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Media archaeologist Richard Prelinger presents ten hilarious, disturbing, and revealing archival films. In vol. 1, seven color films explore how 1950s glitz 'n' glamour seduced Americans into an obsession with the look of designed objects; includes "American Look," the definitive Populuxe film, and General Motors' 1956 motorama musical, "Design for dreaming." In vol. 2, two black-and-white 1930s industrial films attempt to humanize the face of mass production, very much like Soviet propaganda, and "Valley Town" tells the story of a depressed steel town. In vol. 3, nine comic and creepy social-guidance classics document the postwar social crusade to instill family values, 1950s style. In vol. 4, seven safety films shot between 1936 and 1962 show the perils of haste and carelessness. In vol. 5, six movies explore the not-so-golden years of the late fifties and early sixties. In vol. 6, a rare visual record of the changing face of urban and rural America, the blank slate upon which our fantasies of growth and prosperity were enacted |
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