“Validation” is the Perfect Short Film to Watch that Will Spark Your Optimism for The New Year.

May 28, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

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

Why You Need to Watch, “Black Snake Moan.”

May 28, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

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

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Okay, You Need to Watch, “Putney Swope”. Because Your life Depends on it.

May 28, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

To simply put it, Putney Swope is the greatest “stick it to the man” film of all time. Director Robert Downey Sr. created a crass, offensive, out of place underground cinematic masterpiece that was way before its time. Putney Swope is one of the best cult films of ’60s, an era of counterculture and rebellion in the United States, which now slowly mirrors today’s divide in our country.

This is a satire for the ages.

Essentially, it takes place in a major Manhattan advertisement firm back in the 1960s where the titular character, Putney Swope, the only black man on the board of directors is elected to lead the company by a unanimous vote after the head chairman falls to his death during a very important board meeting. This is because no one is allowed to vote for themselves to be the head chairman. The board members operate sub rosa, individually deciding to vote for someone that has no chance of winning to improve their own odds of winning.

Winning by a landslide in a satirical fashion, Putney Swope changes everything about the company. First, he fires all of the original board members and employees. Next, he changes the name of the company to “Truth and Soul”. Then he hires an extremely diverse staff which resembles the empowerment of people of color back in the ’60s. His new staff is a militant, politically correct and a young motley crew who vows to tell nothing but the truth.

During their conquest, they decide to forgo the major accounts which are in the liquor, cigarette, and military companies of whom they originally served. Putney finds success with his rash ideologies that eventually corrupts everyone because what they were doing was so innovative and groundbreaking for the time. Due to this, Putney even starts to dress like Fidel Castro, mirroring the political beliefs of communism which were also an innovative ideology for many countries at that day and age.

My favorite part of this film was how it was shot in mainly black and white but the commercials for “Truth and Soul” were displayed in color. This film is filled with one-liners that will make you laugh, scratch your head and really get you to think. But most importantly, there is a lot of satirical comedic genius behind this film.

The influence of this film has lived on to this very day. If you are a fan of the show Louie then you will really appreciate this film. Louis CK incorporates a lot of similar situations/predicaments to his show. Even one of modern-day cinema’s most important filmmaker, Paul Thomas Anderson pays homage to Putney Swope in many of his films. If you are a fan of these two influential people, watch this film because you can obviously tell where they drew a majority of their inspiration from. The more I watch this film, I have noticed where Louis CK and Paul Thomas Anderson learned their filmmaking techniques in terms of camera work, staging, lighting, and movement to apply it to their own work. It is incredible to see the similarities.

Other notable people that were influenced by this film are The Coen Brother’s, Dave Chapelle and Jane Fonda, who called this film a masterpiece on Johnny Carson.

The film is a mere 84 minutes long and it is available for free on YouTube, so why not satirically educate yourself and give it a shot?

More importantly, this film is relevant to today’s political issues in our country. Every day we are being lied to by big advertising firms, corporations, the media and by our politicians. There is a huge racial divide in our country that is bigger than ever. The White power structure, corporate corruption and racial portrayal in Hollywood are not progressing as well as it should be. It is 2017 and we have not made nearly the progress that we should have to move forward in today’s world. Putney Swope is a film that brilliantly satirizes all of these issues which have withstood the test of time, staying relevant after decades of its release as an underground independent art house film of the 1960s.

Why? Because it has the soul and tells the truth.

Remember,
“The Zos Knows”.

David Zosel
The Cat of Cinema

The Process of How I Choose Films to Suggest for You.

May 28, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

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

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

“Ekaj” Shows Why Friendship is Key to Survival.

May 28, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

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

Watch “Ekaj”.

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

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

Why You Need to “Watch Waffle Street.”

May 28, 2019May 28, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

One of my favorite things to write about is the clash of cultures because my life is defined as the confusion between different worlds.

Now here is some food for thought.

Imagine going from Wall Street to working at a national chain waffle house. Those are quite the two different places, lifestyles and cultures filled with people who are as different as night and day. If this happened to you, Drake would just be shaking his head. It is even more of a travesty that it is a triumph to go from the top and head to the bottom than it is to go from the bottom to the top.

So, started from the top and now we’re here? Drake would shake your head at you. But, is it really the worst thing in the world to be in a spot in your life where you are at the pinnacle of success, sitting in an iron throne on top of the world to falling to become a measly peasant?

Jimmy Adams doesn’t seem to think so. Waffle Street is a film that is the perfect example of taking risks, struggling, pursuing new dreams and trying new things that you would never try before because you were too busy being consumed by one thing for so long.

The logline states:

“Shaken in his role in the 2008 financial crisis and desperate for a job, an ex-hedge fund manager joins the workforce as a server at a diner.”

The best part of all of this is that it is all based on a true story, based on a memoir written by real life, Jimmy Adams. That is my favorite part about the movie because it is non-fictional and it isn’t something that a screenwriter came up with.

This film shows many changes through Jimmy’s character arch. Ranging from how he deals with defeat, the idea of overcoming, the notion of saying yes to new situations and most importantly, perseverance.

Losing a job that you were so accustomed to is very difficult. Then trying to find something new takes substantial amounts of courage. Jimmy finds a new dream, a new outlook on life through his job at the waffle house.

You can’t be a king forever and only until you appreciate your servants, may you become king again. I really admired Jimmy’s attitude of becoming a server at the waffle house. In medieval times, a server was called a servant and that is where that term comes from. Servants never got paid at all because they were servants. Since then society has come a long way, being a server is a lucrative job that can afford people to live. Jimmy decides to put in his time for 1000 hours, learning the ins and outs of the business to buy his own restaurant. This is easier said than done because he has to make serious lifestyle changes and sacrifices that affect him and his wife, who is his biggest doubter throughout the film.

What I learned the most from this film is that in life, you need to play the cards that are dealt. No matter what they are, you need to make the best of the situation with a good attitude because if you don’t, then you will not be very happy in this lifetime.

Remember, “The Zos Knows”.

David Zosel
The Cat of Cinema

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

30 Ads in 30 Days – Ad 21 – Truly Spiked Sparkling Water

May 27, 2019May 27, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

Jeremy Carson, a Creative Director based in LA, wrote an article of why you should challenge yourself to make 30 ads in 30 days with 30 different brands. This sounded like a fun challenge. For today, I decided to promote alcohol water, Truly Spiked Sparkling Water. I had two of these last night, and holy cow it sure does have a kick! Here is ad 21 of 30.

What do you think?

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

30 Ads in 30 Days – Ad 20 – TOMS

May 26, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

Jeremy Carson, a Creative Director based in LA, wrote an article of why you should challenge yourself to make 30 ads in 30 days with 30 different brands. This sounded like a fun challenge. For today, I decided to tell a story to bring perspective for TOMS shoes. Advertising is most powerful when we use storytelling as the focal point. Here is ad 20 of 30.

What do you think?

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

30 Ads in 30 Days – Ad 19– Carmex.

May 25, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

Jeremy Carson, a Creative Director based in LA, wrote an article of why you should challenge yourself to make 30 ads in 30 days with 30 different brands. This sounded like a fun challenge. For today, I decided to do Carmex and exploit a bad truth about the product. Luke Sullivan, the author of “Hey Whipple, squeeze this!” said to find truths and exploit them. He also emphasized that even if the product truth was bad that it was even better to advertise it. Carmex has a myth about their product that they use fiberglass to cut your lips to make the consumer addicted to it. So, I exploited it. Here is ad 19 of 30.

What do you think?

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

30 Ads in 30 Days – Ad 18 – Santa Cruz Peanut Butter.

May 24, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

Jeremy Carson, a Creative Director based in LA, wrote an article of why you should challenge yourself to make 30 ads in 30 days with 30 different brands. This sounded like a fun challenge. For today, I decided to highlight the product truth that Santa Cruz makes organic peanut butter. Their brand positioning is that it is true peanut butter, and they are so passionate about it that they are peanut butter conspiracy theorists. This would be the twist. So, here is ad 18 of 30.

What do you think?

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

30 Ads in 30 Days – Ad 17 – University of St. Thomas Football.

May 23, 2019May 23, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

Jeremy Carson, a Creative Director based in LA, wrote an article of why you should challenge yourself to make 30 ads in 30 days with 30 different brands. This sounded like a fun challenge. For today, I wanted to make an ad that addressed a hot button issue: The UST football program and athletics are kicked out of the MIAC. This is a new opportunity to recruit even better athletes, particularly football players, to join the school to make a bid to go DI over the next 12 years. It is a football recruitment ad, inviting athletes to create a new legacy beyond the MIAC. So, here is ad 17 of 30.

What do you think?

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo

30 Ads in 30 Days – Ad 16 – Vanderpump Dogs

May 22, 2019thezosknows Leave a comment

Jeremy Carson, a Creative Director based in LA, wrote an article of why you should challenge yourself to make 30 ads in 30 days with 30 different brands. This sounded like a fun challenge. For today, I challenged myself to do a dog adoption ad. I tried to steer away from the status quo of adoption shelters. My goal was to connect people on the truth that no one likes to be put down, and neither do dogs. Most dog shelters try to get dogs in and out as fast as they can, otherwise, they will be put down. Vanderpump Dogs prides themselves on treating dogs like royalty, keeping a select amount of dogs to stay with them until they are adopted by the right owner who will treat them by Lisa Vanderpump’s standards. Just this year, she has found homes for over a thousand dogs. Here is my take on what she does and how I would advertise her foundation. It is very outside of the box. So, here is ad 16 of 30.

What do you think? I think it can work very well if I could further develop this ad with more than 24 hours. I also don’t think Lisa Vanderpump would like the extreme’s of this ad very much. But, this is what you can do when you are working on your student book. Being crazy, outrageous, and silly are all acceptable. But, in the real world of agency life, your client may either love this or send you back to the drawing board.

Remember,

“The Zos Knows”

-David Zosel

If you want to support my writing and for me to be able to create more content you can make a donation here: Venmo