I just saw "This Is It", the movie culled from rehearsal footage from Michael Jackson's planned final live tour. Even in checked practice performance, minimizing his dance moves and saving his singing voice, you can not take your eyes off MJ for a second. Even modulated, he is the embodiement of his music, his precise movement and vocal phrasing becoming the emotions of his signature songs. Even with all the visual spectacle going on around him, his charisma commands your attention. Let there be no doubt, Madonna and Britney and Justin and Miley and all you other pretenders to the throne with your manufactured spectacles, Michael, even dead, is still the King of Pop. His tour would have been truly spectacular.
The documentary I worked on for four years for Diversity Films made its Oscar-qualifying public run in LA and NY this past week. It got good reviews in the Los Angeles Times and This Week in New York websites. It's called "Why Us? Left Behind and Dying" and looks at why the HIV/AIDS epidemic is hitting the Black community so hard.
Tonight, President Obama delivered a fearless, truthful speech on health care reform to Congress and the nation. He once again demostrated his courage, conviction and charisma. While he passionately outlined what needed to be done to ensure good health for all Americans, his Republican opponents, obstructionist pawns of the insurance industry, sat silent and stone-faced. They are doing everything they can to obfuscate the debate in the service of their moneyed patrons. They seek nothing less than to kill any reform in its infancy. But, Obama was having none of it. He is determined to pass a bill that provides affordable health care for all citizens. Seek the truth in this debate. Expose the lies. Support this President, as he considers workable options, builds a consensus, respects proper legislative deliberations, leads the moral debate and gets the job done.
Good Lord. Does anyone think that Wall Street has learned its lesson about risky, esoteric financial instruments? Well, they haven't. The investment industry is about greed, and nothing but greed. The New York Times reports today that investment banks are looking to buy life insurance policies that the ill and elderly sell for cash. They will then package thousands together into bonds and resell those to investors, who will receive payouts when the insured people die. And here's the precious part: The earlier the policyholder dies, the bigger the return. So, Wall Street is hoping to make big bucks on early deaths. Boy, do we need strong government regulation of the financial industry.
As some of you know, I have been working as a
producer/writer/videographer on a documentary the past four years for
Diversity Films about HIV/AIDS and African-Americans. Well, next month
is its world premiere.
It is called, "Why Us? Left Behind and
Dying". It looks at why the AIDS epidemic is hitting the Black
community so hard, through the eyes of 20 African-American high school
students in Pittsburgh. Among the reasons are secrecy, homophobia,
religious beliefs, genetics, forced migration, stigma, gender inequality, ideas
of masculinity, distrust of medical systems, prison incarceration,
poverty and racism.
The students in the film conducted most of
the interviews with scientists, researchers, community activists and
people living with HIV in their neighborhood The students, themselves,
were also subjects of the film. The honesty they were able to bring out
of our participants is gripping.
I'm asking you to encourage
your friends and colleagues in NY and LA to go see the opening run. It
is playing at the theaters listed below.
Claudia Pryor, the Director and Executive Producer, will be attending opening nights in both cities.
I am very proud to have worked on this untold story. Please help us spread the word about this compelling film.
Hope all is well with you and yours. Cheers for now. David.
Los Angeles Opening - Sept. 9-15, Grande 4-Plex, 345 Figueroa New York Opening - Sept. 11-17, IFC Center, 323 Sixth Ave.
