Latino Wisdom...an oxymoron! Arizona ethnics classes underscore that...

The country is going crazy on this immigrant issue!

If you channel-surfed around the old boob tube like I did this afternoon - news alerts interrupting regular programs were an obvious sign that Americans are not only riled up about the illegal immigrant dilemma - but prone to respond in a knee-jerk reaction to the issues.

Sometimes with disastrous outcomes.

When a couple of men showed up at a Cinco de Mayo celebration at their school - wearing shirts emblazoned with the American Flag - school officials suspended the boys from class.

Huh?

Americans across the Nation responded in outrage!

“Suspending a boy from school for wearing the red, white, and blue,” one shook his head in disbelief.

In their defense, the teachers argued that the boys' in-your-face statement on a Mexican National holiday was insulting inappropriate behavior.

However, in the wake of strident vocal protests from parents and upstanding members of the community, the school board apologized and rescinded their prior decision on the matter.

Elsewhere, a Latino student hung a Mexican flag above the U.S. flag on school property in a stairwell, which caused a young while male to tear it down and toss it in the trash.

Meanwhile, teachers have not remained onlookers on the sidelines, either.

On a Fox talk show tonight, a video caught a teacher on stage at a rally, urging Revolution in a feverish high pitch.

Say what?

In Arizona, another controversy arose over a law that seeks to bar ethnic studies classes in Arizona State schools.

One scholar (of Hispanic descent) recalled her own school days.

“I was taught that this was the land of opportunity and an education in public schools could help realize an individual’s dreams,” she said in so many words.

“In this instance, they’re teaching oppression."

And the courses appear to focus entirely on Latinos.

What about Asians, Blacks, Native American Indians, and so forth and so?

The main text - Latino Wisdom - is a guide book that urges revolution and resentment towards natural-born Caucasian Citizens, with chapters on how to survive in the hostile environment that is allegedly America today.

All the arguments are based on spurious grounds.

For example, the authors argue that California was once the property of Mexicans - and for this reason - there must be a call for Latinos reclaim their land!

By force, if necessary!

Be careful what you eat at the local fast-food joint, eh?

At this juncture - in my estimation - Latino Wisdom is an oxymoron!

Toss the ungrateful bastards out on their a**es!

Footnote

On CNN News this morning (May 13th) a supporter of the Ethnic classes noted that the program is also available for other minority students.

http://www.thetattler.biz

Bodyguards & Assassins...sweeping epic with dazzling fight scenes! Historical drama...

In this action-packed drama - film notables Tony Leung, Donnie Yen, and Simon Yam - breathe life into this historical tale about exiled revolutionary Sun Yat-sen’s return to Hong Kong and the subsequent fall of the Qing Dynasty.

Director Teddy Chan has used broad strokes to evoke all the high drama of a sweeping epic - a potent approach - that ends up mesmerizing filmgoers in the final analysis.

A precise attention to detail - coupled with lush flourishes (that capture the intrigues of a mysterious bygone era steeped in tradition) - elevate this well-crafted feature into a realm of its own.

The fight scenes - featuring Hong Kong’s top action stars - are quite remarkable.

Bloody, violent, novel, gut-wrenching, awesome!

The subtitle for this vastly entertaining film?

1001 ways to kill your enemy!

Bodyguards and Assassins packs both an emotional and physical whallop.

A must-see Teddy Chan offering for Martial Arts fans.

Bodyguards & Assassins was shot entirely on location in Beijing in approximately four months (according to a Chan buddy).

English subtitles.

  http://www.thetattler.biz/

Che...bloated two-part 4 hour bio (!) a bit of a yawn! Soderbergh needs to trim fat...

If you're going to catch "CHE" - which is being unveiled this week at the AFI Film Fest - the best place to catch the much-heralded release by controversial director - Steven Soderbergh - is where the press slipped in to view it today.

Michael Hall's plush little theatre on Wilshire in Beverly Hills is comfy enough to soften the mind-numbing ramblings of what ended up being an interminably-long film.


It's doubtful I would have held out 'til the end, had I attended a preview at a regular movie house with cramped seating and poor screening facilities.


I arrived early, so I was able to snatch up one of the big comfy easy chairs at the back.

Even still, Che is a four-hour plus celluloid offering that is tough to sit through for the most-patient of film buffs.

If I was required to take a gander at one more close-up shot of a military boot, ticking clock, or soldier standing around in the jungle engaging in idle chit-chat, I would have screamed bloody murder.

Get me outta here!

Albeit, there was a half-hour intermission, but the big screen bio amounts to a bloated overly-long tribute to Soderbergh's ego and an exercise in excess.

Yes, there is a taut little film with the potential to impact somewhere, but it's trussed up inside a lot of marbled fat!

The film starts off slow. Continues, slowly. Then, slowly ends at the close of the first two-hour segment without having accomplished a heck of a lot.

Except to cause me to doze off a couple of moments here and there in the dark.

But - the 2nd part of the ambitious bio grips - jolts the audience out of a deep slumber - and turns down an entertaining path.

Thankfully!

Of course, Benicio Del Toro is fascinating to marvel at from beyond the footlights, as always.

His performance is worth the price of admission alone.


Out-of-the blue, Matt Damon (gee, I think that was him) sauntered into a scene for about two minutes or so, then vanished into thin air.

Duh!

What was that all about?


Frankly, the most appealing aspect of the film for me, was the highly stylized approach that Soderbergh took at various junctures as the film unfolded on the silver screen.

Even still, Che was uneven on those occasions, too.

Maps that were color-fed onto the screen on at least two occasions - to spoon-feed and educate the filmgoer about regions affected by the revolution - didn't gel for me.

At times, I was inclined to pinch myself.

Had I been magically transported back to a boring geography class of yesterday?

But - black & white shots of a fifties-era Cuba and intriguing camera-work which strategically layered scintillating images throughout the big budget fiasco - appealed to my artistic sensibilities now and then.

At times, the soundtrack stirred the emotions, and added an undercurrent of drama.

But, after awhile, the score became an obvious tip-off.

Whenever a particular strain of music was obsequiously ushered in - the audience was keen to the fact by now - that something downright intriguing was about to happen right before their eyes.

Golly!

Perk up, get ready!

Thoroughly well-acted, well photographed, and well - ill-conceived.


I just betcha that if Soderbergh withdrew to the edit bay - and trimmed about forty-eight minutes of fat - he might have a dynamite little art-house film on his hands.

Til then, the release smacks of a ceremonial barge floating down the river, aimlessly.


No doubt, Che will be a big yawn, to many.