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The artists/projects here not only entertain, but enliven, educate and enlighten their audience too. Big bonus here! Kookoodoll.com applauds those who make reality a better space for all of us. We value their passion and efforts and wish to share some of their contributions with you. Psst. Go ahead. Pass it on!

 

Arj Barker is a comedien extraordinaire who understands "ego no amigo!" He effortlessly reminds us that laughter is truly the best medicine, comprende compadre? Forget about your third eye and find an extra chakra at arjbarker.com

movies !

Before Night Falls

The Diving Bell And The Butterfly

No Country For Old Men takes an edge of your seat, Coen Brothers look, no, make that a penetrating, dark and questionable stare at the insane logic of the seivacious (Editor's note: root word: seive), apathetic brain of a ruthless, psychopath killer aptly played by the briliant Javier Bardem. Not your average psychological drama and not your average gun either.

 

In The Valley of Elah realizes the devastating and personal effects of war while gently acknowledging the military men and women who serve with bravery to fight the war in Iraq. How does one live with killing innocent children and civilians and at the same time, have it justified as part of military training, survival tactics and patriotic duty? Yes sir, I salute the young MP's who risk their lives everyday for america; but it comes with a very human price. War veterans can testify to the toll bloodshed takes on the human psyche; namely post-traumatic stress, drug abuse, alcoholism and suicide. Unfortunately, the aftermath of war is not so honorable.

 

There Will Be Blood drank my milkshake. Daniel Day Lewis is absolutely glorious in this dramatic, psychological and historical story of power, greed and revenge in the California oil business. This film explodes black gold, shamelessly preaches the love of god-money; and graciously makes orphans while frenetically drilling for the all-life-consuming, never-satisfied, all-american dream. A highly-driven and adventurous business oil tycoon, Daniel Plainview climbs the greasy ladder of success by acquiring land in search for oil rights and raises his only "son" to do the same. Along the way, he encounters family impersonators, scheming business competitors and old time, love-of-the-land farmers who are eventually forced to sell out. Hey, it's brutal and lonely at the top and as the movie title implies, there will be some blood. If a man lives alone, let's say, in Hearst Castle, and asks you to go bowling donwstairs, you might want to think about it.

 

Kekexili is a courageous and cinematic story inspired by the the Wild Yak Brigade, a group of Tibetan volunteer vigilantes, who, from 1993-1996, patrolled the desolate Tibetan mountain plateaus in search of poachers who hunted the sacred antelope for the lucrative wool trade. Director Lu Chuan raised international awareness and helped to establish anti-poaching sentiment for Tibet which included the establishment of a Chinese government anti-poaching unit in 2001. The harsh climates and cultural means of survival create a vision of another time and space, yet this landscape is very present today across the globe. The scene depicting the slowly but surely death by quicksand is most memorable.

Domino kicks your ass then spits in your face. Hey, some criminals need a good ass whooping and saliva in their eyeball. Move over Dog from Hawaii, we're not talking pepper spray. There's a full arsenal in this game of hide and seek. Physical brutalities aside, the legalities of hired bounty hunters should be much more, shall we say, civilized. That is, unless you meet Domino, whose hard-core work ethic involves tracking criminals and dragging their not-so-sorry asses to jail, where they end up behind bars and then, a big man named Tiny ends up behind them. (Ok, let's keep it clean here.) Fact is, nobody looks that cute in an orange jumpsuit. Unfortunately, the toll is eventually taken on both sides of the often blurry boundary between and among participants of criminal law. Take it from Domino; sometimes you need to be a little smarter and learn to be lots more tougher to beat thugs in their own tragic games. It's not easy and it's not pretty (although Keira Knightly makes it so.) The real-life Domino ends up overdosing on drugs in her Hollywood home before the movie's opening.

Duma is both a heart-breaking journey and a heart-warming, emotional story of a farm boy (Xan) and his pet cheetah (Duma) which is filmed in the very vast and very wild South African desert. It is a film about nature, survival, instinct, life and loss, which human beings and wild animals share, between and among eachother. Bring kleenex, it's a tear jerker.

Born into Brothels This documentary accurately depicts the economic struggles and cultural belief systems found in Calcutta today. The innocence and potential of these children born into the red light district offer an amazing journey into the spirit and optimisim of branded youth and the determination of one adult who attempts to offer them another means of survival and confidence in life. By giving the children cameras to take photos of their mostly hidden and untold lives, they discover a new way of seeing eachother and themselves. In the process, we are given a beautiful, emotionally moving and incredibly honest vision into the lives of children born and sold into prostitution.

Grizzly Man This grizzly documentary by Werner Herzog trails the wildly passionate, 13 year Grizzly Bear activist, Timothy Treadwell and his girlfriend, Amie Huegenard. Filmed mostly in the Alaskan wilderness with interviews of family members and friends, Herzog methodically traces the last mysterious months of the lives of Treadwell and Huegenard. The only physical remains left of the activists/documentarians are their film tapes which provide amazing, never before seen, mostly hand-held footage of Grizzly bears, up close and personal, perhaps a bit too up close and personal. The dangerous plight of their crusade is captured through this video diary. In the end, it is the quest for danger and ultimate naive debauchery which leads to a brutal 6 minute mauling death by the very creatures he loved so dearly. While Treadwell preaches respect for the wild bears, he does this by camping in their territory, giving them cutesy names and poking objects in their hungry faces. There is a simple lesson here. When grizzly bears have had enough, they kill you. The viewer should find that nature in the wild form of 2000 lbs, is not a force to be pestering, unless you are crazy.

Crash Los Angeles, the great intersection of western America's culture clash, ignites racism, explodes rage and implodes airbags of mutual understanding, uncovered respect and dented egos. No underground parking here, the film puts the gentrified fear of color out on the streets and pulls out all the colorblind stops. Fasten your seatbelts suburbia and enjoy the ride!

21 Grams Gonzales Inarritu takes a cubist approach to directing his first picture in the United States, impressing the film industry with his ability to "get final cut and remain untouched from the evil force of Hollywood." The non-linear structure of this film "confronts you to take out your prejudice," he says. Sean Penn was just back from his visit to Iraq when the first scenes in 21 Grams were shot. "I was freaked out if he would be able to shoot the scenes," admits Inarritu. Sean Penn proved himself as an intense actor once again, cast as a heart transplant patient in what he calls "a very directed movie." The actor sought to be in a film directed by Inarritu after renting Amores Perros (2000) and recognized the director to be passionately leading the way for creative storytelling in cinema. Inarritu speaks similar praise for Penn's on and off-screen brilliance, commenting all he would hear during shooting was "What is it like to work with Sean Penn?" It is clear the public finds Penn a great actor, but as Inarritu says, "He is better as a human being than as an actor."

Straight Outta Hunters Point Director Kevin Epps keeps it real as the camera rolls on the project community where he lives. This documentary covers rival gangs in the ghetto community of San Francisco's notorious Hunters Point. Sensitive and raw footage informs, inspires and gives vital hope to life on the streets. The soundtrack is hard edged and raw. The real deal and then some. Spike Lee may just want to confer with these boys before entouraging into this hood and shouting "Action!"

 

A good heart can change you.