End of Watch, A Crimefile News Film Review

Los Angeles, CA—Where better than in the City of Angels could it be to see a film about LAPD cops?

I have to warn you that this film is very violent and may give sensitive types, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  The title says it all.  End of Watch or EOW, is standard police jargon to signify an officer’s sudden death on the job.

The film is gritty and from the point of view of cops armed with various high definition video cameras and well as their sidearms.  Most of the video is shot with handheld cameras rather than using tripods.  It’s like the TV series COPS but on steroids.

This story centers around two young cops in the very busy Southwest Division of the LAPD.  These two lads are just starting families and their spouses are no small part of the film.

This was written and directed by, David Ayer.  The writing, directing, acting and casting are as good as it gets.  You will immediately fall in love with the teriffic smile of actress Anna Kendrick (Janet) as I did.

The two co-leading men are Jake Gyllenhaal (Brian) and Michael Pena (Mike).  The second wife is Gabby is played by Natalie Martinez

When I say the film is violent and often heartbreaking it is indeed.  I don’t care how tired you are you’ll never doze of during this film  

It compacts all of the most violent events of lets say a 15-20 year career in a busy police district just into two hours. 

The cast and crew have captured the personalities and attitudes of real cops and there spouses.   Of course the use of cop’s personal cameras would be frowned upon in a big way, but times and technology are changing at breakneck speed.  Many cops whip out their IPhones these days to capture the some of the amazing images they come across.

My cop friends and readers  will enjoy the film and many will relive similar events of their own careers. 

Anyone applying for a police officer’s position after seeing this film should be carefully examined for obvious mental defect.

Here is a trailer for End of Watch:

If you're in Chicago, Catch this Great Show!

Chicago, IL—In the Windy City live theater is legendary. Tonight and for the next month theatergoers are in for a treat.  My talented friend, Jack Fry brought his show there.  Take from me this will be a night out to remember.  The show is, They Call Me Mr. Fry.  It's playing for the next four weekends at Stage 773 on Belmont Ave. http://www.stage773.com/Now-Playing

Jack Fry is a real Los Angeles, inner-city, substitute, fifth grade school teacher.  This is about his first year in what would best be described as somewhat of a combat zone.  In fact the teachers get paid extra for the challenges there.

What Jack Fry does in his production is relive the culture shock, fears, hopes, and dreams along with the lives involved in his teaching experience for the audience.

Fry delivers a commanding performance as he takes you through school district’s bureaucratic political correctness gone bonkers.   Fry enters a world of gangs, violence, neglect, heartbreak and poverty to capture the attention of his students, long enough to teach them. 

Fry’s show has a similar theme to that touching 60’s film with Sidney Poitier, To Sir With Love.  The difference it’s Fry that becomes all of the characters in his story.  The laughter, anger, tears and joy are amazingly similar between these two theatrical works.

Fry is the natural target of everyone’s wrath, punishment and surprises.  Fry teaches these difficult children, but it’s Fry who learns the most important lessons.

Fry realizes a shocking discovery that he spends more time with some of the children and knows them better than their own parents.

If I have a gripe about teachers is that so many of them duck, run and simply mark time until they retire.  They are not inspired and have no ability to inspire anyone else.

Teachers must be first class showmen and women.  How else can you keep the attention of students long enough to transfer that all-important educational information?

I challenge anyone to name more than a handful of teachers that were ever inspiring to him or her.  I personally view the American teaching profession as mired in a world of seniority, tenure, unions and abject mediocrity.

Fry’s students are indeed lucky because he’s a born showman.  He has a charismatic gift to hold his student’s attention to pass on the information they desperately need to break the chains of poverty.

This show is a, must see for parents, teachers, and politicians everywhere.
When you go wait after the show and meet Jack and be sure to tell him I said hello. 

Here is a trailer to enjoy:

Video Vigilantes and The Romney Campaign, a Sign of the Times

Los Angeles, CA—Back when the mainstream media had money the sensational hidden camera story was all the rage.  Ambiguous privacy laws, deep pockets and lawyers changed the game, at least for well-healed broadcasters.

The days of big broadcasters using hidden cameras has ended because of the omnipresent specter of expensive litigation.

The landmark case that changed everything was in 1992 when ABC News, PrimeTime Live did a revealing hidden video exposé of the Food Lion supermarket chain’s really disgusting meat marketing deeds.

Food Lion was selling outdated meat to unsuspecting shoppers.  ABC claimed the practice was a health hazard but allowed six months to pass before airing their story for the industry sweeps time.  I guess it wasn’t that serious of a health threat after all.

It’s a safe bet that Food Lion would never have let ABC News come unannounced in with cameras, inspectors and reporters to show the public what they were actually buying.  ABC News understood that and went in another more sensational direction.  

ABC resorted to a clandestine route of deception, concealment and, of course the sneakycam.  They infiltrated Food Lion with reporters, spooks and spies to gather news and make history.

The truth is always a defense against libel.  Cameras seldom lie and wining a libel award over a hidden camera piece would be unprecedented. 

As it turned out this was not about libel or for that matter the truth.  Instead it was about trespass, deceptive acts and invasion of privacy.

Food Lion went to their lawyers who sued ABC and obtained a $5.5 Million jury verdict.

How does this impact today’s citizen journalist, blogger or the opportunist that uses a concealed IPhone or similar device to capture what might turn out to be a regrettable conversation or performance?

ABC News had really deep pockets, insurance and assets that Food Lion’s lawyers were confident in seizing.  Had some small group of video vigilantes done the same thing, the lawyers would have had zero interest in pursuing Food Lion’s claims. 

I’m not saying that Food Lion or anyone could not sue a citizen journalist, it just would be burdensome and a giant time waster.  If they did prevail no jury would return such a large verdict against some vigilante with a camera.

Collecting even tiny judgments against ordinary folks can be very challenging or even impossible. 

There are however laws in various states, about gathering audio or video that can be quite draconian and punitive.  Citizen journalists must be very careful not to wind up charged with wiretapping type crimes.

The hidden camera investigations are again making headlines.  

The Mitt Romney Campaign my have picked up several million new votes from his apparently candid remarks.  Most Conservative voters could find little difference between Obama and Romney.  Now they may take a chance in voting for a Liberal Republican.  The effort to cripple the Romney campaign may have backfired!

Carice van Houten is a Singing Sensation!

Amsterdam, The Netherlands—In this incredibly beautiful city there is no shortage of art, entertainment or excitement.  It’s a natural place for the terrific actress, singer and world-class entertainer, Carice van Houten  who is a child of Holland.   

I fell in love with Carice’s many talents when she starred in the Paul Verhoeven Film, Black Book.  I expect this incredible and exciting young woman to be getting an Oscar bound film role any day.   

Carice completed a brand new album, See You On The Ice which is due to be released on ITunes on September 28.  

Carice was a guest on a Dutch DJ’s radio show and sang two selections from her album.  This sneak peek was a real treat for me to watch and now I must pass her on to you!

At the very top of my Bucket List is winning a video interview of Carice for this blog! Somehow I think that will happen when I'm in Amsterdam or Carice is in L.A.

Black Book is available on Blu-Ray at Amazon.com.

It’s Obama’s Failed Leadership, Not a Bad Movie Trailer Behind the Latest Mideast Violence.

These two are the problem, not a solution... 

Los Angeles, CA—The Internet is loaded with vitriol, blasphemous, and hateful text, images and video that is offensive towards Islam.  That crappy, low budget film trailer is only a drop in the bucket in the scheme of things.

For many practitioners of Islam, wife beating, child molestation, bigamy along with mass murder is acceptable.  

I’m no expert on Islam or what its teachings inspire.  I am however like all of us an observer of the absolute horror, death and destruction has been brought to the world in the name of Islam.  

It only makes sense that the irrational and monstrous acts of some Muslims offend civilized people everywhere.   Their simple and expected reaction is to reject Islam and Muslims. 

Along the way there will be satire, disrespect and hatred expressed in reaction to murder, bombing and evil unleashed by these Muslims.  That insignificant film trailer is only a microcosm of the anti-Muslim hate and generated by their never-ending so-called jihads.

In recent decades rather than develop our own energy resources we have unleashed a tidal wave of money on Muslim savages living in the 13^th Century.   They have since become a massive threat to the entire world.  We don’t seem to learn from any of our past redundant mistakes.

We need to withdraw all of our interests from these nations that hate us.  We need to simply stop sending them money or our precious grain.  

Any nation that allows the use aggression against us or our allies simply needs to be bombed right back into the Stone Age.

Barack Obama has thrown American tax money at these criminals like water.  He has apologized and bowed to every Muslim tribal leader he could.  All we get is more Americans murdered in return.

These nasty, violent and oppressive nations see the USA as a nation ripe for extortion.  They threaten us and Obama simply hands them more money.  They have been laughing at Obama and his minions.  These Muslims don’t respect anything but superior firepower.  We need to drop bombs, not money on them.

Our Mideast wars have exceeded Viet Nam in longevity and cost.  Like in that conflict we failed to use our might and gained nothing for our efforts.  It’s time to withdraw forever from the Mideast adventures.

We need to drill for oil everywhere inside the United States and build new refineries.  We certainly need these jobs in our own bankrupt economy. 

Obama has not done a single thing beyond making millions more Americans dependent, needy and idle. 

It’s Obama and his minions that have made America the target of violence, not some clown running a “Z” list film studio in L.A.

We can blame Bush and Congress for getting us into this mess but Obama has not done a single thing to reverse the insanity.

This is not mere incompetence on Obama’s part.  It’s corruption and Treason.  Obama is out to Destroy America and must be stopped cold.  Obama is a dangerous enemy to all Americans.