Advantages: The music, the directing, the performances. Disadvantages: Very depressing.
I bought 'Bird', the CharlieParker story from Amazon, for £5.99.
Though the film was released initially in 1988 it has been quite hard to get on DVD (even though it was released in this format in 2006), for some reason, and as a big CharlieParker fan I was thrilled to see lots of copies now available. It carries a British '15' rating. and is a mammoth 154 minutes long (yep, that is nearly three hours).
Clint Eastwood directed this film, partly as a labour of love, as it was never going to be an all time best seller or break any box office records, though it did win best actor at Cannes film festival for Forest Whitaker who plays CharlieParker. Deservedly so, as Forest Whitaker puts in a dark, moody and believable performance, even some of his sax' 'playing' looks convincing. On top of that the New York Film critics award ...
Advantages: Charlie Parker of course. Disadvantages: None.
Crazeology - CharlieParker
Jazz time again folks, well bebop to be precise (mostly).
I make no secret of being a huge CharlieParker fan. Not just because he was arguably the greatest alto saxophone player ever, but because he was a pioneer.
At a time when black music was seen as something that was somehow less accomplished, and the musicians somewhat less worthy than their white counterparts (in fact it was thought that hardly any black musicians could read music, a common myth), Parker broke the mould.
He wrote, he practically invented a new genre (bebop), well maybe I exaggerate, he was certainly one of the leading lights. He also played with chord structure and melodies
and harmonies, tearing up the rule book and inventing his own style.
His sound is incredibly distinctive, despite the fact that he played ...
Advantages: Amusing, a slice of cinematic history Disadvantages: (For some) black and white and silent
There cannot be many people in the world, especially the Western one, who have not heard of Charlie Chaplin. His legacy to the film industry is astonishing and it is amazing to consider what he achieved at a time when technology was virtually non-existent. Born in London in 1889, he acted in, directed, produced and even scripted his own films, which brought humour to the world that was suffering during and after the First World War. This collection of DVDs bring together his work for a modern audience to watch. This particular volume contains four short films: The Champion (1915), In the Park (1915), A Jitney Elopement (1915) and Triple Trouble (1918) brought to us from Essanay Studios.
The Champion
This is probably the most famous film on this DVD. In it, Charlie plays a down and out walking along the street with his dog. Then ...
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