Childish Gambino - "Feels Like Summer" - Song for the Day

“Feels Like Summer” by Childish Gambino http://smarturl.it/n3g9db8 tour tickets and merchandise available at http://www.childishgambino.com/ Directed by Donald Glover, Ivan Dixon & Greg Sharp

First the video for "This is America," and now this...  Looks like we may have one of those rare savvy but honest artist types that realizes the medium of music and video can be so much more than a promotional ad or MTV rag (i think that channel still exists?).  Bravo, Mr. Glover.  I hope you keep going with it - challenging the status quo.

And, of course, he is a legit A-town artist.  I have to show some special love for the artists of Atlanta, one of the most formidable stomping grounds of my young adulthood.

Pixar's Inside Out - Featured Film of Interest - Trailer

Just hoping and dreaming that the sweet beautiful cerebral heart of Pixar from old (ummm, not really so old)  is still beating strong somewhere deep in that Disney machine, and nothing can keep its creative brew from eventually surfacing. From what I am hearing from young and older alike (even from the critics, analysts and media types), my dreams may be reality worthy.  However, the trailers and promotions look fun and interesting but do not yet leave me without some skepticism. Looking forward to it regardless.
It's been too long since Wall-E held me longing for more with full emotional investment thru 30 mins of near silence, or the Toy Story gang pulled my tears on cue as they reached for each others hands while facing fiery certain death, and, of course, Up (all of it). If nothing else, I will enjoy the anticipation of the possibility of that special Pixar magic that reaches the depths of my child's mind and heart, and captivates my adult curiosity.

Trailer:

1. Critic reviews
   A stunningly original concept that will not only delight and entertain the companys massive worldwide audience, but also promises to forever change the way people think about the way people think.

   Peter Debruge·Variety

   t’s not just a brilliant idea, but maybe the most conceptually daring movie the Bay Area animation house has ever produced. And that’s really saying something, what with WALL-E on the books.

   A.A. Dowd·A.V. Club

   As fabulous as the vocal performances are in “Inside Out,” it’s the clever writing and lush visuals that catapult it into greatness.

   Ann Hornaday·Washington Post

   Inside Out, which takes place mostly in the head of an 11-year-old girl named Riley, is a thrilling return to form for Pixar Animation Studios.

   A. O. Scott·New York Times

Links:  Pixar - Inside Out
            Inside Out
            IMDB - Inside Out

The Story of Stuff - Media with Purpose - Video

Link:  The Story of Stuff Project

Billy's Balloon - Short Animated Film by Don Hertzfeldt

A good friend sent this animated short my way and it is worth a viewing. I have a real soft spot for this sort of primal, two-dimensional animation and the concept is quite funny though almost uncomfortably harsh at times - but i like that aspect as well.  Oh yeah, I apologize for the pop up ad - damn embedding from you-tube.  It can be closed out easily.

Ricky Gervais and His Oddly Brilliant Animated Podcast - Highly Recommended

The HBO series The Ricky Gervais Show is an adaptation of podcasts that first appeared on The Guardian's Web site — and features the animated versions of (from left) Stephen Merchant, Ricky Gervais and Karl Pilkington.

Comedian Ricky Gervais was recognized byGuinness World Records in 2007 for having the world's most popular podcast. That podcast, called The Ricky Gervais Show, starred Gervais, along with his mates Stephen Merchant and Karl Pilkington, conversing about anything and everything that tickled their fancy for more than six years.

Gervais tells David Bianculli that Pilkington — described in The New York Times as "a cross between the deadpan comedian Steven Wright and Cliff Clavin of Cheers" — is the main reason for the podcast's success.

"I think that people know it's real. They're eavesdropping on a conversation between three mates," Gervais says. "But the real answer's Karl Pilkington. That's the secret. Karl Pilkington: This normal but extraordinary man. This missing link. This global village idiot. This friend that everyone's got that doesn't get airtime and recognition. And he's like crack. He's addictive on the first hit."

Recently, HBO decided to animate Gervais' self-proclaimed "pointless conversations" with Merchant and Pilkington, turning it into the new Friday night series The Ricky Gervais Show.

To read more of the NPR article, follow the link on the post-title - it includes video clips from the show. For more on the Ricky Gervais Show and podcast in genersl, check out the websites below:

HBO: The Ricky Gervais Show

Ricky Gervais: Official Site

News from Cannes - Tim Burton, President of the Jury of the 63rd Festival de Cannes

American film director Tim Burton is to be Jury President for the 63^rd Festival de Cannes, which takes place from May 12^th to 23^rd 2010. Upon accepting the invitation from Gilles Jacob and Thierry Frémaux, Tim Burton declared: "After spending my early life watching triple features and 48-hour horror movie marathons, I’m finally ready for this. It’s a great honour and I look forward, with my fellow jurors, to watching some great films from around the world. When you think of Cannes you think of world cinema. And as films have always been like dreams to me, this is a dream come true."

I'm a little late to the game, as the official press release was in late January. However, I found it to be an interesting selection, and it made me smile a bit.

I wonder if the Cannes selection committee had screened Alice in Wonderland yet? Yes, that was a cheap shot. No more comments on Alice beyond this - It made me quite sad due to overall disappointment (particularly, aspects of the storytelling were flat and underdeveloped), but the root of the sadness was the lost cinematic opportunity. Refer to Bressonian Quote #2. With that being said, the high level of disappointment would not have been possible without an endearing respect for Burton and his body of work. His filmography and the general honesty of his vision afford him quite a bit of forgiveness. There is a quality retrospective of his work on the Festival de Cannes home page.

An early Tim Burton film for your viewing pleasure.