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Sunday, February 28, 2010

JAMES EARL JONES


James Earl Jones, a giant among men!

Over the years I have admired the work of a number of white male actors, especially John Travolta, but this is not about those guys, this is about the two black men whom I revere in their professional lives as actors. One is Sidney Poitier and the other is James Earl Jones. I have a special bond with these men because they are both black, as am I, and we are all about the same age, meaning that we grew up through very difficult civil rights times, and therefore their successes are just that much more meaningful to me.

Sidney Poitier came from a small island in The Bahamas and arrived in America in the thick of oppressive segregation and discrimination. However, he had a dream and through hard work, dogged determination and good luck, and a lot of very good white and black friends, he arrived at the top of his profession with his dignity intact.

Today, I want to think and write about a man who is an absolute giant among men in many ways, James Earl Jones. There are a lot of people born with natural talent. Among them there will always be one or two who stand head and shoulders above the rest. Considering the long shadow that JEJ casts over the entertainment industry it is no real surprise that his life began so modestly.

James Earl Jones was born on January 17th, 1931 in Arkabulta, Mississipi to Ruth (Connolly) Jones, who was a teacher and a maid; and to Robert Earl Jones, an actor, boxer, butler, and chauffeur. He died in 2006. To have been born a black baby in Mississipi in 1931 is to say that he was born into hell in the midst of extreme ignorance.

The first extraordinary thing to know is that the man who would come to posses the most famous voice in the world was effectively mute for eight years of his school life because he stuttered and the children made fun of him. So, he refused to speak outside his home.

Gradually he was coaxed to come out of his shell and he dealt with his speech impairment so that he could realise his dream to follow his father onto the stage. His life must have been a great struggle as society was not on his side. His list of accomplishments, too long to recount in exact detail, is testimony to his strength of character and indomitable spirit.

His film credits in part are:
Roots- played Alex Haley
Conan the Barbarian
Field of Dreams
The Sandlot
Coming to America
Cry, the Beloved Country
The Hunt for Red October
Patriot Games
Clear and Present Danger

Some of his voice-overs:
The Lion King, I and II
Pinocchio and The Emperor of the Night
Several guest spots on The Simpsons
The most awesome three words “This, is CNN!”

Some of his live performances on stage where I can imagine the buildings must have been shaken were:

King Lear
Hamlet
Othello
A MidSummer’s Night’s Dream
Great White Hope.
Measure for Measure
Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

He has a total of 117 screen credits, and along the way his list of awards and nominations is amazing. He has:
Nine Emmy awards or nominations.
Five Golden Globe awards or nominations.
One Independent Spirit nomination.
Two Screen Actors Guild awards or nominations.
Three Tony awards or nominations.
One Commonwealth award.
One Academy Award nomination.

However, James Earl Jones has never been awarded the Oscar, which, in my view discredits the Academy Awards.

More important than all the awards or nominations that he has gathered is the fact that his successes, being as they were so public were inspiring to a person like myself. During most of my years I was being told over and over again that I was a nobody and was incapable of doing anything of significance. Under such circumstances it is very difficult to keep faith in one’s self and to press on regardless. James Earl Jones was always there for me with the message “Yes, We Can.” Added to that a former First Lady said that no-one could make me feel inferior without my permission.

Then came Obama to underscore what we had always believed; but it took people like James Earl Jones to set the stage.

Our journey has been long and troubling. We have lived our three score and ten years and now we are in the coasting stage of our lives. I just thought it was time to say these things about the man when he can still appreciate and smell the roses. It does seem fitting for President Ronald Regan to have chosen James Earl Jone’s birthday as Martin Luther King, Jr Day.

Now, without great fanfare or applause, I say “Thank you James, for holding my hand and being my guide throughout some very difficult times. You’re my Hero!” Long may you live and continue to enjoy the fruits of your labours in good health.”

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Sunday, February 21, 2010

A Tiger’s Apology


A Sombre Moment

It is the afternoon of Friday, the 19th of February, 2010. Tiger Woods has just concluded his apology to the world. When I wrote last on this topic I felt that his indiscretions were a matter only between he and his family. Since then I have concluded that it’s a little more complicated than that. When you’re Tiger Woods you stand large on the world stage and your influence is worldwide.

His former image as a squeaky clean living, erudite person was one that his sponsors could sign up to; the golfing community was able to take pride in his performances; both the black and white community could say he was someone to look up to, and his family could hold their heads up high. But more than all that was the fact that millions of children from around the world saw him as a role model, therefore, it is for his family, his sponsors and their customers and the children who worship him that a heartfelt apology was necessary.

Much has been made of the tightly controlled method whereby he broke his silence. He completely controlled the baying mob of reporters and he got his message across without rude reporters interrupting him. I wholeheartedly support that approach. Anything else would have been an absolute zoo.

In my view he said all that needed to have been said without the necessity of questions. He said that he felt he was entitled to the temptations. His money and fame meant that he didn’t have far to go, and that he didn’t think he had to play by the same rules as everyone else. He now knows different and is working on being a better human being. He and his wife are young people and they are going through the stages of growing up. They will have their share of mistakes to cope with, as do we all.

The one thing I wanted to hear him say was that he acknowledged his position as role model to children, and to apologise to their parents. This he did in a very personal way, and he seems to understand the importance and weight of that. He seems to understand that following his first win of The Master’s Cup parents all over the world got their children to think golf. Children suddenly gained another ambition that they didn’t dare think was possible before, especially black children.

He has gone back into rehab and seems determined to come back a better and more controlled person. He had an easy option and that was to simply let his wife go. They have a pre-nuptial agreement that would have allowed him to end his marriage an go sleep with every one of the women who had something for him He has chosen against that and instead he has decided to take the course that means hard work..

So, I wish him good luck, and I hope that he and his wife can reconcile matters. One thing for very certain is that his wife could not hope for a better husband than the one that is now in development.

One more thing: Thank You Tiger for not having dragged your wife in front of the cameras to further humiliate her.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Interesting Laws


Interesting Laws to Think About

Every jurisdiction has its share of very interesting laws. A bit of research will turn up all sorts of laws, many that are ages old and are strange, to say the least. Trying to determine what made such laws necessary in the first place can be a fun exercise, although chances are that if law makers thought their Bills necessary it was because some one, somewhere was guilty of doing the things that the laws were enacted against.

The Valencia government have just passed a whole raft of new laws that are designed to combat behaviours that we residents have been complaining about for some time. For example:

The law against El Botellón:

A Botellón is an outdoor drinking party where young people congregate with the idea of getting as drunk as they can. If such a party takes place on public property or disturbs the peace of the neighbourhood between 22:00 hours and 8:00 hours, organisers and participants can be fined up to 1,500 euros. Such parties are a real nuisance because they create a great deal of trash, including vomit, and people get in their cars to drive away while being seriously impaired. They are also dangerous from the standpoint of alcohol poisoning.

The Buying and selling of Fake Goods:

There is a flourishing business in knock-off goods in Spain. Usually immigrants are put to work in this trade by suppliers, who remain behind the scenes. The quality of such goods is always suspect, so it is a shame that this is often the only option available to immigrants by which to feed themselves. Personally, I would rather that they did this than break into my home. The fine for such activities is up to 400 euros.

Creating an act of Vandalism by ringing doorbells maliciously in the night.

Apparently, if you live in town you can expect to have (presumably) young people ringing your doorbell while you sleep at night. This is now an offence that has a punishment of up to 750 euros. I don`t suppose that it has occurred to anyone to have an off switch on the bell

Prostitution:

One of the oldest professions in the world is not illegal, as such in Catholic Spain. This country has a very enlightened attitude towards sexual relations. Basically it is felt that everyone should be doing it. That way the stress level can be expected to be lower. However, there have to be rules because the sight of young women loitering at roundabouts in very skimpy attire is to be discouraged. For one thing it’s difficult enough negotiating roundabouts, but add in practically nude girls and we are going to have crashes. That is no good for business.

So, if anyone is caught offering, accepting, negotiating, or arguing over sexual services in the street, you will be attracting a fine between 750 and 3,000 euros.

Sexual Relations

I have saved the best for last, because under this heading the authorities are most concerned about people having sexual relations in the street. Now remember that if there is a law against it, somebody has been behaving inappropriately. The law is quite specific that if two people are seen in the act of having sex, whether in a vehicle or not, they will be subject to a fine of up to 3,000 euros and not less than 750 euros. It will be an aggravating factor if it takes place in sight of homes, schools or businesses.

I just think it incredible that people have been walking along the street and been confronted by couples having sex. The Beatles sang in one of their songs “Why Don’t we do it in the Street?” Has it actually come to that?

The law seems to be silent about a person having sex with himself, but with many thousands of available prostitutes, both male and female, why would you have to?

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael

Sunday, February 7, 2010

AVATAR


THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD

My wife and I saw Avatar on a Friday, and because we were so impressed we returned to the cinema on the following Tuesday to view it again, this time in 3-D. I am compelled to make some comment about this incredible film, but I must be careful not to spoil your fun. In summary I can say that this film constitutes an Event in the history of cinematography. As the art form has evolved there has been several such Events. No doubt my opinions on the series of such changes will be subject to debate, but those that I can recall are as follows:

First there were the silent films in black and white. The films were always accompanied by very talented pianists, but it was very much a bare bones experience. Several actors owed their success to the fact that there was no sound on, because when the first giant leap took place with the addition of sound some of the actors sounded horrible.

The addition of sound changed the movies for all time. There was no going back, nor would anyone have wanted to turn away from progress. The next big step forward arrived with the technology of colour. We opened our eyes wide in amazement, often because the colour of life on screen was even more glorious than actual every day colour. Sound and colour moved forward in partnership adding big screen technology, 3-D, and SurroundSound to make the experience in the cinema unlike any other.

My next Event came with Steven Spielberg’s “Star Wars”, a fabulous mind bending exercise in fantasy. That film introduced a wonderful cast of new animals and humans. That was followed by another Event in the presentation of the “Matrix” triology, especially the fight sequence on moving vehicles. I watched those scenes several times just because they were so astounding.

Now, we have Avatar. The publicity for it goes as follows: “We enter an alien world through the eyes of Jake Sully, a former Marine confined to a wheelchair. Despite his broken body, Jake is still a warrior at heart. He is recruited to travel light years to the human outpost on Pandora, where corporations are mining a rare mineral that is the key to solving Earth’s energy crisis.”

Considering the film as a whole, that is a phenomenal understatement, if ever there was one. This film takes the art of making films upwards by a giant leap. The impact that it is having on people is simply staggering. It takes storytelling to new levels, and the pictures, imagination, sound, and overall effect is so rich that it is truly stirring.

The second time that we saw it, someone thought to bring their elderly grandmother. She sat in the same row as we did and I made a mental note to watch her reaction. As the film rolled on I completely forgot about her. Remember, I was seeing it for the second time.

There will surely be a making of Avatar, and I will be watching for its release. Meantime, Thank You ! James Cameron for the absolutely super cinematic experience of a lifetime. The promise that Avatar will be a triology is so exciting.

Copyright © 2010 Eugene Carmichael