Greg Mitchell's Blog, page 6
December 29, 2015
Best Album of 2015
Yes, the material is up to fifty years old but my pick is the amazing collection of alternate takes from Bob Dylan's epic recording sessions in 1965 and 1966 that produced, in little more than one year (imagine this today) the greatest album by anyone (Highway 61) plus Bringing It All Back Home and the two-lp Blonde on Blonde. Besides Bob, the songs feature the top guitarist of the mid-1960s, Mike Bloomfield, and The Band, when they were still the back-up band, The Hawks. The new collections come in two-lp, six-lp (my copy) and then one for completists including every note.... Here are some of the highlights (which only scratch the surface) available for free over at YouTube...Most fans have said they prefer every single song in the released version but I disagree in a few cases, such as "Please Crawl Out Your Window" (no cowbell) and one take of "Highway Revisited 61" (thanks to the vocals).
December 26, 2015
10 Best Films 2015
I do this every year--when I remember--but always with caveats because, unlike many critics, I do not see every leading film (although I sometimes wonder if they actually have seen half the films they rave about, given what they write). Anyway, here is my current top ten, with possibly one or two added when I do catch up. It looked like a pretty good year not long ago but then came many disappointments so the decline of the past few years continued....And see notes at bottom. These are listed in very approximate, not precise, order of favoritism. You will note the absence of superheroes, sequels, smash and crash. My top film for 2014, by the way, was Ida. Room
Spotlight
Bridges of Spies
Gett: The Trial of Vivian Amsalem
99 Homes
Ex Machina
The Big Short
About Elly
Timbuktu
Beasts of No Nation
Honorable Mention: Amy, Going Clear, Clouds of Sils Maria,, Z for Zachariah, Phoenix, What Happened, Miss Simone?, The Wolfpack, Best of Enemies Might Make It Yet (but haven't seen): A War, 45 Years, Son of Saul
Not Likely to Make It (but haven't seen): The Ravenent, Anomalisa, Concussion, Joy, Mad Max: Fury Road, Star Wars
Others Liked A Little Or a Lot More Than I Did: The Martian, Carol, Brooklyn, Love & Mercy.
December 23, 2015
Christmas Massacre, 102 Years Ago
Our folk genius, Woody Guthrie, with the "1913 Massacre" at the miner's Christmas ball, based on tragic true event. (read all about it, and two films, here).
Facebook Censorship?
Last night I tweeted out major story at New York Times on declassified report revealing shocking details of U.S. nuclear targeting in 1959--including direct aims at civilians labeled simply "population." It is based on the usual fine work of the National Security Archive. I am especially interested because of my over 30 years of studying Hiroshima and its aftermath, and my current book on Berlin in the early 1960s. Indeed the report has direct nuclear attacks on East Berlin, which would have doomed all of West Berlin as well....Anyway: I learn from several experts in the field on Facebook that they tried to link to the Times story but it was removed or prevented by Facebook's security team as "unsafe." I have run into the same problem there, though so far my link to the archive's site has gone through. So: The Times link and the archives link.
December 21, 2015
He Put the 'Mass' (Protest) in Christmas
Woody Guthrie sings his "Jesus Christ." You'll find a rocking U2 version on YouTube.
December 18, 2015
Santa, Baby
The great Lightnin' Hopkins with a seasonal message--Santa with a beer, Lightinin' as Santa giving his woman special sexual present, and so on...
December 17, 2015
The 'Hidden' Message in 'Star Wars'
As a Kurosawa scholar I've known this for decades--I even spoke with him once about it--but I wonder how many know today: that George Lucas was inspired by, and borrowed from, the Japanese master's film The Hidden Fortress. Here's a little video that captures some of it....and a mash-up below.
December 14, 2015
Photo of the Day
With NY Times story today on young Muslims dealing with backlash in America. Update: I guess I wasn't the only one struck by this image. The paper's fine public ed. has fielded claims that the photo was staged. Too good to be true. But they claim it was not.
December 8, 2015
Two Rolling, Stoned
It's been around for awhile, usually in shorter form, but here is full 20 minutes of the stoned Dylan and Lennon taxi ride during Bob's 1966 tour of England, shot by Pennebaker, ending with Bob getting sick. Dylan stoned out of his mind, Lennon functioning much better.
Dylan Tribute to John
A long way from that druggy car ride cut from "Don't Look Back."
