In 10 Words or Less
Big names, weird folks and some artsy stuff too

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Wholphin, Good shorts, animation
Likes: DVD magazines, documentaries, out-there movies
Dislikes: meandering films
Hates: Getting depressed by documentaries

The Story So Far...
Wholphin, part of the McSweeney's empire, releases a quarterly DVD magazine, which collects, as the subhead says, rare and unseen short films. The material ranges from old to recent and well-known to incredibly obscure, and as a result, the issues are an amazing gift for anyone open to unique entertainment. Nine issues have been released previously, and DVDTalk has Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Another collection of excellent short-form entertainment

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Wholphin, Good shorts
Likes: DVD magazines, documentaries, out-there movies
Dislikes: meandering films
Hates: Getting depressed by documentaries

The Story So Far...
Wholphin, part of the McSweeney's empire, releases a quarterly DVD magazine which collects, as the subhead (which has changed back to that seen on the first four issues) says, rare and unseen short films. Eight issues have been released to date, and DVDTalk has reviews of all eight.

The Movies
Moto...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
A substantial collection of films, experimental and traditional

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Hates:

The Movies
The Room: Before and After
The menu films for this issue are the most unusual and highest-profile yet, with a trio of shorts directed by Mr. McSweeney's himself, Dave Eggars. The concept is a simple one, as there's a camera looking at a bedroom, where a person enters and explodes emotionally and physically, taking out anger, frustration and more on the room. The three stars who get to wreck shop are James Franco (Milk, Spider-Man), Creed Bratton ("The Office") and comedienne Maria Bamford. In a way, it's like performance art, espe...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
An uneven mix of shorts is still pretty good

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Wholphin, Good shorts
Likes: DVD magazines, interesting science, out-there movies
Dislikes: meandering films
Hates: Getting depressed by documentaries

The Story So Far...
Wholphin, part of the McSweeney's empire, releases a quarterly DVD magazine, which collects, as the subhead (which has changed back to that seen on the first four issues) says, rare and unseen short films. Six issues have been released to date. DVDTalk has reviews of the first six issues.

The Movies
Refugee All Stars (30:00)Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Another bag of short-form delights

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Wholphin, Good shorts
Likes: DVD magazines, interesting science, out-there movies
Dislikes: meandering films
Hates: Getting depressed by documentaries, bees

The Story So Far...
Wholphin, part of the McSweeney's empire, releases a quarterly DVD magazine, which collects, as the subhead (which has changed back to that seen on the first four issues) says, rare and unseen short films. Five issues have been released so far. DVDTalk has reviews of the first five issues.

The Movies
As usual, there's no theme to the content in...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
Drunk Bees, Rubik's Cubes, Zooey Deschannel and Kung Fu

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Good short films, animation, Wholphin, Zooey Deschannel
Likes: DVD magazines, interesting science, out-there movies
Dislikes: meandering films
Hates: Getting depressed by documentaries, bees

The Story So Far
Wholphin, part of the McSweeney's empire, releases a quarterly DVD magazine, which collects, as the subhead says, unseen things. Four issues have been released so far, which are available individually or in a four-issue set. DVDTalk has a review of the first four issues here.

The Movies
Death to the Tinman
A 12-minute short by writer/director Ray Tintori, this black-a...Read the entire review

In 10 Words or Less
McSweeney's brings back the DVD magazine

Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Good short films, animation, Wholphin
Likes: DVD magazines, Short Cinema Journal
Dislikes:
Hates: How depressing some shorts can be

The Magazines
Back in the late '90s, a series of DVDs called Short Cinema Journal heralded the coming of the DVD magazine to the mainstream. Released on a regular basis, the discs featured a selection of short films and other similar quick-hit material, built around a theme, like seduction or authority. There were 11 releases, marked by some excellent movies, like Chris Marker's La Jetee and Vin Diesel's little-seen Multifacial, some forgettable filler, and an unfor...Read the entire review