Just got through watching the director's commentary on Requiem for a Dream. A really interesting commentary track, during which Darren Aronofsky points out many of the subliminal (and not so subliminal) filming techniques employed to make the film into the total mind warp experience that it is. (He even points out several scenes where budgetary requirements forced the crew to resort to the technique of "guerilla" film making. I'm sure at least one reader in this audience would know something about that. ;) It is truly a work of masterful craftmanship though.

I'm still not sure if I really like it though. Even on the second time around, with the director's comforting voice on the audio, by the time end credits rolled up, I was (am) feeling a serious aftertaste of sadness, hopelessness, and revulsion. But it's a great film! So artistically, beautifully, and intricately made, with such awesome performances by the cast. And the string quartet music has attached itself to my brain with its haunting melody. Ugggh! My mind is confuuzed.

...

In other random non-news, the two-front war against the Spartans and the Hive wages on interminably. With the Yang's Hive empire to the west, and the Santiago's gradually weakening forces to the east, things are looking like they may eventually tilt toward the favor of the Gians, assuming good leadership and wise decisions are made. A treaty has been signed with the tiny (mostly conquered by the Hive) Morganites (who remain the wealthiest on the planet despite their tactical losses), and the vendetta against the University has been brought to an end with a Blood Truce. Although Lady Deidre also suggested an official treaty with Zakharov, he declined on the grounds that the Gian forces were becoming too powerful, and while a blood truce was acceptable, he would not want to refer to a conquering force as a "friend". The Gians also made peace with the (virtually wiped out by the Spartans) UN Peacekeepers (funny, I always think of Farscape when I see that) in exchange for 500 much-needed energy credits to finance the aforementioned two-front war.

That last paragraph, ladies and gentlemen, is called product placement.

Well, in the interest of something or other, I think a little bit of dead tree reading, followed by a little bit of sleep would be a Good Thing right now. And so, I stop, and step away from the keyboard...