What are Your Thoughts on Idris Elba, being ‘a fool at 40’ and Disqus? #acting

I shouldn't have to log out to comment on my own blog!

If this blog was human, it would be a toddler with an entire life ahead of it by now. Although it isn’t human, it still has endured some growing pains -- one of which it has yet to overcome where commenting is concerned. Over the last few months since I moved The Madlab Post to Squarespace, I’ve received email from readers who experienced difficulty commenting on my posts.

Some comments did not show up after they were left while others were not posted at all and the rest sat in this blog’s “moderation” queue (oftentimes, without my knowledge) until I approved it to be displayed. This week, I had a similar experience to some of you who have encountered trouble posting comments on this blog. When I tried to post a comment -- even when logged in to Squarespace, a red message stating “unable to post” kept showing up above my comment.

I found that to be strange, inconvenient and also unacceptable -- I mean, how can one not be able to post a comment on his or her own website/blog?! That is just plain silly. So, I’d like to consider a possible solution -- implementing Disqus on this blog. 

Could Disqus be the answer to our commenting problems with Squarespace?

As many of you may already know, Disqus is a universal commenting system for blogs and websites. It’s kinda like Gravatar, but for comments.

Although lots of people have their own Disqus profiles, you don’t have sign-up for one to leave a comment on a blog -- you can just comment as usual using a Name/URL field or any one of your other online profiles (Facebook, Twitter, Google, etc.) that are available.

So, what do YOU think? -- As a reader of this blog, would you welcome Disqus for leaving comments? If not, what are your thoughts on how I can best handle the current commenting hiccups that some of us are encountering with Squarespace?

Also, actor Idris Elba (who stars in the sci-fi movie “Prometheus,” which is now playing in theaters) is featured on the cover of this week’s Jet Magazine. His cover and feature story comes at a fitting time, since he is the June 2012 King Dong for The Madlab Post.

Chellebee, who founded the King Dong series back when this blog was in it's infancy, nominated Idris Elba last month during Jude Law’s reign. According to Chellebee, Elba is FOINE!!! and a multifaceted player in the entertainment industry.

Since I agree that Elba is one hot guy, I picked up a copy of the current Jet Magazine issue to learn more about this “multifaceted” aspect of him that she’s talking about. In the coming weeks, I’ll highlight some of the takeaways from his feature story but for now, I’d like for you all to shed some light on the following Idris Elba quote. This Golden Globe winning actor explains to Jet magazine that although he is not a religious person, he wants to work on his spirituality as he moves forward.

“My Father always told me that a fool at 40 is a fool for life.” - Idris Elba

What does this “a fool at 40 is a fool for life” mean? Does it mean people are set in their ways once they reach 40? Does it mean that 40 year-olds are lost if they don’t know where they stand or if they don’t have spiritual grounding? What exactly defines “a fool at 40?”

So long for being in a Jude Law State of Mind - Case of the Never Ending Screenplay, Part 3 #indiefilm #amwriting

What follows is the third and final installment in a series of Jude Law quotes that I’ve kept in mind while trying to find the right motivations for getting to the final draft stage of a short screenplay that has often been a pain in my rear, for several weeks. The first (Part 1) and second (Part 2) posts containing my script writing notes may be of interest those of you who missed them.

“I don't want to do anything that I'm not passionate about.” - Jude Law

All I could think when reading this is that it applies to so many aspects of life, not just filmmaking. In fact, this particular Jude Law quote reminds me of my blog post about Russian Roulette and how we gamble with our lives in some respects but avoid taking chances at all costs when it comes to other areas of our existence that really matter the most. Bottom line: Put your energy into the activities, objects, subjects, people, places, experiences, etc. that you care about and let the rest move over to the sidelines.

In the case of my script, I suppose I need to hone in on what I’m really trying to say with this particular short story -- what is the message? Why do I care about it? How can I make the characters convey this message? These are the questions that I should really have an answer to before calling “Action!” or else it will turn into another project that I look at and think “Eh! I finished it *Shrugs shoulders* so, what’s next?” -- and I surely don’t want any parts of that.

Since January, I’ve had moments where I felt like I just wanted to shoot the darn thing and get it over with so I could move on to the next project. That is NOT the best kind of motivation that should make anyone do anything, no matter if it involves making films, babysitting someone’s kid, attending a family reunion, buying a house, going to work at a job you hate or whatever the case may be. If we’re already looking for the exit door or closing performance before we enter a room, then maybe that’s a sign that we shouldn’t be there in the first place.

In the case of this short film script that I’m trying not to fling out of the window, the final draft hasn’t even been completed yet and I’ve already started hearing the fat lady sing. So, I’m hoping that this newfound enthusiasm for the third storyline that I’m embarking on remains all the way through the entire screenwriting process. Or else, it may be time for me to just put this thing on the shelf and go forward with the feature film that sparked my paranoia for the habitual film industry dream crusher that is 10-year development. 

Monday Movie Meme meets Jude Law’s 'Variety Club' on Memorial Day

 

Before actor Jude Law became the go-to man for wisdom during my screenwriting (mis)adventures, he supported charities centered on peace, health and education. Variety Club, a charity that provides medical equipment, transportation and access to activities such as sports, to sick, disabled and disadvantaged children is among these organizations where Jude Law dedicates his humanitarian efforts. I thought that Variety Club was solely a British organization but recently learned that it also has footing in the U.S.called Variety of the United States with chapters across the country.

So in honor of Memorial Day and Jude Law’s work with the Variety Club, this week’s Monday Movie Meme topic is: In the Line of Duty.

Share on your blog or in the comments section, your most memorable MOVIE CHARACTERS who were injured while working in a branch of the Armed Forces. Remember to also visit the blogs of fellow participants. Here are my selections for this week’s In the Line of Duty theme.

Lieutenant Dan
Who could forget this grumpy ol’ Army veteran who lost both his legs during the Vietnam War, in “Forrest Gump?” Of all the things I remember about Lt. Dan (played by Gary Sinise), one of the biggest moments that stood out was when he scolded Forrest for saving his life. Lt. Dan had trouble coming to terms with being a double amputee and needing to use a wheelchair. It seemed as though the alternative -- dying in Vietnam was a more acceptable fate to Lt. Dan, rather than living with his disability.

The war veteran’s eventual new, more joyful perspective on life shows how people who encounter dire circumstances can find peace quicker when there is at least one person out in the world who genuinely cares about their well being and/or believes in them. In Lt. Dan’s case, it was Forrest, despite the fact that Dan frequently either tried to push him away or shoot down his dreams and beliefs.

Ron Kovic
Returning home from the Vietnam War was just as bad, if not worse than being in battle, for this paralyzed Marine Sergeant who appears to receive more pity or blatant neglect than respect and a warm welcome home by his country-- including the very people who are supposed to help him in “Born on the Fourth of July.” St. Ron Kovic (played by Tom Cruise) spends his rehabilitation surrounded by careless staff in a rat infested VA hospital where access to quality medical supplies is slim and doctors rarely visit their patients.

After refusing to allow doctors to amputate one of his legs, the wheelchair-bound veteran returns home as a hostile man who questions the virtues that he once believed such as “honor” and “courage.” Kovic’s combative disposition about the cards that he was dealt strains the relationships in his family. I don’t know what kind of lessons are to be learned from Ron Kovic, except for maybe that we need to treat our wounded veterans better, particularly where their healthcare matters (quality hospitals that are staffed well; access to improved and continued physical and mental rehabilitation) are concerned, since they risked their lives to save ours.

Jose
This Vietnam veteran gets his hand blown off while working as a demolitions expert for the Marine Corps and causes all sorts of ruckus upon returning home in “Dead Presidents.”

The effects of the war also took a toll on Jose’s mental state -- he turned into a pyromaniac and literally burned up hundreds of thousands of dollars that his friends planned to share following a robbery.

Much like Ron Kovic in “Born on the Fourth of July,” it seems as though we could stand to provide proper forms of rehabilitation -- in the case of this “Dead Presidents” movie character, mental health care including counseling or related therapies.

Here’s hoping that the disabled and/or wounded among our Armed Forces receive all of the medical care they need including physical therapy, helpful medication, crutches, reconstructive surgery, counseling and support for any symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder and any related support that provides a way for them to improve or maintain good health.

Lucky for the rest of the world, charitable organizations like Variety Club are helping children live with their disabilities or illness, by providing families in need with adapted car seats, wheelchairs, feeding tubes, prosthetic limbs, hoists and other medical equipment.

Happy Memorial Day everyone! Now, I'm off to try and finish some video editing before hopefully watching "Kingdom of Heaven" on DVD later tonight.

So tell me....

Who is the most memorable wounded Character in the Armed Forces that YOU ever saw in a movie?

Have YOU ever needed medical equipment, therapy or medicine and could not afford it - or - Do YOU know someone who has? If so, how did that experience turn out? If not, do you think that health insurance companies should offer better coverage for medical equipment and rehabilitation services?