Johnny- The True Story of A Civil War Legend

Johnny is largely a historical autobiography with a touch of realistic scenes integrated in between the photographs and drawings from the Civil War. Despite the educational approach with which the film was shot, its entertainment value is not lessened thanks to the dramatized scenes and the wonderful performance of the young lead, Cody Piper, who makes his debut in the role of Johhny.

The narrator begins the film by describing the importance of the rank of drummer boy during the American Civil War. He quotes documents which show that both sides employed thousands of soldiers under the age of eighteen, many of those thirteen or younger.

A unique experience for the viewer

Johnny Joseph “Lincoln” Clem joined the US Army at the age of nine and fought shoulder to shoulder with the older soldiers from his regiment. As soon his name is introduced, he starts to narrate the story in his own voice, much as if he was reading from his personal diary. About that time, the viewer starts to truly appreciate the masterful usage of camera and props to accurately recreate those past times. The narrator of the film joins in again and, for the rest of the film, the story is shared equally between his words and the words of Johnny – creating quite a unique experience for the viewer who is able to observe the events from both the first and third persons.

A young boy holding a rifle

The film begins intensely, wasting no time in throwing the viewer right into the action. The viewer hears Johnny’s rapid breathing, sees the sweat on his forehead, and the fear in his eyes. And then his surroundings are shown – soldiers moving, Johnny among them – a young boy holding a rifle. His life and adventures are then followed throughout the movie. Soon it becomes clear that even if there are uncertainties about Johnny’s life and war record, the only certain thing is that his determination to join in the fight continued. The story told is not just that of Johnny, but it’s the story of the thousands of young soldiers who found themselves on the battle field during one of the most intense periods in American history.

During these times, boys like Johnny were beginning to learn the ways of life. When they entered the war, these boys were mere innocent youths. But, with the tolls taken of them in a man’s war — the death, disease, corruption and evil upbringings, they are morphed into adults faster than ever should be. In those conditions, it didn’t take long for a boy to quickly become a man.

Director R. David Burns and Executive Producer Wayne W. Whited have sorted through the legend to find the true facts about the boy’s adventures in order to tell this heroic tale of a young boy’s determination and struggle against war, disease, death and destruction that was the American Civil War.

The DVD features a video clip of Matthew Rank’s song When Johnny comes Marching Home, a photo slideshow featuring production shots and close up portraits of the characters in the film. It also contains seven minutes of footage showing the set and the actors getting ready for their scenes. In addition, the DVD includes Actor and Director Audio Commentary, Production Subtitles, Blooper Reel, Deleted and Extended Scenes.

Johhny is highly recommended for classroom usage and to anyone who has an interest in US history. A true story, told documentary style, it’s become a legend, appearing in newspapers of the times and in song — and now at theskykid.com.

TheSkyKid.com would like to thank cvmc.net for proving a review DVD for Johnny – The True Story of a Civil War Legend.

If you liked this review – we highly recommended checking out the review of the movie American Drummer Boy which is similarly themed.

Last but not least, does the approach of mixing documentary footage with live acting appeal to you, or would you prefer them to be separate?

Film title: Johnny – The True Story of a Civil War Legend
Release year: 2007
Director: R. David Burns
Cast: Cody Piper, Jack Dolezal, Terri Fisher, Gary Chambers

Hounddog (2007)

There has been some controversy surrounding this film, which is surprising as there is nothing more than one controversial scene. And even that, while being essential to the plot, doesn’t shock or come at the viewer unexpectedly. The viewer was prepared for it, and it was even hinted at in a few of the preceding scenes.

The action takes place in rural Tennessee, and the main protagonist is a young girl, Lewellen (Dakota Fanning), who lives with her father and grandmother, as her mother had left the family sometime in the past. Those were the times when rock and roll music was taking hold – Elvis was starting his career, and church pastors were preaching about the devil’s influence on this new music and how it would cast a spell on everyone who fell under its influence.

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Losing Track (1992)

Losing Track is a 1992, made-for-TV movie, produced by BBC Screen One. It tells the story of a father and son who have lost their connection after a long separation.

Clive (Ben Holden) is a 12-year-old boy who is shaken by the tragic death of his mother. His father, Henry Sitchell (Alan Bates), who has been away in India, returns to Britain for the funeral. The years spent in India away from his family have turned him into a very stiff, even grumpy person. He lives by strict rules, follows his ideals and expects his son to follow suit, without paying attention to the emotional condition of the boy. He sees his son as a stranger, as a distant memory might be.

The first indication of their relationship and the expectations of this father for his son can be observed in one of the first scenes. In it, Henry extends his hand for a handshake instead of hugging his son. The boy is mourning the death of his mother, but his father is set to put a stop to that as, in his opinion, the feelings of the boy towards his deceased mother would get in the way and be a hurdle to his future. At the same time, the future of the boy is pretty much predefined in his father’s eyes.

Clive desires to become a journalist, but his father wants him to take on a “more manly” profession. Henry burns his wife’s possessions and builds a model railway in her room instead. The viewer is quick to realize that this is Henry’s way of reminding himself of the authority he had in India and, at the same time, also a way of establishing authority over his son. He proudly shows the set to his son, but soon becomes obsessed with the artificial trains and rail roads and, after a demanding challenge, Clive says that he thought that the whole set was just a game, but is quickly informed that “Games have targets, Games have rules and penalization “. While there is some truth in this statement, it is also a harsh one and definitely not appropriate for a 12-year-old boy.

Losing Track is a powerful drama, which gets to the viewer even if there are no special effects or wild chase scenes. What it does have is a great cast. Alan Bates has a personality that soon steals the film and the viewer’s attention. At the same time, Ben Holden delivers an above average performance, portraying a young and emotional boy who is trying to overcome the grief for his mother and get to know the person who insists on being called “Henry” instead of “Father”.

While the story takes a while to develop, the film is a good example of classic British cinematography. This movie is sure to tug at the heartstrings of its viewers, as it touches on universal issues such an obsession with the past and father- son relationships.

Film title: Losing Track
Alternative titles: El Ultimo Tren
Release year: 1992
Director: Jim Lee
Cast: Alan Bates, Geraldine James, Michael Culver, Ben Holden, Sue Roderick, James Copnall, Brinley Jenkins and others

Katia Nicole

Katia Nicole is 11 years old and lives in Homestead, Florida. Her parents are from Puerto Rico and are of Colombian decent. She started off her performing career as a competitive cheerleader for several youth teams in Florida. As she got older, she decided to audition for the Miami Heat Jr. Jams, and made the team. Thereafter, she auditioned and also danced with the Florida Marlin Minnows, which is a group of youth dancers who perform at all the Marlins Sunday home games during the baseball season.

http://youtu.be/ycwV60lkNjA

At nine years old, Katia began dancing at Paramount Dance Studios in Homestead, where the director and founder, Lianna Beckno, saw her passion and talent and gave her a solo. She competed and won many awards while at Paramount, not only as a soloist, but as a group member as well.

When she auditioned the first year at the Miami Heat Jr Jams, in 2007 she did not make the team. She realized that these kids were trained in all styles of dance and she needed to push herself to get to their level. She joined a dance troupe called the Untouchables, that was lead and directed by Glenn Douglas Packard. At the Untouchables she met Jessica Fernandez, who became her private instructor and mentor. Through her trainings and teachings, Katia quickly learned an aggressive approach to modern and lyrical dancing. When she tried out the following season for the Heat Jr Jams, she made the team and other teams thereafter. At the present time, Katia dances at Xtreme Dance studio of Miami, which is led by founder and director, Denise Amores. With that program, she’s learned all styles of dancing and has won many awards in different competitions.

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The Lost Boy

Ever since I published the review of the autobiographical novel by Dave Pelzer A Child Called “It”, I kept noticing people looking for more information on both the book and its author. Only recently was I able to acquire The Lost Boy – the second book of the trilogy (the third one is called A Man Named Dave) – about the childhood of the author.

The Lost Boy starts right where the first one left off, describing briefly the devastation of a young boy (David) suffering mistreatment by his mother. The story sends chills to its readers as the author portrays the confusion, hope and thoughts of the nine-year-old boy and the way he sees the world, his parents and himself, after years of mistreatment and brainwashing done by his mother. The author spares us the gory details of his torture – but everyone who has read the first book will recall those scenes and wish that somehow, someone would put an end to it all.

While reading the book, I was astonished by the excellent writing of the author – recalling his troubled past in such an emotional way. It sets the book up as a prime example of a coming of age novel, detailing the struggles of a young boy trying to find himself and believe, for once, that he is a regular kid – not an ” it ” – but a human person. The tension in the story keeps the reader turning page after page hoping that David will make the right choices along the way – that he will be able to go on with his life. It begins to look like he might have a chance when finally his teachers step in and call the police. This results in the 12-year-old David being examined by doctors and undergoing a treatment with a social worker. During this treatment, he tells what he has been through – first trustfully, then scared that he might be betraying his mother (who, even after all these years, he still loves but is also afraid of). Can a child hate his own mother? In the end, he is finally rescued and placed in foster care.

Some of the events in the book reminded me of Iluzija – a Macedonian film I once saw. In my mind, I imagined David looking like Marco (Marko Kovacevic), the young protagonist of that film, as they shared similar experiences. At other times, I pictured David as the boy in the emotional video clip Oklahoma by Billy Gilman. I have always liked that particular clip, not just for Billy’s great singing, but for the story it tells. But it was only after I read this novel by David Pelzer, that I started to fully understand the meaning of the song. Atypical for a book review, I want to embed the clip in question in this article. I promise that if you like the clip, you will love the book as well:

The Lost Boy is an account of the experiences that shaped the personality of Dave Pelzer as he tries to make sense of his past and its reflection on his present and future. As such, the story is largely a coming of age experience of a young person and, as such, is recommended to people interested in that genre and/or Child Psychology. As you read about David and his quest to find his answers, you are guaranteed to find some answers for yourself.

Exclusive Interview: Rick Lancaster

Rick Lancaster (The Last Days of April, Ahmed, Muchacho Del Flamenco) has studied at Harvard, Yale and New York Universities, and holds Bachelor degrees in both Economics and Chemistry, as well as a Masters of Financial Engineering from Cornell University. Rick is currently the Chief Financial Officer for Metropolis Films Inc., as well as being a member of the Cornell Engineering Society, American Finance Association, PRMIA, Editor’s Union and The International Association of Financial Engineers.

TheSkyKid.com has featured articles, interviews and reviews of the films which Rick Lancaster directs and co-produces. The significant interest that all of them has generated, motivated us to go a step further and contact Mr. Lancaster for an exclusive interview for the site. We’re very happy that Mr. Lancaster agreed and now we are happy to present that interview.

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Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Just yesterday I published a short review of an audio book based on the illustrated novel Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney. Seeing the film based on the same novel a few hours later converted me into a true fan of the series. It’s been a while since I saw such a great family friendly comedy that was so funny and entertaining that I did not want it to end.

In addition to that, the film is a coming of age film as its main protagonist, Greg Heffley, learns a lot about himself and the real meaning of friendship. Zachary Gordon, who plays Greg, is truly adorable and is such a good actor that, once you see the film, you are likely to always imagine him when you think of Greg and his adventures. It’s extremely easy for one to identify with Greg and recall his own middle school experiences as they are truly universal: looking for acceptance, the pursuit of popularity, the bullies, the peer pressure …etc. Think of Malcolm in the Middle only funnier, on a big screen and extremely well-filmed and directed. The editing and cinematography were brilliant as well.

Combining fantasy, reality and hand drawn cartoons, no matter if you are in middle school or long out of it, you’re going to love Diary of a Wimpy Kid and see it more than once to re-experience the ‘laughing out loud’ comedy of its entire hour and half length.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Film title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Release year: 2010
Director: Thor Freudenthal
Cast: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, Connor Fielding , Chloe Moretz, Karan Brar, Grayson Russell and others

Diary of a Wimpy Kid at Amazon.com, Official site of the film

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw

Some time ago, I purchased an audio book called The Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, an unabridged recording of the third book from the best-selling series from Jeff Kinney. Today I finally got to listen to it. The book is aimed at young readers (Ages 8-12) – yet it’s extremely funny and a great listen for people of any age. Told in first person as if read from a real diary, the story reminded me of the one in the book Le Petit Nicolas and, similarly, has a movie adaptation (which I’m looking forward to watching).

The main protagonist is the young Greg Heffley who thinks of himself as “one of the most perfect people he knows” – and not surprisingly since he is just about to become a teenager. The audio book is really filled with humorous coming of age stories, which is why I won’t hesitate to recommend it highly to the readers of theskykid.com. For the younger readers, I would recommend checking out the story at Funbrain.com where the book can be read online in daily entries ( just like a real diary) and there are also some great cartoons there to accompany it.

After I got the audio book (2 hrs and 16 mins), I found out that the book itself was available at Amazon.com (Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw) as a hard cover book along with three more books from the series and a fourth one is scheduled for release on 9-November 2010. It should be noted that the printed books are based on the stories published online, but with some additional twists.

You may find out more about the book and its author at http://www.wimpykid.com/

Audio book :

Emmett

Emmet is a forty-eight minute long Canadian film that tells the story of a friendship and of life changing choices. The storyline can be described in a few sentences. Emmet (Matthew Rappolt) is a twelve-year-old boy who hangs out with his friend Mike (Evan Green). They are good friends, even if from their conversations one gets the feeling that Emmet is a bit of a loner — weirder than most boys his age. Yet,Mike doesn’t seem to have a problem with that, at least until Emmet meets Mike’s “cooler” friends who happen to have their own explanation of Emmet’s weariness.

At one point in the film, the boys head out to swim. When they encounter a road accident – a crushed car with a guy in it who is hurt and in danger of dying – will the boys be able to help him …?

The story of the film is similar to the one in the Norwegian short Benny’s Gym, at least when it comes to the common issues of bullying, showing off and friendship. Unlike the Norwegian short – Emmet’s cinematography isn’t professional and the acting is quite average. It feels as if one is watching a home made film shot with a hand-held camera that gives the film an almost documentary-like feeling not much different than the one in Put the Camera on Me by Darren Stain. The most memorable part of the film is its soundtrack, but even that is overdone at times. At the same time, though, the efforts of the crew and the actors to tell a good story with some moral values deserves some recognition.

The film is produced by Sterling Productions, which seems to be an independent company with a focus on young talents and stories aimed at a teenage audience. Most of their films can be classified as coming of age, in addition to being family-friendly. Check out their site to find out more about Emmet and their other films. I believe that people should be supporting independent studios like Sterling Productions.

Who knows? Maybe that’s where the next Barret Oliver will come from…

Trailer

http://youtu.be/2rMHs5spYQI

The Flyboys: (a.k.a. Sky Kids) (2008)

Some films you can see once and forget you ever saw it. The Flyboys (a.k.a. Sky Kids) (2008) is not one of those films. From the first scenes, you can tell this is going to be a movie that will capture, not only your attention but also your heart!

The two young protagonists, (Jesse James), as Jason McIntyre, and Reiley McClendon as Kyle Barrett, did more than an outstanding job in both their on-screen presence and with incredible acting. A friendship is built between the two boys when Kyle (the new kid at school), defends Reiley from the schoolyard bully. However, when the boys find themselves in a much more serious dilemma, their friendship proves to be one in which both boys are willing to die for each other.

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American Drummer Boy (2001)

The American Civil War and its events and heroes have inspired thousands of films and books. The coming of age genre also contributes to the theme – one of them being the 2001 production American Drummer Boy (also known as The Greatest Adventure of My Life). Narrated in the first person by the young Johnny Boone (good acting performance by Cody Newton) – the film tells the story of a young boy whose sense of honour and duty lead him to sneak out of his house one day and embark on a journey to join the 11th Kentucky Infantry. From that moment on, he gets himself in and out of trouble, finding himself with the enemy forces instead (only to realize that they are just people with beliefs and honour to protect and that their reasons to enlist are not much different than his own).

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Anthony Gargiula: Amazingly Gifted Singing Super Star

Anthony Gargiula, better known as Anthony G from New York, is most likely best known for his many singing engagements at major sporting events opening with the US National Anthem. Some of his appearances include The Ellen Show, Carnegie Hall, The Today Show, not to mention the Belmont Horse Race in 2008. Anthony is both a naturally talented singer and an amazing personality.

Anthony just finished his debut CD called Finally Done with Grammy Award winning writer and producer, Bradley Spalter. The album has 10 original songs, including the title track that AG wrote about some experiences he had with bullying in school. Anthony hopes that, through his words and music, he can send a positive message to youngsters all over the world about being yourself, not worrying about what others think, and following your dreams.

In July 2010, Anthony was asked to sing the National Anthem at the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction in Cooperstown, NY. It was a thrill to be on the same stage with so many super stars of baseball. This summer Anthony also sang at Shriners Hospital in St Louis, Missouri, and a huge festival in Decatur, Illinois and at a Minnesota Twins game.

At eleven years old, Anthony carried on a better conversation with me than many adults have with whom I have spoken. He is not only intelligent, but shows a confidence well beyond his young eleven years of age. Anthony has astounded me with every performance that I have witnessed over the past two years. I have followed him very closely and now have been privileged to meet him and his wonderful supporting father. It is with great pride I bring to this website the following exclusive interview with Anthony G.

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