Tag Archives: bbc
Afghanistan and the West
“Increasingly, we live in a world where nothing makes any sense — events come and go like waves of a fever leaving us confused and uncertain. Those in power tell stories to help us make sense of the complexity of reality. But, those stories are increasingly unconvincing and hollow. This is a film about why [...]
Sorry, Witches
Nowadays, when we think of witches we imagine Halloween cartoons with warts on the ends of their big noses or maybe we even have a friend who celebrates the Spring equinox instead of attending Easter mass. 400 years ago the country of Norway killed 91 people found guilty of witchcraft during a century-long purge. The [...]
Going, Going, Gonzo!
Fear and Loathing On the Road to Hollywood is a documentary featuring writer Hunter S. Thompson and artist Ralph Steadman on a road trip to Tinsel Town. Also known as Fear and Loathing in Gonzovision, the Documentary Heaven site has the skinny… A fascinating, 30 year old BBC documentary on the Good Doctor and Ralph [...]
Past Present: Virtual Reality
We’re about to be submerged in the hype surrounding Virtual Reality, but it’s important to remember that we’re witnessing the second coming of VR which began its life as a cultural artifact/technological prophecy in the 1980′s and early 1990′s. Fiction authors like William Gibson, films like Lawnmower Man and magazines like Mondo 2000, gave us [...]
Extraordinary Madness
Got a lot of action on my Bukowski post last week, so I wanted to share another video I found. This time it’s an out-of-print BBC documentary that has some pretty unique, early footage of the man himself — stuff that I don’t think even Born Into This included. Here’s The Ordinary Madness of Charles [...]
Surreal Estate
This week, the Frist will open Real/Surreal: Selections from the Whitney Museum of American Art — it’s an exhibition of paintings, photos and prints that examine the way 1920′s European Surrealists like Dalí and Magritte influenced the American artists of the 1930′s, 40′s and 50′s. Even if you’re not in Nashville, the questions the show [...]
In and Out of Art
This BBC documentary explores not only the edges of the art world, but also the edges of civilized societies around the world. As groups of people become organized, insiders may push others “outside.” Some of those societies are rigid and positions are difficult to change, but, generally, it would seem that while no one’s place [...]
Pulgasari – The North Korean Godzilla
While monster movie fans are waiting with a combination of hope and dread for the release of the new Godzilla film this May, I thought I’d offer-up this strange little snack to tide us all over as we await the return of the Great One. Pulgasari is a 1985, North Korean, Godzilla-style giant monster film [...]
Mapplethorpe Still Matters
Controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe’s work is still catching eyes 25 years after his death in March, 1989. Mapplethorpe was practically the subject of Patti Smith’s outstanding memoir, Just Kids and the artist’s work is currently featured in two new exhibitions. In an article titled “The Resurgence of Robert Mapplethorpe,” T explains: Two high-profile exhibitions are [...]
Peter Watkins’ Unreal Realities
British filmmaker Peter Watkins is a docudrama pioneer who has combined documentary and dramatic cinematic techniques to deconstruct historic events and cultural trends. A pacifist and a radical, Watkins’ best work examines media in general and film in particular to ask questions about the relationships between media and audiences. A powerful and provocative filmmaker, Watkins’ [...]
