Category: film

Secret of NIMH Set to be Ruined by CGI

July 30th, 2009

Is nothing sacred? After reading this news about a remake of one of my favorite classic animations, The Secret of NIMH, I see that (certain) movie makers are willing to suck the life out of anything for a profit.

There was something deeply soulful and moving about this movie. The animation had an intensity that I’ve yet to see in any CGI film. I watched it countless times as a child, transfixed by the glowing fluid images that emerged from darkness.

Still frames simply don’t convey the depth of visual experience. The main characters may be cute, but they are entangled in a sinister story of science and destruction. I absolutely love how the cold human practices we barely acknowledge are juxtaposed with the underground magical, mystical rodent kingdom. Humans appear to be the callous, clumsy, alien species through the eyes of these tiny enlightened creatures.

Original trailer:

Anyone else have fond childhood memories of this movie?
For Mom

July 16th, 2009

My mother passed away a year ago today. Although I usually keep this site somewhat impersonal, I can’t help but post a tribute to the beautiful soul who brought so much love, inspiration and color to my life.

When I was a child, she made me a Dorothy outfit (ruby slippers and all) and indulged my tiny imagination by putting on The Wizard of Oz, no matter how many times I asked. She had a special love for this song (pardon the subtitles!)

I honor and carry her in my heart, always.
Moon

July 13th, 2009

I went to see Moon yesterday, and have to say I was quite impressed.

I’ve heard mixed reviews about this movie, but I thought it was a refreshingly unpretentious exploration of themes that are starting to have a serious impact on our culture: corporate exploitation, depersonalization of labor, manipulation of life for our own design, the manufacturing of sentient beings, isolation and the innate need for companionship, technological ethics…

This movie does not bombard the viewer with lavish, grandiose CGI (which seems to dominate the sci-fi genre these days, often at the expense of plot), and the relative simplicity creates a kind of intimacy with the audience that has now become a rare and precious treat. I was thrilled to see various anachronistic details: old fashioned alarm clocks, 50’s pin up art tacked to the wall, 60’s TV sitcoms, the occasional 80’s pop hit. The protagonist entertains himself by whittling sculptures out of wood and growing plants in empty food containers; clearly antiquated hobbies in a time of advanced scientific accomplishment. The date on which the events transpire does not matter. How much of our distinct “humanity” will stay with us as the future marches on…and what will we sacrifice for our achievements?

Then of course, there was the film score by Clint Mansell. Enough said.

What did you guys think of Moon?
Tim Burton’s Alice

June 23rd, 2009

I’m reluctant to post this due to all the buzz it’s been getting on the rest of the web, but I’m curious about any comments readers may have. Tim Burton recently released a series of stills from his upcoming incarnation of Alice in Wonderland, set for release in March of next year.

Like many directors, Burton has established a series of “regulars” who now appear in most of his productions. Chief among them: Johnny Depp (who will play the Madd Hatter):

Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen:

Anne Hathaway as the White Queen:

And a couple of stills:

Tim Burton’s aesthetic sense has always been outrageously appealing to me, though I admit to being disappointed by other elements of his recent work. What do you guys think? Are you waiting with bated breath for this movie? Feel free to make completely biased and premature judgment calls.

Source
Cinema Redux

May 20th, 2009

I’m always intrigued by “meta media” experiments in which artists find unconventional ways to display traditional media. For example, Cinema Redux.

SERPICO, Sydney Lumet, 1973:

This project by Brendan Dawes distills an entire film down to a single image, using a Java program that captures a sample every second and generates an 8X6 pixel image of the frame. Each row represents one minute of the film.

VERTIGO, Alfred Hitchcock, 1958:

Dawes states:

The end result is a kind of unique fingerprint for that film. A sort of movie DNA showing the colour hues as well as the rhythm of the editing process. Compare Serpico to The Conversation. You can see there’s far more edits in Lumet’s classic compared to the more gentle slower pace of Coppola’s Conversation. This is also down to the editing style of Walter Murch who prefers to only make cuts when absolutely necessary. Have a look through the eight movies and make your own mind up.

You can have a look here.
Mystic Seer and Invader

May 11th, 2009

Remember the classic Twilight Zone episode Nick of Time, in which William Shatner becomes obsessed with a table top penny fortune teller called the Mystic Seer?

Well, now there is a prototype for a Mystic Seer bobble head!

It looks like they are making it in black and white. There’s something intriguing about a single object creating a observational time warp.

It seems there used to be a Mystic Seer Kit:

The finished product:

There is also an Invader prototype:

You’ll remember this fellow as the one who battled the giant woman in The Invaders.

These are actually reasonably priced enough for me to get (only $13). Going on the wish list…
The Making of Closer

April 15th, 2009

It was 1994. I stayed up past my bedtime, delicately dozing off in front of the TV in hopes of catching the Closer Video. Nine Inch Nails entranced me in a visual universe that became a catalyst for many of my developing interests.

I had a sixth sense for this video. The barely audible sound of that hissing heartbeat could jar me out of the deepest sleep. I had to watch.

My heart goes out to my mother. She got wind of the lyrics and felt her tiny tween was headed for a life of violence, promiscuity and general depravity…none of which I ever even dabbled in. My sober, stable mind was such a wonderland in itself; imagination was all I needed. For all I cared, the lyrics could have been about lollipops and jellybeans.

I came across this great behind the scenes documentary about the video, which may not be for everyone but is a must see for those who love the aesthetics of the Closer video. You’ll see what went into creating images like this:

…and hear director Mark Romanek discuss everything from Mary Poppins to rotting meat.

THE MAKING OF CLOSER

I just realized that half the tags I use in this blog can apply to this post. Ever feel like something was made for you…even before YOU were aware of it?
Mysterious Stranger

March 10th, 2009

Apparently, this animation was banned from TV. I think I would have loved it as a child because I was strangely hard to frighten, but it’s surely capable of inducing horrific nightmares in the vast majority of the population.

Enjoy!
Balance

February 18th, 2009

If you have seven minutes to spare, I recommend this stop-motion short film by the Lauenstein brothers.

Fans of Kafka and Sartre will be pleased as the characters shuffle around their fictional microcosm, searching for a piece of auditory happiness…and succumbing to the delicious ironies of human nature.

Thanks, Damon! Wonderful suggestion! 🙂
Sil Van Der Woerd

January 3rd, 2009

I’m a big fan of Sil Van Der Woerd’s work; graceful, ethereal, flowing scenes infused with darkness. Symbolism, technology, sensuality, energy…

This entrancing video shows Lolly Jane Blue traveling down through layers of the earth. Technically, it’s safe for work, but an onlooker might not think so from a quick glance.

See a higher quality version here.

If you like beautiful experimental short film (set to music), I also highly recommend Swim and Duet. Both build delightfully toward the end.