Wednesday 24 February 2010

Glory at Sea

'Glory at Sea' has come out of the same stable as 'Death to the Tinman'.
Directed by Benh Zeitlin It's another banger and ties in allot more with what were trying to with Flotsam than most things I post on this blog.

I know 25 minutes seems like along time to watching a youtube clip but it's really worth it. When I was trying to find thumb nails for this post I realised every frame looked amazing.

Tuesday 23 February 2010

Death to the Tinman

View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com
Probably my favourite short film. Marvin Illman as Paul Mermalstein is one of the greatest old man performances since Rene's grand parents in Allo Allo. The music in this film is incredible and if nothing if else its an amazing break up film.

Ray Tintori went on to do the Kids video for MGMT and was a set builder for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. He also made a film called 'Glory at Sea' which I'm going to write allot more about later in the week.

Wednesday 17 February 2010

Wayne Levin Photography
Were currently on the hunt for a Cinematographer so this seems more relevant than photos of Iron Mikes House. I found out about Levin thought Notcot and his sites here if you fancy a ganda. I doubt the water round Texel will be this clear.


Monday 15 February 2010

Iron Mikes
I know I'm late to the party on this one but there no way I'm having a blog and not putting picture of Iron Mike abandoned mansion on it.

Marvel, at Iron Mike's taste

Gasp, at his EQ settings

and stand in awe at the size of his old grubby house.
This ties in loosely with a documentary about Iron Mike released last year by James Toback.

Sunday 14 February 2010

Ice King Valentines Banger

Friday 12 February 2010

Ceim Hill Museum

Ceim Hill Museum. Similar to the Flora museum in Texel, Ceim Hill has an amazing private collection of found objects, there's a Terrasaurus beak in a Ferrero Rocher box. Check it out Ignore the soothing sounds of the pan pipes and the Jurrasic Park theme. Thanks Clare for finding it.

Tuesday 9 February 2010

Nice Ampersand Ball Bag

This is the first time I've seen this trailer and will prompt me to change the blogs header (eventually). On a lighter note Doug Pray was the director behind 'Surfwise' and this film looks ace.

Monday 8 February 2010

If you’ve wondered what an Island made out of plastic bottles would be like… Have a goosy gander at this;
The production value higher on this link, but I prefer how ridiculous the Interviewer and Richart Sowa, the island owner look in this video. Two and half minutes in and he belts out a song whilst holding a cat in the air. Then he goes on to explain how he’s going to fly the island around using his cooker as the throttle.

Hike means walk by the way.


Unfortunately Hurricane Emily destroyed the Island in 2005 but he’s started work on another.

Saturday 6 February 2010

Beachcomber by the Pomegranates



Check these guys rocking the classic boat owner white linen look. Thanks Clare for telling me about this one.

Friday 5 February 2010

Visual Acoustics

Visual Acoustics from wes on Vimeo.


This is another trailer I'm excited about at the moment. The film follows architectural photographer Julius Shulman at the ripe age of 97. Shulman best know for his Case Study House #22, Los Angeles, 1960.

For more information click here

Thursday 4 February 2010

I was going to write more about Texel today but something very important happened on BBC 3 last night. ‘I Believe In UFOs: Danny Dyer’ brings together two of my favourite things.

Thanks Nick, for the text to say it was on.




“He’s got evidence of Aleins pokeing there head round a fackin winda, and havin a pipe at him!” (0:10)

Wednesday 3 February 2010

Through a Dutch Google search I’ve come across an article published by trouw.nl about Cor Ellen one Texel’s oldest, most respected, beach combers.



Image courtesy of Lab Partners



Beachcomber Cor Ellen found over 400 messages in bottles.


Cor Ellen has a short white beard, bright blue eyes and two thick grey-white eyebrows, (one sticking up!) The 77-year old has been wandering the beaches of Texel for over 65 years and Ellen's house is decorated with things that the waves brought to the island.

His beachcombing life began at twelve in 1938. During the war the beach was a good source of firewood. " I was surprised by the different things that have been washed ashore on islands.''

With all the surprises from the sea there have been hundreds of messages in bottles. “I normally smash the bottles open where I find them, because I'm so curious. If the letter is wet, I put it on my head in my hat and then take it home to dry. The bottles make me so happy, I imagine that that person wants to know me and that I look forward to getting to know them.” If there is an address Ellen sends a ‘greetings from Texel’ postcard.

Ellen has collected a total of four hundred and twenty three letters, all carefully preserved in a special box. "I like to see them, so they must always be within reach. In recent years I have realised that the letters are vulnerable so I have started to keep them in plastic sleeves, some are on display. Over half the messages are written in Dutch. The rest are in German and English, Norwegian, French and some times Spanish, one letter came all the way from distant Venezuela.

He found his first bottle in 1936. “It was a postcard in English, so I couldn’t read it.” Ellen’s replies were with another bottle, promising the finder a bag of Texel cake. But the finder was a Texel fisherman. “That was a disappointment” said Ellen.

The second bottle Ellen found wasn’t until 1950 because of the war. “There was a lot of trouble and people apparently had no need to send a bottle.''

Ellen goes to England at regular intervals to visit June Goodwin from Leicester. He met her through a bottle he found in 1956 and contacted her though the local English newspaper. He has also been in contact with a sea Captain from Rotterdam, who threw a bottle overboard in the North Sea. “Suddenly I stood at his door in shorts with bare legs! We got along so well. He is a wonderful guy. We’ve stayed in touch ever since.”

Out of the 400 times that Ellen contacted a bottle thrower half have replied. Normally by post but twice the reply has been by bottle addressed to Cor Ellen that have been washed up on the beach at Texel.

Asked why he thinks people send messages in bottles Ellen replies, “Out of solitude, boredom or drunkenness? Sometimes the message is on the payroll of a deep-sea boat. Other times they are children who have signed a treasure map, and some times it’s a drunk man who want to find a sex star!”

Tuesday 2 February 2010

Until The Light Take Us


I'm really excited about this one. Most trailers whip me up into a freenzey but i think this will be good. Both Aaron Aites, Audrey Ewell are from a indie music background and wanted to portray a balanced account. Getting to the bottom of church arsons and the murders that took place in Norway in the early 90's as the second wave of the black metal scene.

As a side note this is pretty funny look where they put Newcastle on the map (2:30).

Monday 1 February 2010

An absolute banger from Team G

Múm "Sing Along" from Team G on Vimeo.


Director by Kevin Phillips and produced by Josh Lind and Jett Steiger. If you've got time have a look at Team G's other videos 'the Woods' trailer's great.

I love the song as well, its by the Icelandic band Múm It makes me want to dance around a deers corpse kicking its head in.