Blucifer!!

Denver airport “attraction” Blucifer (“Blue Mustang”) serves as a dæmonic symbol of man’s folly. Colored bright blue, with illuminated glowing red eyes, it is notable both for its striking appearance and for having killed its sculptor, Luis Jiménez, when a section of it fell on him at his studio. We must ask ourselves: good idea, or bad idea? Though one might feel this dilemma to be rather simple to resolve—and that it would occur to *someone* during the coming-into-being/installation process—nonetheless, it exists.

Alice Directors Faust Film GIFs Roman de Renard Starevich Stop Motion Surrealism Svankmajer

Stop-Motion Auteurs.

Jan Ŝvankmajer and Ladislas Starevich, masters of conjuring wonderment, with excerpts from Alice, Faust, and Le Roman de Renard.

“The virtual or imaginary nature of things as glimpsed by the heightened vision of poetry or science or love can be seized and lived as real.” —Alfred Jarry.

Composers Don McLean Lyrics Music photography

American Pie.

1971 was the year everything changed in the music world, as Don McLean’s epic composition American Pie was to shortly ascend to the summit of the charts. The longest song to achieve #1 Billboard status, it was steeped in symbolism and mysterious goings-on that enlarged the canvas for what was felt to be possible in popular music. Oh, and McLean was a formidable vocalist and performer, to boot.

Others have taken a swing at the iconic piece, most notably Madonna in 2000. This version is surprisingly strong, but lacks the sweep and power of the McLean iterations. The song remains a landmark to this day.

It is fair to say that a major theme in the song is the loss of innocence. It is also fair to say that there would appear to be a lot more going on than just that. And, finally, the tone of the song lends it more of a heroic than tragic quality.