What if The GodÂfaÂther had been shot withÂout MarÂlon BranÂdo? (It almost hapÂpened.) Or withÂout Al PaciÂno? (It almost hapÂpened too .) Or withÂout FranÂcis Ford CopÂpoÂla? (Yup, even that almost hapÂpened as well.) Then, what if Robert De Niro had played the role of SonÂny, which evenÂtuÂalÂly went to James Caan? Here’s what it would have looked like (and, by the way, we’ve added this clip to our list of YouTube favorites):
In a quick 59 secÂonds, David Lynch tells you the films and filmÂmakÂers that he likes best (see below). In equalÂly sucÂcinct videos, though with a bit more salty lanÂguage (read: lanÂguage that’s not ideÂal for work), Lynch also gives you his thoughts on prodÂuct placeÂment and the whole conÂcept of watchÂing a movie on an iPhone.
Robert McNaÂmaÂra, the archiÂtect of the failed VietÂnam War, died earÂliÂer this week. He was a major force on the AmerÂiÂcan politÂiÂcal scene throughÂout the 1960s. Then, he re-emerged in 2004, when Errol MorÂris released The Fog of War, an Oscar-winÂning docÂuÂmenÂtary that feaÂtures McNaÂmaÂra lookÂing back on his career and highÂlightÂing the lessons learned from the VietÂnam expeÂriÂence. You can watch the film above. (AdmitÂtedÂly the film qualÂiÂty is not the best.) Or you can buy it here.
In the meanÂtime, a quick facÂtoid: After McNaÂmaÂra left the JohnÂson adminÂisÂtraÂtion under a fair amount of disÂgrace, he was appointÂed to lead The World Bank. Fast forÂward to 2005, and we have Paul WolÂfowitz, a key archiÂtect of the Iraq War, leavÂing the Dept. of Defense also under disÂgrace and getÂting to lead The World Bank. Now we know where our next milÂiÂtary bunÂgler will go and save some face…
IFC.com (the web site of the IndeÂpenÂdent Film ChanÂnel) has worked up a list of the all-time best movie trailÂers — or, as they put it, the films that proÂmote the actuÂal films. The list cuts across difÂferÂent eras and feaÂtures many oldÂer clasÂsics (PsyÂcho, CitÂiÂzen Kane, Dr. Strangelove, etc.) as well as more recent films. Above, we’ve includÂed their numÂber one pick, RidÂley ScotÂt’s Alien. And below, we’ve added IFC’s descripÂtion, which sets the stage for viewÂing the trailÂer:
MasÂterÂfulÂly cut and artÂful to boot, the first glimpse of RidÂley ScotÂt’s 1979 sci-horÂror clasÂsic feaÂtures not a sinÂgle word of diaÂlogue and begins in abstract: a ride through a star field, a hovÂer above some sort of moon rock, blocky shapes that slowÂly mateÂriÂalÂize into the letÂters of the title, cragÂgy landÂscape traÂversed with a macro lens before pulling back to clarÂiÂfy what lies on that cratered surÂface — the egg of an alien life form. It cracks open, releasÂing an ill-omened white light and the high-pitched alarm (an aniÂmalÂisÂtic squeal?) that unnerves throughÂout the rest of the trailÂer.
On FriÂday, we brought you Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s mulÂtiÂmeÂdia preÂsenÂtaÂtion at the TED conÂferÂence. Now we bring you his new film, Home, which you can watch until the end of the day on YouTube. The comÂplete film in EngÂlish is above. When you’re done, you won’t look at our planÂet in the same way. (You can also find online verÂsions in French, GerÂman and SpanÂish.)
Here we have Yann Arthus-Bertrand talkÂing at the TED ConÂferÂence and disÂplayÂing his recent phoÂtoÂgraphÂic and cinÂeÂmatoÂgraphÂic work that focusÂes on humanÂiÂty and our habiÂtat. The work is as visuÂalÂly stunÂning as the stoÂry it tells is disÂheartÂenÂing. DefÂiÂniteÂly worth givÂing this one some time. We’ll be folÂlowÂing up latÂer today with some more media from Arthus-Bertrand. Stay tuned for more.
Thanks to PBS, you can watch online Ian McKÂellen starÂring in King Lear, one of ShakeÂseÂpeare’s finest tragedies. McKÂellen perÂformed the play first in EngÂland (2007), then on a worldÂwide tour, before filmÂing the proÂducÂtion for pubÂlic teleÂviÂsion. You can watch it all right here, and if you want to folÂlow the origÂiÂnal text, you can get it from MIT’s ShakeÂspeare web site, which housÂes ShakeÂspeare’s comÂplete works online.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
What Did ShakeÂspeare RealÂly Look Like?
Goethe and ShakeÂspeare on Google
ShakeÂspeare and the Uses of PolitÂiÂcal PowÂer
via MetafilÂter
From the FreakoÂnomÂics blog:
We’ve writÂten before about the occaÂsionÂal hyper-critÂiÂcal comÂments on cerÂtain blogs, but such comÂments are like valenÂtines comÂpared to what some Amazon.com cusÂtomers heap upon The Rolling Stones, The GodÂfaÂther, The Diary of Anne Frank, and othÂer stanÂdards. The Cynical‑C blog lists the most causÂtic of these every day.
Open Culture scours the web for the best educational media. We find the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & educational videos you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between.
©2006-2026 Open Culture, LLC.
All rights reserved.
