Charlie Chaplin Inception Speech

This video has been floating around for some time, but I was reminded of it after watching Inception again last night.  What someone did was take Hans Zimmer's track, Time from the Inception soundtrack and overlaid it with the powerful speech that Charlie Chaplin gives at the end of the Great Dictator (1940).  Not only does the music sync up surprisingly well without alteration, but as is usually the case with music, it serves to make Chaplin's words that much more epic.  His message rings just as true as it did 70 years ago, and because of that you can see why this video has been spreading. 
  

Guy With a Library Card: Issue 08

Gone

Written by M

No, that's not in reference to myself. Yes, it has been a while. But let me explain. It all started two years ago. I decided then I'd like to make some money on my own. So I got a loan and started working for myself. Well not entirely. I started temping, which worked out great. I had fairly easy jobs which eased the stress and it allowed evenings and weekends to do my work. Skipping ahead to now, I have a full time day job at an office and come home to work more on evenings and weekends, not to mention I am doing a lot more for my own business, which took a year and a half to get going properly. That's a story in itself.

But I'm not here for that story, I'm here for a story about the Library. I just told you all of that so that maybe you can get a glimpse that my time is limited. Even with all of this work, I do frequent the Library. It just takes a little more work. Thankfully, the Library is fairly organized which allows me to organize.

A lot of Libraries offer many different resources and do what they can to keep you updated. For example my Library hosts not only books but many other print material, electronic material and audio/visual materials including a film theatre. They release monthly updates on the website and a paper hand out, which I grab every time I see a new one in the entrance. The film theatre is really a treat to have, I know smaller communities don't have this luxury. What's also great is that it offers a different playlist than theatres Angry Charlie likes to visit or, for that matter, most people.

Thanks to this sheet of paper I picked up, I planned a date with the lady friend to watch a documentary. Now if you follow GWLC, you know I'm not a fan of Michael Moore, however he has very well cleared the path for a gentleman I do quite like. I find him interesting, controversial, always making a social commentary and most importantly, delightfully funny. That man is Morgan Spurlock. You might remember him from Supersize Me or the lesser Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden. He's also been behind the scenes and in TV. These stints include the Simpsons, Freakonomics, 30 Days and Comic-Con. His latest is...wait for it...

Pom Wonderful Presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

The movie follows Morgan as he tries to get a documentary paid for by advertisers and product placement. With the odd touches of actual insight into the world of mix marketing, most of the movie seems to follow Morgan, meeting with people, organizations and companies to buy and sell ad space. Whether it's the hilarity of Mane and Tail or pondering the issue of schools generating funds through advertisements, Morgan makes everything easy to grasp. But then again, his approach seemed like we should already know what/when we are being sold, so why not have some fun with it. It's kind of the same approach he always seems to take and it fits, as usual, perfectly. It was everything I expected and unlike a lot of popular movies I do watch, PWPTGMES wasn't a let down. I left laughing, thinking and talking, which is exactly what I wanted.

The three greatest things about the movie are actually what I was thinking during the movie and these three things make me appreciate the fact that people like Morgan exist and do things like this.

1.  At some point you have to question his motives. Where did promotional deals cross with what he “has” to say, do or present? This point could have been a downfall but, given the content, seems like Morgan's way of creating audience participation. Only it's more fun because it seems like a game of cat and mouse.

2.  I could hardly imagine the legal/contract work of this movie. It would be unbelievable to try and decipher what you had to do between all the deals, how to keep them organized and keep clients happy.

3.  I want more. The movie didn't seem like a movie, it seemed like it was the behind the scenes of a movie so now I want the movie. And a collector cup. I also know there is a lot he did that is not in the movie and would be in the DVD Special features. So I am eagerly awaiting the release.

I want so much more, so I am now looking for the DVD release of 30 Days which I missed on TV. I can't seem to get enough Spurlock, and if you have been living under a tree for God's sake go check out his stuff. He started strong and continues to be strong. He's like the Pixar of documentarians.

A Heartfelt Thank You

Since I posted about the loss of my close friend, Dave last week, the response and show of support has not only been amazing, but surprising too.  To be honest, for most of this time I've written about my experience for the sake of going through my own mourning process.  I felt there was a lot I needed to say and by writing about it I was helping myself to better understand what I was going through. 

If the phone calls and messages from family and friends weren't enough, I've been reminded that there's actually an audience behind the views that show up on Editing Luke everyday.  They're often quiet folks, and most of them never leave comments.  That was until this happened.  One after the other I started seeing messages in my inbox from complete strangers expressing their condolences.  They shared their thoughts and offered their words of support, and I can't begin to tell you how much this has meant to me. 

This outpouring has reminded me about why I even began this site. It was all about finding a way to get feedback, to connect with people, and to create a more communal creative experience.  I often feel like my blog is still a very one sided undertaking, but the messages I've received and the response to the video I created for Dave have proven otherwise.  I am genuinely moved and honored to have had so many people make this experience easier by simply letting me know they were there. 

Likewise, the response from Dave's friends and family has been just as impressive.  While I used my blog to express my own emotions, in person I wanted to be strong and dedicate as much of my energy to them.  To be honest it surprised me to hear them say I needed the support as much as they did.  Maybe I just didn't want to admit it, I don't know.

I feel like I've already worked through a lot of the shock and pain as a result of simply talking with friends and sharing stories.  There are moments of weakness that will probably continue to hit me when I realize how certain things have changed, but that's to be expected.  In the meantime, the support continues to take the edge off, and you, the readers, have played a big role where that's been concerned.  

For all of this, I sincerely thank you.