One thing I really love about the Horror Genre is, above all, its' ability to tell the truth behind the human experience. Horror is an exceptable realm where its' viewers understand that 1) they're about to see some wild shit and 2) it's no more exaggerated than the realities we face in everyday life. I plan on making horror films based on my own experiences on this earth as well as things I've witnessed. Some of my influences both old and new are George A. Romero, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, and, quickly coming up through the ranks, Dario Argento. I plan on checking out a slew of Argento films within the next couple of months. I'll post a few film reviews about the films I watch. Check out some of the interviews from a few of the Masters of Horrors themselves.
I just finished reading this rant by Michael P. Dipaolo and knew I had to post it on my blog. This is for all of you whom are either jaded, untruthful, or down right cowardly in your quest to reveal film as truth.
1.) I hate and renounce as a coward anyone who thinks they can cast a TV star and still be independent. 2.) I hate and renounce as cowards all those poseurs attempting to pass off their craftily conceived conformity as cutting edge. 3.) I hate and renounce as a coward every director who wastes film stock shooting a radio play disguised as a movie. 4.) I hate and renounce as a coward the next producer who tries to pass off another drab, middle class generation X model as white trash. 5.) I hate and renounce as a coward all those lazy bastards who use the lyrics of a song to set the emotional tone of a scene or name their film after some 60's pop tune. 6.) I hate and renounce as a coward those who have destroyed glamour in the name of some silly simplistic notion of realism. 7.) I hate and renounce as a coward any filmgoer who sits through a universally praised film they think is a piece of shit and doesn't stand up and scream at the screen. 8.) I hate and renounce as a coward any creative artist who chooses a difficult subject and punks out in their execution. 9.) I hate and renounce as a coward any filmmaker who hasn't taken the time to learn their craft. 10.) I hate and renounce as a coward those who would convince me that the "American Independent Film" has become anything but a greedy, cynical attempt to shove the European Art Film off American screens. 11.) I hate and renounce as a coward any editor who allows themselves to be persuaded by any being (whether living or dead ) to cut back and forth on every line of dialogue, as if Dragnet wasn't bad enough. 12.) I hate and renounce as a coward any filmmaker whose every character doesn't reveal some aspect of their soul. 13.) I hate and renounce as a coward any filmmaker who isn't' constantly struggling against the reality of their being paid to perpetuate the lies we live by. 14.) I hate and renounce as a coward those artists who have made "updated" film noirs that would more at home in a Vogue spread on Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. 15.) I hate and renounce as cowards all those countless film festival organizers whose sole goal is to make money. 16.) I hate and renounce as a coward every movie critic who has allowed themselves to become nothing but a high paid movie studio flunky. 17.) I hate and renounce as a coward all those cretins who believe that film history begins in the 60's, 50's, 40's, 30's or 20's... 18.) I hate and renounce as a coward any moron who makes or believes in 10 Best Lists, let alone 100 Best Lists. 19.) I hate and renounce as a coward the next discovery who passes of their credit card financed, dull as dishwater, coming of age "epic" as anything but a drab piece of shit. 20.) I hate and renounce as a coward those idiots who attempt to pass off their lack of style as somehow being more "honest." 21.) I hate and renounce as a coward those marketing geniuses who tell me that they have to know how to sell a movie before they make it. 22.) I hate and renounce as a coward writers who pass off their bland, pathetic, politically correct whining as insightful social criticism. 23.) I hate and renounce as a coward anyone who recycles old movies as a substitute for personal experience. 24.) I hate and renounce as a cowards the vast industry that's sprouted up to assist technically inept, spiritually bankrupt, morally corrupt, culturally deprived individuals make their "personal vision." 25.) I hate and renounce as a coward any brain-washed cretin who thinks scripts are anything but an invention of producers to control the creative process. 26.) I hate and renounce as a coward anyone who doesn't believe that the camera and microphone are the only true writing instruments of a film. 27.) I hate and renounce as a coward any director of photography who lights a scene that looks like a battle between three different schools of painting. 28.) I hate and renounce as a coward anyone who makes another irredeemably terrible movie from one of Jim Thompson's darkly, sublime books. 29.) I hate and renounce as a coward the very next "indie" filmmaker who recounts how they financed their film with credit cards, luring countless suckers to subsidize some conglomerate's independent film division's development fund. 30.) I hate and renounce as a coward anyone, whatsoever, who appears in TV commercials for independent film with some stupid, curly-headed little witch. 31.) I hate and renounce as a coward all those simplistic, moronic, critics who contribute to the creation of a simplistic, moronic audience. 32.) I hate and renounce as cowards all those who know the truth of the above, but profitably continue to remain silent.
"Say My Name" is another one of my personal favorites from the festival. The film spoke volumes about the state of women (femcees) in hip hop. It featured interviews with prominent females in hip hop that include Remy Martin, MC Lyte, Rah Digga, Erykah Badu, and newcomer Estelle whose hit single "American Boy" with Kanye West blazed (is blazing) the radio, charts, and college parties. It also included lesser known, but nonetheless important, female femcees that included Sparky D, Roxanne Shante, Jean Grae, Choc Thai, Invincible and Miz Korona. The femcees came from all walks of life from the Bronx to Detroit to Atlanta to London. One of the more powerful comments of the documentary was a comment stated by Rah Digga. She stated that the names of female emcees are usually much larger than the money they actually bring in. This struck me on many levels. I never thought of the fact that I do know of Remy Martin, Rah Digga, and others but have never actually purchased one of their cd's (with the exclusion of Erykah Badu). This alone harms the market for femcees. As proven in the entertainment market, if it's not selling, record labels are not willing to put their money behind the project. What I particularly loved about the doc was the truth behind the lyrics of the rappers. They strive to stay true to their situation just as a male rapper would do. They want to destroy the image of the oversexualized female in hip hop. An image that often works against the establishment of the more lyrically talented artists. Remy Martin was one, if not the only, female that did not wish to tarnish the image of the oversexualized image of women. She said that she's not willing to knock how another woman makes her money. If that means shaking her ass in a video then, so be it. But, in contrast, the doc was not engulfed in contraversy. It moreso sought to give recognition to the otherwise ghost femcees that inhabit the world of rap. Nirit Peled, formerly from Israel, is the director of the documentary. I was really impressed by her depiction of the different cities and her ability to not only capture the essence of the cities, but also to connect the cities. What connected the cities was hip hop. Her musical score composed of the raps of the femcees and outside sources really made the documentary that much more potent. The lyrics of the femcees are that of their struggle, pain, dreams, fears, hope, and love. Hip hop knows no gender and in a predominantly male dominated realm femcees are definitely gearing up for a takeover.
So, I went to the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, North Carolina this weekend. What impressed me the most was the amount of African-American based documentaries in the fest. The four I watched on Saturday were, "Hoop Dreams", "In Motion: Amiri Baraka", "The Fallen Champ", and "Say My Name". Today I watched "William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe". Each film I watched had either a Q & A with the director, subject matter or a combination of the two. Some Q & A's were better than others, but, overall, the filmmakers did an excellent job in not only the production but the presentation of their documentaries. My favorite of the four documentaries is between "Hoop Dreams" and "Say My Name." Hoop Dreams is about 2 inner city youth growing up in Chicago, Illinois chasing the dream of one day playing in the NBA like an idol of theirs (Isiah Thomas) who, consequently, went to the same High School as Gates and Agee (formerly). William Gates (who was in attendence for the Q & A) and Arthur Agee Jr. are the subject matter for the film. I particularly enjoyed the way the film captured the reality of growing up as a black youth in Chicago in the late 80's and early 90's. The rawness of the film spoke volumes about the real life struggles faced by black families trying to support the decisions of their childrens dreams and dealing with real-life hardships in their everyday lives. The Agee family in particular went through numerous trying times. His father was a recovering drug addict who left the family on occasion to fend for themselves. As in the case for most black families, Arthur's mother proved to be the glue that held the family together. Arthur himself dealt with being kicked out of St. Joseph High School (Isiah Thomas' alma mater) where he attended with Gates. Agee faces the difficult struggle of making a jump from one high school to another in the middle of the school year and increasing his level of play on the court to secure a starting position on the varsity basketball team. Gates faced personal struggles of living up to his brothers basketball standards as he was a stand-out athlete in high school as well. Chronic knee problems proved to be the achilles heel that mentally forced Gates out of the free spirited playing style he had developed playing basketball his entire life. Along with beautiful cinematography, the film contained a jazz score that captured the essence and very life of Chicago during that time with a sense of hope for those with the chops big enough to escape its' grasp. Director Steve James, in his masterpiece, truly allowed the story to formulate and thus marinate into the minds and hearts of the audience and because of this he truly has made a timeless work of art.
I love film. Everything about the filmmaking experience from start to finish has a special place in my heart. Film is the medium that alows me to hold a mirror to society in hopes that, for better or worse, they see something of themselves within my art. I'm a grounded individual seeking to do more good than bad in this world cause in the end those are the people who are truly remembered.
