It's an Anniversary

The Mercedez Benz Super Dome

 There are some anniversaries we sometimes don't want to remember. 16 years ago today Katrina changed my life in a very big and traumatic way. I thought I was over the PTS, but I guess it never goes away. About 6 years ago, I can't really be sure, but I was watching the news and there was some flooding somewhere and it brought me back to that day. Every time it rains now I think about flooding. Although I know where I am now the water would never get that high it is still something I can't shake. 

I dread when I am working and it starts raining. I just take it easy and am always grateful when I make it home safely.

I have been trying  not to watch the news and I actually didn't know there was a hurricane heading toward NOLA. It was pretty much the same way when Katrina happened. Once I did find out about the hurricane I had decided to stay. Since some of my neighbors were staying I didn't feel like I would be alone.

About two or three weeks ago, I went to the Twin Oaks library for the first time. I would have liked to have gone to the Central branch, but it is not open on Sundays. Saturdays I stay home and do stuff around the house.

I picked up several DVDs that happened to all be documentaries with the subject of black moments in Films and movies and history. One DVD Horror Noire was about Blacks in the horror genre. BaadAssss Cinema was a look into the films known as Blaxploitation. Dark Girls, it didn't say it was a documentary on the case, but it was interesting just the same. I didn't think a lot of what is covered was still as big of an issue as it showed. Just goes to show I've been out of touch. Dark Girls focuses on racism within the Black race. It's a myth, but yes, black people can be racists.

Through the lens darkly is a documentary about black photographers. All of the documentaries have been very interesting and educational. Through the lens darkly was not what I was expecting. There were images on the case that I didn't hear them talk about. It was inspiring. I hope I can start photographing people where I feel safe.

The documentary on The Black Panthers was one I was definitely interested in seeing. I was a kid when I heard about the Black Panthers, but there was one event that has always stayed with me and that was Black Sunday. I was about 7 or 8 years old and because of the neighborhood I lived in, black families were urged to put black ribbons on their doors.

The Black Panther chapter in New Orleans was housed in the Desire project in Eastern New Orleans.

The purpose of me going to the library was to see if I could find some films or movies I had missed out on, but I was also looking for a DVD I had seen of an Alvin Ailey production. I didn't know the name and it had to come in from another branch. There were two DVDs and so I said why not?

The DVD I had never seen is about the preparations of the dancers as they prepare for a show in St. Petersburg, Russia. There was a special feature that you can watch the actual show which was really entertaining. Still, the actual DVD that I wanted to see is my favorite. It includes Alvin Ailey's favorite, but I have my own. Alvin Ailey made it possible for many blacks to live out their dreams of becoming dancers.

Thanks for stopping by and do come back again. Keep an open mind.

Across the Board

 Across the Board

It's been a very long time or so it seems since I've made any posts. This posts will go across all three blogs so it's going to be a long one. At least that's the way it appears inside of my head. Being an artist, I like to visualize things before I proceed, but in the course of doing something or making a decision, things can change and they do often. 

Is it just me or do you feel as if this year is passing by quickly? It's August already, can you believe it?

This was not the plan - There are things that I would like to do, but I don't committ to anything. I will write thing down and make a list and just go with the flow most of the time. As I've written before it's best because things change in an instant. I especially don't like promising things to other people because sometimes people don't understand why you have to cancel.

Because of the effects of Katrina, within the last 8 years I've been having issues when it rains. I thought I was over it, but it seemed to resurface. Sometimes I'll watch the news and see flooding and it will take me back to that week. If it happens to rain while I am at work I will be concerned that there might be flooding. Although I know it won't be like it was during Katrina it's just the idea of driving in the rain and any type of flooding.

This doesn't happen all the time. Sometimes I have no problem driving in the rain. It's like everything else. Some years the thought of my parents on certain days passes by and other times they are on my mind and I just don't feel like doing anything.

I'm at a point now where I am trying to figure out what I want to do. I've been working now for a little over 6 months. I'm thinking about retiring so that I can collect social security. There are things that absolutely need to be done around the house. I am still trying to throw stuff out because I just want to take my time, but I am becoming more and more realistic. There are magazines that I really don't need to hold on to. No one is going to come over that I need to keep them. I have been photographing different things of importance and then it gets donated.

I'm going to keep one or two issues of every magazine. There are some that I have because of the covers. That will be a bit of a challenge,, but I'll make the right choice.

I still am thinking about going to Paris. I don't know when that will happen as this variant of covid is changing the trajectory of things. It looks as if we are back to square one or headed in that direction. It bothers me now because even though people have been vaccinated they could possibly still catch the variant or pass it on to someone else. The vaccine is supposed to make it not as severe. Just have to live each day one at a time and be as cautious as possible. Not much will change for me. I try to stay in my cubicle at work and keep my mask on when I am near other people. Everyone usually has their mask on when they come to my cubicle. I don't get that many visitors as we use the computers to communicate.

I was thinking of trying to visit my family and some friends, but that is definitely going to be on hold. The unpredictabiliity of what each day will bring is the new absurdity as a friend recently said.

I just don't understand why people won't get the shot. I was thinking about how many drugs people have in their cabinets that are not approved by the FDA. So what makes them use those drugs, but they won't get the shot? Conspiracy theories? They don't have any proof. You have to act now because you don't want to get sick because by that time it could be too late.

Taking chances sounds like a good thing, but if you've known people who were sick you definitely don't want to go through what they have gone through.

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls I finally got to see this movie which is a cult classic. It was written by movie critic Roger Ebert and Russ Meyer who also directed it. Now I want to see Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill! There are many movies from the 70's I was to young to see or they didn't interest me. I've been playing catch up. This movie has nothing to do with Valley of the Dolls based on the book by Jacqueline Susann. It's a comedic raunch fest of the entertainment industry in Hollywood. There still appears to be a lot that was cut from this Criterion version. It had an X rating, but so did Midnight Cowboy when it was released and I didn't see anything to really warrant that now. I will watch the special features next time I watch the movie. It is very interesting. The movie stars Dolly Read, Cynthia Meyers, Marcia McBroom, Michael Blodgett, David Gurian, Harrison Page and John Lazar. If you are looking for a fun movie to watch then this is it. It'll definitely be a conversation starter if you were to throw a themed party.

Mary J Blige - I can say that I am a fan of the singer turned actress, but There are some things I've heard and seen that I liked. I was not really into female hip hop artists. I watched the documentary that is on Amazon. It's celebrating the 25th anniversary of the album My Life and how it changed Mary's life and that of the people who were her fans.

There are many songs that I've heard that reflect my life or things I am going through at that moment. It just depends on who you listen to. In the late 80's it was Simpliy Red's Holding on and in the 2002 it was Alice Dejay's Alone. Sometimes it's only the title of the song, or one line that really resonates with me.

In the documentary you get a look inside of an entertainer that was thrust into an industry that they were not sure they could be a part of it.

The entertainment industry can be very scary and it is not for everyone. You can lose control and who you are at times if you don't have a plan.

About a month ago I saw a movie with Mary J. Blige that was filmed in New Orleans called Body Cam. She plays a cop that is dealing with some paranormal stuff on various calls. It's not the best and I'm sure it looked good on paper, but it just wasn't the best for me.

If you are a fan of Mary J. Blige you will definitely love the documentary. If you like her music or you may be interested in getting into the music industry then I do recommend that you watch it.

 

Thanks for stopping by and do come back to see how things play out. Keep an open mind.

www.dlonzo-OpenYourMind.blogspot.com

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www.filmlover4pg@blogspot.com

THEM

 

THEM

 A musician friend that invited me over for a jam session.

When I finally got the Internet at the house, I was able to get Amazon Prime, someone had given me a gift card that I hadn't used. 

So about two weeks ago I had been seeing THEM pop up as a free series that I could watch. I had added it to my watch list. I wasn't so sure about it and I have to be in a certain mood to watch certain progams. So before I began watching THEM I decided to watch Tom Clancy's Without Remorse starring Michael B. Jordan. I have seen many of Michael B. Jordan's performances and I have made interesting observations. I really enjoyed Fruitvale Station. I had reservations about Creed, and Fahrenheit 451, but his performances opposite male actors have a better delivery than those with female actresses. Maybe it's the maturity of the stars he is on screen with such as Chadwick Boseman, Sylvester Stallone or Michael Shannon. He's working his way more into action movies. Without Remorse has moments and if you are a fan of Michael B. Jordan I don't think you will be disappointed.

Now on to THEM. I decided to just watch an episode one night. I wasn't sleepy and there wasn't anything else I needed to do. I had my assumptions, but I wanted to get that idea out of my head and watch it with fresh eyes with no expectations. The opening reminded me of a Tim Burton film, all of the bright colors of the suburb. The series is set in 1950, but the opening song was Patti Labelle's version of 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow'. So, hearing this I already had a bad feeling about the first episode. I know artist take creative license, but sometimes you have to be careful in doing that. There was a song by Judy Garland that played next, 'Get Happy'. The series was created by Little Marvin. THEM is about a black family that moves into a white neighborhood where they discover they are not wanted and that they will literally have to fight to stay alive. THEM is part social commentary, part supernatural and part suspense and thriller.

I didn't recognize any of the actors in the first episode, but after I made the decision to see what was going to happen I saw a few familiar faces. The names are not well known, but I recognized the faces. Type casting is real for many actors. I noticed that these actors had played characters that were racists or sought revenge on other programs. 

I didn't recall with the first episode of any type of disclaimer about the contact of the episode, but later I began to see that flash on the screen. The "N" word was used once and then started to progress. There is also a character in black face that appears in several episodes.

There are some very intense and cringe worthy moments that show up as the series progresses. As I mentioned at the beginning, I have to be in a certain mood to watch certain things and THEM was no exception. Because of all that is happening in our world now there are many similarities that some people of color may be feeling. There are some people of color that may want to avoid watching the series. When I see things like this I think of people that it may anger and the ideas it could put in the minds of people that are somewhat unstable. As an artist/writer myself I don't want to be one of those people that feels art is to blame. I do worry about that because of some of the things that I write about. The conclusion I have come to is that people already have ideas. Sometimes a film, movie or series can help them lay out the plan. The artist has no way of knowing what the audience will take away from what they see or read. This will be one of those conundrums like what came first...

As an artist there are some great performances in THEM. The experiences are real to some, but this is not a series for everyone.

Use caution if you decide to watch it. The ending series song is Young, Gifted and Black. I don't know if I had ever head this song before, but I have had a title in my head for a poem Black, Gifted and Young for over 10 years. I know I have heard the phrase, I'm just not sure where I heard it that it would stay with me. I keep working on the poem until I get it just right

When it comes to differences we can all see the other as THEM.

Thanks for stopping by and do come back to see how things play out. Keep an open mind.

www.dlonzo-OpenYourMind.blogspot.com

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www.filmlover4pg@blogspot.com

www.psychedmaster.org

Thanks for stopping by; keep and open mind and do stop by again.

The 93rd Oscars

 Open Your Mind

It was last Sunday and I didn't know what to expect. I have only missed watching the Oscars on a handful of occasions in my life. But I decided I would watch just because the promos promised it would be different.

When Regina King went strutting down the hall I thought this is going to be great and then it just wasn't keeping my attention. I wasn't sure I would last the entire evening.

The 93rd Oscars- Everyone is recalling the film or movie that made them want to be a part of the medium.

I don't know what my first movie was, but I do recall seeing Rosemary's Baby when I was really really young. What  I remember most is the eyes at the end of the film. Then there was Two Women with Sophia Loren. Of course I was too young to understand what rape was, but there was something about seeing Sophia Loren on the screen. Perhaps she reminded me of my mother, I am not sure. I know when I got older and watched the film again I knew I wanted to go to Italy.

Movies have been an escape as well as an education. I learned how to dress, act, speak, tell jokes and so much more. I had aspirations of being an actor, but that all changed when I the opportunity presented itself. I had danced and acted on stage in school plays, but the film industry is different. 

My cousins were a big part of my movie making as a kid. My father had bought me an 8mm camera and projector. I used to charge the kids in the neighborhood to come and watch silent movies because that's all there was at the time. Technology was moving fast and by the time you could get a sound projector, I had moved on to something else.

It has always been of interest and still is. I started being more in the background because that made it easier to not be recognized. Although there are still times people come up to me and wonder if I am so and so. They'll also say I look familiar. I wonder if they had seen an old commercial, maybe they saw me on a set or at an event, but who knows. It happens. Sometimes it starts a conversation and sometimes I just ignore the attention.

The father won best adaptation of a screenplay.

Laura Dern anounced the winner Another Round won international feature film.

I'm happy that Lakeith Stansfield was nominated for an Oscar.

She also announced the best supporting actor, Daniel Kaluuya for Judas and the Black Massiah.

Don Cheadle presented Makeup and Hair styling, Ma Rainy's Black Bottom was the winner.

He also presented Costume design and the winner was Ann Roth for Ma Rainy's Black Bottom.

Bryan Cranston presented the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, which went to the Motion Picture and Television Fund. It's the first time the award has gone to an organization.

Bon Jun Ho the director of Parasite presented the award for best director in a foreign language film from Seoul. The winner was Chole' Zhao for Nomadland.

Riz Ahmed presented the award for Sound and the winner was Sound of Metal. Riz Ahmed is the star of the film.

Best live action short film Two Distant Strangers was the winner.

Reese Whitherspoon presented the animated short film If Anything should happen was the winner. She also announced the animated feature film winner which was Soul.

Documentary short subject was presented by Marlee Matlin and the winner was Colette.

She also presented the documentary feature and the winner was My Octopus Teacher.

Steven Yeun presented the award for Visual Effects and the winner was Tenet.

Brad Pitt presented Best Supporting Actress and the winner was Yuh Jung Youn for Marini.

Halle Berry presented Production Design the winner was Mank. She also presented Cinematography and the winner was Erik Messerschmidt for Mank.

Harrison Ford presented the award for Film Editing and the winner was Sound of Metal Mikkel E. G. Nielson.

Viola Davis presented the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian award to Tyler Perry. He gave a great speech, very inspiring to refuse to hate. I know we don't all see eye to eye, but don't make it a race issue. 

Zendaya presented the award for Original Score the winner was Soul, Trent Reznor, Jon Baptiste, Atticus Ross. She also presented best song and the winner was Her for Fight For You from Judas and the Black Massiah.

Glenn Close did Da Butt and made the night for me.

Angela Bassett presented the memoriam - Cicely Tyson, Ian Holm, Cloris Leachman, Yaphet Kotto, Paula Kelly, George Segal, Wilfred Brimley, Fred Willard, Carl Reiner, Alan Parker, Brian Dennehy, Diana Rigg, Conchita Farrell, Janet Dubois, Sean Connery & Chadwick Boseman.

Rita Moreno presented the Best Picture award. She won her Oscar for best supporting actress for her performance in Westside Story. Which I cringed when I saw they are remaking it. It does look interesting...

The winner was Nomadland. 

Frances McDormand won for best Actress in Nomadland.

Jaquin Phoenix presented actor in a leading role, the winner was Anthony Hopkins for The Father.

Thanks for stopping by; keep an open mind and do come back again.

Amazon Prime

 

(This was taken at the Umlauf Sculpture garden)

Recently I posted on facebook about a movie I saw on Amazon called One Night in Miami. It's about Cassius Clay aka Muhammed Ali, Sam Cooke, Malcolm X and Football great turned actor, Jim Brown. When I started watching, I kept thinking, this would make a great stage play. I then saw that it was based on the stage play and it's directed by Oscar winning actress, Regina King. It's really an interesting piece of work as the four characters come together after Cassisus Clay wins and fight and they celebrate in a hotel room. There is no big party as Malcolm X is trying to convert the men into becoming Muslims. Cassius Clay has already decided he will convert, but Sam Cooke and Jim Brown are not willing to make the change. There are a lot of issues that come up and Malcolm X tries to lay a guilt trip on them. He uses all tactics, but each man stands his ground. Eli Goree plays Cassius Clay, Kingsley Ben-Adir plays Malcolm X. He gives an incredile performance and looks a little like the iconic activist. Leslie Odom, Jr. plays crooner Sam Cooke and Aldis Hodge as Football legend Jim Brown. One of my favorite lines in the movie is by Leslie Odom, Jr. as Sam Cooke, "I don't want a piece of the pie, I want the whole pie, I want the receipe."

There are a few other movies I plan to watch, Sylvie's Love and the Sound of Metal are on my watchlist.

In my collection I watched Dreamgirls and The Temptations over the weekend. I was supposed to be watching movies that had black actors in them. So far I've been able to do that even with the stuff I am watching on Amazon. I'm still watching Season 1 of The Wilds. I want to see it through. I did see a very good series called The Fall with Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan and Ben Peel. It's a series about control from a serial killer to the female detective out to catch him. The invasion of a person's space. It's slow moving, but I found it very interesting. There were 3 seasons.

Another series that I watched was called Sneaky Pete with Giavanni Ribisi. It should have been called Sneaky People. Everyone is trying to run a hustle of some sort. It has some funny moments, but I prefer the first season. It's a bit more serious, but it's worth a look. Margo Martindale is also excellent as the mother who works as a bail bondsman.

www.dlonzo-OpenYourMind.blogspot.com

www.artbyDlonzo.blogspot.com

www.filmlover4pg@blogspot.com

www.psychedmaster.org

Thanks for stopping by; keep and open mind and do stop by again.