There’s a very special event happening next week in memory of Perry Henzell (who died in 2006), the celebrated director “The Harder They Come”. It’s a double feature screening with Perry’s until recently thought to be lost follow-up “No Place Like Home”. It’s also a celebration of the star of the film, Jimmy Cliff, and [...]]]>

There’s a very special event happening next week in memory of Perry Henzell (who died in 2006), the celebrated director “The Harder They Come”. It’s a double feature screening with Perry’s until recently thought to be lost follow-up “No Place Like Home”. It’s also a celebration of the star of the film, Jimmy Cliff, and his recent induction into the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame.

There’s a pre-party celebrating the life of Perry Henzell and Jimmy Cliff’s induction before the screenings. Music will be provided by DJ Baby Ace mixing the classics all brought to you by Universal Music Enterprises and Red Stripe Beer.

There will also be a Q&A panel between the screening of each film featuring Justine Henzell (Perry’s daughter), producer David Garonzik, P.J. Soles (actress), Arthur Gorson (friend and producer), Roger Steffens (reggae historian) and special surprise guests which will be moderated by Wayne Jobson.

“No Place Like Home” is not widely known as it was thought to have been lost years ago. It was intended as the 2nd part of a Jamaican trilogy after the international success of “The Harder They Come”, but all the footage that was shot in the 70’s was considered lost, destroyed in a vault flood. After that Perry focused on writing and his first novel POWER GAME in effect became the 3rd and final part of the trilogy.

The film follows New York producer Susan as she ventures into the Jamaican countryside (reversing the country-to-city trajectory of the first film) in search of a runaway actress. The film features music by Bob Marley & The Wailers, Toots & The Maytals, Peter Tosh, Grace Jones and P.J. Soles.

“The Harder They Come” needs no such introduction of course as most readers of this blog have surely seen it repeatedly since they first got a crappy VHS copy at a record swap or off a mate years ago. The DVD transfer is amazing if you haven’t seen it but none of that compares with actually seeing it on the big screen where it should be viewed.

Get more info at the Facebook Event Page.

Friday, March 19, 2010 at 6:30pm
American Cinematheque / Egyptian Theater
6712 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA

Watch the Trailer for No Place Like Home:

SPECIAL DEAL ALERT:
Discount tickets are available through Goldstar.com ($5.50 plus $3 fee, $11 @ box office)

Be sure to pick up the new issue of Vice Magazine (if you can) which I think has run an outstanding in-depth article with Theodoros Bafaloukos, writer and director of that wonderful little film called Rockers, “the film that single-handedly made Jamaica and reggae interesting to couch-cozy white folks, their stoner [...]]]>
(Picture from the Vice Article)

Be sure to pick up the new issue of Vice Magazine (if you can) which I think has run an outstanding in-depth article with Theodoros Bafaloukos, writer and director of that wonderful little film called Rockers, “the film that single-handedly made Jamaica and reggae interesting to couch-cozy white folks, their stoner kids, and a bunch of famous English punks with guitars” as the article states.

I thought The Harder They Come did that but I’m not gonna quibble. It’s open to which one had the greater impact on the world at large I guess (although there’s only one with a touring musical based on the film version) with something so little – I’m just glad they have decided to include such a great article. Really – you would think that some other magazine – The Beat or Waxpoetics for instance – would have gotten around to this story since they mentioned that this is the first time in 30 years that he has done a print story but who cares let’s just enjoy the read.

If it’s not actually in the printed version (which I don’t have a copy of) it’s already up on the site for all to read. Oh yeah did I mention the good amount of rare and very cool images (you can see one of Horsenmouth above) included with the story so just read the dam thing already @ www.viceland.com!

One of the most highly regarded cult British films of the 1980s, Babylon comes to DVD for the first time ever in the UK this October courtesy of Icon Home Entertainment, boasting fully restored and remastered image and audio (personally overseen by Chris Menges) plus Audio Commentaries, Interviews and feature on the restoration.

Directed by Franco [...]]]>

One of the most highly regarded cult British films of the 1980s, Babylon comes to DVD for the first time ever in the UK this October courtesy of Icon Home Entertainment, boasting fully restored and remastered image and audio (personally overseen by Chris Menges) plus Audio Commentaries, Interviews and feature on the restoration.

Directed by Franco Rosso (Dread Beat an’ Blood), co-written (with Rosso) by Martin Stellman (Quadrophenia; Defence Of The Realm; For Queen And Country), photographed by two-time Oscar winner Chris Menges (The Mission; The Killing Fields) and starring celebrated reggae star and Aswad frontman Brinsley Forde (Here Come The Double Deckers), Karl Howman (Brush Strokes; Mulberry) and Trevor Laird (Doctor Who; Quadrophenia), Babylon is a raw and incendiary film employing an effective mix of music and social commentary to recount the everyday experiences of a small group of working class black youths living in South London in the early 1980s.

Mechanic and part-time sound system ‘toaster’ Blue (Brinsley Forde) and his Ital Lion crew are looking forward to their forthcoming reggae sound clash competition with rival outfit Jah Shaka. But as the event approaches, Blue’s personal life begins to unravel. First he’s fired from his job by his racist boss (played by Mel Smith) and then he begins to suspect his girlfriend is cheating on him. A further series of unpleasant racist incidents – including Blue being chased, brutally beaten and arrested by a group of plain-clothes policemen – culminates in Ital Lion’s lock-up garage being broken into and their sound equipment being destroyed. Increasingly angered and alienated by what he perceives to be society’s rejection of his race and his culture, Blue is compelled to respond by fighting fire with fire.

Driven by a musical score composed and arranged by legendary reggae guitarist, former member of Matumbi and record producer (The Thompson Twins, Madness) Dennis Bovell, with additional songs by Yabby U, I-Roy and Aswad, Babylon is a brilliant, breathlessly energetic, neo-realist snapshot of what it was like to be young, poor and black in early 1980s Britain, Babylon remains as socially relevant today as it was almost 30 years ago.
(FROM latemag.com)

Here’s the trailer.

Check out the websites and add the [...]]]> Jimmy Cliff’s classic movie “The Harder They Come” has been turned into a musical. It actually looks pretty faithful to the movie although not as dark of course. This will probably never in a million years make it to the states in anyway but one can hope of course.

Check out the websites and add the myspace page. Maybe if enough people from the states add the page and request maybe just maybe……

http://www.thehardertheycomelondon.com/
http://www.myspace.com/thehardertheycomemusical