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Good morning Kogs and Kossacks in Dailykosland!
Let's start the working week with a Moral Monday!
Do you have a favorite biopic?
Get On Up, the new movie biography (biopic) of James Brown, opened this past weekend, and I went to see it, even though I was not a James Brown fan during his heyday. My musical taste as a child ran more to melody and harmony than rhythm, and the raw sexuality of James Brown was overwhelming for me. I was also into songwriters whose lyrics were more complicated. I didn't learn how to appreciate funky grooves for their own sake until I was much older. Nowadays I can just lose myself in the cross-rhythms and zone out to something like the 14 minutes of Papa Don't Take No Mess in an almost hypnotic way, and hearing those older James Brown tunes evokes a wide range of memories.
Get On Up was rated PG-13, and a PG movie about James Brown seems utterly ridiculous given the raw sexuality previously mentioned. My guess is that the estate would not allow use of his music if the script had showed the full extent of the seamier side of his life, especially his violence toward women. On the other hand, the rating may allow parents and grandparents to see the movie with their kids and grandkids and introduce them to the music. I would have liked the movie better if the concert/rehearsal/music sequences had been longer. It's like those modern DJs who won't play a whole song—just when the jam is beginning to get good the scene shifts to something else!
I don't usually go to see biopics. As I was writing this, I was having a hard time remembering the last time I saw one. Not every movie about a real person qualifies as a biopic in my opinion. I prefer to use that term for a film that is a real biography: covering the broad sweep of a person's life instead of one important year or one significant event. So something like The Queen, brilliant as Helen Mirren was, does not feel like a biopic to me because it covers less than a year. Apollo 13 is a similar example—it was adapted from an autobiography, but the film covers less than a year in Jim Lovell's life, and seven days in particular.
On the other hand, I loved Searching for Bobby Fischer. Even though it only covered a short period of time, it represented a large part of his Josh Waitzkin's life because he was so young, and it portrayed critical incidents in the development of his personal character and his professional talent.
Get On Up definitely meets the "wide sweep" test, following James Brown over multiple decades. The framing device is that Brown is thinking back over his entire life as he is walking on stage for a concert late in his career. Chadwick Boseman plays Brown from age 16 to age 60, and he has done an outstanding job of capturing the slip sliding fancy footwork of Brown's signature stage moves. Also, the lip-synching is the best I have ever seen. Just getting your mouth to match the syllables is the easy part of lip-synching—it's matching the emotion of a James Brown track that is hard, and Boseman does it so realistically that at times you think he really is singing.
As for the psychological portrayal, every time the audience starts to think of Brown as an insufferable narcissist, flashbacks pop up in an attempt to evoke sympathy for his hardscrabble beginnings and what he had to overcome to earn his success. This does not always work and the script is all over the place. Ultimately it mutes the raw energy and chops the rough edges off a man whose success could not have happened without them.
I have missed most of the popular/Oscar winning pictures in the biopic genre--pictures that it seems everyone else has seen. There is a LONG list of biopics that made big money, won awards and earned critical acclaim that I have NOT seen and feel I "ought to" see, including:
Lady Sings the Blues
Evita
Selena
Malcolm X
Ray
Kinsey
My Left Foot
Sid and Nancy
Bird
Coal Miner's Daughter
Erin Brockovich
Capote
A Beautiful Mind
The Aviator
What's Love Got to Do With It
Ali
I'm Not There
Patton
Some of my favorite biopics are listed below (I've seen all of these more than once):
Gandhi
Goodfellas
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Pursuit of Happyness
The Miracle Worker
Milk
Man for All Seasons
The Great Debaters
Nixon
I remember now—the last biopic I saw was Lincoln.
Are there any movies on my not-yet-seen list you would strongly recommend? (I'm on vacation and can rent anything, and Tropical Storm Bertha is on the way.) Is there a biographical movie I have not mentioned that you especially love? Is one of the movies on my favorites list also a favorite of yours? Do you go to see movies about the lives of real people, or do you prefer fictional and fantasy drama, romance and action?
Do you have a favorite biopic?
start up soundtrack
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Uniting Kansas: Recap of Meetup, Hutchinson (Video)
by tmservo433 ♥ for Kansas & Missouri Kossacks
tmservo433 organized a successful event featuring 3 candidates and a AFL-CIO endorsement.
Despite 100+ degree temperature, and a normal size crowd (about 50/60) the event in Hutchinson quickly went viral, with a few thousand watching the streams online, thanks to agressive sharing, emailing and people encouraging others to spread the live stream of the video.
Please visit
tmservo433's diary for the videos of this event. You can still REC it. You can join
Kansas & Missouri Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to
tmservo433.
Connecting Kansas:
Democrats Unite in Emporia
by tmservo433 ♥ for Kansas & Missouri Kossacks
So our latest hero, tmservo433 provides a great re-cap to the event we promoted here for him.
At the time Paul Davis spoke, I had an in room headcount of 166, which is a heck of a turnout. Sam Brownback couldn't bring in 200 in the Kansas City Metro when Rick Santorum came to town.
Kossacks showed up. Several Kossacks were in the hall, as well as individuals who noticed I still had on my Netroots gear, and were happy to come and tell us how they are working for change in our communities.
tmservo433 is doing great work seeking out Kossacks and moving his state's progressive agenda forward.
Please visit tmservo433's diary for more photos! Enjoy! You can still REC it. You can join Kansas & Missouri Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to tmservo433.
Los Angeles Kossacks June 28th Meetup Report
by susans ♥ for Los Angeles Kossacks
The Los Angeles Kossacks ranks have increased by 40% in the last few months. New members attended the latest recreational field trip to see the retired space shuttle Endeavour at the California Science Center in Exposition Park near downtown Los Angeles.
Back Row L-R: Vyan, Chiwere, susans, Otoelbc, mommyp00ka, Ducktape
Front Row L-R: Robin, 714day, Little Loner, Moody Loner, jakedog42 and grandaughter, SanFernandoValleyMom
Please visit susans's diary for details on the Space Shuttle. You can still REC it. You can join Los Angeles Kossacks by sending a Kosmail to susans.
Event Organizers! Please contact wink from Netrootsradio.com by KosMail to schedule airtime with them to live broadcast the date of your Event. Wink & Justice will then promote it on The After Show radio program!
Monday, August 4th
Asheville Kossacks Connect for Lunch Before Moral Monday's Event with Reverend Barber!
Followed by a stroll through downtown to the Mountain Moral Monday event
TIME: 2:00 PM
LOCATION: Rosetta's Kitchen
111 Broadway St • Asheville
ORGANIZER: Send randallt a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. randallt
2. davehouck
3. Joieau
4. DawnN
5. Lamont Cranston
6. Gordon20024
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Saturday, August 9th
Northern & Central Florida Kossacks Meet-up
with (D) DC Koller who is running for House Representative against Rich Nugent
TIME: 10:00 AM
LOCATION: Vetwife's Home
Kosmail Vetwife for address • Inverness
ORGANIZER: Send Vetwife a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. Vetwife
2. Vet
3. Gordon20024
4. nancyjones
5.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Fl Meetup update.. Short diary..lots of Info
Saturday, August 9th
Kansas Missouri Kossacks Picnic - Local Candidate Speaks
Meet at the Hays city park to enjoy a free hamburger/hotdog/watermelon feed. Jim Sherow along with other local candidates will be speaking.
TIME: NOON
LOCATION: Municipal Park
1st and Main • Hays, Kansas
ORGANIZER: Send tmservo433 a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. tmservo433
2. Skohays
3.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Major Kansas Events: Your Chance to Change a State
Saturday, August 9th
LA Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 2:00 PM
LOCATION: Guild Restaurant
611 W. 7th St • Downtown Los Angeles
ORGANIZER: Send susans a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. susans
2. Shockwave
3. navajo
4. Meteor Blades
5. Knucklehead
6. SanFernandoValleyMom
7. Otoelbc
8. Chiwere
9. Vyan
10. 714day
11. Ducktape
12. Mugwump Blues
13. Just Saying
14. Just Saying's friend
15. Panorama City Chick
16. jakedog42
17. Santa Susanna Kid
18. La Gitane
19. Susan from 29
20. gmats
21. Dave in Northridge
22. KatSkahnne
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Maybees:
Joe Bacon
Bruin Kid
Cany
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Latest diary: Los Angeles Kossacks June 28th Meetup Report
Saturday, August 16th
Nashville KosKats Meet-up
TIME: 2:00 PM
LOCATION: Shipwreck Cove at the Elm Hill Marina
3361 Bell Road • Nashville
ORGANIZER: Send ZenTrainer a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. ZenTrainer
2. Jon Sitzman
3.
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Maybees:
Patrick is Lucky
Sow Hat
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Latest diary: Nashville KosKats Meet-up. August 16th
Saturday, August 16th
DC Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: Noon
LOCATION: National Mall
at the Smithsonian Metro stop • Washington DC
ORGANIZER: Send NinthElegy a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. NinthElegy
2.
3.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Saturday, August 23rd
VA/DC/MD Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 12:30 - 4:40 PM
LOCATION: Union Station
Food Court • Washington, DC
ORGANIZER: Send JamieG from Md a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. JamieG from Md
2. mollyd
3. Diana in NoVa
4. NinthElegy
5. mimi
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Maybees:
BDA in VA
dadadata
Uncle Cosmo
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Latest diary: VA/DC/MD Meetup, August 23rd!
Sunday, August 24th
NYC Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: Noon
LOCATION: Spitzer's Corner
101 Rivington Street (Ludlow) • NYC
ORGANIZER: Send kathny a kosmail to RSVP
RSVPs:
1. kathny
2. belinda ridgewood
3. rubyr
4. joanbrooker
5. mconvente
6. ericlewis0
7. No Exit
8. sidnora
9. gchaucer2
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Maybees:
BaritoneWoman
jfdunphy
David Nir
Lysis
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Latest diary: NYC Meetup Sunday August 24 at Spitzer's
Saturday, September 6th
Sacramento Kossacks Meet-up
Potluck with BYOB
TIME: 4:00 - 7:00 PM
LOCATION: Kestrel's home
Address given privately to RSVPs • Sacramento
ORGANIZER: Send cooper888 a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. tgypsy
2. cooper888
3. gotmooned
4. Kestrel
5. shigeru
6. TrevizOlga
7. paradise50
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Maybees:
navajo
Meteor Blades
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Latest diary: Sacramento (area) Kossacks Meetup With Featured Guest!
Join the Sacramento Kossacks Google Group to receive invites for future events.
Saturday, September 13th
Pikes Peak Region Kossacks Inaugural Meet-up!
TIME: 6:30 PM
LOCATION: Panera Bread
7344 North Academy Boulevard (general address) or 7351 Atlas Walk Way (mall address) • Colorado Springs
ORGANIZER: Send thanatokephaloides a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. thanatokephaloides
2. tmservo433 (visiting from Kansas)
3.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: Our First Meeting: An Announcement
Sunday, October 19th
NYC Kossacks Meet-up with navajo
TIME: Noon
LOCATION: Spitzer's Corner
101 Rivington Street (Ludlow) • NYC
ORGANIZER: Send kathny a kosmail to RSVP
RSVPs:
1. navajo
2.
3.
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Maybees: |
navajo maintains the above event list. Kosmail her if you have any diaries
about your event or if you have changes or additions.
EVERYONE is welcome, tell us what you're working on,
share your show and tell, vent, whatever you want.
This is an open thread. Nothing is off topic.