"Write what you want"

I just re-watched Almost Famous.

Great movie. Simmons wrote on this recently and as always, I'll concur 99% (don't agree that it's the greatest film this decade). A story about a 15 year old boy breaking away from the comfort of home to realize his dream of being a rock journalist. Travels the US with a band, falling in love with both the music and Lady Goodman along the way. Somewhat interacts with Dylan and Bowie and writes for Ben Fong Torres...epic!

Philip Seymour Hoffman was the highlight of the movie with his portrayal of rock journalist Lester Bangs (one of the absolute finest actors in the world. Even if he did appear in that crapfest Along Came Polly)

One line from the movie struck me: "Write what you want".

It didn't come from PSH though, but rather from the character of Russell Hammond. But yeah...I've done freelance writing recently for an inflight magazine, a newspaper, and will soon write for an artsy highbrow mag. It's income and it's valuable experience. Great. But in the end, and I had a talk with an HK mag writer over this, I want to write what I want. Regardless of pay or job title.

But I am fully aware that to write you want, you first have to learn to write what you don't want. You have to build a foundation writing shit you don't care about to one day write shit you care about. I enjoy writing features, but I'd prefer to be able to add some color, personality, personal opinion, and an F-bomb or two. I'm not qualified for that yet but I've got to get there.

Anyway, a few links of interest... -China and Taiwan talk for the first time in sixty years. Reminds me of when Kobe and Shaq finally talked at last year's all star game. Or to go further back, when Dylan and Brendan reconciled after fighting over Brenda. Yeah. Or when Hogan and Warrior shook hands after Wrestlemania 6.

-this is a preview of Julian Casablancas (the lead singer of The Strokes/the epitome of cool) new solo album. Bummer that they're going for this new futuristic sound instead of the vintage 70s sound of Is This It. But the visuals are OH SO RAD. Love the shark fin turning into the moon/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXpXpYLoCek

-this video was sent to me after I tweeted about Ah-nold. GREATEST VIDEO IN THE HISTORY OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU_7uq51eZU

-I love the Summer IFF logo/design/look this year.

I looked through the booklet and added a couple more films I must watch:

 1: The Foreign Duck, The Native Duck and God in a Coin Locker, it's a heist flick that links together a college student, a pet shop owner, a Bhutanese librarian, two ducks and Bob Dylan. That's all I know about the movie but the Bob Dylan and two ducks part sold me. I

 2: Stranger than Paradise. Jim Jarmusch's cult classic!

I've got tickets to Vengeance, 500 Days of Summer, Away We Go, and The Limits of Control. I'll watch the rest at the HKIFF office.

 -I added a few mp3s to the AnD music player. Check out Razorblade by the Strokes. It's an underrated gem off their third album. It's not as well known as their other tracks but its so good. The lyrics are great.