Wes Anderson/Robert Yeoman Short Films

Over the past few months, I have been assembling all of my movies (DVDs and downloads) and organizing them on iTunes.  I then "Home Share" through my Apple TV which in turn gives easy access to my movie collection on one Apple TV app. It is truly awesome and it has made me acquire more of my favorites just to have them on there.

It's almost becoming a hipster cliche to talk about Wes Anderson movies, but I don't care.  He makes some great films but I also think we need to give a little more credit to Robert Yeoman, his cinematographer.  He has worked on nearly every Wes Anderson project and his shooting style is really what gives Anderson's movies their unique feel. Outside of the quirkiness of the scripts, the cinematography is truly what stands out most in their movies.

That being said, I wanted to post three Wes Anderson short films that I think are great.


Castello Cavalcanti is a funny little film with Jason Schwartzman being Jason Schwartzman.  I think this one is my favorite.


*Nudity and Sexual Content* Hotel Chevalier is a very cool short because it extends the Darjeeling Limited world past the feature movie with Schwartzman playing the same character in a moment before his fraternal adventure.


Bottle Rocket (1994) was Wes Anderson's first project and was a 10 minute short film before he got up the funds and support to make it into his first feature.  Yeoman was not working with him on this one and you can really see the difference.  It is cool to see the Wilson brothers even younger, but in the same roles as the '96 Bottle Rocket movie.

-Brian

Movie Posters

Metropolis

I have slowly been ripping my dvd collection onto an external hard drive and converting all other movie files into .mp4s so I can assemble everything onto my iTunes.  From there I have been able to home share the computer with my Apple TV then search and watch anything from my collection easily.  Because it is now through my Apple TV, it almost looks like Netflix or the iTunes store.  This means each movie or show has "album artwork" that goes along with it.  Sometimes ripping the DVD would save the original artwork as well and other times I would have to download new images for certain movies.  Through this process I have been finding a lot of cool movie posters...classic ones and newly designed ones for both old and new movies, so I thought I would share some cool ones with you.

It is definitely an art most people don't even think about, but we see it everywhere.  Some movies have iconic shots and that's all it needs, but other times someone has come up with a very creative way to capture the feel of a film and attract the viewer just in this one still image.

Here are some of the ones I have found.

Then, of course, you have all of Wes Anderson's movies.  They are perfect for interesting and unique posters since his films have such bold cinematography and purposeful, unrealistic sets.

And if you want to read about how many movie posters look essentially the same, here is an interesting story: http://www.thewrap.com/movies/blog-post/why-movie-posters-all-look-same-75846+

Oh yeah... And always avoid movies with the Bold Red Uppercase Fonts:

-Brian

Admiring Wes Anderson

Lobby Boy Hat from The Grand Budapest Hotel

$68.38 from WesAndersonShop on Etsy

I haven't been this excited for a movie in awhile. The Grand Budapest Hotel by Wes Anderson opened this month to many rave reviews (at least, from my friends), and I am trying to figure out how to convince my husband that it's time to call in some babysitter reinforcement so we can go see it already!

In the meantime, I've found the Wes Anderson Shop on Etsy that sells items inspired by (you guessed it!) Wes Anderson films. The online store does not appear to have any official affiliation with the auteur, but the shop owner, Bibi Anderson (if that is her real name) describes herself as simply a big fan. Along with movie replicas, she also sells phone cases and mugs emblazoned with images from the films. I think Margot Tenenbaum's pale pink gloves with half a finger missing are my favorite. 

Dudley's World Hardcover Journal from The Royal Tenenbaums 

$25.64 from WesAndersonShop on Etsy

Altered Cashmere Gloves from The Royal Tenenbaums

$76.92 from WesAndersonShop on Etsy

Sweet Afton Cigarette Package from The Royal Tenenbaums

$17.09 from WesAndersonShop on Etsy

(replica contains crayons)

Engraved Swiss Army Knife from Rushmore

$247.86 from WesAndersonShop on Etsy

Suzy's Letter Set from Moonrise Kingdom

5 cardboard cards, $8.55 from WesAndersonShop on Etsy

New Penzance Island Map from Moonrise Kingdom

$13.68 from WesAndersonShop on Etsy

- Cathleen

Short Film of the Month

Since we took off last Thursday for Thanksgiving I wasn't able to post my "Short film of the Month".  We are now in December but this one is the belated November short.  You can still expect the December film on the last Thursday of the month.

’92 Skybox Alonzo Mourning Rookie Card


I thought this one would be the perfect movie for Thanksgiving and the Holidays in general.  A time when family gets back together, reminisces and enjoys each others company.....sometimes.  Relationships can be picture perfect at times or seriously strained but it is family and in the end that's all that really matters.  There is a line in the Avett Brothers song, Murder in the City, that says "Always remember, there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name".  That song reminds me of this short film and I thoroughly enjoy both.
It's a short comedy that follows two brothers with two very different life paths and personalities, who are brought back together because of the death of their father.  The film makers do a wonderful job of showing that these two men were once very close but just don't view life the same way or even how to mourn the death of a family member.  They both have their own ways of coping with the passing of their father but it's his death that helps them reconnect.
It's a funny movie that also has some very poignant scenes at times.  The overall meaning and content reminds of a Wes Anderson movie in a way.  If Wes Anderson's work is the rhythmic verse than this short is the pros. Take out the cool music, edgy camera work and quintessential slow mo scene and there is a similar feel to the Anderson relationships and raw way in which characters converse.
If you don't have the time or energy for a 12 minute video you should at least advance to the 6 minute mark for an outstandingly hilarious dinner scene when the two brothers have their climactic face off after a long period of tension.

-Brian