Julia Pott’s animated short “Belly” is a profoundly moving, visually stunning bit of cinema. So sad and lovely.
Hat tip to VHX.tv
Tag: Recommended viewing
I love lists! I mean, I LOVE lists!! They are the gateway to educated choice. You how “they” are always selling you something? Well, it’s because they have learned that when you don’t really know what you want, it’s much easier to make you act on impulse. When you know what you want, you don’t give away your money stupidly. Informed choice allows you to get more of what you want. Informed choice makes you more satisfied and thus happier. Who wouldn’t want to have more stuff they like and to be happier?
So you have to learn what you want. And that is where lists come in. I have lists that are so full I have more than enough films to keep me satisfied well past my life expectancy. I won’t run out of movies I WANT to watch until I am 110. And since they are going to keep making them, by the time I am 110 I will probably have enough movies I have CHOSEN to see to carry me past the age of 200.
So what do you want to watch? Or, perhaps, what do you want your children to watch? Did you know that the British Film Institute has a list of the Top 50 Films To See Before You Are 14? It’s darn awesome. And there are some on that list that I still haven’t seen and I am almost 50. I better live to be 110. I am going to start exercising just so I can watch more movies.
These are the BFI’s Top Ten To See Before You Turn Age 14:
- Bicycle Thieves (1948)
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
- Kes (1969)
- The Night of the Hunter (1955)
- The 400 Blows (1959)
- Show Me Love (1998)
- Spirited Away (2001)
- Toy Story (1995)
- Where is the Friend’s Home? (1987)
- The Wizard of Oz (1939)
But you know what? The BFI is not the only entity that has made a supercool list of movies to see. Filmmakers Mark Cousins and Tilda Swinton made some great lists and then did it up one step better, helping really cool kids everywhere organize parties around great flix. A party AND a movie? Does it get much better than that. Check out 8 1/2 Foundation now!!!!!!!
One last question: why are all these lists from British institutions? Where are the American counterparts? Or Swiss? Or Chinese? Or Australian? Help!
Winner of The Student Academy Award. One of my fave shorts…
Thanks to IFC’s Independent Eye I have now seen my favorite film of 2009. David O’Reilly’s PLEASE SAY SOMETHING won the Golden Bear for short films at Berlin this year. It’s about ten minutes long but packs a wallup of emotion, innovation, and experimentation into those ten minutes. My day has been made.
IFC has some more information on their site, along with excerpts from an interview with O’Reilly. Check it out.
Categories
Ivan’s Cool Contraption
Bowlers know we have a nose for Goldbergian complexity. THE WAY THINGS WORK will forever remain our our list of Required Viewing. We also endorse “home-made” and “swede-ing” amongst all nose-wearers. We gave a Golden Honker today to Ivan in Austin for his embrace of all this goodness on 11/9/08.
Not eating your vegetables? Not a member of The Clean Plate Club yet? Better hope the parents don’t pull a page out of the Modern Times guide.
Charlie Chaplin was the first true king of comedy on film. Sure his movies are silent, but all you need to do is watch in order to laugh until your sides hurt.
In this clip, The Little Tramp has gotten a job at a new factory, which for then was the height of modernity. For some reason, those in power always want to find ways to be more efficient, particularly when it comes to others. They pick Charlie to test out their latest idea…
Unfortunately I couldn’t find a clip that wasn’t messed with, so you must endure the Blue Danube Waltz as the slapped on score here… To get the true pleasure, go back to the original and watch MODERN TIMES (recommended viewing).
