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July 22, 2005
Things to Do in D.C. When You're Distracted
There's a film festival, Slapsticon, this weekend in Arlington featuring primarily "silent" films. The schedule of films looks great with features by Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Harry Langdon, and Harold Lloyd. The silent films will be accompanied by a wide variety of musicians. If you're in the DC area, this sounds like an entertaining film series. But right now, I'm more excited about the fact that I'll finally get the chance to check out the AFI Silver Theatre in Silver Spring, which sounds like a really cool place (of course, any place with central air sounds cool to me right now).
Ralph tipped me off to the Smithsonian's collection of previously unpublished photographs from the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial. Included are several photographs taken in downtown Dayton, Tennessee, during that summer's trial. While these photographs appeal to the documentarian in me, they also have a strange personal resonance because I've been to Dayton once or twice because the undergraduate college I attended played Bryan College, named after Scopes prosecutor William Jennings Bryan, in basketball (Bryan College recently staged a re-enactment of the famous trial). Given all of the recent debates about "intelligent design," it's interesting to revisit some of these historical images (and a reminder that I'm pretty lucky to be living in museum central, even if it's only for a short time).
Update: Speaking of the Silver, there will be a film series showing the work of Jim Jarmusch in August to accompany the release of his latest film, Broken Flowers. And speaking of evolution, there's a film series sponsored by the National Istitute of Health called Science in Cinema that also looks interesting (admission to the science series is free, which makes it sound a little more interesting).
Posted by chuck at July 22, 2005 1:41 PM
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Comments
Heya, Chuck. Could you change the link to my site on your sidebar so that it points at my new address? 'Twould be much appreciated.
Posted by: Matt at July 23, 2005 11:33 AM
OOO I am so jealous right now, I think Jim Jarmusch is great. have you ever seen Fishing With John, he's in it. He also directed a SpongeBob SquarePants episode, Hooky. Anyhow, sound like you're setting in nicely.
Posted by: Sienna Brown at July 23, 2005 2:20 PM
Thank for the link to the Scope trial pictures. My grandfather actually attended the trial as a spectator. It's odd to think that creationist sentiment is probably nearly as high today in E. Tennessee as it was then - and that the intervening years are now a lost era.
Posted by: Chris at July 23, 2005 10:41 PM
Matt, I'll change the link ASAP.
Chris, it would have been fascinating to witness that trial, but yeah, it would be interesting to trace the history of creationist sentiment. I remember having mixed feelings whenever I passed by the courthouse in Dayton.
Sienna, settling in nicely. I stumbled across a screening of some of Stan Brakahge's films at teh National Gallery this afternoon. Cool stuff.
Posted by: Chuck at July 23, 2005 11:15 PM