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Yeats: When You Are Old
Oliver Anthony
An Introduction to the Phenomenon
He began with RadioWV posting his song “Rich Men North of Richmond.” I heard about it on the radio one morning. Then the reaction videos went up. And they went viral.
Reactions
God
Then he’s shared scripture with his audience right after turning down $8,000,000. The music world would prevent him from telling the truth, methinks.
Above was taken at Anthony’s first concert after “Rich Men North of Richmond” got hot.
What’s Going On?
Glenn Beck shared an interesting analysis regarding Oliver’s appearance on Joe Rogan.
To Kill a Mockingbird
I was blessed to be invited to see To Kill a Mockingbird at Chicago’s Schubert Theater. Starring Richard Thomas and written by Aaron Sorkin we were treated to a powerful classic.
It was fascinating to see how Sorkin dealt with the book and the classic movie. As a play, there are limits to what can be depicted. So the children give a lot of exposition to move the story forward and part with the rabid dog isn’t included.
Richard Thomas is a fine Atticus Finch. It’s hard to measure up to Gregory Peck, but Thomas satisfies. It took me awhile to get past seeing Jen, Scout and Dill played by adults, but in time I accepted it. They all did a good job, though the actress who played Scout’s accent slipped from Southern to New Jersey.
The play ran about three hours due to Sorkin adding a lot. For example, Sorkin added a town drunk character who’s a witness for the defense. The actor was good and his part was interesting, however, the play didn’t need anything more interesting that says what we already know about the story. Another part after the trial was about a psalm and it just wasn’t necessary. It seemed Sorkin didn’t know how much to add or change to make the story “his own.”
The scenery was minimal and other than the jail-like back wall. All the set was on wheels and the cast had a lot of pushing and pulling to do. The set evoked the feel of the Deep South during the Depression.
I thoroughly enjoyed To Kill a Mockingbird despite a few flaws. It’s a shame it’s only here for a week. It does make me reread the novel and rewatch the film.
Sound of Freedom
Everyone probably knows that Sound of Freedom dramatizes Tim Ballard’s work saving children from sex trafficking. Since it was produced by Angel Studios where The Chosen began, I expected high quality. I was blown away.
The main story follows the abduction and rescue of a young Colombian girl and her brother. Their father was tricked by a beautiful talent scout who promise fame and fortune but she nabs the kids whose photos are posted on the dark web.
Tim Ballard is a Homeland Security Officer who won’t be satisfied with the arrests of Americans watching child porn. He’s committed to saving these children and their peers.
The acting and writing was superb. I knew this topic would be sensitive and I was grateful that the film didn’t include gratuitous sex. Or violence. While there is violence, it’s not gory. Adults know what happens to these children and we don’t need to seen the actual exploitation. I’m grateful that the filmmakers artfully told the story without exploiting the child actors.
Sound of Freedom is a riveting, film with several great performances about an issue that needs attention so that we can put an end to it.
Screenwriting
I’m resuming my writing and must refresh my screenwriting skills since my copy of Final Draft is on the fritz. The video above is very helpful if you’re writing a film script.
This short video on writing a series pilot has lots of good information.
Hello Jadoo
My new favorite comedy is the Korean cartoon Hello Jadoo, which I discovered on YouTube. Jadoo is a girl in third grade with two younger siblings, a frugal, aggressive mother, a tired father who drinks with his coworkers too much.
Jadoo’s pretty aggressive herself and intimidates the boys in her class, though she’s well behaved towards her friend and seat mate, Minji. Her nemesis is a girl with Shirley Temple curls and an snooty attitude.
Each episode is a hilarious look at life in Korea. In “I’m a Fashionista” all the kids except poor Jadoo get the cool athletic shoes — Naidias. She begs her parents to get her a pair, but her dad will only get her knock offs, which leads to more jeers.
Other episodes revolve around jealousy, IQ, puppy love, visiting grandmothers, cheapskates, etc. I suppose Hello Jadoo is a Korean animated Family Circus. They all make me laugh. I love how the animators express emotion in their characters.
Laoway 86 on Chinese Propaganda for Kids
I’ve watched Laoway 86 for years starting back when I lived there.
By the way, the white image on many of the clips he plays is from a Chinese network.
Politics & Religion from Freedomtunes
The Chosen
I should have watched The Chosen when it first came out 2years ago. Dallas Jenkins is well known amongst Act One alumni as a first rate talent. I had no bias or reason not to watch. I just never got around to it. But last week I started and I’m hooked not just on the episodes but on the extra round table discussions.
Like many films or shows The Chosen tells the story of Jesus. What makes the drama different is that , what troubles they had when they first met Jesus. The casting is spot on and does a great job of showing Jewish culture and ethnicity. The actors look like they have Middle Eastern heritage and they speak with an accent that evokes that region.
The first season goes from the time when Jesus has no followers and is keeping his identity under wraps till when he encounters the Woman at the Well. Episodes are as long as they need to be, some almost 40 minutes others about an hour. I like that a show takes the time it needs, no more, no less.
In addition to wonderful episodes, viewers can watch round table discussions with Writer/Director Dallas Jenkins and his consultants, a Catholic priest, a rabbi and an Evangelical theologian. I find these absorbing.
From the start The Chosen states that the stories are based on the Bible but include imagined stories of those surrounding Jesus.
The Chosen can be see on several streaming services like
Mixed Media 