One of the sad things about the so called demise of vinyl was the rise of the ‘remix’ and the end of the B-side. You see, vinyl was fun because it was like a frisbee, but also because there were two songs for the price of one. Then came the CD-Single which sucked as it used to cost £1.99 and although there were usually three or four tracks on the said ’single’ they were all sucky remixes. Sure, there were the occasional great remix hits, but these were few and far between.
And so onto the remix. The rehash. The remake. The homage. The piss take for those who pay for their entertainment. Lazy writing designed to maximise profits, although again not all remakes are bad. But hey, it was starting to take the mickey.
Music over the past ten years has sucked. So has the (western) films. You think about the eighties and you think about the great tracks, hell even the 1990’s were great for music. And the films were also astounding too! And we are not just talking about classic American entertainment (‘Pulp Fiction’, ‘Desperado’, ‘Clerks’), but great Brit films (‘Trainspotting’, ‘The Crying Game’, ‘The Long Good Friday’, even ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’) and a golden era for Bollywood (‘Dil Se’, ‘Bombay’, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘Hum Aapke Hain Kaun’) were all fantastic.
And then came the noughties. Digitised, safe and dull. Absolutely nothing to remember it by. There have been some great stuff, but the bulk of the decade has been characterised by incestuous links within a bloated entertainment industry. Old stars that refuse to retire, new ones discovered via talent contests and the greatest hits of too many guys who have done far too little.
I am merely a humble director, a speck on the ointment of this world. And I also have to prove myself with far more effectiveness than what I have done to date. But if I was to look back for inspiration on the course of my life. I would rather look outward to the world in the 2000’s than to the so called entertainment of the past ten years. For a decade that represented a golden time in terms of prosperity for much of the world, it has surely been lacking in the risks taken to tantilise the senses…
This is quite a personal comic strip. It has been a tough 2009 for CWP, but rather than blog about it, I decided to illustrate it. The big question I am asking myself is ‘what do I do next?’
Unlike yesterday, this is a much more personal recollection of the decade. Well, what a decade it has been! The one that is clearest in my memory, and definitely the decade that will shape my years to come. And so how was it for me? Well, that is a very good question, that could only properly be answered in a few years time as I look back and contemplate the happenings of the past ten years. But it has definitely been a decade of two halves. At the beginning of the decade, I started it in revelry on the streets of London. And by the end of the decade I also will be on the streets of London, but not as boisterous as I will be working the night shift. In between it has been an eventful ten years.
The first half of the 2000’s was spent studying and travelling. I studied far too frivolously and travelled far too hard, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I visited a war zone to reconnect with my family, I climbed temples in the jungle, taught English to kids and adults, nearly died in a desert and hiked across the lands of the Moors. And then in 2004, I made an about turn and decided to pursue filming with a vigour. I surprised everyone that knew, me, alienated quite a few of them and got stuck into the business of making films. Now, six years later, and with very little to show for that decision, the big question to ask myself of this decade is ‘has it been a waste of my life?’ After all, these are supposedly the ‘best years’, and if I fail in my quest to make a (decent) living out of writing and directing my own feature films, than I would have wasted those years on nothing more than a pipe dream.
Looking back can be almost as dangerous as looking forward. Fear grips our paths towards the future, regret litters our paths behind us. All that we really have is the present day, and the hum-drum safety net of work, eat, and sleep. And yet, as I look back, I think to myself that it has been an all right decade, but something has to give soon to make it a really spectacular one…
If there is one country you have to catch a flick, it has to be India. And while I was in Kolkata, I had to dive into one of those wonderful picture houses.
Dil Bole Hadippa was not the greatest film around, but it was entertaining. I do not understand Hindi and with a lack of subtitles, what I really need is a simple story, a few good songs and pretty girl on the screen. Dil Bole Hadippa amply filled this need. And being a film lover, it was not just the film, but the atmosphere, munching away in the cinema all those great snacks.
One guaranteed way of entertainment while in India – hit the movies!
I love Korean films. Fact, they are so warped, that they will entice and intoxicate the nearest viewer. One film I have recently seen, is the 2001 hit, My Sassy Girl. A fantastic film, that will make you laugh, will make you sigh and might even make you cry. Man, I am a big softy…
Plus, with some of the coolest moments in film, this is one movie I could watch again and again. And to think this is an eight year old film! All right, you want to see a cool part of the film, then click here and move the cursor to the one minute mark. Start playing and watch the rest of the vid, it will crack you up!
The film has been remade twice. Once by the American’s and another by the Indian’s. Both kind of flopped. I have seen the Indian version, and it is simply not as good as the original, although the story is virtually identical. I don’t know why, but I think that the combination of a director who really loved the story and great acting made ‘My Sassy Girl’ one of Korea’ biggest hits.
But to all those regular travellers on public transport – beware of who you pick up…
Earlier this week I stopped off in town for the day ad did something that I have not done for a long time. Spent a day at the movies. The London Film Festival was in town so for lunch I watched on of its offerings, then headed to the Prince Charles for a late matinee before sauntering off to Trafalgar Square for a late night show in the open. The last of these, the freebie was the best one of the lot, the other two films being…’interesting’…but not really entertaining.
But it was the outdoor film that I really liked. It took a look at London’s transport from 1896 right up until the present day and it was fascinating to see how much and how little has changed in London over the past 100 years or so. And the Square was crowded with people, all trying to get a glimpse of what London had to offer. A lot of the time, I think the Festival in London can make some great choices, and this is one of them. Long may the freebie screenings in the Square continue, and thank goodness the weather held!
I love those guys. Really. Well, maybe not that much. But, I had to immortalise the folks behind the camera. The ones, who normally, do not get the glory, but who have as much ‘fun’ as anyone else on set. The crew!
Right, El Director is off on holiday and so the comic strip will next be up and running on Monday October 19th! Until then…;)
I really liked doing this, both as a short film and as a comic strip.
Originally, Nick came to me and asked me to shoot Jay and Kay in the back garden, just chatting, and most importantly, having the milk bottle ‘disappear. He then told me to ‘trust him’. So I did. A few weeks later, he brought me the animation sequence and so was born the two alter egos of Silvertop and Goldtop.
The reason why I have enjoyed this webisode so much is that the story is continued in the latest incarnation of Caution Wet paint, Jay and Kay Save the World! Yep, give me a chance, and I will string a story out far beyond the stars…into the realms of madness!
Unfortunately, my time this year is rushed and filled with madness. Nevertheless, I did manage to see a show at this year’s C. Wharf FIlm Festival and in particular, I caught the ’showcase’ In other words, the winners of the ‘big’ film festivals worldwide. As a film maker, it was interesting to see what was the cool new things on the block. For me, my favourite short was ‘Lies’ which was a winner at Sundance and Vennice. A really great documentary, and fascinating to watch.
There is still today left at the CWFF, but for me, I will have to wait until next year to get my East London flicks fill!
Hello Bloggers!!I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and joyous New Year!! We have a lot of exciting new ideas for the New Year and plans to push forward with our films, keep watching!We have also just launched a new independent film forumjoin us now!La Producer xxx
