(I admit we didn't need any more deaths over these last couple of days.)
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 05:07 (nineteen years ago)
Jimmy, I feel like you, I and gypsy mothra are the only ones to understand. Maybe I should have said "The director of
Shaft is dead, does that help you people, jeez Louise."
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 15:13 (nineteen years ago)
I've been thinking of posting on this thread but the main thing I had to say is that a guy I knew in high school who was a really cool customer claimed his mother was one of Gordon Park's models for teh fashion shoots when he was on the way up, but I've never been able to verify this.
― Redd Scharlach (Ken L), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 15:17 (nineteen years ago)
There's some great footage around of him in the studio with Isaac Hayes.
― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 8 March 2006 21:28 (nineteen years ago)
the learning tree is good, although definitely of its time. i wish someone would organize a comprehensive retrospective of (pre-spike lee, say) afro-american cinema, including "nothing but a man," "bless their little hearts," etc. etc. some of these films are hard to see.
i think his accomplishments as a photographer + his life story are more interesting than his film work. shaft is a pretty credible film -- not a great one though. i think some of the black directors of, say, charles burnett's generation had a lot of ambivalence about parks, who was obviously a pioneer and a remarkable guy but who also made films that arguably provided an uncomfortably sensationalist (exploitative) depiction of black america.
btw has anyone noticed that parks is rocking really nice outfits in every photo? like the one above, that's a dope jacket. and he really makes that hat work. so yeah, richard rountree OTM.
and yeah, 93... a good run. he kept working through his 70s, too, i believe. we should all be so lucky.
finally: wasn't his son (gordon jr.) a pretty big actor for a while in the same sort of movies his dad directed?
― amateurist0, Wednesday, 8 March 2006 23:05 (nineteen years ago)
Did anyone see/hear the Lehrer News piece? I paraphrase: "At 85, I feel like I'm just getting started, there's something just over the horizon. I may not finish it, somebody else might, but I feel like I'm just getting started..." or something like that.
It didn't sound false at all, it sounded like he really meant it. So badass.
― andy --, Wednesday, 8 March 2006 23:56 (nineteen years ago)
oh duh his son directed Superfly!!!
actually i like that movie a lot better than Shaft.
― amateurist0, Thursday, 9 March 2006 05:20 (nineteen years ago)
"At 85, I feel like I'm just getting started..." It didn't sound false at all, it sounded like he really meant it. Yeah; if only I'd felt like that at 25, or 15.
― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 9 March 2006 14:39 (nineteen years ago)