Friday Links
Here’s a wide range of reading and viewing for your early weekend pleasure:
- The first part of a series of videos on remix culture called, aptly enough, “Everything is a Remix.” Â One of the strengths of the video is the argument that remix practices have a much longer history (note the persistent recycling of the bass line from Chic’s “Good Times”). Â This video is really good on how we evaluate the quality of remixes, so this is certainly a project that is well worth following (update: via Film Doctor).
- Given some of my interests, I’m bummed that I haven’t come across Aina Abiodun’s Film Futurist blog sooner, but her recent discussion of three new movies that negatively depict social networking and/or the internet is well worth a read.
- The Vulture has an interview with Werner Herzog about his new 3-D documentary about cave paintings (which I can’t wait to see). Â Keep reading for the section where he explains his distaste for Avatar, in part because he is “allergic against group sessions of yoga.” Â Speaking of 3-D: here is a little more skepticism about the appeal of 3-D storytelling, with Jeffrey Katzenberg calling for more films that “look good” in 3-D, while a DirecTV casts 3-D TV as a “niche” product for the foreseeable future.
- Matt Dentler links to and analyzes a recent study that observes (among other things) that 37% of Netflix subscribers aged 25 to 34 use Netflix’s streaming service as a substitute for pay cable.
- Here is an interesting documentary short about the success of Threadless Tees, the online T-shirt company that sells uniquely designed shirts. Â It’s pretty celebratory, but the exploration of design culture is worth watching.
- Via News for TV Majors, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert are organizing rallies in Washington, DC. Â Stewart’s rally is a Rally to Restore Sanity, while Colbert’s planning a March to Keep Fear Alive. Â James Poniewozik and CNN have all the details. It may jut be time for a “research trip” to our nation’s capital.
- The LA Times also has a discussion of the promotional plans for Paranormal Activity 2.