Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Three Ideas to Save the Short Film from Obscurity (and Meaninglessness)


By Lars Trodson

Quick! Name the five most beloved short films in history.

Tasking myself with my own question, I came up with two: “The Red Balloon” and “Winnie The Pooh and the Blustery Day.” (If that’s even the right title.) I’m sure there are some revered avant garde films that I’m forgetting (the Bunuel/Dali film, Un Chien Andalou,” I suppose), but they are probably more respected than loved.

So. What is the state of the short film today? One could argue that it is thriving. In 2013, a record 8,102 short films were submitted to the Sundance Film Festival. The Cannes Film Festival has hosted, since 1998, its Cinéfondation, which is dedicated to short and medium length films and is designed to support the next generation of filmmakers.

Every film festival on the planet has a short film program, and of course there is a plethora of events dedicated exclusively to the art of short filmmaking. In the last decade or so, short film anthologies (Oscar winners, for example) have been issued on DVD, and there are uncountable numbers of obscure and well-known shorts available on YouTube and other online formats.

So why does it feel like short films don’t matter? Rarely does a short film enter the public discussion.

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

What Do John Wayne, Paul McCartney and Andy Williams Have in Common?

Everyone remembers the tagteam of Bing Crosby and David Bowie, but even stranger is the mashup of John Wayne, Andy Williams and Paul McCartney. We unearthed this gem while doing some research. Two things of note: John Wayne's "joke" about his Japanese gardener, which is about as racist as you can get, and the fact Paul McCartney and his wife Linda were sitting in the nosebleed seats. Take a look:


— Lars Trodson

Sunday, March 2, 2014

The Very Worst Oscar Snub (It's Not What You Think)


By Lars Trodson


For me, it’s not the fact that Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” was not nominated for Best Picture because, for one, it was never going to win. Billy Wilder’s “The Apartment” deservedly took home the statuette that year, so it’s only mildly irritating that the grandaddy of all slasher films didn’t get the nod. I can live with that.

But there are two greater “Psycho” injustices, and they are the two worst Oscar decisions in its 85 years. When you realize that “Psycho” was dissed in both the editing and music categories, you begin to realize what a significant oversight this was.