Category Archives: Film

Gandalf has a blog

Posted on January 16, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Starting in 1999 with his casting as Gandalf and continuing through 2003, Ian McKellan wrote a blog called The Grey Book about his experiences starring in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. If you are a fan, you’ll find … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, movies, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Dracula 2020

Posted on January 13, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

To hype the new version of  Bram Stoker’s Dracula on BBC and Netflix , the team at BBC Creative has  designed some impressive billboards. The ads, which are currently up in London and Birmingham, use a brilliant combination of stakes … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Film, Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Science Fiction Day

Posted on January 2, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

Even if you are one of those readers who claim that they don’t like science fiction, it’s more than likely that there are some works in the genre that you have appreciated and enjoyed. When it comes to science fiction … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Film, History, movies, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Public Domain Day

Posted on January 1, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

On January 1, 2020, works from 1924 will enter the US public domain, where they will be free for all to use and build upon, without permission or fee. These works include George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, silent films by … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Film, History, Libraries, movies, Music, Photography, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Nothing Happens (for a reason)

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

This captivating 11-minute film by Michelle and Uri Kranot is a mysterious, melancholy animation in which a diverse group of people slowly gather in a snow-laden field in Denmark. Nothing really happens in Nothing Happens and that’s kind of refreshing.

Posted in Animation, Art, Europe, Film | Tagged , | 1 Comment

“Thanx 4 Nothing”

Posted on December 15, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I just discovered that the artist and Beat poet John Giorno died in October. You can be forgiven if you are not familiar with him, but in the 60s and 70s he was a prominent figure in the New York … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Film, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Paris: 66 Million BC

Posted on December 11, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I know the big name dinosaurs—Tyrannosaurus, Allosaurus, Velociraptor, etc.—but that’s about the extent of my grasp of Dinosauria. However, my nephew Cameron is a budding paleontologist at the age of two (yes, 2) and he constantly schools me on the … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Art, Europe, Film, Photography | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Not just the Gateway to the Fjords

Posted on December 8, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Bergen has to be one of my favorite small European cities. The beautifully situated and stunningly scenic city has long been promoted as “the gateway to the Fjords” with much success. But now the tourism professionals at Visit Bergen have … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Film, Tourism, Travel Writing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Australia or New Zealand

Posted on November 24, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I recently had the opportunity to spend three weeks roadtripping around New Zealand. While I was there, I discovered that there were quite a few Australians living and working in the neighboring nation. However, I frequently could not tell the … Continue reading →

Posted in Film, Tourism | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

New Zealand : Littlest Free Library

Posted on November 20, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

If you are familiar with the BBC television series Top of the Lake, you may also know that much of the outdoor shoots were in and around the tiny New Zealand village of Glenorchy. The mountain community quite literally sits at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Bookstore Tourism, Film, movies, Tourism | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment