How Stanley Kubrick felt about his D.W. Griffith award speech
Stanley Kubrick was honoured with the D.W. Griffith Award for lifetime achievement in 1997. Because Stanley was in the middle of production on “Eyes Wide Shut”, he recorded his acceptance speech and sent it to the DGA. In the video below, Stanley’s wife, Christiane, remembers how Stanley prepared for the speech and how he felt after he saw it on T.V.
A rare look at Terrence Malick’s directing style
Terrence Malick has released a series of behind-the-scenes clips to promote his new movie. Although Malick is not interviewed, the actor and crew interviews do offer a rare look inside his process. Interesting things to watch for: 1) Malick’s method with actors and 2) Malick’s technique of casting non-actors.
“The Master” sails into homes on Blu-Ray
The Master’s journey began at the Venice Film Festival in August. The Michael Mann led festival jury was punch-drunk for the movie. They awarded it prizes for directing and acting. And, according to The Hollywood Reporter, they would have awarded the movie the festival’s top prize, had a rule not prevented any one movie from receiving more than two awards.
Watch Gary Hustwit’s design trilogy
Gary Hustwit made his directorial debut in 2007 with “Helvetica,” a documentary about graphic design and typography. The film marked the beginning of a design film trilogy, with “Objectified,” about industrial design and product design following in 2009. “Urbanized,” about the design of cities, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2011.
Doctor Zhivago
“Doctor Zhivago” is a timeless movie. It is as enjoyable today as when first released in 1965, almost 50 years ago. In our quest to understand great movies, we ask why? It is easy to appreciate the craft of “Zhivago.” Competent acting, exotic locations, speeding trains, intense battles, crowds in motion, beautiful costumes, striking music, relentless story progression: “Zhivago” has it all.
“Rubato” is now for sale
My original story “Rubato” is now for sale on ShawnSwanky.com! If you’re a fan of romantic thrillers like “Basic Instinct” or “Body Heat”, you won’t be disappointed. The book is also available in print and ebook editions from my retail partners.
B.C. roots of Idle No More passion: displacing the law among the Tsimshian
In the course of many Idle No More discussions there are references to broken and dishonored treaties. In British Columbia, however, there are few treaties. How, then, did the indigenous Peoples here lose their sovereign power?
Rubato cover art
Cover art for Rubato.
RUBATO – new book coming in January 2013
Rubato (a musical term) is a creator’s gift to the artist. When the composer uses “rubato”, the musical score calls for the artist to improvise. Said to be “robber’s time” because the artist steals time from the creator’s underlying theme to impose his own order briefly, one that may be entirely at odds with the rest. It is the musical complement to Carnival…where, for a brief time, breaking the rules is celebrated not punished.
The smallpox winter for B.C.’s Indigenous Regimes: the St’at’imc
Smallpox did not arrive at Port Douglas on the south end of the Douglas road at Harrison Lake until January. Then two merchants travelling down the Cariboo Wagon Road brought the disease to Lillooet. Tradition has it that the disease arrived in blankets that had been infected with smallpox and then repackaged as new for trade. As in other documented cases, such as that of John McLain who admitted taking smallpox-infected blankets to Tatla, those traders were also disease carriers.