Friday, March 30, 2012

Fantastic Short Film Friday - Sunshine (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.

Okay so I'm still traipsing around Europe, although by the time this comes out I'll be traipsing all the way to the Amsterdam airport. With that said, I wanted to leave our listeners and readers with some more content so again, I'll be keeping this post short and sweet. I love documentaries. Documentaries are probably my favorite form of cinematic entertainment. I also have a background in advertising, so yeah, this short was right up my alley. Here is the 15-minute documentary short Sunshine from filmmaker Doug Nichol.

It's a simple synopsis:

An American advertising producer in Shanghai tries to sell fast food to the Chinese. An endearing portrait of a modern day "Mad Man."

For me, one of the best and fastest ways to understand a culture is watch how they advertise to their own people. Through advertisement you can find out a lot about a culture, about its people and about what they find most important. Its an amazing culture shock for both the advertising exec and the viewer. We need more, "Sunshine!"

Check this out if you enjoy well made documentaries. Check this out if want to see the changing nature of society and culture throughout Shanghai and China. Enjoy this weeks dose of short film goodness with Sunshine.


Sunshine from American Buffalo on Vimeo.

Friday, March 23, 2012

Fantastic Short Film Friday - Ruin (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.

I'm on vacation right now traipsing around Europe, but I still didn't want to leave our listeners and readers without any content so I'm going to keep this post short and sweet. Do you like videogames? Do you like brilliant animated cgi sequences where you marvel at the spectacle of it all? Do you like cryptic post-apocalyptic parables? Well this short is the one for you. Here is the 8-minute animated action short Ruin from filmmaker Wes Ball.

It took 2-years for Ball to make this short, and you can see all the love and care that went into it. This one's a post-apocalyptic short where nature has reclaimed her home and robots hunt humans. Why? What happened? I don't know, but Bell promises a sequel at the end that will leave watchers salivating for the wait.

Check this out if you like beautifully animated films. Check this out if you need your sc-fi fix and want to see a beautiful world changed forever. Enjoy this weeks dose of short film goodness with Ruin.



RUIN from OddBall Animation on Vimeo.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Fantastic Short Film Friday - The Killing Joke (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.

There's just something about short films. Maybe its because of their length and because of that they subject matters can be more esoteric and still be impactful, but there are just some stories that can only be told in the short form, and today's short is one of those. Here is the 15-minute horror short The Killing Joke from filmmaker Sebastian Lopez. There's a killer clown, red balloons and well it's a horror short because of the crazy clown, but its more of a meditative exploration on something, but I'll leave that for each viewer to discover themselves.

The setup from the filmmakers:

The Killing Joke is a 15 minute suspense/fiction short film about a mysterious woman that finds a red balloon tied up to a curious little box on an eery derelict street. Using classic elements of suspense and working within a seventies aesthetic, 'The Killing Joke' is an action packed film that pays homage to some of the horror movies from that era.


Not to be confused with Alan Moore's seminal Joker story of the same name, this one is a showcase of suspense and fear of the random unknown. There's very little dialogue and some of the scenes are pretty mind-numbering frustrating (like if you're getting chased by a crazed clown would you really just fall down and cry and not try to move), but if you like the classic slasher genre you should get a kick out of this short. It's just shot amazingly well, and the final scene is just breathtaking.

Check this out if you like slow methodical horror films that rely on fear of the unknown as opposed to jump scares. Check this out to see a genuinely beautifully shot film that had me wanting more as I drifted off to sleep. Enjoy this weeks dose of short form goodness in, The Killing Joke.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Episode 86: John Carter

Hello there and welcome to the 86th 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 a few movies that has been recently released and also of a few that are currently on dvd or still in theaters. With that said here's a look at what we discuss on this weeks podcast:

* The Vow
* Kill List
* Underworld Awakening
* The Woman in Black
* John Carter
* Upcoming movie releases for the weekend of 3.16.12 and 3.23.12

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!!

Friday, March 9, 2012

Fantastic Short Film Friday - Project S.E.R.A (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.

I know what many of you may be thinking, "hey didn't you showcase a zombie short last week? 2 weeks in a row? What gives?" Well last weeks short Rest was a meditative fair that was more road movie, more philosophical look at longing and love then zombie movie. This week's short is an action packed thrillfest that feels right out of a mainstream Hollywood special effects laden fare. But the honest answer is, I love zombies. Always have. So yeah, anytime I can showcase the shambling masses of the walking dead, any time a filmmaker decides to do a short about the zombie Apocalypse, I will be there. So today, here is the 12-minute short Project S.E.R.A from filmmaker Benjamin Howdeshell. Yeah it feels like a Paul WS Anderson shot short, but I don't care. I liked it.

The setup is this: a group of goons hold a man's daughter hostage as they try to figure out who he told about their bio-chemical weapon. Reminiscent of the Resident Evil series, this bio-chemical virus once injected turns the recipient into a superhuman mindless zombie. As things start to escalate, can the father and daughter be saved and reunited, or will the zombie virus infect them, urging them to tear one another apart?

Sure this kind of zombie movie has been done before, but filmmaker Benjamin Howdeshell wisely mixes a zombie tale with the hostage thriller genre. The actors and actress are good-looking and act like they're in a zombie b-movie which is a plus. Also, the splatter effects are nicely done (thankfully practical) and there's a lot of gunplay and hand to hand fighting. My only complaint is that at 11-minutes long, the short actually feels, well... short. Not much is explained, there's a lot of build-up that leads to a pretty cliched finale. But there's a lot of promise here and the action, set pieces and music add to one pulse-pounding movie.

Check this out if you like you like your splatter mixed with heart stopping action. Check this out if you want to see the start of a filmmaker that I'm sure will be making feature films in the next 5 years. Enjoy this weeks dose of short form goodness in, Project S.E.R.A.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Episode 85: Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance

Hello there and welcome to the 85th 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 a few movies that has been recently released and also of a few that are currently on dvd or still in theaters. With that said here's a look at what we discuss on this weeks podcast:

* The Secret World of Arriety
* Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
* 2012 Oscar's Talk
* Upcoming movie releases for the weekend of 3.02.12 and 3.09.12

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!!

Friday, March 2, 2012

Fantastic Short Film Friday - Rest (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.

The Academy Awards have just passed, coming and going with a lot of middling fanfare. However I always love the fact that there are 3 short film categories that the Academy brings light to even though 98% of the population has never heard of the shorts let alone have had access to have seen them. But me, I love the stuff so I love that the Academy brings recognition to the short form of cinema. Congratulations to the animated short winner, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore which we featured here a few weeks ago. It's an amazingly beautiful and touching short, so do yourself a favor if you haven't and check it out. It's one of the few that are readily available, free on Itunes.

With the awards season of 2011 officially done, it's time to look at the other shorts that aren't getting the attention they deserve. I love me some zombies, maybe a little too much. They are my favorite horror icons next to vampires and Frankenstein, and it's both exciting and a little disturbing that they are somehow en vogue in popular culture thanks to shows like The Walking Dead. So it's zombie time here in the world of short film, but not the action gore fest you may be expecting, but rather a lyrical indie zombie tale or love, loss, and oddly enough perseverance. Here is a 12-minute short called Rest from filmmaker Cole Schreiber. Again, this one's a zombie lyrical film with no dialogue and lots and lots of beautiful cinematography.

The setup is this: a fallen WWI soldier claws his way to the surface 90 years after his death and begins the long journey home that takes him across the continents in order to find something that our pop songs say can never truly die.

I freely admit that this one may not be for everyone. There's almost no plot and only at the very end does the viewer discover what they're truly watching. It's really almost like a 12-minute musical score, a modern opera with no words, an art-house creature feature. I've seen a lot of zombie films and read a lot of zombie stories and this one's unique enough to really capture my attention and the cinematography, again, it's just incredibly moody and haunting.

Check this out if you like you short films like your wine, slowly peeling away the layers of hidden tastes until you are ultimately rewarded in the end. Check this out if you like beautiful shots of the urban and country landscapes, but wished there were more zombies in them. Enjoy this weeks dose of short form goodness in, Rest.