I never thought I would be here. Right now. Having a moment of deep appreciation of So-Cal airbrush art of the 70’s.
I just watched a behind the scenes featurette from the “A Glimpse Inside the Mind Of Charles Swan III,” which was inspired by the man and work of Charles White III.
I’ve used to think that airbrush art was an all but dead art form that was tacky and deserved to be left on the dusty shelves of graphic design’s past. But, friends, oh how I feel differently now. The last couple of years, I’ve been slowly but surely coming around, and I’ve now arrived.
Take a look at these pieces from Charles White III, and while you are at it watch the Roman Coppola film (which, by the way, is excellent and should receive much more acclaim). Here we go.
Balance, a short film directed by Tobias Hutzler starring Maedir Eugster, the 58-year-old “balance master” and co-founder/director of Rigolo Swiss Nouveau Cirque.
This weekend I watched Hopscotch (1980), a Criterion Collection film about espionage and sabotage. Walter Matthau was such a funny guy. This was a perfect role for him, combining drama with comedy. I would recommend this film to anyone.
Fun fact: a portion of this was filmed in Georgia!
Favorite quote: ”Now I know what the FBI stands for. “F*****g, Ball-busting Imbeciles!” – Myerson, played by the hilarious Ned Beatty.
One thing I will say about this process is that it is difficult for me to pick what to watch from this list of Criterion films that are on Netflix (I’m discovering that the list is not complete, and some films listed are only available on DVD now). I’m not always in the mood to watch dark, gritty, and/or cerebral films, and so many great films have these characteristics. I tend to process a film long after I watch it, and maybe I over-think it, but I don’t want to overload myself with heavy films… it might make my head explode. I don’t want to desensitize myself to the impact of each film. I want to take my time between films, so this is why I think I probably will not make it through this entire list in only one year. Too much of a good thing is not always a good thing.
(Sidebar: Maybe this is why I watch so many TV show comedies. They’re easy to digest, and my reaction to them is instantaneous: laughter. They’re a brain-break after the grind of working and being creative for so many hours a day. Dear reader, I’m sure that this concept is not new to you.)
I saw this excellent short film last night at the Atlanta Film Festival Sound & Vision event. It looks like it was filmed at Alcatraz “Well Contested Sites” by Rapt Productions.
