M I L K

Posted by: fred simon on 26 March 2009



Just saw this magnificent film last night ... one of the greatest civil rights statements ever made. Harvey Milk should be considered in the same company as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi ... a true courageous hero who changed this world for the better, and paid for it with his life.

Best,
Fred


Posted on: 27 March 2009 by fatcat
What a disappointment. I thought it was the new M I L K advert.

MILK
Posted on: 27 March 2009 by Reginald Halliday
quote:
Originally posted by fatcat:
What a disappointment. I thought it was the new M I L K advert.

MILK


You are disappointed? I misread the last letter Frown
Posted on: 27 March 2009 by Diccus62
Saw some trailers, will have to catch the dvd.

Fred could you recommend a weekly american news magazine/paper so I can keep up with what america is up to . I read the guardian in england and support obama so mildly left of centre. Not too heavy Winker

thanks

diccus Smile
Posted on: 27 March 2009 by fred simon


If you already read The Guardian then I don't need to send you to The Nation, although I do recommend it.

"Mildly left of centre"? Newsweek would likely fit the bill ... pretty well balanced between slightly left of center and slightly right of center, and occasionally leaning more slightly to the left.

I'd also make the same recommendation of The New York Times.

Best,
Fred


Posted on: 27 March 2009 by gary1 (US)
quote:
Originally posted by fred simon:

I'd also make the same recommendation of The New York Times.


Fred,

You must have meant another newspaper and accidently typed in the NYT?????
Posted on: 27 March 2009 by u14378503097469928
quote:
Originally posted by fred simon:


Just saw this magnificent film last night ... one of the greatest civil rights statements ever made. Harvey Milk should be considered in the same company as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi ... a true courageous hero who changed this world for the better, and paid for it with his life.

Best,
Fred

Try catching the documentary "The Times of Harvey Milk", made in the 1980's and very important to those of us coming out at the time and facing the AIDS backlash.

Posted on: 27 March 2009 by fred simon


Andrew, saw the doc when it came it, thought it was great.

Fred


Posted on: 27 March 2009 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by gary1 (US):

You must have meant another newspaper and accidently typed in the NYT?????


How would you describe the NYT?

Fred


Posted on: 28 March 2009 by Diccus62
Thanks for that Fred Smile
Posted on: 28 March 2009 by u14378503097469928
quote:
Originally posted by fred simon:


Andrew, saw the doc when it came it, thought it was great.

Fred

Fred,
Must catch up with the new film . Had been put off by the idea it may be too" Hollywood" for me but you several people have told me it is more than simply" worthy".

Andrew.

Posted on: 28 March 2009 by Wolf2
I thought it a good film, Penn and others do a good job. Certainly caught the rebellion of the time. I was in Laguna Beach at that time after college and SF was really alive as was LA. Tho way too many drugs and party life. Milk was important to human rights in general. Sad White got off with the twinkie defense for 2 murders.
Posted on: 28 March 2009 by DaveBk
It didn't seem ro run for very long in the UK. I saw the trailer, agreed with the Mrs that it'd be the next film we'd go and see, but the run was finished within a couple of weeks. Will wait for the DVD now.
Posted on: 28 March 2009 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by DaveBk:
It didn't seem ro run for very long in the UK. I saw the trailer, agreed with the Mrs that it'd be the next film we'd go and see, but the run was finished within a couple of weeks. Will wait for the DVD now.


The DVD is out (so to speak Winker ). The bonus interviews are great ... not only actors, director, producer, writer, but especially those with the principle activists of the time. Very moving and inspiring.

Best,
Fred


Posted on: 28 March 2009 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by Wolf2:

Milk was important to human rights in general. Sad White got off with the twinkie defense for 2 murders.


Exactly ... it's a civil/human rights story.

Interesting stuff I've learned in subsequent reading about the murders ... White's lawyers never claimed that his Twinkie diet caused his breakdown per se, but rather was a symptom of his deepening depression and impending psychotic break. He was certainly very troubled, and the film strongly implies that he was a closeted gay man (Milk seems convinced of it).

He fired seven shots (three for Moscone and four for Milk, I believe), which means he had to reload, which means that he brought extra ammo, which means that he premeditated his actions. That he was convicted only of manslaughter is a travesty, and indeed unleashed violent protests throughout San Francisco.

However, after his release from prison, White returned to the area and committed suicide.

Fred


Posted on: 28 March 2009 by Wolf2
can you imagine the hate White got in SF on getting out? It certainly did show him as a conflicted man, Well done by Josh Brolin.

Yet there's still a lot of hate out there.

I know the actor who played the publisher who turned Milk down. He said it was an incredible experience being on that film and with Penn and Van Sant. Said it was hard for him to be nasty as he knew and liked Milk when he was doing documentaries of SF in his early days.

When everyone was partying he was really dedicated and working on civil rights, not being a politician for ego. But nobody else wanted to step up to the plate.

Then there are Matthew Shepard and Ryan White, tho he was a kid with AIDS. Such hate around him.
Posted on: 29 March 2009 by u14378503097469928
And the hate hasn't gone away... the religious right,amongst others, are always trying to chisel away at the rights that have been won since Harvey Milk...
Posted on: 29 March 2009 by DaveBk
quote:
The DVD is out (so to speak ).

Not yet in the UK, other than as a Region 1 NTSC import. I'll wait 'till June when the PAL version ships.
Posted on: 29 March 2009 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by andrewchiswick:
And the hate hasn't gone away... the religious right,amongst others, are always trying to chisel away at the rights that have been won since Harvey Milk...


Yes ... ironic to consider a film celebrating, among other achievements, the defeat of Prop 6, being released in the same year as the overturn of Prop 8.

Persistence is everything, though ... two steps forward, one step back.

Fred


Posted on: 01 April 2009 by Wolf2
I think civil rights is an ever evolving thing, it takes a looong time to challenge laws and shift opinions. Religion in many ways mucks things up. Look at what the pope just stated, UGH!
Posted on: 01 April 2009 by fred simon


I missed the pope's latest ... I usually cross to the other side of the street when I see him approaching. What did he say?

Fred


Posted on: 02 April 2009 by DaveBk
Was this the condom usage increasing the spread of HIV wisdom?
Posted on: 02 April 2009 by BigH47
quote:
I missed the pope's latest ... I usually cross to the other side of the street when I see him approaching. What did he say?


Usual bollocks I expect, must be great getting sex life advice from some one who can't actually have a sex life, not with women anyhow.
Posted on: 04 April 2009 by Wolf2
yeah the Pope and George are the only ones firmly convinced abstinence is the only answer.
Posted on: 28 April 2009 by gary1 (US)
Well, I saw "Milk" after this thread appeared and I agree it was a good movie. Actually for a Hollywood adaptation it stuck fairly close to the actual book "The Mayor of Castro."

After seeing the movie I got the book from my local library and as I suspected the book blew away the movie as it almost always does. So much more written about the history of the time, the actual events which occurred, the other protagonists and politicians on the scene. The book was very well written and I recommend this for anyone who is interested in this topic/era.

While there are some errors in the movie, they really do not effect the result.

Where I found the movie limiting is in it's focusing too much on Harvey Milk's desire for election to the supervisor seat and doesn't really look at his wider vision. The movie does mentions Milk's appontment as a Commissioner for Permit by Moscone after his 2nd failed attempt at elected office. Nor does it go into his abundance of political connections which he developed. It also bypasses his failed run for State Assembly 2 months after he was appointed Commissioner. A seat that became available after Moscone gave up his State Senate seat to run for Mayor of SF and the availability of the assembly seat after another politican moved up to a senate position. It seems as if all these political machinations that entire election cycle we done through deals cut in advance behind the scenes. Nor does it look at his thoughts of running for Mayor of SF after Moscone's second term would have ended in 1983 and his stepping aside due to mandatory term limits.

Finally, the book spends a good deal of time talking about Diane Feinstein. Those following the latest claims of corruption will note that she was engaged to her current husband Richard Blum at the time of Milk's assassination. Even then she was called to task for her favoritism and policies towards real estate developers, etc... So, it is no surprise to see these same things come up 30 years later.
Posted on: 28 April 2009 by Jet Johnson
quote:
Originally posted by Diccus62:
Saw some trailers, will have to catch the dvd.

Fred could you recommend a weekly american news magazine/paper so I can keep up with what america is up to . I read the guardian in england and support obama so mildly left of centre. Not too heavy Winker

thanks

diccus Smile



Just about every American nwspaper has an on-line alternative Diccus .....I read the New York Times but have a look at the rest (and they are generally free unless you wish to read the indepth analysis parts which are in the paper version)