“I need a theatre” wrote WB Yeats in 1916…

I NEED A FILM PRODUCER! Always inspired by his sentiments about drama. Keeps me going when those interfering doubts emerge!

I desire to show events and not merely tell of them … and I seem to myself most alive at the moment when a room full of people share the one lofty emotion,” he wrote. At Samhain 1904 Yeats spoke of a dramatic art which reveals the energy of the soul and stated that …

“we who are believers , cannot see reality anywhere but in the soul itself.”

For Yeats the most serious subject for drama (and surely film, especially nowadays) was this reality, which he saw as the struggle of the spiritual with the natural order taking place in the depths of the soul.

William Butler Yeats Yeats photographed in 1903 by Alice Boughton
“We who are believers , cannot see reality anywhere but in the soul itself.”
William Blake from ‘The Marriage of Heaven & Hell’

Karl Kraus “High Priest of Truth …” (Georg Trakl)

Karl Kraus 1874-1936 was an Austrian writer and journalist, known as a satirist, essayist, aphorist, playwright and poet. He directed his satire at the press, German culture, and German and Austrian politics. Three times Nobel Prize for Lit. nominee, he should have been awarded one.

White high priest of truth, Crystal voice, in which God’s icy breath lives, Raging sorcerer, Under whose flaming coat jangles the warrior’s blue armour’ – Georg Trakl’s poem ‘Karl Kraus.’

The first complete English translation of his far-seeing polemic, written in 1933 unmasking the Nazi seizure of power“[A] drop-dead analysis of the rhetorical barbarities of the Hitler cult.”―Bill Marx, Arts Fuse. Its message still relevant in 2021 … sadly.
Georg Trakl d. 1914, aged 37. 24 August 1914 enlists as a medical orderly. A troubled soul before WW1 , the trauma of dealing with the wounded after the battle of Grodek was the beginning of the end for Georg. Mental collapse led to a suicide attempt. A sympathetic guard smuggled cocaine into the hospital in Krakov, of which Georg died of heart failure following an overdose.

Yes, a troubled soul that was at its core a gentle one. His collected poems are called ‘Surrender to the Night,’ which Richard Millington describes as ‘The Gentle Apocalypse’ … I think Georg would like that. Will Stone introduces Trakl’s poetry with two words … ‘ Approaching Silence.’ His translations are sublime. In fact, they promise to rekindle interest in the work of this seminal poet.

The mesmerizing imagery and haunting visions of Trakl’s highly sensitive and morbidly introspective poetry are as powerful today as they were when he poured forth his extraordinary and unclassifiable volume of work. A source of inspiration for artists, musicians and writers through the Expressionist period and beyond, Trakl’s poetry bleak, yet full of tenderness and hope, nightmarish yet eerily beautiful has steadfastly defied any coherent critical analysis.

Midnight Mass (Netflix 2021) – Wow! Now that was very different to what we expected.

The arrival of a charismatic priest brings miracles, mysteries and renewed religious fervour to a dying town.

Must have missed the horror bit after noticing ‘drama’ in the the genre section. Excellent on so many levels, including the casting and the way the story was told. A modern parable about life and belief. Not only the dangers of cults but also the naivety of much mas religious beliefs – so-called Evangelicals are not alone in this! We so much wanted the ‘hero’ (or anti-hero) in our eyes to be the ‘saviour’ so shocked when he was ‘demonised’ although with enough love still in his heart to save his lover and, ultimately himself, by willingly accepting his own initiated death. I also liked he bit at the end when Fr. unceremoniously took off his collar and threw it on the ground. Remember the moment, well, in my real life when I did something similar.

Hats off to Mike Flanagan, an American filmmaker and partner in Intrepid Pictures. A notable bit of work. Mike is best known for his horror films, all of which he directed, wrote, and edited, including Absentia, Oculus, Hush, Before I Wake, Ouija: Origin of Evil, Gerald’s Game, and Doctor Sleep. Didn’t realize he also directed ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor,’ which we also liked. But MM is on a different level folks.

Mike Flanagan was actually born in Salem, Massachusetts! Really.

As I said, great casting – Samantha Sloyan plays ‘evil believer incarnate’ Beverly Keane to perfection.. Bev is a true believer in the church – and a great example, sadly of a type … ‘that’ type of believer, whatever the religion or sect of cult. The location was also spot-on as well as the way Mike represented the demon – not too over the top.

And the music throughout the series? Excellent – artfully done. Not just the singing and arrangements by the Newton Brothers but also the way that the music was utilized. Full marks.

Taylor Stewart and Andy Grush, best known as The Newton Brothers, are the prominent composing duo, widely admired for their poignant musical atmospheres. Thriving on the power of minimalism, The Newton Brothers have attained a high art for articulating the subliminal and suspending the disbelief of their audience with enigmatic sonic contraptions and ethereality. (Pop Disciple 12.07.19)

Ganglands( Braqueurs) – premiered on Netflix this September – excellent in every department

Sami Bouajila and Tracy Gotoas

The series created by Julien Leclercq promised a solid storyline and high-intensity action, and the series lives up to the expectation. with enough action sequences in 50-minute episodes. French thrillers airing on Netflix are generally captivating, full of suspense, action, steamy frolics, and a decent storyline all in all.

The story depicts a thief and a robber who get their hands dirty as they become embroiled in a dark turf battle between drug dealers

A second series? Let’s hope so.

S55 year-old Sami  is a two-time césar award winning French-Tunisian actor who has been active in France since 1991.
Tracy is a 25 year old French actress

Survival of the …

Why many UK independent producers are fighting for survival in the new “wild west” https://www.screendaily.com/features/why-many-uk-independent-producers-are-fighting-for-survival-in-the-new-wild-west/5163039.article#.YUCSiba1NA0.twitt

At the same time, McVay points out that “business is not an egalitarian system… it’s about people trying to make money.” Why should the UK’s indie producers receive special treatment? To some, there is an obvious answer. They are an intrinsic part of a system that will eventually grind to a halt without them. As Kostense puts it: “Bigger films are made by people who started with smaller films. If those smaller films cannot be made any more, ultimately there will not be bigger films.”

Note: BIGGER FILMS ARE MADE BY PEOPLE WHO STARTED WITH SMALLER FILMS …

An excellent PBS series on WW2 followed by a good Netflix series …

COUNTDOWN TO SURRENDER- THE LAST 100 DAYSWITH THE BONUS THAT IT PUT THE NETFLIX MINI SERIES IN ITS RIGHT HISTORICAL CONTEXTTHE DEFEATED.

WC, FDR AND JS
Original drama with plenty of ‘secrets’ – obviously, harrowing in part, and an excellent cast Michael C Hall (pity about the tash though!), Logan Marshall-Green, Taylor Kitsch, Nina Hoss and Tuppence Middleton.