Whiskers

Watch out! She's on the prowl...

(Illustration Friday: November 23, 2012)

Ghennet + Hailesh's Tree

Hi everyone,

This week's Illustration Friday topic is "tree." Here's a tree, but I didn't draw it for Illustration Friday. Does it count if I get inspired by the topic a few weeks in advance?

In September, I created this drawing as a wedding gift for my friend Ghennet and her husband Hailesh. Congratulations!!! 

I was inspired to draw this tree for them as they plant their own roots and begin this new chapter of their lives together. Here's how it came out:

Ghennet and Hailesh's wedding gift! (September 15, 2012)

They like it. Yay!

Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp Film #26--Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl (2003)

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

I'm still too dumb to make choices just because it's going to be successful. In terms of this being a giant production, I still chose the same way I choose other films. I really saw something in the character I could do something with.
- Johnny Depp on taking the role of Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl








Is there anyone out there who hasn't heard of or seen this movie?
For those of you who haven't seen Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, here's the scoop: The drive to make this movie was described as Disney's effort to revitalize a 40-year-old theme park ride called Pirates of the Caribbean. But the film isn't really based on the ride, which doesn't have a story to it. Apparently, the writers somehow incorporated a few of the ride's characteristics and minor characters for familiar audience members to wink at as they watched the movie, but they created an original story that could stand on its own. I believe it because there's no way a theme park ride could have such an intricate backstory. At the end of the audio commentary on the DVD, co-writer Ted Elliott actually lists out the plot points one-by-one, ending with, "See? It makes sense, right?!" It does, I swear!

Having several simultaneous stories going on is part of what makes this movie so good! The story begins in the late 1700s or so on a sailing ship with the governing body of England's Port Royal, including Governor Swann (Jonathan Pryce) and his 8-year-old daughter Elizabeth, aboard. Peering in the distance, Elizabeth discovers a boy drifting in the ocean and rescues him. She learns that his name is Will Turner and steals the medallion around his neck to hide it from the others for fear that it marks him as a pirate. Ten years later, Elizabeth (Kiera Knightly) and Will (Orlando Bloom) are still friends but have a societal gap between them: She's the Governor's daughter being courted by Commodore Norrington (Jack Davenport), but she's really in love with Will, who is just a working-class blacksmith. (Isn't that always the case!)

Elizabeth doesn't realize that the medallion she stole all those years ago set a hunt in motion: Everyone comes looking for it. Led by Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), pirates sail The Black Pearl and attack Port Royal, looking for the trinket and its owner. Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), previous captain of The Pearl before his crew committed mutiny and left him stranded on an island, arrives in search of his ship but soon discovers that Elizabeth possesses the rare medallion. So, things get interesting: Ultimately, Elizabeth is captured by the Barbossa's crew, with the medallion, and Will enlists Jack--who has his own vested interests--to help rescue her. Adventure ensues. Enjoy the ride!

Johnny's gone to the other side!
When word got out that Johnny had signed on to star in a Disney production focused around one of its faded theme-park rides, everyone said he had sold out: He'd given up his indie roots and infiltrated "the enemy camp" for blockbuster success! This idea never occurred to me and hearing it over and over started to irritate me. Do critics really think that signing Johnny Depp to star in a Disney movie about pirates in a story based on an old theme-park ride is a successful recipe? It really didn't sound like one to me. Johnny has never approached his roles thinking about the money he's going to make from it. In fact, he's done the opposite and worked for free just for the experience or as a favor to his friends.

Signing on for a Disney movie was a definite surprise, but surprises are one of the many Joys of Johnny. I chalked this decision up to Johnny having kid movies on his brain since the birth of his daughter in 2001 and left it at that. But Johnny doesn't go into those details to explain these things. Instead, he says things like, "I just had a good feeling about it--a really, really good feeling." He's telling the truth here. He goes on, "It was mentioned that they were considering a movie based on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and I said I was in. There was no screenplay, no director, nothing. For some unknown reason, I just said I was in."

Trusting Johnny's instincts, I wanted this movie to be really great--mainly just to disprove all the speculation and skepticism around it. Though wild with anticipation, a part of me feared that it could go horribly wrong. This was a new experience and a risk but no more or less exciting to me than any of Johnny's other movies were when they premiered: I didn't see what the big deal or difference was about this one. Good or bad, I knew Johnny would do something different to keep things interesting, which is good enough for me.

I have a date with Captain Jack Sparrow!

One day, I came home from work, sifted through my mail, and found two free tickets to see an early preview of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl at my local theater in Georgetown. I don't remember asking for these, entering any contests, or giving out my address to strangers. I have no idea how they ended up in an envelope addressed to me in my mailbox. Creepy? Yes, but I  squealed and jumped around in my apartment anyway! In reality, these tickets were no big deal because I planned to be first in line to buy tickets to this movie, but I prefer to see these surprise treats--magic tickets to see this movie few days earlier than everyone else--as fateful Johnny Gifts that make my day. Thanks, whoever sent them. (Was it you, Walt Disney?)

While my friend and I were among the first to arrive at the theater that night (because I'm neurotic that way), it was eventually packed. (Apparently, I wasn't the only one to get free tickets.) More important, I'm pretty sure we all really enjoyed the movie! I was relieved.

The story is rich with side characters and story lines among the stars handling the main plot. Everyone in the cast, straight down to the extras, have distinct personalities, detailed histories, and their own little quirks. It makes for an entertaining soup. To top things off, the script--which really what sold Johnny on the project--is filled with smart humor. During the entire production, scriptwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio were on set to make changes, so director Gore Verbinski, Johnny, and the rest of the cast had plenty of freedom to give input and test ideas on the spot. I was also impressed with the special effects. There are things in this movie I'd never seen before, and it's all so detailed! (I love details!) For example, the curse in this story only appears in moonlight, making the night-time scenes and battles extra special. And, instead of your typical treasure hunt, this curse requires that the pirates return rather than keep the goods. I think all these different elements made Pirates of the Caribbean the summer blockbuster it became--I mean, aside from the obvious key ingredient.

Johnny's in his element.
You have to think back to a time before you ever saw or knew Captain Jack Sparrow. I know it's difficult because he may be in everyone's psyche at this point, whether you're a fan or not. If you think back to before you first saw him, you'll realize what an amazing transformation Johnny made into this one-of-a-kind pirate. He disappeared into this role with the costume, the walk, the voice--every movement and every joke. Granted, I'm biased, but I gasped during Johnny's first scene when he started interacting with people. I really couldn't believe that it was the same person.

As always, Johnny did a ton of research for this role. After reading a bunch of books about pirates during that time period, he considered them the rock stars of their day. So, most noticeably, the captain is based on Kieth Richards, guitarist for the Rolling Stones, who Johnny considers the greatest of all rock stars. Johnny also spent a lot of time in saunas thinking about the character and what it'd be like to be on the ocean fighting the elements for hours on end. Captain Jack, he assumed, would be a little off due to the intense heat on the high seas. "With Jack, it was more that I liked the idea of being ambiguous, of taking the character and making everything a little bit....questionable." Also in the mix are bits of Lee Marvin's character from Cat Ballou and the great Pepe Le Pew. (I love it!)

When Johnny showed up at the studio in his costume, the rest of the cast was baffled. "That first day, we were all like, 'What's he doing?'" says Kiera Knightly. When the studio heads saw the dailies, they thought Johnny was ruining the movie. "I was sure I was going to be fired, absolutely!" Johnny says. "They had a few questions: Is he gay? Is he drunk? Is he gay and drunk?" Johnny also had to barter for his look. The studio felt that a mouthful of gold teeth was too much for audiences to bear, but Johnny counted on this concern and removed the two extra gold teeth he considered his barginning chips."When you hire Johnny, you want him to do something unique and different," producer Jerry Bruckhiemer says. They got it. "The characterization, the personality of Jack is what we wrote," screenwriter Ted Elliott notes. "The expression of that personality is purely Johnny Depp. It was exactly what we described but nothing like we anticipated." Johnny is pretty genius in this role, no matter how sick of Captain Jack you may be by now.

But you have to keep it all in perspective, I suppose. Scriptwriter Terry Rossio expains, "Johnny's performance is amaazing, but it's framed by all the other characters and sustained by the situations he gets put in. Everything goes into a performance like that--the cinematography, editing, but particularly the surrounding characters who have to create the environment for him to play off of." It's true. All the supporting characters perfectly fit their roles. Aside from Jack, everyone loves the beautiful people--Orlando Bloom as Will and Kiera Knightly as Elizabeth--who are fantastic. But  no one ever mentions Geoffrey Rush. The more I watch his performance, the more I marvel at his Captain Barbossa, who is your classic "Argh!" kind of pirate up against Johnny's uncategorical Captain Jack. As Terry Rossio notes, "Geoffrey Rush's eyeballs deserve an Academy Award nomination." It's true.

It's about time! At the Oscars with mom Betty Sue
and partner Vanessa Paradis in 2004

Well, they didn't get one, but Johnny did! Did you hear me scream and jump around the moment his nomination was announced? Only Johnny could get nominated for starring in a Disney summer blockbuster as an ambiguously gay, drunk pirate. Granted, he should have at least five Oscars by now, but it's delicious that, after all this time, this is the one that got him nominated. I never would have guessed, yet I wasn't surprised. Johnny probably didn't care as much as I did. Maybe it was the 17-year wait, but I Was Thrilled!!! Alas, he lost to his friend, Sean Penn, who won for Mystic River. Johnny was probably relieved that he didn't have to make a speech. But the only reason I'm just the tiniest bit relieved about his loss is that Johnny didn't go down in history holding an Oscar sporting that night's weird greasy hairstyle. You know I would have had to keep that photo forever, despite what his hair looked like that day. Crisis averted.

Up to this point, Johnny performances generally received critical acclaim, but his characters were always labeled "outsiders" or "oddballs." Hiring Johnny was  considered a risk because "he can't open a weekend" or "he's too weird." He's always described his career as one built on a bunch of box office failures. Johnny's movies were not mainstream, and many people didn't see them unless they were in the know and made the effort.

Imagine the shock of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl becoming a gazillion-dollar blockbuster overnight, Captain Jack and all the characters going down in Disney history, and talk of sequels already buzzing! Did I fully express the inexplicable magnitude of my joy about this? Really, I felt this couldn't have happened to a better person after all the equally stellar work before this crazy pirate movie. Making this movie didn't mean that Johnny sold out: No one could plan for or predict the ridiculous meteoric success of The Pirates of the Caribbean.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was nominated for four other technical Oscars and at a bunch of different award shows that season. It earned quite a few awards. Most exciting to me was that Johnny won the Best Actor award that year from the Screen Actor's Guild, an honor voted  by other actors. Ah, the love gave me a warm fuzzy feeling (even if he couldn't attend to accept it in person).

The Kitties have already heard of Captain Jack Sparrow.
I've actually submitted a couple Illustration Friday drawings inspired by Captain Jack already. Illustration Friday's word of the week, "skyline," stumped me for a few days in 2006. But, eventually, my brain made its way to the last line of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, in which Johnny mentions the horizon. (It counts, right? They're synonyms, aren't they? Well, even if I tried, I couldn't think of anything else once the seed was planted.) Everyone was stumped on how to end this movie, but Johnny had a eureka moment and ran to the writers like a little kid, yelling, "I've got it! I've got it!"

"Now, bring me that horizon..." -- Captain Jack Sparrow
(Illustration Friday: July 7, 2006)

By 2007, the word "captain" instantly and only made me think of the captain on his ship, The Black Pearl. (It still does.)

"It's Captain! Captain Jack Sparrow."
(Illustration Friday: August 17, 2007)

But drawing a specific tribute to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl for Johnny Kitties was daunting! At first, I thought I'd have to draw several illustrations to cover the entire cast of beloved characters. Then, I figured I'd have a few more chances to capture them later. So, I went with my original idea, which flashed in my head when I first thought up the Johnny Kitties project. It's true that Johnny's character shines best when all those "normal" people are reacting around him, but ultimately the greatest thing this movie does is introduce audiences to Johnny's Captain Jack Sparrow.

Not only should his entrance go down in film history as one of the best ever, but--once introduced--there's no turning back. As soon as he sets foot in Port Royal, you know you're in for something special. And, he's here to stay. Savvy?

What's Next?
And now for something completely different: Johnny represents the CIA in Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and I'm guessing they wish he didn't.

All film images © Walt Disney Pictures; illustrations © Melissa Connolly; candid photo  © unknown

A Reason to Believe...

Hi everyone,

I'm back from my trip, just in time for Election Day. Get out and vote! (I'm talking to you, Swing States!) I trust you'll make the correct decision.

While waiting for this day, I found the perfect antidote to the media overload of speculation and negativity, poll results, and endless commercials surrounding the campaigns. If you're not already watching The Daily Show and The Colbert Report for laughs about it all, you should read  Governor Deval Patrick's fantastic book, A Reason to Believe: Lessons from an Improbable Life.

I stumbled upon the Governor last spring at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, where he was about to start a book signing event. I just finished touring an exhibit and recognized his name on the event sign on the way out. I had no idea who he was when I saw him promoting his book on The Daily Show a few days before, but I was impressed by how positive and normal he seemed during his 5-minute interview with Jon Stewart.

Well, in person, Governor Patrick is just as inspiring. Mid-speech, I walked over to the small display of books and bought one. At the end, as he signed my book, I told him he made me homesick for Massachusetts. (He responded that I was always welcome to come back.) I noticed many people in line said similar things to him: I'm from Revere! I'm from Danvers! We all want to be proudly related to this guy.

While you learn about Deval Patrick's upbringing, his family, and how he became the first black governor of Massachusetts in this book, it isn't so much a memoir as it is an education on how to be a good person. He talks most about his ideals and how he's kept to them, how and what he's learned from others on his path through life, how he accepts and learns from his failures, and how he's stuck to the high road in politics.

What surprised me most about this book is how much common sense is found within these pages: Why doesn't everyone accept everyone else equally and listen to them and try to do the right thing whenever possible? Why doesn't everyone think before they speak and act?

What I found most inspiring about this book is that Governor Patrick doesn't talk about his famous friends in high places. Sure, he got appointed by President Bill Clinton as the assistant attorney general to civil rights. Yes, he gave then Senator Barack Obama some tips for his 2008 acceptance speech for the Democratic presidential nomination. But it's the anonymous citizens of the world who get highlighted in this book, those who hardly ever get any credit. Aside from his own parents and family members, he recalls the bus driver who gave him a free ride when he realized he was out of change, the admirable old ladies he met at the weekly church sermons he was forced to attend as a kid with his grandmother, the teacher who got him to apply for enrollment in an elite boarding school in Massachusetts to avoid the dangerous trappings of Chicago's South Side, and his fellow travelers in Sudan who helped each other on their treacherous journey through the desert. All these individuals and more made their mark on his journey to becoming a better person.

Reading this book, you'll sleep better knowing there are still good thinkers in the world. I knew there were a few still out there, no matter what they say on TV.

Best,

Sky

Don't forget to look up every once in a while. (I'm off to San Francisco for a week. Maybe you'll see me on my way tomorrow morning...)

(Illustration Friday: October 19, 2012)

Water

These actions are based on true events, proving Simon's special relationship with water. What it all means remains a mystery.

(Illustration Friday: October 12, 2012)

Crooked

When I rub Lily's belly while she's lounging on the couch, she typically twists and stretches out her front half in pure yogic fashion. Her back feet, however, always curl in crooked opposite directions, twisting like retracting tree roots.

When I tell her that Simon can lounge completely flat on any surface, with his legs stretched straight in opposite directions--flying Superman style--making him the longest Kitty of all, she says, "So?"

(Illustration Friday: September 21, 2012)

Mirror

The Mother Kitty studies the Funhouse Mirrors at every amusement park she visits. I think she's on the verge of figuring them out.

(Illustration Friday: October 5, 2012)

Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp Film #25--Lost in La Mancha (2002)

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

I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me. Not just me, a lot of people put an incredible amount of their life into this thing, and it all fell apart. For all of us, in that sense, [Lost in La Mancha] is the only postcard we've got of what happened.

--Terry Gilliam

This disaster actually happened.

When Johnny Depp signed on for The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, reteaming with director Terry Gilliam and costarring with his real-life partner Vanessa Paradis, I instantly couldn't wait to see it! Johnny was to play Toby Grosini, a modern-day advertising executive who travels back into the 17th century, where Don Quixote (Jean Rochefort) mistakes him for Sancho Panza. Vanessa Paradis was to play Johnny's love interest, Altisidora. 

It's tragic that this project never got off the ground. (Tragic, I tell you!) But Lost in La Mancha  is a worthy keepsake. This fascinating documentary chronicles Terry Gilliam's efforts to get The Man Who Killed Don Quixote made, starting from preproduction and ending after the sixth day of shooting, by which time they accomplished completing about 7 minutes of film. Everything possible went wrong, and they were all out of the director's control--illness, F16 drills, monumental storms, floods. This was an extreme case of fate.

The curse of Don Quixote lives! 

In 1957, Orson Welles started working on his own version of Don Quixote, the story of a delusional old man wearing a homemade suit of armor who seeks adventure with  his sidekick, Sancho Panza. The film was left unfinished when he died in 1982, and I hope the same doesn't happen to Terry Gilliam! Whenever I watch Lost in La Mancha, I'm reminded that I still want to see The Man Who Killed Don Quixote--Gilliam-style!

Because I love movies, I love this documentary, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at the tedium of  moviemaking (basically lots of meetings and zillions of details). Fascinating, right? Well, what I find exhilarating is watching a team of people bring one person's vision to life--building sets and designing costumes, talking through the script and rehearsing scenes, etc.--especially when that person is as imaginative a director as Terry Gilliam is. 

Terry Gilliam began working on The Man Who Killed Don Quixote in 1991. He had tried to film it in 1999, but funding for it fell through. This second attempt was to be the most expensive film made solely with European funds, and it's only half of the budget that the director needed. Terry Gilliam has a bad reputation when it comes to financing, which is why he went to Europe to make this movie. It stems from his experience making The Adventures of Baron Munchausen in 1988. During that shoot, problem after problem occurred and spending got out of control. The film was finished but didn't recoup its losses at the box office, and it got around town that Terry Gilliam was a wild director who didn't know how to manage. I'll never understand the taste of the general public, but The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is one of my all-time favorite movies, and it's because Terry Gilliam made it just right.

Lost in La Mancha  hints at how The Man Who Killed Don Quixote might become Munchaussen Revisited for the director, but these new problems were unavoidable. While Terry Gilliam is an over-the-top showman who's entertaining to watch doing just about anything, the film combats his reputation by reflecting a serious, methodical director with a clear plan.

He asked filmmakers Luis Pepe and Keith Fulton to create a diary of the making of this film. "It may be the kind of narcissism  that wants to see what the truth is--Because I don't know what reality is, let's assume that for a moment," Terry Gilliam says. "And here's a chance for someone to record what's really going on and then maybe learn something." Having worked with Terry Gilliam before on a documentary about the making of one of his other movies, 12 Monkeys, it's pretty amazing to see how much they capture in this one and how candid everyone is on film as things begin to go downhill. "It's not an exploitative kind of documentary," co-director Keith Fulton says, "It depicts a disaster, but it doesn't take it apart and look to see whose fault it was because, in fact, it wasn't really anyone's fault. It was a lot of ugly fate at work in what took this film down."   

Here's a few of the problems during preproduction and on the set of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote that get Terry Gilliam and company Lost in La Mancha:

• Star Jean Rochefort becomes ill the day before filming is to begin. Terry Gilliam decides to shoot scenes that don't involve him until he returns. 

• The first location to be shot is a NATO bombing training area. Officials say they'll only be training for an hour each day, which really meant all day long and ruined any chance of recording suitable audio. Johnny describes being near target practice of the F16s: "I remember being completely shocked by the sound of this plane screaming in--deafening! Between the set, where we were shooting, and the base camp, which is where our trailers were, you heard the plane scream and then a bomb exploding--and fire, a little blast of fire."  

• During lunch on the second day, the clear sunny sky is invaded by black clouds of death. Unlike everyone else who takes cover as rain and hail drench the desert, Terry Gilliam finds a rock to sit under and waits it out: "It was a great, biblical storm. It was God's vengeance! It was everything you ever hoped for! Everything howled, shattered, and crashed, and the rain was coming down, and this barren land was suddenly full of waterfalls! Then, it turned to hail the size of golf balls! And, I'm under this rock yelling, 'Yes! Yes! Gimmie all you got! You're not going to get me!'" 

• The rain stops, Terry Gilliam emerges from under his rock, and finds that everything is washed away--Everything. "There's nothing left. The tents are down. The sets are gone. The people are gone. There's nothing but mud as far as you can see," he describes. "I thought, 'I'm free at last. This burden of a film is off me, and I don't have to do it again!'"

• On Day 4, the land is dry again, but the water from the storm has changed the landscape's hue and shape. It looks completely different and won't match the scenes that have already been shot on Day 1. 

• Finally, there's some good news: Jean Rochefort returns and shoots a scene! And, then there's bad news: It's clear that he's in serious pain. A few days later, doctors discover that the star has a double-herniated disc. His return is questionable.

After a while, the filmmakers felt awkward hanging around with cameras with everything falling apart around them. They called Terry Gilliam to voice their concerns, and he told them to keep going: "I've been working for 10 years to try and make this film. It's starting to look like I might not get to make the film, which means only one film is going to come out of it, and it's not going to be mine. So, it better be yours." 

Don't worry, nothing happens to Johnny!

Because much of this documentary covers preproduction, Johnny isn't in Lost in La Mancha very much. He shows up, fresh from the set of Chocolat, about a week before shooting. If, like me, you love to see the man at work, there are some snippets of him discussing the script with Terry Gilliam and Jean Rochefort and--of course--some of him acting whatever scenes they could actually get in the can that first day. If, like me, you are also perfectly happy watching Johnny just sit around sipping coffee or whatever, there's some of that too. Among the DVD special features, he'll treat you to some interviews about the experience too. 

Johnny was eager to work with Terry Gilliam again, having really enjoyed the experience of working with him on Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas in the '90s. "He is a lunatic, but I mean that as a great, great compliment because Terry, in a lot of ways, is really free. He's not bound by the realities that 'this is possible, this is not possible.' Terry's a great dreamer. He's able to put his visions into an arena and make them come true."  

Despite everything, Johnny remained optimistic: "Against all odds, it felt like it was going to be a really great film." But Vanessa Paradis never even made it to the set. She arrived to do costume and makeup tests, seen to the right, but she wasn't scheduled to arrive on the set until Day 7--the day after everything shut down.

Vanessa Paradis is hugely popular in her native France as a model, singer, and actress. Johnny met her 1998 while filming The Ninth Gate in Paris, and they have two kids together. They've never worked on film together before, and I've barely heard Vanessa speak any English during their 14-year relationship, so I was keen to see her in this movie, where she would be in an English-speaking role. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. And, since she and Johnny decided to go their separate ways last June, I don't think it's going to happen. Sad, all around. 

What now?

After everything that happened, Terry Gilliam remains defiant: "I'm going to make the film. I may have to recast the thing. There are a lot of things that may be different, but it's too good a script. I just know it's good. Everyone who reads it says this is magic."As the years have gone by, he has fought to regain the rights to his script from investors, and Johnny's schedule has become increasing packed. The last I heard, our hero director had his script back and recast the film with Robert Duvall as Don Quixote and Ewan McGregor as Toby Grosini. (I'll take it!) He hopes they'll start shooting next spring. Keep your fingers crossed. 

For a glimpse of what The Man Who Killed Don Quixote could be, here's the trailer to Lost in La Mancha.



Fish fights? Giants? I don't know what it all means, but--come on--don't you want to see it?!

Do The Kitties need to know what's going on?
Rather than focus on all the disasters and unfortunate events, The Kitties celebrate what little film Terry Gilliam was able to shoot of The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.



Contemplating the untimely demise of his 10-year project, Terry Gilliam (Norman) watches with (I think) Casting Director Irene Lamb (Ashes) a bit of film he shot of Johnny leading his horse through the desert. I think the horse is carrying Don Quixote (B.J.), but no one can say for sure because none of us has seen this movie!

What's next?

Johnny signs on to play a pirate in a Disney movie based on one of their run-down theme park rides. I keep the faith but am slightly worried that he may have lost some marbles.

All film images and video © IFC Films; illustration © Melissa Connolly

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