Monday, July 30, 2007

Re the passing of Ingmar Bergman and Tom Snyder.

As a university student in Wichita Falls, TX in 1980, I didn't have too many options in terms of viewing foreign films.  In the fall of that year, I was a student of Dr. Baird Whitlock's Introduction to Foreign Films class at the Wichita Falls Museum.

There, I was introduced to Ingmar Bergman's work.  Whitlock was a passionate devotee of Bergman--and the films he screened included SHAME, THE PASSION OF ANNA and PERSONA.

The intensity of emotion is what I remember most from watching these films for the first time.  And I thank Dr. Whitlock for broadening my limited perspective as to what film can aspire to and accomplish.

As for Tom Snyder, he was the interviewer as Star.  If you're of a certain age, you can remember the numerous parodies Dan Aykroyd did of Snyder on the original SNL.

Some of the NBC TOMORROW shows from 1973-81 (those involving musical guests) have surfaced on DVD recently.  Given the tendency to cash in on deaths of the famous, perhaps some of the episodes with non-musical interviewees will be released later this year.

No comments:

Post a Comment