Underneath it All

"Surface" is a great idea for a short, wondering what the view would be like from below the action. Fortunately, the experiment is well-executed under the guiding eye of Varathit Uthaisri (aka TU+), a Thai designer/director working out of New York. Varathit has also has a storyboard animatic for "Surface" available on his Vimeo account.

Things I Like, Things I Don't Like

Before Jean-Pierre Jeunet gave us Amélie, he had already perfected the style of his character introductions many years before in Foutaises (known as "Things I Like, Things I Don't Like" in the UK and "Small Talk" elsewhere in Europe). While Jeunet's developing talent is the main attraction, it's also clear to see why Dominique Pinon continues to appear in all of the director's films.

Go see Jeunet's latest, Micmacs, if you can find it... And yes, Pinon's in there somewhere.

Coma

Coma, by Thomas Brush (aka wittyhobos), is today's featured game on Newgrounds.com. The art reminds me a little of new indie classics like Braid and Machinarium, but what really shines is the shareware engine written by Sophie Houlden (aka GirlFlash).

If you liked playing Coma, take Nevermore 3 (by Adam Westerman) for a spin; it uses the same engine. And if you're interested in making your own flash game, check out Sophie's latest engine, Edward.

The Tarantino Code

The secrets of Quentin Tarantino come under scrutiny in a diner scene that could be ripped straight from one of his own movies. Except, y'know, in Portuguese. This short film, starring Selton Melo and Seu Jorge (of Life Aquatic fame), analyzes QT with a fanatic's eye for details. Check out Hungry Man TV for a variety of short films and web series.



Are they all crafty clues or are some just coincidences? You be the judge. Either way, it's more fun than trying to spot Alfred Hitchcock cameos.

"Federer is the tennis player version of Tarantino..."

Wait... what?

May The Fourth Be With You

Merry Unofficial Star Wars Day!



A long time ago, before Star Wars according to a three year old, before Star Wars retold by someone who hasn't seen it, there was Evan Mather. I first saw Quentin Tarantino's Star Wars and Godzilla Versus Disco Lando during my freshman year of college... ten years ago now. While they might seem unremarkable in the YouTube storm of action-figure opuses, nobody makes better use of Meco.

Liars "Scissor"

Liars "Scissor" from A Bruntel on Vimeo.

If you're seeking something surreal and steeped in futility, well... you've come to the right place. Check out the Liars website, Sisterworld, and/or their MySpace page.

Zumbakamera

Behold! I have experienced the strangest animation on the internet. Jossie Malis ( aka Zumbakamera) has not only given us The Fantastic World of Fantástico Morales, but also Bendito Machine and Memento Mori.

And! If you enjoyed all of that, I encourage to peruse the bizarre world of artist Tim Molloy.