EP15: London Fields from LASTNIGHTSPARTY™ on Vimeo.

posted by RZ22 for EYHO Blog Berlin
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TIP: MARCH 30TH  MUSIC + VIDEOS = REVISITED

MAX DAX AND MORITZ SCHMALL PRESENT VARIOUS CONTROVERSIAL VIDEOS AND DISCUSS THOSE WITH SPECIAL GUESTS:
Alec Empire, Zan Lyons, Malakoff Kowalski, Robert Defcon and Phillip Sollmann/Efdemin

cinema: Kurbel Kino

official website

Efdemin, There Will Be Singing (Chicago) from jutojo on Vimeo.

Efdemin, There Will Be Singing (Chicago) from jutojo on Vimeo.

Efdemin, There Will Be Singing (Chicago)

Efdemin, There Will Be Singing (Chicago) from jutojo on Vimeo.

Nobody Beats The Drum – Grindin’ from Nobody Beats The Drum on Vimeo.

Nobody Beats The Drum – Grindin’ from Nobody Beats The Drum on Vimeo.

posted by RZ22 for EYHO Blog Berlin
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GEGENGERADE FILM – DIE GEGENGERADE PREMIERE AM 26.03. IN HH! NOCH WENIGE KARTEN ZU HABEN! posted by RZ22 for EYHO Blog Berlin

hier klicken um Trailer zu sehen

Freunde des guten Geschmacks,

es ist soweit! Am 26.03. erobert unser Film GEGENGERADE-20359 St.Pauli-

endlich die Hansestadt Hamburg!

Alle Darsteller, Supporter, Mannschaft und Helfershelfer sind geladen.

Ein paar Karten gibt es noch im freien Verkauf! Hier:

http://www.cinemaxx.de/Events/EventDetail/2597

Greift zu solange sie noch heiss sind!

Kommt zur Premiere! Solltet ihr einer unserer Best-Buddys sein und fühlt

euch vergessen, schreibt uns! Ihr wisst wohin!

Check: http://www.gegengerade-derfilm.de

Forza FC St.Pauli!

FC ST. PAULI-FANS AUFGEPASST!

“GEGENGERADE – 20359 St. Pauli” feiert am 26. März 2011 große Hamburg-Premiere im Cinemaxx Dammtor!

Neben Weltstars wie Mario Adorf, Dominique Horwitz und Moritz Bleibtreu konnten zahlreiche weitere Profis und Nachwuchstalente wie Timo Jacobs, Denis Moschitto, Fabian Busch, Natalia Avelon, Claude-Oliver Rudolph, Katy Karrenbauer, André Eisermann, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Sascha Reimann “Ferris MC”, Simon Görts, Christian Rudolf u.v.a. verpflichtet werden.

Viele dieser Stars erwarten wir zur Premiere am Dammtor!

Tickets gibt es vor Ort an der Kasse oder hier

Filminhalt:
Ein langer und harter Kampf liegt hinter der Mannschaft und den Fans des FC St.Pauli. 90 Minuten trennen sie alle noch vom Sieg und von der lang ersehnten Rückkehr in die erste Bundesliga!
Zwei Halbzeiten voller Hindernisse und Wendungen! Denn nicht nur für den Verein geht es um alles. Für Magnus, Kowalski und Arne geht es um den Wert einer Freundschaft. Als in Hamburgs Stadtteilen immer wieder Autos in Flammen aufgehen, geraten sie in das Visier der Fahnder. Zu Unrecht oder hat einer der Freunde ein Geheimnis? Beim Abpfiff kommt es zum Showdown mit unerwartetem Ausgang….

posted by RZ22 for EYHO Blog Berlin
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click here to watch

Nic Endo’s “I didn’t exist” was taken from her album “Cold Metal Perfection”, released in 2001 on London’s GEIST Records. The track was an homage to legendary independent film “Carnival of Souls” from 1962. Nic Endo often mentioned the film as an influence in her interviews, because she could identify with the lead character and her ‘alienation of society’. In 2009 a fan felt inspired to edit a music video from the original footage of the film to her music.

Nic is about to release her 3rd album over the coming months.

Subscribe to EYHO Blog – it’s free

click here to watch

New website gives a first insight http://www.phantomanie.com/

subscribe to EYHO Blog – it’s free

click here for clip

This was filmed at C/O Pop Festival in Cologne, Germany, last night. What’s up with stage managers just taking the power to cut an artist short during a performance? People pay money to see the musicians, not to get in sync with stupid time tables that were planned wrong in the first place.

It’s time festivals think about MUSIC again and not sponsorship and respect all musicians who bring in the people at the end.

subscribe to EYHO Blog – it’s free

A Day in the Death by Andrew Strasser (Bad Brilliance!)

nothing beats Destroy All Monsters on a Sunday evening….

click here to watch

propaganda makes us feel good

click here to watch

as your habbit grows….it’s going to happen…

we are so blog fatigued…it’s summer and hot in Berlin-West…why work…on anything….did you get the new update for the iPhone? Make sure to catch Patrick Wolf at Melt Festival (go there, watch him, then leave because the rest is the horror, the horror, spend the weekend in Berlin, wayyyy better)

see you next week at the shows!

*** love,

Alec Empire

www.eyho-blog.com

CHAOSTAGE-WE ARE PUNKS ! Die Haupstadtpremiere am 30.04.
im Eiszeitkino ab 20 Uhr (http://www.eiszeit-kino.de)

Ab 21 Uhr Doors open zur Aftershow im SO36|Oranienstr.190|Berlin-Kreuzberg
mit der schottischen Punklegende THE EXPLOITED supported durch die TOWERBLOCKS, Berlins Punkrockstars.

P?nktlich zum ber?chtigten Tanz in den Mai in Berlin !

Mehr Infos auf www.chaostage-film.de
–

click here to watch

click here to watch 2nd video

how can Berlin be so hot in April? a good day to go through the EYHO inbox…apart from all the usual psycho shit we get sent (yes, you! who is probably reading this…stop sending these pixelated Thai porn clips with Alec Empire vs Merzbow at CBGBs music dubbed onto them…

that shit ain’t hard you know…you might think it is, but it isn’t really. Same goes for that one Whitehouse fan who keeps writing pages of hate thoughts how we gone soft and Whitehouse is so much harder than us right now. You see, we never wanted to be “harder” than Whitehouse. This is not a football match. Whitehouse loses out against DJ 6666 and Nic’s White Heat anyway…so why bother)

…so where were we? ah yes, so in the pile of dirt and digital shit we found these two clips and we thought we should so post these.

there is also new live recordings up on Alec Empire’s myspace: click here

and make sure you subscribe to new YouTube channel of Nic and Alec.

one more thing…don’t listen to Whitehouse when you should listen to Masonna or The Locust. Especially not when you are in Berlin and it’s Spring and flowers grow.

www.eyho-blog.com

“THE WHOLE WORLD SEEMS TO BE ON A BAD DRUG”

Alec Empire , taken from Control Drug of SHIVERS

Hey!

It’s spring 2009! flowers start to grow…slowly but surely!

The Golden Foretaste of Heaven Film by Richard Wilhelmer went down like a storm at Los Angeles David Lynch screening “Engine Collision Fest” and Austria’s “Diagonale” Film Festival.
watch the trailer here

While Alec’s DJ Mix album “Rauschgold” for Staubgold Records gets great reviews (a small selection of online reviews which you might not come across that easily)
digitalisindustries.com
digitalmcd.com
thesilentballet.com
hairentertainment.com

ALEC AND NIC HAVE PRODUCED NEW RECORD CALLED “SHIVERS”, a 7 track mini album (estimated playing time over 30min though). Release Date May 8th.

tracklist

Control Drug

Shivers

Baby Skull

Vampire State

t.o.t.

If You Live Or Die (2009 version feat. Robbie Furze/Big Pink on guitars)

1000 Eyes (The Golden Foretaste of Heaven Film version 2009)

Note: iTunes will have a full concert as a bonus available. (more infos soon)

Watch first part of making of series. in these videos Alec is recording weird synths which will then later make it into the songs. He also gives a quick run down on what’s happening (the films etc.).

Click here to watch

Click here to watch interview

With “Shivers” and the 2009 tour “Past -Present- Future” the Hellish Vortex launches completely redesigned Alec Empire website.
www.alec-empire.com

Make sure you click through the history section. We think the website has been long overdue. It was about time that a site explains Empire’s spider web of productions and projects…. venom

Follow Alec on twitter http://twitter.com/ALEC_EMPIRE
Join Alec on facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Alec-Empire/10224966919
Alec’s myspace http://www.myspace.com/alecempire

DATES!!!!!

18th of April Bass Terror official release via iTunes, Beatport and over 60 other online music stores.

20th of April Patrick Wolf/Alec Empire collaboration hits stores. “Vultures” will be available as 7 inch vinyl and digital. Patrick Wolf – Vulture

Click here to watch

ALEC EMPIRE & NIC ENDO

THE PAST – THE PRESENT – THE FUTURE TOUR 2009

Presented by Sonic Seducer Magazine

30.04.2009 Vorselaar (B) – Edma

01.05.2009 London (GB) – The Underworld / get tickets here or here
02.05.2009 Manchester (GB) – Satan?s Hollow / get tickets here or here
03.05.2009 Glasgow (GB) – Ivory Blacks / get tickets here or here Or here
05.05.2009 Norwich (GB) – The Waterfront
06.05.2009 Amsterdam (NL) – Paradiso
07.05.2009 Hengelo (NL) – Metropool
08.05.2009 Reutlingen – franz.K
09.05.2009 Jena – Kassablanca
23.10.2009 Berlin – K17
24.10.2009 Cottbus – Gladhouse / get tickets here
28.10.2009 Linz (A) – Stadtwerkstatt
29.10.2009 Wien (A) – Szene
30.10.2009 Ingolstadt – Paradox / get tickets here
31.10.2009 Leipzig – Lagerhof / get tickets here
more dates added soon.

What else is hot right now?
Alec Empire remixing next Patrick Wolf single “Hard Times”.
Nic Endo officially writing music for David Mack’s Kabuki. (more news soon!)

Film Chaostage (with Alec’s music) starts in German cinemas this month.
click here for full list of showtimes and locations!

DIGITAL HARDCORE UK OPENS FULL ON WEBSTORE!

You requested Flac? You got it!

Make sure you check out completely new digital store at Digital Hardcore Recordings UK

http://digitalhardcore.greedbag.com/

It’s ALL up there.

Support independent artists you like, don’t support hypocrites like Pirate Bay who make millions of advertising and who are financed by right wing business men (to then point the finger at their own users in court, claiming that they do the crime. not cool! Liars!).

Click here to watch

We hope to see you at the shows or parties! Keep thinking about news ways to think! Stay awake!

Best wishes from Berlin,

EYHO Team

www.eyho-blog.com

Visit The Hellish Vortex store : many rare items up for sale this month

click here to watch

anything with Michelle Rodriguez in it gets our support! The team from Addictive TV pitched this video to us…yeah…good stuff indeed… It is also interesting how the mash up remix culture is making its way into more mainstream areas..we think that’s the way it should be! (As long as something cool comes out of it at the end.) Have a great weekend…more soon with news for Alec Empire’s “Shivers”.

from the Addictive TV camp:

“In the wake of Addictive TV?s remix of Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire, created at the request of director Danny Boyle and international distributors Path?, it?s now the turn of Hollywood studio Universal to commission their first movie remix with the new Vin Diesel action movie Fast & Furious – the fourth installment in the series of petrol-head action movies.

London based audiovisual artists and performers Addictive TV have made their name as trail-blazers in the art of audio/video remixing – especially when it comes to movies. Meticulously sampling everything from films to concert footage, music videos to sports events, their remixes have received praise from creative innovators like Jeff Mills, Goldie, Grandmaster Flash and the former Kraftwerk frontman Karl Bartos. The duo have remixed a number of big-budget movies for the studios including Iron Man for Paramount, Max Payne for 20th Century Fox and both Snakes on a Plane and Shoot ?Em Up for New Line Cinema, so they are now in the unique position of having created remixes for nearly every major Hollywood studio.

In their distinctive and unique style, Addictive TV?s Fast & Furious remix was made by sampling the sounds and images from the film to create a high-energy and intense audiovisual ?track’. The technique used is similar to audio sampling in the music world, but Addictive TV instead use linked pictures and sound samples to construct their dynamic mixes.

Slamming the pedal-to-the-metal, and this time fighting a shared enemy, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker re-team for the ultimate chapter of the franchise built on speed. Heading back to LA where it all began, they rejoin Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster to burn rubber, illegally race each other in exotic cars down through the mean streets of Los Angeles, and floor them across the Mexican desert in this new high-octane action-thriller.

The film goes on general release April 3rd in the US and then opens in the UK on April 10th. Co-incidently the same night Addictive TV headline London?s Cargo for Beadyman?s Battlejam night.”

www.addictive.tv
www.myspace.com/addictivetv
www.youtube.com/AddictiveTV

watch trailer here

www.eyho-blog.com
www.alec-empire.com

Pw news…. Tune in

LATE NIGHT MYSPACE EXCLUSIVE : PATRICK WOLF NEW VIDEO ?VULTURE?

The video for Patrick Wolf?s new single ?Vulture? will be shown as a late night exclusive on MySpace UK:

this Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th March, 9pm-4am.

this Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th March, 9pm-4am.

this Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th March, 9pm-4am.

Deemed too provocative for even late night TV, MySpace are promoting the video as an exclusive post watershed in the late night hours, due to its graphic content.

Filmed in black & white, photographic style, it shows an enraptured, semi naked Patrick writhing in a full S&M, bondage outfit. The controversial scenes are intercut with those of Patrick as the leather clad ?Vulture? and as an unmasked icon. Inspired by experiences Patrick gained and suffered on the American leg of the 2007 ‘Magic Position’ tour, the video perfectly depicts these experiences, which Patrick describes as ?getting involved in some dodgy satanic sex games and exploring the many dark sides of Los Angeles?.

Get ready to get hot under the (dog) collar…

The video was directed by Patrick himself in collaboration with Rory Broadfoot, a groundbreaking Director of Photography who works regularly with legendary Photographer Rankin.

The beautiful leather and bondage wear was provided by the visionary avant garde designers ?Fleet Ilya? and the sculptural vulture cape was commissioned especially by Patrick as part of ?The Bachelor? wardrobe from acclaimed up and coming designer ?Ada Zanditon?

Go to www.myspace.com <http://www.myspace.com/> at 9pm on Wednesday to be the first to see the video.

?Vulture? is released on April 20th 2009 on download and 7?.

www.patrickwolf.com
www.myspace.com/officialpatrickwolf

www.eyho-blog.com
www.alec-empire.com

by RZ22

The Obama Deception is creating heated debates right now, even in Berlin. Mike passed it on to Alec, Alec passed it on to me.

What do YOU think?

It’s Mid March and it looks as the euphoria of the Obama win has disappeared. Most people have turned away from politics (or should we call it mass media election entertainment?), thinking that it’s all safe and taken care of.

Every time Alex Jones appears (and he is a Foo Fighters fan, which makes us question his true intentions – yes, when you are a mid 30ties woman who thinks the drummer is “cute”, you are maybe forgiven…But Alex Jones and Foo Fighters? get outta here) it is time to look at ourselves…do we get all emotional when this guy screaming at us? Is he right?

Is this a conspiracy theory? What do you think?

Has our generation fallen for a president because our “taste” has been exploited?….our taste for hip hop culture and US MTV? Jay Z? If a “black” president is elected, can you criticize him in the same way as all the others? Fact is it is hard to raise awareness in times when people are scared to lose their jobs and love the charisma of a leader.

It almost feels a bit like right after 911, but in a positive way. Every time when one can’t say something, then it’s time to be on high alert!

Another sign is when the music scene is dead quiet. This should be more exciting than 1977′s punk movement in the UK! Wait, Peaches is releasing a new record…we are already asleep. Digitalism sucking corporate cock working for Nokia.

Did you see the news about the German industry writing to the government that students coming out of university are now too “aligned”, too “adapted”, too “conform” for the challenges that the industry faces right now. Well, you bred those consumers carefully, and now it doesn’t make sense anymore?…haha

Watch KRS-1 answer some questions in here. This is always worth it! (What happened to Hip Hop by the way? How did we let this slip? f$$$$ing hell…)

THINK! And let us know what you think!

There is nothing to discuss about music anymore as it is a dead horse. What a shit time for music journalists right now. All the free flights, all the little steps towards corruption, faking opinions, ads, well…music in 2009…this is what you created Mr Music Journalist. You gave away your only weapon, your voice …for a little bit of cocaine and CDs that you sold on ebay.

If we agree or not, The Obama Deception is everything a modern pop song should be:

mind challenging, emotional and passionate plus a good rap of KRS! Well, Beyonce …you got to train your mind instead of your legs to compete with that!

The Obama Deception Pt.1

Pt.2

Pt.3

Pt.4

Pt.5

Pt.6

Pt.7

Pt.8

Pt.9

Pt.10

Pt.11

Pt.12

www.eyho-blog.com

Monday was so full of optimism in Berlin-West. yeah… we are so glad we don’t need to go to school anymore…do you remember how it felt? A great day is passing by and some teacher trying to teach you a lesson about something outdated and boring?

HEY TEACHER!

The first one was for free….;)

check this one out….

click here to watch

more from insane UK VJ Duo “Addictive TV”

have a good week… sending lots of love to Billy Corgan.

Message of the week: PIRATE BAY! STOP LYING AND STOP TAKING ADVERTISING MONEY FROM CORPORATIONS! THIS IS NOT WHAT THE FREEDOM OF THE INTERNET IS ABOUT.

www.eyho-blog.com

click here to watch

Alec:”Please quickly describe for us…what is it that you do? Exactly? ”

Graham:” Well, we’re producers and audiovisual artists, a music act but we work with film too if that makes sense – I guess kind of ?think DJs but with added pictures?, though that?s a terrible description -

it’s actually much much more than that, but it gives you an idea. We produce all our own material based on audio/video sampling and remixing of films, concert footage etc. To us, the whole visuals thing is really a natural extention to our music and a logical progression of remix culture.”

Tolly:” We perform a fully audiovisual set of totally synced and integrated music and images, where everything you see, you also hear, and vice versa. Actually, a good example, is we?ve just created a drum ?n? bass track by sampling a classical Orchestra.

The idea came from the BBC series Maestro here in the UK, where famous people had to conduct an orchestra and Goldie took part and came second. I mean the BBC took Goldie out of his comfort zone of drum ‘n’ bass, by making him conduct classical music – so we thought we’d put him back in the world of drum n’ bass but with violins and cellos. So we remixed the orchestra, sampling everything from violins to kettle drums, and created a mad drum ‘n’ bass track made from those samples, with Goldie conducting.”

Graham:” And unbelievably, we found a perfect drum ‘n’ bass drum loop played on a kettle drum from the 1812 Overture! It’s amazing to see something like that just fit, I mean finding a bit of drumming written a couple of centuries ago that works as a loop for drum ?n? bass kind of shows that music at it’s very roots always follows the same rules.”

click here to watch

Alec: “Which is more powerful to you? the image or the sound?”

Tolly: “Both ? that?s the whole point with what we do! They work completely in unison ? if you see a film at the cinema, what?s more powerful? The images or the accompanying music? The answer is both, as they are working together, if you took either away, neither of them are as powerful on their own.”

Graham:” Yeah, our AV has to still work as music and follow most of the rules of musical composition, but at the same time following some of the energies and ideas of film-making. Say, when there?s a breakdown in the music which, say, then slowly builds back up into a heart-thumping dramatic crescendo; we might build that musical composition underneath a very specific dramatic sequence within a film remix, making full use of the dramatic power of the images that you?re seeing, into ?an AV experience? – for want of a better phrase – that in a club, music simply can?t do by itself.”

click here to watch more!

Alec: “When one thinks of remix culture, copyright theft and exploitation of other artists are mentioned often at the same time…where do you draw the line? How should our society handle these issues?”

Graham: “It?s a complicated issue, and maybe I would argue for some kind of a system that made it all simpler and clearer; something along the lines of an extended Creative Commons type approach, which allowed unrestricted artistic use of sampled content, but had the additional mechanisms in place to allow for commercial use, where percentages of profit could go back to the rights holder.

Those are complicated to put in place and collect of course, but not beyond the collective power of the creative industries to solve. If rights holders saw a monetary upside from allowing certain kinds of video sampling, then more people would allow it and the idea would spread. If it can work with sampling in music, it can be made to work with films and other mediums.”

Tolly:” More of a problem is the idea that certain artists or rights holders do not want their work messed with, and irrespective of money, would always say ?I created it that way for a reason, I don?t want it altered? and that?s more complicated to argue against. Everyone just has to come to terms with the fact that with modern technology artists will sample and use other?s work, but we just need a workable framework to do it in. But sadly life isn?t that simple?!”

it just does not stop….click here and watch this!

Alec:”How do you prepare your work?”

Tolly: “Generally we sit in the studio, look through the video, whether it?s a movie or a music video, and then sample it, and like any DJ or producer looking for great audio samples, what we look for has to sound good but also has to look good too. But with film remixing, there’s the added complication of finding shots that’s also help explain the narrative and essence of the story and characters! Thinking in two mediums at once can get complicated!”

Graham:” It’s not easy to describe our working process, and it’s something we’ve had to work out how to do from first principles to achieve just what we want. It’s a kind of cross between film-post production and music producing, the difference with us though is that we don’t separate out the processes for audio and video – we treat them as part of just one production process, creating them both at the same time, and we think that shows in the end results.”

Alec:”In this clip we can see you perform in a live environment. Can you react to the audience? Or do you plan out the crowd reaction beforehand?”

Graham:” Both – just like any band or DJ, we usually work out roughly what our set will be, knowing what works at times during a set, but can always change and adapt it, drop tracks we were thinking of playing and swap them for one?s we weren?t going to play and so on. We?re not fixed, it?s audio/visual but it?s not a movie.”

Alec:”I keep having the same conversations with film directors who feel that a film will never be able to compete with a live show of musicians, because a show creates a different atmosphere, an interaction with the crowd. While I find it very fascinating when directors manage to set up a scene which has such an emotional impact on the audience when it’s being screened at a later point in time.

Many directors sweat quite a bit when they are present at their own film premiere, because there is no chance anymore for maneuvering. What is your view on that and how do you deal with this? Will VJs be able to build the bridge and will they perhaps influence directors and musicians, inspire them to approach their work in new ways?”

Graham: “Film-making is a very different discipline to what we do. Film directors engineer their scenes to create an emotional response or sometimes it?s just narrative thrust, or hopefully it?s both at the same time and the composers film score illustrates or informs the mood, or sometimes it?s even the driving force. What we do is give a pr?cis of the narrative, in quite an abstract but musical way, and of course it?s the music that drives us because the music and visuals are in essence the same thing in our work.

We?re not constrained by the same rules and conventions as film directors and composers at all, and we can find new ways to tell a story in a more abstracted musical way; like I said, when we play live we react to an audience more like a DJ or band. And yes, it would be great for VJs and AV artists to influence cinema, I think there?s definitely a new kind of cinematic syntax being developed now by AV artists and I?d love to see this working its way back into mainstream film-making.”

Tolly:” But after making remixed trailers ourselves I?ve definitely now seen some TV ads and broadcast trailers in the last couple of years that have used a style which appears to be influenced by what we?re doing! But there?s been little hints of audiovisualness in films for a long time though, probably as long as films have been made. The old movie ?Bedknobs and Broomsticks? springs to mind, as does ?Mary Poppins?, and of course Disney?s ?Fantasia?, where sequences were inspired by the work of Oskar Fischinger who also worked for Disney on that film. I think sometimes modern VJs tend to like to think they?re cutting new ground but mostly they?re finding new ways to use old tricks!”

Alec:”When you watch films do you always stay alert to scenes that you might want to use later? (My brain always sends me messages, when something might be a good loop or something haha)”

Graham:” Yes, absolutely – it?s kind of hard these days now to watch films without thinking ?that?d make a great sample?!”

click here, just do it….

Alec:”Tell us about your remix for Slumdog Millionaire…how did that come about? I guess everybody is asking the question right now This will haunt you for the rest of your lives? what do you think?”

Tolly:” not sure it will haunt us – it was a great remix to be asked to do, but yes – everyone in interviews is now asking us about it! It?s phenomenal what?s happened to the film since we were asked to be involved, an absolute sleeper hit as they say.”

Graham:” I know, 8 Oscars, a bunch of BAFTAs, Golden Globes and dozens more awards. Crazy to think when we were remixing Slumdog Millionaire and told people about it, no one knew what we were talking about! It was something we are asked to do by the film?s distributors, and we’d only really done film remixes for the US studios up to that point with films like Iron Man, Take the Lead etc so it was great to work on a British independent film. British films have a whole different vibe to the Hollywood movies and Slumdog in particular is really fresh and brilliantly captures India and the slums in particular.

The film?s director Danny Boyle saw our work and wanted us to do it, and it was a fantastic film to work with, really vibrant, colourful, and full of energy. It?s one of those films that you would think would be really easy to remix but it was actually quite hard, it took us a couple of goes to get it right, to match the film?s energy and pace. Looking back now, it?s been a great ride and we?re really pleased to have been able to remix an Oscar-winning movie, particularly as it also means that the idea of film remixing has just become a bit less underground than it was before.”

Tolly: “Well even Iron Man was nominated for an Oscar for its special effects, so to have remixed that too for Paramount shows film remixing certainly isn?t underground any longer. As it happens, last year we were also asked to remix the Gus Van Sant film Milk as well, which Sean Penn won the Oscar for. Sadly it didn?t happen in the end, but again shows the people behind such high profile movies are thinking of getting their films remixed.”

Alec:”Please name 6 of your favourite films EVER!”

Graham:” Definately both ?Brazil? and ?Time Bandits? by Terry Gilliam! ?Brazil? might be a bit of clich?d answer I know, but it?s a visionary piece of film-making and still stands up to this day. In fact, in many ways it has more in common with what?s happening in the World now with terrorism than it did at the time in the 1980s. I?ve also always liked Michael Powell?s ?A Matter of Life and Death? amazing film and of course the original ?Star Wars? which really inspired me as a kid.”

Tolly:” I?d put ?City of God? in my list and ?The Lord of the Rings? – but that?s a trilogy, does that count?”

Alec:”What do you have in mind for the future? In times when storage and hard drives have no limits anymore, will you give us a 3h remix version of…let’s say all Kubrick films? Or what do you guys have planned for the coming decade?”

Tolly: “Not sure creating a 3 hour remix of anything is a good idea – we might send our audience to sleep! But in the coming decade, yes I can see something like this working. The more audio/visual sampling and remixing becomes established, I think it?s quite clear that live AV shows based on, say trilogies like ?The Lord of the Rings? or movies by one director, will happen. I guess someone just has to try it and see if there?s an appetite from audiences; if you could get it right then I think it?s a great idea. Yeah, maybe we should do a feature length remix of ?Mamma Mia? and make our fortunes!”

Graham: “Er, maybe not! It would be nice though to think that all our remixes in 10 years would be in 3D, with surround sound, a fully immersive experience. In reality who knows what will happen, I think things will develop in unusual and unexpected directions, that?s part of the adventure, there?s currently few rules and the way technology evolves tends to mean eventually the imagination becomes the limiting factor.

Time and money in practice always interfere, but in theory pretty much anything will be possible. Maybe we?ll all stay at home and send our avatars out on virtual tours of Second Life. That would limit our carbon footprint, but would be infinitely more boring.”

before we forget : click here!

check out these LINKS and suscribe (and get rid of our cable TV…NOW!):

www.myspace.com/addictivetv
www.youtube.com/AddictiveTV
www.addictive.tv

www.eyho-blog.com

Check out Philipp Virus screening “Drones and Queenbees” The Generation take-over! at Studio 1636 in Wilcox Ave, Los Angeles . from 8.15pm -10.15pm

Monitor Pop presents:

Trailer US-Premiere: “On/Off – Mark Stewart Documentary” directed by Toeni Schiffer

“Loner” Mark Stewart video 2008 by Angie Reed

US DEBUT OF RICHARD WILHELMERS “THE GOLDEN FORETASTE OF HEAVEN” , Music by Alec Empire & Nic Endo , 2009 www.richardwilhelmer.com

Shorts from Miron Zownir:

US Trailer Premiere “Phantomanie” featuring Bruno S and many more, Music by Alec Empire, 2009

“Valuev vs Violence” 2007

“Skinhead Lane”

“Now Or Never”

Shorts and Philipp Virus Videos:

World Premieres:

“Almost Ready” by Dinosaur Jr , 2008

“Free Kitten On The Mountain” by Free Kitten, 2008

Music Videos of Atari Teenage Riot, Iggy & The Stooges, Thurston Moore, Alec Empire, Nic Endo, Hanin Elias

Virus Short Films:

“Civilization Virus” 1994

“The Report” 1996

“Death Zone” 2004

www.eyho-blog.com

THE MACHINE GIRL! Already a Classic!

we can strongly recommend that you go and see and get this film (don’t get it off Pirate Bay, so you support their advertisers with your clicks and let them make even more money. While they are playing the internet anarchists… Support the film makers instead!)

Do you remember when music was as exciting as this?

We call for a new RIOT GRRRL decade….. Republicans almost had all women under 30 enslaved while Bush was in charge. Now that this is over, let’s move on. We don’t want to see women buying handbags, we want to see women chainsawing investment bankers.

and yes, we have doubts that new Tarantino movie will turn out any good…

www.eyho-blog.com

click here
check out awesome new video for The Big Pink…. !

http://www.eyho-blog.com

ENTERTAINMENT AND PAIN. an interview with Miron Zownir regarding his film ‘Phantomanie’.

Preview Screening during “Transducers! Festival” in Berlin at Tresor on 12th of February 2009 was a success. We posted a German interview a few days ago. This is the translation by M.A.Littler.

After several attempts you have now made your first feature films. Why has it taken so long?

Zownir: “I had already written screenplays in the 80?s in New York and L.A. that anticipated several things that Tarantino then realized in the 90′s.
But my then producer Chosei Funahara insisted on doing a flic in the Philippines first because he hoped to be able to raise a larger budget for our film that way.

Unfortunately that film turned out to be a flop as I had expected and Funahara never recovered.
We had been preparing my film ‘The Contender’ for three years. We had a great cast lined up ? Peter Fonda, David Terriffick and Richard Edson (Stranger than Paradise).

When I got word that the Philipino film killed our project, I threw my videorecorder and television set out of the closed window and was arrested, tied up and almost killed by a fascist LAPD deathsquad.
After that my screenplay ?The Loser? was rejected by ?Das kleine Fernsehspiel?, claiming that the German audience could not be confronted with such violence and obscenities.
Even the support of internationally acclaimed actors couldn?t eleviate the fear of the financiers that my films would pass the boundaries of the tolerable.

What is ‘Phantomanie’ about?

Zownir: “I believe that today’s materialistic hegemony, the blind faith in progress and the uncontrollable globalisation of power and economy paired with the idolatry of fame and an anachronistic monotheism triggers our primal fears.

Who am I? How or based on who can orientate myself. Who can I still trust? How can I survive without becoming part of the inhuman machinery? How can I protect my emotions and individuality when everything can be duplicated and replaced.

Perhaps those are not the fears of the majority but much rather the fears of those who refuse to conform. But that?s probably the target audience I want to connect with and that I identify with.”

Natalia Avelon plays a prostitute in Phantomanie.

That doesn’t sound like entertainment.

Zownir: “My films are an amalgamation of entertainment and pain. You can laugh and cry about the helplessness, confusion and anger that my characters experience. But the mere fact that they fight back and have to find a way through the chaos of their psychotic dreams and illusions makes them rebels of sorts. Even if they fail, they have more in common with one of Crumb’s comic heroes than a good looking Hollywood loser.

They’re overdriven, distorted and far from the norms of mass production, designed on the drawing boards, that everyone wants to supposedly see. None the less they are realer than the common media puppets that the German televison networks force upon their audience.“

There is a particular passage in your collection of short stories ‘Parasites of Helplessness’, in wich a journalist tells a director: ‘you make films for lunatics, sadists and pilgrims on their way to hell. In how far does that apply to you?

Zownir: (laughs) “Everyone should see my films. I have no reservations or fear of contact.”

Bruno S. performed in his first feature film in thirty years. How did you convince him?

Zownir: “I had already made a documentary about him and he trusts me. He plays a mixture of a moronic bum and an all knowing philosopher, a character that mediates between dreams and reality ? he does the same for himself in real life.”

Bruno is known as an icon of amateur acting, who no one wanted to touch after he made films with Herzog.

Zownir: “I freed him from that Herzog corsette, which is really limited to the poor, ridiculed outsider.
The scene in which Bruno becomes the werewolf-like strangler will most likely not please most of his fans. But Bruno is more than merely part of the Herzog mythology and I gave him the opportunity to prove that.”

What was your collaboration with Alec Empire like? He is known to be eccentric not unlike yourself.

Zownir: “When working with me every genius eccentric has a jester’s license’let’s say within the boundaries of what I am trying to say. With Alec I had to make no compromises because he understood the film better than I did (laughs). Our collaboration could not have been better.”

Your photographs, novels, stories and films are hard to digest for most people. Could one refer to you as an iconoclast?

Zownir: “I believe on your way to self-realization, you must first tear down all barriers before you know where it is that you want to go. As soon as I encounter taboos, I feel provoked, I get uncomfortable and try to question them. Looking at it from this angle, I haven’t learned all that much within the past thirty years (laughs). Call it what you will, but I believe what distinguishes me is the courage of the uncensored word or image.
The moral imperative of post-war Germany is hard to digest or to accept because their moral ambassadors, as we well known are the biggest opportunists and cowards.”

One of your lead actors Frederic Geay died during the post production of Phantomanie due to an asthmatic attack. In his part he continuously talks about death. Do you see a connection?

Zownir: “Freddy was a good friend of mine and I knew he was asthmatic. In a way he played himself and he addressed fears that tortured him his entire life. Yet at the same time he was optimistic, enjoyed life and defied it all with humor and charme. Freddy’s death was a shock to us all. Everyone that worked with him liked and respected him. I would have made many more films with him.”

http://www.mironzownir.com/
http://www.myspace.com/zownirradicalman

click here to watch

ENTERTAINMENT UND SCHMERZ. Ein Interview mit Regisseur Miron Zownir ?ber seinen Film “Phantomanie”

Preview Screening beim “Transducers! Festival” in Berlin im Tresor am 12.Februar 2009 – Start 19 Uhr

Du hast nach mehreren Anl?ufen endlich deinen 1. Spielfilm gedreht. Warum hat das solange gedauert?

Zownir: “Ich habe bereits in den 80?er Jahren in New York und LA mehrere Drehb?cher geschrieben, die einiges von dem vorweg genommen h?tten, was Tarantino in den 90?er Jahren realisiert hat.
Aber mein damaliger Produzent Chosei Funahara wollte unbedingt vor meinem ersten Film noch einen Streifen in den Philippinen drehen, weil er sich davon ein gr??eres Budget f?r unser Projekt erhoffte.

Leider wurde der Film, wie ich vorausgesehen hatte, ein Flop und Funahara hat sich nie wieder davon erholt. Wir hatten uns drei Jahre lang auf meinen Film ?The Contender? vorbereitet, der mit Peter Fonda, David Terrifick und Richard Edson (Stranger than Paradise) gl?nzend besetzt war. Als ich die Nachricht erhielt, dass der Philippinofilm unser Projekt gekillt hatte, habe ich meinen Fernseher und Taperecorder durch das geschlossene Fenster geworfen und bin von einem Sturmtrupp faschistischer LA-Bullen, an H?nden und F??en gefesselt, beinahe totgeschlagen worden.
Sp?ter wurde mein Drehbuch ?Der Versager? von kleinen Fernsehspiel mit der Begr?ndung abgelehnt, dass man dem deutschen Fernsehpublikum, meine Gewaltszenen und Obsz?nit?ten nicht zumuten k?nnte. Selbst die Unterst?tzung namhafter, internationaler Schauspieler konnte den verantwortlichen Geldgebern nicht die Angst davor nehmen, dass meine Filme ?ber die Toleranzgrenze, der Tolerierbaren hinausgehen w?rden.”

Um was geht es in Phantomanie?

Zownir: “Ich glaube, dass die heutige Zeit der materiellen Hegemonie, des blinden Vertrauens an den Fortschritt und der un?berschaubaren Globalisierung der Macht und der Wirtschaft, gepaart mit einem g?tzen?hnlichen Starkult und anachronistischen Monotheismus, unsere Ur?ngste triggert.

Wer bin ich? An wen oder was kann ich mich orientieren? Wem kann man noch trauen? Wie kann ich mich behaupten, ohne ein Teil der menschenverachtenden Maschinerie zu werden? Wie kann ich meine Emotionen, Gef?hle und Individualit?t retten, wenn alles duplizierbar und austauschbar ist?
Vielleicht sind das nicht die ?ngste, die die Mehrheit empfindet, sondern eher derer, die sich nicht anpassen wollen. Aber das ist wahrscheinlich die Zielgruppe mit der ich mich identifiziere und die ich ansprechen will.”

Klingt nicht gerade nach Entertainment.

Zownir: “Meine Filme sind eine Mischung aus Entertainment und Schmerz. Man kann ?ber die Hilflosigkeit, Verwirrung und Wut meiner Charaktere ebenso lachen wie heulen. Aber allein die Tatsache, dass sie sich wehren und sich im Chaos ihrer psychotischen Tr?ume und Illusionen zurechtfinden m?ssen, macht sie zu einer Art von Rebellen. Selbst wenn sie scheitern haben sie mehr von einem Komikhelden von Crumb als von einem gutaussehenden Hollywoodloser.

?bersteuert, verzerrt und weit von der Normierung, der am Rei?brett konzipierten Massenware, die angeblich alle sehen wollen, sind sie dennoch reeller als die ?blichen Medienmarionetten, die von dem deutschen Fernsehanstalten ihrem Publikum aufgedr?ngt werden.”

In einer Passage aus deiner Shortstorysammlung ?Parasiten der Ohnmacht?, sagt ein Journalist zu einem Regisseur, ?Sie machen Filme f?r Geisteskranke, Sadisten und Pilger auf dem Weg in die H?lle.? Inwieweit trifft das auf dich zu?

Zownir: (lacht) “Meine Filme sollen alle sehen. Ich habe keine Ber?hrungs?ngste.”

Bruno S. hat seit 30 Jahren seinen ersten Spielfilm gedreht. Wie hast du ihn dazu ?berredet?

Zownir: “Ich habe bereits eine Doku ?ber ihn gedreht und er hat mir vertraut. Er spielt eine Mischung aus debilem Penner und allwissenden Philosophen, eine Figur, die zwischen Traum und Wirklichkeit vermittelt, wie er das im wirklichen Leben mit sich selber tut.”

Bruno gilt als Ikone der Leiendarsteller, den nach Herzog keiner mehr anfassen wollte.

Zownir: “Ich habe ihn aus dem Herzogkorsett befreit, dass im Grunde genommen auf den armen, verspotteten Au?enseiter reduziert ist. Mit der Szene wo Bruno zum werwolf?hnlichen W?rger wird, werden sich die meisten seiner Fans nicht anfreunden k?nnen. Aber Bruno ist mehr als ein Teil der Herzogmythologie und ich habe ihm die Chance gegeben, dass zu beweisen.”

Wie war deine Zusammenarbeit mit Alec Empire? Er gilt ?hnlich wie du, als schwierig.

Zownir: “Bei mir hat jeder geniale Exzentriker Narrenfreiheit, d. h. im Rahmen dessen, was ich verwirklichen will. Aber bei Alec musste ich keinerlei Einschr?nkungen machen, weil er den Film besser verstanden hat als ich. (lacht) Unsere Zusammenarbeit h?tte nicht besser sein k?nnen.”

Deine Fotos, Romane, Storys und Filme sind f?r viele schwer zu verdauen. K?nnte man dich als einen Ikonoklasten bezeichnen?

Zownir: “Ich glaube, dass man in seinem Drang zur Selbstverwirklichung immer zuerst alle Schranken niederrei?en muss, bevor man sich dar?ber klar werden kann, wohin man will. Sobald ich auf Tabus treffe, f?hle ich mich provoziert, werde unangenehm und versuche sie zu hinterfragen. In dieser Hinsicht habe ich in den letzten 30 Jahren nicht viel dazu gelernt (lacht). Man kann das nennen wie man will, aber ich glaube, dass was mich auszeichnet ist der Mut zum unzensierten Wort oder Bild.

Der moralische Imperativ der Nachkriegsdeutschen ist deshalb so schwer zu verdauen oder zu akzeptieren, weil ihre sch?rfsten Vertreter aus moralischen Instanzen besteht, von denen man einfach wei?, dass sie die gr??ten Opportunisten und Feiglinge sind.”

Einer deiner Hauptdarsteller, Frederic Geay ist w?hrend der Postproduktion von Phantomanie an einem asthmatischen Anfall erstickt. In seiner Rolle spricht er ununterbrochen vom Tod. Siehst du darin einen Zusammenhang?

Zownir: “Ich war gut mit Freddy befreundet und wusste, dass er seit seiner Kindheit Asthmatiker war. Im Grunde genommen hat er sich selbst gespielt und von ?ngsten geredet, die ihn ein Leben lang qu?lten. Aber gleichzeitig war er optimistisch, lebensfroh und hatte sich mit Humor und Charme dar?ber hinweggesetzt. Freddys Tod hat uns alle ersch?ttert. Jeder der mit ihm zusammenarbeitete, hat ihn gesch?tzt und gemocht. Ich h?tte noch viele Filme mit ihm gemacht.”

http://www.mironzownir.com/
http://www.myspace.com/zownirradicalman

GOOD LSD IS HARD TO FIND THESE DAYS

Do you sometimes wish pop music would be more like this? Do you?

Maybe it is and we fail to see it. Or maybe it is us and that how the CEOs see us?

Or maybe this is how god created us before computers messed up his creation?

Or maybe the vatican could not have been more wrong about the holocaust statements (at least they are getting shit for it)?

I was going to the zoo and I had this feeling that all the animals were looking at me…on which side of the cage are we? Seriously…. they enslaved us to provide food for them, keep them at perfect temperature all the time…

you know fuck it….

This week is all about Transducers! Festival we are throwing together with Think Sync in Berlin. 12th of February. Look forward to an exclusive interview with Miron Zownir who directed “Phantomanie” which is being screened at Transducers!

http://www.transducers.the-hellish-vortex.com/

DJ Andrew Weatherall has done a special Mix for us/you ! This will be coming up very soon!

CLICK HERE!

Tresor pr?sentiert in Zusammenarbeit mit Alec Empire, Think Sync und Shooting People:

“TRANSDUCERS!”

BERLIN – LONDON – WIEN

Europ?ischer Film trifft auf Elektronische Musik
Am 12. Februar im Tresor! (German version)

Musikproduzent Alec Empire stellt in Zusammenarbeit mit Tresor und der Britischen Firma Think Sync und Shooting People ein besonderes Programm zusammen, um den Europ?ischen Film zu feiern!

Genauer gesagt geht es nicht nur darum, spannende neue Filme zu pr?sentieren, die sich jenseits der ?blichen Fahrbahn bewegen und dennoch Pop Appeal besitzen, sondern auch die elektronische Musikszene mit der Filmbranche zusammenzubringen.

Alec Empire arbeitet parallel zum ?blichen DJ/Produzenten “Tagesgesch?ft” mit Film.
(Eine Auswahl ist bei Wikipedia zu finden http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alec_Empire )
In den letzten Monaten schrieb er die Soundtracks f?r 3 spannende Projekte:

“The Golden Foretaste of Heaven”: Der ?sterreichische Regisseur Richard Wilhelmer scharte Schauspieler der jungen Generation (Robert Stadlober und Friederike Kempter in den Hauptrollen) f?r einen Animation Sci-Fi (,welcher nat?rlich in einem fiktiven Berlin der Zukunft spielt: Der Klimawandel hat die einst gr?nste Stadt Europa’s zur Plattenbaumetropole in mitten einer W?ste gemacht. Eine wundervolle Parodie auf den g?ngigen Hollywoodaufgu?.) um sich. Im Tresor findet die offizielle Premieren Party mit Screening statt.

“Phantomanie”: Regisseur Miron Zownir gelang es den unberechenbaren Kultdarsteller Bruno S, der “Kaspar Hauser” aus Werner Herzog’s Filmen, nach 30 Jahren das erste Mal vor die Kamera zu bekommen!

(link zu aktuellen New York Times Artikel ?ber Bruno S. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/25/arts/design/25abroad.html?_r=1)

Dabei ist einer der aussergew?hnlichsten Filme gelungen, die das deutsche Kino so lange vermisst hat! Schauspieler wie George Nickel, Vivien Bullert, Natalia Avelon und Geno Lechner steigen in die Rollen bizarrer Figuren, die sich in der “selbstgezimmerten H?lle der Reichen” voller Paranoia ihre eigene Wirklichkeit stricken. Die Russenmafia, verr?ckte Sektenf?hrer, Drogen und Waffendealer, alles ist dabei. Zownir schafft es ein Berlin einzufangen, welches Kurzaufenhalt-Regisseure oft verpassen. Gro?artiges und wahnsinniges Autorenkino! Und am 12. Februar wird es im Tresor mit der offiziellen Premieren Party mit Screening und allem drum und dran gefeiert!

“Chaostage”, ein Film von Regisseur Tarek Ehlail, bei dem unter anderem deutsche Gr??en wie Helge Schneider, Stipe Erceg, Claude Oliver Rudolph, Martin Semmelrogge, Henriette M?ller und Ralf Richter mitspielen. Der Film sorgte seid seiner Vorpremiere vor allem in der Boulevard Presse f?r gro?es Aufsehen, da er kontrovers mit der Geschichte der Chaostage in Hannover umgeht. Bevor der Film im Fr?hling ins Kino kommt, werden Teaser, Trailer und sehr unterhaltsames Material der Deutsch Stars w?hrend der Dreharbeiten gezeigt.
(http://www.chaostage-film.de/new/presse.html)

Ausserdem: Die Londoner Firma Think Sync , die auch eng mit Empire und dem Raindance Festival verkn?pft ist, stellt ein spannendes Programm aus Kurzfilmen zusammen. Zum gr??ten Teil ungesehenes, teilweise die Gewinner des j?hrlichen Think Sync Wettbewerbs, der jeden Sommer in London stattfindet, in dessen Jury unter anderem Fifth Element Regisseur Iain Smith und weitere Gr??en des Britischen Films sitzen.
(link http://www.thinksyncfilms.com/)

Und jetzt zur Party! (Das Line Up sagt alles: Andrew Weatherall, die Legende aus UK, der den britischen Dance Sound wie kein anderer gepr?gt hat. David Holmes, der David Holmes, der die Soundtracks f?r die Ocean 11-13 Filme mit Brad Pitt, George Clooney usw, gemacht hat! )

Alec Empire (DE)
Andrew Weatherall (UK)
David Holmes (UK)
T Raumschmiere (DE)

Nic Endo (US)
Reznik (DE)
Fidelity Kastrow (DE)

special guests: Rummelsnuff

Start 21 Uhr

Party Link!

CHAOSTAGE FILM – ENDSPURT ZUR GROSSEN PREMIERE BEIM MAX OPH?LS FESTIVAL!

Hallo Leute,

am Freitag ist es endlich soweit. Der Film CHAOSTAGE-We are Punks ! sucht
Saarbr?cken heim.

Zwar gibt es momentan keine Karten mehr, aber f?r jeden noch die Chance
reinzukommen ! Dazu: Freibier ohne Ende und die Aftershowparty mit DJ ALEC
EMPIRE. EINTRITT FREI !

P?nktlich um 20 Uhr vor dem Cinestar Saarbr?cken geht es los.

Presse und Polizei stimmen sich auch schon auf die heisse Nacht ein.Das
seht ihr hier :

http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=3FKOwiydzS0

Fliegen wieder Steine ?

Hi Alec, how’s going?
Here the opening title for Future Film Festival (Bologna, 27th January – 1st February), the most important event in Italy dedicated to animation, fantasy and sci-fi cinema.
Music by Kumisolo (France, Japan). Sometimes painting becomes too real!

Enjoy it,

Marco

http://www.futurefilmfestival.org/intl/index.php

IT WAS TRUE PUNKROCK!

Alec Empire interviews London filmmaker and musician Zan Lyons

Alec: “I think most of our readers might only be aware of your music, but you
have been almost more active in making films in the last years. Could you
please give them a brief introduction to your work…”

Zan:

“When I started making music the thing that excited me most was that I could do it all at home with just a sampler and computer. It was true punk rock. I’d have an idea turn on my machines and Jam.
I wanted to bring the same energy to films and then combine it with my sound!
All my films are shot, lit and edited by my me on my laptop. I also do all of the visual effects and post production. This means I can take my camera, shoot something and start trying ideas immediately.
It’s a powerful and liberating experience!”

Alec:” Many people say that video games will replace film one day. Do you agree?
Can video games ever achieve the same effect that films can?
Does it even make sense to put both in relation to each other?”

Zan:

“From an industry standpoint video games have already replaced film. Even in our current economic climate video game sales keep growing while film sales are shrinking. I think the reason is a simple one. Value.
Even though games are significantly more expensive than films the experience is much more involved. What happens on the screen is happening to you, not a character you passively empathize with. Film distributors need to start giving audiences more with their DVDs. The same lack of value destroyed music – even though the industry blames downloads. When you buy a game you are buying something that will absorb you for days – even months.
From a personal perspective, nothing will ever replace the magic of cinema and although Games offer a truly interactive form of entertainment, they are not yet able to compete with film in terms of story. Games like Metal Gear Solid and the Final Fantasy series have scratched the surface. I think we’ll start to see the two worlds collaborating in the near future. Brilliant storytelling not better graphics will really take gaming to the next level.”

Alec: “How influential is Asian film right now? It seems that Hollywood steals
more ideas from there than from anywhere else…”

Zan:

“Asia is without a doubt leading the world of cinema. Films like ‘The Ring’ and ‘Oldboy’ have completely changed films and have left Hollywood playing catchup. South East Asia always gets mentioned but India is also producing thought-provoking dramas as well as the colorful entertainment of Bollywood. Also a lot of people don’t realize that Bollywood is the biggest film industry in the world with Hollywood coming second place.
People working in Asia really know their craft and as a result, they make better films for much, much less money than Hollywood. Australian cinematographer Christopher Doyle has worked most of his life in South East Asia. He’s easily the greatest cinematographer working today but I doubt he would have reached this point if been swallowed up by Hollywood or even Europe.
Asian cinema keeps getting better and better and I think it will play a much greater role in years to come.”

Alec: “How important is authenticity or realism for you as a director ? Do they
both even matter?”

Zan:
“My films have lot’s of small details so realism is very important. I always use lighting to create a film’s atmosphere because it’s means the image comes to life in front of me and I can react to it. All of my effects are very simple and usually involve more camera work than computer effects. I want people to believe what’s on the screen.”

Alec: “Can you recommend 3 films to our readers? And explain why they should
watch them?”

Zan:

“The first is ‘In the Mood for Love‘. The way color and music are used to create atmosphere is amazing. It manages to feel like a classic 1960′s film and a modern one at the same time.

The second is ‘THX1138‘. I think this is one of the greatest science fiction films ever made. It has a sense of claustrophobia that I don’t think I’ve experienced since. There’s an impending doom from start to finish and it’s themes of government control feel more relevant today than ever before.

The final film is ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit‘. It’s a perfect example brilliant family cinema. Children will love the cute charater animation and adults will enjoy all of the film noir references. Most importantly though, it’s 90 minutes of pure mind-bending fun!”

Alec: “Has technology left human imagination behind? Anything can be created
with the help of computers these days, but still most films out there lack
ideas? Why do you think that is?”

Zan:

“Technology can be great when used well but too many people seem to use it to make short cuts and cover over weak ideas. Films like Star Wars and 2001 were at the cutting edge when they were released but the initial ideas were good in the first place so the effects were just enhancements. I think we need to return to this way of thinking and use new technology as a creative tool.”

Alec: “Or is the problem rooted in our society, in which everything , even art
itself, has to serve only one goal: profit making?”

Zan:

“When Hollywood gets it right the results can be amazing. but unfortunately money often gets in the way. There are too many people who see film making purely in financial terms and they are usually the reason for bad films.
I think this will change though. Audiences aren’t stupid, if a film isn’t good people can just download it!”

Alec: “Are you thinking of doing a full length film one day?”

Zan:

“My new album will be a collection of 9 songs with a short film for each one. It will flow together running at about 45 minutes so it’s actually a full-length film.
You’ll be able to either watch it as a complete film or select individual chapters – or just listen to the music. Each viewer will experience it differently.
The music is all instrumental and the films have no dialogue. The sounds and images are heavily synchronized – I wanted to create a world that people get can lost in.

I also have two story-based feature films that I plan on making at some point. I can’t say too much at the moment but they’ll be made in a similar way to my shorts.”

Alec: “You did visual remixes of some scenes of Blade Runner. How did the
audience react to that? This film is often seen as the masterpiece that
nobody is allowed to touch…”

Zan:

“There was a strong reaction to it here in the UK for that exact reason. Audiences loved it though! When it began they thought it was just a live soundtrack but quickly discovered I’d re-edited the film as well. I used heavy synchronization between my own music and various scenes. I remember BBC Radio interviewing me asking if I was trying to make Blade Runner better! I was never trying to improve the film – that would be impossible. It was more like my own version. I had some clips on youtube but was asked to take them down by Warner Brothers:)”

Alec: “Do you think that most film scores push the audience far enough?“

Zan:

“Not at all. The last good film score I heard was ‘There Will be Blood’ It created an almost unbearable tension throughout the whole film.
Otherwise Most film scores sound either made-to-order or like a cynical way to promote a bands music.
Film scores are in real need of a a change!”

Alec: “Where do you think films will be at in 10 years? The same stories told with
different/younger actors?”

Zan:

“I think a revolution is coming! There will, of course be the same old money-making films but I think Digital Technology has put film making in the hands of everyone so I hope we’ll start to see new visions and different methods of storytelling.
There will definitely be less money to make films so people will have rely on ideas instead of funding to make good work. We’re already seeing this with people like Warp Films and Philip Virus.
I think we’ll also start seeing more films that take advantage of the internet rather than treating it as an enemy. Maybe interactive films where the viewer has a say in what happens next.
Like I said, tools that used to be exclusive to Hollywood are now in the hands of everybody. In ten years we’re going to see more films made faster, cheaper and for the RIGHT reasons!”

check out Zan’s films and infos here:

http://www.zanlyons.com
http://www.youtube.com/thisisourpunkrock
http://www.myspace.com/zanlyons