1) FILM / TELEVISION
FORMULA 1: DRIVE TO SURVIVE - (Netflix, Docuseries)
Although I am not early on this recommendation, I feel like many people have passed on this show out of pure disinterest in automotive racing. Well, let me be the one to tell you that you are missing out. I am currently finishing season one of this four season (currently) Netflix series, and I am hooked.
“Formula 1: Drive to Survive is a documentary series produced in a collaboration between Netflix and Formula One to give a behind-the-scenes look at the drivers and races of the Formula One World Championship.
The first season covering the 2018 World Championship premiered on 8 March 2019, the second season covering the 2019 World Championship premiered on 28 February 2020, and the third season covering the 2020 World Championship premiered on 19 March 2021. A fourth season covering the 2021 World Championship was premiered on 11 March 2022.” - Wikipedia
There has been some controversy as of late, whether the creative team has take too much “creative license” while creating this show. I mean, it is reality tv in a way. However, it does give you a behind the scenes look at the Formula 1 world, its drivers, and the owners and their teams of managers and crews as they navigate a season of driving all around the world. Let’s just say I will be keeping my eyes open for a possible opportunity to attend a race in the future. It is pure adrenaline out there on the track, and worth the gander.
Here is the intro trailer:
2) MUSIC / PODCASTS
PETER AND THE WOLF - (A musical fairytale by SERGEI PROKOFIEV)
“Peter and the Wolf (Russian: Пе́тя и Bолк, tr. "Pétya i volk", IPA: [ˈpʲetʲə i volk]) Op. 67, a "symphonic fairy tale for children", is a musical composition written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. The narrator tells a children's story, while the orchestra illustrates it by using different instruments to play a "theme" that represents each character in the story. It is Prokofiev's most frequently performed work and one of the most frequently performed works in the entire classical repertoire.” - Wikipedia
Peter and the Wolf is literally one of my favorite things from my childhood. I remember listening to this masterpiece on a vinyl 45, sitting in my bedroom, while my imagination ran wild. I recently wanted to revisit the musical piece that inspired me so much. By 2022, there have been several renditions since I first heard those different musical instruments representing all of the different characters, including a narration by David Bowie. It has made me think about creating in different ways. I think there is something to be said for going back to your roots, back to the artistic creations that inspired you in the first place. That being said, I love Peter and the Wolf now, as much as I did then. It has such a pure way of storytelling, one that I am positive even composers for films today, use as a tactic when certain characters come onto screen.
Here’s to an old classic. I recommend pouring yourself a nice drink, settle into a cozy place, and just listen to this piece. Let it take your imagination for a ride.
This is the Richard Baker version (considered the best and most popular), with music played by the New Philharmia Orchestra and conducted by Raymond Leppard in 1971. To my memory, this is the version that I listened to as a young boy, stuck in my magical bedroom with the door closed, and the sound turned all the way up.
3) ART
HELEN FRANKENTHALER - (American Abstract Expressionist Painter)
“Helen Frankenthaler was an American abstract expressionist painter. She was a major contributor to the history of postwar American painting. Having exhibited her work for over six decades, she spanned several generations of abstract painters while continuing to produce vital and ever-changing new work.” - Wikipedia
More information on Helen Frankenthaler can be found here: https://gagosian.com/quarterly/2017/09/01/frankenthaler-after-abstract-expressionism/
4) BOOKS / WRITING
BRANDO: Songs My Mother Taught Me - (Marlon Brando, Robert Lindsey - collaborator)
PURCHASE HERE: BRANDO: SONGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME
If you’ve ever been interested in the man’s life, then this is the book to read.
“The book deals with Brando's childhood, his memories of being a struggling actor and of his early relationships with family members and later with other actors, producers, and directors. He talks candidly about his sex life; but, notably, he shares relatively few details about his wives or children. Reportedly, the omission of details about his experiences as a husband and father was one of Brando's conditions for agreeing to submit his manuscript to the publisher, who paid the actor over a million dollars for the work. He does, though, recount his encounters with and impressions of such notable figures as Marilyn Monroe, Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, David Niven, Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, John F. Kennedy, John Huston, and many others. He also describes some aspects of his theatre work and films, although those descriptions tend to be succinct, characterized more by anecdotes than step-by-step descriptions of production.” - Wikipedia
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5) PHOTOGRAPHY
JOURNEY THROUGH THE HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY - (Christie’s - Youtube)
A fun little history lesson on the art of photography:
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