Different Slants

Seeing the World from a New Angle

Katzman’s Cinema Komments # 5 – 2/2/08

Filed under: Humor,Katzman's 13 Vintage Movie Reviews,Katzman's Cinema Komments — Bob at 1:58 pm on Saturday, February 2, 2008

Now, here’s a perfect reason for me to wish I had a world-wide readership of hundreds of millions of movie lovers who shared my taste in great films:

Along comes a truly superb new movie, “Honeydrippers”, a new John Sayles film that is playing in probably twelve art theaters, total, across America and it’ll probably disappear beneath the radar without making barely a ripple.  What a travesty!!

To me, power is the ability to do good on a large scale, not just to savor one’s invincibility.

If I had power like that, I’d compel writers all across America to command movie theater-goers to rush down to their local movie houses, buy lots of tickets and to support Sayles’ wonderful new movie.  Or maybe people would go just because I told them to, because they trusted my taste and judgment.  I’m pretty sure I’m not there yet, in terms of my powers of persuasion.  But…that could change.  Persistence helps, and this is my column # 5.

I met Sayles once, years ago, at the Javits Center in New York City where they held the National Stationary Show every May.  I had a bookstore at the time and we sold tons of postcards and movie posters and other items you could only find at a giant showplace like the Javits Center.  I was addicted to independent cinema since I was a teen, so even though indie movie director/writer/producer John Sayles was not a face you’d ever see on the cover of any magazine, like say, Alfred Hitchcock was, years ago, or Martin Scorsese might be today,  I knew immediately who he was. 

He was there to promote a movie, maybe to give away posters…something like that.  It was an international marketplace.  A good place to be seen, if you wanted to rent some expensive booth space to help spread word about your new product, or movie. 

I didn’t ask for an autograph or anything like that.  I just walked up to him– I remember he was very tall– asked him if he was who I thought he was, shook his hand and told Sayles I admired his movies.  He smile was very gracious and I think very pleased to be recognized not all that long ago, when he was barely known anywhere in America.

Honeydrippers is an intimate story about a couple of music places next to each other supported by the poor Black community just outside of a small, mostly white town, in Alabama, 1950.  One is an old “juke joint”, a dilapidated wooden shack that featured old Black singers or musicians, sold beer or hard liquor and people would come there to dance close.  Very close.

The other was a more up-to-date place, where there was a hot new “juke box” which played much more modern tunes and attracted a bigger crowd of younger people.  The fact that the local, white and sinfully corrupt sheriff was a silent partner in the newer place didn’t hurt their opportunities for bypassing building inspection rules and in general being insulated from any difficulties…..as long as the mean old sheriff got his cut.

I looked up the word “juke”.  The Oxford College Dictionary suggests that it was derived from a West African language called Wolof.  Their word,dzug’ meant: to misbehave 

The movie closely examines a wide range of overlapping relationships, failed ambitions, old regrets, bright shiny new hopes, lust, grudges, schemes, fears, gumption, and surprising developments. 

That it spends over 90% of its running time exploring the long-time inhabitants of a small Southern town, is one of its fascinations for me.  The movie has an easy rhythm to it, a relaxed pacing that is very pleasing, and picture postcard vistas that are worth the price of admission by themselves alone. 

The actors, mostly unrecognized by me, are so real, so authentically portraying their characters from that time, almost 60 years ago, including the routine humiliating deferential behavior that Blacks were expected to display when in the presence of a white person.  Especially an employer or local cop.  Prison and pain were just one step away, if some Black man dared to speak up for himself out of an irrational need for self-respect in those repulsive days gone by.  Self-respect could get a man killed.

Go see the movie.  The music is wonderful.  The many talented actors the movie portrays acting, singing, dancing and capturing a certain culture…from a certain place…at a certain time, so completely, is a wonder to experience.  Yes, there are a couple of famous faces, but they are not more than part of the fabric of the story.  The talent pool in the Black community is immense, and invisible to me, on screen.  

That should change. 

It will change is enough people go to carefully and lovingly crafted movies like Honeydrippers or The Great Debaters, which I wrote about in column # 3 recently, or another gem called Eve’s Bayou from some years back, in 1997, set in the Louisiana Swamp/Creole country.  I bet it’s on video now, if you want to see something you’ll remember. 

Money talks.  It screams, yells, sings and dances in Hollywood, too.  If the combined mostly Black talent in these small movies make enlightened people urge their friends to go out and see the movies, those actors will get a chance to appear in other, maybe larger-budgeted movies, to all of our benefit.

So, even though I’m not an internationally-known ‘all powerful’ movie critic, just listen to me anyway.  I know what good is, and the movies I’ve described above are so good, it’d be a crime to let them wither and die at the box office.  

John Sayles needs you. 

Now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note from the Author:

 

Robert M. Katzman, owner of Fighting Words Publishing Company, with four different titles currently in print and over 4,000 books sold to date, is seeking more retail outlets for his vivid and non-fiction inspirational books: 

 

Independent bookstores, Jewish and other religious organizations, Chicago historical societies or groups, English teachers who want a new voice in their class who was a witness to history, book clubs, high schools or museum gift shops.  I will support anyone who supports me by giving readings in the Chicago Metro area.  I have done this over 40 times, and I always sign my books, when asked.  Everyone, positively everyone, asks.  I was amazed, at first, by that.

 

Individuals who wish to order my books can view the four book covers and see reviews of them at www.FightingWordsPubco.com 

 

There are links to YouTube and podcasts, as well.  Or, anyone can call me directly at (847) 274-1474.  Googling my name will also produce all kinds of unusual results.  That other Robert M. Katzman, now deceased, whose name will also appear and who also published, was a doctor.  He actually bought one of my books!  Such a nice man.  Rest in peace, Dr. Katzman.

 

There will be short poems, stories and essays published in this space every two weeks by either myself or my co-blogist Richard G. Munden, or both.  If you find our postings thought provoking, moving or even amusing, please tell others to come view this site.  We will find our strength in your numbers.

 

 Next year, I will publish my fifth book, a collection of my best poetry and essays, called,

                                         

        I Seek the Praise of Ordinary Men

 

Individuals who know of independent bookstores that might be interested in a rough-hewn guy like me, who ran a chain of newsstands for 20 years in Chicago, please tell them about my books, will you?  I am partial to independent bookstores, having owned two, myself, until my last one was killed by the giant chains, in 1994. I still miss it. 

 

I’m also looking to find someone who would want to make a play out of some of my stories in the Chicago area, so I could go there and do some readings sometimes.  I think there’s enough honest sex, drugs and rock n’ roll to hold anyone’s interest, as well as a lot of authentic dialogue from ordinary people in extraordinary situations.  I think the plays would work anywhere, frankly, in some intimate theater with talented actors.

             

 

 

 

 

 

3 Comments »

Comment by dwlarson

February 2, 2008 @ 3:05 pm

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the write-up about it. I am interested.

If it comes to my area, I will try to see it. I have about $80 in my movie gift card left to use.

I found some more information on it here.

Don

Comment by lyonell

February 5, 2008 @ 8:42 pm

i definitely have to see those.

Comment by Bob

February 6, 2008 @ 11:11 am

Lyonell,
It was great to meet you in my store, and so nice of you to buy my first book. I hope my stories have meaning for you, and you learn about a South Side of Chicago that no longer exists, except inside of me.

I am happy to have a response to my columns and I’m certain you will enjoy the terrific movies I have written about. Feel free to write back and please tell other about my columns. Word of mouth is the most I can hope for, because it is not paid for, but is truly sincere.

I hope to talk to you again when you are in my neighborhood. You know where to find me.

Bob Katzman 2/06/08

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