The
Creeping Garden
(2015/Arrow Blu-ray w/DVD + CD)
Picture:
B+/B- Sound: B+/B- Extras: B Film: B
Filmmakers
Tim Graham and Jasper Sharp bring an inventive new look at nature to
life in The
Creeping Garden
(2015), a unique look at plasmodial slime mold and the people that
are fascinated by it. Presented in grand fashion by Arrow Films,
this 3-disc Director Approved Limited Edition is definitely one for
the science crowd but may be a bit on the slow side for others.
Interestingly shot and executed, the film won big at several film
festivals.
The
Creeping Garden
has been described as a ''real life science fiction'' movie exploring
nature and odd fungi and other unique Mother Nature creations.
Putting a magnifying glass on the work of fringe scientists,
mycologists and artists, and their relationship with the
extraordinary plasmodial slime mould, the film poses some interesting
questions about the world around us.
Presented
in both High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD
with an anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 widescreen aspect ratio. The
HD presentation is pretty impressive and has clean and vivid colors
with lots of textural details on shots of the fungi and the nature
that accompanies it. The sound mix is the original LPCM 2.0 Stereo
audio track (uncompressed on the Blu-ray) that is fine for the
subject matter of the film as it isn't heavy on hard effects and is
mostly guided by narration or interviews. The score to the film is
also notable by musician and producer Jim O'Rourke (Sonic Youth).
Special
Features include...
Audio
commentary by Directors Tim Grabham and Jasper Sharp
Biocomputer
Music,
a short film by Grabham on the first biocomputer music system,
allowing a two-way musical dialogue between man and slime mould
Return
to the Fungarium,
a featurette revealing further treasures of the fungarium at Kew
Gardens
Feeding
Habits of Physarum,
a featurette on the feeding preferences and dislikes of slime moulds
Three
cinema iloobia short films: Milk
(2009), Rotten
(2012) and Paramusical
Ensemble
(2015)
Angela
Mele's animated slime moulds
Gallery/US
theatrical trailer
Reversible
sleeve featuring two pieces of original artwork
Bonus
CD containing the rearranged soundtrack to The
Creeping Garden
by Jim O'Rourke
and
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet containing
writing on the film by Jasper Sharp
The
Creeping Garden
definitely isn't your typical look at mother nature, but a life form
that is rarely thought about by most and thought about intensely by
others.
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
