New Online Course!
I am happy to announce that this summer I will be teaching an online course, open to all, on Film Appreciation. See the flyer attached, and visit the Courses page for more information. If you have any questions or wantContinue reading “New Online Course!”
The Olympics, Unfortunately, Have Many Flaws
I love the Olympics. I love the cornucopia of sports. I love the way it brings the world together, in a rare opportunity to see other countries presented in a positive light on TV. I recall, for example, Pyeongchang 2018,Continue reading “The Olympics, Unfortunately, Have Many Flaws”
The Early Sound Film in Japan
The first film to include both image and sound (that is, a non-silent film) is considered by historians to be The Jazz Singer (directed by Alan Crosland, 1927). This remarkable achievement, the result of years of research and experimentation byContinue reading “The Early Sound Film in Japan”
“Bone Tomahawk” and Political Extremism
A few white ne’er-do-wells out in the desert of the American southwest stumble upon, and then desecrate, a small burial site. In retaliation, the nearby Native American tribe kills two of the drifters and tracks the last to a smallContinue reading ““Bone Tomahawk” and Political Extremism”
John Cage’s Experimental Painting about Chess
In 1944, experimental musician John Cage produced an artwork for the “Imagery of Chess” exhibition exploring influential artist Marcel Duchamp’s interest in the game. Cage’s artwork, entitled Chess Pieces, is a painting depicting 64 light and dark squares (in theContinue reading “John Cage’s Experimental Painting about Chess”
Book Review: “Horror Film Aesthetics” (2010)
Despite its name, Thomas M. Sipos’ Horror Film Aesthetics (2010) is essentially a general film style textbook that just happens to give examples from horror movies. It spends way too much time defining basic terms that any 2nd year filmContinue reading “Book Review: “Horror Film Aesthetics” (2010)”
The Responsibility of Teachers and Intellectuals
What responsibility do intellectuals and teachers have to their community? As I finish up my Master’s degree and search for teachings jobs at community colleges across the country, this is something that’s been on my mind. To what activities shouldContinue reading “The Responsibility of Teachers and Intellectuals”
Art and Science: Mars Perseverance Rover Photos
In early 2021, NASA’s Perseverance rover began transmitting images from Mars. Although these were not the first photos we’ve seen from the planet, they remain tremendously interesting. One of the first things that struck me about the new photos wasContinue reading “Art and Science: Mars Perseverance Rover Photos”
Early Fiction Films: “A Trip to the Moon”
Whereas the work of the Lumiere Brothers was a progenitor of documentary film, another French pioneer, George Méliès, created the first fiction films. His pictures were full of fantasy and wonder; a stage magician in his day job, Méliès seemsContinue reading “Early Fiction Films: “A Trip to the Moon””
“Arrival of a Train:” The First Film?
Long regarded as the first film ever made, we know now that Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station (1896) was screened a few months after the Lumiere Brothers held the world’s first film screening at a cafe inContinue reading ““Arrival of a Train:” The First Film?”
“American Progress” and Manifest Destiny
American Progress (John Gast, 1871) visualizes the 19th century idea of Manifest Destiny. Columbia, symbolic of the United States, is seen traveling west, dressed like a Greek goddess. Ahead of her tramp white hunters and settlers, and behind her railroadsContinue reading ““American Progress” and Manifest Destiny”
The First Photo of a Japanese Emperor
In 1873, pioneering photographer Uchida Kuichi took the first photograph of a Japanese emperor. In his portrait of the Emperor Meiji, seen here, the emperor is staged in a way typical to U.S. and European photographic portraits of the time.Continue reading “The First Photo of a Japanese Emperor”
“Abaporu” and a Uniquely Brazilian Art Style
Abaporu is a 1928 painting by Brazilian artist Tarsila do Amaral. Tarsila, as she was known, was a modernist painter who often included elements of indigenous art in her work in order to create a uniquely Brazilian style. In Abaporu,Continue reading ““Abaporu” and a Uniquely Brazilian Art Style”
Representing Sound Through Painting: “Rhythm + Noise + Speed of Car”
Rhythm + Noise + Speed of Car is a 1913 painting by Futurist artist Giacomo Balla. Part of a vibrant pre-WWI experimental art culture, the Italian Futurists were enamored with energy, power, and modern technology. Many of them were pro-warContinue reading “Representing Sound Through Painting: “Rhythm + Noise + Speed of Car””
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William Kohler 