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Kevin Fullam writesThe Fourth Wall: The Thin Blue Line
Welcome to The Fourth Wall, CHIRP's weekly e-conversation on cinema. This week's subject is the classic 1988 documentary The Thin Blue Line.
This edition is written by CHIRP Radio volunteers Kevin Fullam and Clarence Ewing.
Clarence:
When I was an undergraduate, I took a class I think was called “Visualization and Reality,” or something like that. We studied a bunch of different topics like depth perception in painting, movie effects, holograms, etc. It was a fun, eye-opening experience, but for the longest time I didn’t think the class was worth anything other than helping me get credit toward my major.
Now, though, I feel that was one of those classes where I learned something that I carry with me to this day – that “reality,” or “truth,” may not be absolute, because it depends on perceptions, and perceptions differ depending on who is doing the perceiving.
This is the idea behind Errol Morris’ 1988 documentary The Thin Blue Line. The movie explores the answer to the question of who shot and killed police officer Robert Wood late at night in November 1976.
Two men, David Ray Harris and Randall Adams, were at the scene of the crime. But the answer to the question of who fired the gun differs depending on who supposedly saw the event as well as who was involved in the subsequent proceedings.
Along the way, the audience listens to the viewpoints, of witnesses, prosecutors, and police officers involved in the case. Everyone has their own motivations for what they believe in and the actions they take. “Getting to the truth about what happened” isn’t at the top of all, or even most, of these individuals’ lists.
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writesComing Soon: CHIRP Radio’s Best Albums of 2017!
2017 is almost over. In some ways, it can't end soon enough. In other ways, it will be remembered as a historic year of change, not the least of which involves a certain community radio station taking to the airwaves.
And of course, it's been another increedible year for all kinds of music. No matter what else the year brings, you can count on the fact there is always new music to bring into your life. With thousands of singles and albums released, it's far too much for one person to take in, let alone evaluate.
Fortunately, we at CHIRP have a fix for that. Every December, each of our volunteers has the chance to create their own Best Albums of the Year list. We'll be posting all of them throughout the month on this blog. Then, using a secret time-tested formula, we'll pick out the most-cited records and present them to you on New Years Eve as our combined CHIRP Radio Best Albums of 2017 list.
We'll kick it off on Monday, December 4th. There will be music you've heard and lots you haven't - perhaps some musical gift ideas for yourself or someone you know...? Check back all month and drink it all in. Your ears will thank you.
Clarence Ewing: The Million Year Trip writes@CHIRPRadio (Week of November 27)
Upcoming Events
- Saturday Dec. 2nd and Sunday Dec. 3: CHIRP Radio spins at the Renegade Holiday Fair at the Bridgeport Art Center
SKaiser writes@CHIRPRadio (Week of November 20)
EVENTS
CHIRP & The Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce Present Chillfest on Saturday, November 25th!! Check out details (including a sample lineup) here!
NEW MEDIA
- Kevin Fullam and Clarence Ewing talk cinema with this week's The Fourth Wall: Thirteen
- The Curls came by the CHIRP studios recently to chat with Amelia Hruby about their upcoming album Super Unit
- Josh Friedberg Music Historian's Corner writes Michael Jackson Review Extravaganza, Part 2 of 2: Bad, Dangerous, and History
- Sophie Holtzmann writes the Album Review: "Cut" by No Men
TOP OF THE CHIRP CHARTS
1. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings – Soul of a Woman (Daptone)
2. King Krule – The Ooz (True Panther/XL)
3. Curtis Harding – Face Your Fear (Anti-)
Kevin Fullam writesThe Fourth Wall: Thirteen
Welcome to The Fourth Wall, CHIRP's weekly e-conversation on cinema. This week's subject is the 2003 film Thirteen.
This edition is written by CHIRP Radio volunteers Kevin Fullam and Clarence Ewing.
Kevin:
Clarence, we were just talking about the challenge of writing for young folks during our discussion of The Florida Project, Penning lines for the teenage set seen in Thirteen might actually be tougher than constructing dialogue for first-graders? It's relatively easy for an adult to serve as a fly on the wall around tykes, but older kids are a far more guarded group.
Cameron Crowe famously went undercover at a California high school in order to mine the material for his landmark book (and later film), Fast Times at Ridgemont High, but here director Catherine Hardwicke goes one better; her co-screenwriter is actress Nikki Reed (age 14 during filming), who mined her own life for this quasi-autobiographical tale.
And what a life that is -- The Wonder Years, this ain't. Reed's Alpha Female, Evie, serves as the gateway for Tracy Freeland (Evan Rachel Wood), who decides to leave behind her nerdy circle of friends and make a concerted effort to move rapidly up her school's social ladder... though this comes with a hefty price. Before long, the two are ditching school, huffing, slugging each other (and self-harming when they're not), and engaging in sexual behavior far more mature than one would wish for a middle-schooler.
All the while, Tracy's relationship with her mom Melanie (Holly Hunter, in an Academy Award-nominated performance) steadily erodes. Melanie, a divorced, harried hairdresser, is bewildered by the hostile stranger that her daughter's become. As a recovering alcoholic who receives scant support from her ex-husband, Melanie is ill-equipped to keep on top of Tracy's life and reign in her wild behavior.