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2 I Missed
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Link of the day
- Hits: 1657
Both of these topics I've covered before, but in different links. The link below is a color Cellular Automata program, based (loosely) on Conway's game of life.
http://www.collidoscope.com/modernca/
And this follows some speculation I've done as to the future of technology, and imagining additional senses. While I couldn't find the associated video on TED it's sure to be interesting....
Punch and Judy - Jan Svankmajer
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Miscellany
- Hits: 2202
A short film by Jan Svankmajer - 1966. I know, I've recommended him before. But it's too good not to include here.
The Cave of the Condom Stalactites
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Dreams
- Hits: 2652
I'm riding somewhere through South-East Asia in a Tuk-Tuk, speeding through the mountains. We go through villages, then speed up again, circling the mountains - there are many tunnels, or caves, rather, with roads built through them. We're getting smaller as we go, our size reducing, but everything else is getting smaller along with us, so it's hard to notice. Passing through a village we enter another cave, speeding up and driving on the left side, on the ceiling of the right side there hang all these condom stalactites, they look to be used, the driver won't stop to let me take a look, they seem large but that's only because we've been shrinking. It's like some sort of sacred alter hewn into the mountain. I think I remember an explanation from National Geographic for this, the condoms collect water.... Leaving the last of the light behind us we're plunged into complete darkness before rounding a corner, the exit is ahead and light streams through it, there's a motorcycle coming straight at us, it loses control and goes off the edge of a precipice. We pull over to look, the bike and driver are lost somewhere far below, the sunlight doesn't reach into the depths of the cave. It's an abyss. We've seen a lot of accidents on this road, he doesn't want to stop and help, there isn't time, we get back in the tuk-tuk and speed off. I don't know where we're going.
Jan Svankmajer
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Film
- Hits: 1975
Anything by Czech animator Jan Švankmajer is worth recommending.
Working in a variety of animations techniques, from stop motion to live action, with puppets, claymation, and just about anything else you can imagine in between, his films are grotesque, disturbing and haunting. Punch and Judy, for example, pictured left, go to war over a guineau pig and possibly the most violent scenes of puppet madness ensue. He's been the inspiration behind a lot of other animators as well, including Tim Burton and The Brothers Quay. I've been watching, in rationed installments, several of his short clips, allowing as it were time for them to digest. They settle into the unconcious where their images are added to the stock photography of dreams and nightmares.
A favorite film is his rendition of Faust - Slightly contemporized, but true to the spirit, a live actor Faust finds himself making an unholy bargain with puppet Mephistopholes, surreal plot developments ensue. Recommended further links and viewing as follows:
The Cabinet of Jan Švankmajer - a short homage by the Brothers Quay [Online Video via Daily Motion]
Various Shorts and Clips - via You Tube
Most of his films can be rented at Bird Dog Video.
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