Monday, April 30, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Couple of good movies
Murderball
This documentary follows over a period of time the lives of a set of guys involved in "Murderball", better known with the more marketable name of Wheelchair Rugby or Quad Rugby (Quad deriving from quadriplegic). As a rugby player I know what it takes to play the game so watching the quadriplegics playing it with such intensity was inspiring, moving, and an adrenaline rush for me. The label Murderball depicts most aptly the death metal (metal , literally) flavor of rugby this is. It's full contact - hard and uncompromising. Infact the vigor these guys emanate is enough for you to forget the disability aspect of their lives altogether. On the contrary that they are on wheels seems to be what makes them superioir to the other normal guys. These are tough nuts that need no pat on their backs or sissy sympathies towards their disabilities.
There are parts to the documentary that you would understand better if you are yourself an action junkie. Not one of those who sit around watching TV calling all the skateboarding, mountain biking, x-gaming kids idiots. It takes that to understand how the motocross racer disabled from an accident feels when made to understand that his body may no longer allow him to continue dirt biking. How it would feel to sit in a wheelchair and get wistful looking at the dirt bikes in your garage. How it would feel to see the family making *arrangements* - a handicap sign for your car, a modified loo - for you. And finally, how quad-rugby could bring back the promise of a real life back to a guy who lives and breathes the motorbreath.
Best to be seen and experienced.
Good night, and good luck
As I watch the news stations today covering the "AbhiAsh" wedding, I can't think of a more fitting discourse as in this movie - taken form the actual speech delivered by Ed Murrow - the character this film is based on. I'll word out the extracts verbatim here, they say it all...
About the content of television media he says thus,
"Our history will be what we make it. And if there are any historians about fifty or a hundred years from now, and there should be preserved the kinescopes for one week of all three networks, they will there find recorded in black and white, or color, evidence of decadence, escapism and insulation from the realities of the world in which we live."
And this, is his reply to those that believe that trivia and senseless entertainment is all that most public demands and real hard-hitting programming has no takers..
"To those who say people wouldn't look; they wouldn't be interested; they're too complacent, indifferent and insulated, I can only reply: There is, in one reporter's opinion, considerable evidence against that contention. But even if they are right, what have they got to lose? Because if they are right, and this instrument is good for nothing but to entertain, amuse and insulate, then the tube is flickering now and we will soon see that the whole struggle is lost.
This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box."
The current state of our media especially television really does need drastic changes. The news channels are currently the worst examples of crass commercialism and third-rate journalism.
I hope some of those dimwits watch this movie and get some sense driven into them. That the television can communicate with the unlettered is a huge opportunity for a country like ours. Perhaps the current lot of them is useless and we just need a fresh dose of young journalists to create the content that would indeed matter and make a difference to the lives of the people.
This documentary follows over a period of time the lives of a set of guys involved in "Murderball", better known with the more marketable name of Wheelchair Rugby or Quad Rugby (Quad deriving from quadriplegic). As a rugby player I know what it takes to play the game so watching the quadriplegics playing it with such intensity was inspiring, moving, and an adrenaline rush for me. The label Murderball depicts most aptly the death metal (metal , literally) flavor of rugby this is. It's full contact - hard and uncompromising. Infact the vigor these guys emanate is enough for you to forget the disability aspect of their lives altogether. On the contrary that they are on wheels seems to be what makes them superioir to the other normal guys. These are tough nuts that need no pat on their backs or sissy sympathies towards their disabilities.
There are parts to the documentary that you would understand better if you are yourself an action junkie. Not one of those who sit around watching TV calling all the skateboarding, mountain biking, x-gaming kids idiots. It takes that to understand how the motocross racer disabled from an accident feels when made to understand that his body may no longer allow him to continue dirt biking. How it would feel to sit in a wheelchair and get wistful looking at the dirt bikes in your garage. How it would feel to see the family making *arrangements* - a handicap sign for your car, a modified loo - for you. And finally, how quad-rugby could bring back the promise of a real life back to a guy who lives and breathes the motorbreath.
Best to be seen and experienced.
Good night, and good luck
As I watch the news stations today covering the "AbhiAsh" wedding, I can't think of a more fitting discourse as in this movie - taken form the actual speech delivered by Ed Murrow - the character this film is based on. I'll word out the extracts verbatim here, they say it all...
About the content of television media he says thus,
"Our history will be what we make it. And if there are any historians about fifty or a hundred years from now, and there should be preserved the kinescopes for one week of all three networks, they will there find recorded in black and white, or color, evidence of decadence, escapism and insulation from the realities of the world in which we live."
And this, is his reply to those that believe that trivia and senseless entertainment is all that most public demands and real hard-hitting programming has no takers..
"To those who say people wouldn't look; they wouldn't be interested; they're too complacent, indifferent and insulated, I can only reply: There is, in one reporter's opinion, considerable evidence against that contention. But even if they are right, what have they got to lose? Because if they are right, and this instrument is good for nothing but to entertain, amuse and insulate, then the tube is flickering now and we will soon see that the whole struggle is lost.
This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires and lights in a box."
The current state of our media especially television really does need drastic changes. The news channels are currently the worst examples of crass commercialism and third-rate journalism.
I hope some of those dimwits watch this movie and get some sense driven into them. That the television can communicate with the unlettered is a huge opportunity for a country like ours. Perhaps the current lot of them is useless and we just need a fresh dose of young journalists to create the content that would indeed matter and make a difference to the lives of the people.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Monday, April 2, 2007
Wishlist...
I wish I was a neutron bomb, for once I could - go off.
I wish I was a sacrifice but somehow still lived on.
I wish I was a messenger and all the news was good.
I wish I was a sentimental ornament you hung on,
I wish I was a radio song, the one that you turned up,
I wish..
I wish...
I wish I was a sacrifice but somehow still lived on.
I wish I was a messenger and all the news was good.
I wish I was a sentimental ornament you hung on,
I wish I was a radio song, the one that you turned up,
I wish..
I wish...
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