'Requiro' is an impressive first effort

The writer/director of the short film embedded below, Jyotsna Kamath, appears to have spent some time flirting with different creative fields and online "influencing" during the early 2000s (when her profile shots on her various social media pages make her look like she was in her late teens and early 20s. She eventually seems to have mostly given up on those pursuits and taken a job as a flight attendant... but recently returned to the self-employed and more creative realm as a wardrobe consultant (according to her LinkedIn profile).

Based on what you'll see when watching "Requiro", I think you'll agree that it's a shame Kamath was unable to stick with filmmaking. This is a low-key film driven entirely by the emotions of the three very different main characters and how the viewers relate to them. The pacing is near-flawless (with only two minor stumbles that are only noticeable because everything else is so smooth) and every shot is expertly framed. (That last part could be more to the credit of cinematographer Gagan Bains, but Kamath still had the sense to work with him on the project.)

Maybe, someday, we'll get to see more from Kamath. For now, I hope you find "Requiro" as interesting as I did.

Requiro (2014)
Starring: Omkar Ghalsasi, Akshay Deolekar, and Aakash Patil
Director: Jyotsna Kamath
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

 

Musical Monday with Johnny Cash

Fifty years ago, on January 16, 1973, the celebrated western television series "Bonanza" came to an end after 14 seasons and 432 episodes.

We observe this milestone in broadcast history with this rare clip of Johnny Cash and a back-up band performing the "Theme from Bonanza" with the complete lyrics.

 

It's a Mohammed Monday!

THIS WEEK WITH JESUS & MO

It's National Hat Day!

Alice White is celebrating National Hat Day by wearing a raspberry beret--something a little more subdued than her typical headgear.

 As for the rest of them here at Shades of Gray... well, they're wearing hats!

 

  
 
 

On this Friday the 13th...

... there's something shocking going on at the Shades of Gray Offices!

We're spending this first Friday the 13th of 2023 laughing in the faces of Fate and Bad Luck!

Wonder Woman Wednesday

Our favorite Amazon is aspiring to soar to new heights in the new year. She hopes all her fans and all the visitors to Shades of Gray will be successful right along with her!

 

 
 

Musical Monday with White Town

Every so often, we come across an item that, by itself, encapsulates the spirit of the Shades of Gray blog by seeming to be a manifestation of the mish-mash of content here. From silent movies, through the 1950s, and into the 1980s--you'll find that vibe in this 1990s song and video from White Town. The video looks like it's set in 1960s England but features silent movie tropes and humor, and it supports a electronica that samples a hook from a 1930s song that itself was a cover of a 1920s song.

Your Woman (1997)

Starring: Chloe Treend

Director: Mark Adcock

Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

It's the first full moon of 2023...

 ... and we present a timeless tale of Elmo Aardvark in observance, courtesy of writer/artist/animator Milton Knight!

Like us here at Shades of Gray, Elmo recognizes the true nature of the Moon and that the Moon Girls are the ones running the show up there!

Support Milton Knight by joining his Patreon page (and get previews of what he's working on). Milton tells us that he likes this blog, so we encourage you to support him!

You can also join him in conversation on his Facebook page!

Firearms Friday with Anna May Wong

Born on Jan. 3, 1904, Anna May Wong was a third-generation Chinese-American who began her film acting career at the age of 15. Within a year, her raw talent and charisma was being noticed by directors and fellow actors alike, and she swiftly moved from bit parts, to major supporting roles, and to her first starring role at the age of 17 in "The Toll of the Sea" (1922). 

 
Wong is perhaps best remembered for her major supporting role in "The Thief of Bagdad" (1924) (where she was as captivating and scene-stealing on screen as leading man Douglas Fairbanks). As sound replaced silent movies, Wong made a successful transition into talkies and cemented her legacy as the first Asian-American movie star. Unfortunately, the racism baked into the U.S. film industry--with its regulations that stated actors of different races could not share the screen in romantic scenes, and the habit of casting white actors in "yellow face" in leading parts--stopped her from maintaining her star status, and she went to Europe where such policies and habits did not stand in her way.

As World War II was looming on the horizon, Wong returned tothe U.S. where, after acclaimed leading roles in thrillers "Daughter of Shanghai" (1937) (where she received top billing) and "Dangerous to Know" (1939), she found the old racist blocks were still in her career path and she quickly found herself relegated to choosing to star in Poverty Row films, or take minor parts in major pictures. By 1942, after appearing in 48 American, British, or German pictures, Wong left film behind for the stage.

In 1949, Wong returned briefly to the Big Screen with a supporting role in the fabulous thriller "Impact", and in 1951 she starred as the title character in the short-lived detective TV series
"The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong". 

During the 1950s, Wong battled several health issues, but still managed to return to television during the second half of that decade, with small supporting and guest-starring roles in detective shows, drama anthology series, and westerns.

Wong suffered a massive heart attack and passed away in 1961, one month after her 56th birthday.

'What the Doctor Ordered' is okay medicine

What the Doctor Ordered (1912)

Starring: Mack Sennett, Mabel Normand, Edward Dillon, Jack Pickford, Kate Toncray, and J. Jiquel Lanoe

Director: Mack Sennett

Rating: Five of Ten Stars

A wealthy hypochondriac (Sennett) is instructed by his doctor (Lanoe) to go up onto the mountains to benefit from the pure air. The man's wife (Toncray) and teenaged children (Normand and Pickford) come along for the trip. Snowball fights, illicit lovemaking between the daughter and her boyfriend (Dillon) ensue, with it all culminating with members of the family in mortal danger.

That's a long summary for a short movie, but I couldn't figure out a shorter way to put it. Which is odd, because that paragraph also describes almost everything that happens in the film. 

"What the Doctor Ordered" is a fast-moving film where not a second is wasted. In fact, it moves so fast that I wish a little more time had been spent on a few more transition scenes or character interactions to fill in the relationships a bit more. It would have made the film feel less choppy and the story more substantial.

That said, the film is full of raw energy and the actors all give excellent performances. Mabel Normand and Edward Dillon are particularly fun to watch, while Normand's scenes with Jack Pickford have a playfulness in them that will put a smile on your face. Frequent watchers of silent movies may be particularly fascinated to see Mack Sennett in a starring role, since he's usually behind the camera or in very minor parts. 

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