Films
Any of these should be available at any good video rental outlet in your area.
When I say "good," though, I do mean something other than Blockbuster.
For more information on any of these, see the Internet Movie Database. No, these aren't all
necessarily great works of art, historically accurate, or particularly
un-cliche. I liked them, and they gave me some ideas.
- Elizabeth, 1998, directed by Shekhar Kapur, written by Michael
Hirst, starring Cate Blanchett. Although it's set in the 16th century, not the
13th (or the 11th, like our game), it's gorgeous, the political intrigue is
brilliantly depicted, and when it was over, I had ideas for at least three
scenes which will appear in my game. If you can't find this in a
videostore, you live in Antarctica.
- LadyHawke, 1985, directed by Richard Donner, written by Edward
Khmara, starring Michelle Pfeiffer. It's one of the classics of fantasy
movies, involves shapeshifting lovers cursed by an evil wizard, and has some
gorgeous camera work. Cheesy but much-loved.
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail, 1975, directed by Terry Gilliam &
Terry Jones, written by Graham Chapman and John Cleese. It's the first of the
full-length Monty Python films, and by far the funniest. It's historically
inaccurate (to say the very least), but so is the Dark Medieval World. If you
haven't already seen this, you live in Antarctica, and you were deprived
as an adolescent.
- Black Cloak, 1991, directed by Bruce Beresford, written by Brian
Moore III (and others). It's set in North America in the 17th Century, putting
it a long way off from the Dark Medieval World. Regardless, the main character
of the priest can do a lot to inspire anyone playing a member of the clergy.
Complete devotion to the faith is still alive in this movie, to the sort of
extremist degree depicted as typical in Vampire: the Dark Ages.
- Mujeres al Borde de un Ataque de Nervios (literally, Women on the
Verge of a Nervous Attack, released in the US as Three Women on the Edge
of a Nervous Breakdown), 1988, directed & written by Pedro Almodovar.
Aside from the fact that this is one of Antonio Banderas' last appearances in
the sort of role as which he was typecast during his early career (that of the
unattractive geek), this is an incredible movie. Relevant to our game, it's
set in Madrid, and a view of the city is always nice. Okay, so I'm just
evangelizing for this one movie in particular. Nyah.
- El Cid, 1961, directed by Anthony Mann, written by Philip Yordan and
Fredric M. Frank. It's a Heston film, with Sophia Loren as the legendary
Spanish knight's lover. Needless to say, it's grandiosely meant for the big
screen, reaching for the epic in the same way "Ten Commandments" does so --
remarkable for its time if somehow disappointing compared to the likes of, for
example, "Elizabeth." Don't look at it for historical accuracy. Look at it
for a sense of the enormity of the reputation of El Cid in his time and shortly
after his death.
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Music
Included below are some of the CD's I'm considering using for the chronicle's
soundtrack. More information on any of these can be found on CDnow.com. No, they're not all medieval-era
music. Funny, that.
- Angelic Voices: Best of Vienna, Vienna Boys Choir, PGD/Philips
label.
- Twin Peaks: TV Soundtrack, Angelo Badalamenti, Julee Cruise,
WEA/Warner Brothers.
- Matrix: Soundtrack (Explicit), Various artists, WEA/Warner Brothers.
- Mass in B Minor, J.S. Bach. I'm assuming/hoping that this is the
proper title of J.S. Bach's Requiem Mass, because I can't find this, even on
CDnow.com, and that worries me vaguely. Surely there must be a
recording somewhere? If this -is- the Requiem, then this is by far my favorite
of the Requiem Masses, although that's partly because I've been in more than
one choral group that performed it.
- Requiem, G. Verdi, Chandos records. My 2nd favorite Requiem, and
probably my 1st if I hadn't performed the other. Gods, what music.
- La Traviata, G. Verdi, Black Dog Opera Library.
- Scream and Scream 2, various artists, soundtracks to the
movies of the same name. TVT Records & EMD/Capitol, respectively.
- CandyAss, Orgy, WEA/Warner Brothers.
- Espina, Psychotica, ZERO HOUR Records.
- Broken Frame, Depeche Mode, WEA/Warner Brothers.
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michael@metalab.unc.edu
Red Moon Rising 1/2
1999
©2001 White Wolf
Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.