Pirates Plank

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Johnny Depp shouldn’t have to be the final word on what’s cool among pirates, at least not necessarily. His web of influence does tend to run rather far and wide, however, and it really doesn’t hurt that he seems so nonchalant about it all. The image of the recluse that he’s established in the last few years only help to feed his stock in cool, because there’s nothing more attractive than an elusive character. Elusive is also one of the most magnetic qualities of pirates. It’s not difficult to be elusive when one is, at root, rather shallow, because it’s easy to stay hidden when there’s nothing to excavate. In the case of Depp, however, it is very much like trying to meet with a pirate who has a full stock of gold and stories of the sea.

In terms of actual influence in material terms, Depp is a careful study, and seems to make it a little bit impossible for anyone to copy. His iconic ‘51 Merc , whose chop job was famously captured on tv last year, is an excellent illustration. The most hardcore fans would certainly be tempted to copy him, but anyone who could actually follow through with a carbon copy of a vintage car and all its mods would likely attract more than one raised eyebrow. It would be more fulfilling, and certainly interesting, for fans to do up their own vintage car, with their own hot rod steel rims . Taste is entirely personal, and it’s part of the pirate’s code to make one’s own personal belongings entirely personal in their own way.

This kind of modification is very consistent with this kind of trend-setter. He is original, and impossible to copy, but he is able to find connections between things that seem obvious only after he makes them. Connecting a subterranean fascination with pirates and making them apparent in celluloid form is an act of magic, and iit might not matter if it’s his own sleight of hand or the power of the fame machine itself. And taking the object of every teenager’s affection, the car, and investing it with the cool of hot rod culture does more than invoke a reasonable interest in high performance tires . It also seem to invoke a sensibility for paying careful attention to the live myths, especially the ones right below the surface, and bring them into one’s own purview. The connections can be made later, much later, because chances are, they are already apparent to anyone who wants to pay attention. And only pirates pay any real attention.

Some cities are known for film, such as Hollywood, California, and Austin, Texas, while others are known for skiing, such as Vail and Aspen, Colorado — while a few places in the world are known for both, such as Telluride, Colorado. Many of the films you might see at movie theaters nationwide received their start at film festivals. Last year (2009) at Telluride, the following films were exhibited: Bright Star, Coco Before Chanel, The Door, An Education, The Last Station, The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant, Up in the Air, and The White Ribbon. All of these films have been nominated for Academy Awards.

The Telluride Film Festival began in 1974, thirty-six years ago, and is run by the National Film Preserve. It’s held each year on Labor Day weekend, and is composed of forgotten classics and films that making their North American and or world-wide premiere. The festival honors directors and actors who have altered the film world in some fashion. During the festival, six specific events occur: For passholders and celebrities, there is a free buffet dinner and drinks on Telluride’s main street, known as the Opening Night Feed. There is a Filmmaker Dinner, held in a private home on the eve of the festivities in order to welcome the filmmakers and actors in attendance. There’s the Patron’s Brunch, a party for the four to five hundred patron passholders at Skyline Ranch, where the patrons may mix with the directors other celebrities. Next, we have the Filmmaker Reception, also a private mixer in the middle of the festival in order for the sponsors of the event and the filmmakers to talk. There’s a Mid-Festival Gathering, too, of VIPS and celebrities, also held in a private home. Finally, there’s as Labor Day Picnic, held in the town park, which offers amazing sights of the San Juan Mountains .

The 37th Telluride Film Festival is scheduled for September 4th through the 7th, 2010. If you’re planning a trip to Colorado around those dates be sure to book a room early , and enjoy a number of films before anyone else has a chance to see them. In the past, you could have had a chance to see these films before anyone else: Sling Blade, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Juno, Into the Wild, The Last King of Scotland, The Crying Game, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Swingers, Rushmore, Lost in Translation, Brokeback Mountain, Capote, and Slumdog Millionaire. You would also have had the chance to see such film notables as Gloria Swanson, JackNicholson, Clint Eastwood, Laura Linney, Jodie Foster, Werner Herzog, Francis Ford Cooppola, Pedro Almodovar, Ken Burns, and Robert Altman.