I recently lost my old computer. (Still not happy about it). I had to order a new laptop via my company’s worker discount program. And it took about three weeks to arrive. And it came loaded with more “issues” rather than software. It gave me time to catch up on some reading and watching movies. And I want to talk about two movies I saw in this time period.

The first movie I watched because I have some “disease” in my mind that requires watching movie sequels even though I have hated the previous ones. This title is no exception. Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon. It should been called the “Brown Side of the Bowl”. I know the Transformers series has been a very popular and successful franchise movie series. Lots of viewers and made a ton of cash. And it has been a series that has done so with NO CHARACTER DEVELPOMENT what so ever. I did not care for any of them. Another problem was this series had no continuous mythology to hold any storyline together throughout the three parts. You can criticize the Star Wars films all you want (especially the “prequels”) but those films remained true to its established mythology. The other problem is CGI (computer animation) needs to be used with some restraint because the filmmakers overloaded every shot with too much of it. It was very hard to focus on any real action that was taking place. The CGI seem to exist to point out, “Hey look at how good we are with this CGI!” or “Who needs a story when we can do CGI like this?” Plus, a loud soundtrack and rapid edits seem to beat the viewers into submission rather than allowing for a storyline drawing them in. If you have not watched any of these films do yourself a favor and avoid them. The metaphor is the following “A really bad paint job on a not really good car to begin with”. I am sure in the future; they will want to re-launch this series because new technology will make the CGI even better. How about redoing the film with an interesting script that has characters and clear storyline?

MEMO to Studio Execs: Regardless of what you think. Or don’t. The story is what matters in the end. Always did. Always will. So make THE STORY.

There was a quote on the back of the DVD case from a supposedly well-educated film reviewer. He claimed it to be “The Best Action Movie Ever Made”. He needs a refund on his film education. And a pile of John Woo directed DVD’s to see the error in his thought.

I do not get to the Movie Theater that much anymore to see new releases. It is usually a matter of time. And the fact, many of the films do not make me want to go and see them right away. A couple of weeks ago, I saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I read the three books in Millennium Trilogy by the late Steig Larrson. I also watched the Swedish trilogy of films based on them. David Fincher who directed the movie has made some of my favorite films like Seven and the adaptation of Fight Club. It is interesting the various takes on this material from the original book. The latest version I am going to have to watch again at some point. It was a good film but given how well I knew the material I am going to need to do some rethinking to determine my thoughts on it. I must say the Lisbeth Salander character is one the more interesting characters to appear in mass culture popular literature in the last few years. She is better than anyone that appeared in the Twilight series that seems to dominate popular literature. (Note: I never read any of those books and the first film bored me to the point of turning it off. Emo-vampires are annoying.)

I know that films and the books they came from will always be compared to each other. However, the two mediums are totally different in their “execution”. A book can pack out lot information into in. A book is also read by the pace of its reader. A film on the other hand is a visual medium that has to “show” the story. It is also paced to fit into a smaller amount of time. Therefore, the story has to always be in “motion”. There is also the reality of economics between the two. The film cannot possible include all the finite details of the book. The important part is that both can create two unique works based on the same source material. A viewer has to give each a chance to interpret and reinterpret the story. It can be a real deterrent to get “over-hyped” on which one was better.

Finally, I want to talk about the experience of going to an actual movie theater. I like to go to the earliest showing possible but never on an opening weekend for that particular movie. This way I can watch with the smallest crowd possible. I want to have the lowest chance to be annoyed by the bad habits of people. For example, that guy who buys the extra-large popcorn and manages to slowly consume it over the course of two hours. I would mind it. However, this person does not possess the ability to chew popcorn with his mouth shut. The parents who bring their young children to Rated R movies are especially annoying. It is a movie for adults and the material is made for adults. It is unfair to subject a child to material they could not possible understand. I do not go to kid movies in the theater (even though I enjoy the Pixar movies) so keep your kids out of the Rated R showings. However, the one that annoys me the most is the couple who needs to discuss the film as it is playing. I do not mind the emotional response of laughter or fearful screams. It is the people who think their thoughts should be aired during the movie “Siskel and Ebert” style. The coffeehouse after the movie is the place for this discussion. These people always seem to want to sit right by me. And cannot understand why I stare at them or even tell them to “Shut up”. And they found me when I saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The movie is thriller and there are a lot of clues being shown throughout the movie. They could not understand any of them and had to discuss each moment. It is a movie they will show you the next clue. SO SHUT UP AND WATCH. They were out of my voice range and I was not in a yelling mood at the time. And they did see me staring at them and motioning to SHUT UP. And I got nothing. Why can’t these people just wait for the DVD to come out?

You know in the beginning of a movie they have the public service message of reminding people to silence their cell phones. There should be this message. And goes like this. CGI is used to recreate Clint Eastwood circa the first Dirty Harry movie. And says something along the lines like this, “If you are one of those people who needs continuous explanation of movie or has to share their opinions. Get up and leave the theater now! Or people like me are going to find out if we fired 5 or 6 times at your ass.” That is the premise. I know it needs some fine tuning. We can agree that there is a need for this message at movie theaters.

Now that I think about Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro’s character in Taxi Driver) should deliver the message. You know he was crazy enough to do something about it.

Clerks where they could only film in the convenient store at night when the place was closed so the”Savages” put gum in the lock of the security shutters. This allows them to act as if there was daylight. So they had to make sure the front door was never in the camera shot.

 “There is nothing that needs reforming more than the habits of others” – Mark Twain

I am being to realize more and more everyday that I do not have a “pony” in every race of how people choose to live their lives. I have also been listening to the Joe Rogan Experience Podcast when time allows. There are a lot of people who discount him because he was the host of Fear Factor. His podcast is nothing like that. He has some really interesting conversations with various guests over a whole range of topics. The subjects are not always something I am familiar with or have any real interest in at all. That’s fine. Too many people are only listening to whatever they do for “affirmation” and not necessarily “information”. For example, when he goes on about mixed martial arts or his own personal experimentation I have no real interest in but I do not fast forward through them either. There may be a chance I may find something new out in another avenue. He made this observation on one of the episodes which I will paraphrase “The Internet has allowed people to have the ability to see the world as a whole but I don’t think the human mind is wired to do so”.  I think there maybe some truth to that. The Internet has allowed us to take photos or videos and distribute them at a pace that is only gaining speed. However, with all these available our ability to derive any real context from them has not caught up to speed. A picture may be worth a thousand words but too many people out there are not willing to say more 2-5 words about what they see.

The other gift or curse of the Internet is it allows anyone to post any thought they may had. Read any response to a news story or YouTube clip and I realized too many people really contribute nothing of substance in their post writings. Especially, the ones writing behind the disguise of a made up screen name.  The other problem is most people based their replies on the highlights or speaking points of 30-60 second news story. An immediate story is not necessarily historical fact. History takes some time to figure out. I think all of the 24/7 news channels need a shot clock and cannot keep hammering on the same points. After watching a news story, people must take that information like swimming after eating. You have to wait at least 20-30 minutes before spewing your reply.

The other downside of the Internet is it allows anyone to state their opinion on anything. This is not necessarily a problem. However, it is when people turn out the “venom” when they hide behind a made up screen name. Remember a time when people secretly wanted a secret identity to fight crime. But today’s reality is that too many use a secret identity to spew hatred and ignorance on message boards or they are trying to “screw” someone they should not be touching what so ever. It is amazing that you could choose to be anything in this life and people choose to be ignorant.

Another problem is the Internet is turning too many people into writers are the same level as “tmz style” website. They feel the need to post “snarky” commentary about everything and everyone with an over charged sense of their own morality. How many times have you heard this comment? “If I was there I could have handled things better!” The truth is you may have an idea but you will never know until you are there. The live streaming video of news event may show you something. But remember you are not seeing all of it. What the camera does not show is having an effect on what is being shown. The truth or the lie is all in the editing. It is also very easy to ride on your high horse of morals when you are safely out of range of the bullets.

(NOTE: Before I go on any further with this posting. I am going to be mentioning a TV series and a movie. I am not going to write full reviews of them. I am just going to point out some things to take note of. I do not like writing full on reviews myself. I am not against others writing them. It is just not my approach. I like to point out certain things to suggest there is something there to be discovered. I do not want to tell you how to fully interpret a work. However, I am always open to a conversation afterwards if you have seen the works.)

Our current political and social landscape is being overwhelmed by rants about ideological differences. There is also a lot of criticism about people who are finding themselves between the “rock and a hard place”. It all goes back to people with opinions who are not there. Right now everyone needs to sit back a bit, take a deep breath and try to gain some perspective with the risk of becoming a bit empathetic towards others. I think the human condition is complicated and always will be. There will never be a self help style of book to simply as a whole explain it all. However, there might be one or two for a small portion of it. People want facts on the human condition as it stands now but are being fooled if that is being delivered with accuracy by 24/7 outlets. Sometimes, a fictional time show or a movie can do that better if you give it a chance. To all my teachers, TV is not always going to “rot my brain”. There are good “morality” plays on TV.

The “Rock and the hard place” is a state most people do not choose to be in. However, there is TV series where there is a group of people who choose a lifestyle that will always leave them in that predicament. This show also points out the schizophrenic nature of America. We love a good crime movie like The Godfather and at the same time fear we will be the next victim of crime.

Sons of Anarchy is the story of motorcycle club in small town. They run guns for living but do not allow their rivals to establish drug trade within the same town. The local police make side deals with them to keep everything in balance. The police look one way and the club looks another. The characters in this show are not stereotypes either. They are not your stereotypical bikers as portrayed on other TV shows.  The creators have done a good job giving them depth. They are complex people who have both good and bad within themselves. They seem to always have to be making hard choices for their lives which make them interesting and empathetic.

The framework of this show is a modern day adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.  The series starts with a young man finding a book from his dead father who was a founding member of the motorcycle club. The voice of the book warns of danger in the kingdom. The young man’s mother has remarried his father’s best friend in the club. The story builds from there. The first two seasons are streaming on Netflix.

LESSON: I was so engaged by this series that after the seeing the first two seasons that I had to go and find the third season on the Internet. It has not been released yet. So I did what I have never done before. I tried to view illegal copies on the web. And my anti-virus software went crazy. Lesson is. When trying to entertain yourself on the cheap you had better being using protection because you have a greater chance of contracting a virus.

Third Season is coming soon on DVD and the fourth season will soon be on the air.

“The rock and the hard place” is also being framed within the context of ideology. In other words, “I am right. You are WRONG!” The political discourse in this country reminds me of the behavior of five year olds on a playground. At least those children have the hope of growing out it. The adult politicians seem to regressing back into it. The worse apart about politics is it all about assigning blame and yet at the same time denying any responsibility for the situation. To ALL THOSE ELECTED TO SERVE. You can yell, “Fire!” all you want but could you also “PICK UP THE FIREHOSE and help put the fire out.” Remember you were elected to serve. Could you imagine a group of politicians working a fast food burger joint? They would all be yelling orders into the microphone and none of them would be working on the grills to make the burgers. They would then be dumb founded on why there were no burgers coming out. I would love to hear the “Democrat/Republican Conspiracy Spin” on why there were no burgers coming out.  It is all a lack of leadership by all. None of them know where to stand and what to do. And no one seems to be stepping up to the leadership position to assign people needed to get the job done.

Today, we have almost two years of campaigning for the Office of President of the United States. So we have two years of rants (not conversations) about ideological differences between those running for office and the person who has the office at the moment. And there has never been a time in the history of this country when only one party put someone up for the office. The problem is once I see the “D” or “R” after the person’s name I already know 95% about what they are going to say before they say it. It is just a lot wasted time and noise for nothing. I heard that the 2012 Presidential is going to have an estimated TWO BILLION DOLLARS spent on it. Given our current economic condition as a whole we should be outraged. There are so many better ways and causes to spend the money on. Here is my suggestion on how to stop it. The election involves way too much time and money for any agency to handle it. So I suggest we have the election run by E-Bay website. There is no way they would allow an auction (that what the election process has become) to go on for that long of time. And when the bid gets to an outrageous amount they declare “Fraud” and shut it down.

Here is a scene from a movie in which the undertone of the dialogue is about ideology. It comes from one of the closing scenes to end of the latest Star Trek movie. The Star Trek franchise is somewhat famous for it is use of time travel to bring different eras of characters together. Here brings together the new Spock with the original version (Leonard Nimoy)

Star Trek

— MOVIECLIPS.com

Spock (Zachory Quinto) is half Human, half Vulcan and in this movie he is trying to figure out which side of being will be the one he follows throughout his life. He is also at odds with Kirk (Chris Pine) through the movie in what is the best method to achieve the best results. In this scene, those conflicts serve as the undertone to dialogue between the two. Leonard Nimoy tells his younger self that he should embrace the differences between him and Kirk. The both of your approaches are complementing each other as you towards the mutual goal. There is a synergy here that has yet to be discovered in this time line. And by the way, ideology as an absolute is ultimately not as important as you perceive it to be.

I realized what makes Star Trek different than much of the other science fiction franchises is that it has an optimistic tone about the future. There will still be problems in the future but working together can overcome them. And none of the characters state their political party before saying or doing anything.

In comes down to this. Life will never be fair. There are way too lawyers on this planet to allow this to happen. Insurance policy would not need to exist. Photoshop was secretly developed by funding from cosmetic surgeons who sold the idea to magazine cover editors. There is a lot of money to be made by people who think those doctored photos are basis of reality. Let us not forget bartenders and strippers would be out of work too. Their jobs are to service people who are not happy.

This world while you are alive will never operate 100% by your ideology alone. So make peace with that.

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect” –    Mark Twain

I think the hardest think I have to constantly remind myself about is that there is never the perfect time to do anything. Any moment offers an unforeseen challenge. But why in my case does it always involve a trip to a home improvement store to get what I need to fix something? “Home improvement”. There is an oxymoron. Maybe it should be called a “home triage” store.

It is just another form of Writer’s Block in my case.

I was watching the movie Orange County. It was an entertaining movie for what it was. The premise of the movie is a young man played by Colin Hanks decides after the death of friend to change his life. He finds a book on the beach and decides he too wants to be a writer. He figures he needs to go to Stanford to get his degree. The author of the book happens to also be a professor at that college. However, he comes from a family that is dysfunctional and just cannot seem to provide the support that he needs. And this is what leads to the comedy aspect of the movie. It seems to me that this movie could be semi-biographical in my case. Without the comedy.

There is this one scene that stuck with me. Spoiler Alert. The Colin Hanks character does get a chance to meet the professor who made him want to be a writer. Kevin Kline plays that professor.

 

I guess when you try rewiring your brain in order to be a better writer can be tricky. If not borderline aggravating. I am constantly looking at how things are. How they might be underneath. I am trying to draw links between ideas that may not exactly appear to be connected at all. Then put the idea out there in hopes that it may cause a conversation to happen. I am sure that all of my ideas may not be validated by another person. I do not care if the reader agrees 100% with what I am trying to put forth. I would even be willing to someone who is willing to put forth how I may be wrong. I just welcome the chance to engage in a conversation.  Responses such as “That’s nice.” “Interesting.” “Good point” are not enough to really spark conversation. Most of the time those type of responses mean the person really did not read into the posting. The “Curse” here the need to get feedback and at the same time not always believing in it when it comes. It is hard to get the right audience needed. But it would be hard to realize it when that audience is really there. It is really hard trying to determine who the audience is by dissecting web stat charts. It is almost an extremely masochistic act. But I cannot help it.

Lately, I have drawn to other works that tell the story of people who are trying to deal with the circumstances in which they live. I just finished watching the first season on the HBO show Treme. The latest TV show from creator David Simon. He does for the city of New Orleans what he did for the city of Baltimore in The Wire.

This show starts 3 months after Hurricane Katrina and focuses on various people trying to rebuild their lives under those circumstances. I remember watching Katrina on TV at the time. I compared it to watching a modern day reenactment of a modern day Pompeii. We were watching a modern city being wiped off the map. I questioned if it was worth the cost of rebuilding. I think this thought process is a side effect of our vast sources of media. We get to “see” a lot of what is happening around the world at any given moment. The problem is we thinking “seeing” equates to “experiencing it”. This is why we also are hearing more and more from people in those dire circumstances are screaming louder ,”Unless you are here. You don’t know a thing!” Treme may not give us that direct experience. Great storytelling along with well defined yet complicated characters gives you a chance to pause and think. It draws you in. There was a lot about the culture of New Orleans that I have learned from this show. Just watch The Weather Channel every area of this country has its own issues. Extreme weather hits everyone. We have all watched the weather and have wondered to ourselves, “Why would anyone want to live there?” This series explores the reason of “Why”. It also has nice soundtrack of music from the city to listen along with.

Bad economic news is the never ending story. I have been hearing all my life. I have heard “We need to learn how to do more with less”. I have never seen this policy ever enacted on a grand scale across society as a whole. Just take a walk down any aisle in any store. Think back about a decade. And then realize. We have more things available to us than ever before. What I think the message should be steered towards is that of “We need to increase the efficient use of what we have.” However, the economic bad news has had the same effect as a bad weather storm. It has lead to many cities struggling to exist. Once again outsiders proclaim, “Given those circumstances. Why would anyone want to live there?” I came across this story a couple of weeks ago. The city of Grand Rapids, Michigan was listed as one of the most “in decline” cities in America. The people there started a grassroots effort to change their image. They got together to set a record for the “longest lip synched one take music video”. They did it with the song “American Pie” by Don McLean. Watch the video. It contains no edits. It is just one camera filming the action for the length of the song.

 

I think the song “American Pie” will always be part of the American Experience for years to come. It is a song about the belief in a dream. However, that dream is danger of falling apart in the current environment. However, in the end even with all of the uncertainty still at hand the dream persists. I think this song with return to some level of popularity in times of distressed economics. Along with uncertainty that seems to be heightened when the leaders involved seem to arguing more about ideology and trying to assign blame to the opposition. I just came up with another crazy idea. In the future, anyone running for office should have to act ONLY like a mime. That way they would be forced to perform action rather than just standing there talking on and on. It would be a nice change. Also I want to study the effects of all this non-stop political talk on global warming. All that hot air has to have an effect on something. What that is? I have no idea.

Bad weather. Bad economics. Welcome to Buffalo. Where I live.

 

It is a city that has more to it then chicken wings and losing Super Bowls. It has a lot interesting people that are for the most part nice and friendly. Unfortunately, on a whole we cannot elect any leader capable of moving the city forward. It is a city that seems stuck on nostalgia for time that is not coming back. It needs to redefined and adapt for a future. I hate hearing people complaining that it should be more like a big city (like NYC). It will never be that either. It needs to come to terms with who it is. It needs to take a lesson from what it takes to climb a mountain. You can see the top from down below. You see where you need to go to. However, you need to start at the bottom to go up. Everyone seems to take more time studying the top when they should take as much time studying the base where you start. The base is where the resources and support exist.

“Why would anyone live there?”

My relationship with this place and the people in it has changed over the years. Nostalgia can be a powerful feeling. However, the future has changed that nostalgia before it has even arrived. The hard part is coming to the realization that not everything grows together. Or at all. My needs and what is available on hand at that moment will most likely never be in total synch. Is it good? Is it bad? Or just what it is meant to be? Either way that may end up.

In a story, good character conflict can work towards a good story. Someday.

Besides, I have to start somewhere.

Here is the latest weather forecast about the things I have playing in my mind.

Given the title of this post the ablum that is on my heavy rotation is the 1992 album Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell by Social Distortion.

I have been going over my notepad. Yet again. I like the ideas but I know I can make some crazy leaps with them. So the latest idea (not this post) has not had enough “prep time” as of now to be posted. Somethings need more time than others. However, this mentality does not stop me from being impatient in lines. Especially when I am trying to get something done on my lunch break.

I have been watching old TV shows on the Internet lately.

The first show is the British sitcom Spaced. It is kind of hard to sum up its premise. Especially in a way to make sense to most Americans. This show is more for people who like surrealism. And for me that is known as the “everyday”.

And speaking about surrealism. I have been watching The Man Show. The show that featured Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla with their take on the male point of view. It may be politically incorrect and that is what made it funny. Political incorrectness cuts through a lot of bullshit to get to the center of a story. You may not like that center. But that’s on you. I like how in the first show Jimmy Kimmel said that the show was meant as a way to stop the “Oprahization of America”. (And that term is on Wikipedia. Sadly.) Their show has been off the air for almost a decade and she now has a cable network. This has to be a sign of something. And it is not good.

And now to move on to the next part in this week’s mental stir fry.

I have been thinking about how people are more complex than you can imagine. This thought pattern is the result of what I have been reading (too much to mention at this time) and the ideas on the notepad. However, it is hard to put anyone clearly in the good or bad category. Unless that person is Hitler. (But that is an easy call.)

That thought pattern is part of my morning ritual. I get up and get the coffee going. I am pretty much on auto pilot during this crucial task. I also make sure my MP3 player is charged and downloaded with that day’s podcasts. During this time I do some websurfing to see what I may stumble upon. I do this because I did learn a lesson. DO NOT repsond to any e-mails before the coffee has kicked in. And wait an hour to reply after that. It saves a lot of misunderstandings and pissed off responses.

I came across this article about Jodie Foster and her latest movie that co-stars Mel Gibson. I think it underscores people’s relationships and their perceptions.

It is odd that Charlie Sheen is praised for his bad boy image and Mel Gibson is condemned for it. But that is America. Schizophrenic in its judgment.

I have to say I am intrigued by the movie. And I am not going to judge it either way until I see it. (And this approach means my application to any fundamentalist organization is officially “declined”.)

I like to take a break and watch films. I have been on an action film kick the last few days. The Expendables and The A-Team were very entertaining. I would like to see them both continue on for some sequels. I know this request has the potential to set me up to be disappointed.

I think what makes action films enjoyable (when they are done right) is that you get the experience of watching a person taking on a challenge of incredible odds. You are watching things getting done. It is pure escapism from the everyday life. You are constantly bombarded by images of things going wrong and nobody doing a thing about it. All you see is a bunch of people just talking about fixing the problems. Talk is becoming a very cheap commodity everyday.

I enjoy the action film genre. I really like the movies that are known as “Hong Kong action”. Dragon Dynasty Films has been releasing them over the last few years. I am not saying you go and buy them. But they are worth putting in your NetFlix queue.

I have been a big fan of the ones made by the director, John Woo. If his film is playing then I am surely going to watch it. His movie has been described as “a ballet with bullets”. His movie set the bar for the action drama. However, his movies are more than just that. He adds a human drama element to it. His stories are about friendship, loyalty, and personal codes of honor. The movies are also well known for their trademarks within them.

His 1992 film, Hard Boiled is a favorite of mine. Watch this first action sequence from it.

• I became of fan of the actor Chow Yuen Fat who is the lead in the scene. He reminds me of Clint Eastwood and Steve McQueen when it comes to acting in an action film. I person can say a lot about his character without saying a word.
• Watch the action and how it takes place in almost 360 degrees of movement. Many action films tend to be about 180 degrees where good are one side and bad guys are on the other. Here the characters are in the center and the action is happening all around them.
• The editing is not “hyper fast” to create a sense of action. (I.E. Transformers)
•  I read that this scene was shot before the script wasn’t even done. They wanted to film in the teahouse location but it was scheduled to be demolished. This whole scene was shot “improvised”. John Woo had the vision to know what he wanted and went for it. It was a brave move because the storyline from this scene has to be basis for the rest of the movie. The above clip is all I could find. There is about 3-5 minutes previous that explains what was about to happen in that scene. (Netflix this movie)

Finally and a SPOILER alert about the scene.

The visual of the action sets up two important contexts of this movie.

1. The cost of unnecessary violence
2. It is hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys.

John Woo has influenced action in other movies you may have seen. The “Lobby Scene” from The Matrix. Hit Girl shoot out in Kick Ass. The final standoff in Reservoir Dogs.

And he may have been influenced himself by the opening action sequence of director Sam Peckinpah’s 1969 classic Western The Wild Bunch

I have been reminded of the following point recently. That point being that no one gets straight to their goals or desires without encountering some obstacles. The problem is you have to deal with others trying to navigate those obstacles. The real issue is when people tend to get stuck on your obstacles. It is also a by-product of our ever increasing hypermedia age. Just read the postings to any media news website articles. Especially ones that allow for people to be “anonymous” or have “made up screen names”. It is so easy for them “Cry foul – speak ignorantly – and offer no solutions”. I think in the next census people like this should have to mark whether or not they still live in their parents’ basement. If so then take at least 10 points off their opinion.

I think the real lesson is trying to develop ways to endure in those situations. Look through how history and you will see those that endured the test of times. Although they may have past their legacy is still very much alive. But please note that is not always a positive thing or even a negative one that too.

I have been thinking about what has endured and what has passed when it comes to just our modern day culture.

A co-worker has left a few issues of Rolling Stone magazine in the break room. I have been paging through the magazines over the last week or so. I have not really read this magazine since college. It is pretty much still the same even though the faces in it have. It is still has the same focus and tone it did all those years ago. I realize how irrelevant for the most part that is. It was no one more evident that reading the last page of the magazine. It features the top current music singles and album listings for that week. I did not know one music single in the top 10 list. I had heard of a few names on the album chart but not one I would be willing to buy for myself. There was another chart that listed the top 10 singles from 20 years ago. I remembered them and I saw how many of those acts were pretty much one and done. I realized that back then I had more time to devote to pop culture. In retrospective, a tad too much. The other thing was I did not have the filters that I have since developed to know what was wasting my time.

I also am beginning to wonder why music has to always being looking for the next big thing. The industry does not take the time to develop acts and is wondering why it is dying out. The other problem is things like American Idol has tricked people into think it is about the music. It is really about marketing. Which one can be packaged and sold the easiest. That show is nothing but an over produced karaoke act. Cover songs and make up. And it is not much deeper than that. I also realize having competitions to determine what is “creative” is a waste of time. Art in any form is a very subjective matter. I just listened to a comedian who was on Last Comic Standing who was talking about how being on something he very much loathed was also good for his career. And comparing comics in this matter is a complete waste because as comic you have to realize your humor is not going to be for everyone. However, these shows and their marketing are under the illusion they can create mass appeal to everyone. The Internet has killed mass appeal. It is now very much a niche market. And the macro economics of mass appeal does not apply to the new market.

This posting is also about “endurance” in a sense when it comes to my music listening. I have also been watching a lot of documentaries lately too. I started out listening to only heavy metal music for the most part as an early teenager. Luckily, I have expanded my music horizons. However, when I was young heavy metal was literally on trial. It was attacked on all fronts. They did everything to attempt to kill the genre. It was marginalized and ridiculed on various fronts. The Nirvana album Nevermind that became a surprise success in the early nineties was called the end of the genre. (NOTE: I think it is still a great album though) 20 years later metal is still around. It will never be the mainstream hit it was in the late eighties. But who knows. I realized something about it that is contrary to much of today’s pop music. It requires you to be able to play not just to be there to be a performer. They can’t bring in a mini army of producers and songwriters to help them craft a song. For the most part it is them on that stage. I also noticed how much of the bands I like have been going now for about 25-40 plus years at this point and they are still going on. They have also been the subject of some the better documentaries films in the last few years for music.

A good documentary film makes you care about people you would not have anything in common with. The first two films are about the core in a relationship between the people within a band. These are not movies about heavy metal music in of itself they are about guys who happen to be in heavy metal bands. These stories are about what is really going on behind the music.

Metallica is probably one biggest bands of all times. This movie is hard to watch because it shows a group of very rich men acting like brats. Rock stars like this shouldn’t being using a therapist. It is weak sauce for a heavy metal band. I think the story behind this is no matter how much wealth and fame they accumulated can’t purchase their basic human needs. There is a book written titled This Monster Lives by Joe Berlinger (he was one of the filmmakers) that expands out the story that did not make into the film. I think it should be noted in the end Metallica had to buy this movie with their own movie away from their label so that it could get released in its final edit. I do not know of any other band that would put something out like this that had the potential to ruin them. I know this film gets strong reactions from people. But it was a brave move on their part.

The next movie follows the Canadian heavy metal band Anvil. They were supposed to break to super stardom level in the 80′s. And that was not to be. However, 20 plus years later they were still playing on looking for their break. Behind their scenes many of the people in their life were wondering at which point will they stop and move on with life. This is the universal story throughout life. It asked the question, “How long do you follow the dream?” Especially when so many people have written you off. This is what happens when Spinal Tap is for real.

The next two films show how the music has spread through various cultures through the world. There is the big world touring band and the small band who wants to play in a place that does not by law want them to.
Iron Maiden one of the biggest of all time metal bands. They have sold close to 100 million albums worldwide with little support from radio and video stations. They are always dismissed by mainstream types who cannot see what they have really accomplished. This is story documents how the band toured around the world playing 24 cities in 21 countries in about a month’s worth of time. They covered 50,000 miles. The band did something no other band has done. They retro fitted a 757 airplane to haul themselves, their families and crew, along with all their equipment. Here is the amazing point is the singer of the band is the pilot of the plane. How many bands do you know who would be willing to take something like this on?

I think if you travel the world and take a look to underground music scene you will find metal music. Especially, in societies that is repressive to their people. This movie follows the band Acrassicauda who are playing in of all places Baghdad, Iraq. It follows the members who are trying to survive the war with their families. It follows them along as they have to flee their country in order to keep making their music. This is the core to the heavy metal music from day one. The desire to be heard despite the opposition to it. Music like this has some undertones to human conditions need to survive in the face of whatever it comes up against. The voice that searches to be heard. Especially in tough areas of the world.

The last two films I have show how the music defies convention of “popular music” to endure. If you are trying to market a band (or a person) for a long time career then the next two would not make the list.

Rush the band that is still going on despite never getting the critical claims or awards that come with it. I think that feeds the fans because they know this band is doing things on their own terms. This film shows how a band can for the most part skip the “hype machine” and make music. This band not being in the so called “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame” makes a good case for the fact that institution is totally out of touch for the most part. Over 40 years of playing and they are still putting out new material. The refuse to just tour on their “greatest hits” and that is a testament. Their last two albums are some of their best work. The movie I Love You Man had one of the best tribute scenes to their influence
 

And finally.

Many of today’s star (and you know who they are) try create a sense of persona. Lemmy from the band Motorhead is just that and he does it on his own terms. That is how he has endured. And with that. That is how he became a huge influence upon the music. Here is a clue if a person behind the music will survive for years to come. A pretty boy will not last long at all because pop music leaves a pile of bodies because they are easily replaced. People like him cannot be created by mass market standards. And we gravitate to people like Lemmy who are genuine. But I have to admit I could never life his lifestyle either. Nor do I want to. People need to live on their own terms and accept the consequences of that.

Metal music is just the right tone for the soundtrack for “endurance”.
 

But do me a favor. Don’t get it all caught up in one style of music. That’s teenage crap when you are too young to notice the full scope of what is coming down the path.

I do not think many people take the time to see how things they do in life are related to each other. I think most people compartmentalize many aspects of their own lives. However, it is problem an instinct of survival needed in today’s age. You can be in a lot of trouble if your profile does not match up to the corporate mandate. The 40 hour work week seems to rule the land. Imagine 25% of your week commands the other 75% of your life. It is any wonder why things do not seem to add up in our lives. I am not about to offer any real solution to that equation. Besides I am terrible at math.

There is a part of my life that has existed for close to almost 25 years at this point. I have been a ropes course instructor (now director). It is one of those teambuilding courses where people climb towers and such. I am not going to say who it is for. It is not that I am embarrassed by it. I want to keep it separate from what I am doing here on this site. I know how I approach the material here. I am very aware of how I approach that other work needs a completely different “sensitivity”. If I used this site to bridge those two areas I am opening myself to risk “offending” someone who may be involved with ropes course side. It would not be my intention or even desire to “offend” in that case. It would also take away my intention from my writings here.

I have been thinking about how these two aspects of my life are related in a way. I know I am doing something unusual here. Writing and working on a ropes course are something 90% of all people would have no idea about.

I am going to try to point of the some type of relation.

Working on outdoor teambuilding course I heard once as being referred to as “counseling on the run”. Sometimes you can get a group working together in 3-4 activities and at other times 10 activities are not enough to do the job. You have to be able to look at how the pieces (in this case people) are working and at the same time trying to adjust to the environment at the moment. Everyone wants to see how the puzzle with appear at the end. They also want the guaranteed ending. It just does not work like that. As an instructor I am there to create a safe environment in which to have an experience. What the ultimate meaning of the experience is up to that individual person. There is no guarantee to an experience. In the end, it is what it is.

Operating like this will inevitably open you up to criticism. It is part of the game. This goes into the idea of criticism vs. critical thought. “A critic is a man who knows the way but can’t drive a car.” says Kenneth Tynan It is all about them. They usually show up after all is set and done. I also heard a critic referred to as a person “who has no skin in the game”. But I guess it would not be a party without a “noise maker”. However, people who bring critical thinking to the event are better for all involved. It is more about having a conversation where all involved have a chance to change their outlook or have reinforced. They also bring resources and knowledge to the event at hand.

This leads for me into writing. I have been going back to what I like to write (besides these blog postings) which is for film. I have been starting to watch scenes and break them down. It is back to the “DIY” model. I did go to school for film. However, it did have an official screenwriting program. I had to do it as an independent study course. I should have seen this sign back then. I am not going to write about my “art school” experience at this point in time. I will in the near future. I had to go and find some book that would serve as my textbook to follow. This was pre-Internet days so there was not much to go by. A teacher in the department recommended Screenplay by Syd Field who was considered the expert for the masses at the time. And this was where my knowledge base started. His book does explain format and the three act structure to film. I would learn later people get overly hung up on spacing and font size. His book did not say screenplays are written in Courier 12pt (which they are). And at that time, personal home computers and software were not priced to the point of being affordable. It is all still this day very much a “work in progress” when it comes to this format of writing for me. I also like the format when it comes to fiction because truth is I am a bit of a lazy writer. Example, I do not want to write 300 words or so describing the weather. I can show you the same idea within the shot.

I may be writing something different in format. However, that does not mean I am near being any type on an expert. I am trying to be more knowledgeable, proficient and efficient. I came across the book The Coffee Break Screenwriter by Pilar Alessandra. It is showing me how I can go about breaking down my screenwriting into more manageable pieces. She also has a podcast that I started listening to while I go about work. Another podcast I found is Creative Screenwriting so I can hear from the writers themselves about how they created their film. The only problem is I have to have seen it first because they give away a lot “spoilers”. I just need to keep balance between the times spent on finding resources vs. productive writing time.

The filmmaking process is in a way like “counseling on the run.” I do not know exactly what the final product will be like or the experience related to it. All I am doing is writing the framework in which we will be operating. All I can control in this process is the basis for the origins of my story and the first draft of the screenplay. After that I have to give up any idea that I will have total control of aspects of the final film. Everyone who gets involved in making it will bring different ideas and skills to the script. I just have to be able to see the environment at the moment and act accordingly. I also have to be able to filter through the ideas brought forth. I have to know what to fight for and what I have to surrender to. I also am very aware of how working in parameters like this can scare many people. Even the successful movies and TV series operate like this.

I remember years ago, I sat through a screening of a movie that was not that good. I will not say the title. The man behind making the film was also in the room for the screening. Afterwards, during the Q and A session it was a bit awkward. However, he started to laugh because he knew it was not that good of a movie either. He pointed out his mistakes like how he miscast the villain because he was the only actor willing to do the role at the time. There was a scene that ended abruptly. Because that is where he had spent his last budgeted filming dollar. He had no more money for film at this point. The rest of the budget was for editing. We all felt this would be a career ending film for him since it was not so good. In fact, he said it got him even more work. The reason was he was able to show that he knew the basic of how to go about putting a film together. The mistakes meant more than anything else here. This seems to go against modern society that seems bent on belaboring any mistakes a person makes. I guess it shows you have to know when to move with a project. He also said the movie at least broke even for the investors and after cable rights they made some money. In the end, he said that was the motivation for the investors. However, for him it was something to add to the resume.

This is what anyone who is the midst of trying to create a new experience needs to learn to take to heart and mind. Especially myself.

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how
the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

            -Theodore Roosevelt

I have been on a Clint Eastwood kick lately. I am also been in the YouTube wormhole of watching scenes from various movies. I am also interested by characters in films that have become almost mythological presence in our culture. Clint Eastwood playing Dirty Harry surely fits into this category. The quote in this scene was listed by the American Film Institute as being #6 of all time for “Greatest Movie Quotes”.

Watch the scene.

Here are something I noticed in this clip and why it helps to build up that now infamous quote.

• It starts with the bit of humor about the morning routine of a cop being about coffee and a newspaper.
  
• Notice the waitress is making a noticeable effort to get him to notice she is pouring a lot of sugar into his coffee
  
• Dirty Harry is in his routine and he does not notice.
  
• The “Closed Signs” going up and Harry noticed that something is wrong. Plus the sugar in coffee is sign the routine is out of order here.
  
• He walks off but we know he is going to do something. This character has been well established in previous films as a man of action. He goes to the directly to the problem. He also never calls for back up and waits for the help to arrive. In other words, he is not going to show fear to the criminals by waiting for help.
  
• When he appears watch how he holds the coffee. Once again, he does not display the gun but we know it is there. It adds a bit of tension.
  
• Listen and watch the shooting action. The criminals fire rapidly and frantically which causes them to miss. Dirty Harry shoots like his character forceful and direct. In Dirty Harry films, the gun itself is almost a character too.
  
• Another thing Dirty Harry never put his sunglasses back on. He always looked directly at the bad guys. (Many bad action movies think the sunglasses enhance their character)
  

The scene ends with that now famous quote. “Go ahead, make my day”. That phrase became a catchphrase throughout the 80′s and usually by politicians. And they missed the point of it for the most part. The quote was not meant as a “call to action”. In the film, it summoned up the action of the scene. Dirty Harry was telling the criminal, “I took out your partners in crime and taking you out would just be icing on the cake.” He had shown he is a man of action and backed it up by his actions. The punk staring down the barrel of that gun knew without a doubt Harry would pull the trigger. Dirty Harry is about direct action. There are too many of our politicians who cannot really lay claim to that. Politics is about side deals which are contrary to this character. So the politicians would be better off quoting from another source. They look foolish quoting him.

Another part of Dirty Harry is he is decisive person. There were some who claimed after this scene he was a racist character. However, go through the series of films and watch. Dirty Harry action is not about seeing color. He only sees it as good and bad. And he is not about to apologize for that either. But knows he has to something.

A well defined character will endure for years to come in film.

Look at how many “bad” characters in film that have been made and they try to make franchises out of them.