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I just discovered (and most probably I am the last person in the world to do so) that the classic film Back to the Future has undergone several cast changes. Even the main character, Marty McFly, was played by an actor other than Michael J. Fox during a few weeks of filming. The footage ended up being discarded, which contributed to nourishing the gigantic memorabilia of the iconic production.

The lead male role of Marty McFly was originally played by actor Eric Stoltz. However, after several weeks of filming, the producers and filmmakers decided to replace Stoltz with Michael J. Fox, who was the original choice for the role. The problem is that Fox was also involved in the sitcom Family Ties and would not have time for filming (the situation would later be resolved simply by doubling the filming routine of the actor, an experience that Fox himself later classified it as “insane”).

The decision of going not taking Stolz was based on the belief that his the portrayal of the character was not aligning with the comedic tone of the film as envisioned. As a result, they had to re-shot all scenes of Stoltz, leading to the final version of the movie that is well-known and beloved today.

Even a person like me, uninformed about the precise numbers of the finantial impact of reshooting weeks and weeks of footage (and let us not forget that they were dealing with the technology available in Hollywood in 1985), understands that the costs involved are immense, and that such a decision can lead to the failure of any project. Therefore, it is not difficult to imagine that no production will go through this, unless ii is absolutely necessary.

But what was the problem with Stolz? According to actors who shared scenes with him, Stolz was a “method” actor, meaning that following his acting rituals was extremely important to him. Examples of his method would include, for instance, being addressed only by the name of his character, not talking (and pretending not to listen) to his colleagues when they were not in a scene with him, and using real physical force (instead of staged moves) during fight scenes.

Since Stolz did not get the job, does it mean that having a method is a problem per se? Not at all! Having a method with rules that impose a deep dive into the character may have been the reason for the success of the previous roles played by Stolz, but it was for sure the cause of his departure from the cast of Back to the Future.

The search for character depth ended up taking the actor too far (and in the wrong direction). By privileging the detail, Stolz lost the sense of the whole. His compreehension of Marty as a tragic hero who ultimately returns to a future in which his family is financially well off, but where he lands as an outsider, certainly added layers to the character, but it also took away much of his charm and humor.

While the approach of Michael J. Fox is extremely humanistic in his fumbling quest to “do the right thing”, Stolz highlighted the futility of any action. As interesting as this “memento mori” version of Marty may seem, it takes a huge step away from comedy and it is no surprise that Stolz was removed from the project.

The biggest problem of Stolz, ultimately, was his method apparently made him a prisoner, instead of helping him. Reviewing from time to time the rules we impose on ourselves can be as important as the method itself, because if the rules are preventing our growth, then they are not rules, but chains holding us back.

No method is equally applicable in all situations, and it will always be necessary to contextualize and to adapt, which reminds me of another story told by the great Brazilian accordion virtuoso and composer Luiz Gonzaga in an interview.

In his youth, Gonzava tried to join the army band, but was dismissed after failing in playing the “E flat” the conductor demanded. At the end of the interview the reporter asked him if in order to be a great accordion player it was really necessary to know how to play an E-flat.

Gonzaga responded between laughs: “Look, to this day I do not know what a E-flat is. I play by ear.”

Be seeing you!

G.F.

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Heaven has been particularly jazzy lately. In addition to the arrival of João Donato and Tony Bennett last week, this week they needed singers there and Leny Andrade e Dóris Monteiro, two muses who had already beautifully fulfilled their missions on this plan, went to shine from high above, like the true real stars they are.

I had the pleasure of seeing them both on stage and such experiences are worth a lesson in singing and devotion to art. Both were demanding performers and profound music connoisseurs. Leny was a classic painist and Doris had also a successful career in movies.

In addition to that, they had in common the precision of singing, accurate sense for the new (they were, for example, pioneers in what we know today as concept albums) and the impeccable good taste in choosing songs to their repertoires. They understood plenty how powerful voices can be.

Leny was known as the “singer of the musicians” and, in that sense, she is very similar to another diva, Ella Fitzgerald, with whom she also shared talent for scats. Doris, in turn, played an imporant part i: the golden age of the “chanchadas”, back in the 1950s. Chanchadas were Brazilian musicals, whose light narrative thread was sewn by performances of the most famous radio stars of the period.

Doris and Leny helped immensily in the construction of MPB (Brazilian popular music), a genre formed by the different nuances of what internationally became known as Brazilian Jazz, including but not limited to Bossa Nova and there is certainly much more to say about these wonderful women, but I would rather leave you with a couple of suggestions, in case you are not already familiar with their very special voices. Here ist goes:

Leny Andrade: I recommend the album that introduced me to the diva: Nós (Us, 1993). The piano (played by Cesar Camargo Mariano) and voice format gives Leny all the freedom to do what she likes best: improvise and enchant us with her vocal resources and her unmistakable timbre.

Doris Monteiro: Released in 1971, “Doris” is one of those albums that do not age as years go by. Its repertoire, ranging from Pixinguinha to Tom Jobim, and its modern visual conception, in the best “Doris style” remain thought-provoking and up-to-date.

Be seeing you!

G.F.

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I really like the movies directed by Wes Anderson. I like the colors, the costumes, the direction and, above all, the ingenious scripts. I recently watched Rushmore, a turn-of-the-century Anderson.

The last of the titles I saw on my back-to-the-Wes-Anderson universe journey was The French Dispatch. To be honest, I was not really excited to see the movie at first. The fragmented structure of the stories did not seem very interesting to me in the trailer, but I am taking very seriously my attempts to return to the world of movie-wtachers and book worms. And being a person that eventually sleeps well, but I do not want to get ahead of myself.

Here is the story: I have always been a person surrounded by books and the passion for cinema is equally old, but for some reason or several reasons (I still need to elaborate further) in recent years I have strggled to keep a reading routine and completed distanced myself from films. New releases? No interest. Oscar favourites? Those did not even get my attention.

My disdainful attitude was such that even if, from time to time, I felt like revisiting a classic, something always got in my way and I ended up forgetting to return to the world of movies. However, given my current erratic sleep rhythm, I decided to apply a formula that often works: when the routine is not working, change the routine.

I started with Fassbinder, then Cassavettes, the Tarantino and to Wes Anderson it was just a matter of time. And from there to Feng Shui just a matter of words.

Despite my delight with The French Dispatch, I was still not quite sure about the meaning of the word “dispatch”. After a quick search, among the definitions I found, two fit the title perfectly:

  1. the sending of someone or something to a destination or for a purpose
  2. a report sent in by a newspaper’s correspondent from a far away place

That is, ‘dispatch’, used as a noun, has to do with movement. And movement is about change, and I really could use a change! A big philosophical change? I wish! I was going for a much more basic kind of change, one that is essential to sustaining life: the change between sleep and wakefulness states.

It has been a while since I try to improve the quality of my sleep (yes, I know, there are many of us out there, babe). After trying teas, breathing exercises and healing oils, I remembered a resource not used in a long while: Feng Shui! Or, at least, an application of the age-old technique in home decor. It consists of rearranging the furniture and objects in the rooms, in order to make the energy flow more efficiently.

I have spent the whole day moving furniture around, cleaning, throwing useless things in the trash. The whole process raised an admirable amount of dust, causing a sinusitis crises, but otherwise an immense amount of joy, as Ms. Kondo would say or “functionality”, as I would say.

An example? Long ago I had positioned an armchair and a small table near the window to be my reading corner. However, every time I sat there with a book, there was a problem (too windy, too sunny, too much outside noise) and teh reading would not continue. I tried many times and failed miserably.

The solution: my wardrobe, which was previously kind of hidden in the gap behind the door is now in the problematic area near the window. And the gap behind the door became my new, upgraded reading corner. It has now not only the armchair and the table, but also a lamp!

And did all this moving and dusting work? It sure did. By the time I sat down to try out the new ambience, I did not feel like leaving at all. Even better, now I have the reading corner close to the bed, which has also a new position.

Dreamy nights, here I come.

Be seeing you!

G.F.

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I once heard from a producer that every singer worth his salt has had a Russian ballet teacher in her/his life. No, he did not think singers had first to wear a tutu and get to know the world of pliés and staccatos. What he meant is that great singers always have a story to tell about some strict teacher who turned their life into a real hell, but who was somehow also responsable for their blossom.

The definition of tough love (“promotion of a person’s welfare, especially that of an addict, child, or criminal, by enforcing certain constraints on them, or requiring them to take responsibility for their actions”) explains it very well. Sounds familiar? That means you also had a Rusian ballet teacher in your life (you know: a small lady, exemplary erect and keeping her feet slightly apart, while holding a staff that energetically timed each movement).

One of my favorite representations of the master-apprentice relationship is the movie Whiplash (2014, dir. Damien Chazelle). The soundtrack is superb and the story takes a very interesting approach to the master-apprentice relationship.

The plot revolves around the relationship between a young jazz drummer and his abusive instructor at a prestigious music academy. As the young drummer strives for excellence and perfection, the instructor employs extreme teaching methods, testing the limits of both student and teacher. Tensions rise as their complex and often toxic relationship unfolds, ultimately leading to a climactic showdown.

Abusive relationships can often be glamorized when observed through the rearview mirror of memory. I had my share of “Russian ballet teachers” and I can tell you clear and loud: I do not miss those days, not even a tiny bit. To be very honest with you: I am aware of the skills developed through tough love, but its side effects can be devastating and the risk is simply too high to be taken.

Discipline and determination can also be exercised in an environment where it is possible to make mistakes without fear. Encouraging, listening and, most importantly, empathizing are also key elements. In short: before blossowing comes nurturing.

Yellow September, a month dedicated to talking about mental disorders, is coming to an end, but it is always time to remember that our mental health should be a priority in any relationship.

Be seeing you!

G.F.

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Hey, there! Good to see you again. That means you stick with me despite my random posting days. Thank you very much for that! Maybe you are also like me: sometimes a step ahead, but mostly a few steps behind the schedule. If so (and even more if not), thank you for the company! It really means a lot me.

As you know, March was hard, but I cannot complain about April. I was interviewed for the Ilustre Podcast, a small jewel made by an illustrator, my dear friend E., and could talk about my musical and research projects (to be aired on April 28th, stay tuned!). There is also another comic art related event coming by the end of the month, but I will not tell about it now. Oh, the mystery …

A busy month, as you see. Well, maybe not so busy for you, but quite so for me, since I had to add to the current month´s agenda all the remaining activities from last month. Procrastinators have the toughest life, trust me. To confirm my theory that procrastination can hit us all and nobody is really safe, I got an e-mail from one of my favourite newsletters and, guess what? It was about procrastination! And coming from one of the most productive professionals I know. Earthshaking!

My secret to keep a positive attitude about procrastination is cheating on it. How I do it? I fill my procrastination time with things that I can use later: from cooking to doing the laundry, any mildly challenging household activity will usually do. But some days require major measures, like watching a movie. Following the suggestion of my cinephile sister, I saw the 1969 classic They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?

Set in 1932, during the great Depression, the plot brings light to a lesser known moment in the USA history, the dance marathon contests. It is impossible not to be amazed by the accurate way it shows the origin and the essence of today’s reality television shows. Scary! A masterpiece, no doubt, but what really caught my attention was that the only tender element in the bitterly sad story was the music.

The beautiful jazz ballads from the 1930´s bring rare moments of relief to the tense narrative, and the black musicians playing it are portrayed as having way more dignity and class than the pitiful, starving bunch of white marathon dancers. A new approach made possible by the late 1960´s social movements maybe, but certainly something to think about today.

See how far procrastination can take you?

Be seeing you!

G.F.