The Terror Within: Is Your Finger On The Trigger?

By Twylo Enmamud

June 12, 2016. 11:06am

I cried this morning when I first realized the extent of what had occurred at the Pulse night club in Orlando, Florida. Fifty people were shot and killed early this morning when a heavily armed assailant entered the club. There were an additional 53 casualties, many of which were critical, so the death toll has most certainly risen since then. This was the deadliest mass shooting in the history of the United States.  Pulse is a gay night club frequented by members of the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) community.

I asked myself how could someone be raised with so little respect for human life that they could walk into a social arena with nearly 300 people and just open fire indiscriminately. Was this person hurt so badly at some point in their life that this was the only way they could release their anger? Was there some twisted ideology at work that led them to carry out this act? The extremity of this horrific act is just unfathomable to me.

This massacre, in any case, is the extreme end-result of bigotry and hatred toward a group of people that the assailant chose to classify as different from himself.  But it is also the build-up of all the little acts of prejudice that we, in general, inflict on each other every day; the little acts of terror that we carry out against our fellow-man.  It is the blossoming of hatred and evil that is watered by passing slurs such as “faggot,” and “homo,” and nourished by fundamentalist signs that proclaim “God hates Faggots.” It is the, perhaps well-meaning, result of chastising and demeaning your child because you think they might have homosexual tendencies.  It is the extreme end-result that proceeds from an unbalanced culture of machismo, where such issues as bullying and gay bashing are not adequately addressed, and where they are sometimes encouraged.  All of those little acts of terror, that many of us take part in and/or “write off” every day, they all build up until finally they explode in one extreme act carried out by a susceptible assailant fueled with hatred and disrespect for human life.

The individual who shouts out derogatory remarks, or demeans, or makes threats at any gay or LGBT individual should know that they are taking part in, that they are fueling, the acts of extremism that occur such as this one in Florida.  It is the culmination off all your ignorance and petty hatred that gives the assailant justification to pull the trigger.  And this does not only apply in the case of crimes against LGBT people, but all segments of the population that face bigotry and hatred based on who and what they are.

Equally to blame is the religious extremism and fundamentalism, both within the culture of the United States and without. But what is really pathetic is how the media is immediately trying their best to make a connection between ISIS, and the tragic event that took place at Pulse.  Are we so much in denial that we cannot fathom the terror within?  Must any terrorist act now be directly related to ISIS? The stance of the media and of many media-controlled Americans seems to be “If ISIS was not involved; if this incident was ‘American bread,’ then it was not an ‘act of terrorism;’ it has to be something else.”  And in that case, the media machine immediately begins to propagate excuses; “the shooter was mentally disturbed,” or “he was on medication,” or “he came from a broken home.” The excuses and justifications go on and on.

The National Post posted this ignorant comment in regards to the investigation:

“Police described him as ‘organized and well prepared,’ in an early morning press conference and are probing possible links to terrorism.”

“possible” links to terrorism  – seriously?  So, what they are saying here indirectly is that it does not qualify as a “terrorist” act if it was not carried out by ISIS or some group from outside of the country.  The media is always very careful not to present the actions of Americans as terrorism in any way. America can only be the “victim” of terrorism.  But make no mistake, this was indeed an act of terror, and whether it came from within or without is secondary to the tragic event itself.

It’s a very sad situation, and I can already see the presidential nominees trying to somehow work it into their campaigns.  Clearly Donald Trump will have a more difficult time of this since most of his campaigning, to begin with, is geared toward the part of the American population that is steeped in ignorance, bigotry, intolerance and hatred toward groups of people who are not like them.  These are the very same ideals at work which allowed this assailant, whom authorities have identified as, Omar Mateen, to carry out the worse mass shooting in the history of the United States.

I sincerely hope, though I think it may be in vain, that this incident does not encourage members of the LGBT community to “pick up arms” psychologically and politically and join the sham “War On Terror” that the media so loves to espouse; or worse, that our community does not become further divided by projecting our anger onto our Muslim or Middle-Eastern brothers and sisters.  We cannot let the actions of one extreme individual or group divide us or darken our hearts towards others.  If that happens then we will be no better than those who stand against us, or the assailant who pulled the trigger.

Pulse night club in happier times

‘Get On Up’ And Go See This Movie!

Director: Tate Taylor

“You special. Yo’ mama’s a no account fool, daddy too, but you ain’t gonna be. You gonna be okay. One day, everybody gonna know your name.”

– Aunt Honey

 

by Twylo Enmamud

James Brown as a boy, played by twins, Jamarion & Jordan Scott. (But don’t ask me which one this is!)

My earliest memories of James Brown are from when I was a child perhaps no more than seven or eight years old. I remember my mother having parties in our basement at our house in Laurelton, Queens. James Brown was perhaps the biggest thing as far as dance music. I remember my older brother, Bunzzie, standing out because he would always be dancing, and all our relatives would be cheering him on. He had no problem ‘getting on the good foot.’ They would encourage me to dance as well, but my brother always had the spotlight, and I, already being a reserved child, was a bit intimidated. I would sometimes go to the floor and do some mediocre step that I copied from my favorite aunt, Minnie, who wasn’t much of a dancer herself, but it would be nothing to compared to my brother. And so I shied away from that spotlight in general. Back then, I knew the music of James Brown because everyone was into it, but as a child, I didn’t truly have a personal appreciation for more than a couple if his songs. It

James Brown and Mick Jagger at a concert circa 1964.

was not until I was older, till I was well on the way into adulthood that I began to truly feel the music that this man had created; till I began to appreciate the genius of James Brown, and how his music influenced so much that came after. But even then, I did not know his personal story. I did not know the man behind the music.

‘Get On Up,’ was produced by Mick Jagger, who met and was influenced by James Brown very early in his career.  Jagger

Chadwick Boseman performs as James Brown.

was also the musical director for this film,

and with it, he has given me, and I am sure, many others, an even greater appreciation of James Brown.

This movie was excellent, and done in very good taste. Chadwick Boseman not only played the part, he channeled James Brown. It was a masterful embodiment; a consummate feat of acting and

showmanship.

Get On Up is a thoughtfully executed film; a well-tempered mix of entertainment, drama, social commentary and even an occasional dash of humor. It is both heartfelt and inspirational. Even the title itself, which comes from one of Mr. Brown’s hits from 1970 – “Get Up,” is a call to act; an invitation to rouse oneself from lethargy.
The movie progresses from James’ younger years as a boy living in a small shack of a house with his mother and abusive father, all the

Octavia Spencer as Aunt Honey, consoles a young James Brown after he is disavowed by his mother.

way up to the eighties when he makes a comeback after being incarcerated for a time. It makes stops along the way at the most pivotal points in his life and career, but always harks back to the formative years of his childhood; to the crucible in which James Brown, the man, was forged.
There were amazing performances besides Cadwick Boseman’s James brown as well. Most memorable was Octavia Spencer as Aunt Honey, whom young James was dropped off with after his father decided to join the army,

Viola Davis plays James Brown’s mother, who seeks him out once he becomes famous.

and his mother had already deserted he and his father. Aunt Honey ran a bordello that was frequented by the young men in the armed services. Young James would help out by going out in the streets and advertising her services to potential customers.

Another great performances was given by Viola Davis who played James’ mother; a character that we end up being totally disgusted by, but who is none the less well-played.

Nelsan Ellis plays Bobby Byrd, James Brown’s best friend and right-hand man. I spent almost half of the movie trying to figure out where I knew him from, and then it hit me; this was Lafayette, the character from the HBO series, True Blood!
It is Bobby who first recognizes James’ potential, and is in a position to give him exposure. They meet in a prison where James has been incarcerated, and Bobby has come to put on a gospel

Nelsan Ellis as Bobby Byrd.

show with his group, which would later become The Famous Flames. Bobby manages to get him paroled from a five-to-thirteen year sentence which James has incurred for stealing a man’s suit. Although Bobby is the front man of his group, he senses intrinsically that James Brown was born to bask in the light, and graciously steps to the side.
And so begins Mr. Brown’s inevitable rise to fame.
Other notable performances were given by Dan Aykroyd, who plays James’ trusted manager, Ben Bart; and Jill Scott who plays James’ second wife, DeeDee Brown.

Twins, Jamarion and Jordan Scott give heart-tugging performances in their portrayal of the boy, James Brown.   I think that Children sometimes make the best actors in that they have the natural capacity to throw themselves fully, and without reservations, into the characters they play.

Nelsan Ellis (l.) and Chadwick Boseman (c.) perform in “Get On Up.”

Get On Up brings together a sublimely talented ensemble of actors who work wonderfully well with each other. I can see this movie garnishing at least three Oscars.

I could go on and on heaping the sincerest praise upon this film, but I think you get the idea!

I give Get On Up five stars:

Love Is Strange: A Movie Review

 

Director: Ira Sachs

                                         by Twylo Enmamud
This movie is special to me for three reasons; the first being that I am actually in it. It’s just a small non-speaking background part, but I can be seen as a guest in two scenes that come very early in the film; Ben and George’s wedding, and their reception.
The second reason is because I was granted the opportunity through media connections to see an early pre-release screening of the movie — thank you, TJ! The official release date of Love Is Strange is Friday, August 22nd.
And last, but not least; from a purely objective perspective [insert smiley face] it is a good film!
Love is strange is the story of life-long partners Ben (played by John Lithgow) and George (played by Alfred Molina) who, after being together for 39 years, are finally able to outwardly express their commitment to each other when the laws are changed allowing same-sex couples to marry. They have a lovely garden wedding, and a reception in their cozy apartment with a few of their relatives and close friends from over the years. Everything seems to be going well until George, who is their main breadwinner, loses his job; well, not so much loses it, as he is fired from it. George is the director of the music department at a distinguished catholic school.

The administration knows that he is gay, and has been with his partner, Ben, for years, but when word of his marriage gets around to the archdiocese, he is suddenly, and without fanfare terminated from his position.

Alfred Molina (l.) and John Lithgow (r.) take their vows as George & Ben.

 

Being a religious and humble man, George is not inclined to “act up” over his loss. While he does express his profound disappointment to the principle, he takes it on the cheek, and walks away. After firing

him, the principle professes his hope that this does not lessen George’s faith in God, and invites him to pray together before he leaves the office. George affirms that it is not his faith in God that he has lost, and summarily rejects the principles offer, stating that he would prefer to pray alone.

George gets the news that he is fired.

George’s husband, Ben, is an artist, albeit a “not very successful” one, who also collects a pension.  And although George does get a few extra bucks from teaching piano lessons after he is fired, their combined income is not enough for them to sustain the tax obligations on the condo they share in Manhattan’s West Village. They are forced to sell at a ridiculously low profit, and make alternative living arrangements till

they can find a new place.  None of their

Family and friends of Ben and George meet to discuss living arrangements for the pair.

relatives or friends can accommodate both of them together, so Ben ends up staying with his nephew Elliot, who lives in an average-sized two bedroom apartment with his wife Kate, and their son, Joey. Ben has to share a bedroom with Joey where he gets the bottom of the bunk bed.

The apartment is of course too small for them to all co/exist without starting to get on one another’s nerves.  As Ben puts it, in a telephone conversation with his wayward spouse, “When you live with people, you know them better than you care to.”

George ends up in an equally (if not more) nerve-racking situation when he moves in with

friends; a gay couple who live in the same building where he and Ben had their apartment. Ted and

Marisa Tomei as Kate tries to wake up Ben so that her son, Joey, can have some privacy in his room.

Roberto (played respectively by Cheyenne Jackson and Manny Perez) are both cops who are in their late twenties. They often have impromptu get-togethers, parties, and loud game nights where they enthusiastically play Dungeons And Dragons, much to the chagrin of George who is in his sixties and used to a much more calm and quiet lifestyle. One night George gets so frustrated over the situation that he runs over to Elliot’s apartment in the rain crying and seeking the comfort of his husband’s arms. In the process he displaces an already disgruntled Joey to the living room sofa for the night.

Through these tenuous living arrangements director, Ira Sachs explores three generations of relationships, and their varying outlooks on life, love, friendship and making a living in a city that can often be uncompromising and unforgiving.
Alfred Molina and John Lithgow have an easy rapport with each other, and they are very

Charlie Tahan as Joey, looks on as uncle Ben paints a portrait of his best buddy, Vlad, played by Eric Tabach.

believable as the married couple George and Ben. But due to the plot twist of them having to live separately, I don’t think we see them interacting with one another enough to get a really visceral sense of their relationship. Although their feelings for one another were clearly portrayed, I found myself wanting to know more about the ins and outs of their daily life together. But perhaps this is just a matter of the director’s personal choice or style. Ira Sachs has said that he prefers the asthetic use of innuendo at times

Marisa Tomei and Darren Burrows and married couple, Kate and Elliot, share a “not so intimate” moment.

instead of displaying all the graphic details in front of your face. Indeed, there are times in Love is Strange where the “technicality” of transition is forgone, and we are left suddenly with the outcome.

One such scene comes when we know that Ben and George can no longer afford the up-keep of their condo, and their future is uncertain – cut to scene of seventy-seven year old Ben waking up and climbing out of the lower section of the bunk bed he now shares with Joey. (problem solved) It sort of works –in a comical way– with this particular scene, and Sachs clearly gets across his point, but I found the results of this “cut to the chase” technique to be a bit jarring at other times.  I don’t wont to give too much of the story away, so I wont go into detail on this minor point.

But over-all, Love Is Strange is beautifully done. It is accompanied by a soundtrack that is almost

George giving a private piano lesson.

exclusively Chopin. And while this does seem to strike the right chords, I felt that the volume could have been moderated more thoughtfully at times.

Darren Burrows and Marisa Tomei put in top-notch performances as Elliot and Kate, who, in addition to having their own marital problems and having to contend with the difficulties of raising adolescent, angst-ridden son, Joey, must now also accommodate uncle Ben.
The character, Joey, played sullenly by young Charlie Tahan, seems to be the most put upon in the film. He is resentful that his privacy has been invaded, and that he has to share his room with “uncle Ben.“ And he makes no attempt to mask his annoyance. There is a scene where his best buddy, Vlad (Eric Tabach), comes over to study, but ends up on the rooftop with Ben, posing for a painting. Joey walks into the scene, annoyed, and criticizes the painting remarking, “Oh, that’s so gay.” He then insults Ben’s artistic skills,

That’s me on the left with my friend Joanna and another actor on the set of Love Is Strange. This is a still from a short, funny video on the experience of being a background actor. Click on the picture!

and storms off in a huff. But beneath the surface, Ira Sachs’ seems to insinuate that there may be more to Joey‘s acting out than his annoyance at being inconvenienced. It may be that Joey is trying to come to terms with his own burgeoning sexual identity, and having his gay uncle constantly around is forcing him to face the issue head on.

Love Is Strange is definitely a movie that I would recommend, and not only because I’m in it. [insert winky face]

I give Love Is Strange 4 stars:

Superman Begins: The Man Of Steel Gets “Nolanized”

Director: Zack Snyder

By Twylo Enmamud

Christopher Nolan has brought another superhero down to Earth (pun intended). It seems he takes delight in humanizing our otherwise idolatrized superheroes, and in doing so, makes them more accessible; a model we can more easily aspire to emulate. Jonathan Kent (Kevin Costner) tells his young adopted son Clark (the future Superman) at one point that each of us has it within ourselves to be a hero, that you don’t have to have special powers to do good.

But don’t get me wrong, here, this movie was actually directed by Zack Snyder of Watchmen, and 300 fame. But even though Christopher Nolan was just the producer, you can see his hand in it very clearly; the master puppeteer behind the scenes.

Kryptonite, the one infernal weakness of Superman is never introduced in this movie. The word is not spoken at all. Instead, our hero, at a crucial moment, is shielded from that which gives him strength, from that which inspires him on a biological level, our Sun, and even the Earth herself.
With the Man Of Steel, Nolan/Snyder attempts to penetrate the nearly indestructible physical shell to reveal the heart of the man in red and blue. Here we find the child who just wants to fit in; but he can never completely fit in because, as he is fully aware, he is different from the rest. Early on, Clark ( Cooper Timberline) becomes aware that he is physically far “superior” to the kids around him.

Cooper Timberline, plays a young Clark Kent with his dog.

He is perhaps ten times as strong; his hearing is equally enhanced, and his vision is so acute that it can actually penetrate objects better than an x-ray. One might initially think these abilities would be Super cool to discover, but, in a stroke of genius, Nolan turns these super abilities against the young boy, Clark. When he is first besieged by these abilities, he cannot control them. The visions of the innards of others, of flesh and organs, and blood and skeleton are terrifying to Clark, who does not know how to stop them at first. His hearing picks up every little thing (clocks ticking, water dripping, birds chirping, chalk screeching, people whispering and laughing) and amplifies it all at once. Our young Clark is assaulted by an inescapably maddening orgy of sight and sound and seeks the temporary shelter of a dark quiet closet.

And so there is a learning curve involved with the advent of new abilities. I could not help but think that Nolan is perhaps drawing an analogy here to the governing body of our own country and unscrupulous use of surveillance cameras, wire tapping, drones and other hi-tech. Have we successfully passed the learning curve, or is all this capability driving us mad? And in what

Dylan Sprayberry saves the day as Clark at age 13.

primeval closet might we seek shelter, should it all become too much.

Nolan, in typical Nolan style, also plays on the dark side of human/super-human nature.  In another flashback to a point where Clark (Dylan Sprayberry) is thirteen, we find him on the school bus with a bunch of his fellow students.  Clark is being taunted and pushed by some of the student bullies when suddenly a tire blows out and the driver loses control.  The bus careens pass the road-guard, off a bend and plunges

Harrison Ford (l.) as Jonathan Kent councils Young Clark on the dangers of revealing his special abilities

headlong into a river. The bus begins to sink, and the cabin floods with water as the screaming kids struggle in vain to escape.  An onlooker calls for help on his phone then watches helplessly as the bus totally goes under. Clark, who has always been told by his father that the world was not ready to know who he is and that he should never to use his powers in front of others, experiences a dilemma; should he uses his powers to save the other kids on the bus, and risk exposure, or should he keep his secret in tact, and just let nature take its course. He hesitates momentarily, but then after watching the other kids (including young Lana) struggle to make their way to the ceiling of the bus to get what little air is left, he steps into action. Clark rips open the emergency door in the back, then goes out side the bus and pushes it out of the water and safely onto the shore. Some of the kids see what he does.  He then goes back under the water, and emerges moments later with the ring-leader (Jack Foley) of the bullies in tow.  Later, the mother of the bully that Clark saved pays a visit to the Kent

Russell Crowe (l.) and Ayelet Zurer (r.) as Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van, Superman’s parents, cradle their new-born child.

residence.  She rambles on about how her son saw what Clark did to save the others, and how it is a miracle, and how it was not just her son who witnessed it.

Jonathan and Martha Kent (played by Diane Lane), of course, downplay the entire event, attributing the “miracle” the traumatized kids’ over-active imaginations. Jonathan goes to talk to his son about what happened and chastises him for using his abilities in front of others. When Clark asks him “What was I supposed to do, just let them die,” Jonathan seems conflicted for a moment, then answers, “Maybe…”

I don’t want to give too much away on this point, so, suffice it to say that Nolan

General Zod, ( Michael Shannon) and his fellow conspirators stand trial on Krypton.

does not give us a pristine Superman with unsoiled hands, but one with his own short-comings, his own internal kryptonite, who has to make very tough choices with lasting consequences. Nolan’s choice for the title of this movie, “Man of Steel,” rather than something with “Superman,” in the title seems to be a reflection of his intent to bring Superman’s more human qualities to the surface.

A substantial part of this movie is actually about Superman’s home-planet, Krypton and the state of affairs that leads to the planet’s eminent destruction. Nolan gives us more background on Krypton, and, true to form, he uses it as a parallel to warn us of the evils of technology and its

Superman turns himself over to the authorities to avoid Earth’s destruction by General Zod’s forces.

misguided use in our own society. For centuries, the Kryptonians had tapped into their planet’s core, using it as an energy source. When Man Of Steel begins, the depletion of Krypton’s core has reached a critical stage where the planet can no longer sustain itself.

Jor-El (played commendably by Russell Crowe), a scientist, and father of the infant, Kal-El (the future Superman) has tried for years in vain to warn krypton’s governing body of the impending disaster, but they do not listen until it is too late.

Nolan’s Krypton is a planet who’s population is completely controlled by genetic engineering. Even before they are “born” every individual is genetically predisposed to carry out a particular

Amy Adams (l.) as Lois Lane, and Henry Cavill (c.) as Superman are taken aboard an alien vessel by Faora-Ul ( Antje Traue).

function in society; whether it be scientist, artist, soldier, teacher, or whatever.

Children are no longer given birth to by their mothers, but are gestated on what might be described as “farms” which were visually depicted in a very similar way to the growth pods in the movie, “The Matrix.”

Kal-El (the future Superman) unlike his fellow-Kryptonians, is born by natural child-birth. He is the first child that has not been genetically engineered on Krypton in hundreds of years. His parents, Jor-El and

Superman and Lois Lane share a tender moment.

Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer) keep his birth a secret. Ayelet Zurer, by the way does a great job in her role. She is a capable actor with a powerful screen presence.

The villain in this movie, General Zod (played quite zealously at times by Michael Shannon), is also delved into more deeply than in previous Superman movies. We begin to see what went into making him the person that he is. Zod was engineered to be a soldier and a leader whose basic instinct is to protect his people at any cost. This leads to his ultimate confrontation with the Man Of Steel, who as it turns out is the key to the future survival of the Kryptonian race.

Superman/Clark Kent is played by Henry Cavill, whom you might remember as Theseus from the movie Immortals a couple of years back. And although he is the main character in the movie, he

Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, editor in chief of The Daily Planet.

doesn’t actually have that many lines; or at least not that many dramatic ones. There are plenty of fight scenes (some of which might go on a little longer than necessary) and there are some moments of introspection, but his character is low on dialogue; the strong silent type, and the rest of the movie sort of revolves around him. So, his character may not be as accessible in this regard as Nolan may have intended. But hey, he is Superman – “nuff said,” I suppose. Henry Cavill does have a

Jonathan Kent reveals Clark Kent’s true origins to him.

certain screen presence, though. He is good looking, and has the best physique of any superman I’ve seen on screen.
Other note-worthy performances include reporter, and love interest of superman, Lois Lane, (played by Amy Adams), and

editor in chief of the Daily Planet newspaper, Perry White (played by the, always dependable, and ever exuberant, Laurence Fishburne)
I liked this take on Superman, and as always, Christopher Nolan has given us a meaningful and thoughtful story. Being a comic book fan, I think I might like to see Christopher Nolan take on the X-Men one day!

I give Man Of Steel 3 ½ stars: