A/V Geeks 16mm Lunch 4-7-2026

Hello everybody. This is Skip Alzheimer. Welcome to the AV Geeks Lunchtime Streaming Show where we watch old 16 mm films. I uh >> [clears throat] >> got another uh dose of steroids. I got a shot this time yesterday to help with this pinched nerve. Um and I have better muscle relaxers. So, I slept pretty hard last night and I'm still kind of in a daze. Um but I felt like I needed to come back um because I'm getting uh going stir crazy at my house. And so, we're going to watch some films. This first one is animated and is not was not made in the United States. Uh was it made in Poland? I don't know. Let's try to figure it out together. This is Lake of Perch. Enjoy. >> [music] >> The Lake of Perch. Winter. This film is about winter in the lake. But before the winter comes, it's autumn. Down in the lake, the water plants are very dense and they make a lot of oxygen for the fish. The fish need oxygen to make something out of the food they eat. These are bleaks. And there are some perch. The thing is to eat a lot of food now so as to get through the winter. >> [music] >> The plants begin to wither away [music] and rot. >> [music] [music] >> These small dots are plankton. Some of them are tiny [music] animals. They disappear. But others are tiny plants which are always [music] making oxygen for the fish. If we take the temperature in the water, we can see that it's getting colder from 12 to 7° [music] C. Fish are cold-blooded animals and so they have the same temperature as the water. Here's a frog that's going to hibernate. That's its way of surviving the winter. The carp hibernates, too. It wriggles its way down into the mud and sleeps until spring. The bleaks don't hibernate. But when it becomes cold, they move more slowly and eat less. The perch is still hunting. It doesn't hibernate. [music] And the pike doesn't, either. Now it's really winter. It snows and ice forms on the water. Down under the ice, it's getting colder, too. Right down to 3°. >> [music] >> The fish that don't hibernate move out to the deepest places in the lake. >> [music] >> It's hard to find something to eat. >> [music] >> All through the cold period, there's hardly any life among the fish. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> The fisherman has put a branch in the hole to warn others. Even though the water freezes again quickly, the ice will be much thinner just here. The fish are very hungry [music] now. But what if they're the same size? >> [music] [music] [music] >> It's really hard to find food now. In the late winter, the old and weak ones die and the rest are tired out after the long months of cold. >> [music] [music] >> At last, the ice breaks up. The temperature rises. It gets warmer. Now the spring comes. Down in the lake, the fish come to life. >> [music] >> The carp wakes out of his hibernation. And the frog. As the water gets warmer, the fish become warmer, too and they begin to move more quickly. The light becomes brighter [music] and the bottom of the lake flourishes with plant life. >> [music] [music] [music] >> When it's the height of summer, the long water plants grow up. They're called straight [music] weed, and they form a dense forest under the water. >> [music] [music] [music] >> Now there's real life in the fish again. Here are some bleaks. And here are some young perch. >> [music] [music] [music] >> The bigger perch hunt in the straight weed. >> [music] [music] >> What's that? A snail. There's a pike. >> [music] [music] [music] [snorts] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> Uh what Eastern European or Slavic nation do we think that was? I I'm not sure. The diacritics, I'm not and the letters, I'm not sure. But uh It's interesting. Yeah, I mean it the fact that it's animated is it's beautiful, but it also makes me doubt like what is the information? Is it being correctly portrayed and shown if it's not uh actual footage of perch. Um but maybe that's just me. All right, so this is the uh the film that Centron got an Academy Award nomination for. Uh this film is is fascinating. It is a biography of [clears throat] a person uh with pretty extreme uh physical disabilities um and how that guy survives. And it's really kind of fascinating. Um it's uh called Leo Beuerman. And it is often uh talked about amongst people who are Centron enthusiasts. This and of course the feature film that they made, Carnival of Souls. But this is this is really something. It's pretty great. Um enjoy. >> [music] [music] [music] >> Another day is [music] breaking. For Leo, the 24,373rd day of his imprisonment. His prison is not one of walls anymore. It is a prison of seclusion. A seclusion which leads him to spend the long [music] lonely hours of the night hunched over a battered typewriter, painfully tapping out the thoughts and feelings [music] he is unable to express in any other way that would be intelligible to his fellow human [music] beings. Around him, the accumulation of all the solitary years, the trash and treasures of a lifetime, comforting clutter for a man who, possessing less than others, still possesses something. Vision for one thing, although Leo's vision is dim and [music] grows dimmer with age. Faith for another. Leo has a counterpart in these Bible pages [music] he has thumbed so often. Job, too, suffered incredible trials, yet kept his faith. And Leo also has his timepieces, retrieved [music] from trash heaps, given him when their hands were gone or their springs were broken. They have supplied [music] the imperative of purpose. Driven by man's need to find out what makes things tick, Leo taught himself to repair them, and thus has justified his existence. He is useful. And besides, clocks and watches [music] do not turn their faces away from one. And finally, Leo has his cart. It is much like another cart he built 60 years [music] ago when he was a boy. That was the cart which first gave him mobility, which gave freedom to a lad whose legs were useless, but who, like other boys, yearned to explore the paths and byways [music] of his world. He remembers what a thrill it was to move under his own power. He remembers the towering heights of the sunflowers etching the fields near the farmhouse where he lived, and how beautiful and strange it was >> [music] >> to see close up what lay beyond the windows of his home. >> [music] >> But what might seem perfectly [music] ordinary to other boys sometimes looms so large as to be frightening to Leo. There were the huge beasts [music] which blocked his path. There were snakes he could not run away from. And once there was the startling charge of an unseen fright which he could not hear approaching. Leo's After that [music] narrow escape, Leo's fright was only momentary. Hers, long-lasting. He learned to crochet. How many years he spent endlessly knotting thread into intricate patterns, Leo no longer remembers. They were years in [music] which his contemporaries grew to manhood, and his mother grew old. And then, his mother was gone. >> [music] >> There was no one left to say that Leo must spend his life within walls. It is not good for a man [music] to live alone. He needs the company of others, and others can be found in the town. Leo Beuerman, a person, imprisoned since birth in a prison that is not made of walls, a prison of [music] flesh and bone, his own warped and twisted body. >> [music] >> Shakespeare said, "Sweet are the uses of adversity, which, like the toad, [music] ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head." Leo Beuerman knows [music] more than most of us about adversity. Leo Buerman, too, >> [music] >> wears yet a precious jewel in his hand. Behind the [music] aged, dimmed eyes, a mind undimmed and searching. Within the twisted frame, an indomitable [music] human heart. His ancient tractor is a familiar sight on the streets of the community near his home. Leo redesigned [music] the tractor, and with the help of a nephew, rigged it with a special hoist. Each day, >> [music] >> he drives it into town and parks it in the place, which by common consent of [music] the townspeople, has become his place. He does not ask for help. >> [music] >> He does not need it. As with infinite patience, he goes through the tedious [music] ordeals that are the accepted pattern of his life. The cart, >> [music] >> Leo and all, goes hand over hand to the sidewalk. What does it [music] matter if size and strength are limited? Pulleys and chains will suffice. What does it matter if the simple actions [music] involved in maneuvering the cart around the tractor are painful and time-consuming? Pain can be ignored, and time must be [music] filled in some way. >> [music] [music] >> Transferring whatever he may need for the day from the tractor storage box to his cart, Leo goes through a ritual given [music] its own kind of halting efficiency by repetition. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> An action need not alter the course of human events to become heroic. Courage is a factor in many activities which are seemingly insignificant. >> [music] [music] >> His cart, which once meant freedom from four walls, now has become, [music] in addition, freedom from dependency on others for the food he eats, the clothes he wears. Leo is [music] a merchant. His cart is his place of business, a display case for his wares. In the businessman's tradition, he stands [music] behind what he sells. "I guarantee it." A businessman does not expect customers [music] to wink at shoddy goods. A merchant has no need for charity. >> [music] >> Business is seldom, if ever, [music] brisk. Those who have been taught that it is unkind to stare at the handicapped carry their thoughtfulness to great lengths. It is mostly children, >> [music] >> not yet aware that we ignore those who are different, who suddenly remember that they could use [music] a new pencil, or a ballpoint pen, or something else which Leo has to sell. He does not [music] accept more than his posted prices. Each customer's change is precisely and accurately counted out. And between the customers, [music] there is time to think. What does a man in Leo's situation think about? In Leo's own words, [music] "I think everybody is lonesome and feels sorry for themselves at times, but I never [music] did believe in being a quitter. If one thinks it all over and sees a way through, let nothing stop [music] you until you get what you set out for, or else see your mistakes. Because of this idea that I am now doing what no one at first would ever dare to think I would ever do. I was so weak and sickly, and having almost no strength. And now, I am in business, being all by myself with all these strangers, having such little trouble, and enjoying [music] life fairly well. Enjoying life. That's what Leo thinks about. The nature of the human [music] spirit is such that obstacles in one's path must be surmounted. Is there a point at which obstacles may become too great? [music] Are there handicaps and frustrations too overwhelming for the human spirit? If there are such obstacles, Leo does not know about them. He knows about the futility of [music] self-pity in the face of unalterable circumstances, and the satisfactions of a challenge met. He knows [music] about freedom and independence and the uses of adversity. And he knows what [music] it means to care about other people, as is shown in this line he once wrote, "One of my greatest wishes always was that I could get into some very profitable business and help those that are poor." Leo Buerman, homeward bound on the 24,373rd day of his imprisonment. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> tenacity of the human spirit. That's what that's all about. Um surviving in spite of it all. That's what I'm about. Okay, this next film is a departure. This is discovering ideas for art. Enjoy. >> [music] [music] >> Our world is filled with exciting things which give us many ideas for art. >> [music] >> Everywhere, every minute, there are things to see. >> [music] [music] >> To discover ideas for art, we learn how to look. And inventive use of what we see will lead to many new and creative ideas for art. How do we look for ideas? There are several ways. First, we search out the many varieties of each object. What does a fish look like? A fish may be this, this, or this. In fact, there are any number of variations of fish. >> [music] >> We select this little round yellow spotted one to draw. >> [music] >> What does a wheel look like? Even with a simple object such as a wheel, we discover many variations. >> [music] >> Perhaps this is just the right one for a poster design. >> [music] [music] >> What does a watch or clock look like? With a complex object such as a clock, there are many many variations. >> [music] [music] [music] >> This alarm clock is used in this bright paper cutout and line project. By carefully searching out the many varieties of each object, we begin to discover how to look. A second way to look is to look carefully at each part of an object. >> [music] >> What is the shape of an object? >> [music] >> Is it a triangular shape? >> [music] >> A square shape? >> [music] >> A round shape? >> [music] [music] >> Or an in-between shape? >> [music] [music] >> This artichoke cut in half can be painted >> [music] >> and printed to form this in-between shape on paper. >> [music] >> What is the color of an object? >> [music] [music] >> There are many exciting colors everywhere. >> [music] >> And the color we see can be matched in paint. >> [music] >> What lines are on an object? There are many kinds of lines to be discovered. >> [music] [music] >> The many overlapping lines formed by these pickup sticks is the beginning idea for a line drawing. What is the texture of an object? There are many kinds of textures to see. >> [music] [bell] [music] [music] >> The texture of this old wood can be transferred to paper by rubbing crayon over the paper. >> [music] >> What pattern is on an object? We see how some things are repeated again and again to form pattern. >> [music] [music] >> The row pattern or repeat of these flowers is used for this paper cutout. >> [music] [music] >> What dark and light areas are on an object? >> [music] [music] >> When light falls on objects, we see many variations of dark and light. >> [music] [music] >> The dark and light areas on this building are drawn into this charcoal sketch. [music] >> [music] >> So, in looking carefully, we not only look at this whole tree, but we look closely at all of its parts. It is made up of many colors, a variety of shapes, thick and thin lines, textures and patterns, and changes in light and dark. So, by carefully searching out and learning to look carefully at all of the parts of an object, we discover many ideas for [music] art. However, looking is only the beginning. Inventive use of what we see is the final [music] step in discovering ideas for art. This bird can be the beginning for a number of ideas. With imagination, we can simplify what we see in various ways. We use simple shapes with few details. >> [music] >> This apple can be changed to create a number of different apple shapes. There are many ways to change what we see. We can flatten, create a pattern surface, surround with a heavy line, change color, use texture to change the surface, divide into many parts, change position and shape, and build with many dots. We also invent new ideas from what we see. The shape of these arches may be the beginning of this design cut out of wood, or this design cut out of paper. >> [music] >> So, to discover ideas for art, we first search out the many varieties of each object. Looking for a bird, we discover there are many kinds of birds. >> [music] [music] >> Second, we look carefully at each part of an object. Looking carefully at this bird, we use the things we see in our artwork. We use the outline shape. We use color, line, texture, and pattern, and dark and light. Finally, we may use the things we see for new inventive ideas. We simplify. We alter or change. And we invent new ideas. And so, by really looking and using what we find, we can create exciting art from the world around us. >> [music] >> Exciting. Okay. Uh I don't think we've watched this next film. I could be wrong. I didn't see it in my notes, but my notes have gotten spotty uh recently because of my situation. Uh but this is Island Nation Japan, and this is part of the series uh A Land and Its People that we've been showing a bunch from the late '40s, early '50s. Uh so, this is post-war World War II Japan. Enjoy. And the earthquakes that sometimes shake our nation. Tokyo's subway carries thousands of people back and forth to work every day. It was designed by Japanese engineers who studied abroad. Most people in cities dress like Europeans and Americans, although some of us still prefer to wear the Japanese kimono. In Tokyo's business district is the busy stock exchange building. Today, our country is the most important commercial and industrial nation in the Orient, but we were once a nation composed mostly of and fishermen. Japanese prosperity depends almost entirely upon foreign trade. We must import most of the raw materials needed for our industries, for we have so few natural resources of our own. To pay for what we buy, we must sell our manufactured products to other countries. Many of these products come from small factories scattered throughout Japan. We sell our products cheaply because we use modern machinery and pay lower wages to our workers than are paid in most of the Western nations. Among the customs we have adopted from the United States is baseball. This game is now the national sport of Japan. Water sports are very popular in Japan, where all the large cities are near the seashore, and where there are many lakes and inland streams. We are proud of the progress our country has made in public education. There is an elementary school in every town, and all children are required to attend. >> [screaming] [screaming] >> Like Tokyo and Yokohama, many of Japan's largest cities are located on flat land near the sea, but the interior of our country is mountainous. The farmers in these regions have little fertile soil for their crops. Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan, and one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. Many modern railroads connect Japanese cities with towns and villages in the rural areas. My cousins, the Sugimotos, live on a farm in the country near Mount Fuji. Every year during my summer vacation from school, I make the trip from Tokyo to visit them. The Sugimoto farm is several miles away from the village where my train stops. The family often comes to town to shop and to sell the crops which are taken by rail down to the big markets in the city. The road to the farm is through hilly country where there are deep valleys and ravines. Up here in the highlands during the summer, the climate is hot and there is a great deal of rain. My cousins use their horse for occasional trips to the village, but most of the time the animal works in the fields. The Sugimoto farmhouse is built of wood which comes from the forest. My cousins live on their own land unlike many Japanese farmers who live in town. Welcoming a guest into a Japanese home is a ceremony. It is our custom always to leave our shoes outside. No one in Japan enters a home with shoes on. A Japanese guest would never think of coming for a visit without bringing presents for every member of the family. >> [music] >> When there are guests, a Japanese family likes to have some kind of special entertainment which everyone can take part in and enjoy. >> [music] [music] >> At the party, there is a chance to show my cousins what I have learned at dancing school during the year. >> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> The evening's entertainment does not last too long for we must all start the farm work early in the morning. My cousins get up at sunrise for on a farm there is much to be done. The women start their day with the laundry. We are fortunate because a swift mountain stream flows by the door. Farm families often have to carry water to their homes. The farmers in Japan raise pigs which are fed scraps from the kitchen. The Sugimotos have a cow which is used for farm work like the horse. Cattle are rare in Japan where grazing land is limited. For most of our farmers, the most important crop is rice which grows best in a warm, damp climate. My cousins grow a good deal of rice, but they also raise wheat. THEY THRESH THEIR OWN GRAIN. A current of air from a wooden fan blows the husks away from the kernels. It takes a great deal of hard work to earn a living by farming. Children work, too, and even guests are ex- They often own several small plots of land miles away from each other. One plot may have good soil while the others are hard to cultivate. One of the Sugimoto's visitors is a musician. He takes his flute out into the fields and occasionally stops work to entertain the children. To make use of every foot of land, terraces are cut into the sides of the hills. Fruits and vegetables are planted on land where rice and other grain does not grow. For thousands of years, our Japanese farmers have cultivated every corner of usable land in their rocky, mountainous country. We have cut away forests, plowed the slopes of our hills, and even filled out the banks of our rivers in order to grow enough food for our millions of people. But most farmers in Japan, even today, don't own more than an acre or two of land. A hilltop terrace is the best place for the Sugimoto's watermelon crop. Such crops which need sun are seldom planted in the valleys which have too much shade. The fruit ripens early in the season and the long hours of sunshine make the melon sweet. >> [laughter] >> Only about half of the people in Japan are farmers like my cousins, but in most other oriental countries, there are many more farmers than city people. In these other countries, only a few of the farmers raise crops that are large enough so that they can sell a surplus in the city. The Sugimotos, like most oriental farmers, feed themselves, but they also have enough left over to help supply food for the millions of people who work in our cities. When the wheat is threshed and put into bags, the Sugimotos take it to the nearby village from where it is shipped down to the cities on the coastal plains. The grain market is owned and operated by the farmers of the neighborhood who save money by banding together to send their produce to the cities in large amounts. Each farmer pays only his share of the total cost of shipping and selling. After the grain has been weighed, it is inspected. A sample from each sack is taken out to determine the quality of the grain. My uncle is not paid in cash. He receives a slip which shows the value of the grain credited to his account. The credit slip is as good as money and can be used in the stores where the Sugimotos do their shopping. Horses are sometimes used for farming in Japan. Machinery cannot be easily used in our mountainous country and besides, it is expensive. Tug-of-war is a game which we enjoy as much as most children of the world. Although some Japanese farmhouses have roofs made of slate, most of our homes have roofs made of straw. These thatched roofs are waterproof and keep out the rain even in stormy weather. After the wheat and rice crops are harvested, the leftover straw is carefully saved. In one way or another, the Sugimotos find a way to use almost everything grown on their farm. Except for such things as sugar, fish, and tea, the food our farm families eat comes mainly from their own land. Japanese are very fond of bathing and are very clean people. When it is too cold outside, the Sugimotos take their baths in the kitchen. One of our favorite meals for special occasions is sukiyaki, stew made of meat and vegetables and served with rice. We eat rice with every meal. Japanese people still prefer to eat with chopsticks. This custom was brought to Japan hundreds and hundreds of years ago by our ancestors who came from the mainland of Asia. >> [music] >> All right. It was great seeing everybody today. Thank you for all the comments, thumbs ups, the likes, etc. I uh was getting some shuteye on the couch um with a heating pad and uh it wasn't great, but it wasn't bad. So, we still did a show. I didn't miss my cues for the most part. Um and so hopefully uh we'll I'll get better each day and I'll be back and be more enthusiastic and we'll watch more films. All right. Thanks so much for tuning in. We will see you tomorrow, Wednesday. And uh everybody have a great rest of your day. The headlines are absolutely horrible and uh so I've just been looking at pictures of the moon. All right. Love you guys very much and uh