THE UNDERGROUND — ISSUE #55
Everything you need to know about in this weekly series: Amazing and haunting images of the past, some directors discuss how they make their movies, the new Sherlock trailer, and a different view of the Star Wars universe.
At Social Underground we go beyond the mainstream stuff and see what’s underneath the surface. What should we get into, listen to, read, eat or watch? If there is something in our culture that needs attention that’s our job: Show you the underground things that you need to know about: Books, music, television, movies, comedians, art, and whatever else we can find to get you into something you never knew about. That’s The Underground.
1. 36 photos of history that will give you shock and awe. I love history. I love reading the best of history and love reading the worst of it. Humans are capable of the most beautiful acts, but we’re also capable of horror. The photo album below shows such things from the first atomic bomb to the last photo before a girl was murdered. It shows Machu Picchu when it was found again, and then it shows the horror of World War 2.
Henry Ford is also featured in this photo album. You may know him as the founder of Ford Motor Company, but he was also a huge anti-Semite. Living in Michigan, we rarely talk about it because Ford is the company that started everything, but the guy was a complete dick. He even published a four pamphlet set called The International Jew. The guy inspired Hitler! It’s rumored that when Ford saw the atrocities of the Holocaust, it killed him because being the inspiration to a genocide is not a great legacy.
Anyway, have a look at the photos below. How the photo in Chernobyl’s reactor happened is a story that I will continue to research.
2. The director’s roundtable with Christopher Nolan and more. In this video from 2014, Angelina Jolie (Unbroken), Christopher Nolan (Interstellar), Richard Linklater (Boyhood), Mike Leigh (Mr. Turner), Bennett Miller (Foxcatcher) and Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game) discuss their new films at the time. It’s amazing to see director’s discuss how they make their movies. I’ve always wanted to be a film director and screenwriter, but I never thought I could actually pull it off. Watching these people discuss their process in making a film is pretty damn great.
Christopher Nolan is my favorite director. He’s the best in the business because he not only can use a big budget to make an ambitious film, but he also has a great script that he wrote. You go to the theater for escapism. You go to the theater to be invested into what is happening on the screen. He gives you that. I saw Interstellar on a real IMAX. It was something I would tell my kids about. Sure, you can go back and say that a few things were weird, but then you can go watch Transformers 4 and shut your face hole.
Watch some great directors talk below… well, maybe not so much Angelina Jolie. Unbreakable was unwatchable.
3. Check out the new Sherlock Christmas special trailer before its release on New Years Day. Yeah, I know, it is a Christmas special that premieres in January. Doesn’t matter, new Sherlock standalone episode! If you haven’t seen the show, you need to get on Netflix right away and watch it. You will notice that each season only has 3 episodes, but each episode is 90 minutes long. Each episode is crafted with care like a great movie. So, essentially, each season you get 3 new Sherlock Holmes movies. Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman own this series with their great acting. Everything about the show is great. I can’t stress that enough.
Check out the trailer below to see what will probably be the best thing to happen on New Years Day. After you watch it on Jan 1st, remember that 1999 was a really long time ago. The special episode will air on Jan. 1, 2016 at 9 p.m. EST on Masterpiece on PBS in the United States.
4. This Star Wars gag reel will make you look at the film less seriously. Star Wars is pretty great — minus the prequels — but sometimes people take them way too serious. I mean, it’s a movie where a whiny brat is taught by a Grandpa to use space magic with the help of a pirate and his dog sidekick. Let’s chill out and realize that we can have a sense of humor. Lucas realized this when he made the prequels a joke. Right? (*Researches*) Oh, my bad. Those were serious movies. Yeesh.
Anyway, here is a gag reel from the original film that will show you that these people are just actors. It’s all in good fun. So, as you go and see Star Wars: The Force Awakens, remember that this is the film that started it all. Look how much fun they’re having! (*waves lightsaber, spills spaghetti on floor*)
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Jeff Sorensen is an author, writer and occasional comedian living in Detroit, Michigan. You can look for more of his work on The Huffington Post,UPROXX,BGR and by just looking up his name.
Contact: jeff@socialunderground.com