Archive for the 'exclusive' Category

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

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

“Extinction Sucks”, Babelgum’s second original production

Published by catherine on April 3, 2009 in Our Earth, Various and exclusive. 0 Comments

Babelgum has commissioned a second project as part of its digital studio initiative (following our first original production, Downstream, which we presented here on Tuesday). Extinction Sucks is a wildlife series in six parts, and is premiering on Babelgum as of today March 27th .

Made by wildlife doc gurus Off the Fence, the series suggests concrete solutions to the threat of extinction.

It follows the real-life adventures of Aussie conservationist Aleisha Caruso and her friend Ashleigh Young as they find ways to help save endangered species around the world. In each half-hour episode, the girls are challenged to mount an expedition to help a particular species of animal.

The production’s green credentials are further boosted by the involvement of WWF experts, who will be offering information and input on species and locations.

The show already has a strong online presence, with pages on MySpace and Facebook.

Watch the first episode on Asian Elephants now on Our Earth and for more details about the series click here.

Extinction Sucks on Babelgum

The Linguists, the documentary that has everybody talking

Published by catherine on March 30, 2009 in Featured, Film, Various and exclusive. 1 Comment

Our new exclusive online premiere The Linguists (directed by Seth Kramer, Daniel A. Miller, and Jeremy Newberger) is the feature length documentary that was on everybody’s lips at Sundance 2008.

Half of the world’s languages are heading for extinction, and The Linguists follows two scientist-adventurers as they travel the world in a race to document indigenous tongues that are hanging on by a thread. From Oklahoma to South Africa, the pair meets some of the last remaining speakers of endangered languages around the globe.

Karol Martesko-Fenster, our film publisher, says:

“The filmmakers have crafted a compelling story that weaves travelogue together with the urgent sustainability issue of the world’s disappearing languages. The resulting documentary appeals to film fans and the growing group of linguists worldwide.”

The documentary has screened at scores of film festivals worldwide and recently aired on PBS. It will get its online première on Babelgum web and mobile from April 20th – but you can watch the trailer and a selection of clips now.

The Linguists meet the last Pazih speaker in Taiwan

The Linguists meet the last Pazih speaker in Taiwan

Gorillaz go Bananaz for the first ever global online film première

Published by catherine on March 27, 2009 in Featured, Film, Music, Various and exclusive. 0 Comments

Calling all Gorillaz fans:  Bananaz, the behind-the-scenes doc about the band, will be screening on Babelgum from April 20th as the first ever global, online film première prior to its theatrical a release worldwide.

Cartoon band Gorillaz was created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. They released their self-titled debut album in 2001 and went on to take the world by storm. For six years director Ceri Levy filmed the Gorillaz animators, musicians and singers as they worked, and the result is this free-wheeling, honest and sometimes hilarious account of the creative process behind the world’s most successful virtual band.

The film has already gained cult status following screenings at film festivals around the world from Berlin to Edinburgh to SXSW. Babelgum viewers will be able to watch it full-length from April 20th, but a large chunk of the film will be visible in the run-up to the première, through a selection of clips on Babelgum web and mobile (5 clips are available now and will be refreshed with a new selection from time to time).

To launch the project, we organized a special screening at the Apple Store in SoHo, NYC on March 20th. Thanks to all the fans that showed up and made the event a success! Another screening will take place at the Apple Store in London next week on April 2nd at 6.30pm.

Bananaz

Babelgum’s first original production: Downstream

Published by catherine on March 24, 2009 in Featured, Our Earth, Various and exclusive. 0 Comments

The first original production by and for Babelgum, Downstream focuses on the controversy surrounding the multi-billion dollar development of Alberta’s oil sands.

This beautifully photographed documentary, directed by OSCAR® and Emmy-nominated filmmaker Leslie Iwerks, is an eye-opening investigation into one of the world’s most polluting oil operations.

The film examines the environmental, economic and health issues surrounding the oil sands development. Iwerks interviewed ecologists, Canadian politicians, Fort Chipewyan residents and a courageous doctor who raised the alarm after noticing unusually high cancer rates in the local community.

As the LA Times reviewer wrote, “There’s a price to be paid for all our gas guzzling”, and Downstream gives us a rare glimpse into the human price of the oil industry.

Watch the short documentary (33min) and behind-the-scenes footage now on the new Our Earth channel and find out more on the Downstream page on our website.

Downstream

Indie Film Première: Hamilton

Published by catherine on March 12, 2009 in Film, Various and exclusive. 0 Comments

Following on from Bunny and American Waitress, we bring you another exclusive online première: Hamilton, the feature debut from writer and director Matthew Porterfield.

The film is set over two sweltering hot summer days in Hamilton, a diverse, blue-collar neighborhood in north-east Baltimore, where Porterfield grew up – if you’re a fan of  “The Wire”, this is a great chance to see another, less gritty side to the city.

Made on a shoestring budget using non-professional actors, Hamilton takes us into the lives of two young, accidental parents, Lena and Joe. The pace is slow and meditative with a pared-down narrative structure which, in the director’s own words, “allows for the cultivation and interpretation of things underlying.”

Here’s what The New Yorker’s film critic had to say about Hamilton: “A minor miracle [… ] One of the most original, moving and accomplished American independent films in recent years. […]. [Porterfield’s] tender yet unsentimental images convey the graceful rhythms and quiet sorrows of young lives on hold”.

See for yourself on our Indie Film page, where the film is screening until April 7th.