It's gotta be the watch!

As a Northern youth coming up in the late 70s and early 80s I can say that Spike Lee pretty much had his finger on the pulse of what was going on in the country culturally.  When Do the Right Thing was released to much critical acclaim, it is widely believed, to quote my "More Northern" friends that he got "hosed" come award season.  So it is nice to see that he is finally getting some of the mainstream acclaim that he so richly deserves.

One of my favorite all-time, bar-none Lee productions is Mo' Better Blues.  This is back when Mr. Lee often acted in his films as well.  His character "Giant" was a diminuitively sized man with an outsized personna.  And a big part of that was the character's sense of style, wearing a pretty fantastic collection of clothes that would make any clotheshorse envious.  Along with the clothing was a vintage tank watch.  In one scene, Giant is waiting to enter Beneath the Underdog, the jazz club where Bleek Gilliam (played by Denzel Washington) is playing.  He looks at his watch and asks the doormen when the club will open and people will come in.  One of the doormen, played by Charlie Murphy yells at Giant - "stop lookin' at your Timex!".  Giant replies, half-laughing - "it's not a Timex!"

Well, now we can say for sure it won't be a Timex!

Courtesy of Jaeger-LeCoultre

 Here's the news, straight from Jaeger-LeCoultre -

American filmmaker Spike Lee receives Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker 2012 award
at the Venice International Film Festival

The prize was conferred to Director Spike Lee at the awards ceremony which took place on Friday, August 31st during the 69th Venice Film Festival, directed by Alberto Barbera and organized by the Biennale di Venezia chaired by Paolo Baratta.

Courtesy of Jaeger-LeCoultre

 Following the awards ceremony, the 69th Venice Film Festival presented the world premiere screening of the new documentary by Spike Lee, Bad 25, filmed on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson’s historic album, Bad.


Jaeger-LeCoultre awarded Spike Lee with its iconic Reverso watch carrying a special engraving on its case-back The Director of the Venice Film Festival, Alberto Barbera, in regards to this acknowledgment to Spike Lee, stated:


“Spike Lee is a bold creative spirit, the author of daring and corrosive films, often unpredictable and provocative in the best sense of the term.  Films that challenge us to rethink our prejudices and our preconceptions.”

Mars Blackmon  - you have arrived!

Jaeger-LeCoultre: A Rose for Emergency

It is always nice to see a luxury brand involved in real, honest and valuable charitable work for the good of others - Well Done Jaeger-LeCoultre!

Here is the info:


On the occasion of the 69th Venice Film Festival, Jaeger-LeCoultre is pursuing its partnership with Emergency, a humanitarian organisation established in 1994 to help the victims of civil wars and poverty, by supporting maternity hospital opened by Emergency at Anabah in Afghanistan, a country where the health of mothers and their children is an urgent daily concern.

Courtesy of Jaeger-LeCoultre

Every month over 300 children are born in the maternity hospital of Anabah.
At an average rate of 10 childbirths per day, over 100 babies are expected during the Venice Film Festival, and Jaeger-LeCoultre will finance the centre for the entire duration of the festival.  Cinema stars will join Jaeger-LeCoultre in its commitment.

The "A Rose for Emergency" project by Jaeger-LeCoultre was indeed inspired by these precious blooms. In Afghanistan, a rose is a much appreciated and meaningful flower: it is a symbol of love, of purity, of delicacy and of life, a flower that blossoms in a country devastated by war and poverty. Like the other Afghan Emergency centres that are also surrounded by superb gardens, the maternity centre is set amid a beautiful rose garden.

In support of this important project, celebrities joining the humanitarian action will walk the red carpet in Venice holding a rose and wearing the watch that symbolises this operation. The watches will then be sold by Christie’s auction house and proceeds will entirely be donated to Emergency in order to help fund the centre.

Emergency Maternity Centre in Anabah
Established in 2003, the facility offers gynaecological, obstetric and neonatal services in the Northern areas of Afghanistan, a region with a population of over 250,000. The maternity
centre located near the Emergency surgical centre is the region’s only specialised facility offering its services free of charge. The centre has implemented a prenatal care programme to monitor pregnancies and to provide timely treatment for any pathologies that arise. International and national midwives carry out periodical monitoring missions of pregnancies at the First Aid Posts and Health Centres spread over the region. The Afghan team of personnel employed at the Maternity Centre is composed exclusively of women. Emergency directly handles their recruitment and professional training.
Maternity centre statistics (updated on 31/03/2012): out-patients: 86,909 – in-patients: 22,399 – surgical interventions: 4,841 – children born: 15,018
Emergency ONG ONLUS
Emergency is a humanitarian association established in 1994 to help the victims of civil wars and poverty.
Since 1994, Emergency has intervened in 16 countries, through building hospitals, surgical centres, rehabilitation centres, paediatric clinics, healthcare centres for primary medical assistance, maternity hospitals and cardiac surgery centres.
Since 1994 Emergency doctors have treated over 4.5 million people.
www.emergency.it