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Nothing is real anymore - Stargate Studios Reel

Edit: It looks as though they removed the video on Vimeo. Interesting. Nabbed a replacement on YouTube for now...

In a surprising demonstration of the many shows and films they've worked on, Stargate Studios demonstrates that constructing a fake cruise ship explosion is just about as easy as creating a fake stroll down a street in New York City, and probably a lot less expensive than the real thing. I literally can't believe my eyes that so many of these casual scenes are so seamlessly composed between the green screen and the computer. I guess special effects technology is moving faster than I expected. Nothing is (or needs to be) real anymore.

via I Heart Lazers

Cavern of the Evil Wizard game from the movie Big

I'm assuming all of you (well at least most of you, hopefully...) have seen that Tom Hanks classic Big, where a kid turns into Tom Hanks, and then Tom Hanks gets a lady friend and an awesome job at a toy company but still misses being a normal kid. It's a classic, and explains why most people attempt to do this whenever they see an oversized keyboard.

Anyway, in one of the early scenes of the movie, the kid is playing a text adventure game on his computer called Cavern of the Evil Wizard, which was never a real game and only put together for the movie. Brother Chow informed me a few days ago that some fellow over at BoMToons re-imagined and created CotEW for all to play online. Unfortunately I don't have too much experience with text adventures so I haven't gotten far, but it's a fun tidbit of culture to play around with.

Thanks Brother!

Bootleg trailer of James Cameron's film Avatar is incredible

Snagged from Filmdrunk, watch this bootleg trailer of James Cameron's much anticipated film Avatar before it get's removed! After seeing a sneak peek of all the effects in motion, I can finally understand what all the hype is about. Don't forget to watch it with HD on!

Found via @electrolemon via @dtoidgrim

Update: In other news, the non-bootleg trailer looks like it came straight out of Halo.

Update 2: Looks like they took the bootleg trailer down. Shucks.

Update 3: Well, since the bootleg trailer is no longer with us, I've replaced it with Hitler's reaction to the Avatar trailer (thanks Brandonnn)

You mean, I'm gonna stay this color? - Kirk Demarais' Cult Movie Family Portraits

Kirk Demarais' contribution to Gallery 1988's art show Crazy 4 Cult in Los Angeles is a tremendous set of family portraits from some of my favorite cult movie classics. All lovingly rendered in colored pencil, Demarais cleverly captures the spirit of The Emersons (The Lost Boys), The Torrances (The Shining), The Freelings (Poltergeist), and more.

Unfortunately my favorite of the bunch, The Johnsons from The Jerk, has already been sold, never to sit high upon my bedroom's mantle where it rightfully belongs. The Jerk was a Chow family favorite when I was growing up. It's a tradition between Papa Chow and myself that every year on my birthday he admits to me with a heavy sigh that I was really adopted (while of course, I'm not), to which I naturally reply "You mean I'm gonna stay this color?"

Secret Fun Blog via Brandonnn (reblog his tumble if you like!)

Roadsworth - a documentary about art and expression in public spaces

In what looks to be a really interesting documentary, Roadsworth tells the story of the Montreal street artist of the same name and his struggle when the city prosecutes him for his enlightening artistic contributions to the city's streets. Given the contemplative and clever execution of his work, many believed that Roadsworth's art, such as Male or Dandelions (shown below), were actually funded by the city itself. It would be pretty tremendous to see some of these in person, and I look forward to checking out the film as well.

Thanks Pal Danadin!

speaking of Swedes, they make great vampire films

Yesterday's miserable weather (an onslaught of freezing cold rain without the snow) convinced Chico and I that our evening was better spent inside a theater watching a vampire movie. So off we went to the Angelika, and lo and behold there was a Swedish vampire movie waiting for us to watch. The Swedes save the day yet again!

"Let the Right One In" (Låt den rätte komma in) is a stunning film that subtly incorporates vampire motifs into a unique story of a beautifully misfitted companionship. The heart of the movie exists in the relationship that evolves between Oskar, a dopey and friendless 12-year-old, and Eli, his mysterious and peculiar next door neighbor of the same age. Between chilling shots of the wintery landscapes and the warmth that develops within Oskar and Eli's relationship, "Let the Right One In" is a lovely film certainly worth watching.

The Descent

Back in the old days, I couldn't watch a horror film of Halloween H20 caliber without pressing a pillow to my ears and swaddling my hands over my eyes. Meeting Chico in college changed all that, and after a 4-year regiment of movies filled with gore, blood thirsty psychos, and bizarre Japanese nightmares, I can now confidently say that I love horror movies. Here! Watch me boast about how much love them: the last horror flick I saw was Calvaire, the French's answer to Deliverance, I writhed in Machine Girl's gut-splattered story with my eyes *open*, and I considered Hostel a total weaksauce excuse for horror. So there.

Amidst my horror flick repertoire, The Descent is by far one of my favorites. A fantastic thriller with a solid all-female cast, I've managed to maintain a consistent sense of terror through multiple re-watches. That's pretty damn good. Kat hadn't seen it yet, so we watched it again this weekend and I drew the above tribute to an a-typical cave dweller from the film.

Murder Party

Chances are you haven't heard of the film Murder Party. If you have, chances are you thought its title was indicative of some shoddy horror flick that wasn't worth a netflix subscription. If you're responsible for either of these faults, you are sorely mistaken. But perhaps you didn't get around to googling the cast photo to give you some easy incentive:

Observe: an undead cheerleader, a cardboard knight, Pris from Blade Runner, and one of the Baseball Furies from The Warriors.  All in the same dingy warehouse room. In a horror movie. And almost all of them are hipster art students. What more do you need to eloquently equate horrific, black comedic madness?

Murder Party kicks off when the vanilla, Jon Arbuckle-esque protagonist discovers a mysterious invitation to a murder party on Halloween night. Alone and with nothing better to do, he arrives upon the scene only to find that he's walked into a collective of artists, impatiently waiting for 'some jackass' to artfully murder for grant money. With enough gleeful gore effects to satisfy the horror lover and a plentitude of ironic art jokes to tantalize the indie movie fanatic, Murder Party is just waiting for you to watch it.

So do it. Now. Oh, and here's the trailer: