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)
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.
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 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
‘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.
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.
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
‘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
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:
‘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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Read More :
http://www.nst.com.my/node/85251
: 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?!
