This made me laugh when I first saw the movie Planes, Trains & Automobiles and it still makes me smile today, almost 30 years later. There’s something deep going on here.
Category Archives: cinema
Son of Kong: stop-motion fight scenes
These scenes are from Son of Kong, the justly neglected 1933 sequel to King Kong. Most of the original Kong cast & crew contributed to this film, which was marketed as a comedy. Few would argue that this film captures any of the awesomeness that imbued its predecessor, and it remains a seldom-seen historical curiosity. However, the stop-motion scenes of the main character, a smaller & friendlier albino version of Kong, have an infantile charm to them. And who among you can not shed a tear when his whole world literally crumbles and sinks into the ocean (when a devastating earthquake strikes Skull Island).
InnerGalactic
Outerspace themed doodles & graffiti with hints of a story, as imagined by a young boy. This was created as a gallery installation, to be run continuously as a seamless loop.
pavemented graffiti (a strobe film)
Repeating patterns occur in a single frame matrix of mainly pavement textures. Can induce headaches, or spiritual revelations. Yes, I like this sort of thing.
Russ Meyer, Film-Maker “King of the Nudies”
I’ve been suffering from “bloger block” this month and wanted to get up at least one measly post before the end of the month. Looking at my Lobby Card collection for inspiration, I decided to feature Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, and subsequently got sucked into YouTube looking for a trailer. Instead, I decided to feature this hilarious clip from another Meyer film MotorPsycho, involving a rattlesnake. I didn’t come up with “King of the Nudies”, it’s on Russ Meyer’s gravestone.
Hey! I did not realize that the actor featured in the MotorPsycho rattlesnake scene was Alex Rocco, famous for portraying Moe Greene in the Godfather!
Bond, James Bond
Super-suave 32 year old Sean Connery utters the iconic catchphrase “Bond, James Bond” for the first time, in the very first Bond movie Dr. No . This was not the first Bond movie I saw, that was Goldfinger*, which I enjoyed so much that I sat through 2 consecutive viewings in the theatre. Goldfinger was a big hit, so they re-issued the first 2 Bond films: Dr. No and From Russia with Love (the films were yet to be shown on TV, back than if you wanted to see a movie, you went to the theatre). Dr. No also featured Joseph Wiseman in the title role (the first Bond villain!), in a very tightly controlled performance, a study in stillness & menace. Here’s a scene where Bond tries to get under Dr. No’s skin.
*Goldfinger: the best Bond Title song!
Every Frame a Painting talks Keaton
Tony at Every Frame a Painting on YouTube, shines the light on Buster Keaton and his unique comedic genius. Great selection of clips, some interesting comparisons to contemporary film-makers and analysis of his technique. Includes some audio of Keaton talking about his work. Worth a look & listen.
Cosmic Water loop
I like to mess around with moving texture imagery using Adobe After Effects! This mesmerizing effect was created from a simple shot of water in a swimming pool, shot on an iPhone in slow motion. I try to avoid obvious effects filters, preferring to rely on layering techniques that go back to my pre-digital days on the Optical Printer. The nice thing about digital, however, is that I can do something like this in a couple of hours instead of days & weeks!
loopy streaks movie
Intentionally shot this way! Filmed with a Super-8 movie camera almost 25 years ago, but left unfinished until I had the film transferred to HD digital format last year. I carefully went through the footage and created a few dozen loops which were then edited together along with annoying sound effects. Originally filmed in San Francisco’s North Beach district at night (lots of different lights), and if you’ve ever been there, you will figure out the title CONDOR / ROARING20s.
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Max Fury Road (fake trailer)
Here’s what you get when you take the trailer for Mad Max: Fury Road, keep the sound track and replace the images with scenes from 1963’s classic comedy It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. I want to see this movie! The vivid Ultra Panavision 70 images from IAMMMMW are stunningly clear, with beautiful saturated colors, I swell up with nostalgia. Here’s the actual Mad Max: Fury Road trailer used as a template:
Lapsed Time Images 