May the Force be Archived

Most of these Star Wars takeoffs have been kicking around on the Archive for some time getting loads of hits. This post is for the uninitiated who have yet to learn that Star Wars, Lego, and web video go together like Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader. Since Star Wars and web video also make a popular couple, two non-brick film animations are also featured.

• Lego Star Wars
  An hour long brick film version of the first Star Wars movie.
• Store Wars
  Learn the ways of The Farm and Darth Tator in the battle for organic food.
• Complaints of the Neurotic
  The character of Woody Allen takes the role of Luke Skywalker who is psychoanalyzed by Yoda in this animation.
• Lego Wars Part II (1004)
  Lewis Chen created this hugely popular brick film.
• Star Wars: The Han Solo Affair (2002)
  Spite Your Face Productions produced this brick film for Lucasfilm.

– Renata

Recitals

You probably remember your first recital, whether it was on the piano, the violin, a recorder, or a dance floor. Your parents ooohed and ahhhed over your every little mistake and thought you were a virtuoso in the making. Well, the archive has an interesting selection of recitals to choose from, with nary a cute kid to be found. Okay, that’s a lie - I’ve included at least one 8 year old, but he doesn’t make any mistakes.

• Becca Stevens - Senior recital at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music
• Perf de Castro - 10 string guitar recital of Vals #4, op. 8
• Sarah Graham - Mozart’s “Voi, che sapete”
• Miloslav Gajdos - double bass performance of Concert Fantasy by Jan Geissel
• Irish Family Dance - a little Riverdance-style action
• Maestro Martensson - Plays Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on the piano and violin, simultaneously
• William Chiu (8 years old) - piano recital, playing Mozart’s Sonata in C

– Alexis

Bad Ass Babes

It’s that time of year again - hearts, flowers, candy, cupid and bad ass babes. These lovely ladies must not have a date for Valentine’s Day, because they are very badly behaved and not afraid to show it!

• The She Beast
• The Wasp Women
• Tormented
• The Atomic Brain (aka “Monstrosity”)
• Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter

– Alexis

Dating for Dummies

If you haven’t been having much luck in the dating arena lately, maybe it’s time for a little brushup on your skills (ladies, apparently we’re supposed to invite our dates in and make them sandwiches at the end of the evening). We’ve got videos to teach you everything from how to ask for your first date, what to do on a date, and how to decide when you should go steady. But please, for everyone’s sake, watch “VD is For Everybody” first.

• Beginning to Date
• Dating: Dos and Don’ts
• What to Do On a Date
• Going Steady? (apparently, if you’re going steady “you don’t have to make an effort to be at your best all the time!”)
• How Much Affection? (be careful you don’t go too far and end up with a baby!)

– Alexis

Tribute to Edison

Thomas Edison was born on February 11th, 1847. As the inventor of the phonograph (1877), the kinetoscope (1891) (the first motion pictures), and the first talking motion pictures (1913)–not to mention his significant contributions to the commercial use of electricity–it is fair to say that the Archive would not exist as it does today without him. As a birthday tribute we present this selection of early Edison films:

• Feeding Doves (1896)
• Annie Oakley (1894)
• Kissing (1900)
• What Happened at 23rd street (1901)
• Trapeze Disrobing Act (1901)
• San Francisco Earthquake Aftermath (1906)
• Frankenstein (1910)

– Renata

Attack of the Giant Archive!

I recently discovered that the Internet Archive has quite a selection of B Horror movies from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. These are films of unparalleled cheesiness, perfect for conducting a round of Mystery Science Theater in your own home. A few gems you might like to make fun of:

• Attack of the Giant Leeches
• Attack of the Killer Mushrooms
• Horrors of Spider Island
• Killers from Space
• Bloody Pit of Horror
• The Satanic Rites of Dracula
• Werewolf of Washington
• Killer Shrews
• The Giant Gila Monster

– Alexis

Snow

While it’s snow season in much of the country, we are enjoying sun (between rain storms) here in San Francisco. Today’s blog is for those dreaming of snow, whether or not they have the joy (or curse) of experiencing it.

• Skaters in Central Park (1902)
  The remarkable thing about this short clip is the year it was made.
• Play in the Snow (1945)
  If you are actually in need of instruction, this film will teach you how to play in the snow.
• Silent Snow, Secret Snow (1966)
  A mentally disturbed boy listens to the voices of the snow in this dark adaptation of a Conrad Aiken story.
• The Frozen North (1922)
  Buster Keaton engages in amusing snow-filled shenanigans.
• Chinook’s Children (1940s)
  Chinook is a sled dog who has a bounty of cute puppies.
• Snow II (200
  How large can a snow ball get and still be push-able?
• SF Ski Jump (2005)
  Wow, there actually was snow in San Francisco once!

– Renata

Your Life Work

Produced by Vocational Guidance Films, Inc. and Holmes Burton Films, the Your Life Work Series was a set of educational shorts from the early 1940’s meant to inspire young post-depression workers into specific new careers. The “manuscripts” were penned by Iowa State College professor Arthur P. Twogood:

 

 

 

Finding your Life’s Work
Machinist and Tool Maker
Sheet Metal Worker
Life Insurance Occupations
Food Service Jobs
Pharmacist
Electrician
Bookkeeping and Accounting
Fire and Police Service
Forestry and Forest Industries
Welding
Airline Industry
Printing Industry
Telecommunications
Nursing
Cab and Bus Drivers
Librarian
Baking
Photography/Cinematography
Radio/TV
Woodworking
Journalism
Automotive Industry

 

Supplemental Text:

Choice of vocation, a selected list of books and magazine articles for the guidance of students - This vocational resource bibliography was put together by reference librarians in 1921.

 

Written by: Stephanie Sapienza

Learning to be Human, Films by Bert Salzman

The Archive is now the online home to nine films by Bert Salzman. These 20-minute educational films were made in the early 70’s and shown in classrooms throughout the country. Their gentle and idealistic sensibility serves as contrast to the educational films from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s found in the Prelinger Archives. Gone are the all-knowing narrators of the past: Each film features a child or teen learning to negotiate difficult circumstances on their own and from those around them. All of these films won awards, notably “Angel and Big Joe” won an Academy Award for best Live Action Short.

Angel and Big Joe (1975)
Felipa: North of the Border (1971)
Geronimo Jones (1970)
Joshua, Black Boy Of Harlem (1969)
Lee Suzuki - Home in Hawaii 1975
Matthew Aliuk: Eskimo in Two Worlds (1973)
Me and You, Kangaroo (1974)
Miguel: Up From Puerto Rico (1970)
The Shopping Bag Lady (1975)

– Renata

It’s the End of the World As We Know It

“It’s the End of the World As We Know It, and I Feel Fine - the most depressing show on the planet!” is how episode 10 of this series of videos begins.

Addressing issues of global warming and energy conservation, this… um… “irreverent” show is a funny, foul-mouthed, and yes, depressing, look at world leaders, local movements, and big corporations.

Check out one of the 13 episodes currently available on the Archive. And beware, if you don’t like the F-word, you won’t like these shows.

– Alexis