Amos “Bill” Perrine 

Amos Perrine is one of WV’s leading experts on film. He programmed the WV Intl. Film Festival for years and still consults with them. He has written film and music reviews for several publications and advised Lincoln Center in NYC on an Iranian film series.

 Below is his Top Ten list plus a few other comments. He was recently in NYC and sent me these short reviews of some contemporary films…He recently watched 21 films in 10 days. Once, while in NYC, he watched 7 films in 49 hours.

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Bob Wilkinson, director of “Shades of Gray,” the new feature-length documentary about Clarksburg-linked UFO writer Gray Barker, has posted a new preview trailer for his film. The film had its world premiere at the 2008 WV Filmmakers Festival in Sutton. ( Here is my review.) (more…)

William C. Blizzard giving a presentation at the WV Cultural Center. Photo in back of Bill show his parents and grandmother Ma Blizzard who was one of WV’s first labor activists.

William C. Blizzard passed away in Ripley, WV on December 29th, at 10:30 PM at the age of 92. There will be a memorial service for him at the WV Cultural Center on Saturday, January 3 at 10 AM with internment at Sunset Memorial Park in South Charleston, next to his parents and grandparents, immediately following the service. Elaine Purkey will sing a labor song and Gazette reporter Paul Nyden will say a few works. ( See his Gazette story.)   (more…)

Still from “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”

Our cinematic Christmas began with watching NBC’s showing of “It’s a Wonderful Life” on Christmas Eve.  Amazingly, I thought that I had seen the entire film (once purchasing Les Blank’s own 16 mm print of the film for WVLC), but after watching and truly enjoying the film, I have to admit - I simply have never watched the entire film from front to end! It was a nice way to start….and indeed, the current economic conditions made the film seem totally undated. It might be worthwhile to make an updated version of the film.

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Gov. William Casey Marland

Russ Barbour, director of 2008 WV Film of the Year, “Ken Hechler: In Pursuit of Justice,” has completed another major project - an hour long film about WV Governor Marland. ( Short bio with inaugural speech and clip of his inauguration.) WVPBS will be airing the new film on January 15th at 9 PM. (more…)

Ted Elden makes a visit

Ted Elden, the son of Henry Elden, stopped in for a brief visit recently. Ted is like his father an architect but also a professional photographer and a first-class skeptic. Henry has two of his buildings in the new sensational WV State Historic Preservation Office’s annual calender. This year’s calender is devoted to “Mountain State Modern” and I am sure that lots of people will want to see the publication. In the meanwhile, visit Ted’s Abodia website, read some of his poems, recipes, and lots of other stuff. And try to pick up a 2009 calender.

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Rebecca Frischkorn lived for a long time in Charleston, WV. The South Charleston Museum had two programs during recent years premiering several of the episodes that became her national PBS series, “Garden Story- Inspiring Spaces, Healing Places.” My friend Amos Perrine, who knew her son Will, an internationally famous bicycle racer (becoming the first native WVian to compete in the 2008 Tour de France), told me that the Kanawha County Public Library now has the DVD series available for loan. Two of the episodes relate directly to WV - The Garden as Muse about WV-raised poet Anne Spencer and The Garden as Environmental Stewartship about the Upper Shavers Fork Nature Conservancy Preserve.

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Susan Lipper is a world-famous photographer who happens to love the people of Grapevine, McDowell County, WV. She has been traveling down there on a regular basis for more than a decade. Recently she sent me a link to a story about some of her photos being shown in Tokyo as part of a group show for Motus Fort.

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Ray Schmitt and Marcy Brenner accepting award for their film “Dead Girl Walking” in Toronto at First BreastFest

Ray Schmitt returned from Toronto this weekend after picking up his award for “best film” at the international BreastFest. He e-mailed me, ” Marcy and I had a blast in Toronto. They put on a  real first-rate film fest and reception. .” Congrats to Ray and Marcy.  (more…)

Ken Hechler while working in the Truman White House. He is the oldest living presidential speech writer.

Ex-White House speech writers go down memory lane

THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE
Sunday, October 13, 1985
Page: P3D

By KEN HECHLER In the years before he became a West Virginia political science professor and member of Congress, Secretary of State Ken Hechler was a speech writer for President Harry Truman and also helped President Franklin Roosevelt prepare papers for publication. (more…)