Showing posts with label orleans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label orleans. Show all posts
Friday, February 17, 2017
Nic November Bad Lieutenant Port of Call New Orleans and Face Off
Nic November Bad Lieutenant Port of Call New Orleans and Face Off

First of all, my apologies. Ive been away from the blog for the past few days to focus on studying, and now those exams are all over. I did put a status up on Facebook, but because theyve brought in those retarded new things so only 10% of my likers can see my stuff pop up on their newsfeed, I doubt anyone saw it. Yay Facebook. Alas, Nic November is a day later, but I think Nicolas Cage films are just what I need to empty my brain out of all the biology stuff Ive taught myself in the past three days. Now, aside from my Drama exam which wont take a lot of effort, I can run around the streets shouting out that "Im a vampire!", reciting the alphabet in a very angry way and generally yelling and tearing stuff down. People underestimate the awesomeness in which Vampires Kiss has bestowed upon people who no longer have to remember a whole lot of foreign terms.
Alas, we aint talking about Vampires Kiss here. Were talking about one of Nics last good roles in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans and one of everyones favourite 90s action films Face/Off. Which I apparently should have seen ages ago. Oops.

The Hairstyle: The Carefree Wind Sweeping
So anyway, I suppose that The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans was the last real meaty Cage Rage role. Seeking Justice, Trespass and Stolen all kind of melded into one, no-one remembers that Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance exists, Drive Angry, Season of the Witch and The Sorcerers Apprentice were all fairly muted and apart from the "now SWIIIIIIITCH, to KRYPTONIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITE!" scene in Kick-Ass, there wasnt a lot of Cage Rage to be had over the poorly chosen places to put emphasis on his words. So yes, Werner Herzogs non-remake Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans it is.
So wow. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (I dont know why Im still writing that ridiculously long title) wasnt just high for Cage Rage levels, it was high for general rage levels. Thats probably because I was mega tired while watching this, so I pretty much had no idea of what was going on. Basically, Nic plays Terrence McDonagh, a lieutenant who is, well, bad, and is trying to investigate the killings of five Sengalese immigrants. All the while he gets high a lot. I would say that only Cage could get away with half of the stuff that he is seen doing on here, but things do get a little too strange, namingly that interesting carpark sex scene that has practically scarred me for life. That being said, I did like Cage here. He was wonderfully off the chain. Plus, I liked all the post-Katrina stuff going on in this film. And Val Kilmer was in here. All we needed was Ray Liotta and this would have been a real feast for my LOL bones. (that being said, I didnt really mind Kilmer either)
One thing I do have to ask, though: what was with all of the reptile stuff? Like the weird shots of that crocodile (?). I feel like that was some symbolism, but I totally missed it.

Cage Rage:

The Hairstyle: The Barely There
Face/Off is a film I totally enjoyed, though. And I honestly wasnt expecting to, given my aversion to most 90s action films - which means that I probably wouldnt have watched this film had I not been doing this marathon thing. So yes, Nicolas, I have to thank you for introducing me to this little gem of an action film.
One thing I was not expecting, though, was Nicolas and John Travolta to literally swap roles. From the beginning, I was thinking that this was some more typical Cage Rage, in the vein of Vampires Kiss. And then John Travolta became Nicolas Cage, and Nicolas Cage then became John Travolta. Which I guess I thought was pretty disappointing because I always love a bit of Cage Rage, but it was fairly entertaining to see John Travolta do his best Nicolas Cage. So for the rest of the film, we had Travolta being all crazy and Nicolas Cage being given the more sentimental, nice guy role. And to be honest, he actually nailed it. He was given his chance to go crazy at the beginning (and that craziness would have been enough to last an entire film), and then he got to be somewhat settled down for the rest of it. The guy nearly made me cry, for heavens sake.
I think this movie really succeeds because it is the ultimate test of good and evil, but it is given the flair of an above average blockbuster. I just thought it was really cool. And damn entertaining. Probably everything a blockbuster should be.

Cage Rage:
What do you think of these films? Are you a fan of Bad Lieutenant, or is Face/Off more your bag?
Available link for download
Thursday, February 16, 2017
New Orleans Dec 12 Art for Rights Write for Rights Amnesty Intl event with Robert King and BMike
New Orleans Dec 12 Art for Rights Write for Rights Amnesty Intl event with Robert King and BMike
Join Amnesty International USA in New Orleans on December 12, from 10am to 6pm, to celebrate art, human rights and international solidarity. As part of the organizations annual Write for Rights campaign, Amnesty International USA is partnering with New Orleans native, Brandan BMike Odums to host an Art for Rights pop-up exhibition at Studio Be, 2925-2999 Royal Street in New Orleans. Attendees will not only have the opportunity to write letters on behalf of prisoners and human rights defenders from around the world, they will witness the creation of 12 different murals honoring the struggles and activism of individuals on whose behalf Amnesty works.
Art can be a cultural tool during times of unrest to expose truths, helping to humanize social struggle and actualize grievances and fears. Often, it is what inspires us to action.
Amnesty has chosen to hold the inaugural event in New Orleans where Albert Woodfox, one of the 12 cases featured in this years Write for Rights campaign, has been held in solitary confinement for over 40 years.
Robert King, the first freed member of the Angola 3, will be joining BMike as the keynote speaker.
Art For Rights
Saturday, December 12th, 2015
10am 6pm
StudioBe
2925-2999 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA
MORE INFORMATION:
Through the Write for Rights campaign, every year in acknowledgement of Human Rights Day on December 10, hundreds of thousands of people around the world send a message to someone theyve never met. Letter writing has always been at the heart of Amnesty Internationals human rights campaigning and 54 years of human rights activism shows us that the collective action of our members really does have the power to change lives.
This year, Art For Amnesty is doing something different, we are amplifying Write for Rights with art. On December 12th, a historic event will take place: ART FOR RIGHTS. Through a partnership with New Orleans native, Brandan BMike Odums, we are collaborating with 12 artists to highlight the stories of 12 international cases through art and creative installations. In addition to an experience aimed to bring attention to Louisiana as the Prison Capital of The World, murals will call attention to cases of solitary confinement, torture, forced marriage, forced eviction, imprisonment for a miscarriage, LGBTQI rights, death penalty, enforced disappearance and prisoners of conscience.
The end goal remains the same: to inspire participants to write letters and take action.
Art can be a cultural tool during times of unrest to expose truths, helping to humanize social struggle and actualize grievances and fears. Often times, it is what inspires us to action. Weve chosen to hold the inaugural event in New Orleans where Albert Woodfox, one of the 12 cases, has been held in solitary confinement for over 40 years. Art for Rights will be located in a 30,000 square foot warehouse, where over 5,000 people will join Art For Amnesty for a one-day, free, pop-up art event, with the unveiling of the work by these amazing artists.
OBJECTIVES:
- 10,000 letters for the Write for Rights Campaign (5,000 participants x 2 letters per person for entry)
- 2,500 Letters Submitted Online
- Draw attention and call for the release of Albert Woodfox from solitary confinement.
- Engage with stakeholders from the criminal justice, human rights, arts, and activist communities to lay the groundwork for further action on mass incarceration in Louisiana.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED:
ATTEND ART FOR RIGHTS
Come Out and Bring Friends Please help us make sure as many people as possible attend the inaugural Art For Rights pop-up exhibit by attending and/or organizing a group trip. Admission is simply two letters for the Write For Rights campaign.
Please contact Shasti Conrad at sconrad@mskolnik.com for additional information
Available link for download
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