When does Photography become Art?

Unclaimed Mysteries wrote:

John Turco wrote in part:

Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili (a.k.a., Joseph Stalin) studied for
the priesthood, in his younger days. Would that Dolph and Joe had stayed
with their original, respective occupational plans!


German Expressionists would have invaded Czechoslovakia?


Hello, Corry:

A "shuttering" thought, indeed! g


Cordially,
John Turco

And lo, John Turco emerged from the ether
and spake thus:
Aaron wrote:

And lo, John Turco emerged from the ether
and spake thus:
Aaron wrote:

I wouldn't go so far as to suggest that art can be made
"automatically," although software such as "Aaron" (named aptly, I
should add) pushes the boundaries of that belief.

Hello, Aaron:

Somebody named a program, after you? :-)

edited, for brevity

Salutations, John:

No, regrettably, it was created when I was but a youngster still
vandalizing my parents' walls with crayons.

Hello, Aaron:

Well, then, can you identify the person, of whom this "Aaron"
application is a namesake? Could it be Henry "Hank" Aaron, the old
baseball slugger, whose (Major League) career home run record is
currently being threatened, by Barry Bonds?

(Nah, didn't think so! g)

Nevertheless, there can be a certain artistic property to creations
made with a purposeful neglect for the process. Take, for example, The
Blair Witch Project. I didn't like that film, but apparently enough
people liked it to give it a fairly broad release. I wouldn't say that
it is a masterpiece of cinema, or that it represents a timeless
achievement in film, but it has a certain quality to it owing to how
little post-production was done, which was a conscious decision on the
part of the filmmakers.

So, do you think that the infamously horrid Hollywood director, Ed Wood,
ever created anything artistic?

As I say, art is in the eye of the beholder. Surely Ed Wood's
spectacularly horrid creations were unearthed in the '80s for a
certain "camp" value that might, to some, be seen as artistic. That
certainly doesn't make it good.

At least Ed Wood himself satisfied two of the major prerequisites to
artistic stardom: he died penniless and in obscurity...

edited

Sad, very sad. It was only after his death that he received any real
recognition, whatsoever; even then, he became the subject of ridicule.

Ed Wood (1924-1978) may have been a crummy director, but, he wasn't a
bad person. The way he tried to help Bela Lugosi (1882-1956), his lone
actor of any merit, was laudable.

By the mid-1950's, Lugosi - immortalized, in "Dracula" (1931) - was an
old, impoverished man, in poor health and far from his native land
of Hungary. Wood was one of his few friends, in the whole world, when
Lugosi eventually succumbed to a heart attack, in 1956.

These events, among others, are depicted in the fictionalized account,
"Ed Wood" (1994). Howlingly hilarious, with Johnny Depp in the title
role, and Martin Landau stealing the show, as Lugosi (Oscar-winning
performance, best supporting actor).


Cordially,
John Turco

It's been a long time since I've seen that 1931 Dracula, but I recall
that it had some cool mechanical effects that must have frightened the
pants off of a 1931 audience, such as Dracula quickly "sliding" across
the floor, as vampires are wont to do.

The 1992 remake ("Bram Stoker's Dracula") was pretty scary in its own
right.

--
Aaron
http://www.fisheyegallery.com
http://www.singleservingphoto.com

"Aaron" wrote in message
...
And lo, John Turco emerged from the ether
and spake thus:

[ . . . ]

Sad, very sad. It was only after his death that he received any real
recognition, whatsoever; even then, he became the subject of ridicule.

Ed Wood (1924-1978) may have been a crummy director, but, he wasn't a
bad person. The way he tried to help Bela Lugosi (1882-1956), his lone
actor of any merit, was laudable.

By the mid-1950's, Lugosi - immortalized, in "Dracula" (1931) - was an
old, impoverished man, in poor health and far from his native land
of Hungary. Wood was one of his few friends, in the whole world, when
Lugosi eventually succumbed to a heart attack, in 1956.

These events, among others, are depicted in the fictionalized account,
"Ed Wood" (1994). Howlingly hilarious, with Johnny Depp in the title
role, and Martin Landau stealing the show, as Lugosi (Oscar-winning
performance, best supporting actor).


Cordially,
John Turco

It's been a long time since I've seen that 1931 Dracula, but I recall
that it had some cool mechanical effects that must have frightened the
pants off of a 1931 audience, such as Dracula quickly "sliding" across
the floor, as vampires are wont to do.

Hmmm. I don't recall sliding across the floor at all in the 1931 Dracula,
and I've seen it several times.

Sure you're not thinking of Nosferatu (1922, I think)? It sounds more like
the sort of thing that was done in that movie.


The 1992 remake ("Bram Stoker's Dracula") was pretty scary in its own
right.

Yes, it was excellent. "Bram Stoker's Dracula" wasn't really Bram Stoker's
Dracula, but it came closer to the novel than any of the others.

Neil

And lo, John Turco emerged from the ether
and spake thus (in part):

[ . . . ]
Sad, very sad. It was only after his death that he received any real
recognition, whatsoever; even then, he became the subject of ridicule.

Ed Wood (1924-1978) may have been a crummy director, but, he wasn't a
bad person. The way he tried to help Bela Lugosi (1882-1956), his lone
actor of any merit, was laudable.

By the mid-1950's, Lugosi - immortalized, in "Dracula" (1931) - was an
old, impoverished man, in poor health and far from his native land
of Hungary. Wood was one of his few friends, in the whole world, when
Lugosi eventually succumbed to a heart attack, in 1956.

These events, among others, are depicted in the fictionalized account,
"Ed Wood" (1994). Howlingly hilarious, with Johnny Depp in the title
role, and Martin Landau stealing the show, as Lugosi (Oscar-winning
performance, best supporting actor).


PULL THE STRING!!!

--
It Came From Corry Lee Smith's Unclaimed Mysteries.
http://www.unclaimedmysteries.net

Neil Harrington wrote:

"Aaron" wrote in message

edited, for brevity

It's been a long time since I've seen that 1931 Dracula, but I recall
that it had some cool mechanical effects that must have frightened the
pants off of a 1931 audience, such as Dracula quickly "sliding" across
the floor, as vampires are wont to do.

Hmmm. I don't recall sliding across the floor at all in the 1931 Dracula,
and I've seen it several times.

Sure you're not thinking of Nosferatu (1922, I think)? It sounds more like
the sort of thing that was done in that movie.


The 1992 remake ("Bram Stoker's Dracula") was pretty scary in its own
right.

Yes, it was excellent. "Bram Stoker's Dracula" wasn't really Bram Stoker's
Dracula, but it came closer to the novel than any of the others.

Neil


Hello, Neil:

Personally, I've never been much of a horror buff. Give me that good,
straight, old-fashioned 1950's science fiction cinema, I say!

"Fiend Without a Face" (1958; British) is a perfect example, thereof.
In somewhat keeping with the Dracula motif, this suspenseful chiller
[starring American actor, Marshall Thompson (1925-1992)] concerns
"mental vampires," as it were.

So terrifying, it was banned in Sweden! g


Cordially,
John Turco

Unclaimed Mysteries wrote:

And lo, John Turco emerged from the ether
and spake thus (in part):

edited, for brevity

These events, among others, are depicted in the fictionalized account,
"Ed Wood" (1994). Howlingly hilarious, with Johnny Depp in the title
role, and Martin Landau stealing the show, as Lugosi (Oscar-winning
performance, best supporting actor).


PULL THE STRING!!!


Hello, Corry:

"I play Lobo!" :-)


Cordially,
John Turco

And lo, John Turco emerged from the ether
and spake thus:
Neil Harrington wrote:

"Aaron" wrote in message

edited, for brevity

It's been a long time since I've seen that 1931 Dracula, but I recall
that it had some cool mechanical effects that must have frightened the
pants off of a 1931 audience, such as Dracula quickly "sliding" across
the floor, as vampires are wont to do.

Hmmm. I don't recall sliding across the floor at all in the 1931 Dracula,
and I've seen it several times.

Sure you're not thinking of Nosferatu (1922, I think)? It sounds more like
the sort of thing that was done in that movie.


The 1992 remake ("Bram Stoker's Dracula") was pretty scary in its own
right.

Yes, it was excellent. "Bram Stoker's Dracula" wasn't really Bram Stoker's
Dracula, but it came closer to the novel than any of the others.

Neil


Hello, Neil:

Personally, I've never been much of a horror buff. Give me that good,
straight, old-fashioned 1950's science fiction cinema, I say!

Greetings John,

How about the classic "This Island Earth," forever immortalized in the
riff tracks of Mystery Science Theater 3000 the Movie (which I've been
trying to find on DVD for years), but not the most horrible campy
sci-fi movie on its own right.

On a more serious note, The Day the Earth Stood Still is always a good
bet, too.

--
Aaron
http://www.fisheyegallery.com
http://www.singleservingphoto.com

Aaron wrote:

And lo, John Turco emerged from the ether
and spake thus:

edited, for brevity

Personally, I've never been much of a horror buff. Give me that good,
straight, old-fashioned 1950's science fiction cinema, I say!

Greetings John,

How about the classic "This Island Earth," forever immortalized in the
riff tracks of Mystery Science Theater 3000 the Movie (which I've been
trying to find on DVD for years), but not the most horrible campy
sci-fi movie on its own right.

Hello, Aaron:

Yes, "This Island Earth" (1955) is a valiant attempt at intelligent
science fiction. I've never been particularly impressed with its
"vaunted" special effects or production values (other than the brilliant
Technicolor), though. Especially, as it was claimed to be "2½ years in
the making" -- if so, there must've been a concerted effort, in creating
a cost overrun! g

Its stars, Jeff Morrow (1907-1993) and Rex Reason, teamed up again, the
following year, in "The Creature Walks Among Us" (1956). I consider this
to be the best of the three "Gillman" pictures, whereas most critics
haved panned it, as the worst.

The original "Outer Limits" (1963-'65) series ranks at the top of
television's sci-fi shows, in my opinion. It seems to be a blend of
Fifties-style monsters and Sixties social commentary, and is very
skillfully crafted, overall. (I've both seasons, on a pair of DVD
boxed sets.)

Incidentally, if a you're a fan of science fiction camp, you'd probably
savor the garbage, churned out by the noted hack director, Roger Corman.

On a more serious note, The Day the Earth Stood Still is always a good
bet, too.

Indeed, I own a DVD version of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1950),
and have both it and the aforementioned films, on VHS tape (recorded off
cable TV).


Cordially,
John Turco


PS: "Fiend Without a Face" (1958; British) - which I referred to,
in an earlier post in this thread - is, essentially, a rehash of the
much more famous "Forbidden Planet" (1956). Officially, the former
is loosely based on a story, published in a 1930 issue of "Weird
Tales" (an American pulp magazine).

Regardless, I believe "Fiend" is the superior movie, and far less
pretentious.

John Turco wrote:

Aaron wrote:

heavily edited, for brevity

On a more serious note, The Day the Earth Stood Still is always a good
bet, too.

Indeed, I own a DVD version of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1950),
and have both it and the aforementioned films, on VHS tape (recorded off
cable TV).

edited

Hello, Aaron:

Correction: "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951).


Cordially,
John Turco

And lo, John Turco emerged from the ether
and spake thus:
Aaron wrote:

And lo, John Turco emerged from the ether
and spake thus:

edited, for brevity

Personally, I've never been much of a horror buff. Give me that good,
straight, old-fashioned 1950's science fiction cinema, I say!

Greetings John,

How about the classic "This Island Earth," forever immortalized in the
riff tracks of Mystery Science Theater 3000 the Movie (which I've been
trying to find on DVD for years), but not the most horrible campy
sci-fi movie on its own right.

Hello, Aaron:

Yes, "This Island Earth" (1955) is a valiant attempt at intelligent
science fiction. I've never been particularly impressed with its
"vaunted" special effects or production values (other than the brilliant
Technicolor), though. Especially, as it was claimed to be "2½ years in
the making" -- if so, there must've been a concerted effort, in creating
a cost overrun! g

Its stars, Jeff Morrow (1907-1993) and Rex Reason, teamed up again, the
following year, in "The Creature Walks Among Us" (1956). I consider this
to be the best of the three "Gillman" pictures, whereas most critics
haved panned it, as the worst.

The original "Outer Limits" (1963-'65) series ranks at the top of
television's sci-fi shows, in my opinion. It seems to be a blend of
Fifties-style monsters and Sixties social commentary, and is very
skillfully crafted, overall. (I've both seasons, on a pair of DVD
boxed sets.)

Incidentally, if a you're a fan of science fiction camp, you'd probably
savor the garbage, churned out by the noted hack director, Roger Corman.

On a more serious note, The Day the Earth Stood Still is always a good
bet, too.

Indeed, I own a DVD version of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1950),
and have both it and the aforementioned films, on VHS tape (recorded off
cable TV).


Cordially,
John Turco


PS: "Fiend Without a Face" (1958; British) - which I referred to,
in an earlier post in this thread - is, essentially, a rehash of the
much more famous "Forbidden Planet" (1956). Officially, the former
is loosely based on a story, published in a 1930 issue of "Weird
Tales" (an American pulp magazine).

Regardless, I believe "Fiend" is the superior movie, and far less
pretentious.

Salutations Mr. John Turco:

It turns out that you are quite the vintage film aficionado. I,
myself, appreciate a good camp flick from time to time and always
enjoyed shows like The Twilight Zone, but have never seen "The
Creature Walks Among Us" or "Fiend Without a Face."

Being a subscriber to and avid user of Netflix, I will see about
viewing those aforementioned films at some point. Right now I have
Citizen Kane on my TV stand, having never seen it before!

I'll also investigate Roger Corman while I'm at it, thanks for the
tip. If there's anything I like better than good movies it's good
*bad* movies.

--
Aaron
http://www.fisheyegallery.com
http://www.singleservingphoto.com