She's My Rushmore

I just wanted to do a little post on the composer of The Thin Blue Line’sscore. I’m not an expert on music by any means, but Glass’ compositions, particularly the ones that he does for films, always project an inquisitive mood onto me as a listener. I do not think I’m alone with this, because Errol Morris seems to take that minimalist attitude and match it beautifully with films that incorporate the act of searching. The repetitive pattern with ever so slight variations in notes progressing is the aural act of someone closely examining a text over and over, looking for clues.

I first heard a Glass composition in the deeply hypnotic documentary Koyaanisqatsi. In that film, the music often matches all sorts of movement, both with the camera and with the subjects in front of the camera. Such a synchronized match can lull one into a daze. I have caught this film before while flipping channels and almost been late for class because of lost track of time.

It’s no surprise that later filmmakers implemented his rhythmic movements in ways similar to Morris. Examining most of his film work shows a majority of films where the search for truth is a large factor: The Truman Show (which he did not write specifically for but his work was used in), Secret Window, The Illusionist, and Candyman. I’m extremely excited that his next project will be Woody Allen’s latest drama Cassandra’s Dream. Cassandra? How can that not be about finding out truth? Who knows? Cassandra does. 

So I’m checking out the videos that Dr. Campbell nominated, and the EPIC 2014 and EPIC 2015 films are an absolutely fascinating projection of how news and media will operate with future mergers. It really borders on dystopia and while watching I didn’t know whether to be excited or terrified by the potential these companies hold. Hell, we’re already in a world where people can publish their thoughts and observations without the need for a publication, editors, or distribution deals.

The way the 20th century operated in terms of technology and how ideas are exchanged is quickly falling behind us. Just the other day a friend of mine was dropping off her old computer at a friends house. As I took a glance at it I said “Wow, that’s practically an antique.” It was from 2003, had a huge heavy monitor, and in a scant four years already is a vintage item.

Once again I find myself relating to the characters of Vernon, Florida. With this surging growth in online media representation, what is reality anymore? The very fact that these obscure people Morris interviewed now have hundreds of posts and observations about things they did 27 years ago….excuse me while my head explodes. Maybe I should try and be like them. I’ll sit around and wait while everyone else gets the latest media upgrades, new wifipods and the ability to have a three way conversation about going to the park on a sunny day. (That was the upbeat ending of EPIC 2015!? We’ve come soooo far.) Therefore, in a few years I’ll be in the middle of my own figurative swamp and I’ll be saying “You can’t trust the wiki. Everyone thinks the wiki has all the facts, but it don’t. I know, I just wiki’d it.”