Author Archive for catherine

Babelgum’s House of Horrors

Published by catherine on October 29, 2009 in Featured and Various. 0 Comments

Jack O’Lantern? Check. Costume? Check. Tricks (or treats)? Check.

Scary movies, shorts and animation? Look no further!

We give you the Babelgum Halloween channel, now live on web and mobile.

Highlights include:

- classic full-length horror such as Nosferatu and Night of the Living Dead

- spine chilling shorts like Behind You and Trick or Treat

- close encounters at an asylum for the criminally insane in Transylvania

- fearless blood-sucking bugs feasting on a bat.

If cute monsters are more your thing, then join in the scarily fluffy Halloween puppy party, or the endearing animated hero of A Bat’s Life.

Ghosts, gore and more, right now on the Halloween channel.

Weezer Want You To (…check out another Babelgum Exclusive)

Published by catherine on October 22, 2009 in Music and exclusive. 1 Comment

We’ve got something special for Weezer fans and anybody who feels the need for some sunny alt-rock tunes to lift their spirits as the nights draw in: Weezer’s latest video “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” is previewing right here, from today – yes, it’s another global exclusive for Babelgum web and mobile.

Ok, so the title doesn’t exactly trip off the tongue but the song’s catchiness more than makes up for it and the video features a “beautiful stranger” who shows up in Weezerville and rocks the band’s world…

The single is taken from the Grammy winners’ eclectic seventh album “Raditude”, out early November, which “sounds like a roomful of people having a great time”, according to lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Rivers Cuomo.

We also have behind the scenes footage including the making of the video (see below) and interviews with the band, cast and director Marc Webb. Also, stay tuned for our Weezer video-mashup competition, launching next week (prizes include Weezer Snuggies, LPs and the chance to work with the band themselves).

For all this and more go to our very own Weezer channel, updated daily here

The Making Of (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To

Sally Potter’s RAGE: A Star-Studded Film Premiere In Your Pocket

Published by catherine on September 21, 2009 in Film and exclusive. 2 Comments


This is a 21st-century cinema milestone—the first time a feature film starring award-winning actors like Jude Law (in drag!), Steve Buscemi, Judi Dench, Eddie Izzard, Lily Cole (the list goes on) will premiere on mobile phones. No velvet ropes, no guest lists, just film fans around the world watching the debut of a new work by a renowned filmmaker.

As director Sally Potter points out, “There is, potentially, no hierarchy of who gets to see the film first. A teenager in her bedroom in a village in Spain, a rancher in a small town in Australia, a movie star in a Penthouse in New York, all are in it together, simultaneously; [...] a vast web of parallel experience.”

RAGE is set in the glamorous and chaotic world of a New York fashion house preparing for a runway show. The film has a simple but radical structure. It consists entirely of documentary-style interviews with individual characters—a designer, his models and everyone from a media mogul to a seamstress—shot by an (unseen) student named Michelangelo on his cellphone behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week. Unexpectedly, the budding filmmaker ends up witnessing an accident on the catwalk that spirals into a murder investigation.

This is one movie that’s actually perfect for mobile phones. The one-on-one interviews make for intimate viewing because the actors seem to be talking to you the entire time. Seeing it on a handheld screen only enhances that feeling of intimacy. The film has been custom-edited into seven episodes for Babelgum Mobile, with a new episode being released each day, premiering September 21. One week later on the 28th, after all the episodes have debuted, they will also be available here on the Babelgum website.

If you want to take part in this distribution revolution, download the free Babelgum Mobile app at the iTunes store (or click here if you have Google Android) and watch all the episodes of RAGE beginning today, September 21.

Further reading on the RAGE release:
The Independent
NY Times
Art Beats Blog NY Times
THR
ScreenDaily
indieWire.com
London Times
BBC (video interview with Sally Potter)
Netribution
And for more info, sneak peeks, trailer and links see the RAGE page on our website

Tokyo Stories 4: Mark Harmon

Published by catherine on September 15, 2009 in Metropolis and Various. 0 Comments

You Can’t Stop Your Body When the Reggae Music Starts

By Mark Harmon

Mark_Harmon

And nobody knows it more than me. If there’s one thing Mark Harmon loves, it is getting down to some dope riddim’ and get irie.

But seriously, if you want a real taste of culture-to-culture incongruity, check out the emerging style of reggae dancing in Tokyo.

These girls have a lot more flavor than just wasabi. Have you ever heard that song ‘Bailamos’? It’s about dancing, you know. Anyway, there is a line in that song that says “Let the rhythm take you over,” and that’s exactly how I feel when I see sexy women dancing.

You know, when I starred in the 80’s teen comedy “Summer School,” I thought I’d never have that much fun again. Well lucky for me, I got to go to Tokyo, and now I can come home knowing what it feels like to have that rhythm take me over.

Our Coldplay application swings into action on iPhone

Published by catherine on August 3, 2009 in Music, Various and exclusive. 0 Comments

Hot on the heels of our July 14th world première of Coldplay’s latest video Strawberry Swing (directed by creative whizkid outfit Shynola), we have just launched a mobile app dedicated to Chris Martin and co., available now on an iPhone near you.

coldplay app

The application not only features Strawberry Swing, a Coldplay newsfeed and videos from Coldplay’s back catalogue,  there’s also a multi-level game in which you get to help superhero Chris battle a giant squirrel and sea monsters in order to save a princess in a world drawn in chalk (yes, the game is as surreal as the video itself!)

Coldplay game

Find out more on our Coldplay page or download the app here.

Peter Doherty’s new video premiering on Babelgum

Published by catherine on July 1, 2009 in Featured, Music, Various and exclusive. 0 Comments

He’s the UK’s best-loved “indie laureate”, a charismatic, enigmatic singer songwriter with a unique poetic voice: Peter Doherty recently released his solo album Grace/Wastelands, to widespread critical acclaim.

Broken Love Song is the second single from the album, and Peter chose to première it exclusively here on Babelgum. To accompany it, we also have a never before seen interview with the man himself, two live acoustic performances of Arcady and Lady Don’t Fall Backwards, and some highlights from Peter’s career to date.

Click here to view the selection of videos and find out more.

Peter Doherty

The Prodigy, live and exclusive

Published by catherine on June 23, 2009 in Featured, Music, Various and exclusive. 0 Comments

the prodigy

Who’d have thought that  firestarting big beat legends The Prodigy like to go fabric shopping in between gigs?  Well, that’s just one of the odd titbits revealed in the exclusive documentary and live footage showing now on Babelgum Web and Mobile.

Shot on the road by Dugdale during the band’s explosive “Invaders Must Die” tour earlier this year, the footage delves into the adrenaline pumping world of Liam, Keith, Maxim and the crew as they tour the UK, with a documentary (Part 1 and Part 2).  It also includes backstage interviews with the band, camping tips from Keith Flint, wardrobe crises, alsations on the loose  and some thumping performances filmed live at Wembley, with tracks such as Invaders Must Die and Run With The Wolves.

For more info, links and an interview visit The Prodigy on Babelgum.

Keith Flint backstage

BMVA update: Old Wives’ Tale perform live in London

Published by catherine on June 10, 2009 in Babelgum Music Video Awards, Music, News and Various. 1 Comment

Old Wives’ Tale are the indie electro-rock band who won the Performance Award in the Babelgum Music Video Awards with their video for catchy single [15]Amphetamine.

And now the time has come for them to “play out” their prize – a gig at the Camden Barfly in London, on Saturday, June 13th. The Miami-based trio (Jaime Valencia – Vox/Guitars/Programming, Juan Felipe Valencia – Vox/Bass/Programming and Pablo Toro on Drums) will be performing alongside three other bands, all from the UK.

The guys are taking the opportunity to hop over to Spain too, to promote their new EP “Younger Limbs” with some gigs over there. Check their website or MySpace for details of the tour and to hear tracks from Younger Limbs – and if you’re in London, maybe we’ll see you at the Barfly this Saturday.

BMVA Performance Award winners

Hard hitting doc series “The End of the Line” released on Babelgum

Published by catherine on June 8, 2009 in Our Earth, Various and new features. 0 Comments

Film still from The End of the Line

Today, June 8th, is World Oceans Day.  To mark the occasion we’re taking part in a rather special event: the simultaneous Mobile, Online and Theatrical Release of the first major feature documentary to be made on the impact of over fishing: The End of the Line, narrated by Ted Danson and based on the book by Charles Clover.

The exclusive Babelgum presentation of The End of the Line is an original six-part series in which director Rupert Murray takes the viewers behind the scenes and deeper into the issues being raised by this year’s biggest environmental doc, which premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary competition.

So before you tuck into your next dish of sushi or fish ‘n’ chips, take a look at this hard-hitting exposé, described by The Economist as “The inconvenient truth about the impact of over-fishing on the oceans”.

Episode 1 is showing on Babelgum as of today, with a new episode being added weekly over the next 6 weeks.

For more info, clips and the trailer see our dedicated page or visit the End of the Line official website, and read the press release here.

New eco documentary on Babelgum

Announcing the winners of the 2nd Babelgum Online Film Festival

Published by catherine on April 28, 2009 in Babelgum Online Film Festival, Film and Various. 0 Comments

We are pleased to announce the winners of our second Online Film Festival, who received their awards last night at an awards ceremony at a private event held during the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.

The Professional Jury Awards were chosen by our panel of film experts Richard Abramowitz, Joe Bateman, Michael Cox, Tiziana Loschi and Carl Spence from the top 10 shortlisted  films that received the most audience votes in each category.

The hand-crafted Murano glass trophies went to:

  • Documentary:  Joseph Cottrell-Boyce for GLUE
  • Animation:  Michael Patrick O’Hara for MR. HAPPY

The Spike Lee Awards, chosen by the director himself from the top 10 shortlisted films, consisted of a cash prize of 20,000 Euros and a trophy. They went to:

  • Animation:  Guy Ben Shetrit for HEY

And the Looking for Genius Award, also chosen by Spike Lee among all the films in the festival, went to Francesco Sperandeo for BAB AL-SAMAH
He also wins 20,000 Euros in cash and a glass trophy.

All of the winning films can be seen on the brand new 2nd Babelgum Online Film Festival Winners channel on Babelgum web and mobile.

Congratulations to all the participants in the festival and to the lucky winners and as always, thanks to all our viewers who voted for their favorite entries over the past couple of months.

For more information about the winning films and the Festival, click here, and to see more photos of the event go to our Flickr page.

Winners & Spike Lee on stage

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