Movie Reviews: Zipper, Taken 3, Northmen: A Viking Saga

Zipper
directed by Mora Stephens

What makes a man go crazy when a woman wears her dress so tight/ It must be the same thing that makes a tomcat fight all night -Muddy Waters "The Same Thing"

Why must I feel like that/ Why must I chase the cat/ It's the dog in me, nothing but the dog in me. -George Clinton "Atomic Dog"

Woman I can tell what's on your mind/ Cause I can see the lovelight shine/ You're wanting me to settle down and quit all my rambling around/ Oh woman this heart of mine just loves one day at a time/ Tomorrow is a brand new song and I might be moving it on -Jerry Reed "Let's Sing Our Song"
People have written billions of words detailing the differences great and small between men and women and debating whether such divergences are primarily cultural and environmental or instead mostly biological and hard wired. I lean more towards the latter explanation in most circumstances but that's neither here nor there. Culture and biology often reinforce each other so it can sometimes be difficult to tease out which is what. What's important is that for both genders but apparently more so for men, sex is a primary and necessary drive for which much will be risked. Unfortunately Zipper doesn't have a whole lot to say besides the obvious but it looks good doing it. There are too many politicians and celebrities to mention who could fit into this fictional story but I guess the most obvious parallel would be to former NY Attorney General and Governor Elliot Spitzer. Tiger Woods also gets a filmic shoutout. But you can probably just pick up your local newspaper and find someone who reminds you of the characters in this film. I wouldn't say the cast of Zipper is slumming exactly but they have done better things in the past. 

Zipper (and there's not a whole lot of subtlety to that title is there) tells the story of a charismatic and telegenic South Carolina assistant federal prosecutor named Sam Ellis (Patrick Wilson). Sam has the look and attitude of a man who's going on to bigger things. He's made a name for himself going after corrupt politicians and bringing down the hammer on the sorts of bad guys who help him make the evening news. He's compassionate but not soft, stern but occasionally merciful. He's the office rock star. Men want to be him. Women want to do him. But they can't because Sam is happily married to Jeannie (Lena Headey) a politically connected and wealthy former attorney who gave up her career to support Sam and raise their son together. Her ambitions will be realized thru Sam's success. The sky's the limit for Sam. He could be the next US attorney for South Carolina. He could be a US representative. Even the US Senate is within reach, according to cheerfully slimy political fixer and family confidante George Hiller (Richard Dreyfuss). But Sam has temptations. He manages to stop just short of doing anything unforgivable with the sexy young office intern (Dianna Agron) who comes on to him after a big court win. But when Sam talks to a provocatively dressed case witness and unashamed $1000/hr escort he loses it. Adult entertainment and his wife no longer satisfy his needs. Sam needs real live women! And just like that Sam begins running to the ATM, buying burner phones and maxing out the family credit card. The story such as it was disappears under visuals that were reminiscent of Showtime movies or early nineties Shannon Whirry erotic thrillers. There's some moralizing but not as much as you might think. Ray Winstone does good work but is ultimately wasted as an family friend of Jeannie's. He's an investigative journalist who was contracted to do a puff piece on Sam but rather transparently has his own agenda. John Cho has a blink and you'll miss it spot as an image consultant and Sam's friend. 

The problem is as stated above there's really no explanation besides the need for variety that is offered for Sam's straying.  Sam is a bit of a cipher. He's neither a sympathetic nor tragic figure. He just is. Jeannie is ambitious but is also quite affectionate. Of course when you consider some of the song lyrics at the top of this post perhaps there is nothing mysterious about Sam's actions at all. Zipper's second half gives Headey more opportunities to shine. It's her character's actions and decisions which are the true driving force behind what happens next. When you live or are intimate with someone for a period of time you notice all the little things about them. Little things like a spouse or lover having a phone or ringtone you don't recognize can trigger all sorts of fears. All in all this independent film was occasionally entertaining but unsatisfying because the tension is lacking. And even where there is tension you don't care too much about most of the characters. Both genders reveal a fair amount of flesh. Again, it's Headey who makes the film work.
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Taken 3
directed by Olivier Megaton

If the first Taken was a reminder that metaphorically speaking just because the mule was old didn't meant it couldn't still kick you in the head, then this installment served notice that age catches up with everyone. Entropy always increases. This movie definitely could have done with some cinematic cialis. What was once life or death has been suffused with moral questioning. In the initial installment Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) didn't mess around worrying about what he had to do to get his daughter back. He just did it. That was the whole point of the movie. There are some people you encounter in this world who as Walt Kowalski memorably informed us, you really shouldn't mess with. That used to be Bryan Mills. Trip his wire and he will chop your lips off and feed them to you before he gets really inventive. However in this film Mills ends up having to pull his punches quite a bit. And maybe it was just me but the interminable car chases and explosions just made things worse. There wasn't hardly any emotional involvement with the story or the characters. As I wrote about Taken 2, at this point is there anyone left on the planet who doesn't realize that messing with Mills' family is a very bad idea? There really shouldn't be. That's like the Japanese after Nagasaki saying "Is that all you got?" to the Americans. And how many times does Mills have to save the life of his ex-wife (Famke Janssen) before she starts to catch feelings for him again. Hmm. 

The fight scenes are mostly incompetent. I'm not sure if that is a mark against the director or merely an unavoidable concession to the fact that a 63 year old man such as Neeson, however well trained his character is, won't be able to dominate similarly well trained men twenty, thirty or forty years younger than himself without straining or breaking believability. It may have behooved the writers and director to go in an entirely different direction and play up Mills' detective, tactical or mechanical acumen instead of his martial skills. That to me would have been a much more engaging and fun movie. Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for this film. Don't get me wrong there are still a few fist pumping scenes and cool one liners but overall Neeson looks tired. And so does everyone else in this movie. Forest Whittaker has a redundant role as a police commander whose primary jobs are to warn everyone how dangerous Mills is and always to show up immediately after Mills has escaped. Again. It seems as if Whittaker would have the name to demand better or larger roles but a paycheck is a paycheck. Maggie Grace recaps her role as Mills' constantly endangered daughter. The camera is not kind to her. Plot? Well there's not a lot here I care to detail. Actually there's not much to detail period. Mills is framed for a murder and must fight to clear his name and of course save his daughter from unseen peril. Stupid people do stupid things. Obvious plot devices abound. Hollywood's new favorite all purpose bad guys show up. This film did rather well financially. I can't see why.
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Northmen: A Viking Saga
directed by Claudio Fah

Well I thought that this movie was entertaining though even a genre fan such as myself would not say that it was a great film. If you ignore all the inconvenient things like lack of treated drinking water, modern medicine and dentistry, washing machines, air conditioning and the other goodies we take for granted that keep us healthy, safe and clean l still find something romantic about the Middle Ages. It was after all a time when it appeared to be a bit easier for one man to make a big difference in the world. All you needed was a sword, a strong arm and a bad attitude. This was a very similar movie in tone and mood to Sword of Vengeance (although it was much less violent) and not just because it had genre fixture Ed Skrein (aka the original Daario from Game of Thrones) in a supporting role. In another way it was also an updated Western. It might have run on a bit too long but the ending was solid. You may not have known it but at various times during English (Anglo-Saxon era) history the Vikings came not only as raiders and pirates but as traders, invaders and settlers. During some periods there were even Viking Kings of England. The movie is set during this time, say 9th century or so. The young Viking warrior Asbjorn (Tom Hopper) has fled Norway along with his father's last surviving loyal retainers. Asbjorn and his father lost a power struggle against the new Norwegian King Harald, who is apparently a bit greedier and more dictatorial than the previous Viking customs would permit. Asbjorn's father died; Asbjorn and crew fled. They intend to reach Viking settlements on the east coast of England, where they can live in peace and freedom or perhaps raise a new army to go home and settle accounts. But they can't do that because they get blown off course and wind up shipwrecked on what they later find out is Scotland. They need to get south. Adding to their bad luck a Scottish military patrol/caravan just happens to be heading their way. Well you can't call yourself a Viking warrior if you're going to let a little thing like being shipwrecked, famished, outnumbered and mostly unarmed ruin your day. In short time the Vikings have shown the Scots what the phrase "the fury of the Northmen" really means. 

Strolling through the dead or dying Scots, the Vikings find a cart with a woman inside. And it's not just any woman. The Vikings don't know who she is yet but they can tell from her beauty, youth and clothing that she must be someone important. They decide to take her for ransom. To some of his followers' irritation Asbjorn decrees the woman will be unharmed and unmolested. For a Viking, Asbjorn is a moral sort of fellow. All the same you can't lead hard men without being one yourself. Some of his wolfpack wonder if Asbjorn's really got the stones to call himself captain. As the Vikings later learn from a mysterious, cynical, sarcastic, modern thinking and quite irritable warrior monk (Ryan Kwanten) the woman they have "liberated" is Princess Inghean (Charlie Murphy), the daughter of Scottish King Dunchaid (Danny Keogh). She was being taken against her will to be married off to one of her father's nobles. The news that she was kidnapped by Vikings on Dunchaid's lands will have quite negative political impact on Dunchaid's reputation throughout all Scotland. It'll make the King look ridiculous, and as Jack Woltz would tell you a man in his position can't afford to be made to look ridiculous! On hearing the news the King sends out his A-Team group of killers, led by the sibling duo of Bovarr (Anatole Taubman) and Hjorr (Skrein) to rescue Inghean. But these brothers, who might as well have big red arrows pointing to them with "We're the bad guys!" inscribed, have their own ideas about what their mission should involve and how it should end. And in an era before instant communication and GPS, Bovarr and Hjorr have a fair amount of independence of action.

This kicks off a long chase movie with all of the requisite back to back last stands, sword duels, feats of derring-do, betrayals, and sieges that any genre fan might wish to see. The film could have benefited greatly from a few flashbacks or setpieces to allow you to understand who the individual Vikings were. Few of the Vikings are really given a lot of definition but there are all the usual tropes--the huge loyal brute, the impossibly skilled bowman, the best friend, the crazy guy, the old guy who's down for one last fight, the deadpan cynical snarker, the untrustworthy second in command--you know the drill. Inghean has other outre skills (and no I am not talking about "those" skills) which the movie uses judiciously. Obviously Inghean and Asbjorn start to make goo-goo eyes at each other but the film surprisingly underplays that. It's not that kind of party. The true stars of the film are the South African and German shooting locations. There is a lot of beauty in this world, and this film lovingly depicts that. I can't emphasize enough how wonderful the cinematography is in this movie. Even the most dedicated city-dweller will want to get out of his house to enjoy the woods, streams and mountains. The film also gives a fair, if cursory look at the benefits of both Christian and Norse belief systems. It is fascinating to consider a culture where some people believed the only way you reached heaven was by dying in battle with sword in hand. The camera work appears to be stolen from inspired by Peter Jackson. Again, this film will mostly appeal to people predisposed to like this sort of stuff, but there is enough here for the rest of you to make this slightly worthwhile. I thought it was a fun Saturday afternoon kind of movie. If you want more than that, look elsewhere.
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Cemeteries, Mosques and Anti-Muslim bigotry

An ugly fact of the human condition is that the negative generalizations that we are so quick to detect and oppose when used against us we often eagerly apply to the other. Few of us completely lack this trait. Witness the ugly bigotry some people have against Muslims. There are four recent incidents which reminded me of these thought patterns. In the first case, former baseball great, born-again Christian, ESPN analyst and proud conservative Curt Schilling approvingly posted and later deleted the meme comparing Muslims to Nazis. He apologized and removed the tweet, but was briefly suspended from ESPN activities. His employer made it clear that Schilling did not speak for ESPN. Unsurprisingly the NY Post defended Schilling as telling "the truth" about Muslims. In the second case a group of apparently low information American citizens in the town of Farmersville, Texas are protesting plans for a "Muslim invasion" of their town. Well, what exactly has these people so up in arms you might ask? Is there some wealthy Arab expatriate sheik who is building a compound for his harem and is going to seize all the town's young women for his own libidinous purposes? Or maybe it's a smooth talking charlatan who is building a secret bomb making and terrorist training facility. When the time is right he'll give the secret radio signal. Every Muslim in Texas will start screaming Allah-u-Akbar and chopping off heads. Perhaps it's just a whole bunch of fiendishly clever Muslim parents who, just for s***s and giggles, intend to have massive numbers of children and so within a few generations take over the United States. The people of Farmersville apparently believe that some of that might be going on but in reality the plan that has them so upset, fearful and blurting out stupid or hateful comments is that some American Muslims, you know, fellow citizens, are planning to build a cemetery. Yes, some people in Texas are so scared of Muslims or hate them so much that even dead ones make them cry for their Mommy. 

Not to be outdone, some people in my own state, in the city of Sterling Heights, are protesting a planned mosque. Some people opposed to the mosque claim to have and may indeed have no religious or ethnic bias as a motivating factor. But many others are quite clear about their prejudices against and hatred for Muslims. When you say that "these people scare us" or "you should have homeland security investigate these people" or "I don't want to live next to people like this", you don't leave much room for misunderstanding. Finally, in Houston Texas, about thirty or so brave yahoos protested against a pre-kindergarten and kindergarten magnet language immersion school for the horrible crime of teaching Arabic. That'll show those five year old little terrorists in training! Don't mess with Texas!!!

Some Americans hold all Muslims responsible for the actions of a few. They think that Islam itself is wrong and evil. They piously point out that a small percentage of Muslims can do a great deal of harm. They feel justified in hating or distrusting all Muslims. Whether such Muslims are American citizens doesn't matter. The more historically minded among such folk or more likely those who can remember and repeat simple talking points will talk at length about past Muslim atrocities or point today to the savagery of ISIS as an example of the typical Muslim. That's all well and good for what it's worth. I have no interest in defending any form of conquest or imperialism, religiously motivated or otherwise. And if you want to be a bigot, as long as your behavior is not unduly or unlawfully influenced by your bad thoughts, I don't care as much as I used to care. The only problem I have is this. If you are living in the United States or Canada or Argentina or just about any place in the so-called New World you're standing on land which witnessed one of the greatest and most successful genocides in world history. For the past five hundred years people of European descent and primarily Christian belief conquered the word and raped, enslaved or exterminated millions of their fellow human beings. In the United States it's only really in the last fifty years or so that the idea that this might not have been such a nice thing to do has penetrated the mainstream consciousness. And it's still a very controversial concept. The New York Times, hardly a conservative or white nationalist publication, just published a fawning review of Hugh Thomas' World Without End, which is apparently one long apologia for Christian Spain's invasion and genocidal conquest of large swaths of the non-white and non-Christian areas of the planet. It's hard to imagine the NYT doing the same thing for someone who strenuously argued that, sure maybe a few people got hurt, but by and large the Islamic Caliphate's or Ottoman Turk's repeated invasions of Europe were noble attempts to spread civilization.

What's beyond the pale (pun definitely intended) is that people who were victims of all this and/or their descendants should judge all whites or all Christians the same way that others wish to judge all Muslims. So why is that? Why is it that because of 9-11 it's okay to say that Islam itself is the problem or that every single Muslim must immediately be held accountable for anything that one of the other 1,599,999,999 Muslims on the planet says or does? Is it okay for people who have suffered multiple 9-11s for centuries to say that white people are the problem? The racism which pervades the Western world is not something that can be laid at the feet of Islam or Muslims. I am less concerned about being blown up by Al-Qaeda than I am about being shot or beaten by a police officer. Nevertheless I try to judge people on an individual basis. And despite problems I think many Americans still attempt to do the same. Judging every member of a group because of something that a small subgroup did is wrong. Judge people for their own actions. Actually if Christians really want to live up to their teachings they should definitely not be judging people at all or even resisting evil. Good luck trying to get people to live up to that scripture.

Bottom line though, and this is apparently difficult for some people to accept, is that this country has no religious tests for citizenship or political office. Nor should it. And every religious freedom or exception to general law which is won by Christians can also be enjoyed by Muslims, people of other faiths or people of no faith at all. Whether it's Muslims building a cemetery, entering a gun shop, or building a house of worship, Muslim citizens enjoy all the same rights as any other citizen. And well they should. And if you wouldn't tolerate negative generalizations about Jews or Christians, blacks or whites, don't make them about Muslims. 

Book Reviews: The Cartel

The Cartel 
by Don Winslow

Don Winslow is among other things the author of such books as The Death and Life of Bobby Z, Savages, The Winter of Frankie Machine, and The Power of The Dog. The last title was a favorite mystery/drama/crime book. Even mentioning that it is a crime novel probably gives you the wrong idea. The Power of the Dog is a novel that simultaneously offers an intimate look at the lives of some very broken, dangerous and obsessive people on both sides of the law and a panoramic view of the drug trade originating from south of the border, primarily Mexico. It weaved in some allusions to the real life Iran Contra and the CIA Freeway Ricky Ross scandals. The US government used domestic and foreign organized crime elements to pursue more important goals than drug interdiction. The novel's dominant theme was the mutual hate relationship between top Mexican drug kingpin Adan Barrera and American DEA agent Art Keller. Barrera's people tortured and murdered Keller's partner. Barrera's hothead brother is killed. Finally, through familial deceit and betrayal, Art lures Adan across the border into the US, where he is swiftly arrested and later convicted, receiving 12 consecutive federal life sentences. The Cartel picks up the story shortly afterwards. Art is deeply disappointed that his superiors won't look deeply into Adan's financial and political connections. The US government doesn't seem to care that much of the financial and military aid it provides to Mexico and Colombia disappears into private hands or is used to repress political or labor union movements. So Art has semi-retired from the DEA. He lives as a monk. Art is also half-Mexican. His mother comes from Adan's home state. Adan is languishing in prison when he learns that his only child, a sickly daughter, has died. He insists upon going to the funeral. In order to make this happen Adan agrees to provide information about some top Mexican organized crime/cartel members. This information is too good to pass up. The White House/DOJ/DEA/CIA/FBI can't say no to this request. This is especially the case as Adan is not even asking for release from prison. Adan wants to serve out his time in a Mexican prison, something everyone thinks is insane since as a snitch or dedo, his life there won't be worth much. But a deal is a deal. 
One of Adan's primary characteristics is that with few exceptions he's always the smartest man in the room. The people he's informed on were his bitter enemies. Within top cartel circles Adan's act isn't seen as contemptible and dishonest but rather canny and worthwhile. Of course it helps that Adan's a boss. The Mexican prison he's sent to is run by Diego Tapia, a cartel boss in his own right and Adan's first cousin. 

In short time Adan "escapes" from prison and starts rebuilding his power, ruthlessly eliminating anyone and anything in his way. Art is invited back to the DEA to consult with Mexican law enforcement and prosecutors looking to arrest Adan. There are politics, nationalist resentment and corruption to complicate Art's job. And Art won't be content to sit on the sidelines and provide intelligence or advice, especially when he's unsure just whom to trust.

Although the Art: Adan conflict is central to this book's decade long story, The Cartel is in some respects almost a Dickensian love letter to Mexico, its good, bad and ugly. There are a lot of characters in this story all of whom have parts to play. One of the scariest things in this book (and in real life) is the fact that the cartels have supposedly corrupted nearly every important institution in Mexican society. The most dangerous and vicious group associated with the cartels is not in fact Adan's Sinaloa group but an organization calling themselves The Zetas. The Zetas are at their core a group of former military and intelligence officers and soldiers, who after doing stints as bodyguards and enforcers for some cartels, decide to go into business for themselves. Their tactics, drawn from counter-insurgency training, set new lows in fear and savagery. But there is also resistance from unlikely sources. A baker goes on a hunger strike, almost killing herself, in order to force the army to release her son. A woman who was savagely mutilated years ago may have the key that allows Art to split Adan's organization. A genteel newspaper editor insists upon calling it like he sees it even after threats and multiple attempts on his life. An impoverished writer with divorce and child support issues struggles with the morality of taking money. A beautiful doctor puts her life on the line by showing the torture and abuse the army metes out. Some police officers still go to work after one cartel or the other lists them by name and promises to kill them. This is not an idle threat. The Cartel has a lot of mordant and even slapstick humor. The man who later became known as "Crazy Eddie" is an initially low key Mexican-American mid level drug dealer (and former Texas high school football star) who runs afoul of the Zetas. The Zetas forced Eddie to watch as they slowly murdered his best friend. The Zetas didn't consider Crazy Eddie a threat, and so let him live to tell the tale. The Zetas later regret that. As his nickname indicates Eddie becomes a dangerous war leader for his group. His internal dialogue is among the funniest as he is thoroughly sex-obsessed. Eddie has a sixth sense about betrayal which often serves him well. And compared to the lunatics he works for or fights against, Eddie is almost decent. I liked his sense of self-preservation, which is almost always present. Even when he's looking down a woman's top, silently estimating her waist:hip ratio or wondering about her bedroom skills, Eddie always has one eye on the nearest exit.

This book doesn't glorify the cartels or the police or army or prosecutors who battle them or more often take money from them. The only people who truly come off well are the small people who are trying to get through life in one piece. Compared to some of his more monstrous colleagues, Adan Barrera isn't personally that dangerous. He's polite, respects women and often avoids violence if he can help it. But like any other CEO he's not the one getting his hands dirty. If Adan gives the order to corrupt a media organization and murder those who refuse bribes, that order is carried out. Art never forgets Adan's evil even as his own lust for vengeance takes him into some moral quagmires. Art is not really a nice guy. He's a man who tries to keep the wickedness inside of him chained and leashed but increasingly wonders why.

Although this book is a sequel it gloriously stands alone. You don't need to have read The Power Of The Dog to enjoy The Cartel. As one character muses this isn't really about a drug war. It's the war of the haves against the have nots. You should read this book. It's a tale which will have you furiously turning pages to learn what happened next and just as furiously turning pages backwards to see how a throwaway line or character five chapters back is essential to what's happening now. There are some authors who quite aside from their skills at constructing a novel are just wonderful storytellers. Winslow is such a writer. So much of the story (The Zetas, the religiously inspired atavistic savagery, the threats to journalists and writers, the corruption of the Army) is taken from real life. But Winslow also gives voice to a Mexico that is often forgotten in the drug war stereotypes. This is the Mexico of Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Carlos Fuentes, Fidel Sanchez and several other intellectuals, political leaders and artists who have lent their voices, talents and occasionally their lives to the struggle for beauty, decency and humanity. Winslow dedicated this book to various murdered journalists. Read it.

Mel Farr and Old Commercials

Mel Farr recently passed away. He was a former Detroit Lions football player who was a little before my time. I never saw him play football. He also sang backup on Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On". Returning the favor to his friend, Farr helped to arrange a Detroit Lions tryout for Gaye.  
After the recording, Gaye, 31, told Barney and Farr that he wanted to try out for the Lions. The article quotes Gaye from "Marvin Gaye, My Brother, a book by his brother Frankie: "You know what? I'd rather catch a pass and score a touchdown in Tiger Stadium than rack up another gold record." Gaye started working out with his buddies and Lions great Charlie Sanders, and bulked up by 30 pounds. Then-Lions coach Joe Schmidt, also a fan, agreed to take a meeting with Gaye. But when he found out he had never played football, even in high school, he said no to a tryout. But he changed his mind before training camp and agreed to give Gaye a look during a LIons workout at Michigan.  Gaye looked "decent," but Tinsley writes: "Privately, Schmidt imagined the wood-layers of their day — Deacon Jones, Chuck Howley or Dick Butkus — violently greeting one of America's foremost musicians running across the middle. Marvin would've been a moving target. That was too much burden for any coach's conscience."

But it was only in later years that I learned that Farr was a former Lion great. My primary memory of Farr was as the owner of an auto dealership group who tried to ensure that he and other black dealers got fair treatment from the auto companies. He was one of the first if not the first black auto dealers for Ford. He also tried his hand in other business ventures, some of which worked and some of which didn't. I also remembered Farr as the star of some cheesy hard sell commercials. Later on I also learned that he had a reputation as something of a sharp dealer who didn't mind taking advantage of unwary or low credit/impoverished buyers. But that's normal among auto dealers and scarcely bears mentioning. It's not a business which encourages leaving money on the table. I don't think such a business exists. No it's the commercials which are the first thing that came to my mind. And I could not remember the Mel Farr commercials without also recalling some of the other local commercials of note from back in the day, especially the Highland Appliance and WRIF remarkable mouth ads. Those were good times. It's funny how some commercials can instantly transfer you back across decades. I don't watch a lot of television any more and in particular not a lot of local television. But these local television and radio ads bring back fun memories. I also enjoyed the Angels With Dirty Faces Highland Appliance parody and obviously the Faygo commercial. If anyone should ever ask you the best Faygo flavor is Moon Mist.

Mel Farr Superstar

Mel Farr Flying with Billy Sims

Highland Appliance Rocky Sullivan

You have a remarkable mouth

Faygo (Remember When)

Highland Appliance Bully (Radio)

Detroit Zoo

Highland Appliance Fur Elise

Highland Appliance Fifty Watts Per Channel

Colonial Merchandise Mart

Highland Appliance Rumors (Radio)

You gotta have art

Movie Reviews: Straight Outta Compton

Straight Outta Compton
directed by F. Gary Gray

It was the late eighties. I was temporarily home from college for some reason or the other. My younger brother, bless his heart, had wasted no time turning what was formerly our bedroom into his bedroom. One of the ways in which he signaled this change in management was by blasting what I later learned was N.W.A.'s seminal album Straight Outta Compton as loudly as he could. I didn't really sit down and listen to the lyrics then. All I heard was all the profanity and racial slurs. I politely advised my sibling that as free speech was not necessarily a guaranteed right in our residence when it came to profanity if he wished to avoid a serious (ahem) correction, he would need to turn that **** off before our father returned home. Otherwise things could get ugly. And I didn't want any of that correction bouncing off my brother and hitting me. That would have just ruined my day. Quickly coming to his senses, my brother agreed. Still there was something about the music which almost forced you to listen. I picked up the album later. It was raw, ugly, vicious and admittedly every kind of problematic "ist" you could think of. The album Straight Outta Compton was outlaw chic that went to heights, or rather depths, which had only briefly been previously reached by similar styled rappers such as Ice-T or Schoolly D in "6 in the morning" or "P.S.K", respectively. It certainly wasn't the kind of music I listened to in mixed company or in front of my father. But it also was music that was in its way directly descended from the hardest core blues (check out some uncensored versions of Stag-o-lee, songs about prison rape or Pat Hare's I'm gonna murder my baby) or some of the bleaker soul music of the seventies (some of Curtis Mayfield's work). N.W.A. made mostly nihilistic music that claimed to tell the story of the streets. This music was often apolitical in that it made few attempts at any sort of uplifting message. The group claimed to be documenting what was going on but of course there was some glorification. This was no different than Scorsese films in many aspects. N.W.A.'s "Straight Outta Compton" was the perfect soundtrack for adolescent or even older male power fantasies. This made heavy metal sound like Lawrence Welk. This album changed music, specifically rap music for both the better and the worse. The film Straight Outta Compton tells the origin stories, rise and fall and continued success of the young men (Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Easy E, MC Ren, Yellaboy) who became N.W.A.

The first thing to address is that this film was executive produced by Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Easy E's widow. So I didn't go into the theater expecting this film to provide a deep holistic warts and all look at the more problematic aspects of N.W.A's behavior or lyrics. One of the victims of Dr. Dre's violence, Dee Barnes, was upset that her attack was not even referenced, although she didn't necessarily want to see it depicted. As I wrote before the ugly truth about life is that some very talented and successful people can have some very ugly retrograde views or behave in quite nasty ways to those around them. There was an old joke about Ray Charles which stated that to become a Raelette (female backup singer) a woman needed to "let Ray". I don't think that all of that was included in the Ray film. You will have to decide for yourself how important these things are to you as a viewer. For what it's worth Dr. Dre has released a new general apology for his past actions. Straight Outta Compton is the best film I've seen this year because of the acting, streamlined directing and especially the casting. More on that in a second. But most importantly Straight Outta Compton manages to show Black men as full human beings. They make mistakes, get sidetracked and argue but can still come together as friends who have complex, conflicted and even loving relationships. It's odd that I could write that about a film depicting a group calling themselves N.W.A. who could in many respects ( remember Stanley Crouch or C. Delores Tucker anyone) be rightfully accused of gleefully and profitably portraying the absolute worst stereotypes of black people, specifically black men, but life is full of ironies like that.

I mentioned the casting. We shouldn't be surprised that the actor playing the group's most prominent and charismatic lyricist, Ice Cube, looks just like Ice Cube, circa 1988~1995. O'Shea Jackson Jr. happens to call Ice Cube "Dad'. So of course he closely resembles his famous father. But the younger Jackson made his role work by capturing his father's quick snarl that could just as easily turn into a smile, gait, tone and every other characteristic of the elder Jackson. One of his most powerful scenes is wordless as he watches a gang member provide an impromptu after school motivational speech to a busload of high school students. He nailed this role, no question. Corey Hawkins also shines as Dr. Dre, a talented but frustrated DJ and producer who knows that he's wasting his time working for people who can't see that hardcore rap is the next big thing. Easy E (Jason Mitchell) likely has the film's meatiest role. Mitchell was in the films Contraband and Broken City but obviously not as lead. I can't even remember him. Mitchell has only been acting for three years. His performance here just shows what some people can do when they get a chance. I think Straight Outta Compton narrowly avoids a descent into melodrama when it focuses on the later part of Easy E's short life but the quick pace makes it work. Easy E was an unlicensed pharmaceutical distributor with awareness that his progress along that career path was likely going to be limited by the law or permanently ended by rival unlicensed pharmaceutical distributors. Easy E obviously had entrepreneurial talents. He ran in some of the same circles as Dr. Dre and rapper MC Ren (Aldis Hodge) and DJ Yella (Neil Brown Jr.). Appealing to Easy's eye for profit, Dr. Dre convinces Easy E to bankroll studio time and record production for a group he's overseeing. When the original talent leaves in a huff, Easy is cajoled and almost shamed into getting in front of the mic, despite his highly questionable relationship with pitch and timing. And we see the birth of N.W.A.


The other theme which ran through the movie and still resonates today is the way that police, often white, but black as well, continually pick on black people, specifically young black men. You just don't have to be doing anything. You can literally be minding your own business, as jazz legend Miles Davis learned, and be placed under police suspicion, arrest or violence. Class, wealth, employment, intelligence, respectability or artistic skill provide no protection against this. Straight Outta Compton skillfully weaves several examples of this police brutality throughout the film. It's not just a question of physical manhandling but a constant stream of taunting and insulting that explains to everyone why the song  F*** the Police appealed to many people, regardless of what they thought of N.W.A.'s other creative work. I mean would you be happy if someone with a gun and a badge threatened and cussed out your mother? Probably not. It is also important to single out Paul Giamatti for his magnificent portrayal as the alternately shady and solicitous record company owner, manager and promoter, Jerry Heller. The film argues that Heller badly ripped off the N.W.A. members and did so with a smile. This could have been a thankless or even stereotypical cardboard role, but Giamatti brings a certain intelligence and self-consciousness to the character. Heller is someone who can't be trusted but he also has some hard unpleasant truths to tell about the lack of black distribution, production, legal representation and management in the music and entertainment industry. There are doors that a white person could open that others can't easily reach. Heller argues that Easy E (his favorite) and N.W.A need him. But he doesn't want anyone reading contracts too closely. This is a source of irritation to the suspicious Ice Cube. Suge Knight (R. Marcus Taylor), founder of Death Row records, provides a different management style. Knight's contacts with (and membership in ?) the Bloods as well as his intimidating size and fearsome industry reputation make formal contracts only a minor afterthought. If you're signed with his company you're going to stay with his company. And don't ever park your vehicle in his assigned space. Where some people were studio gangsters Suge was the real deal. The film shows that while it can theoretically be great to have someone like that on your side to cut through a lot of industry nonsense it can also be downright dangerous. Dre sees this first hand. And speaking of conflict and negativity Straight Outta Compton entirely ignores the internal black debate over publicly embracing and using ugly language which was previously only used routinely by street people. Richard Pryor did this roughly two decades before Straight Outta Compton but later came to regret it. Is it possible to move forward if you internally see yourself as something negative. That's a question this movie evades to its detriment. In modern times we often think the greatest sin is hypocrisy but I'm not so sure. There was a reason that in bygone days "blue" comedians or singers often made different recordings for different audiences. Anyway.  

As N.W.A. only had one great album, this movie swiftly moves to post N.W.A. successes and challenges, such as Ice Cube's solo albums, involvement with the NOI and film career, Dr. Dre's ascent to become one of the world's most famous producers, his work with Snoop Dogg and Tupac and Easy E's slow health decline and grim realization that he may have been outhustled and punked by both Jerry Heller and Suge Knight. This was a very long movie but with just one or two exceptions it didn't feel like it. The pacing was on point. The camera swoops in and out to give a very naturalistic feeling to the proceedings. As mentioned this was the best first run film I've seen so far this year. No matter if you are already familiar with the time or music depicted or have never heard of the group this is a movie worth watching. Oscar material? I haven't seen enough new films this year to make that claim. Ren and DJ Yella don't get a whole lot of emphasis in Straight Outta Compton but I guess there's only so much spotlight to go around. Those two members didn't write or produce the film so that's what happens. I always thought Ren was underrated. Yella in particular is shown as sex obsessed even by rapper/musician standards.Other associated acts also get short shrift. Look for a humorous shout out to the television hit show "Empire"/movie "Friday". 
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Watch: Stevie Wonder and Jazmine Sullivan 'Riff It Up' In Philly

Yesterday afternoon Stevie Wonder surprised Philadelphia with a free concert in Dillworth Park. Despite the obnoxious heat, swarms of fans flocked to city hall, while city government workers gazed on from there city hall office windows.

One of the highlights from yesterday's pop up concert was hearing Stevie Wonder and local talent Jazmine Sullivan exchange riffs on stage. In an entertainment industry riddled with mediocre voices, it is always a pleasure to hear real singers perform live and this is a great example of two generations of exceptional talent giving fans a nice summer treat.

Enjoy the video below.

Book Reviews: Brothers in Arms

Brothers in Arms
by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anthony Walton

It's not as widely known as it should be but former NBA great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (KAJ) is something of a Renaissance Man. He's not just a former player and coach but also an author, actor, film producer, essayist and historian. It's this last which is important for this review. KAJ's father was one of the first black NYC transit cops. The elder Alcindor's good friend was Leonard Smith, also one of the first black NYC transit cops. Smitty, as he was called, was a godfather/uncle figure to KAJ, watching out for him in the NYC concrete jungle and making sure that KAJ did not get in any trouble, legal or otherwise. One night in the Lincoln Center, KAJ was in the audience to watch a documentary about the 761st Tank Battalion, a predominantly black unit, which after being attached to General Patton's Third Army, was the first black armored unit in WW2 to see combat. KAJ was modestly involved with the film, rounding up veterans to speak of their combat experiences. KAJ's father was a veteran though he saw no combat. So KAJ was shocked to accidentally run into Smitty at the event and completely flabbergasted to learn that the oft humorous, optimistic and self-effacing Smitty was a decorated combat vet of the 761st. He had served as a tank gunner and loader, won a Bronze Star and seen action in numerous battles in five countries, including the Battle of the Bulge. However Smitty had never mentioned this to Al Alcindor or to his son KAJ. KAJ learned a lot watching the documentary but was disappointed by some quality and factual errors. KAJ decided that he would tell the tale about the 761st Tank Battalion and by extension, all black combat veterans of WW2 ,before it was too late. This 2004 book was the result. Most of those veterans have long since departed this vale of tears but Brothers in Arms remains a fitting testament to their struggles, failures and ultimate triumphs. I have often written that I don't know how people of my parents' generations managed to live through all of the racism, segregation and violence which they did, let alone people of my grandparents' generation, such as Leonard Smith. My maternal grandfather was a WW2 veteran though I don't know if he saw combat or not while a paternal great grandfather was a WW1 veteran who did see plenty of combat while attached to the French Army. As the story goes he was was a true terror to deal with upon his return to the US. Some people say he was scarred by his experiences whiles others claim he was already a very hard man before his combat days. So I wanted to read this book to better understand the challenges faced by black people from that generation.

Brothers in Arms is a meticulously footnoted and extremely detailed book which focuses primarily on three members of the 761st, obviously including KAJ's "uncle", Leonard Smith. It starts out explaining some of the member's hopes and dreams and why they wound up in the 761st. Smitty, for example wanted to be a pilot. But as the Army Air Corps did not accept blacks as pilots, Smitty's recruiter told him the next best thing was to be a tanker. So that's where Smitty went. Many other soldiers had similar stories.

The Army of the mid forties had an officer corps which was disproportionately white and southern and completely uninterested in having black troops in any role other than non-combat and/or janitorial. Black officers were rare and enjoyed little protection against intense disrespect and violence from white soldiers, enlisted or otherwise. And black officer and enlisted man alike had to tread very carefully in the 1940s era South, which is where most of their initial training took place. Insults, beatings and even murders for any reason or no reason at all were not at all uncommon. White citizens were often particularly incensed by the sight of black men in uniform and went far out of their way to belittle and harass. After one murder the 761st was barely prevented from loading up in their half tracks and tanks to invade the local Louisiana town. Initially the officer corps for the 761st was predominantly white. Most of these men viewed being assigned to the the 761st as a demotion and negative comment on their leadership potential. Many of them took this out on the battalion via unending racist talk or deliberate indifference to the well being of their men. This would not have been tolerated in a white unit. I knew that future baseball great Jackie Robsinson had made a reputation for standing up for himself but I didn't know that the incident which saw an almost successful court-martial of the young lieutenant occurred when he was a member of the 761st. Other black officers memorized the rules books backwards and forwards in order to refuse the extra-legal MP enforced rule that black officers could not carry their weapons off base. Things started to change for the 761st as more black officers arrived and the new white commander, Lt. Col Bates, proved to be someone who wasn't interested in race as much as he was interested in his men's performance and safety. As the war dragged on and casualties mounted the Army was sorely pressed to put every available man into combat. 

What finally gave the 761st its chance was when maverick General George Patton, starved of fighting power, temporarily put aside his doubts about black competence to request that the 761st be attached to his Third Army. This proved to be the chance that the 761st needed to make its mark, though by all available evidence General Patton didn't really change his opinion about black soldiers, apparently viewing the 761st as an anomaly. In any event the 761st, aka The Black Panther battalion, primarily made its mark under Patton's command but also served with distinction under other commanders. The book is as mentioned very dense. This is sometimes a drawback. It gives you a "you were there" feeling about the experience of combat. I probably could have done without knowing that soldiers used their helmets both to boil water and to relieve themselves or that people wore clothes until in some cases they literally rotted off.  One minute you're grabbing a bite to eat and in the next minute you're trying to crawl out of your tank because a German artillery observer has called in an all too accurate shelling. One 761st soldier, having learned that his best friend was killed, goes on a near suicidal war long rampage to try to kill every German he sees. Smitty took a very long time to lose his sense of adventure. For the longest time he seemingly didn't process that people were trying to kill him. War is hell, it is said. This book certainly brings that across. It also brings across the stupidity of racism. Some wounded white soldiers objected to black medics rescuing or treating them. With a few notable exceptions most white units were not exactly happy to see the 761st at first. For most people this changed after the experience of fighting together. But for some it did not. As I mentioned in the review of the film Fury, the M-4 Sherman, the most common US combat tank, was severely outgunned by and less protected than the German Panther and Tiger tanks. But outgunned or not, the men of the 761st lived up to their battalion motto and "came out fighting!". If you are a history or war buff you should read this book. I'm sorry it took me so long to get to it but I'm glad I did.