Hans Zimmer

Anyone following me on Twitter will have just seen my stream of links to some of Zimmer's scores. It'd be safe to assume that I'm an adoring fan and that, without realising it, have been since I was four when The Lion King graced the cinematic screen.

It was only when I bought the soundtrack to 'Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron'  however, at 12, that I became consciously aware of Zimmer as the man behind the music. Of course, being 12, my knowledge remained fairly limited to just this one soundtrack.

But then as I became more and more of a film fan, particularly at University, I began to seek out the composer behind possibly my favourite song of all time. (Run Free: Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron)

Some people might argue that Zimmer's work is repetitive and therefore boring. That all his music is, in essence, the same. This is a valid opinion, sure. But almost any musical legend can be immediately recognised, with songs barely differeing from each other. Same goes for authors or directors who have a particular style, a noticeable signature, that's present throughout their work. Zimmer's music is no different. He leaves his mark on everything he composes, and yet has successfully written for a hugely varied range of films; The Lion King and Inception are, after all, world's apart. 

If you've never heard a Zimmer composition, you must be Amish (in which case, what are you doing on the Internet?) There is no other way you could have avoided his music. The Dark Knight? Gladiator? The Lion King? Hannibal? The Simpsons Movie!? Trust me...you'll have heard something with his name on it.

Now I could continue to write this lengthy letter of luurve, but instead I'll just let Hans speak for himself with five of my all time favourite tracks. If none of my selection suits your taste, just YouTube him. I'll be amazed if you don't find at least one song you fall in love with.

'Time' - Inception

'Run Free'- Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron

(From what I remember, I think the sequence has been messed with a bit in this video, so don't pay too much attention to the visual)

'Rise' - The Dark Knight Rises ('Rise' is the last song on the list, number 15)

http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=34498

'This Land'- The Lion King

'Tennessee'- Pearl Harbour

Travel Plans

Plan 1. 
Do a 6 week Trek America trip.
Pros: You see 38 states, meet new people, do unforgettable things.
Cons: V.Expensive, could only do it in the heat of the summer and may melt.
Note: If I save like crazy & stand in front of an oven every day in practice for the sweltering heats, this is doable.

Plan 2.
Do a 3 week trip around Italy.
Pros: Own itinerary, family in Milan, the most delicious food ever known to man.
Cons: Can't really do it alone for fear of Naples, Italian men, mugging and lunatic drivers. Can't really do it with anyone else because of boyfriends/lack of funds/inability to commit.
Note: If I find someone willing (because a holiday to Italy requires such a strong sense of will...) this is really quite possible, and very exciting.

Plan 3.
Drive around Ireland & N.Ireland for a couple of weeks on a solo photography trip.
Pros: Photographer's paradise, can do it alone, probably cheapest of the three.
Cons: Will only have been driving for a year, potential for lonely boredom, no guarantee of decent weather.
Note: This all of course depends on me not wrecking my first ever car in my first year of driving. If I manage not to, it'll be a fun/interesting experiment to see how much I really can stand my own company...

So as always, I have too many plans and no way of following through on them all. What to do, what to do, what to do.... suggestions. Please. Further ideas welcomed.

Happy times

I'm a sucker for a bit of self pity. It's easy, it's comfortable, and it often involves Ben and Jerry's. But it's also boring, and annoyingly self indulgent. Feeling sorry for yourself doesn't make you feel better, doesn't help your state of mind, and in my case adds pounds in the form of Phish Food. I think I'd rather focus on the happy.

Don't panic. I'm not going to rant on the benefits of positive thinking, positive vibes, positive thoughts, positive affirmations, positive pregnancy tests... The leaders of this new age mumbo jumbo have made a lot of money taking you the long way round, on the motorway, through the roundabouts, behind the car park, over the level crossing, until they finally drag you into 'Happiness.' The shortcut? You know, THROUGH the car park? Don't be such a fucking martyr, and just BE happy!

How dare I say it's that easy!? It's important to stress, I am not judging those with severe depression, anxiety or other psychological challenges. I know people who have lost friends and family to depression, and it is no joking matter. My issue, is that anyone using a sad face in a text can diagnose themselves as 'depressed.' In this day and age, not having a date on a Friday night can spark major ice-cream binges and claims that 'life isn't worth living anymore.' The problem is, society (as soon as this word pops up, you know an important sociological topic is being debated....pfft.) has become far too accepting of this sort of behaviour; encourages it even through TV and Film. Sadness is expected. You're a robot until you've been vulnerable, ideally on a reality tv show in front of millions, and accepted that being sad, is good.

Bollocks.

Yes, everyone should have a good cry. Everyone does indeed get sad, and feels down on occassion. It's human emotion, and it happens. But for the love of Ben, Jerry and your expanding hips, stop bloody wallowing! Stop complaining! Stop blaming the world for your misfortune and, more often than not, your actions. If you're single and miserable, do something about it! Maybe stop being so controlling and expecting Mr Fucked-Up-But-Eligible-Grey to show up on your doorstep. Not getting a job? Re-asses! Get advice! Fix your CV, get experience, and stop posting how unfair your life is on facebook- employers will 'stalk' your page, and no one wants a moaner on staff.

I for one, am going to try and focus on the little slitherings of 'happy' that creep in, ever so subtly, into every single day. Today it was a really good drive. Yesterday, a particularly satisfying glass of cold diet coke. Tomorrow it might not be more than an inch of pink in the sky that manages to bring a small smile to my face.

There's plenty wrong with the world. I'm sure there's plenty wrong with your life, as well. But it is life. You are in fact living. It's easy to forget that when you're busy crying into your ice cream pot because once again, Friday night you're going nowhere and all the lights are changing, green to red.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWbrVWxW-7A

If you want it, come and get it. For crying out loud.