Topic: FINISHING THE CAKE (Read 7609 times)

Dan M · « **Reply #60 on:** April 14, 2014, 02:05:05 PM »

The Prologue to the movie THE AGONY AND THE ECSTACY (THE ARTIST WHO DID NOT WANT TO PAINT) is a very good example of a documentary featurette. I always find the solemnity of the piece to put me in the mood for the story of Michelangelo, but somehow Chuck Heston takes me out of the 1500s and transports me to the Planet of the Apes.

Dan M · « **Reply #61 on:** April 14, 2014, 02:05:58 PM »

I saw a documentary on the life of Sir Georg Solti that was quite interesting if you are a classical music fan.

Dan M · « **Reply #62 on:** April 14, 2014, 02:07:53 PM »

There have been many documentaries about The Beatles. The one that I liked better than THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY was THE COMPLEAT BEATLES narrated by Malcolm McDowell as it hit upon all the important points without taking up an entire week on the A-BEATLES-C television network.

John G. · « **Reply #63 on:** April 14, 2014, 02:10:58 PM »

I love Herzog's documentaries. The Cave of Forgotten Dreams was the one you mentioned, Dan M. Also loved Encounters at the End of the World, Fata Morgana and Grizzly Man. I have a copy of Little Dieter Needs to Fly, but I haven't had time to watch it yet.

John G. · « **Reply #64 on:** April 14, 2014, 02:11:39 PM »

And Burden of Dreams about the making of Herzog's Fitzcarraldo is great.

Dan M · « **Reply #65 on:** April 14, 2014, 02:12:28 PM »

While this is not a formal documentary, I have admired the montage underlying the opening credits of SOYLENT GREEN, which serves as a sort of documentary of moving from agrarian to industrial society leading to (oh no, not again) Chuck Heston! By the way, I believe that today is Soylent Red.

Dan M · « **Reply #66 on:** April 14, 2014, 02:17:53 PM »

There's a documentary on the unfinished films of Welles on the Criterion edition of F FOR FAKE which is called ORSON WELLES: ONE MAN BAND. That is a fascinating look at all of the stuff he left unfinished and that it was all over the world.

Since that time, we have been "given" the execrable Jess Franco's "completion" of Welles's DON QUIXOTE.

Which reminds me, the documentary about Terry Gilliam's equally ill-fated DON QUIXOTE was quite interesting as it showed Gilliam's continued run of problems that began back when he made THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN with John Neville, et al.

Dan M · « **Reply #67 on:** April 14, 2014, 02:18:49 PM »

Quote from: John G. on April 14, 2014, 02:11:39 PM

And Burden of Dreams about the making of Herzog's Fitzcarraldo is great.

Yes! And the part when he eats the shoe yecch!

Dan M · « **Reply #68 on:** April 14, 2014, 02:28:41 PM »

I enjoyed COSMOS by Carl Sagan at the time it was first broadcast, but since then, I now agree with the professors I had at Cornell who felt that their colleague was very vain and self-aggrandizing. I can't watch it anymore because there's a scene where you are shown the Great Pyramid, Sagan to one side of it and the sun rising. One of the professors I had said that the scuttlebutt around campus was that Sagan thought he was Ra, the Sun god.

I had an encounter with Sagan on campus. I wasn't out to find him, but by mere happenstance he was just in front of me as we were both walking through a campus parking lot. All I wanted to do was to say hello. He noticed me, looked like a scared rabbit, dashed and darted to his VW Rabbit (yes, it was, and a convertable to boot) and drove right past me, looked at, but never acknowledged me in any way. I felt that I had "intruded" on his "space" (no pun intended) as he left the Space Sciences building. I've had a mixed feeling about him ever since. I mean all he had to do was wave back.

Dan M · « **Reply #69 on:** April 14, 2014, 02:32:28 PM »

I enjoyed the Martin Scorsese documentary A PERSONAL JOURNEY THROUGH AMERICAN MOVIES he did for the BFI. I'm not usually a fan of his movies, but there's no denying that he knows a lot about movies. I'm particularly interested in obscure or forgotten ones and learned much about same.

Dan M · « **Reply #70 on:** April 14, 2014, 02:33:52 PM »

I also enjoyed John Cassavetes's daughter's documentary on the Z CHANNEL. That was another place I "discovered" obscure or forgotten movies.

Dan M · « **Reply #71 on:** April 14, 2014, 02:36:18 PM »

Another group of films/movies that I find fascinating is the trilogy by Godfrey Reggio, THE QATSI films. Not really sure if they "qualify" as documentaries, but the photography, editing and the music by Phillip Glass, make them at least worthy of one viewing. I haven't seen Reggio's newest VISITORS.

Dan M · « **Reply #72 on:** April 14, 2014, 02:42:04 PM »

I have enjoyed all of the documentaries Robert Hughes has been associated with, like SHOCK OF THE NEW, and AMERICAN MASTERS.

Speaking of art history, the documentaries by Waldemar Januszczak are very good.

Dan M · « **Reply #73 on:** April 14, 2014, 03:11:10 PM »

There was a documentary on PBS a number of years ago called CONEY ISLAND by Ric Burns and was graced by the dulcet tones of Philip Bosco, whom I've always admired (he also is the product of an Italian father and a German mother) as an actor. (He's very, very funny in the Bill Murray comedy QUICK CHANGE, which I think was the awesome Jason Robards' final film.)

ChasSmith · « **Reply #74 on:** April 14, 2014, 03:12:26 PM »

That Z CHANNEL thing is wonderful. The only thing it lacked was actual footage of people and things here and there on, you know, the Z Channel. I think it had one or two tiny things, but nothing like what we'd want.

ChasSmith · « **Reply #75 on:** April 14, 2014, 03:18:00 PM »

Lots of great sounding docs mentioned in this here TOD. I'm tempted to go through it and copy/paste the titles, keep a list of things to watch for.

George · « **Reply #76 on:** April 14, 2014, 03:33:02 PM »

Quote from: Dan M on April 14, 2014, 02:28:41 PM

I enjoyed COSMOS by Carl Sagan at the time it was first broadcast, but since then, I now agree with the professors I had at Cornell who felt that their colleague was very vain and self-aggrandizing. I can't watch it anymore because there's a scene where you are shown the Great Pyramid, Sagan to one side of it and the sun rising. One of the professors I had said that the scuttlebutt around campus was that Sagan thought he was Ra, the Sun god.

I had an encounter with Sagan on campus. I wasn't out to find him, but by mere happenstance he was just in front of me as we were both walking through a campus parking lot. All I wanted to do was to say hello. He noticed me, looked like a scared rabbit, dashed and darted to his VW Rabbit (yes, it was, and a convertable to boot) and drove right past me, looked at, but never acknowledged me in any way. I felt that I had "intruded" on his "space" (no pun intended) as he left the Space Sciences building. I've had a mixed feeling about him ever since. I mean all he had to do was wave back.

That's a very interesting encounter, Dan. Have you (or anyone else) been watching the new version of "Cosmos" with Neil deGrasse Tyson? How does it compare? I watched the first episode and have recorded the rest. Hopefully, I'll actually get to watch them...someday.

MBarnum · « **Reply #77 on:** April 14, 2014, 03:33:54 PM »

I am catching up on my missed HHW days...and I keep wanting to comment on other HHWers comments...but of course the page the comment is on is closed, and if I commented on it now, it would make no sense.

MBarnum · « **Reply #78 on:** April 14, 2014, 03:36:54 PM »

In other news: I was in a fashion show, walking the ramp last Saturday at our Holi festival, which was put on by our India-US group.

I had to dress in modern day cowboy attire, while others were dressed in attire from different parts of India. I think we pulled it off nicely. I will have to await photographic evidence or video footage. The show was choreographed, and I was quite surprised to not have fallen over my own feet...or anyone elses.

MBarnum · « **Reply #79 on:** April 14, 2014, 03:41:52 PM »

The rest of the Holi celebration was great fun, as well. Especially the food.

My sister and brother-in-law (BIL) went. I was suprised that my BIL would go...he is sort of the racist type...anyone with brown skin and an accent is a terrorist, as far as he is concerned...and when a gentleman in a turban began chatting with him at the event, I expected the worst. Thankfully, nothing terrible happened.

Perhaps my BIL learned from going to the festival that people with other skin colors, religions, and languages are nice also. I sure hope so.

ChasSmith · « **Reply #80 on:** April 14, 2014, 03:54:28 PM »

Apologies if someone got to these first:

THE GOLDEN RING: THE MAKING OF SOLTI'S 'RING'
SING FASTER: THE STAGEHANDS' RING CYCLE

I don't remember much about the latter, but the former is not to be missed.

Michael · « **Reply #81 on:** April 14, 2014, 03:56:48 PM »

Quote from: Jrand63 on April 14, 2014, 09:30:37 AM

Victor Young was in my mailbox today.

His body or his ashes?

ChasSmith · « **Reply #82 on:** April 14, 2014, 03:59:02 PM »

He wasn't in mine.

Michael · « **Reply #83 on:** April 14, 2014, 04:00:03 PM »

Quote from: Dan M on April 14, 2014, 02:05:05 PM

The Prologue to the movie THE AGONY AND THE ECSTACY (THE ARTIST WHO DID NOT WANT TO PAINT) is a very good example of a documentary featurette. I always find the solemnity of the piece to put me in the mood for the story of Michelangelo, but somehow Chuck Heston takes me out of the 1500s and transports me to the Planet of the Apes.

I always remember what Michelangelo said after he finished painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Now they tell me they wanted wallpaper.

Michael · « **Reply #84 on:** April 14, 2014, 04:03:20 PM »

Quote from: Dan M on April 14, 2014, 02:17:53 PM

There's a documentary on the unfinished films of Welles on the Criterion edition of F FOR FAKE which is called ORSON WELLES: ONE MAN BAND. That is a fascinating look at all of the stuff he left unfinished and that it was all over the world.

Since that time, we have been "given" the execrable Jess Franco's "completion" of Welles's DON QUIXOTE.

Which reminds me, the documentary about Terry Gilliam's equally ill-fated DON QUIXOTE was quite interesting as it showed Gilliam's continued run of problems that began back when he made THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN with John Neville, et al.

I read somewhere that Gilliam has raised the money again to film Don Quixote. I think he wants Depp again for the film, but not sure if Depp wants to do this time around

KevinH · « **Reply #85 on:** April 14, 2014, 04:05:40 PM »

TOD: The " 7 Up, 14 Up," etc documentaries

KevinH · « **Reply #86 on:** April 14, 2014, 04:08:15 PM »

TOD Continued:

My friend Angelo's documentary called "The Woman Who Wasn't There." It's about a supposed 9/11 survivor who joined a survivor's group. She claimed that she was rescued from one tower but that her fiancé had perished in the other. She made it all up. It's really fascinating. It's on Netflix.

KevinH · « **Reply #87 on:** April 14, 2014, 04:10:18 PM »

Bathroom repair vibes for DR elmore!

KevinH · « **Reply #88 on:** April 14, 2014, 04:11:08 PM »

Health vibes for DR vixmom.

KevinH · « **Reply #89 on:** April 14, 2014, 04:12:02 PM »

Hope the L'il Abner rehearsal is going well.

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Author Topic: FINISHING THE CAKE (Read 7609 times)

MBarnum

MBarnum

MBarnum