August 4 - National Night Out Day®

(Date may differ based on location due to extreme weather conditions in August. Check with local organizations for dates near you.) 

 
Happy National Night Out Day®! On the first Tuesday in August, this day promotes police-community partnerships in neighborhoods across the country.  

 
The event focuses on the community and raising awareness through camaraderie. By improving area relationships, the hope is to make our neighborhoods safer. 

 
Shining a spotlight on community police programs, National Night Out Day® increases connections between those who serve and their neighborhoods. 

Through a variety of programs designed to educate and improve relationships, dialogues open.  

Some of these programs include: 

• 
  

  • Drug prevention 

• • Town watch 

• • Neighborhood watch 

• • Other anti-watch programs 

One of the largest National Night Out Day® events is on the west side of Columbus, Ohio. The Ogden Block Watch in Columbus organizes a festival that includes live music, food, and entertainment.  

While not all events are so large, the significant part of the occasion is community connections and safety. 

As these events empower the citizens, they also provide valuable information to the neighborhoods.  

Each year, the number of events grows as well. 

HOW TO OBSERVE 

In some parts of the country, the event takes place during cooler times of the year. Not only does this facilitate a better turn out, but more fun had by all. 

 

Check with your local organizations to find out when your Night Out Day takes place. 

Block watches, not-for-profits, businesses, and police departments usually organize events around the country. They may be as small as a backyard barbecue or as large as a full-blown festival.  

Whether they’re big or small, these events impact each neighborhood in positive ways. 

Join a local National Night Out Day® event near you. Another way to help is to volunteer. If you don’t find an event in your community, help to organize one. 

https://natw.org/about/ 

Once you have an event, register it at the website. Most importantly, be a part of improving your community.  

Post on social media using #NationalNightOutDay. 

HISTORY 

The National Association of Town Watch sponsors National Night Out Day® in the United States and Canada.

https://natw.org  

Although the origins date back to the early 1970s, the day has been celebrated since 1984.  

More recently Dog Walker Watch joined part of the program. Since dog owners, seventy-five million of them, walk almost daily with their dogs watching their neighborhoods, what better sets of eyes to assist law enforcement!

https://natw.org/dog-walker-watch/    

Their extra eyes and ears keep watching while they walk their canine companions in communities all over the country aiding law enforcement.  

#NationalNightOutDay

@nationalnightout 

@nichecinema 

DATES 

August 03, 2021 
August 02, 2022 
August 01, 2023 
August 06, 2024 
August 05, 2025 
August 04, 2026 
August 03, 2027 
August 01, 2028 
August 07, 2029

August 4 - Bernard Rose

       

Happy 60th Birthday, Bernard Rose! Born today in 1960, this English editor, composer, actor, screenwriter and film director is considered a pioneer of digital filmmaking. He is best known for his direction of acclaimed horror films. 

 
Born in London, England, United Kingdom, Rose was the son of a Jewish father and a mother who had converted to Judaism. Years later, he began making super 8 films when he was nine. 

 
By 1975, Rose won an amateur film competition hosted by BBC which led to the broadcasting of his works. He later worked for Jim Henson. 

 
This was on the last season of The Muppet Show (1976–1981) and then the following year for the 1982 American puppet animated dark fantasy adventure film 'The Dark Crystal'. However, he went uncredited as a production assistant. 

 
During this time, Rose attended the National Film and Television School and graduated in 1982 with a Master's in Filmmaking.  

 
After this, he moved on to directing music videos for MTV, one of which was the uncensored version of British band Frankie Goes to Hollywood's 1983 hit "Relax". 

 
Nine years later, Rose got his big break into cinema in the United States for co-writing and directing the film of which he is best known. This was the 1992 American adaptation/fantasy horror film 'Candyman'.  

 
The film had been adapted from English writer, film director, and visual artist Clive Barker's short story The Forbidden. This was from the 1984–1985 anthology collection "Books of Blood", with music written for the film by American composer Philip Glass. It has since been seen as a cult classic. 

 
Three years later, the 1995 American slasher/horror film 'Candyman 2: Farewell to the Flesh' (also known as 'Candyman 2') was released as a sequel to the original film. It was directed this time by American screenwriter and director Bill Condon.  

 
Rose originally conceived a sequel to his horror hit three years prior as not featuring the eponymous character at all but instead continuing to explore the nature of urban horror mythos.  

 
This was quickly scotched when the producers figured that audiences would show up because they wanted to see Candyman eviscerate his victims. 

 
According to American actress and film producer Virginia Madsen (of whom had played Chicago graduate student Helen Lyle in the first film), Rose originally had another concept in mind for the sequel. 

 
She said: "They originally wanted us all to do “Candyman 2,” but they didn’t like Bernie’s idea for the sequel. They made Candyman into a slave, which was terrible because Candyman was educated and raised a free man.  

 
Bernie wanted to make him like an African-American Dracula, which I think it was so appealing to the African-American community because they had finally their own Dracula. Candyman was a poet and smart, wasn’t really a monster, sort of that classical figure." 

 
"The sequel that Bernie wanted to make was a prequel where you see Candyman and Helen fall in love, etc. It was turned down because the studio didn’t want to do an inert racial love story." 

 
American actress, singer and designer Tuesday Knight has reported to have turned down a role in 'Farewell to the Flesh', claiming that it was the only horror film she regrets turning down.  

 
African-American film producer, and voice actor Tony Todd is the only original recurring cast member to appear in the film, not only as Candyman but as a slave named Daniel Robitaille.  

 
Glass also returned to compose for the film. 'Candyman 2' only earned back $13.9 million at the box office and currently holds a 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

 
Four years later, the 1999 American slasher/thriller film 'Candyman: Day of the Dead' (also known as 'Candyman 3: Day of the Dead') was released. It was directed by American writer, story editor, executive story editor, co-producer, television and film producer and director Turi Meyer.  

 
Todd is again the only original recurring cast member to appear in the film. Instead of Glass, American prolific composer of film and television scores Adam Gorgoni wrote the music instead. 'Candyman 3' currently holds a 13% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

 
A "spiritual sequel" to the original 'Candyman' is set to be released in June 2020. This new American horror film returns to the neighborhood where the legend began: the now-gentrified section of Chicago where the Cabrini-Green housing projects once stood.  

 
It will be directed by African-American director and screenwriter Nia DaCosta and produced by African-American actor, comedian, and filmmaker Jordan Peele ('Get Out'). 

 
Rose has been active from 1986–present. 

 
#borntodirect 

@BernardJMRose 

@BFI 

@indiewire 

@RogerEbert 

@BloodyDisgusting 

@HorroMovieCast 

@letterboxd