blasco-erin Reviews

Hallelujah (1929)

This film now commemorated on a US postage stamp!

[8/10 · 30 June 2008]

In June 2008, the United States Postal Service came out with a commemorative 42-cent postage stamp featuring this movie and a few others. They feature images of movie posters. The theme is Vintage Black Cinema.

The other movies include: The Sport of the Gods, Black and Tan, Princess Tam-Tam, and Caldonia. I'm glad that Hallelujah and the other four films are on postage stamps because they'll be introduced to new generations of movie lovers (well, Caldonia is more of a music video). Even though the filming, sound, and editing are rough, I think this film deserves appreciation.

You can see images of the stamps and learn more about them here: http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2008stamps/

Black Gold (2006)

A refreshing conversation starter

[10/10 · 16 December 2006]

Black Gold doesn't shout at you, vilify any single corporation or government, or make you feel guilty about really liking coffee.

It does, however, invite you to see a very nuanced and sensitive view of an entire economic and social system that isn't working very well. This isn't "the anti-Starbucks movie" a la Supersize Me. This is a movie that starts the conversation about our trade system and the West's relationship with countries that feed us. Black Gold makes you want to get involved or inform yourself but doesn't map out exactly how, leaving it up to you. It isn't narrated by any off-screen voice overs and doesn't tell you exactly what to think.

I was fascinated to find out how coffee is grown and how small differences in price cause huge impact on farmers' families and communities. As a Washington, DC, resident I go out for Ethiopian food more than I order pizza, so I was glad to get a glimpse of what life is like in Ethiopia and how beautiful and lush the natural scenes are.

Please go see it because it's really enjoyable and thoughtful -- a refreshing new model for how to make a documentary.