SOMETHING RESONATES WITH THY HEART-STRINGS, like YESTERDAY, when all our troubles seem'd so far away, reading this***at the BF table:~~~ OOOOops, agin,

*** AGAIN, I Failed to CUT&PASTry tho' for your s'akes I did try manytimes! that ECSTATIC&MELODIC item from NST of MAY 23, column by one rare readable writer up DESi's ALley -- in the writes of JOHAN JAAFAR. A Real champion, very rare from the MSM, so when one sees such gems, I spread the cheer around. I Think some 7 of JOhan's writes have found their way into DESi's RUMINATION PIECes on SUNday.

SO I seek they patience agin! while I Try to repeat that pastry task, OK? OR mayhaps I Will do in in long hand as a LABOUR OF LOVE>>>

******************

‘Melody’ still resonates with us

By Johan Jaaffar - 23 May 2015

It was a movie that helped define an era. A signature movie that was part of my generation’s rite of passage. A movie that everyone wanted to be associated with. The kind that shouted, “This is your film! It is about you!” Being young in the 70s was about lots of rough games, tough life and challenging times. TV was still in its infancy, the Internet and mobile phones were many decades away. There were a lot of interpersonal relationships, people were more sociable and there were fewer distractions. So, Melody (also known as S.W.A.L.K.) was something that everyone talked about at the time. The film introduced the concept of “puppy love”, simply put, being so young yet in love. It was directed by Waris Hussein, a Lucknow-born, British-Indian director. But Melody is as British as any British film, in fact simply too astonishingly British. It was a movie that will be etched in your mind forever, reminding you about a fantasy you once had, about falling in love, or believing that you are in love. The lead characters — Daniel Latimer, Melody Perkins and Omshaw — reminded you of yourself, your friends even the ones you wanted to be and those you hated. They were not perfect, neither were you. I was in form five when Melody hit the screen in 1971. The impact was incredible. There have been other love stories on screen. One of the greatest hits the year before was Love Story starring Ryan O’Neil and Ali MacGraw and directed by Arthur Hiller. Who could forget the story of a dying girl saying one of the most remembered lines in movie history, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry!” But Melody wasn’t just about innocence lost. It was about children trying to grow up beyond their years. It was post-Woodstock time. The hippies generation was fading away. The Vietnam War was still around. The 70s were an angry decade. Revolutions were sprouting all over the globe. Anger was everywhere — in the campus, in the street, even in literature. People were taken hostage for various “causes.” The movies of the 70s were brutal — Clockwork Orange, The French Connection, Mean Streets, Chinatown, The Godfather Part 2 and Taxi Driver, to name a few. Even TV serials were audacious and trying to push the envelope. So, Melody was “different.” Young actors like Mark Lester (playing Latimer), Jack Wild (Ormshaw) and Tracy Hyde (Perkins) were unknown to us. Their story on screen jolted us. The other name of the film was S.W.A.L.K. that reads “Sealed With A Loving Kiss.” It was said to be a message for love among young people. Melody wasn’t a massive hit when it was shown in the UK and the US, but it attained a cult status among its admirers. Melody was a story about generation gap and about the rebellious young. Old values simply didn’t apply. The adults were condescending, preachy yet unaccommodating. The young had their own agenda. Too young to fall in love you say? Nope, love transcends age. The symbolic “marriage” between the lead actors was the totem pole of their “success” over the adults. Audiences the world over have their own interpretation of the happenings in the film. It reminded me of the story of a stage director bringing Samuel Beckett’s “absurd” classic Waiting For Godot to San Quentin Prison. Everyone watching it — many of them lifers and hardcore criminals — had their own interpretation of who Godot was. For my generation, Melody was like that. It was about how we reacted to the film. It was alien to us — the culture, the language and the nuance. But it was the passage to adulthood as we understood it. It was the Bee Gees who gave the film its soul. Hits like “In the Morning”, “Melody Fair”, “Give Your Best”, “To Love Somebody” and “First of May” helped tell the story. The Gibbs Brothers’ incandescent creations were evident all over the film providing some of the most memorable songs in any film at any time. In the world of entertainment back then, the Bee Gees were the coolest of all. Forty-four years have passed since Melody came into our lives. Sadly Hussein didn’t make any other film more significant than that. The three lead actors didn’t do too well either. If at all, they will be remembered as talented child actors. Alan Parker, who co-wrote the screenplay with Andrew Birkin became a famous director himself helming Fame, Midnight Express, Evita and Angela’s Ashes. The Bee Gees continued to dominate the entertainment world well into the 80s. But Melody will forever be part of our consciousness. It was a creative discovery worth looking back. Twitter (@Johan_Jaaffar)

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/node/85251

It was a movie that helped define an era. A signature movie that was part of my generation’s rite of passage. A movie that everyone wanted to be associated with. The kind that shouted, “This is your film! It is about you!”

Being young in the 70s was about lots of rough games, tough life and challenging times. TV was still in its infancy, the Internet and mobile phones were many decades away. There were a lot of interpersonal relationships, people were more sociable and there were fewer distractions.

So, Melody (also known as S.W.A.L.K.) was something that everyone talked about at the time. The film introduced the concept of “puppy love”, simply put, being so young yet in love. It was directed by Waris Hussein, a Lucknow-born, British-Indian director. But Melody is as British as any British film, in fact simply too astonishingly British.

It was a movie that will be etched in your mind forever, reminding you about a fantasy you once had, about falling in love, or believing that you are in love. The lead characters — Daniel Latimer, Melody Perkins and Omshaw — reminded you of yourself, your friends even the ones you wanted to be and those you hated. They were not perfect, neither were you.

I was in form five when Melody hit the screen in 1971. The impact was incredible. There have been other love stories on screen. One of the greatest hits the year before was Love Story starring Ryan O’Neil and Ali MacGraw and directed by Arthur Hiller. Who could forget the story of a dying girl saying one of the most remembered lines in movie history, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry!”

But Melody wasn’t just about innocence lost. It was about children trying to grow up beyond their years. It was post-Woodstock time. The hippies generation was fading away. The Vietnam War was still around. The 70s were an angry decade. Revolutions were sprouting all over the globe. Anger was everywhere — in the campus, in the street, even in literature.

People were taken hostage for various “causes.” The movies of the 70s were brutal — Clockwork Orange, The French Connection, Mean Streets, Chinatown, The Godfather Part 2 and Taxi Driver, to name a few. Even TV serials were audacious and trying to push the envelope. So, Melody was “different.”

Young actors like Mark Lester (playing Latimer), Jack Wild (Ormshaw) and Tracy Hyde (Perkins) were unknown to us. Their story on screen jolted us. The other name of the film was S.W.A.L.K. that reads “Sealed With A Loving Kiss.” It was said to be a message for love among young people. Melody wasn’t a massive hit when it was shown in the UK and the US, but it attained a cult status among its admirers.

Melody was a story about generation gap and about the rebellious young. Old values simply didn’t apply. The adults were condescending, preachy yet unaccommodating. The young had their own agenda. Too young to fall in love you say? Nope, love transcends age. The symbolic “marriage” between the lead actors was the totem pole of their “success” over the adults.

Audiences the world over have their own interpretation of the happenings in the film. It reminded me of the story of a stage director bringing Samuel Beckett’s “absurd” classic Waiting For Godot to San Quentin Prison. Everyone watching it — many of them lifers and hardcore criminals — had their own interpretation of who Godot was.

For my generation, Melody was like that. It was about how we reacted to the film. It was alien to us — the culture, the language and the nuance. But it was the passage to adulthood as we understood it.

It was the Bee Gees who gave the film its soul. Hits like “In the Morning”, “Melody Fair”, “Give Your Best”, “To Love Somebody” and “First of May” helped tell the story. The Gibbs Brothers’ incandescent creations were evident all over the film providing some of the most memorable songs in any film at any time. In the world of entertainment back then, the Bee Gees were the coolest of all.

Forty-four years have passed since Melody came into our lives. Sadly Hussein didn’t make any other film more significant than that. The three lead actors didn’t do too well either. If at all, they will be remembered as talented child actors. Alan Parker, who co-wrote the screenplay with Andrew Birkin became a famous director himself helming Fame, Midnight Express, Evita and Angela’s Ashes. The Bee Gees continued to dominate the entertainment world well into the 80s.

But Melody will forever be part of our consciousness. It was a creative discovery worth looking back.

Twitter (@Johan_Jaaffar)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FRom en.wikipedia.org: ENJOY!

Melody (1971 film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Melody
Film poster
Directed by	Waris Hussein
Produced by	Ronald S. Kass David Puttnam
Written by	Andrew Birkin Alan Parker
Starring	Jack Wild Mark Lester Tracy Hyde
Music by	The Bee Gees
Cinematography	Peter Suschitzky
Edited by	John Victor Smith
Production company	Hemdale Group Sagittarius Productions Goodtimes Enterprises
Distributed by	British Lion Films
Release dates	1971
Running time	103 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	$600,000^[1]

Melody is a 1971 British film directed by Waris Hussein about "puppy love". It was released as S.W.A.L.K. in the United Kingdom (S.W.A.L.K. is a message traditionally written on the envelopes of love letters by British schoolchildren, standing for Sealed With A Loving Kiss). The film starred Jack Wild, Mark Lester and Tracy Hyde. Although the film was a box office disappointment in both the United States and Britain, it turned out to be an enormous hit in Japan, and in some Latin American countries such as Argentina and Chile.^[2]

Plot

This romantic story is told through the viewpoint of the children in the story, the adults playing only supporting roles. Daniel Latimer (Mark Lester) befriends the troublesome Ornshaw (Jack Wild). However, when Daniel falls in love with Melody Perkins (Tracy Hyde), the boys' friendship becomes jeopardized as Ornshaw grows jealous of the amount of time that Daniel gives her. Initially embarrassed by the attention, Melody comes to return Daniel's feelings, and the couple announce to their parents that they want to get married. Not sometime in the future, but now. The adults attempt to dissuade them, but Daniel's and Melody's determination leads Ornshaw to have a change of heart. Their classmates gather together at one of the children's hideouts to 'marry' the couple, with their discovery leading to a final showdown between children and teachers.

Cast

Mark Lester as Daniel Latimer
Tracy Hyde as Melody Perkins
Jack Wild as Ornshaw

Melody’ still resonates with us By Johan Jaaffar - 23 May 2015 @ 1:39 PM It was a movie that helped define an era. A signature movie that was part of my generation’s rite of passage. A movie that everyone wanted to be associated with. The kind that shouted, “This is your film! It is about you!” Being young in the 70s was about lots of rough games, tough life and challenging times. TV was still in its infancy, the Internet and mobile phones were many decades away. There were a lot of interpersonal relationships, people were more sociable and there were fewer distractions. So, Melody (also known as S.W.A.L.K.) was something that everyone talked about at the time. The film introduced the concept of “puppy love”, simply put, being so young yet in love. It was directed by Waris Hussein, a Lucknow-born, British-Indian director. But Melody is as British as any British film, in fact simply too astonishingly British. It was a movie that will be etched in your mind forever, reminding you about a fantasy you once had, about falling in love, or believing that you are in love. The lead characters — Daniel Latimer, Melody Perkins and Omshaw — reminded you of yourself, your friends even the ones you wanted to be and those you hated. They were not perfect, neither were you. I was in form five when Melody hit the screen in 1971. The impact was incredible. There have been other love stories on screen. One of the greatest hits the year before was Love Story starring Ryan O’Neil and Ali MacGraw and directed by Arthur Hiller. Who could forget the story of a dying girl saying one of the most remembered lines in movie history, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry!” But Melody wasn’t just about innocence lost. It was about children trying to grow up beyond their years. It was post-Woodstock time. The hippies generation was fading away. The Vietnam War was still around. The 70s were an angry decade. Revolutions were sprouting all over the globe. Anger was everywhere — in the campus, in the street, even in literature. People were taken hostage for various “causes.” The movies of the 70s were brutal — Clockwork Orange, The French Connection, Mean Streets, Chinatown, The Godfather Part 2 and Taxi Driver, to name a few. Even TV serials were audacious and trying to push the envelope. So, Melody was “different.” Young actors like Mark Lester (playing Latimer), Jack Wild (Ormshaw) and Tracy Hyde (Perkins) were unknown to us. Their story on screen jolted us. The other name of the film was S.W.A.L.K. that reads “Sealed With A Loving Kiss.” It was said to be a message for love among young people. Melody wasn’t a massive hit when it was shown in the UK and the US, but it attained a cult status among its admirers. Melody was a story about generation gap and about the rebellious young. Old values simply didn’t apply. The adults were condescending, preachy yet unaccommodating. The young had their own agenda. Too young to fall in love you say? Nope, love transcends age. The symbolic “marriage” between the lead actors was the totem pole of their “success” over the adults. Audiences the world over have their own interpretation of the happenings in the film. It reminded me of the story of a stage director bringing Samuel Beckett’s “absurd” classic Waiting For Godot to San Quentin Prison. Everyone watching it — many of them lifers and hardcore criminals — had their own interpretation of who Godot was. For my generation, Melody was like that. It was about how we reacted to the film. It was alien to us — the culture, the language and the nuance. But it was the passage to adulthood as we understood it. It was the Bee Gees who gave the film its soul. Hits like “In the Morning”, “Melody Fair”, “Give Your Best”, “To Love Somebody” and “First of May” helped tell the story. The Gibbs Brothers’ incandescent creations were evident all over the film providing some of the most memorable songs in any film at any time. In the world of entertainment back then, the Bee Gees were the coolest of all. Forty-four years have passed since Melody came into our lives. Sadly Hussein didn’t make any other film more significant than that. The three lead actors didn’t do too well either. If at all, they will be remembered as talented child actors. Alan Parker, who co-wrote the screenplay with Andrew Birkin became a famous director himself helming Fame, Midnight Express, Evita and Angela’s Ashes. The Bee Gees continued to dominate the entertainment world well into the 80s. But Melody will forever be part of our consciousness. It was a creative discovery worth looking back. Twitter (@Johan_Jaaffar)

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/node/85251

‘Melody’ still resonates with us By Johan Jaaffar - 23 May 2015 @ 1:39 PM It was a movie that helped define an era. A signature movie that was part of my generation’s rite of passage. A movie that everyone wanted to be associated with. The kind that shouted, “This is your film! It is about you!” Being young in the 70s was about lots of rough games, tough life and challenging times. TV was still in its infancy, the Internet and mobile phones were many decades away. There were a lot of interpersonal relationships, people were more sociable and there were fewer distractions. So, Melody (also known as S.W.A.L.K.) was something that everyone talked about at the time. The film introduced the concept of “puppy love”, simply put, being so young yet in love. It was directed by Waris Hussein, a Lucknow-born, British-Indian director. But Melody is as British as any British film, in fact simply too astonishingly British. It was a movie that will be etched in your mind forever, reminding you about a fantasy you once had, about falling in love, or believing that you are in love. The lead characters — Daniel Latimer, Melody Perkins and Omshaw — reminded you of yourself, your friends even the ones you wanted to be and those you hated. They were not perfect, neither were you. I was in form five when Melody hit the screen in 1971. The impact was incredible. There have been other love stories on screen. One of the greatest hits the year before was Love Story starring Ryan O’Neil and Ali MacGraw and directed by Arthur Hiller. Who could forget the story of a dying girl saying one of the most remembered lines in movie history, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry!” But Melody wasn’t just about innocence lost. It was about children trying to grow up beyond their years. It was post-Woodstock time. The hippies generation was fading away. The Vietnam War was still around. The 70s were an angry decade. Revolutions were sprouting all over the globe. Anger was everywhere — in the campus, in the street, even in literature. People were taken hostage for various “causes.” The movies of the 70s were brutal — Clockwork Orange, The French Connection, Mean Streets, Chinatown, The Godfather Part 2 and Taxi Driver, to name a few. Even TV serials were audacious and trying to push the envelope. So, Melody was “different.” Young actors like Mark Lester (playing Latimer), Jack Wild (Ormshaw) and Tracy Hyde (Perkins) were unknown to us. Their story on screen jolted us. The other name of the film was S.W.A.L.K. that reads “Sealed With A Loving Kiss.” It was said to be a message for love among young people. Melody wasn’t a massive hit when it was shown in the UK and the US, but it attained a cult status among its admirers. Melody was a story about generation gap and about the rebellious young. Old values simply didn’t apply. The adults were condescending, preachy yet unaccommodating. The young had their own agenda. Too young to fall in love you say? Nope, love transcends age. The symbolic “marriage” between the lead actors was the totem pole of their “success” over the adults. Audiences the world over have their own interpretation of the happenings in the film. It reminded me of the story of a stage director bringing Samuel Beckett’s “absurd” classic Waiting For Godot to San Quentin Prison. Everyone watching it — many of them lifers and hardcore criminals — had their own interpretation of who Godot was. For my generation, Melody was like that. It was about how we reacted to the film. It was alien to us — the culture, the language and the nuance. But it was the passage to adulthood as we understood it. It was the Bee Gees who gave the film its soul. Hits like “In the Morning”, “Melody Fair”, “Give Your Best”, “To Love Somebody” and “First of May” helped tell the story. The Gibbs Brothers’ incandescent creations were evident all over the film providing some of the most memorable songs in any film at any time. In the world of entertainment back then, the Bee Gees were the coolest of all. Forty-four years have passed since Melody came into our lives. Sadly Hussein didn’t make any other film more significant than that. The three lead actors didn’t do too well either. If at all, they will be remembered as talented child actors. Alan Parker, who co-wrote the screenplay with Andrew Birkin became a famous director himself helming Fame, Midnight Express, Evita and Angela’s Ashes. The Bee Gees continued to dominate the entertainment world well into the 80s. But Melody will forever be part of our consciousness. It was a creative discovery worth looking back. Twitter (@Johan_Jaaffar)

Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/node/85251

Meanwhile, read my LABOUR DAY POST, reprised below for you lazy, macy, dazy BUMMERS on this BEAutiful SUndae, where I"m inclined to serve thee foolly, and ENJOY THE ecstatic memories the anthem up above brings, here/hear!

Friday, May 01, 2015

The Esctasy and the Agony of Life

This post to mark Labour Day -- see the First of May anthem above? -- WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN UPLOADED AT THE CRACK OF DAWN, BUT IT'S BOTH A CASE OF MAN PROPOSES, GOD DISPOSES AND THE SPIRIT IS WILLING BUT THE BODY IS ELSEWHERE. IT'S WORKING AT THE BEGINNING AT 11.25pm, YOU AND i BELIEVE IT'S ***BADDER LATE THAN NEBBER, DON'T YOU?

***Spelt thus because I follow my great band the Beatles' example in how they sing HEY JUDE -- remember the chorus, don't we? >>> So make it it badder, badder, badder...Nah, nah, nah, nah....

Let's go back to the spirit of Bee Gees' FIRST OF MAY:

"When I was small, and Christmas trees were tall we used to love while others used to play..."

We used to be so carefree -- recall your schooldays? I do, and It's awe ESCTASY!

We then don't worry about time, how it flies
Nor about money, that we now term disdainfully aSs Vitamin M
As long as we can scramble a few dollars with our few buddies to but the latest Elvis album
Or if you prefer, Cliff Richard...Yeah, the Onset of ECSTASY!
Because we find Joy in every single matey moment
Where tribe means more than individual, yeah!

(DIGRESSING -- How passe, the present Tech gen may laugh us off!)

But that's how we liked it, simple pleasures from simple wants
Not the same as the presen -- I want this, I want that -- generation

Sight, sigh, how time flies
and ECSTASY JUST SLOWLY RODE INTO THE PORT DICKSON SUNSET For Desi,
I don't know about Thee: where wer you and mateys at that sweet tender age of 11 to 17?
When the pimples first appeared, and the stirrings of romatic youth jest started

WERE WE ALL THE occasional/rare PLAYER AT FIRST LOVE, or JUST the majority/the others lah! who "USED TO PLAY"?

So let's forward 10 years, and we arrived at 21, all ADULT AND MACHO/LADYLIKE
Or some were feeling ADULTERATED and LOOKING INTO THE MIRROR lots of the time?!
Yes, it's the the Onset of AGONY!

*****************************************

.......tO BE CONTINUED AS YET ANOTHER MAYEY CALLS FOR another May Day CONtinental BF, DESi sometimes is KApitalist, remember?!

ALSO, WHILE WAITING FOR MY GREAT RETURN, INSYAALLAH, IF you feel like it, go to this LINK:

: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVf940pO5ME&list=RDdvr2n9q8t3I&index=

so you and DESi can sometimes "TOUCH">>>"Best expressed via Dan Hill's, Sometimes, YES, when vv touch, even cyberspeciaUUUUUUU2DOWNUNDERespressiiially!"

DAN HILL LYRICS

Send "Sometimes When We T…" Ringtone to your Mobile

"Sometimes When We Touch"

You ask me if I love you
And I choke on my reply
I'd rather hurt you honestly
Than mislead you with a lie
And who am I to judge you
On what you say or do?
I'm only just beginning to see the real you

And sometimes when we touch
The honesty's too much
And I have to close my eyes and hide
I wanna hold you til I die
Til we both break down and cry
I wanna hold you till the fear in me subsides

Romance and all its strategy
Leaves me battling with my pride
But through the insecurity
Some tenderness survives
I'm just another writer
Still trapped within my truth
A hesitant prize fighter
Still trapped within my youth

And sometimes when we touch
The honesty's too much
And I have to close my eyes and hide
I wanna hold you til I die
Til we both break down and cry
I wanna hold you till the fear in me subsides

At times I'd like to break you
And drive you to your knees
At times I'd like to break through
And hold you endlessly

At times I understand you
And I know how hard you've tried
I've watched while love commands you
And I've watched love pass you by
At times I think we're drifters
Still searching for a friend
A brother or a sister
But then the passion flares again

And sometimes when we touch
The honesty's too much
And I have to close my eyes and hide
I wanna hold you til I die
Til we both break down and cry
I wanna hold you till the fear in me subsides

___________________________________________________

DESIDERATA: NOW, CHOW! be a gOOD boy, or gal, or inBTWin! GO, and listen to the First of May anthem above here!! YL, DESi. knottyaSSusual, nostaltalgic2 in MAY, maybe U2?!

My Anthem

Sunday, May 24, 2015

RUMINATION: IT's Melodic Ecstasy WHEN......