Fantastic Short Film Friday - Mourir Auprès de Toi (To Die by Your Side) - (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.

This week we have for you a stop-motion animated look at love, ingenuity and frankly, skeleton on skeleton intercourse. Here is a 6-minute animated short called, Mourir Auprès de Toi (To Die by Your Side), a collaborative effort between famed filmmaker, Spike Jonze, and accessory designer, Olympia Le-Tanfilmmaker. I'm a big fab of Spike Jonze's work, especially his short films. They're full of so much oddball creativeness that they're unlike anything else out there.

Here's the synopsis:

At the aptly named Shakespeare and Co. bookstore, a plucky skeleton from a book cover of Macbeth finds love in a long-haired beauty on the cover of Dracula. The two embark on a journey that finds them in the belly of Moby Dick until the two meet at last. It’s a classic love story with a bit of modern twist

This one's just a ton of fun. I love the fact that the animation feels like shadow play theater, and its world is centered around bookstores and literature, two of my favorite things in life. This wonder shows you the power of narrative storytelling that a short film can show. As Spike Jonze once remarked: A short is like a sketch. You can have an idea or a feeling and just go and do it. I couldn't agree more.

Check this out if you love animation, but are looking for something different then just CGI or hand drawn line art. Check this out because its by Spike Jonze. What more needs to be said? This is the man who brought to the short filmmaking world, I'm Here!! Enjoy this weeks dose of short film goodness in, Mourir Auprès de Toi (To Die by Your Side).

Spike Jonze: Mourir Auprès de Toi on Nowness.com.

Fantastic Short Film Friday - Thrush (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.

This week we have for you a mixed media look at heart-break and loss told through a series of photographic snapshots. Here is a 4-minute called, Thrush from filmmaker, Gabriel Bisset Smith. I'm a big fan of the experimental side of filmmaking, where filmmakers try to tell their narratives in different ways then the traditional norm, and this short shows how even a simple story can feel new if told in different ways.

Simply put, this is the story of a two people who find they aren't meant to be together and the different ways each of them deals with moving on.

This one's just a lot of fun. Again, it's a story we've seen hundreds of times, even lived through I'm sure once or twice throughout our lives, but by having the narrative told through a series of snapshots, it adds a different layer to the story, a layer that transforms the norm into something special.

Check this out if you've ever had your heart broken and found yourself trying to move on but unable to do so. Check this out if like yourself some mix media and are looking for something a bit different. Enjoy this weeks dose of short film goodness in, Thrush.

Thrush from Gabriel Bisset-Smith on Vimeo.

Trailer Talkback Thursday - The Avengers

Welcome to another Trailer Talkback Thursday here at the Cinema Cafe Podcast. Today I will be taking a look at one of the hottest trailers to come out in the past couple of weeks. Lets take a look at the latest trailer for Marvel's next big comic movie, The Avengers.



Wow. For those of you who don't know, Josh & I are huge comic book nerds. We have another podcast we do called The Curious League of Comic Book Geeks. Needless to say, we were both insanely excited when we first saw this trailer. Even from the little bit they show, it looks like just about everything we could hope for. The dialog already looks really well done, and the character interactions will hopefully be just as well done as that brief snippet we see between Steve Rogers & Tony Stark.

There's always the worry that with this huge a cast that there will be a conflict, although usually that takes place more with having too many villains rather than too many heroes. However, judging just from the trailer alone, it seems that they all work very well together. Plus, if there is one thing that Marvel Studios movies have done correctly with all their movies is that they have gotten the characterization of the heroes pretty much perfectly. So it's safe to say that I am super psyched for this movie.

-Greg

Episode 77: Real Steel

Hello there and welcome to the 77th 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 review of a 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:

* Real Steel
* Upcoming movie releases for the weekend of 10.21.11 and 10.28.11

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 - The Rules of the Game (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.

This week we have for you a funny and dark look at love and all the wrong places it can go. Here is a 7-minute comedic short from the UK called, The Rules of the Game from filmmaker, Tom Daley. This is actually a convincing look at how love can be at one moment bright and the next moment a dark hole on the soul.

The story is simple, but the themes explored are humorous as the viewer is lead down false path after false path until the final reveal. Simply put, a man pulls up in front of a large mansion to stay the weekend and begins to tell a tale of love, betrayal and the sweet taste of revenge.

It's just a lot of fun and wonderfully acted. The whole short is just one guy talking to the camera, telling his story, and its compelling enough that his thoughts and words never feel forced. It all hinges on the one actor and frankly (and luckily) he's just a wonderful storyteller.

Check this out if you've ever had your heart broken before and always dreamed of getting some sweet revenge. Check this out if you enjoy laughing at all the wrong things. Enjoy this weeks dose of short form goodness in, The Rules of the Game.

Episode 76: 50/50

Hello there and welcome to the 76th 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 movie that has been recently released and also of a few that are currently on dvd. With that said here's a look at what we discuss on this weeks podcast:

* 50/50
* Upcoming movie releases for the weekend of 10.14.11 and 10.21.11

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 - Ark (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.

This week we have for you a fantastic story of courage and loss in a post-apocalyptic world. Here is a 8-minute computer animated Polish short called, Ark from filmmaker, Grzegorz Jonkajtys. This is actually a quite fascinating and sad look at the lengths people will go to survive when there's nothing to live for.

Nominated for the Cannes Palm d'Or in 2007, this short turned a lot of heads during the stogy film festival and its easy to see why. Here's the synopsis:

An unknown virus has destroyed almost the entire human population. Oblivious to the true nature of the disease, the only remaining survivors escape to the sea. In great ships, they set off in search of uninhabited land. So begins the exodus, led by one man.

It's just a lot of fun and has a great twist ending that adds another layer, an added melancholy to the story.

Check this out if you're in the mood to see beautiful European cgi animation. Check this out if you like your post-apocalyptic stories with heart and a mournful wistfulness. Enjoy this weeks dose of short form goodness in, Ark.