damienheads

[damienheads]

Tarantino’s Latest Film is a Masterpiece That Will Stand the Test of Time

Today I watched Quentin Tarantino’s 9th film, ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’, for the second time in a row. I first watched it a couple months ago in the true way in which Quentin would have wanted, which is on a 35mm projector in Soho, London. This wasn’t quite so glamorous this time round, being on a digital projection in Camberley, Surrey, except the film hit me just as hard, if not more so.

I have always admired Tarantino’s work, but I regret to say, there was always something slightly missing for me in his films. That’s not to say that any of his works are ‘bad films’, because none of them most certainly are, but being someone who notices when things have the potential to be ‘almost perfect’, and yet don’t quite hit that mark, I can’t help but feel slightly disappointed.

I felt this in ‘Django Unchained’, when in a bizarre plot twist, the main character was simply freed by the Aussie leader of a chain gang. I felt it in ‘Inglorious Bastards’ when the main villain simply handed himself over to the yanks. I felt it more subtly in the long-winded nature of Jackie Brown, and the indulgence in over-heightened tension of Kill Bill. The only film I felt he made which truly lived up to its potential to be ‘almost perfect’ was ‘Death Proof’, which funnily enough is probably his least known/successful film.

However, if any film can be described as ‘almost perfect’, it is certainly ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’. Everything about this film is so right. It captures the late 60′s/early 70′s era of Hollywood in such a pure way that you feel no reason to question anything that is happening as being unrealistic, whilst at the same time being completely flamboyant, and completely ridiculous in so many ways. If ever there was a time for character and colour, it was most certainly Hollywood in the late 60′s/early 70′s. And what better way to represent this period than with two of Hollywood’s finest ever actors, Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Both these actors bring to these roles buckets full of charisma in a way you don’t see in a lot of films these days. And with cameo appearances from the likes of Pacino and Kurt Russell, this film fails to disappoint on so many levels. The subtlety each actor brings to their carefully constructed character is truly something to behold. Brad Pitt as the ultra-masculine, tough, but at the same time, easy-going stunt double. Leo as the partially ego driven, no-nonsense, but also easy-going TV-turned-Film actor, show between them a friendship and company you are delighted to be in the presence of every second.

Every scene in the film has its own little flavour which captures the spirit of each moment. Tarantino does this by relying heavily on music, radio host gobble, and highly seductive visuals to really drive home the emotion. This works very well, as when combined with the great characters and storytelling, it comes together to create something truly meaningful. Films which are driven just as much on flavour and emotion, as storytelling alone, are what really make a film great in my opinion. No one knows this more than Scorsese in films like ‘Goodfellas’ and ‘Taxi Driver’, and it seems that over time, Tarantino has learnt to master this technique just as well, but if not better in certain aspects of the way he portrays a story.

I don’t know what it is about this time in Quentin’s career, but it seems as though he has been able to put all the filmmaking skills he has acquired over time, combined with his vast amount of knowledge on cinema and culture in general, into one, perfectly executed, masterpiece of a film that combines everything good about his work. Considering Tarantino has claimed many times that he plans to make only ten films, he has really set the bar high for his last one. Let’s hope that he disappears again for at least a few years, to create something truly magical, so it can be a great end to what will be one of the most exciting careers in film history.

[damienheads]

Florida to Texas

A couple months ago me and a friend I’ve known since school decided to take a road trip across America. Unlike most Brits though, we wanted to try somewhere a little different, so instead of your typical destinations like New York, Las Vegas and California, we chose the deep south - Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas. So just like that, a month and a half after coming up with the idea, we were on our way to the good ole US of A.

Our first stop was Miami, a place we both really wanted to visit. One of the first things you notice about Miami when you get off the plane, is how much Spanish influence there is. Every sign has a Spanish translation underneath, and half the people you hear talking are speaking Spanish. Being Hispanophiles ourselves, we felt right at home. The city itself looked amazing, with beautiful Art Deco style buildings everywhere and a beach that stretched for miles.

We spent the first morning in Miami having a Cuban coffee at a local breakfast joint. From the outside the place looked like a dump, with horrible green looking photos advertising what food they had out the front. However, after closer inspection, we went inside and were pleasantly surprised to find something that looked like it was straight out of a Martin Scorsese film - old school wooden chairs, grainy photos on the wall, and fresh oranges stacked up high on top of a juicer. The coffee was some of the best we’ve both ever had - strong with a touch of sweetness, poured straight into thick, frothy milk. This may sound like a bit of a funny thing to get excited about, but once you try really great coffee, you really never want to go back.

After a day of sightseeing, we then jumped back in the car and headed down to the bottom of Key West, the most southerly point of the US. This part of America is stunning, with beaches everywhere and cool little bars, restaurants and places to visit. A highlight was having my first bowl of acai - a Brazilian dessert made up of berries, nuts, granola, and all sorts of other sweet things, as well as seeing the sun set at one of the few great national parks you can visit there. The remainder of our time spent in Florida, which I could go into great detail with if I didn’t stop myself, included airboating in the Everglades, exploring the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, kayaking in the Ocala National Forest, and visiting both Panama city - a place devastated by a hurricane and taken over by bikers - and our last stop, Pensacola - an immaculate looking city with the most amazing beaches and a really cool looking downtown.

After a night of drinking and stepping into one of the blackest looking bars ever - a place that literally looked like it was out of American Gangster - we were back on the road. The first place we hit outside of Florida was a city called Mobile, in Alabama. Clearly built as a predominantly industrial city, this place you could tell had some serious industry, epitomised by the big shipyard you see when you first arrive in the city. Despite not being that attractive on the whole, the place had some really nice doses of Americana if you went down some of the smaller side streets and avenues, as we did. We decided to stop for a bite to eat at one of the many restaurants they had there - a typical American grill type place, as shown above, serving all sorts of southern style dishes. One of the main things you come across when you first eat this kind of food, is what they call ‘biscuit’, which is actually much more like a savoury British scone. Despite the food being pretty tasty, we decided to move on to our next destination.

After briefly passing through Mississippi - our third state in our trip across America - we ended up in New Orleans, Louisiana. Now this place had some serious style. Despite hearing many good things about New Orleans, I really didn’t know much of what to expect from it. You only really fully get the vibe of what is going on in that place when you first start stepping into the main part of the city - people dressing like they’re from the 70′s with bright colours everywhere, bustling streets with palm trees, and a tram system running straight through the middle of it all. The place is fully alive, like an open heart beating away. And the most exciting time to experience all of this is at night on the famous Bourbon street. Part of the French Quarter, Bourbon street has a long history, and is said to be one of the places that Jazz music really developed. After eating the city’s most famous dish, ‘red beans and rice’, we knocked back a few of the city’s most famous drink, the ironically named ‘Hurricane’ - a sweet cocktail made with rum, lemon juice, and passion fruit syrup. After a few of these we were well and truly buzzing. Hopping from bar to bar, and with live music everywhere, we had an amazing time. This was truly a great place to visit.

Our next stop on our tour across America was the big Lone Star State itself, Texas. Our first call was at the city of Houston. One of the first things you notice when arriving in Texas are the massive oil fields and industry which stretch from miles upon miles. This place has some serious industrial might and is said to have an economy $400 billion bigger than that of Russia ($1.7 trillion in total). The city of Houston reflects this massively, with endless amounts of tall buildings, and restaurants on every corner. The place is not the most beautiful up close, but there are some great little places you can go to. We spent our first night eating at a massive Mexican place called ‘Pappasito’s’ just on the edge of the city, and this place was teeming with life, and the food was great also. However, we had bigger plans in mind. The next day we loaded up the car and headed to where we really wanted to go - the shooting range.

Neither of us had ever shot a gun before, however we were both adamant that this is what we wanted to do; we were in Texas after all. Walking into the place for the first time was surreal; pistols, machine guns, rifles and shotguns, all laid up across the walls as if it were a section of Wallmart - this place was legit. After taking a brief lesson by one of the instructors on how to use a gun, we soon found ourselves on the range with an 8mm pistol. Shooting a gun for the first time is a real experience. It gives you a real adrenaline rush. We both managed a few good shots at a paper target, however, within five minutes or so, it was over. Coming back to the desk of the shooting range, we felt like we still had a little more left in us though, and so after a bit of persuading by both the instructors and ourselves, we decided to give the full automatic machine gun a little pop... Jesus christ... This thing was powerful. Firing a single shot was fine, but once you fully let load on this thing, you really feel the blowback. The shots were a little less clean on this one, however that really didn’t matter. After firing a few rounds on one of these, you truly do feel like a big man!

So we were in Texas, had just shot a pistol, and a machine gun; what was the next best thing we could do? - get a tattoo of course! Another first for me; I had never had a tattoo done in my life. After mooching down what seemed like the tattoo street of Houston, with about six different ones all lined up close to each other, we settled upon one run by a nice enough Filipino guy. After telling him what I wanted, and my budget, he not only offered to do it for a reasonable price, but to do the more complicated, original version also. This could have gone either of two ways - really bad or really well. After analysing him a little while, I decided that he was most likely one of these guys who liked the challenge of doing a really good tattoo and didn’t care too much about the money. How right was I. I ended up with something I was really happy with - a copy of the original Gadsden flag. This was something I associated with in a big way; a symbol of resistance from the original thirteen colonies of America when Britain tried to take away their rights and freedoms - such as what is happening currently with the British government trying to keep Britain locked into the anti-democratic EU.

Our last stop in Texas, and last of the trip, was at the city of Austin. I can honestly say that this was the best place I’ve ever visited in America. Like New Orleans, it was buzzing with energy, except in a totally different way - food vans everywhere, crazy looking shops and restaurants, people dressed like cowboys; this place was the real deal. After booking ourselves into the illustrious Red Roof Inn Plus, we decided to go further down town and visit ‘Barton Springs’. Despite the pool area being shut off, this place was beautiful; a river leading into a lake with great little trails on either side. People fishing, cycling, and even kayaking - this was a great little spot to use up some energy and spend some time with nature. One of the first things you notice about this place is how many turtles there are everywhere, either swimming around the river or lodged at the bottom of a tree somewhere. After a bit of swimming and sightseeing, we headed back to the ole Red Roof.

The next day we went right back near the same spot to a food van park. This place had the most amazing food, including Thai, Italian, Mexican, Venezuelan, as well as your traditional American grill and acai bowl place. We both decided on Thai and weren’t disappointed, as we both had the exact same dishes the very next day. We spent that night exploring Austin’s nightlife by going to it’s famous ‘Sixth street’. This place was buzzing in atmosphere, with all sorts of bars and nightclubs to go to. We spent the night playing a game called shuffleboard - a game in which you push a disc across a table as close to the edge as possible - as well as chasing after plenty of girls. Unfortunately, despite getting what we thought was pretty close, we weren’t so lucky - turns out getting four girls from Brooklyn back to your Red Roof Inn Plus ain’t so easy. The next couple days were rather more peaceful, spent chilling and checking out more of Austin’s interesting and vibrant culture before our eventual flight home. It was a great end to what was an amazing trip, and one that I will never forget. God bless you America, god bless you!

[damienheads]

The Highest Value

Isn’t, and never will be, wanting to be liked.

[damienheads]

Book Review

After expanding my book collection recently with a book from C.S. Lewis, I thought it would be interesting to put together a small collection of some of my favourite books. It encompasses four main areas, with two books for each. These are Religion, Psychology, Politics and Film. I chose these subjects because they are for me some of the most powerful mediums through which to understand, implement, and portray culture. Each of these books I believe has a strong story to tell in terms of the shaping and understanding of the modern Western world in some of its best known forms. These are the Holy Bible, Mere Christianity, Introducing Nietzsche, Introducing Jung, The US Constitution, Thomas Jefferson: Author of America, The Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook, and Shoot like Tarantino.

The first two (Holy Bible and Mere Christianity) have come to me in more recent times. Raised in an almost exclusively non-religious family, I was never that partial to religion in general. That is until I came across a series of biblical lectures by the Canadian Psychology professor Jordan Peterson. He showed me that religion, and in particular Christianity, is not just an unfounded myth, but a collection of stories spanning thousands of years that give us an intrinsic insight into the very being of our human nature. This includes what drives us, what we find meaningful, and how we can order ourselves in the best ways possible in a world full of chaos. The Holy Bible is the most comprehensive way of understanding this religion, but C.S. Lewis’ ‘Mere Christianity’ is, I believe, the best way of understanding the principles of Christianity, in order to be able to understand the Bible in the best way possible. Originally given to the world as a series of radio broadcasts between 1942-1945, the speeches in ‘Mere Christianity’, I believe, have extra significance for the fact that they helped the British people through some of the most troubling times in our history during World War 2, in which at times, hundreds of Nazi German bombers were pounding British cities on an almost daily basis. The significance of Religion, and Christianity especially, in terms of the shaping of the modern Western world cannot be underestimated. The second two books (Introducing Nietzsche/Jung) had a profound influence on me. Again, delivered to me through the power of Jordan Peterson, these books illustrate both literally and figuratively a profound insight into the human mind through two very unique, interesting perspectives. Nietzsche, the older of the two, delivers a very powerful thesis for the existence of two very different types of spirits at play in the world through the symbolic representation of the Greek gods - Dionysus (the god of wine and revelry), and Apollo (the god of the sun, reason and order). The former being one that represents a lack of identity and therefore meaning, but also one where deep creativity lies. However, this way of acting in the world if not balanced out with a different way of being, very easily leads to nihilism. This explains the archetypal example of the maverick artist, perpetually falling into states of depression, anxiety or eccentric outbursts. The second writer, Jung, delivers powerful arguments for the idea that certain forms of symbolism are not just things represented in our culture, but also ingrained within our biology in a way that heavily structures what we view as meaningful. These are what he calls ‘archetypes’, a term in which he coined himself. An example of this is the widely universal theme of the old wise man. You see this theme repeated many times throughout history in various forms, such as the representation of God in the Christian faith, Dumbledoor in Harry Potter, or the wise old wizard Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. The third two books (The US Constitution and Thomas Jefferson: Author of America) represent for me the most successful political system in all of history, as well as the fascinating story of its coming into being. There is no better person, in my belief, to document this story other than the late, great Christoper Hitchens - a British writer of profound significance in modern history. He documents the founding of America through the lens of the great thinker and third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, a man who geniusly pitted the French against the British to give the United States the opportunity to flourish as the freest, and later to be, most powerful nation the world has ever seen. Probably the greatest product of the United States coming into being has to be the US Constitution - a document beginning with those most famous words ‘We the People’, enshrines within it the rights of all individuals to freedom of speech, the separation of church and state, the right to not be unlawfully searched, have property seized by the state, have cruel or unusual punishment, and the right to a fair trial using the system of jury and common law - ideas which have developed over centuries throughout the Western world, and most particularly in England, most famously in the form of the Magna Carter in 1215, and the British Bill of Rights in 1689. The last two books (The Guerilla Film Makers Pocketbook and Shoot like Tarantino) are for me the best insight into the craft of filmmaking in terms of both the technical aspect, and artistic. The former goes through the various roles within a film set in great detail, both descriptively, and through the perspectives of various experts in each field. On top of this, it also goes through not just what is the process in which a film is made, but also how it is best funded and marketed all in a short, but very concise way - a must for any budding filmmaker. The latter is a book exploring the structuring, predominantly cinematographically, of some of the great director, Quentin Tarantino’s greatest scenes, in what is a masterful collection of work. Tarantino is significant, I believe, because he is an avid scholar in the art of filmmaking, and has over the years, incorporated much of this scholarly research into his own work, producing some of the most creative and interesting ways of creating a scene, whilst at the same time, keeping to a complete, overarching narrative. He does this in a way that not only confirms his wide knowledge on the subject of cinema, but also affirms his own very unique creative style that he has achieved through years of practice and thought on the subject. A master of tension, if you are looking to really understand the master-craft techniques of putting a scene together, Tarantino is definitely one to emulate. This is explained greatly in the book through visually accompanied descriptions of how each scene is put together both technically and stylistically.

[damienheads]

Athena

This is Athena. I bought her from an artist named Manoli in Athens. She is most strongly associated with the attributes of wisdom, handicraft and warfare. She is strong, smart and courageous. Not only does she watch over and protect me, she also tells the time.

[damienheads]

Thoughts in Romania

I am currently in a hostel in Cluj, Romania, half watching a ripped version of the classic film 'Mean Streets', in what looks like a fancy WW2 bunker... How did I arrive at this situation?... Well... To put it quite simply... I'm bored... Do I see this as a negative thing?... Not at all... For the last two weeks now I have been writing what will be my first feature film. This has required more patience than perhaps anything else I have tried to do before. Writing is hard. And part of writing is realising that not everyday the writing is going to flow onto the page like you'd want it to, or that you'll even be motivated enough on the day. In today's world we're made to feel like we're supposed to be constantly entertained, constantly doing something or constantly discovering something new. You can see this from taking one look at people's Instagram/Facebooks. Now I'm no angel. I'm just as guilty as the next person in indulging in Instagram a bit too much. But the difference is I don't let it define me. When I told many people I was going to Cluj for three weeks, most of them couldn't believe it. How could you spend so long in just one place they said. Won't you get bored? The answer to that is yes. Yes, maybe I will get bored. Maybe then I'll go for a walk and find something that I’ve never seen before such as an amazing looking Cathedral under construction. Or maybe like today I'll simply watch an old film and perhaps get inspired. Boredom can very much be a virtue. It may not seem like it. But boredom can encourage creativity, study, make you contemplate things in life that maybe you hadn't considered before, or even encourage you to look into things a bit more deeply, whether it be culture, your interests, emotions, or even a relationship. In a world of constant busybodies and relentless digital stimulation, whether it be from TV's, phones or computers, I think it's time that we embraced the virtue of boredom once in a little while.

[damienheads]

My New Pet Hate

This is quite specific, but an annoying one nonetheless, and one I've experienced quite a lot since being in Romania. And I really wish British and American people especially wouldn't do this. What I'm referring to is when a person is in conversation with some people, whether they be friends or strangers. And during this conversation they decide to bring up how many foreign relatives they have and boast about how it makes them half Polish, half Mauritanian, half Swedish or half whatever... STOP!...  You may have a ton of foreign relatives and that may make you half Swedish, half French or half whatever, but that doesn't count for nothing if you have the personality of a damp rag. So stop virtue signalling about your foreign ancestry, because quite frankly you're not exotic, you're not cool, and you're not interesting. You're a Twat.

[damienheads]

Work in Progress

Battersea, London, 2001. Garage music had just exploded onto the scene, kids were dressing in clothes they couldn’t afford, and somehow the world felt smaller. London had already gone through a series of interesting cultural transformations since the 50′s, whether it be the Mods, Punks or Skinheads, and this was just the latest one. Unlike other subcultures though, this one didn’t have a name, and is little talked about in modern-day media. These were the sons of working-class Cockneys and Yardies rubbing alongside each other. There were no smartphones or social media. Kids made their reputations on the street, and personality was a big thing. This was not a time of hardship, but of opportunity. There was money to be made and fun to be had, and if you wanted your piece of the pie, then you’d better go out there and get it, as no one else was gonna go and do it for you.

[damienheads]

Why are all Salsa Dancers Accountants?

This is the question that’s on everybody’s mind. As the saying goes, in a Salsa club, you’re never more than ten feet away from an accountant. I first discovered this phenomenon a few months ago when a lovely lady of an Armenian description chose to reveal her profession to me at my request. In the coming weeks ahead I would come into contact with ladies of many different descriptions at Salsa, who would again inform me that they too, were indeed accountants. At first I didn’t know what to make of this. I was startled. What could be the connection between crunching numbers and enchufala dobles? I was determined to find out. And so, after hard and extensive research, I think I have finally found the answer.

Accounting is a tradition that dates all the way back to Ancient Mesopotamia, where the Mesopotamians would keep records of what sheep or goat were sold on any particular day. They did this by chiselling symbols that represent the number and quality of the animal onto stone tablets. This was hard work, and so after a hard weeks work of counting sheep, all the Mesopotamian accountant wanted to do was let their hair down and enjoy themselves with a nice cup of ancient wine. They did this by attending multiple rituals and festivals throughout the year. These were celebrations held much like the banquets of today, which had dancing, music and food. This way, the Mesopotamian accountant could earn a good living and also feel socially and spiritually nourished throughout the year.

This is much like what we see today, except instead of large evening banquets, the accountants of today will express themselves on the dance floors of Salsa clubs and bars all around the country... But why salsa?... I couldn’t understand... And then... I cracked it... Salsa is one of the most energetic and emotionally packed dances of the world, with the pulsating rhythm of the drum, clave and joyous sounding piano and horn stabs. The brightly coloured dresses, the handsome men spinning you around the dance floor making you look and feel better than you ever have before. After a long, hard weeks work of running figures on computer screens, shuffling papers and punching numbers into calculators, what could be more liberating and counterbalancing than this? Its like putting a nice Ragu on your spaghetti. Sure the spaghetti fills you up and is packed with useful carbohydrates, but the Ragu gives it the flavour, the passion, the Joie de Vivre!... Salsa dancing is the Ying to the accountant’s Yang. It is a match made in heaven.

So, what is there to conclude about these number crunching Salsa dancers?... I say god bless them. Long may they continue to keep the businesses of this great nation ticking over, find ever more creative ways of avoiding tax, and continue to express their own unique forms of prowess on the dance floor. I salute you dear accountants.

[damienheads]

Film Scenes that have Inspired me

I am currently in the process of writing what will be my first feature film. A film based in early 00's London – a time and place documented very little in film, but one packed full of interesting culture, characters and events. This has lead me to ponder on some of my all-time favourite film scenes, not necessarily as direct inspiration to my film, but simply to remind myself of why these scenes are so great, and how the techniques used in them could inform my own work, as many great artists have done so in the past. So what better way to start than with the great pioneer of modern filmmaking himself, Martin Scorsese.

This is Mean Streets. The scene I am focusing on in this film is when Harvey Keitel is with Robert De Niro alone in the street at night in New York. It starts off with him smacking him several times and trying to talk some sense into him about his debt problems, as Robert then reacts angrily. It then progresses into them sympathising with each other’s point of view, to them then playing around like little kids as they kick a trash can down the street. The reason why I love this scene is that it’s simply showing two guys with nothing much going on at all, walking down an empty street, with no pivotal action happening, having a conversation and playing about with each other. None of it is really that important to the plot line, but it shows so well the character of these people, which is what makes Scorsese’s films so great. The emptiness of the street and the way grown men are playing about like kids and talking about profound things at night on this street, when most people are in bed, is a great piece of culture, where people see people doing more than just the stereotypical way of living your life like a normal person and going to bed normal hours. I can relate to this feeling of being out at night on a weekday for no particular reason but to hang out with friends and talk about profound things in unusual settings such as high streets, carparks and petrol stations, as well as just playing about, such as trying to throw a bike tyre onto a lampost part for hours on end, all in the name of fun. It makes for an interesting atmosphere where it feels like the world is asleep and you can do whatever you want and talk openly about things.

This is John Wick. I love this scene for the way it contrasts a relaxed, beautiful song, with sharp brutal fighting, filmed ever so stylishly with the beautiful lighting, close-ups, moving shots and action that glides in and out of the notes of the song. I love how it makes use of the most subtle tones of music and applies them to something as brutal as a stab to the chest, making the note sound much more harsh than it would traditionally be thought of, and the stabbing much more beautiful than you would think of it as, all at the same time.

This is Taxi Driver. I love this scene purely for the beauty of the shots, how it mixes close ups of Robert De Niro’s eyes, showing very powerful emotion through just a subtle misshape of his eyes, with beautiful shots of street lights being blurred through a wet windscreen, and slow motion shots of smoke, lights and people walking across roads, which along with the harsh music creates for a very tense atmosphere.

This is The Social Network. I love this scene for the simplicity of the music, how it repeats the same chorus again and again in such a beautiful way, wrapped up in the tension building background music notes. I love the way it mixes this with very beautiful shots of Boston and Harvard University, finding beauty in the less usual places such as roads, brick walls and bicycle posts.

This is Zodiac. I love this opening, the way it mixes a beautifully subtle track with amazing shots of a suburban neighbourhood lit very darkly, but also very bright in areas of light sources such as lights and fireworks, in a very colourful way, making for a very dreamy like atmosphere.

This is The Dark Knight. This scene is great how it builds up the scene with the Joker becoming ever more sinister as his tone of voice and actions become more threatening, with the violins in the background reflecting this. I love how the tone switches completely to Batman bursting in and making a joke before kicking the Joker's ass, which as a viewer, or me personally at least, makes your neck tingle with excitement at how astute, fast and powerful batman is and how he is also able to have a sense of humour at the same time.

This is Batman returns. This is a very subtle but incredibly powerful scene in which Batman finds out the woman he is falling in love with is also the woman he has been fighting against this whole time. The way the camera moves around them makes you feel encapsulated within their conversation, and the way they talk in such subtle tones only adds to this feeling and makes it feel ever so personal. The way Michelle Pfeiffer masks her feelings and then unleashes her true feelings buried inside on Michael Keaton is truly masterful acting and makes for great storytelling.

This is Sexy Beast. The scene I am focusing on in this film is when Ben Kingsley talks to Ray Winston about the job he wants him to do. It portrays this by showing a phone call Ben gets about the job while sitting in his pants watching telly, which is a genius, original and ironic place to start to show tough gangsters. It then proceeds to show a montage of shots detailing all the characters involved in the proposed job heist, including Ian McShane looking swarve, to Ben then meeting the person hiring him in person at a shady looking bar somewhere in London. It also interlocks different bits of speech together from the different scenes that makes sense alongside each other ever so perfectly, but not as if they were supposed to go together, such as one person saying “If there’s a will”, and another saying “and there is a fucking will”, to another saying “theres a way”, to eventually Ian saying “there’s always a fucking way. The way the music builds almost mechanically alongside this with a grinding baseline also adds hugely to this effect brilliantly.

This is The Dark Knight again. This scene is fantastic the way the music runs along like a ticking clock both in rhythm and sound, mixed with quite unobscured flowing shots that let you see all the action, kind of how Miles Davis plays the trumpet. You can play wild sections of different notes, but it doesn’t mean you have to. It’s also great as you see all this different action progressing and you have no real clear idea of whats going on, which makes you more excited and then delighted when you see how the main villain, The Joker, has orchestrated all this when he appears dramatically at the end of the scene.

This is Goodfellas. This is a classic scene and brilliant how it shows the frivolity of being a gangster by showing the respect the main character gets from all the different people he passes all in one beautiful shot shot from behind, of all places. It is also great how the main character narrates the story and his thoughts throughout the whole film, as it really adds a sense of personality to the film.

This is Donnie Brasco. I love this scene the way it shows how crazy Al Pacino’s character is and how much stupid, but very entertaining stuff he can talk about whilst doing the very attention demanding task of cooking a good dinner. This makes for great entertainment.

This is Carlito’s Way. This scene is great how the main character slowly senses something is wrong as the scene unfolds and is able to switch the circumstances to his advantage. It does this by showing close-up shots of the character as you see his eyes wander in different directions to show how he is sensing something isn't right. It then follows this up by showing shots from his point of view where you can see for yourself what isn't right. Then when you see shots of him acting normal, you know that he is acting in front of people to hide his real intentions. When you then see shots of his face, you then see through his eyes the intention he really has and the way his mind is working to try and achieve his goals.

This is Peaky Blinders. The scene I am focusing on is the scene in which Tom Hardy talks about blowing the main characters head off with a gun to his face and what he would do with the cabinet that would be damaged behind him. He then switches this attitude brilliantly to then saying he would just cut the cabinet in half and sell both of them off as he puts down the gun to the main character's relief and says he will work with him.

This is The Color of Money. This film has great cinematography in it, and the main aspect of this cinematography I want to focus on is the way in which it will show very interesting camera tracking and pans of different things, but will very often show these interesting tracking and pans starting from one interesting subject such as a painting of a naked woman, into another interesting subject such as a woman singing about a hot looking latino guy. This way of doing a very interesting camera movement, but also giving it an interesting starting and end point adds well to both the interest of the camera movement and the purpose of the story, showing one thing into another in a smooth, stylish action. Another interesting aspect of the cinematography of this film, which I really like, is the way it will show the main character in one shot doing something such as walking, and then immediately cut to the back of him in another shot standing still as the camera then track pans up to him. The idea of cutting a shot of a character straight into another shot of the same character doing something later in time should not make sense cinematically, but done cleverly like in this film with the way the shots fit together without interupting each other by being too similar is actually quite stylish looking.

This is Gladiator. I love this scene where it mixes action of what is happening currently with dream sequences, as he is falling in and out of consciousness. Mixed with the eerie music and the way the actors deliver their lines so strongly, holding back the emotion, it really has an effect on you emotionally as you see the story coming to an end. I also really like how it shows the dream sequences in a blue and gold tint to make it have more of an impact emotionally and separate it more from the reality based sequences. I also really like the shot just before part of the dream sequence where you see his head moving across the ground as the camera stays perfectly in line with him, as it is a really interesting shot that shows a reality based sequence warped into a more dream-like fashion to show the transition of his death, from living on earth, to going up to heaven.

This is Psycho. I chose this scene because it shows the suspense the character is going through so well, how it uses a basic close-up of the character, cuts to different things she is seeing, but always cuts back to the same close-up to show how her emotions are building. It also shows the suspense very well cinematographically how the shot of the main character is lit quite darkly except for a small portion of quite strong light on her face that really highlights her emotions and sense of loneliness amongst the darkness. Another really good thing this scene does to build suspense is the way it overlays conversations the main character's family and colleagues are having about where she is and how they are looking for her, making you wonder what is happening. It also makes you think these conversations that they are having is what is also going through her mind, adding to the sense of worry she appears to look in already, but also seeming to link the conversations being said in with her facial emotions at the same. Another aspect that really builds the suspense is the music that is quick in parts and then long and brooding in others, making it feel very unpredictable.

This is Bronson. This scene is brilliant the way Tom Hardy switches personality so quickly from being a calm talking, rational sounding person, to someone who is very aggressive and shouts a lot. It's also brilliant how he acts so unlike you would expect someone to act, in that he treats himself as some sort of warrior going into battle and gets the prison staff member to rub cream onto his naked body without any care of feeling like it was at all homosexual, as he is very much his own character who lives by his own rules and doesn't give a damn about what society says or expects.

This is Carlito's Way again, and what better scene to finish this article on. I picked this scene for the way Carlito asserts his authority over the young gangster, speaking aggresively at him but in a calm way, using really cool language at the same time, which is used to belittle him. The quote is... "Maybe I don't give a shit. Maybe I don't remember the last time I blew my nose either. Who the fuck are you, I should remember you? What, you think you like me? You ain't like me motherfucker. You a punk. I've been with made people, connected people. Who you been with? Chain-snatching, jive-ass, maricon motherfuckers. Why don't you get lost? Go ahead, snatch a purse. Come on, take a fuckin' walk".

[damienheads]

Culture is Everything

Culture is everything. It informs the clothes we wear, the food we eat, and the music we listen to. But it’s much more than that. Entire civilisations have been built on culture, whether it be the Holy Roman Empire, Ancient Greece or the Great British Empire. Culture is a window into which we view the world that transforms our beliefs, values, desires and goals, whether we realise it or not.

[damienheads]

Chieveley Services

It's 8am and I'm at Chieveley Services performing my usual Saturday morning ritual of a coffee and ham & cheese croissant at Arlo's. There is a big queue. I wait patiently like any good British person should. I look through a wall of bodies to find a girl working behind the till. My eyes are immediately drawn to her. She has the most beautiful sun-kissed skin, fine brown hair and a face so perfectly structured it made me question my own religiosity. She ducks under the other barista's arm to grab another coffee cup before then eloquently asking the next customer what they'd like to order. I finally reach the front of the queue. She says hello and then asks me what I would like to order in the most well spoken and beautiful voice I've ever heard. She initially places my order in the till incorrectly before then realising her mistake and correcting it. She proceeds to tell me how manic her day's been and how she woke up 10 minutes before work and had to rush in just to make it on time. I joke how I'd realised this from seeing her ducking and diving earlier on. She laughs and smiles in a way that would light up the darkest of rooms. She asserts the order to her colleague next to her before then hesitantly moving to her next point of call. She's frantic. She's disorganised. She doesn't seem to know what she's doing. She's perfect.

[damienheads]

Hugh Dowding

This is Hugh Dowding. You've probably never heard of him. He never drunk alcohol, thought he could talk to dead people, and believed he was the reincarnation of a 13th century Mongol chieftain. He also constructed the most formidable air defence system of his time during World War 2, which fundamentally helped stop the invasion of Britain by Nazi Germany. This is what you call British eccentricity, creativity and attention to detail at its best. He is a hero of this country and a saviour of Europe.

[damienheads]

Catalonia

Let me tell you a little story... There’s this food spot that I've been going to for the last few days in Barcelona... Nice little spot. You can get a starter, main course, dessert, drink and a piece of bread there all for €10.50. The food is some of the best Spanish food you'll ever taste in your life. Real bread and butter Spanish food, no messing about. Every time I go in, if the service and food is good, I'll give them a couple euros tip. One day I go in there, I order my food, I eat it and it's delicious. In fact I eat so much that I'm too full even for dessert, so I order coffee instead. I ask for the bill. He gives it to me. Does he charge me for the coffee?.. No... Do you know why?... It was outta respect.

[damienheads]

Britain's Cultural Deficit

Britain, once home to mods, punks, skinheads and soulboys. Now home to people who go to the gym, shop and eat Nandos. Where did it all go wrong? Luckily it's not all bad news, the Grime and dance scenes are still alive and well, even if they may be restricted more now to places like London and Bristol. We now also have skaters, bmxers and latin dancers that have created whole new subcultures in Britain. And yet the biggest growing culture is still the people who go to the gym, shop and eat Nandos. My solution? Stop hanging around with shitty people who like shitty things and be part of something greater.

[damienheads]

Stephen tries Online Dating.

[damienheads]

Free Speech in the Constitution

The key to any great country. America has it, Britain needs it.