Posted in documentary, film, inspiration, Music, Zappa, tagged film, humor, illustration, inspiration on April 4, 2019| Leave a Comment »
So this is a really great short documentary. No jive!
Take 15 minutes and go watch it now. Go Now! The link may only work this week; it’s the Documentary of the Week at Shortoftheweek. If you’re at all like me you’ll feel a bit sad, but also all gooshy and warm inside afterwards.
Posted in film, Muppet, puppet, tagged film, Muppet, puppet on March 15, 2018| Leave a Comment »
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you already know I love the Muppets. I mean, really truly, totally, unconditionally, to-the-moon-and-back, saved my life literally, LOVE the Muppets.
So today J found this interview on Splitsider and immediately came and got me and made me watch the clip and read the interview.
OMG (all of them — Allah to Zeus) there is a new documentary where five of the original muppet performers sit down and talk about the experience of being a Muppet. It’s sort of like Dinner for Five without the dinner but all about Muppets.
Is it just me or is this so totally exciting that you just have to go Squeee! and dance around a bit?
The documentary goes live tomorrow March 16th at MuppetGuysTalking.com. You can only see it at that site; it is Not Coming to a Theater Near You! You can mark your calendars if you want but since it’s only one day I think you can just remember.
I just got an email from the website saying thank you and giving me some details. It goes live at 6 am Eastern USA time, (10 a.m. in London, 12:00 noon in Cairo, 9 p.m. in Sydney, and VERY early — at 3 a.m. if you’re on U.S. Pacific Time). I don’t know what this is going to cost but there will be two options: 1) the film, 2) the film plus some “really great extras and bonus items” which is called Below Stage Pass, get it, below stage — where the puppeteers are. You can probably guess which one I want.
Hooray!
UPDATE: Film is now live; I went with option 1) film only. Which cost me a whole $9.97, I downloaded it to my computer so even if my internet goes down or is slow I can still watch it. FYI I couldn’t afford option 2 and besides I’m still not even on Facebook and my monitor doesn’t have a camera and I don’t need to be part of a live online audience. Oh well.
But we have Muppets!!!!!
Posted in film, puppet, sculpture, tagged film, humor, puppet, song on March 2, 2018| Leave a Comment »
I am perfectly aware that I’ve been gone far, far too long. Life has been exceedingly crazy here for way too many months. Not crazy in a good way, not in a horrible way, just crazy with things like the flu and other icky health stuff and boring life stuff that takes up too much bloody time.
Things are slowly improving and in the last week or so I’ve been working on a new piece of art. Yes, working on it finally because the deadline is looming and it needs to get done no matter how tired I am.
So here is a link to a really wonderful music video by a Dutch band called Death Van that I saw on the Dangerous Minds blog. Reading their post I do agree that it reminds me of the Brothers Quay’s work, but it also reminds me of sequences in the movie MirrorMask. Very cool, very surreal, very low-brow art, totally love it! So click and watch, several times maybe even.
Posted in book, film, illustration, tagged book, film, illustration on April 30, 2014| Leave a Comment »
or more properly: The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex.
I’ve been meaning to read this book for a long time but didn’t get around to it until very recently. I’m sorry I waited — it’s truly wonderful.
Smekday is smart, funny and it should be on the required reading list of every entity seeking to be a fully rounded rational sort of being (with a sense of humor). It’s chock full of delicious salty, crunchy sarcasm; it doesn’t pull any punches; and it made me laugh, repeatedly. I loved this book.
Things that stood out for me: Happy Mouse Kingdom, the always perfect, antiseptic fantasy, the land of fake rubber noses on a string. The wonderful comic book sequences. The day they went into a store and Tip says to J.Lo to get only essentials and he turns up with an armload of paper, pencils and other art stuff (and she lets him keep them).
My favorite quote: “The Boov weren’t anything special. They were just people. They were too smart and too stupid to be anything else.”
Go read it — Now! First chapter available as “look inside” on Amazon. Buy it , borrow it from the library (I did), just be sure to read it.
Then wait with me for the movie to come out. It’s expected to release for Thanksgiving 2014. In the meantime, Dreamworks has made a promotional short called “Almost Home”. Go watch that on YouTube. Watch it five or six times; you’ll feel better, I did.
Posted in film, tagged film, low brow art on March 6, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Winter is slapping me around . . . Again.
So go and watch this fun short animated film that made me laugh. A lot.
You can read more about it here on James Gurney’s blog (with associated links also). I watched it several times; it’s that good. Hey it’s not for nothing that it won the Oscar.
I’d seen the work of the artist that inspired Mr. Hublot’s look before, maybe as much as several years ago. I just love the way the city looks in the film.
This is probably the worst written post I’ve done (to date). Further evidence that my brain is seriously fried by fatigue. TTFN
Posted in film, illustration, inspiration, tagged film, illustration on May 22, 2013| Leave a Comment »
This is meant to be just a short little post to redirect you over to Muddy Colors for today. Watch this kinda ancient documentary short by Walt Disney on the importance of pursuing individual style.
Do not be put off by the rather dated documentary filming technique or the somewhat wooden narration of the four Disney artists involved. Instead concentrate on what they are saying; the reasons why they are all interpreting the same subject in different ways.
Also vitally important to me is how the beginning portion of the film talks about how when working as a team on a project each member must subvert their own personal style in order to make a cohesive whole. Collaboration is interesting for that very reason; sometimes we can create so very much more as a group then we would have as individuals. However, it is so very very important for all of us to make time for developing our own work. To find that voice that is entirely and uniquely our own.
Posted in film, holiday, tagged film on February 14, 2013| Leave a Comment »
In case you haven’t yet seen the Disney animated short Paperman, go watch it on you-tube here.
I enjoyed it and hope you will too.
I heard today on TV that this is the worst cold/flu season we’ve had in years. If you are having the same Valentines luck as me — go eat chicken soup and feel better.
Posted in book, film, illustration, tagged book, film, illustration on December 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Yes, The Hobbit finally opens on Friday the 14th. I can hardly wait — that said, I will be waiting as I never go the first weekend. I wait for the crush of fans to subside a bit. We’ll be going over the Christmas holidays to see what promises to be another gem from Peter Jackson and his team at WETA.
Yes, I love The Hobbit and have done since I first read it at age 11. I know for certain that I was 11 as that year the math teacher was reading it to his home room students and wouldn’t read it to the class I was in — ran out and bought my own copy, HA! John loves The Hobbit so much that it is the one book he always takes on vacation every single year. We’ve been on pins and needles ever since the announcement of the filming finally being settled on Peter Jackson. I’m definitely relieved that the book is being split into two parts as the prospect of cramming it into one film would have forced the leaving out of some of my favorite bits. Like this one:
Oh, the trolls would have to be in any acceptable version, but would you get a lovely long segment about the debate over how to prepare the dwarves for consumption? Boiled, baked, or simply sat on and squashed into jelly? I think not. So I am immeasurably glad that the book part of The Hobbit will be in two parts. I should also say that we are also very much hoping for a reasonably lengthy view of Beorn’s house, as well as a short visit to Rivendell.
Yes, I know that there are now going to be three films. I confess to still being a bit nervous about the third film which is meant to comprise of appendix information/action. I will go see it absolutely, being myself in the minority of Tolkien fans who’ve actually read the appendix material.
It will be lovely, I’m certain it will . . . just still feeling a bit jittery in the tummy.
Posted in film, tagged film on February 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Posted in book, film, tagged book, film on February 22, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Yes, I’m rather extremely late to this particular party. Better late than not at all.
Absolutely Undiluted Magic!
I know that as a book addict (soften that to bibliophile if you must but judging from the massive quantities of books in my tiny, tiny house I calls ’em the way I see ’em) I cannot possibly claim a shred of objectivity but I do so very much love this little film. Nevertheless I am not alone and it makes me exceedingly happy to see that it has achieved such a wide audience and dearly hope that it wins an Oscar.
If you’ve already seen it, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t seen it go watch it now! There are links at Moonbot and at MorrisLessmore. I just downloaded it from the iTunes store (free) and I originally watched it on vimeo from a link on James Gurney’s blog. The vimeo links don’t seem to be working today but they’ll most likely be restored soonish.
Oh, yes, one more thing — Kleenex alert. Trust me; you will cry.
Posted in film, inspiration, tagged film, meditation on February 8, 2012| 1 Comment »
Quite a few of the blogs I read have been doing a lot of posts about reflecting on the past, evaluating present priorities and working towards building the best year of work that is possible for that particular person.
I have been lying on the couch watching films. Especially this one:
Rivers and Tides (Working With Time). A stunning documentary about artist Andy Goldsworthy.
This film is an amazing, even revelatory experience. It takes me right into the heart of nature and time, connecting me to the rhythms of growth and the patterns of pulsing water. It is a reminder that everything is transitory, and that the most ephemeral of things have immense strength and beauty.
Watch it if you get even the remotest of chances.
Posted in doll house, film, tagged dollhouse, film, Muppet on June 8, 2011| 2 Comments »
I don’t usually do this, but this is essentially a redirect to a great post of a totally brilliant playset of the Muppet Show Theater designed and built by Lance Cardinal.
It’s just too cool to risk anyone not knowing about it’s existence and thus missing out. Lance also wrote a making-of post here and another here. Enjoy!
pamelavelner.blog 