Everything I know about politics I learned from Chinese third graders
What happens when three third graders become the first pupils in China to campaign for Class Monitor? Elections quickly descend into a democracy that would make Boss Tweed and Mayor Daly proud. The...
View ArticleThe American comedy is all right
There are several kinds of stories, but only one difficult kind—the humorous. I will talk mainly about that one. The humorous story is American, the comic story is English, the witty story is French....
View ArticleI bring you Ugollywood
“Who killed Captain Alex” is apparently Uganda’s first action movie. 1:26 may be my favorite moment. In case you were wondering about the toy guns and… unusual gunshot wounds, Uganda’s Observer...
View ArticlePolitics is child’s play
A recent TIA podcast reminded me of one of my favorite documentaries of all time: Please Vote for Me. It documents the first election in China… in a primary school. Turns out, everything we ever...
View ArticleNature’s greatest exhibitions (Best videos you’ll see all month edition)
The Mountain from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo. The Aurora from Terje Sorgjerd on Vimeo.
View ArticleAbraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
The idea of Lincoln as supernatural savior was born in 2008, when Mr. Grahame-Smith, who is based in Los Angeles, had just finished the manuscript for his successful Jane Austen sendup, “Pride and...
View ArticleSome incredible sights otherwise unseen
George Steinmetz flies across Africa in a motorized paraglider. If you forgive him the wince-worthy cheeseball comments, the whole thing is spectacular.
View ArticleBest documentary I have seen this year
Even those indifferent to the fashion world (like me) will love this portrait of a highly unusual man. Cunningham is probably the most intriguing person you’ll encounter on film this year. “Bill...
View ArticleWhy I won’t hate on machine gun preachers
Today, faithful readers might be in for a surprise reaction. A drug-dealing, leathered, whiskered biker not only finds God but a cause — a brutal rebel force kidnapping and enslaving African children....
View ArticleGreat moments in satire: Heart of (Austrian) Darkness
How did I miss this one? h/t Texas in Africa
View ArticleSinatra does Zuccotti (The movie)
My office isn’t far from Zuccotti Park and when I heard it was being cleared I went down with my camera. I ended up filming for 18 hours until the Park was reopened at 6pm on November 15, 2011. The...
View ArticleThe Descendants
It is a critic’s pick (e.g. the NY Times) and apparently a favorite for Best Picture. I don’t see what all the fuss is about. It is entertaining and pleasing to watch. It avoids most of the...
View ArticleAnd the Exploitative Oscar goes to…
Bill Easterly starts the official “Exploiting Africa Academy Awards”: Following the Academy Award nominations earlier this week, we introduce the Exploiting Africa Academy Award (EAAA) nominations to...
View ArticleThe Muppet Show: The original pitch
How Jim Henson sold the show to CBS. Worth watching in full. Via Kottke, h/t to @ericpgreen. If you like that, you will like this movie:
View ArticleMoonrise Kingdom
It is the new Wes Anderson film, I think his best after Rushmore, which remains one of my favorites. If you haven’t seen one of his films, and you tend to like the things I highlight on the blog, run...
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Distribution of films by genre, 1908-2012
Source. As one commenter said, “I like how they put the porn between romance and documentaries.” I assume they ignore Bollywood and Nollywood. To their peril?
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Disney is planning the release of a new Star Wars film in 2015
Disney has acquired Lucasfilm for $4.05 billion in stock and cash… And in what is mind-blowing news for fans, Star Wars will be getting a new lease on life…without Lucas. The next films will be made by...
View ArticleNovel and film of the year, so far
The film is Stories We Tell, from director Sarah Polley. It’s a personal documentary about her family, but provokes very deep thoughts about the stories we tell about ourselves. I realize this does not...
View ArticleWhat Hollywood magic means in 2013
This is The Great Gatsby before and after visual effects are added. Simply amazing. The post What Hollywood magic means in 2013 appeared first on Chris Blattman.
View ArticleCalvin and Hobbes, the documentary
The post Calvin and Hobbes, the documentary appeared first on Chris Blattman.
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