Atheist Cinema

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Comment by TNT666 on December 20, 2011 at 5:46am

The amazing story of a nomadic people of Persia. In three viewings.
From 1925, Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life, the amazing telling of the bi-annual migration of 50,000 Persians and their flocks of nearly a million, who cross 2 mountains ranges and 2 glacial rivers to reach their summer pastures. There was also a 1973 film cut for the BBC, and then the same footage was recut for a 1976 feature length film. The BBC version's narration is nicer, but the 1976 USA version has all the original footage (available for rent from online services)

The stunning 1925 film, in 5 parts:

The almost as stunning 1973 film, in one single 51 minute sitting:

Comment by TNT666 on December 12, 2011 at 7:03am

Watching this documentary... my thoughts were entirely reminiscent of PZ Myers'...

Newsweek. http://www.newsweek.com/id/197812. "Still, a lot of people think Kurzweil is completely bonkers and/or full of a certain messy byproduct of ordinary biological functions. They include P. Z. Myers, a biologist at the University of Minnesota, Morris, who has used his blog to poke fun at Kurzweil and other armchair futurists who, according to Myers, rely on junk science and don't understand basic biology. "I am completely baffled by Kurzweil's popularity, and in particular the respect he gets in some circles, since his claims simply do not hold up to even casually critical examination," writes Myers. He says Kurzweil's Singularity theories are closer to a deluded religious movement than they are to science. "It's a New Age spiritualism—that's all it is," Myers says. "Even geeks want to find God somewhere, and Kurzweil provides it for them.""

Comment by TNT666 on December 12, 2011 at 6:55am

Just watched a very poor quality documentary on a relatively well known figure in these circles... Ray Kurzweil... Transcendent Man (2009). A piece of gratuitous self-promotion, passing itself off as balanced, while limiting 'criticism' to one-liners from scientists and funny haired fellows. He is a quack, looking for eternal life through 'alternative' medicine, gobbling down hundreds of pills a day, loading the charlatan Terry Grossman pockets with 'supplement' sales. Listening to his talks... the only similarity I could find is with fellow cult leaders... dare I say Jerry Falwell? The man is a quack with messiah/Nostradamus delusions. How anyone can admire this guy I do not understand. So depressing.

Comment by James M. Martin on October 22, 2011 at 2:47pm

Kevin Smith continues to interest with the Red State movie, but he somehow seems unable or disinterested in getting really close to any of his characters. We should be more concerned for them when Michael Parks, in one more brilliant supporting role, ritually sacrifices them to the Moloch-Jesus of his bizarro church, a cult much like Phred Phelps's. Still, starting off as a comedy and swiftly degenerating into delicious black humor, this is the best Smith film since Clerks.

Comment by TNT666 on October 4, 2011 at 12:04am

Just had the pleasure of watching The First Grader (2010), a wonderful cross-generational story about education, the power of literacy, and the value of integrity and history. A 84 y/o Mau Mau Kenyan, a freedom fighter from colonial yesteryear, battles once more, this time for his right to literacy. Based on events in the life of Kimani Maruge (1920-2009).

Comment by TNT666 on October 2, 2011 at 11:07am

Indeed :)

Comment by Marc Draco on October 2, 2011 at 6:56am

Guess Canada was more, er, informed than we are (were) in Blighty.

I do miss the water pistol fights during the rain... Ah, great days.

 

Even as Dallas notes, this is a great feel good movie and even though I've not seen it in over a decade, it feels "good".

Comment by TNT666 on October 2, 2011 at 5:50am

No way... smoking at the cinema!!!!!!!!!! Even in Quebec, where people smoked everywhere in the 80s (and 90s and 70s) cinemas were a safe haven for me! I can't handle nicotine, it makes me sick. Hmmm... I guess that's one thing that contributed to my cinema addiction, NO SMOKE! :)

Comment by Marc Draco on October 2, 2011 at 4:36am

Oh yeah, forgot about that. Happy days. I remember one guy lighting a newspaper because, I guess, he figured the lighter wasn't enough. This was in the days before the smoking ban in cinemas (1980s) and the result was two of us jumping on the small fire he started in the isle.

And yeah Dallas, a great feel good movie - sorely underestimated by many.

Comment by TNT666 on October 1, 2011 at 9:54pm

Back in the 80s I purchased the double CD of audience participation, fabulous! Every year cinemas in Montreal play it to audiences in full regalia with all props, too much fun! :)

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