I was listening to the radio last night and the topic of discussion on 567 was African movies.
A very interesting discussion and it got me thinking about how allergic I tend to be towards South African movies. How unpatriotic! But somehow I just can not help it. I do not like our own movies. Not that I am into the mainstream formula Hollywood flicks either, I am not… maybe… we… I will watch anything by Steven Spielberg, does not matter what it is and I suppose you can not get more Hollywood than Steven Spielberg. Shit, there goes my high ground.
But what is my issue with South African movies? I love Australian/New Zealand movies (whale rider had me doing the ugly cry), I love Asian movies and Mexican and and and. I loved City of God, I love Robert Rodriguez, I love Pedro Almodóvar. I will not watch National Lampoon movies, I will not watch Saw III, I will not watch James Bond. What the fuck am I saying, I can actually, watch anything if I am not paying for it and have no choice.
I find it difficult to pay to watch SA movies. I need to examine this more fully and hopefully change this and start supporting our home-grown ‘local is kreker’ movies.
I mean, I would consider Cry the Beloved Country as my favourite African movie, but how African is it with James Earl Jones and Richard Harris? I suppose I love the movie because I love the book. Iqopo is one place I need to visit before I die!
I was not blown away by Tsotsi (and I did pay to see this one), I was not blown away by Sarafina, I still have not seen yesterday (has it been on sabc yet?). Anyway, you get my drift.
In the radio show last night they were saying how the past few years have been really great for SA cinema with 6 movies coming out of 2006 (this is suppose to be plenty). But they said that we have a lot to look forward to with these new releases coming out. I will make a point to see at least one, and pay for it myself. And it will not be a Leon Schuster movie.
Brokensword
2 comments:
Argh. I hate Leon Schuster movies.
I wasn't blown away by Tsotsi either. I liked that girl though - she was hot. Terry - yeh that's her. I thought she was the best out of the lot.
Did you not like Hotel Rwanda? Lots of African's there - none of them lead actors though. Eish.
I loved Hotel Rwanda - I thought it was good - so tragic.
Didn't like Yesterday either. Nje Leleti struggles a bit I think. But I enjoyed Sarafina at the time. Key word being enyoyed. Loved singing along - still do sometimes (often to mock it). You remember those - "they put me in a dark room" types. Eish. Yah.
Can't think of anything else. Can't remember if I watched that Benoni movie with all the comedians...either I didn't watch it or it was bad - and I can't remember.
There's that Bunny Chow movie that we hope to see one day - if Numetro/SterKinekor decide to show it.
I need a movie for tonight.
Suggest something Brokensword (BS)
Eish, tonight is gone. But if you want to see an 'African Cotext' but veruy much Hollywood movie you should see Black Hawk Down. In the current situation with Bush bombing Ethiopia, and all it really is very interesting and violent and tragic etc.
I hate Leon Schuster as well, but when his movie is on I will watch it if there is nothing else to watch.
On the radio show, the Sterkinikor woman said that they would be distributing Bunny Chaw. So look out for it.
I think as south african though as film makers we are really really great at making documentaries. I love SA documentaries. I think there are so many SA stories out there and the documentary medium is just the best way of telling them.
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