District 9

Neill Blomkamp gave us a gritty and realistic science fiction film in “District 9″. Blomkamp moves away from the usual settings of Hollywood flicks, placing the action in the slums of South Africa, and the parallel it draws to the apartheid in that country is hard to miss. Mixing between shaky-cam mockumentary and traditional action/thriller  the movie goes against our expectations and provides both spectacle as well as something to ponder. Every unknown actor in the film puts in a solid performance, and the aliens, who are perfectly realized with CGI that only Blomkamp can make work with the good help of WETA, even manage to make us feel something.

For me, this movie ranks among Ridley Scott’s “Blade Runner”, John Carpenter’s “The Thing”, and James Cameron’s “Alien” in terms of vision and ambition. It’s fantastic, has a grim sense of humour, and manages to stay entertaining and thoughtful throughout the experience, which is why I rank “District 9″ as my #1 film of 2009.

Moon

Moon is directed by Duncan Jones, and stars Sam Rockwell as the astronaut Sam Bell, who maintains a mining station on the far side of the moon. Charged with mining minerals for clean energy on earth, a japanese corporation sends astronauts on three-year contracts to carry out this work. Sam Bell is the latest to go, aided by the robot GERTY, brilliantly voiced by Kevin Spacey. Claiming that a film is unique is pretty far-fetched in a year like 2009, but “Moon” seems worthy of that description. Although it’s a modern-day science fiction film set in the near future, it also pays homage to recent classics like “Blade Runner” and “Alien.” Duncan Jones wrote the story but Nathan Parker adapted it to the screen. Parker’s script gives us a tour de force of Sam Rockwell’s considerable abilities. He doesn’t just carry the film  ̶̶̶  “Moon” is pretty much a one-man show with Rockwell at the helm.

The cinematography, by the cinematographer Gary Shaw, adds to the sterile and eerie stillness of life on the moon with his copious use of still camera and slow tracking shots, only using hand-held when necessary. Nicolas Gaster’s editing is sure and steady, really driving the slow pace of Sam Bell’s three-year work assignment home. “Moon” brings us back to those sci-fi greats whose visuals were done in-camera, on set as opposed to being created by computers in post-production. Sam Bell’s unearthly home is a clean and comfortable one, yet it bears some signs of aging.

“Moon” is a modern day classic, a down and dirty science fiction film that challenges the viewer to live in the shoes of the protagonist stuck on the far side of the moon. It’s difficult to picture a better one in this role than Sam Rockwell or a more entertaining, and satisfying cinematic experience than “Moon”.

Taken

“Taken” is directed by Pierre Morel, a relative unknown. His only major directing duties has been on the french cult hit Banlieu 13. The story is written by the dynamic duo Luc Besson & Robert Mark Kamen, known for too many movies to count. “Taken” stars Liam Neeson as a former spy who uses his aquired skills to get back his daughter, who has been kidnapped during a trip to France.

Between the jaw-dropping action sequences was the subject matter of international trafficking, but don’t expect any daring social commentary. The action is excellent and Neeson is a very believable tough guy. “Taken” gives a real challenge to the “Bourne” movies but is perhaps better compared to Tony Scott’s “Man on Fire” from 2004. The break-neck pace never hampers the achievement of this movie, and it could easily have been longer.

93 minutes is gone in a blur of fighting, death, chasing and excitement, and we’re all left wondering why Liam Neeson’s never tried his hand at a role of this sort before.

Gran Torino

The premise: Disgruntled Korean War vet Walt Kowalski sets out to reform his neighbor, a young Hmong teenager, who tried to steal Kowalski’s prized possession: his 1972 Gran Torino. “Gran Torino”s Walt Kowalski may have similarities with another Eastwood character, Dirty Harry, and could be taken as an older version of Harry, but he is a unique and memorable character in his own right, and probably one of Eastwood’s finer performances, and one which gives him a chance to display both his dramatic and comedic talents.

The young supporting cast does not hold up compared to Eastwood, but this does not significantly hamper the film. Eastwood captures Kowalski perfectly. One can also view the film as a sort of deconstruction of Eastwood’s image. The film is actually surprisingly humorous, and Eastwood manages the shifts in tone brilliantly. The characterization is strong. One can always argue that Kowalski is just another bitter war vet, but Eastwood’s performance would prove otherwise.

As Clint Eastwood reaches his autumn years, he presents us with yet another performance which is nothing short of legendary. “Gran Torino” is on a smaller scale than many of his other films, but may be just as ambitious. It might just as well become an especially important part of Eastwood’s filmography.

Watchmen

Zack Snyder did what other directors has been struggling with for almost twenty years. He made a Watchmen adaptation. The almost literal reproduction of the graphic novel (barring the obvious alterations towards the end), page-by-page throughout the film, is an accomplishment in of itself, and it is probably the closest thing anyone could have gotten to put Alan Moore’s visionary graphic novel on the big screen.

Even with the changes, which was deemed necessary to cut away a lot of time-consuming backstory, Snyder has captured the essence of the book and given us a genuinely beautiful cinematic experience. And I for one cannot wait to get my hands on the definitive version on Bluray.

The Hurt Locker

“The Hurt Locker” depicts an US army bomb squad unit in a city where everyone is a potential enemy and every object could be a deadly bomb. The script is written by Mark Boal, who also penned the script for “In the Valley of Elah” with Paul Haggis. Boal was embedded with a bomb crew in Baghdad while he covered the Iraq war, and it is probably safe to assume that it has significantly influenced his writing. I’d say that this film is similar to the HBO miniseries adaptation of “Generation Kill” in both tone and presentation, managing to show how fucked up things are without tricks or gimmicks from director Kathryn Bigelow. She manages to bring the tension and the suspense of the streets of Iraq to us, the viewers.

This is not just a war film. It manages to stay unpolitical, and is in fact more of a character study, depicting a thoroughly disturbed individual’s life in hell. Jeremy Renner gives a powerful performance as an EOD officer addicted to the adrenaline stemming from his everyday near-death experiences. The rest of the cast gives a good impression and the short cameos by Guy Pearce and Ralph Finnes are brilliantly executed and feels both natural and unobtrusive.

From the great subversive screenplay through the vivid cinematography, masterful directing and perfectly paced editing, this is another great 2009 experience.

Inglourious Basterds

“Inglourious Basterds” is a World War II tale told only as Tarantino can. Brad Pitt is Lt. Aldo Raine, who leads the Basterds in Nazi-occupied France. Their goal is killin’ Nazi’s, as many as possible. Christoph Waltz portrays Colonel Hans Landa. He’s known as Hitler’s top jew hunter and goes about his business as ruthless as no other. The third sub-story consists of a young Jew who is hiding in Paris, Shoshanna Dreyfus. Shoshanna plots revenge on the Germans for what they did to her family. “Inglourious Basterds” contains three stories, intertwining and connecting with each other. If you know anything about Tarantino or his films, this is nothing new.

War has never been been so fun. The Basterds, are haunting and hilarious all at the same time. The dark comedy plays just as big a part as in any other Tarantino film. The tremendous performances of Mélanie Laurent and Christoph Waltz also lifts this film to another level, and the trademark Tarantino dialogues work perfectly with these performers. The story itself is riddled with historical inaccuracies, and it is obvious that Tarantino wanted to mess with peoples expectations of a war film. The cinematography gives us beautiful vibrant colours highlighting the film.

Quentin Tarantino is an entertainer. He managed to make WWII fun. “Inglourious Basterds” is a brilliantly entertaining film, it’s shocking, horrendous, dramatic, and funny at the same time. It is worth watching for Christoph Waltz performance alone, who for me was the big surprise of the film.

The Wrestler

Mickey Rourke portrays Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson, a faded professional wrestler forced to retire, and who finds his quest for a new life outside the ring a dispiriting struggle. Directed by Darren Aronofsky, “The Wrestler” is much more than a film about wrestling. Randy is just a lonely guy whose life has disappeared in front of him. A man who has reached his middle-age with nothing to show for it. He has no wife, he has never been there for his daughter, and is stuck in a trailer park, sad and alone. Randy seems to develop a bond with a middle-aged stripper, played by Marisa Tomei. This one potential for a connection gives the aging wrestler some hope.

Aronofsky respects wrestlers and their world, and portrays the sport with dignity and realism. The style is real and honest, and could easily be counted as one of the top films of 2008. This, coupled with the great performances by the cast, especially from Rourke, leaves us with a great film.

Star Trek

Star Trek. When someone speaks this name, a collection of images, ideas, characters and phrases come to mind. Kirk, Spock, Picard, Data, Janeway, Seven of Nine; ideas like the prime directive; phrases like “Live long and Prosper”, “Good God Jim, I’m a doctor not a….”. I am not a Trekkie by a long shot, but I have a certain knowledge of the franchise. It has never deeply interested me, so I came to this film without any expectations one way or the other.

J.J. Abrams managed to reboot the franchise, and actually managed to interest me in the process. It might have been appealing to the science fiction nerd in me with its action scenes that easily rival anything in Transformers, and its breathtaking space battles. They have laid a solid foundation for a new series, with new life, a good cast and a director with some vision. If the first movie can be this good, my interest in further adventures have risen significantly.

It is grand, it is epic, and it is probably the only summer blockbuster on my list. The “Star Trek” of 2009 is certainly worth watching.

Drag Me to Hell

In “Drag Me to Hell” Alison Lohman plays Christine Brown, a loan officer ordered to evict an old woman from her home who finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse, which turns her life into a living hell. For many, this film was a return to form for Sam Raimi, the director of the cult classics of the Evil Dead series.

It effortlessly takes a big dump on the majority of the rest of the horror movies of recent years. Entertaining and often cringe-worthy, “Drag Me to Hell” was probably never meant to be scary and realistic, which is why it works so well. The movie is entertainment and horror fun in it’s purest form. It has a basic yet innovative plot, a likable heroine, bucket-loads of bodily fluids, and contains more shocks than scares.

“Drag Me to Hell” provides us with a liberation from the hell of mainstream horror, and is one of my top 10 films of 2009.

Tommy Tokyo and Major Parkinson definitely deserves to come back and play the big stage, but it might be a bit soon to invite them back in 2010? I know I wouldn’t mind..

Future of the Left
Some might know them from the Welsh noise-rock band Mclusky that ravaged the British indie scene in the early 2000s with three releases; My Pain and Sadness Is More Sad and Painful Than Yours, Mclusky Do Dallas, and The Difference Between Me and You Is That I’m Not on Fire. The band split up in 2005 due to some interband drama. Welsh electro-punks Jarcrew released two albums in the same period, Breakdance Euphoria Kids, and Jarcrew. They also split up around the same time that Mclusky did. Mclusky bassist Jon Chapple formed the band Shooting at Unarmed Men, while  guitarist/vocals Andrew Falkous and drummer Jack Egglestone formed a new band with the former Jarcrew singer and keyboardist Kelson Mathias and bassist Hywel Evans. After some formative problems that lead to bassist Evans leaving, the remaining trio debuted as Future of the Left in late 2006. Their first singles Fingers Become Thumbs and The Lord Hates a Coward were released in the start of 2007. More followed, A Dead Enemy Always Smells Good and Small Bones Small Bodies were released the same year. Future of the Left’s debut album, Curses, was released in the fall of 2007, and was followed by Travels with Myself and Another and the live album Last Night I Saved Her From Vampires, both released in 2009.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Probably best known for going on tour with The Strokes and the White Stripes, this art punk trio from New York were the subject of massive hype a couple of years ago. They played a garage rock/avant punk hybrid, Then things sort of fizzled out, and we didn’t hear much else from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs for a while. In 2003, the long-awaited debut Fever to Tell finally arrived. The follow-up Show Your Bones arrived in 2006, and It’s Blitz! came out earlier this year. In addition to these full-length albums, the group has released several EPs.

Life in a Blender

“If They Might Be Giants got hammered and picked a fight in a bar with Tom Waits, if carnivals didn’t suck, if dancing were permitted on your boss’s desk, if Mark E. Smith were articulate and friendly, if instead of “mosh pits” rebellious teenagers congregated in “swoon pits” at rock concerts, if if if — then a brief glimpse of something akin to the experience of hearing Life in a Blender might be achieved. They are a band that is passionate about finding the absurdity that lurks within the marginalia of mundane everyday existence. And also rocking out. They make me feel like transcendence is constantly achievable.”

—Francis Heaney

Eels
The alternative/experimental rock outfit Eels is often referred to as a band, but most of it’s brilliance is derived from the leader/singer/songwriter/magician “E.” E is the alias of Mark Oliver Everett. The 1971 death of his father hit him hard, and after battling drug and alcohol problems throughout his teens, he dropped out of school and took a job pumping gas. But Everett’s interest in music inspired him to turn to record reviewing, and from there he moved into engineering and production. Settling in California, he adopted the “E” artist name and began pursuing a solo career. Two solo albums were released, but it wasn’t until E hooked up with drummer Jonathan “Butch” Norton and Tommy Walter that a band was formed and some success was accomplished. The name “Eels” was apparently chosen so that the band’s records would be close to E’s solo records in an alphabetical ordering. In 1996 they released Beautiful Freak, followed by Electro-Shock Blues, Daisies of the Galaxy, Souljacker, Shootenanny!, Blinking Lights and Other Revelations, the live album Eels with Strings, and finally Hombre Lobo, which was released in 2009.

The Sounds
This swedish “New Wave” rock band was formed in the late 90s, and owes a lot to bands such as Blondie, The Cars, the Epoxies and Missing Persons, inspiration that is evident in their extensive use of synthesizers. Their debut album Living in America gave them some initial success, and the band has reportedly gained a celebrity cult following in the US. The second album Dying to Say This to You followed in 2006, and the third, Crossing the Rubicon, came out earlier this year.

Jarle Berhoft
Bernhoft is best known as the former vocalist in the Norwegian rock outfit Span. But after the solo release of Ceramik City Chronicles from 2008, he’s been described as Norway’s new prince of soul. I’ve seen him perform live earlier this summer, and the description fits nicely. He owned the stage, with charisma, voice and songs strong enough to make everyone attending the concert smile. Jarle and his ensemble of artists certainly deserve a bigger audience, and Bukta 2010 is a perfect venue.

The Veils
Finn Andrews grew up in the world of music, his father being the keyboardist Barry Andrews from XTC and Shriekback. After moving to his mother in New Zealand, he found an interest in the folk scene, and discovered Patti Smith, Bob Dylan and Tom Waits. He returned to England in 2001, and formed the indie/alternative rock band The Veils. A number of problems arose, first with the record label, then within the band itself. In 2004, Andrews declared that the three other members of the group had left, and he recruited some of his old friends from New Zealand who moved to London to join the band. The band has released three studio albums; The Runaway Found, Nux Vomica, and Sun Gangs, but it is probably on the stage that the band really shines. Descriptions such as “it reminds us less of Nick Cave as is often said, and more of people’s accounts of watching Ian Curtis, at once uncomfortable and impossible to look away” and “probably the most moving, unsettling and unexpectedly haunting thing I’ve seen in rock music this year” has left me rather curious.

Fleet Foxes
This five-piece Seattle-based band has harvested rave reviews for their numerous performances here in Europe during the last two festival seasons, and warrants no further introduction. It is high time that they came to Tromsø, where they would really feel at home. They describe their own music as “baroque harmonic pop jams”, and is unlike anything else I have heard. All that is needed is some midnight sun, some beer, and a green patch to lie down and enjoy, because the Fleet Foxes would provide a concert unlike any other.

Peter Doherty
Probably best known as the front man in Babyshambles and The Libertines, as well as his relationship with Kate Moss and problems relating to his rampant drug use. His solo album Grace/Wastelands that was released earlier this year has reached great critical acclaim, and a number of successful gigs after it’s release has renewed my faith in Doherty as a reliable live artist. Either alone or with Babyshambles, Tromsø deserve to experience his music.

I have put together¹ a Spotify playlist with a selection of songs from these artists.

1. painstakingly put together, if I might add

Incomprehensible Robot Destruction
The name just says it all, really. Will feature robots. And possibly destruction thereof.

Hardcore Squirrel of the Blood God
Already a legend in the gaming industry for his contributions on such classics as Biblical Mutant Troopers and Big-Time Yak of Fury, game designer Filbert S. Shameneux turned some heads when he decided to open up his own game studio consisting entirely of employees named Steve. Hardcore Squirrel of the Blood God is their first game project.

Skippy the Squirrel used to be an ordinary squirrel living in the peaceful forest of Evergreen. But one day when Skippy was out looking for nuts, like he usually does, he came across a horrible sight. There probably was some ominous chanting by robed individuals involved, and some sort of ritual sacrifice. Either way, Skippy was never the same. The cultists who were responsible for this ritual were trying to summon Rasthor, the God of Tormented Souls without any greater success Skippy, however, experienced a rather different story. The ritual the cultists were trying to perform was missing one vital ingredient; a vessel for the blood god they were trying to summon. As it were, Skippy just happened to be there at the exact moment that Rasthor manifested in this realm of existence, thus becoming that accursed vessel. The cultists, of course, didn’t notice this, expecting the blood god to appear in all his unholy glory. After much anticipation, followed by disappointment, followed by despair, followed by disinterest, they ate up the marshmallows, threw away their robes and went home, back to their ordinary, dreadful lives in suburban hell.

The player plays the part of Horace McFarland Jr., an unsuspecting retired squirrel hunter that gets recruited and sent on a top secret special mission by an underground segment of the National Park Service. His only objective: to hunt down Skippy and his growing number of mutated squirrel-human followers before they destroy the natural habitats and molest campers and hiking enthusiasts in the fragile Evergreen National Park. This is probably a first-person shooter with delusions of storytelling genius, and probably involves a marketing campaign that involves things like “revolutionary AI” and “has way more pixels than that other game that comes out soon” and sports “the tactical shooter experience of the year”, and will probably win every E3 award ever because of the awesome press kit (which includes a live squirrel) that gets handed out to very impressed games journalists from obscure but well-respected websites.

Kung-fu Pokémon in the Middle East
This fast-paced brawler is best described as the bastard love child of Satoshi Tajiri (creator of the well known and loved Japanese franchise of children’s games marketing masterstroke; Pokémon)  and David Jaffe (the creator of God of War). The game stars the most unlikely creature, a Pokémon named Psyduck. Psyduck gets kidnapped by a shadow organization of blind monks determined to create peace in the Middle East. After years of training, where Psyduck needs to pass an absurd number of mental and physical trials, he is sent into the chaotic world of sand and oil, screaming, karate chopping and crotch kicking his way to a Nobel Peace Prize.

Ghetto Florist Boy
This is probably my most anticipated imaginary title this year. In Ghetto Florist Boy, the player controls Jovantay Macavelli, or J-Mac, a flower shop assistant. It is not an easy job to deliver flowers in the mean streets of the projects, but someone’s got to do it. Armed with a pink bike and a glock, the main goal of the game is to avoid getting yo ass killed. Dubbed “a cute indie title” from the studio behind last years surprise hit Psychedelic Polka on the Oregon Trail,, this game features a retro art style and agonizingly hard platform action with mini-games such as Ghetto Flower Decoration Challenge.

Transvestite Trailer Park Slam
What happens when you get a bunch of trailer park trannies into a ring? Create your own transvestite wrestler and go through the campaign, or duke it out with friends at home or over the net. The main single-player campaign stars Crystal and his her fight for recognition, starring Jeremy Piven as Crystal, with an epic story written and directed by Hideo Kojima of Metal Gear Solid fame.

Master Chief’s Music of Doom
Not one to be left behind on the bleeding edge of game development, Bungie is working on a music rhythm game starring everyone’s favorite protagonist, Master Chief. The soundtrack includes such classics as “Truth and Reconciliation Suite” from the original Halo, and the monster hit ”Halo Theme MJOLNIR Mix” featuring guitar masturbation legend Steve Vai. The highlight of the christmas season, this game is bound to be a hit with every demographic.

Dance Dance Desert Mayhem 10
Each year they gather. Where they come from no one knows. What they do there is forbidden to ever mention. The Dance Dance Desert Mayhem. This epic competition brings all the best DDR masters of the universe to the sand dunes of the Sahara. Here they dance off until one remain.. A revolutionary game that will have an impact comparable to Street Fighter II. No longer will teenagers want to beat the crap out of each other, and the epic dance off will be the new preferred arena for conflict resolution. Unlockable characters include Elvis Presley (limited edition only), Rick Astley and Hitler.

This title is brought to us by the team behind cult classics Narcoleptic Scooter Dash and Hyper Octopus Massacre.

Tom Clancy’s Lord of the Goth Conspiracy
The goths devise a scheme to take over a military industrial compound for ransom under the watchful eye of corrupt UK diplomats. The plot twists when the Goths threaten to unravel the keystone of civilization with wild orgies, unless a turncoat naval officer (you) can gain the courage to do the right thing and stop the Goths once and for all. The game ends with a mildly comical and/or ironic scene in which the Goths blow up or go to prison. Another satisfying tale of political intrigue and personal redemption closes, and we all walk away from this game a little wiser.

“A sign that the lord of generic government conspiracy plots is running out of ideas, this game involves a conspiracy originating in the goth sub-culture of the 90s. Members of this underground society now lead normal, law-abiding lives. You cannot distinguish a former goth from the rest of the American population, which makes them even more dangerous. These seemingly patriotic citizens are part of a nation-wide conspiracy to bring down the world as we know it, and introduce a perverse world order based on the indoctrination they recieved as angsty teenagers. At least that is what this game tries to tell us. Goths are trying to take over the world and it is up to us to  OHFUCKTHISIDON’TEVEN…”

- Rick “rizzy86″ Rasmond, random GameFAQs member.

Future Gnome Vengeance
An epic dystopian sci-fi shooter written and directed by Peter Jackson’s lesser known third cousin, Greg Smith. Having poured 10 years of his life, and his entire life savings into this venture, Smith is convinced that he has created a masterpiece. The year is 2863, and the world has been taken over by garden gnomes gone sentient, in the Great Garden Gnome Guerrilla Uprising of the 2630s. Humankind is forced to a life of slavery, and their gnome overlords rule with an iron fist. The player takes the role of Timmy Hackson, a young 20-something human. Timmy’s great grandfather was killed by the Garden Gnome Death Squads during the uprising. One day, Timmy finds his entire family slaughtered. In fact, every Hackson has been deemed a persona non grata and enemies of the state, and has been wiped from existence.

Only armed with a rake, a wrench and some overalls, Timmy decide to avenge his family in this epic tale of love, loss, retribution of justice, human determination, fanatical devotion and possibly desperation.

Honorable mentions
Curse of the Football of the Dead, My Little Grizzly Bear Domination, Eternal Dentist Conspiracy, God of Software Smuggling, Everybody Hates the Monster Truck Armageddon, Violent Jungle Conundrum, Low G Shaving Disaster, and Savage Afro in Toy Land.

This post has been brought to you by The Video Game Name Generator.

This Friday I got the good news. I’ve never been to Svalbard before, so it’s certainly going to be an exciting experience. We even get to go to Pyramiden, a Russian ghost town not that far from Longyearbyen, where the conference is being held. That’s going to be an interesting trip, especially since I love urban decay and “contemporary” archeology. It might also provide some inspiration for something I am working on. I might post more about that later.

Session 1: The Arctic Frontier

Adolf Hoel and ”the Norwegian living space”
Einar-Arne Drivenes: (University of Tromsø, Norway)

Arctic hunting expeditions in a comparative Russian-Norwegian perspective
Jens Petter Nielsen: (University of Tromsø, Norway)

The Spitsbergen Case, 1870–1920
Anastasia Kasiyan (Institute of Universal History/Russian Academy of Sciences)

Russian Navy’s attaché in Kristiania Pavel von Veymarn and his “Russian Spitsbergen Company”
Vladimir Karelin (Murmansk State Pedagogical University, Russia)

Session 2: Neighbourliness and Borders in the Arctic

Norwegian presence on Svalbard as a security political measure, 1900–1965
Kristoffer Bjørklund, (Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, Norway)

Russian–Norwegian contacts on Spitsbergen. A Russian Perspective
Alexander Portsel: (Murmansk Technical University, Russia)

The struggle for Natural Resources in the Arctic: The dividing line?
Urban Wråkberg: (Barents Institute, Norway)

Studying northern seas across the boundaries: Russian-Norwegian relations in fishery science and oceonagraphy
Julia Lajus (European University at St. Petersburg)

Arctic in the new Russian literature
Vladislav Goldin (Pomor State University)

Session 3: The Cold Traces

The Arctic in Soviet Foreign Policy during the Cold War
Aleksey Komarov: (Institute of Universal History/Russian Academy of Sciences)

The Svalbard Case, 1944–47
Sven G. Holtsmark (Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, Norway)

The Dispute about the Sector Principle. Norway, the Soviet Union and the Barents Sea 1926-1960
Vidar Bjørnsen: (University of Tromsø, Norway)

Norwegian Polar Research between East and West
Stian Bones: (University of Tromsø, Norway)

Man in the Middle? The Governor of Svalbard and Russian-Norwegian relations in the High North
Thor Bjørn Arlov: (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway)

Norway and the High North: On Political Alarmism Since World War II
Hallvard Tjelmeland: (University of Tromsø, Norway)

Session 4: Emerging from the Frost

Conflict and Order in Svalbard Waters
Torbjørn Pedersen: (University of Tromsø, Norway)

Russia and the International Law Regime of the Arctic
Leonid Tymchenko (National University of the State Tax Service of Ukraine)

International Law and the “Scramble for the Arctic”
Morten Ruud: (The Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police)

TELEGRAFBUKTA (Main stage) - Thursday

17.00 BOB HUND (SE)
Although I can’t say the same for myself, this was the highlight for many of the people I spoke to at the festival. A highly energetic bunch of swedes led by a caped crusader that obviously drank way too much coffee back stage. Either that or he was trying to keep warm in the freezing summer air.

18.30 MOTORPSYCHO (NO)
This was a surreal experience. One of the most experienced rock band in Norway invited us to sit in on their hour-long jamming session. A steep contrast to the front man of the previous band, who engaged the audience with theatrics and energy, these rough, crazy-bearded guys let the music speak for itself. I speak for more than myself when I say we ended up in a trance-like state, somehow losing grip on the world around us while listening to Motorpsycho this afternoon in july. Perhaps it was the numbness of the cold climate, but I think it had more to do with the hypnotic, heavy rock that pumped out from the stage.

20.05 THE SADIES (CAN)
I don’t know quite how to describe The Sadies. These Canadians were supposed to play before Motorpsycho, but had to reschedule because of travel delays. They came right off the airplane and swooped us right off our feet. I knew nothing of The Sadies before the concert, and I have to say that this band was one of the big surprises for me this year. The crazy catchy, dance-inducing mix of up-beat alternative country and americana sprinkled with garage and surf rock put the warmth back in our bodies, and for a little while everything was alright. There’s a live record on Spotify, which is probably the closest to the real thing you’re going to get without seeing them in person.

21.40 KAISER CHIEFS (UK)
I vaguely remembered some of their hits like Ruby and I Predict a Riot, but I didn’t have any particular feelings about Kaiser Chiefs one way or the other before this concert, so I went there with an open mind. They certainly pleased the crowd with their hit parade, and all in all an enjoyable concert. They also seemed to enjoy themselves this far north.

PARADISBUKTA (small stage) – Thursday

18.00 THE CONSIDERATE LOVERS (NO)
I’ve Seen them before without getting too impressed, so I didn’t put effort into catching this concert.

19.30 EL CUERO (NO)
This concert was lost between the time spent socializing, taking a bathroom break and the buying of beer.

21.05 PETER PAN SPEEDROCK (NL)
Hard and heavy, this fast-paced band from the Netherlands introduced the Fjord of Death. Basically, people in the mosh-pit split up to each side of the stage and ran as fast as they could towards each other, creating a massive crunch. This was probably the most hard core performance this year.

TELEGRAFBUKTA (main stage) – Friday

17.00 DE LILLOS (NO)
A cozy hit-parade from Norwegian veterans De Lillos. It might have worked better had the weather been warmer, because De Lillos is the definitive Norwegian summer band.

18.30 MARK OLSON & GARY LOURIS [from The Jayhawks] (US)
Low-key and cozy experience from two country legends. They didn’t quite manage to get the crowd into it, and I think they might have had better luck if the weather had been on our side. This concert would have been ten times better while slouching in the grass on a warm, sunny afternoon.

19.50 TALIBAN AIRWAYS (NO)
Taliban Airways is a legendary local stoner band, and had to step in for Fu Manchu, who canceled their concert in the last minute. But who needs a band who thinks it’s cool to ditch a concert on the other side of the world a day before they are supposed to play? Their excuse was even better. Apparently, they wanted to head back into the studio. A douche move in my book. Anyway, Taliban Airways. They always deliver, and this time they were fucking fantastic. So who needs Fu Manchu?

21.20 THE WOMBATS (UK)
I’d only briefly heard a few of their hits through Spotify, but it was cool enough I suppose, even if they apparently are the hot new thing to like for indie-minded seventeen year-old girls. They kept the crowd warm, and definitely had the crowd in their hands. They made a  good  show of it, even though their back catalog of hits is still somewhat limited.

22.50 ROKY ERICKSON (US)
Roky Erickson’s story is somewhat fascinating. Many people will recognize his songs, but not many know the name behind them. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock genre with the 13th Floor Elevators, Erickson has had a difficult life. In the 1960s he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and sent to a Houston psychiatric hospital, where he involuntarily received electroconvulsive therapy. Treatment that he never really recovered from.

Trouble with law enforcement and several stays in mental institutions followed, and in 1982, Erickson asserted that a Martian had inhabited his body. He later reported to friends that aliens were coming to Earth to harm him, and asked a Notary Public to witness an official declaration that he was himself an alien, hoping that this would convince the aliens to leave him alone. In an unmedicated state, Erickson began a years-long obsession with the mail, often spending hours poring over random junk mail, writing to solicitors and celebrities (dead or living). Erickson picked up mail from neighbors who had moved and taped it to the walls of his room.

Erickson never really recovered from the experiences in his early life, but in 2001 his younger brother Sumner Erickson received legal custody of Roky, and established a legal trust to aid his brother. As a result, Roky received some of the most effective medical and legal aid of his life, the latter useful in helping sort out the complicated tangle of contracts, which had reduced royalty payments to all but nothing for his recorded works. He also started taking medication to control his schizophrenia. In September of 2005 Roky Erickson performed his first full-length concert in over 20 years. Since then, Roky Erickson has gone through a remarkable recovery, and has in the recent years started to tour again. His concert at Bukta 2009 enabled the Tromsø audience to experience a living legend, and I think his performance introduced a lot of people to Roky Erickson’s impressive list of accomplishments. A documentary about Roky Erickson was released in 2005, and it’s called You’re Gonna Miss Me.

PARADISBUKTA (small stage) – Friday

18.00 THE REVOLT (NO)
This hardcore band from Harstad did not impress me at all. The vocalist was angry, disappointed in the crowd or just frustrated with their  performance. This was probably the worst concert of this year’s festival.

19.20 MUCK & THE MIRES (US)
This relative unknown was a pleasant surprise. They play straight up rock with the following attitude, and gave us pretty good show.

20.45 SHAM 69 (UK)
Geriatric punkers are not really my thing, so I stayed at the back for this concert. I don’t think I missed much.

22.15 TOMMY TOKYO & STARVING FOR MY GRAVY (NO)
Tommy Tokyo and his band has probably been hyped to death in various newspapers and TV commercials this last year, but sometimes there is something to the hype. There is nothing quite like this band in Norway today, and they literally stuffed the rather limited area in front of the smaller stage they were booked on. If they ever come back, I certainly hope they will, I think it will be smarter to extend them both more room and time to unfold their peculiar brand of music.

TELEGRAFBUKTA (Main stage) – SATURDAY

12.55 BARE EGIL BAND (NO)
Egil Hegerberg is pretty famous for his alter ego Bare Egil Band (Only Egil Band), in where he humorously rambles on about politics, vandalism, shoes, unrequited love, marijuana, and stuff he makes up on the spot. This day was no different, and I had a blast. I didn’t catch the rest of the daytime program.

18.00 SENJAHOPEN (NO)
Senjahopen is one of those novelty bands the festival leadership booked for their own enjoyment. I certainly didn’t pay them much attention, but I guess they were amusing enough for those that did. Certainly no worse than Hellbillies, the band they replaced. Hellbillies’ vocalist fell off the stage the night before and broke both his wrists and a bunch of other bones, and was told not to play for weeks.

19.30 MONEYBROTHER (SE)
Moneybrother is the alter ego of Anders Wendin, and he had quite the ensamble of people with him on stage. I lost count after a while, but they had a trombonists, percussionist, trompetist, and several other musicians. I don’t really know where to place them, but Moneybrother’s live performances have frequently been hailed as near-legendary events. His voice resembles that of Strummer and Springsteen, and they play classic pop and soul and delivers a sort of rootsy rock with the passion of his past punk escapades. Wendin apparently enjoyed it so much that he declared from stage that he was going to cancel his flight home and spend his vacation in Tromsø.

21.05 EAGLES OF DEATH METAL (US)
This Josh Homme and Jesse Hughes cooperation project does, despite their name, not play Death Metal. Eagles of Death Metal is often characterized as a side dish for Josh Homme’s other, more famous band Queens of the Stone Age, which hails from the same music scene.  They delivered a fast-paced and energetic performance, while trying to keep warm they also kept the audience’s temperature up, and Jesse Hughes is certainly charismatic enough to liven up the crowd. One of the best concerts of this year’s festival, and even though it’s hoping for a bit much, I’m hoping Hughes might convince Homme to come here one day with his band.

22.40 RAY DAVIES (UK)
We have a saying here in Norway; The old are the oldest. It basically means that old people kick ass, and that’s what old Ray did this night. It started in a bit of a slump, with Ray seemingly a bit frustrated that the crowd wasn’t as into it as he would have liked. But during his performance the crowd eased into it, and as the hits started rolling out, so did the mood. And when they started playing Sunny Afternoon it might as well have been one. A nice finish for a nice festival!

PARADISBUKTA (small stage) – Saturday

20.30 JOE PUG (US)
This relative unknown singer-songwriter is hailed as the next Dylan, and it was a pleasant concert. One man sitting on stage with his guitar; mellow, yet surprisingly powerful.

22.10 MAJOR PARKINSON (NO)
Major Parkinson was probably the band I had the biggest expectation for beforehand. Their debut album from 2008 was probably one of the better releases that year for me personally. They have been described as a mix between the musical experimentations of Mike Patton, Kaizers Orchestra and Tom Waits, and their eclectic and live performance deliver an unconventional and strange sound, coupled with sudden bursts of energy and a rather surreal experience. Their concert was the definite highlight of the festival on my part, and I hope they come back to Tromsø soon!

For those who care, the site is built with (mostly) compliant xhtml and css, and was written entirely in notepad. It’s been a while since I did any web development, and I had a lot of fun fiddling with this during the last week or so. This time I have chosen to go with WordPress, and so far I have to say I like it a lot. Template editing was easy enough once I had the css and xhtml in order, and there’s a plethora of plugins that do the things I want; both Twitter and Spotify/Last.fm integration, as you can see from the sidebar. There is bound to be a few things I’ve missed though, but I’ll sort those out as they appear.

A few acknowledgements:

• The WordPress blogging software by Matt Mullenweg.
• The Last.fm for WordPress plugin by Rick.
• The Tweetable plugin by redwall_hp.
• The WP-Footnotes plugin by Simon Elvery.
• The Urban Scrawl Brushes by InvisibleSnow.
• Web Icons by [fresherthan.com].
• Vector Pack: Uno by Jonny-Doomsday.
• And of course two hundred kudos to the best host ever; Robin de Graaf.

I have given myself an open license in regards to content, so it will be about whatever I feel like writing. That means no general overlying theme, but I’ll try to not write any stupid entries about what I had for breakfast. One classic genre is of course Interesting Things I found on the Internet, as well as reviews or comments on games, books, movies, music and TV shows I have consumed or encountered recently. We’ll see.