SnakPak at the Movies

A T • T H E • M O V I E S	*Who needs lackluster video stores — or even NetFlix* (tm) — when you can see great films right here at SnakPak?** Delve into SnakPak's At The Movies. It's FREE! No salesman will visit your home.

Nothing (The Movie) See MOVIE
Synopsis Nothing. Critique Nothing. Running Time 10.67 seconds Format QuickTime ".mov" file, silent Size 56 KB, 320 x 240 pixels
Falls! See MOVIE
Synopsis Have you ever seen a laughing waterfall? Well, that's how Minnehaha Falls loosely translates. Watch as the camera mimics the flow of cool, clear H20. Critique Waterfalls always make people feel good. This cinemascope treat is no exception. An interesting mirror effect completes the experience. Running Time 14.24 seconds Format QuickTime ".mov" file, Cinemascope, silent Size 1.4 MB, 300 x 225 pixels
Walk! (AKA La Plaza II) See MOVIE
Synopsis Composed of several separate recordings of people walking, Walk! (La Plaza II) amounts to a stark observation of a simple act. When seen as intended, its implications of the infinite stem from the fact that, as each walker reaches the end of the frame, he or she immediately reappears at the opposite end, thus continuing an endless cycle. Critique Those who are ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it, while those who know history are free to repeat it. This simple and profound loop magically captures the meaning of both of these statements. Regardless of intent (unknown to this reviewer), this film compares interestingly to Alain Resnais' 1962 masterpiece Last Year at Marienbad. Guest Artists Tania Ruiz Gutierrez, Cesar Restrepo, Fabrice Oehl Running Time infinite (this version: 15 seconds) Format QuickTime ".mov" file, silent Size 1.3 MB, 300 x 225 pixels
Surf! See MOVIE
Synopsis This one comes from way back in the old SnakPak vault. The surfing in question is of an unusual variety. These kids have discovered sand surfing! Critique File Surf! under Nostalgia in your cinematic organizational system—not to denigrate it by any means. Surf! is a brilliant gem in the home movie genre. Running Time 11.09 seconds Format QuickTime ".mov" file, silent Size 1 MB, 300 x 225 pixels

Crabs! See MOVIE
Synopsis Hermit crabs walk all over each other in this scene from a mall. And not just any mall -- the Mall of America. Critique This study in crab behaviour is also an essay on colour theory. Running Time 14.16 seconds Format QuickTime ".mov" file, sound Size 1.3 MB, 300 x 225 pixels

Fireworks! See MOVIE
Synopsis A choice moment in the short life of a legal firework. Emits showers of sparks. Critique Brief. Intense. Satisfying. Running Time 7 seconds Format QuickTime ".mov" file, sound Size 729 kb, 300 x 225 pixels
Skiing! See MOVIE
Synopsis A complete December experience packed into a single QuickTime movie, Skiing takes you uphill and downhill as though you are the skier in question, then shifts your perspective to that of third party observer. Critique What Ice did for skating, Skiing does for skiing -- it brings the experience to everyone in the world (computer, browser, Internet access, and QuickTime required) in vivid detail and cinematic magic. (Warning: extremely large file size -- see specs.) Running Time 1 minute, 3 seconds Format QuickTime ".mov" file, sound Size 5 MB, 150 x 100 pixels

Three Experimental Films!

Synopsis
Brief, mysterious experiments devised to stimulate the central nervous system.
Critique
These recently unearthed, unknown, black and white films are still being researched. Could they be the work of a 1970s structuralist? Or do they go all the way back to Buñuel? Judge for yourself.
Select One:
Conception 10 sec, sound, 336 kb, 320 x 240
Happiness 5 sec, sound, 256 kb, 320 x 240
Criticism 7 sec, sound, , 620 kb, 320 x 240

Six More Experimental Films!

Synopsis
Another set of rare and cryptic works have been discovered -- each one more impenetrable than the next.
Critique
The more you study these films, the less clear their origin and meaning become. But that only adds to the fascination.
Select One:
Dwelling 13 sec, sound, 1.2 MB, 278 x197
Wild 13 sec, sound, 254 kb, 291 x 215
Quiet Desperation 3 sec, silent, 24 kb, 118 x 29
Loss 10 sec, silent, 26 kb, 103 x 32
Test Tubes 15 sec, silent, 328 kb, 291 x 215
Map 10 sec, silent, , 941 kb, 307 x 227

Wisconsin! See MOVIE

Synopsis
This late summer travelogue takes you by land and water to a cozy hideaway.
Critique
An essay on representation and nature, this semiological deconstruction of the human desire to get away from it all begins with a poetic journey and ends with the ironic presence of the television -- a representation within a representation.
Running Time 30 seconds
Format QuickTime ".mov" file, silent
Size 2.7 MB, 190 x 120 pixels

Toy! See MOVIE
Synopsis A simple toy goes through its clever motions. Critique Take the physical principal of gravity and throw in a few springs, feathers, a stick, and a couple of birds. What do you get? Toy! Toy is sure to inspire a child-like fascination with the world's everyday magic. Running Time 12 seconds Format QuickTime ".mov" file, sound Size 1.3 MB, 320 x 240 pixels

Ice! See MOVIE
Synopsis A formal study of frozen water and the activity it supports. Critique The feel-good hit of the summer is actually an ode to winter. Ice! is like a roller coaster ride on a flat blue surface. Running Time 10 seconds Format QuickTime ".mov" file, sound Size 1 MB, 320 x 240 pixels

Dogs! See MOVIE
Synopsis Typical canine behavior. Critique Dogs! is as often noted for its surprise ending as its early use of sound. Running Time 4.06 seconds Format QuickTime ".mov" file, sound Size 443 kb, 320 x 240 pixels

Nippon-Ga! (Japan Images!) See MOVIE
Synopsis Comprehensive overview of Japanese society and culture. Critique Long considered an epic beyond standard SnakPak proportions, Nippon-Ga! is well worth the download wait. You'll leave the computer feeling richer for the effort. Running Time 32 seconds Format QuickTime ".mov" file, silent Size 2.9 MB, 160 x 120 pixels

Sushi! See MOVIE
Synopsis Conveyor belt dining is thoroughly documented in this 15-second Japanese import. Critique Implicitly a commentary on time, Sushi! demonstrates how Japan simultaneously embodies the values of both fast and slow cultures. Features many sushi favorites. Running Time 15 seconds Format QuickTime ".mov" file, silent Size 1.3 MB, 160 x 120 pixels

Shrine! See MOVIE

Synopsis
An uncharacteristically tall man waits somewhat mysteriously at the end of a promenade leading to a traditional Japanese shrine.
Critique
Predictable yet strangely compelling, this trance-like 2002 film from Nagoya -- it was the official Japanese entry at Cannes that year -- is sure to find a prominent place in the history of Asian cinema when all is said and done.
Running Time 15 seconds
Format QuickTime ".mov" file, silent
Size 1.3 MB, 160 x 120 pixels

Swings! See MOVIE

Synopsis
Remember childhood swing sets, with their back-and-forth, back-and-forth movement -- usually aided by a parent, sibling, or friend doing the pushing? Swings! is living proof that that quaint activity is no match for the powerful, industrial strength ride on today's Midway.
Critique
Initially heralded for its single-camera/single-take approach as a breakthrough in documentary filmmaking, Swings! now settles in nicely as a classic -- and an influential one at that. Swings! is said to have inspired Hitchcock's dramatic narrative Rope.
Running Time 15 seconds
Format QuickTime ".mov" file, silent
Size 1.3 MB, 160 x 120 pixels

Goats! See MOVIE
Synopsis Two goats butt heads in this playful independent romp shot at the Minnesota State Fair in 2003. Critique Rarely have the joy of the filmmaker and the spontaneity and sheer readiness of the performers formed a more perfect union than in the visual tour-de-force that is Goats! Running Time 14 seconds Format QuickTime ".mov" file, silent Size 1.2 MB, 160 x 120 pixels

SnakPak Home