Jimmy Carter: Man from Plains. I like Jimmy (I got my picture taken with him down in Plains, like thousands of others). But from the trailer, I’m not sure if that movie will be really interesting or dreadfully boring.
Category: video
Air Guitar Nation is a recent film about the U.S. Air Guitar Championships. Could be a lot of fun. Reminds me a bit of The King of Kong, what with the whole rivalry-within-a-niche-culture thing.
I’ve never watched the show before, but after reading this article about The Wire, I think I need to track down a few episodes. [via andrea harner]
La Jetée
A few days ago I watched La Jetée (on Google Video). It’s almost entirely composed of still photographs, just a half-hour science fiction montage with narration. Not bad.
The Museum of Reading has the entire Bayeux Tapestry online with explanatory notes. And on YouTube there’s a pretty sweet semi-animated version that scrolls across the latter half of the 230-foot tapestry.
Paul Festa made a film called Apparition of the Eternal Church, which looks really cool. Here’s the trailer. It documents 10 people’s reactions to hearing Oliver Messiaen‘s work for organ, Apparition of the Eternal Church. I hope it will come down to Atlanta for a showing. I definitely need to chase down a decent recording in the meantime.
An old commercial with the Flintstones advertising Winston cigarettes—“delivers flavor 20 times a pack!” Another good smokes commercial: more doctors smoke camel than any other cigarette.
An interview with Ridley Scott, who has finally created the be-all, end-all cut of Blade Runner.
Meredith Gran, creator of the Octopus Pie webcomic, has a time-lapse video of her cartooning process. [via crushing krisis]
Helvetica is finally coming to Atlanta in November, courtesy of AIGA-Atlanta. The screening will be at the Rich Theatre in the Woodruff Arts Center, followed by a conversation with director Gary Hustwit.
The King of Kong
I saw The King of Kong tonight—easily the most fun I’ve had at a movie theater in a couple years. I implore you to see it if it comes to your town.
I finally saw Paris, je t’aime last night, and loved it. (The first time I tried, the theater had a bizarre emergency closing.) Anyway, be sure to check it out if it comes to your neighborhood, and buy the DVD in November.
The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is coming to Atlanta on September 7. “These two great gamers, one Salieri, the other Mozart, have grown to despise and fear each other and in so doing alienate the only person truly capable of appreciating their own achievement and greatness.”
The 2007 Portable Film Festival is in progress. “Everything in our programme is curated, free and portable thanks to our loyal community of film and mediamakers who submit their work to us from around the world.” That’s what I like to hear.
Video excerpts from One Man Star Wars, Charles Ross’ dramatically condensed version of the trilogy.
I don’t like Billy Collins‘ poems that much, but these animated interpretations are pretty good. [via practicalist]
James Brown does a short dance demonstration. Funky chicken, boogaloo, robot, etc.
Emily Gordon responds to David Denby’s essay on modern film romance. Both are worth a good read.
There’s a Star Trek wiki, almost 26,000 articles.
Mark Larson 