UFC 101 Declaration review

now with amazing gif animations

- BJ Penn VS Kenny Florian

- Anderson Silva VS Forrest Griffin

Though many may consider men who enter an mma proving ground little more than hired human pitbulls ripping each other apart for massive money and radical amusement, I tend to reject this view via a yawn of black hole, concluding that professional level mma is the combat of highly disciplined human spirits, opposing each other for but the duration of the bout, probably ending up as unified in the process as we could conceive, simply through their magnificent shared experience of being in a cage where the damage one suffers is the wit one failed to exhibit. That is how, in my opinion, the mma fighter fights against herself/himself. The reaction of one's opponent is the reaction to whatever one could offer as offense.

Notice that the ultimately glorious moments of mixed martial arts are not of those of KOs and submissions. They are of those of hugging the formal rival at the end of the bout, circulating the most honest, pure respect spirit and related (?) intelligence may come upon, the limitless respect each fighter deserves simply by making an attempt of expressing themselves thoroughly, honestly on the proving grounds. The biggest respect one could give is the assumption that one needs every skills- and wits to neutralize the rival. A fight is nothing less than the expression of these skill sets, put though to the test utterly and completely, instead of infinitely theorizing about them. The most glorious moment of the bout emerges in the form of the ensuing peace between the fighters, a legit, palpable sensation, unifying the former enemies and the grateful audience once the collision reached its conclusion.

This is a review of the latest UFC event to date, UFC 101 - Declaration.



Introductory thoughts about the more significant lineups

This particular night brings you a championship collision between BJ "The Prodigy" Penn and Kenny "KenFlo" Florian. The Challenger surely have come a long way to be at the point where he is at by the night, yet, after watching the Countdown to UFC 101 Show - the show every hardened mma fan despises passionately, in fact, so much that they will watch it multiple times so they could hate it more and more - I have the impression that Kenny Florian has no actual faith in himself. This is a risky sentence to write down, I know. Especially if Kenny is your neighbor. I checked, he is NOT my neighbor currently, or he is a Master of Deceiving - so I resonate that once again, this time though, I will make an attempt to solidify my claim.

There is no doubt that Kenny have demolished the recent title contention roster in an impressive fashion, - meaning the actions, not the gear - yet, in my opinion, that particular opposition was not too steep by the time Florian made a run through it. Following his loss to former Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk, the

Oh My God, They Killed Kenny!

have returned to the drawing board to reinvent himself as a ma... as a Ronin capable to obtain yet another shot at the title. In the meantime though, BJ Penn obtained that particular title by demolishing Sean "The Muscle Shark" Sherk via lethal playfulness and here is how it went down:



Explanation: on this particular gif animation, BJ "The Prodigy" Penn connects with a couple of precise strikes on Sean Sherk, then he unleashes a Flying Knee of Diddchu-Ceetath-Chit on the rival who is forced to end up at the fence as result of the accumulative impact of these integral, accurate assaults. The Little Buddha came to make a radical verdict - and it is so that Penn drops some bombs on Sherk to - watch this highly illegal line: - to ... dot all the "I"-s and cross all the "T"-s. By the way: this "dot all the "I"-s and cross all the "T"- s stuff is from Kenny. He resonated this when he was asked about his preparation against BJ.

Though the Champion have changed, the determination of Kenny Florian, if anything, have grown even bigger, knowing that the current title holder is none other than one of the most legendary figure of the sport: BJ Penn. You see - you would think that there is no better way of becoming a Legend than to erase one. But this is not so. The way I see it now - if Kenny demolishes someone - he still has no faith in himself. This is my personal impression. Watch the Countdown to UFC 101 show. The way Kenny states those lines - there is not a word he says that sounds honest to me. Do not misunderstand me, or at least not constantly, please. I have respect for Kenny. But I think he has no respect for himself. This is not the proper word. He has no conviction in himself. I have the impression that Kenny is a damaged warrior currently and he will not become Champion even if he becomes Champion.

These are just impressions and there are infinite of those. Mines are not more- or not less proper or legit than that of other observer. I want to write honest reviews and my honest, current impression of the current Kenny Floarin is that no matter how good a fight Kenny fights, it is a fight resonating a denial of weakness and not the expression of greatness. These are introductory thoughts, mind you I, herein.

Anyway. Roger Huerta is a passionate fighter and stuff - and stuff, mainly - but he made the mistake of not regarding Florian as a top level mma fighter, stating that spending time with Kenny in the octagon will be a piece of cake. What an absurd, ridiculous statement. I'm glad and relatively satisfied that Huerta's ass got outplayed by Florian in UFC 87 Seek and Destroy. Then the collision against Joe "Daddy" Stevenson. Ouch. You kidding me?? Stopping Joe Stevenson? You sure? Stopping Joe "Daddy" Stevenson is no news. When Joe "Daddy" Stevenson stops someone instead - THAT is news.

As of today, he is a "statementmaker" mma fighter and here is how it goes: you use Joe Daddy to state that you are ready to deconstruct even more talented fighters than he is. You want to get into title contention, you defeat Stevenson, who still has some mysterious, nevertheless, seemingly firm belief that he is the Champ, but circumstances were not appropriate enough to state-, to manifest this inner verdict so far. The most tenacious of all these circumstances is called: Joe Stevenson, I'm afraid.

Joe Daddy is a decent gatekeeper and a - watch this! - "good average fighter". But projecting that fighter as a potential candidate for a Champion bores me immensely as he currently clearly lacks the qualities possessed by the elite. Projecting him as candidate for Champion became pointless by the moment he actually cried after his loss to BJ Penn. There is nothing wrong with emotions. In fact, I love them, I am so emotional about them. But a Champion controls the emotions. This, among other things, is a focal quality of a Champion, you see. As long as you cry after a loss in the octagon, you can have my evil laugh but not my sympathy, sorry. I am not laughing at you because I am evil. I am laughing at the fact that how miserably - and metaphorically - lost you are and I am 101% ready to pour life and sobriety to you if you let me.

As cited, in reality, currently Stevenson clearly lacks the qualities of a Champion, so, the fact that Kenny have beaten him, fills me with the same excitement factor I feel when I witness a washing powder advertisement falling out of a mailbox. Okay, one of them fills me with more excitement. But the one that fills me with more excitement, does not involve Stevenson < - hint!, hint! Let's be honest and relatively pseudo-scientific here, ladies and gentlemen dressed as ladies: BJ Penn gave Joe Stevenson the definite hurt-real-baaad to emerge as Champion, thank you Joe, please come again. Stevenson scores a submission victory over talented Jiu-Jitsu contender Wilson Gouveia in UFC 86 Jackson VS Griffin and escapes the horrific clutch of the double loss. Thank you Joe, deliver yet another victory and I will believe that BJ did not swallow a part of your fighting spirit.

UFC 91 Couture VS Lesnar: Stevenson gets submitted by Kenny "I Finish Fights!" Florian, a bout to determine the warrior to step up against BJ "The Prodigy" Penn by the night of the Declaration. < - No point in clicking on this link. It points here. Question arises: what do I want with all this? Easy: I wanted to state that beating down Joe Stevenson or submitting him is surely a solid accomplishment, but I don't think that it means that you automatically have the readiness to face BJ Penn. But, what the hell - the whole point of this particular night is to address this particular question. Kenny delivers - in my opinion - staggeringly cheesy lines in his pre-fight interviews, making his Legendary exclamation of "BJ is the Master and I want to KILL that Master!" look pale. Kenny is after a rigorous training regime, no doubt. I am sure he mastered all these implausible, better-bite-your-tongue lines he delivers in the pre-fight interviews, as well. It's like a ninja B movie from the '80s, involving a Destiny, a Determination, the Honor of a Ronin - oxymoron? - and other vague matters like that. I like the part in the Countdown show in which BJ laughs out, asking: "Did he really say that sh*t?" Anyway. I expect BJ Penn to blow Kenny Florian away as a tornado, yet, I am eager to see if Florian can offer something that the Little Buddha will be surprised by. The other nice attraction of the night is Anderson Silva taking on Forrest Griffin. The Spider moves up a weight class to deliver a match against a man who likes to come out and brawl. My amazement of how Silva's latest two matches is blamed as being but pure boredom, is: considerable. UFC President Dana White states how bored he was with the Thales Leites fight. But, look what Leites did: little suspiciouscheese Leites hurries to the ground each time Silva molests his body or face. Phah! And the audience blames Silva for sticking to the standup? A special announcement, brother: every fight starts in the standup position. I understand if Leites, as a Jiu-Jitsu wiz', wants to wage the war on the ground. Then invite the Spider to the ground with force and ruthless efficiency! Don't expect him to go there with you. Truly laughable octagon behavior and now Silva has to hold his back for it. This is not right. In my opinion, Leites was a big p-word for lying around in the octagon, discrediting himself and the Spider with this ridiculous approach to fighting. Would he do that in a real life situation, as well? In a bar fight? Lie on his back? Wow! Oh, I can imagine Thalis Leites's joy when someone Bas Ruttens his shifty/shady, sneaky/cheeky, tactical/analytical, strategic, lie-around Jiu-Jitsu ass with a casual chair in the vicinity. Pfff. Ah, Bah and a Krach! I defend the Spider herein and I defend both of his recent performances that he was accused of immense boredom for. I enjoyed every second of the Cote fight in UFC 90 Cote VS Silva as well and I do not say this because I enjoy cultivating a different opinion than that of other people or outer intelligences from deep space. I say this because it is totally clear that Silva played two very intelligent- and very focused matches against both fighters. But - I know this will be harsh, haha - do not throw pearls to the pigs, as they will stomp on it.

No rigorous, scientific mma chairguru would regard Silva's latest performances as boring. Cote damaged his own knee, how that is Silva's fault? The Spider was connecting with brutal shots all the time and Cote demonstrated true warrior spirit by dragging the Champion to the third round. Still, some - I dare to state this - seemingly ignorant persons regard the match as a lackluster. You kidding me? Silva comes to the UFC and demolishes everyone. Then he plays around for a bit. Playing around is no longer good for you. You want to see - metaphorical: included - blood. You are acting immensely, even emencely ignorant my friend and you do not currently understand the complex beauty of deconstruction. I enjoyed the Leites fight, too, and Leites has my contemporary minor despise for exhibiting the ring behavior he cultivated. Running to the ground on every single occasion he gets assaulted by? Next time he does that: Bas Rutten him with the chair, say I.

Now, back to the Silva VS Griffin collision. The idea is to deliver a fighter to Silva who likes to close the distance swiftly, who likes to come out and deconstruct opposition. Forrest Griffin already have made some upsets. Defeating Silva would be the biggest, even biggestest of those so far. Hey, and this is not bad for a dream, neither, right? You got to love Forrest because he transforms the underestimation to energy. He remains completely faithful to his philosophy of not quitting on himself, which is a much more serious- and epic inner stance than what it may sound like at first.

Forrest was not happy being the Champion. Forrest is happy when he has the chance to deliver upsets. And here is the difference I feel between Kenny Florian and Forrest Griffin. Griffin says he can be beaten, but he can not be broken. You know what? The frightening thing is that I believe him. Kenny Florian? No matter how good he fights, as cited, according to my impression, he fights to deny a weakness and not to praise a quality like an unbreakable spirit. With that look in your eyes - Kenny's, haha! - you are not yet ready to be the Champion, I would say. But let's see if consensus reality agrees with me on that one.

Josh Neer VS Kurt Pellegrino

Pellegrino grabs Neer and slams him, right after the initial exchanges. The round unfolds as a long ground sequence with relatively little action to it, as Neer exhibits tight defense, though demonstrates no will- or related readiness to offer resistance from his back, except for an unsuccessful armbar.

In the second round, an agitated Neer comes out, yet his attempts at reigning as aggressor collides with solid counter-action stated by raconteur Pellegrino. Following some nice combination of mild molestation factor, Pellegrino gets Neer down and ends up on top again. Neer is frustrated on his back, expressing it clearly towards the ceiling by moving his head side to side. My relation to this unfortunate condition is virtually non-existent, saved the sentence I just delivered. Pellegrino remains tenacious in the round, keeping Neer on the grounded position. This rigorous control earns him a full mount, yet Neer is able to improve his position. Pellegrino keeps control of the back, maintaining the strong clutch of desperation on your throat that you will bore your sitorgan off during this particular collision.

The third round finds Josh Neer in the proper mood to throw some semi-convincing kicks around. Convincing enough so the recent history could repeat itself: you see Pellegrino on top once again, right after countering the initial kicks with a takedown.

Neer talks some stuff, Pellegrino bitchslaps him. You can't help but state: MAN! Neer spreads his arms apart, metacommunicating that Pellegrino delivers no punishment. I spread my arms apart, thinking Neer should do just a little more to impress the audience. Neer continues to express frustration, then manages to escape from his dire position. The last moments of the bout do catch Neer raining down solid elbows on Pellegrino at the fence. An amazingly boring match, no doubt, in which Pellegrino executed a gameplan quite soberly and integrally, earning him a decision victory.

Ricardo Almeida VS Kendall Grove

Ricardo Almeida comes out spazzing like mad - but soon you will realize that he tries to confuse the enemy! And the audience! And he succeeds masterfully! Check this here gif animation out of how Ricardo Almeida comes out spazzing like mad!



Almeida - right - surely knows how to confuse the enemy with this here nice spazz session of his!

The meeting intensifies, THEN collides with the fence, witnessing the warriors in the clinch. Having a hard time pulling the trigger in this position, the opposing forces exhibit consensus willingness to get back to the more opened variant of the standup. Almeida capitalizes on a nice opportunity, slamming Kendall to the ground. Canvas resonates: wtf??

In the second round, Almeida commands Grove downstairs once again, yet, Ricardo almost gets submitted by a cunning armbar attempt. Enthusiastic ground action to follow up, as Almeida manages to connect with some solid punches and - logically/subsequently - administers some decent ground and pound. Kendall Grove could not be more enthusiastic to get back on his feet - and so he seeks the will to do that and manages to accomplish this via one particular miracle plus a half for good measure. Good for him, as he finds success connecting on Almeida with a strict uppercut and a good knee. Almeida expresses increased willingness to go to the ground again, a will which realized shortly, yet the time that remains is too scarce to administer further punishment.

In the third and final round, Almeida does not have much problem taking the fight to the ground again, though they end up in the clinch at the fence. Grove greets Almeida with some knees and they end up in the standup again. Though Grove shortly has the opportunity to molest Almeida on the ground, he chooses to let him up and wage the war on the feet. Guess what! Clinch sequence again. Grove lands a knee again, then Almeida takes down his rival. Ending up on top, Ricardo seemingly makes a bigger effort at taking a rest then he does at delivering punishment. Kendall shrugs off Almeida. Ricardo - staggeringly enough - goes for the takedown again. Quite a boring match, but hey, you got to have some of these, otherwise, how could you ever identify a collision of epic proportions? Integral boredom with a risk free decision win going for Ricardo Almeida.

Amir Sadollah VS Johny Hendricks

Johny Hendricks likes hitting people in the face and he is ready to make his UFC debut against winner of the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter Reality TV Show, Amir Sadollah. Nice standup sequence. Sadollah connects with a jab, moves in for the killing process and gets caught on the way by the epicly proportioned opposition. Spotting the momentary weakness in Sadollah's defense, Hendricks steps in and administers some solid uppercuts on the TUF winner. Sadollah suddenly feels the uncontrollable urge to inspect canvas quality via massive zoom, thus he goes down, dragging Hendricks with him. This drag is metaphorical, mind you I, herein. The debutant punches out a stoppage on Sadollah, a stoppage UFC commentator, standup comedian, veteran weed deconstructer and generally funny man Joe Rogan regards as: early.

During the replay, it is clear that Joe is right. Hendricks hardly connects, or, even if he does, the punches lack damage potentiality and Sadollah seems to be back in the game when Miragliotta steps in. But, that's the way it went this time. The fact that Sadollah does not give you the drama queen act, complaining about an early stoppage, implies to me that he himself was dissatisfied with his current performance. Hendricks did well, can't wait to see if I will remember him the next time I see him. Right now I have my doubts, but doubts are there to be eliminated. Or to be hardened. Amir Sadollah loses tonight, Johny Hendricks celebrates his fruity UFC debut.

Aaron Riley VS Shane Nelson

This here is the usual match in which commentators exchange thoughts and ideas about the present state and the general beauty of mixed martial arts, letting you run out for 667 extra pieces of popcorn. How big of a bucket you think 667 pieces of popcorn would fill?

Anderson Silva VS Forrest Griffin

Forrest Griffin stated in the Countdown show that Anderson Silva makes very good fighter look bad. With 1:42 remaining in the first round, Griffin, one must admit, joins the fighters who have fought against Anderson Silva AND looked PROFOUNDLY bad against him. The story of the fight is truly nothing less than Silva's ability to make Forrest look pretty much - I like Forrest, but that is the case here - miserable. This is not an exaggeration. For Heaven and Hell's sake, Anderson Silva clearly shows to Forrest that he - Forrest - can not touch him if he - Silva, that is - does not want to be touched. The Spider gives in the face with his arms lowered, evading the punches solely by elegant head movements, driven by top notch reflexes and the related awareness of what the attacker's chances- and possibilities of opposition are.

This particular friendly humiliation happens on multiple segments of the first round. Forrest can not hit Silva. Forrest can not hit him, not with Anderson's arms lowered, not with his face given in pleasant range. Clearly, the UFC Middleweight Champion, who now moves up a weight class to deliver entertainment, makes respectful fun of Forrest, offering thorough glimpses on the levels the fighting game could be played on. If your name is Anderson Silva, that is. Anderson, having his movement showcased, knocks Forrest down. When Griffin regains his composure, Anderson invites him in a respectful fashion to push the pedal to the metal - evades Forrest's shots via sheer head movement again and knocks Griffin down once more. Instead of ground and pounding, Silva lets Forrest up. And then, suddenly: recent history once again repeats itself.

Check how Silva evades the shots with his hands lowered, counter-connecting with that laaazy, lazy, yet pixel precise punch on Forrest. This is not just your everyday average normal domination, this is a clear expression of Silva's truly exceptional approach/style towards the Art of Fighting. Almost, I mean. You know why "almost"? Here is why: Silva DID NOT EVEN FOUGHT, that is why! He did not, because he was not asked to. He was just playing around! And knocked Forrest's ass out while at that, since the objective of the match was to knock Forrest's ass out, after all. Amazing display of an amazing mindset and the related, truly top notch fighting skills. These are the moments in which you got to exclaim: MAN! As of today, I think only Fedor Emelianenko or Lyoto Machida could offer a fight for Anderson Silva. Check this stupendous gif animation of the brilliant finish The Spider delivered.



Forrest runs back to the locker rooms, - excellent timing - probably too bitter/hazy - maybe both - at the moment to give a post-fight interview. I remain a fan of Forrest and I am mad curious of the Griffin we will see coming back after this particular loss.

BJ Penn VS Kenny Florian

Kenny comes in with the strange-, nevertheless relatively effective strategy of moving BJ up to the fence and pressing his head into The Prodigy's ribcage. This is pretty much the whole story of the first three rounds, whenever they do not spend quality time at the fence with Florian's head deep into BJ's ribs, the defendant manages to control the standup and score the more effective shots. In the fourth round, probably getting fed up with Florian's urge of sinking the head into the ribs, BJ takes the Challenger down, and, following a brief period of iron control on the ground, the defendant administers the rear naked choke to Kenny, a truly nice submission which you can check out on this here gif animation.



UFC 101 - Declaration was a great event. Thank you for reading this review of it and see you next time.

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Fedor in Strikeforce

Will Fedor Ever Be In The UFC?



animated gif, circa 2009., author unknown

Following unsuccessful negotiations with the UFC, the world's consensus number one heavyweight mma fighter, Fedor Emelianenko has signed a contract with Strikeforce, a competing organization which was willing to co-promote fights with M1 Global, the mma label Emelianenko has obligations with.

As UFC President Dana White has stated, the leading mma organization was willing to agree on almost every term and also guaranteed that no bigger amount of money was- and will ever be offered than the amount the UFC offered for Fedor. The only term the UFC did not want to commit to, was the co-promotion of events with M1 Global. The Russian condition was to split the profits from the fights between the UFC and M1 Global, as it is the Russian organization which brings the consensus top heavyweight to the proving ground. The UFC rejected the co-promotion as firmly as M1 Global demanded it, in order to make a deal. Fedor has signed the Strikeforce contract on the next business day.

The President of the UFC voiced his disappointment on passionate registers:

„Fedor is a f*cking joke. He turns down a huge deal and the opportunity to face the best in the world to fight nobodies, for no money.”

White's frustration is better off being expressed, as now both Fedor Emelianenko and UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar could keep on building themselves to be the Titans that WILL clash finally. It is inevitable.

The UFC and Fedor already have a mutual history, though the Russian is yet to step into the Octagon. While Strikeforce is a smaller and less prestigious organization than the UFC is, it will build up Fedor in front of a wider audience than the one The Last Emperor was recognized by so far - and he will almost certainly have the choice of going to the UFC once he fulfilled - and hopefully triumphed in - his three fights he owes to Strikeforce and M1 Global. Once those three fights are delivered, the UFC will want to obtain him by the very next nanosecond, have no doubt about it. Regardless of the harsh words, Dana White will be ready to offer everything that was offered before - except co-promotion. Since Fedor will not likely be in instantaneous contract-renewal with M1 Global by the time of those negotiations, surely there will be ways to make a deal in which everybody - including the fan - is happy.

Fedor is big news for the UFC only as long as he remains unbeaten. The stoic, enigmatically calm persona of Fedor, which fuels ruthless efficiency and precise, raw beauty in the proving ground, was getting more and more recognized during the last year. Fedor flattened two former UFC Champions under the Affliction label, - both bouts ended with TKOs and have left both Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski as risk free, casual checkmarks on the Russian's record - while Brock Lesnar, a warrior of almost improbable anatomical proportions, continues to demonstrate super-solid Octagon presence via his most recent victories over Randy Couture and Frank Mir, both former UFC Champions.

While many do claim that Lesnar is not a better-, only a bigger fighter than his opponents are, one should not dismiss the fact that the current UFC Heavyweight Champion commands his immense physical proportions with surprising speed, an iron will and explosiveness that the audience is yet to see being stopped, let alone being effectively countered. The former WWE Entertainer already has proven that he is capable to dictate where a real fight against a real opponent will take place. Many do claim that the defeating of Frank Mir was little more than blanket wrestling. Lesnar took Mir to the ground, executed an iron grip over the neck and pummeled Mir's face like a big brother would do with his smaller brother. Well, the art of fighting incorporates the consensus experience of making the opponent look miserable and one has to admit that Lesnar accomplished this masterfully against Frank Mir. Mir, an analytical and truly versatile fighter, was the first to admit that Lesnar did a great job.

As of today, a match between Brock Lesnar and Fedor Emelianenko is the absolute top notch attraction the sport and the fans could wish for. Yet, that does not mean that the related anticipation factor is at its highest possible peak. Not, at all. It will be at its highest possible peak by the time Fedor have flawlessly fulfilled his M1 Global contract with Strikeforce, by the time Brock have stopped the immediate UFC opposition. Let's see what they are up against.

Brock Lesnar has unbeaten Shane Carwin and talented Mexican Cain Velasquez as potential warriors to be challenged by. Strikeforce offers Alistair Overeem and Brett Rogers to Fedor as potential challenges. In a sober reality, both Brock and Fedor will be ready and able to deliver a series of victories until The Last Emperor's contract is fulfilled. And, from then on: Brock Lesnar VS Fedor Emelianenko will become a reality, have no doubt about that.

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UFC 100 Making History review

- Brock Lesnar VS Frank Mir

- George St. Pierre VS Thiago Alves

- Dan Henderson VS Michael Bisping

Mixed martial arts clearly became a significant form of both mass entertainment and - as Bruce Lee put it - an expression of the human body, the latter being, no doubt, the original field of operation of these ancient traditions, now living and breathing through competitive events around the world. Though many may consider men who enter the proving grounds little more than hired human pitbulls to rip each other apart for hard cash and radical amusement, I tend to utterly reject this rudimentary view, concluding that professional level mma is the combat of highly disciplined human spirits, opposing each other for the duration of the bout, probably ending up as unified in the process as we could conceive, simply through their magnificent shared experience of being in a cage where the damage one suffers is the wit one failed to exhibit. That is how, in my opinion, the mma fighter fights against herself/himself.

Japanese people compete to gain an insight of their own current abilities through the collision process of their skills with that of other's. To me, the ultimately glorious moments of mixed martial arts are not of those of KOs and submissions. They are of those of hugging the formal rival at the end of the bout, circulating the most honest, uncompromised, pure respect each fighter deserves simply by stating themselves on the proving grounds, regardless of the results. The ensuing peace between fighters after a good collision is such a palpable, legit sensation that it never got old so far - and won't ever will.

This is a review of the latest UFC event to date, UFC 100 - Making History.



Introductory thoughts about the more significant lineups

The night delivers three focal events, including two Championship collisions to make the event live up to its ambitious title. The Welterweight belt is on the line as UFC Welterweight Champion George St. Pierre defends his title against Thiago Alves, while UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar looks to avenge his only loss to date, a submission he suffered to Frank Mir back in UFC 81 Breaking Point.

George "Rush" St. Pierre seems to be a fighter of a league he is the only representative of, as his scientific approach to the game consorts with exceptional athleticism and inner discipline, while the Champion is widely recognized as one of the best wrestlers the sport have seen so far. GSP crushed the exceptionally gifted BJ Penn and have stated afterward that the training he went through was actually way more tougher than the fight itself was. Thiago "The Pitbull" Alves is next in line to resonate a Challenge towards the Champion. The talented, passionate Brazilian established himself as a force everyone in the division must reckon with, harvesting considerate attention via the crushing of UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes in UFC 85 Bedlam and the sound beating administered to Josh Koscheck in UFC 90 Cote VS Silva.

The Heavyweights surely will render a memorable night, as well. Though the UFC debut of Lesnar did not turn out the way he hoped it would, he defeated Randy Couture in UFC 91 Couture VS Lesnar and emerged as the current UFC Heavyweight Champion. Frank Mir is the number one contender for the belt, coming off a truly impressive victory over Minotauro Nogueira in UFC 92 - The Ultimate 2008. Will Mir be able to stop the Beast once again, or, will it be Lesnar to emerge triumphant and claim revenge?

A middleweight showdown between former two times Pride! Champion Dan Henderson and Michael "The Count" Bisping is also coming your way. Coaching the latest season of the Ultimate Fighter reality TV show to date, Bisping managed to form solid motivation in rival coach Dan Henderson, invoking intact desire in the crafty veteran to administer a lesson for the Brit which won't likely be forgotten soon. Granted that the knockout Henderson guarantees won't cause memory loss for the The Count. Bisping promises a knockout, as well, stating that if Henderson has half a brain cell, - which, according to the Brit, is debateful - then he will come to the fight with the toughest traing regime behind his back. Neither fighter have been knocked out- or been knocked down before, and both seem very determined to dismiss this fact thoroughly.

Yoshihiro Akiyama VS Alan Belcher

Though Akiyama is a brand new face in the UFC, he is a crafty veteran of the sport who enjoys absolute superstardom in Japan. Akiyama, as a true icon in his home country, decided that he wants to measure himself up to fighters representing the most prestigious mma organization. Taking on Alan Belcher is a superb test to determine how the debutant's game relates to the general pace and style cultivated in the Octagon.

Akiyama looks pretty good in the first round, showcasing exceptional speed and a readiness to initiate. Belcher does a nice job evading the accurate assaults, delivering counter maneuvers effective enough to balance the match out again, as Akiyama shows no fear of being the aggressor. The American delivers an inadvertent kick to lower quarters, which, following a short recovery, is answered by the Japanese via a couple of effective connections.

Belcher delivers a chin shot to send the debutant to the canvas, yet Akiyama is back on his feet in a second, inviting the American to the clinch. The Japanese shines more while they are separating. Being aware of this, Belcher turns the heat on, goes for some risky attacks, including a kick, by which he finds his leg getting caught. The consecutive strike to the head by the Japanese, albeit not too powerful, proves to be enough to send the American to the ground via sheer momentum. Akiyama has the opportunity to administer a short sequence of ground and pound with mild efficiency, then the opening round comes to its conclusion.

In the second round, Akiyama quickly takes the fight to the ground and is able to hold the opposition on canvas height, yet he fails to deliver relevant damage or submission attempts. Belcher is able to escape from the ground while there are two minutes remaining from the round. These two minutes do see two warriors whom have little if any intentions to explode. The period comes to its end via a balanced stand up sequence characterized by a steadily average excitement factor, though Belcher is able to land some solid leg kicks on the Japanese icon during the last seconds of this period.

The match goes into the third and final round. Akiyama and Belcher are still hanging in there. The Japanese has a takedown he can not administer further damage from, while Belcher keeps punishing the left leg and goes away as the fighter who have dealt the more of the damage once the exchanges are over. The American even performs a quite impressive superman punch, bouncing off the fence and connecting, right during Akiyama is busy taunting his rival. Watch the replay though: it seems like Akiyama lets himself get hit deliberately. It seems to me like a gesture, stating: "come on, hit me, let the audience see how I take the best shot you have to offer." Belcher's unorthodox preparation for the move - the way he gains momentum via pushing himself up against the fence and sling-shooting himself from it - seems to solidify the legitimacy of this notion even further.

Approaching the conclusion of the round, the Japanese's left eye swells up to the point from which his vision probably is obstructed, yet he remains able to evade Belcher's attacks of finishing potentiality, including a devastating head kick attempt that fails to connect. The judges, much surprisingly, render their split decision in favor of the debutant, Yoshihiro Akiyama.

Dan Henderson VS Michael Bisping

Neither Henderson nor Bisping were knocked out before in their respective mma careers, yet both fighters do promise that they will introduce this kind of state for the other one. The first round - quite staggeringly - starts off with a standup period in which Henderson maintains initiative and efficiency. A short exchange in the clinch at the fence then occurs, yet it spots Bisping a man on whose body vicious knees are landing upon - thus the Brit does his best to escape, which seems acceptable by the American, as he himself is going for the KO. Surprisingly, Bisping goes for a takedown attempt at the end of the first round, but finds no opening at all to command the former Olympic wrestler to the canvas.

During the break, Bisping's corner warns the Brit that he happens to circle towards the right hand of Dan Henderson and he should definitely avoid doing so in the second round. The period in question greets two, seemingly patient warriors, yet it is hard to miss how Henderson charges his right hand, waiting to unleash one of the tremendous bombs that particular limb is deservedly notorious of. Though Bisping's defensive game seems sound in the second round of the fight, he has a hard time offering significant resistance to Henderson once the former two times Pride! Champion executes his actions of persistent initiative.

Then the American suddenly switches the gears up and keeps stalking the Brit with even more persistence, landing some precise shots to force Bisping either into a risky offense, or, into a focused defense which he could look an opening from to counter outward. All these developments, one might assume, cause Bisping to fight instinctively, since he starts to move to the left while being harassed by Henderson, despite the clear instruction from his corner that it is something that he should not do against the American.

Then, at one curious moment - Henderson steps into the position to land his bomb like there would be no power in the Universe that would want to pose an obstacle for that particular strike. And there is none, indeed. Not today. Dan Henderson lands his famous right hand bomb right on the chin of Michael Bisping. Though the Brit goes out could, Henderson moves in for the safety punch, - good measure punch, as Joe Rogan states during the replay - connecting on the grounded Bisping via converting his whole body weight into a strike of precision, radical beauty and ruthless efficiency. Henderson states in the post fight interview that he is not usually like this, but he wanted to shut Bisping up for some extre period of time - and he pulled this off masterfully today. Bisping fortunately regains his composure after a while, though he has no idea of what happened. An excellent performance from Henderson and there is chance that Bisping will come back as a better fighter, now having knowledge of defeat, which often is a more influential factor to shape a warrior than a win streak.

George St. Pierre VS Thiago Alves

The story of this Championship collision is largely centered around GSP's ability to take Thiago Alves down anytime the belt defender spots possibility and summons the related determination to wage the war on the canvas. Though the Challenger deserves massive credit for delivering a solid defensive performance against GSP for five five minutes round, the Champion's versatility and precision clearly outclasses the tool set The Pitbull have brought to the Octagon today. The fact that GSP have taken down Alves nine times, shows that the Champion had more to offer in all areas of the game. In order to be able to execute a consecutive takedown after a takedown that already have happened, one must be able to close the distance once again, let alone performing the takedown itself. This clearly shows that Alves could not offer maneuvers to surprise St. Pierre, in fact, the Champion remains equal threat in the standup, landing his trademark combination snippets that do connect both on the lower- and upper sections of the opposition. St. Pierre of course forms elegant advantage of his ability of taking Alves down, delivering effective punishment each time he commands the Challenger to the canvas. Though GSP's vicious ground and pound sequences do deal a solid amount of damage, credit is due to Alves for being able to keep up with the pace, enduring what gradually becomes a fight for survival with a composure kept relatively intact after the meeting.

The fight is an evident testament of St. Pierre's ever-improving skillset, those that already do seem to be over-the-top, as it is safe to say that Alves, whom GSP considers the toughest challenge he have faced so far, virtually could not offer any relevant threats during these five Championship rounds. Unfortunately, in the third round, GPS have suffered an injury and still he was able to command the game until the match have came to its conclusion. A conclusion which invites one to wonder: who shall be the next in line to challenge this truly exceptional, analytical and remarkably disciplined warrior? As of today: UFC Welterweight Champion George "Rush" St. Pierre has only one true rival in the UFC's Welterweight Division: himself.

Brock Lesnar VS Frank Mir

Though Frank Mir is in the best shape you have seen him in so far, Brock Lesnar quickly muscles the former Champion to the canvas and administers a massive dose of ground and pound through openings Mir is unable to cover with the immensely proportioned UFC Heavyweight Champion on top of him. The first round leaves Mir with a battered face which he puts a smile on going into the second, yet Lesnar shortly emerges as being unstoppable today, getting on top of Mir again, landing shots with such speed and impact that they could very well produce escape velocity if they were powering a rocket.

Referee Herb Dean wisely puts an end to the contest, seeing that today Mir has no chance of turning this around. Brock Lesnar retains his title, having his only loss thoroughly, convincingly avenged. The Champion decides not to get rid of the evidently intense emotions that motivated him during the training sessions and through the collision, thus Lesnar harvests pronounced despise from the audience which he seemingly could not care less about. Brutal dominance by the Champion, crushing Frank Mir via the sheer, ruthless utilization of the improbable anatomic proportions Lesnar commands with staggering swiftness and astounding efficiency.

UFC 100 - Making History was a great event. Thank you for reading this review of it and see you next time.

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UFC 97 Redemption Review

A review of the mma event UFC 97 Redemption.


Anderson Silva Dominates Thales Leites in Tactical Battle

UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva emerges triumphant after his title defense against Thales Leites. It is the first time Silva had to go for the distance in the octagon, keeping the opposition under stiff control, suffering virtually no damage during the 25 minutes the collision lasted for. Many have criticized Anderson Silva's performance in UFC 90, when he could not showcase his arsenal due to a spontaneous knee injury suffered by his then-opponent, Patrick Cote. Though Silva finishes his rivals once he spots openings he can capitalize on, he refrains from taking evident risks just to please the audience. His performance today remains sober and relatively playful at the same time, as he is ready to outclass Leites in every aspects of the game, yet wisely avoids reckless attacks to give the experienced ground warrior opportunities to take the fight to low quarters, where the challenger possesses world-class level Jiu-Jitsu. The Main Event of the evening delivers a satisfactory tactical battle in which Silva reigns dominant in every round, yet the Champion is likely to face harsh criticism once again for not being as aggressive tonight as the Anderson Silva who stopped all opposition before the third round.

The Old Shogun Demolishes the Legend

UFC 97 Redemption marks the end of an era, as it is more than likely that Chuck „The Iceman" Liddell, one of the most dominant light heavyweights of mixed martial arts, will retire from professional level competition. Mauricio „Shogun" Rua was the most significant force in the Pride! days, but his UFC career did not turn out the way fans anticipated it to. Following two major knee reconstructions, Rua had a hard time to gain back his conditioning, resulting in an embarrassing performance against long time rival, 45 years old Mark Coleman. Liddell had a harsh period, as well, having four of his last five fights lost. The co-main event of the evening delivers a Shogun who seems to possess solid conditioning and a firm gameplan, landing efficient leg kicks on The Iceman who finds himself caught by a left hook that sends him to the canvas in the first round. Though Liddell tries to regain his composure, Rua is all over him and bangs out the TKO victory on the Legend.

Soszynski's Kimura vs Stann

Ultimate Fighter TV Show participant, nevertheless experienced MMA veteran Krysztof Soszynski utilizes his favorite kimura submission to greet Brian Stann in the UFC the bitter way. Soszynski takes the fight to the ground easily, completing his favorite kimura submission right after a near-successful first attempt.

Kongo Crushes Hardonk

Dutch sensation Antoni Hardonk is famous of having the most devastating leg kicks of present days mixed martial arts, it is of no surprise that French Colossus Cheick Kongo chooses to close the distance as soon as possible. Hardonk is willing to go to close quarters. While Kongo had major difficulties on the ground at the beginning of his MMA career, he seems to be more and more comfortable on the canvas. In the second round he is able to send Hardonk to the ground, where he punches out a stoppage on the Dutch with a rain of solid hammerfists.

Cane Greets Cantwell with Superior Power

Luiz Arthur Cane meets former WEC Lightweight Champion Steve Cantwell in an intense kickboxing battle. Cantwell has constant difficulty finding his range, harvesting moderate success in the second round of the bout. Cane though maintains the role of efficient aggressor throughout the remaining segments of the meeting, landing the more powerful attacks on the opposition. A decision win goes to Cane.

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The Wrestler

Challenging Time Again





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Darren Aronofsky's latest installment, The Wrestler inspects human body and inherent spirit. Once you are in the wrestling show business where all focal attractions do demand a body of granite and a soul of masterfully mimicked super-dominance, then you and all your Fans know that your body can't quit on you. That it truly NEVER will. You are not a mortal, rather a super-product, a mythical phenom, a Demigod. Did you believe that? According to popular belief, even better/worse, experience: every body quits. That's why everybody quits. Uhm. It is a question of when, not a question of if. According to our current knowledge, at least.

Sci-fi author Stanislaw Lem concludes that not knowing the exact date by which a body quits on a mortal - makes the mortal an immortal. Cool design huh? Darren Aronofsky, on the other hand, decides to tell a tale using delicate Cronenbergian tones, though metaphor decides to bite this time, as opposed of whispering silhouettes of subtle thoughts into your masterfully sized ears.


The name of the game is rather straightforward here: this is good, old fashioned, raw cinematic narration without all the detail work Aronofsky is fond of using. Not this time though: the rawness of the environment - inner/spiritual and outer environment - this story unfolds in demands to place you in a position in which you could scientifically relate to the imminent/evident stench of colliding male bodies. The bodies that are criticized by many, having no clue with two lost holes in it about how demanding it is to do what these entertainers are doing. And there is no proper place and proper time to rest, either. The next match is always coming up, regardless how well the wrestler performed a couple of weeks ago. The protagonist of the story is in a constant escape. He escapes from a painfully blank, solitary reality on a match-to-match basis, exhibiting his run in front of the Fans, FOR the Fans. There is no quitting for the spirit, there is no quitting for the body, neither.

Mickey Rourke's portrayal of '80's Wrestling Phenom Randy "The Ram" Robinson is as close to flawless as you will ever care wishing for. This is a hardened, still-muscular, wrinkly soul in a hardened, still-muscular, wrinkly body. Body though ages, and the soul may remain playful. So eager to deliver. So ready to please the grateful Fans or to fuel the passion of everyday average haters. Does not matter.

What matters is: to be reacted to. Being reacted to is what defines a Star. Once reaction time is over: Stardom is over. When you finally check on your watch though to see if time indeed have passed you by, then there is the painfully blatant potentiality of a possible realization - shocking you to the very core, needles to say - that it just: had, indeed.

The film delivers solid humane drama as you witness a Randy Robinson who has absolutely NO ONE and NOTHING in his life. No one and nothing except the Fans, whom are distant admirers of a distant, pretty much mythological figure. They have zero relation towards- and interest in Randolph Robinson. A Superstar Wrestler is not a human, oh, come on, did you truly believe that they are? No. They indeed pack considerate charisma and consorting, absolutely amazing human autonomy, each blown deliberately to Larger Than Life, even Larger Than You Could Imagine size.

The point comes when Rourke's character has to face with the fact that his Over The Top Persona is no longer sustainable by the body his spirit is occupying. A spirit that is forced to be restless, a spirit that always have been forced to be restless, so it could generate profit in a ring that dictates rules by the amount of pain one signs on for. The film reveals necessary ignorance towards what the body would recognize as a comfortable pace, as result of the constant necessity to perform. The necessity to deny the – check this - reality of reality. Because only the Fans do represent the aspect of reality that the Wrestler lives and performs for.

What fuels this inner stance is the constant urge, even need, to force the body to function as that of a Superhuman. Rourke's character challenges Time, telling the Ultimate Conqueror that he is still capable of doing what he could do in prime times. Time accepts the challenge.

As mentioned, The Wrestler is solid drama. Raw and honest drama. The best aspect of the installment is that it remains entirely truthful to its main agenda of keeping these admirable qualities intact, non-tinkered with. The Ram's extremely scarce interpersonal relationships are portrayed precisely. A disappointed daughter is delivered as an acceptable aspect, yet, the relationship between Rourke's character and a prostitute acquaintance tells even more about the Ram. There is a scene in which the protagonist has absolutely no one to turn to, so he chooses to express his doubts and feelings towards his prostitute acquaintance. The woman's reaction is a perfect representation of how Rourke's character is situated in this world.

Aronofsky's newest delivery to date does not want you to drop your jaw in amazement, neither it wants to pick it up and put it in places a decent girl never even heard of. Instead, this motion picture delivers a thorough portrayal of a human state of saddening solitary and remembered, dim fame. The Ram remains a Fighter, nevertheless. A Fighter who has Faith, a Faith that remains Indestructible. You know what Faith is? It is the thing you lose if you did not even have it.

The Ram remembers joy, and there is nothing more sour than but the remembrance of joy. This particular remembrance comes to the protagonist as a persistent shadow, leaving us to wonder if is it but the shadow, or is it the tired flesh that tells us more honestly about who the Wrestler really is. A dim fame may always come back to haunt you in its full glory, once you start to long for it for the sufficient time and with the sufficient passion. The question is, which The Ram has to face with, as well: is it advisable to desire that fame again, or is it more fruity to let it go?

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Taken

Who's Your Daddy?



In Taken, Liam Neeson gives you a former superspy who now faces very mundane issues. These are common, nevertheless quite warm and quite pressing questions like coming up with the right birthday present for her late adolescent daughter.

The superspy's family is split by the time we join in, Neeson's figure gets thoroughly embarrassed when the stepfather delivers his very robust and very alive gift to the girl. Now shame on you if you got the wrong idea.

The daughter shortly will approach his father with a request to let her leave the country for a while. Though Neeson is hesitant at first, - this is everyday average superspy functionality, a so called: "Factory Default" - he finally agrees. Her daughter shortly will be Taken - hence the title, I suspect scientifically - by remarkably bad Albanian people, but Neeson gets enough information from his daughter in those very crucial moments to start his own crusade for the beloved kidnapped.


Liam Neeson looks and feels highly credible in this acceptable spy flick, though it is more precise to regard the installment as an average action film with a lot of similar fights and a lot of similar facial expressions in it. Perplexedly, the spy characteristics of the film come from nowhere except Neeson's raw elegance and consorting charisma, if the movie would lack his presence, then the results surely would be remarkably shallow and utterly predictable. Though the case remains similar nevertheless, Taken at least tries to look for openings to make the narrative more interesting, and even manages to find some extra moments of bitterly sought novelty shocks along the way.



The main problem with Taken is - if this is a problem at all - that it satisfies happily with the uninventive action directions concerning flashy car chases and profound strikes to the face performed by skillful hands and bathroom sinks in rapid succession. Thank God it is not the same face all the time. One might seem to molest the depths of an amazingly deep ineptitude if to blame an action flick for delivering action.

The drawback of this style of narrative though is that you know you are free to steal a glance at your watch, - if you do have one, I never had - because Liam will kick all hostile butts and will have the woman in the end, too. OK, will have his daughter. From this point on, it is the redefinition of action is the least I would anticipate from such a classic recipe, but that, Taken does not deliver.



- Hey, it's SHANNON from LOST! You may want to reconsider saving her ass.
- Oh My God! YOU ARE SO RIGHT!!

At the end of the day, this film behaves more predictably as it approaches its own focal points in the narrative, but this is - sadly - normal behavior from present day action flicks. Initially, Taken is a film of solid acting and sane conflicts - from a narrative point of view - between its characters, but quickly will unfold to Luc Besson style car chase action, once the central conflict is introduced. I wouldn't call it a bad movie, though. I would call it a movie which Liam Neeson skillfully saves from being bad.



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Stalker

In Beautiful Dirt They Pay

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Arkadi and Borislav Trugatsky wrote the novel Roadside Picnic in 1971, a fiction released to the public by the very next year. A work sewn of subtle inventiveness to confront quite substantial indications of an alien intelligence with the political-, and even spiritual considerations human society and individual must face with in spite of such an encounter. In Roadside Picnic, the aliens use Earth to get rid of certain stuff they prefer to keep elsewhere than their immediate surroundings, yet these packages have the trait of dramatically affecting the regions they land on. It is not sure nor it seems particularly important if these objects and apparitions are solely alien garbage-elements or items that were of effective use for their originators at some time - the fact of the matter is that all seem to manipulate the behavior of earthy reality itself in a certain vicinity. These vicinities are referred to as Zones. Each Artifact the aliens have left behind - creates such a Zone.

These regions necessarily get under political-, and finally, under military control, making them forbidden territories that are very hard to enter, but even more hard to leave from. Places known to, or at the very least: rumored to possess both the gravest of dangers and the most precious of treasures. As such, illegal trespassers are to emerge shortly, risking both their sanity and their lives either for loot, or for those more delicate findings the Zone is rumored to possess.

These scavenger individuals are called Stalkers. Scouts with knowledge about the Zone they are resident around. Science, of course, is massively interested in gaining relevant information about the Zones, being constantly baffled both by its findings and via the realization of its current incapacity to properly account the results and phenomenons it encounters.

Notice how this 1971 work of the Trugatsky brothers sketched out the fictional outlines of an eerie, yet evidently unconscious prediction of future real life events that occurred in 1986. Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, surrounding area: a region which is almost completely vacant, giving place to the two ghost cities of Prypiat and Chernobyl. The Zone that does exist in reality. The Zone that came to existence seven years after Andrei Tarkovski delivered his motion picture variant on the related textual fiction-originator by the Trugatsky siblings.

Tarkovski regards time as the most important tool a director has, pointing out that every single frame of a motion picture has an inherent time in it, a period the given frame or sequence of frames is worth showing for.

Time is both fond and abundant here, as it has a whole micro-world to showcase. The Zone is the place which houses the demons you create for yourself. Understands what you anticipate from it and acts accordingly.



You possess constant capacity to alter the way you perceive reality around you, and the Zone is the place that invites you to seek out the truth of this very notion. The Zone will serve your anticipations, punishing you if you feel deserved to be punished, or grant the most secretive wish of your soul if you sincerely feel you could get away with the inherent fruit or the inherent burden of that desire more deservedly.



- Aren't you afraid the bus will EXPLODE??
- I'm afraid it WON'T!

The roamers of the Stalker universe are usually either the most desperate or the most reckless individuals, yet, there is a very thin line separating these rigid, nevertheless playful categories. As the Stalker states: the Zone seems not to be too fond of "good" people, or "bad" people. It is more fond of "hopelessness".

What is hope? Hope is fragile conviction, but the promise of conviction and the promise of potentiality - waiting to have the chance of claiming a slice of reality to finally manifest in.

Once someone remains free of hopes that one's negative or positive preconceptions have strong enough of a validity/warranty to unravel unto consensus reality, - necessarily bestowing an influence on the fabric of things, - then the Zone is likely to be fond of that visitor.

Concepts are formed to give the inventor of the concept a more comfortable way to approach and perceive reality, yet, imposing the concept necessarily constrains reality and may prove to be a hindrance rather than benefit once the ultimate source of the perceived is scrutinized. By accepting- and worshiping certain beliefs, one methodically narrows oneself to observe reality with all kinds of boundaries mounted on the apparatus one commands. Believing is: expecting.

The Zone does not want to be expected.

The Zone demands that you throw your expectations and consorting hopes away, thus, similarly demanding that you exhibit the non-compromised capacity to be utterly surprised- and accept whatever events, apparitions or experiences the Zone chooses to cross you with. This is the place that demands you to RELEASE whatever you believed to be proper, and true. More strictly: it demands you to release yourself from yourself. Once you antagonize the Zone's demands, cheap kind of death is imminent - this is a quite faulty decision from the authors. It could have been more fun if the Zone would choose to release the ones freely if they prove to be incapable of releasing themselves. A life stained by the inner experience of not being able to throw away what is - probably falsely - believed to be the limit, is a much more miserable burden than the embrace of lazy, fat death is.

Stalker delivers you a Writer and a Professor, both having a profane crisis in their lives. Not the same crisis, though. It is like - they are having their respective crisis. They hope - heh! - that the Zone will yield them some answers on how to proceed with their earthy existences.



Stalker's dialog is packed with delicate spiritual material - sorry about that - to sink your grateful astral teeth into. The conceptualization of music: who, or what, and how recognizes the harmony of music, and why, and how does it induce pleasant vibes in you? What is the "you" that recognizes the pleasant vibe? Stalker states that Power and Hardness are companions of Death, while Weakness and Flexibility are the companions of Life. This observation recognizes Power and Hardness as unavoidable conclusions/possessions one could end up at/with, as one reaches Power and Hardness by determining what is beneficial and what is not for one, if one is to attain these traits. Thus one who is Hard and Powerful inevitably denied and/or threw elements of consensus away, thereby limiting oneself. Funnily enough, being Powerful and Hard are two limits right away, aren't they?

addendum: after completing this review, I discovered at the 15th of March, 2008 that Tarkovski was fond of Chinese wisdom by the Stalker days. The sacred Chinese text Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Pass 76 translates to this:

Man at his birth is supple and weak; at his death, firm and
strong. (So it is with) all things. Trees and plants, in their early
growth, are soft and brittle; at their death, dry and withered.

Thus it is that firmness and strength are the concomitants of
death; softness and weakness, the concomitants of life.

Hence he who (relies on) the strength of his forces does not
conquer; and a tree which is strong will fill the out-stretched arms,
(and thereby invites the feller.)

Therefore the place of what is firm and strong is below, and that
of what is soft and weak is above.

Tarkovski implemented the message pretty much on a word-by-word basis, so it is absolutely acceptable, yet the act certainly may inspire you to read the rest of the entries as well. Here is the link in case you are interested:

Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu

Tarkovski could not ever be bothered to deliver a motion picture output shorter and smaller than monstrous length and proportions, Stalker, fortunately, is no exception. A highly welcomed circumstance, as you can not have too much of a good thing, do not believe the hype.



- GOD, what HAPPENED to you!
- Huh? I'm around, I'm around.

Tarkovski recognizes the beauty of mud and dirt, or, to approach this seemingly controversial statement differently: this director shows you dirt, territorial neglect in such a calm, sober way that it becomes a thorough documentary of a place that has a blatantly powerful atmosphere to it. Beauty becomes neglect, neglect becomes beauty. The only thing that is really happening is that the Zone's blatantly powerful atmosphere gets recognized- and precisely presented to you. Tarkovski moves in this environment with the pace quite similar and harmonious to the mere rhythm of the region itself, including the strait, demanding lifestyle characterizing the surrounding settlements visitors are coming from.



Who is the Stalker here?

Stalker delivers quality character development. The Writer, offered by Anatoli Solonitsyn and The Scientist played by Nikolai Grinko are both doing a solid job of voicing a cleverly doubtful, and, oftentimes profoundly cynical intellectual and emotional stance towards existence in general, though all three men - Stalker: Aleksandr Kaidanovsky - have their own, quite cautious conceptualizations of the events that are likely to unfold and are worth preparing for on the road leading to the Goal.

There IS a Goal, indeed. A Room. More precisely: The Room. This is the place which fulfills desires, once reached. The two men will challenge each other, will even challenge the Stalker, forcing each one of the adventurers to express-, and to defend their respective attitudes/approaches they "hope" to cope with- AND within the Zone.

The Scientist reveals means he might be able to eradicate the whole Zone by. The Stalker gets frightened of this development - he wants to get a hold of the nuclear bomb the Scientist carries, - sorry for spoiling your enjoyment by the way - yet the Writer decides to defend the Professor instead of helping the Stalker to acquire the bomb. Why does he commit this? This is a very interesting question, which yields an even more interesting answer.



He probably does this because he believes that each one of them is entitled to have their very own agendas and attitudes represented in the Zone. Even a radical plan. All plans, all agendas the Zone is ready to give a place to. None of them should attempt to destroy-, or to question the legitimacy of any other attitudes or approaches. Only the Zone should judge, no man should. The Stalker wants to get hold of the bomb, so the place which is more important to him than his life, should remain intact. He confesses quite convincingly how he keeps everything of personal, intrinsic value here, a train of thought upon which he gets accused of pretending to be a God, a decision maker of who shall die and who shall live on this hectic territory, that which for he cultivates sentiments sewn of deluded selfishness.

By resonating the will to take the bomb away, the Stalker indeed exhibits the arrogant conviction that HIS faithfulness and personal attachment to the Zone should automatically "overwrite" the Professor's similarly legit conception and consorting plan of destroying the place. Loving and worshiping the Zone passionately - as the Stalker does - is a legit stance, but wanting to destroy it, IS a legit stance, as well. Denying the "right", the "spiritual right" to represent an agenda: is unacceptable. Either way, no Zone visitor is in the position to rightfully claim ultimate, superior legitimacy for her/his point of view, and for her/his agenda. The Professor actually has the legitimacy to blow the place apart, as much as the Stalker has the legitimacy to worship the Zone. The Professor can't neglect or destroy the Stalker's spiritual right to worship the Zone, but the Stalker can't take the bomb away from the Professor, thereby negating the spiritual right of wanting to destroy the Zone, either.



Stalker is a deeply spiritual output which plays on extremely atmospheric, high frequency registers when sensory assault is concerned, and it is concerned quite intensely in this here hypnotic effort. There is no pause, and here is why: the whole movie is a morose, prolonged pause. A moment to take a thorough look at the reflections this special Zone projects on the protagonists and on their respective agendas, also a moment to let you think if you would consider yourself prepared enough to enter this vibrant, capricious territory.



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