Split

He wasn't sure if he was going to like it. Sure, he was excited - possibly as excited as he had ever been, but the thought of being somewhere so foreign scared him. He wouldn't know the culture, the city, the customs, but he was more than ready to accept it.

She had received the letter in a plain white envelope with no return address and only enough postage to suggest that it had come from another country. The note only listed a place within London, a time, and a date. She wasn't sure if she wanted to go, but she was second guessing herself. Did she want to be rude and stand this person up? Would it be a once in a life time opportunity? She had always wanted to go to London...

Both their days started out as they usually would, with a quick shower, followed by a warm cup of breakfast tea over the daily newspaper. Except, this morning was different. They each looked out over their city one last time, soaking each in before they set off on their adventure.

The morning was brisk as they walked down their respective sidewalks, squinting their eyes to the early morning sun. It wasn't soon before they made their way underground into the subway/metro system, ducking inside one of the arriving cars like cattle being herded on a farm. On the trains everyone minded their own business. In cities this big, they knew that if they minded their own business, others would too.

Just as the day was blooming with people on the streets, they arrived at the airport and boarded their planes, staring off into the distance as their flights began.

Landing was a little bumpy, startling her and waking him up. Baggage claim was easy, each finding their luggage quickly. Shortly their after, each hoped on a bus and drove off to their destination.

He was nervous as he stood there, waiting. It was nice that he at least spoke the language - finding the spot was a lot easier than he had hoped, although the accent was a bit tougher to understand than he had accounted for. Looking down at the map, he knew he was in the right place. Now he just had to wait.

She wasn't sure what to expect and she rounded the corner, seeing it up ahead. She was still a little confused about why this was the chosen spot, so she pulled the directions out of her pocket and begin checking her map as she continued to walk forward.

It wasn't long before she saw someone in her peripheral vision. Looking up, she was startled - she had been so clumsy that she had almost walked right into him. He was smiling back at her with bright eyes. It took her a moment to realize who it was until she let out a squeal and threw her arms around him. She couldn't believe she hadn't recognized his hand writing.

She had been away for a year at school studying the arts of Paris while he was studying in New York.

He held her close, "I've missed you."





****Cool factor of the day: this film was shot on a cell phone...****

          

Cool Videos of the Day

I'm still slackin' with the whole writing stories aspect of my blog. To be honest, work just zaps me of all energy by the time I get home and as a result, the blog suffers from some serious lack of creativity. But, it's ok, I just pop on my computer and catch up on some cool videos.

As much as it sounds like a cop out - film is what I love...so deal with it!

Today I bring you two videos that I thoroughly enjoy, one of which is a huge Rube Goldberg machine, while the other is just an awesome snowboarding video.

As for the snowboarding video - as much as I hate Nike, the video is great. I love the camera work, the zooms, the pans, the focusing, pretty much everything. I also love the movement of the actual boarders. The colors of their clothes really popped out to me in contrast to the white snow behind them.

As for the Rube Goldberg machine, I don't have much to say about it - it's just cool. It's HUGE and complicated.  Plus...it includes fire. Yeah! I love how the camera follows the whole contraption - catching all its different parts and movement.

Hope you enjoy them!


Isenseven "Kaleidoscope" Trailer 2011 from Isenseven on Vimeo.




Melvin The Magical Mixed Media Machine from HEYHEYHEY on Vimeo.

Haunting

This group worked with David Fincher for "The Social Network" - recreating the song creep (see below).



To begin with - it's a great song, which accompanies a fantastic film - but, the following is even better.

Today the Scala & Kolancy Brothers released a new video and song, a variation of the Kings of Leon song "Use Somebody." To begin with, it's one of my favorite songs, but this new version is haunting and moving. It also doesn't hurt that the music video is dark, moving, and absolutely beautiful.

Something about a choir completely recreates these songs compared to their original versions...

What do you think - do you like them?


Use Somebody from inti calfat on Vimeo.

Darwin Award

Idiots.

A Dangerous Method

My list is already building for the films of next year - with the top spot being "The Dark Knight Rises" ( it's going to be amazing - full of such a dynamic cast and led by one of the most visionary directors).

But, after seeing the following trailer, this film jumped up to near the top of my list.

It's called "A Dangerous Method" and it's directed by David Cronenberg, who has done such others as "Eastern Promises," "History of Violence," and "The Fly." In terms of acting, it has some of my favorites - Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender (if you haven't seen the new X-Men, see it for him alone), and Keira Knightly (talent and looks - oh yeah).

With the talent behind and in front of the camera, mixed with a historical context - it completely catches my attention.

What do you think? Has some potential right?

Bomb Scare

One night I woke up in my room in North Adams, frantic and confused. I had to find it quickly and get rid of it, or I'd die. I knew it was somewhere in my room, hidden, ticking away, any minute waiting to blow.

Ok - let me back up. When I get really hot when I'm sleeping, I have these super intense dreams. I'll wake up and be aware that I am awake, but I'll almost "hallucinate" - continuing to see what I was dreaming. I know it sounds like sleepwalking, but trust me, this is a horse of another color, because I'm well aware I am awake.

It's weird.

Anyway, I jumped out of bed and began looking around my room. In my sheets, throughout my dresser and other draws, on my desk. I was beginning to get worried because I was running out of time. I'm not really sure how I saw it, but something caught me and there it was - hanging off the side of my (then) ferrets' cage.

I grabbed it as quickly as I could, fumbling it, since I wasn't sure what to do with it. Running over to my window, I pried it open and chucked it out into mu front yard. Wooh - crisis everted. I laid down and soon fell back to sleep.

Two days later, I walked into the house from tennis practice and my mom greeted me and asked me about my day, etc (you know, the stuff moms do). But then, something weird happened, she said, "I need to talk to you about something." She then walked into the kitchen and returned with a pirate's head carved from a coconut, "why was this in the front yard?"

And JUST like that - it all clicked back into my mind.

I had one of those crazy dreams and there was no bomb, I simply thought my coconut head was one and pitched it out the window.

DOH!

Funny story?  I hope so.

Don't judge me too much - at this point, it's really out of my control.

Happy laughing at my expense!

Song For You

Thought I forgot about you?

His name is Jose Gonzalez and the song is called "Heartbeats."

When Conan Isn't Around

I know I posted about Conan a little while ago - but this speech is just as good.

While I don't love him as much as the ginger - I do love this particular man a lot.

It is a nice touch that he is giving the commencement speech at his Alma Mater. While I'm sure many do - it seems now a days that celebrities just seem to do it wherever the most money is coming from (aside from Conan, since he has spoken at Harvard before).

It's That Time of Year

Yup, my favorite time of year is upon us - grass court season.

That's right - Wimbledon baby!

The balls are fluffed, the grass is cut, and players are all in white - you really couldn't ask for anything else, except maybe Roddick to win the championship (yes, I know it's a pipe dream, but I can wish).

I do have to say, because of a simple commercial, Sony has made me more excited for this WImbledon than any other I can remember. It's a direct copy of one of my favorite commercials of all time, but totally rooted in tennis.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do (and yes - I'm aware the CGI could have been better):



And for those of you who know me, I've certainly showed you the commercial this is paying tribute to, and I know I've posted it on this blog before, but here it is - I wonder if you can figure out the similarity...



Unlike the tennis balls, the bouncy balls in the second commercial are real. They actually released of 25,000 bouncy balls down the streets of San Fran...totally rad.

Smooth Jazz

While at work today, I was thinking back to my high school days, specifically my time in band. So that led me to Jazz band, which led me to these two songs.

They're two of my favorite jazz songs and strangely enough, they are both called  'Moanin'.

Today was a simple day, so this is a simple posting.

I hope when you have a chance during your day, you can listen to these - they seem to be able to take the edge off.

Sit back, listen, and relax.




And my favorite jazz song of all time:

Go the F*ck to Sleep

So I stumbled upon this today and I immediately thought of one person: my mother.

Could it be that she used to read to me in bed to get me to fall asleep? Maybe it was because she used to put up with everything this story says children do when they are being read to (anything but falling asleep).

Or

It could be that I pictured here having one of her giggle fits when she can't breath and has no control of her limbs are they fly around her body. It's one of those fits where you'd be scared she may piss her pants. My imitations of Billy Bob Thorton from "Sling Blade" (Mustard...mhmm) used to do it. Most recently on the drive out here Branson, Missouri did the trick (we all know how much of a laughter gold mine that place was).

So - I'll say it was because of the latter. My mom loves children - loves them to death, but she also has an amazing sense of humor. Trust me, once you get her giggling, you're in for the long haul. But anyway, I found this today and it immediately made ME laugh obnoxiously, so I can only hope, and imagine what it'll do to my mother (something good I hope).

So kick back, relax, and let the soothing sounds of Samuel L. Jackson take you on a journey...

My Favorite Ginger

So why post this video even after I graduated? It could be because my commencement speaker was mediocre at best. Or, it could be because Conan is a wonderfully insightful, sophisticated man.

And it doesn't hurt that he is funny.

I recommend that if you have 23 free minutes - watch his speak to the 2011 class of Dartmouth. Sure, he has his dumb jokes riddled in there, along with some incredibly witty ones, but the end result is moving. He doesn't just make the crowd laugh, he gets the to genuinely listen - something that I think often times doesn't happen during commencement speeches. The final portion of his speech is something to behold and appreciate. Not only does it apply to those graduates - it applies to us all.

So please, sit down, wade through his humor, and learn something. It'll do you good.

Super 8

Alright, I may be a little biased - but I'm going to do my best to give a solid review of J.J. Abram's latest film, "Super 8."

If you follow my blog, you'll know I've been waiting for this film for a long time, so here we go.

To begin, I have to say, I have never been less disappointed with a movie. I went into this experience with high expectations, ready to be let down or have my final mind set be knocked down a few notches. Surprisingly, everything I expected came through in full glory. Even on top of that, in most cases, my expectations were blown away.

"Super 8" is a film that takes us back in time, to the early 80's, when Spielberg was in his prime. There is certainly a nostalgic feeling throughout the whole film - bringing me back to the years when "E.T.", "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", and "The Goonies" all came out. Strangely enough, "Super 8" feels like a mixture of all of these films, with a little "Alien" thrown in. I've seen many reviews that say Abrams paid homage a little too much to Spielberg, copying his past work - but I couldn't disagree more. Sure, there are moments where you feel like it is a sequel to one of Spielberg's films, but this is another world - with its own characters, problems, and messages. It's impressive how well Abram's was able to emulate the classic Amblin films. This is a tribute to those films - not a celluloid copy.

I'm not going to go into the whole detailed plot of the film, since I think there is a sense of mystery within the movie, that the trailers don't necessarily explain. But, it takes place in a small Ohio town in 1979, focusing a group of kids (picture the Goonies) trying to shoot a zombie film for a local festival. The kids themselves are what make the movie special. I could have literally watched a film just on them. There's the lovable shy main character Joe, the bossy director, Charles, the aspiring actor, Martin, and the kid who can't seem to stop lighting stuff on fire, Carey. There is also the female of the group, Alice (played by Elle Fanning - Dakota's sister) who steals the show (her career starts here). Upon filming one night at a train station, a truck crashes onto the tracks and collides with an oncoming air force train.

The crash that ensues is one of the most spectacular, jaw-dropping moments I have ever seen produced. I don't want to describe it in detail, but I knew what was coming/what to expect, and I found myself literally forgetting to breathe during it.

What emerges from the train is something awesome. I won't hit you over the head with it - but the train was traveling from Area 51.

Upon finding their camera amongst the wreckage, the kids find it had been filming during the crash and decide to use the footage in their movie - but they have to wait 3 days for the film to be developed (oh technology of the 80's). During this time, electronics begin to disappear from the town, local dogs go missing, and the power begins to surge. When the film comes back to the kids - they're surprised at what the see - a glimpse of whatever it was that broke out of the train. Soon the Air Force comes and take over and the kids go on a mission to figure out what is going on in the town.

Sure - it sounds typical, and done before, but it isn't. J.J. has a way of making the film unique - one way being the pacing. This is one of the best 'moving' films I've ever seen. You never feel burdened by the story, or lose interest. Once the film begins, it's a steady ride until the end, keeping you engaged the whole time.

Now back to what was on the train - I'll refer to it as a creature, to not give too much away. Abrams teases the audience throughout the entire film by allowing pieces to be seen, but never the whole thing. Sometimes the whole thing is shown, but it's moving so fast, you're mind plays tricks on you, leaving you not sure what you actually did see. Much like "Jaws" or "Alien" - this film is scary because of it's tension and jump-indusing moments. It's not gory - but good, old-fashioned on the edge of your seat scary. But, unlike "Jaws" or "Alien" this creature isn't hunting on purely primal and predatory instincts. This thing is smart. And even more importantly? It's pissed off. Not from the train crash, but because of what it 'remembers'. It has a motive and it goes after it.

For the whole time the film was in production, I dreamt of what this thing looked like, and if I could, I would like to thank J.J. and the creature artist for creating something so unique and bizarre, that I was never able to comprehend anything even remotely close to it. In a way, it's beautiful.

So should you go see this movie? Absolutely. I know some people didn't enjoy it and I respect that, but I can't fathom why. Sure, it has it's flaws - as all movies do ( J.J. sometimes likes to over do it on the lens flare), but it is something special. I'm sure some of you won't enjoy it, but I think you'll at least appreciate it for what it is and what it means for this industry. It was able to bring me back to my childhood - to the films I would watch on Saturday mornings. It left me with a sense of awe, a sense of hope, and a reassurance that even in today's Hollywood, full of remakes and sequels, I am still capable of creating something completely original, which almost seems like a forgotten art form.

I'd give it an easy 94 out of 100.

And in all seriousness - it may have instantly jumped into my top 20 films.

Best of 2011?

Go. See. Super 8.


Now.

Poor Time Management

I'm going to ask politely for a freebie on tonight's posting.

It's going to be quick - a little quirky and possibly a little lame.

I was sitting at home after work, just relaxing, vegging out on the couch and Jackass 3.5 came on MTV as a 'world premiere.' Now, if anyone knows me - then you know Jackass is my kryptonite. I had seen Part III in theaters, but not 3.5, so, I sat down and watched it with my roommates, laughing through it the whole time.

Unfortunately, I find myself here, now, at 12:30am. Back in my college days this would be nothing, but having to work tomorrow, and putting in the kind of week I already have - I'm extremely tired - hence there is not one ounce of creativity in tonight's post. But, I'd appreciate a freebie since I've been so good, for so long! Maybe a solid two months? Even multiple posts a day.

But, I won't leave you empty handed. I saw this video a couple days ago and I really enjoyed it for its humor and message.

I think he has a point - do you?

Star Light, Star Bright

As long as I can remember - I've always been drawn to water. Somehow it soothes me, relaxing me no matter the situation. I'm not exactly sure why - but I'm glad it does. It could be the color, the feel of it, the sounds - at this point it's really just a mystery and that is alright.

Growing up on the Jersey shore - the ocean was always a part of my life. It wasn't until I was older that I understood the power it had over me. After a long day of work I could go there and my mind would just empty. When the bars let out - I could walk along the water, just listening. Other times I'd lay down, alone, or with others and just star up at the sky. Can you ever remember being at the beach and night at not seeing the stars perfectly?

This past weekend I was in Santa Monica after the bas closed @ 2 and rather than getting in a cab, my roommates and I stumbled out onto the beach. It did two things: immediately brought me back to my NJ summers and it instantly calmed me down.

Like I said - I can't put my finger on it, but water controls me somehow.

So of course, when I saw this video, I almost lost it. It has to be clear now my love of film, photography, and any sort of imagery - so when those are mixed with water, more specifically the beach, you know there is something special.

I'm not sure how they did it - but being able to capture the clearness of the water against the perfect backdrop of the stars and moon (especially the moon...it just pops out from the background) blows my mind. I'm a little lost for how they did it. Regardless - I think this video is mesmerizing and worth the watch.

Hopefully it's not just me, but I think there is something magical about this film.

Nightsurf from Iker Elorrieta on Vimeo.

Otters Are Awesome

I love otters. They are the animal I'd want to be if I had to be reincarnated.

They're fun loving, mischievous little creatures that swim all day and eat shellfish off their stomachs. It's the perfect life for me.

And it doesn't hurt that I've been told I look like one before.

Site Traffic

So today, I decided to check the stats of my blog - who was viewing it, where people were viewing it from, how they were viewing it, all out of curiosity.

I've done it before and to be honest, I usually pull in pretty average, consistent numbers. So, to say I was a little baffled when I looked today, would be an understatement.

Blogger keeps Now, Day, Week, Month, All stats. Weeks always refresh on Mondays. Looking today, around noon, I had nearly 2,000 views. To say the least, I was pretty pumped. Maybe I'd keep growing - reeling in the audience, eventually be approached by a sponsor, get paid to show some advertisements - maybe become the next Perez Hilton (HAH that'd be ironic). It was awesome - I had viewers from round the world, from at least 15 different countries. I was humbled.

But then - my dreams came crashing down. I noticed something - something very important. All the thousands of views were going to one specific post. This one : Arrival

I thought for a moment to try and figure out why everyone was looking at this post. Then it dawned on me - that picture I had used, was a drawing that had been on the internet for months - literally since when I was still a senior in college. Believe it or not - it was what was rumored the alien in the upcoming 'Super 8' looked like (don't worry - it's not). So, I did some research and if you search 'Super 8 monster' in google images - my blog is one of the sites that comes up.

Damn! That whole time I thought I was attracting people - I was actually just acting as a piece of viral marketing for the film!

Regardless...I'll help out in anyway I can since this movie is going to rock.

I can't believe so many people came to my site for that reason. Suckers haha.

Thanks for all the traffic!

Jackass

He stared at it - right into it's eyes, deep into it's soul - if it even had a soul. Everyday it would do this to him. He'd find it at the same time, in the same part of the pasture, staring back at him, right into his eyes, deep into his soul. It was a bonafide fact that animals could see someone's soul and he knew the burro was looking at his, mocking him with it's blank look.

He hated that damn thing. How it walked. How it smiled at him with its stupid, teeth-missing grin - its yellowish teeth glinting in the sun at him. It knew how much it hated him. How it was the bane of his existence.

To think, he was reduced to this, to chancing a donkey around his father's farm each and everyday. Could his father have built a more secure enclosure by now? Absolutely - but he swore he got some sort of sick pleasure from watching his son struggle with the donkey every afternoon.

Well, it wasn't going to happen today. He stormed up to the beast and struck his hand out, reaching for its collar. In a swift motion, the donkey lowered its head and bite his wrist. Pulling away quickly, the boy stared in disbelief. Never before had it been so defiant. While he was still in his shock from the bite, the donkey turned away and continued up the hill into the fog. Charging after it, the boy soon caught up to it, only to be kicked in the thigh, sending him falling back into a pile of mud.

He choked back tears. His wrist was bleeding and his thigh was throbbing.

Today, he was going to tame the burro - show it who was boss.

Standing tall, the boy walked back into the house - determined not to be beaten. He just need to grab a few things to fix this.

As he walked away, the donkey stared - pleased with the display it had just put on. It knew the boy could do nothing to command it. Just like every other day, it would do what it wanted.

A short time later, the boy returned to the field, now ready for the challenge. Standing about thirty feet away, he held out his hand and waited. The donkey just stared back - peace wasn't going to work. Sighing, the boy reached into his back pocket, smiling, and pulled out a handful of carrots. The burro's ears perked up.

As it took a few steps closer, the boy remained patient - not wanting to strike too early and lose his only opportunity.

He was not at all ready for the force of the shotgun as it went off - pounding his shoulder.

It certainly wasn't the cleanest shot, but the donkey wasn't going to be running away anymore.

In Motion

Ahhhh - the Big Apple.

The people, the sounds, the smells - it's a thing of beauty.


Mindrelic - Manhattan in motion from Mindrelic on Vimeo.

PES

I love PES.

No, not the candy. The director of course. Yes, I'm sure you can guess...I've worked with him at Anonymous Content, but even if I hadn't, I would still adore the man, very, very much.

He works primarily in stop-motion. Animating household objects into characters, objects, and sets, kind of like this (in its most basic form):



to something as simple as:




So to say his new piece is amazing is...well...an understatement.

I love animation, especially stop motion, but how he makes his videos so smooth and life-like while continuing to use everyday objects amazes me.

Are you as blown away by this as I am?



God damn thats good stuff! I think it's ok to say his brain works in a different way than most. He just has a vision for these kinds of shapes, movements, and stories.

Maybe someday I'll sit down and go ahead and shoot a film like this frame by frame, compiling a couple thousand pictures, to string them all together then edit them...

pssshhh

I'll let PES do all the hard work and I'll just watch in awe.

I Feel Dirty and....I Like It

Ok, so, I love the director David Fincher. He has a great body of work, including Se7en, Fight Club, Panic Room, Zodiac, Benjamin Button, and The Social Network.

What is it exactly that draws me to his work? Mainly the grim themes he tackles, the darker tones and palettes of his films, his love of long shots, and the unique angles he manages to create.

I had the pleasure of seeing him/delivering his mail when I worked at Anonymous Content and it was one of the coolest experiences of my life. I didn't get to speak to him, but being able to even see him and be in the same building/room as him has stuck with me until today.

He probably is my favorite director today.

But, I digress. There was a Swedish film that came out in 2005 called "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" - based on the book that had the same name. I finally got around to seeing it this year and it blew me away. It's dark, smart, gritty, sexy, and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's one of those movies that keeps you involved the entire time. Rare these days.

Anywho - like Hollywood always does, the rights to the remake were bought by Sony the past year and production soon began.

Who is behind the wheel? Helming the project? Mr. Fincher of course. After seeing the original, I could not be happier with who is directing the remake - it is the perfect film for Fincher - fitting right into his spectrum. I honestly think he can make a better film the original.

The trailer for it just came out and I'd like to share it with you. Not because it is an amazing movie, made by an amazing director, but because it is an awesome trailer. Yes, we all know I work at a trailer editing company, but I have really grown to appreciate trailers for what they are and what they do.

In particular, this one breaks the mold - it's unique...to be quiet honest, it has an extremely bizarre style. But, I think thats why I like it so much. That and any trailer set to Zeppelin's 'Immigrant Song' is ok in my book. I'll give you that it is a little vague, actually, very vague. The story revolves around a journalist (Craig) who is hired by a wealthy family to track down their missing daughter. Chaos ensues from there.

So sit back and give it a spin. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do (although I do believe a lot of people will be turned off by this trailer).

And for you mom - even if it doesn't look like your kind of movie, at least Daniel Craig is in it - to raise your "eye candy" quota.

Artic Light

There is just so magical about a time lapse piece - whether is be the motion in the frame, the colors that always emerge, or the hidden pieces of the world you would have never seen otherwise.

This is one of those pieces.


The Arctic Light from TSO Photography on Vimeo.