Artist Feature "Eldorado. Actually, it is 8 years old. But it did not become an independent brand until the second year, so you could say Eldorado Entertainment started 6 years ago. Eldorado Entertainment was my first project as an entrepreneur/ producer/ director. I am not sure what will come of it in the future: I believe I will make only fiction out of it, I mean, if I am lucky: tv series and movies. On the other hand, The Homo Artifex Project is the main project, very soon my new company, and I will base its business model on two directions: one, tv spots, virals, commercials and other stuff for clients; two, Homo Artifex, an internet video channel in which I will publish videos about artistic processes and many other things related to arts, science and philosophy. But The Homo Artifex Project is still developing into a proper company. My objective: launch the channel before the New Year and make it a profitable company this very year, Already working on projects on demand by new clients. You will see some of them very soon." - statement by David M. Romero Showreel 2010 from Eldorado Entertainment on Vimeo. And speaking of Homo Artifex, here's the latest video "Glede" Introduced as such -- While the official presentation of Homo Artifex presents the theme of 'in the distance', we had the opportunity to participate in a particularly interesting project, and put it to video; a gathering of musicians of Norwegian and Spanish jazz, we have called "Glede" (joy ">, in Norwegian). I hope you enjoy it, as it also serves as an incentive, for the expectation of the arrival of our next work. Glede from Eldorado Entertainment on Vimeo. Another recommended video by David Martinez Romero, showcasing his directorial work... ***ANNOUNCEMENT***: Steven Benjamin will be away for the month of August, so there'll be no Blog updates till September. God Bless!
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It may seem pointless to review an award winning film such as this, one that is part documentary, part tribute, part sports film and part ‘love letter to skiing’ – but it warrants a watch even from a neutral observer that has never seen snow in their entire life. Plainly stated, this offering from Sherpas Cinema is fine film all on its own and a complete feast for the eyes, and most of your other senses too. Up front it’s a record of the unparalleled power, majesty and inimitable call of nature and man’s unrelenting spirit, ever willing to answer that summons. Plot Yes there is a vague plot to this film despite it being a real-life sports film with no actors. Its divided into 12 chapters all chronicling various stages within the cycle of being a skier or simply an extreme sports adventurer, though many elements are quite relatable because it tackles issues on a human and even spiritual level. The plot line though is merely to have some kind of central mechanism around which to form the film, so that one doesn’t just have a bunch of random ski experts performing cool tricks and slaloms for over an hour. The true strength of this film however, lies in the truly spectacular cinematography and photography with an innovative cyclic theme running throughout, mastered with technical brilliance. Target This film is way more than a ski film, in fact it’s just so happens to ‘also’ be a ski film, because it transcends such conventions by delivering something artful and exhilarating; and in doing so, Sherpas Cinema have provided a window into the skiing world that appeals to anyone. I recommend this film to anyone. Bottom Line As a layman myself – having not skied once in my short life (which will soon be rectified) – I can say that what immediately appealed to me was the mountains and the climbing (featuring top climber Renan Ozturk – one of the few names I knew, along with photographer Jimmy Chin) and of course the crisp imagery, but soon I found myself lured by the notion of skiing. This of course is one of the goals, to draw more people to the sport, and it does so effortlessly. Another seemingly effortless achievement is the way they portrayed the link between the simplest of things, like old rattle toy, and how its likened to time, the turning clock, the spinning earth, the tides of the oceans, and even man – our cycle of living, dying and rebirth, whether spiritual rebirth or that which exists in nature. It does all this without too much though, but simply by connecting a stream of breathtaking images and footage, all amidst the multi-generational journeys undertaken on the slopes of many a snow covered mountain. Into the Mind is easily a technical achievement as much as it is an exciting and thrilling adventure sports film. For what felt like the first time, you actually feel like one of them as a few of the athletes wear head mounted cameras, waking up in a windswept tent, hiking up a frozen mountain and then waving at death as you ski down – made it all the more personal. There’s plenty of danger, and the tragic elements form a central focus, but it only serves to add another deeper dimension to this portrait, along with a stellar soundtrack. It makes for a well timed exploration of a rather exclusive sport, as the world is currently focussed on the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi – so that if you didn’t have an appreciation for it before, then you will after watching this film. Everyone, whether on a ski slope or in everyday life, goes on their own journey, but our paths are forever interlinked and entwined, it’s part of what makes us human – the personal connection, and another, perhaps final added dynamic to Into the Mind, is camaraderie between all these people, bound by a vision and similar passions, willing to go to extreme and often dangerous lengths to satisfy them… It’s also why (another Winter Olympic phenomenon) why all the athletes tend to get along so well – its more often not so much about the competition, as it is about the ride, or ski, itself. It’s about men and women, the spirit of freedom and adventure, and the endlessly varying echo of nature. (My rating, for what its worth: 90% ) *Apologies, due to technical difficulties beyond my control or prevention, this post is delayed by a week, so the Sochi ref would've made more sense then, but I left it there anyway... Russia has won, and congrats to them, for that and also owning that Olympic logo faux par.* Here's the second trailer for this breathtaking film. For the first trailer and my original preview of it in a post from last year, click here: "Mind Blowing - Into the Mind Film Teaser", along with a bonus trailer. [Image and trailer credits: Intothemindmovie.com] Widely acknowledged as Hollywood’s greatest cinematic accomplishment, bringing Middle Earth to film in The Lord of The Rings trilogy and now the lesser (critically) the Hobbit films (based on the book – consisting of only one modest volume). So, why then has the Tolkien Estate, led by J.R.R. Tolkien’s surviving son Christopher (responsible for the streamlining/completing/editing and then publishing of his father’s early work The Silmarillion) turned their back on the film adaptations? This may be old news to some since Le Monde's revelatory interview with Christopher Tolkien was conducted back in 2012, but the implications and sentiments are just as, if not more prevalent now in light of the liberties taken with the Hobbit adaptations currently in big screens. These latest films by Peter Jackson have famously been the most brazen in adapting the source material, the biggest move being to convert the single volume book 'The Hobbit - There and Back Again' into a trilogy of films. But let me first explain my perspective: I write this as someone who hasn’t read any Tolkien book, ever. I can’t even remember the last time I picked one up… the closest I’ve come is reading the synopsis for the recently published (previously unfinished work – then completed and edited by Tolkien’s son Christopher) book ‘Children of Hurin’ (2007) – this may not sound like much because it’s only a synopsis, but I must say, the several page affair read like a short story (as full synopsis’ should) and made for some fascinating stuff. It manages to draw you in enough so that, partnered with your already developed knowledge of Middle Earth, culminates in a very captivating and involved experience… but would I buy/read the book, knowing what I know about it – perhaps, but I’m in no rush. It’s a curious case. That ‘must read-but don’t really want to’ scenarios. This is partly because I’m not a major adventure fantasy fan. Now before you go on about how the books overlap genres and involve a whole lot more than those two elements, I’m fully aware of that, and I’d probably enjoy the books once I got into them. The truth is, I just lack the motivation to do so, my immediate literary interests lie elsewhere, meaning I’m more than content to preoccupy myself with the films (as lazy as this is, mind you). I enjoyed the films and have even seen the latest two Hobbit installments, but I still would not call myself an out and out fan, as in fanatical. Tolkien and his works however, remain a fascinating subject, and the fact that it is so, even for someone who has no immediate will to read said works, is testament to their magnitude, influence and impact on contemporary literature and the media in general. So, now that I’ve mentioned that I enjoyed the films, taking into consideration the understandable compromise that needed to be made – alluding to many scenes, stories and elements left out from the books because they are quite long – in bringing these them to cinema, it did surprise me to learn that Christopher Tolkien (and the entire remaining Tolkien Estate) does not support these well-loved films, which have been so effective in introducing this literature to younger generations. The Lord of the Rings trilogy in particular is an amazing feat, and there is a growing consensus out there that it is Hollywood’s very best offering (more than just as far as adaptations go). Considering the magnitude of production, the logistics and the previous sentiment that such a story was impossible to bring to film (or un-filmable) – they merely proved what is possible with celluloid. [picture credits: stylefavor.com, hdwallpapers.com, walldaz.com] So with such a virtuoso undertaking, lauded by fans and critics alike, why have the Tolkien’s turned their backs? Well, in part its due to the fact that they were largely excluded (by New Line Cinema) from the creative process and could do what they wanted with the films; and Credit to them for not straying from the source material. However, the recent Hobbit trilogy is a greater indictment of the fears the Tolkien’s expressed… since there was only one book – but the studios could not pass up this money spinning opportunity. And then there’s the issue of adding an entire character to the films as well (despite most lauding the decision – it simply highlights deviation, which fuels discontent). By the way, zero of the proceeds of this film trilogy and merchandising go to the Tolkien Estate (in fact they haven’t seen a cent from the LOTR success due to the old and liberal contract signed by Tolkien when he himself was cash strapped). You can read more about it in this interview with Christopher Tolkien, and it’s not sour grapes either. Here’s a man that knows the works like it was his own and who has dedicated his like to completing his father’s work. Hence it’s not surprising that he would be so passionate about the films, but that he would go so far as to label them simply action films. Does this revelation diminish the accomplishment of the films in any way – I don’t think so, but it does add a sad note to the works mainly because its a timeous reminder of the times we live in. As a film critic myself (and a writer), I can only judge the films - and they are a magnificent achievement (but of course film will never be as timeless as the written word). "They eviscerated the book by making it an action movie for young people aged 15 to 25,.. And it seems that The Hobbit will be the same kind of film." That sadness though is not surprising since we are at the business end of things. In a way it illustrates that moment when art and business can coexist to produce something great, but such coexistence will always be temporary, and despite the harmonious amity, sacrifices and compromises need to be made… so not all will be happy, and in this case, its those at the heart of the work in question, those for whom the work means the most. So ultimately if this is Hollywood’s best yet, then it’s come at a cost – a very deep cost – in typical tinsel town fashion. What’s more, and this is strangely often the case, is the vaguely prophetic writings of J.R.R. Tolkien as they apply to his works and his legacy as a whole. Here we are, or corporates at least, nudging and fighting over who receives the material wealth… kind of like the fate of the Ring in his most famous trilogy, and then there’s the case of his family… Who will continue upholding the Tolkien name after Christopher dies – he is an old man now but is the most outspoken about his father's work – and though I’m sure nothing as tragic as his character experience in his stories will befall the Children, or child and grandchildren of Tolkien, the corporate snub and creative cold shoulder is perhaps akin to echoes of those fictional distant tragedies, transformed into those of a different kind, resonating in this money driven world. We may not have the enemies of old, or even of fictional foes like that of Smaug, Morgorth or Sauron, but in the literary sense, in these modern times where good and evil are often hard to distinguish, we are witnessing the battles in the corporate realm, and this is one the Tolkien’s have lost. This is due to the brand that is 'Tolkien' - it is no longer a family name denoting an artist and deeply, vastly imaginative creative genius of an author, it is now a corporate monster - a money making machine, grown beyond humble control and/or opposition. Despite this though, the family retains the moral high ground. It is a position of slight, a faint glimmer of the remaining but eroded artistic moral and ethic - but was this not the same sort of faint glimmer of integrity in a dark world that Frodo faced before his epic quest? The odds are rarely in your favour. Here's the link to the translated Christopher Tolkien interview with Le Monde, via thetolkiensociety.org "My Father's 'Eviscerated' work' - J.R.R. Tolkien's son breaks 40 year silence. You're welcome to share your thoughts on this in the comments... {*** Happy New Year to all, wishing you a blessed 2014. This is going to be a great year! God Bless and thanks for visiting the first post of the new year... Regards Steven. ***} Shining Lights and Smoke and Mirrors - Perhaps when the color came, along with the dollar signs, and the misplaced value of things… I was looking at old black and whites of Hollywood stars of yesteryear, from candids to set photos – it looked like, and was, an entire world away. Was it that the advent of color contributed to the gradual fading away of that world? Before, seeing images and films was like seeing something several degrees removed from reality. We see things in colour of course, so the B&W aspect was reserved for the stars (apart from your family photo albums – but even then, those were records of ‘special’ moments and occasions) – Hollywood was a special occasion unto itself – for all the rest of the us, it may as well have been permanently in Black and White – the world of celluloid existed within a special moment - they were those characters. (Allowing a moment for a special nod to that equally marvelous Technicolor decades of the 60’s and early 70’s) Nowadays, we look for the broken, the incomplete hero, the tormented soul, the dirt behind the velvet curtain, the drugs in the drawer, the running mascara… it’s all about the real (and the advent of reality TV), when celebrities are portrayed as just people, as they always have been, flawed. Of course Hollywood has long been known as the place of lights and shattered dreams, but that’s not why I wrote this. I want to know if there’s a suitable compromise. At best we’re treated to rare occurrences where a modern film can transcend era’s to offer something that would succeed anywhere and still hold true to that sense of mystery, prestige and allure that was the bread and butter of ‘old Hollywood’. We can talk about art and life, integrity and business, and how one side of the industry needs the other to survive, and how the audience will watch what they’re given, or whatever the hype machine spews out… the talk of blockbuster tent-pole productions and that Hollywood is no longer so much a community as it once was, the exclusive hallowed league it once was (or was thought to be) – can that element ever be replicated? In today’s tinsel industry, money is the currency, where talent once was (or at the very least it was more of a narrower contest). We’re desensitized, to the extent that now people seem to want the wool to be pulled back over their eyes, because gritty realism just isn’t real enough, because once Hollywood finds a formula (and makes it a cliché), it will grind it out till every morsel is had. It’s the ‘golden woman’ – that complex that promises everything and brings you so far, but still only ‘so far’, always keeping that last little something out of your reach, because as an audience, we can never be satisfied. I am in a position to look upon those old images with nostalgia because I have the benefit of hindsight – looking at a past I was never a part of and can never be… so it will always seem that much more romantic and appealing, or was it just that appealing? Of course it could’ve been made to look so because the world was a different place, with World Wars, dark and unknown patches remained in the world, no internet… and the media was a different animal too, sort of… but the stars still carried a natural air of class and whimsy though. So, with surrounds made up mostly of dark things, the glamour, appeal and shine of that old-school tinsel, was made that much more brighter, stars glinting – because the world wanted the mystery, because everyday reality was often not such a great dwelling place. Shining lights and Smoke and mirrors – it’s what the world needed back then… and maybe, probably, it’s what the industry- the world – needs right now, again, even if we ignore the dust on the lights, the fire causing the smoke, and the cracks in the old mirrors. "I'm not interested in money, I just want to be wonderful." - Marilyn Monroe Perhaps its wishful thinking in hoping we can get some of that essence back, considering that the central totem to what made ‘old Hollywood’ so endearing, was the warped innocence of those stars, themselves struggling to come to terms with fame, shoved into the limelight and experiencing the two edged sword of a thing called celebrity - the virgin superstar. You’re not a mega star, until the people make you one. I suppose we'll always hope, and we'll always have... Such things were not meant to last,perhaps, for if they did, we would not hold them in such high regard - (one cannot have caviar, everyday, forever...) *** {article/letter/retrospective by Steven Benjamin... Images from easyart.com, unless otherwise stated} To the day – the 12th of September 1963 – John Le Carré’s "The Spy who came in from the cold" hit bookstore shelves. To celebrate, I decided to finally get round to reading it. It’s been labelled many things, including ‘the definitive spy story’ or ‘the best spy story ever written’, and in many ways forms as the signature John Le Carré novel. It took me a few years and two attempts to get around to reading it, but then again my first attempt was hampered by my own impatience. Older and wiser, I've finally taken the vaunted steps into this dark world. Plot Synopsis In the height of the Cold War,and the shadows of the iron curtain, the British Intelligence hatch a plan to entrap a high level German officer. The plan though, involves a Trojan-horse like operation that may result in them knowingly sending one of their own agents to his death. Target When I first attempted to read this I was still a teenager, and couldn’t get to grips with the initial pacing. So the target is a more mature reader. But you grow accustomed to the pace as well as the style of the narrative – as certain things occur in an atypical timeline, learning of conversations and events that have already happened, to punctuate and better explain events in the present. Once you’re in the groove though, the pages will turn quite swiftly. “... I chose le Carré. God alone knows why, or where I had it from.” Bottom Line Painted by the dull colours of his time in the service, David John Moore Cornwell – pen name John Le Carré – had to forcibly retire from British Intelligence (MI5/MI6) in the 60’s because of the success of “Spy”. British tabloids somehow got hold of his true identity and the rest is history. Most of the great authors of the era tend to have some inside knowledge of the game (Robert Ludlum had his sources and friends within the CIA, Frederick Forsyth used his journalistic research skills for ‘The Day of the Jackal’), so the gritty and cold realism of his third novel seemed too good to be true in many respects. True enough, the world had never seen a book like it. It was, and still is the antitheses of the Spy novel we’re used to; namely the glossy, quirky, action packed and romanticized 007 archetypes. There are no gadgets or posh locations here, its all stark and in shadows, or alternatively, cold blinding and all exposing light. What struck me was the way Cornwell describes characters and makes the ‘grey area’ of the spy world so apparent. Seldom do you find a villain so grating and sinister simply by the nature of the description of the character’s physical appearance. The antihero is a man you wouldn’t ordinarily like… and that is essential to the tormented beauty of this story – it’s simply about people, who happen to find themselves on opposing sides of a wall. They may of course have different values, opinions and beliefs, but when you disregard the dividing lines, it’s hard, or impossible to tell them apart and decipher the good from the bad. Of course the pace does quicken, but it's more of a tightening, and the tension in the climatic scenes is unparalleled. If you enjoy this genre, then of course it goes without saying that this is a must read, a ‘must own’ even. It is a cold hard hammer of a spy story. Sometimes we do a thing in order to find out the reason for it. Sometimes our actions are questions not answers. Plainly put, there are two sides to every story, or genre… in the spy world, there’s the two polar opposites as mentioned above, and then there’s everything in between. It speaks volumes that in modern culture producers, filmmakers and storytellers have seemingly sought to find the balance or blend between the two worlds of espionage. Even Timothy Dalton aimed to dirty things up with a darker and grittier James Bond in his 1980’s incarnation, a dynamic that has been taken to heart in the latest Daniel Craig version, all to keep up with the times, with a wiser audience to cater for. David Cornwell set a trend, and continued it with his subsequent George Smiley novels, and that is a hallmark. It may not have been Cornwell’s first release, but this was the one that got him noticed in a big way, it was the one that made him… Film: The Spy who came in from the Cold was adapted for film starring Richard Burton as the fatigued and burnt out Alec Leamus and Rupert Davies as George Smiley. In 2011 we saw the release of “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” with Gary Oldman playing Smiley. David Cornwell’s sons have been spearheading the new wave of film adaptations with "A Most Wanted Man" to be released later this year (based on the Le Carré novel of the same name) starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman. The timing of the latter release earmarks it for award season attention. The trailer – Coming Soon! There's also a sequel to Tinker Tailor in the pipeline. The films have also rekindled the interest as book sales have spiked, with new and younger audiences drawn in to rediscover a literary legend and his collection of genre defining works. The 23rd and latest John Le Carre novel: 'A Delicate Truth'; view the Book trailer below. This of course all this, stories, novels and films, tell of a very amoral world, where men and women hold themselves to higher or simply a standard removed from everyone else, a world constantly aware of the puppet strings, the walking wounded – it is cold and dark and unromantic, yet for the larger population it intrigues us to no end… suffice is to say, we’d rather read about, and watch it on the silver screen than actually live it. But, for those who do, us novelists (me in my infancy as it is - I do aim to emulate the greats - and this is timely inspiration) try to tell their stories, amplify their voice in whichever way we can, and to take a line form the book, (because sometimes that voice is hard to hear, the message either plainly simple or incoherently convoluted in the grey stage of world politics and economics, and war) “Once she had cried out, and there had been no echo, nothing. Just the memory of her own voice.” Visit Author John Le Carré's official site at www.johnlecarre.com For an in depth interview to get a deeper sense of Cornwell the man, his personal life and what he’s up now in all his 81 year old glory, follow the link to an interview conducted by Dwight Garner for the New York Times earlier this year. We get to hear his thoughts on the modern Spy world as well as his sentiments about modern media and politics, even his views on the film Zero Dark Thirty. Article: John le Carré Has Not Mellowed With Age "A desk is a dangerous place from which to watch the world" Calvin & Hobbes 'finally' get a movie, It's not clinically an official project, and it is just a documentary, but this is as official as its going to get. You see, if you didn't already know this, Creator Bill Watterson has never allowed his comic to be commercialized. This is why you don't see Calvin&Hobbes mugs, duvet covers and T-shirts, or feature length animated films. Sure, some fans have printed their own variety of C&H merchandise, but its never been requisitioned for mass production - he felt that taking this route would cheapen his comic. "Watterson is known for his views on licensing and Syndication" - Wikipedia. The Calvin and Hobbes cartoon ran for ten years from 1985 to 31 Dec 1995. The comic only came to my attention a couple of years later, but still, I've been a fan since the Spice Girls still had chart toppers. And, as you may well have noticed whilst perusing this website, my 'fandom' remains steadfast, actually its stronger than ever, because as you will know, or soon find out, this comic is timeless. From myself: Thank you Mr. Watterson. Your genius is much appreciated! Here's the trailer for Documentary "Dear Mr. Watterson": Bill Watterson's note to his fans on ending the publication: Dear Reader: Bill Watterson quotes: I liked things better when I didn't understand them. I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can play together all night. That's the whole problem with science. You've got a bunch of empiricists trying to describe things of unimaginable wonder. |
[Banner illustration by Joel Kanar]
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