#bisbee 17

[bignaz8]

ARIZONA INTERESTING FACTS:

1. Arizona has 3,928 mountain peaks and summits, more mountains than any one of the other Mountain States (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming).

2. All New England, plus the state of Pennsylvania would fit inside Arizona.

3. Arizona became the 48th state and last of the contiguous states on February 14, 1912, Valentine’s Day.

4. Arizona's disparate climate can yield both the highest temperature across the nation and the lowest temperature across the nation in the same day.

5. There are more wilderness areas in Arizona than in the entire Midwest. Arizona alone has 90 wilderness areas, while the Midwest has 50.

6. Arizona has 26 peaks that are more than 10,000 feet in elevation.

7. Arizona has the largest contiguous stand of Ponderosa pines in the world stretching from near Flagstaff along the Mogollon Rim to the White Mountains region.

8. Yuma, Arizona is the country's highest producer of winter vegetables, especially lettuce.

9. Arizona is the 6th largest state in the nation, covering 113,909 square miles.

10. Out of all the states in the U.S., Arizona has the largest percentage of its land designated as Indian lands.

11. The Five C's of Arizona's economy are: Cattle, Copper, Citrus, Cotton, and Climate.

12. More copper is mined in Arizona than all the other states combined The Morenci Mine is the largest copper producer in all of North America.

13. Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, two of the most prominent movie stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, were married on March 18, 1939, in Kingman, Arizona.

14. Covering 18,608 sq. miles, Coconino County is the second largest county by land area in the 48 contiguous United States.(San Bernardino County in California is the largest).

15. The world's largest solar telescope is located at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Sells, Arizona.

16. Bisbee, Arizona is known as the Queen of the Copper Mines because during its mining heyday it produced nearly 25 percent of the world's copper. It was the largest city in the Southwest between Saint Louis and San Francisco.

17. Billy the Kid killed his first man, Windy Cahill, in Bonita, Arizona.

18. Arizona grows enough cotton each year to make more than one pair of jeans for every person in the United States.

19. Famous labor leader and activist Cesar Chavez was born in Yuma.

20. In 1912, President William Howard Taft was ready to make Arizona a state on February 12, but it was Lincoln's birthday.

The next day, the 13th, was considered bad luck so they waited until the following day. That's how Arizona became known as the Valentine State.

21. When England's famous London Bridge was replaced in the 1960s, the original was purchased, dismantled, shipped stone by stone and reconstructed in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where it still stands today.

22. Mount Lemmon, Tucson, in the Santa Catalina Mountains, is the southernmost ski resort in the United States.

23. Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch in Picacho, Arizona is the largest privately-owned ostrich ranch in the world outside South Africa.

24. If you cut down a protected species of cactus in Arizona, you could spend more than a year in prison.

25. The world's largest to-scale collection of miniature airplane models is housed at the library at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona.

26. The only place in the country where mail is delivered by mule is the village of Supai, located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon.

27. Located on Arizona's western border, Parker Dam is the deepest dam in the world at 320 feet.

28. South Mountain Park/Preserve in Phoenix is the largest municipal park in the country.

29. Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, located about 55 miles west of Phoenix, generates more electricity than any other U.S. power plant.

30. Oraibi, a Hopi village located in Navajo County, Arizona, dates back to before A.D. 1200 and is reputed to be the oldest continuously inhabited community in America.

31. Built by Del Webb in 1960, Sun City, Arizona was the first 55-plus active adult retirement community in the country.

32. Petrified wood is the official state fossil. The Petrified Forest in northeastern Arizona contains America's largest deposits of petrified wood.

33. Many of the founders of San Francisco in 1776 were Spanish colonists from Tubac, Arizona.

34. Phoenix originated in 1866 as a hay camp to supply military post Camp McDowell.

35. Rainfall averages for Arizona range from less than three inches in the deserts to more than 30 inches per year in the mountains.

36. Rising to a height of 12,643 feet, Humphreys Peak north of Flagstaff is the state's highest mountain.

37. Roadrunners are not just in cartoons! In Arizona, you'll see them running up to 17-mph away from their enemies.

38. The Saguaro cactus is the largest cactus found in the U.S. It can grow as high as a five-story building and is native to the Sonoran Desert, which stretches across southern Arizona.

39. Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, grew up on a large family ranch near Duncan, Arizona.

40. The best-preserved meteor crater in the world is located near Winslow, Arizona.

41. The average state elevation is 4,000 feet.

42. The Navajo Nation spans 27,000 square miles across the states of Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, but its capital is seated in Window Rock, Arizona.

43. The amount of copper utilized to make the copper dome atop Arizona's Capitol building is equivalent to the amount used in 4.8 million pennies.

44. Near Yuma, the Colorado River's elevation dips to 70 feet above sea level, making it the lowest point in the state.

45. The geographic center of Arizona is 55 miles southeast of Prescott near the community of Mayer.

46. You could pile four 1,300-foot skyscrapers on top of each other and they still would not reach the rim of the Grand Canyon.

47. The hottest temperature recorded in Arizona was 128 degrees at Lake Havasu City on June 29, 1994.

48. The coldest temperature recorded in Arizona was 40 degrees below zero at Hawley Lake on January 7, 1971.

49. A saguaro cactus can store up to nine tons of water.

50. The state of Massachusetts could fit inside Maricopa County (9,922 sq. miles).

51. The westernmost battle of the Civil War was fought at Picacho Pass on April 15, 1862 near Picacho Peak in Pinal County.

52. There are 11.2 million acres of National Forest in Arizona, and one-fourth of the state forested.

53. Wyatt Earp was neither the town marshal nor the sheriff in Tombstone at the time of the shoot-out at the O..K. Corral. His brother Virgil was the town marshal.

54. On June 6, 1936, the first barrel of tequila produced in the United States rolled off the production line in Nogales, Arizona.

55. The Sonoran Desert is the most biologically diverse desert in North America.

56. Bisbee is the Nation's Southernmost mile-high city.

57. The two largest man-made lakes in the U.S. are Lake Mead and Lake Powell, both located in Arizona.

58. The longest remaining intact section of Route 66 can be found in Arizona and runs from Seligman to Topock, a total of 157 unbroken miles.

59. The 13 stripes on the Arizona flag represent the 13 original colonies of the United States.

60. The negotiations for Geronimo's final surrender took place in Skeleton Canyon, near present day Douglas, Arizona, in 1886.

61. Prescott, Arizona is home to the world's oldest rodeo, and Payson, Arizona is home to the world's oldest continuous rodeo, both of which date back to the 1880's.

62. Kartchner Caverns, near Benson, Arizona, is a massive limestone cave with 13,000 feet of passages, two rooms as long as football fields, and one of the world's longest soda straw stalactites: measuring 21 feet 3 inches.

63. You can carry a loaded firearm on your person, no permit required.

64. Arizona has one of the lowest crime rates in the U.S.A.

[deadboyfriendd]

20 Questions for Fic Writers Game

Thank you for the tag <3 @jo-harrington

1) How many works do you have on A03? - none, actually. I haven't made it to tht neck of the woods yet.

2) What's your total AO3 word count? - That would be a big ole 0

3) What fandoms do you write for? - Stranger Things currently. I used to be a writer for The 100 back in my Wattpad days. Sometimes I throw around the idea of writing for Fargo or Criminal Minds.

4) What are your top five fics by kudos? - I would say probably Stains in the Granite, Cochise, Stone Gothic, H E A D L I N E R S., Kate, and The Bisbee Letter Series

5) Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? - I try really hard to respond to the really meaningful ones, but if I have poo brain that day it slips. I read all of them and reread them over and over until they're engrained in my noodle brain though! .

6) What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? - Stone Gothic or Sockpuppet. Stone Gothic is angst in terms of bodily violence Sockpuppet in terms of ouchie feelings OR OR OR She Makes Dirty Words Sound Pretty. Can you tell I love angst?

7) What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? - Hallmark, probably. That was kind of the whole point of doing a Hallmark movie themed fic.

8) Do you get hate on fics? No.

9) Do you write smut? If so, what kinds? - Yes but it has to be there as a plot catalyst. I write very flowery very feelings-oriented smut, even if the characters don't have feelings for each other. Though, I feel like everything I write is feelings-oriented.

10) Do you write crossovers? - It never went I don't think I've written one yet but if I get a good idea I'm not opposed to it. Maybe if you wanna count SITG or Cochise since they're based off of 50 First Dates and Tombstone?

11) Have you ever had a fic stolen? - Not that I’m aware of.

12) Have you ever had a fic translated? - Again, not that I'm aware of.

13) Have you ever co-written a fic before? - Nothing that I would explicitly credit myself with but @dr-aculaaa and I loom over each other's docs like God. I'm pretty sure Drac has inadvertently written half of my fics.

14) What's your all time favorite ship? -We're big Steddie fans around here. Keep an eye out for a Steddie fic I have brewing.

15) What's a WIP that you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? - LMAO might be that steddie fic that I just talked about. I also have a very flowery and angsty AU of an AU of an AU baby about Robin that I've been screaming to her about that is on the very back of burners.

16) What are your writing strengths? - I'm really good at analogies and descriptive writing. I've always written about feelings because I have a lot of them and I'm painfully self-aware of them.

17) What are your writing weaknesses? - LMAO editing process? I don't know her. Every work you get is beta read by Drac and that's IT. If it misses Drac then it was meant to be a part of the fic. In terms of my actual writing, I think it's smut writing. I'm good at making people love each other not good at making them fuck.

18) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? - There has to be a place for it that makes sense. I used lines in Latin in Cochise and Bisbee because my Eddie is very much based off of Doc Holliday, who spoke Latin, and used that line very much as a plot catalyst. I use a lot of analogies to Marlowe's Doctor Faustus which also has Latin in it, which was crucial to the storylines of both Bisbee and Cochise.

19) First fandom you wrote for? - The Walking Dead when I was entirely too young to be fic reading or writing. Maybe One Direction before that? Also W A Y too young to be fic reading or writing. The first fandom I ever had success writing in was The 100. Still too young but I'm proud of those 100k notes.

20) Favorite fic you've written? - The Cochise and Bisbee universe. I LOVE writing in that prose and I LOVE reimagining these characters into Tombstone. It's so personal to me since I'm from Arizona and I love living here and all of the cowboy stuff. It feels like I neglect it sometimes but really, I'm trying so hard to get them perfect because this is absolutely my passion project and I'm so proud of them even though they get like zero reads.

No Pressure Tags: @dr-aculaaa @bettyfrommars

[northiowatoday]

OBIT: Harlan Frederick Bisbee

Harlan Frederick Bisbee of McIntire, IA, went home to his Lord in the early morning of March 21, 2025. Born in Osage, IA, on July 17, 1951, Harlan was raised on the family farm north of Stacyville, IA. Harlan started his adult life with his passion for farming and continued to do so until the poor economy proved it was no longer a viable source to provide for his family. Ever resourceful he…

[topviral]

Budget Bliss: Top Affordable Small Towns in the US!

Budget Bliss: Top Affordable Small Towns in the US! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5xzbqf7pjc Discover the charm and affordability of America's hidden gems in our latest video, where we explore the most affordable small towns in the US, perfect for living well on a budget of less than $1500 a month. From the historic streets of Bisbee, Arizona, to the crisp mountain air of Boone, and the vibrant arts scene in Eau Claire, these towns offer a blend of breathtaking landscapes, welcoming communities, and a peaceful lifestyle without draining your wallet. Whether you're an outdoor enthusiast, art lover, or someone looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life, these small towns provide a high quality of life with a surprisingly low cost of living. Join us as we dive into each unique locale, showcasing their rich culture, strong sense of community, and abundant recreational opportunities. Don't forget to like and share this video if you find these affordable small-town treasures as captivating as we do! #affordableliving #smalltowncharm #budgettravel #exploreusa via Top Viral https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClbTtzALtMT8AsToyJnTRGA June 17, 2024 at 02:00AM

[whilecinemavisionsdancedinmyhead]

Bisbee 17 (2018)

[nonfilms]

2018 was an excellent year for cinema. No list can ever properly capture the individual experience or impact that a work of art can award a spectator, but the following selections were the films that truly spoke to us or continued to haunt our minds long after leaving the theater.

Chained for Life (dir. Aaron Schimberg, USA)  

24 Frames (dir. Abbas Kiarostami, Iran)

Burning (dir. Lee Chang-dong, South Korea)  

La Casa Lobo (dir. Cristóbal León & Joaquin Cociña, Chile)

First Reformed (dir. Paul Schrader, USA)  

An Elephant Sitting Still (dir. Hu Bo, China)

The Strange Ones (dir. Lauren Wolkstein & Christopher Radcliff, USA)

Bisbee ‘17 (dir. Robert Greene, USA)  

Zama (dir. Lucrecia Martel, Argentina)  

Madeline’s Madeline (dir. Josephine Decker, USA)

The Other Side of the Wind (dir. Orson Welles, USA)  

My First Film (dir. Zia Anger, USA)

The Favourite (dir. Yorgos Lanthimos, Ireland/UK/USA)  

The Image Book (dir. Jean-Luc Godard, France)

Scarred Hearts (dir. Radu Jude, Romania/Germany)  

The Wild Boys (dir. Bertrand Mandico, France)

Cold War (dir. Paweł Pawlikowski, Poland)  

Wildlife (dir. Paul Dano, USA)

November (dir. Rainer Sarnet, Estonia)  

Fingerilla (dir. Micah Vassau, USA)

The Grand Bizarre (dir. Jodie Mack, USA)  

You Were Never Really Here (dir. Lynne Ramsay, UK/USA)

If Beale Street Could Talk (dir. Barry Jenkins, USA)  

Shoplifters (dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda, Japan)

Birds Without Feathers (dir. Wendy McColm, USA)  

Hale County, This Morning, This Evening (dir. RaMell Ross, USA)

Insects (Hmyz) (dir. Jan Švankmajer, Czech Republic)  

Bathtubs Over Broadway (dir. Dava Whisenant, USA)

Roma (dir. Alfonso Cuarón, Mexico/USA)  

Dead Souls (dir. Wang Bing, China)

Although it was produced in 1980, Bill Gunn’s Personal Problems remained unaired for decades since. Thanks to Kino Lorber, it was finally released theatrically this year, as well as a 4K restoration fo his feature film Ganja & Hess.

The other massively overlooked piece of film history that was finally awarded a new restoration, and thus an entirely new audience, is Wanda (1971), the sole directorial feature from Barbara Loden.

Other recommended feature films: Mandy, Thunder Road, Icepick to the Moon, Bernard and Huey, Liyana, They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead, Savage Youth, Sorry To Bother You, M/M, Nancy, Leave No Trace, I Had Nowhere to Go, Man on Fire, A Feast of Man, Lean on Pete, Don’t Worry He Won’t Get Far on Foot, Milford Graves Full Mantis, Lowlife, Shoot the Moon Right Between the Eyes, Black Panther, Support the Girls, Cam, Rodents of Unusual Size, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Negro Terror, Happy as Lazarro, Taste of Cement, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, BlacKkKlansman, Isle of Dogs, Three Identical Strangers, Vox Lux, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

[ubourgeois]

Top 30 Films of 2018

I’m actually getting one of these out at a fairly reasonable time! I’m a champion.

Compared to last year, I would say 2018 had fewer films that I really loved, that shook me and immediately registered as important - but also, more films that have grown on me over time, that were clever and inventive in ways that convince me to look past their shortcomings (or reevaluate if they are shortcomings at all). Plenty of odd, perhaps imperfect movies made it far up the list, and I think I ended up privileging that weird streak more than usual this year. But hopefully that makes for interesting reading here.

I found making this list that a couple of the big arthousey hits of the year (Eighth Grade, Burning, The Rider, and others) ended up slipping into the basement of the top 50. Keep an eye out for a rejoinder post following this in a couple days where I hash out my thoughts on those. For now, top 30 after the jump:

30. Unsane dir. Steven Soderbergh

Remember when Tangerine came out and everyone was like, “wow I can’t believe this was shot on an iPhone” and it was a whole thing? Well, I can believe that Unsane was shot on an iPhone, and that’s really for the better. Ever the innovator, Soderbergh follows Sean Baker’s lead by taking full advantage of the logistical advantages and distinctive appearances of iPhone-shot footage, putting together a film that uses its hardware not as a flashy obstacle to be overcome but as a driver of its look and feel, proving at least for now that mobile-shot films are viable (though we’ll see how his next one turns out). The film itself is good too - Claire Foy gives a wonderfully prickly performance, and the claustrophobic visuals make for a great psychological thriller.

29. Cold War dir. Paweł Pawlikowski

Expanding on the aesthetic territory he explored with Ida, Pawlikowski brings another black & white, Polish-language period piece about identities split between different (religious, political) worlds. Cold War is the more complicated and perhaps less focused film, but also the more alluring one, with a luscious love story, incredible music (Łojojoj...), and great, showy performances from Joanna Kulig and Tomasz Kot. In other words, it’s luxurious, romantic Euro-arthouse fare. Probably best watched with a full glass of wine in hand.

28. Ready Player One dir. Steven Spielberg

A film that many accused of “pandering” to audiences for its many blink-and-you’ll-miss-it nods to 80s nostalgia and gaming culture, Ready Player One was on the contrary seemingly uninterested in anything of the sort. It managed to accomplish something more meaningful by packing the film so dense with nerd-bait that it becomes just texture and noise - Tracer popping up in the background of random scenes ends up being less of Overwatch reference and more of a piece of plausible set dressing in a VR social media hub. This contributed to RPO being not only a technically impressive but a visually overwhelming effects film, packaged around a seemingly knowing 80s blockbuster pastiche (the story, the character types, even the music cues were too old-fashioned to be on purpose). A film both smarter and easier to like than the discourse around it suggested.

27. Widows dir. Steve McQueen

I do really wish that McQueen would go back to making demanding, brutal films like Hunger, but if he simply has to become a commercial filmmaker I guess I don’t mind this. Surely the ensemble film of the year, with the entire cast firing on all cylinders - Daniel Kaluuya as the sadistic enforcer/campaign manager in particular impresses, though naturally Viola Davis, Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, and even Colin Farrell make for compelling characters in this twisty, nervy heist film. The action scenes are all impressively mounted (if a bit few and far between) and there are enough McQueen-esque florishes to keep things interesting in the interim (that long car scene!). Great moody popcorn stuff.

26. An Elephant Sitting Still dir. Hu Bo

Elephant has gotten a lot of press for two reasons: its nearly four-hour length and its director’s untimely death shortly after its completion. The length is important because it beats you into submission, forcing you to accept its rhythm and smothering you in tight focus on its main characters until you feel like it’s your own POV (I wasn’t really into it until, uh, the two hour mark, but then somehow I was hooked). Hu Bo’s death is important because knowing that, the sensation of being trapped, pressured, and disoriented by the Current State of China (ever the popular subject matter) feels all the more palpable and, maybe unfortunately, grants the film some extra layer of authority, or at least urgency. If I ever have the time or energy, I would love to revisit this film - I expect it will one day be seen as a landmark.

25. Make Me Up dir. Rachel Maclean

A bizarre little bit of sugary pop-feminist techno-dystopia, pulling off a sort of cinematic cousin to vaporwave by way of Eve Ensler. What unfolds is pretty insane, involving dance numbers, incomprehensible lectures on dodgy gender politics, and sets that look pulled out from a cheap children’s TV show. It’s definitely a marmite film - how well you connect with this will depend heavily on your tolerance for clearly-fake CG, well-trodden feminist talking points, and pastels - but for those with the appetite for this brand of political kitsch then this is just about the best version of itself imaginable. 

24. Liz and the Blue Bird dir. Naoko Yamada

Naoko Yamada out Naoko Yamada-s herself. A standalone spinoff of Hibike! Euphonium that focuses on members of the secondary cast, Liz makes good on the sensitive, subtly-executed love story that the show ultimately failed to produce (not quite Adolescence of Utena-tier course correction, but we’ll take it). This is a film propelled by the tiniest gestures - a hand tensing behind the back, a nervous flicker of the eye, a cheerful bounce in the step - in that way animation can provide that seems not incidental but hugely, blatantly filled with meaning. While A Silent Voice was a great breakthrough for Yamada as an “original” feature, it’s Liz that feels like the more mature film, and a promising indicator for what lies ahead.

23. Sew the Winter to My Skin dir. Jahmil X.T. Qubeka

Maybe the most surprising film of the year is this, an action-biopic about John Kepe, a South African Robin Hood figure, that almost entirely eschews spoken dialogue in favor of visual storytelling, physical acting, and clever audio design. But this is not some pretentious, austere arthouse film substituting gimmicks for actual character; Sew the Winter to My Skin is an engaging, fascinating, and unexpectedly accessible historical epic, prioritizing mythic bigness over simple recitation of fact. While it demands some patience at first (with no dialogue, it takes a bit for the film to properly introduce its cast), it quickly shows itself to be an inventive, exciting, and occasionally funny adventure that proves Qubeka as a truly exciting voice in South African cinema.

22. Mom and Dad dir. Brian Taylor

Forget Mandy, THIS is the crazy Nic Cage movie of the year. A slick, rapid-fire horror comedy that feels almost like a music video at points, Mom and Dad has what’s surely Cage’s best unhinged performance in years as well as a great, more restrained turn by Selma Blair. The violence is ludicrous, the premise is nutty, and the sense of humor is utterly sick - that the film manages to squeeze out a surprisingly coherent commentary on suburban family life on top of this is a minor miracle (a scene where Cage destroys a pool table proves strangely thoughtful). For all the broadly acclaimed “serious” horror films in recent years, like this year’s kind of boring Hereditary, groan-filled A Quiet Place, and mostly incoherent Suspiria, I more appreciate this breed of deranged, funny, and tightly focused effort. It doesn’t need to be that deep.

21. Good Manners dir. Marco Dutra, Juliana Rojas

I’m going to mark this write-up with a **spoiler warning**, as I think it’s basically impossible to talk about this film without giving the game away. Good Manners has one of the best genre switcheroos in recent years, starting off as a proper Brazilian class drama (think Kleber Mendonça Filho) with a lesbian twist before explosively transforming into a horror movie that reveals a hidden monster-coming-of-age story that’s nearly unrecognizable as the same film from an hour before. As delightful as this bit of narrative sleight of hand is, it can’t justify a good film alone, which is where the great lead performance by Isabél Zuaa and the mesermizing, inventive matte paintings of the São Paulo skyline come into play, making this fantastical, genre-bending film a true original of the year.

20. The Miseducation of Cameron Post dir. Desiree Akhavan

There’s a tendency in the queer teen film genre to sometimes drift towards miserablist portrayals of growing up; to emphasize the hardship, nonunderstanding, and isolation to the expense of other experiences. Cameron Post manages to avoid this path even as it explores the dreadful premise of life in a conversion camp by balancing the solidarity, humor, and defiant joy hidden along the edges of the camp experience with the cruel, dehumanizing nature of the place. The film works, then, not only as a statement against conversion therapy and the real harm it does to all participants, but also as a lively, triumphant teen movie that feels more powerful than the lazy, doom-and-gloom approach.

19. Minding the Gap dir. Bing Liu

Few films capture the particular small city Midwest atmosphere quite like this one, a very raw documentary that feels very much like the first feature it is - but in a good way. Cut together from years of Liu’s amateur footage as well as new material of its subjects (the director and two of his old friends), a documentary that at first seems to be about the local skateboarding culture stretches out to many other topics: domestic violence, race relations, middle-American economic anxiety. The film, perhaps because of its closeness to the director and his relative inexperience, manages to take on a quick-moving scattershot approach, weaving stream-of-consciousness from one topic to the next, while still giving each the time and weight it deserves. 

18. The Green Fog dir. Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson, Guy Maddin

A hard film to sum up, though at its heart not a terribly complicated one. Ostensibly a very loose reconstruction of Vertigo using clips from other material shot in San Francisco, from The Conversation to San Andreas to Murder, She Wrote, this new, uh, thing from Maddin and the Johnsons is a short, sweet, and really quite funny collage less interested in slavishly reenacting its inspiration than making funny jokes with movie clips. Some highlights include Rock Hudson carefully watching an *NSYNC music video on a tiny screen, a long sequence admiring Chuck Norris’ face that doesn’t seem to match any particular part of Vertigo, and a number of scenes of dialogue with all the speech cut out, leaving only awkward pauses and mouth noises. It’s high art!

17. Sorry to Bother You dir. Boots Riley

Boots Riley’s transition from long-standing underrated rapper to breakout auteur has been wild to witness. Sorry to Bother You is certainly one of 2018′s most original and distinctive films (what other film is it like, exactly?), and any complaints about unsubtle politics or overpacked narrative can be easily counterbalanced with the film’s sheer verve and oddball energy. Like Widows, it’s another of the great ensemble pieces of the year - Lakeith Stanfield and Tess Thompson are great as usual, and of the supporting cast Armie Hammer emerges as the standout with an incredibly funny halfway-villainous turn, plus a great bit of voice casting with David Cross. Leading candidate for this year’s Film of the Moment.

16. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse dir. Robert Persichetti Jr., Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

The problem with comic book movies a lot of the time is that they’re somehow too embarrassed to own their source material. Into the Spider-Verse succeeds because it emphatically embraces its roots, not only visually (the cel shading, impact lines, and even text boxes that make up the film’s look) but also narratively, by adopting the multiverse concept in earnest and milking it for comedic and dramatic effect. It’s an incredibly innovative (not to mention gorgeous) animated film that not only raises the standard but expands the scope of superhero films, giving new hope to a genre that has been stuck spinning its wheels for years. Plus, it has probably the only post-credits scene actually worth the effort, which is a very special sort of victory.

15. Museo dir. Alonso Ruizpalacios

A playful, thoughtful heist film that gets the actual heist out of the way as soon as possible. Two suburban twenty-somethings pull off a daring robbery of Mayan artifacts from the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, then set off on an ill-fated roadtrip to fence the goods. There’s a certain magic to this film, in its approach that is at once totally reverent and mythologizing but also eager to take the piss out of everything (the recurring motif of Revueltas’ The Night of the Mayas suite does both), and in how it turns this story into something of a love letter to the history and geography of Mexico. Very mature, well-balanced filmmaking in Ruizpalacios’ second feature.

14. BlacKkKlansman dir. Spike Lee

The best Spike Lee joint in a long, long time. It taps into the freewheeling, confrontational energy of his best work, but almost as a career victory lap as he makes a game out of outfoxing Klan members. There’s plenty of humor and tension here, with a great, dry leading duo in John David Washington and Adam Driver, and a funny turn from Topher Grace (!) as David Duke. Even if it does play it a bit safe with an easy target and wraps up a bit too easily (a quick flash-forward to Charlottesville as a postscript notwithstanding), it should be fine, I think, for a film to indulge in the simple pleasure of overcoming obvious villains in a glorious fashion. For all the recent films that give nuanced and serious takes on racism in America, one ought to be about the joy of blowing up the KKK.

13. Mirai dir. Mamoru Hosoda

Since he’s started making original features, Hosoda has been taken with relatively high-concept storylines, from his “debut” The Girl Who Leapt Through Time to Wolf Children, but Mirai is certainly his most ambitious yet. Nearly every choice about the film is a bit weird: from the unusual, compact layout of Kun’s home to Kun’s very believable, nearly alienating (to an older audience) childish behavior to the simply bizarre logistics and metaphysics of Kun’s fantastic adventures. The time- and space-travel antics Kun and Mirai get up to never seem entirely literal or entirely imagined, somewhere between childish fable and psychological sci-fi, a mixture that culminates in a surprisingly existential climax for an unabashed children’s film. After the quite safe The Boy and the Beast, it’s exciting to see Hosoda branch out into such a complicated and strange project, certainly the most daring animated feature of the year.

12. Support the Girls dir. Andrew Bujalski

A bubbly, sensitive, and lightly anarchic workplace comedy in that most essential of American institutions: the Hooters-flavored sports bar off the highway. Bujalski continues to prove himself an observant and funny writer, putting together a fascinating ensemble of characters brought to life by a perfectly-cast ensemble (Regina Hall is flawless as advertised, and Haley Lu Richardson brings us one of the most adorable characters in cinema). I don’t think I’ve seen a more charming film about workers’ solidarity and the lively communities that find their niche in liminal spaces. 

11. First Reformed dir. Paul Schrader

Edgy priests are in a certain way low-hanging fruit; the tension is automatic, the contradiction inherently compelling. It’s a lazy symbol that can be milked for cheap profundity when employed, if you will, in bad faith. That’s why it’s so important that First Reformed, for all of its alcoholic, violent, libidinous angst packed into Ethan Hawke’s (masterfully interpreted) character, is also a great, genuine film about faith besides. It’s a Revelations film if I’ve ever seen one, about facing down the apocalypse with no way of understanding God’s plan, about living on the precipice of a collapse of belief, about accepting mystery. It’s the only film I saw this year that communicated actual dread, but even then still, somehow, bizarrely hopeful. 

10. Birds of Passage dir. Cristina Gallego, Ciro Guerra

Ciro Guerra (now with partner Cristina Gallego co-directing) follows up the excellent Embrace of the Serpent with another powerful portrait of an indigenous community that, under the pressure of colonial influence, gradually devours itself. In the new film, however, this takes the form of a traditional gangster film, from the humble beginnings and runaway success to the explosions of violence and crumbling of an empire. Birds of Passage shows the origins of the Colombian drug trade with the native Wayuu people (a counterpoint, Gallego explains, to the much-celebrated Pablo Escobar narrative), and in doing so still finds room to organically and respectfully depict the traditions of the Wayuu, as well as showcase their beautiful language, which makes up much of the film’s dialogue. Best film in the genre since at least Carlos. 

09. The Favourite dir. Yorgos Lanthimos

Though I really admire Dogtooth, I’ve found myself increasingly disappointed in Lanthimos’ output since that film. Alps was fine but clearly minor; The Lobster started strong but fizzled out; Killing of a Sacred Deer was ultimately too self-consciously bizarre. With The Favourite, we’re finally back in exciting, unsettlingly weird territory, Yorgos having found that his very mannered style of English dialogue works superbly in a costume drama context. He also gets great, uncharacteristically emotive performances (compared to, say, the last two Colin Farrell outings) out of his central trio of Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Emma Stone, with especially great work coming from Stone, who I think has discovered that all of her best roles take full advantage of the fact that she looks like a cartoon character. It’s wonderfully perverse, incredibly funny stuff, with one of the great, inexplicable endings of the year - fair to call it a Buñuel revival.

08. Bisbee ‘17 dir. Robert Greene

A documentary that tackles a shocking forgotten chapter in American labor history - a group of strikers deported from their mining town and left for dead in the desert - as well as the potential of historical reenactment to act as communal therapy. Greene moves a bit sideways from his usual performance-centric subject matter to show a different kind of performance meant not to affect the audience but the performers themselves, breaking through decades of near-silence on Bisbee’s tumultuous small town history. It’s also a remarkably multi-faceted film; though it would certainly be easy to side fully with the strikers, Greene makes sure to document the perspectives of current Bisbee citizens who sympathize with or even celebrate the decision to deport, complicating the emotions and politics of the reenactment in genuinely interesting ways. A powerful, important documentary.

07. Asako I & II dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi

Unwieldy and annoying English title aside (especially considering all the possible translations of Netemo Sametemo), Asako seems on the surface like nothing more than a cheap TV romance. It hits many of the same beats and adopts much of the visual style associated with this vein of visual media, particularly in the music video-esque, almost-supernatural meet-cute that opens the film. But hidden beneath these affectations is a shockingly cold un-romance, a story with an inevitable bad end that you’re tricked into thinking might not come to pass. By employing so many stylistic and even verbal cliches, Hamaguchi reveals how these internalized these storytelling devices are, and how they not only can’t prepare us for the complications of actual relationships, but even shift our expectations away from reality. It’s an absolute gut-punch of a film, covered in a seductively sweet carapace. 

06. Sweet Country dir. Warwick Thornton

In a fairly large shift from his previous Samson and Delilah, Thornton has put together one of the best and most unusual Westerns in recent years. Featuring great, earthy performances from its nonprofessional cast (plus a bit of Sam Neill and Bryan Brown for good measure) and a weird, almost Malicky flash-forward structure, the film explores a not-widely-depicted history of exploitation of indigenous Australians. It’s a sad film, showing a fairly exciting lead-up to a somewhat deflating moment of unjust violence - but of course, many of the best Westerns aren’t about good triumphing, either. It’s the film on this list that most grew on me over the course of the year, having not impressed me at first but then blowing me away on a second viewing. 

05. Leave No Trace dir. Debra Granik

For all the buzz surrounding Winter’s Bone - a film that still holds up after so many years - it’s a bit surprising that it took Granik eight years to put out a follow-up, but I guess it’s worth the wait. Unlike Bone, Leave No Trace is a kind, gentle film, leaving behind the edgy Ozarkian drama of its predecessor for a similar but more forgiving setting of woodland communities in the Pacific Northwest. It initially seduces you with Ben Foster’s outdoorsy survivalist lifestyle, cut off by seemingly uncaring state officials, but gradually revealing, through the second thoughts of his daughter (Thomasin McKenzie, in a shall we say Lawrencian turn), the downsides and flawed motivations for their lifestyle choice. It’s a quiet and thoughtful film, melancholy and optimistic in equal measure. Makes one hope Granik can get another project off the ground sooner. 

04. Roma dir. Alfonso Cuarón

I mean, what else can we say about Roma? It’s about as good as claimed, beautifully shot, framed, written, acted, whatever. It’s at its best, sort of ironically, when Cuarón breaks up the quiet personal drama for some of his characteristic action-y set pieces (a Children of Men-esque protest sequence and the climax on the beach are particularly memorable), but he also shows his talent in handling relatively uneventful family scenes, using the layout of the house to facilitate some surprisingly interesting camera movements. I’m happy that Cuarón, who could easily transition into a more boring prestige Hollywood filmmaker if he so chose, is using his industry clout to pull together neat little films like this. 

03. The Old Man & the Gun dir. David Lowery

What a completely pleasant film. A film that walks a dangerous tightrope - one of nostalgia, roguish charm, and incessant aw-shucks optimism - that can easily fall into twee, navel-gazing hell, but that miraculously pulls it off, resulting in a genuinely spirit-lifting character study of an almost folkloric figure. Robert Redford’s good in this, but of course he is - that’s the whole point. Perhaps more appropriate to say that this film is good for Robert Redford, that it rises to the occasion of celebrating his career in full and pulls it off without appearing trite or disposable. As good a (reportedly) final outing as anyone could ask for.

02. I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians dir. Radu Jude

A nearly three-hour, densely conversational, nakedly didactic examination of the historical effects and contemporary sources of fascism and ethnic nationalism that somehow flies right by. Radu Jude, a relative latecomer to Romanian cinema’s rise to international prominence, makes a strong argument for being his country’s best and most important filmmaker, taking on complicated, controversial, and infrequently discussed subject matter about Romania’s troubled past. If you can get past Barbarians’ sort of user-unfriendly exterior (Iona Iacob opens the film by introducing herself and explaining her character, which tells you the sort of thing you’re getting into), it should prove to be a remarkably stimulating and even fiendishly funny ride. 

01. Shoplifters dir. Hirokazu Koreeda

If you’ve spent the ten years since Still Walking wondering what exactly Koreeda is trying to do anymore, then this is your answer. He’s spent most of the last decade pumping out the same nonconventional family drama over and over again (everything from I Wish to After the Storm, at least) so he could hone his skills like a weapon and create the perfect, ultimate version. With a pitch-perfect cast (Koreeda regulars Lily Franky and Kirin Kiki are the standouts, but Sakura Ando, Mayu Matsuoka, and the two child actors more than hold their own), and probably the perfect expression of the chosen family, spots and all, that has consumed much of Koreeda’s career, Shoplifters is one of its director’s career-best films, showcasing all of his talent for depicting delicate, intimate moments and bringing smart, complex ideas to seemingly straightforward premises. The most exciting Palme d’Or winner in years and easily the best film of 2018.

[wernerbertzog]

Bisbee ‘17 (2018) dir. Robert Greene

[kgstoryteller]

As to the Oscars nominations: am deeply saddened that "If Beale Street Could Talk" and "First Reformed" failed to get best picture nominations (as both are far, far better films than "Green Book", and that Ethan Hawke didn't get nominated for best actor for his stunning performance in "First Reformed" (once again, a far more gripping performance than Viggo Mortensen's in Green Book), and that "Won't you be my neighbor" didn't get a nomination for best documentary, although "Of Fathers and Sons" is an equally worthy nomination in its place. Am thrilled that both Yalitza Aparicio and Marina de Tavira were nominated for their powerful performances in Roma, and that Hale County This Morning, This Evening was nominated for best documentary. All of the foreign film and documentary nominees this year were amazing, as evidenced by the fact that a stunning documentary like Bisbee '17 didn't even make the Oscars short list.

[allweknewisdead]

Bisbee '17 (2018) - Robert Greene

[thefilmstage]

The best documentaries of 2018.

[pacingmusings]

Seen in 2019:

Bisbee ‘17 (Robert Greene), 2018

[cristalconnors]

8th Annual Cristal Connors Film Awards: BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

WINNER-

Putin’s Witnesses, dir. Vitaly Mansky

A dictator is born. Mansky’s film is shockingly warm and vibrant, though still finds ample time for solemn reflection and biting commentary, offering an eerie peek behind the curtain at a major turning point in Russian history.

NOMINEES-

Bisbee ‘17, dir. Robert Greene

Greene’s most challenging, potent experiment to date, grappling with a seminal, troubling moment in a town’s history and its long-standing effects a century after the fact deliberately and with zeal. A prickly, cinematic feat that’s difficult to pin down.

Dark Money, dir. Kimberly Reed

A measured, invigorating treatise on the woeful state of campaign finance law and a celebration of the power of local journalism and grassroots activism. Illuminating, cinematic, and unexpectedly bold.

Minding the Gap, dir. Bing Liu

Unexpectedly broad in scope, widening its focus from the restorative powers of skateboarding and community to the pervasiveness of abuse and the plight of middle America, painting a humbly hopeful portrait of generational pain.

Shirkers, dir. Sandi Tan

A dazzling act of reclamation, seeing Tan’s inward and outward search for answers unfurl into a beguiling document of 1990s Singapore, of youthful naiveté, of the impossible mystery that is the life of Georges Cardona, and most importantly, a requiem for what might have been and a celebration of the tenacity and artistic merit of the original Shirkers.

[fatchance]

Bisbee streetscape series, No. 17.

[thisdayinwwi]

Japanese Nurses on their way to Europe

Omaha Daily Bee #OTD Jan 16 1915 publishes a photo of the Japanese Nursing Corp posing for a photo on some steps. 

Also shown is a Bisbee daily Review photo published on Jan 24 1915. The Nursing Corp was led by Doctor J Suzuki and were on their way to Europe to help with the war effort.  The Empire of Japan was an ally to the United Kingdom and France. The Imperial Japanese Navy protected Australian and New Zealand shipping as well as the West Coast of North America from German Raiders. They also sent the 2nd Special Squadron to help defend Allied shipping in the Mediterranean theatre of operations of World War I. On Dec 19 1914, seventeen Japanese nurses, two doctors, an interpreter and an administrator sailed from Yokohama on the Japanese liner Shunyo-maru bound for San Fransisco. From there they toured the country and in New York were treated like celebrities, invited to lavish dinners and photographed around town. On Jan 13 1915 they shipped out on the White Star liner Megantic, heading for Liverpool. When they arrived nine days later they were the focus of more celebrations and meetings with dignitaries. Finally on Jan 31 1915, 43 days after leaving Japan, they left London on a train to Netley, England to start their work with war wounded.

Standing Left to Right: Miss H. Hisayasn, Miss S. Myabara, Miss E. M. Hosoia, Miss K. Ogasawara, Miss T. Kando, Miss M. Hirose, Miss K. Matsuda, Miss E. Nishyama, Miss M. Kasin, Miss M. Ono, Miss K. Kasai, Miss S.K. Amiyo Sitting Left to Right: Miss T. Murata, Miss Y. Katsuta, Miss S. Kiycoka, Mr. M. Kuwabara, Dr J. Suzuki, Dr F. O'shinna, Mr. N. Otsuka, Miss Y. Yamamato and Miss H. Matsuzuo.

Sphere Magazine July 17 1915 left to right: Private Desroches, French Canadian; Sister Okino Kotaki, Japanese; Corporal Thompson, Canada; Lance Corporal Breeze, British; Private Alsdorf, Mexican; Sergeant Holbrook, British; Private Rogan, Canada; In the spinal chair, Private Ellick - Serbian: Sitting, Sister Tome Murata, Japanese; Sergeant Crowe, South Africa; Private Krisko, Russian; Petty-officer Sharp, British.

Le Petit Journal Dec 24 1916 photo of Japanese Red cross nurses

[womenscraftbeer]

ARE YOU A CAMPFIRE? BECAUSE YOU’RE HOT AND I WANT S’MORE. 😆🔥🪵 Imagine an evening by the fire-pit with S’More the Merrier by @tombstonebeer deliciously made with #grahamcracker #marshmallow and #cacao … now imagine that #imperialstout at 17% ABV! night night all! 🥱��� #campfirestout #marshmallowstout #beersoutdoors #firesidebeers (at Bisbee, Arizona) https://www.instagram.com/p/CW4XfqrJqdW/?utm_medium=tumblr