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Put down the bear claw and grab a sufganiyot, gulab jamun, or one of these 10 other delectable pastries from around the world.
The Legal Reason Why Public Christmas Displays Often Feature At Least One Reindeer
Ever wonder what Rudolph is doing in that nativity scene put up in your town square? You can thank a little something called the “reindeer rule.”
North Korea is a country shrouded in mystery, somehow as intriguing as it is tragic. Reports of famine wiping out a significant portion of the country’s population in the ‘90s, a seeming disregard for anyone outside the elite in the capital city of Pyongyang, and the total suppression of information from outside sources make it a difficult place to get to know, not to mention live in. Yet the country seems enraptured by its leaders: When Kim Jong-Il died in 2011 citizens lined the streets, many weeping uncontrollably.
The Kims have a lot of tools at their disposal to help deify them, but none have harnessed it better than Kim Jong-Il. Kim was a film obsessive, the proud owner of one of the largest private film collections in the world, with reportedly over 20,000 movies—almost all of them bootlegs, since it was illegal to import western media into North Korea. He experienced the power of cinema first-hand, and knew he could exploit it for the benefit of his and his father’s regime.
Infamously, he kidnapped South Korean director Shin Sang-ok and his ex-wife actress Choi Eun-hui in 1978, forcing them to make North Korean propaganda films for years before their daring escape in 1986. But even before that, in 1973, Kim Jong-Il published his propaganda manifesto On the Art of the Cinema, a 300-page, quasi-impenetrable opus filled with musings about what it takes to make a great film. The book was instantly a must-read among North Korea’s filmmaking studios—meaning they were literally forced to read it, not that it was a hit—and shaped North Korean cinema for many years. It also offered some (occasionally quite obvious) lessons to filmmakers around the globe, including these:
It might seem that talking about literature would be a bit of a sidestep for a book on filmmaking, but Kim Jong-Il dedicates the first 100 pages of his book to “Life and Literature.” He discusses literature as a source material for great cinema—combined, of course, with the great struggle and life experience of the North Korean people. In subchapters laced with clumsy metaphors, Kim likens a written work to a living thing and tells us that “in order to build the organic structure of a literary piece, it is necessary to have a clear vision of the fundamental principle which permeates all the elements of an artistic image and welds them into an integral whole.” Which, plainly speaking, means that story is everything. Without a compelling story with a clear goal (or “seed”), a film falls flat at the first hurdle.
This lesson boils down to one thing: make us look good. Is the film set in the “exploitative society” of the West where “the majority of the population live in low spirits, plagued by worries and anxiety because they are poor and have no rights”? Well, make sure the mood of the scene reflects that. Irony aside, a real lesson for filmmakers here is to develop their craft, because “mood can only be correctly expressed by artists who have attained a high level of creative skill.”
A rookie mistake for filmmakers and screenwriters is forgetting that their scenes serve to propel the narrative forward, or to reveal more information about a character. “A film has to compress a considerable amount of narrative into a small space,” Kim points out, and meandering through a scene without any clear conflict (relating back to the “seed” from lesson one) could mean that “the film as a whole [would] have no dramatic structure, and dramatic description [would] be impossible.” (Other filmmakers might note that’s not a hard-and-fast rule—Quentin Tarantino famously plays with this idea in Pulp Fiction’s “Royale with Cheese” scene.)
You could never accuse Kim of being a fan of subtlety and nuance (this, after all, is a man who claimed his birth was heralded by a double rainbow and whose favorite movies were said to be Friday the 13th and Rambo), and his musings on story arcs reflect this. “First impressions are important in a film,” the Dear Leader says, before elaborating: “if the beginning is too complicated, it will be difficult to follow the development of the story.” Solid advice: ease your audience into the narrative adventure you’re about to take them on.
What about the grand ending? Well, make sure it has meaning. Kim talks at length of grounding the story in a relatable human struggle rather than anything fantastical, and claims that “introducing some stunning occurrence or the total impact of something completely strange and unheard-of, in the hope of evoking meaningless exclamations of wonder, is a vulgarity which is incompatible with art created for the people.” That’s big talk for somebody who would go on to produce an absurd Godzilla rip-off that gained so-bad-it’s-good cult infamy.
“Art presupposes life,” Kim says. “Without life there could be no artistic creation. An artistic work which does not mirror life honestly is useless.” (We’re guessing he’s not a big sci-fi guy.)
The end goal of North Korean cinema was, and is, to instill an exaggerated sense of national pride in the audience, and watching characters struggle—plus, crucially, overcome their struggles—on the big screen is one big way to create that pride. Of course, stories about overcoming struggles aren’t limited to North Korea alone (as Kurt Vonnegut demonstrates in this clip). Identifying with a lead protagonist’s struggle helps keep the audience rooting for them.
When Kim says “aim high” here, he’s referring more to creative standards than commercial success (ignoring the fact that state-produced films are always a commercial success in North Korea because viewing is often mandatory). According to Kim, “even if certain individual scenes are quite impressive, an able director will be concerned if the work as a whole appears vague and unconvincing” and ultimately a sincere belief in the work you’re making will help, as “the force of the passion he experiences when nurturing an excellent seed fuels his activity.”
Again, Kim isn’t breaking any ground here—the Russian filmmakers of the early 20th century were among the first to harness the power of editing. Look no further than the Kuleshov Effect (an editing technique based on the idea than an audience will derive more meaning from two shots in a sequence than one shot shown in isolation) to see the kind of impact their work is still having on cinema today.
“Throughout the whole course of making the film, the director must constantly consider the work from the point of view of editing,” Kim says. He has a point: Considering how a scene is going to be stitched together in the edit is vital, but can easily be forgotten about on set. Kim goes on to say that the director “must always seek, by exploring new possibilities, to enhance the role played by editing.”
Kim’s ideas of realism are tailored toward the camera as witness to the honorable workers’ struggle. He says that “there is nothing in society and nature, in human life or the physical world, which cannot be captured on camera,” and in doing so one can create “a rhythmical flow of imagery which will evoke a tapestry of emotions.” However, his understanding of cinematography and composition is clearly limited, with statements littered throughout the chapter such as “the camerawork of a film should portray everything clearly and concisely” and “the cameraman should portray life in a natural and realistic way”—none of which are elaborated upon.
He does, however, acknowledge that movement plays a vital role in the visual makeup of a film, explaining that shooting “should create cinematic movement by combining the movement of an object with that of the camera.” In other words, don’t just leave your camera sitting motionless on a tripod unless there’s a very good reason for it. Life, after all, rarely stands still.
When he kidnapped the director Shin Sang-Ok, one of Kim’s major complaints about North Korean film was the melodrama. He bemoaned that actors were constantly crying in the movies—and I mean really crying. Which is why he emphasizes the importance of a non-theatrical realism: “The actor should not ‘act’ before the camera but behave as he would in real life,” Kim instructs, before launching into a lengthy diatribe about how the actor and character should become one and the same. (One wonders if he’d appreciate Jared Leto’s method acting.)
This is another lesson that seems so painfully obvious it’s hard to believe Kim managed to spin it out to seven pages, but here we are. Using the wrong music is still a mistake you see today—filmmaker and YouTuber Darious Britt touches on recent examples of it in this 2015 video. One key mistake: You can’t just throw a piece of dramatic music over your scenes to add drama if there’s none there already. “Only when film music both conforms with the spirit of the times and suits the specific situation depicted can it pluck at the people’s heartstrings,” Kim says.
December 7, 2016 – 12:00pm
Learn to Say No by Using ‘Don’t’ Instead of ‘Can’t’
There’s an easy way to keep yourself from saying yes when you want to say no—just learn to say “I don’t” instead of “I can’t.”
Chimps Recognize Butts the Way Humans Recognize Faces
Researchers now believe chimps recognize butts the way humans recognize faces.
The recently departed Zaha Hadid, one of the most famous contemporary architects in the world, was an artist long before her first building was ever built. Inspired by Suprematists like Kazimir Malevich, her drawings reflect the abstract art of the Russian avant-garde. Now, some of her early art will be on display in London, as Dezeen reports.
The exhibit will be at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery, whose building she renovated in 2013, and where she served as a trustee starting in 1996. It will showcase her art from before her first building was complete in 1993, covering paintings and drawings from the 1970s until the 1990s, including some rarely seen sketches from her private notebooks.
“Conceived as Hadid’s manifesto of a utopian world, the show reveals her all-encompassing vision for arranging space and interpreting realities,” the gallery press release explains. Check out some of that utopian-minded artwork:
‘Vision for Madrid’, Spain, 1992; © Zaha Hadid Foundation
Wireframe Sculpture Perspective – 2010 ‘Victoria City Aerial’ Berlin, Germany, 1988; © Zaha Hadid Foundation
‘Metropolis’, 1988; © Zaha Hadid Foundation
The show runs from December 8 until February 12.
[h/t Dezeen]
December 7, 2016 – 8:30am
Know someone with a great sense of humor? Give your friends and family the gift of laughter with a funny holiday card.
You wouldn’t expect pickles to play a big role in Christmas, but you can find pickle ornaments on trees around the world. This can be attributed to a (false) story that Germans used to hide a pickle on the tree; the child that finds the pickle first gets a special gift and good luck. While the story isn’t exactly true, the salty cucumbers have wiggled their way into Christmas folklore all the same. Send this festive pickle card to the foodie or German-phile in your life.
Find It: Amazon
Fires can’t be lit underwater, but we won’t let that get in the way of a good pun.
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The Christmas song “Feliz Navidad” has been a holiday staple since the 1970s. The only way we can think to improve it is with a few sheep in antlers.
Find It: Etsy
Winter is coming! This card, which comes with a bright green envelope, is blank but you can have the seller type in any message you would like.
Find It: Amazon
Having little arms can be tough, especially around the holidays. This poor T.rex has a little extra room in the sleeves, but we think he’s pulling it off anyway.
Find It: Etsy
The next time you go caroling, bring a llama to hit those high notes.
Find It: Amazon
It’s hard to imagine that anyone wouldn’t want a holiday card with a festive pug on it, so stock up for the holidays. These cards come in packs of eight so the whole family can enjoy looking at that cute pooch.
Find It: Amazon
Instead of milk and cookies, you should just leave out some Milkbones for Santa Paws.
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Slow the season down a bit by adding a sloth to the mix.
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Show your kids how hip you are with today’s slang. These cards come in packs of eight and say “Merry Christmas!” inside.
Find It: Amazon
Ball up the Christmas lights, crank up The Clash, and enjoy some eggnog with the Demogorgon.
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Santa Claus has his hands full this year, so a different Saint Nic might show up in your chimney this year. Just make sure to hide the Declaration of Independence.
Find It: Amazon
December 7, 2016 – 8:00am
| Questions: | 5 |
| Available: | Always |
| Pass rate: | 75 % |
| Backwards navigation: | Forbidden |
Pearl Harbor
Tuesday, December 6, 2016 – 10:25
The holiday season is a time for gift giving, eggnog, and, of course, ugly sweaters. While some people might find the purposively tacky sweaters charming, others, like English pub owner Alan Murphy, don’t want to be anywhere near them. Refinery29 reports that all three of Murphy’s establishments in the town Kingston upon Hull have completely banned “fancy dress” this holiday season.
Despite this crackdown on holiday attire, which kicks in after 8 p.m. each night, Murphy says he’s no Scrooge. Instead, he simply wants to preserve the atmosphere of his bars.
“We have spent a fortune making this place nice and we feel we need this dress code, much in the same way some upmarket restaurants won’t allow sportswear,” he told the Hull Daily Mail. “We don’t want to attract stag dos and large office parties in a place which only has room for 70 people. We don’t want 15 lads all dressed in Christmas jumpers making a beeline for the bar and making life difficult for others.”
[h/t Refinery29]
December 7, 2016 – 6:30am
Got a friend or family member on your list who’s always traveling to adventurous locales or going off the grid in the great outdoors? Whether they’re into mountain biking day trips or through-hiking excursions that last months, your favorite wilderness enthusiast likely requires quite a bit of gear for their activities. Take a look at some of the latest, greatest gadgets out there.
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This small speaker is made for your outdoor-loving friend who likes to stop and smell the roses—or listen to some tunes, as it were. It boasts a 24-hour battery life, extra bass for a rich sound, and Bluetooth, to easily connect to a phone or tablet. Bonus: It’s water-resistant, so they won’t have to worry about it getting damaged if there’s rain at their campsite or the speaker gets wet on a float trip.
Find It: Amazon
Know someone who’s new to outdoor adventures and they need everything? Get them this kit, from a company that hand-selects great gear and rounds it up in convenient packs perfect for gifting. This starter package includes all they need to get going—from a sleeping pad and head lamp to a stove, water filtration system, and a few freeze-dried meals.
Find It: Isle Box
For the person who hikes or camps for days: This portable, battery-powered gadget will guarantee they’ve got clean H2O on their trip. With ultraviolet light, it purifies 1 liter of water in just 90 seconds, killing more than 99.9 percent of bacteria, viruses, and protozoa—so they can sip safely.
Find It: Amazon
The great outdoors isn’t the only place worth exploring. Pop Chart Lap’s color-coded map shows the entire solar system and traces the path of every spacecraft and instrument that’s ever completed a mission out in space.
Find It: Pop Chart Lab
Even the most adventurous outdoorsman likes to kick up their feet after a long day in the wild. This portable hammock is made of ultra-durable rip-stop polyester. Plus, it folds up to store in an attached pocket and weighs just over a pound—so it’s easy to pack and take on the go.
Find It: Amazon
This rugged canvas cooler has a bottle opener on the zipper pull and can hold up to 36 cans—but it boasts an adjustable shoulder strap, so it’s comfy to carry as your outdoorsy friend ventures into the wilderness. Plus, it’s got a removable lining, making clean-up when they get home easier.
Find It: Amazon
Ensure your nature-loving buddy is never left in the dark with this lightweight lantern. Its USB rechargeable battery stays strong for 52 hours and can serve as a backup power source for their phone. It can be easily clipped to a backpack or jacket during hikes or camping trips, or mounted to their bike for safety on an early-morning or nighttime ride.
Find It: Amazon
This compact new camera from GoPro captures super-clear 4K video and 10 MP photos during any activity. It’s waterproof up to 33 feet, and has voice control so your friends can start filming even when their hands are full—or busy holding a fishing pole or climbing a rock wall. Afterward, it automatically uploads footage to a connected GoPro Plus cloud account.
Find It: Amazon
It’s not too late to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. The pass grants your nature-loving friend entrance to national parks and national wildlife refuges, from Yellowstone in Wyoming to Acadia in Maine, for an entire year. Plus, it covers amenity fees at national forests and grasslands.
Find It: National Park Service
Stay connected to your friends or family members who venture into the backcountry or otherwise go off-grid. The waterproof device connects with a phone or tablet via Bluetooth and generates its own radio signal so they can send texts or GPS locations to others with a goTenna, or download a map—even when they’re somewhere remote and without cell service or wifi.
Find It: Amazon
Uncommon Goods’s Scratch Map begins in a basic brown hue but gets more colorful as your travel-loving pal treks around the globe: They can use a coin to scratch off the cities or countries they’ve visited, revealing bright pops of color underneath.
Find It: Uncommon Goods
December 7, 2016 – 6:00am
