I have a new source to look for regarding Public Domain Day every January… that is assuming Steve Shives returns for more merriment next year. I’ve already enjoyed his Star Trek commentaries and now I learn how much of a classic film buff he is — and he doesn’t mind singing. Truly, he contains multitudes. His phrasing is occasionally delightfully NSFW at moments, so be warned for when you watch.
I don’t always take stock in old men yelling at clouds when things “aren’t like they were in the old days,” but when it comes to manufacturing quality, there’s something to that sentiment. Izzie Ramirez over at Vox has a great walkthrough about many of the factors that have contributed to this change in approach and the costs. There’s also a bit at the end about the right-to-repair and how many corporations fight against that,…
It’s Monday. It’s January. And it’s been about a year since we learned TikTokkers will sing sea shanties. But let’s focus on the important question: Did pirates sing sea shanties? Disclosure: I’m pre-disposed to trust sources called “Rogue History” for reasons.
What with starting the year off with a Public Domain post, I’ll continue in the intellectual property realm with a topic currently being discussed and debated mightily amongst indie artists and writers I know: how artificial intelligence (aka “A.I.”) is starting to do creative jobs. Author Chuck Wendig has some choice NSFW words on this matter. I especially appreciate him tackling the fact that the existence of technology neither means its inevitability nor that it…
I plan to do posts on public domain every year and I really should have last January for this clip alone, but the year got away from me early. Now that was last year, and most of you already know about the Winnie the Pooh horror movie soon to be out in the world? So what’s in store for 2023 and all the goodies from 1927 now in the public domain in the U.S.? As…
Given my most recent Favorite Films list, I figured it’d be nice to highlight the National Film Registry, a project by the Library of Congress. Each year, they add titles to the registry, serving as an annual reminder of the work they do and highlighting some films that might have fallen off people’s radar. You can read about this years inductees at the link above, from NPR and Variety, or via this fun video below:
It’s that time of [even] year where I reflect on the many films I’ve seen and perform that most Internet of activities: ranking them. I mean, I’ve done an offline sort of my favorite films for about 30 years, but the past 10 year online have been right at home here on the Intertubes. You can see my previous entries here (including how I do the sort by pairwise comparison). This year, the total of…
Actor and stunt choreographer Ke Huy Quan has not been on my mind until recently. I may not have seen Temple of Doom, where he played Short Round, this millennium. I only saw The Goonies for the first time last year (friends know I regret nothing) and Data was probably my favorite of the Bad News Oregonians. And then Everything Everywhere All at Once came out this year and was entirely up my off-kilter-but-emotionally-truthful alley.…
TCM does a great montage every year of the film folks we’ve lost. It never fails to make me want to rewatch a film or three. This year, we lost a couple actors particularly dear to my cinemania, David Warner and Angela Lansbury. They’ve gotten better about making sure their videos are on YouTube, so you can check out past editions, including the recent 2021, 2020, and 2019 — the last of which I find…
The McRib and the Shamrock Shake will always have their adherents. Chicken McNuggets and Egg McMuffins will be the go-to McItem for many. But since the debut of the McDLT and its egregious use of Styrofoam, I’ve always had a soft spot for the “other burger” on the McDonald’s menu. For a brief time in the late 90s, that role was filled by the Arch Deluxe, McDonald’s attempt at a “grown-up burger.” It failed. Miserably.…