The Magic Box

April 29, 2013 3:39 AM

The Magic Box [SLYT] (via BoingBoing). Is it dusty here or is it just me?
posted by Joe in Australia (15 comments total)

Mighty dusty. Sweet, spare little film.
posted by leslies at 4:47 AM on April 29, 2013

(Biblical-level wailing)
posted by kimberussell at 4:55 AM on April 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

What's the music playing in the background?
posted by dfriedman at 5:18 AM on April 29, 2013

Yep, whole dustload of dust. Very sweet. Music is Pachelbel's canon, dfriedman.
posted by Athanassiel at 5:24 AM on April 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

Pachelbel's Canon in D. And the rant.
posted by Joe in Australia at 5:26 AM on April 29, 2013 [2 favorites]

Thanks, I knew it sounded familiar...
posted by dfriedman at 5:27 AM on April 29, 2013

I didn't encounter any onions. Serious question: Might this be a side effect of taking anti-depressants for the past few months?
posted by panaceanot at 5:32 AM on April 29, 2013

panaceanot: It could be. They can numb/minimize emotional reactions. But, I wouldn't worry too much about it unless it's effecting you in other ways. I tend to get teary at little shorts like this but didn't this time around. It could just be that it didn't tug at your heartstrings :)
posted by imbri at 6:12 AM on April 29, 2013

Cheers imbri.
posted by panaceanot at 6:19 AM on April 29, 2013

It's not dusty in here, but someone insists on cutting onions at 9:41 am.

When I work in the kindergarten, we often play Pachebel's Canon in D for rest time after lunch (it's a nice break from ocean sounds) and you can bet that next time we do so this I will think of that sweet old grandpa and the passage of time and I'll look at those sweet children on the floor hopefully being quiet for once, and next thing you know I'll be dabbing my eyes with those horrible rough brown paper towels we have to use for everything. Thanks, I think.
posted by peagood at 6:45 AM on April 29, 2013

panaceanot: could be, but honestly, I'm a big wimp since having kids and generally start bawling over anything sappy, but this did nothing for me. I just felt like it was really overworked.
posted by bfranklin at 6:57 AM on April 29, 2013 [1 favorite]

That was lovely. Thank you for sharing.
posted by michellenoel at 8:01 AM on April 29, 2013

I'm with bfranklin on this one. The idea could have been brought across in a much subtler way. Camera panning slowly across misty window, fade into shot of cutesy blond child, heartrending piano music... as soon as I watch this kind of thing, a sort of emotion-proof shield slams down between me and the screen and I feel like I'm watching a Werther's Original ad.
posted by creeky at 8:22 AM on April 29, 2013 [2 favorites]

I can't hear that song and not think of my own wedding, so I was tearing up for different reasons, but yes, nice film.
posted by desjardins at 8:26 AM on April 29, 2013

My grandpa had a "Four Nickles Two Dimes" magic trick-- just something that he bought in a joke shop I think-- but I loved it when I was about 6. He went into a nursing home with Parkinson's by the time I was 7 or 8, so grandpa doing his 'magic trick' is one of the very few memories I have of him when he was still healthy.

He died when I was about 13. I wish I'd had longer with him when he was healthy. I'm glad I found and kept the little tin circles for his magic trick.
posted by Kpele at 9:08 AM on April 29, 2013 [1 favorite]