Sad to note the passÂing of Lena Horne, one of the first black talÂents to break the colÂor barÂriÂer in HolÂlyÂwood. Here we have her singing her sigÂnaÂture song “Stormy WeathÂer” in 1943. Thanks to @wesalwan, a regÂuÂlar conÂtribÂuÂtor, for flagÂging this vinÂtage piece.
As he grows oldÂer, Woody Allen increasÂingÂly finds himÂself posiÂtioned as the philosoÂpher filmÂmakÂer. Fresh Air host TerÂry Gross asked him some heavy exisÂtenÂtial quesÂtions in an interÂview last year. (LisÂten here). And, more recentÂly, we have Allen grapÂpling with some big life quesÂtions in an interÂview conÂductÂed by Father Robert E. Lauder in the Catholic magÂaÂzine, ComÂmonÂweal. The conÂverÂsaÂtion begins:
RL: When IngÂmar Bergman died, you said even if you made a film as great as one of his, what would it matÂter? It doesn’t gain you salÂvaÂtion. So you had to ask yourÂself why do you conÂtinÂue to make films. Could you just say someÂthing about what you meant by “salÂvaÂtion”?
WA: Well, you know, you want some kind of relief from the agony and terÂror of human exisÂtence. Human exisÂtence is a bruÂtal expeÂriÂence to me…it’s a bruÂtal, meanÂingÂless experience—an agoÂnizÂing, meanÂingÂless expeÂriÂence with some oases, delight, some charm and peace, but these are just small oases. OverÂall, it is a bruÂtal, bruÂtal, terÂriÂble expeÂriÂence, and so it’s what can you do to alleÂviÂate the agony of the human conÂdiÂtion, the human predicaÂment? That is what interÂests me the most. I conÂtinÂue to make the films because the probÂlem obsessÂes me all the time and it’s conÂsisÂtentÂly on my mind and I’m conÂsisÂtentÂly tryÂing to alleÂviÂate the probÂlem, and I think by makÂing films as freÂquentÂly as I do I get a chance to vent the probÂlems. There is some relief. I have said this before in a faceÂtious way, but it is not so faceÂtious: I am a whinÂer. I do get a cerÂtain amount of solace from whinÂing.
AnothÂer great New York City moment. In the spring of 2009, conÂstrucÂtion workÂers buildÂing the new home for Poets House were treatÂed to a short poetÂry readÂing by the actor Bill MurÂray. We iniÂtialÂly encounter MurÂray (at the 59 secÂond mark) readÂing lines from BilÂly Collins’ AnothÂer ReaÂson I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House. Next up? Lorine NiedeckÂer’s very pithy poem, Poets Work, and then, of course, a litÂtle EmiÂly DickÂinÂson.
For more free poetÂry, visÂit our colÂlecÂtion of Free Audio Books.
LookÂing for free, proÂfesÂÂsionÂalÂÂly-read audio books from Audible.com? Here’s a great, no-strings-attached deal. If you start a 30 day free triÂal with Audible.com, you can downÂload two free audio books of your choice. Get more details on the offer here.
This year, Tim BurÂton’s proÂducÂtion of Alice In WonÂderÂland was welÂcomed by a flurÂry of media buzz and a rather polarÂized pubÂlic response debatÂing whether the iconÂic direcÂtor had butchered or reinÂventÂed the even more iconÂic chilÂdren’s clasÂsic. But disÂcusÂsion of the film’s creÂative merÂits aside, one thing it did do brilÂliantÂly was rekinÂdle the pubÂlic’s interÂest in what’s easÂiÂly the most beloved work of chilÂdren’s litÂerÂaÂture of the past two cenÂturies.
So beloved, in fact, that Lewis CarÂrolÂl’s 1865 novÂel has genÂerÂatÂed hunÂdreds of reprints, film adapÂtaÂtions and varÂiÂous derivÂaÂtive works over the years. Many of these works are now availÂable in the pubÂlic domain — even a simÂple search in the InterÂnet Archive sends you down a rabÂbit hole of adapÂtaÂtions and remakes, spanÂning from landÂmark earÂly cinÂeÂma treaÂsures to offÂbeat prodÂucts of conÂtemÂpoÂrary digÂiÂtal culÂture.
Today, we’ve curatÂed a selecÂtion of the most interÂestÂing and culÂturÂalÂly sigÂnifÂiÂcant — the “curiÂouser and curiÂouser,” if you will — free verÂsions of, tribÂutes to, and derivÂaÂtives of Alice’s AdvenÂtures In WonÂderÂland.
The funÂdaÂmenÂtals: A Project GutenÂberg free digÂiÂtal copy of CarÂrolÂl’s origÂiÂnal Alice’s AdvenÂtures In WonÂderÂland text
A 1916 abridged verÂsion intendÂed for younger chilÂdren, digÂiÂtized by the Library of ConÂgress, is availÂable from the InterÂnaÂtionÂal ChilÂdren’s DigÂiÂtal Library and feaÂtures some wonÂderÂful illusÂtraÂtion — though, regretÂtably, it lacks the Cheshire Cat
For a clasÂsic with a spin, try this audio verÂsion read by blogÂger extraÂorÂdiÂnaire, BoingÂBoÂing co-ediÂtor, PopÂuÂlar SciÂence columÂnist and vocal free conÂtent advoÂcate Cory DocÂtorow
The earÂliÂest cinÂeÂmatÂic adapÂtaÂtion of the book, directÂed by Cecil HepÂworth in 1903, is a silent film gem, clockÂing in at just 8 minÂutes and 19 secÂonds. Watch above.
In 1915, W. W. Young directÂed the secÂond AmerÂiÂcan adapÂtaÂtion of Alice — a masÂsive six-reel proÂducÂtion that showÂcased the rapid evoÂluÂtion of filmÂmakÂing in just a decade since the first proÂducÂtion. Though much of the film is now lost, 42 minÂutes of it can be seen at the InterÂnet Archive for free
A 1966 British adapÂtaÂtion by direcÂtor Jonathan Miller for the BBC feaÂtures an ambiÂtious cast — includÂing Peter SellÂers as the King of Hearts, Sir John GielÂguld as Mock TurÂtle, Michael RedÂgrave as The CaterÂpilÂlar and Peter Cook as the Mad HatÂter — and its soundÂtrack, scored by the legÂendary Ravi Shankar, exudes the borÂderÂline folk-psyÂcheÂdelia sound of the WoodÂstock era. The film, dividÂed into sevÂen parts, is availÂable for free on YouTube.
This 2‑minute verÂsion of Alice In WonÂderÂland shot in the virÂtuÂal world SecÂond Life is an eerie tesÂtaÂment to just how wideÂly CarÂrolÂl’s clasÂsic resÂonates.
PerÂhaps the biggest treaÂsure of all, Lewis CarÂrolÂl’s origÂiÂnal manÂuÂscript, availÂable from the British Library — 91 pages of preÂcious litÂerÂary hisÂtoÂry, with origÂiÂnal illusÂtraÂtions from artist John TenÂniel. The online gallery also feaÂtures a prefÂace telling the fasÂciÂnatÂing stoÂry of the Oxford mathÂeÂmatiÂcian’s real-life inspiÂraÂtion for the book and the fate of the real Alice
Maria PopoÂva is the founder and ediÂtor in chief of Brain PickÂings, a curatÂed invenÂtoÂry of eclecÂtic interÂestÂingÂness and indisÂcrimÂiÂnate curiosÂiÂty. She writes for Wired UK, GOOD MagÂaÂzine and HuffÂinÂgÂton Post, and spends a disÂturbÂing amount of time curatÂing interÂestÂingÂness on TwitÂter.
Ken Loach is Britain’s most famous – and often conÂtroÂverÂsial – direcÂtor, known for his social realÂist directÂing style and socialÂist polÂiÂtics. GivÂen his approach, it’s quite fitÂting that he has made some of his finest films availÂable on YouTube – for free. The Ken Loach YouTube chanÂnel gives you access to his earÂly major films, includÂing Cathy Come Home, a 1966 BBC docuÂdÂraÂma that porÂtrays a young couÂple grapÂpling with poverÂty, unemÂployÂment, and homeÂlessÂness, and also Kes, a 1970 movie that’s now ranked sevÂenth on the British Film InstiÂtute’s list of the Top Ten (British) Films.
But you wouldÂn’t want to miss Loach’s more recent films. And the new YouTube colÂlecÂtion doesÂn’t disÂapÂpoint. It feaÂtures HidÂden AgenÂda (1990), a politÂiÂcal thriller that won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film FesÂtiÂval; Riff Raff (1991), anothÂer prize winÂner that takes a hard look at the workÂing class in the UK; and Ae Fond Kiss (2004), which delves into what hapÂpens when a young PakÂistani man enters into a relaÂtionÂship with a CauÂcasian woman in GlasÂgow.
Filmed in 1986, Meetin’ WA is a short (26 minute) film that not many have seen. What you get is Godard, one of the driÂving forces behind La NouÂvelle Vague, in conÂverÂsaÂtion with Woody Allen. The tradeÂmark Godard approach to film, the expectÂed dose of Woody Allen neuÂroses — they’re all there. You’ll find this gem and 340+ othÂer films (includÂing many clasÂsics) listÂed in our colÂlecÂtion of Free Movies Online.
Thanks to Yoni for sendÂing this one along. If you have a great piece of open culÂture to share with your felÂlow readÂers, feel free to conÂtact us any time.
You have probÂaÂbly all seen them — the countÂless parÂoÂdies of the now famous scene from the 2004 GerÂman film, DownÂfall, which records the last days of Hitler and the Third Reich. EarÂliÂer this week, the fun startÂed comÂing to an end when ConÂstanÂtin Film, holdÂer of the movie’s copyÂright, asked YouTube to remove the clips for reaÂsons enuÂmerÂatÂed here. But almost as quickÂly as YouTube took them down, new ones startÂed to pop up. Above, we have one parÂoÂdy showÂing Hitler respondÂing vioÂlentÂly to the takeÂdown request. And, then, takÂing an entireÂly difÂferÂent stance, we see him being the masÂterÂmind behind the conÂtroÂverÂsial purgÂing of videos. The meme lives on … for now. Thanks to @wesalwan for the tip here.
For 100+ free movies, includÂing many great clasÂsics, see our colÂlecÂtion of Free Movies Online.
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