Monthly Archives: January 2020

Robert Stark & Richard Wolstencroft discuss the Film High-Rise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and Melbourne based director Richard Wolstencroft discuss the film High-Rise (film), a 2015 film by British director Ben Wheatley, based on the novel by J. G. Ballard.

Topics:

The Bush Fires in Australia, climate change narrative, and other factors
Deep ecology and right wing environmentalism
The Science Fiction of J. G. Ballard including the timely The Drowned World , and how Richard would like to adapt his work into a film
The 70s Retro-Futuristic aesthetic
Brutalist architecture in High-Rise, and the genre in Clockwork Orange and Richard’s upcoming film The Debt Collector
Ironies of the film’s dystopian nature and how it compares to other dystopian films such as Joker
A self-contained city, an Arcology with all amenities within the same structure
Class conflict in a society where all classes live within the same structure
Metaphor for the breakdown of civilization
The unsustainable of the neoliberal system
How technology exacerbates inequality
Archetypes of the characters, including filmmaker Richard Wilder, an apocalyptic anarchic figure
The theme of attempting dialogue with gate keepers and elites who refuse to listen
The architect, a Nietzschean figure, an aesthetic and technological visionary in contrast with our managerial elites
Conspiracy theories vs. the view of elites as a managerial class who extract resources with no vision for the future

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagram, Stark Truth TV, and novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark & Brandon Adamsom talk about Predictions for the 2020’s

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and Brandon Adamson discuss their predictions for the next decade. Check out Brandon’s predictions on Twitter.

Topics:

The conflict with Iran, low probability of outright war, but continuation of foreign policy status quo under Trump
Prediction that Trump won’t be re-elected due to demographic change and lack of energy among intelligent online activists
Prediction that woke culture will become even more insane
Prediction that people won’t wake up in numbers to enact any significant change and in fact will get used to a lower standard of living
Woke urbanist vs. NIMBYs, and regular millennials getting screwed from both sides
The gig economy
The home delivery trend and it’s impact on urbanism
Micro apartments
Retrofitting Dead and Dying Suburban Malls
Self-contained cities
Decay’s urbanist predictions on Twitter
The stagnation of pop culture and how hipster culture has been superficially absorbed into pop culture
America existing in name only, with loyalty to tribes rather than abstract idea of America
The importance of being part of a small elite group rather than winning over the masses
American refugees will become a thing

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagram, Stark Truth TV, and novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark talks to filmmaker Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson about his film Heartstone(Hjartasteinn)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark talks to Icelandic film director Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson about his film Heartstone(Hjartasteinn). Check out the Facebook page for Heartstone.

Topics:

Guðmundur’s long term dream of making the film inspired by a personal story
The importance for the film to be light and funny as well as dramatic
A difficult ending that still has hope
The theme of adolescence
Casting the actors
Heartstone’s screening at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and winning the Queer Lion at the 73rd Venice Film Festival
Inspiration from Paul Thomas Anderson’s  Magnolia and The Master, and Rob Reiner’s Stand by Me
Film locations in remote parts of Iceland
Safety guards from Game of Thrones who helped with the cliff climbing scene
Guðmundur’s film Ártún
The Icelandic Film Industry
Upcoming film project about misfit youth

Click Here to download!

Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagram, Stark Truth TV, and novel Journey to Vapor Island