Our final Halloween animated short comes from Fuh-rance—Mortys focuses in on a mother grim reaper trying to balance her job and her family life in the 21st century. I saw this video quite a while ago and it was actually the inspiration for doing a weeks’ worth of animated shorts… hope you enjoy!
Artist: Danny Elman / Album: Sleepy Hollow
I mentioned last year that I’m not exactly gung ho about dressing up for Halloween. It’s not that I think it’s silly or immature or whatever… I just honestly can’t be bothered with it. I typically just wear orange and call it a day but thought I’d one up myself (only just a bid) and got my “costume” from shirt.Woot, which I have mentioned here a couple of times before.
“Laundry Day” close up; don’t I look thrilled?!? I’m helping pass out candy at Catherine’s house tonight and she loaned me the cape!
I also mentioned in the post from last year that it’s not like I never dressed up as a kid—in fact it’s quite the contrary. I think I specifically mentioned a certain year when Liz Kelly and I went as Superman and Supergirl (and Jenny Yates’ costume was all abuzz with the mom's because it was from Neimans or something fancy!) Since then I have gotten the visual proof of it and other childhood Halloween’s past!
Able to leap tall… stumps?
It actually wasn’t uncommon for Liz and I to go as a duo:
*cough* Cam *cough
If not a duo then at least in tandem:
With her brother, Daniel (far left), and my brother, Matt Dr. Roberts (far right)
And finally, a non-costumed picture that is still Halloween appropriate (and is still a good representation of me and my brother).
I’m putting on a show and Matt’s doing all the work!
Artist: Barbra Streisand / Album: Superman
My friend and gallery neighbor from the Hooks-Epstein Gallery, Yvonne, invited me to her sister’s Halloween party this past Friday and lemme tell you, they were NOT messing around.
Let’s just take a look at a small selection of the food-stuffs they had provided:
Yes, that would in fact be a breadstick spider filled with dipping sauce and a Cheshire Cat cheese ball.
Mummy dogs, Ghost of Monte Cristo sandwiches, a meat head and meateyeballs
The hosts (far left and Beetlejuice) with Ketchup, Mustard and Hotdog
I had to head out early because I had been developing a steadily worsening sore throat over the day and A.) didn’t want to get anyone else sick if it were infections and B.) really didn’t want to be that creepster just sitting in the corner not talking to anyone. Needless to say, I should have taken more pictures of the great costumes and decorations buuuuuut I didn’t so get over it already!
Artist: Alice Cooper / Album: Welcome to My Nightmare
Well it’s Saturday, which means it’s time to loosen up a bit!! That’s what Saturday means, right? Sadly enough, I’ll be spending it at home and in bed with a horrible sore throat… wah wah. At any rate, Mourir Auprès de Toi (To Die By Your Side), is a collaboration between director Spike Jonze (best known for Where the Wild Things Are, Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and his many forays into music video land) and designer Olympia Le-Tan that focuses on the “star-crossed” love story of two characters from book covers in the fictional Parisian bookstore, Shakespeare and Co.
Fair warning, there’s a bit of “loosening up” happening in the video—they are only felt puppets, mind you—but it might be a bit inappropriate for some of you. You know who you are!
Spike Jonze: Mourir Auprès de Toi on Nowness.com.
Artist: Danny Elfman / Album: The Corpse Bride
Today’s selection is another Academy Award nominated short film, this time following two undertakers as they attempt to deliver their package goods commission charge coffin to its final resting place.
Artist: Ray Merrell/ Album: Keep the Customer Satisfied
Because it would be unfair to not have Tim Burton represented…
Artist: Josh Groban/ Album: Josh Groban
Happy Halloween, biscuits!!!
Now, to be honest, I’m not really that big on Halloween. Not really for any other reason than that I don’t like putting a costume together. I dread being invited to a Halloween party with a “costume only” policy. Ummm, can’t I just go as some tool who doesn’t like Halloween, ‘cause I’ve got that one in about 25 different versions. I generally just revert to wearing a pair of orange Prada shoes I have and carrying around my orange umbrella, which worked fine in Michigan those four years because there most likely was rain (it’s Fall up there this time of year for those Texans who wonder). Here, however, it’s currently 82 degrees and freakishly sunny outside.
Don’t worry, it’s not like I was deprived the opportunity to dress up as a kid or anything. Liz Kelly and I made a pretty fantastic Superman and Supergirl if I remember correctly. I could be wrong (I was also superyoung) but I think that was the year Jenny Yates’ costume had been professionally made or something… it was all the buzz amongst the Jordan School mom crowd.
I do have one funny Halloween story from Michigan, though. I went to several parties throughout the evening and woke up the next morning with this voice mail:
“Hey, Joseph!!! So excited to have you joining the band! Don’t forget rehearsal is tonight at 7:30… see you there!”
And then my conversation with my roommate, Drew, who had gone to the party as well:
Me: Um, why do I have this voice mail?
Drew: Oh, yeah… you heard this guy talking about ska music and interrupted their conversation: “I LOOOOVE SKA MUSIC.” Upon hearing this he said: “We’re looking for a new lead singer, interested?” “Well you’re. in. luck, because I am IN SCHOOL to be a SINGER. Plus I have, like, so many songs of ska music on my iTunes.” [I have two.]
Me: Well this should be an interesting phone call to make.
At any rate, today I thought I would share a couple of Halloween flavored items from yet another blog I frequent: i09.com. It focuses on all things science fiction (and fact)—from astronomy to film to architecture to pretty much anything that makes you say “whoa, that’s pretty cool!” Basically it’s the perfect website for the inner fan-boy in all of us you.
John de Lancie reading Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven
Coffin technologies that prevent you from being buried alive <--- click for full article
“In the eighteenth century, rumors swirled about people accidentally buried alive when they lapsed into a deathlike state from cholera. As a result, the safety coffin was invented. Here's how it worked.” …
And finally, a picture that probably only one person who reads this will even understand! (Yay for alienating my readers!)
Artist: Stephen Sondheim/ Album: The Frogs
