Skin Glider: Ep 1

Another one of my creative outbursts, this time on a more humorous note. As we all know, superhero genre takes itself too seriously, as we’ve all had the chance to see in The Dark Knight. At other times, the things are rather weak, and and “Superhero Movie” despite its good intentions of parodying the genre is an artistic failure. A more subtle, biting, coherent and entertaining satire is needed. This is where we come in. I say we, because me and my brother came up with it. The ultimate superhero satire should operate on the same basis as a normal comic, it should be one coherent whole, with a simple enough storyline, that can be added to, unlike the seemingly random cameos of parody-superheroes in the Superhero movie.

I think every good comic begins with the “birth” of a superhero, that’s why our story begins the same.

Story: Our hero is an extremely obese man called Stan Superfett. One night, when going home from a movie (where he had to purchase 2 tickets, because he could not fit in one chair), he gets assaulted in one of those cases of random street violence. He is almost killed, but fortunately, he was quickly transferred to a hospital where he lies in coma for 12 months. During that time, our hero loses all his body fat, being left with vast amounts of loose skin. After he finally wakes up from coma, he is shocked by his appearance and goes to the top of the hospital tower. In desperation, he jumps off the roof, only to find out that his loose skin allows him to glide in the air, like that particular squirrel (or whatever it is). He lands on the roof of the building across the street, and tired and stressed out, he faints, the rain beating down on him…

As in any good superhero comic, there is a sidekick (Blubberbutt), the love interest (Tina Thunderthighs) and the villain (Chemical Dean) in his evil lair (the location is very secret as of now.)

The details of those merry adventures will follow soon. If only I could find someone with enough free time to draw one A4 for episode 1. I think it has potential, even though everyone else says it’s rather stupid.

Peter S.

Stinging Nettles: Script for a Short Film

Sometimes I feel that I have some creative energy that just doesn’t have the right kind of outlet. I think that sometimes I need to write down these things, that would otherwise be forgotten, not because they are actually worth anything, I just want some proof of the fact that I live a life that is not stifled, that I am more than a cog in the machine.

The first idea I will share is a little idea for a short film called “Stinging Nettles”. I got this idea from reading an angry letter in of those free-newspapers-that-you-get-on-the-train.The film is strictly no-dialogue, no voice over either. Just very realistic.

Scene One:

An elderly, old-fashioned looking lady sits in a train, with a large opulent bouquet of flowers beside her. She is wearing a hat and seems detached from the outside world. A young man comes in, dressed in the most ridiculous, baggy outfit, though he looks he has seen better days. He is troubled. He sits opposite to the lady.

Scene 2: The train stops at a station. The lady leaves her seat, and walks of with a Victorian pose. She leaves the flowers behind. The young man is staring into the distance, his gaze blank. As he hears the conductor’s whistle, his concentration breaks, and he sees the forgotten flowers. He grabs them and runs after a lady. The doors of the train close on him, as he sees the lady disappearing on an escalator in the discatnce of the platform.

Scene 3: The young man is at another station, about to get off the train. He muses a little, and, with a guilty look, decides to take the flowers with him. He is seen leaving the station…

Scene 4: The young man enters a hospital room, where a middle aged woman lies unconscious. He puts the flowers near the bed, and kisses the woman on the forehead. As he is leaving the room, a tear trickles down his cheek.

Scene 5. The elderly lady is in her home, which is Victorian and extremely austere in style. She is sitting by a drawing table, writing a letter. The viewer sees the words: “And the riff-raff youth who probably stole my flowers, I hope they turned into stinging nettles”.

Scene 6: The hospital room. As the monitoring equipment lets out that long ‘beeeeeep’ associated with death, the camera closes on the place where the youth had put the flowers. They are now a large bunch of stinging nettles.

FIN

That’s all folks. Not the most cheerful stuff, but I think it’s kind of poetic, by which I mean; kind of messed up.

Peter S

Life, Art, Whatever… (update)

In a matter of moments, one’s feelings can change from despair to hope. From frustration to some form of happiness and back to frustration again (though for different reasons). Let’s talk about what’s been happening these past few days and weeks.

Firstly, my cousine is trying to go to America far half a year, as a part of some study abroad programme. I have mixed feelings about this. While I cannot resent her for going to the United States (even if I wanted to go there first from my generation), I am actually afraid for her. It strikes me as odd, I always considered her just a kid (though she’s only four years younger), and to see her growing up so quickly… It mightn’t be that she’ll come all grown up, but she’ll certainly be more worldly than any of us. It frightens me, because I am afraid that she won’t need me. Not that we’ve spent that much time together, but I think talking with her has never been just small-talk or some trivial domestic conversations. I’m afraid I will no longer be worth talking to. That she’ll somehow see right through me. That I’m just a self-centered shallow boy, with no real hobbies or anything worth talking about. But I wish her all the best and I hope she’ll take good care of herself (but as Agatha Christie once wrote  ” ‘I can take good care of myself’ should belong to the Great Last Words”).

On the other hand, I’ve been bumping into people this whole time. Apart from Sam’s farewell party, where the bumping into people was not accidental, I managed to see Ying-Ying (twice), Paul and Davide (I don’t count Ines as she’s at the faculty right now, but she’s completely in a different place). Usually on a train station, but no matter…

This evening I said something that really kind of made me think how horribly self-centered I really am. In a casual conversation with my brother, I said I Tube instead of You Tube. Kind of sad, eh…

In other news, other things are going swimmingly. In order to shame my best friend (we decided to stop pretending and drop the ‘ex’ from ‘ex-best friends’), I decided to read more and big, thick books. Even they are architecture books, they’re not the usual ‘lite’ stuff that Taschen likes to publish, with 70% of the content being composed of glossy color photographs. These are real texts with little black and white photographs. And they are also not compulsory, so I consider them something I read voluntarily.

Firstly, I am trying to read the Writings volume by Aldo van Eyck. I’m still on The Child, the Artist and the City (the thinner volume). Sometimes, the text is very well written, but oftentimes, van Eyck is full of big words, complicated grammar, which make him sound smart, but which also makes the whole thing less readable. It’s basically like attacking a carrot with a nuclear bomb, when a simple knife would do. But, I heard that van Eyck, although not-bad, was quite arrogant. I hope the second volume (which comes with a three-and-a-half hours worth of DVD).

Then, I am also trying to read Gideon’s classic Space, Time and Architecture. It’s written in a more accessible style, and while Gideon is somewhat biased and predisposed to Le Corbusier worship (then again, half the architects are), the book reads well and within two days, I managed to read 106 pages out of 881. From van Eyck’s book, I’m now on page 137 after about a week and a half.

Herzog & de Meuron: Natural History has not been opened since the summer, when it seemed the dullest book on earth. Damn it! I paid the money, so I better finish it (or burn it, at least it will keep me warm).

On an unrelated note, we started Form-study. We’ll be asked to design a chair, which is really cool. I mean, If the whole building thing don’t work out, I could always go the Eames way. I already have an idea for a chair, and I even have a name for it, though I will not probably work on it during the lessons (it’s always good to have an extra design up one’s sleeve, even if you won’t really use it).

But before we got to some sweet chair-designing, we’ve been asked to make a collage. What I made wasn’t exactly a collage, they were more like compositions in-on a cardboard. I made three and you should see an evolution. I have a feeling that I might need to part with the first and the smallest one (first one), not because I have to, but because I want to. It could look well on someone’s wall. That someone doesn’t know yet, but I hope they like it when they receive it. Here they are:

Peter S

Dystopia High, Episode 2

But first: character introduction.

Milo: Once one of the popular kids, he has fallen into disgrace after an incident. From then on, at time 0 and afterwards, he is an outcast along with Dominique and Andy.

Senator Networsky: A young and rising Republican political star, she’s got the looks and the brains to make it far. She also has a little problem…

Episode Two (If you haven’t done so already, read episode one here)

A couple of minutes before time 0. Wee see the school in New York. The fire alarm is going off. There’s a general commotion. At the same time, in the broom closet, Dominique, Milo and Andy (this time as a boy) are changing into black overalls they Dominique hands each of them a gun. In the meantime in the corridors; the three victims seem to be looking for each other and exchange guilty looks. The school empties quickly. The three victims are seemingly alone now. They run towards Headmistress’s office. They burst in. The chair behind the desk turns around to face them, a figure, dressed in a dark shoots the cheerleader. The other two run away. Although the figure in dark clothes does not follow, two more shots are heard, along with the bodies falling on the floor.

Two months before Time 0, senator’s office, New York. Senator Networsky is on the phone with her assistant; she’s saying: ‘And please contact Henrietta Hazel, you know, the one from Dystopia High, where I had a speech last month, I need to speak with her”. In her hand she, Networsky has a piece of paper saying: I know what you did at Dystopia High. Meet me, and we’ll talk about your future… Regards: Henrietta Hazel’.

The time shifts again to two days before Time 0. Senator Networsky’s office. She’s talking with the man who we saw walking out of Henrietta’s apartment in episode one. Senator says:’As we already discussed, Henrietta won’t budge and the whole thing could quickly spin out of control. We need her… eliminated’. The man replies: ‘Consider it done’.

4 minutes after time 0, Dystopia high. The attacker behind Hazel’s desk retrieves a video tape from in front of him and puts down her shirt, without noticing that there is another video tape in one of the trays on the desktop. The attacker then calls ‘Dom, Andy!’. They both come in, give a high five and prepare to leave. As they leave Dominique sees the tape in the tray, she takes it (apparently thinking Milo left his own one there).

Two and a half months before time 0: Henrietta’s Hazel’s office. Hazel is looking over the school budget. The numbers are in red, she picks up the phone to call her deputy, he comes in and asks: ‘What’s the matter?’ Henrietta answers: ‘the budget, I need you to cut salaries, scrap the health plan’. ‘But what will you do?’ he asks. ‘Just do it!!!’

A few minutes afterwards, a phone goes in a psychologists’ office. The doctor picks up. Henrietta’s voice on the other line: ‘I can’t continue the treatment, I just don’t have the money anymore’, the doctor looks terrified: ‘but Ms Hazel, if your condition goes untreated…’ Henrietta puts down the phone.

Six months before time 0. We see Milo and the cheerleader talking in front of the school, discussing their summer vacation. It is the first day of the academic year. As Dominique walks by, Milo and the cheerleader turn away not to lookat her.

Two days after time 0. A group of ‘popular’ kids are being interviewed for the local paper. One of them says: ‘And they were such great people, you know, they never hurt anybody or anything, they didn’t deserve it.’

One and a half months before Time 0. Christmas party at the school. The jock is looking at a girl in the corner (we can’t see who she is). She leaves the room, he follows after her into the girls’ bathroom (which is empty). He sneaks up on her from the back and says: ‘I’ve got you you little freak, and now, we’re about to have some fun.’ The girl lets out a muffled scream and everything goes black.

To be continued…

Dystopia High – Episode 1 (Finally!)

I think the only person that will be thrilled to see anything about Dystopia High is Sam (whose revamped website is really too cool for words). But still, I do like fiction, and while I’m not all that good in writing it, and Dystopia High will be tough to write, I will do my best. But before you get all excited, don’t. Because first, you will have to read my comments and thoughts on it.

I had an epiphany not so long ago. The realization of the greater truth ran as follows: ‘only fools like things linear’. I decided that the storytelling this little project cannot be linear. I also realized that in order for the project to have any success, the first chapter, or episode if you like to call it that way, must make a deep impact (Heroes have been a real inspiration as far as the style is concerned), although my little show will not switch locations, but times.

The conclusion was to have a D-day, a sort of Time 0, toward which all events would inevitably lead. However, the first episode would be centered around what happened at Time 0, and shortly afterwards. The rest of the show would explain the characters motives, actions and choices. I was also interested in rehabilitating the main characters, whose actions at Time 0 seem inexplicably evil.

I decided to have three main characters instead of four, and decided to drop the comedy, At times, perhaps, but it will be 99% drama.

To finish, I decided to name the headmistress Henrietta Hazel. If you’re curios why, drop a line and I’ll tell you.

Episode One

The episode begins just hours after Time 0. A news broadcast (preferably something like the CNN or BBC) announces that a few hours ago (Time 0), there was another high school shooting incident, with multiple attackers but only relatively few victims (3 seem little compared to what happened in Virginia). However, it seems that the attack was carefully organized and that there was more than one attacker. We then see Henrietta Hazel watching the broadcast in her apartment and retrieving a gun from her desk, she tries to commit suicide but before she can insert the gun into her throat, she is shot from behind. We then see a dark figure in the shadows leaving her. The attacker didn’t see that Henrietta was trying to commit a suicide and leaves.

The time shifts to Time 0, New York. We see a cheerleader, a jock, and another popular kid (dressed in a hip-hop, bling, etc. outfit) get shot. Each time the shooter is dressed in a dark outfit, although it is apparent that there are three different attackers. The school where this occurs is empty except these 6 (the three shooters and the three victims).

The time and space shift again it is three months after Time 0, in Florida, we see Andy (now as a girl), Dominique (changed from Dominica) and Milo (a new character which I will introduce later) walking home from school, talking with each other about school problems, homework, going out, etc… They split up at junction, when Milo arrives home his parents tell him that the police want to interview him about the shooting three months ago. Milo tells a story about how, when the fire alarm went off, he left the school building like everyone else, and that he has no idea why the three victims stayed behind in the building during the alarm. The police also question him about the death of Mrs Hazel.

After the police are gone, Milo picks up the phone and sends a message to Andy and Dominique. The message reads: They might suspect something.

The time shifts again to a few hours after the attack. We see a man in dark clothes leaving Henrietta’s appartment. After he leaves the building, he makes a phone call. He says: All right Senator, the job is done.

Another time shift. The police are inside Henrietta’s apartment. The coroner says: “It looks like suicide, but it is not, someone needed this woman dead”.

To be continued…

Peter Smisek

MY Super Sweet 16

I’m not sixteen anymore, but every time I see those ‘lucky’ specimens on MTV, I always wonder: What would MY super sweet 16 be like if my budget was unlimited? Could I possibly organize a better party if I had the money? Would my guests be all hysterical and want to talk about my party to their grandchildren? Would I be a nastly, immature brat with no manners and decency?

Here is a comprehensive list of things that I’d like for my theoretical super sweet sixteen;

1. Theme: Something sophisticated, but not yet snobby. What about a pyjama party? Only guests would wear pyjamas, waiters wear tuxedos.
2. Invitations: Perhaps a pyjama outfit with the name of the invitee to the pary embroidered in gold?
3. Location: Local mall? Pleez. it would have to be something way more classy. I’m thinking Kurhaus in Scheveningen. An old skool, old world luxury hotel.
4. Performer: A local rapping sensation? What kind of a cheapo do you take me for? If I could, I’d get She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but I guess I could settle for Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams or Amy Winehouse (but she must promise to go to rehab). In any way, I would decide the music. The artist would have to be dressed in a dress/tuxedo. Very classy.
5. Entrance: Tough one. Perhaps I might be carried into the party on a bed (as if sleeping). The bed should fly.
6. Escort: During my entrance (in bed, that is), I wish to be side by side with Emma Watson (Hermione Granger). I guess one of the Olsen twins couldbe OK (or both;)).
7. Nourishment: I want Jamie Oliver to do the catering. First dinner, then partay.
8. Refreshment: Booze. You see, in the Netherlands, you can drink since you’re 16. Water can only be Evian, no other water will suffice.
9. Gifts 1: Guests need to bring gifts. It’s only normal. I throw party, they bring gifts.
10. Gifts 2: I want a car. I want Volkswagen Beetle Carbio, customized so that it can have 16 16-inch plasma screens, just because it’s my birthday.

So… this is my wishlist. Any bored billionare wanna sponsor me?

It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to!

Peter

PS: What would your super sweet 16 look like if you could afford one?

Ads – A Little Differently

HSBC bank once had this series of ads that showed differences in perception in different countries. So an unlucky number in one country (13 for the Wester World) might not be unlucky in other countries. The ad then went to say on how local knowledge helps.

I think it goes even further than that. I this people are so divided not in between, but also within a society.

Let me show you with a small HSBC-esque collages, made on ms paint. Just before all of the die hard Christians send me hate mails, I’m not criticizing Jesus, just pondering why we treat different artists differently if they use the same symbol…

Here they are..

The statue is a piece of work by Bernini, commissioned by the Catholic Church. So much for traditional values. The rest of the things you should be familiar with, if not, use Wikipedia to find out.

Lolz and so long,

Peter S

Whore of Moscow – Short Story or What’s Left Of It

More than a year ago, all of us at ISH had a reason to feel uneasy. Our school’s creative magazine “Mirage”, which usually cost 50 cents became available for free, but that wasn’t the only reason people read it, especially in our year. It was no secret that the newly appointed editor (a very nice person and a good friend of mine) had several romantic proposal from a slightly creepy person. She turned him down.

Now, a normal person would probably get drunk once and forget all about it. What did the unsuccessful suitor do? He wrote a semi erotic story about caressing a sleeping girl and kissing her feet. I’m not a prude, but I think this type of prose should be kept private, like celebrity homemade sex videos. I guess the only reason it was printed (along with Daisy’s suicidal poems, don’t even get me started on those) was that those were the only pieces they recieved.

I guessed that my friend, the editor was probably looking for something less creepy, I offered to write her a short story that would eventually be split into two or three parts, which would be short enough to publish in one edition. Anyway, she agreed and I got down to writing. I had the first part written, when she came in, looked at it and then the computer crashed. Since I’m slightly stupid, I did not save it, the story was gone and I refused (partly due to my laziness) to re-write it again.

So, come the next issue, another creepy, semi-erotic piece of prose followed. I let my friend down…

But I still remember what the story was about. As horribly bad I am with writing poetry (which is why I only attempted it twice, but that will be explained much later) I can actually sweat out some decent prose (at any rate, way better than any of my poetry).

The story was as follows:

During the last years of the Soviet regime, a girl in Moscow gets raped by the teenage son (around 18 or so) of the American ambassador. Since this was such a delicate case, it wasn’t publicized at all, the son got off free and the girl was put into an asylum. After being released, nobody wanted to give her a job since due to her being a ‘madwoman’ and the fact that Russia was recovering from Communism. She therefore ended up as a prostitute and worked her way in the back alleys of Moscow to the present day.

Meanwhile, the American boy got into Yale, and became a diplomat, just like his father. Now, he is being sent to Moscow, to take the post that his father once held. Having changed very little, he soon becomes drawn into the decadent Moscow nightlife and starts employing the services of prostitutes. Our heroine hears about this and prepares for revenge. He will be her last client and she will be his last tine… ever.

I will spare you the details of the killing, but the heroine escapes into the dark, never to be seen again.

I personally think that this is somewhat more pleasant to read than confessions of a sexually frustrated teenager (although the Freudians might argue that everything is a confession of a sexually frustrated person). But to make a distinction, my short story would not be pseudo-erotic, it was meant to be as a simple story of revenge and justice.

Peter

PS: Maybe I’ll start writing that story sometime, but I don’t see that happening in the near future. What do you think?

Dystopia High Characters 1: Dominica Jones

Last time we talked about Andy Rogers, the chameleon in the outcast group. We already mentioned that Andy’s strengths are the flexibility of the character and plenty of space for further development.

I felt that Andy needed another person in the gang to balance. A person who is clear about their goals, someone with a lot of talent and potential, someone who knows what they want. Someone who does not need to undergo massive changes, but someone we’ll need to learn to appreciate over time, and someone, who with small character development can become a real favorite. I also needed to make someone more ‘normal’ to balance for Andy’s plain weirdness.

Dominica, in my mind, quickly became a dominatrix-esque character in my mind, without the sexual undertones, of course. Trimming down the details and making her seem like an emancipated bitch (who can soften down) took some time, but in the end, she is quite a whole character.

Dominica Jones

• Gender: Female
• Age: 16
• Eye color: blue
• Hair color: blond
• Religion: None
• School: Dystopia High

Dominica was the first ever outcast in her school. Although Dominica is very good looking, she keeps a lot of distance. She is a real ‘ice queen’ and treats most people like dirt. She has a very forceful personality and expects people to fall with her plans. She wants everything, the sooner the better. The reason she did not make it into a group is mainly due to her individualism and lack of warm, spontaneous personality. In some aspects, she is almost inhuman, but she can be quite sympathetic and always fulfills her promises. She is loyal to her friends, but has the ability to piss them off with honesty.

Dystopia High Characters 2: Andy Rogers

I was thinking lately, what makes a good work of literature, be it a novel, a play, a script for a movie or a sitcom (although one might argue that sitcoms by definition cannot be regraded as good literature and certainly not good acting). Apart from plot, humor and a good theme we also need good characters.

All the great works have characters that are either identifiable, admirable, amiable and most importantly have the ability to develop. One cannot present a character that is whole at the beginning of the book, play, whatever, because if the plot does not make the characters learn anything, then either the plot is crap, or the characters are. Perhaps the most blatant (and quite effective) way to show character development is when at the end of the story, the characters say (a la South Park): “You know, I learnt something today…’ (or sometimes even without that catchphrase) a character then explains the moral of the story (ie, always travel with a valid ticket, etc.) for those who aren’t bright enough.

So it is evident, characters need to evolve and develop and grow. However, one cannot expect them to be completely normal. Look at the World’s favorite American: Homer Simpson. A character that says ‘It’s every parent’s dream to overlive their children’ cannot be normal, yet we all love Homer, don’t we?

than we also need to discuss the umber of main characters. Even though there are works with only one main and other very peripherycharacters. But really, it is more interesting to show how real life works, and real life is seldom about one person only. So we need more. Harry potter has 3 main characters (Harry is number 1, but Hermione and Ron cannot be called supporting roles). There are 5 Simpsons and 4 South Park boys. There are 2 guys in Dumb and Dumber, there’s Laurel &Hardy and of course, there are 6 Friends. So it seems that the more, the merrier.

So we need someone who is strange and yet  likable, someone who can change and we need more of them. The firts such caharacter would be Andy Rogers. (Andy is technically second, but the first character is a bit stuck and I still need to fine tune her). So, ladies and gentleman, I present, Andy Rogers, one of the main characters.

Andy is a true chameleon. Andy appears to change gender very often, change hair color and eye color (although her hair and eyes are brown). For those of you who didn’t figure it out, Andy Rogers is a play on word on ‘androgyny’ . Andy is very honest about everything and is very open minded. This gueats her in lot of trouble. Oh yeah, and Andy doesn’t like the way that people are confused about his/her gender. Although deep inside, Andy is very insecure about ‘it’self. On more mundane matters, Andy is average height, so she can well be a taller girl or a shorter boy. Andy is bout 15  or 16 years. Oh, and her parents are really rich, but nobody knows this, since no one is really friends with ‘that freak’.