Sticking to the Gallic theme, I’m pleased to announce that the last short film I graded is now complete. Without Subtitles is a Simon Aitken joint, a bitter shot of love, betrayal, deceit, and the cruelty of language.
Welcome To Montpellier
Here in the 21st Century, distance is as much about culture and language as it is about milage. Consider. It takes an hour and a half to get from Reading to Gatwick Airport. It takes the same time to get from Gatwick to Montpellier, and all of a sudden I find it a hell of a lot more difficult to order a coffee.
Un teaser
Bonjour, mon Readership. A little photographic tease to get you in the mood before I talk about the weekend TLC and I spent in the South of France. There’s a lot to show you.
Guest Post: Pathways to Prometheus
Another guest post, which pleases my lazy blogger tendencies. At this rate, I’ll never need to write another word.
Seriously, Readership, feel free to send me stuff. You know the remit by now. At the very least, a recipe or two would be nice.
Any hoo. X&HTeam-mate Simon Aitken has obliged me with his take on the marketing push for one of the most anticipated movies of the summer–Ridley Scott’s Prometheus.
Comics And Kony
Unless you’ve been living in a cave without any kind of wifi over the past couple of weeks, the name of Joseph Kony must be familiar to you. The leader of the Ugandan Lord’s Resistance Army, terrorist and psychopath, Kony is the subject of an awful lot of media attention–despite the fact that no-one really seems to know where he is now or what the LRA are up to.
I’m not here to discuss the film that brought Kony, however belatedly, to the world’s attention. I won’t mention the astonishing speed with which social networks helped it to go viral. I’m not even going to talk about the breakdown of the film’s director over the intense scrutiny over his motives and the finances of his production company, that led to his arrest for public nudity and masturbation. However hilarious that might be.
Instead, I want to look at two depictions of the Uganda that Kony has helped to create, both of which use comics to come up with very different takes on the situation, and on how it has created it’s own breed of monsters.
Martian Chronicles: X&HT Saw John Carter
It all comes down to preference. Critics will view a film, particularly one based on a long-standing franchise, in a certain way, fans in another. The general public will largely stay away, not willing to spend time on a property that requires knowledge of a back-story, or investment in a main character that may not be to their liking in the first place. It’s a common story that has bitten many potential money-spinners hard, and Andrew Stanton’s lush, expensive version of Edgar Rice Burrough’s Barsoom books has suffered more publicly than most this year. Which is a shame. Because there’s an awful lot to enjoy.
Hamza and DocoBanksy Hit Reading Running!
The DocoPhone starts ringing. It’s an old red Trimfone, thick with stickers, and the ringtone’s been modded to play a chip tune version of the Beastie Boy’s Sabotage.
It would be more than my life’s worth to ignore it, and my very soul would be forfeit if I let it bounce to voicemail or -gods forbid- redirect to the mobile. The DocoPhone is head of my to-do list every day.
“I have a job for you.” DocoBanksy’s voice is dry over the phone line, all inflection stripped away by the anonymising software he uses. In person he’s much warmer–much more human. But now he’s all business, and I’m all attention.
“A drop-off,” he continues. “Some friends of mine are shooting in your manor, and I need you to get them some stickers. Don’t make a meal of it. Be a pro. Someone will contact you. I’ve given them your number and private email. I told them you wouldn’t mind.”
Click. The line goes dead. I have my instructions. All I can do now is wait.
The call comes through soon after. Once you get involved with docoBanksy, you learn things move quickly. A charming chap called Mike, who’s happy to chat. We arrange a meet. A public place. The Delphi Bridge in the middle of Reading’s restaurant district. Plenty of witnesses if the deal goes south.
It’s dark when the drop happens, and Mike and I end up circling each other for a while before we make contact. He’s brought an oppo, a tasty cove called Sam and I regret not scaring up some back-up. But the deal goes smoothly, and my envelope stuffed with stickers vanishes into an inside pocket. “We’ll be in touch,” Sam says, and they melt back into the sodium-lit night. Ahead of them was a day with free-runner Hamza Shabazz, who would show them how he runs Reading.
And now there’s a film of their exploits. If you’re a Readingite, keep your eyes open for the stickers that Hamza planted – there’s more out there than you’ll see below. DocoBanksy declares himself pleased with the end product. As he should be.
Meanwhile, Sam and Mike of Getting Dirty would like you to know that they do this all day every day, and that you can find out more about them at their website. I think that’s a click that’s worth making.
Fading becomes Extra Light – Out of Hours Day 5
An unexpected addendum to the Out Of Hours story for you all. For the latest, I pass you on to our correspondent on the ground, Stuart Wright…
Continue reading Fading becomes Extra Light – Out of Hours Day 5
Devading The Tarn
With reference to the Invader I posted last week, I thought you might like to see this. DocoDom enjoys making his own versions of the Invaders, using figures taken from the old school classic video game Defender. He calls them Devaders.
This short film shows him putting up a Devader on a quiet road in rural France. The whole thing is a really rather lovely marriage of sound and vision. Highly evocative.
Pewpewpew.
The Saturday Shot: Invasion
You can find them in most big cities, if you know where to look. Tucked away, above eye level, in corners and other points of the city that we render invisible through our blithe in attention. If we fail to notice them, are they even there?
Well, yes, they are. In London alone there are over 100 of the little blighters. I can think of three within 500 yards of where I’m sitting as I write this.
Actually, four, and this is the biggest one I’ve ever seen. They’re getting bolder, daring us to seek them out. It’s too late to watch the skies. Now it’s the buildings that we have to keep our eyes on.
Slowly but surely, we are being invaded.
EXCUSES AND HALF TRUTHS 