La cabina

Worth a watch. Great Spanish film from 1972 - has some interesting, twisted purchase on the imagination - something to do with the fear of technology, alienation, anonymity, the city, faceless corporations, powelessness, paranoia, fear of modernity, loss of connection - the phone - the symbol of connection?, becomes the glass box/coffin/goldfish bowl...echoes of other '70s themes including later films like 'Duel' and 'Coma'. And perhaps also an existential parable


An update (March '10) - the film has disappeared from YouTube, a bit like the bloke in the telephone box, but here's a documentary/commentary from Spanish TV about it...followed by the film in full. Totally worth watching. Mesmerising.

Update again (October 2014). Back on Youtube and in full. New link added above. 

Logan's Run - Pilot - Part 1

Logan's Run (trailer)

Made a quick note on the Wolfram Alpha blog about this - their choice of logo has a strange resemblance to the uber-computer's crystal in this bit of 70s futurism

Future Shock (1972) 1/5

Total retro-futurism.

John Martyn: 1948 - 2009

1970s watches

If you want to buy some iconic watch designs from the 70s, this seems like as good a place to go as any.

The Crusaders - Street Life (1979)

Stunning performance.

Keith Moon's taste in iconic properties

From The Who Location Guide:


"Keith Moon's house "Tara" began life at the hands of Peter Collinson, the film director responsible for Up The Junction and The Italian Job. Collinson owned the original property that graced the site, but having been refused planning permission to extend it, demolished it. In its place he built "Tara".

Named after his son, the house was was a strangely cuboidal and pyramidical construction, packed with all manner of futuristic labour-saving gadgetry.

Collinson put the house up for sale after deciding to emigrate to the USA. Moon purchased it from him in 1971 for £65,000."

And some pictures of Moon's Malibu Beach house here.

Across 110th street

Impressive trailer for this period piece of a blaxploitation movie.

Where were you when the lights went out?

See here on more parallels between the economic woes of today and the 1970s.

Heading for the Exit Lane

Here's a very thoughtful article (together with some thoughtful responses) about the parallels between the stagflation of the 1970s and today's economic woes.

Deschooling Society

Here's an excerpt from Ivan Illich's Deschooling Society, as interpreted by the Pinky Show. Prescient.

The museum of macroeconomic anxiety

In honour of our readers from the hedge fund world, we offer some resources for exploring the economic landscape of the 1970s in relation to present day dilemmas. Commentary to follow.

1. Inflation - both in labour costs and in raw materials

2. Protectionism

3. Energy crisis

4. Environmentalism

5. Consumerism

6. Automation and new technology restructuring the workplace

7. Globalisation

8. Stagflation

For a vivid saccount of the atmosphere on Wall Street of the time, pre Gordon Gekko, we recommend The Money Game by 'Adam Smith' - thanks to the macro trader for the tip.

Walking mall in Helena, Montana, 1970s

Images of the Montana capital city in the early '70s...

Logotypes

A great album of logotypes from a mid-1970s textbook - World of Logotypes