BLOG 2012

Those of you that are regular visitors to this site will know that I've been eagerly waiting to see Patrick Soloman's film, Finding Joe. (Those of you that are unaware why can find the reasons here).

The DVD of Finding Joe is now available. I was hoping that I would receive my copy in time for Christmas but as it happens it arrived on New Year's Eve. Once all the New Year celebrations had died down and everyone had gone to bed I watched the film. I guess I could've waited until I was less tired but I felt I wanted to see the film at the start of the new year, almost as if it was part of some ritual.

I was actually a bit nervous. I wanted the film to be good and not a disappointment. I didn't know how good Pat Soloman was as a filmmaker, just that he seemed to have a passion for the material.

I need not have worried. I've watched Finding Joe three times now and seem to get something out of it each time. I think it's probably the best description I know of what Joseph Campbell called The Hero's Journey. Not only that but the film seems to have a heart. Clearly the subject material is important to Pat Soloman and the other interviewees. Personally, I was a bit surprised when similar university experiences to mine were described. I was also gratified to think that You've Got The Magic Back, Get Up!, and Can't Let Go seem to stand up against other people's experiences too.

I'm hoping that those that have their own "call to adventure" will become aware of this film. From it they might garner some courage, strength and understanding to either take their first steps or to just keep going along their own individual unique paths.

An excellent start to my year!

(The DVD can be purchased from here. Note - the Pal/ European version is available at the end of January 2012.)

Amendment 110412:

There is a special screening of Finding Joe hosted by Stand-Up Cinema at Reading's The Rising Sun Arts Centre on May 18th at 6:30pm. (The start time is early so that the film will end by 8:00pm and not conflict with Bohemian Night Showcase.)

Campbell said the following in the last lecture he ever gave:

"In my writing and my thinking and my work I've thought of myself as addressing artists and poets and writers. The rest of the world can take it or leave it as far as I'm concerned."

So if you're an artist, writer, musician , or just someone wanting to break out and go their own way, or even actually dare I say, a Star Wars fan (George Lucas based his original films' stories on Campbell's work), then I think you might find the film interesting and indeed I hope encouraging. (Throughout this site there are references to the film, I hope to bring them all together as soon as I can.)