“Let’s Get Working: Chicago Celebrates Studs Terkel” at U of C Sean Schönherr video editor / curator When I first started working at Media Burn Archive, I didn’t really know much about Studs Terkel, but over time, as I watched and edited various video pieces about him, I began to feel like I really knew him as a person. For people who are familiar with Studs’ work, the thoughts and opinions he expresses in our videos won’t come as much […]
Today marks the 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field, iconic home of the Chicago Cubs. It was also the home of two football teams—the Chicago Bears (1921-1970) and the Chicago Cardinals (1931-1939)—and saw performances by the Chicago Blackhawks as well as musical legends like Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam. It can also be seen in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, The Blues Brothers, and many other movies and TV shows. Longtime White Sox owner Bill Veeck (1914-1986) had great affection for Wrigley […]
As April 15 approaches, some people will write their checks feeling as if the money they pay will be spent by the government to pay for things that directly contradict their beliefs. This tax week’s videos were originally part of THE 90’s TV series, seen on TV in 1991 and 1992. The first segment is about a Massachusetts couple who file their tax returns, but give the money to charities—for disabled veterans and for local needs. The husband is serving […]
A pioneering legend of Chicago house music has died. Here’s a short excerpt from Greg Kot’s excellent obituary in the Chicago Tribune: Frankie Knuckles, who died Monday at age 59 in Chicago, was not just the “godfather” of Chicago house music. He was a pioneer in the way he cultivated a culture, a sound and a community around dance music that decades later encompasses the world. Now DJs such as Skrillex, Tiesto, Deadmau5 and Afrojack can fill stadiums internationally as […]
Today, we take you to Florida 1978, where Bill Veeck battled the rain to keep the White Sox working out during spring training. The video also includes Veeck’s reflections on spring training from 1985, shortly before his death. Watch Tom Weinberg’s full doc, Inside Spring Training. Congratulations to Steve James on his retrospective at the 2014 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, NC. The April 3-6 program will allow audiences to revisit some of his most widely admired titles […]
When a group of independent video makers set out to document current tech trends for an ill-fated television show called Wired In, they hardly suspected they were capturing an industry poised on the edge of cataclysmic change. Like many young tech industries, video games were hot, and everyone wanted to get in on the action, but as more and more companies jumped in, often with subpar products, the bubble just grew and grew. In 1982, when this footage was shot, […]
In Chicago, it has been a tradition since the first Mayor Daley to dye the Chicago River green for the St. Patrick’s Day parade. In 1992, videomaker Patrick Creadon, shooting for The 90’s, went downtown at 2:30am to cover the preparation for the parade and to talk with the guys from Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local Union #110 about this tradition. The footage didn’t make it on the show, but 20 years later, we pulled it out of the archive and […]
Harold Ramis died last week after several courageous years fighting a debilitating disease. I first met Harold in the ’70s, and he always had as positive an outlook as anyone I’ve ever met. Through all his successes, he remained unimpressed with himself, and he would do anything to help those in need, even strangers. He was such a sweet guy, and was taken far too early. In memory of Harold, we’d like to share a few of the rare bits […]