Wednesday Wonders 20

The Wednesday distraction...

1. CDK doing Bohemian Rhapsody

The Dutch dance troupe are back! Nothing lifts the mood like watching these guys.

2. A picture of Peter Falk sketching

Because why not?

3. Wright of Derby

From Wikipedia:

Wright is notable for his use of tenebrism, an exaggerated form of the better known chiaroscuro effect, which emphasizes the contrast of light and dark, and for his paintings of candle-lit subjects. His paintings of the birth of science out of alchemy, often based on the meetings of the Lunar Society of Birmingham, a group of scientists and industrialists living in the English Midlands, are a significant record of the struggle of science against religious values in the period known as the Age of Enlightenment.

There's a new exhibition of Joseph Wright's work at the National Gallery in London, which I am heading to as soon as I get a moment.

4. Michael Herr's "Kubrick"

I have almost certainly mentioned this before, but Michael Herr's short memoir of his time working with Kubrick explodes a lot of the myths and paints a detailed, personal portrait of the greatest film-maker who ever lived. It can be hard to get hold of, but if you can source a copy, it's well worth it.

5. John Frankenheimer's "The Train"

In the last moments of the Nazi occupation of Paris, the Germans load up a train with priceless artwork to transport back to Berlin. Burt Lancaster is the French(!) Resistance fighter tasked with stopping the train. Frankenheimer makes an incredibly human movie whilst managing to hit all the required genre beats. The Train may well be a masterpiece, and it's on Amazon Prime at the moment.