Like the lone heroes of the spaghetti westerns, the protagonist in friend and animator Robert Bruce’s recently released and lauded video for Justice of the Unicorns‘ The Dragon’s Claw lives in solitude… until, of course, he sees reason for action. Check out this modern day Man with No Name, sporting a monster costume instead of a poncho.
“The Dragon’s Claw” by Justice of the Unicorns from Robert Bruce on Vimeo.
Mechanical Cuckoo from 1650
One of the most well-known lines from The Third Man was not written by Graham Greene, but was actually added by Orson Welles to fill an awkward pause in the middle of a scene.
“…in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love – they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.”
Oddly enough, the cuckoo clock actually originated in the Black Forest of Germany and not Switzerland, a point that the Swiss were quick to make to Mr. Welles.
Regardless of its origin, the cuckoo clock is not a simple time piece. It’s often a complex mechanism housed in an intricately decorated… um… house.
. . .
The detail on these traditional cuckoos is impressive, but there’s also something notable about the handiwork and whimsy of the modern takes on this classic clock.
I’m in awe of people like Jacques Cousteau — those whose appreciation for the beauty in their surroundings so much exceeds the average person’s that they devote their lives to sharing the magnificence of nature with others — enlightening with the lens and all that.
More recently, BBC’s Planet Earth (later aired by the Discovery Channel) showcased the diversity and richness of our planet through some of the most amazing images I’ve ever seen — thanks to the patience, diligence, and skill of all involved with that project, including, of course, Sir David Attenborough. (I wonder if Bill Murray could play him in a movie… Might be tough without a trademark hat.)
The art of nature films is an old one (well, as old as the moving image anyway). I was pleasantly surprised when I found Wild Film History, a site that focuses on the history of wildlife film making. They have information on films that go as far back as 1882! They even have clips for most of the work featured, such as Mzima: Portrait of a Spring from 1969, St. Kilda, Its People and Birds from 1908, and Dassan: An Adventure in Search of Laughter Featuring Nature’s Greatest Little Comedians from 1930 (my favorite of these three).
Just saw a tweet from Maud Newton and had to share.
The intro for Olivia Gentile’s forthcoming book, Life List, is a treat.
Magical music. Beautiful birds.
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I am, however, fascinated by the grace and glamour of the matador and can understand how Manet and Hemingway were inspired by them.
To see them move in the ring must be like the watching a ballet (I’ve never actually seen a bullfight). And their attire is far more ornate and beautiful than the tutu.
It’s no wonder the matador jacket and cape have continually influenced fashion designers.
from fuckyoupenguin.blogspot.com (via Alex and Jon)
from www.zooborns.com (via Mike)
So why wouldn’t we want to decorate our homes with them???
Eat them!
Drink them!
Sleep them!
Breathe them!
I like the circus lettering on the promotional material and especially enjoy the use of the train in the DVD packaging.
But my favorite visual from Dumbo is when our dear pachyderm has a little more juice than he can handle. And it looks like Sun Ra is pretty into it, too.
These elephants on parade are pretty awesome as well.
]]>I want to shake my head for two reasons:
1) I’m totally digging the song.
2) I’m exhibiting both my disgust in and sympathy for the recipient of this message.
You should’ve known, man. You should’ve known.
For obvious reasons, though maybe not connected, this song reminds me of various conversations I’ve had about the captivity and domestication of wild animals. Usually the conclusion is the same: it’s a tragic thing. Stories include movies we saw as children (Dumbo, Free Willy, ET); horrific news of animals gone mad (the one about the tiger; the one about the chimp; the one about the alligator); our own experiences with pets (my dad’s especially sad tale about a depressed tom cat he had when he was living on the farm breaks my heart).
Now off to my design assignment! All images associated with this post will either be clearly relevant to this song or will consist of elements that are only the tiniest bit significant, maybe even requiring some (or much) imagination.
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