Blogcritics Author: Steve Rhodes

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Independent Film News: Four Eyed Monsters Valentine's Day Screenings

Steve Rhodes — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:24:27 EST

An article in the Los Angeles Times, "Not in the Mood for Love", examined the sad state of the Hollywood romantic comedy. But love for and in the movies is alive and well and online. Four Eyed Monsters is screening tonight (or later this month) in over 30 cities including the Balboa in San Francisco at 9:15 pm and the Music Box in Chicago at 9:45 pm. The movie was a hit with audiences and critics at film festivals, but not distributors. So filmmakers Arin Crumley and Susan Buice began making a video podcast and using other forms of online outreach that were just as creative and entertaining as their movie. FEM was nominated for Independent Spirit Awards for best cinematography and for the John Cassavettes Award honoring the best film made for under $500,000. It also won the Undiscovered Gems film series audience award (another film from that series which defies the death of the romance, Mutual Appreciation was just released on DVD). In January, they had a free Sundance Channel screening in Second Life and also posted video blogs at the Sundance Film Festival.FEM tells the story of Arin Crumley's and Susan Buice's meeting online (on a very Myspace-like site) and creative courtship (they agreed not to speak, to only communicate in writing, art, and video).If FEM isn't playing near you (or you already have plans for tonight), the DVD will be out soon (in the video promoting the Valentine's Day screenings, Erin holds up the DVD and talks about the extras and how pre-orders are helping to finance their manufacture).

Steve Rhodes is a journalist and photographer in San Francisco.

TV Preview: Beyond the Call on PBS

Steve Rhodes — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 20:54:08 EST

In the spring of 2004 as he drove across the Bay Bridge, Adrian Belic was describing being in Afghanistan as the US bombing began. He was shooting a documentary on Knightsbridge International, a small relief organization which delivered humanitarian aid to places most other groups wouldn't go. He had given Weather Underground co-director Sam Green and I a ride home. Adrian had been nominated along with his brother for an Oscar for best documentary for Genghis Blues.I bumped into him a year later at Input, an international public television conference. He had started to edit the documentary. And a year after that, I saw Beyond the Call at the San Francisco International Film Festival. Enric shot a video at the opening night party which includes a few questions I asked. At the screening, he displayed action figures of the people in the his film. They weren't able to make it, but he did talk to Walt (who was somewhere on the other side of the world - I forget where) on a cell phone (more photos). It was one of the best documentaries I saw last year (and one of the most entertaining films).And now, not quite a year later, an hour-long version of Beyond the Call is airing on PBS stations as part of Independent Lens. It starts airing on PBS stations on Tuesday, January 23 (but check local listings - many show it another day or repeat it). The full version will be available on DVD (it also was on Ironweed's December DVD - they have an interview with Adrian. And Black Gold, which is on their January DVD, will be on Independent Lens on April 10).

Steve Rhodes is a journalist and photographer in San Francisco.

TV Preview: 24 Season 6

Steve Rhodes — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 10:51:52 EST

24 is one of those rare television series which has become part of the political and cultural conversation. Kiefer Sutherland was interviewed (already online at Google video) Friday on Charlie Rose, there was a think piece on the politics of the show this week in Time, and Entertainment Weekly had a special season guide (some of the articles are on their 24 page) inserted in last week's issue. And there is much more. I've seen the first four episodes plus ten minutes of the fifth. I agree with much of what Stephen King wrote in Entertainment Weekly (particularly that they better not hurt Chloe) though I liked last season better than he did. I'm also not giving anything away, so this is more a brief preview in the hope you'll tune in tonight and get hooked (if you aren't already) than a review.But this could be the best season yet. Not to mention the most complex. Though I'll admit it is a bit hard to see Peter MacNicol playing the Vice President without thinking of John Cage, his character from Ally McBeal (even though he is a good actor). It does help to have watched the series from the beginning. Luckily, all the previous episodes are out on DVD. If you miss the first four episodes, they will be out on DVD on Tuesday.It does help to get a sense of what Jack Bauer has been through to watch the season six prequel which was on the season five DVD and is also online.There will be episode summaries here and probably much debate. I hope you'll watch and get involved in the conversation.

Steve Rhodes is a journalist and photographer in San Francisco.

Farming Documentary The Real Dirt on Farmer John Airing on PBS

Steve Rhodes — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 21:52:42 EDT

Before Al Gore had his own documentary, he was a judge at a film festival in Nashville. He liked the winning film, The Real Dirt on Farmer John, so much he gave Farmer John a tour of his own farm and introduced the film in San Francisco.You can see it starting Tuesday, June 13th, on many PBS stations (check local listings on this site which also has more on the show) as part of Independent Lens.All the screenings of the documentary were sold out last year at the San Francisco International Film Festival (where it won for best Bay Area doc), so I didn't see it until the Green Film Festival, which was held as part of World Enviromental Day just over a year ago.Al Gore sat just a few seats from me as he was introduced by Carl Pope of the Sierra Club. Then Gore gave an intro to the film in the kind of style you see in his own film, with passion and humor. I met Farmer John briefly at a reception for the festival a few days earlier (and was able to talk to him more at a party later last year).This is a funny, entertaining documentary that raises some major issues through a very personal story. Farmer John grew up on a family farm in Illinois, discovered art and books at college, and then came back to work on his farm. What happened next is compelling drama. And there is even a bumble bee music video (which you have just have to see - it can't be explained).If you aren't able to see it on PBS or want to show the full version to people you know (the TV version is shorter), you can sign up to be notified when it is released on Farmer John's site (he also has written some books).He was interviewed on Fresh Air on NPR (though it is best to see the documentary before listening). Educate yourself on farm issues. The farm bill will be up for reauthorization next year. Christopher Cook's Diet for a Dead Planet, which just came out in paperback, is a good place to start (his site has lots of good resources). Find a Community Supported Agriculture farm near you and subscribe to support local farmers.And remember to check your local PBS listings. KQED here in San Francisco isn't showing it until next Tuesday, June 22nd (they are showing a financial show with Jonathan Pond instead). And some stations may repeat it.

Steve Rhodes is a journalist and photographer in San Francisco.

Boing Boing Vlog Announced at Vloggercon

Steve Rhodes — Sun, 11 Jun 2006 10:17:26 EDT

Vlogging is the video equivalent of blogging -- video is the primary content, linked to a vlog post and often accompanied by some explanatory text or supporting material. Update for breaking news: At the Rocketboom panel at Vloggercon, Andrew Baron began by talking about how Boing Boing had been one of his main inspirations.He ended by showing a silent clip of the opening for a new Boing Boing vlog he is collaborating on. Afterwards, he told me it would debut within the next few weeks. The second Vloggercon, a gathering of video bloggers from around the world (more info), is taking place in San Francisco on Saturday and Sunday June 10th & 11th. It is sold out, but there be live streaming and an IRC chat (there also are already many photos on flickr and I'm posting photos with links). Just look at the schedule and then watch and participate.Friday evening at the Apple store in San Francisco, TWIT was taping their show at the same time as a large crowd watched a Meet the Vloggers presentation (they'll now be happening every month in San Francisco). If you can't watch live, everything will be archived, remixed, and vlogged. You can also learn to start you own vlog at freevlog.org (and to start learning the basics of video, check out the five-minute episodes of videogrunt ). Michael and Ryanne (pictured at top) created freevlog and wrote a book.There also is an archive of the first vloggercon.

Steve Rhodes is a journalist and photographer in San Francisco.

TV Review: Frontline: The Age of AIDS

Steve Rhodes — Tue, 30 May 2006 21:30:37 EDT

On June 5th, 1981, an article appeared in a CDC publication called Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report about what would eventually become known as AIDS. Frontline's The Age of AIDS chronicles the medical, political, and cultural history of the pandemic for four hours over two nights, Tuesday, May 30th and 31st. The entire program will also be available online along with a comprehensive website.Even four hours can't tell the full story of AIDS, but this is an overview everyone should see. It takes a critical look back at the failures of politicians, governments, and institutions as well as medical breakthroughs (which might have come sooner with more funding in the early '80s).The Reagan administration's neglect in dealing with the epidemic at a critical time are outlined in a way that was missing from the obituaries and other coverage of Ronald Reagan when he died. There were people in his administration who tried to do something, but they hit a wall of ideology.But Reagan isn't the only leader who is criticized. The response of South Africa under Thabo Mbeki is contrasted with Uganda which early on had a strong prevention program (since watered down because of restrictions on funding imposed by Congress). The documentary has an international perspective from the start but the second half focuses on the global pandemic. There are stories which are told more fully or in different ways in other documetaries such as Ending AIDS: the Search for a Vaccine which aired on PBS last December and HBO's Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt and Pandemic: Facing AIDS. And there will be more stories told as 25 years of AIDS are remembered. On NPR today, there was a discusssion (they have also posted the first story NPR did in 1982 on AIDS) and The World has an archive of stories. In San Francisco, there is a memorial wall where people are posting their memories, the annual candlelight vigil will take place on June 4th.But the networks including ABC, CBS, and NBC also need to do programs on AIDS. If Peter Jennings were alive he might have done a program. He hosted AIDS Quarterly on PBS, and had written into his contract that he would do several documentaries a year; the kind of documentaries that have almost vanished from the commercial broadcast networks.

Steve Rhodes is a journalist and photographer in San Francisco.

The Devil's Miner on PBS and DVD

Steve Rhodes — Wed, 24 May 2006 17:35:40 EDT

The Devil's Miner begins airing on many PBS stations as part of Independent Lens on Tuesday, May 23rd (check local listings). There is an Independent Lens site and a site created by the filmmakers.The documentary is about Basilio Vargas who has been working in a silver mine in Bolivia for four years. He is only 14 and already knows what silicosis is. He is protective of his brother who works with him and is 12 years old. It will be hard to find a more compelling story or a more articulate narrator in any recent film. This is an important documentary that needs to be seen by a wide audience.The filmmakers are doing extensive outreach to let people know what they can do on issues ranging from child labor to poverty in the region. Micki Krimmel wrote about a community screening of the film (she is the director of internet outreach at Participant Productions which has their own documentary coming out).A DVD is also available. It "includes a follow-up documentary - filmed one year later with Basilio and his family, study guides for students, behind the scenes information, and information on how to help the children." There is also an update on the Independent Lens site (though wait until you've seen the film to read it).

Steve Rhodes is a journalist and photographer in San Francisco.

PBS Airs Short Film Fishbowl

Steve Rhodes — Sat, 13 May 2006 09:42:03 EDT

At the San Francisco International Asian Amerian Film Festival, a memorial was held for the late Kayo Hatta. Some videos she made were shown, and family, friends, and colleagues talked about her work and her life.Before a screening of Picture Bride, Tamlyn Tomita and Mari Hatta spoke about working on the film. Mari Hatta said she wrote the film in the early '90s with her sister using modems and an early form of chat. Fishbowl a short film directed by Mari Hatta based on Lois-Ann Yamanaka 's novel, Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers, was shown at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival in 2005. Many PBS stations aired it on Tuesday, May 9th, as part of Independent Lens (they have a Fishbowl website). Check your local listings because some stations show it on different days or will repeat it.Hopefully PBS stations will also show it at time when young people can see it (most stations show Independent Lens late at night) during the broadcast window. The short film skillfully tells a self-contained story in a way that people who have read the novel will appreciate and will inspire those who haven't to pick the book up. It is the kind of story that doesn't get told often enough, particularly with humor.There is more online about both the book and film on the PBS website.

Steve Rhodes is a journalist and photographer in San Francisco.

Movie Review: Isabella Rossellini's My Dad is 100 Years Old

Steve Rhodes — Tue, 9 May 2006 01:44:22 EDT

Director Guy Maddin was given the Persistence of Vision award at the San Francisco International Film Festival. After his very funny speech, he had a conversation with Steve Seaid from the Pacific Film Archive and showed several shorts including Sissy Boy Slap Party and Sombra Dolorosa which are on the Saddest Music in the World DVD. He also showed a short stylized black and white film he directed which was written by and stars Isabella Rosellini, My Dad is 100 Years Old. It begins showing on the Sundance Channel on Monday May 8th at 7 pm as part of their tribute to Roberto Rossellini along with Open City. It will repeat on Sunday, May 21 at 6 am and Wednesday, 24 at 10 pm (and probably in future months as well).While it isn't the same on a small screen as it was on the huge screen at the Kabuki, it is still gorgeous, funny, and moving. Isabella Rosellini does all the voices and plays all the roles including her mother, except her father's belly.And it is quite a cast of characters including Alfred Hitchcock, David Selznick, Federico Fellini, and Charlie Chaplin. They have a dialogue about film with Selznick saying that movies should entertain and be illustrations for novels. Roberto Rossellini replies, "Anybody should be able to make films. The Hollywood system prevents that." Rossellini says people don't just want to be entertained, they have a "...need to know. That is what my films are about, the quest for knowledge." Chaplin just speaks with a tile card saying, "Roberto, life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long shot."Ingrid Berman says she wanted to work with him after seeing Open City, and ended up collaborating with him on "five films and three children." One of those children, Ingrid, has objected to the film (or disowned it as Maddin put it when introducing it). And I can understand why she might be upset. But for most people it will either reinforce what is great about her father's films or it will be an inspiration to watch them for the first time.Towards the end of the film, Isabella Rosellini objects to Maddin's camera movements and orders him to move in for "the perfectly simple Rossellini frame."David Hudson rounds up some of the reaction to the short.

Steve Rhodes is a journalist and photographer in San Francisco.

Trudell On Trudell and Frontline's The Tank Man

Steve Rhodes — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 14:01:07 EDT

Trudell tells the story of John Trudell's journey to activism, poetry, and music in his own voice. Director Heather Rae weaves together archival footage in a variety of formats, interviews, and Trudell's work.Here you can see a performance following a screening of Trudell. I saw it at a community screening in San Francisco. It made me want to seek out his music and see the longer version. It was shown in theaters and will soon be available on DVD. It will be shown Tuesday, April 11th on many PBS stations (check local listings because some stations show Independent Lens on another day or repeat it).Earlier, on most PBS stations, Frontline looks at the protester who stood in front of the tank during the Tiananmen Square demonstrations in The Tank Man. It uses his story to focus on what is happening in China today, including the crackdown on the use of the Internet as a forum for dissent and the involvement of US companies. The website will have much more and the entire 90-minute program will be available online after 5 pm on Friday, April 14th.

Steve Rhodes is a journalist and photographer in San Francisco.