Hasta La Ideas

The bizarre new short from director Frank Sisti Jr. and Kid America Club explores the transformation of adulthood

Looking at emerging film work these days, some may argue that the accessibility of tools seems to make would-be filmmakers think they don’t actually have to be creative. That’s far from the case with “Stuff” a new short by director Frank Sisti Jr., proving inspired (and resourceful) filmmaking is alive and well.

From Mathew Cerletty, the artist behind the portrait of the film’s supporting character, to cult actor Kevin Corrigan of “Superbad” fame, Sisti leveraged some heavyweight talent to help bring his kooky vision to life. A natural extension of the mayhem and bizarro comedy typical of Frankie’s Apartment, and Kid America Club, the film showcases some strong acting and truly enjoyable moments.

The central character Felix (played by Corrigan), has led a relatively reclusive life. His isolation began as a child upon meeting Stuff, his colorful and monstrous imaginary friend. Now 35, Felix maintains a mundane existence, caring for his curmudgeonly drunkard of a father, hanging out with Stuff working on grandiose projects and silently obsessing over the attractive cashier at the neighborhood bakery (played by Cara Buono). Based in the New York City borough of Queens, the film does an excellent job of bringing the character of the area out through the actors, Sisti and crew establishing the perfect setting for a story of adult transformation.

Stuff provides a superb entrance into short film. Witty, driven and relatable, the film features some excellent visuals which, when combined with the grade-A performances, produce a piece that carries the thoughtful narrative with charm.

First look at the second issue of the Lindsay Lohan-focused zine by Bibiru and The Wormholes

The 25-year-old actress-singer-jailbird Lindsay Lohan has attracted as much publicity off-screen as she has for her roles in slasher films and family comedies alike. The hijinks that have led her in and out of rehab centers and through the criminal justice system has always left us wondering whether she’s a celebrity trainwreck or a brilliant self-publicist—or both.

Late last year Mexican-American artist Bibiru and his cohorts The Wormholes put together a 56-page zine dedicated to Lohan, a brilliantly titled, vaguely tongue-in-cheek tribute that captured massive attention and prompted renewed reflection on her undeniable beauty.

Bibiru is following up on the black-and-white zine’s success with a second issue dropping in the coming days, and a third in the works. “We The Wormholes love Her Majesty and we believe she’s here to teach humanity about love,” says Bibiru. “She has a naturally ability to cast a spell over millions.”

Bibiru jokes that the images were beamed down from extraterrestrial friends but then, in a brief moment of serious reflection, admits the project seems to be running away with itself, seemingly fueled by Lohan’s controversial stronghold on pop culture. He’s not surprised, though—“We felt its power but didn’t know what to expect.”

The second issue is due to drop this week, and will sell for $7.

Tran Anh Hung’s latest film takes a beautiful look at loss, love, sex and death

In a tale of passion, pain and friendship, the film Norwegian Wood explores deep-seated themes of loss and sexuality. Based on the book of the same title, the film takes place amid the civil turmoil of 1960s Japan, following the story of three young lovers whose paths cross in a tangle of past personal history and future potential. The central character Watanabe, played by Kenichi Matsuyama, is torn between two women—one of whom he is bound to by the suicide of their mutual childhood friend. The resulting emotional distress leads to a tumultuous relationship marred by separation, loss and, ultimately, by death. Directed by Tran Anh Hung, the film probes deep into the young-adult psyche, confronting common difficulties that are born from the transition into adulthood.

Filmed on location in Japan, the cultural and geographical elements of the country play out strongly in the film’s visual narrative. The outstanding imagery enhances the poetic nature of the story, the beautifully composed shots teasing at the isolation characters encounter as they try and relate to one another. While the screenplay communicates the story effectively, the cinematography is the shining star of the film, cementing the various elements together into compelling film. The actors’ fantastic performances bring the characters to life and draw the audience deep into the story.

The sexually charged film also explores how passion, lust and attraction fit into already complicated relationships, but portrays sex differently than what is common in Western cinema. The sexual interactions of the characters lack any moments of over-the-top uncontrollable passion, and there is no effort to create an atmosphere of animal lust, resulting in a more natural and sincere story.

Though somewhat slow at times, overall, the film marks an excellent exploration of the suffering that comes with love. The film opens 6 January 2012 at the IFC Center in New York City.

Retour sur cet excellent film d’animation 3D réalisé par Harry Fast et Jacob Frey, autour de “Bob” un hamster très amoureux. Un format de 3 min très percutant et humoristique, récompensé par des prix dans plus de 100 festivals. A découvrir en vidéo dans la suite.

Previously on Fubiz

• Spek Animation
• Blik Animation
• Jump Animation

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NYC artist Bruno Levy introduces street art to Nepal

Boasting a variety of talent across multiple mediums including painting, sculpture, photography, music and video, Bruno Levy‘s work has been exhibited in some of the America’s most influential museums, from the Guggenheim to the SFMOMA. The Paris-born, NYC-based artist—newly fascinated by cross-cultural differences—recently spent five months living and working in Kathmandu, Nepal in an effort to bring beauty to a stark landscape foreign to Western influence.

Upon encountering a culture in flux, besieged by communist propaganda and forced cultural views, Levy was compelled to begin painting his own pieces in the Nepalese capital this summer. For what he dubbed the “Bigfoot Project,” the artist took to the streets, using high-profile city walls as a canvas to inspire the locals rather than to interject his own foreign views. Included in his efforts were painted murals and an experimental sculpture that seemed to capture the city’s curious spirit. We caught up with Levy to pick his brain about the project, from inspiration to execution.

Why Nepal?

Kathmandu is a city in transition, modernizing rapidly, trying to catch up with the rest of the world. It’s somewhat raw, dirty and open. The concept of public space there is different than in the West. Although Nepal has a rich and amazing culture of craftsmanship, the concept of creative art is still very new. So I wanted to share some urban culture in an effort to make Kathmandu a bit more beautiful and inspire other people to express themselves.

Is Nepal generally free of un-commissioned street art?

This is very new. Graffiti does not exist. So it’s not legal or illegal, making it a perfect place to just play. There were a handful of tags in more hidden parts of town and Space Invader visited Nepal and left his mark, but for the most part it was out of the general public’s eye.

What inspired the “Bigfoot Project” name?

The Bigfoot is really elusive, abominable snowman. So I just started painting feet all around the city, BIG FEET. Also in Hinduism feet have a certain stigma. Feet are dirty or impure, yet the feet of gods or gurus are special.

How did the Nepalese people respond to the art?

The first reaction was curiosity: “why are you doing this and what does it mean?'” Most people have never seen anything like this and cannot understand why someone would paint a wall for free or for fun. Once people realized that there was no political agenda, they reacted with complete enthusiasm and support. They helped paint, an old man blessed me for cleaning the walls and the statue was even given offerings and worshipped. Newspapers and magazines wrote some stories. Soon local kids started forming groups and painting.

Describe the Bigfoot Project’s transition from street paintings to sculpture.

The paintings are part of the bigger project to share street art culture through all possible mediums. When that started picking up, and locals kids started painting, I thought it was important to introduce a new medium for a new way of public expression. The sculpture took a little over a month of 10-hour days. I had not made papier-mâché since kindergarden, so there was definitely a learning curve.

What were you trying to say with the larger street paintings?

The character with the money coming out of his head or “dreaming of dollars” was painted on the oldest government college’s wall. It was a statement about the corrupt politicians in Nepal and the future of the students. The mural of the character plugged to the TV was painted across the passport agency, where around 200 Nepalis a day wait for their passports, with idealistic visions of moving and working abroad. I wanted to make a statement about the impact of television and media. Most paintings have stories, but my main drive was to make the walls more beautiful rather then impose my foreign views and to explore some concepts of repetition that are so prevalent in urban art.