Bach, Scare, Spinoza, Ghost, Void
Why Hannibal Lecter Murders To Bach
Listening In | YouTube | 15th February 2022
Glenn Gould's recordings of the Goldberg Variations are the perfect soundtrack to Hannibal Lecter's murders because they mine great poignancy from a cold, mathematical veneer. "His lips move as if singing along to the melody, his eyes glazed over, completely absorbed in the notes that glitter off the steel around him. Lecter isn’t just giving himself to the music, he’s dancing to it" (15m 10s)
I'm Scared
Bill Wurtz | YouTube | 15th February 2022
New song from internet legend Bill Wurtz. As usual, his bubbly jazz melodies and flamboyant animations belie a darker subject matter: "If I sound confused, that's 'cuz it's true, I'm just a little bit going insane about most things / and if I sound OK, that's 'cuz I'm crazy, and I know you're crazy too." Each lyric goes by so rapidly, you hardly have to time to process (3m 11s)
Spinoza: A Complete Guide To Life
Then & Now | YouTube | 7th February 2022
Primer on one of history's most unique thinkers. For Spinoza, everything connects—God is nature, God is everything, and God is perfect. On the ethical front, we can only improve ourselves once we understand nature; he wants us to look at our own lives from "the perspective of eternity." When you think about God, you are thinking about yourself, and vice versa (52m 45s)
The (Mostly) True Story Of “Ghost Photography"
Vox | YouTube | 5th February 2022
In the 1860s, a Bostonian couple claimed they could detect ghosts in their photographs. Nobody could tell exactly how they did it—but it seems the answer was hiding in plain sight. "The Mumlers could have had a collection of already-made 'spirit' negatives, and could line up the sitter with a 'ghost' that matched the general appearance of their lost loved one" (12m 28s)
Transfixing Video Of The Week
The insane title sequence of Enter the Void; Saul Bass for the 2010s
Watch The Viewer's recommendations each week as a handy YouTube Playlist.
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