The Comet Chase

September 9, 2010 10:31 PM

Björk and Moomins
posted by Artw (50 comments total)

(Would you confirm, for those of us who are Silverlight-averse or -impaired, that this is the same thing?)
posted by koeselitz at 10:34 PM on September 9, 2010 [2 favorites]

Like watching a music video made for a ViewFinder.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:34 PM on September 9, 2010

(Kinda cool and quirky. Don't know what Moomins are. I imagine I'll find out soon enough.)
posted by koeselitz at 10:34 PM on September 9, 2010

Aren't Moomins some from sort of Scandanavian kids books? All I know is they were the mascots for Fukui Bank, my bank in rural Japan for several years earlier in the last decade...
posted by KokuRyu at 10:36 PM on September 9, 2010

(Would you confirm, for those of us who are Silverlight-averse or -impaired, that this is the same thing?)

Ja
posted by KokuRyu at 10:37 PM on September 9, 2010

s/ViewFinder/ViewMaster/
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:39 PM on September 9, 2010

On a related note, please enjoy several minutes of Bjork talking about, and taking apart, her TV.
posted by killdevil at 10:40 PM on September 9, 2010 [5 favorites]

Don't know what Moomins are.

This is a tragedy!

Run, don't walk, to the library and borrow (or interlibrary loan) Comet in Moominland and Finn Family Moomintroll right now. And if you've got kids, read the books to them. Because they're that god.
posted by dunkadunc at 10:44 PM on September 9, 2010 [5 favorites]

I AM SO FUCKING EXCITED ABOUT THIS, THE MOOMINS MAKE ME HAPPIER THEN I COULD EVER BE, AND ALSO BJORK, GLORIUS ICELANDIC PIXIE JOY BJORK.
posted by PinkMoose at 10:54 PM on September 9, 2010 [10 favorites]

moonkins?
posted by atomicmedia at 10:59 PM on September 9, 2010 [1 favorite]

Thank you Artw, this made my Friday!
posted by arcticseal at 11:02 PM on September 9, 2010

THAN
posted by humboldt32 at 11:15 PM on September 9, 2010

Do Moomintroll and Snork Maiden finally get it on?
posted by unliteral at 11:37 PM on September 9, 2010

Moomins!

Not a huge fan of Bjork, but

Moomins! As a movie? Might work, but I can't stomach the voice-over on the trailer.
posted by BungaDunga at 11:50 PM on September 9, 2010

You know, I don't care how bizarre most people think she is; with that voice, that face, that body, that talent, those leggings and that mind, she will always and forever be the one person I will never meet that, if I met her, would be able to conquer and stick a flag in me.
posted by davejay at 12:01 AM on September 10, 2010

Buy the books.
posted by pracowity at 12:02 AM on September 10, 2010

Including this one and that one.
posted by pracowity at 12:22 AM on September 10, 2010

ooh artw, you know how to push my buttons!
posted by Miss Otis' Egrets at 12:59 AM on September 10, 2010

I don't know, the Moomins always made me uncomfortable in an indefinable way. Pitched at kids the material is a bit more grown up, and seems that vague narrative gaps generated by the translation. With Bjork doing this particular soundtrack, it only enhances the sensation. I'm aware this is just me.
posted by doozer_ex_machina at 1:25 AM on September 10, 2010 [1 favorite]

When I was 8 a read - or had read to me "Comet in Mooninland". Around about that time the news was starting to report about the arrival of Comet West. I remember thinking that the reportage seemed to be a little bit casual given that the seas were about to dry up and we were going to have to take refuge in caves.

Anyway - it is nice to see moonins getting the kind of production values Tove Janson's great stories deserve. In Finland whoever is marketing the brand seems have sold out to letting them get associated with the promotion of any kind of cheap and nasty food around (what I would call "the Wonka bar" effect).
posted by rongorongo at 1:36 AM on September 10, 2010 [1 favorite]

That is a dreadful, dreadful song.

Someone had to say it.

Love the Moomins though. They're a bizarre set of books - they move from carefree slightly surreal kidlit to dark psychological self-examination to howling existential masterpiece.
posted by Sebmojo at 3:32 AM on September 10, 2010 [6 favorites]

The Hemulen woke up slowly and recognised himself and wished he had been someone he didn't know. He felt even tireder than when he went to bed, and here it was - another day that would go on until evening and then there would be another one and another one which would be the same as all days are when lived by a Hemulen.
posted by dng at 4:13 AM on September 10, 2010 [4 favorites]

I love Bjork in general, but this reminds me of the Family Guy episode where they run into Randy Newman, just singin' about the things he sees.
posted by Shepherd at 5:12 AM on September 10, 2010 [2 favorites]

Yay Moomins! Vikings represent!
posted by jeanmari at 5:23 AM on September 10, 2010

This is like something from the Moominpocolypse. I kept expecting then to emerge from the cave to behold the New Jerusalem. Björk could sing about that, too, actually.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:26 AM on September 10, 2010

That is a dreadful, dreadful song.

I really really love Björk, I often wonder 'what is her worst song?' because I love them all very very much..
Thanks to that song, my question is answered!
posted by CitoyenK at 5:58 AM on September 10, 2010 [2 favorites]

Lord, that song was a fucking dirge.
Still, less annoying than the music on the trailer.
Is it new animation, because it looks a lot like the Polish animation (aka Fuzzy Felt Moomins) that ITV used to show.

Jansson also did a comic strip version of the Moomins that was printed in the London Evening News in the 50s, which was more adult-oriented than the books. They're lovely looking books too.
posted by SyntacticSugar at 6:02 AM on September 10, 2010

Yeah that song was pretty horrible. But Finn Family Moomintroll was the first book I ever read by myself and it's fantastic.
posted by awfurby at 6:02 AM on September 10, 2010

Is it new animation, because it looks a lot like the Polish animation (aka Fuzzy Felt Moomins) that ITV used to show

It's not, according to wikipedia at least:

Moomins and the Comet Chase (Finnish: Muumi ja punainen pyrstötähti) is a 2010 stop motion film compiled from the Comet in Moominland-based episodes of the 1977–1982 Moomins TV series animated at Se-ma-for in Poland, restored and re-soundtracked with multiple voice actors replacing the single narrator.
posted by dng at 6:05 AM on September 10, 2010

It's not new animation I mean.
posted by dng at 6:06 AM on September 10, 2010

There was a great interview with Björk re the Moomins on Radio 4 a couple of weeks ago. You can still get it on the iplayer.
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 6:07 AM on September 10, 2010 [1 favorite]

Oh, and can someone reprint 'Sculptor's Daughter' because I'm not paying £500 for a used copy.
Forgot to say, thanks for posting this, ArtW, any new Moomins is good Moomins even if Bjork seems to be exploring new heights of wilful inpenetrability.
posted by SyntacticSugar at 6:08 AM on September 10, 2010

Really cool animation.
The song...not so much.
posted by Thorzdad at 6:42 AM on September 10, 2010

It's not new animation I mean.

Oh, now I'm sad. Oh well, at least I can cheer myself up by watching the box-set this weekend.
Also you can't improve on Richard Murdoch's narration.
posted by SyntacticSugar at 7:08 AM on September 10, 2010 [2 favorites]

I love Bjork and I love the Moomins. The two together ought to be a good thing, but it just reminds me of going to see the Sun-Ra Arkestra one time and it looked like they'd had way too many muchrooms before the act and were constantly over astonished at words like 'tree' and 'fire'.
posted by shinybaum at 7:15 AM on September 10, 2010 [1 favorite]

Mushrooms.
posted by shinybaum at 7:16 AM on September 10, 2010

As the self-appointed biggest Björk fan on Metafilter, I officially declare this song mediocre!
posted by bjork24 at 7:24 AM on September 10, 2010 [3 favorites]

She's only really had a passing relationship with actual tunes since Medulla. The lyrics are awesome though.
posted by Artw at 7:26 AM on September 10, 2010

I liked 'we run and we fall down potholes' bit. Also 'Comet. Oh damn it!'
As always, TVTropes is spot on the money.
Björk is what happens when you dress a cat in Alexander McQueen and teach it how to use a laptop for music purposes.
posted by SyntacticSugar at 7:34 AM on September 10, 2010

I have the Fuzzy Felt Moomins series on DVD and have been frightening and amusing my friends with them.

Isn't the new movie the same material slightly gussied up with some computer animation, but with American-style voiceovers? I prefer the soothing RP tones of Richard Murdoch. Mind you, Max von Sydow is narrating the English version, which might be interesting.
posted by vickyverky at 8:10 AM on September 10, 2010

I don't think any of us can really say whether that song is any good or not until they release a version of it with music.
posted by rusty at 8:14 AM on September 10, 2010 [1 favorite]

Better than the horrid Anime version that was doing the rounds.
posted by Artw at 8:24 AM on September 10, 2010

My original verdict on hearing the iTunes snippet of the song was that if I bought it, it would take me until Bjork released her next album to process it. Having heard the whole thing, I think it's easier to wrap my brain around than large parts of Volta, but I really want a mashup/remix with something like a melody underneath it.

Much love for the Moomintrolls always, though.
posted by immlass at 8:47 AM on September 10, 2010

Eh, Moonkins still have mana issues, and they're just usually better off speccing treeform.
posted by Threeway Handshake at 9:13 AM on September 10, 2010

I like it.
posted by hermitosis at 9:32 AM on September 10, 2010

Previously on Metafilter, with bonus img tag. I've added Moominmamma to my back since then.

Yay Moomin movie, but Bjork is alas not my cup of tea. I tried and tried to like her for years but eventually my quest was defeated and even the presence of Snufkin couldn't get me through that whole video. Still, it's always good to see more Moomins out in the world.
posted by mygothlaundry at 9:33 AM on September 10, 2010

I really love the song, honestly. The breathiness, the jagged, asymmetrical thing she's doing. It has a heavy, swinging stomp to it.
posted by umbú at 9:44 AM on September 10, 2010

Thanks for this. I love Moomins, and am excited to learn about the movie. The ViewMaster comparison for the video is very apt!
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 11:25 AM on September 10, 2010

I love the Moomins beyond all reason, which is why I would be terrified to watch any movie version. The books have this weird unsettling undercurrent of spookiness that I fear is going to be drowned in twee cuteness. On the other hand, I would love more people to be aware of the Moomins and their awesomeness, if only so that my friends will quit referring to my tiny Moomintroll doll as "that hippo."
posted by OolooKitty at 10:43 PM on September 10, 2010

I like the coy difficult melody of the song.

Too often for me a pop song is like a stripper who shoves her bare crotch in everyone's face as soon as the song starts. Shure it may be what everyone there wants, but you can have a bit of teasing fun on the way - and if you've got skill you can please without ever getting that tawdry.
posted by idiopath at 1:49 PM on September 11, 2010 [1 favorite]