War

Wow.

I finally caught up on all 10 hours of WWII in HD, broadcast on the History Channel. I have always been intrigued by this period in history and what was happening behind the battle scenes and around the world. Drawing on battlefield and archival footage discovered in a multi-year search and converted into high definition, the series provides a gripping account of the realities and horrors of war, and personalizes it by following the stories of 12 servicemen and women.

I couldn't stop watching it.

The footage was primarily broadcast in color, which gave the graphic scenes even more weight. For the first time, I could really understand the breadth of activity and timing of how the war played out across the globe. The series was produced by a family friend, so I am off to send a personal note commending him on such a grand achievement. Plus, a phone call to my father thanking him again for his service during WWII.

Definitely check out at least a part of this stunning documentary series when it is re-broadcast or on DVD.

MJ

I finally caught This Is It, the documentary on Michael Jackson's final months preparing for his aborted comeback concert tour. Sad.

I've spent some of my career watching musical geniuses at work; it's always fascinating and frequently awe-inspiring. No less so watching Jackson work through musical numbers and inspiring others through his art. My favorite part of the film is the development of Thriller 2009 - the concert update (a merging of pre-filmed video with on-stage production) to Michael Jackson's most famous music video.

I mostly feel sorry for all of the young artists and technicians who also committed so much time and energy to the rehearsals without seeing their work and dreams fulfilled. I hope at least they can cherish the time spent interacting with and learning from the King of Pop.

It's too bad that we'll never experience the final concert hurrah of Michael Jackson, but it's comforting and fitting that through the lens of documentary film, we at least have a glimpse at what might have been and a last look at what we've had.

R.I.P. MJ.

Photo

I love the art of photography, so was excited to visit the new Annenberg Space for Photography last weekend for the "Sport: Iooss & Leifer" exhibit. Spanning the careers of two legendary sports photographers, Walter Iooss and Neil Leifer, this cool exhibit features many famous photos and a digital feature documentary presentation about how they have captured high-action moments and athlete portraits in such brilliant detail and clarity. I particularly enjoyed the black and white photographs from the 1960s era in baseball and football, and the iconic ringside shots of Muhammed Ali. The Annenberg space itself is very modern and spacious, but is tucked inside a large professional complex without adequate signage, so plan your trip ahead of time.

The visit also reminded me of a terrific documentary on photography that I saw earlier this year at the DWELL on Design conference, Eric Bricker's Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman. The film celebrates the career and life of this singular architectural photographer who hit his apex in the mid-20th century working for the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright and Richard Neutra. It also showcases many of the modern homes that Shulman captured in his luminous style. Julius Shulman recently passed away in Los Angeles at the age of 98, but I'm glad he lived to see this anthology of his life's work. His stunning photographs, including the iconic 1960 shot of Koenig's Case Study House #22 (The Stahl House), will surely live on. The Stahl House is now open for tours, by the way, which I recommend for its amazing views of Los Angeles.

A picture is definitely worth a thousand words.