Category Archives: movies

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 →

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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 →

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There and back again

Posted on July 30, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

I’m in the midst of planning a road trip around New Zealand for later this year and was exploring Lord of the Rings and Hobbit related film sites. In the process, I stumbled upon these wonderful cross section drawings of Bag End—the ancestral home … Continue reading →

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There and back again (again)

Posted on January 12, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Last year I posted a story about the Oxford Bodleian Library once-in-a-lifetime exhibition Tolkien: Maker of Middle Earth, which was the most extensive public display of original Tolkien materials ever gathered in one place. This week I was dead chuffed to discover … Continue reading →

Posted in Animation, Art, Books, Libraries, Maps, movies, Museums, Photography, USA, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Isn’t all of Britain fictional

Posted on January 10, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Fake Britain is a marvelous map to more than 400 fictional locations in England, Scotland and Wales featuring made-up towns, villages, castles, islands, and more. Created by Matt Brown and Rhys B. Davis, the map draws from films, television and books. … Continue reading →

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Yes! We Have No Bananas

Posted on January 2, 2019 by Brian D. Butler

Unlike most civilized nations the United States does not deem a work to be in the public domain according to who created it (i.e. established by the death date of its creator), but rather when it was published. As you may know, in … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Books, Europe, Film, Freedom of Speech, History, movies, Museums, Music, Photography, Theater, USA, Writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment

William S. Burroughs gets spooky

Posted on October 31, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

The Witches or Witchcraft Through the Ages, or Häxan, is a Swedish-Danish film that is a curious and groundbreaking mix of documentary and silent horror cinema, written and directed by Benjamin Christensen. Christensen’s vision was unique, basing his film on non-fiction works, mainly the Malleus … Continue reading →

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Books Are Sharks

Posted on July 3, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

“We were talking about The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which was something which resembled an iPad, long before it appeared. And I said when something like that happens, it’s going to be the death of the book. Douglas said, … Continue reading →

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Long Walk To A Dark Place

Posted on April 24, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

A big h/t to Cameron Booth for the link to this marvelous Middle Earth “transit” map. Commissioned by Empire magazine,the brilliant map which plots the journeys of the key characters through the Peter Jackson film adaptations of The Hobbit and Lord of the … Continue reading →

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How Meta

Posted on August 24, 2017 by Brian D. Butler

I ran across the gif above on a book blog and was skeptical when it was described as a clip of Humphrey Bogart on the set of Howard Hawks’ 1946 film noir classic The Big Sleep. With just a little sleuthing, I … Continue reading →

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