By the time you read this I’ll be performing the Hajj.
I have enclosed the following You Tube videos taken from the excellent DVD ‘National Geographic – Inside Mecca‘ in order for our readers to gain an insight on the Hajj ritual and Islam.
Inside Mecca Part 1 (LINK).
Inside Mecca Part 2 (LINK).
Inside Mecca Part 3 (LINK).
Inside Mecca Part 4 (LINK).
Inside Mecca Part 5 (LINK).

After months of political turmoil concerning his tenure as Minister of Information, Mr. Mohamed Al-Sanousi (picture) has resigned (see Asharq Al-Awsat and Safat Square).

Even though Mr. Sanousi is a cultured, shrewd and charming gentleman – as well as a liberal who was always vocal in improving Kuwaiti infrastructure and development – he was an unfortunate catalyst in impeding the freedom of the press and democratic ideals here. Whether that was his choice or not is irrelevant; if it was the latter he should have resigned on principle if he truly believed in freedom of the press.

One would have hoped that he would continue the great work done by former Minister Mr. Anas Rushaid in disbanding the ministry but not only did he not continue the work, he reversed course and attempted to salvage the Ministry. Under his watch, most of the licenses given to new newspapers were allocated only to ‘high profile’ entities; he attempted to block the ‘5 for Kuwait’ satellite stations; he ordered (then retracted the order) sending a journalist from ‘Al-Siyassah’ to court for publishing information that was common knowledge everywhere in Kuwait, among other issues.

His repeated defiance of National Assembly members vise a vise the “Quizzing” (i.e. “I am ready, I will make the MP’s bite their nails”) only added fuel to the fire.

Nevertheless, as much as I may have disagreed with some of Mr. Sanousi’s actions in the Ministry, he deserves our sympathy. He has obviously been through much personal and professional turmoil (i.e. his ‘Showbiz’ B.O.T. being cancelled) and the man deserves some relief and peace of mind.

The beast of burden is the Ministry of Information; it is the entity threatening to eradicate any knight attempting to traverse through its wall of flames. No one will leave the ministry intact, a high price will be paid.

It really is time to break the ministry (the way Qatar did a *decade* ago): the television is sub par, the news is weak, the censorship bureau is unwilling to adopt a ratings system for the cinema, sticking to a 30 year old antiquated code and the foreign press bureau or press attaches would be better served under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, among other observations.

Like its equally unappealling sister, the Ministry of Education, the Info Ministry will always be at the center of a tug of war between the Government and the Islamists – it is not worth fighting for. Shut it down once and for all. That way we can avoid future 6 month continuous “quizzing” threats paralyzing the system here.

And besides, no democratic state – at the very least, a state with a Parliament and a Constitution – should harbor a Ministry of Information.

Arab Times: Kuwait: World must join hands to fight corruption.
Start at home, baby, start at home…

Indonesia eager to draw Kuwaiti investments (KUNA)

Jordanian investment authority to open bureau in Kuwait soon (KUNA)

Egypt targets Kuwaiti investments; Both countries facing common interests (KUNA)

Sudanese Finance Minister visits Kuwait to attract investments

Algeria lures investments from Kuwait (Kuwait Times)

I have no problem with Kuwait – through KIA or other entities – investing in foreign countries.

But as long as others don’t invest here; as long as we are not an attractive investment locale, then we will never truly be a successful state.

Ever since my father took me to a reissue of Charles Chaplin’s MODERN TIMES at a cinema in Rome during the early 1970s, I have been a film aficionado and not only enjoy cinema but the movie palaces that I grew up with in Rome, Madrid and London.

What I find immensely sad is that a lot of the single-screen movie theatres I grew up with have either been converted to multiple screens or torn down altogether. The experience of sitting in a Stall or Balcony seat in a 1200 plus seat theater with a massive Cinerama-like curved screen, with ushers moving around selling popcorn, sweets and drinks inside the theater, is an experience I miss. Sure there are a a few of the large theaters left: Odeon Leicester Square, London, Uptown Cinema, Washington DC, among others, but they are few and far between now. Many of the theaters I enjoyed in London, such as the Odeon Haymarket, the Plaza Cinema, Rialto, among many, have also been torn down and/or replaced with much smaller cinemas (i.e. Warner West End, Odeon Marble Arch).

ODEON MARBLE ARCH

The Odeon Marble Arch had one of the best screens in London. During the 1960s it was refitted with a Dimension 150 screen capable of playing “Road Show” epics such as PATTON, HELLO DOLLY! and others films. I remember seeing many films in this theatre including HERBIE RIDES AGAIN (1976), A BRIDGE TOO FAR (1977), RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983), among many other films.

The Odeon Marble Arch. The year must be 1948 because A SONG IS BORN is playing.

Odeon Marble Arch (1967) The expensive Fox musical DR. DOOLITTLE playing on a Dimension 150 Screen.

The Odeon Marble Arch today. The 1 screen massive theater was turned into a multiplex with 5 screens.

ODEON SWISS COTTAGE

The proximity of this cinema to my granparent’s home in London was a reason why I used to frequent this joint. The cinema went from one large screen to two screens and eventually to 5 screens (during the last few years). The concession area is still large but the small multiplexes are very disappointing.

Looking at some of these pictures, I can still visualize myself standing outside the foyer, inhaling the strong hot dog aroma, and anxiously awaiting the opening of the doors to films such as SHOUT AT THE DEVIL (1976) and THE LAND THAT TIME FORGOT (1975).

Odeon Swiss Cottage (1968). The Russian Best Foreign Language film (WAR AND PEACE) is playing in Two Parts.

The cinema today.

THE RIALTO

The Rialto is off Leicester Square (adjacent to ‘Planet Hollywood). By the time I frequented this theatre in the 1970s it was showing B movies such as BLAZING MAGNUM (1976), THE STUD (1978) and THE BITCH (1979).

The Rialto (1949) (Photograph by Grenville Barret)

The Rialto (1964) (Photograph by Ken Roe)

The Rialto Today

THE PLAZA

One of my favorite cinemas in London was The Plaza, on lower Regent Street. It was a CIC (Paramount, Universal) cinema I remember watching films such as SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT, AIRPORT ’77, STAR TREKs II – V, AIRPLANE! and many others. It was a multiplex, with two large theatres and three smaller ones (the larger ones had a red colored, plush interior). I remember they had a Baskin Robbins in the lobby. Unfortunately, the cinema is no longer there, having been replaced by a supermarket.

The Plaza during the early 1980s. TIME BANDITS, AIRPLANE and LIFE OF BRIAN are on the marquee.

THE ODEON HAYMARKET

The Odeon Haymarket was a one screen theater, located on a basement level, the corner of St. James Market, not too far from Leicester Square. It had a large screen and a an intimate ambience. I remember it also used to screen Buena Vista/Disney films such as FANTASIA and SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES. The theatre unfortunately has closed down as well.

The Odeon Haymarket circa 1962 (Posted by Ken Roe)

The inside of the Haymarket (Photograph Ken Roe)

A 1995 Haymarket interior photograph (Image by Bridget Smith)

The Haymarket after its closure (Photo by Ian Grundy)

Kuwait, 1982 (Photograph by Dennis Sylvester Hurd).

In the Robert Altman post I mentioned Farouq Abdel-Aziz, the host of Monday night’s “Cine Club,” and it got me a tad nostalgic about those days. So I thought it might be interesting to our older bloggers and readers to reminisce about those days.

The early 1980s in Kuwait would have been tough for today’s young men and women: no satellite stations; no internet; no modern movie theatres with the latest releases; no Ipod; no fancy video games (although we did have the Sony Walkman and the Atari VCS).

The Kuwait National Cinema Company’s theatres were in a decrepit condition (hardly anyone went to movies). There was a useless and idiotic boycott against major American studios and actors such as Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor and anyone else who performed in or supported Israel . KNCC screened low-budget Asian martial arts knock-offs and made for television movies. Once in a while you’d get a MAD MAX 2 or RAMBO, but those hits were few and far between.

The Kuwaiti soccer team was a hell of a team: ‘Our Camel Was a Winner’.

The Kuwaiti theatre was bold, brash, original and hilarious (i.e. Bye Bye London, The Knights of The Stock Exchange – Fursan Al-Manakh).

Coca-Cola and Ford were not available here (due to the boycott). Pepsi was the norm everywhere, alongside Seven Up and Crush, and we drank them from the bottle.

Entertainment was relatively non-existent, unless you counted renting Salmiya’s The Video Club’s pirated films as “entertainment.” We’d also occasionally visit the occasional ‘Jukebox‘ concert that would play Salmiya Cinema – kids dancing and lip-synching to George Michael, Bananarama and Kajagoogoo (can you imagine such a concert occuring now in Kuwait?)

QUINCY

SHOGUN

I remember KTV2 – it was at its peak: SHOGUN, QUINCY, C.H.I.P.S., MAGNUM, among many other top of the line newer American shows of the time – language, violence and disturbing situations were not censored, only kisses and pornography. We were a much more liberal society in those days. Today the station is a shadow of what it once was, having been superseded by the likes of One, Dubai Television, MBC2, among many others.

C.H.I.P.S.

As far as fast-food or dining were concerned during the early to mid-1980s, I remember the Dairy Queen adjacent to Salhiya, and the trio of Mister Donut, (or was it Dunkin Donuts?), A&W and Swensons in Salmiya, as well as a Sizzler on the Sultan Center road. There was no McDonalds, Hungry Bunny(they came into the picture during the late 80s), Burger King or Arby’s – Hardees was the King of Fast Food and Pizza Italia was the King of Pizzas. The Movenpick restaurant opposite Salhiya was also very popular.

The once-thriving Clubs like the ‘Hunting and Equestrian Club’ and the ‘Gazelle Club’ (Nadi Al-Ghazaal) were winding down in popularity. The Drive-In theatre was also a far cry from its 1970s heyday when it was the place to be. Those clubs were eclipsed by the Salmiya Sports Club (next to the Pearl Marzouq building) where people could swim, dance, learn martial arts and basically have a good time.

Flirting was done in a more low-key and civilized manner. Young men did not walk around in groups intimidating women or trying to drive them off the streets if they didn’t acknowledge their interest.

There were more Westerners then. You could see them everywhere; they were a welcome sight. Kuwait was the destination in the Gulf for expatriates.

Private schools had mostly expatriate students, Kuwaitis were a minority. Now it’s the reverse.

Even though we had no emissions laws or regulations, Kuwait seemed much less polluted in those days. I don’t remember seeing any pinkish smog hovering over the city.

There was hardly any major traffic; you could drive from the Showbiz area in Salmiya towards the Marriot “Love Boat” Hotel at the end of the Gulf Road in less than 15 minutes. There were fewer deuce bags on the road.

What do you guys remember from the Kuwait of the 1980s that you would like to share?

The Middle East Peace Process is dead in the water.

Lebanon has lost another anti-Syrian advocate and is one death away from the government collapsing and potential civil war.

Iran continues to pursue its nuclear ambitions, threatening its own population – as well as those of its neighbors – with environmental catastrophe.

Iraq is in a vicious circle of tragic violence and is on the brink of civil war.

Kuwait is wedged between two troubled nations: our government unable to push its agenda through; public protests are on the increase on Kuwaiti streets (i.e. the bedoun issue, the loans issue); sooner than expected falling oil prices; rumors of Constitutional amendments; Sectarian divisions being exploited by demagogues vise a vise the ‘Zakat Law’; Minister ‘Quizzes’ are around the corner; the populace is caught between growing resentment towards the government’s ‘check book diplomacy’ and the manipulation of the stock market by a few entities intent on dragging the whole sector down – and hurting the Kuwaiti investor – through their ‘scorched earth’ policy.

We are living in dangerous times, my friends. Whatever we are all doing: the government, the private sector, the people…It’s not working. And it reminds me of the latter part of the 1980s just before we got invaded by Iraq.

Robert Altman, one of the most talented and prolific American Directors has passed on at 81 (LINK).

The first Altman film I recall seeing was BUFFALO BILL AND THE INDIANS at an upscale Madrid theatre in 1976. I was a big Paul Newman fan (having seen him in THE TOWERING INFERNO, HOMBRE and other classics) and a big fan of Westerns so I went to see the film expecting lots of gunslinging mayhem; surprisingly, the film was a bit more meditative, complex and darker than I expected – the Altman touch.

Interestingly enough, I just viewed Altman’s final film A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION a few days ago and enjoyed it (it might not be everyone’s cup of tea). I recall checking out the DVD extra materials and really enjoyed the Altman interviews; he always comes across as a smart, sly, Southern gentleman.

Altman‘s westerns were thought-provoking and gritty (MCCABE AND MRS MILLER ) his comedies were as cynical as those of Billy Wilder (A WEDDING, M.A.S.H. CALIFORNIA SPLIT). He could tackle cartoon musicals (POPEYE), Depression-set crime dramas (THIEVES LIKE US), political dramas and satires (TANNER ’88, SECRET HONOR); he was a versatile filmmaker.

Of course he will always be known as the director of the ‘overlapping dialogue’ movies, but he was a great director, adept at different genres (a la John Huston) and masterful with ensemble pieces. His first big hit was the hilarious, though-provoking comedy M.A.S.H. – which was also regarded by many as a parable of American involvement in Vietnam.

NASHVILLE is a classic of course but I also loved THE LONG GOODBYE, one of the finest, most cynical gumshoe movies ever made and a great look at the L.A. of the 70s. I recall seeing this film for the first time during the early 1980s during KTV 2’s ‘golden era’ when Farouq Abdel-Aziz‘s ‘Cine Club’ was not to be missed every Monday night.

THE LONG GOODBYE is genius.

Elliot Gould effectively played a downbeat, cynical Philip Marlowe (a far cry from James Garner or Robert Mitchum’s take on the character). Sterling Hayden was unbelieavably brilliant in the film and Director Mark Rydell (ON GOLDEN POND) played a nasty piece of work, brutal to the ladies. The film is a devilishly entertaining and smart look at private eye’s tribulations in seemy 1970s L.A.

I still remember the final, shocking scene in GOODBYE, echoing both THE THIRD MAN and DIRTY HARRY ‘s climax – if you haven’t seen this film you are in for a real treat.

Look at directors nowadays…how many will end up doing as many genres as a Huston or Altman and still do it with their own little trademarks and imprints *and* keep working well into their 80s making great flicks (i.e.GOSFORD PARK)? Very few.

Even though Altman was in his 80s, his death does not negate his loss to the world of cinema. He was a true original.

Robert Altman filmography.

An informative, in-depth report by The Power And Interest News Report on the growing, evolving China relationship with the G.C.C. countries. (LINK).
Excerpt:

“Whereas Chinese policies are clearly aimed at securing access to oil that is so vital to China’s power hungry and rapidly growing economy, energy is not the only agent that is driving China’s diplomatic offensive. China is also seeking to gain a foothold in a region that increasingly resents the U.S. presence. In doing so, China hopes to gently challenge American control by having greater influence in the region, which would complement and project China’s global ambitions. Beijing has been for a long time what historian John Gittings calls a “status-quo power that often punches below its weight in international politics.” China’s policy toward the G.C.C. is one element in Beijing’s overall goal of addressing this.”

Fresh from it’s recent success as the “Best Airline In South Africa,” (yes, that is what the ad claims) a Kuwait Airways flight out of New Delhi flew into the No-Fly Zone featuring the Indian Prime Minister’s official residence, reported the International Herald Tribune. (LINK).

The airline has outdone itself by almost getting shot down.

Excerpt:

A Kuwait Airways passenger jet on Monday created a security scare in the Indian capital by deviating toward a “no fly zone” – the Indian prime minister’s official residence – soon after take off, a news report said…Just a day before, authorities tightened security at airports across India after officials received a threat against planes flying to the U.S. and Europe…