Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.
Last Sunday I bumped into a broadcast of Gladiator while my mom and I were just finishing up breakfast. I hurried downstairs to our apartment and settled in with Brad to watch it. Oh, how I love Gladiator. It was the film that made me fall in love with movies again, after getting burnt out a bit, following film school.
So this week's 5 on Friday begins with a favorite piece from the Gladiator soundtrack, and moves into different soundtrack pieces that are amongst my favorites.
1 - Now We Are Free - Gladiator - composed by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard
2 - Message For the Queen - 300 - composed by Tyler Bates
3 - The Riders of Rohan- The Two Towers- composed by Howard Shore
4 - The Gael- The Last of the Mohicans - composed by Randy Edelman and Trevor Jones
5 - Duel of the Fates - The Phantom Menace - composed by John Williams
3 - Djimon grew up in Cotonou, in Benin, West Africa where French is commonly spoken. At 13 he was sent to live with his older brother in Lyons, France in order to attend school.
Was discovered by fashion designer Thierry Muglar and worked steadily as a model (1980s)
Appeared in music videos for:
Madonna (Express Yourself) Steve Winwood (Roll With It) Paula Abdul (Straight Up) Janet Jackson (Love Will Never Do Without You) - (late 1980s/early 1990s)
Moved into acting roles, including a recurring role on ER and in films like Stargate (1994)
Next photo is straying into Not Safe For Work territory...
4 - Djimon keeps in tiptop shape, at first for his modelling career, then for the stunt work required of roles in action dramas like Blood Diamond.
5 - No matter how delicious Mr. Hounsou may be, he's strictly eye candy, ladies - he belongs to his partner of four years, Missouri-born-and-bred former model and fashion executive Kimora Lee Simmons.
6 - Djimon first appeared on my radar when he played Juba in Ridley Scott's Gladiator. I love how he's literally got Russell Crowe's back in this sequence.
7 - But Djimon can give the gray characters a spin every now and then, like Midnite in Constantine.
The proprietor of a nightclub which serves the figures of Heaven and Hell, Midnite has a foot in both.
Somehow, Djimon can make pimp suits much cooler than they ought to be.
10 - Two-time Academy Award nominee Djimon has worked with many top directors during his film career, including the brilliant Julie Taymor for The Tempest.
"Taymor saves the absolute best for last: Prospera’s leave-taking of Caliban (Djimon Hounsou), a static and silent moment, is a brilliant cinematic equivalent for aporia [a seemingly insoluable impasse,] a real and painful doubt about the possibility of a resolution to the conflict between them, and the underlying issues of race and culture, that the play sets up." - Richard Brody, The New Yorker
12 - When he's not on set waiting for the director to call 'Action!' Djimon doesn't hesitate to act on behalf of others.
In 2008 he appeared on Capital Hill in Washington, D.C. to lobby for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, which provides funding to local organizations addressing the needs of America's homeless youth.
"Due to the lack of systems and support [for homeless youth in Paris,] or not knowing how to find people, only made matters worse [for Djimon who lived on the streets for a time during his teen years.] He spent nights in juvenile services as a means to survive.
'I understand that some of the things you go through, it's not just about you,' Djimon said to 9 News Now. 'Some of the pain that is inflicted upon you, mostly does not have to do with you.'
The actor says that today he is most grateful for the experience. 'All the experiences I've gone through, good or bad, they are all a great stepping stone for you to discover yourself.' " - Lauren Vance, WUSA9
13 - But why stop at Capital Hill if one has something to say about a passionate cause?
Djimon spoke at the United Nations in 2009 on behalf of climate change.
As many of you know, my birthday is also a national day of mourning and remembrance. For some people, that might seem like a real downer, but it never has for me.
Perhaps it's because my dad was in the army and I was delivered by a captain in an army hospital. Perhaps it's because my birthday is the day when arms were laid down and a peace treaty signed.
Inside of my heart there has always been an intense connection with soldiers of every time period, of every land. Nothing makes me cry at the drop of a hat quicker than the mention of the grave of the Unknown Soldier.
I strive to be a diplomat in my dealings with people, but in reality I've been called a hard-ass by more than one person. I do the unpleasant stuff when it has to be done. I'm approached to handle things in much the same way as a sergeant is the mediator between the officers and the ranks.
I pretty much think of myself as a living banner for that Unknown Soldier. I honor him, and her, in my heart every day of the year.
No surprise, then, that I've always been attracted to films and TV shows that feature the soldier's life. My dad and I used to spend my birthday watching old war movies on TV, when he'd tell me all sorts of fascinating historical tidbits. For today's Thursday Thirteen, here are thirteen of my favorites, including a bonus TV spot that airs in Canada at this time of year.
NOTE: All clips contain strong violence, some clips contain very strong language.
Champion of the Arts - I write historical and paranormal fiction, as well as poetry. I love to showcase creative works by artists of all stripes. Blogging from Nova Scotia, Canada
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