Tinselman

Crow Jane

Skip James, 1967

Real Fake Worlds

About two weeks ago, Josiah, a friend, sent me the the link to this short film. I started watching and couldn't stop until it was over. Not just because it's so beautifully composed and edited, but also because every object in the film was modeled using 3dsmax and rendered using Vray by only one person... Alex Roman.

If you watch even a portion of it, it's worth link to vimeo to see it full screen so you won't miss a detail.

Avatar/Pocahantas

I wasn't crazy about Avatar. I was hoping the movie would be better than the trailer. It wasn't... for a lot of reasons. The bad design, the garish colors, the dull characters, and the ludicrous "indians are so heavenly and pure" theme, which is summed up beautifully in the above paragraph (click to enlarge).

Worst bit of design?... I can't decide. Was it the six legged horse that looked like a blend between a sea horse and a horse (with scales)? Or was it the hammer-head rhino thing?

Tetro – Francis Ford Coppola

I don't usually advertise films, but this trailer gives me shivers. Too bad it's opening only in select cities (today).

Tetro Official site

Final Resplicery

Justin Norman, of Shrieking Tree, has created two "Resplicery" films (as he calls them) set to the Myst/Riven soundtracks: "Escape from Comatose Mansion" and "A Weathered Dream Sequence". All in all, he's put together five of them, but I have to admit, "Escape from Comatose Mansion" is my new favorite (spooky!). You can watch all of them at his Resplicery page (but don't go there expecting to see something that looks like Myst... his work is wholly different).

Samurai Vader

The Darth Vader design is a cheat? Stolen from history? It can't be!

Ever since I was a kid, I've always loved the way that our favorite bad guy looked like a Samurai knight. During a recent visit to a weapons museum, I spotted a Samurai helmet that almost had me joining the dark side! (yes Darth, we can rule the galaxy as father and son!!!)

click helmet to enlarge

More Vader Fun:

• Vader Hot Air Balloon
• Vader Domed Ukrainian Architecture
• A Gazillion Painted Vader Helmets
• Vader Statue of Liberty

The Bicycle Ballet

This video's an unexpected gem. Performed in what looks like a high school gym, it can best be described as a ballet-on-a-bicycle.

(via: Blue Tea)

Texas Starbucks

Having been born and raised in Texas, where anyone (even a visiting artist from New York) can inexplicably find himself standing around, shooting a shotgun at a dirt embankment (or a couple of cans), I just couldn't help but post this short video. Emil and Hiri (its creators) jokingly call it a Texas advertising campaign for Starbucks. Weird thing is, I think it might actually work!

While you're at it, you might want to check out this Myst styled walk-through of their apartment!

Easy Steps to Stunning Success

Justin Norman of Shrieking Tree does it again! Through the magic of cinema, he brings us another delightful little episode in his ongoing Re-plicery series: Easy Steps to Stunning Success! It will warm your heart. It will comfort your soul. And you will be replenished for the New Year!

Six Years of Noah

The picture on the left is Noah. The picture on the right is Noah. What's the difference? Six years... and tons and tons of photographs (of himself).

He's just put all of them into an extraordinarily moving film. We watch Noah grow right before our eyes!