2. Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (directed by Tamra Davis, 2010)  Jean-Michel Basquiat was one of the most innovative and genius painters of the late 20th century. He was the son of a Haitian and Puerto Rican living in Brooklyn, but ran away as a teenager to live on the streets of New York City. He first gained notoriety from his strange brand of graffiti including short sentences tagged as SAMO. Then he began to showcase his paintings with the help of many admirers that included painters, art dealers, critics, and the hip-elite of the 80’s that saw his talent. He rose to international fame through his creative genius, but was destroyed by the pressures and consequences of fame.  Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child is a documentary that explores Basquiat’s short life through interviews of those that were around him. The backbone of the documentary is an interview Tamra Davis shot with Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1986 that she put away in a drawer after his death. In the interview footage from Davis, Basquiat was already on the downturn of being beaten by fame and the paranoia that came with it. The documentary shows the same situation that has been seen in writers, artist, musicians, and actors that rise to insurmountable levels of fame, only to crumble underneath the pressure that comes with stardom. An artist needs a proper foundation that will provide the necessary tools to deal with fame and those attempting to take advantage of you and the hunger of money and the temptation of alcohol and drugs. Basquiat was extremely talented, painting his inner world dictated by the subconsciousness, memories, observations, and anything that he thought had importance. He was intelligent, he was innovative, he was a painter dedicated to the brush and this documentary generously shows all of this while attempting to decipher some of the symbols and words seen throughout his work.  The only complaint is the audio in some of the interviews, appearing roughly recorded with much noise in the background. But otherwise, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child is a perfect introduction to the painter and the mystical nature of his work told by those that knew him. I would also recommend watching Basquiat, the 1996 biopic directed by Julian Schnabel. With such an immense talent and perspective, it is a great shame to the world that Jean-Michel Basquiat died at twenty-seven years old and wasn’t able to live a long, healthy life while creating more masterpieces.  ( This film is available for streaming on Netflix.) 

2. Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (directed by Tamra Davis, 2010) 

Jean-Michel Basquiat was one of the most innovative and genius painters of the late 20th century. He was the son of a Haitian and Puerto Rican living in Brooklyn, but ran away as a teenager to live on the streets of New York City. He first gained notoriety from his strange brand of graffiti including short sentences tagged as SAMO. Then he began to showcase his paintings with the help of many admirers that included painters, art dealers, critics, and the hip-elite of the 80’s that saw his talent. He rose to international fame through his creative genius, but was destroyed by the pressures and consequences of fame. 

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child is a documentary that explores Basquiat’s short life through interviews of those that were around him. The backbone of the documentary is an interview Tamra Davis shot with Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1986 that she put away in a drawer after his death. In the interview footage from Davis, Basquiat was already on the downturn of being beaten by fame and the paranoia that came with it. The documentary shows the same situation that has been seen in writers, artist, musicians, and actors that rise to insurmountable levels of fame, only to crumble underneath the pressure that comes with stardom. An artist needs a proper foundation that will provide the necessary tools to deal with fame and those attempting to take advantage of you and the hunger of money and the temptation of alcohol and drugs. Basquiat was extremely talented, painting his inner world dictated by the subconsciousness, memories, observations, and anything that he thought had importance. He was intelligent, he was innovative, he was a painter dedicated to the brush and this documentary generously shows all of this while attempting to decipher some of the symbols and words seen throughout his work. 

The only complaint is the audio in some of the interviews, appearing roughly recorded with much noise in the background. But otherwise, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child is a perfect introduction to the painter and the mystical nature of his work told by those that knew him. I would also recommend watching Basquiat, the 1996 biopic directed by Julian Schnabel. With such an immense talent and perspective, it is a great shame to the world that Jean-Michel Basquiat died at twenty-seven years old and wasn’t able to live a long, healthy life while creating more masterpieces. 

( This film is available for streaming on Netflix.) 

- from Howl (directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, 2010) 

- from Howl (directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, 2010) 

1. The Philosopher Kings (directed by Patrick Shen, 2009)  Those that are important are the ones with business suits, with clean-shaven smoothness upon their faces dressed in an attire we find appealing because of a level of false sophistication. Intellectuals and possessors of wisdom speak in terms that only a few can fully comprehend, they stride between columns of high-rising buildings speaking their elitist gibberish with an intensity that lets the listener know that their theories are the only theories and they are genius among beast. They often speak of this world through the words of dead thinkers, unable to utter a single sentence of their own filled with originality and insight through experience. We often forget that a person’s outward appearance has no relevance to the individuals they actually are.  The Philosopher Kings is a documentary about several custodians of top universities and the immense wisdom they have gained through experience. These individuals are always invisible to the public, they are always pushed aside as an illiterate or some sort of poor fool that should be pitied, but never looked directly in the eyes. They clean up the mess of others for their living, but they are rich with stories and wisdom and humility and profound insights into what it means to to be alive. We often attribute a person’s worth by their career or the type of car that they drive or simple the amount of good-looking genes they inherited. But vessels of wisdom are everywhere because each person is living and has thoughts and emotions and has gone through experiences that they learn from and every person is deserving of respect, of value and we simply lower our heads without saying “Hello” or asking them how their day is going.  This documentary begins with an introduction of each person, but it quietly moves into their stories, their ideas and the viewer soon forgets what they do for a living, only paying attention to the words that they speak. They are not janitors, but artists and humanitarians and thinkers and examples of the tremendous ability of the human spirit to overcome. The Philosopher Kings is an uplifting, beautifully shot film that will inspire you to see pass first-glances and to realize that every person has worth and importance. If every living person were to see this film, maybe there would be greater hope that the world would improve its condition through a sense of compassion for others. Only when we eliminate the self-created divisions will we see that we are all the same, that wisdom is not something that can possessed by a select group. Every person has an insight that is unique to their experience and all we must do is chop through preconceived notions to unravel the wisdom of others.  (This film is available for streaming on Netflix.) 

1. The Philosopher Kings (directed by Patrick Shen, 2009) 

Those that are important are the ones with business suits, with clean-shaven smoothness upon their faces dressed in an attire we find appealing because of a level of false sophistication. Intellectuals and possessors of wisdom speak in terms that only a few can fully comprehend, they stride between columns of high-rising buildings speaking their elitist gibberish with an intensity that lets the listener know that their theories are the only theories and they are genius among beast. They often speak of this world through the words of dead thinkers, unable to utter a single sentence of their own filled with originality and insight through experience. We often forget that a person’s outward appearance has no relevance to the individuals they actually are. 

The Philosopher Kings is a documentary about several custodians of top universities and the immense wisdom they have gained through experience. These individuals are always invisible to the public, they are always pushed aside as an illiterate or some sort of poor fool that should be pitied, but never looked directly in the eyes. They clean up the mess of others for their living, but they are rich with stories and wisdom and humility and profound insights into what it means to to be alive. We often attribute a person’s worth by their career or the type of car that they drive or simple the amount of good-looking genes they inherited. But vessels of wisdom are everywhere because each person is living and has thoughts and emotions and has gone through experiences that they learn from and every person is deserving of respect, of value and we simply lower our heads without saying “Hello” or asking them how their day is going. 

This documentary begins with an introduction of each person, but it quietly moves into their stories, their ideas and the viewer soon forgets what they do for a living, only paying attention to the words that they speak. They are not janitors, but artists and humanitarians and thinkers and examples of the tremendous ability of the human spirit to overcome. The Philosopher Kings is an uplifting, beautifully shot film that will inspire you to see pass first-glances and to realize that every person has worth and importance. If every living person were to see this film, maybe there would be greater hope that the world would improve its condition through a sense of compassion for others. Only when we eliminate the self-created divisions will we see that we are all the same, that wisdom is not something that can possessed by a select group. Every person has an insight that is unique to their experience and all we must do is chop through preconceived notions to unravel the wisdom of others. 

(This film is available for streaming on Netflix.) 

from Annie Hall (directed by Woody Allen, 1977) 

from Annie Hall (directed by Woody Allen, 1977) 

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Themed by: Hunson