One of the most powerful animation sequences in the film was the ‘flower sequence’ the result of Scarfe’s own idea. The animation depicts a confrontational situation between two figures of flowers, which symbolizes man, and woman. The situation progress from a serene to a violent, ending with the destruction of one of the figure. What made the animation effective was the transformation process, the morphing from one subject to the next intercutting with landscapes that portrays a world that is consumed by men’s greed and obsession of manufactured product that caters to their needs and desire making them slave to this culture resulting to alienation of men and their surrounding. 

The method of traditional cell animation, hand drawn frame by frame used by the animation department I believe leaves an impression on the viewer when watching the sequence. Through animation, working on traditional grounds such as paper and canvas offers a much greater intensity and flow of expression in ways that film cannot.

Dis_Connected

The idea behind this exhibition is not only to recreate an experience of Wayang Kulit or traditional Malay shadow puppet performance, but also to adapt it for a 21st century audience by using modern technology. The exhibition consist of 7 video installation work that represent collective memories of the artist's personal heritage and experiences.

In the past, the shadow play was performed by a single puppeteer using opaque, often articulated figures in front of an illuminated backdrop to create the illusion of moving images. The puppeteer breathes life into his characters giving each of the puppets its own unique voice. He not only moves from village to village to entertain, but also to bring news of the outside world.

The narrative of this exhibition is inspired by a popular Malay folktale Tanggang, about a boy who turned into stone as punishment for his cruelty towards his mother. This exhibition is my interpretation of the story in relation to issues of today. 

After months of waiting since the release of Room 237 trailer,i finally got to watch it.
Room 237, a documentary feature directed by Rodney Ascher explores numerous theories about Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining' and it's hidden meaning. I myself am not a fan of horror flick but since it was a Kubrick film,i had to see it.  I find the film to be both disturbingly scary and fascinating. Who could forget the iconic moment of little Danny riding on his tricycle through the corridors of the Overlook Hotel and confronts the infamous Grady twins.

In case you were wondering, Room 237 refers to the room in the Overlook Hotel claimed by the hotel's caretaker to be haunted, and avoided at all cost. Danny's curiosity about room 237 gets the better of him when he sees the room's door open. All hell breaks loose after that.
Personally,I think it's one of the the most remarkable filmmaking work in cinema history ,with the its stunning use of steady cam and brilliant execution of atmospheric sound/noises in creating the psychological space for the film.

Anyway,back to the documentary..

When i first saw the film,i knew there was something cryptic about it. I knew the film has a historical content attached to it, because there was a mention of the hotel built on top of a Native Indian burial ground.Apart from that, we are constantly reminded about the past, when apparitions appear in a form of the murdered Grady twins, the mysterious bartender Lloyd whom Jack Torrence (Jack Nicholson) had conversations with, and not to forget, the murderous caretaker himself, Delbert Grady confronting Jack and reminding him that he ( Jack) had always been the caretaker. It was almost like an obituary of the building's violent history, that somehow manifested within the walls of the hotel. 
The ideas about The Shining as a meditation on historical guilt and the return of the repressed are powerful.

Room 237 proved my suspicious when it revealed, that there were others who have developed far-reaching theories and believe they have decoded the hidden symbols and messages buried in the late director's film. Carefully examining The Shining inside out, and forwards and backwards, Room 237  gives voice to the fans and scholars who espouse these theories, reworking the film to match their ideas and intercutting it with layers of dreamlike imagery to illustrate their streams of consciousness.
They are convinced the characters' dialogue, their clothing and even the pattern of the Overlook's carpet are codes. Breaking those cryptic clues, they argue, reveals hidden messages about the genocide of America's indigenous people, the Nazi's Final Solution and even an admission the 1969 Moon Landing was faked. 
I was blown away by these theories ,that it prompted me to watch the movie all over again and forge my own research and theories. 

I think that was the point of the whole documentary. That a well crafted film, could withstand the test of time. The brilliance and craftsmanship of  Stanley Kubrick, the ambiguity in his work, still captivates  audiences till this day.

I don't want to spoil the documentary, but do check it out.

Enjoy the trailer:

I was just taking a break from work when i caught the last few minutes of  Mad Men season 5 Finale episode on the FX channel.  I just love the way they shot the last scene with Nancy Sinantra's You Only Live Twice' music in playing in the background.The scene begins with Don leaving the film set (where Meagan was shooting her commercial) walking as the camera tracks and ends up at a bar alone ordering a drink. An attractive blonde asks him for a light and points to her friend at the end. 'My friend wants to know if you're alone.' Don slowly turns his head toward the beautiful brunette, a signature smirk on his handsome face. Before he could answer, the season ended in a brilliant cliffhanger.

It was epic.

I don't what it is....Maybe its because Skyfall just opened in cinemas and there's been a lot of Bond frenzy lately.Or perhaps 'You only Live Twice' is one of my two favorite Bond theme song,with the other one being 'Diamonds are Forever' by Shirley Bassey...I just love that cliffhanger.
To tell you the truth,i don't follow Mad Men religiously. But i've watched enough episodes to understand the drama that's been going on throughout the seasons, especially Don Draper's character and story development. Don Draper could always be counted on for one thing: seducing women. But the beginning of season 5, it looked as if his womanizing days were over when he married his second love, the stunning and wise Meagan. But something happened and all bets are off. If you follow the show, you'd understand what's Don's smirk represent. I'm really excited to see what the creator have install for for the next season.

I really appreciate the originality of the show. You can tell that the creator did a lot of research in portraying the hey days of the advertising industry set during that era by looking at the production value of the show; the costume design,make up, set design, cultural/political/historical references etc. 
With good storytelling and strong cast,it's one of the best shows i've seen so far. And being in advertising myself, i understand the dramas that goes around behind closed door of the advertising world.

Apart from the advertising and office politics references ,the show was nostalgic. It reminded me a lot about P.Ramlee, about the music back in the days, the black/white films, women in traditional kebaya dresses , prima donnas like Maria Menado, Sarimah and of course, Saloma. 

It seemed like a cool era to be in.

Had i own a jet plane,i'd fly to L.A this instant to attend the opening  exhibition the retrospective work of Stanley Kubrick, one of the most remarkable filmmakers of our time, at Los Angelas County Museum of Art. An influence to filmmakers of his generations and the next,he's what they call a Director's Director.

I did an extensive research on him and his films as part of my thesis work.And yet have no idea where to begin to write about him or whether i'm done with the research.Because the more i read about him or watch his films, the more new things i discover that i've not a crossed before.Thats when you know he's a master, you keep learning about the artist and his work even after death.

Perhaps i'll write something about Stanley Kubrick and his work in another entry. For now i just wanted to share this event. If you're in L.A or somewhere within the U.S, I'd recommend you check out the exhibition.

Do it for me :)

If you want to know more about the exhibition:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118061207.html?cmpid=RSS%7CNews%7CLatestNews

A friend of mine posted this really amazing animation 'Heart'  by Erick Oh on my Timeline and i was blown away!! It's been awhile since i've seen a brilliant piece of work like this. It has all elements that makes a good animation; style,pacing,action sequences ,great cinematography and most of all, great music. This is something a lot people take for granted; sound. I don't have a lot of info about the music composer ,but i can you that it compliments the animation.

Anyway, what i enjoy about 'Heart' is the style. Visually it borrowed elements from Surrealism.First thing that ran through my mind was Salvador Dali's 'La Persistencia de la Memoiria' orThe Persistance of Memory, which happen to my favorite artist. 
Its interesting to note that Salvador Dali collaborated with Walt Disney back in 50s to produce a short animation base on Dali's work.It was quite an extraordianry venture for the two giants of the visual world but unfortunately, the project was shelved due to financial difficulty as a result of WWII. 
The project was resurrected in 2003 by Walt's nephew Roy E. Disney  after having stumbled upon Dali's sketches and drawings in the Disney Archives. Directed by French Director Dominque Monfrey, the animation short was called 'Destino', music written by Mexican songwriter Armando Dominguez and performed by Dora Luz.

It was a brilliant piece. A beautiful convergence of music and visual art.
 
Despite the dominance of 3D technology in today's world, both 'Heart' and 'Destino' proves there is still something beautiful about 2D art that can't be achieve  through a stylus. The art of drawing frame by frame,is a form of expression that has its own language and aesthetic. It's Timeless.   

As far as i can remember, i started drawing at the age of  7 ( i  think ) when i began attending primary school. The real reason for that is because,well, everyone in my class drew. So not to feel left out,i'd join in the crowd and draw my way around.It was on/off at first for couple of years...until i came across a music video which blew me away. That music video was 'Take on me' by A-Ha.

But here's the reason why that particular video made such impact:

When i was about 8, my family moved to Tehran,Iran where my father was posted,working for the Embassy of Malaysia. At the time,Iran was going through a period of mourning, having just ended the Iran-Iraq War as well as the death of their spiritual leader,the Ayatollah Khomeini. Blaming U.S and the West for everything ,the Iranian Government banned anything that has to do with western culture/influence; music,fashion,television programs,magazines,books,movies and even VHS players!!! That means for a period of time,i missed out on a bunch of movies,television series,music and many other.So me and my siblings were only entertained by the stuff we brought from Malaysia. It wasn't a lot.

But once in awhile ,when my dad had to attend conferences outside Iran he'd return home bringing with him tons of goodies for the family; toys,branded cloths,books and magazine,handbag for mom, chocolate treats, music cds and some latest VHS movie flicks. 
That was when i got hold of a VHS Collection of the latest music video of that time ( 80s).
I've seen it all; Pink Floyd'S the Wall, Michael Jackson's videos, Talking Head's video,Peter Gabriel's 'Sledgehammer' video and most impressive of them all; 'Take on Me'. I loved their rotoscope penciled music video so much that i took drawing classes and really began to draw for the sake of drawing.
It really made an impact on me and opened the doors to creativity.

The rest is history.

I still think its one of the best piece of work ever produced that transcends both artistry and commercial. 

Enjoy the video!