Jim W. Dean’s Vimeo Weekend: Immortals, The Ace of Cups, Kunstglaser

[ Editor’s Note: Welcome back to weekend movies, even with the new name that makes it easier to find them. I have not done these in some time, as there has been no time, but last weekend I took some time to cruise Vimeo’s editor’s picks, a new layout since my last visit.

Vimeo is still displaying minimal descriptive information to help you decide what you want to watch. I don’t like that, but I think their reasoning is they want us to be open to view these short films on a roll of the dice, making the visit more of an exploration than an investigation.

But that puts a lot of pressure on the filmmakers to have an enticing beginning, or they are toast when I am visiting because I am looking for certain types of things that interest me, which I think will interest those with whom I want to share them with. You will be the judge of that tonight… JD ]

Jim’s Editor’s Notes are solely crowdfunded via PayPal – JimWDean@aol.com

This includes research, needed field trips, Heritage TV Legacy archiving, and more – Thanks for helping out

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The Ace of Cups: San Francisco’s (Almost) Forgotten All-Girl Band

First up was pure joy, and yes… from exploring, a wonderful trip back to the 60’s with a film about an all-girl band in Haight Ashbury in San Francisco, back in the magical year of 1967, when Gordon and I were graduating from different high schools.

I had never heard of the Ace of Cups band before, but not only did I learn about the band in 7-plus minutes, but the film has a wonderful retrospective reunion with all the girls looking back on those days. The cherry on top is the ending when they go back in the studio, redoing some of their old songs, just the voices, and then the live band; and they still can deliver.

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Immortals

Next, we change gears, going on an Eastern surrealistic magical mystery trip with a modern reincarnation of the Immortals, the infamous Muslim warriors of old. This is just fabulous film work and begs to have a 4K screen viewing. The gorgeous white horse guaranteed a clicking open from me and was a thrill.

I never save anything that is not worth watching again, either informationally or purely for the visual experience. I will not even pretend to describe this in words. Trust me…it is a wonderful journey.

Known for his filmic portraits that draw out the magic of cultural stories from around the globe, the director points his monochrome lens on a group of wandering Nihang, as they traverse the landscape of northern India on horseback. Recalling the English myth of King Arthur, the film reflects on the past and future of the mystery-shrouded order in the context of its historic homeland.

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Kunstglaser

Last is another title challenge. It tells you nothing, but it was paired with a seductive image, also a gamble – but the beginning grabbed me right away as I love craftsman films. And when I saw it was a stained-glassmaker flick, I swallowed the hook all the way down. The craftsman narrates it all himself, and his accent is part of the attraction of the film.

I love artists explaining why they do what they do. But the big surprise in this movie is his declaration that he has never considered himself an artist, but a craftsman that helps artists with their creations. We get to see a collaboration… from the idea sketch to its being installed in the window peak of a Nova Scotia church.

This is a wonderful storytelling film that transports you right into the room. That is easier for me to do, as I have a 32-inch monitor. Larger fonts are easier on the eyes. I hope t0 be getting a 42″next, and that is quite a window to view the world through. And our monitors are becoming just that, a 21st-century Twilight Zone portal that we can all step through without leaving home.

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Jim W. Dean

Jim W. Dean is VT Editor Emeritus.  He was an active editor on VT from 2010-2022.  He was involved in operations, development, and writing, plus an active schedule of TV and radio interviews.  He now writes and posts periodically for VT.

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