Publisher :
What, you may ask, is a Wholphin?! Photographic evidence can be found languishing in the nooks and crannies of the internet, but those too busy to visit Google for the 28th time today can trust us that it's the lovechild of a bottlenose dolphin and a false killer whale. A beautiful hybrid of invention and exploration.
The debut issue of Wholphin sold out quickly, but we were able to score a few mint unopened copies... It includes Spike Jonze's revealing, and never publicly screened, portrait of Al Gore made during the election campaign of 1999. There is an excerpt from David O. Russell's controversial film on U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Miguel Arteta and Miranda July's beautiful short "Are You The Favorite Person Of Anybody?" A bewildered Selma Blair has an eventful visit to the gynecologist. A Turkish sitcom is re-subtitled by several notable writers. Some rare 1970s Iranian animation, which was smuggled out of the country. A Dutch artist singing classic rock backwards. And a sudden and unexplained appearance by David Byrne. This is a limited edition offering, with few copies available. Act fast!
Review:Wholphin #1 is heavy on the political, no doubt, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had. Miranda July and Miguel Arteta’s hauntingly absurd, artfully shot “Are You The Favorite Person of Anybody?” follows a man down a California street as he poses the title question to three random passersby. Comedian du jour Patton Oswalt literally stares at the camera for five minutes on one of the menu screens, but that’s just semi-amusing. The real treat here is “Tatli Hayat,” or “The Sweet Life,” a Turkish sitcom about the wacky madcap adventures of a wealthy couple. Yes, it’s every bit as inane and idiotic as an American sitcom, but here’s the catch—McSweeney’s drafted four fiction writers to create brand-new sets of subtitles for the episode, drastically altering the plot with each repeat viewing. In one version, the Balki Bartokomous-like neighbor is obsessed with the Gilmore Girls. In another, women fight over whether or not a businessman will eat them. It’s a fascinating literary exercise, and wickedly funny when you're drunk or otherwise impaired.
This DVD comes shrinkwrapped with the latest issue of McSweeney's, still one of the best literary magazines for your buck. In other words, Wholphin #1 gets by with a little help from its friends. The solo success of future “issues” will depend on whether or not the editors can strike a good balance between funny and serious, trivial and important. As a whole, this debut disc is hit-and-miss, but the concept is unique enough to merit keeping an eye out for future editions. [review from:beatbox.com]
|
