HOWL (2010) - My Thoughts On The Film

HOWL (2010) - Directed by Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman. Starring James Franco, Jon Hamm et al. (photo above: James Franco as Allen Ginsberg)

ROB EPSTEIN AND JEFFREY FRIEDMAN – DIRECTORS, WRITERS, AND PRODUCER

I finally got around to watching HOWL the other night. From all of the good reviews that it got, I was expecting a competently made film. I'm pleased to say that the film surpassed my expectations! It is not your standard biopic by any means and I mean that in the most positive way.

The film portrays several events interwoven into a colorful tapestry: The obscenity trial of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, the owner of City Lights Bookstore and publisher of the poem "Howl"; an interview with Ginsberg that took place during the trial; the first public reading of the poem by Ginsberg and animated sequences depicting the poem based on "Illustrated Poems"by Ginsberg & Eric Drooker. All of the dialog was taken from transcripts and publications. I can't think of a better way to capture the poem's brilliance and the author's unique life. It succeeds brilliantly at doing so.

All of the cast was superb and Franco outdoes himself. He brings Ginsberg to life, which is particularly challenging since there exists a substantial amount of recorded and filmed documentation of Ginsberg. His recitation of the poem captures Ginsberg's verbal stylization and energy. What a joy to watch! Jon Hamm also brings in an understated, dynamic performance as Jake Erhlich, the lawyer defending Ferlinghetti and the poem. The monologue he delivers as his closing speech at the trial is some fine acting. While I haven't seen Franco's performance in "127 Hours," it is disappointing to see that he wasn't nominated for this performance of Ginsberg. Hamm should have also received similar recognition.

For those of you who like a film that is artistic and is highly creative in its' narrative structure, I highly recommend this film. A fine example of how artistic creativity can be expressed and entertain at the same time.

BuddyJesus

Yesterday, I found the pamphlet above in the front door of the house left by Jehovah's Witnesses. In some awkward attempt to modernize Jesus' image, we now have him coiffed and groomed (maybe by Paul Mitchell!) to look as if here were living in the 80's (Jehovah's Witnesses are a little behind in fashion trends). Can you say "Jesus is my daddy!" or "Jesus is my buddy!"?

The 9 Most Scathing Sentences in Roger Ebert’s Review of Battle: Los Angeles

9. “Battle: Los Angeles is noisy, violent, ugly and stupid.”

8. “Its manufacture is a reflection of appalling cynicism on the part of its makers, who don’t even try to make it more than senseless chaos.”

7. “Here’s a science-fiction film that’s an insult to the words ‘science’ and ‘fiction,’ and the hyphen in between them.”

6. “The aliens are hilarious.”

5. “They seem to be animal/machine hybrids with automatic weapons growing from their arms, which must make it hard to change the baby.”

4. “The only characters I re member having four sentences in a row are the anchors on cable news.”

3. “[The alien battleships are] aggressively ugly and cluttered, the product of a planet where design has not been discovered and even the Coke bottles must look like pincushions.”

2. “Generations of filmmakers devoted their lives to perfecting techniques that a director like Jonathan Liebesman is either ignorant of, or indifferent to.”

1. (tie) “Young men: If you attend this crap with friends who admire it, tactfully inform them they are idiots. Young women: If your date likes this movie, tell him you’ve been thinking it over, and you think you should consider spending some time apart.”

Click here to read original article by Christopher Rosen on Movieline.

Click here to read full review by Roger Ebert.

Recently Viewed Film Treats

It's been a better-than-average week of film viewing. I have several to share with those of you who are looking for some tasty treats to take in.


I'll start with 101 Reykjavik. To most of us here in the states, Reykjavik, Iceland was a place where the Winter Olympics were held. Reykjavik is cold most of the year and a good amount of time is spent in the dark. So what is there to do? This film provides us with a enticing slice of what some residents do to fill their time. The film's images are exotic; the editing is tight and the characters are quirky. The performances are delightful. Based on a novel of the same name, the film's characters have a lot to bring to the table and entertain you with. I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars. One thing to note: I watched a streaming version of the film and the subtitles were significantly behind the action on screen, often running into the next scene. There were some notations about this by other viewers on IMDB who encountered this not only in the US but on a UK streaming site as well. I couldn't find any definitive information regarding the subtitles on the DVD discs. 

Originally made as a TV mini series for Channel 4 in the UK, The Red Riding Trilogy is now available for us here in the colonies! The story arc focuses on the Yorkshire Ripper murders over a 12-year period. 


Each film's main character gets involved in the investigation. The first film, 1974 focuses on a young newspaper writer who is sent to report on the murders and the investigation. The second installment, 1980 presents us with a law enforcement official sent in from an outside law agency (read "Scotland Yard") to assist in solving the murders. The final segment, 1983 takes us on the journey of one of the local law enforcement agents who has become deeply entrenched in the murders over the years and a lawyer who comes back home to bury his mother and ends up representing the jailed man who has been arrested as the killer. 


As with any masterful piece of filmmaking, this isn't just about the murders and finding the killer. It's about those whose lives are impacted by them in some way and the forces of the town that may be keeping the murders from being solved for their own protection. In one review that I had read before watching the films, the writer compared them to The Godfather trilogy. I thought that might be a bit over-exaggerated. After seeing them, I must agree. 


Each film was shot by a different director but all three were filmed simultaneously. Besides each film having the imprint of each director's talents, they were also filmed in different formats. 1974 was shot 16mm and blown up and cropped to 1.85:1; 1980 was filmed in 2.35:1 and 1983 was filmed in 2.35:1 high definition film. The visual styles enhance the time period of each segment nicely. 


The trilogy is based on four novels by David Peace. Due to budget constraints, only three films could be made. The first film covers a 6-year period where the second and third each cover a 3-year period. The novels are: 1974, 1977, 1980 and 1983. 


I must make mention of the fact that the accents are so authentic and thick that when they were broadcast in the UK, Channel 4 subtitled much of the dialog. I watched them on Netflix and the prints did not have subtitles. The trilogy is also available on DVD and Blu-ray. In my opinion, the Blu-ray is the best deal, having seen it on sale for as low as $16. The discs would also provide the option of subtitles.


Variety recently announced that an American version of the film is in pre-production and that Tony Scott will be directing. No word as to whether there will be three films or one long epic.

Last, but not least, is David's Birthday (Il compleanno). This is an Italian melodrama as only the Italians can serve it up! A beautiful resort town, wonderfully nuanced characters, lust, tragedy and two beautiful men as the central characters! 


Here's the plot synopsis from IMDB: "A group of friends rent a magnificent house by the sea to spend the summer together. The unexpected arrival of Shary and Diego's son David sets something off in everyone, especially Matteo, an accomplished psychoanalyst who is married to Francesca. David's lonely and enigmatic uncle Leonard senses the reasons behind the dangerous tension, hidden beneath layers of silence and friendly banter. This vacation will indelibly mark everybody's life." David is the young man pictured on the top of the box art, Matteo is the bearded daddy below. Both are very easy on the eyes and hot as hell.


There's a lot going on here. At times I sensed a nod to DeSica's Death In Venice and a nod to opera's tragic grandness. The only thing else to recommend is a great Italian wine to accompany the viewing.

The Book of Mormon: The Musical

Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of South Park, are launching a full-scale Broadway musical called "The Book of Mormon: The Musical." Click here to read the New York Times article by Dave Itzkoff.

Pictured above, left to right: Parker, Casey Nicholaw, the co-director and choreographer, Stone and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q), who worked on the book and music.

Anna Nicole Subject of New Opera at the Royal Opera House

Has the Royal Opera house gone mad? No, not really. The new opera, written by the same genius who composed "Jerry Springer: The Opera" is actually getting good reviews. Click here to read the review from The New York Times!

Kevin Koffler: The Man I Want To Be

A really good article on what gay men face as they hit 50. Click here to read the full article.

Antibodies

This was one of those choices where the cover art (on the left) caught my attention... thought I'd check it out to see if it was any good. I was hooked after about two minutes of the film's opening.

The title and box art don't do it justice. (The alternate cover on the right is a bit more on the mark.) It's a very complex and taut thriller.  It is as good as "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" in visual style and content.

I don't want to divulge too much of the plot... it's more fun to have it unravel without knowing too much of it. 

Check it out this weekend. If you like well-crafted and suspenseful thrillers, you'll be very entertained. It's available on DVD and on Netflix streaming.

Watch the trailer for it by clicking here.

(2005 - directed by Christian Alvart; German with English Subtitles)

More Steeler Sightings In SLC

Our blowup Steeler returns and we've joined in the fun!

Mormon Apostle Oaks: Gays Are Destroying Religious Freedom

Via Blogsite Pride In Utah and CNN:

Click Here for the full story

What Are We Saying About Ourselves?

As we fight for our equal rights, many issues and questions about "mainstreaming" into American society have risen to the surface.

What will happen to GLBTQ identity and culture? Will it disappear as we become acclimated to mainstream society? What about the drag queens, effeminate men, cross-dressers, the leather community, people in non-monogamous or poly-amorous relationships and individuals who aren't interested in marrying and raising families?

As assimilation into the mainstream is becoming a reality, many are expressing concerns about mass media portrayal of GLBTQ characters. Some of us wonder if the character of Kurt on "Glee" helps or hinders the greater society to continue to perpetrate GLBTQ stereotypes or promotes acceptance and normalcy? Some of us are suggesting we downplay the "non-conformist" segments of our subculture. Many of us are ashamed of those in our community who are different. We demand that mainstream America endorse diversity, yet we not all of us practice it. Non-conformists do exist and they deserve to be counted. 

Some of us also feel that we should hide the less positive things about ourselves as it might prevent mass acceptance of our subculture. That puts us in the same league as the wing nuts who are revising history to suit their needs and use it to continue to vilify us and help prevent us from having the same equal rights as all Americans.

As we do acclimate into the mainstream, it is absolutely imperative to keep our history accurate. We have to give future generations the opportunity to benefit from our triumphs and mistakes. They need to know the richness of our history through the writings of authors like Armistead Maupin; his chronicles of San Francisco portray a very important time in our culture and history. Many of our young ones don't know about Maupin or his writings. We must also expose them to the likes of the self-loathing Roy Cohn and the role he played in destroying innocent peoples' lives, some of who were gay just as he was. It has to be out there, warts and all. It's the only way we can assure that our future generations know how we came to be part of mainstream society and give a sense of purpose to the LGBTQ community as we are integrated into it.

Utah Political Cartoonist Pat Bagley is Featured on joe.my.god Blogsite!

Thanks, Joe! We do have lots of allies here! Click here for cartoon from the Salt Lake Tribune.

DOMA Amicus Briefs:Who's Who in Anti-Gay Hate groups

Utah is overly represented on this list. Click here to see who made the list.

Utah: Guns & Politics

In response to our friends on the hill proposing to name an official state gun (see "Utah GOP Proposes Naming Browning Semi-Automatic the Official State Gun" at joe.my.god), a friend of mine (who lives here in Utah also) asks, what will be voted the state crime? I think it will be gay sex. But if that is what would happen, many of the politicians who want a "state gun" will have to shoot themselves in the closet!

SAW (Not in 3D): The Final Chapter - Guilty Pleasure

As many of you who know me will attest, the bottom of the barrel can be as interesting to me as the cream of the crop. I was curious as I'd seen all of the others in the franchise. While films 2 through 6 were a bit better than your average franchise sequels, I wasn't sure what to expect from the "final" chapter. There was more gallows humor than the others and it was a bit more over-the-top in regard to the overall tone of the film. The twist at the end was a fun, satisfying close to the series. And of course, if they ever decide to resurrect the franchise, there's still a way. Oh, and in case you're wondering about the still above, what's not to enjoy about a hot, sexy racist getting what he is due for his hateful, murderous ways? 8-)

My Favorites from Last Year

My list is based on what I saw last year. Some of the films listed were released prior to 2010. Not in any particular order.

1. A Prophet (star Tahar Rahim in a still from the film pictured here)
2. Martyrs
3. Micmacs
4. Whole New Thing
5. Terribly Happy
6. Gomorrah
7. Nine (The Musical)
8. Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
9. The International
10. Metropolis (2010 newly restored version)

As usual, my picks don't show up on Golden Globe or Oscar lists. Do I lose my gay card-carrying rights?

Hatred, Bullying & Greed

Like cancer, hatred, bullying and greed completely poisons one's mind. And once that happens, it forces the body to physically manifest what has happened to the mind. And it ain't pretty.

Steelers in Strange Places...

It has appeared today again on the neighbor's lawn!

BURIED

Just did a Sunday afternoon movie, BURIED, with Ryan Reynolds. Interesting concept, but the script was not that good. Very predictable. You could see a plot development coming way before it happened. In addition, it manipulated the viewers' emotions in very obvious and cheap ways. Let's face it, if you're going to have a film with only one character on screen the whole 95 minutes and have them in a wooden box, ya better have something to keep the viewer interested! The ending was good. If had veered away from all of the other cliches, throughout the film, it could have been a lot better.

Welcome to Blog?Never!

This is my first post to my first blog site... ever!

This is an experiment so I'm not sure what direction this will take. Writing on Facebook can be limiting in many ways; a blog seems to provide a bit more flexibility in expressing oneself. I have also become a BIG fan of Joe Jervis' blogsite, joe.my.god. He is an inspiration and his blog exemplifies what I feel is the very best of what a blog can offer to its' readers. I am way too much of a novice to think that I could ever be in Joe's league, but experiencing his blog sets a standard to aspire to and which I will strive towards. And hopefully you'll get to experience some of my "flavor" along the way!

The photo that I've included here is a Christmas photo from when I was 4 years old. It foresees a few things about me: having the desire to deejay started very early on, that loving music is as genetically inherent as being gay, and that I had fashion sense even as a child! (Not really, but my mom did.)

The reason that I've included this picture is that there is a new blog site called "Born This Way!" that I recommend looking at and contributing to. You'll see this photo there soon.