Inspired by the cinematography and set design of The Great Dictator (1940), I stitched together the vertical pan shot of the great arch at the Tomainian rally, about 3/4 of the way into the movie. I’m still baffled as to how this was made, considering you can see people clapping in the audience.
Also, my full review (posted on Letterboxd): Charlie Chaplin deftly plays on the edge of comedy and tragedy with this parody of Nazi Germany. Read more Archway screenshots from The Great Dictator
Per Kirkeby has created unforgettable works of art, some of which were commissioned for three of Lars von Trier’s films. After watching all of von Trier’s theatrical releases over the last three months, I kept returning to Kirkeby’s digitally-altered landscapes in Breaking the Waves (1996) for inspiration.
To avoid spoilers, I’m including screenshots only of the latter half of each episode/chapter intro. Watch the movie for the full effect! NOTE: Von Trier films are not for the faint of heart.
Read more Kirkeby’s panoramas in von Trier’s *Breaking the Waves*
In a few hours, America’s favorite gawking event will begin, first with the red carpet at 7pm EST on ABC followed by the awards from 8:30-11:30. Here are my predictions. I’ll probably be Tweeting and on Facebook during the event.
This is the first time that I’ve almost completely forgotten to post the Tuesday Zep. It’s 9 am Tuesday and I just realized that I haven’t prepared anything. I’m reminded of the (uncensored) “Blame” piece Jason, Jon, and I composed a few years ago (before Foxx’s “Blame It”). I probably shouldn’t mention it—it would be wise not to post any of this kitsch—but if you want more diary-style insights into my 2007-2009 life, you can look for links on my History page. Sorry. Next week, I’ll be ON IT!
Even well-written TV shows like True Blood have their faltering moments. Quite a creative episode yesterday, particularly the way it draws you in by disgust. I bring up the show because it reminded me that I can always do a post about music. Anyone recognize the old blues tune playing in the bar towards the end? It’s a variant of one of the covers below. Each of these songs come from soul or blues artists (or gospel, whatever you want to call it) – recordings I was introduced to at an early age. Tunes like these never lose their potency. The music gets passed on from generation to generation, one cover after another, and rarely do people know about the originals.
The FIFA World Cup starts in less than 3 days. It’s good to see South Africa (the country that recently brought us District 9, Invictus, and Die Antwoord) hosting and I hope this month’s competition brings the world just a little closer together. This is the first time an African nation has hosted. Leaving politics aside, though, here are a few handy links to help you stay on top of the action.
