Also today, In Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian opens up an exhibit of the art of Winslow Homer for 6 weeks.
The Let It Be recording seesions today.
Author Archive
Jimi Hendrix in Stockholm, January 9, 1969
January 9, 2009More From Berlin
January 8, 2009
“Three US independent productions will receive their world premieres at the Forum 2009,” announces the Berlinale: Andrew Bujalski‘s “Beeswax,” Matthew Hysell‘s “Marin Blue” and Bradley Rust Gray‘s “The Exploding Girl,” which is co-produced by So Yong Kim, whose “Treeless Mountain,” which premiered in Toronto, will also be screened. Bujalski has been posting his film in Seattle at Alpha Cine.
Today In 1969 – The FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List
January 8, 2009
On January 8, 1969, the Citizens Bank and Trust Company of Maryland, Fort Washington Branch, was robbed by a man who escaped in a maroon Cadillac. Two of the victim tellers identified the robber as Billie Austin Bryant, for they remembered him as a customer of the bank prior to his conviction for bank robbery in 1968.
The FBI was immediately notified of this robbery and of the tentative identification of Bryant as the robber. Bryant’s wife was know to reside in an apartment in the Southeast Washington, D.C., area. Therefore, three FBI Agents proceeded to the vicinity of her residence to determine whether the maroon automobile had been seen in the area.
After determining that the Cadillac was not in the vicinity, the Agents decided to advise Bryant’s wife of the robbery in case Bryant tried to contact her. Unwittingly, the Agents passed Bryant’s wife descending the stairway as they proceeded to her apartment.
In response to a knock by one of the Agents, the door of the apartment was partly opened by a man who stated that Mrs. Bryant was not home. The Agents identified themselves and asked this individual if they could come in and talk to him. The man stated that since it was not his apartment he could not invite anyone inside. At this point, the individual began firing a gun point blank at the three Agents. After a quick succession of shots, he slammed the door. Two of the Agents were struck by the shots, and the third fired two shots into the closing door.
The third Agent immediately returned to the FBI car and radioed for assistance. The two wounded Agents, Edwin R. Woodriffe and Anthony Palmisano, were rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital where they were pronounced dead on arrival.
An intensive search of the surrounding area was conducted by the FBI, the Maryland State Police, the Prince George’s County Police, the Prince George’s Sheriff’s Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department in an effort to apprehend Bryant. The manhunt by hundreds of FBI Agents and local officers included helicopters, dogs, and numerous roadblocks.
On January 8, 1969, warrants were issued charging Bryant with robbing the Citizens Bank and Trust Company of Maryland, Fort Washington Branch, and with killing the two FBI Agents. On the same date Bryant was placed on the FBI’s list of “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives.”
At approximately 6:50 p.m., on January 8, 1969, a call was received at the Metropolitan Police Department from an alert citizen in an apartment house on Mississippi Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C. This citizen reported he had heard noises in the attic above his apartment. He had heard about the FBI Agents being shot, and, since the shooting had happened in the immediate vicinity, he was suspicious of the noises.
A detective from the robbery squad of the Metropolitan Police Department responded to the call. After the detective announced his identity, a voice responded from the attic identifying himself as Billy Bryant. Bryant stated that he had climbed into the attic and the door had jammed, trapping him.
Bryant was placed under arrest and taken to the homicide squad of the Metropolitan Police Department. He furnished a signed statement admitting the shooting of the two FBI Agents, but added that it was in self-defense. His time on the Top 10 list remains the shortest of any fugitive – 2 hours.
Today in 1969, George was finally his chance by the rest of the Beatles.
European Festivals Begin Announcing Their Slates
January 7, 2009
Everybody’s already talking about Sundance, which opens in just nine days, but the vast majority of international films to premiere Stateside in the next few months will come out of festivals in Europe. Both Rotterdam and Berlin open within the next month and both have started leaking this year’s line-ups. I’m fortunate enough to represent NWFF at these festivals and promise to report back about what I see.
In the meantime, Rotterdam announced their films in competition today.
The 14 films in IFFR 2009’s VPRO Tiger Awards Competition:
“At West of Pluto” (A l’ouest de Pluton) by Henri Bernadet & Myriam Verreault
(Canada, 2009), World premiere
“Be Calm and Count to Seven” (Aram bash va ta haft beshmar) by Ramtin Lavafipour
(Iran, 2008), European premiere, Hubert Bals Fund supported film
“Blind Pig Who Wants to Fly” (Babi buta yang ingin terbang) by Edwin
(Indonesia, 2008), European premiere, Hubert Bals Fund supported film
“Breathless” (Ddongpari) by Yang Ik-June
(South Korea, 2008), International premiere
“Dark Harbour” (Futoko) by Naito Takatsugu
(Japan, 2008), International premiere
“Dogging: A Love Story” by Simon Ellis
(United Kingdom, 2009), World premiere
“Floating in Memory” (Liu li) by Peng Tao
(China, 2009), World premiere, Hubert Bals Fund supported film
“The Hungry Ghosts” by Michael Imperioli
(USA, 2009), World premiere and IFFR 2009 Opening Film
“No puedo vivir sin ti” by Leon Dai
(Taiwan, 2008), International premiere
“Schottentor” by Caspar Pfaundler
(Austria, 2009), World premiere
“Sois sage” (Be Good) by Juliette Garcias
(France, Denmark, 2008), European premiere
“The Strength of Water” by Armagan Ballantyne
(New Zealand, Germany, 2008), World premiere
“Turistas” (Tourists) by Alicia Scherson
(Chile, 2009), World premiere, Hubert Bals Fund supported film
“Wrong Rosary” (Uzak ihtimal) by Mahmut Fazil Coskun
(Turkey, 2009), World premiere
[For more information including the festival’s shorts competition line up, visit their website.]
And from Berlin via THR.com:
Berlinale unveils first Panorama titles
‘Garapa,’ ‘Countess,’ ‘Absolute Evil,’ among premieres
Jan 7, 2009, 10:30 AM ET
COLOGNE, Germany — Julie Delpy, whose directorial debut, “2 Days In Paris” lit up the 2007 Berlinale, returns this year with her period thriller “The Countess,” which will have its world premiere at Berlin’s Panorama sidebar.
Jose Padilha, whose corrupt cops drama “The Elite Squad” was last year’s surprise winner of the Berlinale Golden Bear, has also booked a return flight, for the Panorama premiere of “Garapa,” his documentary examining poverty in Brazil.
Other highlights of 2009 Panorama lineup include “Absolute Evil,” a crime thriller which teams up cult director Ulli Lommel (“The Boogeyman”) with star David Carradine; the documentary “Coyote” from Chema Rodriquez (“The Railroad All-Stars”) which looks at the issue of human trafficking and “Der Knochenmann” (The Bone Man) from veteran Austrian director Wolfgang Murnberger (“Silentium”).
Actress Rie Rasmussen (“Angel-A”) will unspool her directorial debut, “Human Zoo,” which focuses on the trauma of a woman living in Paris who escaped the horrors of the Balkan war. “When You’re Strange,” Tom DiCillio’s documentary on The Doors, will screen in Panorama’s Dokumente section following its Sundance debut.
The full Panorama lineup will be announced later this month.
So far the following films have been confirmed for the Main Programme, Panorama Special, and Panorama Dokumente:
“Absolute Evil” by Ulli Lommel, USA (world premiere) With David Carradine, Carolyn Neff, Ulli Lommel, Chris Kiesa
“Ander” by Roberto Caston, Spain (directorial debut and world premiere) With Josean Bengoetxea, Cristhian Esquivel, Mamen Rivera, Pilar Rodriguez, Leire Ucha
“At Stake” by Iwan Setiawan, Muhammad Ichsan, Lucky Kuswandi, Ucu Agustin, Ani Ema Susanti, Indonesia PANORAMA DOKUMENTE
“Coyote” by Chema Rodriguez, Spain (world premiere) PANORAMA DOKUMENTE
“Der Knochenmann” (The Bone Man) by Wolfgang Murnberger, Austria (world premiere) With Josef Hader, Josef Bierbichler, Birgit Minichmayr, Simon Schwarz, Christoph Luser, Stipe Erceg
“Fig Trees” by John Greyson, Canada (world premiere) With Van Abrahams, David Wall, Alexander Chapman
“Fucking Different Tel Aviv” by Yair Hochner, Avital Barak, Stephanie Abramovic, Elad Zakai, Eran Koblik Kedar, Ricardo Rojstaczer, Nir Ne’Eman, Hila Ben Baruch, Yossi Brauman, Sivan Levy, Eyal Bromberg, Anat Salomon, Sie Gal, November Wanderin, Yasmin Max, Germany/Israel
“Garapa” by Jose Padilha, Brazil (world premiere) PANORAMA DOKUMENTE
“Ghosted” by Monika Treut, Germany/Taiwan (world premiere) With Inga Busch, Huan-Ru Ke, Ting-Ting Hu, Jack Kao, Marek Harloff
“Gururi No Koto” (All Around Us) by Hashigushi Ryosuke, Japan With Kimura Tae, Lily Franky, Baisyo Mitsuko
“High Life” by Gary Yates, Canada (world premiere) With Timothy Olyphant, Stephen Eric McIntyre, Joe Anderson, Rossif Sutherland
“Human Zoo” by Rie Rasmussen, France (directorial debut and world premiere) With Rie Rasmussen, Nikola Djuricko, Nick Corey, Vojin Cetkovic, Hiam Abbass, Said Amadis
“La journee de la jupe” (Skirt Day) by Jean-Paul Lilienfeld, France/Belgium With Isabelle Adjani, Denis Podalydes, Yann Collette
“Laskar Pelangi” (The Rainbow Troops) by Riri Riza, Indonesia With Cut Mini, Zulfani, Ferdian, Veris Yamarno, Ikranagara
“Pedro” by Nick Oceano, USA (directorial debut) With Alex Loynaz,Justina Machado, Hale Appleman, DaJuan Johnson
“Rueckenwind” (Light Gradient) by Jan Krueger, Germany (world premiere) With Sebastian Schlecht, Eric Golub, Iris Minich, Denis Avevi
“Solo quiero caminar” (Just Walking) by Augustin Diaz Yanes, Spain/Mexico With Diego Luna, Victoria Abril, Ariadna Gil, Pilar Lopez de Ayala, Elena Anaya
“The Countess” by Julie Delpy, Germany/France (world premiere) With Julie Delpy, William Hurt, Daniel Bruehl
“Unmistaken Child” by Nati Baratz, Israel (directorial debut) With Tenzin Zopa PANORAMA DOKUMENTE
“When You’re Strange” by Tom DiCillo, USA With Kevin Krasny PANORAMA DOKUMENTE
“White Lightnin’” by Dominic Murphy, Great Britain/USA (directorial debut) With Edward Hogg, Carrie Fisher, Muse Watson
A Peek At The Front Page – January 7, 1969
January 7, 2009
A 15-point drop in the Dow is Page 1 news in 1969. I wonder what they would think of today’s economic meltdown.
And for those interested in the cross word, Will C. Weng took over duties as the New York Times crossword editor January 7, 1969. He served as editor until February 27, 1977 .
Also continuing on the Let It Be Sessions, Rock And Roll Science posts
audio from the Beatles recording sessions 40 years ago today.
The Beatles Continue Their Let It Be Sessions- January 6, 1969
January 6, 2009If you have read Mark Lewisohn’s books that detail the Beatles’ recording sessions, you know that only a very few recordings of their rehearsals exist. All the rehearsals in January 1969 were filmed and taped. The cameras kept rolling during the breaks so many of their conversations were preserved as well. This was not long before they broke up, so some of those conversations are a little exciting. It’s the beginning of the end.
Rock And Roll Science is tracking these sessions through audio recordings. Here’s the one from today.
The Newspapers Were Dying In 69, Just Ask George Carlin
January 5, 2009It seems that the slow death of the Newspaper industry began as long ago as 1969. This clip from the January 5, 1969 airing of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was prescient with regards to their collapse, which seems to have been particularly hard on that industry in 2008.
A Happening For Lulu- January 4, 1969
January 4, 2009Time Magazine January 3, 1969
January 3, 2009
The “Men of The Year” edition. Read it in its entirety here.
Or maybe just the cinema section:
That Was Burlesque (Cinema / NEW MOVIES)
Negative (Cinema)
Quiet Destruction (Cinema)
And for comparison, here’s the “Person of The Year” issue 2009
Which you can also read in its entirety here.
And although there’s no film section in this issue, this might be the first time a filmmaker was even considered for the Person of The Year.
Hot Splice 