RIP!: A Eemix Manifesto movie poster

So SXSW Day 9 was pretty f-ing awesome (and it wasn’t because I started the day with a free beer).  I saw Remix first. Then I watched Flossy remix several of the artists that I heard later in the day (Chairlift and Kid Cudi).  As I’ve mentioned before, the MAN is not to keen on this whole “borrowing” of content for use in bigger and better things.

I went into the movie thinking it was about M’s boyfriend Girl Talk before he became the Unibomber (Sorry Gregg, the mountain man look doesn’t suit you.)  The movie was actually about more than Mr. Gillis.  It started there, then moved on to talk about the MAN.  Then it took a surprising turn.  It went after Disney.  Yes, the creator of happily ever after was a remix artist.  He borrowed the dark and often gruesome tales of Grimms,  Andersen, and a few others.  Then he sugar coated them, tossed in some song and dance numbers, some woodand creatures, etc… and BOOM!  He made millions.  Not only did Disney make millions but the megacorp made sure that there would be no further remixing of those works.  Just try using the likeness of that famous mouse or sing that popular birthday song.  You will pay.

There was some filler about Napster, illegal downloading, etc.. (It merely reminded me that I was supposed to hate Metallica.  I know first hand that artists make the real money on gigs and merch.  Not on record sales).  Blah, blah, blah…

The most informative section of the film for me was the part on Brazil.  The ultimate remix nation.   It’s not just about the music.  It was about intellectual property.  It was their renegade effort to offer cheaper medications to prevent the spread of HIV that impressed me.  What is more important to the MAN?  Making a buck or saving lives?  Sadly, it’s making a buck. Watch the clip… (if you are low on time skip to 5:50).

I am still researching bits and pieces of the ever morphing film. As I mentioned before the film has been released  (To book FREE Screenings in the US, ripremix.com) but there is still the opportunity to go out and remix it.    New clips will probably be showing up in future screenings (please let there be a deluxe edition on DVD).  Since I stuck around for the credits I saw a great mashup of Stephen Colbert.   If you haven’t been keeping up with the Report, here is the back story on why Mr. Colbert’s interview was remixed.

Stephen Colbert interviews Lawrence Lessig, author of Remix: Making Art and Commerce Thrive in the Hybrid Economy (2008)

During the interview, Stephen told the audience that e will be very angry and possibly litigious if anyone out there takes this interview right here and remix it with some great dance beat and play it in clubs across America.

Well, you know what happens when you tell someone not to do something.  Check out the remixes by WorshipLudachrist and Eclectic Method.

Stephen and his team responded to the remixes with this…