It’s a movie special in this week’s NewsReel, with filmmakers aplenty releasing their wares on the populace. If you’ve got something you want mentioned in our weekly round up, just chuck a press release in this direction – editor@thereel.net – and we’ll trim the fat and serve if up as pretty as pie.
Nowt so Shifty as Eran
Between The Eyes director and former Reel One To Watch Eran Creevy’s new feature Shifty is out in cinemas today and, by all accounts, it’s triple aces. Funded by Film London’s Microwave scheme and shot in a mere 18 days, the film is a great example of cinema releases on a micro-budget. Best to mention Prime Focus who did the movie’s post work, as they supplied the pretty pics for us – cheers!
As we like excuses to show our favourite promos – here’s a little memory jogger for those who’ve heard of Creevey before.
Ubik pixel up the pieces
Not To Scale's London based directing duo Ubik - have just returned from New York where they premiered their short short "Voxel" at the F5 film festival and conference.
The F5 festival was organised by the team behind animation's premier online destination motionographer.com. The F5 team invited their favourite studios and directors around the world to create short films around the themes of rebirth, rejuvenation and regrowth, unfettered by clients demands, each team created a unique and expressive short that embodied the spirit of the F5 festival, creativity for creativity’s sake.
Painstakingly creating pixel-art in live action, the short is hella great, so watch and enjoy with your eyes and head now!
East End Damage
Nexus director Barnaby Barford will be screening his unique first film based on his highly acclaimed ceramic figurines at this year’s East End Film Festival.
“Damaged Goods… the making-of” will be followed by a Q&A and is a classic boy meets girl tale - but one with shattering consequences. On the cluttered floor of a bric-a-brac shop a poor, down-at-heel boy looks up to the top shelf to see a beautiful girl in tears amongst the crystal and silver. Played out by ceramic figurines and accompanied by an original composed score, the story follows the boy’s attempt to rescue the girl – and the tragedy that inevitably occurs when high culture falls for low. The film will be shown on Friday 24 April between 5.30pm & 6.30pm as part of the festival.
Curious? Well check out the trailer on this linky link. http://www.nexusproductions.com/938/damaged_goods_trailer.mov
Monkey Magic
Hey, you look like the kinda guy/girl that loves simians, Blur and wicked comic book artwork. You are! Brilliant, then check out this! Bananaz, a 91 minute behind the scenes documentary on cartoony but actually real and really good band Gorillaz music follows Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett from 2000-2006. Initially documenting the ideas behind the band, filmmaker Ceri Levy kept filming as the adventure grew into massive ape success. It took Ceri and editor Seb Monk two years to work through and cut down all the footage that had been gathered. The resulting film is an intimate, honest and often hilarious account of the working relationship between Albarn and Hewlett, which premiered online at babelgum.com on Monday 20 April. The post was done by Prime Focus. Aren’t they good. Ch-ch-ch-check it oooout - http://www.babelgum.com/gorillazgobananaz.
and finally
There’s nothing better than a good Antipodean rant, so we blinkin’ love this scathing attack at skinny-jeaned-thick-rimmed-spectacled-hang-out-in-Hoxton-because-you-think-its-cool and "Oh myGod, look at that piece of non-art" London'.
The video has been made in response to the Australian-based Glue Society losing the 42Below Vodka account to the UK-founded Naked Communications.
The Glue Society (as far as we can tell) has nothing to do with the viral - instead it is a Melbourne-based strategist, known on YouTube as 'Simontsmall' who is responsible. Titled 42Below London Adland, the video attacks everything which is dear to the centre of the UK advertising industry, criticising stereotypes and a supposed lack of originality.
Despite being proper funny and all that, we at The Reel reckon there is more than a healthy dose of influence from sideways animation nutcase Cyriak in there, alongside a fat slice of Zero Punctuation’s comedy style. However it’s also a clear reference to the old 42Below spots – so we now have the chicken and the egg situation with both sides likely screaming "I was first". At the end of the day it’s now on YouTube, so any whiff of falsehood is going to get savaged by the comment masses anyway.
and finally finally
Statham + You Tube + Choose Your Own Adventure + Balls to the wall madness = One of the best movie promotions we’ve seen in ages.
Same for The Expendables please!!
