Hit the Links: WebUrbanist

Our friend EKiselev was looking a little lonely over there, so here's another link to keep him company.

WebUrbanist is a blog about "urban design, culture, travel, architecture and alternative art." It's a fun blog with hyperbolic titles like "5 Incredible Works of Insane Architectural Genius". Words like 'extreme' and 'urban' also show up a lot (as apparently having the word 'urban' in your vocabulary is a sign of hipness).

Here are some of my faves:

• 3 Kinds of Urban Light Art: From Dorm Room Tetris to Architectural Light Graffiti
• 7 Island Wonders of the World: Most Amazing, Mysterious, Remote and More
• Spontaneous Urban Gatherings: From Subway Parties to Pillow Fights
• 15 Ingenious Humanitarian Subvertisements: Creative Advertisements that Advocate Global Causes
• 3 Kinds of Culture Jamming: Commercial, Political and Social Signs of Our Times

Mike's Summer Pic Picks

It's March, and the sun is fighting its way out. The sandals have been dug out of the closet. That means the summer movie season is just around the corner!

Here are a few that I'm most excited for. I've gone beyond the obvious (a certain bat-like superhero comes to mind) and I've picked a few that I think could rock if they live up to their potential.

My first pic pick is Iron Man. This is going to be yet another summer full of comic book movies, with the likes of The Dark Knight, Hancock, Wanted, The Incredible Hulk, and Hellboy II all hitting theaters. I think Iron Man has the potential to knock people out though, because of a funny performance from Robert Downey Jr. and an overall cool attitude.



Next up on my watch list is Speed Racer, the Wachowski bros' follow up to the Matrix trilogy. And yes, I liked those movies - the cool effects and distinct visual style made them work for me. I'm hoping to enjoy myself during Speed Racer for the same reasons. Oh, and it will be shown in IMAX. I'm sold.




Wall-E! I can honestly say I'm more excited for this than anything else. I'm already amazed at what they've accomplished with the character. And it's supposedly got a live-action cameo by Fred Willard, a funny funny man. So I'm just going to say it: my feeling is this could turn out to be Pixar's best movie ever.



So that's what I've got to say about that. For a complete preview of what's coming up, check out this article over at First Showing.

Spilled Ink: Sketchy

Here are a few tidbits from the sketchbook...



















ps - Laughter is permitted.

I Can't Help It...

I just have to pass along this clip.

The video is pretty cool (as long as you're not tired of the 80's), but the song is what I love. I don't know why, it makes me so happy.

Andy's Airplanes

Here's a trailer for the show I worked on last summer.....

The Art of Bad Movies: Posters

Something that I've come to realize is that very talented people are involved in making even the worst movies.

Do you ever get fired up by a trailer even when you know the movie will bomb? Have you marvelled at beautiful scenery in a film that otherwise bored you to tears? This is a shout out to people who make those moments possible.

Movie posters in particular are an overlooked art form. My interest began with the poster for the 2006 movie Skinwalkers. Does anyone even remember this movie? Me neither, but the poster has stuck with me. I love the use of negative space and how the hair feels alive.

I'm an especially big fan of teaser posters. They're usually more restrained and are made to quickly catch your attention, since you don't know anything about the film yet. One good example is this poster for Lady in the Water. How excited were we for this movie?!
One of these behind the scenes artists is Drew Struzan. Some of the greatest posters from the 80s to today have been created by him. His style of painting is easily recognizable. He's done work for beloved classics such as the Indiana Jones series, The Goonies, and Back to the Future.

The good, the bad, and the... Dolph Lundgren.
But the occasional Heat and Dust, Cutthroat Island, and Dreamscape will find their way into the mix. These are still lovingly rendered and such posters are usually the only redeeming quality of the films they advertise.

So these are some of my favorites. If you have any gems of your own, comment it up.

Hit the Links: EKiselev

Here's the first in series of links I'd like to share, which may just blow your mind!

This one is an artist and digital illustrator who goes by the name EKiselev.

I've been really infatuated with his work lately. I'm a big fan of his color choices and use of shapes.

EKiselev is pretty prolific and keeps an updated blog, so be sure to take a look. And check back here for more links comin' at ya!