On other news, "Blue Magic (Exclusive)" music video will undergo post-processing and is on track to be released by next week (possibly the end of next week). Be on the lookout for that right here on BlogSpot, Facebook, YouTube AND Vimeo.
Although I wished many of you would have showed your support online (on Facebook, YouTube, and/or Vimeo), I really appreciate the ones who supported me in person. (Next time, COMMENT ONLINE! Its called SOCIAL media networking for a reason!!!).
As for the long-awaited "Blue Magic (Exclusive)" by artist KemiKal (www.westernunionmusic.com); the video is now edited completely and is going through post-processing by Hustle & Flip CEO/Founder and professional motion graphics artist, Murdock (www.hustleandflip.com).
Today, I shot a brand new video for Klasic J Ryan! This is our SECOND music video collaboration together since "Slump" (which is finally uploaded on Facebook with a new look).
The short and sweet 1:40 track is named, "Mack B*tch (Exclusive)" and will be released by the end of the week (we hope...).
I will, as always, update you on its impending release.
If there ever was a film project that took the history from the history textbook and applied it to film, that film project would be the “Che” saga. “Che: Part One”, follows (as the title suggests) the revolutionary life of Ernesto Che Guevara as he leaves the shores of Mexico with just 82 men, all commanded by Fidel Castro, onto the beaches of Cuba to ignite a revolution that would supplant the dictatorship regime friendly to the US.
Che is played by none other than Steven Soderbergh-veteran - Benicio Del Toro. Benicio's portrayal of the young Commandante is exacting and poignant. Although Benicio's Che looks sterile and stiff, it is in the subtleties that the character's portrayal truly shines. From the sporadic spasms of asthma that Che was famous for, to the significant pauses of thought in conversations taken between Che and the enigmatic TV journalist, Lisa Howard; Benicio vehemently succeeds in his depiction of the iconic general.
Part one of this two-piece series focuses on Che's accomplishments in the Cuban revolution. Fidel Castro's guerrilla warfare against Batista's army leads to many instances of heated battles and ultimately directs it to a successful war that installs a Communist regime in Cuba.
As a viewer, what struck me as refreshing is the absence of Director Steven Soderbergh's signature visual palettes such as over-saturated film, different colour hues and a noticeably shaky camera. Although you may argue for these artistic techniques; I, for one considered them too distracting and these techniques essentially left me at odds with his previous films such as "Traffic" and the "Ocean's" series. This time, Soderbergh instead lets the action on screen speaks for itself and uses subtle visual cues to highlight moments of importance such as the taking of Santa Clara and the black-white infused cinematography of Che's visit to the United Nations in the December of 1964.
I would not be surprised if Benicio's performance earns him high acclaim, but the other standout portrayal is Demián Bichir's depiction of Fidel Castro himself. After viewing some footage of the real Fidel Castro for comparison, I found Bichir's performance to be as exacting as the film itself. The numerous similarities, apart from the eerie resemblance, lends itself to awe-inspiring appreciation. The filmmakers were smart, however, as Fidel Castro is shown in bits and pieces and there aren't many scenes where Fidel is the centre of attention. Nevertheless, I felt that in every scene with both icons present, Bichir's performance outmatched Benicio's.
Many will argue, I'm sure, that the film's relentless effort to show everything and anything concerning Che's Cuban conflict is unnecessary and will likely yield itself to a boring view.
I disagree.
I think that the films exacting standards are well deserved and matches the epic nature of the entire 26th of July Movement that "freed" Cuba of its repressive government.
Watch it.
If you don't appreciate the detail, you will at least welcome it's result - a well made piece of historical cinema that deserves your complete attention.
"Waltz with Bashir" is a film like no other. An animated movie throughout (except in the end), the film is actually a documentary hidden under the dramatic trappings of portrayed events.
It is the story of Ari Folman and his journey, both physical and emotional, to find out why he doesn't remember certain events during the Lebanese Civil War which involved Lebanon, Syria, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel.
Haunted by a strange, disturbing vision that was triggered when talking to an old friend about the war, Ari starts to question why he doesn't recount any of the details of the military strife during those days. His quest to find out what, where, when and why has him travelling to talk with former comrades and using their accounts and experiences to fill in the holes in his own troubled memory.
With each passing interview, Ari starts to rile in forgotten memories that now come back to haunt him. He re-"discovers" the many moments of war and destruction during the time when he was a soldier and attempts to arrange the puzzle pieces in order to figure out the original meaning of his vision.
His desire to fill the gaps in his memory turn back to plague him and near the end, Ari finally has an explanation of why he was involved and why him and his comrades took that 'waltz with Bashir'.
I am going to make a bold statement - "Waltz with Bashir" is the best movie of 2008. Forget the political ramifications of the movie releasing in the year that is rife with Middle Eastern conflict. Ari Folman (who is also the writer and director) has created something that borders on that thin line of art and exposition. His movie doesn't attempt to judge the accounts that took place, but instead, allows the viewer to come to their own conclusion based on the facts he presents. In effect, Ari is the witness on the stand, and the movie, his exhibit and we, the jurors, can either say "Yay" or "Nay".
At its core, the film is about human memory. How it can be manipulated, controlled and even let loose if, for a moment, the mind is unable to cope with what it deems to be "reality".
As a viewer, you may come to a conclusion that is drastically different than mine. I for one, consider memory a double-edged sword, a mechanism that delivers so much happiness and is yet, also capable to present to its human hostage, the worst nightmares.
All the accounts given by the various people in the film are all embedded in an eerie juxtaposition. War takes place in beautiful landscapes, the sun shines over the beaches while bombs drop over soldiers playing volleyball. It portrays war in a way I have never seen before. It makes you wonder, really, whether war can really be a product of humanity, because for all its alleged uses and justification, it remains, along with human memory; disturbingly unnatural.
Hey all, today will be the first of MANY days where work on "Unfinished Business" will start. Together with Arslan Al-Haq, we will be writing the entirety of the series, including planning shoot dates, post-production schedules and more.
As of now, the structure of the series is as follows:
1. 90 minutes in total, released weekly or bi-weekly in 10-minute installments (meaning 9 total vids - 9*10=90). 2. Will be released on an original domain website, to be announced shortly.
In the meantime, please check out the trailer below. There will be atleast two more trailers before the series shoots in the summer and also a plethora of promo shots and one-sheets. So be on the lookout for that.
Hey all, after nearly a week of editing, the new KemiKal video, entitled, "Blue Magic Exclusive" is about 90% done. All that remains is polish and the finishing of Titles & Credits.
The tentative release date is currently set for this weekend. Upon completion of the video and KemiKal's NEW MySpace page, the video will be released on Facebook, YouTube and also on Vimeo! (As well as on MySpace, obviously).
Link will be up soon, I promise. I realize many of you are awaiting the release of the video and I will update you as soon as it is.
As a social experiment and as quick fun little quip, try Googling my name - Akhil Kamble!!!
Hey all, I shot a brand new music video today for none other than KemiKal. As of now, the video is done and is under the polishing and approval stage. As soon as it has passed quality control tests, I will have it up on Facebook, YouTube and Vimeo.
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My latest project now includes shooting a music video for "Redway TheOriginal-wavy Rapperguy".
