10E2398: In The Heart Of The Sea

File under "not your father's Moby Dick"

In The Heart of the Sea by Philbrick is his rigourously researched and detailed account of whaling in the 19thC. It elaborates and continues the true story that inspired and ends in Moby Dick. For those just joining, Herman Melville's Moby Dick was a re-imaging of an actual event, the loss of the whaleship Essex. -Reading a few pages. 

For more on the subject Philbrick has another book, Why Read Moby Dick? that not only details Melville and the creation of his most famous work but also posits that MD sits as a kind of American "bible". For EVEN MORE MD insight, read the site Power Moby Dick that goes through the text line by line. Pretty great.

10E2355: Cold Storage - Trailer

 

Cold Storage Teaser Trailer from metaLAB(at)Harvard on Vimeo.

"What is the best way to store a library collection whose offsite holdings alone are mounting to ten million? What does it take to keep books at cold preserving temperatures and film reels at even colder ones?"

"The upcoming documentary Cold Storage, [by metaLAB(at)Harvard about Harvard University's book depository - ed] uncovers an ecosystem of laser scanners, UV fly zappers, cherry pickers and a mezzanine of machinery. It shows a place where books are sorted not by the methods of Dewey or those of the Library of Congress but by size."

All in a beautiful if slightly Kubrickian way...

jaws -blu ray

Just in time for summer! Coming out this August is the blu-ray [they are still doing those-ed?] rerelease of Jaws ($20 via Amazon... wow). The wizards in Hollywood went back to the original print 35mm negative of the film and scanned it frame by frame to clean it up. V slick. Wet gate transfer etc.

Fascinating short doc below on the process, and highly relevant for digital archivists and librarians too. Discussion of storage (they make a film print off the digital once complete as feel better archival quality than preserving digital files), preservation, restoration etc.



Also included;
• The Shark is Still Working: The Impact & Legacy of JAWS, and all-new feature documentary on the film.
• A digital copy
• A DVD copy
• More...

a [short] history of the title sequence

Designed as a possible title sequence for a fictitious documentary, this film shows a history of the title sequence in a nutshell... The names of the title designers all refer to specific characteristics of the revolutionary titles that they designed.

This film refers to elements such as the cut and shifted characters of Saul Bass' Psycho title, the colored circles of Maurice Binder's design for Dr. No and the contemporary designs of Kyle Cooper and Danny Yount.
-via Jurjen Versteeg [fantastic -ed.]

I asked someone yday who they would have in a series of design talks and was introduced to several heavy hitters heretofore unknown to me. To the Boston area residents; who would you pay to hear speak about aspects of design? Photogs, print makers, artists, designers... local types preferably?

In a related mattter, The Somerville Theater is showing 35mm prints of the first 6 Bond films, the first w/e in March. Yes, yes you have seen them before but I bet you have never sat still through the whole thing. Being forced to watch every frame (rather than skip) you see every eyebrow raise... as well as the glory of the famouse title sequences. See the full Binder/Dr. No title sequence below.

Binder described the genesis of the [James Bond title] gun barrel sequence in 1991:

That was something I did in a hurry, because I had to get to a meeting with the producers in twenty minutes. I just happened to have little white, price tag stickers and I thought I'd use them as gun shots across the screen. We'd have James Bond walk through and fire, at which point blood comes down onscreen. That was about a twenty-minute storyboard I did, and they said, "This looks great!"
-via wiki

pina -wim wenders

Used to go to Sadlers Wells quite a bit when living in London. Do like a bit of modern dance. Wim Wenders has created this piece as a tribute to dancer and choreagrapher Pina Bausch. Showing in 3D. Could be quite intense I bet. Further reading.

good old shredding -from poler

From our friends at Poler (Portland based producer of camping gear within financial reach, and for kids too!) comes Adventure #006.

"Filmed in sketchy super-8 because the squadron of Poler helicopters we ordered is on back order."

Love it. Featuring Poler team riders Bryan Fox and Scotty Whitlake (10e faves for their low key demeanour and bombdrop style) riding Mt. Baker in a puking snowstorm. Maybe this will get the snow going on the east coast... Thx Benji.

chainsaw, fire and ott music

Shot by @mns1974 with the Phantom Flex at 400-2500fps. Music "Planes on a Plane" by Patrick Doyle. You think the slowed down chain is cool?? Wait till you see the slowed down woodstove.

the knife man

Amolador is the Portuguese word for grinder, or knife sharpener. These skilled knife sharpeners push their bikes through the streets, playing a distinctive tune on pan flutes to signal their presence.

Their bikes serve as a mobile workshop, with a sharpening stone mounted on the top tube, a tool box strapped to the back, and umbrellas draped over the handlebars.

Apparently there used to be many amoladors, but with the advent of cheap knives and scissors it's a dying profession which is too bad because it's pretty cool.

I found a Popular portuguese saying, "quando há amolador, há chuva": when the knife sharpener is around, it's going to rain.
-words and video by mattquann

in the blood

In The Blood is a film & live exhibit/show illustrating turn-of-the-century Maine lumbermen & river drivers. If you follow 10engines you'll know this is a favourite subject of mine, and have to say this is one of the the best productions of this sort I've seen.

ITB is ostensibly a documentary featuring interviews with retired loggers laid over uncommon archival footage and photos of rivermen and activities in the camp. If you have seen From Stump To Ship it is that on steroids, taking every advantage of technology but respectfully. The filmmaker Sumner McKane, also exhibits the movie as a show with live music; a few left if you live in Maine -check listings.

scorsese on film

This interview, a film clinic really, with Martin Scorses is almost 20 years old but makes you want to go to the movie theater right now. Someone on IMDB has listed Scorsese's favourite films here. Have to admit I've only seen 7 of them; something to work on.

13 o'clock -alterna films

Winter is coming, some states have snow, some resorts are even open... You want to get fired up? Enough to start sniping gear on eBay to kit out your kids? Alterna shoots HD, in focus and tons of color. Featured them before on 10e. Yeah, wish this had a different song behind it honestly, but give it a chance; the mix of riding is great. You can buy the full movie from them here.

the shred remains

Is The Shred Remains title a nod to Led Zep's The Song Remains The Same? Not sure. Have not met any of this VT based company, but have been watching them w/ great interest. Really liking this trailer, with its almost-doable-if-you're-good shredding. Reminds me of the old Mack Dawg vids and mean that as a compliment.

twe12ve -absinthe films

Twe12ve, from Absinthe Films (Props to these guys who actually use real film sometimes. The cost is like standing on your rented yacht and ripping up $50 bills). Great mix of inventive urban and bigger jumps/mountains. Trailer features practically zero lifestyle shots, nice change right. Think I even saw a slow backside 180... Found via YoBeat. Further reading about the filming at ESPNActionSports

the jerk -optigrab

This movie is so damn good... Saw a guy on the T the other day wearing a tshirt for Optigrab like it was a software company... well played. Preceeding clip below incase you just don't know...

the electric horseman

The Electric Horseman was the 5th time Sydney Pollack had directed Robert Redford, who along with Jane Fonda was by 1978 a bona fide superstar. There are populist themes here (evil corporations, nasty journalists) and a little action from Redford as the broken-down rodeo star [can we call this a subgenre of westerns right now -ed?], but it is the simple, rock solid performances that carry this one.

Also notable is the first acting appearance of Willie Nelson who supplies stonecold tunes to the soundtrack (My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys, Midnight Rider, Hands on the Wheel, Mama Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys). Great way to spend 2 hours...







Stainless steel percolator ftw.

Redford's own Rolex Sub' w/ Navajo band attached.




Wilford Brimley plays a good samaritan farmer/trucker. Recognize him right?
He becomes Pop Fisher a few years later to Redford's Roy Hobbs in The Natural.
Sidenote: Penfield... can you remake this jacket please??

Wrong canyon, goons... Nice Pendelton though.

the art of flight -metal trailer

100% reblog here. No shame.

How could you possibly make the most badass movie of the year any more badass? With metal... duh!
-via yobeat

conserving the balance -a moorland film

The narrator, David Bellamy, was a fixture on British nature programmes. Not so much now but in the 80's and 90's his beard-muffled vocal stylings were commonplace. Controlled burning is kind of fascinating, the 2 country gents commissioned this video that is now in the BFI.

Heather is kept young and vigorous by controlled burning. If left unburned, it eventually grows long and lank, reducing its nutritional value.

Burning is carried out by moor keepers between the Autumn and Spring when small sections are burned carefully on a rotational cycle, which can be as little as 7 years where there is very vigorous growth or as long as 25 years where growth is slow. These fires are very different to uncontrolled emergencies and are restricted by law to the period between 1st October and 10th April.

...For example, controlled burning will take place when the heather cover is dry, the peat wet and the wind light but constant. This ensures that the fire moves steadily over the peat, burning the plant but leaving the peat bed relatively cool.

The heather roots are left undamaged and the whole process 'shocks' the heather seed lying in the ground into germinating quickly. Heather can also be cut with a mower, especially in places where lighting a fire would be too dangerous, although mowing is less effective, more expensive and only possible on certain ground (for example uneven surfaces with rocks are unsuitable).
-via The Moorland Association

twenty twelve

TwentyTwelve was first broadcast on the BBC in March 2011 to coincide with the 500 day countdown to the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games being held in London. Clip above from that first episode. Life imitated art (or preceeded) when the real Olympic countdown clock stopped counting down... for 6 hours... the day after this episode.

More clips below. Fahkin' brilliant.

process -a shot in the dark

From Process Films. W/ some of Norway´s most progressive snowboarders, A Shot in the Dark will be split into two separate films. The first is a trick film while the second follows a documentary format.

tinker tailer soldier spy -trailer

Can't embed the trailer yet, but go to TheGuardian now to see it. George Smiley is looking good...

Gary Oldman in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Photo: Universal Pictures