I'm in Sevilla, Spain. I just came across this place. It's closed down now, of course, but I bet it was really cool.
Friday, 30 March 2012
Thursday, 29 March 2012
The Lump of Meat
The human brain is amazing.
Look at a picture of a young Charlie Chaplin, he really was that young once. That young boy grew up to invent 'The Tramp', create lasting comedic masterpieces, and change the history of cinema.
He was like the rest of us --- a body walking around with a lump of meat encased in his skull.
We romanticize greatness. Even that TED talk by Elizabeth Gilbert is enticing, where she talks about catching an idea from the ether as it passes you by. She thought the problem with creatives and depression/suicide is that they place too much emphasis on genius being personal.
I agree, partially. We all start out thinking we'll be exceptional and discovered immediately for our brilliance. It doesn't work like that and it takes years to understand it.
I'm happy to get rid of the concept of genius and also the idea of catching ideas from the ether -- at least in any spiritual sense.
The ideas ARE out there. When you meet new people and see new places, your brain fires up, you create new neural pathways. Creativity occurs in all humans but it happens differently in artists. Or at least, the end result is different.
The more you create, the better you get. Especially when you make mistakes. We only really learn when we humiliate ourselves by trying projects a little too complex for our current skills.
Those skills improve. You become hardwired for creativity and output. Every project you complete makes it more likely you'll complete the next one. We're habitual creatures.
But the fact remains: It's just a lump of meat in our heads. When we're dead, it does nothing, it's just like anything else. Can we be as great as Chaplin, or Lionel Messi, or Einstein? Probably not. But let's not think of them as geniuses. Let's think of them as talented people who concentrated on their work. Work they had an aptitude for.
There are so many variables to creativity. Most perplexing is the social aspect. Society asks not "were you creative?", but "did you make money?" -- that mindbender is enough to give most artists a breakdown every time a well meaning friend or family member asks "how is it going?"
To realize the brain is just a grey lump of flesh is freeing. It does what you instruct it to do. It does what you focus on. It creates based on what you're thinking and feeling and experiencing.
You want to do your best creative work? Then make sure you're creating with every chance you get, and tempering it with enough time for rest, socialising and being spontaneous.
You are as capable as anyone else. You're nothing special, just a lump of grey matter encased in a skull.
Actually, that IS pretty special-- you're a piece of meat in a skull and the neurons are firing, but a hundred years from now, they won't be. Let's get creative and leave our imprint while we can.
Tea With Milk: The Difficulty of Being English and Abroad
In England you get tea with milk. In America you get tea but if you want the milk they look at you funny.
In Spain you get tea with a glass of milk. In Germany you get a pint of water with a tea bag on the side and they refuse to bring you milk. In Sweden you get tea with milk but nobody ever goes to Sweden.
In the Netherlands they give you tea but if you ask for milk they think you're high. In France they don't give you tea and they don't give you milk. In Ireland they give you tea with milk but only after a few pints of Guiness.
In Sicily you ask for tea with milk and they give you coffee. You explain the error and they give you tea, but still with no milk. You explain again and they give you milk, but take away the tea. You go to complain but see the mafia sitting outside and instantly buy everyone an espresso.
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Twenty Seconds Of Insane Courage
"Sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just, literally, twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it."
An Enormous Anger Grows in Brooklyn: Discovering THE RECORD SUMMER
There's something magical about discovering a band right at the beginning of their journey. Not that it's the beginning of the journey for 'The Record Summer', the songs I'm going to be talking about were released two years ago.
Who are 'The Record Summer'? Where have they been? Where are they heading? To be honest, I don't have a clue, I just discovered them. But this is one of the purest songs I've ever heard.
At the time of writing, 'An Enormous Anger Grows in Brooklyn' has 758 views on YouTube. Their Facebook Fan Page has 196 followers. How exciting! The journey is beginning.
I remember seeing Jason Mraz in the basement at the Betsey Trotwood in Farringdon, London. There were only 40 of us, and we all knew we were discovering something special. We got to request songs, we got to talk to him, we got to know him. And then a few years later he was selling out Wembley Arena and "I'm Yours" was all over the radio. That's how it goes.
We're over-saturated with bands these days. How do you stand out? You just get good, that's all there is. Get good at whatever it is you do. What do 'The Record Summer' do? That's open to interpretation. For me, they reach for something pure, that's the only way I can describe it. They sound truthful, they sound like they mean it.
I guess 'Put You Out' is the hit, it has 4,667 views on YouTube.
That's what it's about these days. You don't reach everyone, you just gotta reach someone. Really reach them. I've had 'An Enormous Anger Grows in Brooklyn' on repeat for days. You might hate it, you might not see why I'm making a fuss --- but that's what it's about in the modern era. You make music and films that sound and feel and smell like YOU, and then if people relate, they'll love you and spread the word. I've got no reason to care about this band, yet here I am demanding you at least give them a listen.
This is how it starts. You don't need the record labels and the big film studios, you just need people who want to repeatedly watch and listen to your art. I can't stop watching the Cameron Crowe film 'We Bought A Zoo'. It's a friggin' family drama with zoo animals! I didn't expect to love it as much as I did, but it's Cameron Crowe. And I dig his stuff. Who he is and what he says matters, to me.
Who are 'The Record Summer'? Where have they been? Where are they heading? To be honest, I don't have a clue, I just discovered them. But this is one of the purest songs I've ever heard.
At the time of writing, 'An Enormous Anger Grows in Brooklyn' has 758 views on YouTube. Their Facebook Fan Page has 196 followers. How exciting! The journey is beginning.
I remember seeing Jason Mraz in the basement at the Betsey Trotwood in Farringdon, London. There were only 40 of us, and we all knew we were discovering something special. We got to request songs, we got to talk to him, we got to know him. And then a few years later he was selling out Wembley Arena and "I'm Yours" was all over the radio. That's how it goes.
We're over-saturated with bands these days. How do you stand out? You just get good, that's all there is. Get good at whatever it is you do. What do 'The Record Summer' do? That's open to interpretation. For me, they reach for something pure, that's the only way I can describe it. They sound truthful, they sound like they mean it.
I guess 'Put You Out' is the hit, it has 4,667 views on YouTube.
That's what it's about these days. You don't reach everyone, you just gotta reach someone. Really reach them. I've had 'An Enormous Anger Grows in Brooklyn' on repeat for days. You might hate it, you might not see why I'm making a fuss --- but that's what it's about in the modern era. You make music and films that sound and feel and smell like YOU, and then if people relate, they'll love you and spread the word. I've got no reason to care about this band, yet here I am demanding you at least give them a listen.
This is how it starts. You don't need the record labels and the big film studios, you just need people who want to repeatedly watch and listen to your art. I can't stop watching the Cameron Crowe film 'We Bought A Zoo'. It's a friggin' family drama with zoo animals! I didn't expect to love it as much as I did, but it's Cameron Crowe. And I dig his stuff. Who he is and what he says matters, to me.
"They don't even know what it is to be a fan. Y'know? To truly love some silly little piece of music, or some band, so much that it hurts."
-Sapphire in 'Almost Famous'
Written & Directed By Cameron Crowe
I have no idea if 'The Record Summer' are any good. I don't know if they're the real deal, it's too soon to tell. I can tell you that I love everything I've heard so far, and that's something, right?
Friday, 23 March 2012
21 Blog Street
1. I love Danish movies.
2. 'The Vow' is not very good. But I like Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams.
3. Tatum is good with comedy. '21 Jump Street' has some hilarious moments. It gets a bit daft towards the end, but what do you expect? It's a Hollywood movie.
4. That's why I love Danish movies. Story comes first. The characters are real. It's not about genre - it's about an experience.
5. I completed the 1st draft of a screenplay this week and the producer absolutely loves it. This confuses me.
6. People sure are getting excited about 'The Hunger Games'. Any good? There's a great article in the New York Times about how it was hyped by the marketing people. I love this sentence: "Lionsgate has generated this high level of interest with a marketing staff of 21 people working with a relatively tiny budget of about $45 million". Makes you realize what an insane industry we're in. A company spends close to fifty million dollars on brainwashing a movie into our skulls, and that's deemed a 'relatively tiny budget'.
7. Bill Hicks on marketing: "By the way, if anyone here is in marketing or advertising...kill yourself. Thank you. Just planting seeds, planting seeds is all I'm doing. No joke here, really. Seriously, kill yourself, you have no rationalisation for what you do, you are Satan's little helpers. Kill yourself, kill yourself, kill yourself now. Now, back to the show. Seriously, I know the marketing people: 'There's gonna be a joke comin' up.' There's no fuckin' joke. Suck a tail pipe, hang yourself...borrow a pistol from an NRA buddy, do something...rid the world of your evil fuckin' presence."
8. Sometimes I am really cynical about her, but that's mostly because I'm insanely jealous of her creativity, optimism and vision. Check out this wonderful little blog post by Color Me Katie. If more people were like her, the world would be wonderful and peaceful.
9. When '21 Jump Street' was nearing the end -- about 12 people behind us in the cinema decided to get into a mass brawl. My friend and I had no idea why it happened, we were just glad we had popcorn.
10. I enjoyed 'We Bought A Zoo'. Is it actually any good? I DON'T CARE! I just know I love it! Cameron Crowe movies are full of vitality and life. That's why I love 'Elizabethtown'. In many ways, it sucks, but some moments are golden. Most films, even the good ones, have no golden moments at all. What are these moments I talk of? They're moments of life - of fresh air - of feeling. Cameron Crowe is the master of that.
11. In this day and age, do relationships ever truly end? Do you ever get closure? Even if you do the whole 'deleting' each other thing, there still comes the day when someone adds someone back again, or stalks them on another site. That never happened back in the day, right? How will it be when we're old? How do you ever truly get away from the exes? I think it's impossible. This topic reminds me of this little short story I wrote. It didn't get much attention but I think it's one of the best things I've written on the blog. It's called 'A Modern Break-Up'. Let me know what you think of it.
12. Reminds me of a thing I wrote last year, where I imitated the writing styles of Woody Allen, Roald Dahl and Jack Kerouac, and called it 'Facebook Stories'. It was fun!
13. 'The Four Tops' were a great band.
14. I'm really looking forward to 'American Reunion'. It'll be like hanging out with old friends.
15. I'm going on a trip soon and I plan to not tell anyone what I do for a living. I'm gonna lie and say I'm a plumber, or that I invented the iPod. I just wanna get away from it, from who I am, just for a little bit. Sometimes I think you can be too identified with who you are and what you do for a living. In fact, I saw a quote this morning that resonated. Let me find it...........
"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be."
-Lao Tzu
Not that I really know what it means, but it sounds nice. That's the thing, we're all guilty of the bastardisation of great traditions and inspirational quotes. Ever read Eckhart Tolle? (a spiritual hack); he uses phrases like, "What Jesus meant to say was....", can you believe that? How would he know?
None of us know what any of the great wisdom means, we just like to pretend we do.
None of us know what any of the great wisdom means, we just like to pretend we do.
That being said, Lao Tzu quotes always inspire me.
16. Which reminds me of a story I wrote back in 2010, called "Lesser Known Inspirational Quotes". Here's a snippet:
"In 336 BCE, Quaqulus, a part-time swimming instructor, had big dreams - he wanted to inspire the world with his wisdom. Unfortunately, he was not as gifted as Epicurus - and his legacy is not quite as impressive. He is perhaps best known for, "The world is really big, and that's why it's difficult to go everywhere." He tried to better this a year later; when he penned "The value of friendship is quite high." He finally gave up inspirational quotes the year before his death, when the best he could come up with was "Sometimes things are really difficult. The key is to not always have times that are really difficult, if possible.""
17. Whenever I feel a little lost, a little off centre, I listen to music from 'The Apartment' and it brings me immediately home.
What song or piece of music does that for you?
18. Here is my in depth analysis of the screenplay 'The Apartment' by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond.
19. Three actresses I really like: Helen Hunt, Patricia Clarkson, Ellen Page. I'm a little bit in love with Ellen Page. And also Rachel McAdams. Which reminds me of a great Woody Allen joke from the film 'Anything Else':
"Last night, I was home by myself and I conjured up a threesome with me, Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren. It was very erotic. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, it was the first time those two great actresses ever appeared in anything together."
-Woody Allen
20. My Top Three Seasons of 'Friends': 2, 4, 8.My top three characters: Ross, Joey, Chandler (sorry, girls). Although, from season six onwards I'd change that to Ross, Joey, Rachel.
21. I feel I need to choose between Ellen Page and Rachel McAdams. I just worry the one who misses out will be heartbroken.
Thursday, 22 March 2012
12 ANGRY MEN (1957 Vs 1997)
'12 Angry Men' is a classic film from 1957, directed by the legendary Sidney Lumet. The whole film takes place in one room. But this isn't 'Saw', it doesn't resort to shock and awe, and it isn't 'Reservoir Dogs': no ears get chopped off.
It's 12 people in a room, talking. That's ALL it is. Yet it's riveting! A perfect film.
For those of you who haven't seen it: the film is about a jury who has to reach a unanimous verdict on a murder case. 11 of them are certain he's guilty, yet one of them is not sure. Juror no #8 is played by Henry Fonda. You can't take your eyes off him in this film, you sit there spellbound for 90 minutes.
They remade it in 1997, and Fonda's role was played by Jack Lemmon. I understand the casting. Juror No #8 was an everyman. He's who we like to think we are. And if that isn't an exact description of Jack Lemmon then I don't know what is.
But guess what? It doesn't work with Jack Lemmon! In fact, the remake hardly works at all.
It looks simple, right? 12 men in a room talking, easy! Just follow the script, get the shots, and be done with it.
But the original was directed by Sidney Lumet, one of the all time great directors. When someone nails subtlety and simplicity, they make it seem like anyone can do it, but it's not true, it takes skill, talent and awareness. Lumet made a masterpiece in 1957. The remake in 1997 is flat, you don't believe the characters. It crosses your mind that you're just watching 12 people sitting in a room talking.
We tell stories to each other verbally, or we read them in print. It's enough, when the story is great and handled well. That's why the original movie is so good. Henry Fonda grabs your attention and you're in awe of him standing up to 11 men who disagree with him.
With the Jack Lemmon version, he's not brave, he's just disagreeing with people, he's just unsure. It's just as valid, but it's not as compelling. But Fonda is magnetic, he pulls you in and holds onto you for the entire film.
The first film does an incredible job of putting you in the room. You feel like you're in the jury. Each member of the group is distinct and different. Some are reasonable, some are apathetic, some are angry and hostile. Thing is, you relate to all of them! That's why Fonda's character is so powerful, because you know how hard it is for people's minds to get changed. You feel it yourself when you're certain about something.
The craziest thing about '12 Angry Men' is that we don't know the full case, only what we hear in the jurors room afterwards. Our interest in the story isn't even based on the merits of the case, we don't even know them!
The 1957 version is genius, a masterclass in simplicity, story, and character. The 1997 version has everything in place, but it doesn't feel as natural. It's worth a watch, but the original is the masterpiece.
It's 12 people in a room, talking. That's ALL it is. Yet it's riveting! A perfect film.
For those of you who haven't seen it: the film is about a jury who has to reach a unanimous verdict on a murder case. 11 of them are certain he's guilty, yet one of them is not sure. Juror no #8 is played by Henry Fonda. You can't take your eyes off him in this film, you sit there spellbound for 90 minutes.
They remade it in 1997, and Fonda's role was played by Jack Lemmon. I understand the casting. Juror No #8 was an everyman. He's who we like to think we are. And if that isn't an exact description of Jack Lemmon then I don't know what is.
But guess what? It doesn't work with Jack Lemmon! In fact, the remake hardly works at all.
It looks simple, right? 12 men in a room talking, easy! Just follow the script, get the shots, and be done with it.
But the original was directed by Sidney Lumet, one of the all time great directors. When someone nails subtlety and simplicity, they make it seem like anyone can do it, but it's not true, it takes skill, talent and awareness. Lumet made a masterpiece in 1957. The remake in 1997 is flat, you don't believe the characters. It crosses your mind that you're just watching 12 people sitting in a room talking.
We tell stories to each other verbally, or we read them in print. It's enough, when the story is great and handled well. That's why the original movie is so good. Henry Fonda grabs your attention and you're in awe of him standing up to 11 men who disagree with him.
With the Jack Lemmon version, he's not brave, he's just disagreeing with people, he's just unsure. It's just as valid, but it's not as compelling. But Fonda is magnetic, he pulls you in and holds onto you for the entire film.
The first film does an incredible job of putting you in the room. You feel like you're in the jury. Each member of the group is distinct and different. Some are reasonable, some are apathetic, some are angry and hostile. Thing is, you relate to all of them! That's why Fonda's character is so powerful, because you know how hard it is for people's minds to get changed. You feel it yourself when you're certain about something.
The craziest thing about '12 Angry Men' is that we don't know the full case, only what we hear in the jurors room afterwards. Our interest in the story isn't even based on the merits of the case, we don't even know them!
The 1957 version is genius, a masterclass in simplicity, story, and character. The 1997 version has everything in place, but it doesn't feel as natural. It's worth a watch, but the original is the masterpiece.
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