Anthropoid (adjective): having characteristics of a human being, usually in terms of shape or appearance. Derived from the Greek.
Suffering, loss and a perpetual struggle to keep on going; such facets greatly inhabit Maris Curran’s deput film, Five Nights in Maine.
Lead actor, David Oyelowo (the voice of the King himself in historical-drama film Selma) takes charge in this new feature, and brings with his performance a distinctive take on anguish – as Five Nights in Maine explores the grieving throes of a widowed husband. The film addresses this matter among others. And as it progresses, the film adopts a guise of self-realization while continuing to harbor a darker and more solemn tenure. It’s befitting for a tragic tale.
Oyelowo, along with director Curran and fellow actor Rosie Perez, gave their input on the complexities beyond the picture – including the film’s initial planning and the painful, emotional process from beginning to end at a NY Film Critics National Series Premiere.
No fear from you, with women directors?
Oyelowo: No, no, no – of course not. I’ve been a huge beneficiary of the brilliant talents of female directors. In fact, I had a run of four female directors in a row. Which was just amazing for me. After I did Selma with Ava DuVernay, I did Five Nights in Maine with Maris, then I did Queen of Katwe with Mira Nair; and then I did A United Kingdom with Amma Asante. So, you know – to board brilliant film-makers – forget the female part; it’s just fantastically talented artists that have brought out of me things I didn’t know were in me.
David, Is Lucinda racist or did she just not want her daughter to get married, and especially to a man of color?
Oyelowo: I love these questions. Is she racist? I think that there is this gray line between abject racism and cultural bias. And I think we’re dealing with a lot of that in this country and in America, actually. This cultural bias, I think, is due to a fear of that you don’t know – and therefore don’t understand and so therefore incites fear. My character is a black man from Atlanta whose married Diane’s character’s daughter and they’re, you know, Diane and her daughter are estranged. And I’ve never met my mother-in-law. And the only thing we have in common is arguably the biggest thing in both our lives. So we are complete separate; complete unlike each-other but have this thing in common. So, when we are suddenly in this house in Maine, for five days, what you’re dealing with is two people navigating their differences. So, I wouldn’t say that she’s racist, I would say she’s a human being. You know, we fear and react in certain ways to things we don’t understand until we understand them. And I think with what happens through the course of the film is a degree of understanding that leads to – I hope – a cathartic level of healing that these people can begin from the bases of just getting to know each-other equally even though it’s very, very fractious, acrimonious, and painful.
If there were moments, that you had as Sherwin in this movie that resonates for you personally? That just connects with you?
Oyelowo: Yeah, I think there’s a moment in the film where my character says “she took so much with her” – and I remember doing that line in that take that was used in the movie and I think that’s the moment where I felt most the blur between the character and myself. You know, the thought – the hideous thought – of my wife no longer walking the planet – she would take a massive chunk of everything that I am. And so, it would be irreplaceable. And so, for me, that line goes to the heart of what makes it so tough; that you know that your life will never be the same again. And so, that to me – you’re always looking for the kernel of truth – I am, anyway, when I do a movie, and I think some time in that moment and in that line, is what I think Sherwin is going through.
From director Maris Curran and actor Rosie Perez:
This is your first feature. Where did it come from?
Curran: So, to begin, I’m a writer and director. I started with the writing – and I began to write it as my marriage was falling apart. So, it’s a piece of fiction. And I think that, both as a writer and as a director, it’s very important that you’re working with a specific and emotional issue such as this. And at that moment, I was facing a series of questions. Questions that Sherwin also faces in this film. Questions that begin with what to do when the floor falls from under you? What happens when your idea of your future family dissipates in an instant. What happens when your idea about yourself changes? And from there that’s – that was really the offering that my life gave to this film – and that I also gave to the actors. As a director, it’s saying because this is a moment; it’s a moment I know, it’s a moment that we could jump-off from.
You dealt with grief, trauma – all of those things in your life. It’s how you come out on the other side of it. Was that way this appealed to you in particular?
Perez: Well, in part yes. You know, when you’re referring to my book, you’re referring to my childhood and how I kept going. And, me moving forward was the worst thing and the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life. Because moving forward made me motivated and successful. But moving so quickly and so fast – I crushed. You know, life has a way of just telling you to sit down and with this film I related to it strongly because I had a serious injury – I broke my neck in 2009. And it made me just stop. And, you know, at a height of success, and you can’t move – it’s just a strange feeling of having to rely on others. It’s really tough and it reminded me of when my father was passing there was this home attendant he had – and she would come to our house in Puerto Rico and be there for 10 hours a day and became part of the family yet she was separate. She kept her distance. And with these film – I read the script – I told Maris that “oh my gosh, this is just a beautiful homage to care-takers”; to people that allow their patients to grieve. And I told her, I said “I’m gonna be the professional that has the strength to walk on egg shells.” And that’s how I approached it, because that’s how the caretakers took care of me, and took care of my family. Yeah, so – it was pretty intense. I had agreed with Maris on just what happens when the floor falls out from under you. It’s how you react and what I’ve learned in my life – this film actually gave me a lot of comfort because I didn’t know how to grieve. I thought it was supposed to be dramatic like a Puerto Rican does. You know, but my really good friends are here with me and they saw me grieve and it was just, actually, really, really quiet. And then they would have these intense moments that you just feel like you were part of – And I feel like this film validated my grieving process. That – “it was mine” – I didn’t have to grieve the way I did, but I grieved the way I was supposed to grieve.
The subtleties and quiet spaces of the film are very brave and powerful, how much of it was scripted versus spontaneous?
Perez: It was written and specific. Maris has a very, very clear vision. There wasn’t an ad-lib that I know of – if there was, it was minimal. And I think that it was very, very intentional. Even when he (David Oyelowo’s character) asks for a drink, and I’m running around because I don’t know this person and he’s entered this space and I feel awkward; and I’m trying to say the right things – but what most people do is stumble and fumble. Even his response – his quiet response to that and the quietness between us was intentional and I thought it played really, really well. And without her saying that to us, we understood that on the written page. So, in her direction, it wasn’t heavy-handed but yet it was specifically guided, if that makes sense.
Curran: This is about trusting and collaborating. And, even that moment where, you know, where Rosie was saying “this is the way I need to do it now” – and it’s like, well, there’s a reason why Rosie and I are working together. I mean, what she brings is the reason I want her there. She brings intellect, talent – she brings, you know, all of the things that had happened to her up until that moment. And I trust Rosie. And so yes, there is also that sense of “I trust you with these words and I trust you with this film – and yes, please bring more.”
We were wondering about what Sherwin did for a living and how he managed to leave of absence?
Curran: They were watching. Well, he’s an engineer. And, yeah.
Five Nights in Maine will be released to theatres on August 5th.
The script never changes; the rhetoric remains the same. We parse through the blood-stained streets of the hood with vigilance, lest we become trapped in the game.
As curators of Men’s hygiene product: Dove Men + Care – among others – met to discuss new advances in the field of men’s grooming, The Knockturnal was present to all newfound information.
Atop the gorgeous display of accommodations that is Kimpton’s Ink 48, personalities such as Rob Candelino, Dr. Glynis Ablon, Hugo Soul and Andy Schrock were not only in attendance, but had their say regarding the evolution and subsequent fixation of men’s hair-care in the modern day grooming industry and contemporary society. Nice hair is a necessity. The event was headed by Rob Candelino – Vice President of Marketing and general manager of Unilever’s Hair Care business.
We were introduced to an array of hair-care facts; stress and emotional factors; becoming more conscious of our precious manes – and more. Overall, along with being presented statistical data corresponding to the increase of men’s hair-related questions on Google Search, and a new commercial for the Dove Men + Care brand, we bore witness to an exciting and very informative panel.
After the hype died down, The Knockturnal had the chance to sit down with Youtube super-star Andy Schrock – and discuss further his thoughts on the panel, the commercial; his ambitions for the future of his skateboard company and his channel.
How did you like the panel?
Andy: Oh – it was awesome, you know. Like I said – like, I’m really excited to be here with Dove Men + Care and I believe in what the company stands for; the modern day man; the evolved man; fatherhood. And then, the panel – I didn’t know how it was going to go. The commercial was in it’s own little world and this was the first big media thing I’ve ever been to but it’s been so laid-back. I had a good time.
How did you get involved with this study?
Andy: I do Youtube videos – it’s been going so well and I love doing videos every single day. And I do a lot of videos with my son. So, they contacted me and talked to me to see if I was interested in it – and I’m very selective about who I work with. And then, when I saw the attitude and what the company stood for – what the brand stood for – Dove Men + Care – I was on board. It was very honest; very authentic, you know. I loved it. So, they wanted to do the commercial and they told me about the campaign – I believed in it all. A few months later, I got flown out to do the commercial in LA – and I’ve been working with them ever since.
How was that process?
Andy: It’s fun. It was my first one and it’s always been a dream to get into acting and commercial work here and there. And to do it with my kid was awesome. And they were all about family, you know – like bring the family along – and it’s a really cool process. It was a bit overwhelming at first – like the wardrobe day to see all the attention to detail that goes in and all that stuff. But yeah, the shooting – it was a 17 day work day. It was grueling. Even the shower scene at the end (of the commercial) was an hour and a half of the time in the shower. I was like “this is grueling” but it was a blast the whole way. The whole experience was really cool. What I try to portray online, with video – I mean, they’re all honest – there’s nothing fake. Everything that you see that I do with my son and my family online is real. And it kinda felt the same way – you know – it resonates. That’s the word right there. We’ve clicked on that.
Tell us about your time at Youtube. Do you find it all easy to manage?
Andy: No. My time on Youtube sometimes is easy, other times its super difficult. Last night my plane got canceled, so I almost didn’t make it today – and I finally got here at 1:00 – 1:30 – in the morning; and then I had to do Youtube. So it’s like: in times like that, it’s tough, you know. But I do a video every day. I make a habit. And along with running the companies – I sacrifice sleep before family-time or I always spend time on my work.
So you have a schedule you adhere to?
Andy: 3:30am eastern standard time – every single day.
Tell us about the content you upload.
Andy: I started doing skateboarding – and I added a personality to it to try to appeal to people that didn’t skateboard. And then, from there on I did skits, prank videos – which is me making a fool of myself in public; it was just fun. And then – once I had my little guy, I started getting him in videos here and there and I didn’t think they were gonna blow up and I didn’t think I was gonna be as big as I did. And then everything just started going; so eventually, I turned my Youtube channel into anything that I find interesting. It’s just a channel on my life. And – a lot of skating; a lot of family stuff; a lot of traveling – wherever I’m going.
Will this panel effect how you do certain things on the channel?
Andy: I don’t think it’ll change a lot of how I do and conduct things – because from the get-go, I’ve already clicked with how they stand on the “evolved man”; how you take care of your hair and yourself – that’s everything I’ve believed in then and I’m going to continue to believe in it. And, you know – I might drive the message home a little harder to help out – because I really believe in what Dove Men + Care is doing with this. So, I could say it can only add to it.
What would you consider to be one of the more important ways of taking care of your hair in a general sense?
Andy: She ( Dr. Glynis Abalon) said it best with the precaution – you know, actually taking a moment to thinking about what you can do. Like, making sure your shampoo has conditioner in it. I’ve been using Dove Men + Care thick and strong – and it’s actually helped. In the commercial, Ryden was tugging on my hair and you could see strands of hair in his grasp. Okay – he was really tugging on it for a few minutes straight. He did it again the other day because we were talking about that commercial. He just jumped on my head; pulled on it – and it was great because no hair came out. So it was like – I saw it. That’s literally proof, you know? It was amazing to see. So just take a moment; think about what you’re putting in the hair and be consistent. Make sure you’re massaging, you know – like taking the time to care for your hair.
Going back to when Ryden was tugging on your hair – did you just start using this brand?
Andy: I’d just started using it – I didn’t know. I was so ignorant to taking care of the hair that I just went with the flow. I then started using Dove Men + Care – and it was in the early stages of it. I just started using it. And months later – after using it for months – it completely worked.
Were there any difficulties behind expanding your skateboard brand?
Andy: Yeah, it’s been weird. I didn’t go to school for business. I went to school for language and communication. And I started getting popular on Youtube and I was like – I didn’t know what to do – I don’t know how to run a company; and eventually I was like “whatever” I’ll do it. Once I started doing it, things were going right. I made the best decisions I could and as I saw potential I contacted my partner and life-long friend and he was able to come in and we bumped heads and really came up with some good plans. And it’s been nothing but uphill since. I have wonderful people that work with me on it and help me make it happen. But yeah – every year brings new dilemmas; we figure it out, and we do what it takes. I’ve been skating since I was 14 so that’s 18 years now.
You gonna get Ryden into it?
Andy: I’m not gonna force Ryden into anything he doesn’t wanna do. But he does naturally want to skate. He likes going to the skatepark – so I dunno. Whatever his heart wants, I would want to support him if he has a passion for it.
What new things did you learn from the panel?
Andy: With the panel, I virtually got to see all the information and statistics before-hand but the one thing on the panel that I learned that blew my mind was that 50 percent of guys still use soap to wash their hair. I was like – woah; if I had no other options, I’d use soap but that doesn’t even seem like an option to me you know – like, you know – shampoo and conditioner. That was what stood out to me the most – like woah.
Are you still using Dove Men + Care?
Andy: Yep. Dove Men + Care Thick & Strong is my go-to.
50 years down the line – the Harlem spirit continues to vibe through the bright colors; the perseverance and the creativity of it’s people.
It’s a story in the making. Told by dancers that gathered from all walks of life specifically for this event. It is clear that the art of dance – and art as a whole – is still a boundless medium unrestricted by time. Hosted by the Harlem School of The Arts – and on the year of it’s 50th anniversary – the craft of dance still says a thousand words. “I Hear Music on The Streets” is hosted by an artist that asks no more of her audience than to get nice and personal with her work.
The progenitor of these pieces, Ms. Julia Kito Kirtley, is a California native. From the streets of Compton to receiving a BA at Pratt Institute, she has showcased her talent in exhibitions worldwide – from Paris, to Hawaii. She visits the Harlem school on a mission. And brings with her a meld of talented choreographers that have their own say in the artistic movement.
Each dancer wore attire that represented a piece of Kirtley’s own pieces. She confides in the every-day city hustle and bustle to provide her canvas. Cardboard boxes to brand-name clothing. It all works. The entertainment venue, managed by The Ladies of Hip-Hop, Street Style Club and Step Your Game Up consisted of a trendy and modern day mix of contemporary music. After the fact, the audience was free to join them on the dance floor. Behind them, the exhibition itself. The display will be on view through August 27th. Free to the public.
Racing against time: 8:57, 8:58, 8:59 – doors open; we’re greeted with clothing. The room is fully decorated with fashionable attire. An enamored crowd gathers in the front. As this myriad of curious onlookers lined up to see the best and brightest – the latest and hip – we are glad to say we were there every step of the way.
Hosted and produced by the wonderful minds behind the MRket trade show, The Knockturnal got an exclusive interview with former NFL and bowling star Terrell Owens. Owens is the founder of new clothing line ‘Prototype 81’. And between the clothes and his career – we got it all.
For those who may not know what a “sports luxury collection” entails; what exactly is involved in your set?
Owens:
Well, what Prototype 81 is more of a sports – more of a fashion-forward sports luxury line. And that will consist of your active but functional pieces; things to wear to and from the gym. There will be three tiers to my line which are your core, active-wear and then exclusive. Exclusive will be more of your higher end-pieces – your one of a kind piece – but more for your fashion-forward – you know – your fashion-forward consumer. But again, if you think about, you know, really kind of the message that I’m been throwing out this where – you know – I’m an athlete; this is where fashion meets performance. So we’re trying to marry those two and – you look at some of the fabrications for active-wear, sports-wear – you’re intertwining that in your fashion – you know – high-end fashion and cloth materials. So that’s how I came up with Prototype 81 because I felt that I was fashion-forward, I wanted something to reflect my personality. Coming out of college and well into the pros, everybody always said I was a “prototypical” type of athlete or receiver. And Bageot, I know you seem like you’re a very intelligent guy, but my initials are T.O. – so, try to spell “prototype” without “T.O.”
So Prototype 81 is one of the reasons I came up with the name – is utilizing some of those attributes and trying to find something that was very, very creative; which is really kind of unique now in the sense of finding the word and naming my line “Prototype” and having my initials smack-dab in the middle. And utilizing my football number right at the end. So – and we can utilize that labeling – we can do a number of things with our line. Again, when we talk about the core pieces which is some of your basic T-shirt, shorts – but again, what will really make my line different from anything else out there – I’m not trying to be like anyone else – which is how I was on the football field. I tried to be “me”, and when you see some of my collection, you’ll see that some of it is different with some of the fabrications of the color-blocking, some of the prints that are a little bit out there. Again – contrasting, stitching, piping – things of that nature. These are some of the things that will set me apart on the football field and I want my line to do the same – to reflect that.
How confident are you feeling regarding the future success of Prototype 81? 
Owens:
Very, very confident. And I think my persona on the football field – it obviously, sometimes got misconstrued as arrogance and cockiness – but for me, that was my confidence. I was super confident and my line – the dedication that I have – the parallels to my football career and what I’m doing here now in the fashion industry, you know, kind of coincides with each-other. Because the same desire that I had to be successful in football – the dedication that I had and the discipline that I needed to become who I am – I utilize those same, same attributes in the fashion industry. I got the desire; I got the dedication and I have the discipline to just stick with it. And I have a great team behind me as well. So again, that’s all about really finding the right nucleus and team of people behind you to really grasp through your vision and the direction of the line and bringing it to life. So again, we put in a lot of hard work; a lot of hard, hard work.
So how did you get into the fashion industry?
Owens:
There wasn’t one thing that really sold me – or made me – jump into it; I think it’s always been in my DNA. What I’m doing in the fashion world – just like some of the things I’ve accomplished on the football field – I’m living by carefully doing me. Do some of the things in Hollywood, be on the big screen; my mom never doubted my opportunity to do that because she was raising 4 kids at that time. She was, you know, working on the sewing machine – making our clothes as kids – just to make extra income. So, these are some of the things really propel me to be where I am today. Even being in the fashion industry. My mom – she wanted to be a model. To get into modelling things. These were some of the things she wasn’t able to do because she had to take care of 4 kids. This right here – this fashion; my line – she’s inspired me. I remember as a kid, you know, stepping on pens in the carpet; you know, walking over patterns, crawling under the chair – because she had a sewing machine right in front of the door of my room. She got tired of getting up – getting up in down in order to let us through – so I had to crawl under the chair just to get to my room. So, that was the dedication that she had, you know, to make sure that we looked good.
You know, that we had some clothes that were presentable when we walked out of the door, or when she carried us with her places. So these are some of the things that she did as a sacrifice. We didn’t have the financial income to go out there and buy some of your name-brands back then, such as your Guests; your Levis; things of that nature. I had to really get a good pair of shoes or any type of name-brand clothes during the course of the school year – or just in general. I mean, especially shoes; they were like Jordans; Brooks – those shoes are like $120 bucks. Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s that’s a lot, you know. So I had to pony up a couple of $20 dollars – $20 or $40 bucks from her – whatever she was able to provide – $20 and $40 bucks from my grandmother; and I tried to get whatever I could from my dad – just so I could feel really good about myself. I mean, you think about feeling good, looking good, that’s what I want to do with my line – is with people when they see or wear my clothes – that they’re motivated; they’re inspired to go out and be healthy.
It’s just not for your athletic or your skinny consumer. We as a nation – as fashion is evolving, we are embracing the curvy women – you know, those women are just as beautiful as your models – so I want my line to reflect and be able to motivate and inspire everyone. You want to look presentable. I mean, that helps – especially growing up – it helps with the psyche of kids because kids can be tough on each-other. You know, if you’re not wearing the best of – whatever it is – the name-brands – you can get teased a lot. You know, I mean – it really helps with the confidence and the psyche of kids. So, if you’re here looking good – and your attire is on point, then it’s gonna take you a long way. It’s gonna help with your confidence. It’s the way you present yourself as well. And even here – with people from afar – assessing you; you look at the aesthetics of that individual and you’re gonna look at what they’re wearing. So you can kind of tell when – and differentiate – what income you’re a part of – your income bracket.
Were there any challenges on bringing the Prototype 81 line to fruition?
Owens:
Well, with life there is always gonna be challenges. So it’s about how you approach it and how you deal with it; how you respond and how you react to it. By no means did I feel like this was gonna be an easy transition. And again, that’s where I rely on my team and the designers and everybody that has had that experience – that has been in that position – to help me along the way. So again, it’s just like – you’re gonna go through the bumps and bruises; the ups and downs; but again those are some of the things that are behind the scenes. It’s all about the finished product, you know. This right here, my coach one time when I was playing in San Francisco – we were going through a tough time; you know, we were losing. The road to success is always gonna be stressful and it’s no different than anything in life. So even with this process of being in the fashion industry, it’s always under construction. Talk about revisions; talk about forecasting – you’re talking about different fabrications; trying to be knowledgeable about everything and knowing what goes with what and what doesn’t go with what. You know – learning about ribbons; two-way and four-way fabric – and the Modells. Learning about cover-stitches and what flat-locks are. These are some of the things that I’ve just been able to soak up and become very knowledgeable about during this whole process.
Any future projects that you’re willing to share?
Owens:
Yeah, I have a fitness board that’s coming out – it’s called “Body Board X” – so I mean, people can just check that out. It’s gonna be launching here pretty soon as well. It’s a little side-venture I’m doing outside of fashion but yeah – Bodyboardx.com – it’s a fitness piece in where people can really stay fit, toned and – you know – targets your core. Again, just check it out man it’s one way I keep myself in shape and I want people to be inspired; I want people to do some of the things I did through-out the course of my career that enabled me to become the athlete that I did. There’s a lot of hard work; there’s a lot of different, unique things that I did with my training and these are just some of the things that are a part of the process.
What is more typical of the cartel?
A celebration of personal identity and freedom of expression, the Afro-Latino Festival receives our precious city with open-arms.
The initial reception is welcoming, homely. People dance, sung, ate, took pictures. The single room was filled with people. Joyous faces. But the real excitement took place in the auditorium. Blessed with awards for very important members of the Afrolatino community and soulful music to compliment the gathering.
A genuine sense of pure enjoyment filled the air here. An event that simply celebrated being human. It was necessary; as merely days after a dual-tragedy shook the very foundation of black culture in the United States, that people come together with positivity in times of mourning. The weekend of July 8-10 was suitable for just such an occasion.
Friday’s version of the Afro-Latino 2016 festival was hosted by the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, in Harlem. However, within it’s barriers transpired a celebration of which knew no bounds. People were able to be themselves, and pay tribute to their heritage unbarred. Many adorned festive clothing catered specifically for the Afro-Latino union. It was lovely, weird and stylish. After an hour of casual meeting, we made our way to the theatre. There, we were met with hospitality and music. Suddenly, with rapid movement, the beneficiaries of the evening’s celebration arrived on-stage. The Awardees of the evening were: Danilo Parez, Moises Medrano, Aysha Schomburg and Dr. Arianna Curtis. All four recipients have made significant contributions to their respective communities, and were represented as such.
This issue of the Afro-Latino Festival also featured performances from a plethora of artists and musicians. After the award observance, we were treated to a live recital composed of: Afrodisiaco and Proyección Folclorico, among others.
On Friday evening, there were two more venues taken for more Afro-Latino excitement. This part of the festivities, located in other parts of the city, had their own pleasurable affairs. These events included several musical numbers from Colombian-based band El Caribefunk and Brazilian Carioca Bass / Baile Funk performer Zuzuka Poderosa – both of whom premiered at the Afro-Latino festival after-parties in Manhattan’s SOB’s and Brooklyn’s C’mon Everybody venues respectfully.
The weekend editions of the festival took place at the Restoration Bedford Stuyvesant Plaza, in Brooklyn. With people exercising their customs and cultural traditions; of which involved Henna stands, vendors, African & Latino clothing lines on full display for watchful onlookers, potential buyers – and more. It was a mesh of the colorful, the exciting, the eventful. With participants exercising their rights to freedom of expression. The park’s center-stage was composed fully of dozens – following the beat of the DJ while the African dancers on-stage moved with grace to their hearts content.
Does graphic design tickle your fancy? Hailing all the way from Mexico, with ideas in abundance, Stefan Bruggemann has decided to take his artistic vision to the walls of New York.
The city radiated heat; the sky burned. Yet the summer air yielded with anticipation: the audience had exploded with laughter.