Fantastic Short Film Friday - Cinema 2011

And we are back with another installment in our Fantastic Short Film Friday series, as we continue to showcase films released in the "lesser" known form of cinema- the short film.

Its that time again, the end of another year and the beginning of hopefully an even better one. As 2011 draws to a close, I think it's important (at least for film fans) to look back on the year of cinema and take it all in. Each year, each decade, for me is defined by the films released. Like music, film is able to express the cultural climate of the world at the time and for me no year would be complete without this short. Now it's not a short per se but a collection of scenes from the films of 2011, excellently edited and put to music. Here is a 8-minute look back on the year in film called, Cinema 2011 beautifully put together by Kees van Dijkhuizen. He's been putting together these best of the year videos since 2008 and for me this is his best one yet.

What's fun about these kind of videos is trying to place every scene, every quick clip, quick edit that flies by with the particular movie its from. You know you watch too many movies when you can place every 3 second clip because you've seen all the films mentioned. For me, 2011 was a good year in films, maybe not the best year but the high's were extremely high. The year of 2011 saw my favorite director release a film that was his biggest box office success after over 40 years in the game, a indie meditative action film with a killer soundtrack about a driver, comicbook heroes take over the silver screen like never before from super soldiers to mythological gods to mutants, a gross out comedy blockbuster for females, a Swedish modern day classic gets remade by an American auteur, another old-school film director direct his first all-ages film about the beauty and love of cinema and much much more. It was a good year to be a film fan and I cannot wait to see what films will shape the new year.

Check this out if you watch a lot of movies and want a visual reminder of the year in film. Check this out if you didn't get a chance to watch a lot of movies in 2011 and want to see what's been missing in your life. Enjoy this weeks dose of short form goodness in, Cinema 2011.

Fantastic Short Film Friday - Argentine Tangos (live-action)

And we are back with another installment in our Fantastic Short Film Friday series, as we continue to showcase films released in the "lesser" known form of cinema- the short film.

It's Christmas time! Now, I'm not the most religious person, but I love the feeling of the Holidays, the mood of winter time, being thankful for what you have and all that cliched stuff. I love it! It's my favorite time of the year, the general feeling of good joy and happiness around, or maybe that's just me (and truthfully that's all that I care about). This week I have for you a short that spreads the good-will all around. Here is a 14-minute Belgium whimsical dramatic short called, Argentine Tangos from filmmaker, Gus Thys. This is a short that warms the soul as the viewer and the characters within come to realize how much better it is to give, how giving can bring it's own kind of happiness.

The story follows an average middle-aged office-worker who meets a woman online that loves tango and asks her to meet him in 2-weeks so they can do the forbidden dance. The only problem is that he has no idea how to tangle so he ropes in one of his colleagues for help and well, in the end you realize Christmas joy and love can come in many different forms, even if they start out with a small white lie. Don't let the subtitles scare you, this story is easy to follow and you won't miss the action by reading them.

Wonderfully acted and beautiful shot, this is the perfect counter balance for the cold winter days, or as those awful self help books that were en vogue a few years ago and are now thankfully out of style, this short is Chicken Soup for the Soul. Yes I said that and yes I'll shut up now.

Check this out if you you're tired of seeing It's A Wonderful Life for the 300th time and want something new but with the same kind of warm messaging. Check this out if you you're trapped in your office doing busy work but wished you were doing something more productive. Enjoy this weeks dose of short form goodness in, Argentine Tangos.

Fantastic Short Film Friday - The Employment (animated)

And we are back with another installment in our Fantastic Short Film Friday series, as we continue to showcase films released in the "lesser" known form of cinema- the short film.

It's animation time again, and I have for you this week a short that's both fun and reflective (do those 2 things go together?). Watching this short, you realize how wide the world of animation is and how different animation outside of the US can be (and in a lot of ways more mature in their themes). Here is a 7-minute Argentinian animated short called, The Employment from filmmaker, Santiago 'Bou' Grasso. The animation style is very European in execution, reminiscent of the work from the French studio Cube Creative whose short Jean-Francois I've previously shared here on the site. The story, the facial expressions, everything is told with a detached deadpan style of humor that makes the story so enjoyable.

Here's the set-up: A man wakes up and starts his day as usual. He turns on his room light and bam you realize this isn't our world. All throughout the city landscape, from the streets to the cabs to the office building, we find people performing menial tasks as if they’re living furniture. People pose as coat racks, hold bathroom mirrors, and give piggy-back rides down the streets. To give anything more would spoil what the filmmakers are trying to say here. Let's just say, I can relate to the feelings of joylessness that everyday life can sometimes bring.

This film is a wonderful look at what international animation can bring that we don't generally get with animation from the US. It's thoughtful, a bit morose and beautifully animated with very little soundtrack and no dialogue. It's a simple story about everyday humans acting like they're in a Flintstones cartoon, doing the menial work in place of technology and yeah, this 7-minute short says more about the human condition then many feature length films.

Check this out if you want to see some wonderful international animation. Check this out if you enjoy thoughtful, meditative works that remind of the whimsical comedic pain of a Woody Allen film. Enjoy this weeks dose of short form goodness in, The Employment.

El Empleo / The Employment from opusBou on Vimeo.

Episode 81: Young Adult

Hello there and welcome to the 81st episode of the Cinema Cafe Podcast, the bi-weekly, twice monthly film podcast by the fans, for the fans. Join us each week as we review new movies releases, look at some dvd's, talk some film news and share our general love for all things cinema. The main goal is to have some fun and hopefully provide the listener with some helpful insight. We are back and the podcasting world is alight once again.

We are finally back with recharged batteries and are ready once again to bring our loyal listeners some brand new bi-weekly content. Thanks for your patience and it feels so good to be back!!

This week we take a look at 1 main movie that has been recently released and also of a few that are currently on dvd or in theaters. With that said here's a look at what we discuss on this weeks podcast:

* Sleeping Beauty
* Autoreiji (Outrage)
* Young Adult
* Top 5: Worst Movies of 2011
* Upcoming movie releases for the weekend of 12.16.11 and 12.23.11

Also, film news and more, only on the Cinema Cafe Podcast. We hope you enjoy and happy movie watching.

Thanks as always to all our loyal listeners for sharing the ride with us as we've once again started producing the show. It's all due to your support that we have kept things going and we hope you continue to share the ride with us in the coming months.

We're also on Itunes so head over there and subscribe to the Cinema Cafe Podcast and don't forget to post a review! Thanks!!

Fantastic Short Film Friday - Kart Driver (live-action)

And we are back with another installment in our Fantastic Short Film Friday series, as we continue to showcase films released in the "lesser" known form of cinema- the short film.

Do you feel like in your daily life there's not enough consumption of live action adapted video game shorts? Well you're in luck, because not only do I have for you one this week, but its also really good, and not just good, but it showcases everyone's favorite Nintendo mascot and takes him to some really dark and drug filled places. Here is a 8-minute dark comedy short called, Kart Driver from filmmaker, Drew Daywalt. If you've ever played the Mario video game franchise, especially the original Donkey Kong game, then you'll get a kick out of this.

Basically, Mario's girlfriend, who is hooked on the drug "mushroom's", is kidnapped by this gorilla of a man, and Mario must jump over barrel after barrel and drive through the mean urban landscapes of modern America in order to find his love and save her from the evil Donkey Kong.

Sure, this short is pretty ridiculous, but what I like so much about it, is that it takes a wholesome video game, one we all grew up playing, and transforms it Trainspotting style, and makes Mario a tragic character who is just in love and trying to do what's right. There's cameos of Toad, Luigi and Princess Peach and yeah, again this isn't the loveable Mario character you know. Here he curses, wields a mean barreled sledgehammer, and damn if this one isn't violent. God what a glorious tribute.

Check this out if you love video games and grew up playing the Mario Bros games for endless hours. Check this out if you want to a video game adaption done right and perhaps this shows filmmakers that the only way to do a successful video game adaptation is make it into a short. Enjoy this weeks dose of short form goodness in, Kart Driver.

Video Game - E3 2012

Fantastic Short Film Friday - Le Voyage Dans La Lune (live-action)

And we are back with another installment in our Fantastic Short Film Friday series, as we continue to showcase films released in the "lesser" known form of cinema- the short film.

In honor of the movie Hugo (I won't explain why in fear of giving too much away), I wanted to showcase one of the most important and influential films of all-time, a silent sci-fi romp to the distant moon that continues to capture the imagination of filmmakers and film lovers to this day. Here is an 16-minute French black and white silent short called, La Voyage dans la lune (or A Trip to the Moon) from filmmaker, Georges Melies. Anyone who's ever watched the Simpson's or watched the Smashing Pumpkins video for Tonight Tonight has seen this film referenced. To call it a short would be an understatement since when this was created in 1902, it was one of the longer running films.

Written and directed by Melies, this is based loosely on Jules Verne's From the Earth and the Moon and HG Wells The First Men in the Moon. It's the story of a group of astronauts that travel to the Moon and battle Moon Men before returning home to a hero's welcome.

This film is important for many reasons, least of all it's iconic imagery, it's use of animation and special effects and also it being the first sci-fi film ever produced. I decided to add the short after watching the breathtaking film Hugo, because that film is Martin Scorsese's love letter to film and the history of film. Again, I won't go into why this film and director Melies are important to the overall narrative of Hugo, but trust me you should see Hugo and then rewatch this film again. Everytime I rewatch this, I'm left with a sense of awe and wonder. They made this 100 years ago. What innovation!

Check this out if you love film and film history. Check this out if you want to see a film from a bygone age where you can marvel at the simplicity of its execution and brilliance. Again, this is the first ever sci-fi film here people! Enjoy this weeks dose of short form goodness in, La Voyage dans la lune.

Episode 80: Hugo and The Muppets

Hello there and welcome to the 80th episode of the Cinema Cafe Podcast, the bi-weekly, twice monthly film podcast by the fans, for the fans. Join us each week as we review new movies releases, look at some dvd's, talk some film news and share our general love for all things cinema. The main goal is to have some fun and hopefully provide the listener with some helpful insight. We are back and the podcasting world is alight once again.

We are finally back with recharged batteries and are ready once again to bring our loyal listeners some brand new bi-weekly content. Thanks for your patience and it feels so good to be back!!

This week we take a look at 2 main movie releases that have been recently released and also of a few that are currently on dvd or in theaters. With that said here's a look at what we discuss on this weeks podcast:

* Like Crazy
* Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1
* Hugo
* The Muppets
* Upcoming movie releases for the weekend of 12.02.11 and 12.09.11

Also, film news and more, only on the Cinema Cafe Podcast. We hope you enjoy and happy movie watching.

Thanks as always to all our loyal listeners for sharing the ride with us as we've once again started producing the show. It's all due to your support that we have kept things going and we hope you continue to share the ride with us in the coming months.

We're also on Itunes so head over there and subscribe to the Cinema Cafe Podcast and don't forget to post a review! Thanks!!