About
Tumblelog byChristopher Clay, founder of Soup.io.
hello@c3o.org / Twitter: c3o
wonder/marvel/learn
Was ist los in Wien?
My favorite posts (outdated)
Output so far
Heftling (2012?)
Luminous Flux (2012–) ♥
Mixtapes (2011)
27 (2010) ♥Team Armin Soyka (2010)
26 (2009) ♥
Startupwiki (2009–)
LIF (2008)
Soup (2007–) ♥
Netznetz (2007–2008)
Metalab (2006–) ♥
CanvasPaint (2006)
Design portfolio (2005)
Textcounter.org (2003)
PS: If I write about events, that's cause I'm inviting you to come along. Get in touch!
LIF (2008)
Soup (2007–) ♥
Netznetz (2007–2008)
Metalab (2006–) ♥
CanvasPaint (2006)
Design portfolio (2005)
Textcounter.org (2003)
PS: If I write about events, that's cause I'm inviting you to come along. Get in touch!
Accounts
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October 05 2011
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Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close first trailer
Okaaaay... cautiously optimistic on this one. I'm hopeful that the eccentric soul of the book will survive and not let itself be turned into a feel-good story about 9/11. Fingers crossed.
Reposted by
December 20 2010
The Future: There's a new Miranda July movie debuting at Sundance and the Berlin Film Festival! Her debut Me and You and Everyone We Know is my #3 favorite film, and I love pretty much everything else she's made.
Jon Brion (Eternal Sunshine, Synecdoche NY) is composing the soundtrack, and here's just enough of the synopsis: "Having decided to adopt a cat, thirty-somethings Sophie and Jason are terrified of the responsibility and the looming loss of freedom, so with just one more month to go they decide to quit their jobs to pursue their dreams..."
Jon Brion (Eternal Sunshine, Synecdoche NY) is composing the soundtrack, and here's just enough of the synopsis: "Having decided to adopt a cat, thirty-somethings Sophie and Jason are terrified of the responsibility and the looming loss of freedom, so with just one more month to go they decide to quit their jobs to pursue their dreams..."
November 16 2009
Deeply political cyberpunk set in a dystopian Tijuana. The border long fenced off, technology has allowed US corporations to get what they want from Mexico: All the natural resources and all the work, but without any of the workers. The more adventurous and/or desperate Mexicans get neural plugs installed on the black market, plug themselves in at the oddly-named Sleep Dealer factory and get to work remote-controlling faraway robots in grueling shifts. Those "nodes" can, of course, also be put to other uses...
A thought-provoking, intriguing mix of rural, impoverished Mexico and futuristic hi-tech. Obviously shot on a shoestring budget, not all of the acting and effects are totally convincing, but the dreamlike (dare I say Blade Runner-ish?) cinematography and the interesting themes make up for it. Recommended!
A thought-provoking, intriguing mix of rural, impoverished Mexico and futuristic hi-tech. Obviously shot on a shoestring budget, not all of the acting and effects are totally convincing, but the dreamlike (dare I say Blade Runner-ish?) cinematography and the interesting themes make up for it. Recommended!
Reposted by
jooray
jooray
November 12 2009
"This is not a love story", the narrator warns us, but he's wrong: It's just a realistic instead of a sappy one. Over the span of those 500 days, this movie covers everything from falling in love with The One to spending some amazing time together to slowly coming to terms with the fact that you're not actually their The One.
Stylistically, it drips of twenty-something indie hipsterdom and is clearly another implementation of the same ingredients and sensibilities that already made Garden State and Juno hits, with shades of Amelie, Stranger Than Fiction and even Ferris Bueller's Day Off mixed in (the script writers admit: "we literally just kitchen-sink threw in every idea we had").
Overall, this ends up being a minor film snob nitpick to a highly enjoyable film, though. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Brick, Mysterious Skin) and Zooey Deschanel do a great job, loads of creative technical ideas keep things interesting, and most importantly, the characters and situations are believable and highly relatable.
Stylistically, it drips of twenty-something indie hipsterdom and is clearly another implementation of the same ingredients and sensibilities that already made Garden State and Juno hits, with shades of Amelie, Stranger Than Fiction and even Ferris Bueller's Day Off mixed in (the script writers admit: "we literally just kitchen-sink threw in every idea we had").
Overall, this ends up being a minor film snob nitpick to a highly enjoyable film, though. Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Brick, Mysterious Skin) and Zooey Deschanel do a great job, loads of creative technical ideas keep things interesting, and most importantly, the characters and situations are believable and highly relatable.
Reposted by
worm23
worm23
November 02 2009
Castro (AR 2009)
"Running time: 85 minutes" – who'd have thought they meant "running" that literally? The speed dial is turned up to 11 in this film: Castro is constantly on the run from his wife and the hapless team of codenamed, secret-message-passing agents she's put on his trail. But even mundane things like job interviews happen at a rapid-fire pace in bustling Buenos Aires – and when he finally does find a job, it of course involves high-speed car chases.
It's a funny film, full of unexpected stunts and delightfully absurd moments. You just need to get over the fact that there's not much there beyond the breakneck speed: Don't expect much of a plot, character development or even any kind of resolution – this film has no time for that.
It's a funny film, full of unexpected stunts and delightfully absurd moments. You just need to get over the fact that there's not much there beyond the breakneck speed: Don't expect much of a plot, character development or even any kind of resolution – this film has no time for that.
November 01 2009
1975—1982—1999—2009—2012: Fish Story tells the jumbled, decade-spanning story of a hapless band and their mysterious (albeit rocking) song which, neglected in its time, will some day... save the world!
It's a comedy with tasty bits and pieces of punk, sci-fi, martial arts, superheros and armageddon, and apart from an unexpected change of pace two thirds in, it's thoroughly entertaining.
It's a comedy with tasty bits and pieces of punk, sci-fi, martial arts, superheros and armageddon, and apart from an unexpected change of pace two thirds in, it's thoroughly entertaining.
October 21 2009
I laughed, I was stunned by beauty, I marveled at clever ideas, and yes, I got teary-eyed. Animated or not, all-ages or not – this movie is a wonderful way to spend two
hours.
The single scene I felt overdone was the rat party, otherwise this is (at least on first viewing) pretty damn close to perfect entertainment, well-deserving of its spot on the IMDB Top 250.
By the way: To almost the same degree, this also goes for Brad Bird's much lesser known 1999 2D animation The Iron Giant.
The single scene I felt overdone was the rat party, otherwise this is (at least on first viewing) pretty damn close to perfect entertainment, well-deserving of its spot on the IMDB Top 250.
By the way: To almost the same degree, this also goes for Brad Bird's much lesser known 1999 2D animation The Iron Giant.
October 14 2009
October 13 2009
This was a great introduction to the dramatic work of Ayn Rand. The movie is pretty much propaganda for Objectivism, a philosophy that I have no small attraction to.
The degree to which the main character, architect Howard Roark, is relentlessly, uncompromisingly independent of anyone else's support or opinion is admirable. He doesn't care what anyone thinks and will not bend to anyone's will, but not out of any sense of rebellion. "What do you think of me?", an adversary asks. "I do not think of you".
Alongside Roark as the flawless hero is a supporting cast of almost-but-not-quite objectivists struggling towards self-improvement: Lacking courage, Dominique avoids or even destroys things that make her happy, hoping to thus deprive anyone from the ability to take away the happiness she as a consequence does not have. Millionaire newspaper owner Wynand holds equally strong convictions, but has sacrificed his personal values in the ruthless achievement of his ends.
There's a love story, of course – and I enjoyed the cold, rational way in which relationships are formed, postulating a love entirely without demands.
But while I found the themes of the movie fascinating, important and easy to identify with, there are also aspects I cannot agree with, like the attacks on any kind of altruism. I'd also argue that specifically as an architect Roark does have responsibilities beyond just his own artistic vision, namely to the tenants of his buildings (not that we see him violate these), and that his vigilante actions later on in the movie are certainly not justified.
Technically, some scenes come across as all too unrealistic or heavy-handed, and independent of the ideological opposition I found this review highlighting the more unrealistic parts a hilarious read.
Thanks @esad for the recommendation. Now I'm looking forward even more to the forthcoming adaptation of Atlas Shrugged.
The degree to which the main character, architect Howard Roark, is relentlessly, uncompromisingly independent of anyone else's support or opinion is admirable. He doesn't care what anyone thinks and will not bend to anyone's will, but not out of any sense of rebellion. "What do you think of me?", an adversary asks. "I do not think of you".
Alongside Roark as the flawless hero is a supporting cast of almost-but-not-quite objectivists struggling towards self-improvement: Lacking courage, Dominique avoids or even destroys things that make her happy, hoping to thus deprive anyone from the ability to take away the happiness she as a consequence does not have. Millionaire newspaper owner Wynand holds equally strong convictions, but has sacrificed his personal values in the ruthless achievement of his ends.
There's a love story, of course – and I enjoyed the cold, rational way in which relationships are formed, postulating a love entirely without demands.
But while I found the themes of the movie fascinating, important and easy to identify with, there are also aspects I cannot agree with, like the attacks on any kind of altruism. I'd also argue that specifically as an architect Roark does have responsibilities beyond just his own artistic vision, namely to the tenants of his buildings (not that we see him violate these), and that his vigilante actions later on in the movie are certainly not justified.
Technically, some scenes come across as all too unrealistic or heavy-handed, and independent of the ideological opposition I found this review highlighting the more unrealistic parts a hilarious read.
Thanks @esad for the recommendation. Now I'm looking forward even more to the forthcoming adaptation of Atlas Shrugged.
October 09 2009
Average guy has worst night of his life in NYC as a chance date ends in all kinds of scary and/or hilarious disaster.
I loved this, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't just because I've only slept three out of the last thirty or so hours – but what a perfectly fitting movie to watch in such an insomniac state. Highly recommended.
Now I have to go see all of Scorsese's films... but first, 12 hours of sleep.
I loved this, and I'm pretty sure it wasn't just because I've only slept three out of the last thirty or so hours – but what a perfectly fitting movie to watch in such an insomniac state. Highly recommended.
Now I have to go see all of Scorsese's films... but first, 12 hours of sleep.
September 27 2009
Moon (UK 2009)
An old-school sci-fi drama/thriller in the footsteps of films like Gattaca, Primer and most obviously 2001: Smart plot twists and deep questions about reality and morality in a future that feels believable, told at a slow pace, supported by beautiful visuals, impeccable style and a minimal but effective soundtrack.
Unfortunately none of the elements of this movie manage to come across as very original – starting from the imagined space station design, which is pretty much straight from 1968. It's still definitely worth seeing, especially for fans of the genre.
Unfortunately none of the elements of this movie manage to come across as very original – starting from the imagined space station design, which is pretty much straight from 1968. It's still definitely worth seeing, especially for fans of the genre.
September 16 2009
Another suburban drama: Intertwined stories in a rich white community full of people who can't deal with transitions in their lives, whether it's divorce, growing older, not receiving an expected promotion or, in the central plot, a tragic fatal accident.
While the topic is similar to Chumscrubber or Happy Endings, this is a straight up drama: No laughs here -- instead we get several heavy-handed montages of everyone suffering in their own special way, accompanied by soft rock.
The title sequence is beautiful though, and the film did manage to keep me interested for two full hours.
While the topic is similar to Chumscrubber or Happy Endings, this is a straight up drama: No laughs here -- instead we get several heavy-handed montages of everyone suffering in their own special way, accompanied by soft rock.
The title sequence is beautiful though, and the film did manage to keep me interested for two full hours.
September 03 2009
A movie more fun to discuss and think about afterwards than to actually watch: Explaining in the last 5 minutes of a film why the preceeding 85 were awkward and confusing just doesn't change the fact that it wasn't all that enjoyable.
August 28 2009
No Future in Iceland: A bleak, depressing tale of a restless, lonely teenager.
Loved the visuals, liked the surprise ending, but much of the movie is almost as desolate as the dark, icy small town it's set in. One for when you're feeling too happy (?).
(Side note: Can we please drop the lazy "solves Rubik's cube = intelligent" cliche? Saw it in "Let the right one in" as well last week.)
Loved the visuals, liked the surprise ending, but much of the movie is almost as desolate as the dark, icy small town it's set in. One for when you're feeling too happy (?).
(Side note: Can we please drop the lazy "solves Rubik's cube = intelligent" cliche? Saw it in "Let the right one in" as well last week.)
August 16 2009
When seven-year old Simon spots a large red balloon hovering over a Parisian Metro stop, he beckons for it. But not even the promise of "two million caramel bars" can sway the balloon, who prefers to gently observe Simon's life from a distance, appearing and re-appearing outside of various windows throughout the film.
And that's just how director Hsiao-hsien Hou's camera behaves as well. There's not much of a story arc, just random moments in the everyday life of Simon, his struggling but poised mother and the new nanny, Korean film-school student Song.
The banal is brought to life in this hommage to the 1956 classic (that I remember seeing as a kid). I appreciated all the characters, and adored the calm, slightly melancholic atmosphere of beautiful sunlight-flooded Paris.
And that's just how director Hsiao-hsien Hou's camera behaves as well. There's not much of a story arc, just random moments in the everyday life of Simon, his struggling but poised mother and the new nanny, Korean film-school student Song.
The banal is brought to life in this hommage to the 1956 classic (that I remember seeing as a kid). I appreciated all the characters, and adored the calm, slightly melancholic atmosphere of beautiful sunlight-flooded Paris.
August 14 2009
A comedy by Alfred Hitchcock that felt quite a bit too quaint to be fully enjoyable. Who would have thought, after a mere 54 years?
July 28 2009
I hereby deeply apologize for not having seen this before.
July 26 2009
A biting, prescient satire about infotainment and the dumbing-down of news, corporate control of television, soulless multi-national conglomerates, angry TV talking heads, workaholics and a post-ideological, corpocratic culture where only the bottom line matters.
It features some of the greatest dialogue (and monologues!) I've ever heard in movies and some of the most memorable scenes I've recently seen, and very much deserved the three acting Oscars it won – truly masterfully executed.
I'd probably rank this among my top 10 all-time favorite films.
It features some of the greatest dialogue (and monologues!) I've ever heard in movies and some of the most memorable scenes I've recently seen, and very much deserved the three acting Oscars it won – truly masterfully executed.
I'd probably rank this among my top 10 all-time favorite films.
Reposted by
July 19 2009
V for Vendetta (US 2005)
The revolution will not be Hollywoodized (even if that would make for a pretty good movie).
July 18 2009
After a breakup, hypochondriac Soledad (literally "solitude") makes a resolution: "I have to learn to be alone" — until, of course, she meets Nicolas...
Okay, so apparently not all movies featuring Inés Efron (Glue, XXY) are brilliant. This is no doubt a charming film, suffused with warm colors (the polar opposite of the XXY color scheme) and with a cutesy score. Soledad stops well short of being, say, an Argentine Amelie, though: This is all pretty inconsequential.
(Beware: There are no English subtitles to be found yet.)
Okay, so apparently not all movies featuring Inés Efron (Glue, XXY) are brilliant. This is no doubt a charming film, suffused with warm colors (the polar opposite of the XXY color scheme) and with a cutesy score. Soledad stops well short of being, say, an Argentine Amelie, though: This is all pretty inconsequential.
(Beware: There are no English subtitles to be found yet.)
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