TSP1994: Visions of Heaven and Hell

Visions of Heaven and Hell. Mark Harrison, Leanne Klein. 1994.

This is a documentary TV series about the Internet and technology narrated by Tilda Swinton.

The programme starts with a disclaimer about how difficult it’s to say what the future’s going to be like, but they’re pretty much correct about a lot of what they were predicting. Especially about the impact of the Internet. You can find this and be depressed on Youtube.

“They are always on-line and never off-duty.”

This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1990: Fruits of Fear

Fruits of Fear. Ngozi Onwurah. 1990.

You can watch this on Youtube.

“Every time you buy a Cape apple you’re buying a bullet to kill our people.” This is a documentary short with a simple message: Boycott South Africa Now. (I.e., in 1990.)

While the message is clear, I’m surprised at how fairly they present Thatcher’s point of view: We do get to hear her full er line of reasoning before it’s rebutted.

“Just don’t buy those apples.”

This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

TSP1989: Cycling the Frame

I saw the follow-up first, The Invisible Frame, without knowing about the existence of this film.  But I went to Berlin last week and we watched them both, in sequence, at the hotel room one night.

They’re really good.  The first film is grainier, of course, but they’re a pretty fascinating pair.  And the entire wall thing is just so bizarre.  I never visited Berlin before it came down, and it’s so hard to imagine it when visiting now…  It’s like a dream.  And not a good one.

Cycling the Frame. Cynthia Beatt. 1989.

This post is part of The Tilda Swinton Project.

The Tilda Swinton Project Reloaded

When I decided to watch all the films Tilda Swinton had appeared in (because reasons) I used imdb as the primary source for her appearances.  I also added a couple I found on her Wikipedia page, but I assumed that imdb had virtually everything of interest.

But then I discovered the 1989 longish short “Cycling the Frame” as the extra on the 2009 film The Invisible Frame.  It seemed pretty interesting!  My faith was shattered!

DRAMA!

So I downloaded the raw imdb data, and there were about 2x more Tilda Swinton entries there than on the web page!

*goes out and buys pearls to have something to clutch*

But it turns out that most of the extra stuff is unlisted for good reasons.  Here’s how it begins:

1976 "La nuit des Césars" {32ème nuit des Césars (#1.32)} [Herself]
1976 "La nuit des Césars" {34ème nuit des Césars (#1.34)} [Herself]
1979 "CBS News Sunday Morning" {(2008-10-12)} (archive footage) [Herself]
1981 "Entertainment Tonight" {(2008-02-26)} [Herself]
1981 "Entertainment Tonight" {(2008-08-15)} [Herself]
1981 "Entertainment Tonight" {(2008-12-09)} [Herself]
1984 "30 minuts" {La catifa indiscreta} [Herself]
1984 "Cinema 3" {(2009-02-28)} [Herself]
1984 "Cinema 3" {(2011-05-19)} [Herself]
1984 "Cinema 3" {(2012-03-15)} [Herself]
1984 "Cinema 3" {(2013-05-30)} [Herself]
1984 "Cinema 3" {(2014-06-12)} [Herself]
1987 "The Media Show" {(#3.10)} [Herself]
1987 "The Media Show" {Edward II (#8.9)} [Herself]
1991 "Charlie Rose" {(2002-01-10)} [Herself - Guest]
1991 "Charlie Rose" {(2004-04-16)} [Herself - Guest]
1991 "Charlie Rose" {(2010-06-21)} [Herself - Guest]
1991 "Charlie Rose" {(2012-02-01)} [Herself - Guest]

Lots and lots of appearances on award shows, talk shows and the like.  Understandably suppressed by imdb on their web pages.

However, there were about 20 films (mostly shorts and documentaries) that seemed interesting (basically everything that’s not a talk show appearance, mention in a film programme, or appearance in a DVD commentary), so I got the ones that were gettable.  I think they’ve all arrived now, so this weekend I’m going to watch them.

Even if imdb didn’t find them worthy of listing on their web pages.