The Nightmare Before Christmas' " This Is Halloween " sung by everyone's favorite turrets and murderous AI in "
This Is Aperture "
posted by The Whelk
on Jan 28, 2012 -
13 comments
"
Welcome to the Zion Archive. You have selected Historical File #12-1: The Second Renaissance."
So begins the short film of the same name by Mahiro Maeda
[Flash: 1 2 - QuickTime: 1 2] -- a devastating yet beautiful work of animation.
Originally produced to explain the backstory behind the
Matrix trilogy, Maeda's project ended up telling a story far darker and more affecting than any blockbuster.
Using a blend of
faux documentary footage and
visual metaphor, his serene Instructor relates in biblical tones the saga of Man and Machine, how age-old cruelty and hatred birthed a horrifying, apocalyptic struggle that consumed the world.
Packed with striking imagery and
historical allusions galore, this dark allegory easily transcends the films it was made for.
But while "The Second Renaissance" is arguably the best work to come from the
Matrix franchise, it's hardly alone -- it's just one of the projects made for
The Animatrix, a collection of
nine superb anime films in a
wide variety of styles designed to explore the universe and broaden its scope beyond the usual sci-fi action of the movies.
Click inside for a guide to these films with links to where they can be watched online, along with a look at
The Matrix Comics, a free series of comics, art, and short fiction created for the same purpose by
some of the best talent in the business.
[more inside]
posted by Rhaomi
on Feb 14, 2011 -
54 comments
"The Japanese Tradition" was a series of nine short, parody "How To" videos that gently mocked the formality of Japanese culture, from comedy duo
Rahmens (
ラーメンズ) and Japan Culture Lab. They're
available on DVD, but nearly all of them can be seen on YouTube, including
Sushi and
Ocha (tea).
[more inside]
posted by zarq
on Aug 25, 2010 -
54 comments
Fools' Gold: An Oral History of the Insane Clown Posse Parodies. "[T]he group is enjoying a resurgence in attention, if not popularity, from a wave of Internet comedy videos poking fun at their music and their legions of harlequin-faced fans, who call themselves Juggalos... Here, Insane Clown Posse, the writers of “Saturday Night Live” and the creator of “Juggalo News” retrace the path of this unlikely media circus."
[previously, previouslier] [more inside]
posted by ocherdraco
on Apr 26, 2010 -
107 comments
If there's one thing that MeFites are absolutely universal in loving, it's the TV show Mad Men. Right? Right? Well, here's something that even the haters will enjoy :
Milk Men - A Mad Men Parody
posted by Afroblanco
on Nov 7, 2009 -
61 comments
So it started with the
original (NSFW) Eric Prydz video . Then we got a
Parody (NSFW?) of the original. Now we have a completely different band doing a
Sequel (NSFW). Hughes Corporation revisits the leg warmer plight of the original song. A continuing saga...
posted by Lord_Pall
on Sep 28, 2006 -
37 comments
Dreamies. It's 1972, and
affable salaryman and good husband Bill Holt quits his good job at 3M to become a musical pioneer from the comfort of his own basement. The resulting album,
Dreamies, is notable for its generous and ahead-of-its-time use of sampling/plunderphonics and became a highly sought-after lost classic
until its re-release this year. Bill now has
his own website, also called Dreamies, where he releases
Eye Candy and Politics in liberal doses. Some are
hypnotic, some are, for want of a better term, '
relaxing', others are
anything but. And all of them are subtly infused with the slightly unsettling taste of
Huh?
posted by nylon
on Jun 27, 2006 -
8 comments
waxy.org vows to fight Bill Cosby's lawyers and continue to provide hosting to
House of Cosbys despite receiving a
cease & desist letter [PDF]. Andy Baio, founder of waxy.org, discusses this in the
NY Times and provides updates on his site. As
previously posted, Bill Cosby's lawyers were successful in getting the creators of
House of Cosbys to stop hosting and making new episodes of their parody series.
It appears that threatening letters and lawsuits will continue to be filed against internet parody sites as celebrities try to protect what they view as their copyright, according to the
Wall Street Journal.
posted by Mijo Bijo
on Mar 6, 2006 -
33 comments
"Damn, Natalie, you a crazy chick!" (video) Natalie Portman, rapper and riot grrl? Maybe Lazy Sunday (
video;
mefi post) wasn't a freak occurence after all. Personally, I had expected the
Lonely Planet guys to end up a one-hit wonder, but in my book they've (at least) moved up a notch to talented one-trick pony. Another very well-done digital short that should be seen by a lot more people than SNL's dismal ratings will allow.
posted by Sinner
on Mar 5, 2006 -
99 comments
Driving down the street in my Panzer tank,
sittin’ drinkin’ Cris’ with my bitch Anne Frank.
And when I step into the club’s you know I’m steppin with style!
Raise my left hand,
party people say “Heil!”
posted by jcterminal
on Jul 3, 2005 -
24 comments
"I have a hard time controlling my urges. Heck, I go home with just about any guy I meet. But then I discovered new
Vagiseal." (WMV - NSFW)
posted by Mwongozi
on Oct 12, 2004 -
12 comments
Shoot the Dog, George Michael's latest release, will be accompanied by an animated video which lampoons the relationship between George Bush & Tony Blair. The UK Prime Minister appears as an obedient poodle and the video also features Mr Michael's attempts to get jiggy with the PM's wife, Cherie.
Clips viewable via
this Sky News report
'It could get slated, it could land me right in the shit, but I hope it just gets people debating because there's never been a more important time to talk than now' says the man who is no stranger to controversy
following his dalliance in an LA toilet.
Here are the
ABC &
Reuters/Yahoo versions of the story but
Lileks isn't impressed [scroll down a little] and offers a curmudgeonly run thru the lyrics.
This brings up the old chestnut of pop stars as political commentators and further questions regarding the US-UK-EU-RoW relationships, dissenting voices in these various times and, of course, whether the song is actually any good? And what does
Bono think?
posted by i_cola
on Jul 2, 2002 -
28 comments
Taking a swipe at celebrity cause-fests: The ever-witty
Pulp (whose latest album, "We Love Life," might
finally be seeing a Stateside release come spring) enlists a host of celebrity impersonators (how many can you point out?) for the video promoting their newest single, "Bad Cover Version."
posted by maura
on Feb 13, 2002 -
6 comments
