Triumph and Defeat: "As Henry Longfellow wrote, Not in the clamor of the crowded street, Not in the shouts and plaudits of the throng, But in ourselves, are triumph and defeat . "
Joe-graphy
That is Joseph's email address. Joe is now working the Flying Carpet as a sound recording engineer. It has taken a lot of persistence and patience to be finally doing what he really wanted to do. I stand here on the Road so often travelled and think about the other path. I do like it on this path or on my side of the lawn (its green), don't get me wrong. What I am saying is that for those who want to take the beaten path in India it's a struggle. I often pained by articles in magazines and the newspaper who talk a lot about 'alternative' careers. Ask Joe what it took for him to finally succeed in an alternative career. It takes a lot of guts and gumption to do it and its not as easy as they make it sound. Add to that the attitude of some parents who think 'I hope you give this up to pursue something worthwhile (read make decent money)'. For those who want to follow their star, it hardly matters. Congrats Joe! Let's hear some great music!
Anecdote
One day Joseph was waiting for a bus to get somewhere and he picks up this totally timepass youth magazine called J.A.M (Which was great when it came out because of its M.A.D like attitude) and starts reading the music reviews. There is a review on 'Sailing to Philadelphia' by Mark Knopfler. He starts reading it and thinks to himself 'I have to meet whoever has written this'. He gets to the end and then sees my name. He felt, 'Damn. Does our tribe never increase?
Thanks Google:Jam Review
Lost in the fog
**1/2
House of Sand and Fog was quite dissapointing to say the least. I don't really trust Oscar nominees, but the movie was a total let-down. The first two thirds of the movie are nothing to write about at all. The action picks up in the third part in whirlwind of events. The movie attempted to masquerade as a Shakesperian tradedy with no heroes or villains. Just ordinary people caught up in whirlpool of circumstances. Which is always makes a great story. This movie does an outstanding job of messing it all up. I would rate Connelly's performance as the best in the film. I don't think that Ben Kingsley did an outstanding job and his nomination was unjustified. He seemed to be hamming. Sad!
I would just classify this movie's claim to recent fame as a modern mystery. The plot is a stretch to believe. Some of the factual goof's are too obvious to mention here. I bet the book was better as it presented the Shakespearian tragedy well enough. Vadim Perelman in his directorial debut has fallen flat on his face. This whole movie was fogged up. Horner's score was good, but played too often.
Even more intriguing is to see Shoreh Aghdashloo who was nominated for an Oscar. She hardly has a role and her acting is nothing remarkable, except for the one scene which is shown over and over again. Its just that scene. I have yet to see any casting as unbelievable as this. Ron Eldard who plays Connelly's boyfriend-lover was pathetic. One wonders if the casting director was on drugs or the movie faced some budget cuts after Kinsley and Connelly being cast that they had to pick this guy. He was so expressionless and hopeless on screen that next time they need a dead person they should use him.
I just felt that the Kingsley and Connelly were totally wasted in this movie at the hands of a incompetent director. Shame!
?
If you have seen this movie, can you explain the reason other than a smart publicity machine what's so great about this film? If you have not seen this film, try to see it for free. Its not worth the $$'s.
So now you are 1!
I wonder whether blogs should celebrate their Happy Birthdays or their Anniversaries?. I say this because after a year of blogging, this blog seems to have a life of its own. The Little Voice began exactly a year ago when I had a this moment of modern-day epiphany, "I have to starting blogging". In the same inspired moments came post #1. I somehow the same day found the Holden Caulfield quote from the Catcher in the Rye. His prediction has come true in some sense. I have raved, ranted, lyricised, trivialised, glorified, denigrated. It has been fun.
Word has spread about this blog though not exactly like the AIDS virus. I am happy to meet old friends and new this way from my this corner of the universe. At the samt time across a number of great blogs that there are around and which I often read. Thanks to being click happy sometimes I have found myself in a totally interesting place thanks to links from links from somebody's blog. I am tempted to reduce John Guare's Six Degrees of Separation to perhaps four or five. It's time I posted links to blogs(on the to-do list).
I remember a few months ago I got in an argument with somebody who thought that blogs were a bad idea, a stupid waste of time. I wonder if it was the margharita that I started violently arguing with that 'stupid' guy. After a year now I realise that, hell who cares? It's about your own trip. Personally it got me writing again after years. I have to still post my poems and stories (on the to-do list). It got me reading and thinking about issues. Political ones, cultural ones, personal ones. I guess I should have shut up and just enjoyed the rest of the margharita and beckoned the Muse.
Changes
I have decided not to change the format because I like the way it is. The sidebar now has links to some old posts which I liked.
Outsourcing?
Latest Badmash
This is a quite popular strip about South Asian Americans (since they seem to be quite offended about being called ABCDs). Some of the strips suffer from including stereotypes in a lame sort of way.
The Oscar Scorecard
Supposedly overheard by the author
Peter to Fran:"Some things in life are just worth waiting for, right?"
Its great to see Billy Crystal back. It was as it was mentioned it was the 'The Return of the Host', the quintessential Oscar host. Thanks Billy, it was a really entertaining evening. You'll be there next time too.
Again Adrien Brody stole the show, with his little mouth freshner. Brody said he has a restraining order, I was more of the opinion to have a restraining order on Charlize and Rene for their emotionally overwrought and L-O-N-G speeches.
This time most of the awards were as expected(was there a choice?). After the first time that the Rings were passed over along with Jackson, this clean sweep looked almost planned and contrived. Its Hollywood and everybody knows and wants the happy ending. Also logistically speaking Peter Jackson needed to be honoured. Perhaps not for this specific film but for all 3 of them and this is the best way to do it. From the alls-well-that-ends-well perspective and also following some sort of logic.
The speeches are the fun part to analyse. It was an interesting to compare almost everybody else to one man - Errol Morris. Most of the winners had typical emotions were of shock and joy of winning, gushing praises to friends family, and the Academy. Errol Morris stomped onto the stage grabbed his Oscar like it was no big deal. I almost thought he would say, "Yeah you guys at the academy think we decide whats good. I know I am great and I make great movies. Thanks for nothing." Apart from him I think only Sean Penn stood out in their honesty of response or rather saying what they should be saying and not saying what is expected to be said. "...its presumptous to write Oscar speeches.."
Oscar Cribs
I have to see Monster, yet I thought that Diane would get a nod out of sentiment and Samantha for her really amazing role. I was surprised to see Lost in Translation win beating In America. I think Jim Sheridan's story was amazing. I wonder why the movie was not nominated in the best movie category.
Oscar Scorecard:1+0+0+.5+1+1=3.5 Which was better than Good!
(The best actor and actress awards were the ones I did not predict correctly.)
Question to a film-lover:The OSCARS, do they matter, really?
Film Lover: What Oscars? That farce in LA..you kidding man? It's just a good show, thats all. See it, read it forget it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
