Four years before America’s bicentennial: A look back at 1972

In 1972, Kurt Waldheim became Secretary General of the United Nations; President Nixon visited China and met with Mao Zedong; Pioneer 10 became the first man-made spacecraft to leave the solar system; Five White House operatives were arrested for breaking into the offices of the Democratic National Committee; On Bloody Friday, twenty-two bombs planted by… Continue reading Four years before America’s bicentennial: A look back at 1972

One small step: A look back at 1969

In 1969: Rupert Murdoch bought The News of the World; The New York Jets defeated the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, The Beatles performed for the last time together on the rooftop of Apple Studios; The Stonewall Riots took place in New York City; The United States withdrew the $500, $1,000, $5,000, and $10,000 bills… Continue reading One small step: A look back at 1969

Best of the 1960s

  Testament of Orpheus (1960) In the final film installment of Jean Cocteau’s Orphic trilogy, he encounters characters from his previous films and appears before a tribunal to defend his life and art. Though not as well-known as later French filmmakers, Jean Luc Godard or Francois Truffaut, Cocteau’s films introduced avant-garde sensibilities and philosophical underpinnings into cinemas.… Continue reading Best of the 1960s

An old man goes to a hell house and a flood breaks out

  Venus (2006) Elderly actor Maurice (Peter O’Toole) begins a relationship with Jessie, the much younger niece of his friend Ian.  Jessie tolerates his amorous advances because she’s struggling financially and Maurice provides her with a steady income, while the pursuit of Jessie provides Maurice with a purpose and renewed vitality. Richard Griffiths, Leslie Phillips, and… Continue reading An old man goes to a hell house and a flood breaks out