feature film
Tickets and info is available for virtual screenings of “Young Ali: those were the days” at the Arthouse Film Festival Jan 14-20th
you can read a first look regarding my upcoming feature film, “Young Ali: those were the days” below:
https://somewhatcyclops.com/2023/12/11/young-ali-those-were-the-days/
“Where Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups walked, Three Worlds sprints. Where Orson Welles’ The Other Side of the Wind spoke, Three Worlds whistles.”
truth is that i don’t read or pay attention to these things because the instinct to create in freedom gets cloudy overtime as attention gets diverted. this energy is not a forever thing, & doubt waits in the shadows….i chose to keep my attention on the gate that opens without much resistance.
you can read the full review here
still from “Three Worlds” - 2018
i’m happy to announce that my 2018 feature film THREE WORLDS is finally available worldwide on APPLE TV.
like much of my work, this is proudly not a film for everyone, nonetheless, everyone on earth should in fact buy it ;)
THREE WORLDS
2018
"ya:twtd" has moved one foot into the domain of post-prod (1 of 2 major works in prod for the year 2021)
"ya:twtd" // image 0
©2021(2) ANIMALS
Ok, the time has come. I'm nearing the finish line. And, at this point, all options are on the table.
The first of which, a crowdfunding campaign to help raise the finishing funds for my two feature films (THREE WORLDS / MAN) that are near complete.
These two finish my THREE MARKS, TOO SIGNALS series of works that includes the 2016 release, CANYON. Please consider helping. Please join the mailing list. Please pick up one of these great perks. Please spread the word.
If all goes to plan, launching next week or the one after.
Almost done with the poster art for MAN. This is beta v2 (partial view), but just waiting on final proofs. Should be complete this week.
The last few days had me rewatching, and in some cases discovering for the first time Satoshi Kon's masterwork animeography in full.
I was absolutely floored by his 2003 work TOKYO GODFATHERS, one of only two of his works I had not seen previously. The superb characterization and the hauntingly realistic and desolate city landscapes make this an absolute treat. Choosing to focus on detail instead of the usual spectacle, the city becomes all too tangible.
Tokyo is almost always historically realized as a packed, bright wonder full of flashing lights and bustle, recalling Western interpretations like LOST IN TRANSLATION. It is fetishized in Western movies. And that is absolutely part of its identity.
Kon chooses instead, the everyday sights that people who actually inhabit that environment experience; the alley ways, the crevices, corners, the not so wondrous cityscapes and mundane, grey skylines punctuated by the cold, wet snow. Instead of the Shibuya crossing for example, we get a small corner store, and a drunk asshole who can't stand bums.
The scenes are rendered in wonderment by their sure realism. One of my favorite moments was a three shot master through an everyday, ordinary road safety mirror. This is detail; this is knowing the world in which you create. Maybe I just haven't seen enough anime, but I can't recall many people making this type of choice. It harkens too a moment in Miyazaki's KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE, in which Kiki stays in bed, stretching, pondering a thought. I had the same feeling at that moment as well, although one was a shot selection, and the other a characterization. But Kon does both here, and does it damn well.
This was also one of a few anime films in which a live action remake could easily be achieved. However, this would be a grave mistake because you won't get better performances or a more fantastic ambience then what was achieved here. The characterization is totally alive. The tone is spot on. It goes every which way, and this is not hyperbole.
i could go on and on, but I'll leave it here. If you haven't seen it, go find it. Be ready to experience that sense of wonder that appears when form fits perfectly in its container. But, I'm not a reviewer, and this is the farthest thing from that. It's just a personal recommendation. But if you didn't like it after being influenced to see it based on this written journal, you just haven't developed the goods yet. Seriously. Peace.
A beautiful example of a master shot that creates the experience.
This is not the Tokyo we are familiar with in modern movies. (at least not me)
If all goes as planned, we are getting a new feature up and running before year ends. Camel West is the first slated for production, but we have been very busy in development on several projects. Stay tuned.
The ANIMALS kingdom is here.
Day two on the CXL shoot looked like this. Sean Gillane and the rest of the team took great care of me, making sure I did not drown, nor throw up.
