ZOOMQUILT 2: Collaborative Art Project 2007

Much bigger than the original, the second installment of the Zoomquilt project is now online. See it HERE. It's even more hypnotic and surreal than the first. Zoomquilt Wiki HERE.

The credits include "Baumgarn" as behind the idea and the following artists participated:

Aeyol * Artdek * Ässn * Baumgarn * Beetlebum * Big O * Brandish * Dazzled * Der Hase * Duracel * Ebr * Fidgit * Gogan * Hase * Hermann * Igino * Inken * Jan * Jaster * Jito * Kassandra * Lucy * Magguehl * Markus * Nacho * Pictor * Raganaga * Reitz * Sakamies * Shadow * Shu * Stu * Vulti

Source: Juxtapoz

RED INTERACTIVE's "Red Universe" Beta

Red Interactive Agency have updated their site with a curiously addictive avatar-based site populated with Victorian cut-out characters who can chat, fly, and scrap. It's all implemented nicely and well worth a look. Experience it HERE.

QUICK START: When you first arrive, you can select your avatar and username via the control panel. To move, use the arrow keys which work in all directions (as you can fly). To chat, click on the chat box at the bottom of the screen and type away. Pressing and holding down control puts you in the fight stance. While holding control and pressing shift makes your avatar punch.

Source: FEED

NICK CAVE Interview + Love Song Lectures

For the Vienna Poetry Festival, Nick Cave created a lecture on The Secret Life of the Love Song which is available on CD and a sample can be seen over at Everything2.com. This is mentioned briefly in the interview below, but it's a great lecture that deserves attention. It focuses on heavily on words and poetics, giving a lot of insight into Cave's own work. My favourite; he makes a good argument for melancholy in art.

Also, be sure to check out Nick's latest project Grinderman which was released earlier this month.

It's not the most polished of interviews, but the atmosphere is relaxed and a lot of topics are covered. Enjoy.

Pt. 1 - Habits & Routines


Pt. 2 - The Creative Process


Pt. 3 - Love Song Lecture


Pt. 4 - Self Image


.

Various video for Hater

Note entirely new, but in case you missed it, Pitchfork Media have posted this excellent video for Various' Hater from their album The World is Gone. It is absolutely hypnotic

Various(also known as Various Production) have homepages at Beggars Group and at XL. There are also reviews for the album at Stylus Magazine, Boomkat, and of course Pitchfork.

The video was created by KandLE_Design
(Thanks to SoLiTuDe at CGTalk)

SIMIAN's "Heineken Greenspace" Short

From director Marius Gronvold of Mondo Collective and Simian a design studio based in Oslo, Norway comes this nice grafitti/CGI clip. See it on Simian's site HERE. There's a string of stills and thumbs; the last animated thumb kicks off the clip.

Director/Panda Design/Photography: Marius Gronvold
Editor: Carl Jurgens
Music: Leo Ones, Tarjei Ekenes Krogh
Sound: Andre Sjoberg
3D Models: Mikael Noguchi
3D animation/compositing: Sigurd Kristiansen
Actor/Skater: Tob Nilsen
Producer/Photography: Stian Brudeseth
Chief Executive Dog: Bono

Found originally on the Wooster Collective.

GO SEE: John K's "All Kinds of Stuff"

John K. (creator of Ren & Stimpy) is among the best cartoon animators around. On discovering his blog, I read it from beginning to end. It's chock full of editorials, tutorials, and observations on cartooning as well as updates on his latest projects. Anecdotes on the industry and producers in particular make for both sweet and sour reading, but always entertaining.

"I like playing in a band because it's actually fun and no one tells you to be lousy on purpose"

His observations of cartoons and animation are eye opening and though I might not see things exactly like John, I see things differently thanks to this blog. And this "sight" applies across all arts. I can't recommend this enough.

His About Me states: "I make cartoons and play in a band. I like playing in a band because it's actually fun and no one tells you to be lousy on purpose."

If you enjoy animation, want to become an animator/artist, want to gain a new perspective on the elements that make a good animation, or if you want to share a laugh with a talented artist, you can't do much better than visiting John's "All Kinds of Stuff".

NOW & NOWHERE trailer

This looks to be an interesting independent short film(28 mins) making use of extensive compositing and CG. Co-Directed by Brent Bonacorso and Jesse Atlas from their screenplay developed with Stacy Elaine Dacheux. You can view the full credits and trailer at the official site HERE.

These kinds of films have an artificial look about them that reminds me of the old projected backdrops which Michel Gondry and Quentin Tarantino still use frequently. It's an interesting look and the possibilities of combining 2d, CG, and real world elements has a lot of untapped potential.

That said, it can look either dreamy or plastic depending on the implementation and more often than not, it veers into the latter. For Now & Nowhere though, I like the surreal feel and colour palette. It will be interesting to see this in full.

My interview with Brent Bonacorso will be appearing on SiouxWIRE in the coming weeks.

INTERVIEW: Eduardo Recife of Misprinted Type

Eduardo Recife
Personal: misprintedtype.com
Commercial: Eduardorecife.com
MySpace Page: Misprinted Type Myspace

Eduardo Recife has been one of my favourite artists for years now and he's also been extremely encouraging and helpful in my own work. His creations are like a dream or a still from a more colour-centric version of a Jan Svankmajer animation with text spilling into the scene. See more of his work at the links above.

This is an interview from my private archives(from 2005) which was originally intended for a separate project(RambleRocket) but given the shelf-life of these things, I've decided to post it here. The RR project is still in the works though still recovering from the last couple of years.


Can you tell us a little bit about the mediums you use and what you do?
I'm currently working as a freelance illustrator/designer. But I also have my personal works which goes to galleries or sold upon requests. I’ve been experimenting with all kinds of mediums: pencil, paint, computer, photography, collages... I like to experiment with new techniques/materials as much as I can.


What's the design/art scene like in Brazil (where you are)?
I was born and still live in Belo Horizonte - Brazil. We have great artists and designers here. But most people end up moving away from Brazil; Because its hard to make a living from that in here....

I also have a passion for the old, the worned out, decayed… it just carries life and time with it.

Your drawings, photographs, and fonts look really "lived in" that make them instantly comfortable, familiar. Where do you think your misprinted/decayed approach comes from?
I think it has to do with my surroundings… Brazil can be quite visually-chaotic, and you often see distressed street signs, walls with decaying words, etc… But I also have a passion for the old, the worned out, decayed… it just carries life and time with it.


When you approach/start a piece of work, do you begin knowing what the finished product will look like or do you follow on from the start and see where it goes?

Usually I have a vague idea of what its going to look like. But things evolve so much while Im working on it, that it often goes toward new directions. And I dont sketch (with a few exceptions) before I work on a piece... I like to follow the instincts of the moment.


What do you think of digital mediums versus traditional materials?
They are just different mediums, theres nothing really to compare them… I enjoy working with digital collages, because I have more freedom to manipulate them, as far as sizes, rotation, color and sometimes cutting it… But I also love to work on handmade collages. They feel more natural and it’s a lot nicer to see a real collage than seeing a printed image.


You worked in collaboration with Adriana de Barros on "Invisible". Have you done any other collaborative works? Do you enjoy working on collaborative projects?
Collab work is great. Even though sometimes I have a hard time working with more people…. We simply lost the sense of when to stop (this have nothing to do with the invisible project…). Hopefully I will have more time to work on more collabs in the future.


Are there any other artistic endeavors that you are working on outside of what's at Misprinted Type? (ie. film, poetry, animation, etc.)
I used to do some street art with a friend. But we haven’t done much since 2004. As far as commercial works, I still need to create a website to showcase that… Misprinted type is just my personal playground and there's no commercial works there. (* See above for a link to his personal & professional sites)


How do you source materials for your collage work?
I have a huge gabinet with drawers filled with cut material. If you work with collage you must have a big resource of images… I also enjoy going to flea markets and working with found material.


What training did you have prior to setting up Misprintedtype.com?
None. But as far as the programming I don’t do any kind of html, asp, or anything… My friend “Mickey” took care of that.


What 5 websites do you visit regularly? Why?

• www.Fecalface.com
• www.surfstation.lu
• www.brasilinspired.com
• www.woostercollective.com
• www.bd4d.com

...because they are always updating it with fresh content.



In 10 years, where would you like to be? What would be your ideal?

I really hope I can manage to live near the ocean. And I still think its a better idea to work as a freelancer and artist; I don’t have plans to work fulltime on a design agency. I like to have control over my time and the projects.


Thank you, Eduardo.

Jens Lien's THE BOTHERSOME MAN

Opening today in France is the Norwegian film Den Brysomme mannen(The Bothersome Man) which has collected a number of awards since it's premiere at Cannes Critics' Week 2006. The visuals are reminiscent of Wim Wenders and the storyline sounds suitably surreal.

Here's the trailer with English subtitles:

Synopsis: Immediately after a suicide attempt, Andreas (Trond Fausa Aurvåg) finds himself on a bus that drops him off, seemingly, in the middle of nowhere. A stranger takes him to an unknown city, into a tidy and impersonal flat that becomes his "home sweet home". He is offered a job in an office by an over-friendly boss and easily finds a girlfriend among very friendly and cordial colleagues. All is too good to be true.

Official Site: www.brysom.no

UPCOMING albums (Björk/Smashing Pumpkins/White Stripes/Marilyn Manson/Siouxsie)

BJORK - Volta
DESCRIPTION: Ten new and original tracks written and produced by Björk and featuring collaborations with Anthony Hegarty, Timbaland, and Mark Bell as well as others. There looks to be lots of percussion and brass on this one. Bjork's own comments seem to be pointing toward a more wild/playful album than her recent releases.
RELEASE DATE: 7 May 2007
LINK: Bjork.com


SMASHING PUMPKINS - Zeitgeist
DESCRIPTION: Not too much information on the content of the album yet though Queen producer Roy Thomas Baker and Terry Date (Pantera, Soundgarden) are involved.
RELEASE DATE: 7 July 2007
LINK: Smashing Pumpkins official MySpace


THE WHITE STRIPES - Icky Thump
DESCRIPTION: A cryptic post on their site has some jumbled letters and sentences like this that may or may note be lyrics from the new album: 'Icky Thump' - Well, you can't be a pimp and a prostitute too.
RELEASE DATE: unconfirmed though a likely summer release
LINK: whitestripes.com


MARILYN MANSON - Eat Me, Drink Me
DESCRIPTION: An exorcism of demons including his recent divorce, the album features a six minute epic titled "If I was your vampire" (written on Christmas) which is being compared to Bauhaus' "Bela Lugosi's Dead". Other tracks include "Just a car crash away", "The Red Carpet Grave", "You, me, and the Devil makes 3", and "Putting Holes in Happiness". Manson also hopes to release a film with the album that he describes as "nothing short of the most horrifying horror that you could ever experience."
RELEASE DATE: June 2007
LINK: marilynmanson.com


SIOUXSIE - unknown title
DESCRIPTION: Siouxsie signed a deal with Universal last June and started recording late in 2006. John Williams, who was Polydor's A & R man is involved. He worked with her on Siouxsie and the Banshee's 1988 'Peepshow' album and on The Creatures 1989 album 'Boomerang'.
RELEASE DATE: 2007
LINK: the creatures/siouxsie sioux official site

Also, don't forget to look out for a new Happy Mondays album.

FEATURED ARTIST: Stella Marrs

I have been trying to get in touch with Stella Marrs for a while now. She's another offspring from Olympia, WA. Her strangely profound and witty postcards are genius. For years, the phrase "Keep your fork, there's pie" has been in a holding pattern in my mind paired with a cat in dandy striped shirt.

Her creations range from across surreal, political, and philosophical landscapes with a consistent retro style that gives an odd perspective to the messages she's putting across.

Trivia: Stella was the creator of the name "Bikini Kill"

Have a look at Stella's work HERE and click on either mailorder or wholesale to view her full compliment of postcard creations.

Criterion's Eclipse Collection Begins

Criterion's new Eclipse series is focusing on lost and forgotten works and the series now begins with a collection of early works by Ingmar Bergman. A collection of documentaries by Louis Malle(including Phantom India) and the later films of Yasujiro Ozu is to follow and Criterion are also asking for suggestions regarding future releases. The suggested retail price in the US is $69.95.

The Bergman collection is a five disc set which includes: Torment, Crisis, Port of Call, Thirst, and To Joy.

Torment(1944): In Ingmar Bergman’s first produced screenplay, the dark coming-of-age drama Torment, Widgren, a boarding-school senior, is terrorized by his sadistic Latin teacher. When he falls for Bertha, a troubled local girl, he finds himself caught up even further in a web of emotional mind games.


Crisis(1946): Urban beauty-shop proprietress Miss Jenny arrives in an idyllic rural town one morning to whisk away her eighteen-year-old daughter, Nelly, whom she abandoned as a child, from the loving woman who had raised her. Once in Stockholm, Nelly receives a crash course in adult corruption and wrenching heartbreak.

Port of Call(1948): Berit, a suicidal young woman living in a working-class port town, unexpectedly falls for Gösta, a sailor on leave. Haunted by a troubled past and held in a vice grip by her domineering mother, Berit begins to hope that her relationship with Gösta might save her from her own self-destruction.

Thirst(1949): A couple traveling across a war-ravaged Europe. A disintegrating marriage. A ballet dancer’s scarred past. Her friend’s psychological agony. Elliptically told in flashbacks, Thirst shows people enslaved to memory and united in isolation.

To Joy(1949): An orchestra violinist’s dreams of becoming a celebrated soloist and fears of his own mediocrity get in the way of his marriage to the patient, caring Marta. Played out to the music of Beethoven, To Joy is a heartbreaking tale of one man’s inability to overcome the demons standing in the way of his happiness

STORYTIME: CHARLES BUKOWSKI reads "The Night I Killed Tommy"

Listen and enjoy; this time a strange little tale about Tommy.
Those who are "sensitive" might want to skip this one.

Animator SHINJI HASHIMOTO

There isn't a lot of information on Shinji online though there is an interesting interview HERE.

The following amateur compilation of some of his work has been posted on YouTube and featured at Catsuka. His realistic animations outstrip most CG work around today and his cartoons are right up there with John K's work. By no means do I enjoy all the productions for which he has been involved, but his ability as an animator is astounding.

Shinji Hashimoto sakuga amv

The clip contains elements from Samurai Champloo, FLCL, Hakkenden, Sci Fi Harry, Metropolis, Gosenzosama Banbanzai, Paranoia Agent, Nos voisins les Yamada, Tokyo Godfathers, Naruto, Detective Story et Kid's Story (Animatrix), Le voyage de Chihiro, Portable Airport, Patlabor, Akira, Perfect Blue, XXXHolic le film, Innocence, Ghiblies 2, Blue 6, Doraemon, Tenchi Muyo, Spriggan.

A message from THE MIGHTY BOOSH

As you'll know from the earlier introduction to The Mighty Boosh, a third series is in the works and just today, I received this special message from the lads with lots of information on what's in store including the new website which should be up soon with podcasts, exclusive photos, video clips, music, Naboo's horoscopes, greetings from Bob Fossil, and "more".

From the Boosh boys:

We are currently writing series 3 from our Boosh headquarters 4 miles under Shoreditch. It's going well. This time, it's set in a shop and it involves magic eels, flying teeth, and a moccasin called Stephen. We can't tell you much more than that because we haven't finished it yet. We start filming in May and it should be on your TV screens later in the year. Perhaps late summer. Or autumn. Maybe early winter.

As well as the third series we are planning an all new live TV show, a bit like the Boosh but coming from a different direction, complete with live audience to be filmed in spring 2008 and then we will do a full national tour soon after. It's taken us until now to recover from the last one. So strap in. We'll let you know all the details through the website so be sure to keep coming back.

Also, we've been busy winning thing recently. Thanks to readers of NME for voting us Best TV Show. And to all those who voted us winners of the CHORTLE BEST LIVE SHOW award too. We also won a pub quiz in Stoke Newington last week so we're on a roll.

We are not it total reclusion as we write the new series. Naboo is DJing all about town and Bollo is working in Fresh & Wild as chef. Fossil is in a quarantine cell at Heathrow Airport awaiting various injections but should be with us soon.

Love to each and every one of you.

Howard and Julian and Vince and Noel

And here's another clip from the show, the origin of Funk...

The Migration and Introduction

Those of you who have followed the blog from MySpace will recognise most of the posts up to this point as I have moved over the majority of them. (To see them all - visit the original blog HERE) Even in the brief space of time for which the blog was up, things have grown out of proportion and the facilities on MySpace have already made it difficult to browse given the prolific number of posts.

In its time, the blog has developed into its own character with an emphasis toward art and the moving image but touching upon other subjects as well. I don't have much time each day to devote to the blog, but I will try to maintain the consistent postings that I've established thus far.

Thanks for the messages of support; it's always (so far) good to hear from the readers.

FEATURED ARTIST: Matt Pasquarello

Bunny Cube - Copyright Matt Pasquarello

Matt is the first artist that I've found through MySpace whose work I really feel is living and growing; I'm looking forward to seeing more and seeing where he will take it. Some of his work might seem suitably sideways for my taste but his more subtle pieces are particularly gripping like this piece titled "Last Winter".

Last Winter - Copyright Matt Pasquarello

Check out his work HERE at his featured page at Altpick or visit his MySpace page HERE. Also, special thanks to Oscar for quickly filling me in on my original query as to the creator of the hypnotic "bunny cube".

TERRY GILLIAM and the TIDE

Terry Gilliam is still fighting the good fight at a time when one might think he has well and truly paid his dues, but it seems at his every turn in the past few years, there's been a new demon waiting to piss on his parade.

Take for example Tideland which was in and out the cinemas with minimal publicity only to recently be released in the wrong format in the US/Canada with Gilliam himself telling North American consumers to boycott the product and import from the UK. It wasn't even submitted for consideration by the Academy last year and Terry only found out when he received his ballot.

You can read more about this at Dreamland who have also published Gilliam's open letters. Aside from the controversy, Terry's comments on Tideland are particularly interesting: "Is a child preparing heroin for her father a child abused... or a loving daughter? Does a child have to wail and weep at the loss of a parent to feel her loss? Is the perceived vulnerability of a child merely a projection of our own fears?"

UPDATE: A selection of Terry's films will be featured at the Amsterdam Fantastic Film Festival and he'll also received a Career Achievement Gong... which is nice.

Also worth visiting the Tideland official site featuring this shark-squirrel...

And for those who don't recall or never knew, here's a sample of Gilliam's early animation work:

And the trailer for Tideland...

RETRO Musical break featuring NINA SIMONE

How can someone so intense be so soothing? Look at her face while she performs; it's almost too much and her take on Screaming Jay's "I put a spell on you" is an entirely different animal; still smoky, but much darker. Enjoy.

I put a spell on you

If you knew (Live at Ronnie Scotts)

Links:
Nina Simone
Nina Simone wiki
Nina Simone web
L'hommage

VLADMIR OF qVLADISTAN: Viewmaster Genius

Some of you may recall the Viewmaster from childhood, bringing 3d to the tots well before the computer age. Still made by Fisher Price, it really is a quality product, one of the few things that consistently survive the tribulations of child ownership.

Browsing my hometown online shop (Buy Olympia), I stumbled across the work of Vladmir of qVladistan and his Viewmaster creations. They are a kind of genius with surreal images perfect for the format. They also include mini-soundtrack CDs. See the page featuring his work HERE with sets featuring the likes of Franz Kafka and Actaeon(see below)

The Franz Kafka Set

The "Actaeon at Home" Set

Forgotten Faces: MAURICE TILLET

I've stumbled across several posts about Maurice Tillet recently which are dubbing him the "real Shrek" which is a shame as they're as misrepresentative of the man as Irving Penn's "beauty & the beast" photographs (see above).

Born in France(1903) and a keen poet, he spoke 14 languages and was eager to become an actor yet in his twenties, he developed acromegaly which caused his bones to grow out of control leading to his disfigured appearance.

Moving to the US, he became a wrestler as this fit his outward appearance. Known as "The French Angel", he won the American Wrestling Association World championship in 1944 and soon after became a recluse.

Among the few who he befriended was businessman Patrick Kelly with whom he would regularly play chess. He died in 1954 of heart disease in Massachusetts.

** If anyone has access to any of his poetry or know where samples can be found, send me a message.

Musée d'Orsay: Jim Jarmusch, Raul Ruiz, Oliver Assayas, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Juliette Binoche

One of my favourite museums, the Musée d'Orsay has commissioned Jim Jarmusch, Raul Ruiz, Oliver Assay, and Hou Hsiao-hsien to make a series of features to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the museum.

Each will feature the Musée d'Orsay as well as Juliette Binoche and is budgeted at $3 million each. The Louvre is also to contribute three additional films though details have yet to be released.

Production began on the project in August 2006 with Hou Hsiao-hsien's piece Orsay(also being reported as Red Balloon) telling the tale of a Chinese student employed by Juliette Binoche as a babysitter. Oliver Assayas' piece titled Souvenirs du Valois is the second piece. Raul Ruiz's contribution tells a tale set during a time when the museum was still a hotel and train station.. Characters in the story return to the now present Museum to find the ghosts of relatives lost during the second World War. No details yet on Jarmusch's contribution.

MICHEL GONDRY's The Science of Sleep B

In France, they've just been priveleged to the release of a 2 dvd set of The Science of Sleep B which is a re-edited version of the film. Released by Gaumont, it includes a "making of"(40 mins), interview, the short If You Rescue Me (Chanson des Chats), the publicity film by Gondry, additional information about the lead characters, and more.

Here's the trailer for the original theatrical cut... (NOTE: I hate this trailer with a vengeance, but it still encouraged me to see the film so here it is. Still, it doesn't do the film justice.)

A fresh 11 minute interview with Michel Gondry and his collaborators is now available HERE (in French) - You can also read a bit more HERE(in English). Some images from the exhibition at the Colette Gallery are in there as well.

Just as a reminder of the genius of Gondry, here's a rare clip of him testing out his Swirl-o-paint-piano-cam on Björk. Genius. "I have to repaint your apartment."

JOHN WATERS cinema message

This is the best. "I'm supposed to announce that there's no smoking in this theatre..."

Marjane Satrapi's PERSEPOLIS

Based on Marjane Satrapi's comic book autobiography, it is an animated feature that Marjane is codirecting with Vincent Paronnaud in France. Sony Pictures Classics will be releasing the film in North America; the official site HERE.

The story is the coming-of-age story of an outspoken young Iranian girl beginning in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Following through her feats of outstmarting her "social guardians", discovering punk, ABBA, and Iron Maiden, then escaping to Europe only to find more religious fundamentalism and extremism.

There is a MySpace page with graphics and video(in French) - HERE. Read more about the original graphic novels HERE.

EDIT: Here is the trailer...

Links:
Persepolis
Persepolis wiki
Marjane Satrapi
Persepolis MySpace

Shane Acker's "9" - CASTING

In case you missed Shane Acker's short "9", it was an independent project which has now been picked up for a full length feature with backing from Tim Burton. The YouTube version is below.

I'll be interviewing Shane as soon as he has a moment to breathe, but news has come in that the casting for the feature includes ragdoll 9(Elijah Wood), domineering war veteran (Christopher Plummer), an aged inventor (Martin Landau), brave warrior (Jennifer Connelly), mechanic (John C. Reilly) and visionary (Crispin Glover). Crispin Glover as a visionary has to be worth the admission alone.

I have been told that Attitude Studio in France are working on the feature with Shane directing.

And here's the original, Oscar-nominated short:

Links:
shaneacker.com

Phantom Museums: The Short Films of the Quay Brothers

The first time I saw the work of the Brothers Quay was in Greenwich Village in 1990; I fell into hysterics with CAT, we couldn't control ourselves. Eventually, we were thrown out but it was a special experience.

The films of the Brothers Quay are unique mixed media animations inspired by the work of Jan Svankmajer and have a tone similar to David Lynch's early works like The Grandmother and Eraserhead. You can see the full set of shorts included in this collection HERE.

See the trailer HERE and see a rare interview with the brothers below which sends me into fits of uncontrollable laughter; no disrepect intended. They bring a joy to me that's probably unique

Phantom Museums is released on April 24, 2007.

R. Crumb Exhibition - San Francisco

A Robert Crumb retrospective has started at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. Curated by Tod Hignite, it runs from March 16 - July 8(2007) and features over 200 pieces spanning his career.

Alvin Buenaventura of Astoundingly Wonderful Books & Comics has posted a large set of pictures from the exhibition's opening night on Flickr HERE. Link to the YBCA HERE.

BARGAIN: The ED WOOD Collection

For just $9.99, you can be the proud owner of six Ed Wood films including Glen or Glenda?, Jail Bait, Bride of the Monster, The Violent Years, Night of the Ghouls, and Plan 9 From Outer Space. The set also comes with The Ed Wood Story with contributions from his friends and admirers including Dolores Fuller, Johnny Depp, and Martin Landau.

And here's a joy--9 minutes of original Ed Wood trailers which includes an African Bengal Tiger and SMUT:

"Horrorific and All New!"

Hayao Miyazake's next film announced: Ponyo on a Cliff

Hayao Miyazake's next project will be "Gake no ue no Ponyo" (Ponyo On A Cliff). It is the story of 5-year old boy Sosuke(to be modelled after his grandson) and the Princess goldfish Ponyo who wants to be human.

The film will be created over 20 months for a release in 2008 (Japan) and likely 2009 for western cinemas. Miyazake drew the entire storyboard in watercolour and production began in October 2006. source: GhibliWorld.

And for those who don't know Hiyao Miyazake, I can recommend every single one of his films. IMDB entry for Hiyao.

The Crunch Bit-hop Video Project (Dave Tipper)

This is excellent; it's a must see. Just watch it and stick with it until the end. Produced by Kima Productions. Dave has a MySpace page HERE and the website for Colony Productions is HERE.

The First filmed version of ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Euterpe Jones(AKA Maid Marian) has posted a lot of vintage cinematic work over at YouTube, but this has to be one of the best. It's a compilation of what remains of the first version of Alice in Wonderland and it's great. Only 9 minutes long, it features the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter, the March hare, the Cheshire Cat (a disembodied and bored looking Persian), and the Queen of Hearts. Suitably surreal.

ICUMI: DAVID SCHARF's "Big Brother State"

ICUMI(In Case you Missed It) - The official site is HERE. Narrated by Stephen Taylor.

Be on the lookout for my interview with David Scharf in the coming weeks.

DAVID LYNCH and Inland Empire

You can catch Inland Empire in a cinema near you if you're lucky. He also has an exhibition in Paris which I'll rundown once I've made the journey. Here are a few clips from the man himself on Inland Empire and his new exhibition. David also gives his spin on the internet, Photoshop, and snowmen. And if that's not enough, there's an interview with David at Empire Magazine HERE and Senses of Cinema have a nice analysis of his pre-Inland films HERE.

Inland Empire interview

David Lynch
Uploaded by clemtom

Interview on the Paris Exhibition


Trailer (UK) for Inland Empire
Inland Empire UK Trailer

Links:
Inland Empire
Inland Empire wiki
David Lynch

UKintro: The Mighty Boosh - More to come

I'm not sure if The Mighty Boosh gets played overseas, but it's a must for those who like their comedy with a touch of the surreal. The official page HERE promises there's more to come and the BBC series page is HERE. (Also check out Noel and Julian's short film Sweet.) Think The Young Ones with Michel Gondry visuals and a dash of Eddie Izzard with a talking gorilla and you have a good idea what to expect. Here's a taster...

Mighty Boosh:Tundra Rap

Tundra


Series 3 Trailer

JOJI KOYAMA's From Nose to Mouth

Joji Koyama has a new short doing the rounds; catch up on screenings on her site and have a look through her work; I'm dying to see this. Her site is HERE and it's chock full of goodness. There's also more information on From Nose to Mouth HERE at Animate! Their one sentence synopsis is: "A solitary figure emerges out of seclusion to learn an ice-skating dance sequence."

1 film, 33 directors: 60th Anniversary de Cannes

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Festival de Cannes, a special film has been commissioned with some of the greatest living directors each contributing a piece.

The full list of contributors: Theo Angelopoulos, Olivier Assayas, Bille August, Jane Campion, Youssef Chahine, Chen Kaige, Michael Cimino, Ethan & Joel Coen, David Cronenberg, Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne, Manoel De Oliveira, Raymond Depardon, Atom Egoyan, Amos Gitai, Hou Hsiao Hsien, Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritu, Aki Kaurismaki, Abbas Kiarostami, Takeshi Kitano, Andrei Konchalovsky, Claude Lelouch, Ken Loach, Nanni Moretti, Roman Polanski, Raoul Ruiz, Walter Salles, Elia Suleiman, Tsai Ming Liang, Gus Van Sant, Lars Von Trier, Wim Wenders, Wong Kar Wai and Zhang Yimou.

It will be screened on May 20th at the festival and will also be broadcast on Canal+. Read more HERE on the official site.