Here’s another in our ongoing series of time-lapse videos showcasing beautiful and exotic places around the world. Ladakh is a remote region in northernmost India, bordering Tibet and flanked by the Himalayan Mountains. Panidhar Revanur shot and edited this short, highlighting such locales as the Likir Monastery, Moonland, Tsomoriri Lake and the Chang La Pass. H/T Kuriositas
This is one of the more awe-inspiring time-lapse movies around, created by Daniel Lopez to capture the haunting quality of the skies over the Canary Islands. Lopez shot these images in Tenerife at some 2,000 feet above sea level, where the mountains and clouds begin to meet. It took him more than a year to photograph and assemble the work. He is planning to do several other follow-up shorts highlighting the beauty of the different islands. H/T Kuriositas
A young victim of a stabbing incident stumbles into a kebab shop in South London, his attackers in hot pursuit. We won’t reveal what happens next, other than to say it could be grist for urban legend or else based on a true story…kind of — as the opening credits aver. This short film is plenty gripping, although not meant for the squeamish viewer. Dan Sully wrote and directed the piece. H/T Kuriositas
Israeli filmmaker Eran Amir makes some of the most imaginative short collages around. Call Me Stormy readers responded most favorably to his work Black and White (In Colour), which we presented last fall. Now, Amir is back hitting the streets, assembling a collage of 300 people, each hitting one single musical note, to create a flowing, harmonious melody. If you missed Black and White (In Colour), you can find it here: http://callmestormy.com/2012/10/16/black-white-in-colour/
You’re an astronaut marooned on a distant planet, your oxygen nearly depleted as a deadly predator punctures your spacesuit and starts slithering its way toward your torso. No, you’re a soldier on the front lines in World War I, your legs gone and your courage vanishing as you mount one last effort to stop the enemy assault. No, you’re a sailor, tethered to a sinking boat, drowning as you plunge deep down an abyss.
Voice Over is the ultimate acid-test of your abilities to survive extreme conditions. Martin Rosete’s imaginative short, from Spain, comes complete with voiceover in French, and subtitles in English. H/T Kuriositas
Alien invaders are threatening to wipe out the human race and populate the Earth. Perhaps the key to defeating them lies with an Army officer, located in Montana several months after being reported missing. The man’s wife is given the dangerous assignment of debriefing the officer, just to be sure he’s not an alien in disguise.
The short Chameleon is the work of filmmaker Sam Lemberg. James C. Burns, who plays the officer, is better known for supplying the vocals for Sergeant Frank Woods in the Call of Duty: Black Ops games. H/T Kuriositas
Here’s a rarity — the sixth episode of Hal Roach’s “Our Gang” comedy series from 1922. Roach initially produced the series at his own studio, but “Our Gang” really took off after MGM became involved in 1927. All told, 220 “Our Gang” shorts were created over a 22-year-span between 1922 and 1944, and 41 different child actors starred. Roach broke ground, not only by showcasing the antics of poor children, but also by casting both whites and blacks, and showing them living in close proximity and relative harmony. H/T Unknown Cinema
What’s the next wave of social media after Facebook? Filmmaker Evan Jarvi conjures up one dystopic possibility in HUD. No, it’s not a remake of the Paul Newman movie, but shorthand for Heads Up Display. H/T Kuriositas
Usually on Call Me Stormy, we dwell on the mundane and the profane. Today, we’ll get a little more profound and metaphysical. The cornerstone for our inquiry: A probing lecture by Stephen Hawking questioning the origins of life and the universe. But as a segue to Hawking, we present Cristobal Vila’s paean to the eternal light.
The M.C. Escher-inspired artist, based in Zaragoza, Spain, creates short puzzlebox movies using 3-D graphics to illustrate nature and the world at large, stretching out well beyond our solar system. You might remember him from his work Nature by Numbers, which went quite viral. Here’s his latest effort, with accompanying music by Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. H/T Kuriositas
Besides the Little Rascals, Hal Roach also produced a series of comedies called The Dippy Do Dah Club, featuring an all-animal cast. PETA might object to the inclusion of a mock cock fight, but this 1923 episode, The Knockout, is quite hilarious, with ducks, chickens and dogs all attending the big fight, and monkeys masquerading as the press. Some things never change!
