And now for some different ish…Isolation, a critically acclaimed British documentary that explores the lives of ex-soliders as they attempt to integrate themselves back into everyday society, is currently on a tour of Picturehouse cinemas. The film is being shown alongside an live atmospheric soundtrack performed by musicians Michael Garrard (famed for Chips for the Poor but someone I know from studying at Lancaster University where his musical taste varied from hard core hip-hop to New Order) and David Stephens (Stained Glass Heroes).
Floating around three central characters; video addict/artist Thierry Guetta, an LA-based Frenchman who moves from being behind a shop counter to being (permanently) behind a camera before becoming Mr Brainwash (MBW); Banksy and Shepard Fairey. The film begins describing how Guetta picks up a camera and ends up documenting the street-art scene and how that leads to him building a rapport with Bansky and finally the launch of his artistic career (sic.) as MBW.
Kind of like Hustle but stripped back with a Who’s Been Framed DIY quality, the magic of this film is that those who have made it are experts in the dark arts of deception and myth making. …Read More.
Hot damn! Following on from Bansky’s excellent Exit Through the Gift Shop, comes another underground arts gem. Thunder Soul is a documentary that explores the story of Conrad O Johnson and the cult Kashmere Stage Band, shining a light on some great haircuts, deeply funky music and some natty stage outfits. The enclosed clip is filmed by DJ Shadow (at one point looks like it is going to stray into one of those ‘legit’ copies from the Far East where you keep seeing people standing up to go to the loo) and the reaction from the audience suggests it is well worth seeking out.
To see why the Kashmere Stage Band has such a following, download the free MP3 doing the rounds at Now Again records. Now.
Exit Through the Gift Shop, Banksy’s first real foray into film making, is getting a cinema release on 5th March and the documentary is getting an airing on these shores next weekend. To be one of the lucky ones to have their bum on a seat at the preview, head over to Pictures On Walls and enter the comp and cross your fingers.
Un-surprisingly we haven’t been invited to a press viewing, so the only thing I’d hazard to guess from the trailer is that the film looks like it might be a mixture of Who’s Been Framed meets Jackass, but with lots and lots of spraypaint, messy hands and hairy artists bungling stuff. I, for one, am looking forward to this.
On the exiting tip, it seems like Bansky’s tagging rat in Liverpool has daubed its’ last building. Having seen the rat in the flesh and then read the article there is no way they can refurbish the pub and keep the rat alive. If you are in the area, checkit before its goes down the sewer.
That’s right folks, Bonafide is putting on an evening of underground hip-hop entertainment at the 23rd Leeds International Film Festival. Inspired by a conversation with multi-media/events organiser guru Liz Ainge, earlier this year we approached the organisers to see if we could put on a night and for their sins they accepted.
After much dithering we plumped to show the excellent Upper Playground/Walrus TV documentary The Run Up that pokes a lens into the face of leading street artists such as Jose Parla, Doze Green, Futura, Cody Hudson/Struggle Inc. and Swoon and gives them an intimate platform to talk about their work and motivations. Estevan Oriol comes across as one mean mutha of a photographer and the film is all the better for it. This is a rare chance to see The Run Up – we’re not sure if it’s ever been shown in a cinema setting before in the UK - at the Carriageworks 2 on 9th November with a showtime of 6.30pm. Oh yeah, did we mention the kick-ass soundtrack too?
Part two of the evening is arts based free-for-all at A Nation of Shopkeepers. Kicking off at 8.30pm the face off will feature uber turntablist DJ Mike-L who is a five times DMC finalist (what happened in the finals Mike?!) and has produced a mind-blowing spraycan/street-art themed mix. Mike-L is part of the First Word camp. Squaring up to him in the blue corner is nimble handed illustrator The Pern of the Best Joined Up crew. Serious props.
Two events not to be missed even if we do say so ourselves. For further details click here.
On the hip-hop documentary tip, anyone across the other side of Pennines this Friday should, when they are looking for somewhere to shelter from the rain, make a bee-line for the Cornerhouse. The super nice cinema venue are teaming up with the HomeGrown exhibition that is being held at Urbis and showing two Dirk Fontaine cinematic classics.
Beat This! A Hip-Hop History was originally commissioned by the BBC in 1984 as part of the Arena series and features the likes of Afrika Bambaataa and DJ Kool Herc. Bombin’ is a 1988 documentary that brings Bronx graf writer Brim Fuentes to the UK to meet the likes of a young 3-D (the Wild Bunch/Massive Attack) and Goldie. Both are in-depth explorations of originators from the old-school and, like a gold-chain from back in the day, are certified hip-hop gold.
As an added bonus there will be a Q and A with Fontaine too, you don’t get that at the Vue!
Very few films are made starring English rappers, less so ones playing themselves and even rarer still is said film actually any good. Fortunately Le Donk & Scor-Zay-Zee is a welcome exception and one of you lucky readers can win a copy of the film on DVD by answering the following simple question.
Was Le Donk responsible for the offending track Put a Donk On It?
Send answers to mailbox@bonafidezine.com with Le Donk & Scor-Zay-Zee in the subject heading, competition closes on November 24th.
Check Bonafide’s review of the film and interview with leading man Scoze-Zay-Zee here.
