2 Foreign Films YOU HAVE TO SEE

I love Samurai movies.  Actually, I'm a bit of a foreign film addict.  The world has caught up with the U.S. and at times can tell a better story than many of the mainstream films out today.  Here are 2 films I would highly recommend that are available now on Netflix.  Twilight Samurai is a wonderful samurai film and if you don't like movies like 13 Assassins, this film will delight you because of the lack of violence and the injection of humanity.  Twilight is still not a family film but the importance of family and how it raises the stakes in every aspect of our lives is a timeless and universal theme.  Siebei Iguchi is a run down single parent who sold his sword to pay for his wife's funeral.  Now the samurai must make his living walking around with a wooden sword.  He must balance his life as a father of 2 daughters, a life he cherishes more than anything.  Versus his volatile Samurai life where his colleagues cannot stand the sight and smell of him.

My second film has to be one of the most memorable and emotional film I have seen in my lifetime. Aftershock, was China's more profitable film a couple of years ago and based on a true story. Aftershock, a film that should have been nominated for best foreign film is a film about survival and forgiveness during China's most horrific and deadly earthquake in 1976. Its a mix of Sofie's Choice and Titanic. Aftershock is a riveting look during chaos where a devastating earthquake destroys Tangshan, and Da Qiang dies while trying to rescue his children from their apartment. When a collapsed beam traps Fang Da and Fang Deng, Yuan Ni is forced to decide between saving her son or daughter and the long term trauma she must face.

Both Aftershock and Twilight Samurai are subtitled and if that what keeps your from watching these films then you are missing out on 2 of the most wonderful films you can catch on netflix.

What do you think?  Japan and China are two countries with a strong consistency of making excellent films.  See you at the movies! 

Pastiche movie making is the putting together of different genres and making a new one.  Yes, its also called Post Modernism Film-making and that is what you get when you watch AB2525!  The movie is a pleasant mix of Escape From New York, The Warriors and American Me.  Co-directed and written by Jo Jo Hendrickson, AB2525 is a fun and exciting look into the future.  Sure this movie lacks budget, but not imagination and when you see this film you wonder what would have happened with a bigger budget because the producers of this film made a visionary film without spending top dollar. 

Dear movie snob, you can go watch War of The Worlds or Chronicle.  But this low budget sci-fi has a lot of heart in its message and story.  Without giving too much away, I would defiantly urge you to consider renting, downloading or even purchasing AB2525 because it’s so original.  It’s a fresh voice to cinema and worth a look. 

Hollywood Only Listens to Dollars

Yes, Hollywood is changing.  And patterns of behaviors have been recongized and taken into consideration.  With video games, downloads, netflix and redbox - How can Hollywood stay afloat?  More importantly, how can people of color get their stories made and how can Hollywood reflect its American audience who is red, white, brown and yellow?
I started this blog in hopes to enlighten and debate with creative people in this country and abroad about film and its evolution.
The first thing I want to talk about is the concept of: "stop paying for that shit!"
Let's go to music - Chris Brown and Rihanna - Fans are outrage that the two have reunited - Its their lives, its their business.  But if you want to take a real stand: TURN IT OFF - "Stop paying for that shit!"  Eventually, they'll go away and replace your like of music with someone else.  Its your stand and people can go away.
MOVIES - With movies becoming filled with stereotypes:
1. The black character dies first
2. Latino femme fetale
3. Latino and Blacks as gangmembers and bad guys
4. Asians as smart and uncomfortable
5. The minority side-kick
The list goes on and I can get specific if you want but we've seen this consistently in the last 100 years of cinema.
Its time to STOP PAYING FOR THAT SHIT
Its time to tell our families, neighbors and friends that opening weekend on a film of color is a essential now more than ever in the history of cinema.  The fact that filmmakers like Katherine Bigalow (Hurt Locker) and Spike Lee (Malcolm X), two excellent award  wining filmmakers find it difficult to produce and shoot their projects, due to lack of studio support, is alarming.
You want to see more people of color in front and behind the screen?  PAY FOR THAT SHIT!!!  Opening weekend please support all films by Women, Asians, Black and Latino filmmakers.  We live in a diverse country, our movies should reflect that beautiful fact!
And for the filmmakers who show no balance!  Full of stereotypes and think less of us through the characters they write, produce and create: TURN THAT SHIT OFF!
Then you will see some REAL change.