The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (remake)

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

For those of you who have read this blog before, you know that I am not fond of remakes. Now there are some exceptions. If I never saw the original or knew it was a remake at the time. If I see a remake and I find out later that was the case, I’m always interested in seeing the original to make a comparison.

Although the formula’s for film have been done. I just don’t understand why people don’t apply that and try to make something new as opposed to remaking something that is considered a classic. Whether cult or otherwise.

I wonder if anyone has ever thought of just redoing the soundtrack? I wonder what would Last House on the Left would be like if the music were changed? The remake was okay, but I think the original is interesting. Because its not dealing with monsters it makes it all the more scary.

Now on to our feature. The remake of TGWTDT stars Daniel Craig as Michel Bloomkvist and new comer Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Solander. In the original and this remake, the woman have made incredible transformations to bring Lisbeth to life. The book was an interesting read and every writer takes some creative license, they both hold up to the book. Although the story is told out of sequence on film. Other than the film being made in English, it’s pretty much the same film. Why not just do an English dub. This is the part that makes no sense. Make a prequel or create another sequel. Hollywood wants to make money, but it doesn’t always happen. Daniel Craig has had box office success as Bond, but that doesn’t mean it will carry over into his other films. There is something about him as Bond. In my opinion he is the most masculine of all of the bonds. He’s not a pretty boy, but he does have those piercing blue eyes.
There is definitely a screen presence to Daniel Craig and he brings that to TGWTDT. If you don’t like reading subtitles, and you’re a fan of Daniel Craig, then you’ll enjoy The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

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Coming up: Shutter Island, I Love You Phillip Morris, Kansas, The Blob, Seven,

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Coming up: Dallas (the original television series), American Psycho, Stop Loss, Dream Boy, Death Sentence, www.artbydlonzo.blogspot.com

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Happy Halloween

 From New Orleans' City Park, 2010.

     October is usually the month that I watch all of my horror films, but this year I did a Friday the 13th marathon on Friday the 13th and I watched the Scream movies when I thought I was going to go and see Scream 4. I’ve also gotten back into watching TV so that only leaves Friday nights and Saturdays for movies after I’ve taken care of everything thing else. So far I’ve watched Hollow Man, The remake of Last House on the Left, The remake of Friday the 13th, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hell Night and The Exorcist. I’ve only seen the Exorcist three times in my life and when I tried to read the book I could not do it. I always watch Halloween on Halloween night so I look forward to that. This weekend I’m not sure what I’ll watch, but I’ll find something I haven’t seen. I’ve been thinking about Rosemary’s Baby and Night of the Living Dead. Perhaps I’ll do a Candy Man marathon. The movies aren’t that great, but I have a personal connection with Candy Man II since I was on the set for the filming.

I decided to watch Secret Window which is an interesting film. It’s more suspense then horror. Horror films deal with monsters and suspense films deal more with gory killings.
I watched Psycho IV which is the prequel to the Psycho franchise it stars Anthony Perkins, CCH Pounder and Henry Thomas in the role of Norman Bates as a teenager. Although Anthony Perkins made many films, he’ll always be known for his role as Norman Bates.

I’ve watched Dawn of the Dead, The Thing, The original Friday the 13th and Sister, Sister.
I think we all like being scared and we react differently. People talk back to the screen or laugh to deal with their fears. There are a lot of horror films I’ve never seen and I probably won’t see them unless someone has them in their collection. I’ve never seen any of the Saw films or the Paranormal films. I’m not a big fan of remakes, but there are some that really did a good job in giving the story new life.

As I get older films that used to make me jump don’t have that effect anymore. I guess it also has to do with me being able to write my own suspenseful stories.

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Coming up: Shutter Island, I Love You Phillip Morris, Kansas, The Blob, Seven,

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2 Days In Paris

A friend that I met at SIFF many years ago, sent me some films from his collection that he decided he would no longer watch. It’s no secret that I love movies. I have an extensive collection. I use to watch 3 to 4 movies a day depending on my schedule. The collection has grown as others began contributing and video stores going out of business.

Now back to the feature. 2 Days In Paris stars Julie Delpi and Adam Goldberg. The film is in English and in French and it is one of the funniest films I’ve ever seen in a long time.
Since I’ve never been to Paris (which is on my list) I can’t say if French people actually behave in this manner., but its hilarious. The film follows a couple for 2 Days in Paris as the audience devolves deep into their relationship. We, the audience become the voyeurs as we discover right along with the characters about their dysfunctional relationship.

At times your wondering if the female characters is mentally unstable. We go back into her past throughout the film so that we get an understanding of how personality evolved.
Being an artist that takes pictures, I can understand the frustration when someone else takes on that role.
The film will make people dissect their own relationships. Everyone has their opinion as to what constitutes as an affair or sex. Check out 2 Days in Paris and start the conversation.




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Coming up: Shutter Island, I Love You Phillip Morris, Kansas, The Blob, Seven,


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Waiting For Superman

Waiting For Superman

Every now and then I’ll get an opportunity to see a documentary film. I have a few in my collection. I mostly rely on PBS for my viewing. Last year I added Waiting For Superman to my collection, and I finally made time to view it.

Education is very important to me especially the child development years, which was the films focus. I often think about my education and which teachers made an impact. There are three teachers that stand out during my elementary school years. My kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Ruth, my reading teacher, Mrs. Dumas and my sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Falls. Other than that I don’t recall any of my other teachers. There was a substitute teacher, Mrs. Rondino. She didn’t look like the other teachers. She was very attractive and I remember the short dresses she used to wear.

Waiting For Superman is about the education system in the U.S. It’s focus is on the public school system and the changes that have been made over time.
As a kid I enjoyed going to school. Sometimes I would talk in class. Sometimes I was the clown. I guess I was bored and didn’t always pay attention. I used to wonder why I needed to know some of the stuff that they were teaching. I was fighting the system at an early age. Every test I took should that I would grown up to be involved in the arts. I wasn’t clear as to what that meant, but its not what I wanted to do. I was however, drawing at an early age.

Every parent wants a better life for their kid. A dedicated parent will do whatever is necessary.
Waiting For Superman takes us through the lives of several elementary aged kids and their families. The kids all seem to be focused with big dreams and are intelligent despite where they live.
Today parents participate in lotteries to get their kids into the schools that are having the best impact on educating young people.
Waiting For Superman made me think about how we are not all created equal. Some of us are born with silver spoons and some with no spoon at all.
The film also looks at the system of teachers and how hard it is to find a good teacher. There are people in positions that aren’t equipped to teach the children of today. As time changes so do teaching methods. In other fields, those that can’t, teach. What do teachers do? If they are not good at their jobs? Once a teacher meets tenure they can just sit back and glide along. They are taking up space. What type of example is that?

When I went to Junior High School, I attended parochial school. I remember the principal only because his daughter was in my class. I don’t recall any of the nuns, but I do remember Father Spears and Brother Kenneth. Perhaps I remember him because if you did anything wrong he used to beat you in front of everyone in class.

If you are interested in education or enjoy documentaries, I highly recommend this film. If you are a parent you should see this film. You’ll want to get involved if you aren’t already involved. There are so many people that don’t read at the level that they should. We are living in a time where kids are texting in a new version of short hand. They don’t write enough or read enough to stay current. We have to remember how we used to do things because the technological age isn’t fool proof.
Learning needs to be fun and teachers sometimes need to think outside of the box.

Note: I remember all of my high school teachers. They were very influential in the person I am today.
I only remember one teacher from college and I think that’s because he gave me such a hard time.
As I mentioned every test I took said I would be involved in the arts. In 2001, I declared myself an artist, but before that I was writing, performing, directing, drawing, designing, taking pictures and producing fashion shows. I guess the tests were right.




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Happy Birthday Austin Chronicle

Master Pancake Obsessed

The Austin Chronicle, a publication similar to that of the Gambit, celebrated it’s 31st birthday yesterday. The party if you could call it that was held at the historic Austin Paramount Theatre. You can tell the place is old. I heard people talking about the seats and walking up the stairs. As people live longer we keep getting taller and taller.

I didn’t know what to expect. See, I was only going because there was a free showing of the film Obsessed, which starred Ali Larter and Beyonce’ Knowles. I never saw the film in the theater because it was Beyonce’ and it looked like a bad version of Fatal Attraction. This was my chance to check it out. What I found out was that Master Pancake, a parody troupe, would be performing. I had no idea what this meant. At first I was thinking (Rocky Horror Picture Show) where performers act out what is going on at the same time on the stage. In any event I wanted to check it out. I had never been to the Paramount and it was a chance to experience something new and the possibility of networking.

I was concerned about parking because Austin recently changed free parking at the meters. There isn’t a lot of free parking as it is in Austin. You would think they would give people a break. I was in luck as it turns out, Monday through Wednesday parking is still free after 6 P.M. That worked out in my favor and this means I could go out on Tuesdays like I used to do in NOLA and have a drink when I have the funds.

When I got to the theater there was a nice crowd. The lobby was small and I figure since I didn’t have to pay for a ticket, I’d buy some popcorn. The theater could probably seat about a thousand people. There was the first floor and balcony and upper level, box seats and the nose bleed section. I sat in the second balcony. There was no rails to hold on to so I’m glad I didn’t have an alcoholic beverage. The seats were very small and very close together. Every time the couple in front of me moved they were touching me. There was no obstruction of my view.

The show began a little after 7 P.M. with the Publisher, Nick Barbaro and the Editor, Louis Black. The talked a little about the Chronicle and introduced Master Pancake. Three guys came on stage, a tall thin guy with a shaved head, a shorter guy with a full head of dark hair and a blonde guy that was slim in stature. I was glad that I was not the only person seeing them perform for the first time or that I wasn’t the only person that hadn’t seen the movie. They continually informed everyone of how bad they thought the movie was.

I like movies, and I’ve seen my share of movies that weren’t the best, but there’s something that makes it entertaining. Sometimes it’s the star in the film or the location. The fact that someone creates this art and gets it out is an accomplishment. I know many times and film looks good on paper, but an editor can chop it up really bad. Sometimes the director doesn’t direct the actors very well. There are a lot of components that have to come together.

Master Pancakes opening was about 10 minutes. There were some jokes about Beyonce’ sharing her birthday with the Chronicle and whether or not she could actually act. (The Jury is still out on that.) She’s finally becoming a singer. Some of Master Pancake language was vulgar. There were some hits and misses, but that’s the world of comedy. Some people get the joke, some are embarrassed by it and sometimes the joke just flies overhead into the rafters.

So it was time for the movie to begin and I realized it was going to be like Mystery 2000, I believe that was the name of the show in which an astronaut and his alien would watch movies and talk during certain scenes to make it funny. That is what Master Pancake did with Obsessed. Now I will have to try to see this film just to see what was changed and how it flows without the comedy.
There was one catch phrase that was voted on by the audience to be used whenever the male lead rubbed his head, which he does a lot in this film. (I won’t repeat the phrase.)
Master Pancake was very entertaining and I’m glad I got to experience it. I’d be interested in seeing what else they do, but it might be hard to top what they did with this film. It was almost non stop laughter. Every joke during the film was on point. There were one or two jokes that a few people didn’t really like, but I thought they were all funny. Some were dated, but a lot of things were current so the younger set could share in the fun.

I could tell some of the film had been edited. There was an intermission and Master Pancake took the stage to do a recap of the film thus far and they even included a dance number to Beyonce’s song. (I’m not sure of the title, but it’s one for the single ladies, if you like it then you should have put a ring on it.) Anyway, it was hilarious. Then the last 20 or 30 minutes of the film played and the fight scene was sped up to the music of Benny Hill and then we saw the final fight and the film ended.

That was my first Keeping Austin Weird experience. Next time I’ll have to hang around to mingle, but I always have to get my feet wet. It’s rare that I go anywhere alone for the first time, but I have to do what I have to do. Next time maybe I’ll invite someone along or get a group together.

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Tyler Perry

I watched Tyler Perry’s the family that Preys a few nights ago. I’ve seen this film a few times now. I really love the story and the cast is phenomenal. When I saw that he had Katy Bates and Alfre Woodard I knew it was going to be a great film. Each time I watch it I see something different. I get to pay attention to the details. The dialogue, the costumes and set design and location. There are a few scenes that were filmed in New Orleans. I was not a fan of Tyler Perry’s Madea movies, but I’ve come to enjoy his other films. I have respect for him as he has achieved a lot despite all that he has been through.

It’s funny how some people fly under the radar and then when they make it big you find out where they are from. Since Katrina Tyler talks a lot about being from New Orleans. I don’t recall he if ever went to NOCCA like Wendell Pierce. I’ve never even heard of him producing anything in NOLA, but he is giving back and helping put people to work.

When you make films or videos you want to be an artist, but skin color seems to work its way into the politics of art. You have to be a black or African - American film maker. Then you have to get flack from both sides. Either your film is too black or it’s not black enough.

I remember when I was starting out as a model and I go to an agency and they’d say they already had a black model. Were they kidding me? One black model wasn’t enough and I knew whomever they had didn’t look like me.

I’m sure Tyler Perry has had his share of obstacles with in the Hollywood political system and so he decided to create his own studios so he wouldn’t have to deal with it as much.

Why did I get Married and it’s sequel I thought were good films. His take on For Colored Girls was well done. I’ve not seen Good Deeds and I would like to see his soon to be released film where he plays a spy.
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The Back Story

      A few days ago I had a conversation with some people that didn’t like to hear about a stars personal life because it interfered with them watching their movies.

I’m sure I’ve written about this before, but most of the stars that I really like were no longer around by the time I came along. I was two years old when Marilyn Monroe passed away. I saw her films when I was young and then at some point I was interested in the woman behind the films.
It all started when I found out she had posed for Playboy. I remember wanting to be like Hugh Hefner and Howard Hughes. By the time I got to High School that changed when I read Malcolm X, but there was still a part of his life where he was surrounded by women.

The camera loved Marilyn Monroe. There aren’t a lot of bad pictures that were taken of her. They are all sexy, bubbly and full of personality. Marilyn Monroe embodied sensuality.

When I read or hear about what an actor went through to get a role or during the production it makes me want to see it depending on the actor. If there is controversy surrounding a film even before it gets distribution I’m sometimes curious about it.

I watched several movies, Harsh Times with Christian Bale. I’ve watched this film many times. Christian Bale is really an intense actor. Now that the Batman trilogy has come to an end, I’m curious to see what he does next.

I can’t say how many times I’ve actually watched the film Making Love. When it was available on Laser disc I purchased it. Then when it became available on VHS and finally on DVD. The back story makes this film so much more appealing. It was very controversial for its day and yet now so many people don’t see the big deal or even like the film. It’s a difficult choice that an actor makes to take on a certain role. Today the more drama behind a role the more people want to see it. That wasn’t always the case. Harry Hamlin was basically an unknown and Michael Ontkean and Kate Jackson were television stars.
Of course every film has moments that don’t seem real, but sometimes life doesn’t seem real. It’s as if we are looking at ourselves in slow motion.
Last night I watched Left Behind with Kirk Cameron. I was just going through my catalog to see what I wanted to watch and I had pulled out a film, but then decided I would watch Left Behind.

There was a moment during Katrina when I felt as if I were having a flashback of the film. I keep thinking about writing a story of my experience. There are several reasons for wanting and needing to do this. One is its good therapy and the other is that it’s a story like all of the others that needs to be told. Of course sometimes I feel as if people are tired of hearing about Katrina. Still, I get asked about it sometimes. I’ve often said of all the people that went through that traumatic experience, they all have a story to tell and each story even though people may have been side by side have something different to say.

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Charlotte Sometimes, The Machinist and other films

Charlotte Sometimes and The Machinist -

There are many films that I watch at least once a year. Then there are some that I don’t watch for many years. One such film is Total Recall which stars Arnold Schwarzenagger. Since there had been a lot of talk about the remake I decided to watch the original. I’m not a big fan of remakes. I don’t get the reasoning behind it. Are you trying to prove you can do a better job than another director? That you are trying to improve the writing? Why not create something original? I never understood why Gus Van Sant remade Psycho. Was it to prove to himself that he was just as good as Hitchcock?

Now there are some times when I will sit down and watch a remake. When I had no idea there was another version or if I never saw the original. That will be the case with the film The Great Gatsby. I never saw the original and so I will probably see the remake which stars Leonardo DiCaprio. I will probably pass on seeing the remake of Sparkle on the big screen, but I’ll probably check it out when it is on DVD. I just don’t see why they don’t tell a new story about a young shy girl that becomes a lead vocalist. Sparkle came before Dream Girls, but as long as there is something different stories about the music business are interesting.

Over the last few months I’ve seen many films, but I watched Charlotte Sometimes which I thought was a foreign film. I usually have to be in a certain mood to read subtitles, but when I put the film in the DVD player is was in English. That was a surprise. It’s quite the artsy film with not a lot of dialogue and there’s a little intrigue as we watch the characters come to life.

The story centers on a guy who likes his female best friend who is sleeping with one of his tenants. She finds comfort in his apartment after she is intimate with the tenant. She feels she’s like to set him up with someone, but he isn’t interested.
By accident the plan gets set into motion and a lot of dirty laundry seems to come out.
We have to be careful what we wish for because we never know how it will effect the people around us.

The Machinist was never on my list of films to see. I’ve seen Christian Bale in quite a few films, but I wouldn’t say I’m a big fan. He is a great actor I will say that. I thought Harsh Times was a good film and he was interesting in American Psycho. In The Fighter is was really good. In The Machinist Christian Bale goes where many actors fear to go. Talk about method acting. Christian Bale looked like death. It was hard to watch at times. The film was told in somewhat of a flashback. The opening was somewhat funny, but then the film becomes gritty as we watch as a man deals with his paranoia, brought on by his insomnia which was brought on by a traumatic event. It was good to see Jenifer Jason Leigh back on the big screen, but Christian Bale was this movie.

I don’t know if the scripts character was thin and of course there are many thin actors in Hollywood, who could have played the part. Christian Bale wanted the role and went for it.
He’s not the first actor to go after something that may have not called for his type.
(I don’t know if the script called for the character to be thin, but I’m guessing that was the case.)

In the film Carmen, Dorothy Dandridge was not the first choice for Carmen, but she wanted the role and was willing to prove she had what it took. In the film, Fort Apache The Bronx, Pam Grier was not Paul Newman’s first choice for the serial killer prostitute. Miss Grier proved she was right for the role and gave herself over embodying the character.

Whoopi Goldberg and Louis Gossette, Jr. both went out for roles that were originally written for white actors. The medium in Ghost and the sergeant in An Officer and a Gentleman. This role also won him an Oscar.

When it comes to acting I feel if you can play it why not be given a chance. When Natalie Wood played Maria in the musical film, West Side Story there was a lot of stink about a white actress playing a latina. If you’ve got what it takes, go for it.

Lena Horn would tell this story in her one woman show about trying for the role of Night of the Iguana. Because of her skin color they didn’t think she was black enough and they came up with a make up so she could look darker and once they did that they realized they could use it on Ava Gardener and she got the role.

Sometimes things work and sometimes it doesn’t. We have to learn not to give up on something we believe in. If it doesn’t work out it just wasn’t meant to be.

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Brad Davis

There are quite a few movies I’ve watched in the last few weeks. I watched Querelle and Midnight Express with Brad Davis. I’m about to re-read the book about his life written by his wife, Susan Bluestein Davis. The book is entitled, After Midnight. There are often those actors that get that one role that defines them and then it is hard to find a role that will be better.

Everyone in the entertainment industry strives to make whatever they do better that what they had done before. You’re constantly trying to prove that you are better or just as good as your last job providing it gets positive attention.

Brad Davis had appeared off-Broadway and appeared in  such films as Chariots of Fire, Sybil, Roots, Mrs. Reinhart, Robert Kennedy and His Times, The Rainbow Warrior, Rosalie Goes Shopping and A Circle of Friends, his first film after Midnight Express. It was during the filming of A Circle of Friends his addiction began.

It not only takes a lot to live up to the expectations of the people depending on you. The expectations one puts on themselves. In the entertainment industry more than any other occupation, people are constantly asking, am I good enough? They are always looking for some sort of validation and it has to come from the right people.

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Thank God It's Friday

There are some people that choose to call films that they don't think they should enjoy guilty pleasures. I am not one of them. I love all films. The fact that a person can put something together is quite an achievement and if they succeed in telling a great story that's even better.

There are certain things that are hard to capture on film. Thank God It's Friday attempts to capture what happens in a night at a Disco in California called the Jungle. An up and coming Diva flirts and lies her way into the DJ booth to get her song played. The club owner places a bet to sleep with a first time patron to the Jungle and the DJ's career is on the line as he prepares to go live with the Commodores performing, but their instruments haven't arrived. Love is lost, and found and dreams are shattered and some come true.
The clothing will make you laugh and for those of you who remember the 70's you'll ask yourself why did I ever wear that? What was I thinking?

It's an interesting film and if you don't like it, you'll love the music just the same. The soundtrack includes many songs by Donna Summer including the 1978 Oscar winning song "The Last Dance" and songs by other singers including The Commodores, Patti Brooks, Diana Ross and Paul Jabara. The films Theme song Thank God It's Friday, by Love and Kisses sets the pace for a musical experience.

The film introduced some up and coming stars, Jeff Goldblum, Debra Winger, the Late Raymond Anthony Vitte who plays DJ Bobby Speed. (He passed away at the age of 33.) Singer Paul Jabara also has a part in the film and his song trapped in a stair way plays in the background. There were a number of comedic talents in the film as well as great dancers.

Coming up:  Another letter to the Levee Board, Selling Stuff, It’s all about Survival, What if we’ve seen each other for the last time,  Behind the Photograph (Models) (Go to http://ArtbyDlonzo.blogspot.com)

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Check back and see where this journey leads. Check out the links below to my videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmgUzGZGt98

The above link is a video for an organic flutist in New Orleans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hciIcHFm3Yw&NR=1

The above is a link of a performance from Oz in New Orleans.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-qcybZsUzc

The above link is for a promo of a DJ in New Orleans.

http://www.myspace.com/darqueleight/music/songs/d-bohemian-31098704

Computer generated music.

Country Strong

       It took me quite some time before I sat down to watch this film. I’m not a big fan of Gweneth Paltrow, but I do like the movies that I’ve seen her in. I thought she was great in The Talented Mr. Ripley. The fact that the film was about country music may have had something to do with me not wanting to see it. I also didn’t know anyone else that was appearing in the film.

After watching the film I must say it was quite entertaining and I was impressed with the performance by Leigton Meester as a wanna be country singer. It’s almost as if the film were made for her. I’m not sure if she did her own singing, but she has shown that she is more than the actress that we see on Gossip Girl.

Stories about the music industry are usually all the same. Someone has an addiction or get burned out and some new comer who idealizes the star comes in to add tension or take over.
Despite that it is still a pretty good film.

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Island in the Sun

There are several movies in my collection that I don’t mind watching over and over. I usually watch them at least once a year. One such film is Island in the Sun. Originally I added this movie to my collection because of James Mason. I first saw James Mason in Stanley Kubrick’s film Lolita. I love the film and James Mason’s performance is great. So I then looked at some of the other films he had done and Island in the Sun showed up and then I saw that the film also starred Dorothy Dandridge.

Dorothy Dandridge was an actress I didn’t know a lot about until Halle Berry played her in the HBO film, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. The likeness is uncanny. Halle Berry is an incredible actress like Miss Dandridge. I had seen the film Carmen and I’m sure in reruns on television I had seen Porgy and Bess. It’s hard to find some of these classic films on DVD. When you do find them they cost so much. I have to keep searching for a used version. There are still many old films I’d like to add to my collection, but I just don’t have the funds to do so. But if I take what I would pay for the DVDs and invest in a DVD recorder I could solve that problem. I have some of the films I would like to add to the collection on VHS. I need to transfer them before they get so bad that they won’t make a good copy.

Island in the sun is a film about race and class. For its time it was a very controversial film. The film exudes sex and yet the actors never kiss. It’s quite the erotic fare. Everyone in the film is great. Harry Belafonte leads the cast with Joan Fontaine, Joan Collins, James Mason and Dorothy Dandridge among others. It’s worth a look if you love movies. The costumes nor the film feels dated at all; Harry Belafonte gets to croon a few tunes.

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Late Marriage

I’ve been watching films that star Pam Grier and Halle Berry lately. I’ve quite the collection of the two actresses. I recently watched, The Rich Man’s Wife and Executive Decision.

Before that I watched a foreign film called Late Marriage.

It is the story of a man that is 31 years old and has yet to be married. His family pimps him out to all of the eligible single ladies that his family can find. One of the reasons he is still single is that he’s having a sexual relationship with a woman he believes he loves. The woman has been married before and has a young daughter. The man’s parents and family members are totally against there relationship.
Their traditions blacklist the woman and after the entire family confronts the woman, she is forbidden to see the man again.

The film has some funny moments that life brings in some of the most difficult times.
The confrontations on all accounts are interesting. There is a scene between the father and son in the bathroom that is funny and yet disturbing at the same time.

It’s interesting how cultures do things, but people who like to keep tradition think along the same lines. A woman with kids who isn’t married is frowned upon unless she has money and doesn’t need a man to take care of her. She still gets talked about, but there is some admiration for how she keeps things together.

If you love movies this is an interesting film to see. Most foreign films lose something in the translation, but they are still worth a look. If you don’t like reading subtitles then you may want to stay away from this one. The film is in Georgian and Hebrew. It was written and directed by Dover Kosashvili.

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Inside Man/The Perfect Stranger

Last night I did a double feature. I decided I would watch Inside Man one of Spike Lee’s main stream films and The Perfect Stranger which starred Halle Berry.

Inside Man is about a bank robbery of a different kind. It’s not about money and it also challenges the system. The film captures how politics and money can change any situation.

Spike Lee has pulled together a great group of top named actors to bring this film to life.
Denzel Washington who had worked with Spike on two previous films, Mo Better Blues and Malcolm X. Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe, and Chiwetel Ejifor. Terrence Blanchard’s music is haunting and interesting as it helps set the pace.

If you haven’t seen this film I highly recommend it. If you like Spike Lee or if you just like thrillers, this is a good film. This is my third or maybe fourth time watching it.

The Perfect Stranger is an interesting film that stars Halle Berry as a woman with a secret. There are actually several secrets going on with many of the characters as they unfold with each scene.

The Perfect Stranger is a sexy film, but what film isn’t if it stars Halle Berry? The film is a thriller with stories unfolding at every turn.

I love films that deal with the human psyche. Just how far will a person go to succeed or to hide a secret?
The Perfect Stranger also stars Bruce Willis, Giovanni Ribisi, and Gary Dourdan. The film is directed by James Foley.

I think I became a fan of Halle Berry’s when she appeared in the film Boomerang with Eddie Murphy. Then I started collecting some of the films. I think I’ll go back and forth watching films by Pam Grier and Halle Berry. They are at the top of my list of actresses. No matter how many times I see their films I’m always entertained and I see the focus and determination to bring a character to life.

My favorite Halle Berry film is Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. That will be next on my list to watch. I’ll be doing a Pam Grier and Halle Berry film fest soon.

If you like any of the stars mentioned above then you will enjoy The Perfect Stranger.
I’m waiting on Halle Berry’s next film, Dark Tide. I’m just not sure if this is the film in which she plays a woman with multiple personalities or if its something different. She was promoting the other film, but there is always controversy when it comes to Halle Berry. I’ll have to do some research on my own. It’s routine for a film to get shelved because of the politics of Hollywood.

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Blaxploitation Films

In the 70’s a new genre was invented, and like all things there are some good and some bad memories. I applaud anyone that gets a film made doesn’t matter if it is bad. I have sat through my share of films that critics would say are bad. Movies are entertaining and provide a place for us to get lost for a while. For someone like me who loves movies, I can always find something interesting and it also inspires me to do better.

I remember as a kid some of the scripts I wrote. I hadn’t really grasp the language yet. I hadn’t learned to listen to people and watch how they react when they are in conversation. When I began recording my cousins and I doing different skits I began to see the flow of language.
I then began recording television shows and movies. I remember writing the original King Kong film so that I could see how the dialogue looked on paper.

This past weekend I watched four movies that were part of a set billed as Bad Mothers and Mean Brothers. The films starred Fred Williamson, Roddy McDowell, Lola Falana, Billy Dee Williams, Elliot Gould, Gene Washington, Martin D’Urville and “Mean” Joe Greene.

A film entitled Velvet Smooth was the funniest of the quartet. It starred a bunch of unknowns who never went on to do anything better. It was a lot of bad acting and even worse karate moves.

Lady Cocoa was a film vehicle for Lola Falana, the first lady of Vegas. It was okay, but when you’re used to someone singing on stage they don’t always make a great cross over into film. It made for an entertaining night.

Final Comedown starred Billy Dee Williams and dealt with the racial struggles of the 70’s. Sort of a take on the Black Panthers. This was very low budget.

Then there was Mean Johnny Barrows which starred Fred Williams as a Vietnam Veteran trying to get back into society, but having nothing available to him. He gets an offer from a mob boss to use his military skills and soon he’s raking in the money.

There was a large abundance of films which as young kids we were eager to see and imitate what we saw on the screen when we got home. Some of the films I had seen I shouldn’t have even been allowed into the theater. As long as no one was doing an inspection the theater just wanted to make money. There were some films we didn’t dare attempt to get in to see alone. Usually we got someone older to get us into the theater. I remember going to the movies with one of my uncles and my aunt.
At least once a week I was going to the movies with friends after we got our allowance.

I remember films like Shaft, The Mack, Superfly, The Doberman Gang (which I’m still trying to find on DVD.) Cotton Comes to Harlem, Come Back Charleston Blue, Shaft in Africa, Watermelon Man, Cleopatra Jones, Blacula, Scream Blacula Scream, Foxy Brown, Slaughter and Bucktown to name a few.
The one film that had a big impact on me was Coffy. I’m sure it had more to do with the voluptuous Pam Grier than the film itself, but I still feel the film holds up. Pam Grier was beautiful. I had never seen anyone on the screen like her before. Pam Grier for me is like my black version of Marilyn Monroe. (I’m also a big fan of Marilyn’s but she had already passed before I knew who she was.) Pam Grier though was more like an obsession. I felt something whenever she was on the screen. (I still do.) I read everything there was to read about her. Once I started collecting movies I knew her films had to be included, but they weren’t that easy to find. It wasn’t until the late 80’s early 90’s that her films became available. There are still some films that I don’t have either because they were just really bad or I have yet to find them on DVD.

I was talking to a friend about actresses who wait until they are older to show off their bodies and it bothers me sometimes. With Pam Grier she started out showing off her body. In later years she had stopped showing her body in love scenes and I respect that. Pam Grier has had an interesting life. One day I would hope to meet her and I know if it is meant to be it will happen.

I remember when I was a senior in High School, Pam Grier was in New Orleans to film Drum. It was a slave picture which starred Ken Norton. Pam Grier was his love interest as she later became in several movies. She had become the wife or the girlfriend.
I was tempted to skip school so that I might get a glimpse of her, but I didn’t want to make my mother angry at me and I decided against it.

I tried many times to write letters and meet her, but it never worked out.

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My take on the 84th Academy Awards

The Oscars

This is one of my favorite Oscar posters. This is from the 69th Academy Awards, 1997.

My take on the Oscars. I’ve said this many times and anyone that knows me knows that I like movies. They are a very important part of my life. I’ve always dreamed of one day winning an Oscar and haven’t really given up on that dream. Perhaps it’ll come from writing a script or maybe I’ll get to be a cinematographer on my own film. If it’s meant to be it’ll happen.

Most people are only concerned with the six major awards. Best Picture, Best Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor and Actress. All of the other stuff only means something to people that are really crazy about films.
When I first started going to the movies I would always want to see the credits. My friends would be ready to go and I was interested in who the people behind the scenes were.
I was around 11 years old when I got my first 8mm movie camera. I had my cousins bringing my words and direction to life.

The Oscars pay tribute to the movies and gives out the gold statues to the best of what makes a movie great. Some of it seems wrong because if a movie wins for best sound effects, it would seem as if it should win for best sound editing. If a person gets best director then shouldn’t that film be the best film?
Being acknowledged by your piers is probably a great feeling. So even without the statue you do have a certificate showing you were nominated for your work.
The little statue doesn’t really guarantee anything these days. It’s all about the numbers and how much money you can make for a studio.

Billy Crystal was hosting for the 9th time after years of being away from the awards. He brought back some of the stuff that we loved about him, but there were some slow moments where his delivery and jokes could have been better.
Jennifer Lopez and Cameron Diaz made fun of their rear ends and Robert Downey, Jr. did a skit with Gwenneth Paltrow when they presented the award for a Documentary Feature.

Foreign Language film went to A Separation from Iran. Supporting actress went to Octavia Spencer for The Help. After watching the film a second time she deserved to win.

Film Editing: Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Sound editing: Hugo, Sound Mixing: Hugo, Documentary Feature: Undefeated, Animated Feature: Rango which this was a great film ***

Cirque Du Soleil put on an interesting performance, there were a few mishaps but because the stage was dark not everyone would have seen it. You had really look closely.

Visual Effects: Hugo, Supporting Actor went to Christopher Plummer for his role in The Beginner. A big deal was made on his age. He is the oldest recipient of an Oscar. I knew he was going to win because he was playing a gay character. If you know my formula for films it’s a shoe in.
That’s why I was surprised that Glen Close didn’t win for her role.

Musical Score: The Artist, Original Song: Man and Muppet, Adapted Screenplay: The Descendants, Original Screenplay: Midnight in Paris, Live Action short: The Shore, Documentary short subject: Saving Face, Animated Short: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, Best Director: Michelle Hinzanavicus for The Artist, Best Actor: Jean DuJardin for The Artist, Best Actress: Meryl Streep for The Iron Lady, this was her 17th nomination and her 3rd Oscar win.

Best Picture went to the French film The Artist. This is the first time that a foreign film has won best picture.

Oprah Winfrey won an honorary Oscar for all of her humanitarian work.
Oprah appeared on Jimmy Kimmel later and was hilarious. I’m not a big fan of Jimmy Kimmel, but lasts nights show was great. He is really liked by a lot of celebs in Hollywood. They have to like him to let down their guard and do the things he has asked of them. He got Oprah to do a tub scene and to make fun of herself.
Now I’ll see if I can see some of the films that were nominated that I feel would be of interest. Perhaps I’ll see something that will inspire me.

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The Help revisted

With all of the talk about The Help and the Oscar nominations, I decided to watch the film again. Sometimes I’ll watch a movie and I just won’t be all that into it. Perhaps it had to do with all the hype. Maybe it was my mind set about it being a film about maids. I don’t see where it is a classic film, but it was good. The cast is remarkable. Sissy Spacek is great. I definitely feel Octavia Spencer’s nomination is warranted. I feel the Oscars may go to Viola Davis for best actress and Octavia Spencer for best supporting actress, but since I’ve not seen the other actresses that they are up against I can’t be sure.
Seeing the movie a second time made me see it differently. It was a very interesting film. I really enjoyed it and I do recommend it. There are two actresses from New Orleans that also appear in the film.

I’ll be watching the Oscars to see what wins and what doesn’t. I was disappointed that Leonardo DiCaprio was not nominated for J. Edgar. I’m happy that Billy Crystal is back so it should be an interesting show.

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New Orleans Mardi Gras & Film

Many films have been made and set in New Orleans. Some of them weren’t the best of films, but we remember them anyway. Well, I do.

Many of the films try to incorporate what New Orleans has come to be known for. There’s the French Quarter, Mardi Gras, The Superdome, Voodoo and the Cemeteries.

The French Quarter and Mardi Gras seem to go hand in hand even though no large parade has gone through the French Quarter since 1972 when the Krewe of Bacchus turned off of N. Rampart onto St. Ann. Their theme that year was The Bacchus Book of Horrors. I’ve never forget it as King Kong strolled down the street. It was a different Kong than the one that has become a staple of the Krewe. A young blonde sat in the palm of Kong’s hand above the crowd screaming her lungs out just as Faye Ray had done. As Kong moved further into the Quarter he got tangled up in some of the electrical wiring and the lights went out.

So when movies show something that hasn’t happened in a long time it just rubs me the wrong way. LOL.

Harry Connick, Jr. in his Krewe Orpheus.

There was a film called Murder at the Mardi Gras. I know, I don’t remember it either. Then there was The Killer Bees. All I remember about this film was that the Superdome was newly built and hadn’t even been used for any event. There was a scene in which they figured to get rid of the bees they would drive them inside of the superdome and freeze them. Sharon Glass was the star of this film as she sat in the yellow Volkswagon. The bees were lured onto her vehicle and she drove slowly down the street inside the superdome. Once the bees were frozen she was able to get out of the car. The End.

Then there was Candy Man, Farewell to the Flesh. I happened to be on the set of this film and I knew quite a few people involved in the project. Once again Mardi Gras made an appearance as did a Cemetery and of course the French Quarter.

The Clydesdale horses are a significant part of Mardi Gras and are featured in several parades throughout the season.

Then there was Double Jeopardy which starred Ashley Judd. I’m not sure if there was a Mardi Gras scene, but there was a cemetery scene and lots of scene’s in the French Quarter. What got me in this film was that it was raining and everyone in the French Quarter had these pastel looking umbrellas. First of all there are enough balconies in the Quarter that people rarely carry an umbrella they just walk under the balconies and if its raining too hard they duck into a bar or a restaurant until the rain stops.

The Help

      Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer were both on Tavis Smiley and it was quite the conversation. I enjoy when actors have really strong convictions and can be honest. So many interviews are planned ahead and there are certain questions you can and cannot ask.

I enjoyed the film and I’ll have to watch it again because I don’t see all the hype. It was a fun entertaining film. Yes, I’m happy that two black actors are nominated, but were their performances really that great?
What was different about these performances that I hadn't seen in the past?

Tavis brought up a good point that I’ve long made people aware of. If you are going to be nominated for an Oscar, the best roles to play are killers, prostitutes, someone with a mental disorder, someone going through a serious change, devious or someone dying. The best actor and actress category has always gone to the actor portraying one of these attributes. A lot of people have issues with this, but you can't have it both ways. One of my big issues with Hollywood is that the films always have to be sugar coated. There is always that happen ending. Life doesn't always have a happy ending. I think it's one of the reasons I enjoy foreign films so much. They seem more realistic.

In the supporting role it’s always been some what of a comedic role. Whoopi Goldberg won her Oscar for Ghost playing a bad medium.

The point Tavis was trying to make was the fact of the role they are receiving their nomination for playing. I don’t see anything wrong with playing certain roles as long as there is meat to the character. If the character really has something to say and isn’t just there as dressing.

I have had moments where I didn’t like that an actor was nominated for playing a certain role, but its an award voted on by the Academy and some of those members are now black actors. It’s a great honor just to be nominated, but it’s a bigger honor to win. Of course winning doesn’t guarantee any better roles. It just means you might get more bad scripts to go through.

There always seems to be this thing where whenever a black actor is nominated it becomes a race issue. If they don’t win its because they are black. If they don’t win, couldn’t it just be that the other actors were better?
We have to stop basing everything on race because that isn’t always the case even if it helps the psyche of some people. It just fuels anger and there are enough angry people in the world.

Tavis also brought up the point of George Lucas’ Red Tails. I can’t afford to go to the movies like I used too, but I do buy a lot of films. Even if I could have afforded a ticket I’m not sure I would have gone to see Red Tails. It has nothing to do with it being a story about a historical event, but the story has been told. I have a film called, The Tuskegee Airmen that stars Laurence Fishburne, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Allen Payne, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Courtney B. Vance and Andre Braugher.
I’ve never been a big fan of remakes unless the right star is connected with it or if I never saw the original.

That would be the case with The Great Gatsby starring Leonardo DiCaprio, but I’ll save that for another entry.

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