Captain America: The Winter Soldier

8.5/10

Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a marginally superior follow-up to The First Avenger but also the best of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) Phase 2 films thus far, exceeding Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World. The plot is pretty simple. We follow Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) as he gets dragged into an international spy conspiracy. A wholly unpredictable and high stakes thrill ride ensues pitting Captain America and his allies against a plethora of expected and unexpected enemies.

Chris Evans has truly made the mask and shield of Captain America his own, and is ably supported by Samuel L. Jackson and Scarlett Johannson as familiar favourites Black Widow and Nick Fury. The film gives these supporting Avengers an opportunity to deepen their connection with audiences. We are introduced to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) who dons a winged exoskeleton to become the Falcon. Robert Redford has a starring turn playing Alexander Pierce, a senior S.H.I.E.L.D. bigwig with a dark secret. And then of course, there is the titular villain, The Winter Soldier, a powerful mercenary shrouded in mystery. The reveal of his identity is sure to surprise some people (not me, cause I've read the comics).  MMA fans will be pleased to see the well known fighter Georges St. Pierre on form in a cameo role as Batroc, an Algerian mercenary.

The reason for my adulation of this film is simple. The Winter Soldier not only challenges the entire superhero genre by creating an action-packed espionage thriller, but it also shatters whatever preconceptions of what we think will eventually happen in the MCU. Surprising and exciting, The Winter Soldier relies on a smart narrative, slick action and powerful character development to put the entire superhero genre on notice. There is no doubt that Marvel are totally dominant in the superhero space and are only becoming stronger with every film. I can't wait for Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Inside Llewyn Davis

8/10

I went with a group of friends to watch Inside Llewyn Davis, a period drama set in the early 60s about the eponymous folk singer-songwriter. The reviews were mixed. The first school of thought was that the film was slow and filled with melancholy, a meandering and ultimately depressing view of the struggle of Llewyn Davis (played by debutant Oscar Isaac).  The other school of thought suggest that the film captured a sense of the mood of its time, was supported magnificently by an excellent soundtrack and  maintained the quirkiness and symbolism that one would associate with a Coen Brothers' film.

I belong to the second school of thought. Isaac brings to life the angst and dogmatic worldview of the tormented performer, whose frustration at not having made his dream come true causes him to lash out at the people around him. The ensemble, which includes Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, Garrett Hedlund, Coen Bros Favourite John Goodman amongst numerous other familiar faces, counterpoint Davis' angst by providing him with a swirl of different challenges and scenarios. The second half of the movie, while meandering, is infused with a rich symbolism and a sense of foreboding that leaves you unsure as to Llewyn's ultimate destiny.

From a Coen Brother's perspective, this film feel likes A Serious Man merged with O Brother Where Art Thou. What does this mean? Well, if The Big Lebowski is your frame of reference for what constitutes a good Coen Brother's film, then unfortunately this film won't meet your expectations. It's good, not great. Truth be told, the Coen Brother's haven't made anything great for quite a long while.

This movie is worth a watch if you're an art house snob (like me) and love the Coen Brothers (like me). If not, you're probably better off watching the new Robocop.

12 Years A Slave

9/10

Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave is a gripping and brutal film detailing the story of Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free man living a successful and happy life in liberal state of New York during 1820s, who was abducted and sold into bondage where he spent 12 years as a slave.

It's a pretty simple premise vividly brought to life by Steve Mcqueen, who infuses this brutality with a cinematic beauty that I have not seen for years. The cinematography is nothing short of spectacular, acting as an emotional counterpoint that sensitizes the audiences to the brutal treatment. In addition, the use (or non-use) of sound adds real drama to the unfolding events. Ejiofor is outstanding as Northup, truly bringing to life the pathos of a man who must submit to injustice in order to survive and see his family again. Michael Fassbender and Benedict Cumberbatch bring different sensitivities to their portrayals of the owners, but it is Fassbender's characterization of the cruel Epps that really brings home the insane sense of possession that Slave owner's felt over their property.

The film has widely been praised and is a front runner to sweep the Academy Awards. I feel that these kudos are well deserved.

Highly Recommended.

The Wolf of Wall Street

9/10

Disclaimer - This review has some high level analysis/spoilers so read on at your peril

Martin Scorcese's The Wolf of Wall Street is a biopic about the rise and fall of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio), a stock broker who made untold millions through stock fraud. The narrative of the film follows Belfort and his team of brokers at Stratton Oakmont, as they merge an uncanny sales ability with the debauched Wall Street financial industry to create what can possibly be understood as a hedonistic monstrosity. An orgy of drugs, alcohol and sex ensues ends up leading to severe consequences...but consequences affecting who?  The key question asked by the film is around who are the winners and losers of all this mayhem. I'm still not clear.

The Wolf of Wall Street is a quintessential piece of Americana, highlighting the power of greed and lust in shaping the modern of American dream of the late 20th Century. Belfort and his team of brokers are beneficiaries of a broken financial system that encourages the swindling of the average joe, and their success results in hedonistic experiences akin to the orgies of Ancient Rome. The debauchery is unbelievable and almost cartoonish, leaving the audience questioning whether such madness is even possible.

This story is pulled off magnificently by the outstanding cast, led by virtuoso performances by Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill, and supported by awesome turns from Rob Reiner, Matthew McConaughey and numerous others. Scorcese is on form as usual, with strong visuals, editing and script merging well to produce a well paced and engaging film in spite of its 3 hour running time. On the negative side, I did feel the film was almost too lighthearted for its subject matter, and didn't leave the audience much room to feel angry at Belfort and his team for swindling the masses. I think the film asks tough questions about the values of the financial industry and the status of the modern American Dream in light of the capitalist anarchy at play.

The bottom line is that the Wolf of Wall Street is so fun, so thrilling and so inspiring in the worst possible way that its will probably be the the Scarface of the 21st Century, inspiring a new generation to aim for the total debauched greed that it glorifies.

Highly Recommended.

My Girlfriend is a Celebrity

Claudine is my amazingly talented and beautiful girlfriend. Her new ad was released last night! I am so proud of you, baby!!!

P.S. She's the cutie selling all her stuff

Watch it below:

Tumblr: Unleash the Digital Hipster in You

I like to think of myself as a bit of a hipster. I have round glasses, a snood and skinny jeans. I even wear denim shirts buttoned up all the way to the top. The truth is I need a lot of help to look like a hipster and it is all due to fashion expertise of my hipster girlfriend. However, one area where I don't need any help being a hipster is in the digital world. I'm on the social networks that aren't mainstream - like Snapchat. I was on Facebook before it was cool. So as I put forward my case for Tumblr, I do it because I want you, my faithful blog reader, to realise that being a digital hipster in 2014 is as easy as opening a Tumblr account.

Being a hipster ain't easy

I was really fortunate to visit the Tumblr Office in the Flatiron area of New York City, when I was there this past August. I attended a Q&A session with two community managers from Denny's, a popular American Family Restaurant Chain, and Diesel, the renowned fashion brand. It soon became clear that Tumblr had far more popularity in the US than I thought. Ironically, this popularity is not because of its position as a blogging platform, rather it is as a highly competitive social network that is growing in prominence daily. Tumblr has approximately 132 million monthly unique users, and there are about 60 million new posts taking place every day (Vaynerchuk, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, 151:2014). These high numbers give an indication as to why Yahoo purchased it for 1.1 billion US Dollars in May 2013.

On the other hand, while Tumblr is mainstream in the United States, it hasn't taken off properly in South Africa. I've been searching for some official user numbers but when I asked in New York, I understand the figure was around 45 000 monthly unique users in South Africa. What this tells me, is that the total Hipster population of South Africa is on Tumblr. If you want to be one of us, you better get involved!

Tumblr is The Creative Social Network

Following this experience at the Tumblr Office, I decided to get in on the action. I opened an account and followed a variety of diverse Tumblrs (thought leaders, entertainment blogs, comics. fun blogs, brands). Soon enough, I began to enjoy trawling the endless stream of beautiful imagery, interesting text and animated gifs and kept on discovering content that spoke to my interests. I learnt how easy it was to curate my own Tumblr by simply re-blogging the images that appeared in my dashboard feed, as well as uploading any other image from the web that I thought may be relevant.

A cool piece of visual content I found on Tumblr, Bub.

So obviously the functionality of Tumblr is not unique - Wordpress, Blogger, even Google + all do similar jobs -  what differentiates Tumblr from any other platform?

In his book Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, Gary Vaynerchuk explains that Tumblr is a highly creative space that "provides an exhibition space for photographers, musician and graphic designers (151: 2014). I share the same sentiment. For me, Tumblr is the creative social network. Images that redefine and remix pop culture. Comics from every generation. Poetry. Videos. Articles. Photography. All of this customised to your interests. A digital hipster's paradise.

So how do you get started?

Firstly, go to www.tumblr.com and open an account. You may also want to download the app for your smartphone - it's a really effective way of keeping up to date.

Secondly, find some cool Tumblrs to follow. You can follow them by visiting the URL and clicking the follow button on the top right corner of the screen. Here are some suggestions:

Funny Tumblrs
Rich Kids of Instagram
Reasons My Son is Crying
Your Kickstarter Sucks
Kim Jong Un Looking at Things

Brands
Denny's Diner
Diesel Reboot
Coca Cola

Pop Culture
Siriusly Meg (TV)
Brian Michael Bendis (Comics)
Fuck Yeah Game of Thrones

Between10and5 (South African Photography)

Once you've followed these blogs, find more to follow in order to really build the richness of your feed.

Kim Jong Un Looking at Things - a classic!!

Finally, design and curate your own Tumblr Blog by re-blogging your favourite posts.

In conclusion, Tumblr is a rich space for exploration for social network fans and digital marketers. I'm not sure whether its viable for South African audiences and brands at this early stage, but I do feel that it has a lot of potential. Tumblr could well be the next big thing in Social Media...best you swim ahead of the mainstream.

It's time for you to become a digital hipster.

References:

Vaynerchuk G, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook, 2013, Harper-Collins

Marketing Books You Should Probably Read

I read a number of books around the fields of marketing and digital in order to broaden my horizons relative to my career. I got the ideas of books to read through googling for lists of books that all strategists should read, as well as cross referencing with by Amazon reviews.

Here are my top 3 suggestions.

TOP 3 BOOKS

1) Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert B. Cialdini

This book on social psychology is a must read for any marketer who is interested in understand the triggers that persuade people to purchase products. Cialdini explores the key principles of social psychology through a number of case studies that consist primarily of fascinating social experiments. An novice to intermediate read that left me with some interesting insights about consumer psychology.

2) Jab, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk

Jab, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook deals with how brands can use a giver's gain approach to social media to discover the right time to deliver a right hook in the form of an sales offer on social media. Vaynerchuk explores his philosophy to social content through this metaphor and systematically describes best practice relative to the posting of content on all the major social networks. This book is littered with numerous case studies that provide the reader with a strong sense of best practice with regards to social content marketing. As a digital strategist, it was definitely the philosophy as opposed to the practical guide to content that made this book a worthwhile read. This is a quick and easy read that i recommend to any social media professional.

3) Understanding Digital Marketing  by Damian Ryan and Calvin Jones

This book acts as reference guide to understanding the digital ecosystem and the roles of different digital channels in the marketing mix. It has definitely been an extremely useful resource for me as a generalist to have a broad grasp of the full digital environment. The major takeout for me was that digital is still such a young and burgeoning industry that there is so much opportunity just waiting to be unearthed. It's really important for digital specialists to invest in reference material in order to ensure that they understand their craft and talk from a space of knowledge and genuine understanding of different mediums and their roles.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Rethinking PowerPoint by Ron Galloway

An easy and not-intimidating book that offers basic insights into improving presentations without offering anything truly groundbreaking. A good starting point for people who have no clue about presentations.

The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton M.Christensen

A really tough book on disruptive technology. I'm presently struggling through it and hopefully i will get there. The book is highly regarded by most of the top dogs in digital marketing.

IN CONCLUSION

In career and life, one should gear themselves towards constant learning and growth. Reading is a fundamental way to achieve this, and with the mass proliferation of e-books on mobile devices, it has never been easier to be a reader. I've always got a book to read on my phone and/or kindle, and there are always amazing books to read that add real value to my lives, from a career, self development, psychology as well as from a pure entertainment perspective. Give it a bash in 2014 yo! Let me know if you have any recommendations.

Blue Jasmine

8.5/10

I've developed a very solid affection for Woody Allen's films over the years, and while not completely immersed in his old films, I have been a solid follower of his most recent work. Blue Jasmine stands up with Midnight in Paris as one of his better recent films, albeit it is far less whimsical than Midnight and acts as more a pseudo-depressing study of social disgrace and mental breakdown. Cate Blanchett is excellent as Jasmine, the destroyed, disgraced and spoiled former wife of a corrupt New York Banker (Alec Baldwin), forced to live with her sister (Sally Dawkins), in San Francisco.

The film surrounds Jasmine, who while still reeling from her nervous breakdown following her former husband's arrest and suicides, attempts to move on. Not much more to be said, other than the story is captivating, there are solid performances from the all-star cast including Alec Baldwin, Andrew Dice Clay, Louis CK amongst others, as well as dabs of witty humour that comes standard in Allen's scripts.

I think the film lends itself to deeper interpretation particular linked to the manner in which men and women are portrayed in the film. The film asks questions as to the nature of love, trust and honesty in relationships both sexual and familial. Blue Jasmine is a must-watch for Allen fans but also an enjoyable and interesting film that I would recommend to the art-house crowd.

New Year's Evolution

2013 was an awesome year for me. I achieved greatly in my personal life: I won my work talent show as well as numerous other competitions; my career went from strength to strength based on my focus on self development through reading relevant marketing books as well as listening to podcasts; I was able to spend a month in New York City being exposed to great minds in the marketing industry and experiencing the centre of the world, and ultimately, the continued growth and development of my personal relationships with my girlfriend, my family, my colleagues and my friends truly is what has kept me totally grounded and focused.

2014 is "the year of manifestation" for some. For me, its the year of evolution. Extremely fast tracked evolution. I want to grow faster then ever both personally and professionally. I want to develop my mind, my skills, my talents in a way that will enable these things to deliver huge, unexpected returns. 2013 has put me on the right track, 2014 is the year of taking it to the next level. 

I have established 4 focus areas that I want to explore this year:

1) Productivity & Organisation

One of my largest personal challenges has been my scatterbrained / ADD approach to work and life. I have over time become too comfortable with living in a mess both at home and at work. I procrastinate, i spend too much time wasting time online, and i drop the ball way too often on the small things. Last year, thanks to some smart podcast choices, I learned about Evernote as a solution for note-taking, and it has already become invaluable to me at work. I have begun to use a to-do list app to ensure that small tasks do not fall off the table. This year, I plan become more conscientious about cleaning my living space and ensuring that it is all looking good. I want to look after my valuables and clothes far more diligently to ensure that everything is in place. I want to discover and unearth more tools that will support me in this quest and reach an ultimate level of productiveness.

2) Content Creation & Consumption

I used to be a far more avid writer than I am today, and I honestly believe that my natural aptitude for writing needs to be explored. I currently have two blogs for content: this one, and Danny Digs Flicks, my movie review blog. My primary goal for the year is to write a short e-book, the topic of which is still unclear. I have also had thoughts around starting my own podcast so we'll see what happens. I also want to ensure that I am reading relevant books and articles constantly and consistently, and continuing to listen to podcasts. My thoughts is that if I begin to write and curate good content that my reputation and popularity will only increase more greatly, and hopefully this can yield strong rewards.

3) Health and Fitness

I'm not an unfit human being. I play soccer at most twice a week. I eat relatively healthily. I do feel that I could do better and could shed a bit of weight. So this year I'm gonna aim to get back to peak fitness through a combination of gym and football, as well as other relevant exercises. I may need an accountability buddy to make it happen as I find it hard to be self motivated to wake up early in the morning to exercise. I need to ensure that gym/exercise is integrated deeply into my weekly routine, and really make it work in 2014. I also want to focus on being more careful around maintaining a good diet, and what this means is more cooking of more yummy food on my own, as opposed to eating out too often, which is what I've been doing.

4) Music

For the past two and a half years, I've been learning to sing and play guitar, and I only want to keep improving. So this year, I'm going to dedicate more time to rehearsing and practicing by integrating this into my daily ritual.  I'm going to write a song, and publish it online. I'm going to be more confident about sharing my singing/guitar videos online like this one. I'm going to invite more friends to hear me sing. and maybe, just maybe, I'll join a band. Let's see what happens.

So those are my plans for evolution. I'm confident 2014 will be a banner year for me, and I'm sure it will be as successful for you as well. Thanks for reading.

E-Toll Angst

Well, the E-Tolls are here, and with them, a strong drive to a civil disobedience boycott campaign. The vast majority of people in Gauteng refuse to accept them, and aim to make SANRAL work hard for every penny, if at all. Somewhere in the dark hole that is the existence of the South African consumer, there is a niggling hope that something will change, that something will happen to undermine and/or challenge this new law. And the noise from the unions, from certain opposition political parties, suggests that something may change if we as a society stay the course of non-adherence with E-Tolls.

There are obvious reasons as to why there is such mistrust:

Firstly, South Africans don't trust that the money from e-tolls will be used to better the province, and have a feeling that the money exists only to the line the pockets of the corrupt government officials, and overseas businesses who introduced the scheme to Gauteng.

Secondly, that it impacts the pockets of an already over-exerted consumer in a tough local economy, with a shocking rand/dollar exchange and low consumer confidence.

Finally, the lack of consultation with the Gauteng constituency resulting in what appears to be a unilateral decision taken without care for the plight of consumers and businesses. 

I know that the E-Tolls are wrong. But i'm confused as to how to respond in my personal capacity.

I won't buy into the rhetoric on social media who are saying that by submitting to E-Tags,  to direct quote from bytes I have seen on social platforms - "you are getting raped", "the government will steal your money and your house will be burgled". An alarming one that i've heard is "A friend with an e-tag is not my friend".

I am concerned that reducing the discourse to online bullying and intimidation in the name of a non-compliance campaign is indicative of a broader problem amongst the South African middle class. We are hopeless about the fact that the ANC as our leadership seems immovable, that we are destined for another 5 years of worsening corruption and abuse of power, and if not, then we can expect ultra left wing parties such as Malema's EFF to grow in power. So what do we do? We refuse to buy E-Tags, refuse to comply with the law, moan about it around our dinner tables, tweet our anger, instagram photos of gantries. In my opinion, this approach is a futile resistance that will have no constructive outcome.

It's an election year. This is why these scandals are all going down and there is such outcry. Why don't we harness our anti-government and civil disobedient behaviour into actively supporting the political party that we believe will make the changes we want to see in South Africa? Why don't we expend our energy in furthering South Africa's legacy as one of the most miraculous democracies in the world by driving change where it really counts - at the ballot box? I would rather get an e-tag but attend a DA driven anti e-toll rally, then not get an e-tag and pay a fortune in unpaid tolls down the line, while not impacting any meaningful change

In short, avoiding the e-toll payments, while no doubt a noble and righteous cause, is potentially dangerous road that will hurt you where it counts most - in your pockets. Focus on the elections, support a political party that has a chance, and actively drive a profound change in government in 2014. Don't give up on democratic means just because you've lost hope in democracy. We as a society need to be optimistic that what's right will eventually win, and we need to learn as individuals to be more forceful in driving and supporting the process of meaningful democratic change.

So what will I do? I'm not sure yet. All i know is that i'm definitely not voting ANC in the next election, and that maybe I will do more than just passively support my political party of choice in the run-up. I want E-Tolls out as much as the next person, but i'm not going to be a criminal or waste my hard earned cash in unpaid tolls to get rid of them. I may very well get an E-Tag in the next week. And if you that makes you not want to be my friend, that's your prerogative. 

Thor: The Dark World

6.5/10

I've gone through my old blog and the trend tends to be that I always review comic book movies. Most of those reviews are positive, and I am always pretty much showing mad love to Marvel, as I appreciate the amazing work that they have done in translating the Marvel Universe on screen in a way that builds a meaningful continuity and an interweaving story-line that brings to life all the amazing characters and stories that we have grown to love with the Marvel Universe. That being said, I can be critical of Marvel movies, and i will prove it with a semi-scathing review of Thor: The Dark World.

 

So, there's a lot thats good about Thor. It's entertaining from a narrative perspective, coherent, broadens the universe and, of course, the obligatory film-stealing turn from Tom Hiddleston as Loki. There's also a substantial amount in the movie thats somewhat dissappointing: excess cheesiness in Thor's interactions with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), a really irritating subplot with Darcy (Kat Dennings) and her intern - a sub-narrative punctuated by weak dialogue and bad acting, and then one shocking scene when one of the Warrior's Three gives Thor a cheeky salute. This salute shot was almost as cheesy as Spiderman's notorious hop in front of the US Flag in Spiderman 3.

That all said, I have to be true to my fanboy nature. Did Thor: The Dark World broaden the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Yes. Did Marvel hint at a super exciting future and begin planting seeds for the Avengers: Age of Ultron and Guardians of the Galaxy? Yes. Was the action cool? Yes.

In short, Thor: The Dark World ticks all the boxes of Marvel Comic Book movie, which makes it passable. The film just doesn't do much more than that, and is pretty lame at times. You're inevitably going to watch it anyway but its not, in my opinion, a memorable film.

Soundtracks

For the past year, I've been working on a side project with my buddy Matt Klawansky to help him position himself as a composer in the South African film and advertising landscape.

We've put together Soundtracks, which is a blog that aims to provide creative inspiration through music, and hopefully connect people to Matthew's fine tastes and musical ability. 

Visit the Blog here and like the Facebook page for access to constant updates.

Let me know your feedback. Do you think this is an effective content marketing platform? What tips or suggestions do you have that can make us really take this to the next level?