Some movie directors have a vision, an idea, a message they are so passionate about that their entire work reflects that passion. In their films, the characters and events have a significance beyond the context of the story and, if they are successful, the audience will pick up the subtle nuances and comprehend the idea, the all- embracing message.
That is the case with the 2012 Eli Sokhn short-firm Green Is Red. Using a creative mixture of 3D animation, archive footage (I recognized snippets from Charlie Chaplin’s final speech in The Great Dictator) and the realities of the present day, Sokhn shares his take on war and the impact it has on a young boy, his family and humanity as a whole.
By far, this is one of the best films I have seen in the last five years. Moonrise Kingdom is Wes Anderson’s finest work. Set in 1965, a pair of young lovers flee their New England town, which causes a local search party to fan out to find them. What follows is a hilarious and amazingly beautiful adventure that takes our young characters on a grand Coming-of-Age journey.
Anderson displays a very stylistic and un-conventional approach here, not only with his story telling, but with his camera techniques as well — utilizing a number of dolly shots and long zoom-in’s on characters. I wasn’t huge on the continued overuse of these techniques. However
This is America! We have all seen at least a few movies that portray the American dream — a small town (or neighborhood) where everyone knows you and most everyone likes you, green fields, neat houses. In other words, an idyllic place to grow up, raise a family and, yes, shoot a family movie, which (besides entertaining) can be used as a marketing tool – to sell you the American dream.
Cooper and the Castle Hills Gang is a fun film – think Diary of the Wimpy Kid (referenced to by doodles) meets Dennis the Menace, add a few familiar cliché scenes (of the “boy hugs the girl while watching the 4th of July fireworks” type)
Most Coming-of-Age movies focus on the so-called “universal teenage experience.” While some aspects of growing up are conventional, adolescence itself crafts a unique narrative of our lives that defines one’s individuality. Writer/Director Jean-Pierre Bergeron challenged the familiar Coming-of-Age fables’ hegemony with the story of a young boy secretly in love with an older male in his debut film Alone with Mr.Carter.
Expressing same-sex interest towards an older male is often considered to be the ultimate taboo — an unthinkable state of mind that is punished as deviance when detected. That is probably why, when watching the story of the young John (played by the Canadian actor Robert Naylor ) gathering the courage to admit his feelings toward Mr.Carter (Paul James Saunders), one feels just as nervous as the boy — who is anxious about the reaction of a heterosexual man (Mr.Carter’s girlfriend is prominent in the story).
Robert Naylor and Paul James Saunders in Alone with Mr. Carter
Photo credit Chris Kralik/KEYSTONE Press
I enjoyed the story’s comedy nuances, as they made the film more entertaining by effectively breaking up the tension. The script cleverly avoids the clichés typically associated with coming out stories. The first person narration enhanced the feeling of intimacy so that the story felt like a personal confession. In an interview during one of the film’s festival screenings, Director Bergeron confirmed that the story of Alone with Mr. Carter is semi-autobiographical, which could explain why the screenplay is so poignant and compelling.
Aside from its original plot, the film owns much of its appeal to the incredible acting performance of Robert Naylor, who portrayed his character with an emotional intensity that never feels stilted or forced. I was already aware of Robert’s ability to portray emotions from his role as a troubled child in Daniel Grou’s film 10 1/2 .
While the emotions of his character in Alone with Mr. Carter significantly differ from the constant anguish and anger of his character in 10 1/2, Robert’s naturalistic portrayal of a gay youth’s internal conflicts is top-notch. On the other hand, I must say that I am a bit disappointed with the actors who portrayed John’s parents. But their role in his life seemed intentionally marginalized, which could explain why their performance felt a bit flat.
Paul James Saunders did a credible job as Mr.Carter. Still, it was Claudia Ferri in the role of Mr.Carter’s high-strung girlfriend Lucilla who’s electrifying performance contrasted sharply with the internal turmoil of John and her partner.
A movie about ‘the love that dear not speak its name,’ Alone with Mr. Carter, is a film that I won’t hesitate to recommend highly. While the subject matter could be perceived as highly controversial by some audiences, I would assure you that the story is presented in an honest non-exploitive manner, which makes it suitable for viewers of all ages. And, as in all Coming-of-Age stories, there is a lesson to be learned.
Alone with Mr.Carter is still making the festival circuit rounds, and you can find more information about it at the film’s official website: alonewithmrcarter.com and its IMDB entry.
I Am Gabriel might be seen as an uplifting and inspirational film by some people, but those adjectives are the least likely I would pick to describe after seeing it.
The action takes place in Promise, a suburban Texas city filled with people overwhelmed with problems, struggling to get by in their daily lives – people who have lost their hope for a better tomorrow. And then one day, a mysterious boy appears, walking alone on the side of the road carrying only one item with him – a prayer mat. He brings a message of hope and revival to the people of Promise – a way to salvation if they listen, accept and believe.
Sibling groups have had a significant place in the shaping of the sound of popular music. Bands such as The Jackson Five, Osmonds, 2 Boys, The Naked Brothers Band and of course Hanson showed the world that the bond they shared and the advantage they had in being able to simultaneously develop their talent from early childhood brings the unsurprising result of stunning recordings and timeless hits.
A few days ago, a reader on this site pointed my attention to Kyle and Benjamin Sharp, twin twelve-year-old brothers who call their band Sharp Turn Ahead. Like most young singers these days, the brothers perform covers of artists such as Coldplay, Andy Grammer, Jason Mraz and One Republic. Recently, they released their first original song titled California Ain’t That Far.
The twins have experience performing in front of live audiences, as evidenced by the gigs they’ve recorded on videos shown on their YouTube Channel. Sharp Turn Ahead plays soft pop and adult contemporary style music. Their talented efforts on the acoustic guitar and piano, combined with the perfect blending of their youthful treble voices, result in soulful and sincere performances that hold a real appeal to music connoisseurs.
Kyle and Benjamin Sharp – Sharp Turn Ahead
I was thoroughly impressed with the guitar skills of Kyle Sharp. His solos are often the highlight of their performances (check out their amazing cover of Coldplay‘s song Fix You as proof). Although I enjoy the unique twist they give to the songs they choose to cover, it was their original song California Ain’t That Far that won my heart with its harmony, meaningful lyrics and message. The song tells the story of the Sharp brothers’ move from Austin, Texas to Southern California, but everyone can associate with the Coming-of-Age experience of trying to find one’s place in the world. Sharp Turn Ahead is a band well worth paying attention to and I urge you to find out more about them and their music by visiting their official website at: sharpturnahead.com
Sharp Turn Ahead Original Song – California Ain’t That Far
Bailey Maughan as Dane in the 2011 Short Film Deep End
Acceptance – the virtue that becomes more important as we grow up. That virtue is the basis of the 2011 short film Deep End, which is written and directed by Bretten Hannam. The film focuses on a young boy’s reaction when his older brother admits to him that he is gay. That newly found knowledge emerges as a real dilemma for the 13-year-old Dane – who has seen the graffiti on the school walls and heard the offensive slang his peers use when referring to people …people like his brother.
The Art of GettingBy turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments I have experienced since I started reviewing Coming-of-Age movies.
A few days ago, I saw a real masterpiece: S.J. Clarkson’s film Toast featuring Freddie Highmore. Freddie only had a small role in it yet delivered a superb performance in line with his fame as one of the most talented young actors today. I knew about The Art of Getting By and knew that Freddie has a lead role in it, so I was looking forward to seeing it. Little did I know that the story would turn out to be a bitter pill.
The Mystery Artist Show is a weekly program on TheSkyKid.com Radio. Each week Jeffrey, the program’s host, introduces a young artist. In August of 2012, TheSkyKid.com radio aired an exclusive interview (conducted by Jeffrey) with 16-year-old pop singer and actor Dylan Hyde.
Note: This publication is a transcription of the original interview aired on TheSkyKid.com radio. The clip included below features the whole interview and snippets of the songs that were played during the live broadcast. In this transcript, “TMAS” will represent the questions posed by the Mystery Artist’s Show and “DH“ will be Dylan’s answers. Jeffrey has also provided some post interview commentary that was not part of the interview as aired, but rather represents his impressions of the interview after the fact. Those comments will be shown as “Jeffrey“.
Jeffrey:Today’s Mystery Artist is none other than 16 year old Dylan Hyde from San Diego, California who was born into a family of performers. I first heard of Dylan on Twitter and, of course, had to check out his YouTube page to see what the buzz was all about with this young singer/actor. After watching a number of his videos and hearing him sing, I immediately contacted him to see about doing an interview and was very pleased when he agreed. Being in California and acting as well as singing, of course Dylan has a manager, who I had to go through for the interview.
Justin Bieber – Heartbreaker ( Dylan Hyde Cover )
http://youtu.be/d5ZCrbeo1ME
TMAS: You’ve been posting videos on YouTube for a few years now. How do you decide which songs you’ll cover and when to post them?
DH:I’ve been doing a lot of Justin Bieber songs since I was little. I know he has a new album coming out, Believe, so I thought I would do the new singles he was releasing for Believe on the same day they were released, so when people go on YouTube to search the song, my video will come up. When they search it on YouTube, they’re going to be looking for the original of what he’s done to it, but when they click on mine, they’re going to see what I’ve spun on his song. I’m hoping they’ll like it so they’ll go buy my music that’s in my own style. It’s really different than Justin’s and I’m hoping that those Bielebers out there can like my music just as much as they like his.
As far as posting, I’m not scheduled for a specific time that I’m going to release songs on YouTube. I really just do it when I feel like it — when I feel like I can put a spin on a song that’s done in a way that’s so different from me — just to surprise people. I’m not doing it at specific times, like every two weeks or something along those lines. Just whenever I feel like it and when I want too and I think it’s the right time and the right song.
TMAS:Your YouTube covers are really popular. Do you think that the response will be the same when you begin to post your own original music?
DH: Yeah. The covers are really, really popular and it’s awesome. I love that. I’ve never had so much attraction to my covers before. I do think my original music is going to be just as popular as those covers, as I make it bigger and bigger, just because if they like my covers so much they’re going to like what I do to my original music too.
TMAS:Watching your YouTube videos from two years ago versus your more recent posts, you’ve changed your image. What inspired the new look?
DH: A few years ago, I was going through this rebellious punk/skater stage. Over the years, I’ve matured as a person and I think I’ve slowly begun to realize that the classy look is more for me rather than really, really skinny jeans, really long baggy t-shirts and just looking kinda trashy. I think going for a classier look is right for me.
TMAS:You were approached by several record labels. What made you decide to sign with Crissy Fields Records?
DH: My manager, Richard, I knew from before. He did a show with me. He was part of the artistic team. So I think it made me a little bit more comfortable with signing with Crissy Fields Records.
TMAS:You have said that you used to listen to skater/punk music, but that’s not what you sing. What made you want to sing contemporary pop?
DH: I definitely wouldn’t want to sing skater/punk music but, yes, I did used to listen to it a lot. As I matured and tried to become classier, I just wanted to change everything that I did to revolve around that just because I was so obsessed with it. That’s when I decided that the music I do today is really what I’ve wanted to do all these years.
TMAS:What has inspired the songs that you’ve written for your debut album?
DH: Recently, the songs I’ve been writing are a lot about how our world is falling apart. We do need a lot of help. Since my album revolves a lot around love, I sing about how I think love could save us from a lot of the things that are going on. It could really save us and our planet. Overall, if we really have true love for the things we do around us, I think that could be the cure for a lot of things.
TMAS:Are you working with other songwriters on the new album?
DH: Yeah. I’m working with a few other song writers. Recently, I wrote a really awesome song that has to do with what I was saying earlier about saving us with love. I wrote that with my manager Richard.
TMAS:When is your album due out and how many songs will it contain?
DH: At this moment, I’m not really sure how many songs are going to be on the album, but I do know the day it’s supposed to drop is October 23rd.
TMAS:Aside from musical theatre, had you done any on-camera acting before the web-series?
When I Was Your Man – Bruno Mars (Dylan Hyde Cover)
Richard Allen’s Amazed is an original online mystery/science-fiction series created by writer/producer Richard Allen for Tirano Entertainment. The series stars Dylan Hyde as himself…
DH:Before Amazed, I had never done any on camera acting , but I will definitely have to say that I like that much, much better than musical theatre acting. I think I just connect more with doing on camera film and acting.
TMAS:Richard Allen said that he developed this show specifically for you. What do you think it was about you that inspired this show?
DH: He’d seen me act before because he has seen me in musical theatre shows. I think he thought I could act OK. He knew I was a new, up and coming artist and we needed something to push me out there. I think Amazed is building a lot of attraction for my music because they see me in the show and we advertise me as an artist on there as well, so people want to go listen to my original music. I’m pretty sure that’s what gave him the idea to use this.
TMAS: I know there have been five episodes so far; how many episodes are planned for the first season?
DH: I’m not really sure how many episodes are supposed to be in the first season. Right now we’ve filmed nine and this mystery is crazy awesome. I’m like obsessed with it and I think our audience will be too.
TMAS:There are some amazing locations in Amazed. Can you tell me about where the web-series is shot?
DH: There are three major places where we film Amazed. The one first is Coronado Island, which is like the most beautiful place ever. I really love going there. The second place is The City Deli in San Diego. We’re in and out of there all the time. They treat us so great. They’re wonderful people at The City Deli. We film there and it’s where me and my friends in the show hang out and just chill and think about this mystery that we’re trying to solve. The City Deli is a place that we’re probably at the most. The other place where we shoot is a Victorian house. My grandparents’ best friends own the Victorian, so that’s how we kinda got the hook-up to be able to film there. I’m super jealous of them. That house is the most gorgeous house I’ve ever seen and I’m super jealous I don’t get to live there with them.
TMAS: I understand that you have a busy summer ahead of you. Can you tell me what’s planned for the next few months? What can the fans expect?
DH: We have a super, super busy summer coming up. We’re doing a tour. Right now we’re booking some cities in some other states. The show that we’ve been rehearsing is so fun. I really encourage my fans to come see one of my shows. I’m hoping to go to as many cities as I can just to give my fans an opportunity to see the show, cuz the show is so fun. The set list is great.
TMAS:What advice do you have for other artists who are starting out?
DH: What I’ve been seeing a lot of lately is just new artists not being themselves, for a lack of better words. I would just say don’t copy anyone else. I think that if you just act yourself and sing what you really feel and do what you really feel, people are automatically going to be drawn to you just because of you being yourself and they’re going to love you for who you are.
TMAS:Is there anything else you’d like to add before we go?
DH: Yeah. Everyone can come visit me on my website which is www.dylanhydemusic.com. You can follow me on Twitter, that’s: @TheDylanHyde on twitter. Facebook is www.facebook.com/DylanHydeMusic. You can also subscribe to my YouTube page http://www.youtube.com/user/DylanHydeIsAmazing to see some more covers I’m going to put out there, and some original music. I’m working on one of my music videos for my newest single Running Free, which is so awesome. Anything you guys can do to reach out to me — I would love that. I love my fans and I love reaching out to you guys. I hope to see you guys at my shows this summer but, if not, then I hope you have a great summer!
Shortened version on the interview originally aired on TheSkyKid.com Radio
A film with considerable potential is ruined by its length.
It’s a Coming-of-Age movie from Canada. The Canadian cinema industry has several Coming-of-Age films worth mentioning: Dave Shultz’s Jet Boy, Daniel Grou’s 10 1/2, and Franc Vitale’s Montreal Main are just a few noteworthy ones.
South of the Moon shares some of the qualities of those great films: an intriguing story, a promising young lead, and, as a bonus, a moody soundtrack with jazz and soft rock songs that fit the film’s theme. That score even features a boys’ choir performance, though I have reservations about its appropriateness in relation to the scene in which it plays.
The film features the Coming-of-Age experiences of twelve-year-old Coleman Hawkins and his uncle Matt. To Coleman, Coming-of-Age presents many challenges: love, confusion, nervousness around girls, sexual curiosity (challenges common to many kids his age), and all that while trying to make sense of the world that surrounds him. For Matt, although he is older, his changes and transformations, as well as the experiences that shape his life and personality (told via flashbacks), are equally enticing. Coleman and his uncle share an extraordinary bond: despite the age difference, Matt is Coleman’s best friend and something more…
First love
Jake McLeod as Coleman Hawkins and Devery Jacobs as Alexa Dumont in South of the Moon
The plot of South of the Moon is complicated, essentially tying a Coming-of-Age story with one of immense love. Although this approach is innovative to me, at times, the ties that connect the stories weaken. As a result, it’s entirely possible that many viewers will get lost and, consequently, will be bored by the time the film’s first hour has elapsed. I came to appreciate the movie only on my second viewing – armed with all the knowledge I had gained from the first time I watched it. But I believe a real negative issue lies in the film’s length. I feel that scenes could have been cut, preventing this from being a 102-minute movie.
Jake McLeod made an excellent debut in the role of Coleman Hawkins. It’s a shame that the film’s director, Antonio DiVerdis, lacked experience working with young cast members. There was often a stilted, unnatural feel to the dialogue and interactions between the young actors. Yet Jake’s talent shone through. The film’s real star, though, is the Canadian actor John Ralston in the role of Coleman’s uncle Matt. He was brilliant and really made the movie. Fortunately, he worked exceptionally well with his young co-star, enhancing both stories.
John Ralston as Matt Hawkins in South of the Moon
I enjoyed the independent feel of the film. Subtle hints and a bit of controversy are frequently featured in Canadian movies, making them stand out compared to most American productions. The plot features some dramatic story twists, which could have made the film much more interesting if it were not for the somewhat clichéd ending. Admittedly, the story failed to involve me emotionally. Yet, although I rarely say that, the lack of emotional attachment did not ruin my experience.
I would recommend the film despite the few shortcomings I’ve mentioned. South of the Moon is an innovative independent Coming-of-Age film that deserves its chance to be appreciated.
Film title: South of the Moon Release year: 2008 – Stargaze Pictures Director: Antonio DiVerdis Cast: John Ralston, Jake McLeod, Moya O’Connell, Daniel Richard Giverin, Jayne Heitmeyer and others
When one sees the poster for the 2003 Spanish movie Planta 4a, the associations with a heavy drama are almost guaranteed. Children, cancer and hospitals – most Coming-of-Age films that feature similar elements take its toll on the emotions of their viewers (seeThe Last Snows of Spring, Ways to Live Forever, Matching Jack and Oscar et la Dame Rose). That might be the reason why I hesitated for months before I finally decided to watch Planta 4a.
It’s been a very busy time at ajsilmusic. AJ Silva is a 13-yr-old singer/musican/dancer living in Orlando, Florida.
After his first video, which he uploaded in September, 2010 and which featured a cover of That Should Be Me by Justin Bieber, AJ went on to cover several mainstream songs as well as some classics like the band Kansas‘s Dust In The Wind and James Taylor‘s Fire and Rain. Both songs were performed on acoustic guitar. His cover of Dust in The Wind caught the eye of Chip Ruggieri who handles PR and Consulting for Kansas.
Some movie directors have a vision, an idea, a message they are so passionate about that their entire work reflects that passion. In their films, the characters and events have a significance beyond the context of the story and, if they are successful, the audience will pick up the subtle nuances and comprehend the idea, the all- embracing message.
Sibling groups have had a significant place in the shaping of the sound of popular music. Bands such as The Jackson Five, Osmonds, 
A film with considerable potential is ruined by its length.
