He_who_lurks There really isn't too much to the Quay Brothers' Stille Nacht III. It has a very mystic feel to it which makes it uncomfortable to watch. Sad music plays and a narrator mumbles quietly in a foreign language. A bullet fires. Pin cones. A hand floats in mid air. A table is suspended above ground. Weird. In fact, while the Quays were known for their stop-motion imagery, there doesn't appear to be much stop-motion involved here and from what I could see, no creepy cracked china dolls. One reviewer said it wasn't as great as the Quay Bro's other shorts in the Stille Nacht series, but to tell the truth I don't really agree. It's mystic and just plain surreal. I'm not sure why or how I liked it but I did all the same. Don't ask me why. At any rate, this one will appeal to anyone who is an Avant-garde film nut. I am. Maybe that's why I liked it. Anyone who hates Avant-garde filmmaking will not like it. I don't. Maybe that's why I don't hate it.

Horst in Translation ([email protected]) "Tales from the Vienna Woods" is the third of five entries from the Brothers Quay's "Silent Night" series. At 4 minutes, it runs slightly longer than the second and considerably longer than the first film of the series. It is black-and-white again and death is a huge topic here. We see a piece of furniture that was apparently made from a tree from the Vienna Woods. In order to emphasize the message of death, we hear gunshots on several occasions. And this is also the first film of the franchise that has a narrator, even if it is virtually impossible understand what he is saying. Maybe this narrator was included to make a link to the "Tales" in the title. Still, all in all, this almost 25-year-old film was not too interesting to watch. Same can be said about the two previous entries. Not recommended.

Rectangular_businessman I think that "Tales from Vienna Woods" it's the most underrated work from the Brothers Quay.It is true that, visually speaking at least, this one of the most obscure works of the Brothers Quay, and at first sight, it just seems like a random and completely self-indulgent experiment. However, after several viewings, I started to appreciate the unusual beauty of this little experiment, and I started to love the almost lyrical style that this short have, being one of my favorite shorts from all the story of cinema.Certainly this is the most accessible short ever made, but I found that mysterious quality to be one of the greatest virtues of this entry of the "Stille Nacht" series.

Polaris_DiB It's not very often that I find something that is so entirely the work of unique filmmakers and still find it not nearly as good as their other works.The Brothers Quay's Stille Nacht III doesn't have the same engaging presence as their other shorts. The motion of the fired bullet is the only thing that really stands out on it. The rest of the short is darker, much darker even than their usual lighting, and it's hard to see. The movements don't seem as up-to-speed as they usually do, and it's much harder to see what the Quays are trying to do, exactly.Also, as a product of the Stille Nacht series, it has not the repeated imagery and re-workings of the other four segments. It doesn't feel connected at all.Interestingly enough, parts of this short were used as the theatrical trailer for Institute Benjamenta, the Quay Brothers' live-action full-length film. And, amusingly enough, it works better as a commercial for things to come than a stand-alone work.--PolarisDiB