"A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another" -- Mao Tsetung, 1927

"There is nothing that the proper attitude won't render funkable" -- Funkentelechy, 1977

III-662. Unspeakable desire to see, and know / All these his wondrous works, but chiefly Man, / His chief delight and favour, him for whom / All these his works so wondrous he ordaind, / Hath brought me from the Quires of Cherubim / Alone thus wandring -- Milton, Paradise Lost

This is what I'm reading on Christmas Day, 2015. Thinking about a revolution in storytelling and cooking a turkey on the grill.  Every day feels like a revolution, but there's no reason the days can't be funky, nor marvelous. 

Movies

It's the screener season and this year seems to be off the hook as far as the movies that are arriving at my door for me to consider for the awards from my respective guilds, the DGA and WGA. Here's a very, very short list of what you need to see, the revolution in storytelling, taking something old and truly reinventing it and busting down a class of storytelling --

"Son of Saul"

That's it, that's the list. There's good movies out there, but they are simple. Some are humanly profound, but few break as many molds as this movie. Go see it. There's review out there. Read them. Then figure out how to see this.

By the way, I was at a party and I watched an acquaintance open up this page on his smart phone and the first thing I thought when I saw the lion at the top was that it looked like a shot from a zoo. Jeez, I was in the Serengeti! I've got to throw something else up there. Nothing that reeks of a zoo!

A movie to go see for an assortment of reasons is Creed. Yes, Stallone does essentially hijack the movie and the storytelling, but it got the movie made and it will bolster the career of a truly remarkable talent -- Ryan Coogler. His previous film was "Fruitvale Station", which was terrific, and within the confines of a commercial rendering of a chapter within a movie franchise, Creed more than holds its own, as well as expand the legacy and myth of the Rocky movies. Yes, there's some very cool movie shots in the movie you have not necessarily seen before.

Here's my deepest thought on this Christmas Day --

I wonder if thousands of years from now the period of seven or eight hundred years we've just endured will be remembered as a brief lull that took place during the thousands of years of the Crusades?

Okay, back to Hollywood. Or the vicinity.

"Get El Capitan" is on my screen and it won't go away.

So I worked on a series idea in 2015 that involved Nick Cave's "Murder Ballads" album. To date, I was not able to sell it, but along the way I was reintroduced to Milton's "Paradise Lost". It it so epic and detailed that I have to, at times, remind myself that it is fiction and a poem. It's ridiculously involving and profound and brings a scope and depth, at least to me, to why stories and myths can intoxicate and conjure the faith, conviction, and willingness to die and kill that they do. It just brings an understanding to me, and to a degree an acceptance, but not a taste. The taste remains vile and saddening. 

It's Christmas. I think a lot. Don't judge. 

Olvera Street, Los Angeles, 2008

I think it's Christmas Day or it could be Easter -- or maybe just another Sunday and this little girl is coming from mass of some kind with her parents. 

It's all storytelling. A still picture can move as much as a moving picture to me. The mind moves. There's an epic movie to be made from this photo. Hmmm. I come back to it often. Here's another --

Mekong Delta, Vietnam, 2001

I was in Vietnam, Nigeria, Spain and probably Morocco during the year prior to September 11, 2001. Of all the places visited, Vietnam was by far the friendliest towards the United States. Everyone else was asking "what's wrong with the United States?" I had no answer, but I could sense the animosity and frustration and I knew it was going to not much more than a matter of time…

On the other hand, Maui can be the pill to cure most ills -- 

Wailea, Hawaii, 2015, My Wife Raluca & I

I'm going to try, I mean really try, to write here more in 2016. Writing is hard. Even postcards. I'm developing shows. Movies. When I began this blog I felt I was writing from inside a Crypt, I mean (s)Crypt -- maybe I still am, but it's awfully sunny in here.

Peace, Love, Happiness and Warmth of Life and Sunshine to All -- Kevin