Saturday, March 16, 2024

Does It Matter if One of the World's Most Iconic Images Was Staged?

 






Does it matter if one of the world's most iconic images was staged? Think of the American Marines planting the flag after taking the Japanese island of Iwo Jima in 1945. The first time was unrehearsed, but Marine Corps Lt. Col. Chandler Johnson thought that the flag should be a bigger one. Thus, a second snap of the men putting the larger flag in the soil on Mount Surbachi was taken. All these years later, the image remains iconic without most people knowing or caring about the details. 

Or what about the famous Times Square photo of a Navy sailor planting a kiss on a nurse on V-J Day?  The snap is the stuff that dreams are made of. George Mendonsa (on leave from serving in the Pacific) was overwhelmingly thrilled that the war was over. To celebrate, he took hold of Greta Zimmerman-Friedman (a dental assistant from Queens and not a nurse as has been long assumed) and gave a her a smooch that would go down in history. Photographer Alfred Eisenstadt confirmed that this was totally impromptu and not staged. 

We appreciate the Marines in a somewhat orchestrated second photo and the sailor and the dental assistant in a verified candid image in a very public place. They remind people of moments from history that were important and worth celebrating. People who love these images aren't concerned with whether they were staged or not but more with how the images make them feel.

But there is another iconic image that is not what it seems to be. "Lunch Atop a Skyscraper" is an enduringly iconic picture that I have seen in bars, restaurants, stores, doctors' offices, and even in places overseas. It is easily one of the most famous images in photographic history; however, it was not taken by chance by a daring photographer above New York City  it was staged. It and other images of the same men were taken for publicity..

The men were real ironworkers who agreed to take the photos. These guys were really having lunch, but not necessarily doing their daily routine on a beam on top of what would become 30 Rockefeller Center high above the street courting death. They agreed to do it, and the photo was published in the Herald Tribune in October 1932 at the height of the Depression. 

The image seemed to strike a chord with those who were laborers and those who wished they had a job in that struggling economy. It rings of hope for something bigger than ourselves, something lasting and significant. Those 11 men did not know that their faces would become famous and, sadly, none of the men in the picture or the photographer who took it are known to history.  

It matters little now if the picture was staged or not. Its legacy is that it has stood the test of time and has indelibly captured the essence of bravery and endurance, just as the second image of the Marines planting the flag means more about courage and good defeating evil, so the details matter little now. And the sailor and nurse's kiss in the Crossroads of the World, while impromptu, reaffirms the concepts of romance and hopefulness at the end of a terrible war. 

So, let's enjoy these images for what they are instead of what they are not. They are memorable because they strike a chord of humanity in a world that oftentimes seems inhumane.       

 

Monday, March 11, 2024

Best Moment of the Oscars: Ryan Gosling Sings "I'm Just Ken"

 



It was the 96th Oscars or Academy Awards or whatever they are called. Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the show was like it is every year: too long. 

The truth for me is that I haven't seen most of the movies that are nominated except Barbie, Society of the Snow, and Wonka. Honestly, I watch this show because I have always watched it, but mostly because something might happen like the streaker running behind David Niven. They gave us John Cena naked but with essential coverage that was slightly better than a fig leaf.

I enjoyed Billie Eilish's (an older brother Finneas) performance of "What I was Made For" from the Barbie movie. I thought, "Okay, the highpoint of the night."

Then along comes Barbie's sometimes significant other Ken, or should I say Ryan Gosling playing his role from the film and singing "I'm Just Ken." It was one of those moments that become legendary and you know it as it is happening. Throw in a solo from Slash and Wolfgang Van Halen (Eddie's son), and this was a powerfully entertaining performance. It is probably the best Oscar moment in many years.

Who won? Just like last year's Super Bowl, I really don't remember, and I don't feel bad about that. 

So, take a few minutes and watch the video. Like popcorn, it is very addictive. I bet you watch more than once! Enjoy.  

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

"The Road to Nowhere" : My New Story in Contest on Reedsy Prompts





My new short story, "The Road to Nowhere," is now in the weekly contest on Reedsy Prompts. Each week new prompts are given to generate ideas for writers. It's a great premise that I have participated in before. And the prize is $250 for the winning story!

Please check out my story now, and if you are so inclined please like it.

Thanks and happy reading!

Monday, March 4, 2024

'Love in the Time of the Coronavirus' in Kindle Countdown!

 



My novel Love in the Time of the Coronavirus is now in Kindle Countdown. It is available for 99 cents until March 10, 2024.

The story focuses on Vinny Russo, a Brooklyn native who is struggling as an online editor to make his way in the world and find someone to love. As the pandemic hits, he sees the effects on his neighborhood and the people he loves. He worries about people and businesses surviving. Can he find love during this darkest of times?

Please check out the deal and get your copy today! 

Sunday, March 3, 2024

'Mall City' – A 1983 Documentary is Time Capsule of a More Innocent Time

 



Mall City is a 1983 documentary filmed by students from NYU. They attempted to cover the mall culture of the time, which was no doubt at the height of its glory. Besides capturing the honest reactions of visitors to the mall – from teenage denizens to senior citizens just hanging out – the NYU crew unwittingly caught lightning in a bottle, giving us a time capsule of what life was like 40 years ago.

The film shows us a more innocent age. Yes, kids are talking about meeting other boys and girls and even some of them about doing drugs, Everyone seems to be smoking inside the mall, which will be shocker for many people today. But there is also the sense of wonder and accessibility to free thought without any filters. In the days before cable news and the internet, there seems to be an honest look at how people thought and felt about life. 

I hope you enjoy this look into how people lived and shopped and had fun in 1983. 

Sunday, February 25, 2024

My Book 'Unicorn: A Love Story' Is Now Featured on Pretty-Hot

 



My new book, Unicorn: A Love Story, is now featured on Pretty-Hot in the new books section. Please check it out here https://pretty-hot.com/unicorn-a-love-story-by-victor-lana/



Tuesday, February 20, 2024

'HBO's True Detective: Night Country' – Dark, Supernatural Twist the Series Needed

 


The fourth season of HBO’s series, True Detective: Night Country, is clearly the best entry since season one’s magnificence – I say the best but not better – and is the first led by two female detectives: Liz Danvers (an amazing Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (the equally amazing Kali Reis). It is also the first season with a female writer/director/showrunner, Issa Lopez. The results are a dark, supernatural twist that the series needed.

Unreasonable Negativity

As I was following the reactions to the series and comments online, I found some negative push back regarding the female leads, the showrunner, and the story itself.  As you can see some comments for yourself, it sounds like it some childish whining and disregards the enormous success of the series in the ratings, making it the most watched season of the series. It also is a great improvement over seasons two and three, that may have featured some solid acting (Colin Farrell in season two and Mahershala Ali in season three) but had fragmented stories that diverged from the solid story line of season one.

Stark Setting

While each season features a setting that is an integral part of the story (season one-Louisiana, season two-Southern California, and season three-Alabama), season four takes place in the barren wasteland of northern Alaska during days with no sunlight – on the shores of the Beaufort Sea – and the place is like a character in the story, an unrelenting and unforgiving antagonist. During most of the outdoor scenes (filmed in Alaska and Iceland), there is snow blowing around the characters as a reminder of the inclement nature of fictional Ennis, Alaska.

Gruesome Evidence

When eight scientists from the nearby Tsalal Research Station disappear, Police Chief Danvers arrives as well as State Trooper Navarro. There is some tension between the two, but this could be because the only piece of evidence is a human tongue that Navarro believes belonged to the murdered Annie Kowtak (an indigenous woman who was stabbed 32 times and had her tongue cut out), who spoke out against the local mine poisoning the town’s drinking water.

A Frozen Mystery

It turns out that Navarro blames Danvers for not solving Annie’s murder six years before, but there seems to be something else between them that haunts them both. When local eccentric character Rose Agineau (a terrific Fiona Shaw) makes a grim discovery, Danvers and Navarro proceed to a local lake, where the frozen naked bodies of the eight missing researchers await them. How did they get there and how are they somehow connected to the murdered Annie?

It is discovered that one of the researchers is not among the frozen dead. There have been sightings of Raymond Clark (Owen McDonnell) wandering the landscape in heavy snow. How was he connected to these deaths?

An Unlikely Witness

Danvers realizes the frozen men were tortured – eyes gouged out, burn marks, and other odd injuries – and the question arises who or what did this? When trying to move one of the men, one of the investigators breaks off part of his arm, and the victim screams in agony – he is still alive! Danvers wants to protect him at all costs because he is ostensibly her only witness.

Supernatural Symbol

One of the victims had a strange spiral shaped painted on his forehead. When Danvers questions a local indigenous woman about the shape, she tells Danvers it is connected to witchcraft and other unexplainable dark forces. Navarro thinks that this shape is connected to Annie’s murder and, being indigenous herself, believes in the superstitions that Danvers discounts.

Danvers sends Deputy Hank Prior (John Hawkes) on a search for the wandering Clark, which he reluctantly undertakes. His interactions with Danvers indicate Hank is a disgruntled member of her team, perhaps resenting her for becoming head of the department. His son Peter (the impressive Finn Bennett) is given the grisly task of monitoring the defrosting bodies that have been brought to the local school gymnasium as to preserve evidence.

Two Powerful Leads

Foster nails her performance, giving Danvers every tick and mannerism that at first makes it hard for the viewer to like her. Foster herself has said she was playing her like an Alaskan Karen, but there are flashbacks to when her young son died in a car accident that she blames herself for along with her failing relationship with her daughter Leah (Isabella LeBlanc) that help us cut her some slack. Meanwhile, Navarro has to care for her troubled sister Julia (Aka Niviana) and worries about Julia harming herself. Navarro also hears voices – including the voice of Danvers' dead son – and seems haunted by them. 

Undercurrent of Lies

Finn realizes that there is something that both Danvers and Navarro are hiding about an old case that seems to be part of the friction between the two. Flashbacks reveal what the two are hiding that causes them to not trust in one another, and it is more than a significant factor in their tempestuous relationship. There is the undercurrent of lies in the town – the mining company, the research center, and the police department – and it is undermining relationships, harming the citizens, and turning the drinking water black.

The Verdict

The rest of the way is spoiler territory, but don’t let the fact that this is the first True Detective series to dip into supernatural waters deter you from watching it. The cast is excellent, Florian Hoffmeister’s cinematography brings the austere setting alive glowingly, and Vince Pope’s score is hauntingly appropriate. Lopez also goes out of her way to respect the indigenous culture represented in the series, and how that especially applies to the murdered Annie and her people’s desire for real justice not just for her death but all the indignities they have suffered.

True Detective: Night Country should be on you list for must-see viewing. It is, however, not for a young audience because of the mature, often violent, subject matter. The series is highly recommended.