VisualMANIAC/MAG

Many of us dream of a drawn life, with volcanoes on trees, mountains that duplicate and beaches that reflect like oasis on asphalt. Illustrated images in stop-motion that come to us today from Brooklyn, New York, in the hands of Jordan Bruner. Her drawings take us to another time of planetary systems following the rhythm of a lonesome blues in the middle of a painted lake in Virginia. To Thursdays sitting in front of a cinema screen where stories of leaf women and centaurs are screened while a girl draws Superman at her desk.

Jordan Bruner is a mixed media animator and director. She has chosen these ten videos, important for her and also for us:

The Hedgehog in the Fog

The Hedgehog in the Fog is one of the most beautiful and poignant stop motion films of all time. 

The Nights of Cabiria - Finale

The Nights of Cabiria is my favorite film of all time. The last scene always takes my breathe away.

A Conversation with My 12 Year Old Self : 20th Anniversary Addition

Here, filmmaker Jeremiah McDonald speaks to his 12 year self. Jeremiah's work is so bizarre, hilarious, and inspiring.

Excerpts from Pina by Wim Wenders

Pina Bausch's choreography makes me want to cry and laugh and puke at the same time. This is a scene from the new film Pina directed by Wim Wenders.

Smog - Rock Bottom Riser

I've watched this video hundreds of times. The album "A River Ain't Nothing to Love" by Smog is one of my all time favorites.
The visuals and the song go together so well - simple, elegant and beautiful.

Eric Epstein - Memory Tapes

This is incredibly all 2D animation - Eric's process and talent blows my mind.

Ask a Grown Man 

Brought to you by Rookie Mag, the Ask a Grown Man series allows grown men to answer questions submitted by confused and frustrated teenage girls. This one from Kurt Braunohler is my favorite.
"Feelings are dumb dumb." 

Jan Svankmajer - Etcétera

The man is a dog, the dog is a man, draw a house, erase a house, over and over and over again.

Hauschka en NPR

I've been listening to Hauschka non stop after seeing him play with Hilary Hahn a few weeks ago. It's incredible to see all of the different objects he uses to prepare his piano - tic tac bottles, vibrators, ping pong balls...This man is a genius.

Betty Boop 1933 Cab Colloway "Snow White"

This cartoon was animated by one lone man, Roland C. Crandall in 1933, and is considered one of the best cartoons ever made.
I recommend watching the Koko the Clown / Cab Colloway dance scene at 4:22, now.