12-Step Redemption Program; Mainstream Media Gets 2nd Step Right

Ever sense the mainstream media fell asleep on the job six years ago, by not diligently scrutinizing the malarkey the Bush administration pushed about Iraq, Sadaam Hussein, and WMDs, they have been clamoring to "make it right." Well, having begun the a 12-step redemption program--the first step being their role in getting President Obama elected--they're seemingly focused (well, at least MSNBC is) on making sure that the health care debate not only gets a fair shake, but that serious wholesale health care and insurance reform actually gets done. To that I say: Kudos, mainstream media. Glad to see you're awake on the job again.

-Amir Said

"I'm Gettin' That"... 'Dean Martin Variety Show' DVD

There's one particular benefit to staying up late--or never sleeping, depends on how you look at it. Every now and then you catch an infomercial for "an amazing product at an amazing price." Such is the case with the 'Best of the Dean Martin Variety Show' DVD. Yes, the good folks over at Gunthy-Renker (infomercial kings) have figured out that there's a market for rare mid-1960s and mid-1970s variety shows. I belong to that group. That's why I'm gettin' that 'Best of Dean Martin Variety Show' DVD.

-Amir Said

Johnnie Taylor - "Jody's Got Your Girl and Gone"

One thing that has been lost in music is the intimate lounge and small room performances that used to take place. This live performance of Johnnie Taylor from the exceptional 'Wattstax' documentary, provides a glimpse into what exactly made soul music so alluring.
-Sa'id

Economic Crises Gives Studios The Green Light; Raises Premium On Acting and Writing

For a long time now, the studios have wanted to curtail the paydays for movie stars. Indeed, it's a key component for their plan to restructure the film industry's fledgling business model. But the studios have never had the right opportunity (or justification) to do so, that is, until now. The current financial shit-fall that's echoing around the world has finally given Hollywood studios the green light to low-ball movie stars. In her recent piece on The Daily Beast, Kim Masters reports on the paltry $250,000 that was offered to Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke by Marvel Studios, the studio behind Iron Man 2. Until this stink bomb of an offer was dropped, Johnson and Rourke could have expected to clear seven figures, easily. I mean, what's the going rate for a sequel to a hit franchise? But it isn't just the offers that are raising the eyebrows of studio helmers and having movie stars across LA scurrying to check their bank account balances, it's the caveat that came with the offers: 'take it or leave it, we have other options!'

Crises offers opportunity. So it should really come as no surprise that major Hollywood studios would use the current economic crises to push ahead with their long-time desire to slash the salaries of movie stars. Gone are the days of Will Smith paydays, (well, for everybody except Will Smith). Yep. Talent will now have to take a drastic cut in salary and compensation, because the business model of the film industry, as we've known it for the past 15 or so years, is now in hospice. However, things aren't all bad. There are two 'bright sides' to this. The dramatic salary cuts for talent will inevitably place even more of a premium on great acting and even better writing.

Pay cuts across the board means that tier 2 actors (famous names but non-superstars) and tier 3 actors (respectable 'working' actors with minimal fame) are gonna have to compete with each other, more than ever before, for plum, decent paying roles. And let's not forget, that all actors are going to have to make up their losses in volume, which means that tier 1 actors will be regularly swooping down and snatching up spots that would normally have not met their standard paydays, and would have therefore easily gone to tier 2 thespians. In effect, Marvel Studios' hard-line offers have set in motion the leveling of the ubiquitous acting playing field, and has initiated a potentially more complex casting process -- one in which actors will be forced to do more call-backs and screen-tests than usual... OH SHIT! Are we headed back to a time when actors did exclusive multi-year (indentured servant-like) studio deals? SAG, please say it ain't so...

Fact is, there is an ideological shift that's been brewing in Hollywood for a long time. It's actually a shift to an old ideology -- you know, the one that deems talent as merely an interchangeable (easily replaceable) business expense. The shift to this ideology has been subtle for some, but more obvious for those who recognize good acting when they see it. The thing is, overall, the quality of acting in film, and especially television, has been going down, way down, over the past decade. This is no accident, the studios realized long ago that the movies are one of the most fundamental activities of popular culture, and that therefore, people are going to go to the movies no matter what, even if the stories are shit and even if there's no big name stars in them. Well, be prepared because this ideological shift is about to gain even more fervor. But again, I have to maintain that this ain't all bad, because it will undoubtedly lead to more competition for roles, which will in turn lead to a higher quality of acting.

Finally, with the meat cleaver being leveled against the earning power of actors, you can expect to see better writing. Studio helmers know movies go even better with quality stories. They also know less qualified actors all but destroy great stories. Moreover, since decent television is being ran out of town by reality shows, quality writers will have no choice but to move more into film. And well, now since the studios can get superb talent on the cheap, they'll also being looking to secure great writing for next to nothing. Hence, it's the beginning of a new premium for top writers as well.

-Amir Said

'Examined Life': Philosophy of the Moment

If you've never taken a philosophy course above level 100 in college, chances are philosophy isn't your bag. Yet everyday, on some level, philosophy informs our most basic decisions. Which is precisely why philosophic thought is especially worth examining in the mist of the current world climate. In the face of global economic turbulence, what new role is philosophy taking in shaping shaping our lives? Moreover, how is philosophy informing the self examination of our lives?

In Examined Life, filmmaker Astra Taylor speaks with eight of the most important philosophers of our time (including Cornell West, Peter Singer, Slavoj Zizek, Judith Butler, Kwame Anthony Appiah, and others), and discusses the impact that this particular historic moment is having on our individual and collective philosophies. The feature-length documentary, which initially opened on February 25 at the IFC Center in NYC, started its national roll-out March 5, and is expected to play across country throughout May. For more information on where and when to see the film go to: Examined Life's official website.

-Amir Said

Serius Jones - 'Life As Serius'

There are many different ways to essentially do the same damn thing. In hip hop/rap music, marketing and promotional tools are often duplicated without any sense of character or individualism. When rappers began doing their own "movies," it was immediately clear to me that the norm was going to be some half-assed cliched look at life in "the streets." And though I have seen a couple of decent "do it yourself" street videos, for the most part, I have yet to be impressed... That is, until now.

In Life As Serius, rapper Serius Jones and directors Winfield Ezell, Jr. and Dave Wilson bring us a "do it yourself" film that delivers a distinctly honest and glaring look at the life of a black male trying to make it in seemingly opposing worlds. The movie scorns the exhausted "king of the hustle and streets" approach, and instead focuses on offering a fair and well-rounded glimpse at Serius Jones' story of family, school, crime, and friendship. The tone and flow of Life As Serius is just as much "matter-of-fact" as it is subtle. Nothing appears overstated or contrived. Moreover, the message, which clearly underscores the balance of this impressive work, is that in order for one to truly make it in the music industry (or indeed life in general) they must embrace they're own unique nature and then proceed accordingly with perseverance. If Serius Jones sticks to this formula, he will undoubtedly see many measures of success.

-Amir "Sa'id" Said

Serius Jones presents Life is Serius[The Movie] from IrunsNY on Vimeo.

Virgin and TRL: Ain't So Mega Anymore...

All Virgin Megastores located in the U.S. are set to be closed by the summer. For real, who didn't see this coming? Honestly, who DID NOT see this coming? I remember several years back I made a quick dash to the Virgin Mega Store in Times Square. Then it was new... Right across the street on the corner was TRL (Total Request Live), MTV's kiddy-bop-pop machine T.V. show. The management of Virgin Mega Store at Times Square couldn't have been more encouraged by the presumable synergy that TRL provided. Here they were, two over-sized media spawns; one a certified television brainwash show, the other a heavy-handed retailer with ties to a woefully mismanaged record label. Both poised to induce an already ultra-consumed public into buying, buying, buying... music... and music-like products... or any widget they saw fit to peddle.

First, TRL fell. Well, actually, they hadn't fallen as much as they had dragged slowly down the cliff of a giant mountain. Carson Daly wouldn't last for ever. He was an excellent ring leader, but the people at MTV new the future was in the tween to teen crowd. Thus, Carson Daly's days were numbered from the first time he took the mic. Fast forward, and all the teens and tweens were gone. And all the advertisers were missing, too. Were did they go? Yep, that's right folks, the party moved right on over to the internet. O.K., to be fare, as the tweens became teens and the teens became adults, the daily "fluff" and "hype" potion began to wear off. And most of the once hardcore TRL-ers boogied outta Times Square, presumably to places like Myspace, Facebook, and Youtube.

Next, Virgin Megastore went down. But were they ever really up? In New York, rent kills...seriously. Nobody escapes that fact, real estate is New York City's oil. And so, if you're going to develop any real estate with the word "mega" in it, it damn well better be a high-rise with plenty of office spaces to rent out. And if it's anywhere near Times Square, it might be a good idea to throw in a couple of luxury condos...just sayin'. So the first time I ever walked into the Virgin Megastore at Times Square, (en route to buy, well, I forget), I noticed that the place was stocked with CDs, DVDs, music accessories, and random apparel. What I didn't see, however, was any office spaces or luxury condos, or even affordable apartments. That's when I knew: Virgin Megastore was not going to last very long. (Yo, Mark Ecko, if you're reading this, I think you're dope, I fully respect everything that you've done...But dig this: holding down a lease on 42nd Street between 7th Avenue and 8th Avenue? Shiiiiddd. Even the The Lion King couldn't sustain that lease.) But I digress... Sure, Virgin Megastore was doomed either way. Again, rent kills in New York, so you better own and flip, or generate money and skip. But fact is, nobody wants to schlep over to a warehouse in the busy section of a fast town. Moreover, the real beauty of a music store is how it briings music lovers of common taste into to close proximity of each other. Hmmm... Hey, wait, you can do that online...

Thus, though it may look like the Virgin Megastore chain and TRL are victims of the "Economic Tragedy of '08," the reality is that both media spawns are victims of a shifting culture. A culture whose participants, it would appear, are bent on being able to choose their form of brainwashing and bandwagon jumping. (Just kiddin'. No, I'm not... For real, just kiddin'... Well, O.K., for some people, no, I'm not...) And "choice" is exactly what the Virgin Megastore chain and TRL did not provide. Both just centralized their product offerings, (even though the centralization in music is kind of an oxymoron). Neither provided anything particularly "new" and/or engaging. I once traveled to two separate Virgin Megastores looking for two specific Led Zeppelin albums. Of course neither store had them. But I was told by sales associates that they could "order it for me, and they'd call me when it arrived." (I ordered the albums myself from Amazon.com and received them 48 hours later.) TRL increasingly became more and more paranoid that their tweens were growing up, (um, that's because they were), and as a result, the show became more and more predictable: guests began to mimic the style of other guests; hosts begin to mimic the style of other hosts; and crowds just struggled to keep up with the giant cardboard "applause" signs.

So now these two media spawns will be no more. Virgin Megastore is dead, and I hope the idea of a "mega music store" has died along with it. (Well, iTunes lives, but at least it's not a brick and mortar eyesore.) TRL, on the other hand, isn't really "dead" dead. Remember MTV's Club MTV or The Grind? Yeah, those were just early prototypes for TRL--MTV hadn't yet figured out the whole "maximize profit by controlling the audience thing." No, MTV could "retool" and spin TRL out as something new, if they wanted to. But I doubt that will happen, I don't think MTV is that foolish, after all, they did get out of the video business and into the television/movie making business rather quickly.

For details of the Virgin Megastore U.S. closings, see report in The Wrap.

-Amir Said

Re: Slumdog Millionaire or Benjamin Button Best Pic Talk

Any Best Picture discussion regarding Slumdog Millionaire and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button must first to deal with the fact that both films are epic in proportion, yet extremely different... yet again very much the same, because at the core of each film is a love story that faces challenges throughout...

-Amir Said

Secretary of the Arts

The arts play a pivotal role in culture. Everyone wants to create something. Indeed, most people feel the need to create something. Yet the arts in America have consistently taken a hit, since the awakening of the arts in America at the turn of the twentieth century.

Quincy Jones, one of the greatest Artists ever produced from American soil, has been pushing for a cabinet level position that focuses squarely on the arts. I've long championed this position, and I do indeed believe that there is an immediate need for the "Secretary of the Arts" cabinet position. However, that being said, I'm still troubled.

Quincy Jones, who I admire and consider to be one of the greatest music producers in America, (along side of Gamble and Huff and Curtis Mayfield), has contributed so much to the American arts. And as such, he deserves not to have to take on this fight. Why aren't the most popular "artists" of the time calling for the Secretary of the Arts cabinet position?

-Amir Said

The Prisoner Poised for Remake

The Prisoner is one tv show that should be running on some sort of classic cable television channel. Well, either that or it deserves a full service remake! Having gone through the Bush administration 'Twilight Zone', many Americans got a dose of what it feels like to be trapped in some secret village, where pivotal decisions are made by a puppeteer and some obscure fraudulent leader.

Patrick McGoohan, who starred in, co-wrote, and co-produced The Prisoner, died this past Tuesday. Before McGoohan took the reigns of The Prisoner and became "6", he gained fame as "John Drake", the hero of the television show Secret Agent. (No doubt you've heard the Secret Agent theme song recorded by Johnny Rivers.) What made The Prisoner such a brilliant show was the fact that it channeled the angst of a world that for many, had become somewhat of a prison.

The jail analogy for everyday man was a new concept in the turbulent times of 1968. More importantly, the basic premise of The Prisoner helped to transform how stories could be shown and told on modern television. At a time where intriguing television dramas are being snuffed out by utterly thoughtless reality knock-offs and shameful remakes, (think Howie Mandels's Howie Do It or the "new" Knight Rider), a solid update of The Prisoner would sore big right now, if it were to be remade. Unfortunately, however, the major networks are shit out of cash, and they're not interested in running any programming that isn't cheap and damn-near guaranteed to keep the lights on. And the cable networks, who are now truly in the "prime time" driver's seat, are seemingly more concerned with "artsy" send-ups and/or story-lines tinged with supposedly taboo subject matter. Therefore, a remake of The Prisoner isn't likely, but if it were to ever capture a network green light, I'm ready with my storyline pitches.

-Amir Said