Concentric Layers
Classic Films
How can a film be loathed at the time of its release, yet be recognized as great many years later? The answer varies according to each film. In the case ... Read more
Posts by: David English
Who Cares Whodunit
Classic Films
What if someone created a murder mystery so entertaining you didn’t care who did the murder? That’s the case with The Big Sleep (1946). Based on Raymond Chandler’s first novel, ... Read more
Still There
News
Ten of my Vegas photos are still on display at the Leica Store in Las Vegas. They went up last August, and the plan was for them to be exhibited ... Read more
No Man’s Land
Classic Films
Though the two films are worlds part, Paths of Glory (1957) has a lot in common with Dr. Strangelove (1964). Both were directed by Stanley Kubrick, both are hard-hitting anti-war ... Read more
Falling in Love Again
Classic Films
Ask film buffs about director Josef von Sternberg, and you may receive a blank stare. Others assume that The Blue Angel (1930), his best known film, was probably the work ... Read more
Heaven on Earth
Classic Films
Wim Wender’s Wings of Desire (1987) is an unusual film. It’s the story of the guardian angels who watch over the citizens of Berlin. One angel (named Damiel) yearns to ... Read more
Fragmentary Images
Classic Films
When I think of classic short films, I usually recall the silent comedies of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, or Harold Lloyd. Or I might remember my favorite cartoons from Walt ... Read more
A Question of Balance
Classic Films
What can I say to convince you to see Jean Renoir’s Grand Illusion (1937), if you haven’t already seen it? (If you have already seen it, you won’t need convincing). ... Read more
A Tangible Presence
Classic Films
The Wind (1928) is a high watermark (if you’ll excuse the pun) for both its star and director. Lillian Gish had played mostly innocent waifs in D. W. Griffith’s films. ... Read more
Lasting Impression
Classic Films
What’s better than a chilling ghost story? How about four ghost stories rolled into one? Kwaidan (1965) is based on a collection of Japanese ghost stories published in 1904. The ... Read more
Alternate Space
Tech Notes
Trying out the new Kaleidoscope theme in the Wizibel 1.4.1 app. I used a music track that I had created three years ago with the Alchemy Mobile app. Both the ... Read more
Monochrome Vegas
News
Ten of my photo prints are on display at the Leica Store in Las Vegas. They’ll be there through February. The store is located in the Forum Shops at Caesars ... Read more
Whatever It Takes
Classic Films
You could go around in circles trying to decide who is better: Chaplin or Keaton? Setting aside personal preferences, they’re close enough to call it a tie. Chaplin taps directly ... Read more
The Dreamy 50 Lux
Leica Camera Blog
What’s the best 50mm lens? There’s no simple answer to that question, because each lens has its own personality. Check out my 35th guest post for the Leica Camera Blog. ... Read more
moodscaper
Tech Notes
I was doodling around with the moodscaper app on my iPad, and I came up with this tune. There are no edits except to trim some silence at the beginning. ... Read more