MrMacca.com

Films for the Future

Poster for Animal Kingdom @ Release June 3rd

ANIMAL KINGDOM -- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1313092/

A high quality powerful psychological crime drama set in the Melbourne underworld.

[Taken From IMDB] : This is a movie about a young man (Josh or “J,” played by James Frecheville) whose extended family are all criminals. Using the character of seventeen-year-old J as a sort of catalyst, the movie explores a variety of crime-related issues, from the effects of growing up in a world where criminal activity is the norm, to the escalation of crime that is a natural consequence of vigilantism (especially when the vigilantes are police).

With an all star ensemble cast including Ben Mendelsohn, Joel Edgerton, Guy Pearce, Luke Ford, Jacki Weaver, Sullivan Stapleton and introducing
James Frecheville.

IMDB Link : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1313092/

THE LOVED ONES -- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1316536/

[taken from IMDB] : In order to avoid a ghostly figure in the road, high school senior Brent Mitchell wraps his car around a tree, killing his father. Constantly confronted by his mother’s emotional collapse after the accident, Brent escapes into a marijuana fueled world of loud metal music to block the pain and guilt. Dejected and out of sorts, he has a shot at happiness with his girlfriend Holly, a grounded, caring girl with drop dead good looks, a dream date for the high school prom. But his plans are thwarted by a disturbing series of events that take place under a mirrored disco ball, involving pink satin, glitter, syringes, nails, power drills and a secret admirer. Brent has become the prom king at a macabre, sadistic event where he is the entertainment

IMDB Link : http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1316536/

SRPSKI FILM -- http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1273235/

Release Date: Monday, March 15 2010
Stars: Srdjan Todorovic , Sergej Trifunovic , Jelena Gavrilovic , Katarina Zutic , Ana Sakic
Genre(s): Horror, Thriller, War

Milos is a former porn star who is down on his luck financially. When he receives a call from his long-time movie actress partner, Layla, he welcomes her call. Apparently she’s heard that a new film director wants to hire Milos to star in his “artistically-designed” porn film for a very generous price. He is easily lured form his semi-retirement by the lucrative offer, agreeing to meet the director in an isolated mansion.

As the filming progresses, Milo begins to suspect that the director’s intentions may be darker than mere pornography. As the film begins to devolve into a horrifically violent production, Milos finds escape may not be an option.

Trailer is NSFW

Popularity: 1% [?]

30th Of May – Songs from the day

It May Never End -- The Saddest Story Ever Told

JFX -- All Things New
This piece of music was created by my mate Nat aka JFX

Broken Social Scene -- Lover’s Spit

Auroura Borealis -- Tristeza

Club 8 -- She lives The water

Popularity: 1% [?]

Mogwai – Mogwai Fears Satan (Live)

Mogwai – Mogwai Fear Satan from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Kronos Quartet

Kronos Quartet -- Lux Aeterna (Live 2008)

Kronos Quartet (Clint Mansell -- The Fountain) Live Madrid

Kronos Quartet -- Gloomy Sunday
From WikiPedia:
“Gloomy Sunday” is a song composed by Hungarian  pianist and composer Rezs? Seress in 1933 to a Hungarian poem written by László Jávor (original Hungarian title of both song and poem “Szomorú vasárnap”, in which the singer reflects on the horrors of modern culture.

Kronos Quartet perform Philip Glass

If this is the 1st time you’ve heard Kronos Quartet, then I’d recommend looking into the Fountain Soundtrack, which they team up with Mogwai to create a stunning album.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Ólafur Arnalds

Ólafur Arnalds was born in 1987 and he is a multi-instrumentalist and producer from Iceland.

I first heard the music of his whilst I was researching into a technique that created an effect based upon the music being played.  I was hoping to use the effect whenever I uploaded a song to Youtube so that it would have an interesting Video, rather than just the lyrics or a static image.

His music is very sombre and actually feels quite sad, however the relaxation it offers is excellent.  If you are a fan of Max Richter, then you will notice quite a few similarities.  They both use the piano and Violin to full effect, creating pieces of music that stretch the soul and linger on your emotions.

This was the Video I 1st heard :

Ólafur Arnalds -- Ljósið (Official Music Video) from Erased Tapes on Vimeo.

Here’s a few more of his that I really Like:

Olafur Arnalds -- Undan Hulu

Olafur Arnalds -- Raein

Popularity: 1% [?]

Songs of the Day

Going to try and list any songs I come across that I enjoy listening to within the section of ‘Songs Of the Day’.

Here’s a few to get me started :

Olafur Arnalds -- Undan Hulu

The Foals -- Spanish Sahara

UNKLE -- In a State

My Brightest Diamond -- Inside A Boy

Schiller -- I Feel You

Popularity: 1% [?]

My WoW UI – Version 1 Release

Thought I’d stick this up here for anyone who plays World Of Warcraft and is looking for a new User Interface.  Click the Picture for a larger version.

Here’s the full download

Popularity: 1% [?]

Adobe After Effect tests

2 videos I created whilst learning how to use Adobe After Effects.

The 1st is an attempt at replicating the effect seen in one of Radioheads music videos and is just my face slowly morphing into view.  I followed a tutorial from a great AE website at - http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/

Double click the video frame to make it play again.

The 2nd one uses Motion tracking to track the movement of my mams eyes so that the transformation effect can be applied easier.

CLICK HERE – ScaryMamWithSound

Popularity: 1% [?]

Justin Vernon AKA Bon Iver

The album ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’ by Bon Iver is my favourite album to listen to at the moment.  It’s a nice album to put on and either listen to, or just have a sing along with.

Many of you might have heard the song ‘Flume’ as it was featured on the TV show Skins, and you may also have seen him perform the song ‘Skinny Love’ on the Jools Holland show.

If you are a fan of any of the following artists, i’m sure you will get some enjoyment out of the album;

Bruce Springsteen
Tom Mcrae
Ray Lamontagne
Damien Rice.

Ever since hearing his album, I also found a collection of songs on youtube that were taken from a very small release album he made originally.

Bon Iver Official Site -- http://www.boniver.org/
Bon Iver Myspace -- http://www.myspace.com/boniver
Bon iver on Wikipedia -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_Iver

So take a listen and enjoy.

Songs from the Album -- ‘For Emma, Forever Ago’

Bon Iver -- Skinny Love (Live on Jools Holland)

Bon Iver -- Lump Sum (Live)

Bon Iver -- Flume (Live on Myspace)

Songs from his limited release ‘Self Titled’

Justin Vernon -- Pier 39

Justin Vernon -- A Song For A Lover Of Long Ago

Justin Vernon -- Hazeltons

Popularity: 1% [?]

Films to look forward to…

Here’s a collection of films that I am looking forward to seeing in 2009:

Drag Me to Hell – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1127180/

Director : Sam Raimi
Cast: Alison Lohman, Justin Long
Release Date: 29 May 2009 (UK)
Genre: Horror | Thriller

A loan officer ordered to evict an old woman from her home finds herself the recipient of a supernatural curse, which turns her life into a living hell. Desperate, she turns to a seer to try and save her soul, while evil forces work to push her to a breaking point.

The Box – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0362478/

Director: Richard Kelly
Writers Richard Kelly (screenplay) Richard Matheson (short story “Button, Button”)
Cast: Cameron Diaz, James Marsden
Release Date: 4 December 2009 (UK)
Genre: Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller more

Norma and Arthur Lewis, a suburban couple with a young child, receive a simple wooden box as a gift, which bears fatal and irrevocable consequences. A mysterious stranger, delivers the message that the box promises to bestow upon its owner $1 million with the press of a button. But, pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world; someone they don’t know. With just 24 hours to have the box in their possession, Norma and Arthur find themselves in the cross-hairs of a startling moral dilemma and must face the true nature of their humanity.

Up – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1049413/

Directors: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson (co-director)
Writer: Bob Peterson (screenplay)
Release Date: 16 October 2009 (UK) more
Genre: Animation | Action | Adventure | Comedy | Family more

By tying thousands of balloon to his home, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen sets out to fulfill his lifelong dream to see the wilds of South America. Right after lifting off, however, he learns he isn’t alone on his journey, since Russell, a wilderness explorer 70 years his junior, has inadvertently become a stowaway on the trip.

This Side Of The Truth – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1058017/

Directors: Ricky Gervais, Matthew Robinson (co-director)
Writers : Ricky Gervais (written by) & Matthew Robinson (written by)
Release Date: 25 September 2009 (USA) more
Genre: Comedy

Ricky Gervais directs alongside Matthew Robinson in a comedy based on the script created by the two aforementioned.

This Side of the Truth is a comedy in which everyone in the world does not know the concept of lying, creating a world where honesty is prevalent.

Ricky plays Mark, a down on his luck script writer for a film company who stumbles upon the ability to lie and begins to use it to his advantage.  Due to people not knowing what a lie is, if Mark mentions something which is a lie they take it for the absolute truth, because in their heads they do not understand the concept of a lie, therefore if he is saying it, it can’t be one.

I’ve read the script for this movie and I found it quite clever in places.  It’s quite a statement against God I must add, which is probably the effect Ricky was hoping for being an Atheist himself.  You can find it here: This Side of the Truth Script(PDF)

Jennifer Garner, Rob Lowe, Jonah Hill, and Louis C.K. co-star in what is an excellent ensemble cast.

Shutter Island - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1130884/

Director: Martin Scorsese
Writers: Laeta Kalogridis (screenplay) Dennis Lehane (novel)
Release Date: 9 October 2009 (UK) more
Genre: Drama | Mystery | Thriller more

Mark Ruffalo and Leonardo DiCaprio team up as a pair of U.S. Marshals who travel to a secluded island off the coast of Massachusetts to search for an escaped mental patient, uncovering a web of deception along the way as they battle the forces of nature and a prison riot in this Martin Scorsese-helmed period picture.

Laeta Kalogridis adapts Dennis Lehane’s novel of the same name, with Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures splitting production and distribution duties. Ben Kingsley co-stars as the head of the institution where the patient resided, while Michelle Williams portrays Leonardo DiCaprio’s deceased wife, whose memory haunts him during the investigation. (Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide)

The Road – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0898367/

Director: John Hillcoat
Writers: Cormac McCarthy (novel) Joe Penhall (adaptation)
Release Date: 2009 (USA) more
Genre: Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller more

“The Road” – Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winner bestseller from acclaimed novelist Cormac McCarthy (“No Country For Old Men”), “The Road” is a post-apocalyptic dramatic thriller about a father and his son walking alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food–and each other.

Second Skin – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1183696/

Director: Juan Carlos Pineiro-Escoriaza
Writer: Victor Pineiro-Escoriaza (writer)
Release Date: 7 March 2008 (USA) more
Genre: Documentary more

Second Skin introduces viewers to the real people who populate online virtual worlds in games like World of Warcraft and Second Life.

Couples who have fallen in love without meeting, disabled players whose lives have been given new purpose, those struggling with addiction, Chinese gold farming sweatshop workers, wealthy entrepreneurs and legendary guild leaders – all living within a world that doesn’t quite exist.

Popularity: 64% [?]