Do the right thing (Fight the power)

Twenty years ago, 'Do the right thing' was released, a film that focuses on racial tensions within a block of Brooklyn.

Today, if you ask someone about a film which tackles such a subject, they'll probably mention Paul Haggis's Oscar winning Crash, a propagandist tale about race relations in LA.

Mr Lee pointed out in his BFI independent interview (21/09/09@NFT), that the film was inspired by New York at the time, which doesn't in that form today. However, the issues still remain in our world and still to Mr Lee today, a black film director, working in America.

A trademark director, with his direct monologues, conveyor belt tracks and introductions to a Spike Lee joint.

Whilst 'Do the right thing' must not be confused as a film that's saying 'you're racist', it is talking about one's fear of the opposite race, love for peace within humanity and the hatred of the truth.

In one scene, Mookie, played by Spike Lee, asks Pino, whom his favourite basketball player, actor and singer are, who all turn out to be black people. Pino, a man living in shame from his friends mocking, in fear of the black men in the neighbourhood and using racism as a shield, can't justify his answer except by only saying 'it's different.'

This interview, was one of the greatest live interviews I have ever seen with a filmmaker, of how, like Spike Lee's skin colour, racial tensions within humans, will sadly never change.

Do the right thing, ends with two quotes, one by Maritn Luther King and Malcolm X. I shall end this entry, same as the film.


Violence as a way of achieving racial justice is both impractical and immoral. It is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all. The old law of an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding; it seeks to annihilate rather than to convert. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love. It destroys a community and makes brotherhood impossible. It leaves society in monologue rather than dialogue. Violence ends by defeating itself. It creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers.
- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.


I think there are plenty of good people in America, but there are also plenty of bad people in America and the bad ones are the ones who seem to have all the power and be in these positions to block things that you and I need. Because this is the situation, you and I have to preserve the right to do what is necessary to bring an end to that situation, and it doesn't mean that I advocate violence, but at the same time I am not against using violence in self-defense. I don't even call it violence when it's self-defense, I call it intelligence.
- Malcolm X

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/oct/16/spikelee-race

Way down in the hole (The Wire: Part two 4-5)

I've never seen anything like it. Just when you think you know what to expect, 'the wire' takes it and slams it upside down in your face.

No establishing shots, until the very end. No montages, until the very end. No satisfaction of letting its guard down, to finally give the audience what it wants, what all TV shows give audiences, until the very end. 'The wire' never gives the audience what it wants.

Unlike most TV shows, screen time is usually equal amongst cast members. In 'the wire', some characters may pop up for a second, disappear entirely for a season or even skip a couple of seasons and then pop their head in suddenly just to say hello.

Intelligent right through to the end, demanding the attention of the viewer and challenging them at every word spoken and shot taken. With each season, capturing not only the world of Baltimore, but also the world we are living in today.

One the best pieces of TV, I have ever seen, and demands a second viewing and maybe more.

'you happy now bitch?'

I certainly am.

The wire continues.

The meaningless-X factor

With the new series of the X factor starting today, its stands a good chance of nominating viewers, newspapers and conversations over the next few months until christmas, where the winner will probably once again grab the christmas number one spot.

As the judges make their comments, the contestants cry and pray to get through each round and the great British public watch in laughter and excitement, an important week in Afghanistan regarding it's future, still remains unannounced regarding it's winner in the election.

Whilst shows such as X-factor, Britain's got talent and American Idol were basically created by the mind of Simon Cowell, they only have one meaning in the place of the world and that is that without them, Afghan Star wouldn't exist.

Afghan Star, is essentially X-factor in Afghanistan. The only difference being and it's a massive one, is that whilst all Simon Cowell shows are about one person's dream to become rich and famous, (quinessentially, it's means nothing) Afghan Star is about the native people singing to escape from their reality, watching the show in an escape from the harsh realities of war, how even though it is a popular show, it is also a dangerous one, where singing is putting your life at risk, within a dictated and dominated country.

I would rather watch Afghan Star.

If you want to know more, follow this link to read more about the fascinating documentary http://www.afghanstardocumentary.com/watch_sm.html

Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

John Hughes defined a decade in the 80's, where no filmmaker since has been able to capture the role that is of a 'teenager.'

I think I saw 'the breakfast club' first, I had heard alot about it growing up and one night when it was on late on BBC1 in the early nineties, at around 11.25pm, I finally witnessed and understood a part of film culture I had never experienced before. The film had humour, reality, a philosophical and thought provoking style, a direct and honest approach, which I hugely enjoyed. 'Do I stutter???'

The film had a profound effect on me, these five characters each spoke to me in ways that any individual could understand, regardless of your nationality or where you were from. At one point in the film, Andy asks Alison 'is it bad? parents?' which I think out of context seems a little confusing if you haven't seen the film but that one line, shows how much John Hughes understood about the pressures of growing up and being a forever mirror to your parents. 'His name is Blane? Oh! That's a major appliance, that's not a name!'

Today, the teen-angst genre that Hughes defined in the eighties is today no more, dead. Filmmakers since have tried to capture it but have all failed due to a real lack of understanding it. One filmmaker that may come close is Richard Linklater, with films such as Dazed and Confused. 'It's better to swallow pride than blood.'

For anyone who has never seen a John Hughes film, take your pick, how about a teenger's frustration at her parents forgetting her birthday, whilst fancying the school prince and getting constantly hit on by the school geek. How about two guys wearing bras on their heads whilst creating the woman of their dreams. How about a day when life is deemed more important than the four walls of a school classroom. The frustrations of travelling, a Romeo and Juliet story with the rich and poor, a three way love triangle, the fun of having a house all to yourself or how individuals connect, despite their vast differences. 'You had to be big shots didn't you. You had to show off. When are you gonna learn that people will like you for who you are, not for what you can give them. Well, in your race for power and glory, you forgot one small detail.'

Today we have...'she's all that' and Freddie Prince Jr...I don't think so! What the teenage world of today don't understand, unless they've seen John Hughes films, is that he created, shaped and defined the teen angst genre, it dies with him. The end.

Maybe I haven't been clear enough...in fact, I made a mistake, John Hughes didn't define a decade, he defined a generation.

"Many filmmakers portray teenagers as immoral and ignorant, with pursuits that are pretty base," Hughes told the Chicago Tribune newspaper in 1985. "They seem to think that teenagers aren't very bright. But I haven't found that to be the case. I listen to kids. I respect them. I don't discount anything they have to say just because they're only 16 years old."

R.I.P. John Hughes

The Wire: Part one - Season 1-3

For a few years now, the wire has been heard nibbling about the circuit, being spoken about, discussed, and eventually shown on TV and watched on DVD. I knew the day would eventually come for me to finally watch one of the most critically acclaimed tv shows of all time and wonder what is it was about it, that it earned this now classic status.

At first, I found it to be a complete drag, every hourly episode seemd to drag on and on. I said to myself, it's not my fault, it's BBC2 showing five episodes a week, at around 11.20pm every night. But eventually I chose it as a drag but kept watching...

As Season 2 began a few weeks later, with a more reasonable amount of three episodes a week at still the same silly late hour, to watch again, wasn't a question. The main reason being, I started so I'll finish and hopefully understand what it is about this programme that has made it such a hit! But there was another reason brewing inside of me, of why I was watching it, as I later found out.

Season 2 ended with me reasonably pleased and satified, I enjoyed it and was looking forward to season 3. During these times of season one and two, I was joking with a friend about 'looking forward to it ending' and 'what a drag it was.' As season three finally began, I finally realised..

Not only did I realise, I started to enjoy...but that's not even the point.

I realised that the wire, doesn't care what I, you, them, us, we, or anyone thinks, in fact, it's doesn't give a fuck, famously quoted by David Simon himself, the show's creator. This is a show depicting life in the city of Baltimore, from all angles, without any use of cliffhangers, musical crescendos or any other tv production device from the tv series we have loved over the years. It's aim is to be real through how people really talk, what they really do in their lives, and how they are all really connected, whether they're on the side of criminal or law.

And so, as the final three episodes air this week, of the third season, I'm really looking forward to it and look forward to seeing how the last two seasons play out for McNulty, Bunk, Stringer, Barksdale, Daniels, Bubbles, characters names that I have finally learnt because it ain't a drag no more. This is intelligent stuff and demands the viewers attention more than once.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/mar/27/david-simon-wire-newspapers

The wire doesn't care...and from this, viewers have fallen in love. Says alot about tv and the world. When people are faced with reality and bravery, they embrace it.

The wire continues...

Persepolis 3

http://www.spreadpersepolis.com/

Wimbledon 09: Murray

After missing a whole week and missing the chance to go down there to see some live tennis, (all for good reason, concerning the EIFF 09 :)) It has surely been quite a second week of British tennis.

In short, Andy Murray played an incredible set of matches through to the semi-final, where the other Andy, Roddick, played a better game on this particualr day and he deserves to go through, where he face Federer, a man trying to break all the records, and he could.

Of course, I would have loved Murray to go through, but I'm sure the man himself would agree that he was just that little more outplayed by Roddick. But Murray gave it his all and played wonderfully and I have no doubt, that he is going to go from strength to strength, until eventually being the first British player to win Wimbledon since 1936, in due course.

So for now, it's Roddick VS Federer...

New balls please...

EIFF 09 (an indescribable week of eclectic films, meeting people and parties!)

For your information...

Kabuliwallah http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049393/ a rare opportunity to see,

Nirjan Saikate http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0323414/ a pleasure to watch, a film to remember and hopefully to see again

Shallow Grave (New Print) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111149/ from the dark days of British filmmaking, now no more

Jerichow http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1224153/ it was a long day

Jermal http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1190073/ too much story, otherwise great stuff

Devi http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053765/ always a joy to watch a Ray film

Days and nights in the forest http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065417/ so much fun, amongst Ray's usual issues being discussed

Sharmila Tagore: in person http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0846616/ a gracious and beautiful woman, a pleasure to listen to, interview lead by the one and only Mark Cousins

Gulabi Talkies http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1437827/ an unsual and lingering film

Surrogate http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1407081/ a well made, interesting feature film running from just under an hour

Outrage http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1049400/ excellent documentary, which packs a powerful punch

Milk (Sut) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1284591/ not to my liking but striking in places

Meera Syal : skillset in person http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0842934/ 18 years ago we had Bhaji on the beach, today we have Slumdog millionaire. Funny, real, beautiful, Meera Syal has gone through the real age of an Asian's presence in British TV and film, playing on the stereotypes, making us laugh, whilst also addressing serious issues along the way. An inspiration.

Antichrist http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0870984/ one to see!!! striking photography, interesting subject matter and constructed film. Would love to see Willem Dafoe in an interview, what a career he's had!!

The masque of red death http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058333/ so engrossing!

black box shorts 1 : space and place. An engrossing bunch of experimental films.

Pontypool http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226681/ slow at first, weird and unsual, funny, interesting, hugely enjoyable!!! (come on sequel!!!)

Romeo and Juliet vs the living dead http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1344430/ not as clever as it should have been but still great fun

The wild angels http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061189/ where the biker genre started

Roger Corman: in person http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000339/ not as interesting as it should have been, but Roger is a lovely guy to listen to

black box shorts 3: Phenomena in flux. A second bunch of engrossing experimental films.

The Trip http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062395/ a real film, about a real person, made at a special time, incredible film, written by Jack Nicholson

Cinema extreme: shorts: One went too far, too were dull but aesthetically great and the last had something going on.

Moon http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1182345/ won the main prize, so should I say anything?

The st. valentine's day massacre http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062301/ not as interesting as his others films but still interesting in parts of filmmaking

Company limited http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067729/ one of the most incredible films I have ever seen!

Thank you EIFF, hope to see you next year :D

R.I.P. Michael Jackson

In this lifetime, nearly everyone has bought an album by Michael Jackson. Mine was Thriller and it was bought way back in the days of cassettes.

Influenced and captured by his energy, creativity, owning of the dance floor with his striking moves, incredible love for his fans and of course, his varied and wonderful thought provoking music through the years since his ABC's, Michael Jackson leaves us with a heavy collection of wonderful music to enjoy forever.

Being at a party in Edinburgh at the time, at a place called the caves, I was told the news by someone I had met during my week up there. Unless you hear it or visualise it for yourself, the process of accepting that it's true, is even slower.

As it eventually sunk in, me and some others who ventured out onto the dancefloor, could think of only doing one thing.

And so I approached the dj and asked him if he could play Michael Jackson music, at which point, we danced into the early hours, celebrating his music and honouring his fitting legacy to the music world, which we can thankfully, all enjoy forever.

Michael Jackson 1958-2009 R.I.P.

Kieslowski, quote 1

Kieslowski said the following in an interview:

It comes from a deep-rooted conviction that if there is anything worthwhile doing for the sake of culture, then it is touching on subject matters and situations which link people, and not those that divide people. There are too many things in the world which divide people, such as religion, politics, history, and nationalism. If culture is capable of anything, then it is finding that which unites us all. And there are so many things which unite people. It doesn't matter who you are or who I am, if your tooth aches or mine, it's still the same pain. Feelings are what link people together, because the word 'love' has the same meaning for everybody. Or 'fear', or 'suffering'. We all fear the same way and the same things. And we all love in the same way. That's why I tell about these things, because in all other things I immediately find division.

SK on KK

Stanley Kubrick wrote the foreword to Kieslowski & Piesiewicz, Decalogue: The Ten Commandments, London: Faber & Faber, 1991:
“
I am always reluctant to single out some particular feature of the work of a major filmmaker because it tends inevitably to simplify and reduce the work. But in this book of screenplays by Krzysztof Kieslowski and his co-author, Krzysztof Piesiewicz, it should not be out of place to observe that they have the very rare ability to dramatize their ideas rather than just talking about them. By making their points through the dramatic action of the story they gain the added power of allowing the audience to discover what's really going on rather than being told. They do this with such dazzling skill, you never see the ideas coming and don't realize until much later how profoundly they have reached your heart.

Stanley Kubrick January 1991 [1]

ER (1994-2009) R.I.P.

And in the end...as so rightly titled it was, ER waves goodbye after fifteen years, twenty-three emmy's, hundreds of patients, doctors and nurses flying in and out and plently of drama that has been at it's very best.

It all started with a dark room, with the words 'Dr Greene' being spoken by a nurse, and all ended with 'Dr. Greene, you coming?, asked by Dr Carter to Dr Greene's daughter, now pursuing a career in medicine, as Mark Greene was woken up to the drama and traumas of county general hospital back in 1994.

I grew up and throughly enjoyed ER since the beginning, when I was just twelve years old. As I went onto university, I missed a large chunk of seasons, (episodes I'm looking forward to watching in re-runs, as well as the whole 15 seasons again) After graduating and getting back to it, I was throughly impressed to find that the drama hadn't lost any of it original magic.

There are so many things one could say about ER, and I think with the following example of George Clooney return said it best. Free from ego, a gentle and calm entrance, in new scenes away from county general and with his name credit the same as it always was, with no reference to special guest star, the 'Old times' episode of ER, showed that ER always chose realist drama, as opposed to having Dr Ross come rushing through county general doors, ready to save a patient's life, whilst pretending his life hadn't moved anywhere when in fact, him and Carol had now a new life with two kids, working in a organ transplant hospital in Seattle.

Below, I have pasted the second part of Doug and Carol's scenes together, which I feel is one of the best last scenes of ER's final season, as Susan Sarandon's character is asked about her grandson, now braindead, and if he was a generous person, who would donate his organs if he could, is classic ER.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bvvca-HX2Bs&feature=related

ER was a show that inspired other TV shows, many of which are huge hits today. ER is from another time in TV, away from reality TV and grew older within this change.

To end, I would like to quote from a review that Stuart McGurk wrote a few weeks back...

'ER left us with a lot. It showed high-drama can mix with knockabout comedy, that you don't need to understand every sentence to know what's going on, and that TV can be just as visual and kinetic as film.'

R.I.P. ER, you were phenomenal

And in the end...

Taste of cherry

If you look at the four seasons, each season brings fruit. In summer, there's fruit, in autumn, too. Winter brings different fruit and spring, too. No mother can fill her fridge with such a variety of fruit for her children. No mother can do as much for her children as God does for His creatures. You want to refuse all that? You want to give it all up? You want to give up the taste of cherries?
Ta'm e guilass-Abbas Kiarostami

Four days

Bank-words-pens-plans-papers-no sleep-coffee-sugar-cake-delete-holiday weekend

Tony Hart Quote-An Inspiration

"I hope that by example, and by humour, children will start to make pictures for themselves. Show them, don't tell them!" Tony Hart

01.56, up late writing, irregular sleep pattern

One more thought,
leaves enough space for another,
the power and cruelty of the human mind,
has no compassion for any other

...

There's always another way

Poilane

I once met somebody who had brought a loaf of bread from Poilane, 46 Elizabeth Street, London, SW1W 9PA 020-7808-4910

http://www.poilane.fr/index.php?passer=1

The lady offered me a taste but I declined.

It looked incredible, anyone tried bread from there or indeed anything else?

Dream Diary 1-Krzysztof Piesiewicz

March 2009

I was at some sort of event, don't remember any other people there though, it was a large, spaced area. Krzysztof Piesiewicz was there, standing alone.

I wanted to ask him about Purgatory, the third and last in the trilogy, I was anxious, him being one of favourite screenwriters.

I managed to speak to him, he was pleasant, wanted to talk. I told him I liked Hope, Heaven, Hell, he was happy to hear that. I added that I thought these films were moralistic, he wasn't sure about this comment.

I told him, that he's from a good background, from previously being a lawyer to now a screenwriter, brings an incredible advantage to the stories he's written over the years.


"We touched everything. I was defending bandits and heroes and Kieslowski made fantastic documentaries, but he came to realize that they had barriers that didn't meet his artistic needs. You can't intervene with a camera into the intimate world of human beings. It's barbaric to try to enter, but you can with fiction. And I had similar problems in my work as a lawyer. I was not so much interested in what man had done, but why? What happens to a human being? What should we do with him? Why does a human suddenly become an animal?" - Krzysztof Piesiewicz

Andrei Tarkovsky quote 1

“Juxtaposing a person with an environment that is boundless, collating him with a countless number of people passing by close to him and far away, relating a person to the whole world, that is the meaning of cinema.” - Andrei Tarkovsky

1st

Nothing.