MIX/VHS | Week 028

Hey guys! It's gonna be May! Or, at least, it already is May! Where has the time gone? To celebrate the new month, we've got a brand spankin' new MIX/VHS for y'all to sink your teeth into! We hope you enjoy!

Yellow

WATCH IT HERE!

Gunning straight out of the hyper-niche Sports-Noir genre, this short from two dudes named Alexander explores the gritty world of stock car racing and chicken farming. But mostly the racing. The acting and dialogue may leave something to be desired at times (the decision to use an actual racer as the protagonist is questionable, given its non-necessity), but the cinematography, editing, and overall story are engaging as hell. Fans of Days of Thunder and people who thought Talladega Nights was too goofy will definitely enjoy this.

-  JJ

Happy Bogeys

WATCH IT HERE!

Happy Bogeys is an animated short by Takashi Kurihara, an animator/ illustrator who has worked on the likes of Katamari Damacy as well as many graphic novels and books. Happy Bogeys seems to basically be a whimsical little film observing strange creatures just doing their thing. Could there be a deeper meaning? Who knows... If you don't get it, what's to get?

-  Felix

Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE!

Anytime I'm in a conversation about whether the best imagery comes from practical effects, I bring up photographer Gregory Crewdson.  This documentary takes you behind the scenes of some of the most surreal, but very real photoshoots of this master photographer who treats almost every shoot like a full film set.  His attention to detail, fantastic direction, and patience for the right moment births some of the most gorgeous pieces you will ever see.  If a picture is only worth 1000 words, Crewdson uses all of them to weave a captivating and curious tale.

- Carrie

Sufjan Stevens // Carrie & Lowell (LIVE)

WATCH IT HERE!

When a dear friend of mine died, I learned about in my car listening to Sufjan Steven's breathtaking & gut-wrenching album Carrie & Lowell, which documents Sufjan's grief while losing his mother. Before and after my friends passing, I always returned to this record whenever I was in a place of incredible sadness. Because it's lyrics and stripped-down acoustic guitar picking has this magic about it that pulls you into an almost-prayer like acceptance of life's greatest pains. The live show is no exception. In fact, it takes the initial album, and helps it ascend into a new stratosphere of importance to me, with some of the tunes being re-imagined with a more grandiose sound than the initial recording. If you can't watch this hour and a half show in one setting, be sure to check out the album of this live performance on Spotify. It's beauty incarnate.

-  Spencer

Blood Simple

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE!

The debut film from the masterful Coen Brothers is an amazing first feat. It is Shakespearean to the core, and a clear-but example of what is to follow from the brothers and their future work. It's suspenseful, beautiful, and brilliant.

-  Jake

Galen Pehrson's The Caged Pillows

WATCH IT HERE!

Step into the world of The Caged Pillows. This animated short by Galen Pehrson was created as a sort of intro announcement video for a site called RUINS, which will focus on urbanism and the future of cities through art of various kinds. Featuring a soundtrack from Daft Punk and Future Islands (among others), and boasting character voices from James Franco and Rose McGowan, this little short is entrancing on multiple levels. I love the animation style and the mix of textures used throughout. It makes me wish there were more parts of the story waiting to unfold, because it gives you such a little glimpse into a very developed world within. Check it out for yourself and apparently it has some interactive elements I haven't yet tried out, so be sure to give that a whirl as well.

- Sloane

Like this mix? Tell us what you think in the comments below, and let us know what you’re recommending for us to watch this week!