Paperjam

There's always a buzz of excitement whenever it looks like Chris Morris is about to do something a bit controversial, remember all the outrage about the Brass Eye paedophilia special? That caused a bit of a fuss.

After doing the short film My Wrongs 8245-8249 & 117 and appearing in the IT Crowd (neither of which caused any Daily Mail headlines) he is back with the cinematic treat Four Lions, which as far as anyone can tell is a comedy about some rather shit terrorists. In the last day or so the media world has been falling over themselves with news of "exclusive" footage of the following short clip - which turns out to be exclusively available to everyone on You Tube. I have laughed repeatedly at the slightly incredulous "IRA voice?".

The film is set to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival tomorrow, no idea when it might be out here yet. More info at the Warp Films web site.

The Book Of Eli isn't a bad movie at all, but it does leave you with a bundle of questions:

Why wasn't that film twenty minutes shorter?

Was it a god fearin', gun totin' advert for going to church - or was it pointing out that even if the smallest bit of religion is about then a lot of people are going to kill each other as a result?

Where exactly has Mila Kunis found a surviving All Saints store?

What are the odds of an amazingly ironic A Boy and His Dog poster turning up on the wall of a post apocalyptic hovel?

Why was that henchman whistling the pan-pipe bit out of Once Upon A Time In America?

Based on when the war must have happened, did none of these characters ever watch Mad Max 2? Play Fallout? Read The Road? Because the blokes who made the film certainly have.

But this is the one that has really got me thinking: Why would a blind man look at the screen of an ipod to check the battery level when it stops playing? Hmmm.

You may have heard of the Star Wars Uncut web site, a project where loads of people are contributing 15 seconds each to a re-make of the sci-fi classic.

You might have amused yourself by browsing at some of the inventive clips that have already been uploaded.

You might even have reserved one of the sections to have a crack at yourself.

But did you decide to pay homage to the critical scene 247 (arrival at the remains of Alderaan), by invoking the spirit of David Lynch directing a re-make of The Specials "Ghost Town" video, dubbed into French - starring Amy Winehouse, Woody Allen, Adolf Hitler and a trans-gender Gallic pensioner?

Hopefully not, because thats what we did...

Star Wars Uncut - Scene 247 from Jim Morton on Vimeo.

If you haven't had the chance to read the marvellous book Lint yet, you really should - a matter I went into in the usual wide-eyed, tangential manner about a year ago.

I heard that there was also a film following the career of legendary sci-fi author Jeff Lint in the offing, but then promptly forgot about it. However it now seems that this project is more or less done. There's a lintthemovie myspace page which says that it is due out in 2009 and has a list of exciting contributors including Alan Moore, Stewart Lee and Mr Solo - who is also represented by a David Devant and His Spirit Wife song lurking on the page.

Check the teaser trailer below, although it probably ain't much fun for epileptics. Also knocking around on-line are bits of The Caterer, Lint's seminal comic featuring a grinning, goat obsessed psychopath.

What with me being about six months late on everything you may well have come across this already.

It shouldn't be all that funny cross-breeding pseudo-nasty Guy Ritchie gangster banter with Star Wars footage. However the excerpt here that involves Peter Cushing and an intercom has that stonehenge-esque power to make you piss yourself even on repeated viewings...

Dunno if there's something in the air at the minute, or we just haven't been paying much attention (probably the latter) but there seems to be a lot of short film action going in the West Midlands at the minute.

For instance, only today I found out about these people in Coventry called Call The Shots who, in their own words:

> We are a filmmaking organisation based in Coventry which is open to everyone and our aim is to encourage people to get involved in filmmaking. Whether you are a seasoned pro or a total newbie, you are welcome to come along to our monthly meetings.

They've just moved from the Herbert Art Gallery to Warwick Arts Centre (wonder what went on there?), and they're starting to run training in scriptwriting, pre and post-production and camerawork.

Plus they had a short film night on, but - ah - it's on tonight, Tuesday 22nd. Damn.

Elsewhere, Leamington Spa Art Gallery and Museum (that'll be the Pump/Pimp Rooms, then?) are running a short film night, and it's 7 Inch Cinema time again this week, with I for India at the Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath.