Streaming June 22nd: Pilot – Episode 106
Pilot (12am, 7am, 2pm, 9pm CDT)
Pilot for the award-winning TV series The 90’s. This episode features the following segments:
1:50 The 90’s opening.
2:33 “Beijing Journal” by Pat Keeton. Tiananmen Square 1989. Footage of a political uprising of students in China and a discussion of the process of revolt.
8:03 “Crack Clouds Over Hell’s Kitchen” by The Educational Video Center. Interview with crack addicts in New York City who actually demonstrate how to smoke crack onscreen and describe its effects as they feel them. “Five seconds ago I was real tired. Right now I’ve got energy. I could get up from here now and walk to the moon…. The reason why I’m doing this interview is, I’m tired of this place Manhattan and I’m leaving right now. I’m outta here. If anybody sees this tape and knows me, you know I tried, you know what I came from, you know what I used to be and I’m going to get it again.”
12:10 “Iran-Contra Affair” by Eddie Becker. Discussion of the impact of the Iran-Contra scandal on the American government and its attitude toward secrecy. Malcolm Byrne admits that “there’s been no significant legislation out of the Iran-Contra hearings… nothing to prevent similar disasters from happening again.” Peter Kornbluh warns, “We need more documentation, more congressional scrutiny or the next decade will see deeper, darker covert operations.”
14:19 David Halberstam commentary by Tom Weinberg and Skip Blumberg. Halberstam talks about how young people today are going to compete with people from around the world for jobs that their parents were almost guaranteed. “The new definition of national security is… ‘How good is your high school graduate?’ The easy affluence has gone; other nations have caught up… Americans are now competing with people their age from Osaka, Beijing, Singapore, Jakarta etc.”
16:30 “Flying Morning Glory (on fire)” by Skip Blumberg. At an outdoor restaurant in Phitsanulok, Thailand, a cook demonstrates how to make a stir-fried dish with morning glory leaves. “Make sure the wok is very hot,” he says, and then tosses the meal in the air behind him, which is caught on a plate by the server.
20:19 Bill Murray introduces “Wired In.”
20:25 “Wired In.” This segment from the early 1980s examines the generational gap present in attitudes towards computers.
23:12 Bill Murray does a monologue about technology.
23:44 1958 Edsel Commercial. The car features automatic gear shifting.
24:40 “Buckle Up Commercial” by Paul Chen. PSA urging seat belt use.
25:15 Tony Schwartz commentary. “The most important role for the media in the future is to prevent disease, illness and accidents… it’s better than medicine. If you stop 5% of people from smoking, you could prevent more cancer than medicine can cure.”
27:20 Excerpt from “Four More Years” by TVTV. Documentary about the 1972 Republican National Convention. Skip Blumberg does Republican Convention Drag.
28:24 Nixon Resignation. White House pool feed of Nixon before his resignation broadcast on August 8, 1974. Nixon jokes with the photographers and reporters: “My friend Ollie is always taking pictures. I’m afraid he’ll catch me picking my nose… You wouldn’t print that, now would you, Ollie?”
28:53 Excerpt from “Rostenkowski” by Tom Weinberg. House Majority Leader Rep. Jim Wright (D-Texas) claims that influence is gained in government by earning a reputation as an honest person.
29:10 Excerpt from “Probably the World’s Smallest TV Station’” by Media Bus (Lanesville TV). Members of Media Bus stage a U.F.O. sighting and interview residents of Lanesville about the event.
29:22 Excerpt from “Media Burn” by Ant Farm. Artist-president Doug Hall introduces the event as John F. Kennedy. “And I ask you, my fellow Americans: Haven’t you ever wanted to put your foot through your television set?” Afterwards, the phantom dream car crashes through a wall of flaming televisions.
31:12 Chuck Olin introduces his piece on human rights abuses in Guatemala. “When it comes to human rights around the world, the odds have always favored the abusers. They have the political power, they have the money, they have the land, and, as we saw in Beijing, they have the tanks. And yet despite those odds, there seems to be something in the world, something about the human rights movement, that’s persistent, powerful, and growing. The human rights movement worldwide is made up of the thousands of stories, in countless small places, involving individuals fighting to get their rights back. Guatemala has one of the worst human rights records in the world, and the worst in this hemisphere. With 100,000 people killed and 40,000 disappeared in the last decade alone. We’ve been following one story, about the struggle for human rights, in the highlands of Guatemala.”
31:59 “In Small Places” by Chuck Olin. April, 1989. Over shots of rural farm life, a debate plays out between General Ortega, speaking for the Guatemalan government, and Amilcar Mendez, speaking on behalf of those suffering political repression. This segment focuses on the issue of men around the countryside being forced to join “voluntary” civil patrols under the threat of death, and the movement to stop this oppression.
38:02 Greater Yellowstone News by Phil Morton and Elizabeth Laden. Morton and Laden document the battle for survival for buffalo and newborn calves in Yellowstone National Park.
39:34 “Root Beer Rags” by Bill O’Neil, music by Billy Joel. Simple color animation.
40:44 “For The Woman In You” by Shu Lea Cheang. Cheang comments on the values associated with the ’80s and predicts those to come in the ’90s: Power, money and greed were the values associated with the ’80s. In the ’90s will having a baby be more impressive than any hood ornament? Will a baby be the status symbol of the ’90s?
43:07 Jimmy Piersall commentary. Former Major League baseball player Jimmy Piersall discusses the future of baseball.
45:19 90’s Sports Quiz. Question: What’s the best-known horticultural display in the U.S.? Answer: The outfield wall of Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL. Bill Veeck, in 1985, explains: “The ivy happened because I inadvertently mentioned that the brick walls were so bare and so harsh.”
46:13 Music video for “She Won’t French Kiss” by The Cleaning Ladys.
48:12 “South Africa Now” by Mzwakhe Mbuli and Globalvision. Poet activist Mbuli performs an impassioned anti-apartheid plea.
49:44 Helen Lewis commentary by Appalshop. Lewis, a coal miner organizer, talks about what is to come in the ’90s.
51:23 Paul Krassner commentary by Nancy Cain. Cain shows us garbage on Venice Beach, Krassner discusses the ’90s.
53:23 “People and the Land: Ending the Silence” by Deep Dish TV. At farmer’s rights rally in Iowa City, Iowa, a priest says, “I’m gonna borrow me a pickup, and I’m gonna take a piece of equipment the FDIC wants and I’m gonna liberate it… I’m gonna give sanctuary to a manure-spreader.”
54:35 “International Women’s Day Festival” by Deep Dish TV. Experimental piece about women’s rights.
55:01 “AIDS: Angry Initiatives Defiant Strategies” by John Greyson. A music video spoofing the AIDS scare. “The ADS epidemic is sweeping the nation: Acquired Dread of Sex… fear and panic in whole population. Stop the ADS plague… safe sex is fun.”
56:08 Grace Paley commentary by Skip Blumberg. “So many people watch TV that it really has the obligation to be truthful on occasion.”
56:30 Abbie Hoffman in Memoriam. Footage by Videofreex and Media Process Group. Clip from Chicago, 1969 before Chicago 7 trial and Chicago 1988.
1:00:10 :30 promo.
Main Credits:
executive producer, Tom Weinberg; producer, Joel Cohen; outreach producer, Dee Dee Halleck; chief bureaucrat, John Schwartz; editor, John Grod; visiting producer, Jeanne Meyers; Beijing Journal, April-June 1989 made possible in part by Ramapo College of New Jersey; “Seat Belts” by Paul Chen; “Albert” courtesy of TNT Productions & Tribune Entertainment, produced at Post Effects; “Helen Lewis” produced by Appalshop; “In Small Places” produced in co-operation with the Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt Foundation; “Abbie Hoffman” footage by Videofreex (Don West Archive) and Media Process Group; “Flying Morning Glory [on fire]” supported in part by grants from The National Endowment for the Arts and The New York State Council on the Arts, copyright Skip Blumberg; “Wired In” co-created by Elan Soltes, copyright Wired In Partnership; “For the Woman in You” edited by Lisa Guido at Standby, copyright 1989 Shu Lea Cheang
Additional Credits:
titles and effects created at Independent Programming Associates, produced by John Anderson; opening film sequence by Tom Finerty, design by Paul Marvine and Richard Du Casse, edited by Ann La Porte with Kathleen Dargis, original music by The Cleaning Ladys; video production by Bob Hercules, Mirko Popadic, Keith Walker, Jim Carkhuff, Mark Burns, and Esti Marpet; post-production graphics, Joe Angio; voices of THE 90’s, Nancy Turner and Joe Cummings; face of THE 90’s, Kristin Graziano; major collaborators, Scott Jacobs and Roger Bain; special thanks, D.L. Bean, Jamie Ceaser, Dee Davis, Thea Flaum, Belinda Gold, Jean Halberstam, Randy Jaffe, Tony Judge, David Manilow, Diane Markrow, Bill Marpet, Studs Terkel, and TWTV Inc; program administration and post-production, The Center for New Television, Joyce Bolinger, executive director; this program was funded by Instructional Telecommunications Foundation, Inc.; THE 90’s is funded in part by John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; copyright 1989 Instructional Telecommunications Foundation, Inc.
Episode 101 (1am, 8am, 3pm, 10pm CDT)
Episode 101 of the award-winning series The 90’s. This episode features the following segments:
02:02 “Love on $14” by Steve Martini and James McCarthy. A portrait of the Grateful Dead concert experience. The videomakers spent three days at Alpine Valley in East Troy, Wisconsin interviewing Deadheads camping on the concert grounds and exploring the reasons behind their intense devotion.
09:46 Mickey Finn commentary. Finn, director of the Center for Drug Free Schools and Communities, calls for more research into the effects of marijuana and its place in our economy.
11:05 A vintage Phillip Morris cigarette commercial featuring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
12:19 “More Than A Game” by Joel Cohen and Joe Angio. An excerpt from a documentary about the role of basketball in the lives of African American men in Chicago.
17:33 Erika Becker commentary by Eddie Becker. Erika Becker, a young girl, talks about her hopes for the 1990’s. She hopes that the ’90s will have less crime than the ’80s.
19:32 “Latvian Music.” Musician Valdis Muktapavels plays a traditional Latvian wedding song.
21:26 “Varela in Xingu” by Ohlar Electronico. A documentary examining the native Xingu people of Brazil hosted by Ernesto Varela. Their leader talks of his love of the jungle. In Portuguese w/ English subtitles.
25:38 “Afternoon TV in Mexico” by Karen Ranucci. A compilation of snippets from Mexican television. It focuses on the similarities between Mexican programming and U.S. programming (in fact, we see some if the very same shows, just in Spanish).
29:24 “Wisconsin Wiener Mobile” by Matt Gilson. A short look at the Oscar Meyer Wiener Mobile.
31:53 “Krishna vs. Christians” by Nancy Cain. A short video about a Hare Krishna parade in Venice Beach, California and the Christians who are on hand to protest it.
36:28 Louise Hay commentary. Hay, a metaphysical counselor, shares some predictions for the 1990’s, including the medical community embracing holistic therapies and a “cleaning up of the planet.”
37:19 Chip Lord commentary by Skip Blumberg. Lord shares some former predictions for the 1990’s, including the replacement of cars by computers and interspecies communication.
38:28 “Greater Yellowstone News.” Phil Morton and Elizabeth Laden search for two missing bison carcasses that were removed by park rangers, arguing that Yellowstone visitors should be allowed to see death as well as life.
42:34 “Talkin’ ‘Bout Droppin’ Out!” by Teen Vision Posse and Branda Miller. A documentary about an African American boy who tells how his family motivated him to stay in school.
45:14 An excerpt from the documentary “Four More Years” by TVTV. In this piece Ronald Reagan gives a speech to the young people gathered at the 1972 Republican National Convention.
46:00 “Homeless Demonstration” by Eddie Becker. Marchers demonstrate in Washington D.C. for affordable housing.
48:30 “Machine Song” by Chel White. An animated piece examining the commoditization of workers.
50:25 “Nuestro Tequio” by the Zapoteca Indians. A short documentary about the communal work of the Zapoteca Indians of Mexico. We watch the them put a new roof on a municipal building.
53:52 Richard Trumpka, President of the United Mine Workers Union, gives a speech in St. Paul, Virginia. He talks about disappointments of the ’80s and his hopes for the ’90s.
54:43 “Jose and His Car” by Skip Blumberg. We talk to a man named Jose while he washes his car on the street. He talks about looking forward to making money in the ’90s and is happy to see the ’80s go (citing lack of opportunities).
55:51 “Joe Cummings’ People.” Cummings talks about wanting to see regular people on television.
57:26 The 90’s end credits.
Main Credits:
executive producer, Tom Weinberg; producer, Joel Cohen; benevolent bureaucrat, John Schwartz; visiting producer, Nancy Cain; outreach producer, Dee Dee Halleck; editor, John Grod; technical coordinator, Jim Morrissette; 90’s correspondents, Appalshop, Eddie Becker, Skip Blumberg, Nancy Cain, Elizabeth Laden, Phil Morton, and Karen Ranucci; video production, Wendy Apple, Judith Binder, Ricki Katz, Chuck Olin, Brian Strausse
Additional Credits:
art, Matt Gilson; paintbox, Richard DuCasse; major collaborator, Scott Jacobs; production administrator, Linda Schulman; business services, Eric Kramer; international relations, David Manilow; station relations, Jonathan Cohen; production assistants, Patrick Creadon, Alex Keay, and Kara Scholz; titles and effects created at Independent Programming Associates, produced by John Anderson; opening film sequence by Tom Finerty, design by Paul Marvine, Richard Du Casse and Wayne Fielding, original music by The Cleaning Ladys; guest accommodations, Weinberg and Jake’s Hotel; special thanks, Erika Becker, Dee Davis, Tony Judge, Jim Pietz, and Studs Terkel; post-production facilities provided by The Center for New Television; for KBDI, director of programming and production, Diane Markrow; funded in part by John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Instructional Telecommunications Foundation, Inc.; copyright 1989 The Center for New Television
Episode 102 (2am, 9am, 4pm, 11pm CDT)
Episode 102 of the award-winning series The 90’s. This episode features the following segments:
00:00 90’s Opening.
01:25 John Fleck, performance artist, speaks to a crowd.
02:32 John Fleck rails against Senator Jesse Helms’ proposal for art funding cutbacks, sings “Amazing Grace,” and removes clothes.
04:19 “Japanese at Woodstock” by Bart Friedman. A Japanese camera crew shoots hippies celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Woodstock festival, fully expressing their astonishment at this strange culture.
07:38 “Advice Ladies” by Skip Blumberg. A short piece about three women who sit on the streets of New Yor k City offering free advice. One client asks: “Should I dye my hair?”
09:45 “Yellow Creek, KY” by Appalshop. Townsfolk discuss the industrial pollution in the body of water that gives the town its name.
17:38 Donald N. Frey commentary by Tom Weinberg. Frey, former board chair of Bell & Howell, gives tips on what it takes to succeed these days and defines some bad corporate management.
18:54 “Advice Ladies” continued. One woman wants to know where to stay in Paris.
19:08 “Quayle Watching.” Vice President Dan Quayle looks blankly into the camera.
19:24 Music video for “Yuppie Rap” by Bill O’Neil, which pokes fun at the young urban professionals of the 1980’s.
23:08 “Advice Ladies” continued. The ladies predict that sex crimes will increase in the ’90s.
24:04 “Forbidden Channel ” by Ilene Segalove. A provocative fable about censorship and television.
26:43 Erika Becker by Eddie Becker. Erika talks to her father about her “Several Policy” [Cerebral Palsy]. She explains what the disease does and how it made her feel. “What’s the worst part of having a handicap?” “I think being made fun of. That really hurts.” “Inside, even grownups treat me differently… but that’s because I’m different.”
33:25 Excerpt from the documentary “Heavy Petting.” A dated 1950’s educational film about venereal disease. (This is not original footage from the film, it is merely archival footage used in the documentary).
35:20 “Advice Ladies” continued. The ladies advise a woman about whether or not she should move to England to be with a man she met on a vacation.
36:31 “Los Angeles Abortion Rally” by Nancy Cain. A short segment about an anti-abortion group called “Los Angeles Operation Rescue.” This group demonstrates outside an abortion clinic while pro-choice activists protest the presence of the anti-abortionists. Cain mainly focuses on interviewing the Operation Rescue members.
42:15 Paul Krassner commentary by Nancy Cain. Krassner discusses some tongue-in-cheek strategies for the Pro Choice movement.
43:24 The “Advice Ladies” continue to talk to the woman about a possible move to England.
42:13 “El Salvador Demonstration” by Eddie Becker. Footage of a demonstration in Washington D.C. over U.S. policies towards El Salvador.
49:04 “Advice Ladies” continued. The ladies discuss “good” and “bad” drugs.
49:22 An excerpt from “Viet Vet” by Ed Wierzbowski, Pam Roberts, and Tobe Carey. Subversive and strange personal recollections of the Vietnam War.
50:50 “Pat Boone and Rev. Harold Bredeson” by Nancy Cain and Wendy Appel. The two men discuss Boone’s financial difficulties in relationship to his faith. Boone obviously sees himself as a deeply religious man, but sees nothing hypocritical about bringing God into his business dealings. Boone was millions of dollars in debt due to his ownership of the basketball team the Oakland Oaks, and claims God saved him in his time of need by bringing someone to him who wanted to buy the team. The segment ends with the two men praying in tongues.
57:00 Sonny Simmons by Mike Waldman. The jazz saxophonist sings and plays his instrument over the end credits.
01:00:13 Promo for The 90’s.
Main Credits:
executive producer, Tom Weinberg; producer, Joel Cohen; program producer, Nancy Cain; editor, John Grod; bureaucratic decisions, John Schwartz; outreach producer, DeeDee Halleck; technical coordinator, Jim Morrissette; 90’s correspondents, Appalshop, Eddie Becker, Skip Blumberg, Nancy Cain, Elizabeth Laden, Phil Morton, and Karen Ranucci; “Advice Ladies” by Skip Blumberg; “Japanese in Woodstock” by Bart Friedman; “Yellow Creek Kentucky” by Appalshop; “Yuppie Rap” by Bill O’Neil; “The Forbidden Channel” by Ilene Segalove; “Erika Becker” by Eddie Becker; “Vietnam Vet” by Ed Wierzbowski, Pam Roberts, and Tobe Carey; “Pat Boone and Rev. Bredesen” by Nancy Cain and Wendy Apple; “Sonny Simmons” by Mike Waldman; “Heavy Petting” courtesy Skouras Pictures Inc; video production, Joe Angio, Mirko Popadic, Ricki Katz
Additional Credits:
art, Matt Gilson; paintbox, Richard DuCasse; major collaborator, Scott Jacobs; production administrator, Linda Schulman; business services, Eric Kramer; international relations, David Manilow; station relations, Jonathan Cohen; production assistants, Patrick Creadon, Alex Keay, Kara Scholz, and Brian Strausse; titles and effects created at Independent Programming Associates, produced by John Anderson; opening film sequence by Tom Finerty, design by Paul Marvine, Richard DuCasse and Wayne Fielding, original music by The Cleaning Ladys; guest accommodations, Weinberg and Jake’s Hotel; special thanks, Dee Davis, Paul Engleman, Bennett Grossman, Tony Judge, and Studs Terkel; post-production facilities provided by The Center for New Television; for KBDI, director of programming and production, Diane Markrow; funded in part by John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Instructional Telecommunications Foundation, Inc.; copyright 1989 The Center for New Television
Episode 103 (3am, 10am, 5pm CDT)
Episode 103 of the award-winning TV series, The 90’s. This episode features the following segments:
01:26 Excerpt from “Duck and Cover,” an educational film advising how to react to an atomic bomb blast.
02:00 “My Name Is Edwina Carrera” by Cliff Bryant features a young woman, Edwina, and her roommates complaining about one another.
03:41 “Back to Normal” by Jonathan Letchinger. Shot in San Francisco about a week after the devastating earthquake that occurred on October 17, 1989, this video chronicles San Francisco’s reactions to the quake. Some are angry, others still in shock.
08:45 “Life is Life” by Laibach. A music video for the German band Laibach.
11:55 “Alternatives Festival.” A short interview with Mark Johnson, founder of Alternatives Festival, a gathering of punk rock musicians in Washington D.C. that formed to help young people work for change in society.
13:20 More from “Edwina Carerra.”
14:22 “We Have The Force” by Youth Force ’88 and Branda Miller. A short documentary about an inner city youth group that organized an effort called “Take Back the Park.” Their efforts included demonstrations to evict drug dealers and drug addicts from a park in New York City.
18:40 “Henry Moore Sculpture.” A teacher talks to teenagers about the first self-sustained nuclear chain reaction while standing at the site where it occurred on the University of Chicago’s campus. “As we know, the course of mankind – of the world – has been changed as a result of what took place at this spot on December 2nd, 1942.”
19:15 “Disarmament Survey” by Skip Blumberg. A boy in New York discusses his fear of world nuclear proliferation.
20:20 “South Africa and the Bomb” by Globalvision and South Africa Now. A short segment in which American scientists and analysts discuss the threat posed by South Africa’s clandestine nuclear weapons program. Includes 1977 footage of South Africa’s former prime minister Johannes Vorster threatening the world to stop meddling in its nuclear plans: “If these things continue and don’t stop, the time will arrive when South Africa will have no option – small as it is – [but] to say to the world. ‘So far and no further. Do your damnedest if you so wish!’” A South African scientist warns, “The free world hasn’t got any way of assessing what South Africa is doing in the nuclear arena.”
24:10 Dr. Helen Caldicott discusses toxicity and carcinogenic nature of plutonium in this 1970’s video.
26:07 More from “Duck and Cover.”
28:09 A clip from the Stanley Kubrick film “Dr. Strangelove.”
29:10 “Peat Bog Soldier” by Diane Weyermann. A portrait of Eddie Balchowsky, an American soldier who lost his right hand during the Spanish Civil War. He tells of his injury and his battle with drug addiction.
36:02 Excerpt from “Ambassadors of Cabrini” by Lilly Ollinger. Documentary about the Jesse White Tumblers, a gymnastic group made up predominantly of kids from the Chicago Housing Authority ‘s Cabrini Green. In this clip, we watch the Tumblers perform in the hallways of Cabrini and hear them talk about disadvantages they have suffered growing up in the projects. “We can do the stuff that [the white kids] do. They can do it a little bit better because they have more money.”
37:19 A segment about the “I Have a Dream” Program in Chicago’s Cabrini Green housing project. This program offers college scholarships, job training, and placement to inner city children in Chicago.
40:37 Sociology professor Bill Sampson discusses the failures of Cabrini Green and public housing in general.
42:38 More from “My Name Is Edwina Carrera.”
43:38 “Varela in Brazil” A segment about the gold miners in Brazil. Varela questions whether or not the mine provides economic hope for Brazil.
45:08 “Hudson River” by Educational Video Center. Residents discuss the waste polluting New York’s Hudson River.
51:13 Excerpt from “Adland.” George Lois, chairman, Lois, Holland, Callaway, New York, explains the power that comes from commercial production – “Poom! It’s like poison gas..Poom! That’s sensational. Oh yeah, that’s great.”
51:55 More from “My Name Is Edwina Carrera.”
52:38 More from “Duck and Cover.”
53:04 “Atomic Dreams” by Teri Yarbrow. An experimental work/music video in which a woman dreams of a nuclear holocaust.
57:36 The 90’s end credits.
59:51 A promo for episode 103 of The 90’s.
Main Credits:
executive producer, Tom Weinberg; producer, Joel Cohen; chief bureaucrat, John Schwartz; editor, John Grod; outreach producer, DeeDee Halleck; technical coordinator, Jim Morrissette; 90’s correspondents, Appalshop, Eddie Becker, Skip Blumberg, Nancy Cain, Elizabeth Laden, Phil Morton, and Karen Ranucci; “My Name is Edwina Carera” by Cliff Bryant; segment producer, Fred Bridges; video production, Joe Angio, Mirko Popadic, Tobe Carey, Bart Friedman, and Ricki Katz
Additional Credits:
art, Matt Gilson; paintbox, Richard DuCasse; major collaborator, Scott Jacobs; production administrator, Linda Schulman; business services, Eric Kramer; international relations, David Manilow; station relations, Jonathan Cohen; production assistants, Pat Creadon, Alex Keay, Kara Scholz, and Brian Strause; “Voices of Cabrini” supported in part by a grant from The Illinois Arts Council, a state agency; titles and effects created at Independent Programming Associates, produced by John Anderson; opening film sequence by Tom Finerty, design by Paul Marvine, Richard DuCasse and Wayne Fielding, original music by The Cleaning Ladys; guest accommodations, Weinberg and Jake’s Hotel; special thanks, Dee Davis, Paul Engleman, Bennett Grossman, Tony Judge, and Studs Terkel; post-production facilities provided by The Center for New Television; for KBDI, director of programming and production, Diane Markrow; funded in part by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Instructional Telecommunications Foundation, Inc.; copyright 1989 The Center for New Television
Episode 104 (4am, 11am, 6pm CDT)
Episode 104 of the award-winning TV series, The 90’s. This episode features the following segments:
01:27 Old commercial for Old Gold cigarettes.
01:44 90’s opening.
02:22 “Galaxy Sweetheart” by Nadia Magnenat-Thalmann and Daniel Thalmann. Computer generated animation starring a robot.
07:33 Old commercial for “Barbie Sings” record.
08:15 “Men Against Domestic Violence.” Segment by Eddie Becker. Men hold a rally in Washington, D.C to prevent sexual violence and general women’s rights issues.
11:04 “Guns and Women”. Joe Cummings reports from an Orland Park shopping mall, where women are going to a shooting range called Target Masters. Cummings investigates this increasing phenomenon of women learning to shoot guns.
13:19 Music video for the song “Wagon Ho” by Raunchy Bob Yup Yup.
14:57 Marlboro Cigarette Commercial. Emphasizes the masculine image of the Marlboro Man.
15:33 Excerpt from “Death in the West” by Thames Television. This documentary contrasts the masculine images of cowboys in cigarette commercials with the true stories of cowboys with lung cancer.
18:27 Albert Einstein graphic comments on the dangers of smoking.
19:20 Acrobats on Venice Beach by Nancy Cain.
19:39 Greater Yellowstone News segment on deer hunters in the park. By Phil Morton. We follow the hunters as they make a kill and show the corpse.
22:45 “Folklore Festival of Morocco” by Bart Friedman and Joel Gold. Acrobats perform outside on carpets.
25:30 “Letta’s Family” by the Educational Video Center. Documentary about a family in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennesse. Letta, the mother of the family, speaks about their extreme poverty and about how they survive on potatoes and greens from their garden and live without electricity or running water.
29:23 “Uncle Sam Falls” by Bill Stamets. A humorous clip where a mannequin dressed as Uncle Sam topples over and people scramble to right him.
30:00 “Ike for President.” Animated commercial for Dwight Eisenhower.
30:55 “Political Posture” by Bill Tunnicliffe. Spoof of a political ad styled like a Calvin Klein commercial.
32:35 Music video for the song “All Your Affection’s Gone” by Dion Payton and the 43rd Street Blues Band. Exterior shots of The Checkerboard Lounge. By Colleen McNichols.
36:53 Muddy Waters talks about music. By Michael Prussian.
37:10 “Rock and Roll Controversy.” Old black and white film clips that highlight the generational gap surrounding the emergence of rock ‘n roll. “Rock ‘n roll is cool, daddy, and you know it!”
37:46 “Rock ‘N’ Roll Disciples” by Thomas Corboy. Documentary about people obsessed with Elvis Presley.
41:27 Paul Krassner talks about the Elvis Presley’s place in American culture.
42:36 Shots of people with Elvis tattoos.
42:55 “First Contact” by Rob Wolff. Animated sequence where a small pod lands on a desk, only to be smashed by a fly-swatter.
43:34 “Sidewalk Stories” by Charles Lang. Short black and white silent film. Slapstick-style fight scene.
44:29 “Advice Ladies” by Skip Blumberg. Women give advice on the streets of New York City.
44:58 Home video of Leo Goldstein’s 99th birthday party.
45:28 “Minnie Black’s Gourd Band” by Appalshop. Documentary about a woman who makes instruments out of dried gourds. The band performs “When The Saints Go Marching In.”
50:30 Airplane lands.
50:56 “Fontano’s.” Documentary about the legendary Chicago deli and its owners. Mrs. Fontano talks about her traditional values -”only crazy people get divorce!” and Joe Cummings enters in the dining room (the room that is never to be used) with a nervous Mr. Fontano.
56:25 “Dirty Power” by Robert Lurye. Computer generated animation about a romantic tryst between power cords and electrical outlets.
58:09 Music video for the song “Marilyn Monroe” by Phoebe Legere plays over the credits.
Followed by :30 promo.
Main Credits:
executive producer, Tom Weinberg; producer, Joel Cohen; chief bureaucrat, John Schwartz; editor, John Grod; outreach producer, DeeDee Halleck; technical coordinator, Jim Morrissette; 90’s correspondents, Appalshop, Eddie Becker, Skip Blumberg, Nancy Cain, Elizabeth Laden, Phil Morton, and Karen Ranucci; archival footage, Richard Prelinger; “Uncle Sam Falls” by Bill Stamets; “Political Posture” by Bill Tunnicliffe; “Dion Payton” by Colleen McNichols; “Muddy Waters Interview” by Michael Prussian; “Sidewalk Stories” courtesy Island Pictures; “Marilyn Monroe” by Phoebe Legere; video production, John Anderson, Ricki Katz, and Brian Strause
Additional Credits:
art, Matt Gilson; paintbox, Richard DuCasse; major collaborator, Scott Jacobs; production administrator, Linda Schulman; business services, Eric Kramer; station relations, Jonathan Cohen; story consultant, Heidi Goldfein; production assistants, Pat Creadon, Alex Keay, and Kara Scholz; titles and effects created at Independent Programming Associates, produced by John Anderson; opening film sequence by Tom Finerty, design by Paul Marvine, Richard DuCasse and Wayne Fielding, original music by The Cleaning Ladys; guest accommodations, Weinberg and Jake’s Hotel; special thanks, Siggraph, Dee Davis, Paul Engleman, Bennett Grossman, Tony Judge, Studs Terkel, and Robert Feder; post-production facilities provided by The Center for New Television; for KBDI, director of programming and production, Diane Markrow; funded in part by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Instructional Telecommunications Foundation, Inc.; copyright 1989 The Center for New Television
Episode 105 (5am, 12am, 7pm CDT)
Episode 105 of the award-winning TV series The 90’s. This episode features the following segments:
1:11 Cameraperson walks through a cave.
1:18 The 90’s opening.
1:54 Skip Blumberg reports from Bristol, England. He shows us a very large bridge across a gulch.
4:42 “Is That All There Is?” by Esther K. Paik. Woman performs morbid dream-like monologue.
9:36 Back to Skip Blumberg in England. Skip interviews a camera crew.
10:13 “Espectador” by Enrique Alvarez. An art piece examining the involvement of the television spectator in the programs he is viewing and the impact of violence on television.
15:19 Excerpt from a black and white RCA documentary on the development of television.
16:13 “6 Minutes.” Performed by Andy Cowan. Spoof of a television expose on whether our “ten items or less” aisles are being abused by people buying more than ten items.
20:51 “The Pastrami Sandwich” by Ilene Segalove. Piece about a boy whose conception of the ideal pastrami sandwich was forever tarnished by unrealistic television images.
22:00 Sam from The Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago introduces The 90’s.
22:12 Skip Blumberg in England goes to the Museum of the Moving Image.
23:23 “Squirrkey” by Phillip Paternite. Spoof of a scientific report on a new animal, a cross between a squirrel and a turkey.
24:05 Film by Herb E. Smith. From the June Appal recordings, Lee Sexton plays “Whoa Mule” on the banjo while people square dance. (Produced by Appalshop).
26:51 Commercial for Lexington Composts. Time lapse photography of plants growing.
27:40 Skip Blumberg interviews an English youth about the future of the ’90s.
29:20 Fred Branfman of Rebuild America talks about the direction of America’s future.
31:17 “Joe, King of the Workers ” cartoon. U.S. government propaganda about the strength of the American economy and our responsibility to buy things with the money we earn.
32:58 “Voices of Cabrini” by Fred Bridges. Bridges visits artist Anthony Hughes in Cabrini Green. “Cabrini Green is my home. It’s always been my home. When most people think of Cabrini Green, they think of the drugs and the crime and every other negative thing you can think of. When I think of about it, I think about all the wonderful people who have meant so much to me in my life… I’m an artist, and what I try to do is to share these people with the world, so that they’ll see that Cabrini Green is more than just the images you see in the media, but is real people. So through my art I try to share these real people with other real people.” He shows us his realistic charcoal drawings of Cabrini Green residents.
36:34 Skip Blumberg, still in Bristol, shoots a group of students who are throwing flowers at Edward Colston’s grave, the man who founded their school.
37:53 “Mayaland” by Merrill Aldigheri and Joe Tripician. A rapid video tour of the ruins of Mayan temples.
40:45 “Kiddie Kat” by Phillip Paternite. Another spoof of a scientific report on a blend between a child and cat.
41:25 “The Thinker” by Max Almy and Teri Yarbrow. Performed by Ian Shoales. An ape rapidly evolves through the history of man.
48:20 Skip Blumberg shows us the Southerly-most point in England.
50:28 Skip Blumberg reports on a censorship protest. The story is that there was an exhibition about AIDS in a gallery in New York. The funder threatened to cut money if some offensive material was not removed. The protesters feel that this is not only a censorship issue, it is about homophobia and bigotry.
53:29 “We the Artist” by Mindy Faber. Performance monologue about art and censorship.
57:04 Shots of animals in England over the end credits.
59:08 The 90’s promo.
Main Credits:
executive producer, Tom Weinberg; producer, Joel Cohen; chief bureaucrat, John Schwartz; editor, John Grod; outreach producer, DeeDee Halleck; technical coordinator, Jim Morrissette; 90’s correspondents, Appalshop, Eddie Becker, Skip Blumberg, Nancy Cain, Elizabeth Laden, and Phil Morton; associate producer, Ricki Katz; archival footage coordinator, Richard Prelinger; Ian Shoales is “The Thinker”; “6 Minutes” performed by Andy Cowan; “Creature-Nites of Ohio” by Philip Paternite; “Voices of Cabrini” coordinating producer, Fred Bridges, thanks to Tommie Johnson, Demicco Youth Services, and John Stevens, New City YMCA; video production, Pat Creadon
Additional Credits:
art, Matt Gilson; paintbox, Richard DuCasse; major collaborator, Scott Jacobs; production administrator, Linda Schulman; business services, Eric Kramer; station relations, Jonathan Cohen; story consultant, Heidi Goldfein; additional editing, Mirko Popadic; production assistance, Madonna Gauding, Alex Keay, E. Daniel Klepper, and Kara Scholz; titles and effects created at Independent Programming Associates, produced by John Anderson; opening film sequence by Tom Finerty, original music by The Cleaning Ladys; post-production facilities provided by The Center for New Television; for KBDI, director of programming and production, Diane Markrow; funded in part by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Instructional Telecommunications Foundation, Inc.; copyright 1989 The Center for New Television
Episode 106: All Sorts of Clowns (6am, 1pm, 8pm CDT)
Episode 106 of the award-winning TV series The 90’s. This episode is called “ALL SORTS OF CLOWNS” and features the following segments:
01:18 Ronald Reagan gives a speech: “There are those who question how we choose a president…that the process imposes difficult and exhausting burdens… I have not found it so…”
01:36 The 90’s opening.
01:45 Excerpt from “Where Do The Clowns Go?” by Henriette Chardak. Color film. Clowns wander around the city. In French with no subtitles.
02:50 “Rock n Roll Dress Code.” Black and white news report condemning the rock ‘n roll-influenced attire of students, such as blue jeans.
03:41 “Chic-ago-go” by Henriette Chardak. Color film. An ode to Chicago that is centered around patrons of the Rock and Roll McDonalds. With French subtitles.
07:03 Promotional compilation for the band Johnny Clegg and Savuka by Globalvision / South Africa Now, featuring news reports, music videos, and interviews.
12:04 Studs Terkel Interviews critic Dave Marsh at WFMT. Marsh talks about the importance of Southern racial politics in the emergence of rock ‘n roll.
13:30 Commercial for three new 1963 Ford cars.
14:04 Don Frey, former Ford Motor Company executive. He says that Fords have gone downhill since he left and no longer represent the quality Ford once embodied.
15:08 A second excerpt from “Where Did The Clowns Go?” by Henriette Chardak. Clowns in field of garbage.
16:20 Direct Effect PSA about the garbage problem.
17:03 “Counterterror” by Annie Goldson. Documentary about the conflict between Northern and Southern Ireland. The tape focuses on setting straight the misconceptions perpetuated by the world news media. The tape is to cover “the unheard politics of everyday life.”
22:39 “Once A Pawn A Foggy Night.” Computer generated animation.
23:42 Excerpt from “West Bank: Whose Promised Land?” by Esti Galli Marpet. Documentary about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
29:23 “Free Society” by Paul Garrin. An art piece that criticizes state control and repression in “free” societies, contrasting images such as people at cocktail parties with police beatings. In the opening, Pat Robertson quotes Romans XIII, “The man who wields the sword wields it not in vain, because he is a minister of God,” and then concludes, “In a free society, the police and the military are God’s special envoys.”
31:56 Albert Einstein cartoon comments on freedom.
31:52 “The Real Realness of the Higher Highness” by Scott Jacobs and Valjean McLenighan. A hippy gathering in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco 1978.
37:22 Another excerpt from “Where Did the Clowns Go?” by Henriette Chardak.
38:37 “These Are the Rules” by Doug Hall. Social maxims are treated like iron law.
41:28 “Popular Thought” by Teri Yarbrow. A powerful experimental short examining the danger of religious politics, over-zealous religiousness, and religious bigotry, finding a link between the tactics of Hitler’s Germany and Ronald Reagan’s America. Repeated quotes from Jerry Falwell refer to American Christians as an “army.” Footage of an Ohio parade featuring a “Let’s Bring America Back to God” banner is shown under audio of a modified version of the American pledge of allegiance: “I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag and to the savior who saves all. One savior, crucified, risen, and coming again, with life and liberty for all who believe.”
44:37 “Quayle Watching” segment. Dan Quayle speaks nonsensically on camera, then tastes a plantain.
45:02 David Halberstam talks about the economic fears of Americans.
47:20 “Memories From the Dept. of Amnesia” by Janice Tanaka. Experimental diary piece about the grandmother of the videomaker, Yuriko Yamate, a Japanese-American who was interned during World War II. Audio of family members warmly reminiscing about Yamate contrasts with a cool and factual timeline of important (mainly negative) moments in her life onscreen: “Born Dec. 15, 1919, Los Angeles, CA,” “Abandoned by mother, 1924,” “Govnt. freezes Bank Account, 1941,” etc.
51:58 “Modern Marriage” by Max Almy. Video art piece about the modern husband.
53:39 “Cascade” by MICA-TV. One long pan around different parts of the world.
54:47 Final excerpt from “Where Did the Clowns Go?” by Henriette Chardak.
56:49 Credits play over the end of the clown piece.
59:53 The 90’s promo.
Main Credits:
executive producer, Tom Weinberg; producer, Joel Cohen; chief bureaucrat, John Schwartz; editor, John Grod; outreach producer, DeeDee Halleck; technical coordinator, Jim Morrissette; 90’s correspondents, Appalshop, Eddie Becker, Skip Blumberg, Nancy Cain, Elizabeth Laden, and Phil Morton; associate producer, Ricki Katz; archival footage coordinator, Richard Prelinger; “Ou Sont Passes Les Clowns (Where Did The Clowns Go?)” by Henriette Chardak; “Trash PSA” by Jem Cohen; “The Real Realness of the Higher Highness” by Scott Jacobs with Valjean McLenighan
Additional Credits:
art, Matt Gilson; paintbox, Richard DuCasse; major collaborator, Scott Jacobs; production administrator, Linda Schulman; business services, Eric Kramer; station relations, Jonathan Cohen; story consultant, Heidi Goldfein; additional editing, Mirko Popadic; production assistance, Pat Creadon, Brian Strause, and Kara Scholz; titles and effects created at Independent Programming Associates, produced by John Anderson; opening film sequence by Tom Finerty, original music by The Cleaning Ladys; special thanks, Mindy Faber and Jim Trengrove; post-production facilities provided by The Center for New Television, Chicago; for KBDI, director of programming and production, Diane Markrow; funded in part by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and Instructional Telecommunications Foundation, Inc.; copyright 1989 The Center for New Television
