“A Letter to Momo” (2011) is an animated supernatural comedy/drama written and directed by Hiroyuki Okiura (Jin-Roh). The story focuses on adolescent Momo and her mother Ikuko who, after a death in the family, move to a rural island to be closer to relatives. Momo, who preferred her previous life in the big city, has difficulty adjusting but learns to overcome her grief and repair her relationship with her mother with the help of three goblins (known as Yokai) and her new community.
A look into the origins of the pledge of allegiance – mandatory regurgitation for school children – reveals that it was actually created by a magazine in 1892 in order to sell flags to schools, and the pledge was created by Francis Bellamy to create a reason for schools to buy the flags.
In turn, this social ritual creates cohesion and unity in the mind of the public with the federal government.
Until it was changed in the 1940s, the salute was actually a military salute wherein children then “hailed” the flag in a fashion very similar to what was done in Nazi Germany.
American children were instead trained to put their hand over their hearts… and the phrase “under God” wasn’t added until 1954 in the Eisenhower Administration – controlled from the shadows by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and his brother Allen.
The 20th Century was the era of collectivism. During the same general time period that communism, fascism and national socialism swept over the land, America quietly transformed into a nation dominated by central government, and swarmed with agencies under the executive branch.
In the midst of cities and technology, traditions of independence and self-reliance were replaced by collectivism – where the greater good took precedence over the needs and rights of the individual. Social Security and other programs put everyone on the State farm.
“Bangkok Loco” (2004) is a surreal Thai musical comedy (and feature film debut) from director Pornchai Hongrattanaporn. Actor/musician Krissada Terrence stars as Bay, a 70’s era drum prodigy with special skills taught to him by a monk. After getting framed for a murder, he becomes a fugitive but is aided by friend and fellow drummer Ton (Nountaka Warawanitchanoun). Together, they struggle to evade police, clear his name and win a climactic drum duel against “Devil’s Drums Master” Mr. David (Rang Sabian).
Watch the full film with English subtitles here. (May not stream on some portable devices.)
The earliest version of Reefer Madness was released in 1936. It was financed by a church group who intended it to be a morality tale warning parents of supposed dangers of cannabis use and helped prime the public for prohibitionist Harry Anslinger’s Marihuana Tax Act introduced a year later. In spring of 72, the founder of NORML, Keith Stroup, rediscovered the film and organized college campus screenings throughout California to raise funds for the California Marijuana Initiative which would potentially legalize cannabis in the 1972 fall elections. Though the initiative failed to pass, Reefer Madness was soon after elevated to the status of cult classic and became notorious for midnight movie screenings with spirited audience participation including mass pot smoking during key scenes.
Reefer Madness was “re-imagined” as a musical comedy by Kevin Murphy and premiered in Los Angeles in 1998 and in 2005 Showtime created the cable movie version directed by Andy Fickman and starring Kristen Bell, Christian Campbell, and John Kassir reprising their stage roles.
“Tere Bin Laden” (2010) is a Bollywood comedy written and directed by Abhishek Sharma. Pakistani pop star Ali Zafar stars as Ali Hassan, a TV reporter for a low budget news station in Karachi. Determined to find success in America despite previously being deported after being mistaken for a terrorist, he hatches a plan to raise funds for a fake ID with a sensational video using Noora (Pradhuman Singh), a dimwitted chicken farmer who happens to be a convincing Bin Laden lookalike. The plan rapidly spins out of control when it gets the attention of US government officials and the Pakistani intelligence agency. Though some gags dependent on regional references and wordplay may be lost on western audiences, much of it is broad enough to transcend cultures (especially bits mocking the paranoid and xenophobic post 9/11 milieu). Not surprisingly, the film was banned upon release in the US and several countries in the Middle East including Pakistan. The sequel Tere Bin Laden: Dead or Alive was released last February.
Rather than post a prank (which can all too easily be mistaken for “news” in today’s increasingly absurd media landscape) here’s a random assortment of intentionally funny clips:
The hypothesis behind The Walk of Life Project is that “Walk of Life” by Dire Straits improves the ending of any movie.
It certainly seems to work for The Shining, ideally the version depicted in this trailer:
No other television program seems to capture the outrages and absurdities of the past year quite as well as the year end Wipe reviews compiled by writer/broadcaster Charlie Brooker (creator of Black Mirror). He takes a satirical look at the past year’s news and cultural events including the beginning of Corbyn-mania and a Tory majority, the end of Page Three, and Cecil the Lion. Brooker also tackles the terrifying truth of 2015 and features special guests including comedians Doug Stanhope and Diane Morgan (aka Philomena Cunk).
After the Crash 