Indigenous peoples in the US were influenced by the Mexican Revolution. In 1940, Todd Downing (Choctaw) wrote "The Mexican Earth" a History of Mexico from the Aztecs to Lázaro Cárdenas's presidency. In it, Downing saw hope for American Indians in Mexico. A thread
"The Mexican Earth" (1940) is part history, part travelogue. Throughout the book, Downing describes scenes from his trip to Mexico and how these connect with the Indigenous history of Mexico and his lived experience as a Choctaw. A history of Mexico from American Indians eyes.
Downing compares settler colonialism in the US with Argentina (Conquest of the Desert), Chile, (Occupation of the Araucania), and Mexico with the Lerdo Law of 1857. This law broke up church lands but also forced the Indian ejidos (communal farmlands) to be private property.
In the chapter "Return of Quetzalcoatl" Downing gives his highest praise to Pres. Cárdenas for returning 45 million acres to Natives, saying "The great conquest of the revolution was a return to Indian values, concretely expressed in that pre-conquest institution, the ejido"
On Mexican Muralism, Downing praises it and artists like Diego Rivera, saying "The walls... were being covered with the frescoes which now are familiar to all the world, frescoes which give proof for all to see of what the Indian had to contribute to Mexican civilization."
As a Choctaw writer, Todd Downing teaches us that there are great possibilities for Natives in North America if there is a inter-cultural dialogue with the radical Indigenist movements in Latin America. Just like the Zapatistas, Natives can learn from the Mexican Revolution.
SYNOPSIS: A widow haunted by the gruesome death of her husband uproots her daughter and moves them to a peaceful rural town. Then the real nightmares begin when she and her daughter stumble upon a long-buried scandal. They team up with the town’s priest after encountering a creepy young boy, a hostile janitor and a blood thirsty nun who will stop at nothing to protect the deadly secrets of The Parish.
REVIEW: Every once and a while a film comes along that can be viewed as a stepping stone for the next generation’s entrance into the horror genre. So if the Hallmark Channel was going to start making horror films, THE PARISH would be perfect as such an example.
The plot features a little bit of everything from ghosts, children who see dead people, and a kindly priest called upon to do an exorcism, THE PARISh covers all the bases when it comes to a supernatural thriller. What adds those “Hallmark” moments are the plot elements that focus on the relationship between the mother and daughter, their dealing with the loss of the husband/father, the kindly old priest, and the kinder, friendlier dialogue you wouldn’t typically find in a horror movie. The theme about the scandal with the nun, the creepy janitor, and the missing child probably wouldn’t be something you find on a family friendly channel, but it is dealt with using tact and decorum. Also, the circumstances surrounding the husband’s death are a bit gruesome for some younger viewers, but it is dealt with tastefully.
There are visual and practical effects, and some of the characters are terrifying, but I wouldn’t say any more so than the 1982 classic “Poltergeist.” While they play up the creepiness of the janitor in the trailer and press notes, any fellow survivors of a catholic school education during the 60’s and 70’s are sure to find the nun far more spine-chilling.
The filmmakers are working with a talented cast. They do an excellent job of drawing in the viewer so that you feel some empathy, as well as a bit of the tension and horror. I couldn’t tell you the last time I saw veteran actor Bill Oberst Jr. in film, but given his performance here I'm not sure why we wouldn’t see him more often. I enjoyed his performance and what he brought to the character, and his presence added to my overall viewing enjoyment of the film.
THE PARISH is a solid piece of filmmaking and there are no mistakes on the part of the cast or filmmakers to take the viewer out of the story. They’re not trying to reinvent the genre and the plot is loaded up with a bunch of plot points we’ve seen in other films so the reveals may not have as big an impact for the seasoned genre fan. In fact, some viewers may see it coming early on. THE PARISH has many good things going for it, and while I might personally not find it as my cup of tea it certainly has a broader audience appeal for those who might not consider watching a horror film or supernatural thriller as their first choice.
CAST: Angela DiMarco, Sanae Loutsis, Ray Tagavilla, Bill Oberst Jr., Sara Coates, Gin Hammond, Amber Wolfe, Ryan Sanders, Lucas Oktay, and Jonathan Holbrook.
CREW: Director - David S. Hogan; Screenplay - Todd Downing; Executive Producers - Angela DiMarco, Todd Downing, David S. Hogan, John Lepper, Adam Whitton, & Chase Whitton; Cinematographer - Domenic Barbero; Score - Catherine Joy; Editor - Tony Tibbetts; Costume Designer - Ronald Leamon; Production Designer - Regan MacStravic; Visual Effects - Ian Hubert;
OFFICIAL: N.A.
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/theparishmovie
TWITTER: twitter.com/theparishmovie
TRAILER: https://youtu.be/A-ruwRI7PAw
RELEASE DATE: ON DEMAND & DVD (U.S) March 16th, 2021
**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)
“First Edition. Presumed Artzybasheff dustjacket art. Rare title by this Native American mystery author of Choctaw descent. Downing was raised in Oklahoma but spent considerable time in Mexico and provided travel tours between Mexico and the U.S. during the 1930's. This is the author's most highly regarded title and one rarely found in original illustrated jacket. The mystery is set on a Mexican ranch with 'a strange group that had also sought refuge from the storm. These varied from two American underworld characters to a frightened Texas schoolteacher; a manufacturer of religious articles to a notorious soldier of fortune... Two other murders were to occur before Rennert was able to penetrate the secret of the floor, the broken phonograph needle, and the small, cotton-stuffed box'.”
We haven’t forgotten that it’s Caturday in the special collections, and here’s a great dustwrapper from one of our favorite books in our Native American Literature collection: Todd Downing’s 1934 detective classic, The Cat Screams. Downing (1902-1974) was an Oklahoma-born, fluent Choctaw-speaking son of a Choctaw politician; he was a Professor of Spanish, a tour guide, an employee of several East Coast advertising agencies, and a fine novelist of nine intriguing mysteries that almost all take place in Mexico....
Ukulele Lesson: Taylor Swift's "We are Never Ever Getting Back Together"
Peruse Todd Downing's YouTube channel for a slew of quality ukulele tutorials with enough details to stave off those pesky "what're the chords!!" or "hey, dude, what's your strum pattern" first comments.
Bonus entertainment: he sings (quite well) while calling out chord names or strum change-ups -- at the same time! (occasionally barely holding back quite a laugh at the absurdity himself)
For this song he's going with: C G Dadd4 Em7:
C: 0 0 0 3
G: 0 2 3 2
Dadd4: 0 2 2 0
Em7: 0 2 0 2
His is one of the most approachable instructional styles you'll encounter; like your older brother's cool friend that spends a few minutes showing you how to play before they head off to the mall for an Orange Julius and other foreign and unimaginably great adventures.
(most of Todd's tutorials are keyboard and guitar, plus YouTube search is "meh", so paging through is best way to find his uke tuts, such as how to play Coldplay's "Charlie Brown" and many more)
Want an alternative version? Watch Drew Chadwick's performance.
Met Bloed Gekocht - Cooked in Blood by Todd Downing, late 1930s.
Follow the link for an excellent image from a Dutch detective / mystery novel. Either Flickr isn't playing nicely or I don't know what I'm doing enough to link a Flickr image into a Picture post.
