Thor Joachim Haga

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  • in reply to: FSM # 19: Underrated composer/director relationships #8176

    So are NOT doing an article, since this thread is from 2019?

    The article was published in the issue later that year. Unfortunately, it’s not available to view online, only in the physical magazine. I’ll see if I can dig it up from a cupboard, to see what 15 couples I eventually landed on.

    Roth + TD is an interesting one, for sure. And definitely underrated in the scheme of things.

    It’s technically illegal to sell the CD and keep the digital version you once ripped from it, I suppose. I should have deleted the files when I sold the CD. But of course, we’ve all done this many, many times. We’ve all kept copies of stuff.

    Yes, I was surprised to see that alternate cover when I searched for it online. I have to say that the original one that I have (pictured in the first post), is far superior.

    I think they talked about who did what in the press conference during the Krakow festival in 2012, but I can’t remember any of it. Before this film, I wasn’t even aware that Tykwer had a musical education.

    Irritatingly, I sold off my CD, but thankfully kept the files.

    in reply to: Patrick Doyle #8163

    I heard his concert in Vienna about a week ago was a success?

    in reply to: The Sports Thread #8162

    Italy currently leads with the most medals, with 16. Then Norway with 14 and the USA with 13. But again, gold decides the rank, so Norway is still – just barely – on top with seven gold, as opposed to Italy’s six. But I have to say Italy is really going above and beyond what I expected. I mean – yes, it’s home turf, and they’ve always been a good winter sports nation – but still. Germany doing very well with nine medals, out of which four are gold.

    Nice to see Australia and New Zealand on the medal count — not your typical winter nations.

    Shame Ragne Wiklund lost by just a few hundredths of a second for the gold in the 5000 meters speedskate.

    Expectedly, the French biathlon women are in a class of their own, same as the Swedish cross-country women. Norway has a long way to go to match these. But on the men’s side, we fare slightly better.

    I tuned out of curling after the Norwegian couple exited, but I understand the regular teams are in action now. What’s the status?

    Looking forward to the 10ks tomorrow, in men’s cross-country and biathlon.

    …oh, and I don’t follow figure skating, but I understand there has been some film music there? JAWS and INTERSTELLAR?

    in reply to: What are you listening to now? #8159

    Not quite as good as the nu-disco deliciousness of IT’S ALBUM TIME, but a pretty good album/EP nonetheless. It’s weird why Todd Terje hasn’t released more studio albums.

    in reply to: FSM # 18: What is the film you’ve seen the most times? #8157

    Well, it’s not something that I set out to do, they’re just preferences that have made themselves clear after watching thousands of movies over almost half a century.

    Asking WHY is trickier, though. WHY am I so drawn to films with a pronounced sense of PLACE, for example? I have a theory that it’s because I’ve had some very important places in my life (especially two different family summer places), and that has trickled into films as well. But I think that only answers half of it. It’s more to do with my personality.

    Same with the dialogue thing. I’ve always been attracted to visual (and aural) stimuli, first and foremost. Which is kinda ironic, since I write TEXT for a living, hold lectures etc. — all very WORDS-based — but somehow I’m not a big fan of words in films. Weird.

    I find that knowing about what you’re drawn to or not drawn to in artistic expressions, also tells you something about who you are as a person. “Show me your CD/book/film shelf, and I’ll tell you who you are!” and all that.

    in reply to: What are you listening to now? #8155

    Yes, and most Norwegians my age have a very nostalgic relationship to the LES MONDES ENGLOUTIS animated series, which was shown on ‘breakfast tv’ in the 80s. As such, I was exposed to Cosma long before I even knew what film music “was”.

    in reply to: FSM # 18: What is the film you’ve seen the most times? #8153

    “Feel comfortable in the world” is a good way of putting it.

    in reply to: What are you listening to now? #8152

    Cosma has always fascinated me! So consistently versatile, doing electronic music, jazz, rock, pop, orchestral etc. with equal ease. I have a track from LE CHATEAU DE MA MÈRE on the LES PLUS GRANDS SUCCES DE VLADIMIR COSMA 2CD compilation from 1990. One of these days, I need to set aside time to explore his massive catalogue properly.

    in reply to: FSM # 18: What is the film you’ve seen the most times? #8147

    In the end, it isn’t so much a generalization for me, but a discovery of certain film elements that I either like or don’t like. For example, I’m not a big fan of dialogue, especially if that dialogue dominates, is full of plot-centric information and delivered at high speed. I can obviously like a good and well-written dialogue like everyone else, but I prefer films that communicate more via visuals.

    I’ve also discovered that I’m no big fan of body horror (although I saw my fair share of slashers and gorefests as a youngster), or – in fact – any film heavy on realistic bodily functions.

    Similiarly, I’ve discovered over the years that I’m particularly drawn to certain concepts and ideas and sub genres over others. I mentioned isolation dramas. There are also films that utilize vistas. Films that nurture space. Man vs. nature. Survival. Films with loads of subtext and inter-textuality. Etc., etc.

    So it’s not all out there in the broad generalization sphere. Some things are fairly specific. And they are often what take me back to a film for a rewatch or two.

    in reply to: FSM # 18: What is the film you’ve seen the most times? #8143

    There are any numbers of reasons for why I watch a movie several times. I tried to say a few things yesterday up there, but I had a splitting headache (I struggle with some health issues at the moment we can’t really make heads or tails of), so the post came off as rambling and repetitive.

    Anyway, one reason to rewatch is obviously because I think the film is great, its sheer quality.

    Another is because I find many layers to “deconstruct” and analyze, which can only be done after multiple viewings (Antonioni films, for example, for those who follow that thread).

    Yet another is because I like the setpieces more than the story, and my expectations to said setpiece.

    Yet another is – as I alluded to above – because I love the mood. It’s a fictional universe where I can just stay and absorb and experience the surroundings. This is, in fact, one of the most important aspects for me when it comes to filmic experience. It can be “cozy”, like the opening of LOTR, set in Hobbiton, or it can be “unsettling”, like in ALIEN. But even in ALIEN, there is a familiarity with the unsettling surroundings that I find comforting.

    And then there is a different type of use as well. A fairly mundane form of reuse is watching a film when I’m inebriated, at the end of an evening, before I go to sleep. That’s why JURASSIC PARK is so useful, up until the appearance of the T-Rex. Or films like 2012 and THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, when the purpose is to “live inside the acts”, and the expectations of what’s to come. Or films like THE MARTIAN or CAST AWAY, that are both calm and tense at the same time, but with plenty of time to just ‘stay’ at the place. I’ve seen all of these films countless times.

    That’s why there are certain concepts in film that draw me back again and again – especially ‘isolation dramas’ (whether it’s snowed-in stations like in THE THING or desert islands or derelict spaceships). Sometimes, a CONCEPT is more reason than the quality of the film itself.

    in reply to: FSM # 18: What is the film you’ve seen the most times? #8128

    THE THING is a film I return to quite often, but never for the story. Only for the mood, which I can stay in forever. I love those ‘snowed in’ dramas. In fact, I watched it so much for a period there, I had to take a long break from it.

    That’s also one of the reasons for why I return to a film over and over again. It’s often to do with the mood more than the story. I especially love first acts. This is why I return to certain films over and over again, even if they aren’t necessarily masterpieces. THE MARTIAN, Emmerich films, for example. And obviously, the mood aspect applies to some of my favourite ‘masterpiece’ movies too, like ALIEN, ALIENS, JURASSIC PARK. For JURASSIC PARK, I often put it on and watch until the T-Rex first puts its claws on the fence. Then I turn off. Because after that, the movie takes a tighter narrative turn. But before that, it’s all about being absorbed, and about expectations.

    in reply to: Tangerine Dream #8116

    I know they reverted back some old stylings in recent albums, both with and in honour of Froese (RAUM etc.), but my impression from (briefly) sampling TD albums from the late 90s onwards was a polished sound, and when they hired that violinist(?), it almost turned into Secret Garden or something. But I admit I haven’t delved very deep and thorough into this period.

    in reply to: Tangerine Dream #8112

    Wasn’t quite finished with TD yet, because there’s this solo score by Thorsten Q from 2018. I think it’s cool that he reverts back to some old-school TD stylings for this. Less of the polished sound he nurtures with the current TD lineup. Jon reviewed this one here.

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