In 2012, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her diamond jubilee; Dressed as the Joker, James Holmes opened fire on a crowd during a screening of The Dark Knight Rises; The Summer Olympics were held in London; Curiosity landed on Mars; The Innocence of Muslims prompted protests around the globe; Felix Baumgartner became the first person to break… Continue reading LL Bean turned 100: A look back at 2012
Tag: Short films
45 years of big concussions
Concussion (2015) After forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu (Will Smith) examines the body of former Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Webster, he believes Webster’s erratic behavior and suicide were the result of damage done to his brain during his playing career. Over a period of several years, Omalu investigates the deaths of several former NFL players and confirms… Continue reading 45 years of big concussions
Back when Ronald Reagan Was most known for being the 33rd Governor of California: A look back at 1975
In 1975: Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac; Wheel of Fortune and Saturday Night Live debuted; Space Mountain opened at the Magic Kingdom; Margaret Thatcher became the leader of the Conservative Party; Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft; The Vietnam War ended with the Fall of Saigon; Cape Verde, Comoros, São Tomé and Príncipe, Angola, and East… Continue reading Back when Ronald Reagan Was most known for being the 33rd Governor of California: A look back at 1975
It’s time for you to get a horse!
About Time (2013) When Tim Lake (Domhnall Gleeson) turns twenty-one, he learns the men in his family can travel back in time and uses this newly discovered skill to court Mary (Rachel McAdams) in this mashup of the romantic comedy and science fiction genres. Director Richard Curtis breaks most of the “rules” of time travel, but… Continue reading It’s time for you to get a horse!
That marriage is a lemon!
Lemon (1969) This avant-garde film by Hollis Frampton is an elaborate, eight minute practical joke, yet somehow this was released by the Criterion Collection. Marriage Italian Style (1964) Prostitute Filomena (Sophia Loren) fakes an illness and convinces her long time paramour Domenico (Marcello Mastroianni) to marry her on her “deathbed.” After her recovery, she convinces… Continue reading That marriage is a lemon!
The thief from karama lives in the castle in the sky
Karama Has No Walls (2013) This film, chronicling the 2011 Yemeni Revolution, is an interesting, insider account of the uprising, but too short for viewers to invest in the story it tells. Castle in the Sky (1986) Princess Sheeta is the surviving member of a royal line from an ancient civilization and unknowingly possesses the… Continue reading The thief from karama lives in the castle in the sky
Taxes, water, and fashion statements
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) During the middle of a severe drought, one 19th century Indian village asks the local British magistrate for relief from the annual land tax (lagaan). Somehow, this request turns into a wager: if the villagers defeat the magistrate’s cricket team, their land tax is cancelled for three… Continue reading Taxes, water, and fashion statements