Comments on: The Way Things Go...

The Way Things Go...

limitedpie — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 09:55:03 -0800

(Google Video.) The incredible short by Peter Fischli and David Weiss. (Mentioned before (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) but here is the complete film!)

By: jonson

jonson — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 10:05:40 -0800

Stupid me! I paid $30 for a DVD of this when I could have just seen it on Google Video for free.

By: elpapacito

elpapacito — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 10:06:07 -0800

Curiously "the video is currently not avaiable" , The Internets +1 , Google 0

By: R. Mutt

R. Mutt — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 10:23:25 -0800

Well jonson, you could have just stolen it like Honda.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 10:43:33 -0800

It's too bad this was done pre-computer because the cuts are really obvious. Close-up of a pool of goo cuts to a different close-up of said goo.

By: OmieWise

OmieWise — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 10:57:59 -0800

Oy, what a mess those boys made! [This is really cool.]

By: dansdata

dansdata — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 11:16:35 -0800

Allegedly the cuts were only done for time, and possibly to change film/cameras; the goo-pool reactions could take a long time, so they chopped them out. The DVD version has approximately nothing in the way of behind-the-scenes stuff, though, so your guess is as good as mine about whether they actually did cheat. I still recommend the DVD, though. It makes fine end-of-party viewing, seeing as it's very nifty, has no dialogue, and is only about half an hour long. You can get the DVD on Amazon now, so I presume it's pretty easy to find everywhere; you used to have to buy it from one funny little Web site.

By: mrbill

mrbill — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 11:22:21 -0800

Hello copyright violation! (I've got this DVD at home).

By: Eideteker

Eideteker — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 11:39:37 -0800

Pursuant to this comment: The Way Things Go, now on Google Video, is a 30 min. film of an incredible Rube Goldberg device. Follow the twists, turns, and endless* action of this film now, before it's taken down for copyright violation! * action actually ends after about 30 min. Offer void in Peru. Ithaca has (had?) this playing on an endless* loop at the Sciencenter downtown. So cool. Thanks for the link!

By: Parannoyed

Parannoyed — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 12:40:38 -0800

This Rube'ian reaction is very different from others I've seen in that it relies heavily on chemical reaction, fire and explosion. All of which are extremely difficult to predict and control. I applaud their apparently large cajones and patience. One wonders how long this setup was and how many takes it took (if they didn't cheat). I would LOVE to get a behind the scenes, making of video. heck I might even pay for it.

By: OmieWise

OmieWise — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 12:45:00 -0800

I also like how this video essentially put the lie to any WTC conspiracy theories about explosives etc. If they can do this, certainly a fire made by a huge amount of jet fuel could lead to the towers coming down.

By: bonecrusher

bonecrusher — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 12:47:09 -0800

Can anyone explain the lightbulb at around 11:00? Was the water completing a circuit, or was there more to it than that?

By: DesbaratsDays

DesbaratsDays — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 12:52:01 -0800

This is one of my all-time favorites. I just happened to accidentally tape it about 10 years ago when it was on PBS late at night. Unfortunately, I loaned out the tape, and cant remember to whom. Hours spent watching it...

By: smackfu

smackfu — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 13:44:11 -0800

If they can do this, certainly a fire made by a huge amount of jet fuel could lead to the towers coming down. Holy non sequitur Batman!

By: jtron

jtron — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 13:45:11 -0800

Netflix has it, for those who subscribe. I just watched it the other night, and it's terrific. R. Mutt: you do know that there's a long history of this sort of thing, right? The Germans and Honda are just following in the footsteps (or boot-on-the-spoke-of-a-wheel-steps) of others...

By: OmieWise

OmieWise — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 13:56:23 -0800

smackfu writes "Holy non sequitur Batman!" Well, yes, but my thought process went something like this while I was watching: Wow, this is cool...who'da thought changing that little thing would lead to that big change...these guys are some pretty impressive practical engineers...I guess you have to be pretty careful about unintended consequences when you do engineering...just look at the chains of events that can get started from something small, a leak or a small fire...this is kind of like what happened with the attack at the WTC...a bunch of stuff just added up...god those people who think that the WTC could never have come down from an airplane crashing into them are loons...this video sure shows why. I may have missed a connection or two, but it still makes sense to me.

By: Parannoyed

Parannoyed — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 14:05:26 -0800

lay off the smart-drugs, Omiewise. =)

By: digaman

digaman — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 14:28:42 -0800

It's too bad this was done pre-computer because the cuts are really obvious Yeah, that's why those first three Star Wars sucked -- no CGI, so they had to make do with mere acting and miniatures.

By: lalochezia

lalochezia — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 15:28:14 -0800

30 minutes is not a 'short'.

By: jtron

jtron — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 15:51:37 -0800

OK, what is it then, if not a 'short?' 30 minutes is a bit thin to be a 'feature,' and 'novella' is a print-specific word.

By: QuietDesperation

QuietDesperation — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 16:22:29 -0800

There was acting in the first three Star Wars?

By: BlackLeotardFront

BlackLeotardFront — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 19:28:25 -0800

Cool, I had to look long and hard to get this before. Other incredible machines: Japanese Rube Goldberg (amazing... but inexplicable) Honda ad - "Cog" Half-life 2 RGM and its sequel

By: Who_Am_I

Who_Am_I — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 04:51:17 -0800

jtron: yeah, but some of the shots in the Honda ad are direct recreations of shots in this film. See also here.