Imagination Series

I might be late to the party, but I just stumbled upon a rather fantastic video series called The Imagination Series. I had been looking at the Webby 2014 winners and the series had won for Drama Series. The project, which was sponsored by Bombay Sapphire gin, asked filmmakers to take a very basic script (just dialogue really) and to create a film based on the script. The videos were judged and five were chosen as winners. The Webby website linked to Room 8, the third movie of the winners. I watched it and I was hooked.

I've seen each of the five winners now and I am floored by the creativity put into the films. Each film includes some sort of object that the characters debate about opening. The lines are the same. "Don't open that", "You might regret it", "I'll take that chance", and "Would you have believed me?" are some of the lines that get repeated through all of the videos. But that's where the similarities end. Two of the videos are magical realism, one is filmmatic, one is animated, and one is dark realism. And all of them are wonderful pieces of film. Very professional.

This was such a unique idea for me. Take one script, send it out, and see what comes back. I was impressed with the diversity and imagination behind each of the videos. And I guess that's the point. The winners are: Water Song, The Mrs., Room 8, Crab, Concrete  I've linked to each videos Vimeo page. I recommend watching all of them for comparison. Most are only 4 or 5 minutes. Room 8 was my favorite. A little bit dark and seriously cool. A wonderful idea and a great video series.

Out of a Forest

Out of a Forest

I have no idea if I've shared this animated video before. If I have, I apologize. I just love it too much not to share. This is Out of a Forest, the bachelor film from Tobias Gundorff Boesen. The song is Slow Show by The National, a haunting song that gets in your head and stays there. The animation is so incredible that I go back again and again to watch it. I'm in love with the style. This film made me a fan of The National, made me buy this song, and made me watch this little scene over and over. Tobias just recently created a blog and it looks like he's sharing a bunch of other work. I'm excited to see his other films.

Warning: This video might be a tad too scary/sad for small children or the sensitive. Like me. But I still love it.

My Neighbor Totoro

One of my big requests for my birthday was for Hayao Miyazaki films. It's hard to call myself a true animation fan with the knowledge that there are some Miyazaki films out there that I haven't seen. I've seen a few and I even own Spirited Away but there are plenty of his films that I don't own. So I asked my sister for Miyazaki's My Neighbor Totoro (pronounced Toto-row) and I was thrilled when she bought me both that one and Castle in the Sky.

My Neighbor Totoro is enchanting. It is a small elegant film about two young girls and their father who settling in rural Japan during the 1950s. The girl's mother is in the hospital suffering from tuberculosis. The family move into a wonderful old farmhouse filled with soot sprites, nice neighbors, and a nearby grove of trees. The trees are guarded by Totoro, a cat/bear/owl creature who never speaks but takes the girls on the most amazing journeys. Totoro protects the girls and the living things around him. When Mei, the younger, runs away, it is Totoro who helps to find her with the help of his friend the cat-bus. If that sounds fantastical, it is. The movie is a mix of quiet gentle moments, and almost psychedelic fantasy. The cat-bus in particular is a bit out there. But what I remember about the film isn't really the fantastic elements, but the gentle moments of beauty. Totoro is a wonderful creature, gentle and sweet. He is silly and playful and nurturing.

Life is quiet out in the rural world and the people are polite and thankful. I was touched by the politeness and gentility. People thank the gods for simple things, like when the girls are trapped in a small roadside shrine by a rainstorm. They both turn and bow to the roadside god with the simple plea that they be allowed to stay. It's a touching moment, filled with a humility that we don't see much anymore. I'm not particularly religious but I loved the constant mention of spirits and gods in this film. The family thanks the trees for protecting them. They attempt to appease the soot sprites, in order to get them to leave. The characters seem to respect the things around them.

There was no central plot with this movie. In fact there was very little action. Instead it was a collection of simple scenes but they all added up for me. I felt at peace after watching the film. And more than anything, I felt renewed.

Guess What I'm Reading

In August I was rummaging on the shelves for something to read and stumbled across a book that would define the rest of my summer and a good chunk of my fall. Years ago Jeff had picked up the collected works of Sherlock Holmes. I hadn't paid the books much mind. I'm not much of a mystery reader. But in August, shortly after coming back from Alaska and catching a bit of the Robert Downey Jr. version, I picked up Holmes and was instantly hooked. I started with A Study in Scarlet, his debut, and went on from there. I literally couldn't stop.

I've read all four Sherlock Holmes novels (A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and The Valley of Fear). I've read every short story that Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about his master detective. Lately I've been looking for some background information about the fictional detective and his trusty companion Watson. I'm also seeking out every film version on Holmes that I can get my hands on. I am completely and utterly smitten.

Reading Sherlock Holmes is a bit different from reading other mysteries. With other mysteries there are little clues and hints that lead the reader towards the culprit. Often a reader can figure out the thief or murderer well before the reveal. Not so with Holmes. Since we hear most of the tales through Watson's viewpoint, there are no clues for us to connect. There are no clear suspects for us to follow.

Frederic Steele's Holmes

In fact it was incredibly rare that I could figure the mystery out before Holmes did his final reveal. Instead, most of the time I was just along for the ride. Doyle's stories build over a number of pages, with investigation and discussion, but it is always Sherlock who at the end states the facts, how he came to his conclusion, and apprehends his criminal. Always in the most surprising way possible. We are often left in the dark (like Watson) up until the final moments. It's that bit of surprise in each story that kept me reading. These are not mysteries. These are unexpected tales.

Sidney Paget's Holmes

And Holmes himself is an enigma. Cold, calculating, standoffish, he is the genius who lacks a bit of social tact. He's not ogreish but he is not the most warm and fuzzy character. He's vain and impatient. He's distant to the point of callous. As Watson puts it so beautifully, he's immune to the softer passions. He often uses Watson badly during his adventures but here's the odd part, we still love him. He's just so damn brilliant. Watson on the other hand is not as brilliant but instantly likable. We enjoy his company even if it isn't constantly filled with bits of knowledge and odd deductions. The two play foil against the other. Watson with his general good-naturedness and Holmes with his prickly intelligence.

Downey Jr's Holmes

I'm a little ashamed to say that the first Holmes representation that I've seen was Robert Downey Jr.'s. I was surprised by how many lines the movie took directly from the books. The film was in the spirit of the stories although Downey Jr was a bit more human of a character than Holmes seemed to me. The film was fun and filled with great scenes that fans would easily recognize from the books but the involvement of Irene Adler and Moriarty seemed a bit too much to me. For two characters who play such a small role in the books and stories (Adler one and Moriarty only a couple) they had a large impact on the film. Now I'll have to find Basil Rathbone's version. And continue on with Sherlock Holmes mania. Who knows, I may just read the stories all over again. Yep, they were that good.

Children's Movie Weekend

I've been trying to write this post since Sunday. Not sure why I'm having problems with it.

I spent the weekend reading and watching movies and doing very little else. It was blissful. I read three books this weekend, including a new Christopher Moore novel. I spent all day yesterday curled up on the couch. I drank numerous pots of coffee and wasted my days with words and moving pictures. It was a great weekend.

My movie taste lately has run to the juvenile. If it's not animated or geared towards the 10 and under set, I'm not interested. So this weekend I plugged in my earphones, curled up with my laptop, and watched three different kids movies. One animated, one children's classic, and one new classic.

The animated film was Flushed Away, a collaboration between Dreamworks and Aardman Studios. I'm a huge fan of Aardman, so I'd been excited to get a chance to watch it. The film follows a snobby spoiled fancy rat (played by Hugh Jackman) who gets flushed down the toilet and ends up in the rat world below. There he must help a ship's captain retrieve a jewel of hers that he helped hand over to the frog overlord of the Sewers. When the jewel proves to be a fake, the two rats set off to return Hugh Jackman's character home and replace it with a real one. All while being pursued by the frog and his henchmen. I've seen plenty of Aardman films and own my fair share. Sadly this one won't be joining my shelves. It was a decent movie with a couple good scenes but nothing that stood out for me. The animation was fun (it always is with Aardman) but it missed the sophistication of Wallace and Gromit or the witty writing of a Chicken Run. Not my favorite.

The second film was one I haven't seen in well over a decade. When I was a kid I loved Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the movie based on the Ian Fleming novel about a car with a mind of its own. I love Dick Van Dyke's performance, I loved the crazy inventions, I loved the silly story, and I loved the car. I remember being terrified by the Child Catcher, although I don't remember understanding the Vulgarian society. I didn't understand how much of a tyrant the Baron was. Watching the film again this weekend I notice how many songs the film had. I hadn't remembered all of them. Although the ones I did remember are the ones I'm still humming today. I was just as impressed with how sweet the film was. There was a lot of humor but a lot of tenderness as well. A fun film that I'd somehow managed to ignore for almost 20 years.

But the winner for the weekend was a new film that will quickly become a favorite. I watched Nanny McPhee on Saturday and was instantly charmed by the film. The story focuses on seven incredibly naughty children who finally meet their match when Nanny McPhee shows up to whip them into shape. She's hideous, she's unconventional, and she's magic. She teaches the kids lessons by giving them exactly what they want, only more than they want. Emma Thompson plays Nanny McPhee perfectly. She starts the role hideous and strict, and slowly grows more beautiful and more likable as the children become more well behaved. But the best part for me was watching the children grow. They start out as selfish uncontrollable brats with a distant father; and gradually the family becomes more caring and loving, both the kids and the father. The movie had magic, had humor, and had heart. One of my new favorite kid's movies. Well worth a watch.

Animation Evening

It's not often that I have to work a ton of overtime at my job but last night was one of those days. I had an incredibly stressful project that needed to be finished that night for the governor's office so I ended up staying at the office much later than usual. Mentally I was drained by the time I got into the car so I called Jeff and told him I was picking up Taco John's (my nearly obsessive guilty pleasure) and did he want anything. A bagful of cheesy, fried, and greasy food later, I settled into the couch to enjoy one of my other favorite activity, watching animated films.

The last time Jeff and I were in Target I noticed a copy of Wallace and Gromit's The Wrong Trousers for a decent price. I love Wallace and Gromit so I did a little persuading (okay I begged) to be able to buy it. Last night I sat down and popped it into my computer. Jeff was working on his last paper for the semester and I didn't want to bother him. The Wrong Trousers was the second Wallace and Gromit film done and I still think it is their best. If you haven't seen it yet, I would recommend finding a copy. It has the duo playing foil to a very crafty penguin. I won't tell you more because I don't want to spoil it. Thirty minutes of pure enjoyment.

After the film itself was done, I watched the Making Of special with Nick Park and Aardman Studios. I got to watch how Nick moved the characters, what a typical shot was like, and a bit about his history as an animator. It was fun but in the back of my mind all I could think about was the fire that Aardman Studios had in 2005 destroying over 30 years of props. It was really tough to think of all of those sets, all of those clay figures, all that art simply gone.

After Wallace and Gromit, I headed over to one of my favorite places to spend time, Animation Blog. This blog, which posts regularly, provides commentary and links on animated films from all over the internet. It focuses more on short films than on the full length features that hit the theaters. And almost all of the films that it offers are wonderful. Some are sweet and sad, others are comical, and still others simply make you think. Most of the great animation being produced right now is simply beautiful. Often the mix of digital and hand-drawn can have some amazing effects. I watched a couple different films off of Animation Blog but then ended up getting sucked onto the YouTube for Gobelins and that's where I stayed.

Gobelins is an art school in France that seems to have one of the best animation programs in the world. The films that these kids are putting out are well above anything that the major studios can put out. So many of them are thoughtful, funny, and sweet, sometimes all at once. I know that when I start a Gobelins film that I'll see something unique and beautiful. Of all the animation that I've watched, these tend to be the films that draw me. I watched probably 15 to 20 of those films last night. The school has just released their film introductions for the upcoming animation festival, Annecy International Film Festival. With only a minute or two these film intros made me practically beg to see the rest. Beautiful, powerful, and exhilarating. This is animation at its finest.

Image from last year's Annecy offering Mostera Deliciosa. In fact this link will lead you to a youtube video for all four of Gobelins film introductions for 2009. You need to click on it. Seriously.

Up, Up, and....

Well still here. I'm having an odd week. As you all know I haven't done any posting this week. I've been in full recovery mode. The only thoughts that have been running through my head this week have been how to get from Point A to Point B. That means that all the things I want to talk about, all the cool things I've learned this week, all the interesting films I've seen, have been relegated to the back of my mind while I concentrate on learning crutches and finding out how to do things I've taken for granted before. Like eating breakfast, and showering.

But there is only so long I can go without writing, much like reading. And this was the breaking point. So I'm going to start with something that happened what feels like months ago. Last week I watched Pixar's Up and I've been wanting to talk about it. As most of you know I'm a HUGE Pixar fan. Other than Cars, which I thought was lackluster, I have loved everything that Pixar has ever created. Their movies are wonderful, their shorts are funny and poignant, and everything they create has tons of heart.

This movie is no exception. When I say that I cried within the first 20 minutes of this film you will understand exactly how much heart this movie has. I fell instantly in love with the love story between Carl and Ellie. We watch them meet, fall in love, get married, and follow them throughout their lives. This is done with little dialogue but by the end we are already in love with this couple. Those first twenty minutes of the film, may very well be my favorite montage in a film ever. I laughed, I cried, and I sighed with them. And that was just the set up.

The film follows Carl who, after Ellie's death, decides to carry out her last wishes and move to Paradise Falls in South America. He rigs the house with balloons and manages to fly there, with one stowaway, a young boy scout named Russell. Although Carl is not happy to have Russell with him, he realizes that getting him home would be problematic and the two become unlikely partners. When the house lands close to the falls, Carl and Russell decide to walk there to set up. Along the way they meet Doug, a talking dog and Kevin, a gigantic bird that becomes the basis for all the movie's conflicts. They also meet a famous explorer who Carl once idealized. He has been hunting for Kevin for decades and has been driven mad by the search. He and his army of talking dogs then start hunting for Russell and Carl since they know the whereabouts of the bird.

It is an odd plot and in places is far more intense than I would have expected. The flight from the crazy explorer (Charles Munts) and the later fight against him was action packed with tons of impressive animation work. The visuals are beautiful throughout the film. But what really stuck with me was the heart of the story. The love story between Carl and Ellie and later the friendship between Carl and Russell really made this movie for me. We see how Carl changes over the course of the film. This is his story, and never has a children's film about an old man, created such a stirring realistic character. Kids will love the talking dogs and the moments of slapstick once the pair reach the Falls. Adults will love the character of Carl and the film's ideas of relationships, idolization, and life. Me, I just fell in love with the whole thing.

Watching Coraline

I read Neil Gaiman’s creepy little story right after it came out. I remember sitting on the stairs after getting dressed that morning trying to finish the book before I had to go to work. I also remember taking it to work with me so that I could read the final conflict between Coraline and the other mother from my desk drawer. I simply had to find out what happened. I loved the story. As I have said repeatedly, here and to anyone else who will listen, Neil Gaiman has to be one of the most imaginative and fantastic writers out there. I’m constantly impressed by his work.

When Coraline came out in the theaters, I didn’t go, mostly because I hate the theaters. I also don’t normally like movies that are based off books I’ve loved. The book is almost always better. But curiosity got the better of me. And on Sunday I bought the movie (collector’s edition and all) sight unseen with the knowledge that even if I didn’t like the treatment I would love the animation. I wasn’t disappointed. The stop motion animation story of Coraline is a visual masterpiece. I’ve always been a huge fan of stop motion and Henry Selick carries it to its most beautiful and believable conclusion. There were times in the film last night where I was so caught up in the incredible colors and settings that I forgot that the film was stop motion. I am constantly in awe of the amount of thought and work that goes into making a film like this. That’s why I had to buy the collector’s edition. I wanted the “making of” features.

The film stays mostly true to the book with a couple notable changes. While I understand the addition of the character of Wybie, I was mostly just annoyed with him. In fact I, like Coraline, preferred the silent version in the other mother’s world. I loved the treatment of Bobinski and the actresses downstairs Misses Forcible and Spink. Coraline was a wonderful character and we really get a chance to see the depth of her emotion. I’m constantly amazed by how they can create such deep emotions with puppets. But I really thought the Other Mother stole the show. They created a character so cloyingly sweet at the beginning that she is almost smothering, and then a character so incredibly evil that I’m sure there were plenty of children who went home and had nightmares. The film seemed an interesting mix of childish and adult and I went away with the feeling that the movie was actually more geared towards adults than children. That is not a criticism. It is rare to find animated films that have an edge and this one delivered. There were wonderful moments of humor but there was also an edge of creepiness throughout the film.

After watching the film I sat down to watch the “making of” features. I am constantly in awe of any type of animation but stop motion in particular. The bonus features were interesting although I’ll be on the lookout for a book that covers it as well. I wanted more of the puppet building and less on the voicing of the characters. But I may be one of the few people who are interested in that kind of thing. Considering I spent the rest of the evening on the couch reading a “making of” book for Toy Story, I’m far more interested than the average joe. (by the way, did anyone else know that Joss Whedon helped write the script for Toy Story?) I sadly can’t watch Coraline in 3-D (I tried) but with only one real working eye, everything just looked green. But even without the 3-D, I was pulled into the film. I was impressed and awed by the movie, but a little disappointed with the bonus features.

Watchmen

I may be the last person in the US to blog about this book and the upcoming movie. I hadn't intended to write about it. I'm not sure if I'm seeing the film. But a friend of mine just mentioned that he was reading Watchmen, I assume in anticipation for the movie. I read the graphic novel probably seven or eight years ago and was shocked by it. This was a totally new take on superheroes. This was an anti-superhero novel and like everyone else, I thought it was unfilmable. First and foremost this is dark. When I wrote about V for Vendetta, I mentioned that it was dark, but this goes well beyond that. This is some seriously twisted, disturbing, and totally amazing stuff. The book will shake you up, but in a good way. In the kind of way that makes you think about why things work the way they do. About what happens if we had common enemies and what would happen if our heroes weren't all that hero-like. It's a topsy turvy story.



I won't say the main plot of the story, (because it follows so many different plots) but one of the plots of the story follows Rorschach as he tries to figure out who killed masked superhero "The Comedian". We see his fellow superheroes in flashbacks, and then as they are now. These are disturbed people. The Comedian himself was no Dudley Doright. He rapes and kills without seeming remorse. Rorschach is crazy and violent. These are not your children's superheroes. In fact, I don't think children should be reading this book. The society they live in is a perfect dysutopia which although current when Moore wrote it, doesn't seem that far off. The technology has changed but somethings ring true.


Purist fans of the book will be surprised by the ending of the film, from what I understand. The giant squid is gone. As one commenter said, they love to tell their friends all about the dark themes and allusions made in the book. All about the social commentary and subtle nuances of the story. And then top it off with a giant squid landing in NY and killing everyone. It just seems so out of place.


As is typical with Moore he will be distancing himself from the film. He does not feel that any film can do his stories justice. I too am concerned with this one. I was more concerned though with rumors I heard before the film came out. I had originally heard that the ending was changed so that people who had read the book would not spoil the ending for others. That saddens me. The book has existed since 1987. Alan Moore wrote a book that most considered unfilmable. The book, no matter how good the movie is, will always be better. But they are worried about people leaking the ending. Here's an idea (and this is me on my soapbox), let them all read the book. Perhaps if they read the story they wouldn't have to worry about having the story ruined for them. It's a quick read and most libraries carry it. Honestly I hope the movie gets people to read the book. I hope that they return to the source material and compare. Because movies always tend to be found lacking against great books. I'm not sure I'm heading to the theaters for this one. And I'm not even sure if I'll rent. Some things are just too good to cheapen with theatrics.

Unexpected Puppets

I'm always amazed how the internet leads you deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole. I find a blog that leads me to another blog which leads me to another. And each step I find more beautiful and interesting things. Although perhaps I should leave some bread crumbs to find my way out.

I have a number of art blogs that I read but one of my recent favorites is Drawn: The Illustration and Cartooning Blog. This multi-author blog showcases a ton of interesting artists and some incredible video, illustration, and sometimes downright strange art. A bit ago that blog pointed out a different blog which I went to and now I'm hooked on. One1more2time3's blog is written by Hans Bacher, a major film art designer who has worked for companies like Disney, Amblin, and his own MadTParty studio. His blog is filled with the background artwork from all my favorite Disney films along with some of his own images and his favorite artists. I'm already planning to pick up his book Dream Worlds about his time working with Disney.

It is through his blog that I found out about Jiri Trnka. Trnka was a Czech book illustrator who become a film maker. But not just any type of film. Trnka specialized in stop-motion puppet films. His beautiful works include an amazing version of Midsummer Nights Dream (image below), The Czech Years, The Cybernetic Grandmother, and The Hand. These puppet films were unique in that Trnka did not really create them for children. Films like The Hand were a very dark look at the effects of totalitarian governments on free expression and art. Midsummer Nights Dream, no matter what some people say, is not a children's story.

Since first learning about Trnka, I have been reading what I can about him. Referred to as the Walt Disney of the East, Trnka was loved for his work but found it difficult to sell some of his films. Many of his films were banned in his own country and abroad. Trnka was creating these films in the late 40s, 50s and 60s in a Communist country. His puppet work was initially loved by the masses but carefully controlled by the regime. His movie The Hand, which was his last, was banned shortly after its release.

I've been hunting out his films, some of which can be found on the internet. I've linked to them where possible. I also found a beautiful stop motion paper film called the Merry Circus which is incredible. While most of them are not in English the visuals make up for that. These films truly show how beautiful puppets can be. And as is the case with so many of his films how poignant.

Image from The Hand.

Jiri Trnka