The dream of flight fired the imagÂiÂnaÂtion of Leonard da VinÂci in the earÂly sixÂteenth cenÂtuÂry. In designÂing his famous flyÂing machines, the painter, sculpÂtor, archiÂtect, mathÂeÂmatiÂcian, engiÂneer, invenÂtor, anatomist — ah heck, let’s just call him a RenaisÂsance man — closeÂly studÂied the mechanÂics of birds in flight, notÂing the eleÂgant ways in which they turn and glide. CenÂturies latÂer the Wright BrothÂers got us off the ground, but nevÂer with equal grace. It has takÂen a long time, but finalÂly engiÂneers at the GerÂman comÂpaÂny, FesÂto, have found a way to mechanÂiÂcalÂly reproÂduce the beauÂty of birds in flight. They call their robot the SmartÂBird, and they showed it off last year at TED.
Remembering the Soulful Etta James
“When I’m singing blues,” Etta James once said, “I’m singing life.”
Hers was a difÂfiÂcult life. The legÂendary singer, who died this mornÂing at the age of 73 after a long strugÂgle with leukemia, was born JameÂsetÂta Hawkins on JanÂuÂary 25, 1938, to an unwed 14-year-old girl, and her life was marked by drug addicÂtion and emoÂtionÂal volatilÂiÂty. Through it all, James rose to become one of the most influÂenÂtial and admired singers of the secÂond half of the 20th cenÂtuÂry.
“There’s a lot going on in Etta James’ voice,” BonÂnie Raitt told Rolling Stone in 2008. “A lot of pain, a lot of life but, most of all, a lot of strength. She can be so rauÂcous and down one song, and then break your heart with her subÂtleÂty and finesse the next.”
Her greatÂest hit came in 1961, with the soulÂful balÂlad “At Last.” For anothÂer side of James’s verÂsaÂtile style, lisÂten and watch above, as she perÂforms the gospel-influÂenced “SomeÂthing’s Got a Hold on Me” in 1962. To learn more about James, and to watch video highÂlights from her career, see today’s artiÂcle by Ben GreenÂman on The New YorkÂer’s “CulÂture Desk” blog. And over at the Guardian, see Richard Williams selecÂtion of 10 ClasÂsic Etta James PerÂforÂmances.
In 1997, James summed things up in an interÂview with Rolling Stone: “Life’s been rough,” she said, “but life’s been good. If I had to go back and do it all over again, I would live it the exact same way.”
Willie and the Hand Jive, by the Late Great Johnny Otis
One of the catchiÂest grooves from the rhythm and blues of the late 1950s is “Willie and the Hand Jive,” by JohnÂny Otis. In this liveÂly scene from his earÂly TV show, Otis perÂforms the song as Marie Adams and the Three Tons of Joy demonÂstrate the hand jive. Lionel HampÂton joins in on the vibraÂphone.
Otis, known as “the godÂfaÂther of rhythm and blues,” died TuesÂday at the age of 90. The son of Greek immiÂgrants, he grew up in a preÂdomÂiÂnantÂly black neighÂborÂhood of BerkeÂley, CalÂiÂforÂnia, and develÂoped an earÂly affinÂiÂty for African AmerÂiÂcan culÂture. “GenetÂiÂcalÂly, I’m pure Greek,” Otis said in 1994. “PsyÂchoÂlogÂiÂcalÂly, enviÂronÂmenÂtalÂly, culÂturÂalÂly, by choice, I’m a memÂber of the black comÂmuÂniÂty.”
As a bandÂleader in the 1950s, Otis helped bring rhythm and blues to a mainÂstream audiÂence. He disÂcovÂered a numÂber of imporÂtant artists, includÂing Big Mama ThornÂton (Otis proÂduced her origÂiÂnal 1952 recordÂing of “Hound Dog”) and the great Etta James, who died this mornÂing.
“Willie and the Hand Jive,” with its infecÂtious Bo DidÂdley beat, was a top 10 pop hit for Otis in 1958, and was covÂered by a variÂety of well-known artists, includÂing Eric ClapÂton. Otis conÂtinÂued to perÂform into his 80s, and worked at varÂiÂous times as a disc jockÂey, an ordained minÂisÂter and an organÂic farmer. You can read more about his remarkÂable life in the New York Times obitÂuÂary.
You can also watch the comÂplete half-hour episode of The JohnÂny Otis Show (below) from which the clip above was takÂen. The JohnÂny Otis Show was broadÂcast on KTLA in Los AngeÂles from 1954 to 1961. This episode feaÂtures great perÂforÂmances by Lionel HampÂton (with the mulÂti-instruÂmenÂtalÂist Otis joinÂing in on drums) and othÂer artists, includÂing more from Marie Adams and the Three Tons of Joy.
Christopher Walken Reads The Three Little Pigs, The Raven, and a Little Lady Gaga
Here we go again. We’re getÂting meta with readÂings by the great ChristoÂpher Walken. It all starts with the actor appearÂing on a 1993 broadÂcast of the British TV series “SatÂurÂday Zoo” hostÂed by Jonathan Ross, and he’s readÂing and riffÂing on the beloved fairy tale, The StoÂry of the Three LitÂtle Pigs. The potenÂtialÂly terÂriÂfyÂing stoÂry is uncharÂacÂterÂisÂtiÂcalÂly jolÂly. Walken goes for laughs, not chills. The same can’t be said for the next tale.
We’re not clear on the backÂstoÂry of this readÂing. But we do know Walken is readÂing Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, The Raven, and stays true to the origÂiÂnal text pubÂlished in 1845. The Raven made Poe famous then, and it remains influÂenÂtial today — so much so they named a footÂball team after the poem. How many othÂer sports teams can make such a claim?
And then we come full cirÂcle again. Almost 16 years after Walken’s readÂing of The Three LitÂtle Pigs, the star returned to anothÂer show hostÂed by Jonathan Ross (BBC’s FriÂday Night) and served up a secÂond comÂic readÂing. This time it’s “PokÂer Face” by the inescapable Lady Gaga.
Walken readÂing Where the Wild Things Are by MauÂrice Sendak? If only, if only .….
Everything You Wanted to Know About Coffee in Three Minutes
CofÂfee — it’s the fuel of the modÂern world and cerÂtainÂly this site. And, if you believe this video (apparÂentÂly not made by StarÂbucks or the AmerÂiÂcan cofÂfee lobÂby), it’s the greatÂest, safest addicÂtion around. Take it all with a grain of salt … while you drink your mornÂing (or afterÂnoon) cup of joe.
More RelatÂed CofÂfee Items:
How to Drink CofÂfee at Zero GravÂiÂty
David Lynch’s OrganÂic CofÂfee (BarÂbie Head Not IncludÂed)
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A Rare Interview with Fritz Lang and His 1931 Masterpiece of Suspense, M
“I made my films with a kind of sleepÂwalkÂing secuÂriÂty,” says Fritz Lang. “I did things which I thought were right. PeriÂod.” Thus begins this fasÂciÂnatÂing interÂview with the great AusÂtriÂan-born direcÂtor.
The interÂview was conÂductÂed by William FriedÂkin, direcÂtor of The French ConÂnecÂtion and The ExorÂcist, in FebÂruÂary of 1975, a litÂtle more than a year before Lang’s death. Lang talks about his earÂly life as a runÂaway. (“Any decent human being should run away from home.”), his entry into theÂatre and film as a young man, his GerÂman masÂterÂpieces MetropÂoÂlis and M, and a chillÂing encounter in 1933 with the Nazi MinÂisÂter of ProÂpaÂganÂda Joseph Goebbels that proÂvoked him to flee GerÂmany the same day.
The stoÂry of Lang’s escape has all the eleÂments of a cinÂeÂmatÂic thriller, but biogÂraÂphers have cast doubt on its veracÂiÂty, citÂing passÂport records which indiÂcate that Lang left GerÂmany some time after the meetÂing with Goebbels, and that he returned on brief trips sevÂerÂal times that year. But the anecÂdote, along with Lang’s reflecÂtions on his life and on the nature of fate, proÂvide a fasÂciÂnatÂing look into the great filmÂmakÂer’s charÂacÂter.
The conÂverÂsaÂtion above, which runs 50 minÂutes, was editÂed down from a much longer set of interÂviews. AccordÂing to the ToriÂno Film FesÂtiÂval webÂsite, FriedÂkin origÂiÂnalÂly intendÂed to use the Lang mateÂrÂiÂal for a docÂuÂmenÂtary on horÂror cinÂeÂma, to be called A Safe DarkÂness, but there is no disÂcusÂsion of the horÂror genre in this verÂsion.
As an extra bonus from our colÂlecÂtion of Free Movies Online, we present the film Lang most wantÂed to be rememÂbered for, M. (See below.) The film was made in 1931, and was the first by Lang to incorÂpoÂrate sound. Peter Lorre makes his screen debut as a man guilty of unspeakÂable crimes. In its introÂducÂtion to the film, the CriÂteÂriÂon ColÂlecÂtion writes: “In his harÂrowÂing masÂterÂwork M, Fritz Lang merges trenÂchant social comÂmenÂtary with chillÂing susÂpense, creÂatÂing a panoraÂma of priÂvate madÂness and pubÂlic hysÂteÂria that to this day remains the blueÂprint for the psyÂchoÂlogÂiÂcal thriller.”
M, by Fritz Lang:
The Disney Cartoon That Introduced Mickey Mouse & Animation with Sound (1928)
In 1927, The Jazz Singer starÂring Al JolÂson, one of the first great “talkies” to use synÂchroÂnized singing and speech, hit AmerÂiÂcan theÂaters and thrilled audiÂences. KnowÂing that change was afoot, Walt DisÂney spent $4,986 to creÂate his first sound carÂtoon, SteamÂboat Willie (1928). RememÂberÂing the film many years latÂer, DisÂney said:
The effect on our litÂtle audiÂence was nothÂing less than elecÂtric. They respondÂed almost instincÂtiveÂly to this union of sound and motion. I thought they were kidÂding me. So they put me in the audiÂence and ran the action again. It was terÂriÂble, but it was wonÂderÂful! And it was someÂthing new!
These techÂniÂcal innoÂvaÂtions make SteamÂboat Willie rather legÂendary. But the film retains landÂmark staÂtus for anothÂer reaÂson. It marked the first pubÂlic debut of MickÂey Mouse and his girlÂfriend MinÂnie, two of the most recÂogÂnized carÂtoon charÂacÂters worldÂwide. Ub Iwerks, the celÂeÂbratÂed DisÂney aniÂmaÂtor, first brought MickÂey to life, and we have been livÂing with him ever since — although, as you will see, his perÂsonÂalÂiÂty has softÂened over time.
You can see MickÂey starÂring in two othÂer earÂly aniÂmaÂtions: Plane Crazy (1929) where the Mouse imiÂtates AmerÂiÂca’s hero at the time, Charles LindÂbergh. And The GalÂlopin’ GauÂcho, anothÂer 1928 release.
SteamÂboat Willie appears in the AniÂmaÂtion SecÂtion of our colÂlecÂtion, 4,000+ Free Movies Online: Great ClasÂsics, Indies, Noir, WestÂerns, DocÂuÂmenÂtaries & More.
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
How Walt DisÂney CarÂtoons Are Made
The MakÂing of a Nazi: Disney’s 1943 AniÂmatÂed Short
DesÂtiÂno: The SalÂvador Dalà – DisÂney ColÂlabÂoÂraÂtion 57 Years in the MakÂing
GerÂtie the Dinosaur: The MothÂer of all CarÂtoon CharÂacÂters
The Costa Concordia Shipwreck Viewed from Outer Space
The search for surÂvivors still goes on near the TusÂcan island of Giglio, where the CosÂta ConÂcorÂdia hit rocks and listÂed helpÂlessÂly to the side. The helpÂlessÂness of the cruise ship has been capÂtured in a remarkÂable image takÂen by DigÂiÂtal Globe from outÂer space. Click here (or above) to see the image in a rather stunÂning, enlarged forÂmat.
via UniÂverse Today
How Film Was Made in 1958: A Kodak Nostalgia Moment
Before pixÂels there were silÂver halide crysÂtals, and before memÂoÂry cards, film. LitÂtle yelÂlow boxÂes clutÂtered the lives of phoÂtogÂraÂphers everyÂwhere, and the EastÂman Kodak ComÂpaÂny was virÂtuÂalÂly synÂonyÂmous with phoÂtogÂraÂphy.
Things have realÂly changed. With the recent news that Kodak is teeÂterÂing on the brink of ChapÂter 11 bankÂruptÂcy, many are feelÂing nosÂtalÂgia for those litÂtle yelÂlow boxÂes and the rolls of silÂver gelatin film inside. To indulge this nostalgia–and perÂhaps learn someÂthing new about an old technology–we offer a fasÂciÂnatÂing 1958 docÂuÂmenÂtary from Kodak entiÂtled How Film is Made.
The docÂuÂmenÂtary is in Dutch, but memÂbers of the AnaÂlog PhoÂtogÂraÂphy Users Group launched a project to creÂate EngÂlish subÂtiÂtles. You can read more about the project on Dutch memÂber MarÂco Boeringa’s webÂsite. And you can watch the 18-minute film startÂing above and conÂcludÂing below.
FolÂlow Open CulÂture on FaceÂbook and TwitÂter and share intelÂliÂgent media with your friends. Or betÂter yet, sign up for our daiÂly email and get a daiÂly dose of Open CulÂture in your inbox. And if you want to make sure that our posts defÂiÂniteÂly appear in your FaceÂbook newsÂfeed, just folÂlow these simÂple steps.
What is Wrong with SOPA?
Some of the big webÂsites are going black today to protest SOPA, the Stop Online PiraÂcy Act, that has been windÂing its way through ConÂgress. We’re going to hanÂdle things in our own way — by illuÂmiÂnatÂing the matÂter with a litÂtle intelÂliÂgent media.
Backed by the Motion PicÂture AssoÂciÂaÂtion of AmerÂiÂca, SOPA is designed to debilÂiÂtate and effecÂtiveÂly shut down forÂeign-based webÂsites that sell piratÂed movies, music and othÂer goods. That all sounds fine on the face of things. But the legÂisÂlaÂtion, if enactÂed, would carÂry with it a series of unexÂpectÂed conÂseÂquences that could change the interÂnet as we know it. Among othÂer things, the law could be used to shut down AmerÂiÂcan sites that unwitÂtingÂly host or link to illeÂgal conÂtent — and withÂout givÂing the sites due process, a real day in court. Big sites like YouTube and TwitÂter could fall under presÂsure, and so could countÂless small sites. NeedÂless to say, that could have a seriÂous chillÂing effect on the openÂness of the web and free speech.
To give a quick examÂple: It could conÂceivÂably be the case that StanÂford might object to my feaÂturÂing their video above, file a claim, and shut the site down withÂout givÂing me notice and an opporÂtuÂniÂty to remove the mateÂrÂiÂal (as exists under curÂrent law). It’s not likeÂly. But it is posÂsiÂble, and the risk increasÂes with every post we write. If this law passÂes, the amount of mateÂrÂiÂal we could truÂly safeÂly covÂer would become ludiÂcrousÂly small, so much so that it wouldÂn’t be worth runÂning the site and using the web as an eduÂcaÂtionÂal mediÂum.
The ObaÂma adminÂisÂtraÂtion has come out against SOPA and PIPA, sidelinÂing the legÂisÂlaÂtion for now. But you can almost guarÂanÂtee that reviÂsions will be made, and the bills will return soon. So, while othÂer sites go black, we’re going to do what we do best. We’re feaÂturÂing video of an event held in DecemÂber by the StanÂford CenÂter for InterÂnet and SociÂety (SCIS). What’s Wrong with SOPAÂť brings togethÂer a series of informed oppoÂnents to SOPA, includÂing StanÂford law proÂfesÂsors and busiÂness leadÂers withÂin SilÂiÂcon ValÂley. (Find their bios below the jump.) Some of the most inciÂsive comÂments are made by Fred von Lohmann, a Google lawyer, startÂing at the 19:10 mark.
Note: If you’re lookÂing to underÂstand the debate from the perÂspecÂtive of copyÂright holdÂers, then we’d recÂomÂmend you spend time watchÂing, FolÂlow the MonÂey: Who ProfÂits from PiraÂcy?, a video that tracks the theft of one movie, makÂing it a microÂcosm of a largÂer probÂlem.
Atheism: A Rough History of Disbelief, with Jonathan Miller
With the SepÂtemÂber 11, 2001 terÂrorÂist attacks and the emoÂtionÂal whiplash that folÂlowed, the monotheÂisÂtic reliÂgions of the West took a more striÂdentÂly politÂiÂcal turn. It was in this conÂtext that Jonathan Miller, the British theÂatre and opera direcÂtor, felt comÂpelled to creÂate a three-part docÂuÂmenÂtary tracÂing the hisÂtoÂry of reliÂgious skepÂtiÂcism and disÂbeÂlief.
BroadÂcast by the BBC in 2004 under the title, AtheÂism: A Rough HisÂtoÂry of DisÂbeÂlief, the series wasÂn’t broadÂcast by PBS in AmerÂiÂca until 2007, and only after “AtheÂism” had been removed from the title and the word “rough” changed to “brief.”
“I’m rather relucÂtant to call myself an atheÂist,” Miller says at the outÂset. “It’s only in the light of such curÂrent conÂtroÂverÂsies with regard to belief that I’ve found myself willÂing to explicÂitÂly articÂuÂlate my disÂbeÂlief.”
Miller goes on to guide the viewÂer through the hisÂtoric evoÂluÂtion of reliÂgious doubt, from the skepÂtiÂcism of Greek and Roman philosoÂphers to the Deism of EnlightÂenÂment intelÂlecÂtuÂals and the emerÂgence of explicÂit atheÂism in the writÂings of the 18th cenÂtuÂry French arisÂtoÂcrat Paul-HenÂri Thiry, the Baron d’HolÂbach, who wrote in his SysÂtème de la Nature:
If we go back to the beginÂning we shall find that ignoÂrance and fear creÂatÂed the gods; that fanÂcy, enthuÂsiÂasm, or deceit adorned or disÂfigÂured them; that weakÂness worÂships them; that creduliÂty preÂserves them; and that cusÂtom, respect and tyranÂny supÂport them in order to make the blindÂness of men serve its own interÂests.
Miller also talks with a numÂber of well-known conÂtemÂpoÂrary atheÂists, includÂing playÂwright Arthur Miller, physiÂcist Steven WeinÂberg and philosoÂpher ColÂin McGinn. Episode One: ShadÂows of Doubt appears above, in its entireÂty, with the othÂer two episodes: “Noughts and CrossÂes” and “The Final Hour.”
If you would like to supÂport the misÂsion of Open CulÂture, conÂsidÂer makÂing a donaÂtion to our site. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your conÂtriÂbuÂtions will help us conÂtinÂue proÂvidÂing the best free culÂturÂal and eduÂcaÂtionÂal mateÂriÂals to learnÂers everyÂwhere. You can conÂtribute through PayÂPal, PatreÂon, and VenÂmo (@openculture). Thanks!
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Steve MarÂtin Writes Song for Hymn-Deprived AtheÂists
AtheÂist StanÂford BiolÂoÂgist Robert SapolÂsky Explains How ReliÂgious Beliefs Reduce Stress
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