Friday, August 31, 2012

Fantastic Short Film Friday - The Maker (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 time for another amazing short film for all you short film lovers out there. I've made known many times on this blog of my love for stop-motion animation. It's an art form that feels both nostalgic and timeless, an animated art form of painstaking passion and detail. It's an art form that's dying, an art form that I fear may no longer exist 20 years from now. So when I see a new stop-motion animated film, I stand up and take notice. It doesn't hurt that this short also took my breath away. Here is the 6-minute animated short The Maker from filmmaker Christopher Kezelos.

Here's the synopsis:

A strange creature races against time to make the most important and beautiful creation of his life
.

This piece is just stunning. Not only is the animation beautiful, not only is the score hypnotic, but the story and its symbolism had me grinning from ear to ear. I've always liked things that touch on the existential questions of life. What does it mean to live? What does it mean to love? The Maker is all about life and what it takes to make a life, a story of shared moments and heartfelt goodbyes, of hoping the ones you leave behind - the one's you've created - can carry on your legacy.

The filmmaker of the short, Christopher Kezelos perfectly sums up his work in an interview with the online animation magazine, Skwigly:

The Maker explores the preciousness of our moments on earth, the short time we have with loved ones and the enjoyment of one’s life’s work and purpose.

Check this out if you want to see something uniquely beautiful and interesting. Check this out if you want to see the amazing world of storytelling that stop-motion animation can convey. Enjoy this weeks dose of short film goodness with, The Maker.


Friday, August 24, 2012

Fantastic Short Film Friday - Pac-Man: The Movie (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 time for another amazing short film for all you short film lovers out there. I grew up in the generation of the gamer, the kids who grew up with Nintendo, Sega Genesis, SNES, Neo-Geo and everything in between. As an adult I  don't have the same time as I used to, so playing video games has taken a back seat to the many other geeky things I do with my life. However, I have a fondness for old games (one's that I'm still not very good at), and we all know what the godfather of the tabeltop video gaming is right? It's the yellow glowing ball himself, Pac-Man. Now sit back, relax, ride the nostalgia and get ready to have your mind blown. Here is the 6-minute short Pac-Man: The Movie from filmmaker James Farr.

Here's the synopsis:

A fan film being promoted as the "greatest film never made", this one takes Pac-Man to the real, updated and computerized modern world in an amazing action adventure and what the ramifications of a Pac-Man can mean.

This is from the talented production team, Steelhouse Productions, and being a fan-film, I was blown away by the production values. I would pay good money to see this film and feel that this character would be perfectly suited for the silver screen, unlike many video game adapted movies (of course as long as Uwe Boll is not attached to direct). You feel like you're in the game, playing the game, as you're watching this short - as you feel the rush of the air against your face like riding an insane adrenaline pumping roller-coaster.

Check this out if you want to see something you didn't know you wanted made, but now want it more then ever. Check this out if you want to see what passion for something so simple can bring to a project. Enjoy this weeks dose of short film goodness with, Pac-Man: The Movie.

PAC-MAN The Movie (The Fan Film) from Steelehouse Productions on Vimeo.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Fantastic Short Film Friday - Professional (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 time for another amazing short film for all you short film lovers out there. I love documentaries that showcase a singular outdated job, a job that can easily be done by machines quicker and just as precise as by hand. Jobs worked on by artisans that refuse to give up their craft even if sadly the world is slowly giving up on them. There's true poetry in the life of such a craftsman. Here is the 8-minute documentary short Professional from filmmaker Skylar Nielsen.

Here's the synopsis:

Metal-fabricator Neil Youngberg never planned on taking over his grandfather's business and is now faced with passing on his legacy.

This is the first part in VitaBrevisFilms interview series where they seeks to shed-light on forgotten trades and practices in an evolving America. I commend them for such an undertaking because I can't imagine the marketability for such documentaries as being high, but I do feel that they are important and necessary (and yes I do recognize that I sound like an old man so just get off my lawn already okay?).

Check this out if you want to take a peek into a world that may not exist 10 years from now. Check this out if you want to understand the importance of the past and how fast technology can change things. Enjoy this weeks dose of short film goodness with Professional.


PROFESSIONal from VITA BREVIS FILMS on Vimeo.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Episode 95: Total Recall and The Bourne Legacy

Hello there and welcome to the 95th 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.

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:

* Total Recall
* The Bourne Legacy
* Savages
* American Reunion
* Upcoming movie releases for the weekend of 8.17.12 and 8.24.12

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, August 10, 2012

Fantastic Short Film Friday - Milan Dreaming (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 time for another amazing short film for all you short film lovers out there. This one's gonna be short and sweet. It's a simple travel doc filmed by someone who had recently moved to Milan and wanted to showcase its beauty and the people who live/visit the thriving city. Here is the 4-minute travel documentary short Milan Dreaming from filmmaker Francesco Paciocco.

Here's the synopsis:

 A trip straight through the heart of Milan—a city that is as haunting as it is enveloping.


I've been to Italy a few times now, but one of the things I've never been able to do is travel to Milan. After seeing this short though, I need to get down to the Fashion mecca of the world and take in its mystic. It reminds me a lot of Amsterdam in its congestion, layout, people and beauty.

Check this out if you want to see the daily life of a beautiful city. Check this out if you want to see a charming and lyrical travel doc that will make you fall in love all over again. Enjoy this weeks dose of short film goodness with Milan Dreaming.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Fantastic Short Film Friday - La Jetee (live-action)


One of the greatest and most endearing film critics and short film directors has sadly just left us. French auteur and innovator of the essay film, Chris Marker, has passed away at the age of 91 on Monday, 7/30. While creating many notable works including the brilliant 1983 short film Sans Soleil, Marker is best known for his 30-minute WW3 time travel short, 1962's, La Jetee (The Pier), a short which is made up entirely of stills, a photo-novel film. It's a great short about obsession with the past and the futility of memory. If any short was a poem, it would this one.

While Marker is a hugely influential presence in the film community, inspiring countless filmmakers throughout the decades, on a more personal level, Marker is the reason for my passion for short films. I first watched La Jetee on a grainy VHS in college and was totally blown away by what I saw. It was so different, so personal, so raw from anything else that I had ever seen that ever since then I've been chasing that feeling, chasing that unique vision.

So it's with sad feelings and profound gratitude that we remark on his passing. I wanted in my own small way to give my thanks to the man and his short films that forever shaped me as a film fan and as an adult. Au revoir a mon heros.