Burst

The Kitties are bursting today!

(Illustration Friday: September 14, 2012)

Book

For The Kitties, storytime is one of the best parts of the day. Books are good!

(Illustration Friday: September 28, 2012) 

Happy birthday, Sting!

Hi everyone,

Wish Sting a happy birthday today and listen to some of his excellent tunes!

Sting with The Police at Bonnarro, 2007, © unknown, courtesy of Stereogum.com

I just spent hours on YouTube watching a bunch of different Sting performances, and it made me want to post at least 50 videos. I really could not make any decisions.

Luckily, I got a happy song in my head that surpassed these distractions. (And I just learned how to post music files on my blog!) "I Was Brought to My Senses" always inspires me and leaves me in a good mood. Enjoy!

© Sting, from Mercury Falling (Yeah, I love this entire album, start to finish. Thanks, Sting!)  

OK, now you can go blast "Roxanne" and jump around to really get the party started. (I highly recommend it.)

Best,

Happy Autumn!

Hi everyone,

I'm drawing in slow motion lately, but I'm chipping away at a few new pieces. They'll be posted in the next week.

To get started, with the change of the seasons, I thought I'd spruce up Melissa's Kitties with a new blog banner. What do you think of it?

Although, I meant to make a small image, it turned into a full-pager. Here's the finished product:

(Autumn blog banner: September 27, 2012)

Look over here!
Some other updates are included in my blog's sidebar:

• After a few months of reading nothing but magazines, I'm finally eager to pick up a book again. Amid the negative, nonstop talk about the impending election and state of the country, I hope A Reason to Believe by Deval Patrick will keep me optimistic. I haven't started it yet, but I'm on it!

• Below my book selection, if you haven't noticed before, I list my favorite recently watched movies. Because updating this movie list has been sporadic at best, I'm now making it a monthly routine. I'll update it on the first of each month, noting my favorites from the previous month. Catch August's picks while you can. I'll update it with September's choices October 1. (How is it October already?!)

• Scroll down a bit more and you'll see a few links to my "popular posts." It appears that Johnny Kitties will always have that title in the bag! (Of course.) Thanks for visiting, Johnny Fans! 

Old news is new again.

I updated one of my posts from earlier this month: In my tribute post to animator Chuck Jones, I added links to the list of my favorite cartoons, something I meant to do the first time around. Please revisit my post here and enjoy! 

Also, I mentioned last month that I'll be celebrating Gene Kelly's with a new blog series. I still plan to do so! But I'm finding it hard to get started when I'm still in the middle of Johnny Kitties. (I have about 15 Johnny Movies to go!) While I have plenty of ideas in my head for this project, getting them on paper is proving more difficult. Considering my day job and my need for sleep, I may not get to these drawings until next year. While I wanted to join in on the fun of Gene's centennial celebration this year, I think his wife, Patricia Ward Kelly, has that covered. Look for Kelly Kitties: Celebrating Gene Kelly in 2013! 

That's all for now. As always, thanks for visiting!

Best,

Museum Feasts for the Eyes and Ears

Hi everyone,

I put down my markers and got out of the apartment this month to see some nearby exhibits. Once I heard that The Art of Video Games exhibit at the American Art Museum was hands on, I had to go! But, since a bunch of little kids were swarming around Pac-Man, I didn't end up playing.

Instead, I traveled through the 40-year history of video games. Although my 8-year-old nephew sometimes pulls me into a random game on wii, he knows how to use it better than I ever could. I think the last video game I played well was Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade for Windows, so this exhibit was mostly a journey in foreign territory.

It was really fun too! Entering the exhibit was a bit like entering an arcade – remember arcades? – with the same kind of noise and lighting, but you get used to it. One room included actual artwork, such as drawings of game characters, a timeline of the technological advances of video graphics, and a fascinating video that filmed the facial expressions of individuals as they played these games. In the next room, Pac-Man wasn't the only game you could play yourself. You could also play Super Mario Brothers and three other games I'd never heard of – Monkey Island, Myst, and Flower. (Am I showing my age?)

The next room spanned the history of video games from its beginning in the '70s. Tall columns, organized by playing device – from Atari to PlayStation – each displayed images of four games. You could push buttons to hear the history and impact of each one. I was most excited to see Space Invaders in the Atari display. I loved shooting at those aliens. Those were the days....

Earlier in the month, I toured the Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power exhibit at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. This exhibit, organized by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, was Cyndi Lauper's idea: When she visited the rock hall in Cleveland, she asked, "Where are the women?" This exhibit answers that call, highlighting the role of women in rock history and celebrating how they made their mark.

Lady Gaga's childhood piano and mementos.

It's a cheery, colorful, mini Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the girls. As you stroll through to the tunes of all the women being celebrated, you'll find costumes, artifacts, hand-written lyrics, personal notebooks, and videos. The exhibit, which showcases the history of women's impact on music since the 1950s, provides short biographies of girl groups, songwriters, divas, and legends. On the walls, year-by-year timelines listing significant accomplishments by women in music were complemented by notes on what else was happening in the world at the time. These not only included world events but accomplishments by women (and men) outside of the music business.

I was happy to find that the exhibit not only focused on the music but also on how these powerful women were driven to do what they love. Everyone from Wanda Jackson and The Runaways to Aretha Franklin and Taylor Swift were included, showing that girl power was and is a force to be reckoned with.

Dresses! (Tina Turner's and Aretha Franklin's to be exact)

Of course, I loved all the clothes – Tina Turner's shimmery minidresses, Cyndi Lauper's red dress from the "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" video, a concert outfit of Gwen Stephanie's own design. My favorite exhibit case was Marianne Faithfull's. I don't know much about her or her music, but her silver bejeweled outfit was designed by Karl Lagerfeld, who creates all of her outfits. It must be nice to have the head/creative director of the House of Chanel as your friend. Aside from his work of art, there were other envious items in her case: two hand-written faxes from Keith Richards and an old photograph of her with David Bowie. I'm not a singer and don't play any instruments, but can I wear that dress and hang out with those people?

In conjunction with the museum, a slew of special events and workshops will be offered by Girls Rock! DC. This grassroots organization provides week-long camps for girls age 8 to 18 to support confidence, creativity, and a sense of community as they educate and showcase aspiring musicians. You can find information about the museum's Girls Rock! DC workshops here.

While there, I attended a Girls Rock! DC concert. Teen group, Bass be Louda DJ Crew, successfully transformed the museum's auditorium into a hopping club, inviting volunteers and the rest of the audience to dance by the stage. Downbeat Beatdown, a band of the organization's own founders and volunteers, also played their own compositions. But my favorite performance was by Nox, a band of four 12- to 14-year olds who follow in the footsteps of post-punk rockers. They had me with their cover of Blondie's cover of "Hangin' on the Telephone" and David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel." Even more impressive than their good taste was that they could play their own good songs. Rest assured, women will continue to rock well into the future!

Catch The Art of Video Games at the American Art Museum while you can: The exhibit closes at the end of this week, September 30! You have more time to visit the Women Who Rock at the National Museum of Women and the Arts, which closes January 6, 2013.

Best,


Photo credits: Video game image © Smithsonian American Art Museum, Women Who Rock images © Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and Girls Rock! DC logo © Girls Rock! DC.

Happy birthday, Chuck Jones!

Hi everyone,

Earlier this month, TCM ran a half-hour documentary called Chuck Jones: Memories of Childhood. I'd seen it before long ago, but by the time I finished re-watching it last week, I was so inspired that I planned to sign up for a bunch of drawing classes, get a job at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, and turn Melissa's Kitties into an empire!

So, maybe you're wondering who Chuck Jones is, especially if you didn't grow up as I did on a healthy diet of Warner Brothers' Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. Chuck Jones is the guy behind most of those classics, featuring Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Elmer Fudd, and others who make up that fantastic cast of characters! People have asked me where my drawing style comes from. While I'm not quite sure how to answer that question, I consider Chuck Jones a huge influence.

From this documentary, I discovered that he and I have a few things in common: We both fell on our heads as babies (he off a second-story back porch and I down the basement stairs--twice). He said that's probably what led him to become an animator. (My falls can't live up to that.)

He also met an interesting stray cat when he was a kid. This cat walked like a bulldog, had an evil eye, a bent ear, and loved to eat grapefruit. He had a raggedy tag around his neck with "Johnson" written on it, a prized possession he wouldn't let anyone touch. Johnson would follow Chuck to the beach and swim with him, starling everyone else in the water. When he grew tired out there, Johnson would sit on Chuck's shoulder and wait. "I learned something about cat behavior at that time--and animal behavior--because I didn't realize that cats were individuals," Chuck Jones said. "Maybe that enabled me to be a better animator than I ever thought I'd be."

Tragedy strikes Marc Antony in Feed the Kitty.

All those classic cartoons of the '40s, and '50s were group efforts, and Chuck Jones was just one member. There were other directors of equally hilarious Looney Tunes adventures, such as  I. Fritz Freleng and Bob Clampett, and  I encourage you to check them out too. But Chuck Jones drew the best faces! Sometimes, I draw The Kitties and recognize their expressions as a salute to a Chuck Jones moment. And, sometimes when I'm stuck on how to draw something, I wonder how he would do it.

While I'm already celebrating Gene Kelly this year, I'm adding Chuck Jones to the party because, today, he too would have turned 100. (1912 was a good year!)

You must know his cartoons: Even if you don't think you do, I'm sure you'd recognize them. Here's a list of some of my favorites that you can look up on YouTube. (Beware, you'll get lost in Warner Brothers' cartoon awesomeness that extends far beyond this list!)

• Duck Amuck (1953)
• One Froggy Evening (1955)  
• What's Opera, Doc? (1957)
• Rabbit Seasoning (1952)
• Scaredy Cat (1948)
• Hair-Raising Hare (1946)
• Long-Haired Hare (1949)
• Rabbit of Seville (1950)
• For Scent-imental Reasons (1949)
• Feed the Kitty (1952): My Illustration Friday drawing for "Dessert" was inspired by this cartoon. See the blog post and cartoon here.
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966): Do you make a point to watch this every Christmas like I do? It's right up there with It's a Wonderful Life! Dr. Suess and Chuck Jones together? It's super-genius! For Illustration Friday topic "Mail," I drew this Grinch-inspired drawing. You can see the trailer for the full-length cartoon here. 

Since I can't post every cartoon Chuck Jones worked on here, I've settled on one. Bully for Bugs (1953) never gets on any Top 10 lists that I've seen, but I've always rooted for the bull. I love all of his expressions and reactions. This cartoon has some great lines too! My sister and I still quote these cartoons in everyday conversations, and we probably always will. (We're ultra-maroons.)

Bugs Bunny - Bully For Bugs by bugs-bunny1

© Warner Brothers

Chuck Jones's cartoons always lift my spirits. No matter what mood I'm in, they'll put me in a better one. I think the same will happen for you, so wish Chuck Jones a happy birthday and have fun watching the gifts he gave us!

Best,

Imagination

This Illustration Friday topic is from two Fridays ago. Thanks to our Willy Wonka upbringing, The Kitties and I have been singing "Pure Imagination" every day since first seeing the word. Comet was all over filling in for Gene Wilder here--a perfect match that no one could argue.

(Illustration Friday: September 7, 2012) 

Here's a treat, the original Willy Wonka singing the song:

From Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory © Warner Brothers

Is it stuck in your head now too?

Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp Film #24--From Hell (2001)

[What is Johnny Kitties? See Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp for all the details.]

It could have been anyone. These girls might have very well known the guy, and at the same time, it could have been some major conspiracy. It's impossible to know.  Johnny Depp on Jack the Ripper

It's gruesome.
The Hughes Brothers, best known for depicting ghetto life in films, such as Menace II Society and Dead Presidents, take their talents to 17th century England in From Hell. The film chronicles Jack the Ripper's five serial murders of prostitutes in London's Whitechapel District from August to November of 1888. (The film's title comes from pieces of evidence--letters supposedly written by the killer and signed, "From Hell.") Based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell, From Hell follows Inspector Frederick Abberline (Johnny Depp), a clairvoyant drug addict enlisted by police sergeant Peter Godley (Robbie Coltrane) to help solve the mystery and prevent more murders from happening. As Abberline uncovers the conspiracy, he falls for Mary Kelly (Heather Graham)--one of the women targeted by the killer--which makes this assignment a personal race to save her.

But The Hughes Brothers got style!

Why was I so concerned a few months ago about revisiting Before Night Falls, a beautiful film about a struggling poet, when I had a disturbing movie about Jack the Ripper to soon follow? I must have blocked this one out of my head. I remember seeing From Hell in the theaters but forgot how gritty and realistic it all was. Heather Graham explains that Hughes Brothers touch: "I think they're bringing to the movie a real rawness. Instead of this overly precious period feel, I think they're bringing a raw, emotional, passionate, exciting take."

While this isn't typically my kind of movie, I always love that kind of detail in films and admire what The Hughes Brothers made. They rebuilt Whitechapel to a tee: They showed what the world was like then--how it looked, felt,  and smelled. Johnny agrees: "What was really impressive about it is that the Hughes Brothers, Allen and Albert, were really, really, really sticklers for details and for the truth--the exact position of the body, the exact position of this window here, where the window was broken in Miller's Court--I mean, down to the cobblestones!" But all that hard work didn't weigh down the set: "They're so fun," Heather Graham says of the directors. "They're so well prepared and everything is so well thought out that, when they came to work, they're just incredibly relaxed."

Like Before Night Falls, this film is not always pleasant to watch, but it's got great style. When I dreamt up Johnny Kitties, certain movies lent themselves well to drawing: I got instant ideas. Surprisingly,  one of them was for From Hell. I remembered a few exterior shots of Whitechapel silhouetted against a blood-red sky (and the grapes, more on that later). Another cool touch the directors added was showing the passage of time by literally speeding up the film or having people appear or vanish like spirits. They also lit all the nighttime scene naturally with streetlamps, candles, or other lighting props on the set, which I think adds to the atmosphere. And, they even made some mini-movies within this movie: One of the plot points is that Abberline is struggling with his chronic depression by feeding his addiction to Absinthe. This addiction would be hard to kick, even if  he wanted to, because it turns out that the drink sparks his clairvoyant dreams, in which he sees the killer's next move and gets that much closer in solving the case. These dreams present entire scenarios in artistic, surreal flashes of images.

As the killer descends into madness, the murders become increasingly grisly. More than anything, I appreciated that the directors didn't show as much as they could have! The point is made more effectively because your imagination goes wild about whatever might be going on. Still, you see enough to know the murders are disgusting. And, knowing that Jack the Ripper was a real psychopath who terrorized London and escaped capture--that the mystery remains unsolved--compounds the shock.

But what I found almost more disturbing was the bigger picture. The Hughes Brothers painstakingly recreated how people lived in Whitechapel, showing how they suffered, with social barriers, prejudices, and racism, and dealt with their own vices. Meanwhile, across town, high society was exploring medical breakthroughs and oddities: In one scene all the rich doctors are gawking at the Elephant Man. In another, they're calmly demonstrating a new experimental procedure, giving terrified patients lobotomies! Those scenes freak me out more than hearing Jack slashing whatever off-screen.

You get a real feel for the atmosphere and realize the sad circumstances these women--the murder victims--were in during that era, dealing with the hypocritical connection that wealthy society had to them and the overbearing control men had over their lives. The film presents a conspiracy reaching as far up as the royal family. Seeing From Hell this time around, I was intrigued by the murder mystery.  With so many suggested suspects, it'll keep you on edge and guessing till the end.

And Johnny's in it--and into it!
Brad Pitt was originally slated to play Abberline. Can you imagine!? Luckily, it wasn't meant to be. When Johnny signed on for From Hell instead, those in charge at the studio were worried--as usual. "Studios love Johnny, but they're scared of Johnny too," Albert Hughes says. "They don't necessarily see him as a bankable star because of his own choices. He's made interesting choices instead of the obvious choices." 

On the set: Johnny with Allen and Albert Hughes

As a kid, Johnny was fascinated by the Jack the Ripper story. (Do you think his parents were ever concerned?)  "The guy was serious!" Allen Hughes confirms. "He actually did own a lot of the books for many years and knew a lot of the theories. He was a buff!" 

Everyone was impressed with Johnny's work. While they all admired him as an actor already, working with him on this project took their opinions to another level. Having worked on From Hell for 5 years, Allen Hughes explains that Johnny's excitement about it was contagious and boosted both directors' confidences, helping them to keep going and get the movie made: "Everyone's all over him as an actor, but when it comes to the script, when it comes to ideas, when it comes to overall energy and intelligence and what he brings that's intangible to the project, it's like, wow, this guy doesn't get enough credit!" Not that he ever slacks in the acting department: "The thing about Johnny Depp is that it's cliche to say that he's a great actor who doesn't appear to be acting, but he really doesn't!" scriptwriter Rafael Yglesias says. "I'm convinced that there's 60 to 70% of him that isn't even working most of the time because he can so quickly reach a performance that's absolutely excellent." Agreed!

The Kitties are on the lookout.

What I like most about this movie is the historical accuracy, the details involved, and the overall style. You feel like you're there and you're always on edge. Like the Hughes Brothers, instead of depicting all the blood and guts, I opted for atmosphere and surroundings in this tribute.



The Jack the Ripper case was one of the first to be fully dramatized by the media. Here, Abberline investigates one of the murders amid a growing crowd who want a glimpse of the sensational crime scene. (You can find Norman, Simon, and Comet policing the crowd of onlookers, including The Mother Kitty, Mini, Lily, and Ashes.)  Amid the chaos, he discovers grape stems and shows them to Sergeant Godley (B.J.), explaining that this clue points to a killer who is wealthy enough to afford such luxurious fruit. It must be someone from the other side of town!

What's Next?
Johnny teams up again with Terry Gilliam, but they get Lost in La Mancha!

All film images © 20th Century Fox; on-set image © unknown (courtesy of allmoviephoto.com); illustration © Melissa Connolly

Identical

B.J. stands for Bob, Jr. Although he was not related to the original Bob Cat--who my sister cared for in Cincinnati for a while before he found a permanent home with one of her friends--B.J. earned his name because he was not only similar to Bob in looks but in temperament too. These two cool kitties bring in the sunshine. Maybe that's explains their cheery coats. (B.J.'s on the right...I mean, the left. No, the right....Um....)

(Illustration Friday: August 31, 2012)

Tall

When we were little, Dad made sure that my sister and I got a proper education: We grew up watching all episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus on PBS. So, the first and only interesting thing I could think of upon seeing this week's Illustration Friday topic, "Tall," was John Cleese exclaiming to Michael Palin, "I'll do what I like because I'm 6-foot-5, and I eat punks like you for breakfast!"

Here is our Kitty tribute to that skit. Who else but Monty Python would think to build it around archaeologists of the 1920s with an obsession slightly more important to them than digging for ancient relics?

(Illustration Friday: August 24, 2012)

It seems The Kitties need a tie-breaker for their contest. While the winning team is determined, you can watch the full Monty Python skit below. I think Terry Jones may be the scene-stealer in this one. Enjoy!

 © Monty Python

Jazzing it up in D.C.

Hi everyone,

Whenever Dad comes to visit, we have a list of Possible Things to Do--browse museum exhibits, watch movies, see the Orioles. Going to jazz clubs is always on the list and, this weekend, we heard more than usual by visiting three different venues:

• Friday night, the Westminster Presbyterian Church  in Southwest, D.C. showcased local talent paying tribute to Sarah Vaughan. Dad and I decided to check it out for the first time: For only a $5 admission, three sets of jazz are played from 6 to 9 p.m. every Friday night. You can also buy dinner there, which is available on the lower level. Dad and I didn't try the food, but the lively social atmosphere, complete with audience members feeling the urge to dance in the aisles, was a one-of-a-kind experience. 

• Saturday night, our main attraction was Terence Blanchard's appearance at Blues Alley in Georgetown. Dad and I have seen the trumpeter several times, and each time has been special. He has some Grammys (and other awards, I'm sure), but you can really feel the coolness best when you're watching him and his quintet play together from only a few feet away. (It's especially good after a yummy dinner: At Blues Alley, I recommend  Jerry "The Iceman" Butler's baked salmon.) 

• Sunday night, we planned to visit our favorite jazz joint, Bohemian Caverns, on U Street. But since Sunday's late-night show was cancelled, we ended up a couple blocks away at Twins Jazz, a place we've heard about but hadn't tried yet. Walk up its stairs and you'll find yourself in a tiny haunt bathed in dim lighting. Its red walls are covered in random photos of jazz greats, such as Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and Thelonious Monk. Cozy square white-cloth-covered tables line the long room, with the bar at the back and the stage at the front. Dad and I enjoyed an Ethiopian dinner there while listening to the Ostle/Parker Quintet. 

Here's a treat from our weekend (sort of): One of the highlights of Saturday night's show was The Terence Blanchard Quintet's performance of the title song from his album, Choices. While the following 12-minute video is a recording of a performance at a New Orleans concert, you'll hear and see what we did--except for the different drummer. (Terence Blanchard's usual drummer was unavailable Saturday night, but we were perfectly happy with his substitute: He learned all the songs that day and--take my word for it--was blissfully in his own world the entire time.) Enjoy!

Video © The Global Salon: New Orleans/The Green Space NY

Good stuff, yes?

Let's celebrate Gene Kelly!

Hi everyone,

As you may know--especially if you read my post about attending last month's screening of Singin' in the Rain--Gene Kelly is one of my most favorite people no longer on the planet.

I can't remember exactly when I fell in love, but my first memory of him was watching his "Heather on the Hill" dance with Cyd Charisse in Brigadoon when I was  11 or 12. However, he was also in Xanadu, a movie I was completely obsessed with when I was 6! I had no idea who he was at the time--clearly mesmerized solely by that movie's combination of Olivia Newton John, roller skating, and catchy songs that I sang along to every time. But maybe it was really in Xanadu that Gene Kelly tapped into in my subconscious.

So, you could say that Gene Kelly's been in my life for most of it. And I can't image it without him. I joke that I must have fallen on my head when I was 12 because I seem to have never passed that celebrity-obsessed teenybopper stage. When I was 12, my life was about my three heroes: Johnny, Sting, and Gene!

After Brigadoon, I had to see every Gene Kelly movie I could find and read all about him. He's a really important figure in dance and film history, having invented a whole new dance style and making it accessible to everyone. But I never really thought of Gene that way: In my eyes, he was confident and handsome and romantic and smart and funny--and he danced on air!

Today would have been Gene Kelly's 100th birthday, and I've been contemplating how to celebrate it. Last night, I was still in the throes of brainstorming! What's the best way to spread the love to you about a guy who hit his prime in the early 1950s?

While pondering this question, I watched "So You Think You Can Dance," my summertime obsession! The weekly dance competition, which is working its way toward finding America's Two Favorite Dancers (one guy and one girl),  is down to its Top 10 contestants. This week, the group opened the show with a Gene Kelly tribute choreographed by Tyce Diorio. The dance, a kaleidoscope of Gene's famous dances and movie moments, began with the camera focused on Cyrus (my Favorite Guy) snapping a film clapperboard with Gene Kelly's name written on it. I gasped at the sight of it and beamed smiles as I recognized each familiar character and move.

That's it! Nobody makes me smile like Gene Kelly. Last week, Julie and Liam gave me a customized iphone case that's decorated with three photographs of Gene. I don't even own an iphone yet, but the case makes me smile whenever I look at it.

But what really sends me over the moon is the dancing. Gene shared pure joy with every step.

So, here's to a year of Gene Kelly celebration! I haven't yet figured out a schedule, what I'll call it, or what I'll draw, but The Kitties are already in rehearsal and auditioning for the starring role of our tribute. (Don't worry, I'll let you know when I figure out all the details.)

While The Kitties and I don't plan to feature his entire filmography, we will honor our favorite Gene Kelly dances from most of his musicals--with a few surprises thrown in as extra treats. I'll also be sure to include videos of each dance so that you can see the inspiration. May they give you the same glorious feeling I get every time I see them. It's kind of like this....

Our Gene Kelly Tribute is coming soon, so stay tuned.... In the meantime, don't forget to catch some of Gene's movies today on TCM. His wife, Patricia, is hanging out with host Robert Osborne this evening, starting at 8 p.m. Good movies, amazing songs and dances, and trivia--Talk about treats!

Enjoy,

Image copyright credits: Brigadoon: MGM; Xanadu: Universal Pictures; Gene Kelly still: unknown; Singin' in the Rain: MGM.

Teacher

As all mothers should, The Kitty taught her children well.

(Illustration Friday: August 17, 2012)

Frozen

When the living room window is open, Lily spends most of the day bathing in the breeze. Every so often, she freezes at the sight of something in the sky. She never tells me what she sees, and it never deters her from the task at hand. That's a cat for you.

(Illustration Friday: August 10, 2012)

Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp Film #23--Blow (2001)

[What is Johnny Kitties? See Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp for all the details.]

I hope that people will be able to watch and learn from it. I hope kids will. We've all gone through the whole thing of thinking that drugs are just party time. You can sort of live that lie that it is recreational, but it's not. We're trying to hide from something, trying to mask something, trying to numb ourselves from something. Really, getting loaded to that extent is just postponing the inevitable, which is you are going to have to face the demon someday. You're gonna have to look him in the eye and go, "Okay, let's get through this." -- Johnny Depp 

Meet George Jung.

Blow chronicles the life of George Jung (Johnny Depp), a kid from Weymouth, Massachusetts, who wanted to break out of his father's working-class lifestyle. He began by dealing marijuana in California and eventually worked with Pablo Escobar, becoming one of the most wanted drug traffickers during the 1970s and '80s. Between 1977 and 1985, he smuggled 85% of all the cocaine available in the United States. Although in and out of jail and battling addiction and its warning signs, including illnesses and heart attacks, he continued to fall back on the only trade he learned in life: dealing drugs for profit. George Jung amassed $100 million but eventually learned his father's lasting lesson--that money means nothing--when he lost it all, including everything and everyone who mattered to him.

If I think about it too much, I get conflicted about this movie. The main character is a drug dealer, who introduced the majority of the United States' cocaine supply. Yet, by the end of this movie, I was rooting for him. Director Ted Demme felt the same way: "When I met George in prison, I went in not knowing what to expect because all my expectations of these kinds of guys were thug-like and kind of scary, and I met a guy who was really funny, really smart, really sad, really well-bred. I spent 4 to 5 hours with the guy and ended up really liking him and feeling sorry for him and--at the same time--being very judgmental about what he had done. For me, as a filmmaker, I thought it'd be a great challenge to present the classic antihero on the page as a sympathetic character. I always knew what the final frame of the film would be: a man in prison alone, no friends, going to be there for a long time, family estranged from him. And I find sadness in that, in any human being. I thought it was a great challenge, as a filmmaker, to tell this story." 

Based on the book Blow by Bruce Porter, the film Blow presents George Jung's story as a wild ride. I don't know how he has survived the amount of drugs he consumed and dealt or the dangerous situations in which he found himself. These days, he doesn't recommend it: "I think it boils down to a man bent on self-destruction. It's a guy who chose free will over the love of his daughter and his family. I can't say that he loved himself, but he loved free will and adventure more than he did the people around him. I mortgaged my whole life for several moments of freedom. Who the hell does that?"

It's all about the accent. 

I saw Blow with the whole family, and the only review I remember is from my dad: "Johnny was good in it. He did a good accent." This is high praise, considering my dad's side of the family all have heavy Bostonian accents. I was pleased. And, I agree. In some scenes, he sounds just like one of my uncles!

Johnny played his character with typical precision. "Johnny Depp blew my mind. It was me," George Jung said when he saw the film in prison. "He portrayed me and he literally became me--his voice, his mannerisms, his actions--everything, totally! It's almost frightening." Ted Demme concurred: "George was spooked by it because it was so right and perfect. Johnny is, amongst many things, a great mimic and he can really scare you with how good he is at being a mimic. When I finally got a script that I was happy with, I went and tracked Johnny down in Europe ('cause you kind of have to go find him). From my perspective, I wanted an actor to give me George Jung. I didn't want a movie star to come in and star in Blow. I really wanted the guy to be George. Johnny has done that on every film."

It's got that Ted Demme touch.

Ted Demme makes a cameo in Blow! (This isn't it.)

I don't know if it's because I'm aware that Ted Demme worked for MTV at the start of his career, but Blow reminds me of the same exciting style, pace, and fantastic music that MTV had in its golden years. I see so much potential, and so many exciting ideas in this movie too. Maybe that's heightened awareness again because I know it's his last piece of work. Ted Demme died of a heart attack at age 38, less than a year after Blow was released.

Despite that sad story and the seriousness of this movie's topic, Blow is a very entertaining! Aside from Johnny, the great cast includes Penelope Cruz, Franka Potente, Ray Liotta, Rachel Griffiths, and--most exciting to me--Paul Reubens! (It's a great, dramatic performance too!) Through George's eyes, I can see how the lifestyle would be enticing--having all that money and material possessions without the burden of much responsibility. But it's important to remember the lessons he learned. As Ted Demme explained, "I think George has a real clear idea of what drugs do to people because he's looked in the mirror and sees what its done to him. It's not only aged him and taken a huge chunk out of his life, but it's put him where he is right now--in isolation. He'd like to, right now, make a difference. That's one of the reasons he allowed me to make this film." George Jung wants people to see his story and hopefully have an impact on people who are thinking of getting into this business, are in this business and thinking about getting out, or have gotten out of the business already and are thinking about getting back in. His message is simple: It's just not worth it.

George and Tuna (Ethan Supree) decide to go into business.

Johnny had an experience similar to Ted Demme's when he met George Jung in prison. They became friends pretty instantly, having discovered many common interests and beliefs. Since making Blow, Johnny has been a strong supporter for George Jung's release. "I hope the audience is able to understand to some degree what George went through and why he made the decisions he made and why he became what he became. A lot has to do with the conditioning he went through as a kid. He became everything he didn't want to become," Johnny said. "George Jung is a lot of things. He's a complicated guy. But first and foremost--what I was really happy to find out--is he is just as human as can be. There is no evil. There is no malice in him. He's not greedy. He's just a good man who recognized his mistakes and has to live with his sort of devastation every day. I saw a strong guy when I met him. He's a very strong, kind of ironic, funny, broken man." 

Johnny visits the real George Jung.

"My opinion is that George Jung has served his time and paid his debt to society. He's not doing anyone any good rotting away in a prison cell," Johnny continued. "The guy is rehabilitated, and I'm not sure the system rehabilitated him. I think he rehabilitated himself based on the hideous thoughts he's had to live with and realities he has had to deal with. I think he could do much more good on the outside. He's doing work with the DARE [Drug Abuse Resistance Education] program right now. He could, potentially, go on the road with DARE and teach kids the dangers of drugs. And, he could also pay his debt to his daughter and try to give her a father."

George Jung is scheduled to be released from the Federal Correctional Institution in Anthony, Texas, in 2014. He'll be 72.

The Kitties say they've had no catnip.
Ted Demme conveyed various scenes in Blow through collages of Polaroids rather than play them out. Instead of showing parties on film, for example, photo after photo flashes on screen. Keeping with that idea, this month's tribute offers Polaroids spanning George Jung's life.

• As kids, George Jung and his best friend Tuna (Norman) found ways to pass the time, like roller-skating down the streets of their hometown.
• George and Tuna moved to Manhattan Beach, Florida, in the late '60s. There, George met his first love Barbara (Franka Potente/Lily) and began dealing pot.
• In the '70s, George started doing big business in Mexico. The whole gang [including Barbara, business partner Derek (Paul Reubens/Simon), and childhood friends Tuna and Dulli (Max Perlich/B.J.] was one big happy family. 
• After George and Derek celebrated their first big job, clinking glasses amid piles of cash, business grew. 

• With their drug distribution system smoothed down to a science, George felt ultra-cool. (This scene, in which Johnny walks through Miami International Airport wearing an all-white outfit and big shades to the tune of "Black Betty" by Ram Jam, is what Ted Demme called, "one of the greatest moments in film history" while Johnny referred to his outfit as, "the ultimate in bad taste." It's an awesome combination any way you look at it.)  
• But these illegal activities landed George in prison for a few years in Danbury, Connecticut. While there, he learned from his cellmate Diego how to deal cocaine.
• Once out of jail, George kicked off the '80s by getting in with Pablo Escobar. He became part of the family by marrying Mirtha (Penelope Cruz/Ashes). 
• When their daughter Kristina was born, George stayed sober and enjoyed a normal life for a while--birthday parties and all.
• But old habits die hard, and George got caught on what he said was his last job. He's still in jail for it today.

We're not getting any cheerier. 

Next up, Johnny turns detective again: This time, he's tracking down Jack the Ripper in From Hell.

Image credits: All film images © New Line Cinema; image of Ted Demme © Globe-Images; Illustration © Melissa Connolly; image of Johnny Depp with George Jung © unknown