Cycles *RE-RELEASE*

Cycles · 06:37 PM

Cycles
by Andres De La Hoz

Original release thread: http://www.3dmm.com/showthread.php?t=8614

Aaron Haynes · 07-11-2006, 09:34 PM

So yeah, I added all the LNT reviews to this.

Aaron Haynes · 10-25-2011, 12:34 AM

Re-released as part of the 3DMM Preservation Project. I liked this a lot more than I remembered.

Air Rick · 10-25-2011, 01:18 AM

I had never seen this before. Very surprised by it, and very well-captured.

It is hard to believe that this came out seven years ago, and to remember what we didn't have back then, (or what Andres chose not to use).

Aaron Haynes · 10-25-2011, 01:21 AM

It was before v3dmm, and a lot of it was taken from an unfinished older movie he had lying around, so I assume he kept the old-school look to match the early work. For a patchwork project, it's pretty seamless.

Pankrial Steve · 10-25-2011, 01:57 AM

Hey hey, that was excellent. James Burgon did a great job of voice acting especially the narrator. Good use of music and I really liked how almost everything was made up of spheres, it gives this film a really unique feel.

Compcat · 10-25-2011, 04:06 AM

I think this is the most watchable Andres movie. I know Satanik is supposed to be his legacy, but I think that movie is really inconsistent and has some seriously cringe-worthy moments, while this movie, not taking itself so seriously, has aged much better and is much more easy to watch. Now, of course, in terms of legacy, Satanik obviously deserves more recognition, but if I were to show an Andres movie to friends, it would be this one. I'd actually say that there's a similar situation with Aaron; while Vlarion might be his monumental effort and legacy, I'd still say Pamela is his most enjoyable film to watch; and with both of these movies, they seemed to be released just before their directors' massively ambitious films.

A ton of effort obviously went into the style, and it pays off. I still think it's funny to see widescreen in 3dmm, considering that it's already widescreen, but I won't deny that it makes it look better, even if it does come off as a bit pretentious (but it is Andres, after all). The visuals are really engaging, particularly in the use of colors and how they contrast with each other, and that is not just in the environment but with the characters as well. The music adds a lot to the tone, but choosing songs with singing that play while characters are talking makes it a bit hard to concentrate and seems a bit amateurish (which is probably only noticeable because of how professional everything else is). The story is a lot more interesting than most 3dmm movies of the time, and even though somewhat tongue-in-cheek, it's in a sardonic way rather than the usual 3dmm wackiness.

Nothing earth-shattering, but very high quality and memorable nevertheless (I think I only saw it once or twice before, and I still remembered a good deal of the plot, which I could hardly say about most shorts).

Tuna Hematoma · 05:16 AM

I've always enjoyed Andres' use of default shapes to create neat looking scenery. Ending was pretty lame from what I remember.

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO PUT IT UP ON THE INTERNETZ!!!!!!

Evil Ash · 10-25-2011, 04:44 AM

One of my favourite 3dmm movies of all time, if not number one. My review in the OP says it all.

Aaron Haynes · 10-25-2011, 05:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Compcat

I think this is the most watchable Andres movie. I know Satanik is supposed to be his legacy, but I think that movie is really inconsistent and has some seriously cringe-worthy moments, while this movie, not taking itself so seriously, has aged much better and is much more easy to watch. Now, of course, in terms of legacy, Satanik obviously deserves more recognition, but if I were to show an Andres movie to friends, it would be this one. I'd actually say that there's a similar situation with Aaron; while Vlarion might be his monumental effort and legacy, I'd still say Pamela is his most enjoyable film to watch; and with both of these movies, they seemed to be released just before their directors' massively ambitious films.

Length plays the biggest role here, but with that comes what you're talking about, which is control. It takes unbelievable control to make a feature-length as airtight as a 8 or 11-minute short. Even if it's all you focus on for years, you're going to miss something at that scale. Especially when you're young and it's just you. With Vlarion, I had a previous attempt to learn from, and years of considering how to improve and fix that story, and I'm a notorious stickler for continuity and tone problems, and there's still a lot of rough spots in that movie. Pamela is mirror-smooth by comparison.

I hesitate to say 3DMM is better suited for shorts, because I spent a long time arguing that it wasn't that clear-cut. But maybe short movies are just simpler for one person to keep consistently on target, and moreso considering we were young and still learning. Full-lengths still get revisited from time to time though, they don't get completely shafted.

Dave Miles · 10-25-2011, 05:47 AM

I've always had a hard time sitting through the LONG, epic 3dmm movies, I hate to admit it, as I know so much time and effort went into making (most) of them. 3dmm shorts have always been my favorite to watch.

this movie is great, i've always loved it.

Compcat · 10-25-2011, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron Haynes

Length plays the biggest role here, but with that comes what you're talking about, which is control. It takes unbelievable control to make a feature-length as airtight as a 8 or 11-minute short. Even if it's all you focus on for years, you're going to miss something at that scale. Especially when you're young and it's just you. With Vlarion, I had a previous attempt to learn from, and years of considering how to improve and fix that story, and I'm a notorious stickler for continuity and tone problems, and there's still a lot of rough spots in that movie. Pamela is mirror-smooth by comparison.

I hesitate to say 3DMM is better suited for shorts, because I spent a long time arguing that it wasn't that clear-cut. But maybe short movies are just simpler for one person to keep consistently on target, and moreso considering we were young and still learning. Full-lengths still get revisited from time to time though, they don't get completely shafted.

Yeah, I'm not so sure it's as simple as "shorts are better," or anything like that. The longer movies can be a lot more rewarding to watch, they just take more effort and concentration. It's like the difference between hiking up a mountain vs. a casual stroll through the park. I mean, you might only watch LoS or FF:tUE once or twice, but you certainly won't forget about them. These movies deserve respect, but I think we can admit that when it comes to entertainment value, they are usually beaten by the shorter movies.

Aaron Haynes · 10-25-2011, 09:38 PM

I've changed my mind a bit about my review, it's more solid than I thought. The pervasive sense of boredom I talk about was really just in the ending, the last track has this off-key droning quality and you feel the eons sliding by as Klux looks over to see Zorn with a new world. 10,000 years is a long time to nurse a sense of self-righteous outrage.

Ash mentioned in his review he thought Zorn let Klux win to get rid of him, but I didn't get that impression, he just seems to not care. The point of the story seems to be how these things are cyclical because of the boredom of eternity, the random smitings are more about seeing something new than out of any cruelty. It's not about power being corrupting, but immortality being soul-deadening. The new God falling into the same tyrannical pattern is a cycle, but the repetitive actions of their subjects are cycles too. Kinda neat.

The footrace is still silly as hell, but that's fine. I love that shot of the balloon floating toward Zorn's castle. This is a really fun watch.

Breed · 10-26-2011, 07:54 AM

Watching this today was fun. I remembered enjoying it, and the basic themes and the ending, but now, years later, I think I grasp it in an entirely different way. I saw different things this time, and I kind of don't want to say exactly what they are, because I think different people can take different things away from it.

There are some genuinely funny moments, and poignant ones as well. As usual Andres' direction is absolutely perfect. The colors are perfect, and there's a certain shot specifically that blew me away, Klux's balloon sailing towards the castle in the sky. UNF. UNFFFF

As far as my opinion on the theme, it's a bit complicated. I love the ending. I always have. But this time around there was a definite feeling of "an 18 year old made this," and at the same time "a brilliant 18 year old made this."

Voice acting was great. Burgon rocked it hard.

The soundtrack is amazing too. Not much else to be said about that.

YEAH think that's about it!

HMC · 10-26-2011, 05:52 PM

I don't remember being blown away by this movie when it came out, I think, because it wasn't really what I was expecting from Andres. It's short and stylish enough that it still holds up, though. Probably the most succinct movie he's ever made.

Scarecrow · 10-26-2011, 07:32 PM

Very enjoyable. I think I liked more than I did when I first watched it.

Andres · 10-27-2011, 10:58 PM

I just watched this, didn't really remember most of it.

What a baffling experience.

Phil Williamson · 11-02-2011, 06:53 PM

Did Burgon do all the voice acting for this? If so, that's a bizarre choice, but pretty impressively pulled off.

I had pretty ambivalent feelings toward this when it came out, and watching it again now I still feel pretty much the same way. The palette is interesting and the story is definitely unconventional, and I thought the music was well-chosen even if it maybe could have been turned down a bit to interfere with dialogue less. But it's hard for me to get past the feeling that the whole thing is just kinda...dumb, I dunno. I still can't really tell if this is supposed to be in any way serious/meaningful or just entirely whimsical and light-hearted. The "climax" alone is ridiculous enough to make me write off almost the entire thing (much like the weird "game" climax in Arnoy's "God" movie), and the conversation between Klux and Zorn leading up to it could definitely have been handled a lot better. The direction feels like a few really great pieces (like the much-praised balloon/castle shot) mixed in with a whole lot of close-ups of characters talking and other really conventional stuff that seems way beneath what Andres was capable of.

I think maybe that's a little unfairly negative, especially considering (if I'm remembering right) that this was sort of a patchwork of material that he was originally going to use somewhat differently. But the whole thing just felt kind of...off to me.

Funny Bones · 10-07-2016, 06:29 PM

https://f001.backblaze.com/file/3dmmtv/kGQ5.mp4

Mr Mong · 02-02-2020, 10:56 PM

Great 3dmm in my top 5 for sure

Old Rivers · 02-03-2020, 03:11 PM

Haha I like this movie a lot even though it gets dumber than dumb toward the end. I agree with Aaron Haynes's review - the whole thing has this incredibly bored feel to it. But the visuals are cool, so I don't really care.

The best part is definitely the statues going "We're saaaaaaaaaaaaaved!"

10-25-2011, 01:18 AM	#4
Air Rick Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 6,733	I had never seen this before. Very surprised by it, and very well-captured. It is hard to believe that this came out seven years ago, and to remember what we didn't have back then, (or what Andres chose not to use).
Air Rick Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 6,733

10-25-2011, 04:06 AM	#7
Compcat Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 8,810	I think this is the most watchable Andres movie. I know Satanik is supposed to be his legacy, but I think that movie is really inconsistent and has some seriously cringe-worthy moments, while this movie, not taking itself so seriously, has aged much better and is much more easy to watch. Now, of course, in terms of legacy, Satanik obviously deserves more recognition, but if I were to show an Andres movie to friends, it would be this one. I'd actually say that there's a similar situation with Aaron; while Vlarion might be his monumental effort and legacy, I'd still say Pamela is his most enjoyable film to watch; and with both of these movies, they seemed to be released just before their directors' massively ambitious films. A ton of effort obviously went into the style, and it pays off. I still think it's funny to see widescreen in 3dmm, considering that it's already widescreen, but I won't deny that it makes it look better, even if it does come off as a bit pretentious (but it is Andres, after all). The visuals are really engaging, particularly in the use of colors and how they contrast with each other, and that is not just in the environment but with the characters as well. The music adds a lot to the tone, but choosing songs with singing that play while characters are talking makes it a bit hard to concentrate and seems a bit amateurish (which is probably only noticeable because of how professional everything else is). The story is a lot more interesting than most 3dmm movies of the time, and even though somewhat tongue-in-cheek, it's in a sardonic way rather than the usual 3dmm wackiness. Nothing earth-shattering, but very high quality and memorable nevertheless (I think I only saw it once or twice before, and I still remembered a good deal of the plot, which I could hardly say about most shorts).
Compcat Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 8,810

10-25-2011, 04:40 AM	#8
Tuna Hematoma Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 10,055	I've always enjoyed Andres' use of default shapes to create neat looking scenery. Ending was pretty lame from what I remember. THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO PUT IT UP ON THE INTERNETZ!!!!!!
	Last edited by Tuna Hematoma : 10-25-2011 at 05:16 AM.

10-25-2011, 04:44 AM	#9
Evil Ash Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 15,534	One of my favourite 3dmm movies of all time, if not number one. My review in the OP says it all.
Evil Ash Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Posts: 15,534

10-26-2011, 07:54 AM	#14
Breed Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 7,768	Watching this today was fun. I remembered enjoying it, and the basic themes and the ending, but now, years later, I think I grasp it in an entirely different way. I saw different things this time, and I kind of don't want to say exactly what they are, because I think different people can take different things away from it. There are some genuinely funny moments, and poignant ones as well. As usual Andres' direction is absolutely perfect. The colors are perfect, and there's a certain shot specifically that blew me away, Klux's balloon sailing towards the castle in the sky. UNF. UNFFFF As far as my opinion on the theme, it's a bit complicated. I love the ending. I always have. But this time around there was a definite feeling of "an 18 year old made this," and at the same time "a brilliant 18 year old made this." Voice acting was great. Burgon rocked it hard. The soundtrack is amazing too. Not much else to be said about that. YEAH think that's about it!
Breed Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 7,768

07-11-2006, 09:34 PM	#2
Aaron Haynes Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 15,125	So yeah, I added all the LNT reviews to this.

10-25-2011, 12:34 AM	#3
Aaron Haynes Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 15,125	Re-released as part of the 3DMM Preservation Project. I liked this a lot more than I remembered.

10-25-2011, 01:21 AM	#5
Aaron Haynes Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 15,125	It was before v3dmm, and a lot of it was taken from an unfinished older movie he had lying around, so I assume he kept the old-school look to match the early work. For a patchwork project, it's pretty seamless.

10-25-2011, 01:57 AM	#6
Pankrial Steve Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 258	Hey hey, that was excellent. James Burgon did a great job of voice acting especially the narrator. Good use of music and I really liked how almost everything was made up of spheres, it gives this film a really unique feel.

10-25-2011, 05:47 AM	#11
Dave Miles Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 10,236	I've always had a hard time sitting through the LONG, epic 3dmm movies, I hate to admit it, as I know so much time and effort went into making (most) of them. 3dmm shorts have always been my favorite to watch. this movie is great, i've always loved it.

10-25-2011, 09:38 PM	#13
Aaron Haynes Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 15,125	I've changed my mind a bit about my review, it's more solid than I thought. The pervasive sense of boredom I talk about was really just in the ending, the last track has this off-key droning quality and you feel the eons sliding by as Klux looks over to see Zorn with a new world. 10,000 years is a long time to nurse a sense of self-righteous outrage. Ash mentioned in his review he thought Zorn let Klux win to get rid of him, but I didn't get that impression, he just seems to not care. The point of the story seems to be how these things are cyclical because of the boredom of eternity, the random smitings are more about seeing something new than out of any cruelty. It's not about power being corrupting, but immortality being soul-deadening. The new God falling into the same tyrannical pattern is a cycle, but the repetitive actions of their subjects are cycles too. Kinda neat. The footrace is still silly as hell, but that's fine. I love that shot of the balloon floating toward Zorn's castle. This is a really fun watch.

10-26-2011, 05:52 PM	#15
HMC Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 8,715	I don't remember being blown away by this movie when it came out, I think, because it wasn't really what I was expecting from Andres. It's short and stylish enough that it still holds up, though. Probably the most succinct movie he's ever made.
HMC Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 8,715

10-26-2011, 07:32 PM	#16
Scarecrow Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 4,217	Very enjoyable. I think I liked more than I did when I first watched it.
Scarecrow Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 4,217

10-27-2011, 10:58 PM	#17
Andres Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 17,797	I just watched this, didn't really remember most of it. What a baffling experience.
Andres Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2001 Posts: 17,797

11-02-2011, 06:53 PM	#18
Phil Williamson Super Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 16,900	Did Burgon do all the voice acting for this? If so, that's a bizarre choice, but pretty impressively pulled off. I had pretty ambivalent feelings toward this when it came out, and watching it again now I still feel pretty much the same way. The palette is interesting and the story is definitely unconventional, and I thought the music was well-chosen even if it maybe could have been turned down a bit to interfere with dialogue less. But it's hard for me to get past the feeling that the whole thing is just kinda...dumb, I dunno. I still can't really tell if this is supposed to be in any way serious/meaningful or just entirely whimsical and light-hearted. The "climax" alone is ridiculous enough to make me write off almost the entire thing (much like the weird "game" climax in Arnoy's "God" movie), and the conversation between Klux and Zorn leading up to it could definitely have been handled a lot better. The direction feels like a few really great pieces (like the much-praised balloon/castle shot) mixed in with a whole lot of close-ups of characters talking and other really conventional stuff that seems way beneath what Andres was capable of. I think maybe that's a little unfairly negative, especially considering (if I'm remembering right) that this was sort of a patchwork of material that he was originally going to use somewhat differently. But the whole thing just felt kind of...off to me.

10-07-2016, 06:29 PM	#19
Funny Bones Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 1,585	https://f001.backblaze.com/file/3dmmtv/kGQ5.mp4

02-02-2020, 10:56 PM	#20
Mr Mong Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 4,293	Great 3dmm in my top 5 for sure
Mr Mong Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 4,293

02-03-2020, 03:11 PM	#21
Old Rivers Super Moderator Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 6,985	Haha I like this movie a lot even though it gets dumber than dumb toward the end. I agree with Aaron Haynes's review - the whole thing has this incredibly bored feel to it. But the visuals are cool, so I don't really care. The best part is definitely the statues going "We're saaaaaaaaaaaaaved!"