FIlm

Flashback: 1 February 1992

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Here’s what we were airing 32 years ago on what was then NCPT (North Carolina Public Television)…

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Wednesday Trivia Question

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Who starred as painter Carl Nargle in the 2023 film PAINT?

Wait, you may be saying, I don’t remember this airing on PBS North Carolina. That’s good because it didn’t. I’m asking a question this week about PBS-tangential – about a film inspired by public broadcasting. I’ve always said PBS is so entrenched in American pop culture that it has influenced everything from songs to books to movies and TV. A lot of PBS material has been spoofed and much of it has been lovingly celebrated by homages in various forms.

The 2023 movie PAINT was released in April and didn’t do well at the box office, grossing less than $1 million. But listen to the premise from the Internet Movie Database: Carl Nargle, Vermont’s #1 public television painter, is convinced he has it all: a signature perm, custom van, and fans hanging on his every stroke – until a younger, better artist steals everything (and everyone) Carl loves. Sound familiar. Yes, the main character of PAINT is so obviously based on the late Bob Ross, the painter of happy little clouds best known from his public television series THE JOY OF PAINTING.

The feature film (which I admit I have not seen yet – but it’s on my list) features the lead actor as well as actors Stephen Root, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Michaela Watkins, among others. It currently has a 32% score on Rotten Tomatoes which isn’t great.

The lead, the man who plays Carl, is a well known actor who has appeared in movies and TV shows for 30 years. He’s been seen in Indie films and Hollywood blockbusters and everything in between. Interestingly enough, he has only one Academy Award nomination and that was for co-writing a 2001 movie.

So who is it? Who starred as Bob Ross-inspired painter Carl Nargle in the 2023 film PAINT?

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Flashback: 29 June 1985

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In 1985, June 29 fell on a Saturday. Here’s what we were broadcasting on the airwaves of the then University of North Carolina Center for Public Television…

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Hey, It’s Photo Friday!

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The PBS series POV is is the longest-running showcase on television for independent documentary films. Over 400 films have been presented on public broadcasting since 1988. Directors like Michael Moore, Terry Zwigoff, Jonathan Demme, Errol Morris, Frederick Wiseman and Ross McElwee have all had films presented on the award-winning program.

About ten years back, POV sent out a brochure promoting the upcoming season, the show’s twenty-fifth. I found a copy among some papers recently and thought I’d share. It’s a nifty little booklet. Here are a few pics…

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Wednesday Trivia Question

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What two professional rivals were the original hosts of SNEAK PREVIEWS?

SNEAK PREVIEWS was a movie review program that ran on PBS from the late 70s to the mid 90s. The show was created in 1975 by Chicago affiliate WTTW and began airing as OPENING SOON AT A THEATER NEAR YOU (the title became SNEAK PREVIEWS when it went national). Hosts changed over time but the original two reviewers were professional rivals who worked at competing Chicago newspapers. Their on-screen antipathy appeared genuine and the two had little in the way of an off-screen relationship at first. However, it seems that time gave them a mutual respect if not a long-lasting friendship, as one wrote after the other’s passing, “No one else could possibly understand how meaningless was the hate, how deep was the love.” Continue reading →

Watch. Vote. Share.

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The PBS Online Film Festival is back! The online showcase for short films runs through July 26 and features 25 entries from filmmakers around the country. You can view all the films and vote for your favorites. Vote every day, if you like!

Last year, our own REEL SOUTH won most popular short and we’ve got another entry this year. Check out THE COUNTRY PRIEST and show your support. Maybe we can go for a repeat win!

Think Outside The Box Office

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The PBS Online Film Festival is back for another year of celebrating short cinema. Since its launch six years ago, the online festival has featured and celebrated diverse films from member stations, producers and public media partners (BTW: The UNC-TV co-produced series REEL SOUTH has the entry Cowgirl Up, so definitely check out that film). Two prizes are awarded – Most Popular Film and Juried Prize Winner – so you can view the films and vote for your favorites every day. Check out the films at the 2018 PBS Online Film Festival. Balloting ends July 27.