Some Of The Reasons I Love The Internet

I can wake up, drink my coffee, and have great videos curated for me -- videos that change how I feel about the world.

Marc Schiller hipped me to this fan created video for Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks" awhile back and I have been meaning to post it. How great is it that Gabe Askew made this for all of us?!!:

Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear from Gabe Askew on Vimeo.

And before that I finally caught up on Girl Talk's "Feed The Animals" . Culture changes so fast, thankfully. I love that this is 100% samples and the juxtaposition of stuff is a hoot. I had no idea which video to post but I picked this one in honor of Babe Ruth.

Another reason is you can find curators of interesting stuff and ideas. The forementioned Marc Schiller being one of them. Check this out (if you didn't already when I twittered and blogged about it):
http://marcschiller.posterous.com/

Once We Thought TV Could Be Different

Mark Pellington created BUZZ for MTV back in 1990. Syd Mead, Hackers, Bladerunner all in a collage mash up.

A lot has gone on for Mark in the years that have gone by. His latest video breaks my heart, but many thanks are given.

Movies I Have Wanted To Make #1

I have a list. Okay, I admit I have many lists. And there are subsets of those many lists. And occasionally some of those subsets even overlap.

On the list of True Stories I Would Like To Find A Movie To Make Incorporating Some Of That Truth In is a small subset incorporating those true Sports stories. There's also one that incorporates true Drug tales. And yes, as you might have guessed, there is more than one crossover between the two of those subsets.

Now I also admit it did not occur to me to turn those over to animation. I am glad someone did have that inspiration -- even if they did beat to it in terms of portraying one of those key moments of intersection.

The animated documentary is quickly becoming one of my favorite film forms too: Waltz With Bashir, Ryan, I Met The Walrus, Chicago 10, and now this:

Thank you James Blagden and No Mas TV!

And thank you J. Max Ruschak for the tip!

I Love Procrastination

Procrastination is surfing the internet -- and finding things you love. Procrastination is putting things you like on your blog about the things you like.

John Kelly brings a lot of joy to procrastination.

Thanks to booooooom.com for all the great curating!

In A World Of My Own Design, Buskers Would Be Superstars

A couple of weeks ago, I was reminded of this video from a friend's Facebook posting. I wrote about this video awhile back; the video successfully went viral (14.5M views!) and I love how social media keeps the good things coming back.

In a world of my own design Buskers would be Superstars. Along with: Pranksters, Benevolent Conspirators, Babysitters, Curators, Public Artists, Teachers, Puppeteers, Community Organizers, and Stop Motion Animators. One day, one day....

I really appreciate how that friend's FB posting lead me on a tour through several covers of "Stand By Me". I didn't discover this song via Ben E. King, which will always be my definitive version. But it was John Lennon -- who still has taught me more through his music than any other pop star. And will always rank as one of the great rock vocalists in my book. But I am sucker for this tune when anyone sings it. I have posted it other incarnations, and suspect I will well into the future.

The Blackheart Gang: Beautiful Creepy Animation!

Wow. I love when I get to see great new stuff. Double thanks to booooooom.com whom do an awesome job curating and led me to this. Wow. Watch on full screen.

The Tale of How from Shy the Sun on Vimeo.

Greatest Album Cover Of All Time? the prequel

Ultimate Mash-up Live? Three Of My Fave Bands Sort Of Together

I moved to NYC because of Lou Reed and Martin Scorsese. They were my young man gods of creation.

Yo La Tengo first album came out my second or so years ago. I think I have listened to all of them and have most of them. I've put their songs in my films. I did one video for them back in the day (with Hal Hartley). They scored ADVENTURELAND (which featured the idea of Lou Reed along with some of his songs).

And through all that Alex Chilton, Big Star, and The Box Tops played consistently on my stereo(s).

This definitely sits in the "wish I could've been there" bin of my time on this earth. I should've and could've but... well you know how the song goes.

hat tip: Neil Marks

We All Have Some Films Of Theirs We Love: The Coen Brothers

I wouldn't be making movies if it weren't for the Coen Brothers. Well, maybe I wouldn't, but still it meant so much to me that when I first moved to NYC I would see them around (without knowing who they were) and then when I went to the NYFF for the first time, sitting in the second row (since they were the cheapest seats), who should walk on the stage but them (for Blood Simple). It made it all seem so accessible (I saw Spike Lee and Jim Jarmusch in the same week too).

I got asked by Salon.com to say a few words about my favorite Coen Bros. flick. They also asked a lot of really interesting people to do the same. Check it out:

http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/2009/10/14/favorite_coen_brothers_movie/index1.html

Other Ways Of Seeing: Infrared & Our Hell

Why don't filmmakers experiment more with the ultimate image? I love the old Technicolor processes. I mean 3-D is all fine and groovy, but it wears on you. We do have to reinvent cinema and put on more of a show. You'd think it would be freeing for people, and we'd see lots more leaps into different realms. But, nah, this is not that world I guess.

Luckily we do have music videos to take us somewhere new. Or back to someplace old. This video maybe we a few years old but it is still worth your gander.