No Video this week – it seems like that’s all I’ve done this month…
Michelangelo Antonioni (1912-2007)
Michelangelo Antonioni, one of the most innovative and distinctive filmmakers of the twentieth century, has died at the age of ninety-four. Alongside his near contemporary Federico Fellini, Antonioni signaled a break with the Neorealist style that flourished in Italy at the end of the Second World War. His films were cool and stylized, traditionally focusing on the experiences of an alienated bourgeoisie. International success happened with the release of L’Avventura (The Adventure) in 1960. Antonioni made his English language debut with the epoch-catching London thriller Blowup in 1966.
For Me, Blowup is one of those films that holds it’s own even now – and yes, it is still being ripped off by filmmakers today.
The “Ghost Marbles”
From the Illicit Cultural Property Blog:
“The New Acropolis Museum is nearing completion (it may open in 2008), and it is attempting to make a powerful statement about where the parthenon/elgin marbles belong. The museum was due to be finished in time for the summer olympics in 2004, but a number of delays have pushed back completion. It seems some of the sculptures will be displayed, while the missing pieces will have plaster copies displayed behind a gray screen.”
Getty to Hand Over Antiquities
The J. Paul Getty Trust agreed to hand over to Italy forty antiquities, including a statue of Aphrodite that Italian officials say was looted from Sicily, mostly settling a dispute over items in the Los Angeles museum’s collection.
Monster By Mail
Get your own original & personalized 4×6 monster drawing by mail, for $20 at Monster By Mail.