Pes Films

"Western Spaghetti" is the new stop motion film by Pes. Using fun household objects as ingredients, the film is a feast for the eyes and ears. My favorites are the pick up sticks (as spaghetti), that turn into rubber bands when cooked and post-it notes as butter. Satisfying sound effects enhance the whole experience, making a truly bizarre meal.

Overall, the film took two months to make with 35 shots, 35 days of filming and a week of editing and sound design. It's been a huge hit and made it to the front page of YouTube.

As well as other quirky short films, Pes has made films for ads, for brands including Orange, Nike and Tic Tac. One of my favourites being the collection of 4 Bacardi ads below.



Check out his website at www.eatpes.com

Frida

When I saw the Frida Kahlo exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Moder Art, I was fascinated by her work and personal life. Her art is so intriguingly honest, autobiographical and at times painful, that I wanted to learn more about her. This film tells the story of her life and the struggles and achievements she goes through.

At 18, she was involved in a serious bus accident that caused serious injuries. She was temporarily unable to walk and although she eventually recovered, she suffered relapses of pain for the rest of her life that would leave her bedridden for months. She would pass the time painting and it was this ordeal that created the birth of her career. The film documents the tempestuous relationship between her and her husband, the artist Diego Rivera. Being hurt by his many affairs, she too was promiscuous with both women and men (including Leon Trotsky). As her life goes on, you learn about her political involvement in communism and how her health eventually deteriorates while her career escalates. The film is beautifully shot, integrating colourful scenes and animated sequences that bring her thoughts and art to life.

Wild Beasts Video

This is the crazy video for Wild Beasts new single. It was directed by OneInThree and is a kaleidoscope of imagery. The never ending maze like effect is hypnotic, but will leave you a bit cross eyed at the end. Here's a bit about it:

"It pioneers an amazing mind bending visual technique called the 'Droste Effect' which is based on an uncompleted lithograph that Escher made in 1956. The maths behind the lithograph was so complicated that Escher was unable to finish the centre of the picture and so left it blank. OneInThree developed the technique from Josh Sommers code so that it could be applied to moving images and apart from a grade & online at The Mill did all the VFX themselves."

What clever chaps they are!

Kapitaal

As you're taken on a journey through this branded city, you open your eyes to the amount of messages that are forced upon us in the urban environment. This animated film highlights the typography and signs in a typical city, yet this alone is visually overwhelming. It makes you wonder how much you're actually taking in, and how much rushes past you. The execution of white type on black is simple, sexy and powerful. It's a good example of how simplicity is what really makes you take notice.

It was created by Ton Meijdam, Thom Snels and Bela Zsigmond and was financed by De Beyerd Museum of Graphic Design, in Breda, Holland. It's won a load of awards which I'm not surprised about- I think it's fantastic.

Somers Town

A brilliant brilliant film. It's the story of Tommo, a 16 year old from the Midlands who comes to London in the hope of a new life. On his first night wondering the streets, he's robbed and left with nothing. He then meets Marek, a shy Polish teen who lives with his construction worker father. The pair strike up an unlikely friendship and both vie for the affections of Maria, a beautiful French waitress. It's touching, funny and gives you an insight into the lives of different cultures, surviving together in the big city.

Transamerica

Hmm...I seem to have started a bit of a transsexual/transvestite theme in this blog.  Anyway, I saw this film last night and it's brilliant.  Felicity Huffman (woman) plays a man, trying to become a woman.  Her performance is so convincing, you really start to believe it.  A week before the big operation, she discovers she's the father to a son from her only sexual experience.  In her attempt to rescue the runaway son, she goes on an unexpected journey with him to LA.  The film follows the start of their relationship that becomes all the more hilarious as new characters come in and secrets become revealed.