Friday, 15 February 2013
Searching for Sugar Man
An amazing story made by bad film makers.
Rodriguez was a musician from the 70s, everyone who was involved with him thought would be bigger than Dylan.
Unfortunately he didnt make a dent on the US market and was dropped from his label.
This film centres around South Africa where Rodriguez unbeknown to him was a household name and was the soundtrack to the end of apartheid for many.
Stories of his apparent suicide on stage heightened the mythology of the mysterious artist.
This documentary tries to uncover who Rodriguez is and what happened to him.
My issue with the film is that it chooses to omit certain facts about Rodriguez's career, tries to make it look like they are documenting the search for Rodriguez as it is happening (they are retelling the story) and they look to probe where the royalties are going and just when they look like they are getting somewhere they stop and completely leave it alone.
I was not surprised that this is the Directors first film, it felt clumsy and it seems he didn't have enough confidence in himself.
What is amazing though is that even with this faults the film is still a must see. The story is incredible, I loved the parts shot in Detroit, Rodriguez is such a humble person and the music is fantastic.
I wish that a more accomplished film maker could have documented this story.
Trance
I've never been fully convinced by Danny Boyle as a director. I think he can pick a good story but as an actual film maker he flatters to deceive.
His new film 'Trance' looks like a very interesting crime/action film and James McAvoy is an excellent actor who can switch from everyman to action star seamlessly.
I will be interested to see the film and see if Danny Boyle can win me over.
His new film 'Trance' looks like a very interesting crime/action film and James McAvoy is an excellent actor who can switch from everyman to action star seamlessly.
I will be interested to see the film and see if Danny Boyle can win me over.
Thursday, 14 February 2013
The House I Live In
This could possibly the documentary of the year.
Eugene Jarecki looks at the drug problem within the USA and in particular how the governments 'war on drugs' have affected those involved.
Its focus shifts throughout the film, starting with a man looking at how drugs have affected a family friend and ending with David Simon (creator of The Wire) alluding to a form of social cleansing happening within the US.
What happens between will shock and anger you, the political and economical reasons behind certain aspects of the war on drugs is disgraceful and negligent.
With America losing this internal battle is it time for the government to rethink its approach to drugs and drug abuse.
Elliott Smith Wall
Elliott Smith is my favourite artist.
Figure 8 was the the first record of his that i bought and I then worked backwards through his catalogue.
The photo for the album was taken in LA and after Elliott's death the wall has become an unofficial memorial to him.
The mural is in the silver lake area of LA and unfortunately it doesn't seem all the residents are aware of what the mural is and means to some people. It is regularly defaced with graffiti and posters (Roger Waters came into criticism when one of his street team put a poster up over the mural).
When i visited LA the mural was covered with unrelated graffiti, people were still finding space for their messages though.
Fans of Elliott are
consistently repainting the mural. The mural was last restored for the
anniversary of Elliott's death in October.
Rather
than simply repaint the mural, they incorporate recycled paper. For the red
part of the mural, they hand-wrote every line from every song on a Smith album;
for the black, they used maps, album covers, and other Smith-related items,
plus 1,000 paper cranes for black; and for the white, they posed a sampling of
fan messages.
Jay Sebring
James Franco is directing and starring in a biopic of Jay Sebring.
The stylist to the stars was murdered along with his ex girlfriend Sharon Tate by followers of Charles Manson.
Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Heinz Baked Beans
Heinz Baked Beans were launched in 1901 and have become so much a part of our culture that during the war they classified as an 'essential food' by the Ministry of Food during war time rationing.
They already have the slogan 'Heinz Means Beans'.
People will add beans to any meal to create another meal out of it. I was interested by how versatile beans were.
Beans can be a main meal, a snack or a side dish. They can be eaten at breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Playing on this I have used a new slogan to highlight that beans means different things to different people.
They already have the slogan 'Heinz Means Beans'.
People will add beans to any meal to create another meal out of it. I was interested by how versatile beans were.
Beans can be a main meal, a snack or a side dish. They can be eaten at breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Playing on this I have used a new slogan to highlight that beans means different things to different people.
American Apparel
A successful slogan can be just as important to a brand as the brands name.
In many cases you will be able to identify the brand by the slogan it uses alone.
'Just do it'
'Taste the rainbow'
'The worlds local bank'
'It's good to talk'
'Because I'm worth it'
Using existing adverts I am looking at how slogans can enhance the message and the brand.
American Apparel is a clothing manufacturer in the USA.
It's factory is based in LA and it does not outsource its production to countries with cheap labour.
American Apparel has been praised for its marketing in the past. They tend to not use professional models and use models who work and shop in their stores.
The adverts are usually sexually provocative and feature a female in very little clothing.
I believe that American Apparel should advertise their ethical standards, i feel they can do that without losing the provocative image that has become the staple of their adverts to date.
I have created the slogan 'ethically made, unethically worn' and used it with existing images.
I have created the slogan 'ethically made, unethically worn' and used it with existing images.
Django Unchained
I'm
going to try and keep this review short and will refrain from dropping the N-bomb, in other words I'm going to make it exactly the opposite of Django Unchained. On one hand Tarantino bought us Pulp Fiction...on the other, Death Proof. Django sits a lot closer to the former but it does have its faults. As
mentioned the film is too long, there was definitely some fat that could be
trimmed and although there would be the chance on missing out on some classic
QT dialogue it would give us something to look forward to on the DVD.
There
is also the Spike Lee issue. Should Tarantino be able to write his characters
using the n word? At face value I don't see the issue, he is trying to ground
his film in some sort of reality, I mean we are all pretty sure that white
slave owners would have used the term but it feels like he has gone over the
top, almost as a middle finger up to the people who have criticized his past
films for the use of the word. This is his chance to write it and it be
applicable to the time and setting and so Tarantino just tries to get the word in his script as many times as possible.
Spike Lee will be fuming.
Spike Lee will be fuming.
As
usual Tarantino gets some great actors to put in some great performances, he challenges their typecast. Leonardo DiCaprio,
a man who over the last decade has stealthily moved from pretty boy actor to
being one of the most consistent and best actors working delivers a performance
full of wit, venom and charm...and terrible teeth.
I
don't know anybody who doesn't like Will Smith...or at least doesn't know the
rap to the fresh prince of Bel Air but it's lucky that he felt the material was
a bit too edgy for him, we've seen him play it straight in films like Ali but
this role needed someone with an icy cool about them not a boyish rouge. Jamie
Foxx understands that he is in a Tarantino film and delivers every line like he
knows it's a sound bite waiting to be used in the trailer or to be traded when
discussing your favourite line.
Christophe
Waltz, as expected is fantastic, here he plays the good guy so to make up for
the fact he won't be unnerving the audience he gets some great facial hair
instead. It's a winner ,we have Tarantino to thank for bringing this great
actor to the wider audiences attention, his work in the recent Roman Polanski film 'Carnage' shows just how versatile he is.
Tarantino
seems to be over his 'Kill Bill' induced slump and making steps in the right
direction to bring us cinema as exciting and fresh as his first two films.
All we need now from the director is to spend less time being precious over his material and make film that does not have its audience screaming for an intermission.
All we need now from the director is to spend less time being precious over his material and make film that does not have its audience screaming for an intermission.
Monday, 11 February 2013
Monday, 4 February 2013
Dustin Hoffman
Usually when you read an interview with a celebrity it is recycled questions and answers.
On press junkets they get asked the same questions again and again and can seem disengaged and appear like they can not be bothered to be there.
Dustin Hoffman did an interview with the Guardian recently which i have to say is one of the best interviews i have read. He is open, funny and shows respect for his interviewer. Great credit goes to Simon Hattenstone as well for conducting such a great interview...
Dustin Hoffman Interview
On press junkets they get asked the same questions again and again and can seem disengaged and appear like they can not be bothered to be there.
Dustin Hoffman did an interview with the Guardian recently which i have to say is one of the best interviews i have read. He is open, funny and shows respect for his interviewer. Great credit goes to Simon Hattenstone as well for conducting such a great interview...
Dustin Hoffman Interview
Air Jordan 3 Retro 88
Want these.
Released to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Jordan wearing white Air Jordan 3.
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