Vimeo of the Day: "Technicolour Alaska"

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Here's a gorgeous timelapse video by Alexis Coram:

I headed to Alaska in February with the hope of catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights... That glimpse turned into an extravaganza... a party in the sky, and I was an onlooker, a face in the crowd... awestruck, mesmerized, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world. Night after night I was captivated by bright and colorful lights dancing wistfully above me; a graceful representation of the light in my soul.

I was going to make a joke about how if you looked very carefully you might be able to catch a glimpse of Sarah Palin, just as she could see Russia and that was her foreign policy experience, or something like that, but the ugliness of her soul is pretty much the exact opposite of the beauty of nature captured here. No need to tarnish it. Enjoy!

Technicolour Alaska from Alexis Coram on Vimeo.

Vimeo of the Day: "Paris in Motion (Part 4)"

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Yes, Paris is a gorgeous city, and this is a lovely video. Make sure to watch Parts 1-3 as well.

Part 1: vimeo.com/46106624

Part 2: vimeo.com/50467187

Part 3: vimeo.com/66056982

Paris in Motion (Part 4) from Mayeul Akpovi on Vimeo.

Vimeo of the Day: "The wet images of Andrei Tarkovsky"

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Of all the great film directors, the most enigmatic to me is perhaps Andrei Tarkovsky. His movies, simply, are starkly beautiful and existentially unsettling.

If you ask me, Andrei Rublev is one of the greatest films ever made, an astonishing depiction of one man's artistic obsession in medieval Russia, but his six other feature films are similarly impressive. Indeed, it was his final film, The Sacrifice, a Bergmanesque masterpiece made in Sweden, that first drew me to him, posing questions about the human condition, within a bizarre story that appears to make little narrative sense, that I found profoundly disturbing but also profoundly important.

And yet it's never really clear what his films are about, beneath the surface, and for that reason he was not just an enigmatic filmmaker but a fascinating one as well. (One of his five Russian films, Solaris, was remade by Steven Soderbergh, starring George Clooney. It's a fine effort, but the original is much weirder and rather less accessible.)

Anyway, the point here is not to delve into Tarkovsky's work (and I encourge you to do that; three of his films are available at Criterion -- I highly recommend Ivan's Childhood, his first film, which along with Solaris has been gorgeously remastered; I'm waiting for the Blu-ray special edition of Andrei Rublev) but to introduce a wonderful Vimeo called "The wet images of Andrei Tarkovsky." It captures some of the beauty of Tarkovsky's work, and here it is. Enjoy!

1+1=1 | The wet images of Andrei Tarkovsky from Luis Enrique Rayas on Vimeo.

The Peach Kings: "Be Around" and "Fisherman"

By Michael J.W. Stickings

My latest musical discovery is The Peach Kings, the wonderful L.A. duo of Paige McClain Wood and Steven Trezevant Dies. They describe their sound as "a mixture somewhere between Portishead and Led Zeppelin, The Kills and Nancy Sinatra, The Cramps and Roy Orbison," and, well, yes. They're great. Definitely check them out.

I actually found them at Vimeo, where their video for "Be Around," from their 2014 EP Mojo Thunder, was recently a Staff Pick. Here it is:

The Peach Kings - "Be Around" from Paul Trillo on Vimeo.
And here they are performing "Fisherman," from their 2012 EP Handsome Moves:

Peach Kings - "Fisherman" from Jam in the Van on Vimeo.

Vimeo of the Day: "Into the Cave of Wonders"

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Here's a short film of the glorious Gruta de las Maravillas (Grotto of the Marvels or Cave of Wonders), located in Aracena, Andalusia, in southern Spain. It was shot in stunning 4k HDR. The details are truly incredible. Try to watch it on a big screen.

For more on the film, see here.

Into the Cave of Wonders [4k HDR short documentary] from LovetheFrame on Vimeo.

Vimeo of the Day: "Ancients"

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Here's a glorious time-lapse video by Nicholas Buer:

This film follows the ancient cycle of sunset, to night, to sunrise. A continuous loop of perpetual movement that has been unbroken since the dawn of time, and the only true constant in our lives.

I shot this film over 12 days around the San Pedro de Atacama region of Northern Chile. San Pedro is an oasis town in the Atacama and sits at an altitude of 2600m. The town is a great base to explore the fascinating landscapes that surround it, and everything just goes up and up.

The Atacama is well-known for what are arguably the cleanest, darkest skies on Earth. The dry air adds an extra transparency and this coupled with the altitude creates a night sky like no other. I visited at a time when Venus was situated quite close to the centre of the Milky Way; an astronomical event that only takes place every 8 years or so. I also timed my visit with the Autumn equinox which is a good time of year to capture Zodiacal light; the celestial phenomenon caused by sunlight scattering interplanetary space dust in the Zodiacal cloud. It stretches across the ecliptic and glows for a short while after sunset like a UFO beam and I was lucky enough to witness this every night I stepped out into the dark.

Quite stunning. Enjoy!

Ancients from Nicholas Buer on Vimeo.

Vimeo of the Day: "Dreamscapes"

By Michael J.W. Stickings

The beauty of the ice storm that struck the Toronto area, devastation and all, has given way to the usual ugliness of urban winter.

So let's take a moment, all of us, to watch this beautiful time-lapse video by Jonathan Besler. Our world really is amazing, just not always the people that inhabit it.

Dreamscapes from Jonathan Besler on Vimeo.

Vimeo of the Day: "In New England – Fall 2013"

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Here's a beautiful and poignant video that I especially like as a former resident of the great region of New England. Here's how its director, Vincent Urban, describes it:

This October, we did a hiking and leaf peeping trip through beautiful New England (Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut) for just 12 days. It was right at the same time as the US government shutdown which turned out to be a rather odd experience. This is a collection of moments and thoughts.

It is also a reminder of the importance of the preservation of nature, and remember too that it was the Republicans who shut down the government, including national parks.

Enjoy.

In New England - Fall 2013 from Vincent Urban on Vimeo.

Vimeo of the Day: "Winter"

By Michael J.W. Stickings

The weather out there, as they say, is frightful. December has been an extremely cold month so far, and once more this weekend eastern Canada and the midwestern and northeastern U.S. are confronted with a fairly major winter storm. There hasn't been much snow yet here in Toronto, but it's coming, supposedly. And it's really cold today, as it has been all week.

So just how frightful? Well, I went out for a walk earlier today and made this video. You can barely even recognize our urban metropolis through the overlay of winter:

Winter from Paul Klaver on Vimeo.
Actually, this is more beautiful than frightful, and I had nothing to do with it. It was made by Dutch filmmaker and photographer Paul Klaver, who describes it as such:

Shot in Dutch nature reserve the Oostvaardersplassen during the production of De Nieuwe Wildernis (The New Wilderness). This was one of the coldest winters in Holland with record breaking temperatures.

The music is by Hans Zimmer, who writes not just great film scores (often better than the movies themselves) but music ideal for timelapse videos.

And this one's a gorgeous presentation of winter at its most beautiful.

Vimeo of the Day: Seattle and the Pacific Northwest

By Michael J.W. Stickings

With winter descending with a vengeance on the Toronto area, and on so much of eastern Canada and the northeastern U.S., one thing is clear to me: I hate winter. Maybe that makes me something less of a Canadian than I ought to be, but, honestly, I'd prefer to live in a more temperate climate.

I'm not saying I don't like eastern Canada, or Toronto in particular, and, also honestly, I have nothing if not a deep and abiding connection to this place, to parts of Canada that get quite cold, whether it's Toronto or Prince Edward Island, which I love so much, or Montreal, where I spent most of my childhood, or to the northeastern U.S., to New Jersey and New York and Massachusetts, where I spent most of my teenaged and college years, but at this time of year, with another long winter ahead of us, that connection becomes a tad tenuous.

So, then, why not the Pacific Northwest? Seattle and Portland seem like wonderful cities, it's a lovely and beautiful part of the world, I really like wine (and especially Pinot Noir) from Washington and Oregon, there's a great micro-beer culture, it's a fantastic place for unpretentious foodies, and well, the climate generally appeals to me. A bit too much rain, perhaps, but whatever. I can deal with that.

And yet I've never been there. Alas. But this nice video reminds me that it's high on my list, and that even if I never live there I really must spend some quality time there. So from a frigid, snow-draped Toronto, I offer this, described as such:

They say it's gloomy, it's cloudy, it's wet, I say it's paradise. I've been in The Pacific Northwest about three years now and have fallen head over heels for the place.

Maybe so, Larry, maybe so.

Seattle and the Pacific Northwest from Larry Gorlin on Vimeo.

Vimeo of the Day: An analysis of Wes Anderson's Rushmore

By Michael J.W. Stickings

I'm not a huge Wes Anderson fan. His films have an undeniable distinctiveness to them, and they're always rather beautiful, but I generally find his work overly mannered, pretentious, and, a word one often finds associated with him, precious, the worlds and characters he creates, while often amusing, way too quirky and eccentric for their own good. Yes, his compositions are remarkable, the care and attention he gives to each shot almost Ozu-like (a huge compliment, from me), and you can get lost, pleasurably so, in the details, but the films of which they are a part are often as annoying as they are rewarding.

And yet there's one film he's made that I consider truly great and truly a masterpiece, one that to me stands well above The Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Moonrise Kingdom (all in the next tier down, the ones I also like, or at least find tolerable). And that film, of course, is Rushmore.

Here's a wonderful video about Rushmore, with some poignant analysis, adapted from the book The Wes Anderson Collection by Matt Zoller Seitz. It will make you appreciate the film even more, and inspire you to watch it again (and again). And if you've never seen it... seriously, come on.

THE WES ANDERSON COLLECTION CHAPTER 2: RUSHMORE from RogerEbert.com on Vimeo.

Vimeo of the Day: "El Cielo de La Palma"

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Here's a beautiful timelapse video of the sky of La Palma, one of the Canary Islands:

"El Cielo de La Palma" es un vídeo en formato "Timelapse" donde se muestran las escenas mas impresionantes de "La Isla Bonita".

Realizado para Turismo de La Palma para la promoción del turismo astronómico. Muestra a lo largo de poco mas de 3 minutos de vídeo en formato timelapse nocturno y crepuscular el espectacular cielo de la isla de La Palma, sus increíbles lugares y paisajes.

For more, see here (in Spanish).

El Cielo de La Palma from Daniel López on Vimeo.

Vimeo of the Day: Mauna Kea Heavens Timelapse

By Michael J.W. Stickings

I picked this one not just because it's some gorgeous timelapse photography of the awesome night sky as viewed from a leading observatory in Hawaii, and not just because I'm fascinated by space and our efforts to learn and understand what's out there, but because the music is the brilliant "All is Violent, All is Bright" by God is an Astronaut, one of my favorite bands.

As astronomer/photographer Sean Goebel explains:

Timelapse of the observatories atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The summit is at an altitude of nearly 14,000 ft and is the premiere site for astronomy in the Northern Hemisphere. As an astronomy graduate student at the University of Hawaii, I've enjoyed excellent access to the facility. Some of my favorite still images of Mauna Kea can be found at sgphotos.com/photostories/maunakea.

This montage was filmed on three nights in April (I was observing on one of the telescopes and would walk outside when things got boring) and four nights during summer 2013. More information (i.e. "What's up with the lasers?" "What gear did you use?") can be viewed at sgphotos.com/portfolio/timelapse/makingmaunakeaheavens/.

Turn off the lights. Turn up the sound. And enjoy.

Mauna Kea Heavens Timelapse from Sean Goebel on Vimeo.

Vimeo of the Day: "The Fruit Hunters"

By Michael J.W. Stickings

I read yesterday at The Atlantic about a 2012 documentary called The Fruit Hunters. It's a Canadian production, but somehow I missed it -- maybe because it got little attention at the time.

Below is the trailer, and here's the description:

Exotic fruit obsessives, adventurers, detectives and even movie star Bill Pullman are the subjects of the dizzying new film from acclaimed director Yung Chang (Up the Yangtze, China Heavyweight). A cinematic odyssey through nature and commerce that spans prehistory to the present, The Fruit Hunters will change not only the way we look at what we eat but how we view our relationship to the natural world. 

I love fruit. A lot. And I want to see this doc. And to eat as much of this glorious fruit as possible.

(By the way, Up the Yangtze, which I have seen, is excellent. Sad and depressing, but excellent.)

The Fruit Hunters - Official Trailer : in theaters November 23, 2012 from EyeSteelFilm on Vimeo.

Vimeo of the Day: "Adrift"

By Michael J.W. Stickings

I love time-lapse video, and this serene short film by Simon Christen is just beautiful:

Adrift from Simon Christen on Vimeo.

Vimeo of the Day: "Horizons"

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Here's a beautiful video with some stunningly gorgeous images from photographer Randy Halverson, who describes it as follows:

If you have ever been in a wide open landscape the most interesting thing isn't necessarily the landscape itself, but what you see coming over the horizon. Growing up in South Dakota the landscape itself can be beautiful at times, but that doesn't compare to what the sky can do, especially at night. Combine that with the landscape, and it makes for great photo opportunities...

Bear McCreary (The Walking Dead, Defiance, Battlestar Galactica, etc) once again helped me with some original music for the video. This time he suggested adding vocals to the mix. Brendan McCreary and his band (Young Beautiful in a Hurry) did just that. They came up with "I Forever."

The music is great, too. (For more on Bear McCreary, see here; for more on his brother Brendan and Young Beautiful in a Hurry, see here.)

Enjoy.

Horizons from Randy Halverson on Vimeo.

Vimeo of the Day: Mexican Cuisine

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Here's a remarkable, award-winning short film about "the taste of immigration in California," showing just what Mexican immigrants mean to the diverse food culture of that state (and, of course, of America generally):

Mexican Cuisine from Fran Guijarro on Vimeo.

Vimeo of the Day: "Sarah DiNardo. Tape Artist."

By Michael J.W. Stickings

I don't quite know what it is about Sarah DiNardo's strange and wonderful tape art -- yes, art that she makes from obsessively/serenely rolling masking tape of different sizes and placing the rolls in intricate designs in found objects -- but it's pretty amazing. And remarkably beautiful. (I can't really do it justice with a short explanation. See for yourself. I really must acquire some.)

This excellent video captures the essence of the artist and her work. Even watching it is hypnotic.

Sarah DiNardo. Tape Artist. from gnarly bay productions, Inc. on Vimeo.

Vimeo of the Day: "Bless You"

By Michael J.W. Stickings

(For previous entries in this series, see here.)

"An architect in the skies tires of his creation and decides to spice things up a bit." Feel free to (try to) apply a religious interpretation to it. (God as egomaniacal creator/destroyer? Creation as divine whim?) My advice is just to enjoy it. It's very amusing.

Bless You from Philip Watts on Vimeo.

Vimeo of the Day: "Beth" (the story behind the KISS song)

By Michael J.W. Stickings

I really need to get back to this series featuring some of the best from Vimeo.

Here's a funny one, with the following explanation:

You know a song is a classic when it gets parodied. The legendary KISS ballad, "Beth" is no exception. This short film, directed by Brian Billow, chronicles the completely fictitious story of the song's inspiration. The Peter Criss character's dialogue stays true to the song's lyrics

Ah, if only life had been like art, if only fiction were fact, I might like the song.

As it is, I don't, not much, though there's something to be said, something good, for Paul Rudd's version in Role Models.

BETH from anonymous content on Vimeo.