CUBE TRIBUTE

I got to know about this movie when I was 15 years old thanks to a website about horror films. It was very well rated and the critic said that it was a must for any horror movie lover. Back then, I used to buy horror movies on the Internet without not even having watched them first, guided only by this horror movies website, so when I saw that Cube was available to buy I decided to give it a chance and it definitely was a worth spent money.

Cube has become one of my favorite movies ever and a big reference for me in the horror genre. It clearly deserves its cult movie label, due to various factors, such as the directing or the performances, but the most remarkable aspect of the movie is, with no doubt, the script: the structure, the characters, and, especially, the dialogues are simply excellent! I would even say that those dialogues are essential for the movie, which would probably get boring without them because it’s very hard to maintain such suspense with only one space where everything takes place and if you don’t have a strong story with strong characters, things are likely to break down in the end. And what to say about the ending of the movie? Perfect! I understand why some people may not like it but it makes a lot of sense to me and gives the whole movie its coherence and point.

THESIS

Questions. We are made of questions. It always begs a question that will inevitably lead you to one another. 

In this case, I think the thesis of the movie is very clear. Once again, it’s reinforced by the ending not revealing the truth to the spectator. We don’t really need to know who or what has caged these people and we don’t need to know the reason why either, because the most important thing is not the ending or the final result, but what happens in between and how the characters deal with it and solve it. It’s a very strong metaphor for the mystery of God and life in itself.

THESIS: Human beings, who are curious by nature and constantly searching for the truth, get lost along the way becoming right the opposite thing they are longing for.

ALBUM RECOMMENDATION (Dover - I was dead for 7 weeks in the city of Angels)

This is an essential album for any rock and roll music lover. It contains 15 tracks, mostly rocker and mid-tempos except for the last one, which is a ballad. This is, in my opinion, the best album of the band. It really gets stuck since the first listen because it’s very easy and pleasant to listen to if you like good classic rock music. You’ll find amazing electric guitar solos and catchy pop melodies and the voice of the singer sounds great, which is curious since she said in some interviews that the whole recording process was really tough due to the continuous disagreements with the producer. however, All the songs are very well composed and produced. I would say that maybe the only inconvenience is the large track-list because some songs can get repetitive in the end though, as I said, all of them are great still, especially the first 6 introducing the album. The videos also deserve a special mention because they’re very elegant and, despite showing the typical rocker band stereotype image, they are still very well shot and connected with the whole concept of the album. 

Favorite songs: My Secret People, Better Day, The Weak Hour Of The Rooster, King George, Lady Barbuda, Big Mistake, and Death Rocker.

THE QUEST!ON

“What am I if I don’t believe in love?”

SONGWRITING

This was one of the first songs that were written with the idea of being included in an album. It was 2013 and I had already decided on the title of the album knowing that I wanted it to be dark and rocker, so I started to write the first verse of the song, partly inspired by the great song Drive of Incubus. It was a time when writing songs and flowing through the process was still very difficult for me because there was a lot of insecurity and chaos in my life but, after finishing writing the first verse, I remember that I felt very proud of it because I felt like it was something really coherent and connected to that moment in life, I felt like I wrote something very honest that was coming from the heart. 

I’m an agnostic but I’ve always had this tendency of believing that there is more than meets the eye. When I was being bullied in high school I clung to the idea of God very tightly because I guess it’s natural that when you’re feeling so alone you need to believe in something else in order to stay alive or, at least, that’s what happened to me. You start dialoguing with yourself until you become crazy and, in the end, you stop asking questions because it’s worthless and they're not gonna solve the problems that are happening here and now. I would say that this is what the song is about. It’s about letting go of doubts and fears and starting to fight for recovering who you really are. 

I’m very proud of this song on a songwriting level. I really like the structure and how each part of the song leads to one another, emphasizing the burdens of contradiction in life. There’s a true meaning behind the lyrics and they make a lot of sense to me. I would say that it’s one of my favorite songs on the album with no doubt.

PRODUCTION

I’ve recorded the song two times. The first time, with a lower key, I didn’t like how the voice sounded so I decided to record it again with a higher one. Now, I really like the voice. The saddest part is that on the first recording there was an amazing guitar solo after the second chorus that has been excluded on the last one. Anyway, I still prefer this version because, after all, the voice is more important and it sounds for almost the whole song while the solo sounded only for 10 seconds.

NEVER LET ME GO Tribute

I watched this movie as a recommendation of a friend while I was coursing my cinema studies in 2012. I really liked the movie and, especially, its atmosphere. I think that Never Let Me Go is a conventional movie since it tells us a story with the typical script turning points but the most characteristic aspect of the film is, as I said before, the melancholic aesthetic and cinematography that the film has. It’s more kind of a concept than a typical Hollywood movie, which is usually more focused on entertaining and being satisfactory for the spectator in contrast to European films, whose stories are more realistic and dramatic, without mentioning that there are always exceptions in both cases, of course.

Never Let Me Go transmits a strong feeling of powerlessness and numbness. You end the movie with a very specific melancholic emotional state. The characters are trapped because they don’t know any other way to be and they accept it. I connect a lot with this idea of characters who’d rather hurt themselves before hurting any other person because I am like that in real life. I don’t understand those people who are violent and stuck on their skins as if other people’s lives had no value. It’s easier for me to hurt myself though, in the end, no one can escape from having bad feelings or thoughts, no one’s free from being vulnerable and no one can love other people if they don’t love themselves. I guess that’s the main point of the movie. 

The aesthetic of the movie also reminds me a little of the first short film I wrote and directed during my first year at the cinema school before getting through the psychotic break. It’s shot with a Super8 camera and, though the shooting was one of the toughest experiences of my life, I’m pretty proud of the final result. Kind of a conceptual music video. Here’s the video:

I also like the result of this tribute video very much. I think that, in this case, both music and images fit perfectly. The song Catharsis is partly about feeling contained and wanting to explode without knowing how and I think that’s the way the characters of the movie feel. I also love how the lyrics truly speak for the characters and how the line “Wish I had a soul” has so much to do with one of the scenes of the movie. 

THESIS

As I explained before, this movie is very centered on its characters and their particular circumstances and peculiar personalities. They are so innocent that they can’t even allow themselves to feel anger or rage but, once again, they are still human beings, and, in the end, they have exactly the same needs that any other human being has. I think the movie is mainly about the loss of innocence and I would say that the whole point is reflected in the final scene and the inner monologue of the protagonist: what’s the difference between clinging to this life and letting go of it? What’s the difference between fighting or giving up? What’s the difference between good and evil whatever these two concepts mean or imply? In the end, everything comes down to this simple equation; in the end, "we all complete".

Thesis: IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHO YOU ARE OR WHO I AM BECAUSE, IN THE END, WE ARE ALL HUMAN BEINGS, WE ARE ALL THE SAME.

ALBUM RECOMMENDATION (Maria Mena - Viktoria)

It was a really great surprise to get to know about this album back in 2011. I had heard her song Hold Me on the radio one day in the car with my father and we both agreed that the song was beautiful, so I searched for the song on the Internet and a few months later I saw on iTunes that she was going to release a new album called Viktoria. It was a time in my life when I would buy new and unknown music on iTunes so I decided to give a chance to this album without knowing what exactly I was going to listen to and, honestly, what I found was much better than what I expected. I love sad and melancholic music and I also like an album to be conceptual with music and words connected with the concept and idea, and this album has both things. Though not all of the songs are sad and that’s ok, the feeling predominating on the album is dramatic. Her voice gets very emotional and it can be sweet and powerful at the same time. On a songwriting level, the lyrics are very honest and I love that. I love songs that tell personal stories and the more personal art is the more I like it because it denotes no fear of going within as an artist. The songs are, on a musical production level, pretty naked and that’s also very interesting because they all work perfectly without lots of vocals and instruments, which is hard to achieve sometimes. I guess that what I like the most about the album is that it is very mature and it reminds me a little of the crudest Alanis Morissette songs of her album Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. If you like songs telling very personal stories from a pessimistic but realistic perspective, you’re gonna love this album!

Favorite songs: The Art Of Forgiveness, Habits, This Too Shall Pass, It Took Me By Surprise, Secrets, and Am I Supposed To Apologize?

CATHARSIS

“Once upon a time I thought I saw the light”

SONGWRITING

The idea behind this song came firstly from the desire of writing a very dramatic and melancholic song. From that point, I wrote a song that was originally titled just like catharsis but ended being named  “Numbness”, another song that is also included on the record, Still, I wanted one of my songs to be titled as Catharsis and from this idea, I began to work on this other concept. I had a melody stuck in my mind: The instrumental piece that sounds in the opening credits scene of the movie Urban Legend (which is curiously similar to one of my favorite songs by the band Garbage, “I Hate Love”).

The songwriting process was rather logical and easy in this case: Inspired by that mysterious melody of the movie Urban Legend, I started to play a very simple guitar arpeggio and, after that, the melody of the verses came up. Later, I wrote the lyrics of the verses, and then I just needed a chorus, which was taken from another of the disordered ideas I was working on back then: a song called “Sad song for a small boy with a big heart”. As I said, the different parts of the structure, the melody, and the lyrics were pretty easy to find and put in order along the whole process, so it was clear that there was no other way this song should have been written. I think it is a simple yet quite effective composition where the rule of “less is more” can be easily applied.

PRODUCTION

In this case, the arpeggio that began everything in the original instrumental of the demo went out by decision of the producer, and it was substituted for those little electric guitar "touches" in the verses, which I like a lot as well. This was the fifth song we recorded for the album and maybe the first one I liked the way my voice sounded in. Though I’m not very fond of some of the lowest notes in the verses, I really like how my voice sounds in the choruses and how emotional it gets there.

THE TRUMAN SHOW TRIBUTE

I wasn’t a really big fan of this movie when it came out because I was little and I could not really appreciate its message. My parents rented a copy from those old video stores that I used to love as a kid and we watched it together but it wasn’t until years later that I watched the movie again and became part of my favorites. In fact, the reason why I watched the movie again is a little twisted: during the highest paranoia state of my psychotic break, someone mentioned this movie and for some reason, it got stuck on my mind. One of the biggest paranoias I had was that I was being watched and observed by the whole world just like the main character of the movie, but not exactly for being celebrated or admired in a good way. I thought I was the protagonist of some extreme religious reality show that was trying to prove that being homosexual was wrong and, therefore, I had to be punished. I guess that the main cause for this absurd thought crossing my mind was the whole repression I experienced during my teenage years, which made me develop unconscious inner homophobia and hate for myself. It was a really tough and terrifying moment and thankfully I am recovering little by little and allowing myself to fully love the way I am without having to believe that I am the fucking antichrist or something.

But getting back to the movie, I would say that the script is what gives the film its greatness, probably one of the most original and risky scripts ever written. I also like the performance of Jim Carrey in this one, without being as overacted as usual. I personally like the love story between the main character and the girl, which remains as a secondary plot and should have got more presence, in my opinion, but yet it doesn't take the enchantment of such a fascinating movie away.

THESIS

To me, the thesis of this movie is very clear: it’s about the shallowness of the fast-consuming culture nowadays, where we receive a lot of stimulation from anywhere (TV, advertisements, social networks) and we easily forget about it as soon as the new tendency tells us to do. The final sketch, which reminds me of the final scene of the movie Money Monster, denotes this message about how useless and forgettable things turn out to be at the end when it comes to the content we get to see on television. 

Thesis: Reality can be stranger than fiction.

ALBUM RECOMMENDATION (LADY GAGA - BORN THIS WAY)

At first, I wasn’t very aware of the popularity Gaga got when she emerged as one of the most promising pop stars in 2008. It wasn’t until I listened to her song Telephone in 2010 that I started to become interested in her music and her amazing style. I started to watch some of her interviews on Youtube and I thought: “This is a very interesting girl! She’s really got a message to spread and a powerful inner voice…” Then, when she released Born This Way she definitely got me as a fan, maybe not as much as a little monster, but did as someone who would buy her music and follow her steps. Born This Way is certainly a piece of cult to me. It’s the perfect example of how mainstream music doesn’t necessarily have to be shallow or simple. The album clearly denotes creativity and passion in every sound and lyric. I love how Gaga gets very rocker in some of the songs and how she manages to make it harmonic and dancy at the same time. And what to say about the lyrics? So original and inspiring! She’s, in my opinion, one of the most passionate artists alive nowadays and I love her voice, songwriting, and style, not to mention the great labor she’s doing for the LGBT community and human rights.

Favorite songs: Marry the Night, Judas, Hair, Black Jesus/Amen Fashion, Bad Kids, and Electric Chapel.

FICTION OF TRUTH

“Don't apologize for your ideals if there’s nothing supposed to hide”

SONGWRITING

The idea behind the melody of the verses was inspired by the song One more night of Maroon 5. I remember that the intro of the Maroon 5's song surprised me when I first listened to it because it was very abrupt and explosive and I wanted that for one of my songs too. I wanted one of my songs to be catchy and less alternative than the ones I'm used to writing. Based on that melody, I started to think about the lyrics that would accompany it, and the word Hollywood came to mind. Then, I had the idea of writing a song about capitalism and my personal beliefs against it; and as I was writing the lyrics, which were complicated to rhyme, I realized that my feelings about this mentioned capitalism were actually ambivalent. On one hand, I found it shallow and unfair for some people and, on the other hand, I was feeling hypocritical because, one way or another, I was taking advantage of it so, eventually, that dualism ended up being reflected on the lyrics. The first part of the song is a critique and the second one is a tribute. What I basically meant to reflect with it is that everything depends on how each one of us sees the world and how our unique and particular perspective can change everything. There are also references to fame, money, and Illuminati in the song, which was partly inspired by the great Lady Gaga, who I deeply admire. Her album Born this way and the song Hair helped me a lot when they were released, not only to find an escape from my inner demons back then but to encourage me to open my mouth to sing out loud without feeling ashamed. I’m very proud of this song as a songwriter and I think that represents quite effectively the chaotic spirit of the album.

PRODUCTION

We had some difficulties with this one, especially with the chords. My guitar teacher participated actively in choosing the chords and we made some changes that gave the composition more depth and complexity without losing the original spirit. There are some variations in the melody at the end of the song that was his idea and I really like them. On a production level, I like the guitar solo after the first chorus very much and I think the voice sounds pretty good in this one too, especially in the chorus. I'd say that this is one of my favorite songs on the album, both as a production and a composition.

MAGNOLIA TRIBUTE

I watched this movie for the first time like 4 months before having the psychotic break and it didn’t cause me no paranoia, fortunately, in contrast to other movies that were stuck in my mind during that horrifying event. That’s a clear sign that it is a very positive movie. What did get stuck in my head in a good way was the ending of the movie, which made the 3 hours length of the movie worthwhile watching, without devaluating what happens in between. I will never forget how good that memorable smile at the end made me feel and how the Aimee Mann song Save me in the background made it even more beautiful. Later and according to what one of our scriptwriting teachers told us one day in class, I found out that the whole idea of the movie is based on and inspired by that singer, who participated in the movie by exclusively writing the songs that conform the soundtrack.

This movie is a must for any cinema lover. It got a little eclipsed by the release of American Beauty the same year, but despite the fact that both movies are great and unique in their particular ways, I still believe that Magnolia deserved more recognition. I feel very connected to the whole philosophical spirit of the movie. Lots of messages can be derived from the dialogues and that’s one of the things I like most about the main characters. They are brutally honest about their problems and explicitly express them loud and clear so that the inner voice of the writer gets very concise here. The beginning is also brilliant, with that voice-over explaining these different stories about those so-called coincidences that could be interpreted as something more meaningful and feasible.

A personal living almost obligated me to introduce the tribute video with the restaurant scene, in which Claudia talks about being honest in life and how white lies or silences are capable of killing people. The Leviathan song is highly inspired by that dialogue and it obviously could not be missed in the tribute video. 

THESIS

The thesis of Magnolia, just like in the Donnie Darko movie case, can be hard to determine because there may be more than just one. There are a lot of messages in this movie. One of the messages is clearly related to this idea of being honest and sincere about our feelings but, in my opinion, Magnolia is mainly about forgiveness. I remember that line in which one of the characters says that it’s not a bad thing to have regrets in life and that it’s ok to make mistakes because we’re all human beings and as long as we are conscious of those mistakes, we’re always in time to ask for forgiveness.

Thesis: It’s ok to have regrets in life.

ALBUM RECOMMENDATION (Juliette and The Licks - Four on the Floor)

I discovered this album in 2007, during the Myspace era, and it meant a shaking great surprise to me. I used to listen to The Cranberries, Evanescence, or Garbage back then and I started to discover new music thanks to the Myspace website, while I was also taking conscience about how necessary music was for me and, more concretely, how crucial these female rocker songs were to me as a means of escaping from reality and all the bullying situation I was going through in high school. This is clearly a rock and roll music album or, even better, a female rock and roll music album. What else can you ask for? This album is one of these hidden gems that deserve much more recognition. Full of energy and spirit, the album contains 11 songs and they all fit in perfectly. If you like Courtney Love or Garbage, you’re gonna love this album, although this one is more classical, without any kind of tricks or crafts. I would say that this album and PJ Harvey’s Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea are my favorites of this genera. They’re both clear examples of how the music made by strong females can truly rule and shake our senses. Better than an orgasm!

Favorite songs: Smash and Grab, Hot Kiss, Purgatory Blues, Get Up, Mind Full of Daggers, and Inside the Cage.