HeiBlog

Pure genius, plain and simple.

I’ve been following the progress of the film “Four Eyed Monsters” for several months, but had not been able to see it at several of the screenings they’ve had. In a marketing move and an attempt to get themselves out of debt the creators have put the whole movie up on YouTube to encourage people to signup on the Spout movie review site. Each person that signs up gets them $1 (up to $100K). The movie will be up for 1 week. Have a look and support these guys, they have potential.

This is a film about a creative process that is the driving force in the relationship between the film’s creators. Sounds simple, but the creative act of the film is the basis of their relationship and as you watch the film you really start to wonder where the film stops and the relationship begins (or vice versa). While is obvious that this couple has poured their selves into the film you wonder if they have poured themselves into each other. I guess if the film is them they have. It shows a version of the process that takes place when two people start to merge together, into a “four eyed monster.” This is a very human story. The couple is messed up and really meant for each other. In a way it is quite a charming story.

On another level this project is what is really exciting about the current Internet. Creative people, regular people, getting there ideas out to the world and having a go at fulfilling the dream of supporting themselves on their ideas. Ten years ago you would have not see a project of this scale be done by a few people. With the distribution channels accessible we are in for some real treats in the future as more people explore and expose their ideas. This is assuming that the powers that be don’t lock all of the goodies for themselves, like has been done some many times in the past.

The more I learn about Jim Henson the more I admire him. SUch a fertile mine. Early in his career he did some work for the Experiment in Television project that NBC ran in the late 60s, writing and directing the documentary Youth ‘68 and reality bending The Cube. MetaFilter had a post (via Cogmios.nl) on the Cube yesterday. It seems that it was largely forgotten until a Yahoo Group was started up and began collecting information on it. Finally some copies were found and put up on the Internet, including a post on Google Video.

The overriding theme of the video echo The Prisoner and Brazil, the man who can’t get out of a completely absurd situation. His perception of reality and who he is is constantly tested to the point that the act of questioning and the testing becomes his reality. Or was that his reality to begin with? Think about that for a while and you’ll feel like a dog chasing its tail. I get around it by making assumptions based on trends. Not the best solution, but it works for me.

I also can’t help but think that the 1997 film Cube took some inspiration from Henson’s production, at least in the basic plot mechanism. Cube was very solid, the acting is shaky in some spots, but as a physiological character study and a commentary on human nature put to film it is among the best I’ve seen. The sequel Cube 2: Hypercube and psudo-prequal Cube Zero were just unfortunate, both extending the general concept of Cube (1997), but at the same time not really adding anything of value and actually removed many of the elements that made the film appealing. They all uphold the idea of a technocracy gone out of control that I find appeal in films like Brazil, but Cube just brings the story out more effectively.

I’ve been a fan of the Muppets and other Henson creations since I was a kid. Henson and has crew during his lifetime were one of the most consistantly creative groups in the entertainment industry. Today the spirit of the company still shines with projects like Mirrormask and Farscape. Over on Metafilter somebody posted a project they did for IBM, and then in general for other businesses, called the “Muppet Meeting Films.” I hadn’t hear of this project before and it looks hilarious, wish I could access these somehow, maybe on DVD in the future. There in one on YouTube below. It’s a reinactment done on the Ed Sullivan Show, but aparently it’s still the same basic skit. Some of the best technobabble I’ve hear outside of Star Trek.

Years ago I read an interview with Leonard Nimoy. They of course talked about his role in Star Trek playing Spock. The interviewer asked where the “live long and prosper” hand symbol came from. Nimoy said that he had seen it during a Jewish religious ceremony when he was a boy, it’s a blessing of some kind. He felt that he wasn’t supposed to see it, but modified it to be a Valcan symbol. Everybody I tell this to doesn’t believe me and I wish that I had copied the interview. Now I have proof. I saw this on the community hall of a Jewish temple down in Portland, OR. Now do you believe me? At least Wikipedia agrees with me. I’ll step out of geek mode now.