The Fan Filmmakers Film Reference Vault

[plynch]

They used to show us the Red Balloon in school a lot. I think CBS showed it as its kids movie on Sat afternoons after the cartoons period in the 70s. (Like at noon or one.) Also, Paddle to the Sea, about a hand-whittled canoe or some such, is one we used to see. It's sort of a flat stanley concept where this little toy canoe goes through many owners and locales. I think it has no words, so it doesn't really fit this thread. But in my head it is of a type with Red Balloon.

 

[Maurice]

Why would it having no dialog be an issue?

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I seem to recall posting about a film with no dialog.

 

[Maurice]

This Land Is Mine, Nina Paley, 2013

People often talk about the "messages" and "morals" and allegories in Star Trek, but they're never as succinct and deadly on-point as this biting satire which takes a song with lyrics by white bread Pat Boone and sung by equally white bread Andy Williams and uses it to ironically skewer the notion that our group is special, or that we have special knowledge and "we're in the right" about something and use it to justify slaughtering one another. All in barely over 3 minutes. It's both funny and tragic.

Imagine a Star Trek where a human says, "The [Metrons/Q/whoever] said we're a very promising species with a special destiny," only to have some Romulan reply, "No, they told us that." And then they learn everyone gets told that.

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And here's the scorecard of who-kills-whom (link) in case you're not up on all the players.

Why it's significant

Here's a pretty succinct summary of film (source):

“God gave this land to me,” proclaim the lyrics (penned by, of all people, Pat Boone) The problem? A succession of peoples have felt that God gave this land to THEM. “By putting the song in the mouth of every warring party,” Paley observes, “I’m critiquing the original song.”

The film, visually beautiful and darkly funny, shows a succession of warriors enthusiastically attacking and vanquishing each other with increasingly sophisticated weaponry, in an escalating conflict that, Paley predicts, will not end well for anyone.

One commentator on the film even made a Star Trek reference, and I'll let that comment speak for itself instead of paraphrasing it:

... in the end, this religious/nationalistic insistence that "This Land Is Mine" just leads to an endless cycle of bloodshed. It's fascinating watching these two, really - like that STAR TREK episode "Let This Be Your Last Battlefield".

The reducio ad absurdum of the cartoon isn't a problem - it's the point. No matter how good your reasons sound to you at the time, in the end it's all an excuse to Kill Somebody Not You.
—D.R Darke

 

[Mytran]

This Land Is Mine, Nina Paley, 2013

People often talk about the "messages" and "morals" and allegories in Star Trek, but they're never as succinct and deadly on-point as this biting satire which takes a song by white bread Pat Boone and uses it to skewer the notion that thinking they "have the right" to something it justifies killing one another. All in barely over 3 minutes.

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And here's the scorecard of who-kills-whom (link) in case you're not up on all the players.

Why it's significant

Here's a pretty succinct summary of film (source):



One commentator on the film even made a Star Trek comparison, and I'll let his comment speak for itself instead of paraphrasing it:

This film is amazing. Great find, thanks!

 

[CorporalCaptain]

This Land Is Mine, Nina Paley, 2013

Well, that's an amazing film for sure.

 

[Uncle_Lou]

Dunno how 'on topic' this post may or may not be ("fan filmmakers", yes?), but is James Cawley a member of this forum by any chance?
I know that he's really involved (or was?) with Trek fan stuff. He's from my hometown and went to school with three of my sisters.

For reference, this guy:

 

[Uncle_Lou]

Not on topic at all for this thread, as the title, the first post, and basically EVERY reply indicates.

He used to be here once in a while. Not really since he stopped making fanfilms. If you want to ask about him, please start your own topic in the Fan Productions forum.

I just mentioned the guy in passing, nothing more, certainly not a need to "start my own topic". Nor is there a need for your snark or rudeness. The title of this thread is "fan filmmakers", which is (apparently?) what this guy is/was, hence my initial well-intentioned post. Does the mention of Mr. Cawley's name trigger you in some way?
I'm sorry that your existence is so crummy that you feel like you've got to behave in a passive-aggressive way towards fellow members on a Star Trek forum.

Have a great day!

 

[Markonian]

This is a cool thread. Like the French Sci-Fi film. Reminds me of the half-animated Afterworld series.

 

[jespah]

I just mentioned the guy in passing, nothing more, certainly not a need to "start my own topic". Nor is there a need for your snark or rudeness. The title of this thread is "fan filmmakers", which is (apparently?) what this guy is/was, hence my initial well-intentioned post. Does the mention of Mr. Cawley's name trigger you in some way?
I'm sorry that your existence is so crummy that you feel like you've got to behave in a passive-aggressive way towards fellow members on a Star Trek forum.

Have a great day!

Hi!

This topic is actually about references. It's really easy to make your own topic and I will be glad to show you how.

 

[Uncle_Lou]

Hi!

This topic is actually about references. It's really easy to make your own topic and I will be glad to show you how.

I'm all set, but thank you. It was more of a comment on that guy's (needlessly) rude/sanctimonious attitude: Way to welcome in the new folks - pounce on them pettily for posting in the wrong area.

.....Is your avatar a fruit bat wrapped in a Starfleet towel? Please say that it is.

 

[jespah]

A flying fox, actually, and the logo was added by me. So kinda, sorta. Our flying mammal friends are Trekkies!

Now I gotta go find a super-short film to add for the reference vault. There are some really great films in here already.

 

[Uncle_Lou]

A flying fox, actually, and the logo was added by me. So kinda, sorta. Our flying mammal friends are Trekkies!

Now I gotta go find a super-short film to add for the reference vault. There are some really great films in here already.

Ah, gotcha. I Googled 'fruit bat/flying fox' and this was the FIRST thing that popped up: "Why is a flying fox called a fruit bat?" Huh, I had no idea!

 

[Maurice]

Tank, Stu Maschwitz, 2018

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"TANK tells the story of a team of pilots that must take on a weapon of mass destruction in a battle to save their world."

This is super super short (like 2.6 minutes short). There's basically no story. It's just snowspeeder-esque vehicles against a floating juggernaut tank. All action.

Why it's significant

Style, my friends, style. The maker of this film decided to recreate the look of early 80s vector graphics videogames like Battlezone, Star Wars the Arcade Game and Major Havoc. The spareness of it, being simple glowing lines, in a limited number of colors, plus the simulation of it being filmed widescreen in two halves off 4x3 monitors with the alignment and sync not perfect gives it the feel that you're sitting inside some supercool arcade sitdown cabinet in 1984.

Now imagine a fanfilm done with half this visual panache...and maybe even some modicum of story.


Behind the scenes

Here's a video of how it was made. It's pretty technical. BUT, his discussion on how he used "text-o-matics" to plan the film is a great tip.

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[jespah]

Decent satire of Brando/Apocalypse Now/The Doors.

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(I had referred to this one earlier).

It's not a laugh riot. It's more subtle. Clocks in at under 16 minutes so it could actually be half of the allowable time under the Guidelines.

It helps if you know Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now well, and are also familiar with how Brando got in his later years.

 

[Maurice]

Decent satire of Brando/Apocalypse Now/The Doors.

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(I had referred to this one earlier).

It's not a laugh riot. It's more subtle. Clocks in at under 16 minutes so it could actually be half of the allowable time under the Guidelines.

It helps if you know Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now well, and are also familiar with how Brando got in his later years.

I actually met Ernie "Ford" Fosselius in 2011. He lives in the San Francisco East Bay. As to Porklips, he says Coppola called him over to meet and said, "You know, I didn’t like that you made fun of me and the film. It sort of pissed me off. But you got a right to do a parody, so be it. Whatever." EDIT: Coppola then supposedly asked Ernie to help him with something, being grown up enough to not take it personally.

Ernie is best known for this classic parody, which will serve as our next reference...

 

[Firebird]

As to Porklips, he says Coppola called him over to meet and said, "You know, I didn’t like that you made fun of me and the film. It sort of pissed me off. But you got a right to do a parody, so be it. Whatever."

That seems like it was a waste of time for everyone involved.

 

[Maurice]

Hardware Wars, Ernie Fosselius, 1978

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Why it's significant

A terrific sendup of Star Wars and the mania surrounding it, basically taking this slick big budget movie and reducing it to a no-budget bit of rubbish, playing it so over the top as to act as a critique of both the film and the fandom surrounding it. "You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll kiss three bucks goodbye!" is neither coddling nor affectionate.

And before someone says "that's a fan film", it isn't. Ernie hates that people treat it as homage when it's actually a critical poke-in-the-eye.

Ernie talks about this issue in this article (LINK).

 

[Maurice]

That seems like it was a waste of time for everyone involved.

Well, the larger quote is in the article I linked, in which Ernie notes that Coppola didn't like the film's portrayal of him, but was still willing to work with Ernie.

 

[Firebird]

Well, the larger quote is in the article I linked, in which Ernie notes that Coppola didn't like the film's portrayal of him, but was still willing to work with Ernie.

I was just about to edit my original reply to correct my statement after reading the article.