http://www.spencersundell.com/blog Brain Farts, Musings, and Random Acts of Bafflement (Lightly Sautéed) by Spencer Sundell Sun, 06 Jul 2008 08:11:11 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Silent and sci-fi film nerds the world over are all atwitter with the astonishing and happy news that a 16mm print of Fritz Lang's original edit of Metropolis (1927) has been found in Argentina, containing all but one scene lost to date. In 2002, an exhaustive restoration of the classic film ... http://www.spencersundell.com/blog/2008/07/05/long-lost_metropolis_footage_found/ The July 7-14 issue of The New Yorker includes a major new piece by Seymour Hersh, "Preparing the Battlefield" (already available in its entirety online), which reveals that late in 2007... ...Congress agreed to a request from President Bush to fund a major escalation of covert operations against Iran, according to ... http://www.spencersundell.com/blog/2008/06/29/hersh_bush_admin_in_major_escalation_of_covert_ops_against_iran/ Well, Hal Ashby won't be there in person, mostly 'cause he died in 1988. But comedian Bobcat Goldthwait will be introducing Hal Ashby's fine directorial debut, The Landlord (1970), on Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at the Northwest Film Forum. This will be preceded by a reception with Bobcat ... http://www.spencersundell.com/blog/2008/06/27/bobcat_goldthwait_and_hal_ashby_at_northwest_film_forum_on_july_1/ From the Indianapolis Star, June 22, 2008: Lt. John M. Rader, 64, passed away Sunday, June 16, 2008 while being cared for by friends and family. He devoted his many talents to serving in the Marion County Sheriff's Department and volunteering as an interpreter and educator at Conner Prairie Living History ... http://www.spencersundell.com/blog/2008/06/26/in_memoriam_my_uncle_johnny/ Film collector extraordinaire and Washington expat Dennis Nyback is back in town with a mind-boggling series of programs devoted to music films, playing for the next week at the Grand Illusion Cinema (at the corner of 50th and University Way). Many of the programs are one-show-only, so pay attention and carpe ... http://www.spencersundell.com/blog/2008/06/06/dennis_nybacks_music_film_hootenanny/ Last night's Sprocket Society show at the Northwest Film Forum -- Georges Méliès: Impossible Voyager -- went really well, and we packed the house. Thanks to everyone who came (especially the young 'uns). I hope you had as much fun as I did. Unfortunately it was so well attended, ... http://www.spencersundell.com/blog/2008/05/16/program_notes_for_georges_melies_impossible_voyager/ Announcing a very special event co-presented by The Sprocket Society and the Northwest Film Forum GEORGES MÉLIÈS: IMPOSSIBLE VOYAGER Special effects epics from 1901-1912 Thursday, May 15, 2008 at 8:00 PM -- One show only! At the Northwest Film Forum -- 1515 12th Avenue (on Capital Hill at Pike) (206) 329-2629 $8.50 general admission / $5 ... http://www.spencersundell.com/blog/2008/05/08/special_georges_melies_film_program/ Having been laid low for a full week by an ass-kicker case of the flu, I've had a lot of time to watch a lot of DVDs (or at least half-watch them while struggling to maintain consciousness). Now more-or-less ambulatory again (most of the time), I've been catching up ... http://www.spencersundell.com/blog/2008/04/20/forthcoming_dvds/ This coming Sunday at the Rendezvous, the Sprocket Society presents a special event featuring original works by Los Angeles filmmaker and noted restorationist ROSS LIPMAN, plus live music by Seattle's own RUBY THICKET and THE PHILISTINE LIBERATION ORCHESTRA. Sunday, April 13, 2008 at 7:00 PM The JewelBox Theater at the Rendezvous 2322 2nd ... http://www.spencersundell.com/blog/2008/04/06/sprocket_society_at_the_rendezvous/ Unless you've been living under a rock, you've at least heard something about the current uprising in Tibet against oppressive Chinese rule and the resulting draconian crackdown, which began with the recent anniversary of the brutal 1959 invasion of Tibet. This photo emerged about one week ago, on iReport.com: As you can ... http://www.spencersundell.com/blog/2008/04/05/chinese_police_provocateurs_posing_as_tibetan_monks/