Grégoire GUILLEMIN, the avengers
![thedailywhat:
Heartwarming Tearjerker of the Day: “It’s not the right thing to do, but I did it. If I were younger, maybe I’d be spending time in the hoosegow.”
So says Hyman Strachman, a 92-year-old, 5-foot-5 World War II vet who has spent the past eight years sending bootlegged copies of first-run movies to American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Known to soldiers as Big Hy, he has copied the movies — more than 300,000 — in his small Long Island apartment, then sent them overseas free of charge, and at a personal cost of about $30,000.
“It was pretty big stuff — it’s reconnecting you to everything you miss,” said Jenna Gordon, a specialist in the Army Reserve. “We’d tell people to take a bunch and pass them on.”
Now, with the wars waning and soldiers returning home, Strachman’s shameless violation of domestic copyright laws is winding down, as his chance of being prosecuted. In fact, Howard Gantman, with the Motion Picture Association of America, hinted that Strachman might never have been on Hollywood’s radar at all: “We are grateful that the entertainment we produce can bring some enjoyment to them while they are away from home.”
[nyt]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m35eprymd31qzpwi0o1_500.jpg)
Heartwarming Tearjerker of the Day: “It’s not the right thing to do, but I did it. If I were younger, maybe I’d be spending time in the hoosegow.”
So says Hyman Strachman, a 92-year-old, 5-foot-5 World War II vet who has spent the past eight years sending bootlegged copies of first-run movies to American soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. Known to soldiers as Big Hy, he has copied the movies — more than 300,000 — in his small Long Island apartment, then sent them overseas free of charge, and at a personal cost of about $30,000.
“It was pretty big stuff — it’s reconnecting you to everything you miss,” said Jenna Gordon, a specialist in the Army Reserve. “We’d tell people to take a bunch and pass them on.”
Now, with the wars waning and soldiers returning home, Strachman’s shameless violation of domestic copyright laws is winding down, as his chance of being prosecuted. In fact, Howard Gantman, with the Motion Picture Association of America, hinted that Strachman might never have been on Hollywood’s radar at all: “We are grateful that the entertainment we produce can bring some enjoyment to them while they are away from home.”
[nyt]
![nami64:
In The Godfather Trilogy, the camera lingers over 20 times on oranges. Some interpreted this presence as an indication of imminent death or danger for the character interacting with the fruit. “It started out as an accident”, said Coppola in DVD commentaries, “but once we realized we had used oranges so frequently in the first movie, we used them purposefully in the others.” The saga ends with Michael dying, an orange in his hand. [x]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1z5k4yKor1qci4ejo1_r2_500.png)
In The Godfather Trilogy, the camera lingers over 20 times on oranges. Some interpreted this presence as an indication of imminent death or danger for the character interacting with the fruit. “It started out as an accident”, said Coppola in DVD commentaries, “but once we realized we had used oranges so frequently in the first movie, we used them purposefully in the others.”
The saga ends with Michael dying, an orange in his hand. [x]
Interesting bit of trivia: this was Robert Shaw’s headshot for years before he was cast in Jaws.
“I’d buy that for a dollar!”
“Er…Half…”
Dr. Depp.
Bookingtons
Bring On The Empty Horses
Just finished reading the really rather enjoyable balloon that is David Niven’s expose of old school Hollywoodland ‘Bring On The Empty Horses’. He describes a slice of unhumble pie in his own way i.e. pretending things happened to him when in fact (supposedly) they didn’t. Jolly good yarns though and it serves as a reminder that things are not always as they seem, as the industry can often be just as false as the very images it captures on celluloid. But we all know that.
Special mention has to go to the women who essentially ran Hollywoodland from behind their typewriters - Louella Parsons and Hedda Hopper. These battleaxes could literally make or break the career of anyone using the choice weapons of gossip and speculation splashed all over their prospective newsrags. This practice is of course continued today in the form of the interwebsites, but due to the fact there is so many opinions floating in the ether none have the power that these two stalwarts enjoyed and abused.
What was also fascinating was the little insights into the big names of yesteryear and the studio execs behind the myths. It’s interesting and depressing in equal measure to know that not much has changed in 60 years. Studio producers still churn out shit hoping their ‘stars’ will pull in the punters, and for the most part we suckle at their teat hoping the next hit of milk will be more satisfying. It never is of course. Unless you’re talking about Tree of Life. Which was the best thing since sliced bread and a hearty slap in the face of franchises and reboots. But film is a business so art never wins.
Importance of Fairy Tales
Next up, thanks to the recommendation of David Mamet (now he’s another who knows the industry machinations first-hand and blows the lid off with both barrels) I’m about to embark upon Bruno Bettleheim’s tome ‘The Uses of Enchantment - The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales’. By all accounts if you want to write good drama and narrative you need this book in your head. Seeing as I’m in the throes of researching a meaty short film on the psychology behind voyeurism (scopophila, anyone?) I figured this would be a good place to keep the fires burning while I thrash out the screenplay.
Super8
BTW - I made the horrifying error of going to see Super8 the other day. I knew it would be a mistake but curiosity got the better of me. There really is no point to the film - the world would be no different if it hadn’t been made. No-one needs to see it. And no-one should see it. It’s boring, predictable and bum-numbingly flawed.
The best bit was the 30 seconds of exposition right before the 3rd act. That’s always a sign of a classy movie. At least with ET, The Goonies, Stand By Me, The Lost Boys, Jaws et al. they were made for the sake of telling a good story. They just so happened to resonate with a generation because of the simple quality they all shared - adventure. Super8 has none of that. It’s trying so damn hard to be included in the above list that it forgot to actually make something engaging.
It’s purpose was clearly to emulate the Spielburgian-type and that’s it. What it neglected to do was realise that these films meant something because they weren’t trying, they struck a chord because they were exciting and you could project yourself on to the screen. Super8, pah. Those kids wouldn’t last 5 minutes with the Frog Brothers.
- David
True Grit (2010)
Finally got around to watching this…
Wow.
the french connection 1971
Best 30p ever spent in a charity shop
