As CarÂtoon Brew explains it: “WolfÂgang MatÂzl remade IncepÂtion with vinÂtage paper cut-outs, shot frame-by-frame on his digÂiÂtal camÂera, for the Done In 60 SecÂonds comÂpeÂtiÂtion (where entrants recreÂate a movie in no more than a minute). His film was one of the 10 finalÂists in Berlin, GerÂmany.” You can watch othÂer shortÂlistÂed films here…
via Boing Boing
We Are Equals proÂduced this 2‑minute video for the 100th anniverÂsary of InterÂnaÂtionÂal WomÂen’s Day. Daniel Craig and the great Dame Judi Dench reprise their roles from the last two James Bond films — with a twist. We’d say more, but the video speaks for itself. Enjoy!
Ahead of Time, a new docÂuÂmenÂtary, tells the remarkÂable true stoÂry of Ruth GruÂber. Born in BrookÂlyn in 1911, GruÂber became the youngest perÂson in the world (let alone woman) to earn a Ph.D degree; she did so at the age of 20 from the UniÂverÂsiÂty of Cologne, where she majored in GerÂman PhiÂlosÂoÂphy, ModÂern EngÂlish LitÂerÂaÂture, and Art HisÂtoÂry.
While in GerÂmany, GruÂber witÂnessed Nazi ralÂlies and latÂer returned to AmerÂiÂca with an acute awareÂness of the danÂgers posed by Nazism. BeginÂning her career in jourÂnalÂism, she returned to GerÂmany on a secret misÂsion for the FDR adminÂisÂtraÂtion and phoÂtographed HoloÂcaust refugees. (You can see the phoÂtos GruÂber capÂtured in this post, and absoluteÂly don’t miss the video interÂview with the 99-year-old Ruth at the botÂtom of that page). After the war, GruÂber conÂtinÂued workÂing as a forÂeign corÂreÂsponÂdent and phoÂtoÂjourÂnalÂist – a career that has spanned sevÂen decades.
The short clip above offers a preÂview of Ahead of Time, which airs on ShowÂtime tonight (MonÂday, March 7) at 5:30PM ET/PT, tomorÂrow (TuesÂday, March 8) at 8PM ET/PT, and FriÂday, March 11 at 4PM ET/PT. For a comÂplete list of Ahead of Time showÂings, see here. Ahead of Time promisÂes to explain the long and incredÂiÂbly inspirÂing career of Ruth GruÂber as a jourÂnalÂist, lecÂturÂer, author, phoÂtogÂraÂphÂer, and humanÂiÂtarÂiÂan. Don’t miss it!
Eugene Buchko is a blogÂger and phoÂtogÂraÂphÂer livÂing in Atlanta, GA. He mainÂtains a phoÂtoÂblog, EruÂdite ExpresÂsions, and writes about what he reads on his readÂing blog.
Just a quick note: We took our Free Movie colÂlecÂtion and neatÂly placed the films into catÂeÂgories this weekÂend, makÂing the big colÂlecÂtion a litÂtle easÂiÂer to navÂiÂgate. If you’re lookÂing for free movies, we have 340 films listÂed in the folÂlowÂing catÂeÂgories.
Find the full colÂlecÂtion here. Enjoy…
Jon StewÂart put it niceÂly. Now filmÂmakÂer Michael Moore takes the gloves off. VisÂitÂing MadiÂson, WisÂconÂsin this SatÂurÂday, he told the crowd “AmerÂiÂca isn’t broke.” Rather, the monÂey that used to run the counÂtry simÂply got siphoned out of the sysÂtem and put into unproÂducÂtive Wall Street accounts. Strong words, but if you conÂsidÂer that most US corÂpoÂraÂtions pay no US taxÂes, that bilÂlionÂaire hedge fund manÂagers pay far lowÂer taxÂes than the rest of you, that we’re preÂservÂing the unsusÂtainÂable Bush tax breaks that overÂwhelmÂingÂly benÂeÂfit the extremeÂly wealthy, then you start to think about our nationÂal deficits and WisÂconÂsin’s batÂtles with teachÂers in a difÂferÂent light.
Make no misÂtake about it. The deficits are a real probÂlem. And any truÂly excesÂsive perks for pubÂlic workÂers should be cut. But the midÂdle class shouldÂn’t bear the sole brunt of the nationÂal sacÂriÂfice. And, so far, that’s all we see. Main Street took the hit in 2008 while Wall Street walked. And that’s what’s hapÂpenÂing again…
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Jon StewÂart: The TeachÂers Have it Too Good (Wink)
Kim Jong-Il, North KoreÂa’s leader, is revered as a genius of cinÂeÂma by his own peoÂple. Or so the North KoreÂan proÂpaÂganÂdists would have you believe. In this fasÂciÂnatÂing video from Al Jazeera, we folÂlow two reporters (Lynn Lee and James Leong) as they gain unpreceÂdentÂed access to Pyongyang’s UniÂverÂsiÂty of CinÂeÂmatÂic and DraÂmatÂic Arts, where young actors are picked to serve the masÂsive proÂpaÂganÂda machine. Along the way, Lee and Leong encounter two young film stuÂdents – Kim Un Bom and Ri Yun Mi – as they rehearse, take music and dance lessons, and call attenÂtion to their privÂiÂleged lives.
How are films difÂferÂent in capÂiÂtalÂist counÂtries vs. North Korea? Leave it to Ri Yun Mi, the film stuÂdent, to explain (3:27 in the video):
“Films made in capÂiÂtalÂist counÂtries are comÂmerÂcial prodÂucts. Movies in our counÂtry bring out the ideÂolÂoÂgy of the peoÂple. We could say we are repÂreÂsenÂtaÂtives of our [ComÂmuÂnist] ParÂty.”
The young reporters go on to explain the chalÂlenges they faced in creÂatÂing this film. They were repeatÂedÂly denied perÂmisÂsion to film at the UniÂverÂsiÂty, and freÂquentÂly told to delete footage when it didÂn’t conÂform to North KoreÂa’s stanÂdards. All in all, this film does a good job illuÂmiÂnatÂing anothÂer hidÂden part of North KoreÂan life: the cinÂeÂma of dreams.
Eugene Buchko is a blogÂger and phoÂtogÂraÂphÂer livÂing in Atlanta, GA. He mainÂtains a phoÂtoÂblog, EruÂdite ExpresÂsions, and writes about what he reads on his readÂing blog.
This week, some of the world’s greatÂest thinkers (and biggest spenders) are gathÂered in Palm Springs and Long Beach, CalÂiÂforÂnia for TED’s annuÂal conÂferÂence. In case your inviÂtaÂtion to TED2011 got lost in the mail along with ours, you can still keep up with the conÂferÂence through TED’s homeÂpage. Some highÂlights so far include an openÂing address beamed in from outÂer space, physiÂcist JanÂna LevÂin’s disÂcusÂsion of what she calls the soundÂtrack of the uniÂverse, and finalÂly, a stunÂning video docÂuÂmentÂing the restoraÂtion of LuchiÂno VisÂconÂti’s 1963 clasÂsic film, The LeopÂard. Even betÂter, the video is narÂratÂed by MarÂtin ScorsÂese, uber-direcÂtor, cinÂeÂma hisÂtoÂriÂan, and founder of The Film FounÂdaÂtion, one of the many orgaÂniÂzaÂtions involved with the restoraÂtion.
By the way, Scorcese gave a fasÂciÂnatÂing talk about film restoraÂtion last year at LACMA. You can watch it here. For a comÂplete list of films his founÂdaÂtion has been involved in restorÂing or preÂservÂing, click here.
PubÂlicÂiÂty can be terÂriÂble. But only if you don’t have any. - Jane RusÂsell
Jane RusÂsell learned the powÂer of notoÂriÂety at an earÂly age. DirecÂtor Howard HughÂes (the recluÂsive bilÂlionÂaire) had cast the volupÂtuous 19-year-old in his epic WestÂern The OutÂlaw (1943), with the full intenÂtion of makÂing her a sex symÂbol. HughÂes essenÂtialÂly made her conÂsidÂerÂable assets the star of the film, even going so far as to design a speÂcial canÂtilevered push-up bra for her to wear durÂing shootÂing.
HughÂes did his job almost too well. The promiÂnent disÂplay of cleavÂage in both the film and its trailÂer unnerved cenÂsors and kept The OutÂlaw out of theÂaters until nearÂly 1950. (You can watch the full movie above.) The conÂtroÂverÂsy also launched RusÂselÂl’s career as a WWII pin-up girl, but she conÂtinÂued to perÂform in films, evenÂtuÂalÂly provÂing to be a fine actress and singer. Today she is perÂhaps best rememÂbered for her conÂfiÂdent, sexy, perÂforÂmance oppoÂsite MarÂiÂlyn MonÂroe in the 1953 comÂeÂdy GenÂtleÂman PreÂfer Blondes, and espeÂcialÂly for her showÂstopÂping numÂber, “Ain’t AnyÂone Here For Love?”
A botched illeÂgal aborÂtion at the age of 19 left the actress unable to bear chilÂdren, and she was a vocal anti-aborÂtion activist and advoÂcate for adopÂtion. Also a proud RepubÂliÂcan, she described herÂself to an interÂviewÂer in 2003 as a “a teeÂtoÂtal, mean-spirÂitÂed, right-wing, narÂrow-mindÂed, conÂserÂvÂaÂtive ChrisÂtÂian bigÂot — but not a racist.”
Ms. RusÂsell died yesÂterÂday of a lung-relatÂed illÂness at her home in SanÂta Maria, CalÂiÂforÂnia. She was 89 years old.
You can see The OutÂlaw in our free movies colÂlecÂtion.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
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