Dr. Amy Darnell

100 Years Ago in Russia

Amy L. Darnell — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 22:52:24 +0000

The links between photography and memory are almost unending. Our perceptions of times and places are too often dictated solely by the technology that is/was/was not able to document that time and place. “The Big Picture” from The Boston Globe’s online site offers a gorgeously vivid view into life in Russia from 1909 to 1912. What is most striking about the series of photographs is their vibrant color. I was completely taken aback by how contemporary the sights and colors are– reminding me of how strongly we sometimes see the past in black and white despite it being lived in color.

For more photos visit boston.com.

Waiting for ‘Superman’

Amy L. Darnell — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 00:26:07 +0000

This afternoon I saw the following trailer for a new documentary to be released this fall. I can only describe my reaction as overwhelming. When I returned home I immediately went to WaitingforSuperman.com and pledged my support to see the film when it entered theaters this fall. When I added my name to the list, just over 27,000 people had vowed to see the film. If you add your name to the list you’ll find that there are various ‘benefits’ that will occur as more people pledge their support to the film. If you go to the “Take Action” section of the site you’ll find various ways in which you can help fix the education problem here in the United States. I hope you’ll be the ‘Superman’ in someone’s education.

Dennis Hopper 1936-2010

Amy L. Darnell — Mon, 31 May 2010 20:36:34 +0000

While traveling overseas I heard the news that Dennis Hopper lost his battle against prostate cancer. I immediately thought of Easy Rider, his landmark directorial debut that ushered in the wave we now name as American Independent Cinema. Whether it was the fringe of his coat, the length of his sideburns, or the power of the chopper, Dennis Hopper made the counterculture revolution look and sound like a new America.

I probably first encountered Hopper in the 1956 film Giant. I say probably because his prolific career spanned television and film for over 50 years. Who knows, I may have become a Dennis Hopper fan with a late afternoon rerun of Petticoat Junction when I was a small girl. No matter when I first encountered him, I came to respect him with his performances from Hoosiers to Elegy. He was a film icon and we are better for it.

Get your motor runnin’….

Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media

Amy L. Darnell — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 22:35:48 +0000

Academy Award-Winning actress Geena Davis recently launched a foundation to raise awareness about the disproportionate level of male and female speaking roles in television and film. As the website reports, “Research by Dr. Stacy Smith at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication shows that fewer than 1 out of 3 speaking characters in the top movies aimed at kids from 1990 - 2005 were female. Television aimed at kids was also imbalanced with 1.67 males for every female. Other ratings in film showed imbalance as well: PG was 2.6 males to 1 female, PG-13 was 2.8 to 1, and R was 2.9 to 1.” Go to the website and click on the Do You Count? menu item at the top to participate and help the Institute track the faces of entertainment today.

Animated Shorts

Amy L. Darnell — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:04:07 +0000

One of the more frustrating elements of each Oscar season is not being able to see the nominated short films in the animated, documentary, and live action categories. Although it’s after the actual ceremony, here are the nominated and winning short films in animation. Enjoy!

Logorama– The Winner!

A Matter of Loaf and Death

Wallace And Gromit - A Matter Of Loaf And Death

DANMAN | MySpace Video

French Roast

French Roast from Piokaz on Vimeo.

La dama y la muerte

Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty

Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty from Darragh O'Connell on Vimeo.

Passing

Amy L. Darnell — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:31:51 +0000

Regarded as the European version of US Marines planting a flag on the island of Iwo Jima, this photograph of Soviets planting the Hammer and Sickle in Berlin, over the Reichstag, is an iconic image from WWII. News comes today that the man at the center of the photograph has passed away at the age of 93. For more information, visit The Guardian.

Too Fat to Fly?

Amy L. Darnell — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 23:21:43 +0000

When I first started reading about Clerks director Kevin Smith being booted off a Southwest Air flight for being a safety risk to the passengers, I truly could not comprehend that it was because of his girth. But if you read his twitter feed of the incident it’s apparent that is exactly why he was escorted off the plane. Is this truly a case of a company acting on behalf of their passengers? Or is this an example of discrimination? Of all the troublesome aspects revolving around this story, the most unfortunate is to read the comments by those reading the stories on the web. If you take even half of the comments made as sincere, there is no doubt about the level of hate and vitriol targeted towards those who are ‘fat.’

Unleash the 10 Nominees!

Amy L. Darnell — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:16:20 +0000

This year the Academy Awards has nominated 10 films for best picture. Every other category has a maximum of 5 nominees like in year’s past, but this year’s expanded list of nominees hearkens back to the early days when a new industry decided to publicize what they do by having an awards ceremony. Who will win this year’s best picture Oscar? I’m pulling for Up, but I know that’s about as likely as a balloon-carried house….

For a list of the nominees:

http://oscar.go.com/

For the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences:

http://www.oscars.org/

And for all of the award-season winners and nominees:

http://us.imdb.com/features/rto/2010/oscars

A Day Without Art

Amy L. Darnell — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:38:17 +0000

The Day Without Art (DWA) first began on December 1, 1989– World AIDS Day– to highlight multiple landscapes of loss because of AIDS. Unfortunately, the worldwide AIDS crisis continues to wage on. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, each day, features a work of art for visitors to experience on their website. Today, that piece of artwork was a black rectangle. As they museum explains, “In observance of Day Without Art, an international program to mark AIDS Awareness Day, today’s daily artwork will not appear.” On this World AIDS Day, imagine what your life would be without art. And consider what you can do to help the victims of this cruel disease.

http://www.worldaidsday.org/

http://www.joinred.com/Splash.aspx

http://www.metmuseum.org/

The Two-Party System?

Amy L. Darnell — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:56:16 +0000

Do you agree?

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