[Harp-L] Cadillac Records

["Bill Hines" <billhines4@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I just got back from watching the film. I thoroughly enjoyed it and
don't know what everyone else is getting all worked up about, other than
to take the opportunity to demonstrate one's encyclopedic knowledge of
the history of the blues, which is probably flawed and not factual
anyway since as most legends and tales go, they get distorted over time.
The old trick where you tell someone a story, then they recite it to
someone else, and by the 4th person it's pretty messed up.

Look, right at the beginning, in BIG BOLD words on the screen, it says
"Based on a true story". Get the word BASED in there. Maybe they should
have capitalized it. Plus if it would have been totally factual they
would have had to introduce dozens more characters and make it much more
complex and much longer and it would have been horrible. Try writing a
two hour movie about the history of any genre of movie. You have to take
shortcuts. 

Was it the best movie I ever saw? No. But I'm buying it on DVD and
really enjoyed my two hours of relaxation and $6.50 spent. I never
*ever* thought I'd be sitting there watching a major Hollywood movie
about Muddy Waters, LITTLE WALTER (how pissed would you all have been if
they left him out and they could have justifiably done so), Howlin'
Wolf, Willie Dixon, and on and on. Up on the big screen. And a chance to
once again introduce the "real blues" to the general public and
harmonica and dispel the common conception of front porch twanging
cryin' music (blues) and "oh suzanna" (harmonica).  A hell of a lot of
credit to whomever made this happen and for doing as good a job as they
did in telling the story.

AND to show a lot of people where their "rock and roll" came from. That
the stones, beach boys, elvis, and others did not invent this. They took
something that existed, something the loved, and morphed it.

Why would anyone want to boycott that. The portrayal of Howling Wolf was
amazing, as was Beyonce as Etta James, and I have to give Adrian Brody
credit even though I think he's a total pompous ass.

Bill