More goodness from the YouTube Screening Room: 'Sebastian's Voodoo' and 'Ryan'

Sebastian's Voodoo

A creepy looking, but beautifully animated and ultimately sweet, short.

Voodoo - Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Voodoo Village - Tony Joe White

Hoodoo Voodoo - Billy Bragg and Wilco

Voodoo Spell - Cuatro Caminos

Ryan

"Four decades ago, filmmaker Ryan Larkin produced some of the most influential animations of his generation. Years later, plagued by alcoholism and drug abuse, he was destitute on the streets of Toronto. In this haunting film, his friend and fellow animator, Chris Landreth, examines Ryan's life through the voices of those who know him best. Combining real interviews with strange, disembodied computer-generated characters, "Ryan" won the 2005 Academy Award for Best Animated Short."

This animation is really amazing. Although, does it look to anyone else like David Schwimmer and Woody Allen in conversation? I especially love the Rene Magritte moment towards the end. This blog owes a lot (well, ok, perhaps just its title) to Magritte.

Here are some links to Ryan Larkin's own animations:

Syrinx (1965)

Walking (1968)

Street Musique (1972)

And a few tenuously-linked mp3s too:

Is This Art? - The Levellers

My Art - Le Tigre

To Me You Are A Work of Art - Morrissey

Art-i-ficial - X-Ray Spex

There is also a fantastic short film set in Sarajevo and Chicago (filmed in New York), in which a woman trapped inside by the siege communicates her thoughts to her brother (I presume) overseas. It is haunting and deeply affecting...and beautifully made.