Everyone Has A Price.

Vimeo served up this awesome short film to my inbox today. Take the sixteen minutes out of your day to watch; it's well worth it [NSFW].


Whoa. (c)Keanu

I was really impressed by the sharp editing and stark, fluorescent cinematography. The cast, a nice little Benetton coalition of actors displaying a wide range of emotions, was on point too. Additionally, the atmosphere of the film -- equal parts desperation, hope, and greed -- drew me in almost immediately. I liked the juxtaposition of various visions of pleasure/paradise broadcast by the television screens against the greasy, bloody recordings of the convenience store security camera. The resolution for the two characters bookending the film made me chuckle, too; at least something went right for somebody.

Your Lucky Day [larger version here] asks us what we would do in a similar situation. How would you weigh a share of $156 million against witnessing two murders you had nothing to do with? What would your price be, knowing that your death would likely be the consequence if you didn't agree to the terms?

Are your morals worth your life?

I think that at the moment, my self-preservation instinct would kick in. True, refusing to acquiesce to the robber's demands wouldn't bring the dead back to life. Not really having much of a choice, I would probably have acted in a similar way to the couple. However, I think the guilt would eat me alive. Admittedly, whether or not I'd eventually turn myself in is up in the air.

That I'd even hesitate to do "the right thing" is probably some kind of moral failure. I suspect, however, that I'm not alone.

So, dear reader ... what is your price?

A Damn Good Night Out.

So push play right now and watch the following clip, "Rad Anthem" by Rad Omen (NSFW), the brainchild of DJ Troublemaker.


Aaaaahhhhh, memories. *ahem* Would you say that this is:

1. a metaphor for corporate capitalism in America
2. a statement about the perils of overindulgence
3. a hilariously awesome music video

I'm gonna go with ... 3, but you could probably make a case for 1 and 2 too.  ANYWAY this hits my senses exactly right, because listen: It's a rare and beautiful event when the video and song complement each other so well. In this case they go together like three lines of uncut pure and a mirrored hotel coffee table. The track is heavy on the buttery electro and light on its feet, bouncy and super-danceable even without the aid of any illicit substances -- although I'm pretty sure they'd do a fine job enhancing how nicely this song hits. And the video ... well, let's just say I know the feeling. It perfectly encapsulates a Damn Good Night Out, punctuated by the inevitable cryptic Facebook status updates, improbably funny situations, misspelled text messages and phone calls you probably shouldn't have made.

In this city, we know how to get down
In this city, we know how to do it right

Go ahead, watch it again. You know you want to see Jack get his dome licked by a stripper one more time.

We Are Our Own Devil.

Only a few days ago, I'd been blessed by the dark notes of Mezzanine by Massive Attack flowing out of my iPod. It's an album I tend to listen to three or four times a year when that particular mood strikes -- the need to immerse oneself into music that's simultaneously cool, calculating, almost-sinister and absolutely seductive -- you know the feeling. Trip-hop exploded onto the scene at around the same time that I was searching for something new and awesome to fill my brain. Mezzanine poured like a slow, silvery liquid into my ears, and I was immediately taken by how dark and ... sexy it was. This was something I'd never heard before.

And I liked it. I've been a fan ever since.

So it really was a fortuitous coincidence that I received an email from Tristen Gacoscos of Filter asking me to check out Massive Attack's new single "Paradise Circus (feat. Hope Sandoval)" and hooked me up with a link to the video. To be honest, it was ... difficult to pay close attention to the actual music while watching the video for the first time. Hmmm yeah yeah yeah for obvious reasons (as you'll see below), but the spliced-in candid interview with Georgina Spelvin about her experiences in The Devil In Miss Jones made for good listening as well.

But yo. This joint just slithers and slides in a strangely retro kind of way, topped off lovely by Hope Sandoval's breathy vocals. I love the chimes and hand-claps, and the way the strings float in like ghosts near the end. This is something I can throw on at the end of a house party as I navigate chinky-eyed around empty bottles of Sapphire, semi-conscious Asian chicks and low-hanging kush clouds. In other words, hot shit.

I'm not going to embed the video here on PM 'cause it's basically porn (let me spell it out for you: EXTREMELY NSFW), but hey, look and listen for yourself.

"We are our own devil." Indeed, Miss Jones, indeed.

Massive Attack's new album, Heligoland, drops 09 February.

Does Anyone Else Get That Feeling?

It's Saturday, so it's time for a light Australian pop music video featuring a couple of rabbits who, contrary to their stereotypical nature, don't get laid very much. (NSFW due to the theme of the song and one naughty word.)

Edit: The video's been removed from Vimeo, so here's a link that's more likely to stay up.

LOL. I could go in depth about the social commentary conveyed by the video, but I'll let the words speak for themselves.

I've known about this video and song, performed by TISM, for a few years now, and recently rediscovered it while looking through my image folders (yo get your mind out of the gutter) for a fresh new avatar. Apparently I'd taken some choice screenshots of the Lead Singer Bunny:

 

At any rate, I dig the simplicity of the animation. Although the number of lines and curves in the images are kept to a minimum, the expressions and movements of the characters are believable and funny.

Corporate chambers and office amore.
Shenanigans outdoor and in.

Enjoy your Saturday -- I'm actually going out for once! Amazing.