steve de jarnatt is an american film and television director , screenwriter , and short-story author .

de jarnatt is perhaps best known for writing and directing the nuclear-apocalypse thriller miracle mile ( 1988 ) and directing the sci-fi film cherry 2000 ( 1987 ) .

in 1983 miracle mile was chosen by american film magazine as one of the ten best unproduced screenplays circulating in hollywood .

that same year de jarnatt received his first screen credit as one of the writers of strange brew , a comedy starring rick moranis and dave thomas as their respective sctv characters bob & doug mckenzie .

de jarnatt has also directed episodic television , including such programs as lizzie mcguire , flight 29 down , er , and alfred hitchcock presents .

his short story " rubiaux rising " appeared in the 2009 edition of the best american short stories , as selected by author alice sebold .

steve de jarnatt

steve de jarnatt <EOT> steve de jarnatt is an american film and television director , screenwriter , and short story author .

steve de jarnatt ' s short story " rubiaux rising " appears in the best american short stories 2009 .

shock’s david bertrand does the distance with writer / director steve de jarnatt about his apocalyptic cult film miracle mile .

description above from the wikipedia article steve de jarnatt , licensed under cc - by - sa , full list of contributors on wikipedia .

q & a with anthony edwards & steve de jarnatt conducted by rumsey taylor . co - presented by not coming to a theater near you .

de jarnatt is also a television director and has worked on such programs as lizzie mcguire , flight 29 down , er and alfred hitchcock presents .

for more in - depth information on steve de jarnatts fascinating life and career , check out robert cass interview at popdose or the miracle mile episode of mike whites projection booth podcast . both were useful resources for this interview . if youre in the toronto area , do yourself one better and come to the royal cinema on saturday , november 12th for the neon dreams presentation of miracle mile in 35mm with steve de jarnatt in person , co - presented by shock till you drop .

( 1987 ) directed by : steve de jarnatt . cast : david andrews , jennifer balgobin , marshall bell , harry carey jr . , larry fishburne , pamela gidley , melanie griffith , michael c . gwynne , brion james , ben johnson .

from wikipedia , the free encyclopedia . steve de jarnatt is an american film and television director , screenwriter , and short story author . he is best known for writing and directing the 1988 nuclear apocalypse thriller miracle mile and the film cherry 2000 . de jarnatt is also a television director and has worked on such programs as lizzie mcguire , flight 29 down , er and alfred hitchcock presents . his short story , rubiaux rising , appeared in the 2009 edition of the best american short stories , as selected by author alice sebold . description above from the wikipedia article steve de jarnatt , licensed under cc - by - sa , full list of contributors on wikipedia .

steve de jarnatt is an american film and television director , screenwriter , and short story author . de jarnatt is perhaps best known for writing and directing the 1988 nuclear apocalypse thriller miracle mile and the film cherry 2000 . in 1983 , miracle mile had been chosen by american film magazine as one of the ten best unmade screenplays . de jarnatt is also a television director and has worked on such programs as lizzie mcguire , flight 29 down , er and alfred hitchcock presents . his short story , rubiaux rising , appeared in the 2009 edition of the best american short stories , as selected by author alice sebold .

welcome to “behind the byline , ” the column in which we share conversations with our current ner writers in all genres . ner fiction editor janice obuchowski speaks with steve de jarnatt , author of “ wraiths in swelter , ” which appears in ner 36 . 2 .

bickford ' s edgy genius has inspired other artists , including northwest cartoonists matt groening ( b . 1954 ) and jim woodring ( b . 1952 ) ; renowned animators , including the bolex brothers ; and fellow filmmakers , including steve de jarnatt and brett ingram ( who included bickford in his 1995 documentary the clay spirit ) .

steve de jarnatt , los angeles , calif . , completed the creative writing m . f . a . program at antioch university , los angeles . he wrote and directed the 1989 movie , miracle mile , among other film and television credits . his first published story , “rubiaux rising , ” appears in the best american short stories 2009 .

steve de jarnatt grew up in the small logging town of longview , washington where he briefly held the state high school record in the quarter mile . after a long career in film and television in los angeles he is trying his hand at academia this year at ou and also transitioning into fiction ( with work in a recent “the best american short stories” )

we did quite a few movies in those five years , and some are remembered and some are forgotten . history picks the cherries and the rest fall into dust . that movie was a great project because it got us together with [ director steve de jarnatt ] , and we’re still good friends . it’s a good memory and it turned out well as a film . the movie became a cult favorite , and tons of money was made from the dvd release , but the way it was structured , [ de jarnatt ] made no money on the dvd . that’s just how hollywood works sometimes .

with a blu - ray release of miracle mile now available from kino lorber who have also put out de jarnatts other feature directorial effort , cherry 2000 ( 1987 )  a bizarre sci - fi desert actioner starring melanie griffith as a gun - for - hire helping david andrews retrieve his fave living sex doll from deserted las vegas  the time has never been better to enjoy steve de jarnatts films the way they should be seen . graciously going above and beyond to make himself available , de jarnatt is flying up to toronto this coming november 12th for a rare 35mm print screening of miracle mile at the fabulous royal cinema as part of the ongoing neon dreams film series ( recently knocking it out of the park with screenings of streets of fire and phantom of the paradise ) . the 35mm print is courtesy of rui pereira of the kingsway theatre .

( columbia , 1966 ) directed by : richard brooks . cast : burt lancaster , lee marvin , robert ryan , woody strode , jack palance , claudia cardinale , ralph bellamy , joe de santis , rafael bertrand , jorge martinez de hoyos .

steve de jarnatt began making experimental shorts and documentaries in his home state of washington . his screenplay for miracle mile made the very first “ten best unproduced scripts in hollywood” list . he struggled eight years to finally get it made ( as director ) and after playing in competition at sundance—it continues to screen around the world in retrospective . ( a blu ray special edition is being released july 2015 by kino lorber classics )

save for directing cherry 2000 and miracle mile , and writing the adventures of bob & doug mckenzie : strange brew , de jarnatt has made a career in television . he is known for directing episodes of alfred hitchcock presents , er , lizzie mcguire , and flight 29 down .

originally intended to be the plot of twilight zone : the movie , the film was a labor of love for writer / director steve de jarnatt , taking nearly a decade to produce independently . miracle mile stands as the definitive time - capsule of reagan - era apocalyptic dread , richly populated by the nocturnal riffraff of l . a . , with its gallery of lonely waitresses , homeless lunatics and neonspandexed bodybuilders scrambling desperately to escape the impending black rain .

de jarnatt was born in colorado but grew up in the small town of longview , washington ( where the father of brian thompson , who plays the helicopter pilot in miracle mile , was steves oceanography teacher ) , before moving to los angeles where he made his home for some 40 years . miracle mile ended up being de jarnatts second and last feature film as director , though he wrote , directed or produced 70 - 80 episodes of television starting in the 1990s . currently , steve is a visiting assistant professor of film in the mfa film program at ohio university in athens , largely retired from the film & television business to write award - winning fiction and has been happily making the rounds doing interviews and hosting screenings of miracle mile since its blu - ray release . pick it up , enjoy the restored image supervised by cinematographer theo van de sande , and check out the cast reunion of character actors ( o - lan jones , earl boen , kurt fuller , denise crosby , brian thompson , danny de la paz , jenette goldstein and more ) at the iconic johnies coffee shop where anthony edwards harry receives a phone call heralding the end of the world as we know it .

tant professor at ohio university ' s mfa film program . in the second part of a three - part interview , i spoke to steve about the making of his ma

" life itself , " based on roger ebert ' s memoir and directed by steve james , will open in theaters and be available on demand on july 4 , 2014 .

jo : steve , it’s quite fun to read a contemporary take on the gothic short story . did you have any writers in mind as you were writing “wraiths in swelter” ?

after ten years in gestation , miracle mile finally nuked theatres in 1989 . the ultimate apocalyptic romance , as anthony edwards races in desperation to find his new beau in and around los angeles miracle mile with nuclear war looming , this project consumed writer / director steve de jarnatts life for the entire 1980s decade . with the vibrant colour scheme and tangerine dream score and haircuts marking the era , miracle mile embodies the fatalism of the meaty 1970s . its a perfect mixture of urgent hope and shocking tragedy and one of the best films of the decade .

steve de jarnatt splits his time between port townsend , washington , and venice , california . his writing has appeared in santa monica review , meridian , joyland , cincinnati review , missouri review , new stories from the midwest 2013 , and best american short stories 2009 , among others . he was a fiction scholar at the sewanee and bread loaf writers’ conferences in 2012 and 2013 , respectively . he is also the director of two cult feature films , miracle mile and cherry 2000 , just released on blu - ray . his story “her great blue” appeared in ner 34 . 1 .

its also a bit of a homecoming , as miracle mile premiered at the toronto international film festival back in 1988 . de jarnatt also got his major industry break in the great white north as the screenwriter  and for a time , attached as director !  of strange brew ( 1983 ) , starring sctvs consummate canadian hosers bob & doug mckenzie ( rick moranis and dave thomas ) .

steve gilbert , issaquah , was appointed executive director of discover burien , which works with local groups and businesses on issues concerning the city’s economy . his main job is at the consulting firm nw business intelligence group .

( 1998 ) directed by : lance mungia . cast : jeffrey falcon , justin mcguire , kim de angelo , stephane gauger , clifford hugo , oleg bernov , zhenya kolykhanov , avi sills , monti ellison .

joshua petker , los angeles , calif . , is pursuing a career as a fine artist after studying at lorenzo de’ medici in florence . his paintings have been exhibited internationally and are included in numerous private collections .

steve house , terrebonne , ore . , had his first book , beyond the mountain , published by patagonia books in september . it won the 2009 boardman tasker prize and the 2009 banff mountain book festival’s best book award for mountain literature .

( 1996 ) directed by : gary dean orona . cast : tane mcclure , steve tietsort , monique parent , robert arron , bill trillo , james e . martin , gary dean orona , christina ruiz , laurel a . johnson , kelli hoffman .

( mgm , 1958 ) directed by : john sturges . cast : robert taylor , richard widmark , patricia owens , robert middleton , henry silva , de forest kelley , burt douglas , eddie firestone , richard h . cutting .

de souza is mostly known for writing such action hits as 48 hrs , die hardand die hard 2 , beverly hills cop ii , and lara croft tomb raider : the cradle of life as well as many episodes of the television series ' the six million dollar men , the bionic woman , and the hardy boys / nancy drew mysteries . additionally , de souza directed the showtime movie , possessed with timothy dalton and christopher plummer , and an episode of the popular hbo series tales from the crypt .

steve booth , delta , b . c . , is a wildlife biologist , wilderness guide and science educator . he spent the last 20 years exploring the planet while organizing and leading expeditions . his travels have taken him to africa , southeast asia , china , australia and the americas .

monger has directed eight feature films and has written over thirty screenplays . he is known for the englishman who went up a hill but came down a mountain and chico de rio , which won the hollywood film festival . he also wrote the popular television film seeing red , for which he received a christopher award .

yes , eddie with the sawed off shotgun . he knew how to use one . he was a wonderful guy . he came in and read . i still have his audition tape , and many others , and i will be putting them up on a miracle mile website later this year . theo van de sande ' s wife , michele o ' hayon , was developing one of his books

de palma gained critical acclaim for directing the film adaptation of stephen king ' s carrie , which starred sissy spacek and piper laurie in their academy award nominated roles . he is also known for helming mission : impossible , dressed to kill , redacted , blow out , femme fatale , and the untouchables , which earned sean connery an academy award for best actor in a supporting role , and the al pacino headliners scarface andcarlito ' s way .

the actors were all you could ask for . the dp , theo van de sande , was fantastic . i had wanted him on cherry 2000 . i had seen his reel , and it was very eclectic . he didn ' t just work in one style . i have used him on a tv pilot and many other things since . he ' s the guy to have with you in the trenches . you need someone fighting as much as you to get everything onscreen .

leach was a theatre & film director , set designer , and screenwriter known for work as the artistic director of new york city ' s la mama experimental theatre company and for having directed 21 productions for the public theater and the new york shakespeare festival . he helmed the stage version of pirates of penzance with kevin kline , linda ronstadt , rex smith and patricia routledge in 1980 as well as the television and broadway productions ; the latter earned leach his first tony for best direction of a musical . he received his second tony in 1984 for the mystery of edwin drood , which originated at the public then transferred to broadway . in film , leach wrote and directed the wedding party on which leach collaborated with two of his sarah lawrence college students brian de palma and cynthia munroe ( the film starred newcomers robert de niro and jill clayburgh ) , coriolanus with denzel washington and morgan freeman , and the tv movie all ' s well that ends well with frances conroy .

recently released on blu - ray by kino lorber , 1988’s “miracle mile” was writer / director steve de jarnatt’s vision of the end of days in a candy colored pop luxe los angeles . it’s a hysterical , lyrically beautiful film . turning the tourist trap of the la brea tar pits and its museum into a widescreen paradise where our adam and eve , anthony edwards as harry and mare winningham as julie , meet and instantly connect . they spend a lovely day together , and the film takes in the various mid - century kitsch of hamburger palaces and coffee shops that were quickly becoming extinct . the film subtly comments that ‘80s los angeles , and everywhere else , had no patience for its history . harry and julie make plans to meet later that night . harry oversleeps and rushes to the diner meeting spot several hours too late . he finds a motley collection of character actors acting out the reagan era version of hopper’s nighthawks . he places a call to julie on the payphone outside the restaurant and starts to walk back in . the phone starts ringing , ecstatic it might be her returning his call he’s in no way prepared for the voice on the other end of the line . a panicked young man thinking he’s calling his father from his missile silo warns that there’s only an hour to get out before the missiles land and wwiii begins . a hail of gunfire ends the voice on the other end of the line . harry walks back in dazed , trying to deny what he’s heard but quickly spreading his panic to the other people in the diner . he can’t take the chance the call was a prank , and he can’t leave for safety without julie and so the race is on .

dj : no , no , it had been johnies for a long time . i think you can hear earl boen ( the terminator and sequels ) , and danny de la paz , who plays the transvestite , talking about that it was originally called romeos times square . but it had been johnnies coffee shop for many years . and thats still whats there . the big sign was actually a prop : we rebuilt an existing sign because the wind destroyed it . i own that , and i have it in a rockabilly hat store in culver city . but i have to move it soon . i think theyre going out of business or something .

devito is best known for directing and performing in such films as the war of the roses , matilda , death to smoochy , throw momma from the train , and duplex , as well as acting in television comedies it ' s always sunny in philadelphia and taxi , which earned him a golden globe and emmy for his portrayal as disgruntled dispatcher louie de palma . he also directs and produces graphic short horror films for his internet venture the blood factory . with his company jersey films , devito has produced such acclaimed motion pictures as pulp fiction , get shorty , erin brokovich ( for which he received an academy award nomination for best picture ) , gattaca and garden state .

pressman’s specialty is discovering new talent and bringing new experiences to motion picture audiences . he is known for fostering the careers of young and inspired filmmakers . director brian de palma showed off his early mastery of suspense in the pressman productions sisters and phantom of the paradise , and terrence malick’s visual genius was first brought to the screen in pressman’s badlands . pressman gave jason reitman his directorial debut with thank you for smoking , and oliver stone his major directorial debut with the hand then produced stone’s academy award - winning wall street and talk radio . with stone , pressman produced kathryn bigelow’s early film , the thriller , blue steel starring jamie lee curtis . pressman is responsible for giving alex proyas his directorial debut with the crow , sylvester stallone his with paradise alley , and david byrne’s his with true stories . in john milius’ conan the barbarian , pressman gave arnold schwarzenegger his first starring role . pressman showcased david gordon green’s talents in one of his early films , undertow , as he did with sam raimi in his early film crimewave written by the coen brothers . he produced documentarian james marsh’s first narrative feature the king starring gael garcia bernal and william hurt .

daniel boxberger , bellingham , chair of western washington university’s anthropology department , received the paul j . olscamp research award for his achievements in ethnohistory and his contributions as an international expert on indigenous peoples’ treaty rights . the author of three books , he has worked with american , canadian and mexican indigenous people and is sought as a consultant by such agencies as the bureau of indian affairs , the u . s . forest service and the supreme court of british columbia .

linda kimura ( smith ) , woodland , calif . , earned a master’s in human development from pacific oaks college . in 2009 , her early childhood consulting business , babies can’t wait , launched the infant toddler specialist group . she provides consulting , grant - writing support , training and technical assistance to adults working with infants and toddlers .

john fernald , index , lives off the grid on 40 acres , relying on solar and hydropower . a registered nurse for seattle’s northwest kidney centers , he is studying spanish in preparation for surfing in sunny mexico .

jeff jacoby , san francisco , calif . , serves on the faculty of san francisco state university’s broadcast and electronic communication arts department . an emmy award - winning sound artist , he has produced radio , audio , and video programs since 1975 .

joan stamm , eastsound , earned her m . f . a . in literature and writing from bennington college . she studied and practiced zen and tibetan buddhism , and underwent years of ikebana instruction . she has written about her experiences in a new book , heaven and earth are flowers : reflections on ikebana and buddhism ( wisdom publications , 2010 ) .

michael d . barron , holly springs , n . c . , is director of business development at eurofins avtech , where he is responsible for building relationships with clients and implementing revenue - growth strategies . he earned his m . b . a . from the university of north carolina at wilmington .

sandra brugh , spokane , was recently recognized by cambridge who’s who for “demonstrating dedication , leadership and excellence in social services . ” she is a social worker for the washington state department of social and health services , where she directs family counseling .

patricia kyritsi howell , mountain city , ga . , is a clinical herbalist , teacher and author of medicinal plants of the southern appalachians . she directs the botanologos school for herbal studies , and is co - owner of wild crete , which offers traveling seminars on herbs and traditional cuisine in crete .

david mazor , amherst , mass . , founder and president of the nonprofit literacy organization , reader to reader , donated 150 , 000 new children’s books to schools in new orleans . the donation , in partnership with barnes & noble , brings reader to reader’s total new orleans donations to 1 . 4 million books .

stuart stott ' s fourth book , we shall overcome : a song that changed the world .

stuart stotts , deforest , wis . , is an author , storyteller and songwriter . his fourth book , we shall overcome : a song that changed the world ( houghton mifflin , harcourt , january 2010 ) , explores the song’s roots and role in america’s civil rights , labor , and anti - war movements , while tracing its transformation into an international anthem .

daniel tolfree , graham , n . c . , has lived on his two - acre millarckee farm for more than 25 years , selling his produce to restaurants and at the carrboro farmers’ market . his farm is an annual stop on the carolina farm stewardship association’s farm tour .

erin kathleen kenny , vashon , a registered counselor , owns and operates camp terra , which offers nature - based therapy sessions to autistic children , an approach she is pioneering .

jim logan , cambridge , mass . , runs customer service / tech support for helium . com . a jazz guitarist and 1986 graduate of berklee college of music , he has lived in mexico and uganda , where he performed with a ugandan band to promote health service delivery and education to residents . his three children range in age from 13 to 29 .

bob majors , lake forest park , was the internet audio / video communications director for the orchestral score recording of the jackie chan movie , the spy next door .

susan m . johnson , seattle , became a partner at stoel rives llp , a national business law firm , in october . her practice focuses on the food , beverage and hospitality industries . previously , she managed graham & dunn’s food and beverage practice . she received her j . d . from the university of oregon school of law .

lawrence john faulk ( mpa ) , steilacoom , was appointed to the board of directors of icp solar technologies inc . , a solar power company . a former washington state senator , he worked as a boeing marketing executive and headed a number of nonprofit and government agencies . he is a graduate of the senior executives in state and local government program at harvard’s kennedy school of government , and most recently served as director of epod solar inc .

akagi masaaki , tokyo , japan , is a senior counselor for the council of local authorities for international relations ( clair ) , which promotes and provides support for internationalization in japan .

susan obermeyer strauss , carbondale , colo . , had a solo show in new york city’s a . jain marunouchi gallery in february . she studied at the san francisco art institute and has a studio near carbondale . her work is collected internationally .

cynthia gaub , everett , was named 2009 middle school art educator of the year by the washington state art education association . she teaches art and technology at north middle school in the everett school district .

robin echtle , tacoma , is tacoma community college foundation’s associate vice president for development and foundation executive director .

linnea tobias , arcata , calif . , was a featured artist at the arcata artisans gallery in february . she studied painting , art history and printmaking at humboldt state university and the aegean center for the fine arts in paros , greece .

tom zahn , prague , czech republic , is self - employed and continues storytelling , along with his wife , marie , and three children . in honor of the olympia storytellers guild , they now host story swap in prague , where greeners are always welcome .

todd babcock , sedro - woolley , has a son and works for janicki industries in sedro - woolley . he has 15 years of experience in training and teaching english as a foreign language , including in france and thailand .

shelby edwards , seattle , is a business continuity manager for pemco in seattle .

wendy albert , las vegas , nev . , is senior director of marketing at miracle mile shops at planet hollywood resort & casino , where she handles advertising , public relations , consumer outreach and promotions . she has worked in the marketing divisions of nine west coast shopping centers . she made her initial foray into the shopping center industry as a student intern nearly 20 years ago .

thomas krueger , gorizia , italy , is a happy father to daughter , chiara . he lives near the slovenian border and is learning to ski .

clare conry - murray , ambridge , pa . , an assistant professor of psychology at penn state beaver , wrote “adolescent and adult reasoning about gender roles and fairness in benin , west africa , ” which appeared in the journal , cognitive development . she earned her doctorate in human development and education from the university of california , berkeley , and her master’s in secondary education from boston college .

jenna efrein , spring glen , n . y . , earned an m . f . a . in sculpture / dimensional studies with a focus on glass from alfred university . she has worked with glass since 1989 and teaches the art of glassblowing at hudson beach glass in beacon , n . y .

ian hanna , port townsend , was named director of development for the forest stewardship council - us ( fsc - us ) in january . he formerly served as director of northwest certified forestry and was a board member of fsc - us .

anna matzinger , dayton , ore . , archery summit winery’s winemaker , had her 2006 red hills estate pinot noir named the no . 1 wine in oregon out of more than 650 wines by portland monthly magazine last september .

sunny mulholland , seattle , will add five members to her family this year . she gained three stepchildren , alyssa , john and chessa , when she married bret mulholland in january , and they are expecting their first grandchild in may . she has two sons , 10 - year - old eli and 8 - year - old max , and works for a local magazine distributor .

scot mcqueen , olympia , is applied technology manager for geoengineers of tacoma , where he leads the business unit to help clients achieve their goals through the use of technology such as gis , mobile devices and websites .

kristyl ( mathews ) smith , san antonio , texas , manages the city of san antonio’s edwards aquifer protection program . a graduate of the university of colorado law school , she has overseen the purchase of development rights on more than 61 , 000 acres of sensitive land . she and her husband have two sons , ages 2 and 4 .

hilary adams , new york , n . y . , is assistant - directing the broadway play collected stories , by pulitzer prize - winner donald margulies . the play , which opened april 28 at the samuel j . friedman theatre , stars tony award - winning actress linda lavin and is directed by lynne meadow .

theresa koppang ( mes ) , portland , ore . , was invited to speak at conferences in italy and mexico about her work for the king county green building program she managed until 2006 . she currently manages washington county’s solid waste and recycling program .

julia metzker , jonesboro , ga . , is an associate professor of chemistry at georgia college and state university . a 2008 - 09 fulbright scholar , she earned a ph . d . in inorganic chemistry from the university of arizona in 2001 .

cara lynn kleid , pittsburgh , pa . , is an artist , graphic designer and instructor . she studied at the school for visual arts , cooper union and the art students league of new york , and has exhibited her work in seattle , new york city and pittsburgh .

grady williamson , austin , texas , became an associate at davis & wilkerson , an austin law firm . she has worked for more than 10 years in the legal field , initially as a paralegal and more recently as an attorney at the attorney general’s office and travis county civil courts . she received her j . d . from st . mary’s school of law in san antonio in 2005 .

adam fenster , bothell , head coach of bellevue college’s men’s soccer team , was named coach of the year by the northwest athletic association of community colleges ( nwaacc ) . a varsity soccer player at evergreen , he has played with the virginia a - league pro team and men’s league teams in washington state and washington , d . c .

don roff , seattle , released his eighth book , zombies : a record of the year of infection ( chronicle books ) , in october . he has written , directed and produced in the horror genre , including the 2005 film in the weird world of mushroom madness and the book true scary stories . in 2006 , he received the zola award for screenwriting from the pacific northwest writers association .

adam gallardo , salem , ore . , began writing comic books in 2003 and has published star wars infinities : return of the jedi ( dark horse comics , 2004 ) ; the series 100 girls ( arcana studio ) ; gear school ( dark horse comics , 2007 ) ; and a collection of the entire 100 girls series ( simon & schuster’s teen imprint , simon pulse , 2008 ) .

marisa meltzer , brooklyn , n . y . , published girl power : the nineties revolution in music ( faber and faber , february 2010 ) , which she frames around the riot grrrl movement . a freelance writer whose work has appeared in the wall street journal and other publications , marisa co - authored how sassy changed my life : a love letter to the greatest teen magazine of all time .

stephen collins , moscow , russia , has been a research editor with unicredit securities for the past five years .

kate ( michaelis ) mejaski , indianapolis , ind . , is owner and photographer of this little light photography , a 2010 winner in the knot “best of weddings” photography category . her work has been showcased in several publications . she has three sons and is extremely active in her community .

elizabeth switaj , belfast , northern ireland , an editorial assistant at irish pages , is an editorial board member of gender across borders , a global feminist blog . she is working on a dissertation on james joyce , whose works she recently presented on at the third james joyce postgraduate conference and at the louisville conference on literature and culture since 1900 .

anthony airhart , hoquiam , is executive director of coastal harvest , which distributes food to 40 food banks , five feeding programs , four senior centers and five tribal centers .

carter hick , olympia , is an attorney with connolly , tacon & merserve . a graduate of willamette university college of law , he returned to olympia as an attorney with the washington state attorney general’s office representing the department of labor & industries . a member of the morningside board of trustees , he continues to race bicycles , surf and snowboard .

amy lathrop ( preuett ) , seattle , is a publicist and social media director with litfuse publicity group .

keaton simons , studio city , calif . , had his debut album , can you hear me , released on cbs records in 2008 . keaton was musical director for the l . a . rap group pharcyde and has worked with other notable hip - hop acts , including the black eyed peas , medusa and snoop dogg , with whom he performed on the tonight show .

kakuta ole maimai hamisi , bellevue , founded the maasai association to preserve and celebrate his native maasai cultural heritage . he earned his master’s in sustainable development at the school for international training in vermont . he returned to merrueshi in south kenya’s maasai region , where he has worked to create schools and a health center and do other community development work .

callie shanafelt , oakland , calif . , is enrolled in the berkeley graduate school of journalism following eight years of producing a seattle - area radio show called “voices of diversity . ”

amy j . enser , seattle , a freelance film editor , owns higher ames productions , specializing in documentary filmmaking . her film , ars magna , about a seattle man’s talent for anagrams , was nominated for an emmy last year . she recently edited and co - directed walk right in , a documentary about an experimental summer high school in 1968 .

krystal kyer , bellevue , conservation coordinator of the tahoma audubon society , was appointed commissioner to the five - member metro parks tacoma board . she served on the titlow park steering committee and a city of tacoma open space agency management team . she has two daughters , ages five and ten .

saoirse mccaig ( valparaiso ) , washington , d . c . , is a development officer at the nonprofit college success foundation , which provides college scholarships and mentoring to low - income , high - potential students .

katherine mahoney , olympia , is the newest member of the olympian newspaper’s editorial board . since graduating from evergreen , she started a family , owned and operated clubside café , and served as chair of the parking and business improvement area advisory board to the olympia city council .

alissa nielsen , portland , is a short - fiction writer and editor . her work has appeared in the raven chronicles , ellipsis and slightly west . she studied literature and writing at charles university in prague and earned an m . f . a . from pacific university . she is working on a collection of short stories .

kevin mitchell , evanston , ill . , completed his master’s in the science of education at northwestern university and teaches fifth grade at chicago’s erie elementary charter school .

daysha eaton , los angeles , calif . , traveled to vietnam in january with the seattle - based nonprofit peacetrees vietnam to report about the legacy of war and land mines . in february , her story , “war still a way of life , ” was published in thanh nien , an influential vietnamese newspaper . daysha earned her master’s in specialized journalism from the university of southern california annenberg school of journalism .

lynne jordan , seattle , is development and outreach associate for the pcc farmland trust , which secures , preserves and stewards threatened farmland in the northwest . she recently served as campaign director at earthshare washington , a workplace giving coalition of conservation organizations .

eliot logan - hines , austin , texas , is enrolled in the yale school of forestry and environmental studies .

kelly boston , shelton , is vocational rehabilitation product manager for alliance enterprises , a provider of case management software for vocational rehabilitation agencies . previously , she was the planning and program evaluation administrator for washington state department of social & health services’ division of vocational rehabilitation .

james carnahan , haines , alaska , is the new tribal administrator for the chilkoot indian association in haines . jim and his wife have six children , seven grandchildren and one great - grandchild . he is a licensed pilot , certified scuba diver and snow skier .

robert cleveland , north bend , is a substance and chemical abuse counselor at echo glen children’s center , a youth correctional facility in snoqualmie .

amanda petersen , portland , ore . , is a project specialist for the nonprofit oregon technical assistance corporation , which promotes full participation in community life for individuals with disabilities , seniors and their families through training and technical assistance . she is developing a website to help cancer survivors use person - centered planning tools during and after treatment .

tom sleigh , brooklyn , n . y . , is the program director and senior poet of hunter college’s mfa creative writing program . he earned an m . a . from johns hopkins university . his published work includes space walk ( houghton mifflin , 2007 ) , winner of the ' 08 kingsley tufts poetry award .

kyle contris , olympia , runs concreations , which creates artistic , eco - friendly concrete counters using recycled materials such as glass , metal and shells .

jaimie terada , seattle , earned her master’s in visual art and teaches mosaics , ceramics , sculpture , drawing and painting to k - 12 students . she has had several solo art shows .

julia anderson ( mit ) , mount vernon , taught at independence high school for the past two years . she is now co - director of beacademy , a private k - 12 alternative satellite school of the alger learning center .

hannah elizabeth steinweg ( mpa ) , olympia , is development manager of olympia’s hands on children’s museum .

emma stock , olympia , interns for u . s . senator tim johnson of south dakota . she is interested in policymaking in the areas of health , environment , energy and labor .

casey caronna , olympia , is working on an m . a . at goddard college , focusing on social studies licensure . his wife is a nurse in the providence system .

if you’re an alumnus we’d like to hear your stories . send us your news by submitting your class note or emailing alumni @ urltoken . be sure to include a phone number where we can reach you .

sunday obituary : mrs . dejarnatt painted a memorable life in art and politics | business | urltoken

generally cloudy . slight chance of a rain shower . high 73f . winds wnw at 5 to 10 mph . .

partly cloudy skies . low 54f . winds wnw at 5 to 10 mph .

the wife of former legislator arlie dejarnatt cared deeply about social injustice and helping her community .

“you can’t fix the whole world , but you can improve your corner” was a favorite saying of donna’s , according her daughter judy fardig , 59 , of portland .

in addition to social causes , art was a life - long love of dejarnatt’s . she was a founding member of the broadway gallery in longview and eventually blossomed into a full - time artist .

donna dejarnatt died july 27 of alzheimer’s disease . she was 83 years old .

a memorial service is scheduled for aug . 30 at 1 : 30 p . m . at lower columbia college’s rose center .

daughter lise dejarnatt husted , 50 , of shoreline , wash . , said her mother will be missed for her optimism . her trademark friendliness is what caught her husband’s eye when they both attended oberlin college in the 1940s .

“she always smiled and said ‘hi’ to everyone on campus — that’s how she met my dad , ” who was quite shy , husted said .

donna dejarnatt graduated with a fine arts degree in 1946 and taught art at cornell college in iowa during the early years of her marriage .

donna and arlie moved to longview in 1953 . her husband taught social studies at monticello middle school and then civics at r . a . long high school .

in the 1960s , he made his first run for the legislature . donna organized his political campaign at a time when it was uncommon for women to be politically active , fardig said .

dejarnatt also worked as a educator . she taught fifth grade at st . helens elementary school and art classes at monticello middle school in longview for a 10 years in the 1960s and 70s .

former students , now in their 40s and 50s , were known to stop by the broadway gallery in later years just to see dejarnatt , fellow artist susy halverson said .

“ ( they ) would come in and ask about her and want to talk to her , ” halverson said . “they all just felt special because of her . ”

dejarnatt made the gallery into a relaxed meeting place for artists , she said .

“if things get tense at home you can come in here , kick back and it’s ok , ” halverson said . “for a lot of us it’s more than a place more than a club , it’s a gathering of like - minded people and we’re always accepting here . ”

donna dejarnatt was born 1924 in denver to a portrait photographer father and mother who colored the portraits .

“sand paintings , ” in which an artist incorporates sand into patterns on a canvas , collages and watercolors were dejarnatt’s favorite to create .

“it gave her some freedom and allowed her to be an artist instead of just a mom and politician’s wife , ” husted said .

dejarnatt was an avid reader and highly valued education , serving on the lower columbia college board of trustees from 1994 to 2002 .

when her children were growing up , dejarnatt would encourage them to explore the outdoors . fardig remembers one time her mother even helped her children build cages for little snakes her children caught .

“i never knew of anyone who would let children bring snakes in the house , let alone build a cage , ” fardig said .

but when it came to learning , her mother was “never satisfied to just give the simplest answer . she really wanted us to learn , ” she said .

politics were a common topic at the dejarnatt’s dinner table , fardig said . both her parents were ardent democrats , fardig said , and her mother remained active in the local party chapter through most of her adult life .

despite her strong beliefs , donna wasn’t one to take center stage . even at her husband’s funeral in 1990 , dejarnatt devoted her attention to those around her .

“she never felt sorry for herself , never needed to be center of attention , ” husted said . “she was there to help people . ”

! ! ! changes to online comments — please read before posting ! ! ! effective immediately , all comments will display the user ' s first and last name rather than a screen name . anyone with an existing account that did not provide a first and last name when registering will be required to update their profile before submitting a comment . again - your account must include a first and last name ! keep it clean . no obscene , vulgar , lewd , racist or sexually - oriented language . please turn off your caps lock . don ' t threaten . threats of harming another person will not be tolerated . be truthful . don ' t knowingly lie about anyone or anything . be nice . no racism , sexism or any sort of - ism that is degrading to another person . comments that include verbal attacks of another commenter will not be posted . be proactive . use the ' report ' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts . share with us . we ' d love to hear eyewitness accounts , the history behind an article .

then let your friends know they should vote for your photos . the contest voting period is july 17 - 23 .

anthony edwards ( hot from top gun ) plays harry washello , a visiting trombonist performing in los angeles at a charity rally for the pan - pacific auditorium ( in what was to be the iconic buildings final film appearance , as it burned down soon after the shoot ) . while killing time at the nearby la brea tar pits & museum , he meets julie ( mare winningham ) and falls madly in love over the course of one carefree afternoon . planning to meet her after her nightshift at johnies coffee shop , a power outage zaps harrys alarm clock and he shows up four hours too late . dejected , the phone booth outside johnies rings and harry decides to pick it up , the only person privy to a conversation he should never have heard : nuclear war is imminent . america is launching nukes on the soviet union and the counterstrike  which will hit in approximately one hour and ten minutes  will flatten los angeles . from here on the film plays out in nearly real time , as harry attempts to rally the diner patrons , find julie , and escape los angeles before the coming armageddon .

shock : miracle mile is special , in no small part because its one persons singular vision  you made a studio picture the way you wanted , without anybody stamping over your vision . how did you know that the concept for miracle mile was the one to hold so tightly to your chest for so long ?

sdj : i think probably because of the subject matter . when i started doing it , the cold war was still on , and i just wanted to shake the world up . by the time it was actually in a theater it was maybe almost ten years from the time i pitched it to the time it was done . and now its 25 years later . im glad i stuck to my guns , or you wouldnt be talking to me . miracle mile was in the first 10 best unproduced scripts in hollywood list . so , it was a script that a lot of people wanted to do .

sdj : yup , the very first time , with total recall and jacobs ladder , and some other stuff that got made . and i dont know if i want to make another movie , but i made the second list with hair of the dog , a really dark sort of ace in the hole , midnight cowboy western set in nashville in 1965 . hair of the dog made the second list . i dont know if i want to direct it or get somebody else to direct it , but the town that im in is really old and it could maybe pass for nashville in 1965 . well see . i dont know if im personally into it anymore . i dont listen to any new country music , only way in the past . but its got good roles .


zulu dawn is a 1979 war film about the historical battle of isandlwana between british and zulu forces in 1879 in south africa .

the screenplay was by cy endfield , from his book , and anthony storey .

the film was directed by douglas hickox .

the score was composed by elmer bernstein .

zulu dawn is a prequel to zulu , released in 1964 , which depicts the historical battle of rorke 's drift later the same day , and was co-written and directed by cy endfield .

zulu dawn

zulu dawn <EOT> ' ' zulu dawn ' ' is rated pg ( ' ' parental guidance suggested ' ' ) . it contains considerable violence and some footage of half - clad zulu women . janet maslin

zulu extras watch their first movie on the zulu set . . . it was a b - western

unfortunately , unlike " zulu " , " zulu dawn " dialogue has very few memorable phrases which spring to mind and which you can bring into everyday conversation or use in your business presentations .

the prequel to " zulu " , cy endfield ' s classic 1964 film , " zulu dawn " stars burt lancaster and peter o ' toole as commanders of the british army who underestimate the power of the zulu warriors at the battle of isandlwana .

the director of zulu dawn is douglas hickox ( making his first film in south africa ) and the director of photography is ousama rawi . both are from england .

review : fifteen years after the release of zulu , the british film industry offered this prequel . zulu dawn documents the circumstances leading up to the confrontation depicted in the earlier film , focusing on the increasing tensions between british colonial offici… ( more )

" filming " zulu dawn " on location in south africa " by lukk , tiiu - american cinematographer , vol . 60 , issue 2 , february 1979 | online research library : questia

the drama is being re - created for zulu dawn under the banner of samarkand productions , an international independent production company formed by james faulkner , barrie saint clair , nate kohn and dieter nobbe .

zulu dawn , directed by douglas hickox ; screenplay by cy endfield and anthony storey , from the story by mr . endfield ; photography by ousami rawi ; music by elmer bernstein ; produced by nate kohn and samarkand and zulu dawn films ; released by new world pic - tures . at the thalia , west 95th street and broadway . running time : 117 minutes . this film is rated pg .

' ' zulu dawn ' ' is a sequel to the british 1964 battle epic ' ' zulu , ' ' except it isn ' t a sequel , it ' s a prequel . it tells of the events leading up to the bloody fight depicted in ' ' zulu , ' ' a movie that presented white british troops slaughtering such staggering numbers of africans that trouble sometimes broke out in the theaters in which ' ' zulu ' ' was shown . ' ' zulu dawn , ' ' which was made in 1979 , is another sweeping battle film , one that ' s less exciting but certainly more even - handed .

although being a prequel concerning events that happened just before ' zulu ' , ' zulu dawn ' is a completely different picture . whilst ' zulu ' dealt with heroic acts ( in an almost hopeless situation ) , ' zulu dawn ' focuses on the pomp of the british empire and ill - advised tactics , employed by the british army . this awful military blunder saw 1 , 300 british massacred by 20 , 000 zulu warriors . despite having burt lancaster and peter o ' toole , something seems to be missing , though it ' s hard to pin down exactly what . the start is fairly ponderous , though you certainly get to learn a lot more about the zulu wars as a whole .

prequel to zulu depicts the british defeat at the hands of zulu warriors at the battle of isandlwana . top notch production values . not quite as good as zulu , which was helped by stanley baker ' s character and michael caine .

meticulous recreation of a bloody clash between british and zulu forces in 1879 south - africa .

fifteen years after the release of zulu , the british film industry offered this prequel . zulu dawn documents the circumstances leading up to the confrontation depicted in the earlier film , focusing on the increasing tensions between british colonial officials and the zulus , and culminates with the extermination of 1 , 500 british soldiers at the battle of . . . read more

directed by douglas hickox from a screenplay by endfield ( who also wrote the script to his 1964 film ) , " zulu dawn " captures the overconfidence and incompetent leadership of the british army that would lead to one of the most stunning defeats in its history .

] cetshwayo ' s zulu army to disband and the warriors permitted to return to their homes .

" floating world " kimono zulu trunk show and artist talk & reception at cind . . .

zulu dawn is the 1979 prequel to zulu ( 1964 ) and was directed by douglas hickox ( brannigan , sky riders ) . the film stars peter o ' toole , burt lancaster , simon ward and denholm elliott and dramatizes the events at and leading up to the battle of isandlwana , which occurred right before the battle of rorke ' s drift , which occurred later that day .

although less spectacular than its predecessor " zulu " " zulu dawn " is still an excellent war film which properly captures the sheer incompetence of the senior british officers and the nobility and fighting spirit of the zulus . the action sequences are expertly handled and the frightening ferocity and speed of the zulu attack and the total overwhelming of the british forces is well portrayed . the film isn ' t quite so impressive in the acting stakes , with stars o ' toole & lancaster being overshadowed by the likes of bob hoskins , paul copley and dai bradley as the squaddies forced to suffer the fatal consequences of their officers ' mistakes . it also misses the stirring john barry score from the previous film , with bernstein ' s score only making an impact during the fight sequences . if you have the time and the inclination , trying watching " zulu dawn " and " zulu " back to back . tremendous .

a dramatization of the battle of isandlwana , where the british army met its match against the zulu nation .

zulu ! 1964 victoria cross roll call . . adam baker ' s dad and his crew defending the drift !

a fantastic film . spoiled a little bit by having an american in one of its lead roles . even that cannot detract from the political intrigue and deep sadness this film portrays . as an englishman i will always support my fellow countrymen . however , ' zulu dawn ' shows that this war could have been avoided .

splendidly stiff - upper - lipped support comes from a heroic burt lancaster and a fluffy , yet gruff , bob hoskins . although the story is less focused and inevitably more diffuse than the concentrated events of rorke ' s drift that followed soon after , zulu dawn is an unflinchingly honest depiction of british imperial diplomacy . - - paul tonks

" zulu dawn " on the other hand , is closer to the true events as they occured at isandhlwana , prior to the engagement at rorke ' s drift . but despite having a great american actor ( burt lancaster ) , it didn ' t achieve ' box office ' success . i think that this is a pity since the film comes closer to the reality of events than " zulu " , and although occuring on the same day , were different engagements .

severin films brings ' zulu dawn ' to blu - ray as a two - disc combo pack : one a region free , bd25 while the other a dvd - 9 . both discs are housed inside a blue eco - elite case on opposing panels . at startup , the blu - ray goes straight to a standard menu selection with a silent static screen .

opening credits prologue : one hundred years ago the british colony of natal in southern africa was surrounded by a vast and independent zulu kingdom .

to mark the release of zulu on 5th may , we’ve been given 3 copies to give away on blu - ray . 22nd january 1964 – on the 85th anniversary of the battle of rorke’s drift during the anglo - zulu war in south africa , the theatrical release of a new historical war drama made an indelible mark on british cinematic history . cy endfield ’s ( the mysterious island , zulu dawn ) dramatic military re - enactment ; zulu , depicted the ultimate david and goliath tale of a relatively small garrison of 139 british and colonial soldiers stalwartly defending their mission station against an army of 4 , 500 zulu warriors . eleven of the surviving men were subsequently awarded a victoria cross for outstanding bravery on the battle field . to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this classic screen giant , along with the 135th anniversary of the troop’s victory , the next generation can now enjoy a brand new collectible anniversary edition of this bafta® nominated movie juggernaut ,

this dramatic and true story recounts the breathtaking defeat of british forces at the hands of a 24 , 000 strong and relentlessly determined zulu army in 1879 .

it also suffered from being compared to the much more enjoyable zulu . that film was a tour de force . . . this more a grande farce .

" zulu " is the film which has introduced many to the subject of the anglo - zulu war with viewers all over the world enjoying the spectacle and brilliant colours shown in the film . it is based loosely on the real events , and despite not having the now obligitory american actor , has become a classic .

' ' zulu dawn , ' ' at the thalia , does its best to present both sides of the story . it chronicles a battle that took place jan . 22 , 1879 , at the mountain of isandhlwana , in south africa . there , british troops under the command of gen . lord chelmsford , played by peter o ' toole , with only a faint echo of his imperious ' ' lawrence of arabia ' ' glamour , instigate a disastrous battle against 30 , 000 zulu warriors . though the british troops are armed with rifles against the zulus ' spears , the british are massacred anyway .

the zulu cause is sympathetically represented , especially when a british messenger orders the zulu chief , cetshwayo ( simon sabela ) , to change a few tribal customs . cetshwayo replies that he doesn ' t try to tell queen victoria what to do . the british take this as a declaration of war , and the fighting begins .

an impressive recreation of the events leading up to and of the battle of isandlwana . the cast quality was first class , but the film jumped about from british to zulu camps and back again to much , and some more footage of the zulu rulers and their decisions would have been nice . as it is the film gave a fairly balanced account of both sides . the actual battle scenes were very impressive but given the area at isandlwana were not as tightly shot as in zulu nor as good , and thus the same atmosphere just wasn ' t there , with scenes jumping around , and you could not relate to the individual characters as much as in zulu , as they were on and off screen to quickly . the zulu charge though was frightening , and you felt for the soldiers who had to meet it . in short , not as good as the original , and with some mistakes in the british weapons and some equipment , but a very good introduction to zulu if you were to see both movies back to back .

bought used , arrived on time and in the condition advertised . my teen kids have taken a liking to the old hollywood ' epics ' ever since i told them the numbers of human actors / extras that were used in the big scenes - it came as a surprise to them it wasn ' t cgi - so they watch the large scenes in awe . not as good as zulu , but well worth watching alongside zulu , zulu dawn is a classic epic movie . i ' m not overly bothered about buying dvd rather than the higher resolution bluray due to the age of the movie . . . . we have more dvd players than bluray payers and the lower dvd cost , plus all the extras ( no pun intended ) that the special edition dvds have , often make the dvds a better choice for us .

what an excellent depiction of the blundering that can be made by pompous generals - it ' s a wonder england held the empire for so long ! if you watch this on video the editing is less than perfect - the subtitles get lost so you can ' t read them properly . if you want a good night of it , rent this one and then watch zulu . the second film shows what happens at the second battle that occurred very shortly after the massacre in zulu dawn . peter o ' toole is magnificent and the commanding officer that doesn ' t know how to fight the zulu and won ' t take advice from those that do . the scene where the quartermaster is making the runners line up for ammunition in the thick of the fight made my skin crawl . imagine being armed with a single shot rifle that has to be loaded each time , being short on ammo , and seeing thousands of angry spear throwing zulu ' s charging at you . great film - 8 / 10

s one final volley but some of the zulu bodies are right up to the soldiers . how did those zulus get right up to the british line without being hit earlier ?

this wednesday marks a double anniversary . on 22 january 1879 , at a remote mission station in natal , south africa , barely more than 100 british soldiers held off wave after wave of attacks by some 4 , 000 zulu warriors . the battle of rorke’s drift lasted 10 hours , from late afternoon till just before dawn the following morning . by the end of the fighting , 15 soldiers lay dead , with another two mortally wounded . surrounding the camp were the bodies of 350 zulus .

douglas hickox , who also directed a screen version of ' ' entertaining mr . sloan , ' ' makes ' ' zulu dawn ' ' picturesque and proper , if a little dull . for all the mayhem in the movie , there isn ' t much emotion , even when the fighters are dropping like flies . but the scenery , the top - flight cast and the thousands of african extras make this an eye - catching film even if it isn ' t a particulary dramatic one .

sheldon hall is a senior lecturer in stage and screen studies at sheffield hallam university . an expanded second edition of his book ‘zulu : with some guts behind it – the making of the epic movie’ will be published later in the year by tomahawk press . for advance orders and inquiries , visit urltoken or email sales @ urltoken , with ‘zulu’ in the subject box

kimono zulu , a creative exploration led by tina zulu will host “floating world , ” a one - day trunk show presentation and reception on saturday , may 20th , at cindy lisica gallery . the collection highlights kimono zulu’s artist collaboration series featuring redesigned and reimagined japanese vintage kimonos by multimedia artists and fashion designers : selven o ' keef jarmon , katsola , dandee warhol , christy karll , jennifer gabiola of dawningsoul , royal mcgee , mina gaber , soi - k , judy masliyah of my flaming heart , elijah coccetti , rene cruz and ann brooks .

ah durban ! south africa ' s cultural melting pot of english , afrikaner , indian , and zulu . famous for her sunny beaches and busy harbour ; infamous for her cauterizing curries and wizardly weed . i grew up in the central green foothills you can see below , half an hour from those miles of golden sand . the snowcapped mountain range in the distance is the drakensberg , named for the vast dragon ' s back it resembles . you may well have seen those mountains up close if you ' ve ever watched cry , the beloved country , or the historical war films zulu and zulu dawn . durban is also home to southern africa ' s longest running and largest film festival , and as a local boy it gives me the giddys to introduce twitch ' s virgin coverage of the durban international . . . [ read the whole post on twitchfilm . com . . . ]

watching “ zulu dawn , ” now out on blu - ray , you get the distinct impression that this is a british version of frontier mythology . instead of the wide , wild american west , you’re given britain’s colonialism in africa . even the music feels like a sweeping western score . the 1979 prequel to “zulu” rides the line between being a pure artifact of a bygone era—one that depicts a romanticized , unrealistic version of the time—and a modern , revisionist take that strives for a more accurate portrayal of historical reality . the zulu , though portrayed as fierce warriors , are not simply bloodthirsty savages bent on eradicating the noble white man . granted , they’re not exactly well rounded , but they’re not presented as a monolithic evil , either . their war is a defensive war , fought to preserve their way of life and culture . they aren’t given much to make them human on an individual level ,

no , it ' s not zulu chief gatsha buthelezi ' s lnkatha political movement gone wild . it ' s the re - creation of an epic battle that took place 100 years ago , when 25 , 000 zulu warriors attacked and massacred a british column at isandhlawana , inflicting on the british the worst defeat a modern army has ever suffered at the hands of men without guns .

zulu dawn is the story of the battle of isandhlawana , which took place in zululand , in south africa , on january 22 , 1879 . a british force of 5 , 000 europeans and 8 , 200 natives , led by general lord chelmsford invaded zululand . cetshwayo , the zulu king , had a force of 40 , 000 men . one of chelmsford ' s columns , encamped near isandhlawana en route to the royal kraal at ulundi , was attacked by a force of 25 , 000 zulus around 11 : 30 a . m . , and by 1 : 30 p . m . the battle was over . the british lost 806 europeans and 471 natives ; the number of zulus who died is not known .

chelmsford ' s optimism couldn ' t be more mistaken , and his own actions are largely to blame . one of his most wrongheaded decisions - even a journalist observing the campaign advises against it - is to break a basic rule of battle and prematurely split his forces , sending his most powerful units toward the zulu capital , ulundi , because he believes a false report that the zulu regiments , called impis , have their main staging area there . this overextends the supply line for ammunition , making bullets increasingly scarce , and thins the british ranks that must face the actual zulu attack when it occurs .

after the unveiling ceremony , there was a reception at the civic centre in bromley , where food and wine was served . the film ' zulu ' was also shown in one of the reception rooms .

i don’t immediately recognize dawn richard when i first spot her guiding a van through a gate to load - in for her performance at pitchfork music festival . dazed by the creamy white and disco diamante of her stage costume , i didn’t immediately realize who i was looking at , but it was impossible not to know that i had just seen someone famous .

we waited a long time for the prequel to " zulu " , so eventually we got " zulu dawn " . it depicts the battle of isandhlwana between the british and the zulus . it turned out to be one of the great disasters the british ever experienced . the zulus in this film are accurately depicted as highly disciplined soldiers , and in some ways shows them in a more human way than " zulu " . historically , it is reasonably accurate - at the time it was filmed . by that i mean , recent scholarship has showed that the assumed reasons for the british problems were really not the case . it wasn ' t that there were difficulties with ammunition , it was that the rifles were used so much they began to misfire , plus atmospheric conditions degraded visibility contributing to british disaster . but a fine , entertaining movie filmed on a much bigger scale than " sulu " was . if you can find it , see it . burt lancaster was especially good in his role .

the history of the zulu wars ( hd , 26 min ) — historian and author ian knight provides a contextual background on this historical battle with interesting information on its commencement and the fighting techniques of both sides .

the webley mk vi is carried by british officers and ncos . like the earlier film , zulu , the webley mk vi stands in for the earlier webley and adams models which were either standard issue or privately purchased .

. set in 1879 , this film depicts the catastrophic battle of isandhlwana , which remains the worst defeat of the british army by natives - - the british contingent was outnumbered 16 - to - 1 by the zulu tribesmen .

like all films , zulu is of its time and captures the mood of its time more profoundly than is often realised . a conservative view would see it as a hymn to gung - ho heroism , to flag - waving patriotism and the glory days of the british empire . in fact , by 1964 the sun was already setting on the empire and undoubtedly zulu stirred a lot of nostalgia for it . for some , that explains its appeal .

a prequel to the 1964 war classic , ' zulu dawn ' portrays the events which led to that historical battle between the british and the zulus with mostly entertaining results . with a fantastic cast leading the charge , the film has a good deal worth admiring and makes a nice companion piece to the original , but it ' s doesn ' t quite match the stature and greatness of its predecessor . the blu - ray arrives with a mostly average audio and video presentation , yet it shows potential if given the proper restoration and remaster . supplements are very light but entertaining nonetheless , making the overall package a respectable purchase for fans .

prequel to zulu dominated by another monumental battle scene . as a canadian and loyal british subject to her majesty the queen , it angered me the zulus didn ' t allow the brits to at least save their flag in this battle .

zulu dawn direction : douglas hickox . screenplay : anthony storey , cy endfield . cinematography : ousama rawi . second - unit direction : david tomblin , peter macdonald . editing : malcolm cooke . music : elmer bernstein . production : nate john , james faulkner ; executive producer : barrie saint clair . the players : burt lancaster , peter o’toole , simon ward , john mills , denholm elliott , michael jayston , nigel davenport , anna calder - marshall , peter vaughan , ronald pickup , simon sabela , christopher cazenove , david bradley , ken gampu , freddie jones , ronald lacey , james faulkner , bob hoskins , paul copley , phil daniels .

all three were committed to progressive causes , but their motives in making zulu were not political . it is not an anti - imperial diatribe any more than it is a celebration of colonial conquest . its main purpose was frankly commercial , but baker also saw the story as an chance to pay tribute to his welsh homeland . this certainly explains the strong emphasis on the welshness of the private soldiers – one of the many fictionalised elements of zulu that have created a myth around the battle .

chelmsford accepted reports that the main zulu force was towards ulundi and took half of his force in that direction . reports from fannin ( the disreputable english settler ) were not to be accepted as gospel seeing as he appeared appeared to be an habitual liar .

unfold in natal , a province of british south africa where the british used conflict between indigenous zulus and land - grabbing boers as an excuse to begin the anglo - zulu war , designed to weaken the zulus ' military and economic capabilities . two of the british aristocrats who run natal from their cape colony headquarters , lord chelmsford and sir henry bartle frere , send a message to the zulu leader cetshwayo commanding him to disband his army and dissolve his empire . cetshwayo ' s rejection of the demand gives bartle frere cover to invade zululand with troops led by chelmsford , who foresees a resounding victory . " well , gentlemen , " he smugly says to his officers when the first zulu falls , " first blood to us , and a rousing good report in the newspapers to satisfy the politicians , eh ? "

in several shots ( most notable when the zulus first come into view of the camp ) it ' s obvious that many of the zulu warriors are carrying fake shields : instead of cowhide , the shields are obviously just painted on some sort of a plate , probably plywood .

a modern awareness of racial representation means that zulu has undoubtedly “dated” . if the film were to be remade today , as internet rumours continually suggest , it would certainly be done differently . but the absence of individuated black characters doesn’t make it racist . though told from the british point of view , it shows that viewpoint change from dismissive contempt and naked fear to respect and even admiration . the famous ( and entirely fictional ) salute the departing zulu army pays to the garrison survivors is returned with their – and our – gaze of awe and wonder .

colonel pulleine ( denholm elliott ) carries a webley pryse as his service weapon . this weapon was commonly privately purchased by officers during this period . mr . fannin ( don leonard ) , the boer merchant who is chased by zulu warriors , also appears to have this model pistol .

although not as poignant or penetrating as its predecessor , ' zulu dawn ' does offer several incisive moments on imperial rule , seeming tyrannical and despotically harsh , and the sheer stupidity of arrogance . as the title cleverly and somewhat romantically implies , the film is a prequel to the original , depicting the events that led to a massive confrontation between the two nations and demonstrated to the world that a great power must eventually fall , usually by the most unexpected enemy . revisiting it again after many years , and with very recent history in mind , it ' s fascinating to watch and hear military action justified as a preemptive measure , largely due to fear and racial prejudice . as the plot unfolds , painting the invading british army in a negative light becomes a bit too apparent .

this film is by far , less renowned that its closely linked film of zulu . although this film was filmed over 10 years after zulu , it is in fact a prequel , as that battle of islandawana , took place prior to rorkes drift , i find this film to be more gripping with its tense drama and action . also it is historically far more correct in its depiction of the battle . my only critism , and it is a petty one ! , is that the costume designers are correct in the way that they got the british infantry soldiers wearing " tea dyied " pithe helmets without there regimental badges , as to camouflage themselves and not stand out as bright shining targets as in zulu , however the same soldiers are seen constantly using short cavalary carbines and not the correct henry martini rifle ! overall though a much forgotten and very good film

unfortunately , many of these positives feel somewhat lost and go slightly unnoticed amid an attempt to give each of the characters equal weight in the first act , slowing everything down almost to the point of boredom . it ' s not difficult to quickly learn that these soldiers are about to face a devastating defeat , especially since the previous film begins at the site of this embarrassing loss to the british empire . tensions don ' t really begin to seriously mount until about halfway into the runtime , leaving the final encounter , as entertaining and spectacular as it is , to feel a bit rushed and indecipherably chaotic . in the end , ' zulu dawn ' has its moments and its strengths outnumber its negligible drawbacks , making it a good companion piece to cy endfield ' s 1964 war classic .

in the film , the zulus shout ' why do you come to the land of the zulu ? ' the answer by melvill was ' we come here by the orders of the great queen victoria ' , not ' by the orders of the great white queen ' as it was in reality .

alhough caine has sometimes claimed that reviewers gave him a hard time , in fact almost every mention of him in press notices was favourable . zulu brought him the attention which led to multi - film contracts and to top billing in his very next picture as harry palmer in the ipcress file ( 1965 ) .

for the opening sequence depicting a mass zulu wedding , 600 additional background artists were brought in , including nightclub performers from johannesburg , to play the principal dancers . during breaks in filming , they twisted and jived to modern pop records played over tannoys , with director cy endfield among the crew members joining them .

speaks articulately to issues of the twentieth century , as when bartle frere anticipates the phraseology of nazi genocide by referring to " the final solution of the zulu problem , " and to issues of our own century , showing how the torture and humiliation of prisoners can rebound on the people who inflict it . all told ,

in the latest edition of the dusty vhs corner , tom jolliffe looks at the films of anthony hickox … director anthony hickox comes from a strong cinematic lineage . his father , douglas hickox was also a director ( zulu dawn , theatre of blood ) whilst his mother is critically lauded editor anne v . coates ( lawrence of arabia ) . a career in the film industry seemed destined , even if his start would require a lot of persistence and a lot of luck . his debut film waxwork almost didn’t see the light of day . hickox met the producer , staffan ahrenherg when he crashed his car into the back of ahrenberg’s . with barely a penny to his name , hickox managed to persuade ahrenberg to let him pay for the damage by letting him write a script for him on the cheap . ahrenberg agreed , and waxwork was written by hickox in three days . the script was rejected from almost every studio ,

on the january 22nd 1879 the british army suffered one of its worst defeats when zulu forces massacred 1 , 500 of its troops at isandlhwana . a short time after the main battle a zulu force numbering in excess of 4000 warriors advanced on a british hospital and supply dump guarded by 139 welsh infantrymen . the film concentrates on this bloody 12 hour battle during which the british force , under their commander from the royal engineers who happened to be in the area building a bridge and happened to be senior to the infantry officer , won 11 victoria crosses . while taking some liberties with history the film follows reality fairly closely , including matching exactly the identities of the vc winners .

q : at the climax of the film simon wards character lt . william vereker had his horse shot from under him and becomes trapped , when he sees the flag being taken by the zulus he aims then shoots the flag from the zulu , did this shot take place at the real battle ? , and did lt . william vereker survive ?

puzzled by his failure to find zulus preparing their charge , chelmsford makes the situation even worse by setting up camp near mount isandlwana but neglecting to circle the wagons and dig trenches for his troops . before long the zulus launch a full - scale assault on the main camp , helped by information from a couple of prisoners who escape their british captors , make their way to the zulu command , and report what they ' ve overheard . british weaponry is modern and spectacular , but it can ' t overcome the sheer numbers , ferocity , and tenacity of the zulu army , which emerges victorious after fighting that grows steadily more desperate on the british side and steadily more vicious on both sides .

contrary to stories the zulus were not paid with gifts of cattle or wristwatches but received wages in rand . the main corps was paid the equivalent of nine shillings per day each , additional extras eight shillings , and the female dancers slightly less again . associate producer basil keys remarked : “there is no equality of pay for women in the zulu nation ! ”

the only reason for buying this ( and also the dvd of " zulu " ) was because i am going on a visit to the battlefields of kwazulu natal and i wanted a little help understanding the history and was told these films would be of interest as a part of my research . whilst the movies are very old fashioned in the way they are filmed they nevertheless do tell the story in an interesting way and i did find them to be useful in developing my understanding of the time when used alongside the context of genuine history accounts . although this was the second movie to be made you should watch this one prior to viewing " zulu " as this film is about the first battle to be fought .

i have avoided buying a copy of zulu dawn up until now because the dvd ' s available have either been of poor quality or lacking its correct aspect ratio . then recently , i noticed an advert for a new region 1 offer , boasting a 2 : 35 : 1 scope picture but also with a remastered , high definition picture . i took a chance despite never having heard of its production company , severin . well , i wish i hadn ' t , the picture is far from perfect . it is much darker than the version shown on british television and despite its boast of being remastered , it is often blurred , with facial features reduced to a blank mash if seen from a reasonable distance . clearly , the master they have used was a poor print otherwise it would have the fine definition and print as seen on our televisions . it will have to do for now , until the definitive version is finally released , but don ' t expect perfection from severin ' s disappointing version .

as a long - time fan of the original " zulu " i ' m always surprised this film hasn ' t got the same reputation . true the story isn ' t as ' tight ' as the sixties classic ( more scene - setting , more characters to deal with ) but the production values are excellent , the photography beautiful and the climactic battle scenes brilliantly staged .

the incident at fugitives ' drift in the film is artistic licence . there is a killing scene in the sand with vereker shooting the red coated zulu who then lets the colours fall into the buffalo river . in reality , melvill was helped by lt . higginson at the coffin rock . coghill , who had escaped separately returned to help , having his horse shot from under him .

this makes for a remarkable tale of courage and tenacity , on both sides of the perimeter . but historically the battle was a minor incident which had little influence on the course of the anglo - zulu war . it might have remained a footnote in the history books or an anecdote told at regimental dinners had it not been for a film which dramatised the story and has kept it in the public mind ever since .

just as the soldiers were played by real soldiers – eighty national servicemen borrowed from the south african national defence force – so were most of the zulus real zulus . a mere 240 zulu extras were employed for the battle scenes , bussed in from their tribal homes over 100 miles away . around 1 , 000 additional tribesmen were filmed by the second unit in zululand , but most of these scenes hit the cutting - room floor .

a historical accurate film that requires close attention to details like most english movies . the film should be seen with " shaka zulu , " " zulu and " rhodes . " in this way you get a better picture of what was going on in south africa during that era . this is a war movie commentary showing not all wars are heroic and victorious all of the time . as in many wars , many mistakes are made and watching them is worth the viewing . the acting is superb and when you come to know the true history of the exploitation of the continent , you will understand why colonialism was a racist concept built on manipulation , and costing the lives of good decent and honest common men and women for the benefit of the very few rich and powerful . in the end , was it worth it is the question to be answered ? watch all four films and then you decide !

the principal artists responsible for zulu were hardly establishment figures . screenwriter john prebble was a former communist party member who had volunteered to fight in the spanish civil war . his co - writer , the american director cy endfield , had fled hollywood in the early 1950s after he was named as a communist during the mccarthyite witch - hunts . endfield’s production partner and the film’s main star was stanley baker , a life - long supporter of the labour party .

the exhibition on view at the gallery is “order from chaos” by houston - based french artist emilie duval . it features mixed media artwork and large - scale paintings that explore digital technology , architecture and “contemporary baroque - ness” . the kimono zulu event title of the “floating world” ( ukiyo ) refers to the edo period in tokyo ( 17th - 19th centuries ) , where kabuki theater and colorful woodblock prints , along with overtones of extravagance , amusement and style were prevalent . these reimagined pieces of wearable art in the form of kimonos stem from this world of wonder and wit . “this collaboration represents a crossroads of history , culture and art in the gallery , explains gallery owner cindy lisica , who also holds a phd in art history with a focus on japan . “duval’s artwork considers material , economy , fashion and excess , so the event with kimono zulu is an exciting fusion of art and fashion , aesthetics and concept . ”

two lieutenants , chard of engineers and bromhead find that their 140 man contingent in natal has been isolated by the destruction of the main british army column and that 4 , 000 zulu warriors will descend on them in hours . each has a different military background in tactics and they are immediatly in conflict on how to prepare for the attack . nearly a third of the men are in the infirmary , as the welsh company tries to somehow survive with no help in sight . based on a true story . < / p >

premiered 85 years to the day after the event it commemorates , the film zulu is 50 years’ old this week . on its initial release , in 1964 , it was one of the biggest box - office hits of all time in the home market . for the next 12 years it remained in constant cinema circulation before making its first appearance on television . it has since become a bank holiday television perennial , and remains beloved by the british public . but the story behind the film’s making is as unusual as the one that it tells .

i won ' t go through the details of the movie , as that has been adequately covered in previous reviews . i found this movie very " hollywood , " with little substance . it cannot hold a candle to the earlier " zulu . " a side note , from an earlier review : " the main cause for the british disaster is fairly clear in the movie , and that ' s the method of giving out bullets . peter vaughan gives a crafty performance as the quarrelsome quartermaster who demands that each bullet be accounted for at the head office . the niggardly way the bullets were dispersed to the men , who were holding the zulu back until they ran out of ammunition on the front lines while crates of bullets were held back in the wagons , was the primary cause of the disaster . " that may be the " theatrical " reason for the defeat . however , later research has shown that the martini - enfield will seize in relatively short order due to the heat generated by rapid firing . the " held back " ammunition theory , and the " un - openable cartridge crate " theory were both debunked after extensive digging at the site .

the events leading up to and culminating with the 1879 battle of ishandlwana are depicted very well in this exciting film . although made some 15 years after the 1964 flim " zulu " , this film is actually the " prequel " to the other and should be viewed first in order for a better understanding of these two events in the british invasion of zululand . the cast contains too many splendid actors and performances to single any out . some historical errors do creep in but , on the whole , the film conveys the look and feel of the real thing . very much worth the price of admission .

in 1879 south africa , the administrators of the british cape colony have designs to eliminate the zulus as a hindrance to their colonial economy . to that end , the british present king cetshwayo with an impossible ultimatum to provoke a war they are sure they can win easily with their rifles and artillery against native spears . however , that war proves more difficult than the arrogant british commander , lord chelmsford , expects as his overburdened army fruitlessly searches for the elusive enemy . however , in the shadow of a hill called isandlwana , the overconfident british army learns to its sorrow just how badly they have underestimated the tactical skill and might of the zulu nation .

the small but key role of king cetshwayo was given to his direct descendant , the present - day prince mangosuthu buthelezi . the wedding dance was choreographed by buthelezi’s mother , a tribal historian , and supervised by stuntman simon sabela , who later became south africa’s first black film director . in july last year , accepting an award named after sabela , buthelezi dedicated it to “that epic production , which became a milestone event , not only in cinematic history , but within the zulu nation . ” he recalled that the cast “found themselves re - enacting the deeds of their own grandfathers . somehow this drew the audience into what was , in the end , a very human experience . ”

spent 3 nights from 20th sept 2014 with titan tours . two local tours were arranged via the hotel using their staff to visit mkuze game reserve & lake jozini boat cruise / local culture . the second was optional on our tour but both were worthwhile experiences within the area . ( see separate " things to do " reviews . so far as concerns the hotel this a great place to stay . the hotel is set in the valley next to cane fields and is adjacent to a lake which irrigates the area . . the mountains rise above the valley and when dawn breaks with mist over the lake this is quite magical . a board walk stretches from the grounds to the edge of the lake which is very tranquil . saw wild fowl but the crocodiles were rather more elusive . the grounds are full of flowering trees / shrubs and weaver bird nests are all around . also a swimming pool area . the rooms are all on the ground level with sliding window to patio with table / chairs and recliners looking into the gardens . the rooms are of a reasonable size with all the usual facilities . and kept clean . so far as concerns the food the buffet breakfasts were very very good from full " english " , to cold meats and a big selection of cheeses . the dinner buffets were very good at 200r . the bar prices were fine and the barman attentive . one night we had a braai ( traditional barbecue ) but whilst this was barbecue food it was prepared in the kitchens and brought out . no big deal since it was good . we were then treated to a local zulu dance group performing traditional dances ( with a bit of break dancing thrown in ! ) seriously it was very enjoyable . i think i have covered most things other than to say without exception the management and all the staff were really pleasant and helpful . will seek out this hotel if ever in the area again

while he was away the camp was attacked from the left ( positions being related to the view from the camp with your back to isandlwana ) and the british lines were far to the left and therefore ammunition supplies over - extended . the lines of red coats were also therefore thinly dispersed to face an overwhelming number of zulus . when the retreat was ordered , the zulus were easily able to overtake or prevent a reformation . durnford was sent to the front at the donga ( a dried up river some half a mile from the camp ) , to counter the zulu left horn . much has been commented on the ammunition boxes and their inaccessibility . ian knight has theorised that this was not a factor in the inadequate supply of ammunition .

spent 3 nights from 20th sept 2014 with titan tours . two local tours were arranged via the hotel using their staff to visit mkuze game reserve & lake jozini boat cruise / local culture . the second was optional on our tour but both were worthwhile experiences within the area . ( see separate " things to do " reviews . so far as concerns the hotel this a great place to stay . the hotel is set in the valley next to cane fields and is adjacent to a lake which irrigates the area . . the mountains rise above the valley and when dawn breaks with mist over the lake this is quite magical . a board walk stretches from the grounds to the edge of the lake which is very tranquil . saw wild fowl but the crocodiles were rather more elusive . the grounds are full of flowering trees / shrubs and weaver bird nests are all around . also a swimming pool area . the rooms are all on the ground level with sliding window to patio with table / chairs and recliners looking into the gardens . the rooms are of a reasonable size with all the usual facilities . and kept clean . so far as concerns the food the buffet breakfasts were very very good from full " english " , to cold meats and a big selection of cheeses . the dinner buffets were very good at 200r . the bar prices were fine and the barman attentive . one night we had a braai ( traditional barbecue ) but whilst . . .

nevertheless , the story maintains a steady and appealing pace , with several minor complications building towards the inevitable confrontation history well remembers — the knowledge of which adds an underlying sense of tragedy to the boastful dinner gatherings of prim - and - proper , completely oblivious officers . simon ward ( ' young winston ' and as bishop stephen gardiner in showtime ' s ' the tudors ' ) stars as the young and ambitious lt . william vereker , whose high - society seriousness and enthusiasm for war are soon questioned when witnessing prisoner torture . burt lancaster is the sympathetic and thoughtful colonel durnford , commanding an african troop during the battle of isandlwana , the fight preceding the battle depicted in the original ' zulu . ' and bob hoskins ( ' who framed roger rabbit ? ' ) shows up as vehement , stalwart sergeant williams fighting to the bitter end as the fearfully brash soldier he is .