Reading Lost's Walkabout

In my television theory class, we watch the episode "Walkabout" from the series Lost as an approach to studying semiotics - the study of signs. This posting contains spoilers!!

Roland Barthes:

Using semiotics is the basis on how to conduct a close analysis of a film or a television series. Roland Barthes's work on Mythologies is one of the founding texts for this type of analysis. And to keep things simple, I will focus on the terms: denotative and connotative. 

Denotative Meanings:

Denotative is the surface level of a sign. For example, if I see a stop sign while driving, I know to stop my car. It is a sign that we can all agree upon - at least I hope we do.

Connotative Meanings:

Connotative is the secondary level of a sign. This means there can be multiple meanings of a sign. For example, I could read the sign "snake" not only as a slimy reptile, but as "sin." The surface reading (denotative) of a snake means a reptile and it slithers. The secondary reading (connotative) of a snake could mean "sin," or it could mean "friend." I preferably would not like to think about snakes at all! But you get the point...

Rhetoric: Making Your Case Convincingly

Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. A connotative approach to studying film or television involves how well you can argue your case. This means when you unpack secondary meanings (connotations), you have to make your case convincingly. To do this, you must inventory the signs of a film and or television episode.

"Walkabout" Example

Lost is a television series about the survivors of Oceanic 815 stranded on a mysterious island. "Walkabout" is an early episode in the first season that focuses on John Locke (Terry O'Quinn), a mysterious man who decides to hunt for a boar after learning the survivors had ran out of food.

"Walkabout" involves Locke's journey into the mysterious island. This odyssey entails a physical component (find and kill the boar), and an interior component (Locke's re-birth). We can track these two registers by inventorying the episode's signs.

Locke's Wheel Chair

The wheel chair is more than simply a means of transportation; it is also about Locke's backstory and his internal struggles before he crashed on the island, which is told through flashbacks. His wheel chair has an added charge of meaning when we learn that Locke can walk after surviving the airplane crash at the end of the episode.

Movement and Stillness

Locke is shown a number of times lying on his back, looking at his feet. Movement has multiples meanings, especially when you consider the title of the episode: "walkabout." It is a spiritual renewal for Locke.

Re-Birth

Locke is re-born as he learns to walk again. The fire framed by his wheelchair at the end of the episode helps to communicate this at the connotative level. He is no longer the same person we saw in the episode's flashbacks.

There are many connotations I could have discussed in this episode. But I chose signs that are tied to a specific theme: Locke's re-birth as a "walkabout" in his hunt for the boar. At the end, he successfully kills the boar and provides food for the survivors. At the same time, Locke's soul is nourished by the hunt in the form of a walkabout.

Best Settings for Film Climaxes

As you can probably guess by the subject line, this post contains SPOILERS. Please be aware if you plan to read on.

After watching M. Night Shyamalan's Glass, I was reminded of the importance of where a film's climax takes place. I'm not entirely sure what Shyamalan was going for in terms of narrative expectations, but Glass's climax was set in a mental institution parking lot. I felt the location was visually flat, especially as a conclusion for his trilogy of films (Unbreakable and Split), two films that I so much enjoyed.

Glass (2019). Parking lot fight.

Maybe someone will argue that Shyamalan was trying to de-construct the comic book genre. So be it. But there was a scene in Glass where a character enters a comic book store that had a section for "Villains" and "Heroes." Say what you will, but I've been in a lot of comic bookstores and have yet to see those signs. Anyway...I loved Unbreakable and Split. I'm even a big fan of The Village, a film that was not well-received.

After watching Glass, this led me to think about the importance of setting or mise-en-scene (what's put in the frame) in creating an exciting film climax. I thought of some great settings used in movie climaxes (mostly from well-known movies). Interesting to note - many film climaxes often occur in high places. For a great reading on this topic, see Kristen Whissel's article: "Tales of Upward Mobility: The New Verticality and Digital Special Effects."

NATIONAL or ICON PLACES

North by Northwest (1959). Mount Rushmore

X-Men (2000). Statue of Liberty

BRIDGES 

A View to A Kill (1985). I posted a while ago that I thought the movie poster was better than the movie. I've grown to like this movie a lot. And you can't beat the Duran Duran track "A View to a Kill."

TALL BUILDINGS or SKYSCRAPERS

Die Hard (1988). Nakatomi Plaza

A MAZE

The Shining (1980). The Maze climax when Jack chases Danny.

THE OCEAN 

Jaws (1975). I highly recommend The Jaws Log by Carl Gottlieb

A CHURCH

The Godfather (1972). The symbolic importance of the famous baptism scene.

John Woo's The Killer (1989).

CREEPY HOUSES

  Psycho (1960).

THE SKY

Air Force One (1997). I wasn't a big fan of the film. But the ending was kind of cool.

And I'm sure there are plenty of other settings that can contribute to exciting climaxes in films. Though, I'm not sold on a parking lot yet.

All Out War - Flyers from the Past

I recently found a bunch of flyers when I drummed for All Out War back in the early 1990s. I thought It would be cool to share these and a blurb about the roots of the band - at least what I can remember...

I made this cheesy flyer for our first show in December of 1991. The line up was me (drums), Jim Antonelli (guitar), Sam Carbone (guitar), John Guerriero (bass) and Mike Score (vocals). As you can see, there's no All Out War logo and my handwriting pretty much sucks. And don't bother calling that phone number - The Class no longer exists.

Mike's flyer (above) is way better and visually more interesting!

This flyer is for a show we played in the winter of 1992. Erik Carrillo had replaced John. His previous band was Violent Plague. This was one of the first flyers that featured the All Out War logo, which the band continues to use to this day. It was only a few months later that Sam would be replaced by Chris Chisholm on guitar.

Za Bar was a small place we played in Dutchess county. I'm almost certain it was a pizza parlor. When you're a new band on the scene, you take what you can get. I do remember  we had written a song called "Sum of All Fears" which we played at this show. We later dropped the song.  A few of the parts can be heard in the song "Show of Force. "

This is a video clip of "Show of Force" from QE2s in Albany, NY (summer of 1993). It was one my last shows with the band. We recorded "Show of Force" with other songs in 1993. We never released the demo. The Dying Gods EP comes with a download of some of the songs from the 1993 Demo.

We opened for a lot of national acts at the skate park in Newburgh. We also played a number of show with Dissolve from Dutchess county. They are an incredibly talented band. I am glad they're still playing shows and recording music.

Above is us performing "Stuck Inside" at the skate park in 1992.

I have no recollection of this Halloween show. But I do know that Rock Fantasy in Middletown, NY is one of the coolest and best places for all things metal.

An interview before a show we played at the Bond Street Cafe in the summer of 1993. You can get sense of where the band was at.

This photo was taken of me in December of 1991 at The Class in Middletown, New York. It was our first show. I can't believe how big my drum set was. Did I really need two floor toms? Sometimes visiting the past can be a blast.

Sky-Boxx (aka Skybox NY)

What follows is a short history of my band from the 1990s called Skybox. These are the liner notes for the CD booklet that was included in the Whole Ep. In 2013, we had to change our name to Sky-Boxx for legal reason in case you're wondering. And be sure to check out our music on Spotify and Apple Music.

 It seems that a history of an underground music scene must always include musicians moving from band to band, drawing upon each other’s resources, and growing a tree of talent that sprouts and expands. Guitar could be your main instrument, but you still could be called upon to play bass if needed. The hardcore and metal scenes of Orange County, New York in the early 1990s were no strangers to this phenomenon. In the case of Skybox, the band emerged as a side project for Tom Connelly, drummer and co-founder of All Out War. Its origins began with a four-track demo recorded by Connelly in the winter of 1991.

Influenced by thrash and hardcore, the four-song demo ranged from the crossover sounds and styles of Leeway and Rest in Pieces to Carnivore and Crumbsuckers. The demo caught the attention of Lou Iuzzini and Chris Chisholm, who played for a thrash band called Society for Sale. With Chisholm playing bass, Iuzzini on drums and Connelly on guitar, the three began rehearsing as a side project throughout the summer of that year.

It was also around that same time that Connelly, Jim Antonelli, Mike Score, and Sam Carbone (RIP) were putting together the pieces of what would become All Out War. Antonelli joined Connelly’s side project band on lead vocals. Officially calling their band Sick Joke, the four recorded their first demo in the winter of 1992. As the aggressive and heavy style of All Out War gained attention in the North East, Sick Joke began focusing on the melody and quieter side of their song writing. With Duane Lopez, guitarist of Society for Sale, now taking over bass duties, they changed their name to Skybox, playing shows in and around the Hudson Valley. When Lopez took a temporary leave, local guitarist Greg Melnick filled in on bass, helping to build Skybox’s new sound. 

In the Fall of 1993, Connelly left All Out War to attend college. Soon, Antonelli departed Skybox, putting the band on hold. But it wasn’t long before Todd Eisgruber joined the band, taking over on vocals and bass. Lopez switched to lead guitar, which gave Skybox a fuller sound. With a new lineup and new sound, Skybox was no longer relegated to a side project. Around that same time, Anthony Paranzino (RIP) formed a small independent label called Infamous Records, and offered to record Skybox as an upcoming release. In the Spring of 1994, Skybox and Paranzino went into the studio to record 13 songs. Although the album was never completed, Paranzino continued to be a strong supporter of the band, booking them shows in the Hudson Valley and venues in New York City. But in the Fall of 1994, Skybox went on hold again, with the departure of Iuzzini and Lopez. 

In the Spring of 1995, Nick Verdichizzi (drums) and Ted Williams (guitar) joined the band with Connelly and Eisgruber. The four would remain the core of the band until 1996 when Skybox officially dismantled. It was during this period that the band wrote and recorded some of their best work. The “Whole” EP was recorded in the summer of 1995 by Jacques Cohen (RIP) at The Space in Poughkeepsie, New York. The six songs on the EP span the timeline of Skybox, beginning with “Sunlight,” “Dead by the Sea” and “Fade,” written in the fall of 1992, and ending with the beautiful and melancholy “Shoes,” written by Eisgruber in 1994. In 1996, we began recording a second batch of songs (9 total) that we did not finish. 4 of those songs (the unfinished versions) are now available to stream, which includes No Deposit No Return written for my short film.

The zigzag and stop-go history of Skybox may have prevented their music from making a big splash, but the band has indelibly left a trace of itself in the Hudson Valley music scene.

Trainspotting - Watching While Flat on Your Back

I teach Danny Boyle's brilliantly directed film Trainspotting in a number of my film courses on the topic of British Cinema and transnationalism (how the film appeals internationally). This is most notable in the film's famous opening "Choose Life" sequence over Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life." Here, American music is played alongside the national/regional of Edinburgh.

Trainspotting is one of a number of films of the 1990s (Pulp Fiction, Permanent Midnight and Basketball Diaries) that explores the dangers of heroin use. A point I brought up in my class is how frequently Renton (Ewan McGregor) is shown lying on his back, particularly when shooting up heroin and how it pertains to being a trainspotter.

In Murray Smith's fantastic BFI book, he explains the various meanings of "trainspotting." He writes: "To be a trainspotter-in the literal sense-is to stand for hours, in the same place, watching trains go by. To board a train is to go somewhere, to move on" (17). 

When Renton decides to stop using heroin, he quickly stands up and "chooses life." After his near death experience from overdosing on heroin, Renton goes through a harrowing experience of withdrawl. He then moves to London to better his life.

And then Begbie (Robert Carlyle) shows up at his door. Begbie, as Murray Smith points out, is a dark and frightening depiction of "new lad" culture.

Begbie's arrival at Renton's flat demonstrates the film's engagement with fate. Here, we can see a dimension of film noir at work in Trainspotting. Renton can choose life, but he did not choose Begbie arriving at his doorstep who happens to be on the lam for armed robbery.

The third act of film entails Renton, Begbie, Sick Boy and Spud orchestrating a drug deal, which lands them 16 thousand pounds. But instead of sharing the money four ways, Renton steals the money and flees. Though, he does leave Spud some money.

Trainspotting's depiction of heroin is both comical and frightening. In many ways, it is a neo-noir film not unlike Fight Club or Requiem for a Dream. Perhaps more frighteningly is Renton's clownish expression as he returns the gaze at the end of the film. Renton is choosing life again. But has he really changed? Here, Renton's distorted expression is reminiscent of the ending of A Clockwork Orange when Alex (Malcolm MacDowell) says "I was cured all right." Of course, the ludovico technique did not work for Alex. And choosing life might not work for Renton.

And let's not forget that Renton switched Tommy's sex tape with his girlfriend with his greatest soccer goals video cassette. This event leads to the break up of Tommy and his girlfriend, which leads to Tommy doing heroin for the first time and then dying of AIDS.

Renton never acknowledges or shows remorse for playing a role in Tommy's death. During the scene when Tommy is dying, Renton happens to be kicking a soccer ball near a poster of Iggy Pop, Tommy's favorite musician. But ultimately, Tommy chose to do heroin.

Indeed, Renton is an unreliable narrator, whether he's lying on his back and high on heroin while life passes him by, or choosing life...

No Deposit No Return

No Deposit No Return is a short film I made when I was an undergraduate student at Long Island University. I shot the film in the summer of 1995 in the Hudson Valley (mostly in Newburgh), and I completed the editing and sound production at the end of 1996.  The film officially premiered in May of 1997 at the Athens International Film Festival in Ohio.

 

I had a lot of fun shooting the film with my friends. I was 23 years old and my first time writing a screenplay. I had great advice from my college professor who encouraged me to write something personal. The story was based on some of my experiences working at a beverage store. My job was to take care of recycling empty bottles and cans. I've seen a lot of interesting folks bring in their "empties" as they called them. I also saw homeless people who would return their empties for money. 

Once I began editing the film, I had to go back to the Hudson Valley for some re-shoots. In fact, some of the close-ups in the film were filmed in the dead of winter! The sound was the most complex part in the post-production of the film. As you will hear, there are crickets during the abandoned basketball court scenes. The crickets were there when we shot those scenes. So, I had to add more crickets to balance the sound mix. The film was shot on 16mm sound sync color film. I used a CP 16mm camera and a Bolex. I chose Kodak's slowest film stock because the film was shot mostly outside. The colors look amazing on the actually print of the film. I do plan to transfer the 16mm print to HD.

 
Except for the song I wrote at the end of the film, I used copyrighted music - clearly a mistake on my part. Believe me, no one made any money from this film! But word to the wise, do not use copyrighted music unless you get permission.

No Deposit No Return did screen at some film festivals. It won a certificate of merit at The Long Island Film Festival in 1997. Looking back, I am very happy for what I achieved in this film for only being in my early twenties. I hope you enjoy the film.

Desire, Coca-Cola, Zizek and Cinema

Following up on my last post on the gaze, I thought it would be important to explain a little bit of Lacan's concept of desire. 

Desire is the desire to desire. What does this mean? For Lacan, the logic of desire operates on lack, not fullness. Think of your favorite song that you listen to over and over, or watching a movie such as Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings repetitively. 

For Lacan, these "empirical" objects stand in for what he terms the object cause of desire, or sometimes referred to as the "lost object." As long as the lost object remains lost, desire sustains its force. Listening to a favorite song or watching a movie repeatedly - both objects stand in for the lost object, but can never be the "thing" itself. And because this empirical object (song, movie, book, coffee, etc.) can not fill the shoes of the psychical lost object, desire continues to desire. 

Slavoj Žižek offers a great example of the lost object using Coca-Cola's old slogan: "Coke is It." Žižek asks: What is this "it"? Why do we keep drinking coke if "it" is indeed "it"? There is a failure in drinking Coca-Cola that keeps us drinking more. Why? Because Coke is not it. This is the logic of desire.  As long as we keep "missing" the lost object, desire continues to desire.

 
Desire also has a temporal component which can be found in classical Hollywood narrative.  Classical narrative films exemplify the notion of desire because they demonstrate that the story's solution resides in the future. Die Hard (1987) is a great example of the logic of desire and classical narrative form. 

John McClane (Bruce Willis) finds himself alone in the Nakatomi building where Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) and his group of thieves seize the tower and hold a group of employees hostage, including John's estranged wife, Holly (Bonnie Beldelia). John's goal is to outsmart Hans. John is constantly backed into a corner as we wonder how he will survive. The goal is for John to win - to reach his goal - to defeat Gruber. 

It is no surprise that this winning aspect of desire has a strong correlation to the logic of capitalism as explored in Todd McGowan's outstanding book, Capitalism and Desire.

Lastly,  although desire operates on lack, it paradoxically provides the subject pleasure. This is why Lacan argues that the lack of lack (to be lacking lack) equals anxiety. We enjoy our desire. For example, I love to collect DVDs. I think the worse thing that can happen to me is to lose my desire for buying DVDs.