Question: What do Preston Sturges and Alfred Nobel have in common? Answer: Bombs. That's right, bombs. Nobel felt guilty because his construction invention, dynamite, was ultimately used as a powerful military weapon. Still, he managed to leave a positive legacy by endowing the awards that bear his name. Of course, you don't have to go to Sweden to pick up the inside story on the man and the prize. The Nobel Channel offers RealVideo, slide shows, and detailed, hyperlinked essays on the background and accomplishments of Nobel-Prize-winning scientists, artists, and leaders. You'll also find essays on the life and times of Nobel as well as a QuickTime VR tour of his estate.
On the other hand, film maker Preston Sturges was da bomb! A major player from Hollywood's golden years, Sturges won Best Original Screenplay Oscar for The Great McGinty, and despite a string of commercial disappointments, he is remembered as "one of the great humorists of our century." The site offers a biography, a filmography, photos, screenplay excerpts, and information on events commemorating the 100th anniversary of Sturges' birth.
The Nobel Prize. The Academy Award. You'd be hard-pressed to find more prestigious or coveted recognition. And you certainly won't find it at The Golden Turkey Awards. Concocted by moviephiles Harry and Michael Medved, the 31 award categories include "Most Ridiculous Monster," "Worst Lines of Romantic Dialogue," and "Most Obnoxious Child Performer." The nominated films comprise a brilliant Who's Who of cinematic infamy, and rest assured that some of the winners are names you'll recognize. (John Wayne wins "Worst Casting" for his role as Ghengis Khan.) If you prefer Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster to Citizen Kane, then this site is for you.
For stinkers of a different cinematic variety, go no further than the aptly named Star Wars Farts. By combining polished graphic design, daily updates, and a seeming endless supply of scatological repartee, the folks at SWF have upped the ante considerably on the oft-asked question "What is the world coming to?"
The world may actually be coming to your town soon, by way of a rambunctious antique appraiser and television crew. Antiques Roadshow, the companion site to the popular PBS television series, highlights the escapades of itinerant antique experts who roam the land dispensing free appraisals of attic trash. Hell hath no fury like a roving band of reprobate antique appraisers, as this captivating site will attest. Scan road stories, check the television schedule, and grab tips on how to appraise your own stuff before these misbegotten brigands invade your home town.
There was a time when home invasion had slightly more dire consequences. Witness the Battle of Hastings 1066. The site examines one of England's most significant historic events by getting at the story from many sides. Read about the buildup to the battle, peruse genealogical trees, learn about William and Harold's battle forces, experience Norman rule after 1066, and much more--this extraordinary labor of love has it all. The author lives in the town of Battle, in Hastings, so the site includes a collection of his photographs of the fascinating historical landscape.
Speaking of monumental events, here's one that deserves a web site: Charlie Parker met Dizzy Gillespie in 1940 and the rest, as they say, is history. Bird and Diz explores the collaboration between the jazz legends who wrote a myriad of classic bebop standards including "Night in Tunisia," "Salt Peanuts," and "Ornithology." This sleek jazz site also offers production notes and critical reviews of Bird and Dizz, the flawed masterpiece that featured Thelonius Monk on piano. What went wrong? Buddy Rich, the drummer, was generally acknowledged to be a full-scale dud. Alas.
Of course, jazz already had fifty years of history under its belt before Dizzy and Bird kicked off the bebop movement. The Red Hot Jazz Archive, a history of jazz before 1930, takes a look the roots of this distinctly American art form that was born sometime around 1895 in New Orleans. Early seminal figures like Billy Bolden (who created jazz then promptly went mental) and Geary "Bunk" Johnson (who confused jazz historians for years by lying about almost everything) introduced improvisation to songs that combined elements of Ragtime, marching band music, and the Blues. Read all about 'em. And, of course, take your pick(s).
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