#post war german cinema

[w-armansky-blog]

[bookhouseboy1980-blog]

The History of Horror Movies Part 1: The Silent era/early Gothic Monsters

Sub to my channel for more and to access channel memberships: https://www.youtube.com/@borednow5838/videos

@sulietsexual @historyofhorrorfilms @gothic @silentmovies.

[godinvent]

So I saw this post about how in the books, Dracula is actually an old man and I always imagined Dracula looked like older Christopher Lee, who played him while he was a kid. While looking him up I accidentally discovered that Christopher Lee was the coolest person in the universe and there is a non-zero chance he was actually Dracula in real life

Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee CBE CStJ (May 27th 1922 - June 7th 2015), Sir because he was knighted in 2009 for his charity and his contributions to cinema

So first of all, I saw that he actually knew 8 LANGUAGES (English, Spanish, French, Swedish, Italian, German, Russian and Greek) and was also a staggering 6 feet 5 inches in height. Born in Belgravia in London, one of the most Dracula sounding places I’ve ever heard of, here’s some insane facts about him

•His father, Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Trollope Lee of the 60th King's Royal Rifle Corps, fought in the Boer War and World War 1

•His mother, Countess Estelle Marie (née Carandini di Sarzano) was an Edwardian beauty who was painted by Sir John Lavery, Oswald Birley, and Olive Snell, and sculpted by Clare Sheridan

•Lee's maternal great-grandfather, Jerome Carandini, the Marquis of Sarzano, was an Italian political refugee

•Jerome’s wife was English-born opera singer Marie Carandini (née Burgess), meaning that Lee is also related to famous opera singer Rosina Palmer

•His parents would divorce when he was four and his mother would marry Harcourt George St-Croix Rose, banker and uncle of Ian Fleming, making the author of the James Bond books Lee’s step cousin. Fleming would then offer him two roles as the antagonist in the film adaptations of his books, though he was only able to land the antagonist role in The Man With the Golden Gun. It’s believed his role in the film is significantly better and more complex than his book counterpart, played as “a dark side of Bond”

•His family would move and they lived next door to famous silent film actor Eric Maturin

•One night, before he was even 9 years old, he was introduced to Prince Yusupov and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, THE ASSASSINS OF GRIGORI RASPUTIN, WHOM LEE WOULD GO ON TO PLAY MANY YEARS LATER

•Lee applied for a scholarship to Eton, where his interview was in the presence of the ghost story author M.R. James, who is considered one of the best English language ghost story writers in history and who widely influenced modern horror

•He only missed by King’s Scholar by one place by being bad at math, one of the only flaws God gave him

•Due to lack of working opportunities, Lee was sent to the French Riviera and stayed with his sister and her friends while she was on holiday, and on the way there he stopped briefly in Paris with journalist Webb Miller, a friend of his step father. Webb Miller was an American journalist and war correspondent and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the execution of the French serial killer Henri Désiré Landru, also known as BLUEBEARD. He also helped turn world opinion against British colonial rule of India

•While staying with Miller he witnessed Eugen Weidmann’s execution by guillotine, the last public execution ever performed in France

•Arriving in Menton, Lee stayed with the Russian Mazirov family, living among exiled princely families

•When World War 2 began, Lee volunteered to fight for the Finnish Army against the Soviet Union in the Winter War, and a year later, Lee would join the Home Guard. After his father died, he would join the Royal Air Force and was an intelligence officer and leading aircraft man and would later retire as a flight lieutenant in 1946

•While spending some time on leave in Naples, Lee climbed Mount Vesuvius, which erupted only three days later

•After nearly dying in an assault on Monte Cassino, Lee was able to visit Rome where he met his mother’s cousin Nicolò Carandini, who had fought in the Italian Resistance Movement. Nicolò would later go on to be the Italian Ambassador to Britain. Nicolò was actually the one to convince Lee to become an actor in the first place

•Oh yeah Christopher Lee was seconded to the Central Registry of War Criminals and Security Suspects where he was tasked with HELPING TRACK DOWN NAZI WAR CRIMINALS

•Lee’s stepfather served as a captain in the Intelligence Corps

•He was actually told he was too tall to be an actor, though that would honestly help him considering one of his first roles was as The Creature in The Curse of Frankenstein

•He was cast in Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N (1951) as a Spanish captain due to not only his fluency in Spanish but also he knew how to fence!

•Lee’s portrayal of Dracula had a crucial aspect of it which Bela Lugosi’s didn’t have: sexuality, a prime aspect of the original novels.

•While being trapped into playing Dracula under Hammer Film Productions, Lee actually hated the script so much that he would try his best to sneak actual lines from the original novel into the script

•Ironically, he was rejected from playing in The Longest Day because “he didn’t look like a military man”

•Christopher Lee was friends with author Dennis Wheatley, who “was responsible for bringing the occult into him”. He would go on to play in two film adaptations of his novels

•His biggest regret in his career is not taking the role of Sam Loomis from Halloween when offered to him

•Christopher Lee was the only person involved with the Lord of the Rings movies to have actually met J.R.R Tolkien

•When playing Count Dooku, he actually did most of the swordsmanship himself

•Christopher Lee was the second oldest living performer to enter the Billboard Top 100 charts with the song “Jingle Hell” at 91 years old. After media attention, he would get No. 18, and Lee became the oldest person to ever hit the Billboard Top 20 chart

I really am leaving some stuff out here and I may go on

[mariacallous]

One of Russia’s most famous 20th-century novels has returned to the Silver Screen. Infamously difficult to capture as a motion picture (more mystical observers even speak of a curse), Mikhail Bulgakov’s “The Master and Margarita” is back, reinterpreted by American-Russian filmmaker Michael Lockshin. The new movie stars Evgeny Tsyganov and Yulia Snigir in the titular roles and features German actor August Diehl (Gestapo major Dieter Hellstrom in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds”) as the story’s demonic character Woland. Meduza reviews the controversy surrounding the film’s director and funding, the book’s cinematic history, and Lockshin’s adaptation.

The political controversy

Michael Lockshin’s “The Master and Margarita” averages an impressive 7.9/10 rating with more than 43,000 reviews at KinoPoisk and leads Russia’s box office in its opening week after earning 57.3 million rubles ($640,000) on its first day in theaters, but the director was making enemies before his film ever sold a single ticket. Self-described patriots denounce Lockshin as a Russophobe, a traitor, and a neoliberal besmircher of the intrepid Soviet secret police. They call him a hypocrite, too, in light of the fact that this new adaptation of Bulgakov’s classic was made (in 2021, before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine) with 800 million rubles ($8.9 million) from Russia’s Cinema Foundation, the state’s key funding agency for the domestic film industry. 

Lockshin, who now resides in the United States, declined to answer Meduza’s questions about the backlash in Russia, saying he’s not yet ready to comment on the situation. On Telegram, pro-war channels have circulated screenshots of Facebook posts that are now hidden from non-friends where Lockshin shared independent reporting about the war in Ukraine, wrote that he’s donated to Ukrainian organizations, warned that future generations of Russians will be paying reparations for the “tragedy they brought to Ukraine,” and compared the Putin regime to Nazism in Germany.

State propagandist Tigran Keosayan has advocated criminal charges against Lockshin, while Trofim Tatarenkov, a host on Russia’s state-run Sputnik radio (who admits that he hasn’t even seen Lockshin’s movie), called the filmmaker “scum” and fondly remembered how such “enemies of the people” were shot during the Stalinist era.

Previous adaptations

In May 2016, poet and literary critic Lev Oborin wrote an essay for Meduza answering several “questions you’re too embarrassed to ask” about Bulgakov’s “The Master and Margarita,” including the most shameful of all: Can I just skip the book and watch a movie version instead? The short answer is, yes, you can always skip the book. In fact, unless you’re a student or some other kind of hostage, you can skip the movies, too. But since you asked, there are at least two previous screen adaptations of “The Master and Margarita” worth knowing about.

The better-liked version, at least until now, has been Yuri Kara’s 207-minute film, made in the mid-1990s but not released until August 2011. Meanwhile, in 2005, Vladimir Bortko created a miniseries for Russian television that was criticized for uneven casting and even worse special effects. Unfortunately for Bortko, the 10 episodes drew deeply unfavorable comparisons to his beloved 1988 adaptation of Bulgakov’s “Heart of a Dog.” 

It’s also tempting to contrast Bortko’s miniseries with Kara’s adaptation — particularly how the two portrayed one of the novel’s most visually scandalous scenes: Satan’s Grand Ball. Filmed almost a decade later and made for TV, the sequence in Bortko’s series “looks almost puritanical” compared to Kara’s film, noted Lev Oborin. In raw terms of nudity and violence, this assessment is hard to contest:

So, is Lockshin’s adaptation any good?

Anton Dolin (a prominent Russian film critic who might be best known to casual Internet users as the interviewer who provoked Ridley Scott into saying, “Sir, fuck you. Fuck you. Thank you very much. Fuck you, go fuck yourself.”) liked Lockshin’s adaptation quite a bit. In a review published by Meduza, Dolin writes that the film ���manages to retain the sharpness of the original source, which mocks Soviet power, and at the same time offers the viewer an innovative perspective on a classic text.”

Dolin praises Lockshin’s “Hollywood flourishes” and his capacity to juggle the book’s “genre and intonation incompatibility,” which has plagued past interpretations. The new adaptation brings a “circus element” to the story without sacrificing the script’s “rigidity,” says Dolin, while also “condensing the vastness of Bulgakov's novel into a coherent and clear narrative.” (You’ve been warned, formalists.)

Lockshin’s film takes some liberties with Bulgakov’s classic. For example, in the novel, the Master character doesn’t emerge until the middle of the book, leaving the reader to wonder about the title. In the new film, however, the main plotline belongs to the love story between Margarita Nikolaevna (the unhappily married wife of a Soviet functionary) and a writer she calls the Master. According to Lockshin’s script (which he co-wrote with Roman Kantor), the secondary narrative involving Pontius Pilate’s trial of Yeshua Ha-Notsri (Jesus of Nazareth) is a play within the story written by the Master and pulled from production by Soviet censors after its opening performance. (In a feat of authenticity unprecedented in modern Russian cinema, the Jerusalem scenes, which comprise roughly 10 minutes of the film, are performed in Aramaic and Latin.) Meanwhile, all the adventures across Moscow involving Woland and his entourage are presented as figments of the Master’s imagination as he slowly loses his mind under state persecution.

As Lockshin has argued in comments promoting the movie, Dolin says Bulgakov’s novel enjoys heightened relevance in contemporary Russia, and the new film makes menacing villains of NKVD executioners while presenting even more revolting characters in the Soviet elites whose conformity and hypocrisy enabled the Stalinist regime.

Dolin praises the decision to cast August Diehl as Woland, the mysterious foreigner whose visit to Moscow sets the plot rolling in the novel. Diehl’s Woland “is a real find,” Dolin writes. The German actor plays the character as “an infernally sarcastic gentleman in black” who resembles Satan “more than the thoughtful, sad wisemen from various Russian interpretations of the same character.”

A cartoonishly scary foreigner, complete with a spooky German accent, Woland turns out to be the creation of the writer’s wounded mind, his alter ego, writes Dolin. The censorship and persecution the character faces in the film are a “chilling reproduction” of mechanisms that resonate more in Putinist than Stalinist Russia, Dolin argues, highlighting some lines that wink boldly at modern-day realities, including nods to Crimea, oil production, and military parades.

Lockshin’s adaptation also features a fantastical version of Moscow that recalls the visionary designs of artists in the Higher Art and Technical Studios, which flourished in the 1920s before crumbling under Stalinism. In this universe, Moscow completed the Palace of the Soviets, altering the skyline in a delirious finale that depicts the city ablaze. This scene, in particular, has upset several state propagandists.

Dolin notes that Margarita is absent from the story for much of the film, but she reappears in the final act as a heroine on her own narrative arc. In the character’s scenes as a witch and then a queen, Lockshin’s intentions and the meaning of the novel’s title finally become clear, says Dolin: 

It’s not the imagination of the writer that transforms the grim reality but exclusively the emotion that is capable of elevating you to the heavens, of burning cities, and punishing or pardoning with the mere force of thought. In the end, Lockshin’s film is not about Satan, not about Moscow, not about Pilate, and not about totalitarianism, censorship, or creativity, but about love. It alone makes a person invisible and free.

[kandronarays]

Me: Wow, I love the real world cold war influence in Spy x Family. From 60’s design to the political intrigue, it makes it feel so rich in character. And it’s east vs west schlick is feels so alive, clearly taking a lot of influence from post war German cinema—

Loid: *is a veteran*

Me: I love the way this is actually a fictional world with a different history from ours.

[film-classics]

Marlene Dietrich - The Queer Icon

Marie Magdalene "Marlene" Dietrich (born in Berlin, Germany on 27 December 1901) was a German-born actress who often blurred the feminine and masculine, making her "The Queer Icon."

Dietrich's earliest appearances were as a chorus girl in 1922. Making film history, she was cast in Germany’s first talkie The Blue Angel (1930) by director Josef von Sternberg. With the success of the movie, von Sternberg took her to Hollywood under contract to Paramount Pictures. She soon had hits like Morocco (1930) and Shanghai Express (1932).

When war broke, she set up a fund to help Jews and dissidents and toured extensively for the allied effort. After the war, she limited her cinematic life.

In 1953, Dietrich appeared live at Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas. This was so successful that she also appeared at Café de Paris in London and Broadway.

She continued to tour as a marquee performer until 1975, when she fell onstage. She spent her final years mostly bedridden, passing away at 90 in her Paris flat from kidney failure.

Legacy:

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for Morocco (1930) and a Golden Globe Best Actress for Witness for the Prosecution (1958)

Received a Special David at the David di Donatello Awards for Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)

Given a Special Tony Award in 1968

Received German Film Awards Honorary Award in 1980

Is the namesake for asteroid 1010 Marlene in 1923

Inspired the Marlene pants in 1932

Has a Mercedes-Benz model, the 500K Marlene, named after her in 1936

Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1947, the Commander of the Legion of Honour in 1950 and Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in 1983 from France, the Order of Leopold in 1965 from Belgium, and Medal of Valor of the State of Israel in 1965

Published an autobiography Nehmt nur mein Leben in 1979

Granted the Council of Fashion Designers of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 1986

Honored with a plaque at her birth site in 1992 and became an honorary Berlin citizen in 2002

Has a permanent exhibit at Deutsche Kinemathek, the Marlene Dietrich Collection Berlin, since 1993

Ranked #60 in Empire's 100 Sexiest Stars in Film History in 1995

Honored with street names: the Marlene-Dietrich-Straße in Munich, Dusseldorf, Weimar, Ingolstadt, and Neu-Ulm, the Marlene-Dietrich-Allee in Potsdam, the Marlene-Dietrich-Platz in Berlin in 1997, and Place Marlène-Dietrich in Paris in 2002

Commemorated by Deutsche Post with a stamp in 1997

Listed 43rd in Entertainment Weekly's 100 Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in 1998

Depicted in a musical, Marlene on the West End in 1997 and Broadway in 1999, and a biopic, Marlene (2000)

Named 9th-greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema in 1999 by the American Film Institute

Inducted in the Online Film and Television Association Hall of Fame in 2003

Honored by Montblanc with a fountain pen in 2007 and by Swarovski with a dress in 2017

Awarded a star in Berlin's Boulevard der Stars in 2010

Honored with a Google Doodle on her 116th birthday in 2017

Honored as Turner Classic Movies Star of the Month for May 2018

Featured in songs, including Suzanne Vega's "Marlene on the Wall" (1985), Peter Murphy's "Marlene Dietrich's Favourite Poem" (1989), Black Midi's "Marlene Dietrich" (2021)

Depicted onstage in Marlène Dietrich, The Blue Angel's White Nights in 2017 at Théâtre Trévise and Marlene in Hollywood in 2023 at Theater Lindenhof

Featured in exhibits, such as "Marlene Dietrich, Creation of a Myth" at Palais Galliera in 2003, "Marlene Dietrich: Dressed for the Image" at National Portrait Gallery in 2017, "Play the Part: Marlene Dietrich" at International Center of Photography in 2023

Is a muse for designers, including Vivienne Westwood, Thierry Mugler, Jason Wu, Max Mara, David Koma, and Dior

Has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6400 Hollywood Boulevard for motion picture

[barkingbonzo]

Marlene Dietrich photographed by John Engstead

Marie Magdalene "Marlene" Dietrich (27 December 1901 – 6 May 1992) was a German and American actress and singer whose career spanned from the 1910s to the 1980s.

In 1920s Berlin, Dietrich performed on the stage and in silent films. Her performance as Lola Lola in Josef von Sternberg's The Blue Angel (1930) brought her international acclaim and a contract with Paramount Pictures. She starred in many Hollywood films, including six iconic roles directed by Sternberg: Morocco (1930) (her only Academy Award nomination), Dishonored (1931), Shanghai Express and Blonde Venus (both 1932), The Scarlet Empress (1934), The Devil Is a Woman (1935). She successfully traded on her glamorous persona and exotic looks, and became one of the era's highest-paid actresses. Throughout World War II, she was a high-profile entertainer in the United States. Although she delivered notable performances in several post-war films, including Billy Wilder's A Foreign Affair (1948), Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright (1950), Billy Wilder's Witness for the Prosecution (1957), Orson Welles's Touch of Evil (1958), and Stanley Kramer's Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), she spent most of the 1950s to the 1970s touring the world as a marquee live-show performer.

Dietrich was known for her humanitarian efforts during World War II, housing German and French exiles, providing financial support and even advocating their American citizenship. For her work on improving morale on the front lines during the war, she received several honors from the United States, France, Belgium, and Israel. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Dietrich the ninth greatest female screen legend of classic Hollywood cinema.

[jasmine604]

W1. 10 creatives

1. René Ferracci (1927 - 1982)

Rene Ferracci is a French director, illustrator, and designer. After completing his military service, he became the head of advertising at MGM in 1949. He played a key role in the cinema poster genre, esp within the French cinema world. His designs were a combination of traditional poster design and trends from comics/press illustration at the time. He was also honoured with the César d'honneur in 1986 posthumously, which cemented his legacy. 

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2. Denis Dulude

Denis Dulude is a canadian graphic, motion and type designer. Before founding his graphic design studio, he was a ballet dancer for 11 years. He opened the 2Rebels studio in Montreal in 1995 with Fabrizio Gilardino that was sold to Fonthaus in 2007, He got known for his unconventional graphic style, and as such as been on book covers and magazines. He now teaches typography at University of Quebec in Montreal.

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3. Hans Hillmann (1925-2014) 

Hans Hilman was a german designer of the post-war period. He started his career by working with Walter Kircher who borough art house films to Germany through his company Neue Filmkunst. As such he started designing a lot of movie posters for international films and became known as the founding father of german poster design. Since then he got involved in the magazine and Newspaper design world and has become the art director for many papers. He also taught at the Kassel Design school. 

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4. Elisa Sue Young Park

Elisa Sue Young Park is a photographer and is also known for her depot store ‘sugarcubeshop’ where she sold archival Japanese fashion pieces, as such making her known within the fashion and photography world. She particularly gained traction through her work with Heaven Marc Jacobs, where she is regularly photographed as well as made zines for the company. She is also legal assisting civil rights lawyers in Koreatown and works for a Korean American youth nonprofit organization. 

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5. David Carson (1995 - )

David Carson is a well known graphic designer and art director that rose in popularity in the 1990s as his experimental style changed the world of design. He is claimed as the godfather of ‘grunge typography’ and this can be seen in his work for the magazine ‘Ray Gun’ for which he was the art director. He has also been the art director of the magazine Beach Culture in the past. His work has been characterised by chaotic typography and a ‘disarray of photos overlapping each other’. 

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6. Lise Sarfati (1958 - )

Lise Sarfati is a French photographer whose work explores the ‘instability of feminine identity’ as a common theme in her photography are young women who resist attempts of being pinned down. Although that is what she is most known for, these days she explores the relationship between people and urban landscape. She has worked a lot in Russia and USA. She traveled across the USA, and documented ‘adolescent’ cities like Austin (TX), Portland (OR), Los Angeles (CA), etc - she named this piece La Vie Nouvelle. Her work tends to follow this process of travel/exploration. 

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7. Paolo Roversi (1947 -  )

Paolo Roversi is a fashion photographer known for his ‘intimate and classic’ look. His career started in 1970 with photojournalism but eventually, his interest shifted to fashion and he began to assist Laruence Sackman. He then started shooting fashion and editorials himself which crafted his sought-after image in the fashion world today. He added polaroid photography in the 1980s and it’s been a part of his practice ever since. He has collaborated with leading fashion and beauty houses like Dior, Chanel, Armani, Lancome, Comme Des Garçons and has been in magazines like Vogue frequently.

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8. Petra Collins (1992 - )

Petra Collins is a Canadian artist who is best known as a photographer but also is a director, fashion model, and actor. Her photography is described as dreamlike and feminine. She rose to popularity in the 2010s as she was the resident photographer for the rookie magazine. She has directed short films and music videos for artists like Selena Gomez, Olivia Rodrigo, Carly Rae Jepson, and Lil Yachty. She’s been labeled as an IT girl and was also the face of Gucci in 2016. Her career started with Richard Kern who took on the role of her mentor, she also then went on to become Ryan Mcginley’s protegee before building up her own work. She is also someone that writes articles/essays. 

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9. Vewn (1999 -)

Vewn or Victoria Vincent is an American artist and 2d animator. She is a content creator who uses Vimeo and youtube to showcase her animations that tell her stories. She created illustrations and comic strips and uses unique colours and distorted angles from which the audience views her work. She is relatively She is self-taught and has been on the YouTube platform since 2015, her exact origins are unknown. Her videos however have been a part of media outlets like Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, and Teen Vogue.

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10. Clare Caulfield

Clare Caulfield is an artist and printmaker. She likes to travel around the world, and this serves as her main inspiration and source material in her work. She likes to screen print as it allows her to transfer her sketchbook drawings which she usually draws on-site to bigger canvases - she likes the sense of spontaneity this allows. She uses a variety of methods and techniques like pen, watercolour, acrylic, pencil, and collage as well. Her work can be bought online but she also often exhibits it in galleries. She has cited that one of her inspirations is Stephen Wilshire. 

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[marimayscarlett]

If you’re still answering the movie asks… numbers 36 and 39 ☺️

36. which movie star would you want to meet?

If I had to answer this in an honest way, I'd say "none!", because due to being the hopeless fangirl that I am, encounters like these would be embarrassing and uncomfortable for all parties involved 🤠

But if I had to choose, I of course would show my best and most calm side and would love to meet these two (I know, again two, but I just don't want to choose):

Shah Rukh Khan, since he's the childhood/teen crush and hero for me. I inhaled his Bollywood movies back then and still am so attatched to him in a nostalgic way 🤗 Would most likely just want to tell him how much joy his movies brought me, how much the music of this movies shaped me and how much he was a part of my growing up process.

And of course, no surprises here, the fine gentleman that is Hugo Weaving 🤲🏼 He also was a big part of my teen years since he was part of my favourite movie, and later now became such a hyperfixation :') Would probably love to talk with him about his work on australian movies and theatre pieces as well as just... would beg him to read audiobooks because I need his voice in my life more.

39. in your opinion what is the most underrated movie?

(Maybe not underrated but just not known enough/not talked about enough anymore):

Going absolutely full blown German mode here and say every movie made by the German movie director Rainer Werner Fassbinder. He was known for his provocative and often controversial films that explored themes of alienation, sexuality, and social critique, and really shaped the New German cinema movement in the 1960s and 1970s. Fassbinder's works often depicted the struggles of people (oftentimes marginalized groups) in post-war Germany; very heavy and sad movies without being overly dramatic.

I recommend especially 'Ali: Fear eats the soul' ('Angst essen Seele auf'; so. SO. good), 'Martha' and 'The marriage of Maria Braun' ('Die Ehe der Maria Braun').

[lindsaywesker]

Good morning!  I hope you slept well and feel rested?  Currently sitting at my desk, in my study, attired only in my blue towelling robe, enjoying my first cuppa of the day. 

Welcome to Too Much Information Tuesday.

It is illegal to be drunk in a UK pub.

We forget 80% of what we learn every day.

HP Printer black ink is more expensive than human blood.

Strawberries actually contain more vitamin C than oranges.

60% of the alcohol in America is drunk by 10% of the people.

American plumbers refer to the day after Thanksgiving as Brown Friday.

In 2021, the investor community on Reddit adopted 3,500 gorillas in a week.

By 2050, 3.3% of the world’s population will be millionaires (in US dollars.)

In general, the more time you spend with someone, the more you will like them.

Rats emit ultrasonic squeaks of happiness when they get to hang out with another rat.

A cyberchondriac is someone who scours the internet looking for details of their illnesses.

The presence of CCTV cameras increases the fear of crime but doesn’t reduce crime rates.

Not one but two cross-country skiers suffered from a frozen penis during a recent world cup race.

If you keep going North, you will eventually go South, but if you keep going East, you will never go West.

Coffee drunk from a white mug tastes more intense and less sweet than coffee drunk from a clear mug.

Stomach rumblings are caused by air moving through your digestive tract and doesn’t always mean you are hungry.

AI can guess your age, location, gender and income with up to 85% accuracy by analysing your social media posts.

A sophomaniac is a person who’s under the delusion that they are extremely intelligent.  Too many of them about!

Memorizing the lyrics to songs can help strengthen your brain and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s.  Do more karaoke!

King Harold didn't die at the battle of Hastings from an arrow in the eye, he was hacked apart by four Norman knights.

Listening to loud music interferes with your vision.  This is why we usually turn the car radio down when looking for somewhere to park.

Negaholics are people who become addicted to self-doubt and negativity.  They find the bad in most things and are hardly ever satisfied.

The directors of ‘Despicable Me’ actually wrote a language for the gibberish the minions speak throughout the film.  Each word has a meaning!

The company that made the modelling clay for Wallace & Gromit has gone out of business.  There is currently only enough clay for one more film.

The first BBC radio presenter with a Northern accent was hired in the second world war to make it harder for the Germans to produce fake news bulletins.

The peanut is not a nut, it is actually a legume.  A legume refers to any plant from the Fabaceae family that would include its leaves, stems and pods.

It’s a myth that you only use 10% of your brain.  Most of your brain is active almost all of the time.  The problem is: some people don’t have much in there!

An American on the national average salary would have to work for 21,000 years before they became a billionaire, assuming that they spent none of their money.

A Crook County, Wyoming, judge has dismissed property destruction charges against a pair of ranchers accused of bleaching penis shapes and other markings on their neighbour’s cows.

In 2011, a 25-year-old Spanish man sued his parents for refusing to give him money unless he tried to find a job.  The court denied his claim and ordered him to leave his parents’ house and find a job.

The Sound of Music was so popular in South Korea when it was first released that one cinema owner decided to shorten the film by cutting all the musical pieces from it so they could show it more often.

In 1962, Brendon Grimshaw purchased Moyenne Island in the Seychelles for £8000.  He planted 16,000 trees on the island, brought and bred giant tortoises, and introduced a variety of bird life.  He was the sole inhabitant of the island until his death in 2012.  Instead of selling it, he declared the island a national park.

‘Malleus Maleficarum’, a 15th century witch-hunting manual, described how witches kept ‘live’ wriggling penises as pets.  The witches were said to have kept the penises in nests in trees and to have fed them oats.  Written by Catholic clergyman Heinrich Kramer, ‘Malleus Maleficarum’ is of course today regarded as misogynistic nonsense.  However, centuries ago, such books would have resulted in the gruesome murders of women accused of being witches.

Okay, that’s enough information for one day.  Have a tremendous and tumultuous Tuesday!  I love you all.

[chloe-caulfield94]

Max the War Correspondent and Private Chloe

“Show me your war face, private Price!” – said Max Caulfield, the war correspondent for “Seattle Post-Intelligencer”.

It was September 1944, a rural area somewhere in Belgium. Max had been sent to photograph the brave boys and girls fighting to liberate Europe. She was assigned a junior staff officer, Alyssa Anderson, who drove her around from one unit to another, so that she could take pictures. It was important to keep the public’s support for the war effort high and photo ops like that were a way to achieve that.

Max tried to photograph as many soldiers as she could. They all deserved to be remembered for their bravery, for their part in the fight against evil. But when she met private Price, she decided not to save her camera film that one time and to expend an entire roll on an impromptu photo session. The other soldiers watched this, giggling, clearly seeing that private Price caught the eye of the gorgeous brunette war correspondent.

Chloe attempted to make a scary face, but the effect made Max laugh. Chloe was way too adorable to be making convincing war faces. Max snapped the last picture, fully expending the roll of film. The photo session was a success. Private Chloe saluting. Private Chloe in full panoply of war, presenting arms. Private Chloe resting her foot on a German helmet with a bullet hole in it. Private Chloe smiling, short strands of her strawberry blonde hair escaping from beneath her helmet.

Chloe approached Max.

“So, Miss Caulfield …”

“Call me Max”.

“Max … Are you really going to publish your photographs of me? Or is it just something you tell all the girls to make them like you?”

Max smiled at her joke. And blushed a little.

“When I get back home, I’m going to give all the photos to my editor. He’s going to decide whose pictures get published. But you can bet I’m going to recommend yours”.

“Your paper is from Seattle, right? And where are you from?”

“Oregon. Tiny town called Arcadia Bay. You’ve probably never heard of it”.

Chloe became visibly animated: “Arcadia Bay? No way! That’s where I’m from, too. And tiny town? Look at miss big city over here! There’s everything there one could possibly need. A cinema, a library, a diner, two different grocery stores, a gas station and an auto repair centre. That’s where I used to work. I used to be a car mechanic before I was conscripted. I hope they will still have work for me when I get back home”.

Max would love to show her around Seattle, with its multiple cinemas and multiple libraries, not to mention other establishments, like theatres and restaurants, where two young gals could spend some quality time.

“I didn’t mean it like that, Chloe. I didn’t hate Arcadia Bay. I left when I was a kid because my father found work in Seattle. City life is … different. Not necessarily better, but different”.

“Don’t worry about it, I was just busting your ladyballs, Max”.

“Chloe, I know we’ve just met, but …”

A piercing whizz announced the arrival of a mortar shell. Chloe grabbed Max in her arms and they both fell to the ground, with Chloe on top. While Chloe was very skinny, her gear made her quite heavy. The shell exploded nearby. Chloe felt a piece of shrapnel hitting her back. She rolled off Max.

“Are you okay, Max?”

“Of course I am. You shielded me with your own body! Thank you!”

“Uncle Sam is always happy to help his citizens”.

“Chloe, but what about you?”

“I … don’t know. I felt something hit my back. Can you take a look, Max?”

Max felt her heart drop. But when she looked at Chloe’s back, she instantly felt relieved.

“You’re okay, Chloe. The shrapnel hit your backpack and it was caught by your canteen. You won’t be able to eat soup, but you’ll live”.

“With how unappetizing our rations are, my health is set to improve”.

Max giggled.

Commander of the unit, lieutenant Madsen, barked orders: “Take positions! They are coming! You too, Price! Up and at them!”

Gunshots and explosions signified the incoming battle.

Max knew she had only one shot at this.

Before private Price had a chance to get up and head towards the firefight, Max placed her hands on Chloe’s cheeks, turned her face towards her and kissed her lips. At first Chloe was surprised, but she quickly began to kiss her back.

“I’m going to write you, Chloe. And after the war, come find me. You know where I work”.

Alyssa dragged Max away to the jeep. Chloe looked at Max dreamingly for a moment, having finally realized who she was fighting for. Then she ran to join her comrades in battle.

After two years and dozens of letters, one snowy afternoon Max left the offices of the “Seattle Post-Intelligencer” and to her surprise saw Chloe standing outside. She ran to embrace and kiss her.

“In your last letter you didn’t mention you were finally going to be discharged!”

“In the army they taught us that the element of surprise is crucial”.

“Come, private Price. Let me show you big city life”.

[onehunnit]

Cinema Studies Minor Gets Super Into Analyzing K-Pop Videos 2.1

Disclaimer: I'm still a student, no where near an expert, I will be wrong in some technical aspects. Also my interpretations are my opinion which means you may disagree and that's okay. Awesome even! Just be normal about it fr. This is also very out of order bc that's how my brain works. Also I am but a baby loretiny, which means my interpretations are shaky at best compared to what's been established. But the lore is confusing anyway so....

The World EP.FIN: Trailer Analysis pt 1: Sections

Why Not Film?

K-Pop's Obsession with Wong Kar-Wai

Ateez and Metropolis

Why Not Film?

I mean like filming on film stock. Because there is a film grain/noise... (overlay? mask? idk man i'm not an editor I forgot my terms) texture to parts of the video that I think is supposed to evoke the idea of a security camera (I would have LOVED some high-angle shots to drive this home but oh well) BUT could also just be representing that it's old/in the past because it is also in black and white.

the texture is especially evident on San's face. I think they just put a noise filter over this part, which creates grain that you'd find on old film

So why not just film on film stock? It's expensive and cumbersome my guy. they filmed this between schedules like.... digital editing and stuff is just so much easier.

Which leads me to the next section:

K-Pop's Obsession with Wong Kar-Wai

STEP PRINTING!!!! 8/10FPS!!!!! STREAKS!!!! WE! LOVE! IT!

I fucking love this effect which WKW first did by filming (on stock) at 8 frames per second (fps) and then repeating the same frame 3 times to create that streakiness. Filming at a low frame rate then playing it at a higher one (usually 24 fps, which I'm guessing is also what they used for this trailer, 24-32(ish) fps is the cinematic standard) creates fast motion. This process is called step-printing.

The subject(s) would stay still/ move very slowly while filming to give the effect that everything is moving fast around them while they're normal speed. Super cool, gives sense that time is passing around them and/or isolation from others, which is what I think is intended here since HJ and the teezers are isolated from society as they're trying to fight against the government. sweet sweet storytelling through style. OBSESSED!

Here is an example from Chungking Express:

But also: K-Pop in general is OBSESSED with WKW's style. I will make a list of MVs that rep that eventually, but off the top my head, Mamamoo's mv for wind flower is inspired by Fallen Angels. The color grading, cinematography, the scene references etc.

Ateez and Metropolis

Now for something completely different: Before I get into it I really want to emphasize how fucking instrumental cinema was in globalization, because when cinema first became an industry it TRAVELED like TRAVELED. and resulted in a mix of styles since the fucking like 1920s. AMAZING

Okay so speaking of 1920s, let's get into IT! German Expressionism was a film movement that was born out of post-WW1 Germany and society's need to express (ha) the horrors of war they went through and since hyperinflation fucked up the economy so much, film companies were like "spend whatever" and blew budget on super elaborate film sets and facilities.

Expressionism is focused on the physical and really emphasizing features and such. It's hyperbolic as show in the screen shot from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari:

The subject's face is deepened by the make-up and lighting and shows their state of mind, a mindless corpse being controlled by another power (think Master/Puppet, but we don't have time to rly get into post WW1 Ger's anxieties)

It's also hyperbolic, as I said, which sometimes takes form in the sets. Specifically the establishing shots. These would traditionally be miniatures or painted, as they are easy and you can see how they're similar:

1- Metropolis & 2- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Notice anything? The lines maybe? Perspective? Symmetry? These are all qualities seen in German Expressionism which I will get into in a momement but first. Let me explain why I use Metropolis as an example. In short, they already referenced it in Guerrilla:

click to get the whole picture! Guerrilla MV and the film poster for Metropolis, the book cover is similar.

See the lines and perspective? The establishing shot at the beginning is the same, let's compare it to Metropolis again:

THE WORLD: EP.FIN Trailer & Metropolis

German expressionism is alive and well in film style and I'm so in love with how the director utilizes it.

Next, we're going to talk about structure and lines, along with style and how it helps the narrative.

[TO BE CONTINUED]

[sin-ophelia]

Italian Cinema

Two Women 1960

(Sophia Loren won an Academy Award for her role as a single mother trying to protect her daughter from the horrors of war in WWII)

Rome, Open City 1945

(neorealist war drama film directed by Roberto Rossellini written by Fellini starring Anna Magnani)

Down with Misery 1945

(Anna Magnani stars as a Roman housewife post-WWII pressuring her husband to join the black Mamarket to pull them out of poverty

Before Him All Rome Trembled  1945

(Anna Magnani and her partner are a pair of opera singers, who moonlight working for the Italian resistance at the time of the German occupation of Rome. Stylistically, the film is a hybrid between filmed performances of opera, and a neorealistic resistance melodrama)

Angelina 1947

Anna Magnani picture, in the public domain

L'Amore 1948

(anthology film directed by Roberto Rossellini starring Anna Magnani and Federico Fellini. It consists of two parts, The Human Voice based on Jean Cocteau's 1929 play of the same title, and The Miracle, based on Ramón del Valle-Inclán's 1904 novel Flor de santidad. The second part was banned in the United States until it was cleared in 1952 by the Supreme Court's decision upholding the right to freedom of speech.)

The Street Has Many Dreams 1948

(Comedy Starring Anna Magnani)

Volcano 1950

(Anna Magnani's revenge film against Roberto Rossellini who was filming Stromboli with Ingrid Bergman on a nearby island at the time. The film plot involves a former prostitute, Maddalena Natoli (played by Magnani), who was exiled to the island of her birth by the police. There, she suffers ostracism by the islanders, and she tries to defend the virtue of her younger sister from the advances of a deep-sea diver. )

Stromboli 1950

(Drama directed by Roberto Rossellini starring Ingrid Bergman considered a classic example of Italian neorealism. Immigrant Lithuanian woman gets isolated in an abusive relationship with a man on a secluded island where locals shun her)

The Golden Coach 1952

(Starring Anna Magnani tells the story of a commedia dell'arte troupe in 18th-century Peru)

The Rose Tattoo  1955 

(Starring Anna Magnani based off a Tennessee Williams play)

The Awakening 1956

(Comedy drama starring Anna Magnoni as a nun in a Convent in Naples)

Nella città l'inferno 1959

(When the wide-eyed Lina (Giulietta Masina) lands in a women's prison, she meets a world-weary prostitute named Egle (Anna Magnani) who looks out for her. After Egle teaches Lina what she knows and begins to harden the girl, Lina commits another crime on the outside and winds up back in jail, a shell of her former self. Egle, meanwhile, who had taken a genuine liking to Lina, has tried to better herself and is shocked to see what has become of her former protégé)

The Passionate Thief 1960

(Comedy Two friends (Toto and Magnani) live by their wits working as comedians and cabaret at Cinecittà, before being invited to friends' parties or masked balls during New Year's Eve in Rome. The two, however, even though they make people laugh all the time in public, live an inner conflict, namely that the two have always to be aware to give a smile to someone, but they can never be rich and happy because they are street artists and with a precarious wage.)

Mamma Roma 1962

(Anna Magnani play a single mother retired prostitute trying to build a better life for her teenage son)

Made in Italy 1965

(Comedy anthology with Anna Magnani)

Two Nights with Cleopatra 1954

(Comedy Starring Sophia Loren playing two roles in Prince and Pauper Cleopatra tale)

Aida 1953

(Sophia Loren stars as Aida adapted by the opera by Giuseppe Verdi set in ancient Egypt)

A Slice of Life 1954

(Anthology comedy with Sophia Loren in one of the episodes)

A Day in Court 1954

(Anthology courtroom drama comedy, Sophia Loren is in one of the episodes)

Poverty and Nobility 1954

(Adapted from 19th century play of the same name, with Sophia Loren)

The Gold of Naples 1954

(Anthology drama one episode features Sophia Loren)

The Sign of Venus 1955

(Comedy revolves around an attractive woman named Agnese (Sophia Loren) who has many suitors. She lives with her cousin Cesira, who has the opposite problem with men- a poet in need of money and a man who deals in stolen cars)

Bianco, rosso e... (The Sin) 1972

(Comedy Starring Sophia Loren as a sexy nun?)

[hividsmarttv]

An Introduction to Film Noir

What is Film Noir?

Film noir is a genre of films that emerged in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s, characterized by its dark themes, shadowy cinematography, and morally ambiguous protagonists. The term "film noir" is French for "black film," which accurately describes the bleak and pessimistic outlook of these films.

The origins of film noir can be traced back to a number of factors, including the post-World War II mood of anxiety and disillusionment, the influence of German Expressionism on Hollywood filmmakers, and the rise of hard-boiled crime fiction in pulp magazines.

One of the defining features of film noir is its visual style, which often utilizes high-contrast lighting, deep shadows, and skewed camera angles to create a sense of unease and disorientation. This style was influenced by the German Expressionist movement, which emphasized subjective emotion and the use of stylized visuals to convey psychological states.

Examples of Film Noir

Some of the most famous examples of film noir include "Double Indemnity" (1944), "The Maltese Falcon" (1941), and "The Big Sleep" (1946). These films often feature a lone male protagonist, a femme fatale, and a complex, labyrinthine plot that twists and turns until its final, often ambiguous resolution.

American film noir is perhaps the most well-known and influential of all the variations of the genre. Emerging in the 1940s and 1950s, American film noir was characterized by its dark, shadowy visuals, morally ambiguous protagonists, and a focus on crime and corruption. These films often portrayed a cynical and pessimistic view of society, with a sense of disillusionment and anxiety permeating throughout.

One of the most significant American film noir directors was Billy Wilder, who directed classic films such as "Double Indemnity" (1944) and "Sunset Boulevard" (1950). These films featured complex and flawed characters, intricate plots, and a sense of psychological tension that has become synonymous with the genre. Other notable American film noir directors include Fritz Lang, with films such as "The Big Heat" (1953) and "Scarlet Street" (1945); and Robert Siodmak, with films such as "The Killers" (1946) and "Criss Cross" (1949). These films have had a lasting impact on American cinema and continue to be celebrated for their artistic achievements and influence.

American film noir has had a significant impact on the art of cinema, influencing filmmakers around the world and continuing to captivate audiences to this day. Its blend of stylish visuals, complex characters, and gritty subject matter has helped to create a unique and enduring genre that has stood the test of time. With its focus on the darker aspects of human nature and society, American film noir remains an essential part of the cinematic landscape, offering a glimpse into the human experience that is both captivating and unforgettable.

International Film Noir

Film noir was not limited to Hollywood, however, and a number of other countries also produced their own versions of the genre.

In France, film noir is known as "policier noir" or "film policier," and is characterized by its use of urban settings, existential themes, and a focus on psychological realism. One of the most well-known French film noir directors is Jean-Pierre Melville, who is famous for films such as "Le Samouraï" (1967) and "Bob le Flambeur" (1956). These films often feature characters struggling with personal demons and moral ambiguity, and are notable for their minimalist style and existential themes.

In Japan, film noir is referred to as "yakuza-eiga" or "gangster films," and is characterized by its emphasis on honor, loyalty, and violence. One of the most famous Japanese film noir directors is Akira Kurosawa, who directed films such as "Stray Dog" (1949) and "High and Low" (1963). These films often explore the darker side of Japanese society, including the yakuza underworld and the criminal justice system.

Other countries that have produced their own versions of film noir include Germany, with films such as "M" (1931) and "The Third Man" (1949); Italy, with films such as "Accattone" (1961) and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" (1966); and the UK, with films such as "Brighton Rock" (1947) and "Get Carter" (1971). Each of these countries has put its own unique spin on the genre, while still maintaining the essential characteristics of film noir.

Modern Film Noir

Overall, the international influence of film noir is a testament to its enduring power and appeal. By exploring the darker side of human nature and society, film noir has managed to capture the imaginations of audiences around the world, and continues to inspire filmmakers to this day.

Film noir has had a lasting impact on the art of cinema, influencing everything from crime dramas to science fiction films. Its legacy can be seen in the work of directors such as David Lynch and Quentin Tarantino, who have both cited the genre as an influence on their own work.

In recent years, film noir has also experienced a resurgence in popularity, with new films such as "Brick" (2005) and "Drive" (2011) drawing on the genre's themes and visual style.

In conclusion, film noir emerged as a response to the anxieties and uncertainties of the post-World War II era and has since become a highly influential and enduring genre of cinema. Its themes of moral ambiguity, psychological tension, and visual stylization continue to captivate audiences and inspire filmmakers around the world.

[jimmcslims]

I know I just reblogged this but also I want someone to watch Rules of the Game, a French romantic tragicomedy from 1939 that only barely survived nazi occupation and decades of neglect to become my favorite films.

Also in general fuck with Soyuzmultfilm, German Expressionism and Italian post-war cinema.

Let this be your sign to watch older movies right now please

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 8.19 (after 1930)

1934 – The first All-American Soap Box Derby is held in Dayton, Ohio. 1934 – The German referendum of 1934 approves Adolf Hitler's appointment as head of state with the title of Führer. 1936 – The Great Purge of the Soviet Union begins when the first of the Moscow Trials is convened. 1940 – First flight of the B-25 Mitchell medium bomber. 1941 – Germany and Romania sign the Tiraspol Agreement, rendering the region of Transnistria under control of the latter. 1942 – World War II: Operation Jubilee: The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division leads an amphibious assault by allied forces on Dieppe, France and fails. 1944 – World War II: Liberation of Paris: Paris, France rises against German occupation with the help of Allied troops. 1945 – August Revolution: Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Minh take power in Hanoi, Vietnam. 1953 – Cold War: The CIA and MI6 help to overthrow the government of Mohammad Mosaddegh in Iran and reinstate the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. 1955 – In the Northeast United States, severe flooding caused by Hurricane Diane, claims 200 lives. 1960 – Cold War: In Moscow, Russia, Soviet Union, downed American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers is sentenced to ten years imprisonment by the Soviet Union for espionage. 1960 – Sputnik program: Korabl-Sputnik 2: The Soviet Union launches the satellite with the dogs Belka and Strelka, 40 mice, two rats and a variety of plants. 1964 – Syncom 3, the first geostationary communication satellite, is launched. Two months later, it would enable live coverage of the 1964 Summer Olympics. 1965 – Japanese prime minister Eisaku Satō becomes the first post-World War II sitting prime minister to visit Okinawa Prefecture. 1978 – In Iran, the Cinema Rex fire causes more than 400 deaths. 1980 – Saudia Flight 163, a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar burns after making an emergency landing at Riyadh International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killing 301 people. 1980 – Otłoczyn railway accident: In Poland's worst post-war railway accident, 67 people lose their lives and a further 62 are injured. 1981 – Gulf of Sidra Incident: United States F-14A Tomcat fighters intercept and shoot down two Libyan Sukhoi Su-22 fighter jets over the Gulf of Sidra. 1987 – Hungerford massacre: In the United Kingdom, Michael Ryan kills sixteen people with a semi-automatic rifle and then commits suicide. 1989 – Polish president Wojciech Jaruzelski nominates Solidarity activist Tadeusz Mazowiecki to be the first non-communist prime minister in 42 years. 1989 – Several hundred East Germans cross the frontier between Hungary and Austria during the Pan-European Picnic, part of the events that began the process of the Fall of the Berlin Wall. 1991 – Dissolution of the Soviet Union: The August Coup begins when Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev is placed under house arrest while on holiday in the town of Foros, Ukraine. 1991 – Crown Heights riot begins. 1999 – In Belgrade, Yugoslavia, tens of thousands of Serbians rally to demand the resignation of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia President Slobodan Milošević. 2002 – Khankala Mi-26 crash: A Russian Mil Mi-26 helicopter carrying troops is hit by a Chechen missile outside Grozny, killing 118 soldiers. 2003 – A truck-bomb attack on United Nations headquarters in Iraq kills the agency's top envoy Sérgio Vieira de Mello and 21 other employees. 2003 – Shmuel HaNavi bus bombing: A suicide attack on a bus in Jerusalem, planned by Hamas, kills 23 Israelis, seven of them children. 2004 – Google Inc. has its initial public offering on Nasdaq. 2005 – The first-ever joint military exercise between Russia and China, called Peace Mission 2005 begins. 2009 – A series of bombings in Baghdad, Iraq, kills 101 and injures 565 others. 2010 – Operation Iraqi Freedom ends, with the last of the United States brigade combat teams crossing the border to Kuwait. 2013 – The Dhamara Ghat train accident kills at least 37 people in the Indian state of Bihar.