#39: "I admit I haven't done the research"
Welcome to issue #39 of THIS NEWSLETTER CANNOT SAVE YOU. In case you're curious, here are some other things that cannot save you:
I know there were lingering questions about these items, so I hope we've cleared things up.
Okay, let's do business.
Scottovision
Please enjoy this selection of video treats, artisinally curated for your bemusement.
"Psychedelic AI Landscape (AI Dream 308)" (2023) - From a YouTube channel called ARTificial Dream, where they post "Incredible AI generated Animation [that] will Blow your Mind!!!" I could do a whole newsletter on the subgenre of animators and enthusiasts attempting to "replicate" visual aspects of the pschedelic experience, but friends, this one in particular truly did Blow my Mind!!!
"Thank You For Not Answering" (2023) - Filmmaker Paul Trillo sets up a simple but effective premise: "As a man leaves a voicemail to a person from his past, he is flooded with fragments of his fading memory and imagines a life that could have been." It's a tight two and a half minute meditation on the precious banality of the human experience, and it convinces in part by using uncanny AI actors to illustrate the slightly out-of-focus memories our narrator explores.
"Pennies From Heaven" (2023) - Sandy Honig directed and co-wrote this demented short film that won a special jury award at SXSW 2023. It's the story of two convenience store workers - twin sisters, you see - whose lives are transformed when they take possession of a truckload full of pennies. As the blurb on IMDB says, they proceed to "follow the adventure wherever it takes them." Hijinks ensue!
"Come Find Yourselfs at the Mall" (2023) - Meow Wolf is opening a new location near Dallas soon called Grapevine, and to entice you to visit, they've created this promotional clip. I receive no moneys or tickets for sharing this bizarre marketing collateral with you.
"A Kiss" (2021) - A sweet little dance film produced by Jacob Jonas The Company, around the theme, "A first kiss is not always an easy thing."
"INFLORESCENCES I" / "II" / "III" (2023) - Multimedia artist Sabrina Ratté created three short interconnected videos for the New Now Festival: "Inflorescences unfolds in an hypothetical future, where plants, mushrooms, and unfamiliar critters have undergone mutations to exist in symbiosis with abandoned objects. Challenging the definition of life... Inflorescences portrays a world devoid of humans, yet its evolution is shaped by the remnants they left behind."
"freaky soup guy" (2005) - I don't know what this is about. They don't know what this is about. Fun fact: this was uploaded around 10 months after YouTube launched. Wild times!
"Sustainability! This Couple Cooks All The Meat That Comes Flying Out Of The Portal In Its Backyard" (2017) - Self-explanatory.
"Every 90s Commercial Ever (Uncensored)" (2015) - Lives up to its premise, right until it pivots gleefully into shlock horror territory. Hilarious and disturbing.
"Redditlines - The Strangest Reddit Post Titles of May 2023" (2023) - I admit I haven't done the research to confirm that these are actual post titles, but it doesn't matter, because they're immortalized regardless in this epic video from Chatside Fires.
Exit Music
In 2022, electronic musician Bonobo played a rare five-night stand at the Royal Albert Hall in London during its 150th year. DJ Mag recently posted an official recording of the 4th night of the run, showcasing Bonobo and his full band, including horns, strings, and for a brief moment, the massive pipe organ housed by the venue. Bonobo's a downtempo & trip hop pioneer, among the oldest school of the Ninja Tune crew that came up in the late 80s and early 90s, and he's in peak form at this point in his career. Three thumbs up.
A YouTube playlist with this issue’s recs can be found here.
Until next time, I remain your friendly correspondent, thinking of you,
Scotto
Scotto Moore is the author of WILD MASSIVE, BATTLE OF THE LINGUIST MAGES, and YOUR FAVORITE BAND CANNOT SAVE YOU.
