tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531343.post8307493432748551747..comments2024-03-27T06:24:30.922-04:00Comments on A Weekly Dose of Architecture Books: Documentary Review: The Rise and Fall of Penn StationJohn Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14842328320680692310noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531343.post-74372306755750371062014-02-19T22:21:20.226-05:002014-02-19T22:21:20.226-05:00As I took notes and watched the documentary, I kep...As I took notes and watched the documentary, I kept wondering where was the documentary I expected to see -- especially given the title. So I agree entirely with your film review. As of 38 minutes into the 51-minute film (watching it online), the documentary begins to delve into one of the grandest spaces ever built in human history. The whole ending felt very rushed.<br /><br />This film was mistakenly titled and strangely promoted as a focused story about Pennsylvania Station's rise and fall (for example, read the cover paragraph on the home page of the American Experience film Web site). A good film, but I agree that it follows a lot of Jill Jonnes' book, Conquering Gotham, which was about the project in totality.<br /><br />It's true that one cannot tell the story of the building of Pennsylvania Station without devoting some time to the story of the engineering feat of the tunnels, but it's the proportion that is off if the film purports to be about Pennsylvania Station. I'm a journalist, and on Tuesday, Feb. 18, I actually promoted the film on my New York-based blog about mindful experiences of architecture and history, in a brief photo essay that shows the wonder of Pennsylvania Station and then the horror of its demolition. The film was a missed opportunity to tell the story of a place built for the ages that we all lost after just barely over a half-century, one whose demolition still strikes at the heart and collective memory of the city and stirs grief among many New Yorkers, myself included.Susan DeMarkhttp://www.mindfulwalker.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531343.post-89149998124800293312014-02-18T06:48:25.377-05:002014-02-18T06:48:25.377-05:00The film was funded by the Sloan Foundation which ...The film was funded by the Sloan Foundation which is interested in science and technology so the film's emphasis is on the engineering. The great beauty about historical films, there is always room to make the film you wished someone else had made.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6531343.post-90712352297786325882014-02-17T18:07:44.496-05:002014-02-17T18:07:44.496-05:00The original book about Pennsylvania station (sadl...The original book about Pennsylvania station (sadly no longer in print) "The Late Great Pennsylvania Station," was by Lorraine B. Diehl. Lorraine is among those featured in<br />the new PBS documentary, airing Feb.18. Some photos from the book can be <br />seen on her website, www.lbdiehl.com Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14932404283721619253noreply@blogger.com