its 25^th Anniversary of success and charity in November of this year, with 43 simultaneous missions in 25 countries, with a goal of providing better lives and of course, new smiles to an estimated 5,000 children living with facial deformities. In total, during all of these years, more than 100,000 have been treated already.

Every one can make a difference. These are the types of organizations, with people that have good character and the will to alleviate a little of human suffering, that provide a chance of society surviving, in the presence of such a cruel and unfair world lately.

- Anna Luíza Andrade

Brasília Music Festival (BMF) Moto!!!

The BMF Moto is an event that took place on the 7^th, 8^th and 9^th of September. It brought together bikers from all over the country, some foreign ones, and various admirers of extravagant and extremely expensive bikes.

Rock ’n roll energized everyone present during the course of the event and was contagious to anyone that was around. The bands were excellent and varied between Brazilian bands and international ones. Plenty of leather was present in all the clothing, accessories and other interesting things sold there. Different biker groups, unique figures, and families made the BMF what it was.

The event was very well organized which prevented any sort of fights, tumults or disagreements. The food variety was enormous, but the problem was the price that did not please the consumer’s pocket. The drinks, in general, were pricier than normal.

The Orange County Choppers were one of the main attractions. They created a bike inspired on the city and presented to the public. To the fans dismay, they were only there for a short time and, on the second day, a huge autograph line was formed. However, once again they left early. Security was tight and few people were allowed a closer look at them.

Ultimately, all the bikes presented were amazing, the ticket was expensive, but it was all worth it in the end. Honestly, I am not sure we will have an event as good as this one in the city.

- Amanda Rodrigues

Warped Tour '07

Between green, pink, purple mohawks, tons of screaming and gorgeous souls, the Vans Warped Tour ‘07 was one of the most amazing concerts I have been to. Not only because of its tradition of many rock bands in general, but especially because of the great feeling of being there.

The whole daring youth trying to have some fun and just demonstrating their attitude by nice and spooky outfits, pretty hair styles and totally, awesome tattoos was contagious. All of that, being topped by a 105°F sun (pretty hot, huh), but oh well, the crowd didn't care. Oh, and one more thing, if you wanted to refresh yourself or maybe get your throat a little wet, you should bring a good amount of money (yeah, a bottle of water was $4).

Besides extraordinary outfits, hot guys, plenty of heat and especially good screamo/punk rock bands, Warped Tour supports and gives a hand to independent bands that are starting in the grid. Not only this, but it also supports campaigns like: Feed our Children Now, Action for Animals, 11:11 AM (which helps raise funds for pediatric cancer research), Rainforest Action Network and many others.

The lineup of the bands was posted at 8 am of each day and the gates opened with a delay of thirty minutes, but it was all worth it. Those who went this year, got the chance to check out some great bands like: A Static Lullaby, All Time Low, Amber Pacific, Bad Religion, Biffy Clyro, Boys Like Girls, Paramore, New Found Glory, The Starting Line... In total, there were about 70 bands playing the whole day on 8 different stages; the main stage there was called Hurley.com.

By the way, if you wanted to shop for some of your favorite bands t-shirts you could! Each band had its own tent, selling t-shirts, caps, seatbelts and plenty of other accessories, but they were all a little too expensive. So, I recommend that if you are willing to go to Warped Tour one day, do not be afraid of opening your wallets and letting them free, it is worth a try!

Have fun, drink lots of water, be prepared to scream, get free hugs and kisses, get autographs from your favorite artists, jump and mosh, baby, and don't forget, wear sunscreen (for healthy tans)!

- Anna Luíza Andrade

Broadway in Concert

Everyday it becomes clearer that the population of Brasília is not ready and does not know how to act at a recital. The large number of rock concerts and other such things has obviously conditioned the population of this city and instructed them on how they should act when watching any sort of performance by any sort of musician. At least that is the impression that one got at the Broadway in Concert performance on September 5^th. The audience shouting “LINDO” and “LINDA” and whistling in between every song made the atmosphere of the recital more like that of a Ramones concert than that of a recital of Broadway’s hits with the presence of tenors, baritones and sopranos.

On the day it was performed, a Wednesday at 9 pm, it was to be expected that there would not be a very expressive audience. Come to think of it, the audience would most likely be greatly consisted, as it in fact was, of friends and acquaintances of the performers. Because of this, some of the friendly reactions that occurred are understandable. However, the audience’s response ended up being out of place and brought the attention away from an otherwise great performance to the childish reaction of the audience.

If we steer away from the audience’s inadequate response, the performance was perfect. The stage was simple and elegant, ideal for the kind of recital performed. There were six stools center stage were the singers sat and two pianos and an acoustic guitar for the musicians that accompanied the singers during the performance. The singers remained seated in the dark and stood, with a spotlight, only when it was their turn to sing.

The performers selected a wonderful mix of Broadway hits from the best modern-day musicals. Never duplicating the line up of singers for each song, the recital displayed the very best out of each singer and gave them the opportunity to fully explore their vocal range. They ultimately gifted the cheerful and receptive audience with RENT’s “Seasons of Love” as the encore, encouraging the audience to clap as the song reached its climax; much like it is done at the original Broadway performance.

One of the only technical problems was the audio system that was too loud and occasionally caused the pianos to overshadow the vocal performances. Besides that, the night was extremely pleasurable for all those that appreciate and are touched by Broadway’s best hits.

- Gabriela Becker

Punk Rock at the Blackout Bar

Punk Rock emerged at the end of the 1960s and became widely known in the mid-1970s. Its strengthening and popularization took place in England. There are contradictions about were it officially began. Some say it developed first in the United States while other say it was in England. Regardless, Punk Rock had a revolutionary aspect, criticized everything regarding the politics at the time and other issues alike.

Today, the young adults still enjoy the music, treasure the simple chords and love their extravagant heroes. But a great deal has changed. Punk Rock no longer has the same objectives it once had - which does not mean that it abandoned its revolutionary spirit and that there no longer are bands with that attitude - and the lyrics began to consist of more innocent and generic themes.

The Blackout Bar is a venue, in Brasília, that, lately, has given an emphasis and opportunity to local rock bands, offering them their space so that small concerts could be held there. The beer is cheep and the caipirinha (classic Brasilian drink) is very tasty. The concerts usually all have accessible prices, are extremely well organized - although they never start on time - and have security guards who are hired for all the events held at the venue.

On Friday, the last day of August of this year, it was Punk Rock’s turn at the Blackout Bar where teenagers and young adults alike went to pay tribute to contagious and energetic bands. Dissônicos opened up the set and managed to get everyone present to sing along to their chorus of “Eu não sei dançar” (I don’t know how to dance). They were the first band and one of the best ones of the night. On next, the band Gramofocas continued to energize the public... I won’t name nor comment on all the band that played that night because I am an eternal follower of metal and hard rock and, therefore, I do not give myself that right. But for those who truly enjoy Punk Rock, it was an excellent concert! Everyone was happy, the bands were outstanding and the atmosphere was just right to hang out with friends and have a good time. Even though some things may have changed with regards to what Punk Rock used to be and what it is now, this event sent the message that Punk Rock is not dead!

- Amanda Rodrigues

A Scanner Darkly

"I will never do [insert chosen activity here] ever again."

Sounds familiar enough. We've all been there at one point or another. We've all felt that agonizing remorse after just having done something that we knew we shouldn't have in the first place. Be it eating too much chocolate after dinner as desert, one two many drinks at that after party that pushed us over the edge, or that unfamiliar substance that we knew would cause us pain in the long run if we took it. We've all done something we've regretted in the end.

A Scanner Darkly tells the story of Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves), an undercover officer who is trying to get to the suppliers of the new drug called Substance D. In order to do this, he goes deep into the lives of his addict roommates and ends up on the wrong side of the fight himself. The twists and turns that the movie takes just add to the realism [or surrealism] that is presented to the audience of how a life under the influence can be unpredictable.

The different animation techniques also help to give the audience an "inside look", if you will, on the life of an addict. All of the characters appear to be in a 2D daze and the backgrounds seem to spin with every camera move.

The movie's main message is that the drug industry is a lot more complicated than people really think it is. The "enemy" is always the least expected one. Of course, you can think what you will about what the director [or Philip K. Dick himself] was trying to say with this movie, but I guarantee it will fall somewhere around that train of thought.

Richard Linklater's adaptation of this Philip K. Dick's novel of the same name is extremely well done.

One last thought: make sure you aren't tired or depressed when you go see this movie. It has a very powerful soothing affect. You come out of it in a daze. An affect that was, yet again, very much intentional, I have no doubt about it.

- Gabriela Becker

Lafusa - Quadricolôr

Brasilia's band Lafusa's EP, Quadricolôr, is a - well accomplished - mixture of rock and MPB (Música Popular Brasileira - Popular Brazilian Music). The eight songs contain lyrics and arrangements that had been well worked on. Initially the sound may seem like that of other bands, like Los Hermanos, but when looked at more closely, one notices that Lafusa possesses its own identity. The songs create emotion, but not in an "emo" way. The feeling is really there, but in an intelligent and dense manner. It is an independent work that must be appreciated for, in a time when Brazilian rock seems unified, distinguishing itself by following the opposite direction: that of originality.

- Thais de Luna

Remembering 68

We were young, we were reckless, arrogant, silly, headstrong - and we were right.
- Abbie Hoffman

Gabriele Muccino’s film, “But Forever in my Mind”, can, at first glance, seem unimportant; simply another teenage melodrama about the difficult transition between childhood and adulthood. However, the film has the capacity of bluntly capturing the most delicious and painful moment of life. That moment when we are not sure of what we want out of life; that moment when everything seems like the most important thing that has ever happened to us; that moment when a yes can mean the salvation of mankind and a no the apocalypse, the end of the world.

The film’s details become irrelevant and develop into a backdrop of a more important discussion present since the beginning of time. The fact that the main characters are more interested in their love lives and not with their occupation of the school and the possible student movement against the injustices of the world is an obvious commentary on the reality of today’s youth. Today’s youth can’t seem to find real ideals to fight for. It bases itself on the copies of what has already been done. Everything has already been done; everything has already been said. Why, then, fight if the battle has already been fought, good has failed and everything remained the same as before?

Every generation wants to change the world. But changing it is not easy. Every generation looks for its leader so that they can be an example and can guide them in the fight for the victory of their ideals. But in order to be a leader one has to dare to say something different and the hardest part is finding something different to say that hasn’t already been said.

Why could only past generations construct history with their battles? As the film says, “we don’t have Reagan’s missiles to fight against anymore”. Are there still ideals to fight for? Have the ideals for which our parents and grandparents fought survived to this day? Will today’s fight be seen with similar eyes by future generations? Will we believe tomorrow that today’s battle was foolish? Will everything end up being forgotten after we die and have it been as if we hadn’t lived at all? Can only art be immortal? Only time will tell.

- Gabriela Becker