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experimental film

Film

Meditative Movies That Will Help You Find Yourself

By Alison Nastasi on

Director Ron Fricke and producer Mark Magidson (the creators of Baraka) traveled to 25 countries over the span of five years, filming the 2011 non-narrative documentary, Samsara. The stunning movie arrives on Blu-ray tomorrow. Described as “a nonverbal, guided meditation,” the film was shot on 70mm and explores the interconnectedness that humanity shares with the rest of nature — from the world’s most sacred spaces, to industrial sites populated with machines. It’s the wheel of life and human experience captured with breathtaking photography. These types of contemplative, non-narrative features allow audiences to traverse every corner of the earth, immersed in a powerful, transcendent journey of self-discovery. See our picks for similar meditative movies, below. … Read More

Art

Watch a Fascinating Experimental Video Starring Flattened Food

By Caroline Stanley on

In the mood for a little vicarious destruction this afternoon? Spotted by Colossal, this weird little video by Dutch artists Hugo de Kok and Kay van Vree looks at what a handful of random foods look like when they’ve been completely flattened out — we imagine by an invisible giant’s massive fist. No surprises, squashed sushi is not so appetizing; meanwhile, smashed eggs are actually rather pretty. Click through to watch the strangely hypnotizing clip, which is set to music by Ivo van Dijk and Sophie Ansems, now. … Read More

Film

10 Films Every Teen Should Watch: An Alternate List

By Alison Nastasi on

We recently came across an old list compiled by the British Film Institute, naming 50 films that every teenager should see by the age of 14. We can’t argue with many of their picks — classics like E.T., The Wizard of Oz, and others feel like true essentials. Still, we couldn’t help but notice a number of movies we have a hard time imagining most young teenagers watching of their own free will. We wanted to come up with a few alternatives to BFI’s picks and include some films we were surprised didn’t make the final cut, and others that weren’t around in 2005 (with the 14-year age in the back of our minds). Some of our choices are classics, others act as a gateway to other selections in that genre, and the rest are just damn good. These types of lists are all subjective, so we want to hear your picks as well. What would you add to our essential teen watch list? Share below in the comments section. … Read More

Film

Watch an Incredibly Gorgeous Experimental Short Film by Andrew Thomas Huang

By Emily Temple on

Andrew Thomas Huang’s short film Solipsist, which recently won the Special Jury Prize for Experimental Short at the Slamdance film festival, is an absurdly beautiful tour de force, an underwater dreamscape where women are consumed by flora, sea creatures dance and envelop each other and men dissolve into sand. Huang strikes the perfect balance between beauty and strangeness, crafting a creepy but entrancing world with both practical and digital effects that we think will be haunting our dreams for the foreseeable future. Click through to watch the video, and let us know what you think in the comments. … Read More

Film

10 Surreal and Experimental Works by ‘Muppets’ Maestro Jim Henson

By Alison Nastasi on

With a recent fan campaign asking The Academy to let The Muppets host the Oscars after that whole messy Brett Ratner debacle, and a new film on the way next week (the first one in twelve years!), we’d like to think that Jim Henson is watching and smiling. Before the puppeteer created his Muppets universe and the iconic characters of Sesame Street, the beloved artist was tripping everyone out with his experimental films and surreal commercials. Henson’s lesser-known works are tiny avant-garde masterpieces that are infused with the same humor, character, and vision as his enduring legacy. Past the break, dig into Henson’s mind-bending movies. Feel free to share your favorites below. … Read More