Fractal Fragments
A few bits and pieces that aren’t big enough to survive on their own. Here they huddle together for warmth, fighting against the cold, unforgiving winter nights.
The Brown M&Ms
Here’s a more detailed explanation of the Van Halen post from a few weeks ago.
Fractal Films: Ratatoille (2007)
Pixar films have kind of got a bit stale for me. I liked the first two Toy Storys (Toy Stories?), thought A Bug’s Life and Monsters, Inc. were alright, found The Incredibles to be a bit pedestrian, and really disliked Finding Nemo. Didn’t bother with Cars. So I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Very funny and very well animated (pixels have never been so expressive), the film works mainly through a surprisingly strong plot.
In terms of atmosphere, it’s the most Disneylike of all of John Lasseter’s stuff, and while not as good as director Brad Bird’s The Iron Giant it has some exceptionally good design work going on. Paris looks like Paris, and there are some very effective visual interpretations of how flavour works, conceived (I think) by Canadian cartoonist, comic creator and animator Michel Gagné. I dare you to watch this film and not get hungry. The end credits, while not the usual fake outtakes, are still worth watching for what looks like exceptionally pretty traditional animation.
But the best bit isn’t the actual feature, but the animated short that precedes it: a dialogue-free sequence where a trainee alien abductor tries to get a sleeping man out of his house. Easily the funniest thing I’ve seen this year.
Fractal Furlough: Bill Bailey – Tinselworm, Cardiff International Arena, 21.11.07.
I lied, this is the funniest thing I’ve seen this year. What impresses isn’t just how good a comedian he is, but the breadth of his musical talent. In terms of pure entertainment, you can’t do any better. Worth the ticket price just for his Emo track about a self-harmer in Starbucks:
The only way/The only way that you will see me/Is if I cut myself/And bleed on your panini.
