Lincoln’s Critics

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Eireann

No, I’m not linking to an article about Ben Wade or Clement Vallandigham, but modern day critics viewing the President’s actions on celluloid (or whatever its digital equivalent is called!) The reviews for Spielberg’s Lincoln are looking pretty promising. Yay!

The LA Times praises Day-Lewis – whose other film credentials include My Left Foot and There Will Be Blood – saying: "Judging by both the events on-screen and in the room, Day-Lewis, a longtime Oscar favorite, solidified his status as a lead actor contender. He plays the lead role with an understated quality, often speaking in quiet, lyrical tones instead of the more scenery-chewing moments glimpsed in the trailer."

via Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln reviews – the critics’ reaction | Radio Times.

The ‘Lincoln’ clip won last night’s debate

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Eireann

The trailers for Spielberg’s Lincoln film have arrived. If you haven’t seen them yet, they’re worth a look. I have a feeling I’ll be rolling my eyes a lot, but there’s no denying it looks fantastic.

The second ‘Lincoln’ clip is so strong that it won last night’s presidential debate – Celebritology 2.0 – The Washington Post.

Day Lewis as Lincoln

Posted on August 9, 2012 by Eireann

I’m getting excited for Spielberg’s Lincoln film. He’s not my favourite director ever, but his movies are always entertaining. Day-Lewis isn’t an actor I’ve seen much of, but I know his method and the results are outstanding. I hope this turns out to be the best Civil War film out there. (Sadly, it won’t take much to best the competition!)

Tred Talks

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Eireann

They aren’t calling them this, but as a devoted TED fan, I couldn’t resist the joke.

Richmond’s Historic Tredegar is ground zero for the city’s Civil War interpretation, and they’ve offered a wealth of short talks by big names. Many of these are geared towards teachers, so if you’re looking for some interesting topics to flesh out your lesson plans, give them a whirl.

The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar.

Johnny Cash’s Civil War

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Eireann

I went looking for some Civil War music on YouTube, and was tickled to discover this video: An 8-minute excerpt from Johnny Cash’s 1960s variety show, in which he sings and spoken-words his way through a medley of Civil War songs and speeches. Sadly, he doesn’t introduce the last song with “Hullo! I’m Johnny Reb!” Missed opportunity, really…

One Man Show

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Eireann

A search for Henry Kyd Douglas’ I Rode with Stonewall shows – to my surprise – that the memoir is still under copyright. As a secondary result, I found this reenactor’s performance of some of the book’s anecdotes. The youngest member of Stonewall’s staff is looking pretty long in the tooth these days, but it’s an interesting act.

Grant, Man of Peace

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Eireann

This Christmas, I treated myself to a few wonderful items from the PBS online store‘s bumper sale. (Caveat emptor: They will spam you endlessly if you buy anything. Spam is the pledge break of the digital age.) Ken Burns box set, his excellent Lewis & Clark series, American Experience’s Abraham & Mary Lincoln series (also fabulous), and the AE’s Lee & Grant box set, which I threw in on a whim because it was deep-discounted. The Grant set was terrific; broken into two discs for Grant the Soldier and Grant the President, they really gave you a feel for the quiet, retiring and kindly (if wholly inept as a politician) man.

My favourite quote was from a pre-war play-wrestling ritual with his young sons:

“Mister, do you want to fight?” Fred would ask, when his
father came home from the store.

“I am a person of peace; but I will not be hectored by a person
of your size,” Grant would reply.

I found the citation, oddly, in a “free book” which probably shouldn’t be free, as it was published in 1959. Still, it looks to be an excellent read, so take advantage: The General’s Wife: The Life of Mrs Ulysses S Granthttp://www.archive.org/details/generalswifethel010870mbp

Civil War Ballooning

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Eireann

God, I love nerds. The speaker in this video is fantastic: Speaks for 11 minutes without notes, with a great deal of enthusiasm, and even with a stereotypical “retainer lisp” on Thaddeus Lowe’s involvement in the war, covering everything from the technology to the chronology of the Balloon Corps. A terrific little introduction to a fascinating sidenote of the war.

Happy Birthday, Abe

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Eireann

You don’t look a day over 202.

In honour of The Bin Yin’s (no, not that one) 203rd birthday, enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at the Smithsonian’s collection of Lincolniana.

Slavery by Another Name

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Eireann

In reading that discussion in The Atlantic, a few of the commenters mentioned Douglas Blackmon’s Slavery By Another Name, which chronicles the virtual enslavement of blacks in the South after the war. The reviews are all along the lines of, “excellent, but exhausting” (with tons of depressing statistics), so I’m glad to see that it’s been turned into a documentary, for broadcast on PBS. I’ll be keeping an eye out for this one.

http://www.twincities.com/entertainment/ci_19785894

The Civil War Podcast

Resources and discussion on the War Between the States

Tag Archives: movies