Moxie!

Hi everyone, it's been a long time...😬 Sorry but I really had no idea about a good article, but here I am today, to talk about a great movie, Moxie!

First of all, it's a Netflix movie, directed by Amy Poehler, who is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and director (yes, that's a lot). 

To introduce the movie, I wanted to say the Moxie means "force of character, determination, or nerve" which is one of the main theme of the movie. I know you're going to think it's just a teen movie, but I think the message is very strong. I also want to add that Moxie is an Irish band, who mixes the genres and styles, to represent the multicultural society we live in today, because the movie denounces sexism but also racism.

If you saw or wants to see the movie, I'm absolutely not saying that in our high school, the sexism and racism is at the same level, but I'm just saying that it's everywhere, even though we don't necessarily see it... 

It's about a girl who is in high school, and every years, there's a list created to say who is the most intelligent, the most attractive, and other things less rewarding. By the way, the list is only about girls, made by boys. And one day, there's a new girl, she doesn't want to accept this list and she stands up to the quarter back of the school. The main character, Vivian, who is just invisible in her school, starts to think about everything, and becomes friend with the new girl. She begins to publish a zine, anonymously, that encourages revolution, influenced by the behavior of her mother when she was young, in the 90s I think, who was feminist and fought for her rights. Vivian can't support sexism in the school anymore, which has been trivialized by the headmaster (who is a woman?). They create a new club, named Moxie, which gathers all the girls who wants to make things change. But the headmaster doesn't appreciate this club, who "insults" guys with sexist actions, and she wants to find the creator of those zines. However, girls see that things are changing, more girls join the club, one of them anonymously confess to Moxie that she has been raped by her boyfriend. 

It really shows how even today, some men still consider that they are superior to women, even though it's unconsciously sometimes. We all have those stereotypes in our head, that make us normalize some sexism actions. 

What I liked the most in the movie was the soundtrack, because it really gives me some 90s vibes, there were a lot of Punk, Indie, Alternative ad Rock genres. There were lots of Bikini Kill songs, some of The Muffs too, so it really gives me the envy to discover other songs like this. I also liked the fact that there was a love story in the movie, I just can't resist to a bit of romance in a movie. 

I really encourage you to see it, and I hope you will, because it changes my vision of things and gives me the envy to act, even if it's on a little scale, I just want to create some zines anonymously for the high school.

Lilou <3

"Mid90s" the skate film you have to see !

   Hello Charlie, today I am going to talk you about an amazing film you have to see immediately !

Mid90s is an American film written by Jonah Hill, released in 2018. Setting in the middle of 90’s, the film follows Stevie, an innocent and touching teenage boy. He lives in Los Angeles with his single depressed mother, and his abusive older brother Ian. In lack of tenderness and searching for warm, he escapes his turbulent home life by hanging out with a crew of older skateboarders. 

Brought in by Ruben, this new group of friends will become his alternative family. The four characters of the band are very different from each other, Ray is the most talented skater and the wise leader of the pac, « FuckShit » is his best friend since childhood, the laid-back one, « Fourth Grade » is the videographer and Ruben seems to be jealous of Stevie which quickly become the favorite little one.

 

Stevie, nicknamed Sunburned, hangs out and skates with his new friends, and he discovers the world of drinking, smoking, going to parties and snaking down the freeway on skateboards at dusk. He learns how to cope with hierarchies and rivalries in friendship group. 

Mostly, Stevie struggles to figure out what it want to be. Surrounded by unstable role models, the struggle makes it interesting but also frustrating and moving. I was very attached to Stevie and I had the impression to evolute with him as the film was progressing. I was impressed the way Stevie wasn’t scared of life and how he dared to try new tricks without the fears of failing and hurting. I admire him for that reason, it can be a metaphor of life : not to be afraid to make bad decisions. 

I really loved how the world of skate was represented. In the society mind, skateboard only means drugs, violence, alcohol, dirty, daredevil behavior and anti-social attitudes. It is partly true, but we tend to forget all the wonderful things world of skate can bring : emancipation, independence of minds, friendship, values, creativity, will and self-surpassing. 

In « Mid90s », these both sides are represented, thus you can have a real vision of what is this incredible world of excitement and danger.  

Another point I really appreciated is the way Mid90s has been filmed. Firstly, the authenticity of look, music and language of 90’s is surprising. Shot on super 16 millimeter, it increases this feeling of reality, closed to documentary style. 

As you maybe know, the film dimension is very important for skateboarders, shooting tricks is necessary. In Mid90, it appeared some sequences of skateboarding from video tapes shot by skaters themselves. It adds a realist aspect, very significant in the world of skate. 

Mid90s has been received by critics, as a « promising first outing for Hill » and a « Jonah Hill's nostalgic nod to the mean streets of his youth ». 

I recommended you this wonderful film depicting an unrecognized world full of extravagance and subtlety of free young minds.

If you liked my article, here is the trailer of Mid90s : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyRPQv-C7T8

Have a nice week-end and let me know if you appreciated the film in comment !

Hip Hop Styles n°1

Hey Charlie.

So, today, I’ll once again bring you in an introductive journey, this time about dancing. And more specifically, hiphop, where we’ll learn the basics, of what it is and its multiple times.

I guess everybody has heard of hip-hop and knows that it comes from the streets… but we’re not here today to learn about history, maybe later. But now we will learn about the few styles that you need to know to start on this subject that is a real rabbit hole.

So, first of all I need to put a disclaimer, I DO NOT have expert level knowledge, nor will the information given be extremely in detail. These are basics to be able to recognize and identify moves, to know the codes. Even more so, every style goes tons of variations because in art it’s always so difficult to classify anything and especially to encapsulate everything.

Our first style is one that most people think it is all of what hip hop is. “Yeah it’s just some people in sweater throwing themselves on the floor and standing on their heads”

Indeed we are now talking about THE original and very, very VERY old Break dancing that has appeared in the 60s. Also generally summarized by just the word break since its popularization in the 70s.

Break dancing is so old and has evolved so much through the time, that it doesn’t just have its own institutions or tournaments. It’s that it’s even considered as its own dance! completely separated from hip hop in some instances!

Break dancing is composed of 2 very distinct substyles, there’s the part on your feet, and the part on the floor. The first part is called Top Rock, it’s mostly foot work, some parts where you think its really cool and simple to replicate… but when you try and it turns out it isn’t simple AT ALL.

This is where breakers mostly start to show off and give a taste before having the move where they get to the ground and start some of their real work.

In break dance there's the second part which is the major part of what break dancing is. (it is sometimes called coupole but its like any lablisation, not all people use it and sometimes it is used to describe anyhing and its opposite so take this with a pinch of salt)

There are a number of acrobatics in this sub-style, on the grounds there are windmills and ways to spin on the floor, freezing in a pose that does not seem even possible. But this part of break dancing also features a lot of real steps (i mean by that, that the ones before, in the coupole categorie are more powermoves or avrobatics) with footwork and i guess you could call handwork since its basically the same but you also use hands.

And this is here where you mostly distinguish 2 types of amateur break-dancers:

The ones that are power heads with very simple dances but one power move like a head stand for example that they’ll just drop in the middle and sustain on the wow effect of this move.

And other with much more simple steps but it’s through their wit, originality and capacity to create powerful choreographies out of a number of step work that sets them above the rest. (I guess you can see where my preference lies)

My final word on this style is about the music, and holy moly this music is fast and has powerful beats. Here are some really nice songs to break dance to and to understand what type of song it is done onto : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6g3yQ1Y3vo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQz478apQw8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qNz8SYK6IM

You can see they all are generally what we would call old school, which is to be expected from the fact that this style is very old in dancing standards. Break dancing music can also come from rap directly because as it is extremely fast paced and accentuated they correspond to the rapping standards too. 

Raps are usually avoided in hip hop music because it goes much too fast for people that usually use beats that are very repetitive, and for people who seek originality in ever move, they are much too repetitive, so this kind of regular cohabitation is almost solely seen here in break.

By the way this combination rap and hip hop is mostly a falsehood, as they both influence each other but are not one and the same. As a matter of fact, I would say that the kind of music that is most present in hip hop dancing, without special mix for dancing is disco and pop.

Phiew, I didn’t expect to ramble so long about break so I think we are going to take a break and explore other styles in other blogs (and I promise you these won’t be as long because break dance is just a thing so niche and separated from the rest of hip hop dancing that I needed to say all of this)

Anyhow, I hope you’ve had a good time

That’s all for today, I will see you later

And never the 3 rules of hip hop culture

Peace

Love

And having fun

Bye Charlie!