❧❧❧ Whatever you can do or dream, you can BEGIN IT. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Goethe ❧❧❧
❧❧❧ You were born whole, not broken. Sandra Hammel ❧❧❧
................................................... Nick Drake ~ A Skin Too Few ~ Documentary ~ Part 4 Uploaded by sunshineonsnow
I knew of Heath's interest in singer and songwriter Nick Drake. Heath wanted to do a film about the singer/songwriter. And I knew of Nick Drake's life with depression. But still when I read the part that I colored gray below, I slumped over my computer keyboard in a moment of despair.
I know a lot of people don't like wikipedia, however I have included sections here from it about Nick Drake...
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974) was an Englishsinger-songwriter and musician best known for his haunting, acoustic, autumn tinged songs. His primary instrument was the guitar, although he was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone. Although he failed to find a wide audience during his lifetime, Drake's work has become more and more listened to and respected, to the point that he now ranks among the most influential English singer-songwriters of the last 50 years.
Drake signed to Island Records when he was 20 years old and released his debut album, Five Leaves Left, in 1969. By 1972, he had recorded two more albums—Bryter Layter and Pink Moon. None of the albums sold more than 5,000 copies on their initial release. His reluctance to perform live or be interviewed further contributed to his lack of commercial success. Despite this, he was able to gather a loyal group of fans who would champion his music. One such person was his manager, Joe Boyd, who had a clause put into his own contract with Island Records that ensured Drake's records would never go out of print. Drake suffered from depression and insomnia throughout his life, and these topics were often reflected in his lyrics. Upon completion of his third album, 1972's Pink Moon, he withdrew from both live performance and recording, retreating to his parents' home in rural Warwickshire. On 25 November 1974, Drake died from an overdose of amitriptyline, a prescribed antidepressant; he was 26 years old.
Death of Nick Drake
...At some time during the night of 24/25 November 1974, Nick Drake died at home in Far Leys from an overdose of amitriptyline, a type of antidepressant. He had gone to bed early the night before, after spending the afternoon visiting a friend. His mother claimed that, around dawn, he left his room for the kitchen. His family was used to hearing him do this many times before but, during this instance, he did not make a sound. They presumed that he was eating a bowl of cereal. He returned to his room a short while later, and took some pills "to help him sleep".
Drake was accustomed to keeping his own hours; he frequently had difficulty sleeping, and would often stay up through the night playing and listening to music, then sleeping late into the following morning. Recalling the events of that night, his mother later stated: "I never used to disturb him at all. But it was about 12 o’clock, and I went in, because really it seemed it was time he got up. And he was lying across the bed. The first thing I saw was his long, long legs." .......Reasoning that Drake may have taken a high dosage of his antidepressants in order to recapture this sense of optimism, he said he prefers to imagine Drake "making a desperate lunge for life rather than a calculated surrender to death".
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It is stated that Drake's lyrics included the moon, stars, sea, rain, trees, sky, mist and seasons.
This to me was also striking because of something I saw Heath had said about such things.
Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is opening in New York City and Los Angeles Christmas Day but no plans by Sony Pictures Classics to open it wide at the present time.
This the final movie with Heath Ledger. He died before the movie was completed. And the movie was finished anyway to honor Heath.
Youtube disabled the embed feature for this video, so click the link above and see and hear it. It is uploaded by mimccd Thanks, Carla!
Fly lyrics:
Please give me a second grace. Please give me a second face. I've fallen far down, the first time around, now I just sit on the ground in your way.
Now if it's time to recompense for what's done, come, come sit down on the fence in the sun. And the clouds will roll by and we'll never deny- it's really too hard for to fly.
Please tell me your second name. Please play me your second game. I've fallen so far for the people you are, I just need your star for a day.
So come, come ride in my streetcar by the bay for now I must know how fine you are in your way. And the sea sure as I, but she won't need to cry for it's really too hard for to fly.
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There is a wonderful interview by Theresa of Nicola Picorini, the Director of Photography of Heath Ledger's final movie, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus at imaginariumofdrparnassus.com
Here is a small portion:
Theresa: You worked with Heath Ledger on Sin Eater (The Order), Brothers Grimm and The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus. What was he like to work with? I know that he was very interested in directing, camera angles, and all areas of movie making. Did he make suggestions to you at any time?
Nicola: I had the good fortune to meet Heath back in 2001 on the prep of the Sin Eater in Rome. We quickly became good friends and then we became brothers. Actually better than brothers. A brother is someone “forced on you” whether older of younger, is not your choice, either you find him or he arrives and you learn to accept him and eventually love him, but you do not pick each other. Me and Heath, we picked each other, and strangely enough he was the older, wiser brother. He had a wisdom and a depth far beyond his years. And, his curiosity was endless, he was like a sponge. If something interested him he would soak in it and never be satisfied till he would understand it and grasp the essence of it. His generosity matched his hunger for knowledge.
At first his interest in the technicalities of the shoot was motivated by his desire of having as much control of his acting, within what I call the “optical stage”, as possible. He understood very early on that there is a big difference between acting for a tight close up or for a wide shot and when we worked on Brothers Grimm he immediately embraced our style of shooting with wide lenses. He loved the special relation that a 14mm a few inches from your face can offer you. Before every set up he would come to peek in the eyepiece. He often wanted to have the on-board monitor turned toward him during rehearsals to make sure to learn the space available. He was a quick learner. He often made suggestions, always asked questions, never took anything for granted or with supponence.
Not only he was interested in directing, he directed. We shot a music video together (Ben Harper’s “Morning Yearning”) and it was a pleasure from beginning to end. He knew exactly what he wanted, what he needed and at the same time, he was always humble and listened to anyone who would step forward with a sensible idea. He was a volcano of ideas. He had this deep passion for Nick Drake’s music and life and I was lucky enough to be included in his process of finding a way to tell the story and put together a movie. After the shooting of Parnassus we were supposed to take off and follow Nick Drake’s footsteps in that trip to Morocco that supposedly changed his life. Heath’s idea was still brewing, but he felt that, that trip was the key to the storytelling.
Another project we had was to make something about gypsy music (he discovered it while in Prague filming Brothers Grimm and he fell in love with it.) He got Ben Harper involved and excited about it. It would have been yet another wonderful adventure. There is so much he was capable of and unfortunately none of this will happen. Sometimes I feel that we should finish what he started, but at the same time I know that without his genius nothing would do it justice…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My comment left to this :
*”After the shooting of Parnassus we were supposed to take off and follow Nick Drake’s footsteps in that trip to Morocco that supposedly changed his life. Heath’s idea was still brewing, but he felt that, that trip was the key to the storytelling.
Another project we had was to make something about gypsy music (**he discovered it while in Prague filming Brothers Grimm and he fell in love with it.) He got Ben Harper involved and excited about it. It would have been yet another wonderful adventure. There is so much he was capable of and unfortunately none of this will happen.”
* This part made my eyes freeze on the words and my heart sink all at the same time.
**This will make me search gypsy music on youtube.
I only discovered Heath’s work after he left his mortal body and now I am somewhat obsessed with learning more and more about him. It is Heath that inspired me to be on this quick learning curve to make youtube videos…the majority about Heath in his movies.
As I posted last night on my blog ~ from the song A Case of You:
I remember that time you told me you said “Love is touching souls” Surely you touched mine ‘Cause part of you pours out of me In these lines from time to time Oh, you’re in my blood like holy wine You taste (so bitter and) so sweet
Oh I could drink a case of you darling And I would still be on my feet I would still be on my feet.
I so hope we can get The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus to open wide in the USA.
The love of those who feel a bond with Heath is a wondrous thing. Thank you for the heartfelt hug….feel me hugging you back.
If we could get all the people on the planet together in one place who love Heath, surely world peace would find the catalyst there and be on its way.
There is something magical about Heath Ledger that transcends his death. Heath and those who love and appreciate his spirit and works ~ and those who have yet to discover his work ~ deserve to have The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus released wide.
Here’s the announcement, however, please note three important things, nationwide release IS NOT wide release. That means it will open in states other than NY and California across the country, but that doesn’t necessarily mean every state and definitely NOT every city. It also is a platform release which means that it will be released STARTING January 8, 2010 to a few cities a week or so and that will continue on for a while. Also it will ONLY be in arthouse theaters, not in your local big theaters or multiplexes. It’s explained a little more thoroughly in the announcement we made about it at this link: HERE So, we continue to work toward a wider release and to see it at our local multiplexes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Support site to get The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus to open wide in the USA for all fans: www.imaginariumofdrparnassus.com
Found this video at the support site for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus and by support site I mean - support to get Sony Pictures Classics to open the movie more than is planned right now ~ Los Angeles and New York City.
December 7, 2009 ~ The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassusinterview with Director Terry Glliam in New York City to coincide with the Monday evening red carpet screening of the film in New York.Go to THE SUPPORT WEBSITE for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
and leave a comment to support USA nationwide release of The Imaginarium ofDoctor Parnassus by Sony Pictures.
AND
Help get The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassu in our local theatres in the USA. It is our last chance to see Heath on screen in a new film. Don't let us be left out. Go to this link to DEMAND IT: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
This is a wonderful video. My heart sunk when I saw the picture at the beach. I became a Heath Ledger loving fan this year. Even in death, Heath reaches out and grabs hearts and souls. Bless him.
Those of us who feel Heath's radiant spirit and know that his eyes expressed his soul ~ share a special awareness of beauty.
Wes Bentley who co-starred with Heath in The Four Feathers expresses himself about Heath in this article as well as:
Terry Gilliam, Director of Brothers Grimm and The Imaginarium and Doctor Parnassus, Marc Forster, director of Monster's Ball, Todd Black producer of A Knights Tale, Donna Morong, the casting director of Ten I Hate About You, Gil Yunger, director of Ten Things, Steve Alexander, agent, Mel Gibson, Catherine Hardwicke, director of The Lords of Dogtown, Diana Ossand, screenwriter of Brokeback Mountain, James Schamus, producer of Brokeback, Rodrigo Prieto, cimematographer of Brokeback, Nicola Pecorini, friend and cinematographer, Gary Oldman, Emma Thomas both of The Dark Knight, Charles Roven of TDK and Brothers Grimm.
Alexander: Sony asked me to come over and read the script for Spider-Man. It was going to be a really cool tentpole movie. But as soon as I said Spider-Man, Heath said, ''It's not for me. I would be taking someone else's dream away.'' He never second-guessed his decisions or said ''what if'' — which was amazing, because I certainly did!
Marc Forster, director, Monster's Ball: When he read the script, Heath said, ''Look, I get this character. I totally understand him. I'll come down there and breathe in that world.'' He wanted to try something different, something where the movie wasn't resting on his shoulders. The one thing he said was, ''I'm not going to participate in the promotion of the movie. I’m just going to come in and focus on the acting.''
Alexander:Monster's Ball (pictured) definitely did some heavy lifting for him. A lot of important filmmakers and studio executives saw him in a different way after that movie. It achieved exactly what we wanted it to in terms of stripping away the shininess of a leading man.
By 2004, Ledger's career momentum had slowed following a series of critical and financial flops: the period epic Four Feathers(pictured), the Australian Western Ned Kelly, and the horror film The Order.
Alexander: Heath was going through growing pains. He wasn't really going forward, he wasn't really falling back — it was just kind of a push. He was getting more experience, but the movies weren't working. He said he was sort of tearing his career down so it could be built back up the right way.
Bentley: Heath didn't give himself enough credit for his talent as an actor. He didn't know what he had so he decided to enjoy what was being offered to him. I wanted to explain to him, ''Please wake up to how great you are.'' He didn't have any classical training. He didn't have anyone making him feel like he had credibility. The only voice he listened to was his own self critic, because it was the loudest.
Alexander: Heath generally backed out of almost every movie that he did. He would say yes to something and then he really started thinking about it and it would spin him out. He'd go away and he'd tinker and play and then we'd have a conversation several weeks later and he'd say, ''I got it. I figured it out.''
Terry Gilliam, director, The Brothers Grimm: [Cinematographer] Nicola Pecorini was working on The Order, and he called me and said, ''This kid is extraordinary. He's fearless.'' I went out to L.A. and met Heath and just liked him immediately. As we were talking, he was constantly jiggling around. I was like, ''That's great — you've got to keep that.'' He just had this incredible energy that was intense but very vulnerable at the same time. Heath was determined to be his own man, despite his success. Johnny Depp was someone he really admired. I introduced them at the Toronto Film Festival. Johnny has a good sense of competition. Right from the start, he was just, like, ''Ooh, this guy — watch out!''
Black: Heath was the pied piper. If you were sad, he took care of you. If you were happy, he made you happier just by dancing or talking or laughing. Fear didn't enter his psyche. He would say whatever was on his mind. If he didn't like you, you would know it, and if he liked you, you would know it.
Gilliam: He was a very old soul. When we were in Prague doing Grimm, there was one night we went to see this gypsy band. Somehow his age came up in conversation. At that time, Matt Damon was 32, and I always felt Heath was the same age, if not older. He said, ''I'm 24.'' I said, ''What? That's not possible!'' He had a kind of wisdom you only get from centuries of former life. He could talk about any number of things — books, ideas — and this was not a 24-year-old you were talking to. Maybe he was part aborigine somewhere down the line.
Bentley: Heath had great taste in music. He always knew what to play at 5 a.m.: Neil Young, ''Old Man.'' He'd find the right time for it and sneak it in.
Diana Ossana, screenwriter, Brokeback Mountain: I called Steve Alexander and said. ''Get this script to Heath now.'' Heath was with [then-girlfriend] Naomi Watts in New York and on the way back to Australia, they both read it. When I met Heath, he told me that after they read the script, Naomi was jumping up and down on the bed going, ''You have to do this! This will repay you in ways that you can't imagine!''
James Schamus, producer, Brokeback Mountain: Heath was somebody that [screenwriters] Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana had always used as a reference point in writing the character of Ennis. You knew that part was in Heath. It was just a question of whether Ang could bring it out. Heath met Ang, and it was one of those funny conversations. All Ang wants is about 45 minutes to stare at the person. He doesn't need to say anything and doesn't care what the person has to say. But the minute Heath left it was like, ''Okay, great. Yep.''
Hardwicke: Heath said, ''I've got to go be a gay cowboy.'' And everyone was talking every which way, making every kind of joke. You knew it was going to be great and he had to do it. But there was the fear embodied in it, too: What was I thinking? Did I really agree to this?
Bentley: I had the offer [for Brokeback], like, five years earlier, when Gus Van Sant was going to direct it. I was definitely interested but it didn't come together. And then Heath brought it up. I got to make fun of him a lot. I said, ''You know you're going to be the gay cowboy for the rest of your life.'' It was scary for him. He wasn't gay — quite the opposite. But crossing that boundary, I don't know if I could have done it the way he did it. Heath got beyond that.
Pecorini: Heath was extremely relieved he didn't win the Oscar. I saw him the next day and he was like, ''It's a big, bloody weight off my back.'' I said, ''Don't you have even a little regret?'' He said, ''No. It's over! I'm free now!'' If he had won, he would have had to deal even more with this system that wanted to guide his career and his life. He immediately threw himself back into a project that was really important to him: a movie he wanted to make about ['60s British singer] Nick Drake. That was one of his dream projects. The moment the Oscars were over, he said, ''Now we can do the Nick Drake thing.''
Pecorini: When he came to me with the first makeup test of the Joker, I said, ''S---, man, they're going to fire you!'' And he said, ''Maybe, but that's the only way I can play it.'' Movie studios are scared of daring. They're scared of pushing the envelope. And Heath was exactly the opposite. He was always pushing, pushing, pushing. It was in his nature to push the boundaries.
Gilliam: Heath was exhilarated by playing the Joker. He said, ''I'm able to do things I never believed were inside me.'' He's working with great actors, like Gary Oldman and Aaron Eckhart, and he'd say, ''I go into these scenes, and they can't do anything to me!'' He used to just giggle that he had found a character that was impregnable. They could beat him, hit him, and it wouldn't make a difference because he was so utterly wacko. It freed him up and got him out of that uncertainty after Brokeback. It was just, ''Let's go. Let's fly.'' And he flew.
Roven: I showed Heath the first six minutes of The Dark Knight, the bank heist sequence, on an IMAX screen in London. I said, ''You have to see this. You haven't seen yourself be the Joker!'' He watched it, and it just blew his mind. He was so thrilled, he was just laughing. He said, ''I want to see it again!'' It's not an easy thing to rethread an IMAX, so it took about 15 minutes but we showed it to him again. That was the last time I saw him.
In late 2007, Ledger went into production on Gilliam's next film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (pictured). It was a time of intense stress, as his relationship with Williams was falling apart. Ledger began to complain of terrible difficulty sleeping.
Hardwicke: The pressures he was under, with his family, his daughter, everything, would stress out any yogi. Buddha would be stressed. You're being buffeted and pulled and tempted and flown across the ocean back and forth — how does anybody survive that? Obviously a lot of people don't.
Gilliam: All of us who were close to Heath knew what was going on, and it was not the most pleasant experience.... He was obsessed with his daughter. She became the center of his thoughts. He would drag her up to my house in London. Here's Heath, Academy Award nominee, and he'd just grab his daughter, stick her in a backpack, hop on the Tube, and come up to the house. Nobody would have thought, There's Heath Ledger. He was just a guy with a kid.
Pecorini: Separation when there is a kid involved is always very painful, no matter what. And Heath was always very hard on himself. His tendency was always to say, ''What did I do wrong?'' He was really bleeding. And I'm pretty sure that all his sleeping problems had nothing to do with work and all to do with Matilda and Michelle.
Oldman: Most of the conversations we had were about family. I think because I had been through being a single dad in the past, he was picking my brain a little. The last time I saw him, he said he was looking forward to spending some time with Matilda.
Pecorini: I'm convinced Heath caught pneumonia at the end of that year. I remember I forced him to see a doctor, even though he didn't want to. The doctor said, ''Yes, you have the beginning of pneumonia. You'd better get antibiotics and go home and sleep.'' He got the antibiotics, but he refused to go home and sleep. And that very night, he delivered one of his best performances I have ever seen him deliver. He went on nerves, mainly. (Pictured at 2007's Venice Film Festival)
In January 2008, Ledger traveled to New York for a brief break from filming on Parnassus. On Jan. 22, he was found dead in his SoHo apartment. There was immediate speculation he had overdosed on illicit drugs, but autopsy reports ruled his death an accidental toxic combination of prescription painkillers, anti-anxiety medication, and sleeping pills.
Gilliam: I was in Vancouver, and there was a computer with a BBC website and it says, ''Heath Ledger found dead.'' My immediate response was, ''It's a f---ing Warner Bros. publicity stunt for the Joker!'' We kept looking at the computer thinking it was going to change. But it wouldn't go away.
Hardwicke: I was in a van in Oregon scouting a location we shot for Twilight. And my phone just exploded. And then you're just on the ground, weeping. At least I was outside in this beautiful place with the trees and the green and you could just try to connect with his spirit right then.
Schamus: It was one of those ''where were you on the day Kennedy was shot'' moments. I called Jake and remember wailing.
Oldman: I call it the cosmic s--- hammer. Just one of those things. I can't even say I ever remember seeing Heath smoking. It was a complete shock.
Gilliam: They tried so hard to pin [drug abuse] on him, but they couldn't because Heath was as clean as you could be. We know about the pills. But he had stopped smoking. Marijuana was no longer in his life, which he had enjoyed a bit. He wasn't drinking. Nothing. This was a body that had cleansed itself for over a year of anything.
Pecorini: He was so solid into keeping clean, it was quite stunning. I really think he died of a broken heart. I know it can sound very romantic, but it's very tragic. I think that's what killed him.
Alexander: We were making these incredible plans about what was next, career-wise. The day after he died, he was going to meet Steven Spielberg to explore the idea of playing Tom Hayden in a movie about the Chicago 7. This wasn't a guy who was even for a second thinking about checking out in any way, shape, or form. There's a moment in The Dark Knight when Heath's hanging upside down and he says to Batman, ''You and I are destined to do this forever.'' It's a very sad moment. A sequel certainly would have happened. I cringe when I read that he was a tortured soul or a Method actor who couldn't get out of his own way because he'd played this dark character. It's just not true.
Bentley: I wish I knew what was going on with the prescription drugs. I could have said, ''That's not gonna help. Don't mix all that.'' I think he just didn't know what he was doing. I feel like at least he would have listened to me. I didn't go to the funeral because I know Heath would have been laughing at it. He would have had that smile on his face. At the very least he would have shrugged it off.
Pecorini: I remember when we went to the memorial service, most of the people there had nothing to do with Heath. He used to despise most of them, and there was no reason for them to be there. I understand the family wanting to give the ''Hollywood community,'' so-called, the opportunity of saying goodbye. But I’m telling you, 85 percent of the people in that room had no right to be there. It was pretty disturbing for me.
Oldman: If Heath does get an Oscar nomination, I can just picture him up there, looking down and going, F---!
Pecorini: We joked about [an Oscar nomination]. Heath used to say, ''This time I'm going to give them such a hard time — they'll have to cry to get an interview.'' He knew he'd done something special. But he was saying, ''This time I’m going to lead the dance.''
This was one of the comments left by A Kindred SpiritFri, Feb 13, 09 for this article:
I found myself struck by the tragedy of this young man's death. I didn't know the man and can't claim to know what was going on in his head, but obviously, he was in pain. I believe that he was only trying to find some peace and rest. I think that he just wanted the pain in his head and his heart to quiet just long enough to let him sleep...and in his desperation, he slept too deeply. The man was a damn good actor and by all accounts, a genuinely nice man who loved his daughter. God rest.
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......................................... Heath Ledger wanted to do a movie about Nick Drake. A very well-done video of Nick Drake's Pink Moon Uploaded by leeses1973
This is the best Pink Moon video on Youtube that I have seen.The undulating and swaying visuals are a perfect match for the rhythmic undercurrent of the guitar.And I love the percussive picture displays "dancing" in ensemble with the songs percussive rhythm sections.
Great work, Lisa.Heath would like this very much.Hopefully, he is smiling at it from where he is.
I haven't seen all of Heath Ledgers films but of those I have seen my favorite is The Four Feathers... and Brokeback Mountain and A Knights Tale are my next favorites. I love the special features on the dvds, especially those on A Knights Tale. I have many more to see.
Harry's Journey from The Four Feathers Text from the Youtube page's sidebar: Heath Ledger as Harry Faversham in "The Four Feathers" is remarkable, and this video is a tribute to the soul-searching, fear-facing, courageous journey Harry took into the Sudan to find himself and his inner-strength.
His "return to himself" is a line in Return To Innocence - a song by Enigma, which is used with this video . Uploaded by MrsLauraLedger
I have been recommending The Four Feathers to friends, strangers and my doctor. I loaned my copy out today to someone who has been having a hard time finding it to rent. In my state you can get dvds from any library in the state for free. Once I passionately love a movie I buy it at amazon.com Even if I can record them from TV, I want the dvds because of the special features. Love the special features.
The Four Feathers - One of many Special Features - Part 1 Text from this Youtube: The special features of The Four Feathers are awesome. Shekhar Kapur has done a tremendous job directing this movie. A lot of wisdom is contained in this film and these clips give a pretty good indication of the sheer depth of it. Uploaded by springrose147
The Four Feathers - One of many Special Features - Part 2 Text from this Youtube: A lot of wisdom is contained in 'The Four Feathers... Shekhar Kapur beautifully explains some of the deeper meanings... Uploaded by springrose147
The Four Feathers - One of many Special Features - Part 3 Text from this Youtube: The special features of The Four Feathers are awesome. Shekhar Kapur has done a tremendous job directing this movie. A lot of wisdom is contained in this film and these clips give a pretty good indication of the sheer depth of it. Uploaded by springrose147
...................................................... Music video montage with pics from The Four Feathers movie and song Mea Culpa by Enigma Uploaded by martinmoviecompany
...................................................... Heath Ledger Parts of 60 Minutes (Australia) 2001 interview Tara Brown interviews Heath Ledger. Uploaded by springrose147
Charlie Rose with Heath Ledger in In Memoriam on Tuesday, January 22, 2008 - 7 minutes. I posted the hour long interview on Charlie Rose with Ang Lee and Heath Ledger regarding the film Brokeback Mountain on my previous post. This post's video takes portions of the hour long interview as a memoriam to Heath.
When Day is Done by British singer-songwriter Nick Drake. Heath wanted to make a movie about Nick Drake, who died in 1974 at the age of 26. He developed a posthumous cult following. During the productions of The Dark Knight, Heath had created a music video based on one of Drake's songs, Black Eyed Dog
Drake suffered from depression, insomnia and Drake died from an overdose of amitriptyline, an anti-depressant. This information was taken from the current cover story of Vanity Fair (August 2009), page 134, first column.
I am not sure if this video is the one Heath did. In the comments at Youtube PlasticPunkDoll says that this is basically it, except adds this comment: "The ending is different because Heath ends up drowning himself in a bathtub. They've only shown it publicly twice, so this is the best you'll get right now."
Lyrics
A black eyed dog he called at my door The black eyed dog he called for more A black eyed dog he knew my name A black eyed dog he knew my name A black eyed dog A black eyed dog.
I'm growing old and I wanna go home I'm growiing old and I don't wanna know I'm growing old and I wanna go home.
A black eyed dog he called at my door A black eyed dog he called for more
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake (19 June 1948 – 25 November 1974) was an English singer-songwriter and musician best known for his acoustic, melodic, autumnal songs. His primary instrument was the guitar, though he was also proficient at piano, clarinet, and saxophone. Although he failed to find a wide audience during his lifetime, Drake's work has grown steadily in stature, to the extent that he now ranks among the most influential English singer-songwriters of the last 50 years.[2][3][4]
Drake signed to Island Records when he was 20 years old and released his debut album, Five Leaves Left, in 1969. By 1972, he had recorded two more albums—Bryter Layter and Pink Moon. None of the albums sold more than 5,000 copies on their initial release.[5] His reluctance to perform live or be interviewed further contributed to his lack of commercial success. Despite this, he was able to gather a loyal group of fans who would champion his music. One such person was his manager, Joe Boyd, who had a clause put into his own contract with Island Records that ensured Drake's records would never go out of print.
Drake suffered from depression and insomnia throughout his life, and these topics were often reflected in his lyrics. Upon completion of his third album, 1972's Pink Moon, he withdrew from both live performance and recording, retreating to his parents' home in rural Warwickshire. On 25 November 1974, Drake died from an overdose of amitriptyline, a prescribed antidepressant; he was 26 years old.
Place to Be Lyrics When I was younger, younger than before I never saw the truth hanging from the door And now I'm older see it face to face And now I'm older gotta get up clean the place.
And I was green, greener than the hill Where the flowers grew and the sun shone still Now I'm darker than the deepest sea Just hand me down, give me a place to be.
And I was strong, strong in the sun I thought I'd see when day is done Now I'm weaker than the palest blue Oh, so weak in this need for you.
..................................................... Heath Ledger - Rare behind the scenes video Text from youtube page sidebar: Rare videos and pictures from behind the scenes of the music videos Heath directed as well as footage of Heath fooling around, surfing, talking to camera and playing in the pool with Matilda. A beautiful video. Uploaded by RememberingHeath
I love my life. I love where I live. And I am passionate about my passions. I love to dance. Necessary to live: music, piano, singing, writing, acting, painting.
I have been fighting for and supporting the arts all my adult life. Since 2004, I have been working with other activists to end the Darfur genocide.
I have traveled to Europe many times since my early twenties. Places I have been: many USA states including Hawaii, Montreal, Canada, Barbados, France, Spain, Luxembourg, England, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and Germany - and have wonderful memories.
My last trip was in May - June 2013 to Spain.
I would like to travel to Europe and Kyoto, Japan.
I love the southwest where I have visited Hopi, Navajo, Zia and San Idlefonso potters.
Life is exciting and I intend to live it full-out to the end.
B.S. and M.M., both in music
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Khartoum, Sudan Stop Genocide Time
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Spain Time
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Melbourne Time
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Hawaii Time
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RAFA NADAL -BRING BACK LONG PANTS - SLEEVELESS TOPS
Double Click on Videos to Enlarge
Darfur - The Abandoned Genocide - a video by Sandra Hammel
Want to help? Call 1~800~GENOCIDE
"May I Suggest" by Susan Werner
Satchita - Playing for Change
Stand By Me ~ Playing for Change
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Genocide is not only a word,
it is crying of the whole human race.
There is nothing redeeming about being silent
when speaking up is the humane thing to do.
The honor and integrity of the human race is at stake.
