Matt writes: Just because you're stuck at home answering the door for trick-or-treaters on Halloween doesn't mean you can't have a delightfully spooky evening yourself. Two ten-hour programs ripe for seasonal binging recently premiered on Netflix and received enthusiastic reviews at RogerEbert.com. Mike Flanagan's limited series "The Haunting of Hill House," reviewed here by Brian Tallerico, is a genuinely unnerving, often brilliant reimagining of Shirley Jackson's classic novel about ominous ghosts, mental illness and frayed familial bonds. The other must-see show is "Riverdale" creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa's "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina," a marvelously acted, richly provocative new vehicle for the supernaturally inclined Archie Comics heroine, played by a perfectly cast Kiernan Shipka. In my review of the first season, I explore how Osgood Perkins' masterful debut feature, "The Blackcoat's Daughter" (starring Shipka), served as a major influence on Aguirre-Sacasa, and could serve as ideal Halloween programming itself.
Valerie Weiss on "A Light Beneath Their Feet"; Death of the video store; Stephen Cone on "Home for the Holidays"; Chatting with Kartemquin's Gordon Quinn; "Mustang" director Deniz Gamze Ergüven.
Marie writes: It's a long story and it starts with a now famous video of a meteor exploding over Chelyabinsk, Russia. Followed by alien conspiracies fueled by the internet and which led me to investigate further. Where did it come from? Does anyone know..? Yes! According to The NewScientist, the rock came from the Apollo family of near-Earth asteroids, which follow an elongated orbit that occasionally crosses Earth's path.That in turn led me to yet another site and where I learned a team of scientists had discovered two moons around Pluto, and asked the public to vote on potential names. They also accepted write-in votes as long as they were taken from Greek and Roman mythology and related to Hades and the underworld - keeping to the theme used to name Pluto's three other moons. And how I eventually learned "Vulcan" has won Pluto's moon-naming poll! and thanks to actor William Shatner who suggested it. Behold Vulcan: a little dot inside a green circle and formally known as P5.
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Marie writes: Not too long ago, Monaco's Oceanographic Museum held an exhibition combining contemporary art and science, in the shape of a huge installation by renowned Franco-Chinese artist Huang Yong Ping, in addition to a selection of films, interviews and a ballet of Aurelia jellyfish.The sculpture was inspired by the sea, and reflects upon maritime catastrophes caused by Man. Huang Yong Ping chose the name "Wu Zei"because it represents far more than just a giant octopus. By naming his installation "Wu Zei," Huang added ambiguity to the work. 'Wu Zei' is Chinese for cuttlefish, but the ideogram 'Wu' is also the color black - while 'Zei' conveys the idea of spoiling, corrupting or betraying. Huang Yong Ping was playing with the double meaning of marine ink and black tide, and also on corruption and renewal. By drawing attention to the dangers facing the Mediterranean, the exhibition aimed to amaze the public, while raising their awareness and encouraging them to take action to protect the sea.
Marie writes: Kudos to fellow art buddy Siri Arnet for sharing the following; a truly unique hotel just outside Nairobi, Kenya: welcome to Giraffe Manor.
Marie writes: It's that time of the year again! The Toronto International Film Festival is set to run September 6 - 16, 2012. Tickets selection began August 23rd. Single tickets on sale Sept 2, 2012. For more info visit TIFF's website.
Marie writes: I love cinematography and worship at its altar; a great shot akin to a picture worth a thousand words. The best filmmakers know how to marry words and images. And as the industry gears up for the Golden Globes and then the Oscars, and the publicity machine starts to roll in earnest, covering the Earth with a daily blanket of freshly pressed hype, I find myself reaching past it and backwards to those who set the bar, and showed us what can be accomplished and achieved with light and a camera...
Cinematography by Robert Krasker - The Third Man (1949) (click to enlarge images)
Great Movies
