today was the day that i experienced not one, not three, but two, look you see, slices of extraordinary revisionism. one is staggeringly generous, the other i am not at all sure of the motives behind but welcome it all the same.
first off, the single best trailer to be released today. no, not that one. i know you are all excited and worked up about Star Wars Episode VII : Mission To Moscow, but that trailer just does the job it is supposed to do. as in, it has all that it should in it, it doesn't make you go 'hey, wow, they did that?'.
no, the best trailer of the day featured this chap. as in, this specific version of this chap.
yes, that's the much loved Mel Gibson interpretation of Mad Max. in an extraordinary, unexpectedly and staggeringly generous Legacy Trailer, Warner Bros have chosen not to abandon but rather embrace the Mel Gibson version as a final promotion push for the (very impressive looking) Tom Hardy version.
why generous? because for the last decade or so the world has turned its back on Mel. i am not going into the details, but it was all something to do with him getting p!ssed up, driving in that state, getting arrested, and blaming a Jewish conspiracy for it. every film he has made since has been box office poison; not even the elegant cast surrounding him in Expendables 3 worked - Mel's presence is blamed for the dire box office returns of the film.
i like Warner Bros, always have. their legendary patience and support of Kubrick aside, look at what they have allowed Christopher Nolan to do. the fans knew that Warner couldn't cast Mel in a Mad Max film and spend more than $10 on the film. the fans have, as far as i can see, readily taken to Tom Hardy, for he is the perfect mix of very much his own look and a nod to the classic look we expect. i'd like to think that this trailer is a bit of a thank you from them, telling us to get ready to enjoy.
the other bit of revisionism i have seen today? it's all about someone i have never once thought to apologise for liking or admiring; someone it seems the world is slowly all of a sudden getting ready to say 'oopsie. sorry' to for bashing so much.
for the second time in recent months, the first i think was a TV interview, a very big deal was made about the "revelation" that Bono in fact wears sunglasses all the time not because he is a f*****g wanker, but because he has glaucoma, and has done so for 20 odd years.
i am struggling, somewhat, with the "revelation" part of this, like it's all been a secret, only recently disclosed to the world, as if Bono never ever speaks or gives interviews to the people. there's something of a clue, ladies and gentlemen, or if you like dear reader, in that whole 20 odd years part of the comment above.
at no point did Bono hide or not reveal the glaucoma? in interviews around that whole Zoo TV tour thing, what was it, 92 - 94, he in interviews said he had been diagnosed with glaucoma and that's why he had to keep the glasses on pretty much all the time, lest he get splitting headaches and make his eyes worse?
yeah, that's the awesome cool bit off of the Discothèque video for you right there.
i cannot but help wonder why there's this great clamour to find a reason to "forgive" Bono, to give everyone an excuse to just let the man do this thing and let the people enjoy the music of the band? is it some PR stunt he has orchestrated (unlikely, he doesn't seem to particularly care what the people write), or has the press and the music industry at large clocked that we are better off in a world with U2 than we are in a world in which they are no longer around?
i am not overtly convinced that the world, or parts of it, consider Bono to be a f*****g wanker because of the sunglasses thing. usually it's people saying "oh, he has millions and millions yet he asks everyone else to donate to charity instead of doing it himself". which is of course bullsh!t. not once has anyone ever been able to produce a recording or verified account of Bono asking/telling people to give money. because he hasn't. Bono knows that if he or U2 appear at any event, it immediately raises the profile of that event and ensures attention is on matters that he thinks are important. otherwise, it's "oh, he's a tax dodger". yeah, right. i would like to see those that throw that at him not even earn the hard way but just get given the money Bono has; see how all of a sudden keen they are to hand as much of it as possible over to the taxman. thought so.
so, two people that i have been made to feel like i should be ashamed of liking - the first, granted, with some justification - have been celebrated today. it's like today it was OK for me to openly like Mel Gibson as Mad Max, and today i didn't feel like the last apologist standing that really, really likes what Bono sings about. it's no bad thing, you know, every once in a while not feeling so isolated.
will it last? will we get Mel back in films? will Bono and his merry band be allowed to release music and everyone appreciate or dislike just the music, not the idea or reputation? doubt it, for there probably is no going back. but the hint of going back today was very, very nice indeed.
be excellent to each other!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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