​The “head” represents our leaders, making the “hand” our society. Remember, the “heart” is between the head and the hand. Two divided classes that collide. Who wants to be the vital “heart” that unites the two?

This is a bold suggestion, Metropolis. Yes, your grandparents may have not even been born when it premiered. Due to the “horror,” the world is witnessing; Metropolis was a film far beyond its time that transcends beyond today’s present issues. Metropolis told people of a different generation who were new to the idea of cinema what the world was going to come to, predicting the future.  

The logline states:

“One powerful city with only two different kinds of people. No one cares. Until a wealthy man goes underground.”

​If you are a fan of fairy tales, then Metropolis is a no-brainer. This is a German film that came out during their depression before WWII which caught the eye of Adolf Hitler because of its subject matter on the social and political change in which is happening not only in the USA right now but exponentially all over the world.

Despite its futuristic setting at the time, audiences drew parallels from the current events from the era, which is the name of the game when it comes to science fiction films, making it the first ever film of its genre. Metropolis represents the current state of our world: a dystopia.

Movies and other mediums of art can tell the future. But, why do we choose to ignore artists like Fritz Lang, Kubrick, Picasso, and even Kanye West? I have always oddly thought that science fiction warns us of the danger that the world may bring us. If mankind still had no clue of the atrocity that was going to come to our world when Metropolis hit theaters, a film that gave us this massive hint, then when are we going to wake up and realize that we need a change from the “negative” to live in a world of positivity? 

Yes, it is old, silent, foreign, black and white- over two hours long and may bore most people in the new sexy “Pokemon Go” culture that we live in. But that is why you should love it.  This is cinema’s most culturally significant film of all time. Everybody should see this film in their lifetime. 

I am not predicting the future, I am telling the future to my readers that if we do not act on the critical issues of our modern world positively; we will be living in the dystopian future that artists have depicted since neanderthal’s scratched paintings in caves. If Adolf Hitler saw this film, realizing the horror that the world was in and attempted to fix it in his radical way, then what I am trying to ask is why do I agree with him on the issue that the world needs to be fixed after viewing Metropolis in 2016? I want to know if anyone else in the world agrees with this notion because if you genuinely watch this film and you do not see the striking parallel’s of a movie from yesteryear with today’s issues, then the world needs a more prominent wake-up call. That is why I know that movies are my calling because if Metropolis cannot make you see the things that I see, then I am going to make a film that makes you realize my vision. But, for now, watch Metropolis.

​Adolf Hitler saw the future through this film and acted radically out of by being a coward because he was frightened of the future. This is why we need to act out of positivity, putting good back into the world. I will not act out of fear because I want to do positive things. Don’t live in this world out of fear.

Be like me, fearless, positive, and a heart full of love.

Forget the head and the hand, be the heart because I will be your heart. I will always be your heart. 

Hence, is why Metropolis is a film that you need to watch on Netflix. After you view this film and if you agree with me then I am asking from the bottom of my heart for you to share this article with everyone.

In conclusion, I want to top things off with a quote from Ice Cube as a message to the world:

“You better check yo self before you wreck yo self.” 

David Zosel
The Cat of Cinema ​

We live in a cosmic universe. For those of you who don’t know what that means, look at it this way: chaos. Round rocks that explode everywhere colliding into other rocks create a level of unpredictability, just like baseball. A man standing on a hill throwing a rock going at (basically) the speed of light at a man standing on a plate trying to hit it with a stick gives baseball a cosmic sex appeal. For those of you who are not baseball fans, Fastball is a documentary film that will provide you with a new admiration for our nation’s past time.

The logline states:

“Scientists and baseball great analyze what a batter faces when a pitcher hurls a fastball, which takes less than half a second to reach home plate.”​

​First of all, Kevin Costner narrates this documentary. For those of you who are not familiar with Kevin Costner, he is “The Ball Player of Cinema.” He has appeared in such classics like Bull Durham, Field of Dreams, For the Love of the Game and he even played a retired player in The Upside of Anger. All classics.

Hearing some of the greatest hitters talk about their experiences facing the game’s most intimidating pitchers who throw over 100 mph is worth a watch regardless if you are a baseball fan or not.  My favorite part of the film is learning how mentally tough being a pitcher is. Fastball has excellent insight from pitchers from today and yesteryear explaining how they use their greatest weapon in different ways.

​Imagine being all alone on a mound and it is just you and the batter. Everyone else is basically just dust in the wind at this point. I never pitched while I played baseball, but as a hitter, I’d always imagine being in a dark room with the pitcher. Just me and a piece of meat that I had to hit. I would look that pitcher right in the eye and try to fry him every time and oh baby, I’d be sizzling. What surprised me the most was to hear Hall of Fame baseball players talk about how scared they were of facing sure pitcher’s fastballs, even though they knew the heater was coming.

I was baffled by this.

​This film goes beyond baseball. Fastball transcends into the ultimate question of “What if”? That question bleeds into romanticism, the idea of subjectivity-inspiration, and the primacy of an individual.

Fastball makes me think and asks that very question. What if Babe Ruth faced Justin Verlander? What if David Price faced Wade Boggs or Carl Yastrzemski? Sandy Koufax versus Ichiro? Ted Williams versus Walter Johnson or even Aroldis Chapman? What if we all tried world peace for a chance preventing all of these mass murders, shootings, genocide, war and all of that negativity in the world that is happening now? What if Kevin Costner ran for President? What if we all just put our guns down and did something positive, like playing baseball?

Sounds crazy but, what if?

​
Like I said, this film goes beyond baseball, and I am only saying that because it is a cosmic game and we live in a cosmic universe. This is a beautiful lesson that you are going to learn while you watch this film and it is fantastic!If you don’t understand my theory of baseball and the cosmos, then watch this film and create your theory and let me know because nothing is more romantic than that; and how can you not be romantic about baseball?

David Zosel
The Cat of Cinema

Doing the hardest thing and the right thing are both equally as painful.

But, when is it the right time to do the right thing and the appropriate time to follow through with the hardest action that you have to make in your life? Tallulah is a film about differentiating those two convictions.

A few nights ago, I opened Netflix, and my computer had a glitch. Suddenly, it began to play Tallulah. I said the “hell with it” because I love movies. I will watch movies on purpose or an accident by stumbling into them. Boy, let me tell you that this was the best happy accident that I have ever had in a long time.

Ellen Page gives her best performance since Juno, recreating her finest reincarnation of “herself” as the titular Tallulah, a girl named after a bar that her parents met at, not the famous river in Georgia. She plays a free spirited-daring girl who lives out of her van that barely scrapes by that just enjoy’s life; carefree and rent free.
​
In short, her boyfriend leaves her for a more stable life, and she decides to follow him to New York City while he tries to reconnect with his estranged mother. While trying to survive in the Big Apple, she stumbles into a fancy hotel room only to find a delusional “sugar mama” with a child, in which she neglects, who swipes her husband’s credit card, consumes severe amounts of alcohol and adulterates. Tallulah seems to be mistaken for a nanny or an employee at the hotel by the “sugar mama” and ends up taking care of the child.The condition that this little girl was left in was terrible. It seemed like this woman didn’t even want her child for cripes sake! After spending a day with the little rugrat, the “sugar mama” stumbles home black-out-drunk utterly unaware that she has a child to come home to.

Do you know what the free-wheeling Tallulah does? She takes the little girl out of fear for the rugrat’s life because she thinks she is doing the right thing. Tallulah knows that she can save this child before she is old enough to be corrupted by her mom. Here, she is doing the hardest thing but, is it the right thing?

​We all can relate to Tallulah in a way because everyone wants to commit to an act of bravery despite the consequences. This film takes you on a twisting reality check of learning the difference between knowing how to act out of courage and justice.

​ After the police are involved, and she is sought out, it is gut check time for Tallulah. She now knows that she can do the hardest thing, but does she know if she is capable of doing the right thing?

Most people in this world don’t even know how to do one or the other.

This film is all about delusion, reality gut checks, and coming of age decision making. I want to point out that the term “coming of age” doesn’t always mean a young person gets to learn something great. It applies to a 50-year-old, a 10-year-old and basically anyone learning to become something on their own of the enlightening issues of who they really are and can be. Coming of age is finding your most genuine potential and becoming your best self. This is what is so great about this film because we see someone do one of the hardest things ever; standing up for what is right even though it is so wrong. What insinuates from this action is an equal reaction from all of the other main characters in the film.

Hence, why the hardest thing and the right thing are the same.

David Zosel
The Cat of Cinema

The dictionary defines a Saint as a person with great holiness, virtue, and benevolence. Which proves my new found scientific study that Bill Murray is a Saint. If you don’t believe me, watch St. Vincent tonight on Netflix, and you will most certainly find out.

​Who in your life do you know is a modern day Saint?

The logline on Netflix states:

“With his parents preoccupied with their divorce, lonely 12-year-old Oliver strikes up a friendship with his war-veteran neighbor Vincent.”

​I am a firm believer that children need mentors other than their parents because not every message parents convey to their kid’s will get through to them. Sometimes, a message that a parent tries to convey is better understood when it comes from a mentor because let’s face it kids don’t always listen to their parents.

Oliver, played by Jaeden Lieberher, experiences his parent’s divorce and faces the challenge of being the “new kid” at school. The feeling of lonesomeness can be harsh on anyone, let alone a weak little kid. With no father and no friends, you just empathize with Oliver and his mother, played by Melissa McCarthy.

Enter Vincent, played by Bill Murray, an alcoholic Vietnam War Vet who eats sardines sleeps with the “Lady of the Night,” and has no affection towards life or anyone in general. Does Vincent sound like a role model to you?

Well, you’d be surprised.

​This film reveals how kids can open up another side of us that we didn’t know existed or maybe forgotten about. At first, Vincent seems to be the scum of the earth, but his overall character arch reveals to us why he is someone that we should care about. The moment he reaches out to Oliver offering him help, the audience begins to realize that he commences his journey of rediscovering himself and what he stands for. Moreover, this is a story not about change but about rediscovering your true self through self-reflection.

This relationship is a double edge sword. As Oliver begins to idolize his new babysitter, Vincent rediscovers his soul through his self-reflected relationship with Oliver.

This film reminds me a lot of my relationship with my Grandpa Jim.
I had a lot of male role models in my life that came in all different sounds, shapes, sizes, and colors. My Grandpa was my most particular friend, idol, and role model. He was Saint James. I remember from a very early age that I wanted to be exactly like him.

When I was five, I began to acquire skills that most kids don’t develop. We all have our idols and role models, but Jim Zosel was something else. Jim was a teacher, preacher, and a screecher.  If that is what he is, then that is what I am too.

Not many people teach 5-year-olds how to bake bread, 7-year-olds how to use power tools, swim, bike, paint, draw, wear cool hats, and most importantly learn how to be a people person. Goodness, he taught me how to use a bandsaw at age 7! I remember helping my Grandpa install worms in his basement so he could compost during the winter. What other kid learns the importance of vermiculture at age 9? Me, that’s who. He taught me how to fix bikes, drive, cook, and to think outside the box. The list just keeps going on, and these are the sorts of things that Vincent teaches Oliver in the film.

My Grandpa was Saint James. He was a man of humor, heart, and quirkiness. He laughed from his heart, smiled with his eyes, and every word he spoke was sung with such love and joy. But, most importantly, he listened with his eyebrows and heard you with his soul. Not too many people can listen because most people just can listen to you speak, but they don’t listen. Saint James mastered both. That is what a Saint is to me, making him my Saint James.

He was a “Jack of all trades,” a master of none.

I learned countless things from Saint James. The one thing I want to share with you what he taught me is that it is essential to be dynamic. He instilled in me that you need to know a little bit about everything because if you do, you just may be the smartest person in the room.

St. Vincent is a film that we all can relate too, whether if you are young or old. I, one hundred percent saw myself walking in Oliver’s shoes throughout the film because of how beautifully the relationship between him and Vincent unfolded.

Then I realized that if WWII didn’t happen in the 1940s and if somehow someone sparked the idea to my Grandpa to go to Hollywood and be a comedic actor, he would be Bill Murray. My grandpa is Bill Murray before Bill Murray was even born. If someone were to play my Grandpa in a film, I’d choose him. No doubt. But, he would never do him the justice that he deserves because to me, there is only one Grandpa Jim.

I have a big family, and my Grandfather touched the lives of many people. When he passed away in October, the light of my world felt like it just burnt out. But it didn’t. It dimmed a little, so it could grow bigger and stronger. I say with confidence that I had the most extraordinary relationship with my Grandpa out of everyone in my family because that flame of mine might have dimmed a little but he passed his torch to me, and now the fire in my life is growing higher and higher.

St. Vincent is a film that has evoked so much emotion from me. I wouldn’t be a man I was if it weren’t for my Grandpa, I would probably be half a man or a quarter of one. That is why I believe that it is so essential for children to have mentors outside of their parents.

Every kid needs a role model to look up to. I had my Grandpa.

Thank you so much for everything Grandpa.

So if you miss me up in heaven, watch this movie on Netflix, and it will rekindle a lot of fond memories of the both of us.

I love you, forever and always.

Your favorite Grand Kid, hands down.
David Zosel
The Cat of Cinema

If no one is going to step up to the plate and come forth as God, then it might as well be Kanye West.

Just kidding.

But, I don’t believe that he is God by any means. Polytheistically speaking, he may be the “God of Creativity,” that may be a stretch, but he is certainly not God himself.

In my personal opinion, Kanye West is a creative genius, and he uses his art to promote the word of God in his unique way.

I want to focus on the fundamental basis of how God wants us to live our lives and compare them to what Kanye West is trying to accomplish as a self-proclaimed “God” by using his short film, Runaway, as an example because the two have very similar beliefs.

God wants us to live a glorious life, love with all of your heart, and to show forgiveness for all of the sinners. Most importantly, he wants you to be able to have patience, promote, praise, promise, and to have provision.

These principles are shared by Kanye West and God. So, doesn’t that make them the same person?

Absolutely, not.

He is not the only human being to proclaim himself as “God,” but I believe that he is the only relevant, non-threatening person who is trying to do right by the world since maybe Mother Theresa. That is why I have devoted my faith to the Hip Hop Cathedral of Kanye West.

Again, I am just pulling your chain.

I just really want to entertain the idea that his purpose in life is to just make meaningful art that promotes a good message because right now he is going through a tough time and everyone is giving him a lot of grief that he doesn’t need.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is Kanye’s magnum opus album. Most fans of this album but have not even seen his short film Runaway that he directed for the record. This man is a creative genius and has every right to say that he is.

​Kanye West takes an underlying love story and makes it so inhuman to us that it makes us realize our mankind’s potential.

Instead of the story being between a male and a female, it is set between a half-phoenix-half woman and a man. Kanye wants you to meet a companion that is entirely different from you, hence bringing diverse people together and opening up your mind to new worlds.

In the film, Griffin, played by West, saves her/this creature after crash landing on earth. Kanye wants you to be your own savior. The only person who can keep you is yourself. How can you save anyone if you can’t save your own self?

As she wakes up for the first time in the film, she comes into contact with human objects and becomes intrigued by the television screen showing the news. Griffin then tells her that the first thing you need to know in the world is to never pay attention to anything on the news. The lesson being taught here is that Kanye only wants you to listen to yourself, not what anyone else tells you.

Another notable scene is where Griffin begins to create, playing a remix version of POWER, where the Phoenix begins to dance. Kanye wants you to have the power to tame your inner beast, the power to create your own destiny. If you can accomplish this, then nothing can stop you. That is what Kanye wants us to realize; that anything is possible.

If you were to spend a day with Kanye, this short film is the perfect example of what it would be like. Now, if you were to be a woman on a date with Kanye, he would throw a parade for you with a marching band, fireworks, and paper mache floats of Michael Jackson. That’d be a first date that I’d like to take a girl on. Why? This is because Kanye wants you to only give the best things and an opportunity to the people that you care about.

Most importantly, I need to touch on the dinner party scene. Griffin enters his dining room full of people of all cultures that are dressed the same. He and the Phoenix are the only ones who look different, showing their ability to be original free-thinking, non-conformist individuals. Despite being gossiped about at his own dinner party in his own house, Griffin/Kanye West wants you to be your own person. Not what other people want you to be.

Every day of my life, I just want to walk away from a group of conformists and go up to a piano and start pounding it. Every day I resonate with this moment in the film because it is hard to break away from a group to openly free think to be your own self that you want to express to the world.

As he pounds the keys on the piano, playing the opening riff to Runaway, he summons ballerinas as his dinner party entertainment. This is Kanye summoning his inner peace, and that is what he wants you to do in this life; find inner enlightenment. If you cannot do these things, then how can you be able to be your own individual and follow your dreams?

​Here is the crucial point’s that Kanye is trying to make in this short film that coincides with God:

1. Love yourself, be your own savior so that you can have salvation for others. (Love and Forgiveness)

2. Only listen to what comes from your heart. Listen to yourself, not others. (Praise)

3. Tame your inner beast to create your destiny. If you can do this, anything is possible. The only one stopping you from your dreams is yourself, and it takes some time to become one with the self.  (Patience) 

4. Only provide the absolute best love and care for the people that matter in your life. Give your best to the people of the world. (Provision)

5. Be a free-thinking individual because you are original. Don’t conform. Don’t be a copy, be yourself.  (Promote)

6. Find inner peace with yourself. Enlightenment will find you at your best. If you are at your best, then you can pursue your dreams and be the best fit to obtain the life that you want. (Promise)

These are all the same principles that God’s from most religions, big and small preach.  Does this make Kanye a God or disciple of Jesus Christ himself?

That is up for you to decide after you watch this short film with my idea’s and thoughts in mind.

Remember,
“The Zos Knows.”

David Zosel
The Cat of Cinema

Happy Holiday’s everyone!

I hope you all are enjoying time with your family and friends this holiday season. Most importantly I hope you are all spending time at the movie theater on Christmas day, experiencing all of the cinematic blockbuster goodness that Hollywood has to offer.

Being from Minnesota, with the exception of our WNBA team, the Lynx, we could possibly be one of the sorriest sports cities in all of the “US of A” right now. The Vikings love to annually break our hearts. The Wild really like to inspire hope that they will bring us Lord Stanley’s Cup during this time of year. The Twins are just hopeless, and who in the hell cares about the Timberwolves?

But, there is one thing that we can hang our head’s upon and stick our chest our proudly about because we are the state that produced one of the most significant volunteer regiments for the Union in the American Civil War.

Football, baseball, war; all the same thing right?

Here, I present to you a research paper that I wrote when I was 17 year’s old. It is about the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry and how their efforts during the Battle of Gettysburg was the most crucial moment in the Union’s conquest to win the war. I believe that the basis of this paper would make one of the greatest war films of all time. 

​

I will be honest with you that I received a C+ on this paper. It is probably because I embellished and fictionalized my thesis, but isn’t that what you are supposed to do as a historian? This was the last time I got anything lower than an A on a paper and I have been writing in spitefulness ever since in order to avenge my bad grade.

Just kidding.

Anyway, if I were to change one thing about this research paper it would be the thesis:

“The First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry would make a kick-ass Christmas movie that should open on Christmas day.”

Now that is an A+ thesis.

This is a story that should be made into a film. If our city can’t produce championships, we should produce a film about our most winning team; The First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry.

Yes, and I do have that much pride as a Minnesotan that I am confident that this would make a historically significant film.

Happy Holiday’s and remember,
“The Zos Knows”.

David Zosel
The Cat of Cinema

Validation is the short film that you need to watch to kickstart your new year. It will give you the positive boost that you need to give to yourself and to the world. Take fifteen minutes out of your day to watch Validation and I assure you that you will be feeling upbeat and giddy about life.

When I was in fourth grade I was having a really rough time so my Dad consoled me and said for me to go up to three people and give them a genuine compliment. That very day at school,  I knew what would ensue; smile and laughter.

With the arrival of the new year, I think we all should put our self- centered resolutions aside and just try to focus on adding positivity to the world by smiling more because a smile is a curve that sets things straight.

Sometimes we forget to smile and that is really unfortunate. There is a phenomenon of continuous negativity in the world right now and I truly believe that if people took the time to smile more than positivity would ring back right around the corner and 2017 will be an amazing year for everyone.

​Validation is a short film that reminds us of the power of smiling and the butterfly effect that this slight action triggers for everyone else in the world, affecting the overall outlook and attitude on society.

This short film follows Hugh Newman, a parking attendant that stamps tickets for validation, while giving out wonderful compliments for dreary people, making their day.

Hugh has a positive attitude about life and he thrives off of making people smile and the audience gets to witness his rise in the world through just getting the most sincere smiles from everyone.

This goes to show if you put good into the world that good will come out of it.

​But, even the most happy-go-lucky people in the world forget to smile sometimes. Hugh later encounters hardship when he falls in love with Victoria, a DMV photographer who doesn’t smile.

Hugh finally meets his match. Victoria is his yang to his yin. The more he falls in love with her, the less he smiles and forgets that what makes him happy; being a positive force in society.

​This causes him to become another boring parking attendant who hates his job, further leading him to lose his job. Now, he has no compliments left, job, love or even anything for him to smile about.

When he hits his breaking point and gives up on her, he overcomes the obstacle of heartbreak by fixing himself. We learn that fixing the self can help you fix your relationship with others. This is because of the butterfly effect of how adding positivity to the world can come to full fruition in order to create the resolution that we sometimes may be looking for in the beginning. Sometimes the result is direct and in other cases, it may be indirect.

I don’t want to beat a dead drum but, Hugh reminds us why it is so important to smile because you may never know how it might affect someone’s life. My best friend of 9 years recently told me how suicidal he was when we first met when I was 14. He was in a severe situation with access to no help and out of respect, I will not go into detail.

Completely oblivious to his situation back then, he told me how important it was that I went out of my way to make conversation, joke around, give him a hug every day at school. He told me how cool it was that I would give him compliments and how it would make his day a lot better and life would be just a little more tolerable for him. Little did I know when I was 14 that this guy was going through some serious “ish”.

I was shocked when I found all of this out a few months ago. He said he never brought it up because he thought I always knew through my innate clairvoyance. The truth of the matter is that since the fourth grade, I always wanted to bring people together by making them laugh and smile.

It’s sort of my thing.

You never know how your attitude can change someone’s life and that is what Hugh Newman teaches us through smiling and free parking.

In conclusion, this short film is a snappy beatnik rhythmic work of art that will spark your optimism for 2017.

Always keep smiling my friends.

Remember,
“The Zos Knows”.

David Zosel
The Cat of Cinema

A film’s initial reception can be heavily influenced by the marketing of the film. Sometimes, if this is not done correctly, it can completely ruin the perception of the film for the viewers. Black Snake Moan is a perfect example of this. If you look at the movie poster alone, you begin to make preemptive assumptions about the film such as the exploitation of women, empowerment of the black man and “sex, sex, sex”.

None of these things are true. This is a film that explores the insights of hypersexuality, anxiety, mental health and the healing of Christ all through the perspective of the culture of Mississipi Blues.

​If this film was marketed in those regards rather than marketing the film towards teenaged and college-aged boys by exploiting sex, this film could have been one of the best films of the 2000s.

I need to make it clear; One of the best.

The logline states:

“Lazarus finds Rae beaten and near death, and acts as a father figure to help redeem her. But before saving anyone, Lazarus must face his own demons.”

 Black Snake Moan encapsulates the rural southern lifestyle that hooks the audience into the film immediately. It’s as if you are living in rural Tennessee. The art design and color correction make you feel the humidity. Meanwhile, the score, soundtrack and live music accompaniments will draw you into the rooms with each character. The best part of the film that makes the audience thrive is the performances by Christina Ricci and the one and only, Samuel L. Jackson.

​There is one thing that I so very admire and that would be Justin Timberlake. It was eye-opening to see him play a character type from his native state, Tennessee. I feel like this is one of his most authentic performances that you will see from Justin Timberlake because you can tell that he is drawing aspects of his own anxiety that he personally deals with and adds it to his role.

Anxiety is a huge theme in the film. Every character is anxious about something and it drives them all crazy. This is something that the guys upstairs who were marketing the film should have focused more on rather than nymphomania.

All of these characters have to overcome their uncertainties. Each of them eventually finds their answers through either one of two things, or maybe both: Blues and Christ.

The angel and the devil.

This is what the film is ultimately about, dealing with the fluctuating variabilities of life. It isn’t about hyper-sexuality/nymphomania despite it being over glorified in the film and its marketing.

​But, there are the people out there who deal with that level of hyper-sexuality. If you are curious towards the issues of the serious levels of this disorder and you want to see an authentic representation, then this film will help expose to you these issues.

There are many films that display hyper-sexuality but they all really sugar coat it, fantasize and make it fake.

This is real.

Remember,
“The Zos Knows”.

David Zosel
The Cat of Cinema

​There are thousands upon thousands of films on Netflix to choose from, so that poses the question that I get from a lot of people. Zos, how do you come up with films to write about when you suggest them on your blog?

Well, here is my process of how I make film suggestions.

I sometimes make top five lists or I pick films on YouTube but mainly I write about what is good on Netflix because it is the number one streaming platform for movies.  Ninety percent of my articles I write stem from Netflix. This is because there is a common problem amongst people that sit around with their friends for 45 minutes trying to decide what to watch on Netflix.

On my Instagram (@David_Z_Artist) and Twitter (@DavidZosel) accounts (Which you should follow), I try to consistently post my “film of the day”, so that people can have a source to find cool films to watch. But, whenever I try to pick a film to write a suggestion review, it requires a whole process.

​I hate making bad suggestions. Hate is a strong word, but this is a case of being hateful. If I make a bad suggestion for a film, then I feel like I have failed my readers.

Over fifteen films are watched before I write about it. Not only are there numerous amounts of films that I watch, but most ideally they have to match certain specifications before I write.

Generally speaking, the film needs to be low budget and independent. So, not a Hollywood Blockbuster that is heavily marketed. I want to suggest “diamonds in the rough” that most people are not seeing in theaters or have any initial interest in watching.

First, I try to watch about ten to twenty films. Then I organize my thoughts of which ones were in the top five of my favorites. Next, I compare them based on different categories:

1. Morals that you can learn which are relevant to today’s world.
2. How it relates to issues of today.
3. Pure Artistry (acting, direction, cinematography, lighting).
4. Excitement.
5. The story.
6. The dopamine factor (Getting your mind blown).
7. Why it would be worth your time.
8. Empathy.
9. Relevance
10. The importance of why people need to watch it.

Everyone one of these things gets a score of 0-10. Then I add it up and whichever one has the most points, wins.

​But, I can veto this point system to just make personal due to having a great feeling about a film.

So, how do I make a decision on a whim like that? Well, I just use my gut. 

Not all films need to be on Netflix, new or a feature-length movie. If a film is old, new, high-budget or low. I will suggest it. If it is good art that moves me then I will use my gut to write about it.

I’d rather write from film selection from the feeling in my gut than to use the selection process that I use.

​Why? Because the selection process takes a long time which involves watching countless films that no one has ever heard of before. A lot of them are mediocre productions. But, I give every film a chance and sometimes it takes me fifteen to twenty movies to make a decision. Therefore, the films I find right away that are little “hidden gems” are like instant film suggestion article for me. I can passionately write about them and it cut’s down the selection process. These are generally my best articles because I write about these films with a greater passion.

I wish every film I watched for my readers would be an instant hit for me to write about, but that is not how it works. There are a lot of mediocre films out there and it is my job to find the really good ones for you so that you don’t miss out on them.

Sitting around and watching mediocre films, trying to find that “hidden gem” is the reason why that I am the self-proclaimed “Cat of Cinema”. Like a cat waits around all day for a mouse to come out of its hiding place, I am hunting for good films just like a cat waits for the right opportunity to pounce on its prey.  In my case, I am preying on good films, not mice.

So, if you have a film for me to watch, please email me your suggestions and maybe I just might write about it.

Remember,
“The Zos Knows”.
​
David Zosel
The Cat of Cinema

​I have come to learn that there are three types of people that are born into this world. You can be born into a good family, a bad family, or born with none at all because you have no choice. What you are born into is not a choice. You do not decide if you get to have black or yellow skin, or what your sexual orientation is. You don’t get to choose if you are a girl or a boy. There is no decision where you get to be born in the world. But, you can decide your own objective in life.

Ekaj is the absolute epitome of that statement.

​The world for the titular character is his oyster. He is the best mix between a west coast oyster and east coast oyster; man and woman. Jake Mestre’s performance as Ekaj was spectacular. I never knew if he was a man or a woman at all despite having to remind myself that he was a confused young man. Honestly, I believed that his performance was genderless, which laid the foundation for the films character arch’s journey.

​This is an important story to remind us to be thankful for that we all have the opportunity to be born into this world as human beings rather than a blade of grass, an ant or dirt.

My personal logline for the film is:

“A transgender boy sells his body for pimps and drugs in order to survive on the streets of New York while his new found friendship reveals his true objective in life.”

Just when you can’t figure out if Ekaj is relatable, likable or interesting, you start to wonder why he is the way he is. When the big reveal happens in the film, it snaps you into Ekaj’s internal struggle, and you suddenly get hooked into the film due to the insight of the origin of his pain.

​A unique tattooed man named Mecca approaches Ekaj in Central Park and befriends him. The two build a bond, trying to survive the rigors of street life in the five boroughs of New York City.

Although I could not relate to these characters and their exteriors, I could relate to their interior struggles and emotions. This film brings a deeper understanding of the people that we neglect and forget.

If you are selling your body out on the streets, doing major hard street drugs makes that life bearable. Most people frown upon this and neglect it. Just for a second, how could you possibly relate to anything remotely close to this? You should not go around judging people that have to do this to survive. It is not a glorious life but people get trapped in this world every single day.

If you put on Ekaj’s shoes and walk in them during any ten-minute segment in the film, you can understand how hard it is to live life without guidance, community, family, and anyone you can trust. Life is hard because no one understands him.

But Mecca tries to understand and befriend him. The two create a civil platonic union between each other.

This film shows that everyone is capable of making friends with one another and that everyone needs friends to survive in this world.

There are people everywhere who suffer more than you and have problems greater than us. They are out there far away. Yes, they are.
You wouldn’t want to trade your problems with anyone else.

Sometimes the best of friends let each other live life the only way they know how. Friendship does not necessarily mean that you need to push to fix each other’s problems. Personally, I have a very good friend who has a major issue in their life. I don’t try to change it. Friends just need to be friends. Mecca and Ekaj have a quintessential friendship. The kind where two people meet just like in pre-school.

Remember, “The Zos Knows”.

David Zosel
The Cat of Cinema

This film is available to watch here on this link:
https://www.filmdoo.com/films/ekaj/