Photo ABCs

Fight of the Century

To paraphrase Henry Hazlitt this video could be titled Economics in One Incredibly Entertaining Lesson.

Fight of the Century is the new music-video sensation by George Mason economist and author Russ Roberts and videographer John Papola. It shows how the economic struggles of today rehash the arguments of the 20th century economists Hayek and Keynes. 

The newsreel photography is in sepia, and the modern-day photography is a mixture of sepia and color. In addition to being stylistically gorgeous, this choice shows how historical ideas influence today's events.

The more times you watch this video, the more you will be entertained, (check out those ring-girls!) and the more you will catch (like seeing Malthus in Keynes' corner!) 

 

Atlas

See it! The story, acting, and photography are all superb. It brings to life the classic novel.

Today's Special

Are you are stuck in a rut photographically, having knowledge of cameras, settings, and recipes for a good photo but just not achieving your artistic potential?

See the movie Today's Special. 

Trust me.

Akira Kurosawa

If there is an artist who influenced me to further explore the visual arts, it is Akira Kurosawa. I spent many hours in high school and college watching his movies on television, and at the Ken and Unicorn theaters in San Diego.

The Japanese film director is best known for his classic, The Seven Samurai, but, almost all of his films are masterpieces. 

Among my favorites:

The High and Low, a gripping, multi-dimensional film about a kidnapping. 

Red Beard, about a gruff, idealistic doctor. I saw this movie while in medical school. If I remember correctly, there is a scene where a small girl, emulating her hero, tries to study his books late into the night. You don't know how I was touched watching her try not to fall asleep over his textbooks.

Yojimbo. This, my first Kurosawa movie, will always be my favorite. A very, very black comedy starring Toshiro Mifune, as a samurai who is merciless to both warring families in a Japanese village.

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of his birth, Turner Classic Movies is showing, as far as I can tell, all of his movies this month! (sorry it's the middle of the month already, I just found out.)

Run, don't walk, to TCM and record these movies. Or grab the popcorn and have a Kurosawa marathon! If you don't have TCM, this is a good example of why you should. TCM's programmers consistently come up with gems.

(image from Wikimedia commons, in public domain). 

V is for Valli

Enjoy some beautiful black and white photography of one of the loveliest, most intelligent faces to grace the silver screen.

Alida Valli mostly starred in Italian movies, but made a lasting mark with her roles in The Third Man, We The Living, The Paradine Case, and other English language movies.

She stars in an upcoming Turner Classic Movies airing, Walk Softly Stranger, co-starring Joseph Cotten. (September 21) I've set my recorder!

p.s.: the movie was great! Joseph Cotten and Alida Valli have the same hard-edged chemistry they have in The Third Man.

E is for Estonia

Now for a non-photographic entry:

In a time when it is considered chic to lionize murderers such as Che Guevera or Chairman Mao, it is heartening to see the groundswell of support for a movie that celebrates a bloodless revolution in the name of true freedom, the Singing Revolution of Estonia.

Estonia, one of the Baltic States, has a long history of occupation by foreign dictators, including, in the 20th Century, the Nazis and the Soviets. The movie, The Singing Revolution, recounts how music and singing, as well as the courage of scores of peace-loving people, helped bring about the eviction of the communist rule in Estonia.

This movie has relied almost entirely on word-of-mouth and an internet campaign to raise awareness and to gain an audience. It ends a three-week run in San Diego tomorrow night. See it in a theater if you can, join the campaign to bring it to a theater near you, or buy the dvd when it comes out. In a world sometimes short of heroes, there are plenty in this thrilling documentary.

Not mentioned in the film is how Mart Laar (part of the Singing Revolution), as prime minister from 1999-2002, enacted a flat tax and helped transform this small country into an economic tiger that is now consistently ranked as one of the freest and most prosperous countries in the world.