Operation: Conquer the Netflix Queue: Documentary Double Feature

While in recovery from surgery today, I entertained myself by watching a couple of documentaries.  Objectified (2009), directed by Gary Hustwit, is about the design of everyday objects, and how design influences daily life.  Some of the objects discussed, like spoons and garden tools, are things that might not generally be thought of as having been "designed."  There is even a scene in which a group of people are discussing the design of a toothbrush handle.  My favorite parts of the movie were the scenes which allowed me to watch a designer, or design team, at work.  I also enjoyed seeing how design has evolved as technology has advanced.   Overall, I thought it was interesting, but I would have liked to see more from it.  It's relatively short, so I feel like there's room to add something about solutions to the problems caused by planned obsolescence or something connecting the last few minutes to the rest of the movie.

Then I watched Music Instinct: Science and Song, a PBS documentary by Elena Mannes about the connection between music and the brain.  Given how interested I am in the connection between art and science, I was predisposed to like it.  It covered a lot of things I already knew, but there were some interesting scenes.  I particularly liked its coverage of international music; how different cultures use different tones and rhythms to convey various emotions.   I also really enjoyed interviews with musicians Daniel Bernard Roumain and Evelyn Glennie which highlighted the physical effect of music.  Evelyn Glennie is a deaf percussionist who "hears" music through the vibrations made by the sounds.  I couldn't find her clip from the film, but here is Evelyn Glennie's TED Talk on listening to music with the whole body.

Pretty cool, huh?