Film Friday 11

To kick off the new year of 2011, the eleventh Film Friday is a compilation of 11 awesome shorts! If you don't like even one of them, you have permission to hiss and throw tomatoes at me. For serious. I'm so confident in these.

I also thought you would get a better idea of each film through a description instead of a genre. Marry Me's description is straight from Youtube, the rest are either altered from Youtube or entirely written by yours truly. Let me know if you would prefer descriptions or genres in the future.

And as always, let me know how you like these :)


¡Perfecto! (2009)
A story about perfect love for imperfect people. A small-town girl (and small-time thief) falls in love with a Latin stranger. While the language barrier may not stop them from getting married, the police might. Run Time: 5 min




My Name is Lisa (2007)
Lisa documents the ever-growing divide between fiction and nonfiction before her very webcam. Run Time: 6.5 min





Signs (2008)
A simple romantic comedy about communication. Run Time: 12 min





High Tide (2004)
Actually not a short, but a music video, and a tall one at that, for Boomclick's song High Tide. Run Time: 3.5 min



Marry Me (2008)
Little girl likes little boy. Little boy likes BMX bike. Something has to give. Run Time: 7 min



Alarm (2009)
Animated short film about the difficulties of getting up in the morning. This one reminds me of both Jill and Carly. Run Time: 8.5 min



Black Button (2007)
Dark Heart Productions presents a scifi film with a morbid catch 22. Run Time: 7 min



Skelett i garderoben (2008)
A woman and a man wake up on the floor in a musty flat, remembering nothing of who they are or why they are there. (Swedish with English subtitles) Run Time: 10 min



Miracle Fish (2009)
After being betrayed by his mother and bullied by his best friends, 8-year old Joe sneaks off to the school sick bay, wishing everyone would go away. He wakes to find his dream may have become a reality. Run Time: 18 min



Blind Date (2007)
A geeky bookworm gets set up on a blind date. Run Time: 9.5 min

 

Gone in a Flash (2007)
Nonna and Grandpa are fed up with an inconsiderate neighbor who allows his dog to "fertilize" their yard. To help their granddaughter Maria take on more responsibility around the house, they commission her to execute Nonna's retaliation strategy. Run Time: 5.5 min

Ethnography (ĕth-nŏg'rə-fē)

n. The branch of anthropology that deals with the scientific description of specific human cultures. (American Heritage Dictionary)

I have recently made a some references to what I plan to bring to this blog in the coming year. It is called ethnography.


Ethnography is fundamental to anthropology, my field of study. This new blogging concept will ultimately help me to think more like an anthropologist and to refine my research methods outside of a classroom setting. Nevertheless, I do hope that some of the ethnography I have in store will entertain, enlighten, and engage those reading it.


Instead of stating an encyclopedic definition of ethnography here and then explaining why I will not adhere to that definition's anthropological convention in my work, I will simply allow you to assess what ethnography means to me through actually reading my ethnography. Mysterious? Maybe.

Disclaimer: Future posts with the label "ethnography" will probably not surface for a long while. I am thinking about some possible senior theses topics and testing the waters for them. If I develop multiple studies and choose to take the plunge into one over another few, I may just spout some streams of consciousness on the others here. Other day to day ethnographies may very well find their way to this blog. Mysterious? Probably. However, I also feel that there will be an ebb and flow to this art; I hope to get caught in the current. Stay thirsty, my friends.

Film Friday 10

Merry Christmas, everyone!
Insertion (2009)
Genre: Dark comedy
Run Time: 1.5 min




Mieter (2009)
Genre: Light comedy
Run Time: 1 min

Coloring Page - Eutychus Falls - Acts 20

Over this past summer, I taught first and second graders about the story found in Acts 20:7-12. It's the one about Eutychus. While preparing for the lesson, I realized that there weren't any coloring pages online for this story! I really wanted to have a coloring page for it! So, I resolved to make one.

Click to enlarge to original size, 11"x8.5" 

I helped the kids to paste googly eyes to Eutychus' face, as if he were jolted awake by the fall. It worked out really well!

If you are at a loss as to which story I am referring, read it here.

If anyone else is looking for a coloring page for this lesson, go ahead and use mine. (I'm no artist, but I can vouch that this is at least decent enough for first and second graders!)

Film Friday 9

Hello. I am back for a respite from studying, as well as my campus life field work. (I will be compiling my findings for you, but my study is not yet over. See my post The Face on the Milk Carton for more information.) Anyways... onward! To the shorts!


Teeth
Genre: Old Man Comedy
Run Time: 2 min



Sign Language (2010)
Genre: "mockumentary"
Run Time: 5 minutes
I really think this one is wonderful! If you agree, they're asking for votes in the Portable TV Film Festival. Cast yours here.

The Face on the Milk Carton

You may have noticed that I've been missing for a while. I even skipped a Film Friday on my hiatus! Well, I've decided to take a layman equivalent of a sabbatical (a leave of absence, I suppose). I am setting off to experience a new semester of college and I promise to come back and report my anthropological findings.

Until we meet again, Alana.

Experiencing a New Semester of College

Film Friday 8

Lavatory Lovestory (2009)
Genre: Romance
Run Time: 10 minutes
Thanks for the pick, Jessie!




Jabberwock (2009)
Genre: I can't decide.
Run Time: 3 minutes

Jabberwock

CHM 203

Organic chemistry
What have you done to me?

Carbon means organic
And sends me into a panic.
Will Goodman's students all become manics?

Worrying about learning
You know, those things...
Functional groups.
Methyl and Ethyl,
Nitrate and Nitrite,
Ketones, and the like.

Oh, Orgo
Beginning of woe,
Learning curve plateau,
Feeling just so-so,
Death seems apropos,
Although,
I'll attend the first class
Before becoming CSI's
Next Jane Doe.

Film Friday 7

Everyone is moving back to school this weekend!! These films are about college life. Actually, if you've never been a college student, you may not see the connection; believe me, it's blatent!

The Missing Sock (2007)
Genre: Horror

Run Time: 2 1/2 minutes

Spoons (2008)
Genre: Action
Run Time: 17 minutes

Spoons

Today's Highlights

In my Bible:


Luke 6:12-13 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles.
(Realizing to not be hasty about certain decisions)


Luke  6:35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.
(Realizing the character of God)



With my Peeps:


new church experience
new tye dying experience
new baking experience
new movie experience
new frisbee technique

Film Friday 6

This week, both films have the same title. I bet you're glad that I post the years in which they were made now, aren't you? Or else you may go out of your mind trying to keep them straight...?

Okay, so they both have mild themes about insanity. Sorry I can't make more clever jokes.


Get Out (2010)
Genre: Awesome
Run Time: 4 minutes
The music really gets me into it :)

Get Out

Get Out (2010)

Genre: Animated

Run Time: 7 minutes

P.S. If you were curious, artsy clothes are out of my price range even when they are secondhand. Nevertheless, I do enjoy my thrifty (in every sense of the word) T shirts!

Artsy Agenda

Beginning on Monday and continuing until the start of school, a friend and I have planned out a plethera of artistic endeavors with which we can enjoy the end of the summer.

Here are some of this week's plans:

Tye-dying

Photography at the park

Friendship bracelets

Baking banana bread (truly, an art form for some)

Walking barefoot outside (again, artsy)

Actually, those were only the plans from the past two days. Does it sound like I've been having loads of fun in artistic expression?! In reality, we never got around to doing any of these things because of late hours at work and more pressing responsibilities than leisure.

On today's agenda, we had thrift shopping for vintage apparel. I believe this adventure is actually quite high in priority- I don't think we can afford to blow it off. You see, we have noticed a startling pattern: We looked like schlubs at the Corn Hill Arts Fest and seemed to be schmucks at the Park Ave Fest. We hope to feel like we fit in more than bell-bottoms in a crowd of skinnies or denim in a sea of neon. Thus, I believe I will make it to Godiva's Vintage Thrift Shop today with my friend.

Image thanks to Nature Graffiti's Blog

I will let you know if I can pull off the artsy look ;)

Happenstance

This weekend was unforseen. I was actually planning on going ice skating and to a hot air balloon show. It turns out that ice skating rinks are closed in the summer and that the hot air balloon festival was in Bristol, England, and not in Bristol, New York. These two minor details escaped both myself and the groups of people with whom these events were being planned.

Instead, I had dinner with a friend before she left town and an unexpected excursion with my mother and her friends.


This is my accidental adventure as documented in photos:

 

Fifth Film Friday

Unlocked (2007)
Genre: Horror, Romance (how do the two mesh so well??)
Run Time: 3 minutes

Unlocked

The Unusual Inventions of Henry Cavendish (2005)
Genre: Silent
Run Time: 15 minutes
Disclaimer: not founded in history; wrong time period and inventions for Cavendish

The Unusual Inventions of Henry Cavendish

God, Who Fulfills His Purpose in Me

I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.

Psalm 57:2

This is also translated as, "God, who fulfills His purpose in me."
The ways that I have been praying for God to work in and through my life have not been the ways that He has been working in and through me. Nevertheless, He has been fulfilling His purpose in me. And it has been surprising to see the ways in which He wants to use me and to show Himself through me. I have begun to see His hand in the little things of my day, such as keeping me in work fifteen minutes late so I could run into a Christian sister on my walk home.
 
Has He shown Himself to be working in or through you in such small yet profound ways?

Mott's Apple Mash

On Saturday, a carload of friends and I drove by the Mott's Applesauce Factory in Williamson, NY. Since I have been living on campus, I had altogether missed the latest news on Mott's. Factory workers have been on strike outside of Mott's for quite some time. We drive by on day 76 of the strike. I'm sure the group is still out there today, day 78, under their tent with their picket signs, rallying against corporate greed.

Mott's has already filled the minimum-wage factory line job positions that were left empty by the protesters.

I'm not sure who is being more silly: the dozens of workers continuing to set up camp outside of the Mott's factory while Mott's continues business as usual or me and my friends who swiftly pulled off the road to run and pose with the giant inflatable rat that the protesters had set up outside the factory. We moved so quickly that the picketers couldn't approach us!

Fourth Film Friday

It's my one month anniversary of posting films! This is true commitment. Not to be confused with my lack of commitment to responsibility at the moment - I'm supposed to be packing up my room to move tomorrow. I'd rather blog :)

So this first film is how I feel I react to responsibility - when I watch it, I hear my mom's voice, "Alana, make sure you start packing early. Wah wah wah wah wah..." The second film reminds me of the place I don't want to find myself after neglecting said responsibility. It also reminds me of my friend Carly.

Garpenfargle (2004)
Genre: Comedy
Run Time: 4 minutes

Garpenfargle

Geeks Anonymous (2009)
Genre: Comedy
Run Time: 1.5 minutes

Geeks Anonymous

Can I Just Tell You?

Can I just tell you how excited I am that summer courses are almost over? Not that I'm enrolled in them. However, come Friday night, I can reclaim all my friends from the ashes of fervent and anxious studying. Hopefully they will not combust in an organic reaction before then... although I will stay near water balloons just to be proactive.

Tu Amor Hace Eco

I translated this song (with a few liberties) from Spanish into English. You'll love it even more in Spanish. LOVE! It's called "Tu Amor Hace Eco en Todo Mi Universo" and it is by the band Rojo. Scroll down for the YouTube video!!

God, Your Love Echos

There on the cross, in its whole,
Was cleared all that had been charged against my soul.
It was you, Jesus, Lord,
Who paid the price for me to be restored.

There are no words
That I'd want to speak
Nor are there songs
That I'd want to sing;
Because if they're not for You,
They're not anything that I'd want to pursue.

You are the air, the rain, the joy of a child's laugh,
Power, calmness, the Guide with rod and staff,
Mysteries, galaxies, surprises like the ocean's breeze

You are the daylight, the moonlight, the one Light that can set me free,
Destiny, history, treasure of most worth to me,
The key and door, the voice that beckons to eternity

God, Your love resounds throughout all my universe.

I'm no longer lost now that I've felt Your grace,
All my pain leaves under the strength of your embrace.

God, Your love resounds throughout all my universe.
God, Your love resounds throughout all my universe.

Film Friday 3

lm theme of the week: freakish. Would you agree?

Perfect (2004)
Genre: Horror?
Run Time: 7 minutes

Perfect

The Butterfly Circus (2009)
Props to Angelica and Pablo for the tip!
Genre: Family
Run Time: 20 minutes (but totally worth it!)

The Butterfly Circus

Awkward Alana

Today I ran into a friend that I hadn't seen for six years. That's a huge portion of my life. But we recognized each other and had a short exchange :)

Late into the conversation, I realized that my friend was a slightly self conscious about being sweaty (he had ridden his bike to my campus). I laughed a little inside. There's no air condition in my dorm. Sweaty boys are nothing new to me.

When I later got back to my dorm room, I did a double take at my mirror. I had met my friend on the way back from work where I had been handling printouts from a finicky copy machine. While looking in the mirror, I realized that I had ink all over my face.

Sweaty boys are a normalcy. Inky girls are not.

Whoops!

Reluctant Recluse

This title is a bit of a misnomer. A bit.

I really did not want to spend two nights at home this weekend. I felt I would be a recluse away from college life and friends.

I was not, however, (entirely) a recluse. I spent good time with my family. As well as with Morris and Charles. Those are my mother's evil crutches. They scheme and create mischief together.

Furthermore, I thoroughly enjoyed the kids in my Sunday school class this weekend. One spontaneously began singing in the midst of our conversation. Nevertheless, his song did further the conversaion, if I do remember correctly. I will miss these kids greatly when my teaching rotation is over <3

Two movies worth watching: The Book of Eli and The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry. The former is great for everyone, the latter mostly for Christians who are willing to laugh at cheesiness and enjoy truth, almost as the mold, that pervades such a cheese.

My friends became ninjas without me.

Nevertheless, I did miss the vanquishing of evil

with a roll of wrapping paper and a heart-shaped pillow this weekend. I do look forward to my return to campus tomorrow. I'm just not as disappointed with these past two days as I thought I would be. Attitude adjusted.

Thank You, Jesus :)

Film Friday Number 2

I almost forgot that I had made this commitment! Good thing I watch short films in my free time. I won't run out of options for a while. Click the links below the images to view this week's picks :)

Messages (2007)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Chick Flick (believe it or not)
Run Time: 7 minutes

Messages

Sparks (2003)
Genre: Dance, Dark Comedy
Run Time: 16 minutes
Disclaimer: This really is unnecessarily long!! Long dance sequences. Fast forward advisable.

Sparks

I am still taking suggestions for these weekly posts :) Feel free to comment!

가위 (Gawi)

Gawi is the Korean word for torment by demons. It has very specific circumstances:

So, you're sleeping. Then you wake up. It's still the night. You realize that you can't move your body. Your entire body is paralyzed, all of it save for your eyes. You can still blink and move them around. You hear a piercing sound to your right. You slowly roll your eyes to the right and look. Beings you never could have imagined are malevolently advancing on you. They're taunting you because they know that you cannot move or pull away. These are demons.

Koreans are warned that the only way to stop the demonic activity of Gawi once it happens is to pray.

My friend was telling me about Gawi last night as we walked alongside the cemetery. It wasn't my first time being exposed to the concept. It was, however, the first time that I had an uneasy night because of it.

I was going to bed and couldn't fall asleep because I heard a lot of strange sounds. I know the familiar sounds that usually fill my room at night due to my leaving the windows open, but last night's noises were exceptionally disturbing. I wasn't sure if I wanted to open my eyes to find the source of the strange sounds or if I wanted to keep them closed. While I was still deciding, a new clamor arose that far surpassed any of the previous sounds in volume and clarity. This new one pierced the air and may have woken me up had I been able to fall asleep earlier. It was a shriek.

The familiar shriek that Carly makes when her personal space is violated. Oh, the antics of her wonderful room mate, Jennifer :)

And I slept well, knowing that all in life was normal.

All Scripture is God-Breathed and Useful

These are the verses that I am in the process of memorizing. I know that some of them are basic, but those are listed here because I've never actually memorized them before. Maybe you should quiz me on my progress when you see me.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

2 Chronicles 7:14 If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Hebrews 4:15-16 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may find mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Galatians 4:9 But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage?

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful,  who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape, that you will be able to bear it.

1 Peter 5:6-7 Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He might exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you.

Sketchy

I've always wanted to learn how to sketch. Especially realistic faces.

Yesterday, my Sunday school kids thought that my whiteboard masterpiece Barnabas didn't look as warm and friendly as I had intended; the children thought that he was going to be the evil villain (¬_¬)

I bought a sketch pad today and will commit to learning to draw faces.

Dance Like an Egyptian (way oh way oh way...)

Tonight I celebrated my friend Deena's graduation
Along with a mostly Egyptian population

I quickly developed a fascination

For the Egyptian dance formations

I was told, "In the hips lay the key to the stance"

And to shake them a lot if I wished to advance

But in the end, my attempts at this dance

Got me caught in a bad romance

Film Friday!! A First!

So I've decided to post one or two short films every Friday on this blog. I really appreciate them, and I hope that you find my taste in films interesting. I picked two this week: Imagination and an old favorite, A Ninja Pays Half My Rent. 2002 must have been a good year for short films.

Imagination (2002) 
Genre: Fantasy, Horror (ish)
Run Time: 16 minutes
Disclaimer: the monster in this film is both gnarly AND creepy!!

Imagination

I like it because it reminds me of how our minds can be both creative and destructive. This child created her whimsical friends as well as the unwelcome monster (who burns our eyes when he dances). I think about how I struggle to keep my mind on the heavenly Father and away from my worldly intrigues. (Oh, does that seem like a stretch from this film's plot? Well I was definitely thinking that when I saw it.)

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6

Just something I've been considering lately.

A Ninja Pays Half My Rent (2002)
Genre: Comedy (duh, read the title)
Run Time: 5 1/2 minutes

I hope that you made the housing lottery cut :)


If you have short movie suggestions, shoot me an e-mail or something and I may like it enough to stick in here on a Friday!

Did you enjoy these ones?

Went for a Walk Today

Things that fluff or fly or both:

Chipmunks make a chirping hiccup sound.

It is times like this that I appreciate 16x zoom.

This bug liked my shirt. He looks like Voldemort, doesn't he?

Maybe it's an eighth horocrux?

Squirrel hears that Danforth is open again.

Japanese Beetle destroys Rose.

Red Admiral Butterfly-- found him in my butterfly book!

Blurry wood pecker will not hold still for a photo.

Anomalous and Anonymous

I understand a post about anomalies may seem exciting.

a·nom·a·ly  /əˈnɒməli/ [uh-nom-uh-lee]

–noun, plural -lies.


1. a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form.

3. an odd, peculiar, or strange condition, situation, quality, etc.  

But I must forewarn you that those anomalies which I am about to divulge to you are of an anonymous character.

a·non·y·mous   /əˈnɒnəməs/ [uh-non-uh-muhs]

–adjective

3. lacking individuality, unique character, or distinction: an endless row of drab, anonymous houses.  

Anonymous Anomaly Number 1:

I cannot type with both hands. If you saw me pecking away with my two fingers on this keyboard in Carlson, you would either laugh at me or tell me to quiet down because these keys are far too noisy for a library. The anomalous part of this story is that I am working a new job as an office assistant who must type huge evaluations into a database. You'd better believe that I will be practicing true typing skills from now forward... starting after this blog.

Anomalously Anonymous Number 2:

I wanted to begin a regular habit of posting a series called "Movie Monday" on this blog. I would watch one or two movies per week and post my movie reviews/ movie trailers/ movie clips on my blog every Thursday. Ha! No that's not the anomaly, I would have done it on Mondays. Sorry for the fake out. Anyways, I even went to see a movie last night to help me on this endeavour! But by the time I made it back to a computer after the movie, it was already Tuesday. Lame. The anomaly was averted when I refused to post a Movie Monday review on Tuesday. Although I wrote about it here... My newest idea: Flummery Friday.

Anomaly of Anonymity Number 3:

I went bowling last night. Score from my first game: 73. Score from my second: 51.

Anonymously Anomalous Number 4:

I am Italian and I made pasta last night. My grandma has disclosed her super secret and super delicious recipe for red pasta sauce to me. I bought a basil plant for the express use of cooking said pasta sauce. Anomaly: my half Chinese, half Korean friend has to tell me to water my basil plant daily for it to survive. And I used Danny Wegman's Sun Dried Tomato Sauce on my pasta last night.

I had more anomalies stored up from the past few days, but they have become so anonymous to me, that I cannot bare to continue typing (especially because the letters on this keyboard are mostly worn off.)