Nudel found this great image that teases us with another look at Keanu as Bob Arctor for A Scanner Darkly at the Flat Black Films site.
Have I mentioned how fucking incredible I think this film is going to be?
I finally finished reading A Scanner Darkly this weekend, and now I want to read it again. It shouldn't have taken me so long, but the only time I read is right before I go to sleep and lately I've been only able to read a page or three and I'm out.
One part toward the end that really struck me was a part about reflections and mirrors and photographs and opposite images.
Because, he thought glumly as he watched the police psychologists writing their conclusions and signing them, we are fucking backward right now, I guess, every one of us; everyone and every damn thing, and distance, and even time. But how long, he thought, when a print is being made, a contact print, when the photographer discovers he's got the negative reversed, how long does it take to flip it? To reverse it again so it's like it's supposed to be?A fraction of a second.
I understand, he thought, what that passage in the Bible means, Through a glass darkly. But my percept system is as fucked up as ever. Like they say. I understand but am helpless to help myself.
Maybe, he thought, since I see both ways at once, correctly and reversed, I'm the first person in human history to have it flipped and not-flipped simultaneously, and so get a glimpse of what it'll be when it's right. Although I've got the other as well, the regular. And which is which?
Which is reversed and which is not?
When do I see a photograph, when a reflection?
Negative reversed.
Isn't that a positive?
Aside from the headtrippy philosophy of the whole thing which is a whole 'nuther blog entry that I don't have the focus to do today, it got me to thinking about Keanu himself, and all the photographs we see of him. How what we see is different from what he sees in the mirror every day. Granted, I'm sure he sees plenty of pictures of himself, he is one of the most photographed men in the world, and I don't think he spends a whole lot of time in the mirror, but you know what I mean.
As a fan and someone who sees his face in photographs nearly every day, I can usually spot when a negative has been reversed. It used to bother me. I had a great large print of the image from Point Break of him in the rain looking over his shoulder that my brother framed for me. Once I realized it was a reversed image it actually bothered me enough that I took it out of the frame and replaced it with something else.
Yesterday, after reading the above passage more than once, I looked at some photos of him that had been mirrored. They still look "off" to me, but when I look at them with a different frame of mind now, it's.....still weird, but different.
And then I got all thinky and spent about 25 minutes looking in my own mirror.
Anyway, I'm rambling because I not only have a really scary dentist appointment today (longtime readers know about my dental anxiety) but we have a freaking gig tonight. Gah.
Go read Nudel's blog entry.
darkly | from inside the mind of krix at September 19, 2004 10:51 PM .isn't it great when you get all thinky? i'm lovin' the animated keanu, cannot wait for this film. now be a good patient, krix, and don't bite the evil dentist...
I love when you get all thinky!
The lip scar now can show us when his image is flipped. It is not only hot but handy....
Posted by: Tawny on September 20, 2004 01:12 PM...before the lip scar there was (and still is)
the little mole on his neck...
It used to bother me a lot when a pic was flipped.
It still does to a certain extent -
but then I flip it back instead of complaining at the top of my lungs.
OMG, hope all went well with Dr Teeth!
Have fun tonight!
rawk on with your bad self tonight, krix! If you have not found a gentle dentist (they exist!) I hope you will. May today go well for you, leading to a terrific gig tonight!
Love your musings on the above! Really, I'm going to get all thinky about your getting all thinky...when I get home from my rehearsal tonight. My head is hurting as I'm trying to think--what we see in a flipped photo is what the K-man sees in the mirror? (when he chooses to look) or am I backwards?
In the character of Scanner... "Heavy, dude.."
May I say again...really *brilliant* musings, krix, thanks for sharing!
Posted by: nudel on September 20, 2004 01:43 PMOkay, so now I think I feel a bit better about this film. I was a bit iffy on the animation cause I was like "I WANNA SEE KEANU IN THE REAL, NOT A CARTOON DAMNIT!!" Ahem...LOL! But that shot of animated Keanu has me hot and bothered. Should I be scared that I'm turned on by a cartoon? LOL! Anyways, I know what you mean about flipped photos krix. It does something to the face, turns it funny on one side.
Have you ever stood next to someone in a mirror and looked at that person? For some reason looking at someone else in a mirror does the same thing, flips it a bit. Am I making any sense here? LOL! For example, watch Kevin Lomax look at himself in the mirror in Devil's Advocate, its a bit angled weird for us to see. It's like it distorts the face a bit. Watch Jjaks look at himself in the mirror in Feeling Minnesota, from our angle, it's a bit different from what we see.
Anyone else notice this to or does my post totally make me sound like I'm on crack?!
Jena, I think I said the same thing in the comment above..so no, you're not on crack. I think that's what krix was saying too..
Posted by: Nudel on September 20, 2004 03:34 PMI'm amazed over and over again how a flipped image can look so much like the original. I'm also amazed by how close you sometimes have to look before you can tell it's been flipped...sometimes it's just plain scary. Knowing where his scar should appear on the image can makes it easier to detect.
Through a glass darkly...my thoughts exactly. Very thinky of you Krix, I love it!
Posted by: shelz on September 20, 2004 04:04 PMYay! The dentist didn't do anything but give me some antibiotics. I still need a wisdom tooth pulled but I got out of having it done today.
Posted by: krix on September 20, 2004 06:15 PMI hate flopped pictures too. I especially hate to see them on the cover of a magazine. You're right Jena, the mirror image does look "off".
\m/ \m/ to the Vibemerchants and their faithful Vibrators!!!
Posted by: Zen on September 20, 2004 06:27 PMkrix, i've said it before, just saying it again. thanks for such a great site... and will see ya tonight!
i have not got to that part you quoted in the book! interesting... i read today at lunch in fact... i'm on page 127 where the Tielhard De Chardin stuff is...
and i remembered that your virgo astrologer brezny usually has a chardin quote...
"Some day after we have mastered the winds, the waves and gravity, we will harness for God the energies of love; and then for a second time in the history of the world, humans will have discovered fire.” -Teilhard de Chardin
Posted by: wanda on September 20, 2004 07:16 PMoh, forgot to say... i have noticed that mirror thing as well...
Posted by: wanda on September 20, 2004 07:23 PMBut to me Nudel, what we see in a flipped photo isn't what Keanu sees in the mirror, it's what we see when we look into a mirror that Keanu's looking into. Like if someone else is standing infront of the mirror with us, from their angle they see a flipped version of one side of our face, whereas we see what really is. For example, in the mornings when I would be doing my hair alongside my mom and we are both looking in the mirror, to me, her face looks crooked, yet it doesn't appear that way to her. It's because we are seeing it at an angle and not directly infront. I feel like I am making no sense here, LOL!
Posted by: Jena on September 20, 2004 08:15 PMYAY krix on not having to have your tooth pulled!! Hope you have a great show!
Posted by: Jena on September 20, 2004 08:17 PMvibemerchants were g r e a t!
let me finish that...
vibemerchants rocked! my borhter in law, who is also a musician/guitarist, really enjoyed the music...very fun and nice event! love love love and love...
thanks to you both for coming out!!! *smooooch*
Posted by: krix on September 21, 2004 12:16 PMRemember, this is a fan site.
Keanu Reeves is in no way connnected to this website.
Please do not make a comment thinking he will read it.
Comments are for discussion with other fans.
Thank you.