Glitch: an new Australian Gothic

Posted August 7, 2015 by Michael @ Knowledge Lost in Film & Television / 0 Comments

Recently I had the joy of binge watching Glitch, a new Australian drama created by Tony Ayres & Louise Fox that aired throughout July. Glitch has been often compared to Les Revenants (which has been remade into the American show The Returned), however I have not seen those shows to compare. The show starts off in a small fictional town where police officer James Hayes (played by Patrick Brammell) is called to the cemetery to investigate a disturbance.

The development of Glitch has been a long process, actor Rodger Corser has even defended the show to the media. In an interview to The New Daily Corser has stated; “This [Glitch] is definitely not ‘Oh great, we will do an Australian version of another show’. From what I know this show was pitched before that [The Returned] came along. Sometimes it’s a long process from getting a first draft to getting funding”. Whether the concept has been done before, there is something fresh and new about Glitch that I just cannot put my finger on. It might be a combination of the Australian aesthetic, the gothic feel, great actors and, of course, a thrilling script (written by Louise Fox, Kris Mrksa and Giula Sandler.

The visuals of this series is what stood out to me the most while watching Glitch. What can only be described as Australian gothic, this series uses dramatic lighting and art direction to real capture the mood. Shot during the summer nights in the Victorian town of Castlemaine, this allows for dramatic natural lighting without relying on artificial ones. I appreciate the stylisation of Glitch that was made possible by the cinematographer Simon Chapman (The Loved Ones, The Little Death) and art director Juliet John (The Boys, The Bank).

The ABC took a new approach with this show, catering to the Netflix culture; all episodes of this show was made available on their own catch-up service iView while also airing weekly on ABC1. This is a unique approach, allowing everyone to view their show in their preferred method. This show was shadowed in mystery, the idea of waiting between episodes sounded painful to me. The question I ask myself is; “is this the solution broadcast networks need to take to battle against Netflix and torrents?” I do not know the answer (yet) but I think this could be the future of television.

10:04 by Ben Lerner

Posted August 5, 2015 by Michael @ Knowledge Lost in Literary Fiction / 0 Comments

Title: 10:04 (Goodreads)
Author: Ben Lerner
Published: Granta, 2014
Pages: 241
Genres: Literary Fiction
My Copy: Library Book

Buy: Amazon, Book Depository (or visit your local Indie bookstore)

10:04 tells of a time with increasingly frequent super storms; the novel is bookended with Hurricanes Irene and Sandy (although they are never referred to by name). Our unnamed narrator has also been diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, which is almost always fatal. Faced with the state of the world and his own mortality, this narrator must question his legacy. Not just biologically but as a writer he must consider what he will leave behind.

A Brooklyn based writer, this narrator starts off early within the novel talking about just what kind of life he has. In one particular passage he describes visiting the Metropolitan Museum, a frequent occurrence, with a friend. “We often visited weekday afternoons, since Alex was unemployed, and I, a writer.” The two like to look at all the melodrama found in the 19th century, in particular his favourite; a painting of Joan of Arc. This passage not only sets up an introduction to our narrator and his female friend Alex but also an indication of what type of novel to expect here.

Ben Lerner has an uncanny ability to write a unique novel that is both beautiful and moving but at the same time remaining hilarious and intelligent. I will admit that the novel did make me feel stupid so many times but I love a book that makes me work to fully grasp it. I always get a real sense of accomplishment when I finish a book like 10:04. For those that are hesitant about reading a book that might make them feel dumb, I think 10:04 is worth the effort and the challenge.

This novel explores a lot of interesting themes from friendship, sex, memory, legacy, art and politics; think of this as a book that explores the landscape of the contemporary life. The narrator is a bit pretentious but then again the circles he hangs out in are full of pseudo-intellectuals. The New York literary scene has been done time and time again, however I am a huge fan of this setting and I think there are so many opportunities to explore interesting ideas. 10:04 did exactly that.

It seems like Ben Lerner is going to be one of those authors that the literary world will need to watch. His first novel Leaving the Atocha Station was met with critical acclaim, showing up on all the major literary magazines’ best books of the year list. A novel I have yet to read but if it is anything like 10:04, I know I will love it. Ben Lerner manages to capture so many emotions in one single narrative, 10:04 is just a great book and I expect to see many more great novels from Ben Lerner in the future.

Month: August 2015