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FILM 1375: REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG

REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG is an intimate and nuanced investigation into the life of one of the most influential and provocative thinkers of the 20th century. Passionate and gracefully outspoken throughout her career, Susan Sontag became one of the most important literary, political and feminist icons of her generation. The documentary explores Sontag's life through archival materials, accounts from friends, family, colleagues, and lovers, as well as her own words, as read by Patricia Clarkson. From her early infatuation with books to her first experience in a gay bar; from her early marriage to her last lover, REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG is a fascinating look at a towering cultural critic and writer whose works on photography, war, illness, and terrorism still resonate today. Written by Question Why Films

MAD MEN

According to Jon Hamm, the production's pursuit of historical accuracy is such that series researchers will insist on knowing weather conditions, news items, and popular culture for a particular period related to the script's time frame.

The actors do not smoke real cigarettes. They smoke Ecstacy herbal cigarettes, which are tobacco and nicotine free. Show creator Matthew Hoffman Weiner said in a New York Times article, "You don't want actors smoking real cigarettes. They get agitated and nervous. I've been on sets where people throw up, they've smoked so much." When asked what it's like to smoke herbal cigarettes, Jon Hamm (who plays Don Draper) told Vulture, "Terrible. They taste like a mixture between pot and soap."

About a year elapsed between the filming of the pilot, Mad Men: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (2007) and the second episode, Mad Men: Ladies Room (2007).

At a 2013 Q&A session at the Paley Center for Media, Matthew Weiner said that he had already told his wife and a few writers about how he plans to end the whole series. He also said that "he's been told it's a disaster, but he's going with it [anyway]."

Jon Hamm is the only actor to appear in every episode.

Glen, the neighbor's young son who forms a connection with Betty, is portrayed by Marten Holden Weiner, the son of series creator Matthew Hoffman Weiner.

John Slattery auditioned for the role of Don Draper before being asked to play Roger Sterling.

In 2012, costume designer Janie Bryant told Slate magazine that she always repeats one of Peggy's costumes from the previous season during the next season's premiere. Bryant said that she "[loves] that tradition for Peggy because I think that this all is really based in reality. That's what we would do in real life: We repeat our clothes."

On March 23rd, 2015 Jon Hamm released a statement admitting that he, like his character of Don Draper, had developed an alcohol addiction, and he had just completed a 30 day rehabilitation.

Julia Ormond, who guest-stars as Marie Calvet, was such an ardent fan of the show that she once ended a long-term relationship with someone when he watched a new episode of Mad Men without her.

The little ball-shaped glasses often used by Draper and colleagues are a design known since at least the 1950s as "roly poly" tumblers. The band of metal plating along the rim, an innovative accent introduced by artist Dorothy Carpenter Thorpe, made the design even more popular (and much-copied) through the 1960s and beyond. Sets of these made ideal business gifts, as the bands (made of silver, chrome, platinum, or even gold) could be custom-stenciled with initials, company logos or other business-related graphics. Draper's glasses appear to have platinum bands.

Creator Matthew Weiner directed every season's finale, all the way up to the series finale.

FILM 1334: HOCKNEY

Randall Wright's documentary film explores one of Britain's most important artists, David Hockney. With unprecedented access to the painter and photographer's personal film archive and incredible work.

FILM 1191: MAGIC TRIP

TRIVIA: Ken Kesey's original crew of self-proclaimed "Merry Pranksters" shot about 40 hours of 16-mm film in an unfinished project. Reportedly, Kesey several times showed all 40 hours - unedited - before he stored the film cans in Eugene, Oregon. They were rusting away until saved by the documentary directors, who first discovered they existed in 2004.

Martin Scorsese's film foundation helped fund the repair of the damaged Kesey footage by technicians from UCLA, who labored for over a year. Synching up the film to its separate snippets of audio track proved so daunting that director Alison Ellwood resorted to hiring a lip reader to determine what words people were mouthing.

Merry Prankster Neal Cassady was the real-life model for character Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road' novel.

FILM 1182: HARAKIRI

TRIVIA:  While filming, Tatsuya Nakadai was afraid during most of the sword and spear fighting scenes because real swords were being used, a practice now forbidden in Japanese films. His concern was not alleviated even though professional swordsmen were employed during the choreographed swordplay.

Seppuku and harakiri (the US working title) both mean to commit ritual suicide in Japanese. However, seppuku is the formal term, derived from the kanji characters for "hara" (belly) and "kiri" (cut); harakiri is the cruder, less polite term for this act.