Supporting (and respecting) UK independent Film- 'Jack Falls'

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When asked to assist in producing some publicity footage for a soon to be released UK independent film- and that which has been born and bred from the confines of a team of UK film makers who are at the forefront of the industry- we'd be stupid if we said no!

The team are a close network of interconnected and affiliated creative, established thespians and financial type collectives who know what it takes to push out high quality feature projects with low to reasonable funding pots at their disposal. Having breezed through a long list of acclaimed projects over the years- including 'The Last Seven' (where again we were also present for publicity) and the well-known 'Jack' series- it is of considerable merit that each project is getting bigger and better. This proves that the ingredients they have involved in the complex process are recipes towards a successful formula of independent film making. A formula we are in awe of, and many others from the global industries should be in awe of too. 

The film itself- is a gritty, film-noire crime thriller which impresses on both the technical and creative level. It has an impressive all-star cast and when you think that all of this was made possible with a budget of £300 K - you will surely be impressed with the final results. 

Highlights in terms of the cast include the legend that is Alan Ford- who was a pleasure to talk with at the premier- he plays crime boss Carter in the film, something he also described as a fantasy he has realized when typecast as the no-nonsense, east end gangster. And some great performances from the likes of who we would class as national acting treasures- Dexter Fletcher, Adam Deacon, Tamer Hassan, Simon Phillips, Rita Ramnani, Martin Kemp... the list goes on. The black and white feel with splashes of color throughout truly enhances the film on all levels in our opinion. 

Check out brief footage of our links with the cast and crew- filmed and edited by Haider Zafar of HKZ Productions- with words + sound coerced by Journo Vin Sharma. 

For fans of UK produced cinema- this film is highly recommended. Tell a friend, to tell another friend because the team behind its conception is making big waves. 

Remember we told ya!

For more details visit: http://www.jackfalls.co.uk/ 

Gandu... aka: 'Loser' film

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As fans of global cinema + all-round creative nosey parkers- this film gets our instant attention for 2 reasons:

Firstly, because it was recommended to resident journo Vin Sharma during an interview with Steve 'Chandrasonic' Savale from legendary music band ADF, who interestingly feature heavily on the soundtrack and also in the plot of the film. It's quite obvious that their sound both influences the plot and enhances the general style of the film... (and it must be added- the young kid playing the lead role has an uncanny resemblance to former front MC from ADF- 'Deedar Zaman')  

Secondly, because we have just watched the trailer and the film looks and sounds incredible. If all you associate South Asian cinema with is fluffy 'Bollywood' (which in no way would we criticize based on some of the very diverse recent releases we have seen!) then look out for this independent and quite 'alternative' release.

We particularly love the fact that it is shot in Black and white throughout, adding an art house neo-noir style which blends well with the quite gritty scenes of the film. It certainly helps it stand out from the shadow of Bollywood and we look forward to catching it soon.

Here is an interesting BLOG REVIEW with comments.

Visit http://www.overdosejoint.in for further info + other similar releases by the makers.

TZM- Moving Forward: Officially released (2011)

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The credibility of free-thinkers and those who dedicate their energy towards the spreading of a message that is 'alternative' can often be tarnished with negative spin. More often it is the source by which the message is further spread that often associates the positive message (or ethical agenda if you like) in a 'radical' or 'extreme' light, which in effect also acts towards the point of the message getting lost in and amongst the noise. 

Far too often we hear young, impressionable and sometimes disillusioned folks regurgitate some of the information they read or watch up on youtube or via inciting conspiracy theory websites and articles. Much of the time this is combined with the indulgence of negative behaviors and lifestyles which makes their own personal expression of disillusionment again, not as credible as it could have been if expressed in an articulate, or more creative manner. But not everyone has the ability to be able to articulate feelings, especially strongly felt feelings in a way that makes it easy for them to be heard, or at least feel as if they are being heard. 

An apt (and slightly edited) quote: "Rioting and violence is the most common language used by the 'unheard'..." 

Now consider the negative expressions you witness on the streets, in the pubs, in your homes, all around... and recognize that as a result, the prisons and institutions and individual minds of this country are filled with desperate, needy, troubled, disillusioned sentiments, and a growing amount of people emerge who require help and assistance in some way or another. This growing community of individuals can include any one of us at any time we feel, especially in current austerity climates. 

Think about that, and then spare yourself some time. To be specific,  2 hrs 40 mins of your valuable time to watch the following documentary project which comes about through the vision of an interesting man called Peter Joseph and his TZM Movement. 

Now we ourselves like to take everything we hear and see with a pinch of salt, but at the same time we are also dedicated to a journey where we are striving to make ourselves better and also attempt to make the lives of those we encounter better if we can do so in any way. We also feel the need to empower individuals to live their lives in a way where they too strive for self improvement, learning, education and then hope to do the same for others if so be their choice. 

As part of our own education we love watching the innovative documentaries made by others locally, nationally and around the world. In fact, and as many are aware, we love all creative and innovative expression through all the multi format mediums available. The art of telling stories, conveying messages and spreading positive, thought provoking content makes us pursue much of what we do and like to do. We strive to educate ourselves to a level where hopefully our own expressions will also be seen and heard by many one day. In the mean time, let the masters of the trade lead the way:

Feel free to RT this video via your own close networks and find out more online. Your comments and thoughts are most welcome!

Russell Brand vs Jeremy Paxamn

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When two of our heroes get together for an honest conversation and we get to be the fly on the wall- this makes for us being able to witness 15 minutes of pure genius and highly engaging interaction.

Both individuals need no introduction. Both are put up on pedestals by us for various reasons. And we will leave you to decide what you think of the content of the chat... but one thing must be said. Some of the most powerful and dynamic individuals have gone up against Mr Paxman and crumbled under his interrogations. Russell Brand we feel touches on some of the most important issues of our times and does so in the most eloquent manner, representing opinions and a perspective at the complete opposite spectrum of the mainstream, and of Paxman's own flawed understanding some may notice. Look beyond the eccentricity, and also try and look beyond the so-called 'animated' communication style which takes Jeremy off guard throughout this interview.

In our humble opinion, this interview is a perfect representation by Brand of how to honestly communicate combining both academic intelligence with the emotional kind, and something many can learn from. But most importantly, promoting a key message that needs to be heard.

In the mean time, let us all continue to live by and advocate our own personal versions of the so-called 'Truth'.

MC Yogi- Be the change, Give Love + Hope... nuff said!

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Check out this very interesting B-Boy meets Bollywood meets Bhangra meets Balkan beat meets Funky Fusion + musical activism maestro- his name is MC Yogi. And we are blasting his remix album and quirky titled Omstrumentals- 'Elephant Powered'. (original album entitled 'Elephant Power') 

And this video to 'Give Love' is pukka- and the song reminds us of an enlightened and less angry Matisyahu- and we love them both equally!

MC Yogi - Give Love (Giving4Living Mix) from MC Yogi on Vimeo.

And finally, we get a little satirical with the aptly timed flashback to the Barrack Obama campaign- oh what a difference 2 years can make!! (note- reference to real time US politics!) 

For more info about MC Yogi- visit: http://www.mcyogi.com  

In conversation with Shizzio & TQ... on the sets of 'Rockit Girl' video

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The video link posted below was recorded a while ago during the filming of quite an exciting music collaboration- international RnB star TQ alongside exciting UK Hip Hop artist Shizzio aka 'Joe Daki'. You will gather from parts of the conversation that this was around about the time of the whole 'Swine Flu' Media hype. Now allow us to digress for a wee moment- isn't it funny how the Media shaped the fear of a nation for weeks on end, the pharmaceutical companies made alot of money as a result of the fears, and then the hype disappeared! Business as per usual many would say!! 

Oh well... the powers of Mass Media lecture can be saved for another day... For now, find below clips from the quirky conversation with the two musical talents. 

We have followed Shizzio's rapid rise in UK Hip Hop and we acknowledge that he is someone who we feel demands to be heard. He brings great personality to a scene which is gaining alot of exposure and Shizzio is not afraid to speak from the heart- this is something we quite warm to. TQ is someone who requires no introduction. For the 90's music fans- he was responsible for some big international chart toppers including 'Westside', 'Bye Bye Baby', 'Better days' and many more! And he is going strong with much more to be expected here onwards. 

We particularly like the part in this video where TQ speaks from the heart about how he took the positive avenue towards a career in Music rather than falling into the trappings of his rather humble surroundings. TQ is living proof that regardless of where you may be living or are brought up, one of the most important factors that determines an individuals future is the choices the individual themself takes. TQ chose music and creativity over Crime, hustling and a number of other negative options he could have chosen, and this is exactly the kind of energy we advocate and encourage from some of the lives we have contact with. Inspiration is an important factor! 

And here is the official video for 'Rockit Girl'... after the team themselves have explained what the term 'Rockit Girl' actually means... (ahem!). 

For more details about Shizzio visit- http://www.shizzio.com 
And TQ updates can be found via- http://www.thugpoetry.com/tq/main.html

The single 'Rockit Girl' is available for download via i-tunes now. 

 

UNITED WE (must!) STAND...

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The word: 'action'

Part of Speech: noun 

Definition: something done

Synonyms:

activity, agility, alacrity, alertness, animation, bag, idea, business, bustle,

commotion, dash, deal, energy, enterprise,flurry, force, functioning, game, going,

happening, haste, hoopla, hopper,industry, life, liveliness, motion, movement,

occupation, operation, plan, power, process,proposition, racket, reaction, 

response, rush,scene, spirit, stir, stunt, trip, turmoil, vigor, vim,vitality, vivacity...

Antonyms:

cessation, idleness, inaction, inactivity, inertia, repose, rest, stoppage... 

Now to leave you with the talented collective who have combined the power of WORDS as part of their ACTION-plan to make a difference. We urge you to be inspired- and also take some small steps by simply listening to the following track, absorbing the visuals and then heading straight to i-tunes to purchase and support. 

And remember, regardless of race, culture, language or location- The children of those abroad are just like our own children. The pain of all those who suffer through circumstance and natural disasters is our pain. We are all connected on many levels and WE must act to help all those who may be suffering in any capacity and in any part of the globe.

It is evident that we live through difficult times today across all societies but it can also be easy to forget how lucky many of us are with what we have- but when natural incidents such as this take place, it takes the concept of struggle to a whole different extreme for so many people. Something many would find difficult to even imagine. 

We commend the following talented artists for their prompt and heart felt efforts! UNITED WE STAND indeed. Nuff said... 

A call to all the poets... word!

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Open question to all: What happened to the medium of poetry?

We hear occasional mentions of back street urban poetry events in London and still in certain parts of the globe it is something that gets commercial support due to it's appeal and huge audiences. The modern day equivalent of those who were traditionally termed as 'poets' are the singers, the rappers, the spoken word MC's, maybe even the film makers- but what we are calling for are the folks that use the term 'poet' in their CV or their email signatures. The Maya Angelou;s of now. The Sylvia Plath's, the Robert Burns, the Shakespeare's even... maybe James Cameron, Simon Cowell, Russell Brand, and all those choosing alternative mediums to tell stories or convey messages are the real poets of today, and the traditional form is extinct... we would love to hear your opinions.

We recall memories of the famous Def Jam poetry events in the US- much footage is up on Youtube so have a peruse and maybe even get inspired to put traditional pen to paper (or hand to keyboard!) and send us a link to your work. As lovers of creativity and the creative process in all it's forms, we would be honored to view your creations. 

Check prime examples below of 2 (of many!) dynamic, powerful and charismatic modern urban poets of the world- firstly the mighty Saul Williams who doesn't label himself as a rapper which he could easily do... he is a performance poet in every sense of the word. And to bring in the Yin to our Yang, if you haven't heard of the beautiful Suheir Hammad, be prepared to be moved, and maybe shed a tear at her powerful and thoughtful expression. 

We salute all the poets of the past and the present... and call out to all the poets of the future to look us up. 

If you or anyone you know are running poetry or spoken word events in the UK or have footage from abroad, send us details so we can grace our presence maybe.

And to close on a quote by poet + philosopher from the history books who sums up the very real reasons why poetry is so important today, and he does so far more eloquently than we ever could:

"The distinction between historian and poet is not in the one writing prose and the other verse... the one describes the thing that has been, and the other a kind of thing that might be.  Hence poetry is something more philosophic and of graver importance than history, since its statements are of the nature rather of universals, whereas those of history are singulars."  ~Aristotle

SAUL WILLIAMS:

SUHEIR HAMMAD: 

'THE LAST SEVEN' film premiere

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Last week we had the pleasure to attend the 1st UK film screening of an independent project brought to cinema + DVD release by the Metrodome Group and Press on Features (and in association with a number of other independent groups). We recognize our own love for Global Cinema and the all-round importance of supporting locally produced and homegrown projects such as this and it was this that motivated our presence. The UK film making industry is fairly small and although there are some real prominent names emerging on the global platform, the struggles and the difficulties are rife and more so now than ever before which we think is a fair point to highlight. What excites us with projects such as this is the fact that a fairly small collective network of like-minded individuals and groups all work together and put their hearts, souls, (money) and sweat into the project and create an end product worthy of showcase and support. The guys involved in this project in particular consist of well-known names such as Tamer Hassan and Danny Dyer, as well as lesser known yet highly talented names from the UK acting, Directing and creative fields. In our opinion all ones to watch out for as they move forward- and once again, proud to say all UK born and bred talents!

'The Last Seven' as the title clearly suggests is about an eclectic group of seven individuals left behind following what appears to be some kind of apocalyptic incident in the UK (we assume on the planet). Together they must try and piece together personal flickering memories of the past and work as a team towards survival. In the backdrop, an evil presence seems intent to follow the events unfolding with it's own agenda, whilst the characters on screen get to grips with their predicament, and each other. 

Firstly it is always a pleasure to get to watch a film with both the cast and crew sitting amongst you in order to question individuals both before and after the screening. Many of the cast were watching the full, final product for the first time themselves and it was apparent that sincere passion and hard work had been invested with all of their contributions. The acting by all was great, the story itself was also positive with strong references of ineffectual politics and religious faith and ideology. There appeared to be a message within the film which the screenplay writer John Stanley stated covers the theme of faith and how far strong faith can effect the actions of individuals and groups. He was also keen to outline the dynamics amongst a group of very different characters all put together through circumstances outside of their control, all which he was happy to see transferred on screen very well by the team. By coincidence, only this week we also watched a very good documentary called 'The God Delusion' with Professor Richard Dawkins which kind of touches on similar subject matter and references as within the film. (consider that a recommendation for the doc too!) 

The story moves fairly slow and the response of some of the characters in the predicament was not as clearly conveyed as could have been in our opinion. The feeling of suspense and fear which the plot attempted to instill amongst the audience could have been enhanced, but then we rightly appreciate all the complex creative processes involved, and maybe ignoring the business elements were fairly satisfied with the final product. We spoke to members of the audience who also watched the film this evening and many expressed similar sentiments but enjoyed the film overall. One member highlighted that this was a great showcase by Simon Phillips, both as an actor in the film and also involved in the Production, and a good work-in-progress platform to promote his own and the talent of his close network of associates. 

It was a pleasure to also get a chance to engage in conversation with highly esteemed actor Anthony Head (Buffy the Vampire, Little Britain fame) whose talented daughter Daisy features as part of the last seven cast on screen. We warmed towards his pride as a parent watching his daughter showcasing the same craft he has achieved considerable success with. 

The mainstream critics have slated the film slightly which we think is unfair, but then that's the business of creativity and Cinema and goes hand in hand with the job. We expect great things from this camp in the near future, so do watch this space. We give the film a rating of 5/10- taking all aspects into consideration. 

The film is released across selected London cinemas and available on DVD via most outlets. 

Check http://www.thelastseven.co.uk for more and check out some of our brief video interaction from the evening below:

(footage courtesy of HKZ Productions)