irrational passion

A public apology...

2009-03-14T11:20:00.004-04:00

I would like to publicly apologize to the little kid who attended my screening of "Attack of the Monsters" at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and was utterly traumatized by the trailer for the movie "The Blob" that I showed before the main film.

We, at the Museum, are holding a Movie Trailer Contest (more details here) and I've been showing various 50's sci-fi/monster movie trailers to inspire the audience. After I showed the feature film "Attack of the Monsters", a little boy, about 4 or 5 years old, came up to me and started asking questions. "What was that movie with the man and the purple thing? The man had a purple thing on his hand? What was that?" It took me a while to figure out that he was talking about the Blob trailer. It was clear that the boy was troubled by the film. "Where did the blob come from? Why did it get that man? " Answering those questions summoned up even more frantic questions. "What does the Blob do that? Why is it getting those people? What happened to the man who had the Blob on his hand?" I tried to soft pedal the fact that the Blob kills people, but the boy already knew this. His mom showed up to pull her son away. I looked at her apologetically, "I'm sorry. He's going to have nightmares tonight."

I have a feeling that this kid will be haunted by The Blob for the rest of his life and for that I apologize.*

*Although, this event could spark the kid to be a brilliant scientist, science-fiction writer or filmmaker. If that is the case, I'll gladly take credit.

"The bird legs of space"

2009-02-17T13:19:00.002-05:00

Today I learned that when the human body spends an amount of time in zero-gravity, the fluids that normally stay in the legs migrate to the chest and abdomen making the legs skinny aka "bird legs of space." Other effects include the face and head get puffy with fluid and you can grow an inch in height.

Ricardo Montalbán RIP (1920 –2009)

2009-01-15T11:36:00.004-05:00

International Space Archives

We just lost a great Latino character actor who played many memorable sci-fi/fantasy roles, Khan Noonien Singh on "Star Trek", Armando the circus owner in Escape from the Planet of the Apes and Conquest of the Planet of the Apes who hid Caesar, the intelligent talking chimp, from the government and eventually led to our planet's downfall. And of course he played Mr. Rourke on that wretched Aaron Spelling show "Fantasy Island." Ricardo also voiced many commercials and short films including this NASA short "Women for Space" (hosted by the International Space Archives)

McRib Locator

2009-01-14T10:44:00.003-05:00

MacRib Locator
So I'm not the only one who loves those greasy little sandwiches. This site allows users to post McRib sightings across the US. I've given up many of the things that McDonalds sells (soda, fries) but I can't give up the McRib.

Luckily, vegetarians/vegans can also indulge thanks to Gardenburger. They are getting harder to find (Kroger no longer stocks Gardenburger, but Trader Joes has them). I recommend adding the pickles and onions and a toasted sesame seed bun.

Finally...

2009-01-03T13:35:00.003-05:00

After years of planning and waiting, my work with NASA moving images can be seen by the public...

http://www.internationalspacearchives.com/

I've digitized about 300 videos from NASA's educational branch and there are another 1000 or so films and videos in the pipeline. Enjoy!

This Means Something!

2008-12-18T11:15:00.004-05:00

I was at OfficeMax looking for supplies - which they didn't have - and had to call Staples. The Staples employee put me on hold and the telephone hold music was exactly the same as the music being played at OfficeMax! I feel like I uncovered some hidden conspiracy...

If you are wondering...

2008-12-07T17:02:00.003-05:00

..what I want for Christmas, this is on my wish list*

Sexual Behavior of Normal, Socially Isolated and LSD - 25 Injected Guinea Pigs (1959)
Distributed by Pennsylvania State Univ Psych Cinema Register
Univ Of Kansas; Lawrence; KS; 66045. 1 film reel (17 min.), optical sound, 16 mm. B & W

Shows the estrous behavior of female guinea pigs, and the various phases of sexual behavior of normal males and the reduced amount of sexual behavior of males, raised in social isolation, when in the presence of an estrous female. Illustrates how an injection of LSD25 disrupts the sexual behavior of the male.

*For some reason, Amazon won't let me add this to my Amazon Wish List...

Note from Rawls

2008-11-25T21:23:00.002-05:00

note from Rawls
Originally uploaded by A/V Geeks

I found this post-it note from Cy Rawls - back when he worked for A/V Geeks. He would come by a couple of times a week to splice 16mm TV commercials and listen to sports radio. He was such a great worker and it pained me that I had to let him go when I ran out of money.

Cy died in early October of brain cancer, but things like this note will keep him alive in our hearts and minds for decades to come.

This is Cornelius...

2008-09-28T13:11:00.003-04:00

A wrong number leaves a voicemail message, NSFW.

A/V Geeks present "Is It Safe?"

2008-09-26T21:04:00.000-04:00

The A/V Geeks care about your well being and so, they present a night of 16mm safety films that point out that everywhere you turn is a potential calamity that could ruin your happy yet oblivious life. Films include: One Got Fat, Lucky You!, Fry It Safe, Safety Belts and more! Bring some friends! Door prizes! Suggested donation $5.

Note the new time! 8PM, Sunday, Sept 28th Tir Na Nog, 218 S. Blount St. Raleigh, NC 27601

A/V Geeks present "Section 8" @ Anthology Film Archives in NYC

2008-09-16T21:52:00.000-04:00

Whether you consider ‘Section 8’ to be a low-income housing rent supplement or an attempt to act crazy to get out of the military, you have to think about the A/V Geeks Archive which is housed in a former boarding-house/crackhouse that received Section 8 funding. And while seemingly crazy, Skip Elsheimer, founder and main curator of the renowned A/V Geeks Educational Film Archive, has stepped up to the challenge of being assigned a theme for his show. Pulling from his ever-growing collection of over 20,000 16mm films, Skip has cobbled together a program of films related to the number 8. The program includes the haunting Multiplication Rock short FIGURE EIGHT, a film about a chain-smoking octopus, OCTOPUFF IN KUMQUAT, an Oldsmobile 88 commercial and many more odd and wonderful films. Bring some friends! Door prizes! Admission $8.

7:30 PM, Sunday Sep 21 Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Avenue, New York, NY (212) 505-5181

"Clowns Never Lie"

2008-09-11T01:58:00.004-04:00

clowns never lie
Originally uploaded by A/V Geeks

Ever since my first trip to Houston, I've loved visiting the Orange Show. I found a kindred spirit with creator, the late Jeff McKissick--a man whose orange obsession grew to a monumental scale. During that first visit, I got this shirt (seen to the left). It's my favorite t-shirt. I wear it all the time. In lines, I can see people moving their lips reading the shirt and then wrinkling their brow in bafflement. Occasionally, someone will ask me what it means. I try to explain the Orange Show as one man's tribute to the orange fruit and that the text is from one of the exhibits.

In 2007, when taking my Dad to see the Orange Show, I met the head of the organization. She was very enthusiastic about me doing a film show there. I was super excited. On subsequent visits to the Orange Show, I realized that my favorite shirt was no longer available for purchase - it was out-of-print and there were no plans to reprint it. My shirt was getting pretty ragged and I wanted to get a new one. I decided that I would create a film show based on the t-shirt in the hope that new shirts would be printed. Sure enough, they did print new shirts (although now they are a burnt orange - almost brown - shirt). While not listed on their website, email or call them to buy a shirt.

I put together a presentation with films that were influenced by the Orange Show, films about clowns, lying and of course, oranges.

Citrus On Parade (late 194?) Sunkist
Shows orange and lemon groves where year-round pickers clip the fruit. Demonstrates packing and grading and suggests ways to serve the fruit. The film was in beautiful Kodachrome and was filled with glorious assembly line footage AND shots of various citrus recipes! An 9 year old girl next to me kept saying "This is just a commercial for Sunkist!"

Self-Image: If Mirrors Could Speak (1976) Sandler
Robbie, Laurie, and George all are able to make positive contributions in their class. Instead, all have become 'clowns'. Robbie is the sad clown. Laurie is the sneaky clown. George is the mischievous clown. We see their antics in the classroom, in the lunch area, and on the playground. The results are always the same, but they remain oblivious to the reactions of their friends and classmates.

Lying (1975) Filmation
A seven foot tall, morbidly obese urban African-American kid and his gang (aka Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids) learn how lies can get you in trouble. Explains that the gang's friend, Eddie, is back from Florida, where he says he wrestled alligators. Relates that the kids believe him and ask him to show them how to do it. Tells that everyone winds up covered with mud and wringing wet. Concludes with Eddie telling them that they should make up a story to tell their parents to avoid being reprimanded. At this point the kids realize that Eddie is a liar and has cried 'wolf' one too many times.

Toothache of A Clown (1972) Encyclopedia Britannica
I've shown this film a bunch (Best of 4, Schooladelic, Save Those Teeth) since it is such a crowd pleaser. Not only does it feature a creepy clown but it has some outrageous dream sequence with a kid dentist and teeth with hands and legs. The need for regular dental care is shown in this charming story about a sad clown with a toothache. As they treat the aching tooth, the dentist gives advice about cutting down on sweets, brushing properly and visiting the dentist regularly. The 9 year old girl next to me commented that this film would have scared more kids than it would have helped..

Orange and Blue (1969)
Provides a visual perspective of the world as seen by two child-like personalities, orange and blue. Juxtaposes visual images with a musical score. An experimental film using color and music to create moods. Follows the adventures of an orange ball and a blue ball as they play in the countryside and in a junkyard. Besides having an orange ball, all the metal and junkyard footage is very reminiscent of the Orange Show. While I was screening this film, a 12 year old kid wisecracked "This film was made by a hippie with a movie camera in a junkyard with two balls!"

A Boy Creates (1971) Encyclopedia Britannica
I just saw this film days before the show and had to add it to the screening. Besides featuring clowns, the film typified the Orange Show of Visionary Art experience. It pictures a young (African-American!) sculptor as he creates his masterpiece of 'JUNK ART,' pointing out the ability of an artist to transform existing materials into meaningful and imaginative figures or patterns. This film was very well received by the audience. Watching again, I'm pretty sure I saw this film as a kid...

Photos from the event can be found here.

A/V Geeks Go To Houston, TX!

2008-09-03T00:27:00.001-04:00

Clowns Never Lie: A/V Geeks at Orange Show

Returning to Aurora for year eight, 16mm film collector Skip Elsheimer/A/V Geeks brings another entertaining batch of simply wrong educational and training films. After visiting The Orange Show for the first time, Skip Elsheimer found a kindred spirit in the late Jeff McKissick--a man whose orange obsession grew to a monumental scale. In the spirit of citrus admiration, Skip has curated a show based on his favorite Orange Show t-shirt: Clowns Never Lie. So be prepared for a night of oranges, clowns, lying and other Orange Show inspired 16mm films. Show up early for Honey Dew the Clown and a delicious orange treat courtesy of Whole Foods Market. Click here to reserve a ticket!

8pm, Fri, Sep 5, The Orange Show, 2402 Munger St., Houston, Tx 77023

Pool Rulez: An A/V Geeks Pool Party Screening!

A/V Geeks try to beat the oppressive Houston heat by showing films about swimming and pools at an actual swimming pool. No running. No glass bottles. No profanity. Enjoy a synchronized swimming performance by Aquanauts of Clear Lake*, refreshing beverages, and tasty hors-oeuvres. Proceeds from the event go to help everyone’s favorite microcinema, the one-and-only Aurora Picture Show! Tickets to this special fundraiser are $60 for non-members and $50 for members. To purchase your tickets, please call the office (713.868.2101) to purchase over the phone and avoid convenience fees.

7pm, Saturday, September 6

Films on 7/13/08, Part 1

2008-07-14T23:18:00.011-04:00

Pamela Wong's Birthday for Grandma (1977) Lifestyle Production/ Encyclopedia Britannica
Depicts a special event in the life of a Chinese-American family while showing various aspects of life in Chicago's Chinatown. Shown in honor of Miles' birthday, its one of my favorite films in my collection.

Lonedale Operator (1911) D.W. Griffith
A drama in which a telegraph operator wards off payroll thieves with a wrench resembling a gun while her engineer-sweetheart races a train to her rescue. Below is a music video on YouTube made up of clips from the film (why the hell this film isn't on YouTube or elsewhere on the Internet in a complete form is beyond me)

Symphonie Diagonale (1924) Viking Eggeling
Features hieroglyphic forms moving along an invisible diagonal in a work by Viking Eggeling. Nifty animation that reminded me of early neon signs on Times Square.

Hammy Learns To Fish (1965)
Uses live animals to tell the story of a hamster and a rat who go fishing. This was another episode from the Tales of the Riverbank series that used to be shown on Canadian TV. The hamster and the rat decide to take the rat's motorboat down the river to go fishing. Lots of Heart of Darkness jokes here.

Films on 7/6/08

2008-07-07T01:04:00.005-04:00

Rhythmus 21 (1921) Hans Richter
An early abstract film that orchestrates squares and rectangles of the film and screen. Not the most interesting film to our jaded, Flash-addled eyes, but this was almost 90 years ago...

Great Train Robbery (1903) Edwin S Porter
Bandits tie up the station master, stop the train, rob the mail car, take the passenger's valuables and escape. The station master's daughter frees her father, alerts a group at a dance who then chase and overtake the robbers. This was a 16mm from Blackhawk and featured the hand-tinting. While the pacing was slower than what we are used to, it was fascinating to watch and the idea that somebody painted each 35mm frame was mind-boggling.

I Am (1971) Wombat Films
Explores factors involved in the development of a positive self-image, the pain of rejection, the poignancy of near-misses in developing relationships and the satisfaction of recognition and response. Wow, the main kid reflects on how his dad isn't really a hero or famous - just a regular guy.

School Libraries In Action (1960) NC Film Board
Illustrates major areas of a school library program-planning for library use, guiding reading, teaching library skills, supplying instructional materials and guiding reference work. Most of the film was shot at Sherwood-Bates School in Raleigh on Oberlin Rd near Glenwood Ave. All of the kids are lily white, so we took notice when there were scenes with African-American teens - obviously shot at a segregated school somewhere in Wake County, we guess.

Look What's Going Around (1973) Churchill Films
Emphasizes the ease of treatment, symptoms and spread of venereal disease. Includes a discussion by a group of young people to present attitudes to help dispel the sense of shame. Shows how to use a condom - a rarity for VD films aimed at teens.

Un Chien Andalou (1928) Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí
Yeah, we all saw this in college or if you were lucky, high school. It doesn't hurt to see this film every once and a while. This particular print was silent, which had us all questioning how authentic the sound version is (wikipedia tells us it was added with Buñuel's approval).

Help Woodsy Spread the News (1977) U S Dept Of Agriculture
Features the anti-pollution owl Woodsy ("Give a hoot! Don't pollute!") describing the ways in which the quality of the environment can be preserved by stopping pollution. Wow! For those of us that remember Woodsy Owl, this version of Woodsy had a little person in very confining owl costume. His partner is a flamboyant, rainbow-suspendered, African-American troubadour who plays a guitar and helps the children sing a calypso style song Help Woodsy Spread the Word. At one point, Woodsy looks to be playing the guitar even though the instrument is as big as he is, he's clutching the neck and just barely faking strumming. (I'll try to get this clip online - it's quite a ludicrous image).

An odd side note, the US Forest Service has updated Woodsy's motto ("Lend a hand- care for the land") and his image, and, in a very strange revisionist directive, ordered that his former costume be destroyed:

Destroying Old Woodsy Owl Costumes Guidelines

1. Incinerate the complete costume with the oversight of an official USDA Forest Service law enforcement officer*.

2. The entire Woodsy Owl costume including each of the separate pieces is to be destroyed beyond recognition.

* If you do not have access to an official USDA Forest Service law enforcement representative, arrangements will be made for dealing with your costume by contacting the USDA-FS Washington Office at:

Woodsy Owl C/o National Symbols Program P. O. Box 96090 Washington, D. C 20090-6090

The Apes (1976) Films/West
Looks at physical characteristics, habits and behavior of the gibbon, chimpanzee, orangutan and gorilla. Shows how each ape is adapted to his physical environment and why their environments are endangered. Some beautiful primate footage here...

Ballet Mechanique (1924) Ferdinand Leger
Another wonderful avant-garde film with lots of visual kaleidoscopic play.

Happy Birthday, USA!

2008-07-03T22:28:00.003-04:00

As much as we bellyache about this country and all the horrible things our government has done, I still love this place. Especially because of things like this film below, made for the Bicentennial by Vincent Collins for the United States Information Agency - the propaganda department of our government. Government grant money went to a psychedelic animator to create a beautifully trippy tribute to our country.

http://www.archive.org/details/200

That Damned Metric System!

2008-06-30T23:22:00.005-04:00

This show had been requested by popular demand at the last show that I did in Raleigh. These films were made during the late 1970s push for the nation to adopt the metric system of measurement. Gee, it seem so easy to learn compared to the English system. I wonder why it was dropped in the 1980s?

Generally, math films are hard to watch. Most are very dry and, while trying to make a math concept easier with examples, tend to muddle up things. I did a show a couple of years ago called "Math!" where I pulled out some math films that seemed to rise above the genre (Donald in Mathemagic Land, some rare Multiplication Rock, The Weird Number and of course, Powers of Ten). So putting together a night of compelling metric system films was going to be a challenge. I had a short list of titles that I was going to put on a compilation called "That Damned Metric System". Here are the films that I showed:

The Metric Film (1975) Lewis Hall
Discusses the history of the metric system, conversion to the metric system and how to solve measurement problems. There's some tongue-in-cheek scenes such as the official "meter bar" being gently placed on a shelf and being locked away in a safe in France - only to hear it drop off the shelf behind the safe's door.

Wonder Baby (1978) Metric Marvels series - Yohe & Newall
This is part of the Metric Marvels series made by the same talent behind the Schoolhouse Rock. So the animation, humor and song stylings are there but the subject matter is so simple (the metric system is so much easier to understand than the English system) that the concept of each piece makes it more confusing. This contrasts other Schoolhouse Rock pieces which had the challenge of simplifying hard elementary school lessons into catchy songs and cartoons.

This particular film features the animated superhero Wonder Gram in a discussion of metric measurement. (a young Wonder Gram converts pounds to kilograms). Basically, Wonder Gram (an overweight Wonder Woman) was a fat kid. Her parents, embarassed by her weight, decided to list her weight in kilograms so it would seem less (since 2.2 pounds equal one kilogram). Wonder Gram then reveals that she can change her size (from a gram to a metric ton).

Metric Meets The Inchworm (1974) Bosustow Entertainment
Uses a story about Fred Inchworm (whose voice is a poor man's Jimmy Durante) to explore the basic components of the metric system and show the advantages of converting to this form of measurement. Fred quits working at the ruler factory when they go metric and goes from job to job trying to find an occupation that hasn't switched over to metric.

Wonder Gram (1978) Metric Marvels series - Yohe & Newall
Tells how Wonder Gram foils a gang of snack thieves and demonstrates the multiples of metric weight. This film had the catchiest song of all the Metric Marvels series.

Make Mine Metric (Or how I learned to stop worrying and love the gram) (1975) Braverman Films
Presents a light-hearted introduction to the metric system and the situations it will cause in our daily habits when driving speeds, supermarket purchases, dress sizes and other every-day items are recast into metric figures. This one was aimed towards adults and was maybe a little too clever for itself.

Eeny, Meeny, Miney Milliliter (1978) Metric Marvels series - Yohe & Newall/NBC
Explains how Liter Leader helps a camp cook deal with an army of hungry children by showing him how to use a metric measuring cup.

Measure Weight - Think Metric (1974) Barr
Introduces the concept of measuring weight in metric units. Shows two girls as they visit a chemist to learn about the standard units of weight. Tells how they use their new knowledge to compare the weight of common things in their home and to bake a metric cake. The audience love when then girls decide to weigh a sleeping cat. The cat is picked up and dumped in a produce scale and begins batting at the scale's measurement arm. The audience audibly gushed. Everybody seems to be a sucker when it comes to kitties on the screen.

Mara - Mara - Marathon (1978) Metric Marvels series - Yohe & Newall
Shows how Meter Man uses a track meet to explain kilometers and other metric distances. None of these films were particularly memorable - although they weren't run as often as the Schoolhouse Rock series.

A Rough Sketch for a Proposed Film Dealing with the Powers of Ten and the Relative Size of the Universe. (1968) Charles Eames Films
Powers of Ten was probably the first film that I saw as a kid that used the metric system. It's a very elegant way to teach about scale, orders of magnitude and the metric system. This particular version that I screened was a "rough sketch" that I found in a collection. It is not as smoothly animated as the final film and it has a British female narrating. Plus it starts off in Miami, Florida, where the final film starts in Chicago. Given that it is a "rough sketch", I don't know why it was distributed to the public except maybe Eames was trying to raise money for completing the final film which was release nine years later.

My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizza Pies

2008-06-30T22:55:00.006-04:00

NASA seems obsessed with Italian food. Their big old logo (and now new logo) is called the "Meatball logo". Now I just saw a cartoon teaching kids the planets with a goofy mnemonic song "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizza Pies" (sung to "Way Down Upon the Swanee River").

Their late 1970s-mid 1980s logo (the more modern logo) was called the "Earthworm logo." I probably would have been more popular if they had called it the "Spaghetti logo".

Films on 6/16/08

2008-06-16T12:41:00.003-04:00

Five Chinese Brothers (1958) Weston Woods So my nephew heard that I wanted to get a haircut and he suggested I get one like a Chinese boy - bald with a pigtail. Later, we tried to figure out how a six year old knew about that old stereotype image. I thought it was because of the book Five Chinese Brothers. Germaine didn't remember reading it, so we watched the film. In case you forget, five Chinese Brothers get away with murder by duping local villagers who try to exact justice for the death of a small boy. It's a great kid's story but there are some underlying stereotypes (someone chimed "yeah, all those Chinese look the same"). Budding film collectors take note. This film is an iconographic film meaning it is just made up of shots that pan the illustrations in the book as someone reads the story. Weston Woods is known for doing many great animated adaptations of children's books (Where The Wild Things Are, Smile For Auntie) but they also do these dull iconographic films - so beware...

Sun: Friend or Foe (1968) Charles Cahill
Discusses the positive and negative aspects of the sun's influence on the Earth and our daily lives. Teaches basic concepts and facts about the sun. It really looks like Cahill just strung together a bunch of stock footage from other Cahill films

The Box (1973) Hans Halberstadt / Barr Films
Presents a visual and sound experience about a young boy who enjoys playing with a large cardboard box. Explains that the boy imagines that the box becomes a stagecoach rumbling across the prairie, a steam locomotive puffing through the forest, a stunt plane diving and twisting in the sky and finally a space capsule on its way to the moon. We did some digging and discovered that Hans is a big train enthusiast.

It All Depends on You (late 1960s) Fox and Assoc. AT&T
Jack Klugman (just before The Odd Couple and long before Quincy) and a young Peter Ostrum (as Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) as his son. Tries to convince customers to dial direct when dialing long distance - to save money and ultimately for AT&T to save employing operators during off-peak times. It took a while for everybody to figure out what the hell this film was selling. I personally love films that take their sweet ass time to make their points - its maddening and so indulgent...

Fears of Children (1951) Mental Health Film Board / Bryan, Julien
Tells the story of five-year-old Paul whose mother is unduly protective and whose father is over-severe. Shows how fears which are common to children may be magnified by inconsistency in parental attitudes. This is one of Rick Prelinger's favorite films and I'm happy that I found a good copy on Ebay. I'll definitely show this one publicly soon.

Neurotic Behavior - A Psychodynamic View (1973) CRM/McGraw-Hill
Shows the basic dilemma of the neurotic and how mental defenses serve to reduce the anxiety. Takes a psychodynamic approach to neurotic behavior as it follows an episode in the life of Peter, a troubled college student who attempts to cope with reality. Holy cow, what a great film! Courtesy of Valerie and the People of Pavement 16mm archive that she just donated to the A/V Geeks archive.

Normalization - A Right To Respect (1973) Atlanta Assn For Retarded Children/Wooster Productions
So I let folks pick a film based on the title and they picked this one. Depicts handicapped persons in real life situations to illustrate what normalization is for persons with developmental handicaps. Narrated by TV actor Lloyd Nolan - a very gruff gumshoe character actor whose voice seemed very inappropriate for a film about the handicapped.

06/08/08

2008-06-08T20:54:00.004-04:00

Noise (1970) Don Dickerson
Describes various types of noise familiar to young children and raises the questions, what is the difference between sound and noise, how much does noise affect the quality of our lives and how much noise can we tolerate. This particular copy of the film was clipped so we don't know how it ended but it was clear that in teaching kids to pay attention to all the ambient noise in their lives, that they'll never be able to concentrate in school.

For Goodness Snakes (1973) Learning Garden
Introduces snakes to young children before they have been prejudiced by the attitudes of adults. The subtext of this film is far more evil since it teaches kids not to fear the lying serpent -Satan. For example, the film was made by the"Learning Garden" - a reference to the Garden of Eden and Tree of Knowledge. Also, after looking for snakes in the wilderness, the man and kid eat apples(!).

Let's be Friends - an Emotionally Disturbed Child (1977) Encyclopedia Britannica Films
Like You, Like Me Series. Shows how a group of children decide to help one of their friends, a little girl with an emotional problem. This film is animated and looks very similar to the "Most Important Person Series" but aimed towards special needs kids. The main characters in this particular episode are a deaf black girl, an emotionally-disturbed girl and an Asian girl. Not particularly a great film but it has piqued my interest since it is trying to address "normal kids" who are sharing a classroom with mainstreamed "special needs kids". Other films in this series (which I don't have): Doing Things Together - a Child with a Prosthetic Hand, Everyone Needs some Help - a Child with Speech and Hearing Impairment, I Can do it - a Child with Double Braces, It's Up to Me - a Child with Asthma, Let Me Try - a Mentally Retarded Child, See what I Feel - a Blind Child, Let's Talk it Over - a Child with Epilepsy, When I Grow Up - Career Aspirations, Why Me - an Orthopedically Handicapped Child.

The Dime (1973) Little Red Filmhouse
Follows the circulation of a dime from the mint through many changes of hands until it finally ends up in a sewer. This film is great - first there's assembly line porn of dimes being made and wrapped. Then we watch this single dime (with a nail polish smudge) as it goes from person to person. It's a kid's version of Twenty Bucks.

PCP: You Never Know (1979) Churchill Films
Presents information on PCP, known as 'angel dust', 'Sherman' and 'crystal' and reveals the unique dangers of this drug. There's a good girl freaking out scene but this, like other drug films about PCP, is fairly dull when compared to films about LSD or marijuana.

Getting Busted (1973) OCATS Orange County Alcohol Traffic Safety
Presents an in-depth study of an 18-year-old's arrest for driving while 'under the influence,' through trial to sentencing. Discusses the humiliation, emotional and financial problems which are created by the abuse of alcohol. There are some good curbside sobriety tests (including some that we couldn't do sober) and some jailhouse hijinks in this film.

Fluoride: The Magnificent Mineral (1983) National Institute of Dental Research, Colgate-Palmolive
Discusses methods of fluoride, including community fluoridation, dietary fluoride supplements and fluoride mouth rinses. Points out that tooth decay can be prevented through the proper use of fluoride. This Colgate-sponsored film was such a highly polished piece about the wonders of fluoride that we all immediately questioned the benefits of fluoridation.

Portrait of the Enemy - American Dental Association /Vision Associates
I let my guests pick from three films based on their titles. They chose this one. Like "Dead Birds" they chose weeks ago, this film had everybody screaming in horror. It starts off simple enough with an analogy of basketball game strategy in dealing with gum problems. It recognizes the opponent (gum disease) and his style of play (plaque), effective defense (proper home oral hygiene and regular professional care), and the cost of losing (loss of teeth). It was shots of extreme peridontitis - nubs of teeth surrounded by thick pus and tartar in a bed of irritated and bloodied gums - that had people screaming in terror.

Films on 6/1/08

2008-06-01T20:18:00.007-04:00

Now About Lamb (1965) American Lamb Council
Includes basic lamb cookery showing easy, versatile lamb dishes as prepared in the family kitchen and on the outdoor grill. A housewife in pearls and glistening plasticky-helmet of hair learns about all the delightful meals you can make with lamb - stew, lamburgers, rack of lamb and so much more.

Hamm Comes to the Riverbank (1965) Riverbank Film Productions
Part of the Tales of the Riverbank series, the film uses live animals to tell the story of a hamster meeting a raccoon, rabbit, bee, frog and a rat. We saw a film later in the series, Let's Have A Party. Hamm moves onto the Riverbank and meets his new neighbors including Roderick the Rat who curses "Sufferin' Cheese Rinds"! I'm told that the Riverbank films were shown on Canadian TV - generally early in the morning. It's very soothing and has a definite British influence and maybe a little gay subtext? A bunch of gentlemen bachelor rodents meeting up for a picnic and tea discussing their flower gardens.

Flash That Smile (1984) American Dental Association
A teen dancer teaches others about how good dental hygiene will help make you attractive and confident. Heavily influenced by the 1980s dance films (Flashdance, Fame, Dirty Dancing) and break dancing films (Breakin', Breakin' 2, Krush Groove) there is a lot more dancing than there is dental information - which is a little odd for your average ADA film. The break dancing/flossing pantomime sequence is awesome, borderline stupid. I think I have a low tolerance for films that were made after I graduated from high school - mostly because I hated 80s pop culture so much...

Thumbs Down - Hitchhiking (1974) Filmfair
Demonstrates the variety of potential dangers to both the hitchhiker and driver, using dramatizations of hitchhiking and interviews with victims of hitchhiking-related crimes and accidents. some great shots of stringy-haired teens talking about how they avoid getting picked up by the wrong person. A Pasadena cop then tells us some great stories of the dangers of hitchhiking. Rape (hetero- and homosexual) is one of the main dangers discussed. The cop tells an amazing story of a driver who picked up two teen boys, shot one and performed "immoral acts" on them before dropping them off at a hospital. Supposedly the driver had intended to kill the boys, wrap their body parts in chicken wire and stucco, paint them green and dump them i the wilderness. There is a lot of b-roll of the camera crew filming the "teen-on-the-street" interviews which makes the film seem all more fake.

Johnny Boy (1973) Joyous Lake
A poignant story about a foster kid named Johnny in rural Florida and how the transitory nature of foster care isn't good for anybody. A horrible singer-songwriter warbles throughout the film and ruined the film for my audience, but I thought the film had a lot more going for it.

Adventures in Grammar Galaxy- Verbstar (1979) Barr Films
Having read the synopsis for this film, I was prepared for a bad film, but I had no idea what a trainwreck this would be. Presents puppet characters who find the clues to conjugating s-form verbs, learn when and how to use auxiliary verbs, find the answer to the riddle of the 'ed' and 'ing' ends and tackle the irregular verbs. Character actor Hal Smith (Otis the drunk, Goofy) does some of the puppet voices but the script is such a mess I don't know how any kid could fathom the subject matter. Generally, puppets are a bad sign that an educational film is going to be bad for its intended purpose - but usually great for laffs!

Magic Circle - Bleacher Feature (1975) United Methodist Communications.
Focuses on role playing. Asks children to think of a time when they thought they were doing the right thing, but got in trouble anyway. You have a bunch of fifth graders in a circle being spurred on by an adult to act out a scenario - where a kid sits in another kid's seat in the bleachers. The kids brainstorm alternative solutions. Lots of wide leather watchbands and belts in this film.

Rifles and Sabre (1974) Interland
Sigh, even though the weapons being twirled and tossed in this film are fake, I was hoping for a little bit more excitement than what this film shows. A tall automaton girl demonstrates the various techniques...

Films on 5/25/08

2008-05-25T20:05:00.008-04:00

Down and Out (1971) National Safety Council/Journal Films
Depicts falling as one of the most common causes of injury in a shop situation, and examines the common hazards which cause people to lose their balance, such as over-reaching, taking short cuts, failure to check equipment and not looking where one is going. This is one of my top ten favorite films. It has a great drum soundtrack and the guy just keeps falling over and over and over...

Portrait of a Vandal (1978) Centron Tells the true story of three young boys who vandalize a classmate's home. Shows the effect on the boys and their parents. Wow, they totally wreck the little girl's room. It seems like everybody enjoyed trashing the house.

Collective Behavior - Civil Disturbances - Part I - Evolution of Disorder and Crowd Psychological Factors (1975) U.S. Army.
This film was made for military police and soldiers on what causes civil disturbances and riots. A fairly enlightened film considering it was made by and for the Establishment. Lots of footage of demonstrations and rioting during America's late 1960s. The still on the left was from a Yippie rally and is a quote from Ed Saunders (The Fugs). I got this film on Ebay, but ultimately I'm looking for another film - Civil Disturbances - Principles of Control (1968).

From Rugs To Riches (1960) Thomas Craven/Caprolan
Made for carpet salesmen, madcap Jonathan Winters shills Caprolan acrylic carpeting with a variety of characters. Some of the bits work and others fall flat - like another internal sales film that audiences hate (but I love) Freeze-In. The color is bad on the film, but I'll try and get it online soon.

Ins and Outs of the Diaphragm (1976) Crommie And Crommie
Follows a woman who no longer wishes to use birth control pills as she visits a nurse-practitioner to be fitted for a diaphragm. Explains, through the course of the visit and the questions of the woman, what the diaphragm is, how it works and how it is inserted and removed. Nothing left to the imagination with this film. We see a cervix and how the diaphragm is inserted and removed from the vagina(!). Films that explicitly show how to use birth control are rare (mostly Army films made for men) - so this is quite a film.

But If You Live... (1982) Kemper
Focuses on high school students' attitudes towards driving and drinking. Features interviews with teens who survived DWI accidents but were left permanently disabled. Provides another perspective through a parent who lost a teenage daughter. I let folks pick a film based on titles. They picked this film over Johnny Boy, Silent Upstairs and Companions. Besides the wretched 1980s clothes and hair, this film was a downer - probably shown to high school kids the week before prom.

Family Talks about Sex (1977) Wexler Film Productions, Inc
Stresses frank family discussion about sex. Suggests that if parents frame their statements about sex around their own beliefs and that if the parent/child relationship is founded on love, respect and trust, then the child will be able to make responsible decisions about sex. A pretty progressive film but not as visionary as Parent to Child About Sex (1967) which addresses much of the same topics. This film did share a common thread that we found in Portrait of a Vandal and But If You Live... - little girl's bedrooms with canopy beds and funky headboards.

Comparative Tests On A Human And A Chimpanzee Infant Of Approximately The Same Age, Part 2 (1932)

2008-05-23T02:03:00.001-04:00

Here it is..

Testy Testy

2008-05-18T23:13:00.003-04:00

In honor of our nation's dedication to End of Grade testing, we presented an evening of odd films about tests, testing and various quizzes.

Your Study Skills - Taking Tests (1977) Coronet
Struggling test-taking students write to newspaper columnist Betty Bright, asking specific questions about taking tests and getting useful answers. Cheerful Betty responds with workable suggestions to help them in estimating their test time, sticking to the point, following instructions, and dealing with multiple choice, essay, or true-false questions. It has a great beginning soundtrack and the advice isn't so bad.

You Bet Your Life (circa 1948) Crawley Films
Sponsored by Molson's Beer, this Canadian film is set up like a quiz show. Our Emcee is Stan Francis (you may know him as the voice of Santa Claus in Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer)who appears in a cap and gown - reminiscent of some of the early TV game shows. We learn of Dorian and see over twenty examples of why he is a reckless driver. Then a police officer politely tells us that auto accidents are on the rise and why alcohol and gasoline don't mix.

Giving The Rorschach Test - Klopfer Method (1951) Central New York University Film Unit
Presents a brief outline of the Klopfer method of presenting the Rorschach test with a single subject. In one inkblot, our nervously timid test subject thinks he sees a bat or Halloween mask or a naked woman with her arms up in praise. Another inkblot is interpreted as two Scottie dogs fighting with blood dripping from their paws. Finally, the subject describes an inkblot as two waiters bowing to a red butterfly. Oh and there are some monkeys too...

SMPTE Color TV Test Film #2 (1965) Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers
A test film for film labs to ensure that TV color camera equipment is correctly calibrated. Unfortunately, thanks to Kodak's Eastmancolor film stock, the colors are slowing fading to red. Still there are some great shots of glamorous models walking through once vividly colored sets. The best shot is of a housewife in the kitchen with a big tray of beef.

The Handtrap Test (1966) U.S. Steel / Matt Farrell
Zeros in on finger and hand safety, showing viewers some very valuable tips on how to protect their fingers and hands. Studies the causes of hand injuries. An audience participation film to guide industrial employees in the prevention of hand and finger injuries. Alan Edwards hosts this and provides some comic relief - especially when he reveals that there's a small steel trap in his desk drawer.

Comparative Tests On A Human And A Chimpanzee Infant Of Approximately The Same Age, Part 2 (1932) Pennsylvania State Univ. Psych. Cinema Register
Compares the reactions of a normal human infant between the ages of 10 and 14.5 months to psychological tests, and the responses of a chimpanzee companion, age 7.5 to 12 months, to the same tests. Brings out the effects of different rates of growth and learning abilities and illustrates the capacity of the animal to outdo the child in many tests. Includes hand preference, startle reaction time, delayed reaction, cap-on-head, detour, tickle, ice and rotation test. I commented earlier about this film and every time I watch this it gets better. It is quite a crowd pleaser as well.

Films on 5/4/08

2008-05-04T23:56:00.007-04:00

VD: A New Focus (1971) American Educational Films
Hosted by James Brolin (who was playing the hip doctor on Marcus Welby, MD). Presents an entire picture of the VD problem, giving medical facts, and probing the myths and attitudes of young people concerning VD that often prevent prompt treatment. The obligatory white coated doctor is Stephen Sacks, MD (who looks to still be practicing in the Los Angeles area) whose eyes slowly scan the cue cards as he reads his lines. The best part of this film is the dramatic sequences where the teens confront the possibility of having VD. Like most VD films from this time period, there is no mention of prevention (condoms).

Insight: Just Before Eve (1978) Paulist Productions
Presents a revised version of the Biblical story of creation. Shows how God answers Adam's prayer for another human being after providing a checker-playing angel who is too perfect and a dog which cannot understand him. (Stars Martin Sheen as Adam, Flip Wilson as God, Henry Proach as Angel Josh and very briefly appearance of Darleen Carr as Eve). I knew about the Paulist Insight series from other films in my collection but I saw an excellent overview of the films by Mark Quigley & Dan Einstein of UCLA at the 2008 Orphans Film Symposium at NYU. I immediately started scouring Ebay for films from the collection. This film looked to be good, I mean, Flip "The Devil Made Me Do It" Wilson as God? My mind reeled at the possibilities, but, alas, the film isn't so great. The simplistic dialog ruined it and Flip was just reading lines. Todd Morman commented that it was like an Sunday School class play. I'm on the lookout for "Clowns of Freedom" where Martin Sheen plays an imprisoned clown.

They (1972) Phoenix Films
Wow, this film was a mess! A little boy and a grabby hippie teen talk about the two types of people "We" and "They". "They" are the enemies who live on the other side of the river. Occasionally "We" and "They" battle - throwing spears at each other, taking the lives of children (shades of "Dead Birds"). Then there are the "Outs" who live on an island and are often washed away by floods. Eventually we all figured out what the film was about (that we are all part of the "We" group if we accept the "Theys".) but it was so muddled with symbolic gestures and pointless, annoying dialog.

Blues Maker (1969) Christian Garrison/Univ of Mississippi
Shows Mississippi blues singer, "Mississippi" Fred McDowell, singing and talking about his blues. Includes scenes of the area which helped to shape his country blues. Everybody was blown away by this documentary short which mostly had Fred playing and singing with shots of living in rural, cotton-dependent Mississippi.

Data Processing (1981) Gallaudet College
Captioned for the deaf. Explains data processing and shows range of jobs from Data Entry Operator to Programmer. Features three hearing-impaired people successfully building careers in this field. This is the second film that I have about hiring the hearing impaired to do computer work - during a time when computers were big and loud.

Inside-Out: How Do You Show (1972) Agency for Instructional Television
Presents three boys who express or withhold their feelings about various things that happened to them in the course of an afternoon. Points out the many ways that feelings can be expressed. In one day, this group of boys horse around in a rickety school playground, get mugged by older boys, break a bunch of bottles, hit a homerun during baseball practice, run scared through a cemetery, fight each other while wearing trash cans on their heads and sneak chocolate cake from under Mom's nose. Ah, to be a kid again in the 1970s!

How To... How To...

2008-04-27T22:03:00.004-04:00

Cooking Frozen Beef - USDA
Shows housewives how to cook frozen beef (steak, beef rib roast, hamburger patties, stewed beef). Narrated by a faceless self-assured woman who we can only assume is our nation's Home Economist General.

How To Get Cooperation (1950) Coronet Films
Explains the need for a variety of methods of securing cooperation. Shows how desired ends can be reached more easily with cooperation of others. But I really like this film because it centers on recruiting members for the student audio-visual engineers club (a.k.a. a/v geeks!). Ed is so excited because the new 16mm projectors have arrived, but he has a lot learn about recruiting. The physics teacher helps Ed figure out that the soft approach works best than a blunt one.

How To Be A Friend (1977) Alfred Higgins Films
Friendship requires an active process of involvement and growth because it involves trust, respect, and sharing. It requires effort to make friends, to keep friends, and above all, to be a friend. Explores qualities which help to create rewarding friendships, such as trust, shared interests, supportiveness and candor. Lots of girls with wings and each scenario in the film is punctuated by a Judy Collins-esque two line song about friendship.

How To Conduct Yourself In School (1985) Sandler Films Inc
Depicts consequences of careless behaviors in school and at play. Two student ambassadors very dryly inform us to behave in school, and whatever you do, DON'T DAMAGE SCHOOL PROPERTY.

Talking with Your Teenager about VD (1974) Glen West Films
Shows parents effective ways of communicating with their children. Includes teenagers discussing communications with adults in general and the subject of VD in particular. Features a leading public health official who presents information about venereal disease. The film is an encounter group with teenagers talking about how they can't communicate with their parents. This group is very awkwardly inter-spliced interview with a doctor who awkwardly describes VD transmission, symptoms, treatment. For example, the doctor points to an illustration of a woman's reproductive organs "This is a woman who has been cut in half."

The Shoplifter (1964) Highway Safety Foundation
Shows in detail techniques used by amateur and professional shoplifters and explains how alert employees can prevent thefts. While this film was made for retail employees, the film really is a how-to for potential shoplifters. The biggest hauls are made by women who can carry up to 25 pounds of meat, cigarettes, typewriters or shoe polishers under their dresses. If you are a store owner, its hard not to watch this without assuming that everyone is your store to steal from you...

How to Build an Igloo (1951) National Film Board of Canada
A demonstration of igloo building in Canada's far north, showing how the site is collected and how blocks of snow are used. Presents a step-by-step demonstration by two Eskimos of how to build an igloo, showing how the site is selected and how blocks of snow are used to make a snug shelter against the Arctic cold. Explains why the snow must be carefully chosen, why the blocks are built up in a spiral and how an igloo is ventilated. An awesome film! Available at the National Film Board site.

Films on 4/20/08

2008-04-20T23:35:00.008-04:00

Paris (1952) United World Films/Castle Films
A travelogue of Paris with all the postcard scenes of Paris. Everyone was confused by the adult content in the film (lots of French drinking and smoking). I reminded everybody that Castle Films distributed films primarily to homes with 16mm projectors.

Magicians of India (1947) Official Films
Pictures a series of strange feats performed by the fakirs or magicians of India. Includes the Indian version of the shell game, a snake charmer, a trained goat and a man who lifts a stone with his eye-lids. I've got a pretty jaded bunch that watch films and they weren't buying most of these magic tricks. The best scenes were the trained goat that balanced on a tiny peg that was probably three inches in diameter and the guy who lifted stones with his eyelids. This reminded me of a great Penn and Teller DVD, Penn & Teller's Magic and Mystery Tour, were the duo watch street magicians in China, India and Egypt.

Lost in the Mish-Mosh (1972) Davidson Films/Xerox Films
Tells how a famous detective (a Sherlock Holmes knockoff) selects the appropriate unit of measure in order to save a kidnapped professor. I was hoping that this film would be as good as "Weird Number" - a great film about fractions by Davidson Films. What a let down. Everybody hated the animation and the story was muddled like many math films. Alas...

It's A Cat's Life (1957) Frith Films
Presents information about cats and kittens, such as their habits and how to care for them. Josh pointed out that the camera work was a little lazy and amateur. Emily Frith was an amateur filmmaker who marketed her films to schools in the 1950s and 1960s.

Debt to the Past - Language and Communication (1962) Moody Institute of Science
Depicts such varied means of communication as spoken, unspoken and written language. Presents the pictographic, ideographic and phonetic stages of written language. Discusses the history of the alphabet and demonstrates the power of language for good and evil. I co-wrote an article about the Moody Institute of Science with NCSU film professor "Something Different in Science Films", so there is a lot to say about the company and their controversial films. MIS released many visual stunning films with science content and a religious hook ending ("could this complex biological system haven happened by accident") taking a jab at evolution. This film is not quite as controversial since it deals with the history of language, it does talk about how the Bible got its name - from Byblos. One theme I've seen in other MIS films did seem to carry is the use of language irresponsibly - to perpetuate evil (we see scenes of Hitler). Some of MIS's science films caution about using science responsibly - a big fear in the post-Abomb world.

P.E. - Lever to Learning (1969) Stuart Finley
Discusses how specially organized physical education programs can be most productive both physically and mentally. Wow, besides using the outdated term "retarded" about two hundred times, we were shocked to see how dangerous some of the P.E. activities were. Refreshingly dangerous. Lots of horse play, obstacle courses, climbing a high boundary fence. It was reminiscent of the basic training scenes from Full Metal Jacket. There was even a scene with kids playing with logs a la Ren and Stimpy!

Sound Fields in Rectangular Enclosures (1978) John B Ochs/Penn State Univ
Early vector computer animation on a very dry subject. John B Ochs narrates, bless his dry monotone heart.

The Naughty Duckling (1970) Omega Productions/Encyclopedia Britannica
Uses puppet animation (similar to Ray Harryhausen's early work) to present the story of a naughty duckling who wants to be independent but who must learn that assuming independence before being prepared to handle it can lead to trouble. The story seemed somewhat unresolved. Germaine was sad that the fox that grabbed the duckling was caught in a trap. Right off the bat, I doubt that this film was made in 1970 and that it was made in the U.S. I'm guessing an Eastern European or Japanese animator did this film. Omega Productions did make other educational shorts - included some animated films. I'll have to get back you on this one.

Films on 4/13/08

2008-04-14T01:05:00.010-04:00

Got to get into the habit of posting to this blog and documenting some of the films from my collection (part of my "irrational passion"). Here's what we saw tonight along with some random thoughts:

Americans At Work: Barbers (1959 circa.) AFL-CIO/Norwood Films
I showed this in honor of Roxxi Dott visiting from LA. She's a hairstylist for the stars and recently a member of the hairstylist union. Anyhow this film was made for TV distribution. I got it from someone who had a closet full of films from WUNC - the local public television station. Rick Prelinger has the film in his online collection at the Internet Archive (embedded to the right). It's also available on my On The Job DVD. The film is part of a series by the AFL-CIO on a variety of occupations, this film shows us how valuable the hairstylist and barber are to the American family. Films like this were part recruitment for the field, but also a reminder to the public to frequent unionized barbershops. The best scene is the father and son loitering outside the beauty salon, waiting for the mother and daughter to get "beautified". Dad smokes while he waits and you can tell they're waiting a while since he's stomped out three cigarettes. Also, we are reminded that ""If attractive people are the leaders of society, then barbers and beauticians are the molders of leaders."

Food 1, 2, 3, 4 (1976) Handel Films
Designed for young kids, this film introduces us to the four food groups circa 1976. Each food group has a different song (the milk group tune was particularly catchy). Best scenes - to illustrate that snack foods are bad, a bowl of soda pop and milk are placed in front of a dog. The dog (who is sporting a San Fran Police Dept collar), of course, goes for the milk (but is cow milk really good for an adult dog?). Then the viewer is shown a series of food choices - a snack and a healthy alternative (candy bar vs. banana, cookies vs. walnuts, candy vs. raisins, soda vs chocolate milk, etc). The camera zooms to the healthy alternative without any narration. My AV database describes the film "Explains the simple and easy ways of obtaining proper nutrition, using a subliminal approach. "

Saying No - a Few Words to Young Women about Sex (1982) Crommie And Crommie
We see a couple making out and the guy is trying to convince his girlfriend to "make it" with him. She isn't convinced. The rest of the film presents young women talking about their personal decisions regarding sexuality, how they have been affected by their decisions, and how they respect themselves for having the courage and will-power to abstain from sex. It's interesting because it gives teenage girls some things to say when pressured to have sex. Crommie and Crommie made another great film for woman (VD and Woman) which tells women to bring their own condoms, since the guys probably wouldn't have them - a great tip which I've never seen in any other sex-ed film. Lots of hair with Farrah Fawcett wings and IZOD shirts in this film.

Comparative Tests on a Human and a Chimpanzee Infant of Approximately the same Age, Pt 2 (1932) Winthrop Niles Kellogg
I was alerted to this experiment by Carrie Mclaren of Stay Free. She wanted to know if I had any films about Kellogg. I didn't but about a month later this film shows up on Ebay. Essentially, Kellogg raised an infant child and chimp together and this film shows how the two's responses differ in various tests. Without any background on the experiment, the tests seem insane -including hand preference, startle reaction time (to a pistol being discharged), delayed reaction, cap-on-head (the chimp hates this), detour, tickle, tasting ice (the child hates this) and rotation tests. This had us laughing hysterically while being baffled and unsettled by what we were watching - always a great sign for a classic film. Hope to get this one online and on a DVD soon...

The Great Silence (circa 1976) Paul Ritts Production
This film seems mildly apocalyptic as puppets tell us about the day when, suddenly (after what looks like a flash from an atomic blast), people can no longer talk. The puppets (an ostrich, a giraffe, a chipmunk, a crow, etc.) all stirred something in my memory. I vague remember seeing them on TV - in a PSA or something. After doing some Googling, I found this clip to the right and I'm sure I saw them on the Pink Panther Show. I'm probably going to have to do another puppet film show just to highlight this film.

Step Lightly (1968) Countryman-Klang, Inc
While this film was made for the U.S. Public Health Services, it seems like it was sponsored by the Reflective Material Trade Association. Walking at night? Even wearing white clothing isn't good enough if you get hit by a car speeding down a dark road (as illustrated by some great scenes of crash dummies getting hit by cars a la UCLA). Solution - strips of reflective materials on your coat, umbrella, shoe heels, pants cuffs, etc.

Dead Birds, Reel 3 (1965) Robert Gardner
There is the perpetual stack of films next to the couch (something I'm always meaning to move to film shelves, but new films come in and keep replenishing stack). Todd jokingly comments about the three reels of Dead Birds and that we should watch reel 3. So I put on Reel 3 and warn audience "You asked for it..." Yikes! Reel 3 starts with the ritual of a New Guinea boy's funeral - where a pig is slaughtered and the boy's body is burned in a pyre. We learn that the boy had been killed by an enemy tribe and about the main tribe's eventual retaliation. A pretty powerful film that won a bunch of awards back in the day.

"Inside Magoo"

2007-10-04T22:57:00.001-04:00

I've been helping Geoff Alexander at the Academic Film Archive get some of his collection online at the Internet Archive. Here's an odd film that I just uploaded to the AFANA section, "Inside Magoo". It features Mr. Magoo, Jim Bakkus and Stephen Bosustow - the animator behind many UPA cartoons and quite a few educational films in the A/V Geeks collection.

AMIA 2007 in Rochester

2007-10-04T22:38:00.000-04:00

Just returned from Rochester, NY - home of the Assoc of Moving Image Archivists 2007 conference and the birthplace of Kodak. Got up early and toured Kodak's moving image facility. Saw lots of nifty things - how they slice and perforate 35mm in near pitch black rooms, where they mix the light sensitive chemicals for the emulsion. I also saw some sad stuff - lots of rubble from Kodak buildings that were being destroyed from disuse. Kodak is definitely a spectre of its former self.

Launcher dispenses up to eight cards at a time.

2007-08-28T13:45:00.000-04:00

One of my hobbies (now that my main hobby has become my main source of income) is reading advertisement fine print - especially television ads. Occasionally, this blog will focus a magnifying glass on such tiny print, such as this ad (which runs around the Christmas shopping months)...

"Launcher dispenses up to eight cards at a time. "

Fine print from a UNO Attack TV advertisement. Besides being shocked to discover that the UNO brand is now owned by Mattel (at least it's not Hasbro - the giant corporation which absorbed all of our childhood toys), I was puzzled that this limitation with the game warranted a fine print mention commercial - fine print usually being reserved for safety warnings and legal disclaimers. Sometimes a fine print message is required because of a lawsuit or potential lawsuit. Toy commercials always have great fine print because the commercials are usually misleading and kids are so naive. Fine print with toy commercials range from "Some assembly required" or "Faces on cards do not actually talk".

I went to the UNO website to gain some insight about the eight card warning. I found line in the UNO Action description: "This frenzied unpredictable game features unique rules and electronic card shooter that may shoot no cards or might shoot up to 8!"

Germaine suggests that the fine print was present to counter the visuals in the commercial where it looks like more than eight cards are being launched. Even the song in the commercial mentions that you might get eight cards. So all this energy was spent to clarify that while it looks like the kid is being pummeled by countless cards, he really is only being hit by up to eight at a time. How many meetings and conference calls took place to ensure that the this concept was clear?

An aside. My prediction is that Mattel is going to use the UNO brand like Nabisco uses the Oreo brand and release numerous different versions of card games with the UNO name. UNO Texas Hold'em, anybody?

Underarm marks will be lighter.

2007-08-28T13:17:00.000-04:00

I just saw a commercial on Lifetime TV. It was for Degree anti-antiperspirant. Here's some of the fine print:

Do not attempt. (Woman does somersaults from the bathroom to her bedroom - trying to dry her underarms.)

Secret is a registered TM of Procter & Gamble. Forearm white marks. Underarm marks will be lighter. (Screen shows Secret being globbed on some woman's forearm.)

Little black dress approved.

Just baffling...

Now I can talk about it...

2007-08-22T11:46:00.001-04:00

I had to keep quiet about the NASA and Internet Archive relationship until it was publicly announced. It was finally announced here. I hoped there would be a bigger fanfare, but maybe it's early.

So NASA HQ in Washington DC looks just like any other government building surrounding the Mall. Very nondescript except for the NASA logo (the classic one, not the "worm logo"). I don't know what I was expecting - maybe some Jetson-esque structure or something along the lines of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center. Something that would tell the world - "this place is important! It is where we plan to get our species off this clod of dirt and onto another..." However the actual style of this building could just as easily claim - "this is where you get your teeth cleaned and renew your car insurance".

Nonetheless, entering the building is very exciting. Getting a security badge and going through the metal detectors all make the visit seem so important (although going through a metal detector nowadays is so commonplace). Immediately, however, it is clear that HQ is truly just a big office building on the inside too. No flashy sci-fi, high tech stuff - only the occasional NASA space poster or informational flier about the Heimlich maneuvers. I remember going to Goddard Space Center in Greenbelt, MD a couple of years ago and was struck by how much it looked like a community college campus - totally unremarkable. In my mind, NASA is a real no-frills type of organization - no need for the flash of sexy and futuristic, the standard issue office building will do...

While riding the elevator to the conference room, I saw a piece of bright pink chewed gum stuck on a rail near the back. I had to say something. "This is why I like NASA. All this high-tech stuff and here's some gum stuck on the elevator." Our good-natured NASA liaison quipped "That gum's probably been in space!" For some reason, I really liked seeing the gum. Here is an organization who is primarily known for their forward-thinking, extraterrestrial endeavors and yet their headquarters has all sorts of signs of how humans really are. Sure we can put a man on the moon, but can we keep chewing gum out of the nooks and crannies of our lives...? (Although, the recent discovery of 5000 year old chewed gum in Finland reminds me that chewing gum predates most aspects of Western civilization, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised of its pervasiveness).

So the building wasn't amazing, the people were your run of the mill folks, and yet, I'm still in awe of the achievements of this organization. This is why, in spite of all hurdles ahead, I'm so excited about this project.

Sound of the other shoe dropping...

2007-07-28T14:13:00.000-04:00

Long time no post. (I'm reminded of Jeff Koyen's rant in his zine Crank against zine writers who would waste a page apologizing for not having published an issue in a while). I'm new to this and don't know the etiquette for being a slack blogger. So here it goes...

Haven't posted in a while because everything related to the giant project was mired in a giant glacier of legal and bureaucratic ice. After announcing to close friends, family and about two hundred folks at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences that was going to be working on this project - nothing really happened.

For those of you who don't know, here is the project. NASA Headquarters wants to unify all of their websites (of which there are a couple thousand) under one big umbrella site. They want all the imagery and video that is currently online all under that umbrella. Next, they want all of the imagery (stills, slides, etc.) that isn't currently online to be scanned and placed online. And finally, they want all of their film and video holdings to be digitized and placed online.

This last phase of the project is where I come in. NASA picked the Internet Archive to do this project. I have a great deal of respect for the Internet Archive and its founder Brewster Kahle. The Archive has also given me a great deal of work in the past which has helped me pay the bills. Over the years, I've digitized many video collections for the Archive - over a thousand of the Prelinger Archive, hundreds of episodes of the Computer Chronicles, Deep Dish TV, over 600 public domain feature films and a hundred or so films from my own A/V Geeks archive. Lots of work but ultimately very rewarding - since this material is now freely available worldwide without advertising. So as the primary video/film digitizer for the Internet Archive, I've been tapped to help with this NASA project.

I was approached about the project almost three years ago - only a little bit before the first post in this blog - and got very excited. Everyone I talked to shared in my enthusiasm - although I could read a hint of disbelief in their eyes. Hell, I couldn't believe it. So, after the big announcement, I heard nothing and any inquiry from friends and family about NASA just added to the disbelief. I began to doubt that it was ever going to happen. Then the other shoe dropped. I got an email saying that the contract was signed and that there was going to be a meeting at NASA HQ in DC...

Dulles Airport - 1984

2004-10-18T19:13:00.000-04:00

Besides blathering on about 16mm ephemeral films, I also enjoy blathering on about other things. I used to write/publish a zine named , Preparation X, which had many stories about my and my friends' observations about our culture (the zine's motto "We uncover the hidden mechanisms that drive society - and laugh at its shoddy craftsmanship"). Weblogs pretty much destroyed the zine community - so here I am spewing content in the latest "cool" format.

Anyhow, the immense project that I've hinted at above required a trip to Washington, DC. I was given about 24 hours notice and quickly had to book a flight to Dulles. That airport is pretty lousy - mostly because it is under construction.

I arrived at 7am, had my 90 minute meeting in DC, bummed around the Mall (bought an umbrella at the National Air and Space Museum, glanced at the conservative Stand Up for Marriage rally featuring young people carrying 8 ft tall wooden crosses, realized the umbrella I had just purchased was defective and I no longer had the receipt, went to the initially cheezy, but later interesting, International Spy Museum).

I glanced at my watch and realized that I needed to get back to Dulles. I had investigated online that I could take the Metro subway and pick up a bus that went to Dulles - total cost only $4.00! A cab ride would cost over around $50. I had already spent way too much on a plane ticket, a defective umbrella and a Metro pass (got off on the wrong stop on the way to my DC meeting and scrambled to get back on, ending up with a $15 Metro pass), so a $4 ride to the airport would help me cut my losses.

Well, the bus to the airport never showed up. I quickly hailed a cab and glanced at my watch. It would take 30 minutes to get to the airport, so I would only have 30 minutes to check in and go through security. Earlier in the morning, at RDU, this process only took 5 minutes. I didn't have any luggage and I had an e-ticket - really, how long could it take?

As the Beltway traffic thickened and the cab driver started apologizing for the delays, I decided to stop looking at my watch. No need to get anxious about something I had no control over.

We got to Dulles and I emptied out most of the cash in my wallet to pay for the cab, leaving only $6 and a Metrocard. I walked into the Main Terminal at Dulles and was engulfed by a sea of people. There seemed to be some sort of giant snaking line of folks. Anybody entering the terminal was immediately confused and asked the same question - "Is this line for checking in?" No, we were told, this was the line for security. A giant complex line with no discernable beginning or end. Everybody in the line had the same demoralized, vacant stare. Never before had I seen such an Orwellian event - masses of people waiting in tremendous lines just to be processed by the government. I immediately succumbed to the mass depression (mostly because I was exhausted - waking up at 4:30am to get to the airport). I found some e-ticket kiosks. Their lines were long and intermingled with the main security line - a line that really had no order to it. It seemed like the kiosk lines never advanced and I kept seeing flashes on the screen that "this kiosk was out of order". I waited in another line to try to check in - again no movement. People around me were looking at their watches - "well, there goes my flight". I finally looked at mine - "well, there goes my flight". I found an airline employee and told him about my situation. He had only heard this several hundred times today. "Go around to the other side to the ticket counter and rebook your flight."

I managed to book the last seat on the last flight of the evening to Raleigh, NC. It was leaving at 9:30pm. Waiting another, 4 hours at the airport didn't seem so bad, given I could have to spend the night there. Plus 4 hours would be plenty of time to get through the security line.

Below, the red line is the path that I had to take to get to the TSA security checkpoint x-rays. Note that the end of the line was inside a coil of people. At one point, I got very concerned that the line I was in was just going around in a long circle. It took me about 90 minutes to get to the x-ray machines.

Once I got through I was tired but happy. I ate some lousy airport food and sat at my gate, trying not to fall asleep waiting for my plane to depart and eavesdropping a "friendly" argument about weapons of mass destruction and the efficacy of the current President.

Moral of the story: Under no circumstances should you fly out of Dulles airport. I could have driven home from the Dulles terminal and gotten back hours before my flight arrived in Raleigh.

some backstory...

2004-10-18T18:06:00.001-04:00

More than ten years ago, my roommates brought home over 500 16mm educational films from an auction. I had to work and so wasn't able to attend the auction. I had begged my roommates to buy me a film or two - secretly thinking that they would probably only buy films for themselves since we were all broke, post-college students working crappy jobs. I returned from my job and asked the roommates if they had bought any films. They both grinned and pointed at the large stack of films that I had just walked passed (truth be told, the front room of our house was packed with stuff - band equipment, printing presses, photocopiers, old TVs, etc. - and it was easy to ignore the clutter). Excited, we started watching the films. They had come from North Carolina's Dept of Human Resources and covered a variety of topics - personal hygiene, public health, drug abuse, nutrition, VD, etc.

As I watched each film, something inside of me clicked. It was easy to watch these films and laugh at their dated messages, corny dialogue and low budget production quality, but there was something else here that really stimulated a part of my brain. I would feel the same way whenever I would go to the NC State Univ. library - walking through the stacks and randomly stopping and browsing some arcane trade journal. I would study the beautiful illustrations and advertising and giggle at the trade-specific cartoons I would find in this journals. Here was a glance into an alien world - a whole field of expertise that I just barely even thought about and certainly would never consider being a part of. Watching the newly-acquired, yet obsolete, 16mm films gave me that same thrill - an irrational passion, if you will.

So now, I have over 14,000 such films in my collection. Most of them have come from schools and government agencies. Almost none of them are feature films (theatrical films). Most of them are industrial, educational and almost all are ephemeral (made for a specific audience at a specific time). I periodically show the films and I make them available on DVD and online. But you probably already know that...