I had never seen this interview, but it’s fascinating to see Welles here in 1960 (age 45), well photographed (in black & white), lots of expression in his face to watch. He talks about various topics … authors, Shakespeare, his famous voice, Gregg Toland, Citizen Kane, Art, Life, etc. Many were frustrated that his film work after Citizen Kane seemed fragmented by comparison, but look what he accomplished beyond film, in the theatre (he was one of the great Shakespearean actors) and radio (he panicked a nation with his War of the Worlds broadcast in 1938). He was truly larger than life, and as charismatic and complex as the characters he portrayed.
Storm over the Gulf of Mexico
Yesterday, I watched a rain storm come in over the Gulf of Mexico.
Theism vs Atheism vs Mysticism
This is a brief talk by Professor Mark Muesse of Rhodes College who makes a compelling argument for embracing Mysticism as a way to understand the nature of ultimate reality (as opposed to Theism or Atheism). I dunno, it makes sense to me. Dare I say it? Maybe I am a Mystic?
William Shatner in The Twilight Zone: “Nick of Time”
William Shatner starred in two of the best episodes of The Twilight Zone, “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” and “Nick of Time”. In “Nick of Time”, Shatner becomes obsessed with a creepy fortune telling machine in a diner, which seems to accurately foretell the future.
Twelve Tones by Vi Hart
Self proclaimed “Recreational Mathemusician” Vi Hart has created a wonderful video Twelve Tones, ostensibly “about” twelve tone music, randomness, creativity, pattern recognition and much much more. This beautiful work will amaze and elucidate, and yet will leave you filled with awe at the Mystery of Creation.
Discovery View, Yosemite Valley
June 11, 2013: If you are driving to Yosemite Valley on Highway 41, you will come upon Discovery View (also called “Tunnel View”) just after you emerge from the Wawona Tunnel (carved through solid granite and completed in 1933, the Wawona tunnel was the longest* highway tunnel in California until the Devil’s Slide tunnel opened in 2013). Needless to say, it is one of the most popular (& photographed) vistas in the world.
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*4,149 feet in length
Robert Williams, artist
Robert Williams (born 1943) is an American Artist who paints insane, hallucinogenic art with a strong emphasis on American Pop Culture. (I give up, he is beyond description, ok?). He was part of the Zap Comix collective of artists which included R. Crumb, Rick Griffin, Gilbert Shelton & other notables.
(I noticed recently that his work fits neatly with my love of film posters which I collect.)
Oh yeah, dude’s really into Hot Rods also:
Time-Lapse driving: Alligator Alley into a storm
I was recently in Florida and drove from Fort Lauderdale to Naples via Interstate 75 aka “Alligator Alley”. This scene and more are available for FREE DOWNLOAD via Dave’s FREE time-lapse collection! on Vimeo.
R.I.P. Ray Harryhausen 1920-2013
Ray Harryhausen, the great stop-motion animator and inspiration for many of today’s Special Effects Gurus passed away today at the age of 92. I remember seeing The 7th Voyage of Sinbad at age 8 and it made quite an impression. He was the first special effects artist I could actually name (it helped that he had an unusual name), and (I later learned) many of his films were scripted around his astounding animated creatures and concepts. Unlike today’s Special Effects Extravaganzas, requiring armies of animators and effects technicians, Harryhausen supposedly did most of the animation himself.
I got to meet Mr. Harryhausen in 1982 when he took a tour of I.L.M. and I got to show him around the Optical Department. I managed to secure his autograph on a Lobby Card from It Came From Beneath the Sea (which has faded somewhat since I had it framed and displayed).
Boris Karloff’s autograph 1934
My Mom traveled to Los Angeles with her Mother & Father in the Summer of 1934. They visited the Universal Studio lot and my Mom carried her autograph book with her (I guess this was a common thing back then, to have an autograph book). She got 4 autographs while at Universal Studios: Edward McWade (actor), Neil Hamilton (actor, appeared in several Tarzan movies), Franklin Pangborn (comedic actor, appeared in many Preston Sturges movies) and lastly Boris Karloff.
Below is a picture of my Mother and my Grandmother in front of the Notre Dame set from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Lapsed Time Images 