Tracking ‘Touch’

The continuous takes in Adolescence were possible thanks to digital technology. A couple of much older examples come to mind, from when movies were shot on 10-minute reels of film.

Hitchcock’s Rope is a rather modest example, because it was filmed on a single interior set. The exterior tracking shot that starts Welles’ Touch of Evil is much more impressive.

My only problem with this movie is the casting of Charlton Heston. Richardo Montalban was the obviously better choice for the role.

Choose Carefully

A recap: Google notified registered users of its Pixel 4a phone that an update would affect battery performance. Three alternatives were offered in compensation.

I chose to take the $100 credit at the Google Store. Combined with a sale price that was already $100 off, I bought a Pixel 8a for $300.

All’s well that ends well… except when it doesn’t.

I planned to… switch my “appeasement,” but then I noticed the fine print: No changes are possible after making a selection. So—no money for me.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/how-google-nerfed-my-pixel-4a-then-stuck-it-to-me-too/

The Wonder Years — Not

Do we really need yet another British murder mystery? Yes, if it’s Adolescence.

The Netflix mini-series is both compelling and confounding. Is Adolescence a police procedural? A serious sociological and psychological study? A reality show? A soap opera? Yes to all.

Something quite remarkable is that each of the four episodes was recorded in one continuous take. If there are any cuts at all, they were very deftly hidden.

This isn’t a gimmick. Once you start watching, the seamless flow of motion makes the verisimilitude* all the more effective, and the acting all the more impressive.

The logistical planning, coordination and practice must have been daunting. The second episode is a tour de force of what I suppose can be called “synchronized cinematography.”

https://www.netflix.com/tudum/videos/adolescence-inside-episode-2

* Sorry about that. It won’t happen again, and I promise to never use any form of “juxtapose.” 😉

All is Lost

Trump turned the White House into the backdrop for a Tesla commercial. The Secretary of Commerce recommended buying Tesla stock.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/20/trump-commerce-lutnick-elon-musk-tesla-stock-doge-cybertruck.html

Musk was going to be briefed at the Pentagon on plans for a potential war scenario with China. He threatened whomever leaked the story.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/elon-musk-calls-prosecutions-pentagon-140430579.html

Trump wants the Fed to lower interest rates as a way of offsetting the inflation that’s likely to come from his sweeping tariffs. Doing that could create a new supply chain problem and raise inflation to the point where it results in stagflation.

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/20/trump-says-the-fed-should-cut-rates-to-ease-the-economys-transition-to-his-tariffs.html

We’re only eight weeks into this maelstrom, and the signs are already clear that we can’t wait for the midterm elections. Congressional Republicans must act and do something to put limits on Trump and Musk.