The Way Things Go...

April 25, 2006 9:55 AM

The Way Things Go. (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!)
posted by limitedpie (22 comments total)

Stupid me! I paid $30 for a DVD of this when I could have just seen it on Google Video for free.
posted by jonson at 10:05 AM on April 25, 2006

Curiously "the video is currently not avaiable" , The Internets +1 , Google 0
posted by elpapacito at 10:06 AM on April 25, 2006

Well jonson, you could have just stolen it like Honda.
posted by R. Mutt at 10:23 AM on April 25, 2006

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.
posted by smackfu at 10:43 AM on April 25, 2006

Oy, what a mess those boys made! [This is really cool.]
posted by OmieWise at 10:57 AM on April 25, 2006

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.
posted by dansdata at 11:16 AM on April 25, 2006

Hello copyright violation! (I've got this DVD at home).
posted by mrbill at 11:22 AM on April 25, 2006

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!
posted by Eideteker at 11:39 AM on April 25, 2006

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.
posted by Parannoyed at 12:40 PM on April 25, 2006

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.
posted by OmieWise at 12:45 PM on April 25, 2006

Can anyone explain the lightbulb at around 11:00? Was the water completing a circuit, or was there more to it than that?
posted by bonecrusher at 12:47 PM on April 25, 2006

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...
posted by DesbaratsDays at 12:52 PM on April 25, 2006

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!
posted by smackfu at 1:44 PM on April 25, 2006

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...
posted by jtron at 1:45 PM on April 25, 2006

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.
posted by OmieWise at 1:56 PM on April 25, 2006

lay off the smart-drugs, Omiewise. =)
posted by Parannoyed at 2:05 PM on April 25, 2006

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.
posted by digaman at 2:28 PM on April 25, 2006

30 minutes is not a 'short'.
posted by lalochezia at 3:28 PM on April 25, 2006

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.
posted by jtron at 3:51 PM on April 25, 2006

There was acting in the first three Star Wars?
posted by QuietDesperation at 4:22 PM on April 25, 2006

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
posted by BlackLeotardFront at 7:28 PM on April 25, 2006

jtron: yeah, but some of the shots in the Honda ad are direct recreations of shots in this film. See also here.
posted by Who_Am_I at 4:51 AM on April 26, 2006