GusÂtaÂvo Dudamel, the new music direcÂtor of the Los AngeÂles PhilÂharÂmonÂic, kicked off his tenure last SatÂurÂday with a free perÂforÂmance of Beethoven’s SymÂphoÂny No. 9 at the HolÂlyÂwood Bowl. 18,000 peoÂple were in attenÂdance. You can lisÂten to the conÂcert in its entireÂty here, and read a review of Dudamel’s maidÂen voyÂage with the LA Phil here.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono on the Dick Cavett Show
A litÂtle birthÂday present. John Lennon would have been 69 years old today. This memÂoÂrable interÂview, recordÂed in 1971, feaÂtures John and Yoko in a canÂdid, relaxed and wide-rangÂing conÂverÂsaÂtion with one of AmerÂiÂca’s leadÂing talk show hosts at the time. To watch the full interÂview, see Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6. These interÂviews, and othÂer Lennon interÂviews with Cavett, are all part of a DVD that you purÂchase at AmaÂzon.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
The BeaÂtÂles RemasÂtered: An Inside Look
What New YorkÂers Heard on the Radio the Night John Lennon was Shot
The BeaÂtÂles: PodÂcasts from YesÂterÂday
The Grey Video: MixÂing the BeaÂtÂles with Jay‑Z
Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver” Now on YouTube
I had to give this at least a menÂtion. MarÂtin ScorsÂese’s Taxi DriÂver (1976) is now free to watch on YouTube. If you live in the US, you can watch the clasÂsic film starÂring Robert DeNiro, Jodie FosÂter, and HarÂvey KeiÂtÂel here. If you live outÂside the US, you’re unforÂtuÂnateÂly out of luck, at least for now. (There’s some hope that the film will get rolled out to interÂnaÂtionÂal marÂkets soon.) NorÂmalÂly, I wouldÂn’t knowÂingÂly highÂlight a geo-blocked film — it’s not very “open,” I know — but this seemed a litÂtle too good to pass up. This YouTube proÂmoÂtion is sponÂsored by Crackle.com, a Sony PicÂtures site where you can watch othÂer major films online.
NOTE: You can find many great films in our colÂlecÂtion of Free Movies Online.
James Ellroy on Re-Writing History
James EllÂroy’s new crime ficÂtion novÂel, BloodÂ’s a Rover, takes you back to the tumulÂtuous sumÂmer of 1968, to a world inhabÂitÂed by J. Edgar Hoover, Howard HughÂes, the Black PanÂthers, and the mob runÂning their rackÂets in the DominiÂcan RepubÂlic. Above, in his own inimÂitable style, EllÂroy gives you the scoop on how he goes about writÂing hisÂtorÂiÂcal ficÂtion. To get a feel for the book, you can read a PDF of the first chapÂter here. And if you want to get the audio book for free, check out Audible.com’s standÂing offer.
via Media Bistro
Who is Herta Muller?
This mornÂing, the Nobel Prize for LitÂerÂaÂture was awardÂed to the RomanÂian author, HerÂta Muller. There’s a good chance that you’re not familÂiar with her work. So let me steer you to this proÂfile in the TeleÂgraph. You can also read this excerptÂed interÂview that goes back to 1999. If I come across any media feaÂturÂing Muller (so far, not much is comÂing up), I will post it as the day goes on.
Richard Dawkins on “The Greatest Show on Earth”
Richard Dawkins, the promiÂnent Oxford UniÂverÂsiÂty biolÂoÂgist, has folÂlowed up The God DeluÂsion (2006) with The GreatÂest Show on Earth (SepÂtemÂber, 2009). After havÂing made the case for atheÂism, Dawkins now looks to debunk “IntelÂliÂgent Design” and lay out the sheer volÂume of eviÂdence supÂportÂing evoÂluÂtion. Above, Dawkins reads pasÂsages from his book and then talks about evoÂluÂtion and why, relÂaÂtive to othÂer sciÂenÂtifÂic theÂoÂries, it tends to meet so much oppoÂsiÂtion. The video comes from the Guardian where you can also find a review of Dawkins’ new book.
Note: you should be able to downÂload Dawkins’ book for free (in audio forÂmat) through Audible.com’s standÂing offer. Details here.
Free Film Noir at Archive.org
Mark FrauenÂfelder, over at BoingÂBoÂing, has flagged a nice film noir colÂlecÂtion housed at Archive. org. All films are pubÂlic domain and free. Among the 43 films you’ll find Beat the DevÂil (1953), a John HusÂton film starÂring Humphrey BogÂaÂrt. (Watch it here.) Archive.org also hosts a good numÂber of othÂer films, and I’ve highÂlightÂed some in a preÂviÂous post: 35 Places to Watch Free Movies Online
via BoingÂBoÂing
The Case for God: The First Chapter
As we menÂtioned last week, Karen ArmÂstrong’s new book, The Case for God, is out. And now you can read the first chapÂter for free. Just click on this link, and then the book viewÂer on the left side of the page. It will expand, and from there you can start flipÂping through the pages. Be warned, the viewer/reader is a litÂtle clunky. The downÂside of free, I guess.
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