First, watch this: Animator vs Animation
When you've regained the ability to breathe, watch this: Animator vs Animation II
Darned brilliant. Brilliant!
These are horribly brilliant! BRILLIANT I say! Animated Spamland Transcripts. Oh well done brothers!
In the opening scene of the film, one thought came loud and clear to my mind: "There is no reason they can't do a mech movie anymore." BattleTech, thy time has come. Or Zoids. Or Macross(*). Hello? Listening? Hop to it!
(doubtful any spoilers, except impression spoilers)
Transformers: the CGI wins. That's the non surprising big story here. The bots look great (though perhaps overly complex in the transformation sequences -- actually I'd say overwrought on the whole), have weight, and some great weapon effects. Mmmmmm.
Unfortunately, judgemental of me saying it notwithstanding, whatever chance the film had of being a decent movie disappeared the moment Michael Bay was hired to direct. The litany of miscues I could list here is long, ok, very long. The least of which wouldn't be that if you think modern fisticuff scenes in film are filmed too close in and with too many edits this movie will cause your eyes to bleed, with a camera seemingly duct taped to the hands of an epileptic constipated monkey placed one metre away from the action. What's going on? Who can tell half the time.
Those times where the camera was pulled back (cv opening scenes of film) it looked very good. I went to this movie to see some old friends rendered with today's toys, and I got that. With a double dose of pure Optimus Prime's voice (the very same voice actor, hooray!) and the good oldskool transformation sound. For those, I left the theatre happy. Forewarned to it being a Michael Bay film I guessed I would get nothing more, and really didn't. It didn't violate my childhood, thankfully, but it won't replace or renew it either.
(*) If/when you're making that live action Macross movie, if you choose to revisit the original Macross series, please, don't mess with it. There's no need to reinvent it. It works.
It's Pixar. It's about fine food. It takes place in Paris. Did I mention it was done by Pixar? Is there any way that I couldn't like Ratatouille?
(Potential Spoilers Ahead)
Maybe, but if so, they missed it. Ratatouille was one heck of a fun and enjoyable movie. And with a delicious desert of tasty CGI-animation-eye-candy. At its core it's a very simple movie, really, without any big booms, without any huge overreaching flag-waving moral -- it's subtle. Awesomely so, and crafted with all the care of a fine work of art. Actually its quite refreshing that way too. Its not that there isn't anything there -- far from it -- but it doesn't shout it from the top of the Eiffel tower endlessly. Like a book, you find it.
1 - Though I mentioned it already, the animation in this movie is outstanding. The fur, the lighting, the downright softness of the whole picture is astounding. The character's expressions are also amazing, especially Remi's. Paris looked awesome too.
2 - When you have a rat for a protagonist you offer yourself the chance to have a new point of view -- literally. The action sequences shown from Remi's vantage point/eyes were great.
3 - I love the subtle touches they gave to Anton Ego's office, the very grim reaper overtones that show up everywhere (check out the back of that typewriter).
4 - Though there are a lot of action moments there was only one that felt needlessly over the top, and it shows up right at the start of the film.
5 - No, I'm not jealous the production staff got to be tutored by Thomas Keller and ate at the French Laundry. Not jealous, no!
6 - Details, details, details. Do you notice them when they are there? Maybe not, but you sure do notice them when they're not. That's what makes Weta Workshop so amazing when they craft props, and what makes this film so downright seamless. The details are astounding, especially, I found, in the last few minutes of the film.
7 - Storytelling, storytelling, storytelling. Yeah, Pixar has this down solid too.
8 - The above notwithstanding, and despite this is the longest (I think) Pixar production to date (almost 2h) the film felt cut short, like they could have taken more time to let the flavours simmer. Granted everything in the film does take place in a short timespan, but letting the film breathe some would've made the body that much more enchanting.
9 - Now, totally standing in the above (both) this is not a kids film. It is not an adult film. I love that about Pixar. (and Miyazaki too)
10 - Be prepared to get hungry during this film.
Delightful all the way through. I'm looking forward to seeing this film again.
Work continues apace, with some overtime this weekend. I was planting trees! (well, putting them in a 3D model...)
This comic describes, in a way, what I'm about to recount, albeit about a different website. One thing I've never done much of is watch TV. Even while growing up, the TV was more of an occasional diversion. I don't remember how I got to it, but I found this video clip. I remember watching this series, and liking it, and I always thought it was a pretty unusual and fun intro. Plus the show came out after the summer of science: the films Weird Science, My Science Project and Real Genius all came out the previous summer.
By now I was in full nostalgia mode. So, some quick searches later I had found another short lived show, and yet another, one that had a much longer run (hooray!), aaaand even something that was fortunetally short lived. I even found this old skool intro, from the first season before it went all glitz (check out the judge in the executioner's hood).
Wow, interesting, not only to find them all (which isn't much of a surprise, I guess), but also that I had so many shows that I could remember 'watching'. Also interesting that I seemed to enjoy a bunch of shows that were short lived and/or changed format quickly. Amusing... did anyone else remember seeing or watching any of these shows? Or got any shows you enjoyed, haven't thought of in years, and will now head off to YouTube and see if you can find them? Share!
Today was an odd day... last night was an odd night. I felt as though I had one long, continuous, weird dream the whole night. Today, and I venture the two mayyyy be connected, I was sluggish the whole day. Must be some interesting weird/tired ratio going on...
I caught the first track released from Jean Michel Jarre's new album. The video is kinda fun and cute. Not entirely sure how I'll feel about the album, though. I was a bit tepid at first on Metamorphosis (though in listening to it again right now I'll say its grown on me)... while I know that first released track isn't indicative of all the songs on the album (some short clips in an interview video I saw gave a bit of a preview of the rest) I'm not sure if I'll dig it. Certainly for what that first track is it is very well done, but it isn't.... well, it isn't the classic JMJ sound. Isn't that the often quandary, though? An artist that we get to liking a lot begins to verge off artistically, to explore, to even evolve and grow. And in that process their sound changes, and it's jarring to our expectations. We like what we had before... there's that moment of conflict, where one is torn between wanting to like it for the artist you knew and not liking it at first blush, which could very well be just because you were expecting the same as before.
Sometimes it takes some distance from that initial 'shock' for the filters to drop away and to appreciate it (or not) for what it is (rather than what it isn't). When I get a chance I'll definitively give the album a fair whirl. After all, it's not like we've lost all the JMJ we had before. It's always there, waiting to be spun when we want it.
Last night Loreena McKennitt was in town, and I would not let this opportunity go by without going to see her (her last concert was 8 years ago...)
For her swing through the SF bay area I chose to attend the concert at the Marin Civic Centre. For one, it was the smaller of the venues, and for two, it is, of course, a Frank Lloyd Wright building. I had never been up close to visit it (having seen it only from Hwy 101 and in film) so I jumped at the chance. Plus seeing her inside an FLW-designed building? Double awesome.
Revvie and I arrived early, and walked around the Civic Centre, taking photos while I sought out interesting architectural details and got a feel for the building (which was quite different from previous FLW buildings I'd been to, not only in its scale). Sadly to say, the building is not in the most excellent of shape, needing some upkeep and having had a few trucks not heed the clearance warnings for the 'bridge' elements. Being a Sunday, the building itself was closed, so we did not get a chance to experience the building on the inside, though we did catch a glimpse through the main entrance... and that was certainly enough to put the bug in my mind to return on a day it is open to experience the space within.
With the outdoor architecture tour complete, we headed back to the theatre proper and settled inside (after our little interior architecture tour -- it is a nice theatre). Our seats were fairly decent, row 11, off the side but in such a small theatre the off-centre seats were not too off-kilter. That's when the remarkableness of the evening began. A gentleman approached us. He and his wife were sitting up in row B, and he was concerned that their proximity to the speakers would give them some trouble. Would we like to trade seats?
OH HECK YES.
We now found ourselves in the second row, off to the side again but still offered a near-well clear view of the whole stage, close enough to nearly reach out and touch some of the performers. Yes, this would be a good evening.
Understatement.
If I were to launch into a string of superlatives, I might still not do justice to the evening. It was phenomenal in every way. The energy of Loreena and the band members was awesome, and well matched by the enthusiasm in the crowd. You could totally tell that everyone on stage was having tonnes of fun during the performance, and they played and sang with passion. The set they played was a mix of tracks from her long history (during her Book of Secrets tour they played the whole new album first, then the second half was older material; this time it was all interspersed) and it was all magical. Every track had its place, and looking back at it as a whole there was a kind of arc to it, especially towards the end.
The music, well, what more can I say? Revvie put it best: Loreena McKennitt has a voice like honey. Clear, piercing, powerful, and that resonates just right that it carries beautifully right into you. I love her material, I love her lyrics, I especially love the rigour she brings to her work, to her craft, to the way she composes through journey, discovery, learning and letting her muse emerge from that all. To hear her create it live, intimately as it were, was more than a treat. It was an evening filled with many shivers down my spine, as only beautiful music can invoke. (A high shiver-content evening, as it were).
(Another comparison to the Book of Secrets tour -- this time they did not try to take the music to fade-out by playing softer and softer. That had struck me as odd last time, so to have the songs end definitively worked better in my book).
Forget Guitar Hero -- the next game aught to be Cello and and Volin/Fiddle Hero. MY GOD. The hands and fingers on those players were incredible. The fiddle player (Hugh Marsh -- he's been with Loreena a while, toured with her for Book of Secrets (others may well have been too but he I recognized)) was insane, his fingers hammering furiously as his bow reversed directions equally as fast. During The Bonny Swans he and the electric guitarist first played in opposition, then together furiously in an amazing complimentary composition with speed and crazyness. At the end of a later song with another amazing solo Loreena said in great jest "We've been thinking of taking up a collection to give him lessons." He was something else.
As one audience member shouted out "Your cellist is amazing!" She (Caroline Lavelle) was indeed. To watch her hand on the bridge was mesmerizing, so fast did it move from the top to the bottom to the top to the middle to 2/3rds down back to the top almost instantly, the hand never stopping to vibrate to create the cello sound. And the way she worked the bow, especially during a couple of passages of the Highwayman, was a sight to behold, with subtle and sharp twists and pulls.
We also saw played a Lyra, which for being such small instrument had one heck of a punch to it, a rich sound that reminded me a bit of the erhu in sound in its simplicity and roughess, but with more range and more fullness. What I also loved about all the performers was their versatility, with most playing several instruments, often what I would consider vastly different. And, of course, there was a Hurdy Gurdy (played by Ben Grossman).
Loreena herself played four different instruments during the night (accordion, keyboard, piano and, of course, her signature harp). And let me say that that I think the harp often gets short shrift in music, this is a beautiful instrument. She also spent time talking to us in the audience, sharing her travels, offering insights into how she came to the songs, made some funny remarks, offered up a quote she had recently read, and the like. Distant as a person she is not, even when on stage in front of thousands of people.
She is also generous -- one thing that struck me when I first saw her I saw again last night, which was that she never literally stole the spotlight. During the music often the light would dim on her and would shine on one of the musicians (and every musician got this treatment). Very nice. And I'll repeat here that they were clearly all enjoying themselves, with each often looking at each other, happy to be creating the music and moreso creating the music together.
At this point you may think I'm going off the deep end as I start to say that even the _lighting design_ was perfectly suited, bold just to the right level to be not overwhelming. Yes, this show really was as perfect as I could say.
In the end, after many the songs I loved (including Dante's Prayer, bliss!) they finished their set. Yet, we were not sated. Not one, but two encores did she play for us, the first being an instrumental version of one of her lyrical songs, the second being one off her new album (Penelope's Song) that just tied the evening to a close beautifully. When she returned for her second encore to thunderous applause and foot stomping she remarked "You guys are great, do you tour? Do you have a bus?" I shouted out "Take us with you!" to which she replied immediately "I wish I could." The last song complete, after much more applause and appreciation, the evening was indeed over.
I'd say again this evening was awesome, but I'd be clearly repeating myself (but it was!). I am hesitant to listen to the album music right now, as to not mar the still-fresh memory of the songs played with such passion. This was a great hall to have seen her in (I made a good choice, methinks, of this one over the show in Oakland), with the architecture a bonus for me.
Simply wow.
PS -- given the release of Nights from the Alhambra, it's unlikely I'll end up on yet another live CD...
Nicely done independant short film: http://alonelysky.com/
I hadn't realized this would be so when I posted my pictures the other day, but it actually lined up with a gallery viewing I went to yesterday. Tiff, Evan and Evan's parents and I (and Jet, of course) went up to the city to the main branch of the SF Public Library to view the exhibit Documenting China: Contemporary Photography and Social Change.
I really enjoyed it. For starters, it was mostly black and white photography of moderate size, punctuated by these huge (3'x4') colour prints. Each of the photographer's (there were about 6 who's work was on display) had a different tact and a different take on what they were shooting and on how, and taken together it was quite evocative, some scenes amazing, some wrenching. Juxtaposition was the word of the day (which is really not surprising), not only in between each photograph, and also not only even in between the elements in the photographs, but sometimes between the emotions and the humanity within. As a purely visual exhibit with no set narrative what each person would take away from it, I would assert, would be different -- which works beautifully.
For myself, the exhibit had a double ring because many of the pictures were taken in Henan province, which is where the bulk of my travels in China have been. Looking at some of the pictures brought nods of knowing from me, simply by recognition of what was depicted (as in "I saw that"), but also as I recognized what I saw and took it in the larger context of the exhibit and viewing the familiar through (pardon the pun) a different lens made possible by the 'big picture' (again, pardon the pun). Let me put that another way: in the context being created by the show, the familiar images gained new layers, new levels of meaning.
Great exhibit that runs until June 24th in San Francisco -- I recommend it.
In the 'you really can find anything on the internet' category, the other week I had the inkling to do a search for some lyrics. While we were in China in 2005, on our daily travel to and from the Wushuguan, our bus' DVD player would start anew. That first video/song shown on the DVD became, over the days, adopted as our group's sort of unofficial anthem. Enough so that several people bought CDs and DVDs with the song on it... but I never knew what exactly the song was about. It was a pretty nifty video, that was for sure. So, I sought it out. And found it (link also contains the video and the song)!.
Link of the Day: Subliminality turned on the Ad Agencies
"Those who live deeply never grow old; they may die of old age, but they die young."
These times, they are a rockin'
A good week and weekend of Kung Fu. Sunday was a great self-directed practice day. After doing the Sun style set a couple of times we worked on applications and, moreso, linking and power. One thing I have always enjoyed about Kung Fu (or climbing, for that matter) are those moments of insight or discovery, and of delight when you perform something exquisitely for the first time. Had that many times this Sunday, especially on one particular move where literally the only thing I (and others, a bunch of us really got it this weekend) felt with a partner pushing quite hard was the skin on the arm moving from their push. Without doing anything, without even really feeling their push, they were bounced back. We also did some Xing Yi development and got deeper into the movements and concepts of Metal. Afterwards Evan and I did 5, 6, 7 and 8 in rapid succession, which was great, something we hadn't done in a while. I also started up Iron Palm last week, which felt great.
Alas, Sunday evening I stabbed my left palm with a knife -- it wasn't a deep wound and hardly hurt at the time (and even little blood) but overnight it swelled a little and today it hurt like the dickens whenever I tried to straighten or curl my middle finger. Which means no Iron Palm for me this week, and likely no practice either. Nor even some of my morning excercises. Grump!
No gaming, but gearing up for Jason's game next weekend -- character's ready to go, and I'm excited. Also having the mini painted up by our group's resident fantastico mini painter (who sculpted an amazing set of clothes for the mini while we were playing...
certainly talented).
Time to complete on what I took on three months ago, and in both cases I've had some pretty remarkable breakthroughs. Imagine being at the centre of a new accountability, you're just starting out, you're training others who have just started out, you have to get a bunch of tasks done as you learn them, there are things you're discovering as you go along, everything's in motion. Think of holding six reigns at once with horses going all over the place. Now, imagine being at the centre of that and going with calm, with ease, with grace, and even enjoying it. At one with the world and in adventure: check. And last weekend, after a breakdown or two the week prior, I had a remarkable experience of being one within conversation, with a quiet mind, quiet anxiety, flowing and living, not surviving within it. Heart of trepidation and being with discovery: check. Picture big grin on face.
Had this article directed my way today, and thought it very interesting on a variety of levels: read it here. Also, I reccomend to listen to the audio if you have a chance -- the acoustics are pretty good and it's a unique sound with the background going on.
Seems to me I had more to write about, but they've slipped the mind for the moment. A pitfall of writing so infrequently these past weeks!
Current Possibility: going all out
I had some fun this past weekend. A friend of mine participates in the 48 Hour Film Project every year, and organized a similar for-fun-practice this past weekend. The rules were a bit more lax -- for one they were chosing the theme, genre and props and for two they weren't contiguous 48 hours -- but the result was the same: make a movie over a weekend timeframe.
I haven't made any live-action films or shorts since university, and the last film I made really was in high school (44 mins long) so this was fun on several levels: acting! being involved! creating! kung fu!
Indeed, one of the chosen elements was indeed to add in some Kung Fu. After the Taiji lesson on sunday (and some extra practice for me as they got lost finding my location...) the cinematographer scouted and found where he wanted to do the shoot. I had never seen it before, but by the pond there is a fountain/waterfall, in front of which are a series of flat concrete 'paving stones', each about 30" by 42" in size. Five of them are arrayed next to each other, with a 2" gap between them, hovering over the water, each one staggered from the previous. It was indeed a picturesque location. But doing the sets on that uneven and narrow surface? If our sets were perfectly linear maybe...
It was entertaining and a challenge at the same time. Few of our sets really move in such a limited axis, never mind parts of the floor dropping away to water unevenly. So, I made things up! The benefits of future editing helped too of course... I took chunks of sets, strung moves together, ad libbed, mashed shaolin and hung gar together, and generally had fun. Doing tornado kicks on such a small target was, shall we say, interesting in its own right, mostly just for the mind's reaction (landing on such a surface and control is easy, but the mind has a way to shout out 'aiiiee!' -- now I get the whole concept behind plum flower poles!)
We shot several takes from several vantage points -- close ups for hand movements, pulled back more for the kicks, then a wide angle shot looking perpendicular to the axis (with the waterfall in the background). By the end I had basically done kung fu and taiji for about 4 to 5 hours off and on. That was the hardest workout I've done in the new year, evidenced by the soreness of my muscles today (yes, the first sore muscles post in a VERY long time!). Adjusting for the small platforms likely made me more tense too, adding to the muscle soreness. I did have my foot go off a platform at one point during a sweep...
After we finished up there we moved onto the second location for a scene between myself and another antagonist. The scene was originally intended for the same location or flowing from the kung fu practice scene(s), but was re-purposed and even a bit re-dialogued to adapt to changing conditions and participant availability. I really enjoyed this part, not only as I got to do some fun acting, but also I got to choreograph some basic fighting, teaching the actor working with me as we moved along. Combine that with the cinematographer working with us to set up shots, and it was a very organic growth of the scene. There should be enough takes and variations there to satisfy everybody during post and to create something truly wicked.
After a few more scenes and lines delivered (less combat oriented!), I headed off to gaming that night.
Which, in a way, is more acting, non?
Ah Friday, ah WoW. Ah, not as fruitful as I would've liked... I (and thus Ajathka) had one aim that evening: enter an instance and get a particular rifle that drops. Six hours and three instance runs later, I not only had not gotten the rifle (it did not drop) but I had also won (random rolls) only about 3 of the other items that did drop, netting me little gold or upgrades for the eve. Had me actually frustrated for a short bit (I had totally gotten attached to a particular outcome), but I've now sent out feelers for another run through the instance and we'll see what drops this time.
Saturday was truly a day for inquiry. In the afternoon a group of friends and I gathered to watch What the Bleep Do We Know, a film that gets the contemplation going and was much appreciated by all. Then, in the evening Melissa and I headed to see Blue Man Group's "How to Be a Megastar Tour 2.0" which, while certainly a different style and genre, has through it several currents of thought-provoking reflection on society, the media and on modern life. The show was quite different from their permanent show I saw in Vegas -- this one was much more focused on music and actual song (no vocals at the Vegas show), and less on performance acts. Also, much less mess-creating acts; when it's not your stage, you can't throw paint everywhere! Several of the acts and themes were common between both shows, of course. Happily, the music was very fine, the production was impactful, and the crowd was right there with them the whole way, right from the get go. Given that audience participation is a big thing in a Blue Man production, this was fortuitous -- seeing an entire arena of people waving their LCD-lit cell phones in the air in the dark was quite amazing. All the crazy percussion creations were heavily used, which certainly made me happy. Well worth it.
Just a quick note about the opening act (yep, the show had an opening act). An interesting combination of remixed music, with video, coupled with on-stage scratching that not only a) was ridiculously fast but b) also scratched the video track back and forth, (and sometimes the audio from said video track as well) which made for a pretty unique sound and experience. Also they showed a video of the Eepybird guys doing their geyser work on the Blue Man stage in NYC.
When Sunday evening was joined, it was for the last session of The Mines of Bloodstone, the second module in my campaign. The last few sessions were good solid affairs as the party explored the duregar temple carved into the very rock of the Underdark. Soon after the game started on Sunday, my lovingly crafted map was unfurled (hooray for large-format printers!) and the party ascended into a huge temple of the macabre, a summoning ceremony in progress around a large mercury pool. The battle was joined, there was tension, there was tactics, there was moments of resounding shouts of triumph, there was character anguish and anger, there were dirty tricks by the villains, and in the end, with things in the balance, it came down to the wire, and the PCs were victorious. It was a good end to a good set of sessions to a good run through the module. Hard to believe we began it in October of 2005, but it built well and maintained itself pretty well throughout, delays and small hiatuses notwithstanding. I had a good time running it and am now onto working on the third module.
Jason also announced that eve that he would be taking on the GM mantle, and so doth a new campaign begin! I'm excited, and coming up with several character ideas... woo!
... with still a bit more to go to finish off the story. Wow. I'm a bit amazed I made it. Things truly have shifted. It was fun, though not always forthcoming, sometimes I had to get myself to the keyboard to start, sometimes I found myself already there. I certainly won my game of a) completing it and b) of quantity over quality (ie writing and writing and writing). Woo!
You'll have to excuse me, however, if I say I don't want to do quite that again soon. Next year... ? Maybe!
And they're some of the 'hardest' ones too... onward to completion!
We had frost this morning, with more on the way tonight, which is fantastic. The first feeling of fall is here for me now. Woo!
"But the problem with readers, the idea we're given of reading is that the model of a reader is the person watching a film, or watching television. So the greatest principle is, "I should sit here and I should be entertained." And the more classical model, which has been completely taken away, is the idea of a reader as an amateur musician. An amateur musician who sits at the piano, has a piece of music, which is the work, made by somebody they don't know, who they probably couldn't comprehend entirely, and they have to use their skills to play this piece of music. The greater the skill, the greater the gift that you give the artist and that the artist gives you. That's the incredibly unfashionable idea of reading. And yet when you practice reading, and you work at a text, it can only give you what you put into it. It's an old moral, but it's completely true." -- Zadie Smith
(ganked from madtypist who ganked it from William Gibson's blog, who in turn ganked it form BoingBoing.
The new Bond film somewhat sneaked up on me, appropriately enough. I think I may have heard something about that it was coming out, or working on it, but until a few months ago I didn't know anything about it, and other than the release date even then I only really knew the title: Casino Royale. Of course Jose, William, Rev and I would have to go see this on Friday afternoon...
[Spoiler Cut]
Casino Royale pushes the reset button on the 007 movie franchise timeline. The day is modern day, but Casino Royale depicts Bond's first mission after he is promoted to 00 status. Now, technically one could say that the movies are timeless (never minding the cold war aspects) and thus it is possible that the earlier Bond films (and the earlier Bonds) would still happen and the raw Bond in Casino Royale mellows into them, but you'd definitively have to do some retconning with regards to M and others. Not that this hasn't happened before. Still, I think it's a deliberate attempt to wipe the slate clean and re-imagine Bond while bringing it back to its baseline roots.
And what a re-imagining it is.
The new Bond, and it did take me a while to recognize (or accept) him as a Bond given his different look, truly departs and makes Bond his own rather than try to be Sean Connery. The writers did too, and this Bond is edgy, aggressive, blunt, and perfectly befitting a newly-minted 00 about whom M has doubts. Given his young age, this actor will have long legs playing this role well into the future, and that is a good sign for a series that has floundered a bit since the original two retired.
On the other front, bringing Bond back to its roots, is also mostly a success. The last bunch of films were, IMHO, absolute pap, F/X heavy action films with a Bond logo slapped onto it. Casino Royal could also arguably be called an action film, but it is firmly wrapped up in Bondness. Great dialogue and exchanges between characters, along with some sarcastic exchanges with foes, a focus on character, exotic locales and the introduction and re-introduction of classic Bond items: The Walther pistols, Aston Martins, the start of the martinis, and so on.
Two things were left missing: gadgets (there is little out of the ordinary here, and no Q) and suave espionage. The latter I actually see as a boon, with the writers able to take the films and character development in that direction if so desired. As for the gadgets I do hope they add more in over time, so long as they remain out of the realm of the absurd.
If it isn't obvious by this point, I enjoyed this film. It satisfied my spycraftian cravings and gave me nearly three hours (a long Bond film!) of movie tastiness to chew on. See it in the theatres!
- Great Bond girl who is up to the task of being an equal and a foil to Bond
- Very good CG on the collapsing building
- Helped me get the juices flowing for my NaNoWriMo!
- Ca-razy freerunning at the start of the film (actually, it was closer to parkcour, but they credited it as freerunning)
- I'm lukewarm on the titles. On the one hand, it was a classic bondesque abstract montage, on the other hand I think it was ruined with some excessively realistic images and the weird looking action sequences.
- It was somewhat refreshing to see a villain that wasn't up to end-of-the-world stuff
- Some nice one-liners, and great facial expressions. This Bond is playful right now.
- This was adopted from an Ian Flemming novel, so that might explain some of its goodness. Let's hope there's more to adapt, or they hire people who can write like Flemming.
- Spycraaaaafffffttt!
And now I'm down to a mere 15k words left in my own spycraftian novel!
25k words reached, and surpassed. Crazy, the halfway point -- feels so short and yet so long away. Prose is not flowing as easily as it had been as I get into the middle and strive to advance an actual story. I'm especially becoming prone to going back and reading what I already have to be sure I'm not repeating literary structure or just plain repeating, and I have to keep giving up doing that, that isn't part of my game. It's write, write, write...
I'm so glad no one has to read this drek, though!
Bloodstone was the game this past Sunday, and it went well. We got off to a late start but it moved along mostly well, and the characters have now entered leading to the most dungeon-y part of this module, woo! Truly the world of 1st edition has now been entered. The crux is near!
As I was idly reading a magazine this past weekend I came across an article that spoke of a new 'genre': the ecosexual. Related to the metrosexual, the ecosexual is one for whom their green-ness is such a part of their 'lifestyle' (and I do understand how loose or imprecise that word can be) that it can inform and influence whom they wish to be with in their lives. This latter point seems apart from the usual metrosexual definition, so I'm not sure if the article author was trying to say it automatically informed it, or the opposite direction, namely that some are quite into it and thus it shows up in their romantic potentials and possibilities. It wasn't a very in-depth or exhaustive article, but interesting nonetheless.
I added a nanowrimo counter to the right sidebar on my page, so you can now follow my follies! Or progress, if you prefer... clicking on the bar will take you to a more detailed breakdown and prediction. So far writing goes well, and I'm exited to see how long the ideas keep flowing and where I really have to start making stuff up.
This weekend, I discovered my gamer weakness, at least in this one campaign. Money, items, goods, they all held little draw for me. But when a fellow party member lucked out to receive a boatload of experience points, I was done for, I was hooked. My mind would think of little else the entire eve! Oh, sweet, sweet XP, how I crave thee! (and we are talking a BOATLOAD) Pulled me right out of character in many ways, oy. For shame!
It's been a while since my last post as I recently returned from a vacation home, where I had forgotten to bring the URL to update the blog. Oops.
Deep breath time... big post ahead!
But a great trip it was! I got to catch up with many a friend (hi ICE, Su, Murrgon, Averyl, Ruth!), did some work on my campaign, worked on Sifu's book, did some Tai Chi with my mom, practiced the Tiger Crane set, watched a few documentaries and movies, and slept a whole heck of a lot more than I planned -- apparently I needed it. It was odd to be back home without Shadow -- I never noticed how much of a routine or used to what she would do there was, the number of times I would do something and expect to hear/see/have her appear/etc... and then not have that happen was saddening and enough to knock me off stride of the action for a moment. The weather was nice if a bit wet, and being my first trip back home in the fall since I moved here I really appreciated the riotous colours that I so rarely get to see anymore.
I was also fortunate to be able to do some architecture seeking. I had a day in Toronto at the tail end of my trip, and managed to find the OCAD Sharp centre, designed by Will Aslop, walked by the Art Gallery of Ontario (construction not yet begun on Gehry's new entrance), found a new biotech lab at University of Toronto that I had seen in Architectural Record, and then walked up to the Royal Ontario Museum where the construction on the new Michael Lee-Chin Crystal is underway. On my way up there I was thinking to myself "Self, who was the architect again for this addition?" Upon seeing the construction it was obvious: Libeskind.
I also walked down near the SkyDome and the CN Tower (still a fave of mine) and was stunned to see the amount of development along the waterfront, especially just west of the CN Tower. Tonnes and tonnes and tonnes of condo towers, which is, in a way, exciting. Downtowns with lots of residential...
Even greater was earlier in my trip, when I made it to Ottawa, I spent a day visiting the new Canadian War Museum, designed by Raymond Moriyama (also known for designing the Ontario Science Centre and the Canadian Embassy in Japan). It's quite the interesting building from the exterior, angular and with a prow. You can also walk up to the roof (part of which is walkable, part of which isn't but is a green roof, planted with grass). For all its sculpture, I was most interested how it was spatially inside.
To which I say: Great, when it's given the opportunity to do so. Within the main galleries there is nothing to give a sense of the building -- it is really a black box. Before I go on, I'll talk about those galleries, for that is the bulk of the museum. I'm not entirely sure how I would describe them, save to say that they are 'modern'. Think big, continuous, colourful, integral combination of text, images, models, artefacts, equipment, interactive displays, video, projectors, dioramas, life-size recreations, and more. The path within the museum takes you from tribal warfare through the arrival of the Europeans and up to the today's peacekeeping missions. When I started out a part of me thought it was too much -- too glitzy, too theme park, too something, not befitting the topic at hand. But as I went on I realized that whatever it was, it was done well. The history was told and traced, and I was especially pleased with the balance within the exhibit, never shying away from speaking from multiple angles and even (literally) from asking questions from you, the viewer/reader.
Outside of the gallery is where you get to see the building, and it shines well. The entrance hall (bisecting the building) is a rich landscape of materials, angles and cuts that comes together nicely. Within the museum (I didn't see any of the research halls) there is LeBreton hall, a glass-walled large space where the large artefacts/vehicles are kept (including some vehicles damaged in peacekeeping operations, which was sobering to see), and there are two passageways to reach it. And here is where the building's magic really comes through, especially in the narrow Regeneration Hall. Here copper angled walls soar up some 25m, light is supplied by small clerestory windows as well as the glazed end of the hall that aligns itself with the peace tower on parliament hill. The atmosphere is definitively serene and cathedral like, enhanced with plaster work models for the memorial at Vimy Ridge. Coming from the sensory feast of the gallery it was a magical counterpoint.
Though the circulation could have been better to reach Regeneration Hall, the building shines when allowed to do so. Moriyama (who gave a fantastic speech at the dedication of the building) has skilfully woven light (specifically the introduction of light), materials (glass, steel, stone, copper), angled planes and space to create a fantastic place.
In a horrible segue, I'll turn to the main impetus of the trip: a performance by the Frantics. Murgon invited me up to see the show together way back at the start of the year, and there I was, to see the show. And let me tell you, the Frantics haven't lost their touch at all. The show was fantastic, with some classic sketches (I can die happy now, having seen them live) amongst the new material. Equally broad was the style of humour, from topical to juxtaposition to situational to straight up absurdism and surprise. Lots of familiar characters made appearances, including one of which only Murrgon and I seem to know -- least we were the only ones to w00t -- and another who got enough cheers that he proclaimed in his unique accent "Wow, makes me wonder what would occur if I should make a third appearance!" (I'm sure I'll be corrected on the exact quote, as well as the quote used for the title of this post) While I seriously want the episodes of 4 on the Floor to be released to DVD I say... forget that, get these guys back on TV regularly with new shows/stuff!
After the show we got chance to get autographs, and Murgon and I had a good short talk with Rick Green on a somewhat personal level, which was a) awesome and b) was for very cool reasons, linkages and intersections of fate that occurred earlier in the year (and that I won't recount here).
A great trip!
Back I now am in the SF Bay area, and had a fantastic Tiger and Crane class 5h after landing that was an awesome workout and had my legs yelling "Ow, but YES!"
Yep, I have: http://www.nanowrimo.org/userinfo.php?uid=129910. Should be fun! The goal for me will be quantity over quality -- you'd think that'd be easy, yes? Not so sure in my case, for I do tend to be a perfectionist at times when it comes to my writing. So this will be an excercise in getting stuff out, and trusting the outcome. As I said, should be fun!
Spoiler-ific, thus a cut...
KA
And the award for the most amazing use of a moving stage platform goes to... Cirque du Soleil for KA.
When you aren't carting your stage around the world, you can do some fantastic things. And if you work at Cirque du Soleil, your mind already comes up with fantastic things.
Put the two together, and you have the insanity that is the KA stage. This thing has to be seen to be believed. It moves up, and down. It moves in, and out. It rotates 360 degrees horizontally. It rotates to 90 degrees vertically. And it contains things. Oh, and there are OTHER stages that can move forward/backwards and up/down in this theatre. Plus an overhead track. CA-RAZY. And downright awe inspiring.
Just walking into the theatre itself is a thing of beauty. Actually, step back.
One thing I love about Cirque shows is that the spectacle begins the moment you arrive. The doormen, the ushers, the ticket rippers, they were all a) in costume and b) playing a role/act. Right away that sets the tone, sets the context. Then the theatre, with an array of richly hued columns of bronze/brass (very copperish) holding up several levels of connecting catwalks, an overall deep red colour prevailing and with some columns not reaching the floor but capped on the bottom with rich Chinese-lantern- and stained-glass-like coloured glass. There is no stage before you, only a yawning pit, every few seconds of which a jet of flame billows forth (with enough heat to feel).
No, this is no ordinary Cirque show. And 4th row seats would give us a definitive experience.
What KA lacks in Cirque -- the number of 'impossible acts per hour' (my usual metric of Cirque shows) was on the low side -- it more than makes up for it in spectacle. KA is as awe inspiring, as jaw dropping, as intense and as fantastic and engrossing as a show could probably get. If one were to completely ignore the artistic side and just think of the choreography to produce such a show it would be a triumph just on its own right. Add in the costumes, the artistry, the story, the music, and the performance and, well, I think we could coin a new phrase of a cirquegasm. Innovative like crazy, the wonders never ceased.
KA bears an Asian theme: in its costuming, in its storytelling, in the acts performed, in the inclusion of wushu. We were treated to some weapon and open hand sets, as well as some combat/sparring. In this respect, knowing some Kung Fu may have been a disadvantage, for it was easy to pick up on lack of speed here, the flimsiness of a weapon there. And in an odd way it was almost tame for Cirque + Wushu (both which can really tend to the insane). The curse of the knowledgeable critical eye wasn't something I let run without abandon, and it detracted not from the whole. The acts flowed together expertly, and the action and innovation was never turned down from 11 (yes, Cirque's scale goes to 11).
This being Vegas, or so my theory goes, the costumes had more latitude than they otherwise might. By this I mean 'bad guy' warriors were mostly bare in clothing but sported amazingly detailed tattoos that flowed from their head, down their back and side, over their butt and down to their ankles. Impressive both for the design, the time it must take to put those on, and the amazing amount of skin showing. Other costumes were similarly stylized, and archers fired actual arrows around the stage.
(And I have to say as an aside that while the performers were very attractive and very toned, and with the tattoo/body paint quite fantastical and a pleasure to look at, wushu really kinda does look silly performed in a thong.
It is would be difficult to describe a blow-by-blow of each scene and cirque act, if only because so much of it would involve describing the amazing thing the stage was doing. Of the more amazing and memorable would include a 'plinko'-like chase scene (with the stage on an angle and rotating, with pegs (representing arrows) sticking out of the stage), a baton-twirling performance that really shouldn't work given physics, and the final battle, with the stage perfectly vertical, allowing the audience to watch it as if from an overhead perspective (and allowing for spectacular wuxia-like leaps).
The story was weaved as only Cirque can weave it, with music (choirs, swoon!) that fit in perfectly, beautifully, amazingly. Oh, and some pyrotechnics.
Ka is so much on it's own level it's hard to define, to compare, to even grasp. UBER worth it, even at the high cost of the tickets, and I'm so planning to go again.
(Postscript: for those who have seen Ka, chime in: did your performance include a chase sequence atop plum-flower post-like columns, right after the shadows when the prince is captured? Let me know in the comments...)
O
And the award for the most amazing use of water as a stage goes to... Cirque du Soleil for O.
O -- a delightful play on the French word Eau -- ... well, what can I say. People walk on water. That sums it up in awe.
Despite KA being the newer Cirque show, tickets for O were harder to come by -- our seats were last row orchestra seating. This gave us an excellent view of the entire stage, which given how much is happening in a Cirque show at any one time is a good thing. From that vantage point I could tell that there were some very yummy costumes, however, and the distance and the darker lighting used in O robbed me of fully enjoying them. Le shame. (Guess I'll have to go see this one again as well, oh darn)
O was similar to the recent Cirque shows in its mix of acts and performance. With the huge tank of water as the stage (though it could and did become quite solid several times during the show, and could even do so in sections becoming solid and others not) there was a good number of aerial acts (who needs a net when you've got water) which suited me just fine. A very innovative boat-looking structure was early in the show, effectively creating a double-set of linked trapeze bars (with additional bars above) that allowed for a variety of throwing, catching and flipping action. It also provided the stage for an error, where a performer missed his catch (!), ending in the water. While I watched the rest of the act, I kept an eye on the fallen performer and it was so excellent to see, for he swam to the edge, hopped up on a solid bit, and essentially while waiting it out never dropped character. These guys really are professionals and have it all worked out.
Mid-show out came the Russian swings, but rather than landing on mats it became a launching platform for dives, which allowed for some very impressive height, aerial maneuvers, and even multiple jumpers crossing each other. A curved 4 by 4 grid of bars provided the apparatus for an act late in the show, with stormy water, rain from above, the grid moving, and the zebra-lycra clad performers gaining and losing purchase on the grid as it swung about. Fire and water met during another segment with both fire-flails and fire-baton juggling. High dives, more ring, hoop and trapeze acts, the clowns on their own literal house-boat, and swimmers and more all made for a packed show.
As I was killing time waiting for my flight on Monday I went to the O store and had an interesting discussion with the store manager, who asked me for my 'interpretation' of O. What was the story? We both quickly concurred that it was well designed to be quite open ended, purposefully rich and left open for the viewer to absorb, experience and to live into it themselves. For me, what I got was a story of searching, of exploring -- not so much longing, though given that came to mind there is an element of that there, but definitively a seeking, for love, for companionship, for completion.
It was amazing to take a step back when asked directly and just find that all present for myself, like a storybook laid bare. Cirque really are masterful in their art.
What can I say that wouldn't be repetitive or even fanboyish of Cirque at this point? The music was excellent (I've been listening to the soundtrack for years), the pacing and the unfolding exquisite -- Cirque can really do no wrong. Another UBER worth it show, and another mark on 'want to see it again'.
Hey VW, are you paying attention? The Golf/GTI, this setup, chop chop, get to it! (And as long as I'm making requests, with the A4 not the A5 body styling please...) Then, put me at the top of the waiting list.
This is fun... the TV Tropes Wiki. Not cliches, tropes.
A story of captivity in Baghdad. Chilling, facinating...
Are architects hot? Seen steps above the rest? Passionate? Are presented as having something others do not in their daily lives? The SF Chronicle takes a look at that today in this article, which is fun especially for the cover photo. The number of hollywood stars (and the number of lead roles) would seem to indicate it... though the idea that "Unlike a painter or poet -- to which the adjective "starving" is, for good reason, attached -- architects are assumed to have an earning capacity that would allow them to live large on the screen" is sadly perpetuated though the films (especially in north america where real estate agents often make more for selling the thing than the architect makes for designing, managing, overseeing, and combatting to get it built). Still, it's fun to be part of a 'glamorous' profession.
In another section of the paper today is a rather poignant quote and observation: "Somehow, in an age where technology has made everything instantaneously audible (and visible), we've turned ourselves into insulated eavesdroppers and avid voyeurs who've lost the form and content of genuine discourse. Instead of conversing, listening and considering the context, we're poised to pounce, pass judgment and pile on."
Things to consider.
The symphony hall is a bit odd in its architecture: simple, but a language that never quite gels. The upper-level exterior balconies are fun, however, both in their visuality as they extend from the building but also as a perch for a pre-show conversation.
Our seats were excellent, near the front centre of the loge. Howard Shore took the 11 hours of music he composed for the LotR series and created a 3-hourish 6 movement symphony. Accompanying the symphony was a fairly large choir augmented by the SF Girls Chorus.
It's hard to describe the symphony in detail, being an auditory experience, save to say it was lovely. (With that much choir it is too easy to make me fall in love with it!) The boy soprano, John Riberio-Broomhead, was amazing, a very clear and sweet voice. Singing In Dreams (in the piece "The Breaking of the Fellowship") sent shivers all up and down my spine. Interestingly, I only got chills during the first half (intermission was after movements I and II).
Kaitlyn Lusk, the soprano for the second half, had quite the range of power. Her rendition of Gollum's Song was a bit too performy/sultry for my ears, but Into the West was nicely different and very rich.
Accompanying (?) the symphony were conceptual sketches by Alan Lee and John Howe, projected on a screen. These leave me a bit torn -- on the one hand, I would have preferred they weren't there, and for the most part I chose to ignore it, concentrating on the music and the performance. On the other hand, what was there was very sparse and if they were going to show them they could have used far more sketches rather than the few they had, panning over details slowly.
A live symphony, if you have never experienced one, is a remarkable experience if for no other than the difference in the feel of the sound vis-Ã -vis what you'd get out of (even an expensive) speaker setup. Also, after hearing the recordings so often, the variances in a live performance, including due to the conductor's 'interpretation', is great.
The concert was fantastic. What was missing, that would bring it to the next level, is to tie the pieces together. In other classical symphonies that I can hear in my minds ear, each section is tied to the next with a few transition bars of some fashion or another. Given the nature of its origination (a film) the pieces in LotR are a bit insular, and the addition of these transition bars to make them flow would really tie it solidly together into a symphony.
As you can tell, it was a fantastic day (and concert) that I loved every minute of.
Superman Returns. I hadn't even known they were making another Sup movie until recently, when I read the entire sordid 10-year tale of script after script after script after script (with equal number of directors and writers to boot). What good could come of that, I thought. The trailers were vague, but piqued my interest. See it opening night? Why not...
[Potential spoilers to follow]
I'd seen the first few Superman films ( I luckily missed out on IV) when they hit the theatres way back when, and while I liked them I've never been big into comic books or considered myself a big Superman fan. So the intense giddiness and exhilaration that I felt when the infamous Williams theme began was quite a surprise to me. Who knew that it (and he) held such a deep-seated spot?
The glee didn't die for the entire film. On this count, the film was definitively a success.
The thoughts:
1 - Kikin' it oldskh00l. The film is such an homage (almost to a fault, see next entry) to the first movie and that was a great choice. Right from the get-go, even the opening titles are of the same style, with the classic theme playing. This wasn't a film to re-invent Superman, it was to continue where 1&2 left off (3&4 were discarded in this continuity). The sets have been brought up to 2006, but the style remains.
2 - That being said, the plot was kind of a rehash of the first film, in that it is another real-estate plot by Lex. This is one point where the film falters, the evil plan not feeling altogether very terrifying or even exciting. That the film still works despite the lackluster main plot is a testament to… well… something.
3 - This is one of the best incorporations of Humour I've seen in a film, period. Plenty of humour, meshed so well and so seamlessly with the whole that it didn't jar or make you suddenly think 'oh, they're trying to be funny here, this is a funny bit'. Well-written, clever humour delivered with precision that even forwards the plot (forex the "Are you sure?" sequence in the boat which gives the coordinates)
4 - Lex like you've never seen him before. Spacey adds a nice 'bored super genius' edge to Lex that really works, IMHO.
5 - Lack of variety: Ok, he's Superman. He's strong. He can lift things. But that's not all, you know. You can even show his super strength without him lifting things. (At least) Four of his major acts of heroism involve him lifting something big. You can come up with better than that.
6 - Lots of nice little touches, like a soundless flying save for the sound of his cape flapping, the vapour cone when he crosses the speed of sound (that guy's got acceleration!) , basking in the sun, Brando's voice-overs, etc.
7 - Routh makes a FINE Superman and Kent. Not as buff, but just as earnest.
8 - The last sixth of the movie dragged, and was a bit ham-handed. Also, ya might have waited for the 'revelation' till the next movie. And the flashbacks never really worked out well, there were too few to get a sense what they were there for. For that matter, why not use a flashback to introduce the opening of the film, rather than just text?
9 - The soundtrack has some very nice (original) moments in it (when it isn't successively borrowing from Williams' score), but then, you put a choir in the score and I'll love it no matter what.
10 - The effects were very well done, not too over the top and actually made good and not over-use of slow-mo.
11 - There's something about Kitty's character that I'm not sure about. Early on she becomes 'distraught' at Lex's plan, but takes no action until near the end, and even then the action is debatable (we better hope those crystals also didn't fall into the water). Nice to show conflict of loyalty and emotions, but they didn't really do anything with it. Actually...
12 - There were a lot of 'dangly bits' to the story, things introduced (kinda like the flashbacks and voice overs) that didn't amount to anything or really get expounded on or show up or anything. Not sure if this was due to the film being cut, teasers for later films, or what.
13 - And I found it very sad that Sup now has no connection with Jor-El with the crystals now lost.
14 - Best. Use. Of. A. Trainset. Ever. In a film.
That probably covers most of the gamut of my thoughts. I enjoyed the film (saw it twice, even), though I wouldn't call it a masterpiece (Lex needed a more dastardly plan, and oddly more expose needed in some places). As a superhero film, Superman Returns delivers.
A totally creative drawing of me as a lynxtaur by Averyl:
I like!
No, I hadn't gone completely mad, it was rabbit hole day. But it hasn't been all aliens, all the time at lynx central.
One month into Bagua. Every time I walk into the kwoon, I feel like a total n00b, and it's been GREAT. So very different from what I'd done before, and it's just plain fun to feel myself learning and gaining a deeper understanding every class. Long long long long way to go still, and that is fantasticness in itself.
We made a return jaunt into both Granite's game and into Eberron in the past month's worth of gaming. Continue to walk down the path of LoftyOne, which is an adventure on its own. Saw a Lego exhibit one weekend, pretty fun with lots of local landmarks, ships, aircraft, mecha, structures, cranes, etc, all well made. Also some impressive bridges (including one spanning I swear 12') and some Lego trains -- now this is interesting. I knew of Lego fan groups, I knew of many a model railroading club (with my own interests there), but never had I known until that day about Lego Railroading clubs. Apparently not so rare.
Studying also continues for the next ARE exam, though it seems everyday I learn about more and more I need to study for this particular exam; like the so-called real world, things/exams overlap.
Interestingly, SW:RotS wasn't nominated for F/X at the Oscars this year -- as the granddaddy of modern-day effects, while ILM did get nominated for another film, the lack of SW seems almost odd... the two are almost synonymous (even though I say WETA is the newest gods of F/X).
This has been a life-update post!
I lied a bit -- another LotD before a Real(tm) thing comes along.
Goal to create the longest graphic worm on the internet: http://worm.bluesfear.com/?r=ma
In what is becoming somewhat of a tradition, December = Cirque du Soleil making an appearance up in the city. I know I said next up was 'O' in Vegas, but... as that has not come to pass, I found myself instead seeing Corteo. Known for a while only as Cirque 2005, Corteo was announced earlier this year and followed its usual path of Montreal, Toronto and then San Francisco. I had a really good feeling about this show.
[Spoilers to Follow]
And I was not disappointed. Corteo was fantastical. A bit oldschool, but not so much so as Alegria, with a gaggle of new acts, the best part for me was, what I call, it's cohesiveness. It felt whole, complete and integrated, with lots of activity all the time, and no act seeming out of place. The theme was an interesting one -- Corteo is Funeral Procession in Italian -- and while it affected the styling of the show only minimally it did lend itself well to its progression. A clown envisions his own funeral, with acts and actors, events and insights, watched over by angels above. The costumes were varied (albeit with little lycra content), sometimes wrought with ornament, sometimes more like regular clothes.
The stage was a unique one for Cirque, occupying the centre of the tent and also bisecting a line down the middle, with seating on either side. A track system, similar to that of Quidam, rode high above the stage along that line of bisection, allowing for actors, angels and props to fly across the stage. Above stage centre, between the tracks, a catwalk square allowed for more vertical interaction. A very simple, but effective and dynamic setup.
Beginning the acts was an impressive use of props, namely three large chandeliers. Using both the metal and the hanging baubles/jewels, the performers moved up, around, through, hung off, switched positions, and spun about on the chandeliers as they alternately suspended off the ground or came closer to earth. Their pace was frenetic, with bursts of activity that must have involved five to twelve different movements before holding a pose for several seconds.
Next up was fantastic dual-trampoline routine, taking place on a couple of beds. A quartet of clowns (two male, two female) played a game of one-ups-manship while in the midst of a pillow fight with other clowns. Fast paced, inventive and amusing, it was a great start to the show.
The Cyr Wheels (basically person-sized rings) were pretty impressive, as the performers rolled around the stage in them, and spinning on the ground in ways that didn't seem very physically possible. A quad of jugglers did a variety of insane things as they would juggle things between them, over them, through the path of other juggled items, taking over from each other, standing on each other's shoulders... crazy stuff. It ended with two of them throwing rings (aerobie disks) at one who plucked them out of the air at lightning speed to place them over his head, around his neck. It took him two tries (perhaps on purpose), but the second time, with these things coming in I swear at least at two per second, he got some 40-odd rings in place without pause. Wow.
The tightrope act was interesting, including an inclined walk and waking across the rope ballet-style (ie on the toes). A dual-pair of rope-flyers had fun flying over the audience and giving some scares while doing their act. Something quite amusing was a pair of 'midgets', one of whom makes her entrance near the end of the first half attached to a large balloon structure, allowing her to move as though she weighed 5 lbs. She jumped from the hands of the main clown (the one who's funeral it is) and bounced around the audience a few times. The clown shouts, as she leaves his hands "It's great! Put your hands up, give her a push!" Not sure the audience quite got it, as her first landing into the crowd wasn't very hand-enhanced. But they got it soon thereafter and she bounded about both sides of the stage.
After intermission the first act used a very large net with three aerial stations suspended above. First performers used the net to bound high, perform acrobatics, then be caught and released by the performers in the stations. The second half of that routine took place all above, with performers being tossed from station to station in various fashions.
Did you know you can climb a ladder (not a step ladder) without it resting on anything? Apparently you can... as well as spin it about, go through it, walk on it, stand on its top.
The teeterboard act was something else, not only for the insane height these people got off the teeterboard, but the act that went with it was something like a rival family story out of Italy, with two 'families' (identifiable by their dress) and stares and posturing (in your face type) of dislike on either side as stunts were completed. I won't spoil the end for you.
More humourous acts included a tiny theatre (literally) brought to centre stage and a play acted out, as well as a juggling act that ended in a torrent of chickens. I am not making this up, and it had me laughing in absurdity. Very fun was a concert of sorts, with the Maitre-D whistling (the actor is apparently a two-time whistling champion) accompanied by a symphony of water-filled glass players and an octet of performers who ringed the (rotating) stage playing crystal Tibetan singing bowls. What was really fun was those bowl players each were doing a different act -- some acting robotic, some acting confused and silly, and one flirting with the audience (to which I flirted back!).
Ending the evening was an act that married the parallel bars from gymnastics with the setup of cirque, placing eight bars in a way that allowed multiple performers to interact in multiple ways as they swung around the bars. All the while, the show's protagonist rode a bike across the sky...
I expected there to be some sort of 'closure' to the story, but strangely there was not. The show opened with the protagonist on his bed, with many visitors coming to see him in a literal procession, but at most the end they waved to him as he flew overhead, in the midst of the final act, but that was that. Curious.
I remember the music as being solid cirque music -- perhaps not as evocative as some others like Dralion or Quidam, but good. The musicians held positions at the four corners off the stage, which was cool.
So, yeah, I really liked the show. I'd say the Impossible Acts per Hour (IAPH) wasn't too high, in fact there were few times I remember saying 'that's not possible!' The show was put together expertly, with lots of fun, lots of fancy, LOTS of activity, good music, audience interaction and freshness. Some are thinking of returning for a second viewing...
My faith in Cirque is fully restored after the trepidation Varekai caused. Next up? Should I say 'O' again? Yes! Though I really want to see Ka, also playing in Vegas -- once the 200 bucks a seat is stops giving me pause.
Tell me if you've heard this one before: Friday afternoon, Jose, myself and some others, going to see a movie. I'll admit, it's great to go to films then. Little crowd, see the film that much earlier, and have the evening still free for other activities.
Flashback to May; there we were in a theatre to see Revenge of the Sith. As the trailers are progressing, on comes the Disney logo. Curious, I think to myself, wonder what Disney film they figure would appeal to this crowd. I watch somewhat half-heartedly, still amused with the intensity of the crowd. But then, shortly into the trailer, came a fateful moment when I got what movie it was for... and I got chills. Within the next five seconds, EVERYONE in the theatre got what film it was, and it was amazing. You could feel the fact that everyone got it; you could sense the atmosphere change, a charge running through the audience. It was amazing and electrifying.
Thus, I have been so anticipating the Lion Witch and the Wardrobe since I saw that trailer, hyping it up in my mind. Would it deliver?
--spoiler break--
Oh gods, YES.
I think this is a fantastic adaptation of the book. Now, granted, the book is only 88 pages long, which easily fits into a 2.5h-ish film, but they could still have done a poor job. They didn't. I adored this film.
The thoughts:
1 - Lions, cheetahs and CENTAURS oh my! And minotaurs, satyrs, gryphons and a host of others. I would've been looking forward to see this film for the centaurs alone, and seeing those were great. And the fact they were designed by WETA Workshop meant they really were well designed and realized.
2 - AND THE BEAVER IS A PROUD AND NOBLE ANIMAL!
3 - Now, with all those creatures, and this being a fantasy film, how were the F/X? Did they pull it off? My estimate is that they pulled about 67% of the shots off. What usually didn't work was either a stiffness in the creatures and/or an offness in the animation. There were a couple of instances where backgrounds that didn't merge with the characters in the foreground (thus you could tell it was filmed in front of a greenscreen). They also never did manage to get any of the sleigh shots looking natural (sometimes seemed to be floating above the ground, almost, amongst other things). Rhythm and Hues was the primary F/X shop, I'm guessing WETA Digital was busy on Kong. All that being said, there was nothing earth-shatteringly bad here, but enough for me to notice (I have been spoiled by WETA's work, I think).
4 - Speaking of F/X departments, I think I spotted a hidden Mickey, or, in this case, a hidden snowman! (in the background at the ice-d over waterfall -- and who knows, it is a Disney film, it may have been a hidden Mickey Snowman).
5 -But it was fantastic to see all those creatures, and hordes of them (Even though most were in the background), their involvement in the battle, and the scores of animals too.
6 - For the most part the film stayed pretty close to the book. They did add some things to the story, and for my part I think they all worked out well enough.
7 - The opening sequence in London, forex, was added from the original story. For one, when the book was written the war was still fresh in the mind, and this gave some background to the terror and the reason for sending the children away. But more so, I think it was an good way to introduce the children and gave a very succinct and excellent introduction to their characters and their interactions. Especially Phillip, his grabbing of the father's picture shows both his 'rebelliousness' and also gives insight to what he considers important and more so what may be going on within him.
8 - The music in the trailer wasn't, alas, from the film -- it was 'generic' music that is purchased (and only available for) trailers specifically. The film's score was good, however. Many chorale pieces, which pleased me to no end, and otherwise well fitted, if perhaps a tad overbearing at times. I think I will acquire the soundtrack/CD.
9 - Did I mention the centaurs were great?
10 - There were only, I kid you not, about 5-10 of us in the theatre, but there was applause at the end of the film, it was that well told and ended brilliantly.
11 - And speaking of ending, if you left the instant the credits began to roll, you missed some of the film!
12 - If you've seen the trailer, you know there is combat (one of the additions/extrapolations/embellishments from the book). It isn't Pelennor Fields, but it was very well done, in some ways better than Pelennor fields (and some excellent scoring and use of the aural dimension to enhance it, especially just before the two armies meet).
13 - The charge of the Centaur was especially appreciated by me, as was the Gryphon air force, the Phoenix 'napalm' attack. Shame they didn't use the centaur archers (or archers, period) more.
14 - The last part of the battle, where they are fighting amongst the rock formations was especially good, I really liked the terrain and how it influenced things.
15 - One thing I think could've been expounded upon more was more dialogue to elaborate upon the deep magic of the realm (and how it affected the events at the stone table).
16 - Also, I felt the change from 'we just want our brother' to 'we should fight for our realm' was glossed over, I never got a sense of impact when they made their choice. In some ways, it was like in Lion King: "Simba, you are my son, you have to do it." Here: "It's in the prophecy, you have to do it." "Ok." Lacked some gravitas. Granted, it's even been embellished from the book, but a bit more would've been keen.
17 - An interesting bit is that they don't mention Aslan is a lion at the Beaver's home -- rather they keep it a 'secret' until you meet him in the camp. I'm guessing to create a 'ohhhh' effect when you first see him, but somewhat weakened by the fact I'm sure most knew that already. It also removed this line by Edmund: "Probably," he thought, "this is the great Lion Aslan that they were all talking about. She's caught him already and turned him into stone. So that's the end of all their fine ideas about him! Pooh! Who's afraid of Aslan?"
18 - In the book, they don't see Edmund head into the Witch's castle. Kind of odd they'd do so here.
19 - They also didn't make mention of how it was the Witch's food/drink that helped make Edmund turn against his kin, but it does make his 'redemption' more powerful.
20 - "My name is Phillip." Brilliant!
21 - Their sudden skill with weapons is pretty impressive -- I got that it was due to their convictions, but that might've been exhibited more clearly.
22 - Rising sun, shining Aslan, very nice.
23 - Interesting effect when Aslan takes out the witch, with Peter looking on.
24 - I could go on and on, it seems, so I'll finish with this: as with the book, this is not a film about thematic subtly. The ideas of right/wrong, good/bad, betrayal/redemption are very clearly laid out. There's no frying pan approach, ie, they don't beat you about the head with them (nor is there any glaring foreshadowing) but they are laid out on the table for all to see.
So, yeah. Very well worth the wait, and I am so ready to see it again. It obviously struck some chords within me, buttered up with centaurs galore.
Another year, another Potter film? Securely on their 18 month schedule (as the actors really are growing up fast!) a gaggle of us from the office found ourselves once again heading over the bridge for this latest installment of Potter. Last film had me pleasantly surprised -- but this book was even longer, surely they couldn't pull it off again, thought I.
(spoilers?)
But I'll be damned. Yeah, they cheated and made the film 30 minutes longer than the previous one, but again somehow it worked for me. They sat down, went' "Ok guys, we're REALLY screwed", wrote and re-wrote the script 12+ times, and crafted something that really worked as a bare-bones experience. I actually just had a thought, and I think I got it: when scripters/screenplayers KNOW they're paring down a lot, like actually come at it from a space of 'we need to make it work with the time we have allotted' and they know they have to be bare bones and aren't trying to be anything else, they can actually WRITE something that works. I would surmise that most Hollywood movies/writers are coming from a direction of pretending they don't have a thin sham of a script, so they pad or don't write/film from that space, which makes things unfulfilling. By acknowledging the bare bones, and actually working within that structure, they are crafting something that works.
That doesn't mean I wouldn't have loved to see a 2-parter (or more!) where more of the book was included!
So, another film, with another director (which will probably be the route for the next films too, which I think is a grand idea).
1 - Hogwarts seems to get bigger and more elaborate every film, or at least they show more of it (exterior-wise), which is for me a treat. And best of all, they don't even have to worry about continuity! The castle just does kinda change over time...
2 - Which means the dragon scurring around on the roof as it goes after Harry was fun.
3 - Glad they kept that bridge (That showed up in the third film) and got rid of the pendulum (ditto).
4 - The supporting cast really are starting to get the short end of the stick, aren't they? Professor McGonnagall could've practically phoned in her lines.
5 - The F/X have really come into their own in these films, very nicely done, with magic once again with a subtlety that I would expect when it's 'just a part of life'.
6 - As with all the other films, I went back to the book to re-read a few passages that were in the film, and what's interesting is that while there is lots of "well that's a shame that it was changed" there's also an equal amount of "wow, that's actually better in the film!" Not knowing exactly how much a role Rowling plays in writing the film it makes me wonder which of the three it is: working on it a second time she had the chance to smooth things out and improve on them; the director/screenwriter made the changes and she oked them; or that the two worked together to craft something that really works very cool.
7 - Less street clothes, yay!
8 - Something weird were some things that were introduced at the start of the film (such as the foe mirror/glass), that of course show up later in the book but are never approached again in the film.
9 - Equally odd were a few 'not explained' bits -- what does Priori Incancum really mean, forex? (explained in book)
10 - Overt, but still well handled I think was the introduction of the relationship angles.
11 - The director wanted to introduce more of 'British boarding school' to this film -- given that I always pictured it in that manner anyway can't say if he was successful or not.
12 - ...were harmed in the making of this movie. Stay for the credits, near the end. -very big grin-
A good show. But, really, it's book 7 that I truly await, haha!
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=books/main/kptribute
This is amazingly accurate, both in story and the story behind the story of watchers and writers. Oh, and it's spoilerific. W,YB!
Updated, a Serenity Haiku, by Evan (after the cut)
Washburne got a spike
He was a leaf on the wind
Whedon, you bastard!
That was my Serenity haiku -- Evan
Great story up right now on http://www.escapistmagazine.com about Origin and EA, the purchase by the latter of the former, and the subsequent eviscerating of Origin's soul.
Also, no surprise here, http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wing_commander. A shame of a movie, taking a successful franchise/idea/story, and somehow managing to make it a complete load of pap. It's even done by the same guy who did the game, who's story, in full 320x240 graphics, would've been a better film.
Even funnier, though, is this: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/highlander_2_the_quickening/
It really WAS that bad. It really does deserve to be the 'benchmark' that we all use it to be.
QotD: "Scientific fact: the universe is a big vacuum. Scientific corollary: Wing Commander sucks."
Just edited my previous post/review on Serenity, with a few more thoughts and some better writing. So... read on... again...
Saw Serenity this afternoon, with a bunch of friends. I already waxed eloquent about Firefly in an earlier blog, and how I've been anticipating the movie.
I never realized just how well Joss had done his job. This is a movie that I loved, and have bitterness because of it.
SPOILER WARNING. If you have not seen the film, STOP RIGHT NOW
What do I mean by love/bitter? Basically this: Through Joss' magic, I became more attached to the characters than I realized. And I am very, very bitter about Wash dying. (If you didn't know that, that's what the spoiler warning was for!) When we saw Book die, I thought 'Joss, you bastard'. I knew he was dead -- it was a Joss-ism to have character's die -- but I still found myself looking at the wound, hoping, thinking 'is that wound so large that even a Firefly character can't survive it?' And I knew it was. I should've seen it coming with the earlier 'Someday you'll have to tell me about [your life before becoming a sheppard]' 'No, I don't' exchange. "Joss, you have to tell us about Book, how he knows so much, can move so well." "No, I don't. Nya!" -death-
But losing Wash is wrenching. I'm not sure I can forgive Joss for this one, yet. I really liked that character, liked his lines, liked what he brought to the ship, liked what he brought to the crew/show dynamic, liked his relationship with Zoe. I didn't have to look hard to know that he was dead; the spike was just to big. I did find myself later actually coming up with maybe-this-is-just-in-River's-head hope, knowing full well it was ridiculous. Wash was just dead. HOTE!
So Joss did his job well, too well.
That notwithstanding, the film was an excellent piece of work, at least for Firefly fans. I have a feeling this film will do well with the a) Firefly fans and b) the action-oriented crowd, both of whom will not miss the lack of character introduction and development (the former because they already know the characters, and the latter because they don't want to know the characters). Those in the middle may find themselves at a loss. And the middle and low won't find themselves grrring like I am over Wash... maybe that's a good thing.
Joss' magic and recent experience is with TV, and the film came out a bit rough around the edges. Some sets/shots don't look as good on the big as they did on the small screen. Some scenes feel a bit exposé‚ (one thing I lauded the lack of in Firefly), and though it's a 2h movie it feels to me like he tried to cram to much in -- though that is not an opinion shared by the rest of our movie group. This is something I call Season-4-Bab5-itis, where JMS crammed the end of season 4 and season 5 into one half-season, thinking he had but one half-season left. Things get resolved, but perhaps not as elegantly as they might otherwise have been.
The western aspect in Serenity was toned down quite a bit, which is a shame, and there didn't seem to be as much mandarin either. We do get to see what Alliance battlecruisers look like (though they're not the vertical 'FU!s' they were in the TV series, alas) and we also get a very well-handled introduction to the whole universe. Like who the Alliance really are, how they came to be.
It's interesting as I sit here, thinking of thinness of this or thinness of that in the film, but I can only say that vis-a-vis the TV series -- which, of course, had many episodes to layer things on. But if I compare it to other movies, there's volumes here. This is good stuff. I also find myself going 'huh, that's a bit contrived or not explained'. With Joss, though, I smile and realize that's not necessarily an oversight or a fault -- it could very well be intentional, either to let us speculate (like, oh, Book) or to bring back later.
If there's one thing that I'm really curious about, it is just what exactly will happen to the franchise now. This film basically tied up the plot arcs that were being laid down in Firefly. Whatever the next film is, it will have to invent new realms to move into. And maybe that's a good thing -- the series was just too involved and beautiful to tie up 100% gracefully in two hours. If the franchise continues in films only, a 2 hour story (witness the first Serenity, ie, the pilot episode of Firefly) may prove to be more internally fantastic.
Backing back out to the film in general, besides the killing Joss-ism, the rest all worked well in the film. The clever dialogue. The opening shot that visits every part of the ship in one long take. The visuals that just work. And visuals that worked on a rather low budget too, I might add. (Also, I recognized the school where they filmed the Miranda scene, as it was in a recent Architectural Record. Heh.) Tension that builds expertly. Amazing montages. Sarcasm. Beautiful sarcasm, and humour.
The last shot in the movie -- classic Joss. "Oh, he'll do the firefly-effect, a nice send-off for the end of the movie." Nope! Laughed so hard... so perfect.
Music score wise... um. Was there music here? I remember the music from the TV show, it was excellent in setting the mood for the cross of cultures and genres, but the music here, NOT ONLY didn't have the opening theme (FOX have that one all wrapped up, do they?) but was so inobtrusive as to be nearly not there. Shame. Like the loss of the more western aspect and the loss of Mandarin, just little things that made the film feel a little stale.
I had a chance to see it again tonight, and turned down the opportunity. I chose not to subject myself to that kind of a ride so soon. Give it a day to settle in. Then I'll choose again. Make it so I can really take in the second ride. And maybe not be so pained once again.
And buy the Firefly DVDs, so that Wash can always live on.
Many moons ago, now, Kel introduced me to the extraordinary auditory experience of Delerium and, more specifically, their album Karma. From that first listen, I was hooked -- the layering of ambient music, the combination of instruments, the unearthly voices... there was much there for me to like and to fall in love with, and similarly so with their previous album. The two artists who comprised Delerium later split up, then got back together, producing albums independant and together. Out of this grew Conjure One, a project by one of the duo, and the self-titled album that recaptured the hauntingly beautiful soundscape.
Today, I learned that he has released a second album. That, in itself, is not the surprising thing. What was interesting was where I learned this: within the pages of Dwell magazine. At first, a seemingly strange place for a music advert, but I guess he knows his audience (I was reading it, wasn't I?).
The second thing I learned today was that a new Asterix book is about to be released. Now you have to realize that reading Asterix formed a good part of my childhood experience as the quad of Banded Dessines that I read religeously, so anything Asterix-related will grab my interest. I am a bit wary about this book, however -- the last 8 books have been written by the illustrator, and while a fine illustrator he is he doesn't quite possess the same magic on the storytelling level.
That doesn't mean I won't be seeking it out when its released. Today is a good day on the arts front.
The apocalypse is here.
Dungeons and Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon God. A Sci Fi Pictures Original Movie. Saturday, Oct 8th.
I wish I was making this up.
http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/lostcoast.ars
I'm amazed and impressed. It's not full-on HDR, but for a game environment, it does what it needs to do and looks pretty darn impressive. If only they had videos!
Saturday, was Kung Fu. With the long weekend, the school was closed, but Sifu invited us to stop by his house to pick up the key for the kwoon, and also suggested we run on the track at the high school accross from his house if we wanted to. So, we did. Rather than our regular run-and-stairs routine near the kwoon, we did a run-on-track-then-bleachers routine at the school. It was good, running on the track was a bit nicer on the knees (even though it was but a dirt track, not a fancy material thing), and while I thought the longer run/rise of the bleachers would make the drills harder it actually was a slope that made it much nicer. After several sets of high knees, hops and fastascans, plus another lap for good measure, we headed to the kwoon to do all the hand sets.
Sunday, was Food Fu. Compared to the others, it was a hastily arranged one, but the theme fit that well: Tapas. The "Little Plates" meant simply prepared but savoury myriad of dishes. Asparagus, bean & sun-dried tomato salad, corn, cheese and quince, roasted potatoes with garlic aoli, salami, brie and nectarine turnovers, and more, were all passed around. A pinot gris (from Oregon), followed by an apple blackcurrent (from Archibald Orchards in Ontario) accompanied the meal. Casual and befitting the theme the dinner lingered with conversation flowing.
Afterwords, we settled in to watch a film. While the chosen film suffered technical difficulties, our substitute, Donnie Darko, was quite something. A film that is hard to describe, I enjoyed it a lot as it wove many a thread of characters, stories, commentary and exestentialism together. It would fall into the 'not really only a narrative' type/category of films, one that I know upon second or third viewing would reveal ever so much more. Definitively good viewing.
Monday, that wrong-day long weekend, saw me get much work done on some rules for SilCore -- likely nothing official this time, but something I want to finish up. That, and cleaning up from the mess of dishes used to make my tapas... small dishes, large mess o' cookware when I'm in the chef's hat.
Sunday saw a trip to Palo Alto to catch Howl's Moving Castle, the latest work by Hayao Miyazaki...
Much like Pixar so far, Miyazaki can do no wrong. All of his works I've seen have been wonderful -- some stronger than others, but always wonderful. Howl is no different. To sum up the experience of the film, for me two things really show:
One, that this is based on a book. Many points in the film I felt and asked myself "shouldn't there be... more there?" As if three things just happened, one of which wasn't explained, one happened to quickly, and one seemed too convinient.
Secondly, Miyazaki wasn't originally supposed to direct this film. This manifests itself in that so many elements truly feel like they were lifted from other stories of his. Put another way, it didn't feel like there was much Miyazaki put into the film, or that he put much of himself into making the film.
Those being said, Miyazaki remains a very gifted storyteller. The 'different ages' of Sophie throughout the film was intriguing (and not explained, left up to the audience to speculate), the fantastical designs are, well, fantastical, and the mix of magic and tech feels fine. The motley cast of characters were nice (if a couple are a bit contrived) and voice acting for the dub by Disney was good, and Billy Crystal does a good job as Calcifer. Hisaishi's score matches the film well, feeling less inspired than previous films.
In short, a definite reccomender film, and a great inducer to see his previous works once again.
A short while ago Bravo showed a tv performance of La Nouba, the Cirque du Soleil permanant show at Walt Disney World. I hadn't seen it, and a friend captured it and cut it to tape for me. I was excited to get to check it out, if with a bit of trepidation -- there were some pieces of music on the soundtrack that I wasn't too sure about, and my last outings to see a new Cirque show, Varekai, left me with less-than-stellar impression. Had they lost their touch?
(Also, see Alegria)
La Nouba was fantastic. Perhaps a bit less in the department of impossible number of acts per hour (IAPH), but nicely put together, well coreographed and very, very busy, with lots of action going on all the time. I don't think there was a time when there were less than 10 people on the stage. Also nice to see was their use of the stage backdrop, with performers climbing, hanging and performing on it. Actually, the backdrop itself was very busy, with all sorts of moving set pieces, images, moons etc always here and there.
There were plenty of unique acts in the show, and some re-treads. The most memorable of the new acts for me was the trampoline act, which I had first seen demonstrated at the Academy Awards ceremony some years back. In La Nouba proper, they actually combined it with the X trampoline act similar from Alegria, leading to dozens of bouncing bodies. But the side-of-a-building trampoline routine was awesome, very visually fun to watch, and the X was used once to have four performers cross each other at the centre in a well timed bounce. Very impressive.
There was also a bike routine near the beginning that was interesting for the ability to hop up and down stairs, as well as scare the crap out of the audience. :P The other cyclist in the routine did BMX bike twirl-y and balance-y routine.
With the creative use of a door frame and another hanging set piece, a mini-balance and agility routine worked very well, as did the chair-stacking routine. And the Aerial Ballet was amazing to see, with some of the nicest flying imagery ever of any of Cirque's similar acts. Really gave the sense of 'and then he just left the ground and started flying', trailing a sheet of red flowing behind them. The trapeeze act seemed promising, with a good number of bars and performers, and while better than Alegria it still didn't quite get as fully involved as I thought it might.
There were a few more acts as well -- overall, less acts than your typical Cirque show (interestingly) but very well put together. And the clowns seemed very well integrated this time 'round, easy to do with the theme, but nice after some of the more jarring escapes from other recent shows. And the piece of music from the soundtrack I didn't like? Didn't even appear in the show (at least not what was shown in the TV version).
So, in other words, if I'm ever in Florida, I think I'll have to go see this!
for immediate release
Kannik Studios signs three new Zoids
After intense negotiation, transportation and construction, Kannik added three new Zoids to his stable this week. "While we had been very successful with our current five Zoids, we felt it good to expand our capabilities and sign on a few more pilots," he said. "The Liger Zero, Lightning Saix, Shadow Fox, Konig Wolf and certainly the Red Horn have all performed impressively over the past couple of years, and it is they that have given us the opportunity to expand like this."
Known for its speed and it's long-range tail rifle, the Gun Sniper with Wild Weasel also adds impressive conventional firepower and outstanding anti-air detection and capabilities. "Everyone's getting crafty these days, with high speed runs and lighting strikes. With this Zoid we gain ample forewarning as well as a method for taking them down. And one should never discount the boon of a precision sniper rifle."
Kannik Studios does hope to get airpower of its own soon, likely Storm Sworders when they become available.
Also added was a second Konig Wolf, but of the Konig Wolf Mk II variety. "Like the Liger Zero, the Konig Wolf is a very versatile Zoid. We were fortunate to sign on a Mk II that arrives with the CP-22 Cannonry and the CP-23 Missile pods. We needed to do a bit of modification to replace the arena-red with a more suitable black to compliment the desert colours, but that was minor."
Lastly, in an impressive coup, Kannik acquired a Geno Saurer. "I'm real excited about this one," he stated. "The Red Horn has been outstanding for our long-range bombardment needs, but it became obvious the advantages a Charged Particle Cannon would bring us. With the Geno Saurer, which is huge by the way, we now have this tool at our disposal as well as very heavy more conventional direct-fire assets."
What's next for this "must-watch" stable? "Well, I'm not saying exactly, but besides airpower I'm looking to redress the feline/canine imbalance I just created," Kannik said, with a grin.
Episode 3 is here.
SPOILER ALERT! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!
Of all the geek films I've seen, this one had the most rowdy crowd ever. We arrived at 21:30 for the 22:30 showing, and were rewarded by being about 9/10ths of the way to the end of the line. Lightsabres were everywhere. Once inside, the sabres of all colours remained out, there was a Darth Vader or two and one very well done Chewbacca. So were beach balls, about ten of them, all being bounced and bumped and booted around (fortunately, this was in a domed theatre). And this was hardcore geek too -- at the 20th Century Fox drum roll, a cheer, Lucasarts a bigger cheer, A long time ago... a cheer, and STAR WARS was the biggest cheer at all. Cheers throughout the film at nice moments. Otherwise, with the exception of two outbursts of attempted humour, TOTAL SILENCE. Was nice.
Our seats were not the best, getting in late, but after about 10 minutes I stopped noticing the distortion too much.
So, by now you're maybe frothing at the mouth saying "But Kannik, what did you think of it?"
Put simply, I liked it, I enjoyed it, and I want to see it again! Thoughts:
1 - The opening combat sequence was cool. Nice amount of ships, nice long-shots, lots of good mayhem. The druids/Anakin thing wasn't as nifty, or didn't feel as nifty anyway, more long-shot of the battle please!
2 - I have to say, what's with the strange canister-ejecting-energy-weapons-on-manned-turrets-through-holes in the hull thing (shown at the end of the whole sequence)? They did that in Wing Commander as well, this sorta archaic thing (and seriously, shells?).
3 - Nice to give R2 his time in the spotlight at the beginning, but it felt a bit forced.
4 - Compactor effect. There was WAY to much they tried to put into this film. I'd heard 60% of Lucas' original ideas for the films were in this movie. It was like a train with the throttle stuck on full -- once the first third was out of the way the scenes came relentlessly. This meant things that should've had gravity to them were dealt with in 15 seconds of exposition, leaving them feeling hollow and awkward. Take Ep 1 and 2, make that one film, then make Ep 3 into films 2 and 3, and it would've worked out better is my belief. (Also, Lucas could've used some help.)
5 - Some good choice quotes in this film, not only for some dry humour but also 'foreshadowing' some lines said in the original three.
6 - Poor Luke. His sister becomes a princess, he evaporates moisture. Whee!
7 - I was totally surprised to see Palpatine/Sidious whip out a lightsabre. I probably should've expected it, given how I'd thought Yoda perhaps didn't use his much (before seeing Ep2), but like Yoda I'd thought Sidious was more of a 'I've got other powers, thank you very much' kind of guy. Of course, given how stilted he fought, it's likely he didn't actually use it very often.
8 - So glad Yoda did far less bouncing this time around.
9 - WTH is up with them twirling their sabres so much? Obi-Wan was the only one to do it in Ep1 (cocky bastard to be sure! Nice to see he grew up to be Alec Guiness) but EVERYONE seems to do it here, constantly.
10 - Almost too many sabre fights, but hey, it's Star Wars, can't really have too many. They did switch to a much closer-in camera this time 'round, though, and the fighting was so blindingly fast it was hard to appreciate. Watch the Maul/Wan fight in Ep1, it strings together nicely for a half-dozen to dozen moves before cut, this one I can't tell how often they cut, but it was hard to follow. Mind you, all that does is make me want to see it again!
11 - Kinda thought there'd be more force powers use, but.
12 - When the lava planet showed up I was surprised that the film was close to the end, I totally hadn't noticed the time go by.
13 - Nice to see wisdom and tactics do triumph!
14 - Palpatine (well, the actor) did a very good job at his slow seduction of Anakin. He played it well, with just enough urgency, sweetness, slyness and a few other things in his voice.
15 - NARNIA! How about that trailer -- I don't know if it had music from the series or not (since often they don't) but damn, I want the soundtrack and I want to see the film!
16 - And speaking of soundtracks, some very nice choral pieces, and some very nice calling of RotJ voiceless choir during the battle in the throne room.
17 - The CGI was excellent in this episode, I didn't notice any perspective errors like in Ep2, and nothing looked immediately out of place. They've improved a lot, as much as it is a shame the inventor of modern model and prosthetics has gone all digital.
18 - Ok, the dialogue still needed much help, and the acting was wooden (or should I say blue screen -- only one scene was actually filmed on location). The most painful lines still came between Anakin and Padme, but a) nowhere near as bad as the Sand/Smooth from Ep2 and b) it was at the beginning and blessedly short.
19 - The Death Star 1 was stared the 18-20 years before ANH? Da-mn did they ever construct Death Star 2 much quicker, despite it being bigger.
20 - The fact that one needed to see some of the TV/Comic/etc stuff to know who some of the characters were was a bit annoying.
21 - It was very satisfying to see Yoda kicking butt in a much more calm/relaxed manner (like the two guards in Palpatine's office) vs superball mode.
22 - The industrial design in this one was very good, and we even got to see Obi-Wan's sabre from Ep4.
If you ask me does this 'make up' for the first two films, I won't really say. It is a more watchable film, and it IS chock-full of very good powerful stuff, I mean really the CORE of what the entire series is about, rise, fall and redemption of Anakin Skywalker. That this central theme is somewhat buried in the relentless speed (and several cut scenes) is a shame, but it is still there, and ultimately that is what makes the film a success for the Star Wars franchise.
Something to keep you occupied before my next post... I really like this guy's work a lot, something about it is very intense and evocative, the "rawness" of the style that allows the content to really come through where a hyper-real wouldn't.
Lunch on Tuesday was an interesting affair as we all crammed into our conference room to munch Amici's pizza and watch a film, a film that managed to evoke strings from a trip I had taken in second year university.
The film was My Architect: A Son's Journey (see here and here). Nathaniel Kahn searches to reconnect with a father he never really knew (he was 11 when Louis Kahn died, and was one of the two children born outside of Kahn's marriage). Kahn's seminal works only appeared in his 50s, leaving the world with only a few examples of his genius, though as I.M. Pei put it "It's quality, not quantity, that matters."
The film was interesting because it had basically three themes wrapped up into one: an exploration of Kahn's buildings, an investigation of Kahn's life, and Nathaniel's searching for his father through his father's works, his father's life, his memory and those who knew his father. It is not an enviable task to weave together, and at first I thought the film was a bit haphazard despite the loose organization around a geographic journey to seek the man and the buildings. But I later came to appreciate it, understanding that this WAS a journey for Nathaniel, this was how it unfolded for him. As he had to piece it together, so too do we as we watch the film.
And what a film it is. Nathaniel may not be an architect, but he is an artist with his filming of his father's buildings. He hovers, at times with time lapse, delivering some of the best capturing of space and light I have seen of an architectural documentary. The buildings are annotated by interviews with people involved I their construction, their occupants, old radio clips, old footage of Kahn himself. Yet they manage to stand as a character on their own as well, with a presence and brilliance all their own, a testament to the architecture.
As the architecture unfolds, so too does the veil of Kahn. I had not known he had three 'families', but he did. The interviews with contractors, planners, his contemporaries, co-workers, clients and, ultimately, with Nathaniel's half-siblings, half-relatives and with his mother herself range from the comical, to the harsh to the loving. Throughout, you really get that Nathaniel is wanting to discover who his father really was, and whether the stories he had told himself those past 25 years were myth or an honest portrait. He is doubting, he is unsure, he is hungry to discover. As are we; Louis Kahn produced some very significant buildings, yet we are affronted from the very premise of the film that he possessed what may be considered moral and social foibles.
Cumulatively, these three levels of exploration intertwine and produce a portrait of Kahn unlike any anywhere else, an honest portrait that leaves us on our own. Nathaniel, at the end of the documentary, has come to his own resolution, but for the viewers, we must come to our own resolutions.
For me, the film brushed up against the closest experience I had to meeting Louis Kahn. In second year, a bunch of us from studio undertook a trip that brought us into Pennsylvania for an architecture pilgrimage. There we saw two Kahn buildings. While the first, the Richards Medical Centre, was the larger it was the second, a house, that had the most impact on me, for we were lucky not only to see it but at the invitation of the original owners of the house.
From the outside, you may never have guessed it was a Kahn design, compared to his later works. Where the Richards Centre is big and bold, this house was intimate and understated. Yet with exploration one could see the touches that pointed to the Kahn sensitivities that remained at his core. Indeed all his great works were bold yet with intimacy within, playing with light and with the compression and expansion of space.
Later, when I have retrieved my photos from home I will post them here, but for now, I shall give a quick sense of the building. From the entrance, to the left were the private areas of the house, delicate in scale and with intimate detail. To the right was the main public area, a space soaring to double height. Black slate floors (with radiant heating) and natural wood was the dominant palette. Light was brought in through strategic windows, and from upon high in large main room. One wall of the room was angled, and two-thirds of its lower half could be raised to directly connect the room to the outdoors.
Besides the fantastic kindness of allowing 30-odd architecture students to tromp through their house, the owners spoke warmly about Kahn and their experience working with him. There were the (now) laughing retellings of how they had butt heads on certain placement or details, but what I remember was on the whole they remembered his hard work, his excitement and his desire to create something special for them.
To see and watch these same reactions and recollections in the film brought this all home for me. Many spoke lovingly about his buildings, and lovingly about his passion for creating spaces that enriched the clients and the users.
Not all his buildings were totally successful, and the number of cancelled and unbuilt projects far outrank those that were built. But his passion remained (in more ways than one) and there is real poetry that lives in his great buildings. I have a great urge to visit more of them.
DWR (Design Within Reach) is a local store, who send glossy catalogues to me every quarter, chock full of modern design (mostly) goodness.
Thing is, they have a VERY different idea of the interpretation of "Within Reach" than I do.
So it is with great pleasure that I found this site today: DWOR.
I don't watch much TV. Actually, I don't really watch any TV -- while I have one in my appartment now thanks to Mike's generosity, I have no cable, no satellite, and no rabbit ears (Lynx ears, yes, but they don't get reception as well, apparently). I do have a VCR hooked up to the TV, but that doesn't really count as watching TV in the normal sense, nor watching TV shows on DVD. Back in Ottawa, where I had aforementioned rabbit ears, I would mostly only watch the news (CBC's the National) anyway, a 'fix' of mine that has been replaced by www.cbc.ca/news and a smattering of other sites I visit, along with the paper we receive at the office every day.
For the most part, however, I know that the TV remains a big fixture in the home for many (the majority of?) households in the USA, and for those households, while the nightly news is declining in overall 'market share' it remains the primary news source. Which is what makes the unfolding story of the alleged prepackaged-advertnews being aired on TV (on the nightly news shows in particular) particularly alarming. Couple it with possible actor-reporters asking questions and writing columns while being on the payroll of those to whom they ask questions, limited access to 'town hall' meetings (you have to be invited to go), limited access to campaign stops (sign here to say you support X), embedded reporters... is this the full-on new-generation attempt at subterfuge propaganda?
What I find facinating is the implications this may mean for a country that works to distance itself from the likes of so-called repressive regime's news control. Government, political, point-of-view et al advertising is nothing new. Certainly materialistic advertising -- selling a product or service -- is also nothing new. In many ways, it can be seen as the same thing, the same goals -- the difference is the latter pretty much has to say 'brought to you by Brand Y (tm)'. Even in newspapers and magazines, those slick-looking sections that have the very appearance of just another column has the word ADVERTISEMENT written at the top or bottom -- or is labelled my favourite verbage of "Special Advertising Section". Feel-good advertising back home had very distinctly the federal logo at the bottom of the screen at the end of the ad, or even solitary, large, in black and white on the screen for the last 3 seconds. If a newspaper investigates something they have a connection with, it will say "BlahBlah is owned by CorpZ". The above-linked items come with no such disclaimers, no such labels of origin, no such information at all. Which is what makes them very curious, and brings caution and concern to mind. Or, in the more extreme reaction, warning bells to go off.
The whole truth behind this all is still being revealed, by the very news organizations who themselves may have a twist to work. But it is worthwhile to note, now, and get a big caveat emptor (or viewer/reader beware, in this case) going, even bigger than what already seemed appropriate in the laxidasical attitude of everyday information overload.
While Dave was down, I had a chance to check out Kung Fu Hussle, the new Steven Chow film. When I saw the trailer, I thought it would either be fantastically brilliant, or really, really bad.
Turns out, it was neither.
To me, there is some comedic brilliance in both Shaolin Soccer and, especially, God of Cookery. For me, this film didn't reach that brilliant mark. KFH does maintain the same Steven Chow excellence in creating what can be best described as Kung Fu Slapstick (or at least visual humour), and boy, giving this man access to CG was a dangerous thing to do. The visuals of the fight scenes in the film are very good, and the fighting itself is kinetic and just the right amount of over the top. Matrix million person fight scene(s): eat your heart out, for this is how to do it. The homages to other films as well as tradition is also as good as always.
What kept this film from touching brilliance in my book, leaving the film solidly in the good category, was the overall package and story. The premise of the 'universe' and its stylings is interesting, but the excecution was rather straightforward, and even I might say the unfolding was a bit awkward at times. Not that it is unusual for action films, but given his previous work this 'lack' seemed to stand out a bit more.
Good fights, good gags and a killer end-move that I so want to learn, but shy of brilliance. Do see it if you have a chance.
This morning, I decided to check up on some facts. I had been saying that Jean Michel Jarre's concert at La Defence was the world's largest in terms of attendance, with 2 million spectators. That seemed rediculously large, and it just couldn't be right. I had to be mis-remembering.
And, indeed, I was wrong.
He actually holds three world records: One million spectators in Paris in 1978. One-and-a-half million spectators in 1986 in Houston (yes, TX). And in 1990, at La Defence? Two-and-a-half million.
Wow.
With the time afforded during a holiday, I have now managed to see every episode of Firefly, watch all the extras and re-watch several episodes with the commentary.
This. Show. Rocks.
Everything about the show, from the excecution of the premise to the imagery to the visuals to the dialogue (even if not quite up to the sharpness of early Buffy) was pulled near-well perfectly. Granted, Joss Wheaton has had several shows on which to learn the ropes, but even then what transpired in its short run was amazing. Think back to, well, just about any sci-fi TV series that ran for a while. The first season was always awkward one way or another, as the show tried to find its feel, and even moreso, as the actors tried to get the feel for their characters and their interactions. The episodes may be enjoyable, but yet you remain concious that things just aren't smooth quite yet. Somehow, Firefly suffers none of these. The cast = Phenomenal. From the get-go they were totally in sync with their characters and their lives and the universe around them. And given nine characters, the fact we can get a sense of all of them in just a few eposides is in itself amazing. While the tone and themes of each episode differ slightly, it doesn't feel like experimentation, and they don't even really seem all that different (with perhaps the exception of the last quarter of the pilot-that-ended-up-not-really-being-a-pilot). Add to the fact that exposition, the bane of any new series but especially Sci-Fi shows, doesn't feel all that exposition-y. It's not a 'history' lesson.
Listening to the commentary does take a little bit of the illusion away, perhaps, as it illustrates just how each episode and character was being tweaked and fixed -- but on the other hand it does show that Joss looked at each episode and wasn't afraid to make it what he wanted to be. There were plans. Sometimes they changed. As a viewer of the series, you never really realized it, even as the network was making a mockery of the scheduling and production of episodes. The only wish I would have is that they would tone down the frequency of Mal trying to (or hinting of maybe he will do it) betray the ship.
The amount of which I am stoked for the movie is rediculously high, and I don' t even know where into the fold the film will exist (continuation, prequel, re-telling...). That it has been delayed until the fall for marketing reasons makes the wait that much more agonizing.
Ah, glorious frost. Certainly made for a nice brisk ride in this morning. I was quite awake by the time I got in. We could use a few more crisp days like this.
Despite the fact the holiday is at a silly time of the year, I did not argue with the well-needed two days off last week. I headed over to Vicki's place on thursday, where we made a quite fine Duck a l'Orange (after a frantic email to my mother for the recepie), accompanied with asparagus, wild rice and an excellent salad with pommegranite seeds, mandarins, and a few other goodies. Wine, cheese, and, of course, tasty deserts were had all around. It was a low-key affair, and very relaxing, very fun. As I said, well-needed.
Saturday saw my "Music Introduction Extravaganza!" come to fruition. I headed over to Wendy2's place, where she, her husband Jeff and myself each took a turn introducing each other to new music/groups/artists. My original plan was to have 1h per person but -- as can be guessed -- that was just plain impossible. Even limiting myself to 1-2 songs per artist I wished to introduced, I would've had six hours of music (!) to play. Thus did the eve run much later than originally intended, but I think we were all entranced by the music to worry about it. It was quite fun, and I certainly have a few new picks I need to look more into and add to my collection. In addition, just reflecting on my music selections allowed me to discover some common threads on music I liked, and Wendy2 and Jeff both commented and added more insight. Music can be one of those very evocative mediums (I imagine especially so for them, given they are in a band) and the melodies brought back many memories for everyone, spawning a varied range of stories, topics and discussion. If I said the evening rocked, would everyone forgive me for the pun?
The rest of the weekend was dedicated to being on vacation. With that in mind, I played an ashamed-ly way to much WoW. For someone who averages .75 computer games per year normally, who would have thought that I would have been so caught up in this one? No surprise, I created 2 of my 3 characters on the RP server, and have been rewarded with what I feel has been at least a moderately more immersive game than during the closed beta as a whole -- but even on the non-RP server some of my group have managed to RPspeak quite well, so it's been good all-around. I've been taking my time, re-taking in all the sights, the game, talking and interacting, reading, and just enjoying the game with no treadmill in mind. It's been fun. Then again, I'm addicted it seems, so take the word 'fun' and apply appropriately.
I've also bought tickets for my xmas vacation. Dec 17th to the 27th will be the time I'll be back in Ontario, and I am already dancing to the snow gods.
Well, it's up. My very own (growing) page of spam poetry!
Some are humourous, some are poignant, some just nonsensical. Enjoy!
Yesterday was the last day of the sparring seminar. I had a bad feeling going into it, feeling a touch of illness, but it was the last day so I went into it. We were doing two rounds of two minutes each. I got really, really tired near the end of the first round, and was really having trouble breathing second round -- and then at the last second was dropped by a good kick to the midsection (toes in solar plexus, rest of foot into liver). That wasn't so bad, I from that quickly enough, but the hard breathing from the match did me in. My chest constricted a bit, and I imagine asthma feels a bit like this, and it's been that way since the match. So I guess I really was getting a bit sick... so much for the bit part now. Cough cough!
The WoW beta servers came down last thursday, and sure enough, they unleased an appocalypse on the world (each server, really, some shots viewable here, images 1177 to 1200). Since I was in class, teaching, I missed it all. Booo! Ah well, game goes live Tuesday. Joy of joys, they've decided to create some RP servers! Ever since my amazing RP encounter, I'd been hoping they'd create a server to cater to the RP crowd. While the ruleset really hasn't changed much (all it really does is postulate more GM oversight), hopefully the name "RP" will gather the RP-crowd together, making experiences like the one I had more prevalant. That, and hopefully scare the 1337s elsewhere. Wile a few tweaks could've helped, it's really the people that can make the RP more immersive, and that I really look forward to.
Of course, I also fear the assholes, jerks and twinkers who will join the RP server, be assholes, jerks and twinkers, and when called on it will simply state "Oh, hey man, I'm just RPing a jerk!" Riiiiiggghhht. Well, in RP, then I say "@#$#@$! off"
After all of yesterday's 'festivities', a bunch of us gathered last night to watch the entirety of Macross Zero... (spoilers ahead, perhaps)
For some it was new (new to Macross in general, even), for others they'd seen some but not all of the Macross Zero episodes. I had not seen the last episode yet, so it was a new conclusion to all of us. And... what a conclusion. It really makes me wonder if Macross Zero is really supposed to be a prequel to the TV series, or the Movie. While the events between the two (TV, Movie) are ostensibly similar, the latter is actually a 'dramatization' made within the TV continuity. So it's not 100% cannon -- but at the same time, the director had a chance to add and elaborate on some themes not covered in the TV show. So to watch MZ, and especially the... strangeness that occurs at the end and the heavy ties into proto-culture, mythology, and spiritual transormation seems a bit more tied to the Movie than the TV series. Especially the latter, with people turning into bird-humans and streaks of light. I'll admit I'm a bit undecided on the ending. It was odd, and even odder in a Macross continuity, but somehow fit nonetheless. Though I'll agree that the tinkerbell appearance of Mao on Shin's shoulders was the writers getting themselves into a tight spot and going "crap, how do we get out of this? he needs to learn some information!"
What's not in doubt are the battles, which were crazy-amazing, with good CG/Classic Animation combo to boot. They got a bit long in the tooth at times, and perhaps a bit too MTV-hyperkinetic, but wild rides, no pun intended. Worth watching the seires for that alone, if you're a mecha fan. (Which, no doubt, I am) That, and there's a hauntingly beautiful choral song that appears many times (and even changes lyrics-wise at the end, if you notice). Mmmmm.
Definitively, if you are a Macross fan this is well worth seeing.
IotD: http://www.casarch.com/oliver/WoWScrnShot_110704_002300.jpg
Evan hosted a get together with a twist on Saturday -- a creative twist. Bring something creative to do, to teach or to share. Many people also brought food and things to bake. Food, wine, and talk was had by all, and various little projects got done. Maybe a little less on the creating side as originally planned (everyone's been so busy lately, that a sudden get together easily devolved into socializing) it was still great, and could see the beginning of a semi-regular event...
Saw the Increadibles on sunday, and well, Pixar can do no wrong, can they? Very amusing and great visuals. Maybe not quite as 'deep' as some previous releases, but still some thematic gems hidden within. My main suggestion would simply be to have not had Edna give the example of a caped hero being digested by an engine -- let the audience use some brain to make the link to the earlier cape discussion at the climax. Other than that, nicely done guys. Marek made the comment it was a not so-PC movie with a theme that could imply "we're not all equal, some are inherently more gifted than others, and intelligence can't compensate" -- to which Tiff & I responded with " i'm not sure i agree with the later -- they did show that intelligence can compensate, but that without the right attitude/approach/ethics it won't always win" and "the 'who you are inside' approach". Go see it.
Sunday's game went off well enough, and I feel they are, for sure, no kidding, this time for real, are maybe getting close to the end of this module. No. Really.
Watched the last three episodes of Mospeada, to catch the difference in themes from the Third Gen or RTech. Somewhat similar, yet somehow different too. Also seemed unbelievably rushed, with some very weird rapid changes in people's actions/attitudes. And damn Stig, you are a harsh case, aren't you?
I borrowed from Jim (as an aside, ever notice how names tend to rotate in clumps? For a while, I knew/interacted with 10 Jeffs, there was a bunch of Daves, Jasons... now it's Jims. Er, where was I?) the subtitled DVDs of Genesis Climber Mospeada (here and here for starters). Most of you may know this series as the Third Generation of Robotech. I didn't watch any of the Robotech's on TV during their original run. I did give it a chance, seeing the ending credits sequence, thinking 'this looks cool'... and then seeing the Giant Fish episode of Macross. That pretty much shut down any desire to watch the series. But when I re-discovered it a few years later, it took me a while before I could find videos to watch the series -- eventually I got my chance in a second-generation-from-TV-aerial recording, and watched all the series. Interestingly, I haven't really watched any of the series since then, so I was keen on seeing the original Mospeada and seeing how it compared to what I remembered.
Now I understand just why Macross is held in such high regard. I've watched three episodes of Mospeada, and first off, the animation: not so good. Natch, I am comparing it to what I'm used to in terms of more recent animation, and some of the animation in Macross was also very poor (but later in the series, when they were trying to make it on the cheap). And OVAs also certainly have spoiled me/us. Nonetheless, Mospeada could certainly have spent a bit more $ up front to polish their animation a bit. Cool mecha designs deserve cool animation!
Secondly, and speaking of which -- those Cyclones just don't look as... plausible as they used to. I think it's because they ommited some 'bits' for ease of animation (mainly a lot of the parts that help the arms) and it looks a bit kludgy without it. The fights are not too well presented (interestingly less talkative, especialy Scott/Stig), the music is a bit circus-y...
... and I'm discovering a series that has more depth to it than what was presented in R-Tech. Granted, a lot of that comes from reading the liner notes and interviews, in which they themselves admit they weren't able to expose it all within the series. But reading up on it was very keen, and whet my appetite to see how it shows up in the series, especially through the characters. So far, that aspect hasn't presented itself (rapid-fire introduction of characters leaving them a bit cardboard cutout), but some more of the backstory has.
So far, I may wince in pain a bit at the animation, and at Mint/Annie, but it's been great to revisit.
Taking a break from my machine woes this weekend, I went to see Sky Captain and the World of Tommorow. I'd only heard about the film a few weeks ago, but it intrigued me immediatly and I thought it would be good to go see...
Right off the bat, the film posesses elements that are worth points in my book. For one, while I'm not a fan of 60s style, I am a fan of the Hyper-Retro aerial creations found in such things as Disney's Tale Spin and FASA's Crimson Skies. With that as a base and wrapped around the world, the imagery appeals to me. Secondly, I can am often a fan of films that takes a nifty style/theme (usually wrapped in a way of storytelling) and just runs with it. So the film had some things going for it before I set foot in the theatre.
The three word verdict: "I enjoyed it."
The visuals were often tasty, and the premise not horrible. Unfortunetaly, that is all that is going for this film. Maybe the serials of the 50's were really like that, but if there's a film that better demonstrates the tendency of holywood to have the 'plot', such as it is, be nothing more than a clothesline upon which to hang action or visuals. To describe this as vignettes would be doing the word vignette injustice. The characters also never fully formed beyond their snapshots. It's a very fun ride to see, and still surprisingly easy to get into -- I'm not dissapointed I saw the film (and only a touch of err at full price too) but I can't say I'd necessarily be interested in seeing it again.
Glad I saw it, enjoyed myself.
(taken from http://www.projectcensored.org/publications/2005/11.html)
In February 2003, a Florida Court of Appeals unanimously agreed with an assertion by FOX News that there is no rule against distorting or falsifying the news in the United States.
...
During their appeal, FOX asserted that there are no written rules against distorting news in the media. They argued that, under the First Amendment, broadcasters have the right to lie or deliberately distort news reports on public airwaves. Fox attorneys did not dispute Akre’s claim that they pressured her to broadcast a false story, they simply maintained that it was their right to do so. After the appeal verdict WTVT general manager Bob Linger commented, “It’s vindication for WTVT, and we’re very pleased… It’s the case we’ve been making for two years. She never had a legal claim.”
Surprised? Not entirely, but still astounding that one of the top "news" sources (anyone remember when Fox was just some segment on other TV stations?) has admitted to lying (fair and balanced what?), has been given court permission to do so, that almost no one has covered this story... and that even if the USA public knew, would they care? They don't seem to care about other more glaring and consequential distrortions...
(More)
While much of what the author does on their site is irreverent, Monkey Sphere is an interesting essay. Fear not, for it is still quite written in a humourous style, and still contains satire, irony and reverse psychology, but the basic premise and the points argued I think hold some weight. Mike pointed us to it on the weekend, now I point it to you (and probably back to him, if he reads this page).
Tiff pointed out two other good sites: The Fool's World Map, and the Terra Nova Blog. The former is an excellent harnessing of the collective internet 'intelligence', the latter contains links to various essays and thoughts on MMORPGs in all directions, including their development, style, impact, etc.
More on the environment, our place in the universe, Art Renewal Centre, The Dwell Home, and a very tasty recepie for a type of pesto:
1 cup dry roasted cashews
1 cup fresh basil
2-4 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
Two heaping spoons of fresh grated parmisan
Food processor, chop nuts. Add garlic. Add basil -- as the material starts to bind, add olive oil as necessary. Add salt/pepper if desired, add cheese as last step, adding more olive oil if necessary.
So, went and saw Bourne Supremacy on friday. I really enjoyed the first one, and had high hopes for this one. While I believe I preferred the first one more (want to see it again now), Bourne Supremacy was a lot of fun.
Just what was needed to get me into the mood for that night's Spycraft game...
Some further (spoiler) thoughts:
1 - Someone call the CIA and put a hit on the director of photography. OY. MTV video styling during fight scenes is bad enough (and I think you all know my thoughts on that already), but gads, the entire movie done like the camera was being held by a three year old drunk robot with motor control problems. There may have been some amazing action, but who could tell with that camera work? Yurk!
2 - Plenty, in fact, surprising number of tense moments in the film (and no, not caused by the camera work).
3 - What I remember of the score was that it was very good!
4 - I know the CIA can't find a decent map of downtown Belgrade, and that they have their 'I want to hear' filters set to high, AND I know there was the subtext of 'He wants us to know, to find', but c'mon. Why did it take some redshirt to have to point out the flaws in the evidence that was sitting in the back of our minds since the first feet of film?
5 - Why oh WHY do authors/filmakers feel it necessary to kill off major characters from previous films in the first three minutes of a sequel? Don't they realize that effectively negates a good chunk of (and the attachment to) the previous film? At least in this case it didn't happen off-camera, but while I understand its purpose (conflict, angst, revenge, etc) it can be still frustrating. If it was a character we'd just been introduced to (ie, no previous film) it is somehow more alright, less attachment, less seeing them work their way and survive a previous film, only to be offed as a plot device.
6 - Nice that they shot everything on location.
7 - I thought there was some great quippy dialogue.
8 - What's needed: Jason Bourne to show up as a guest star on Alias. Hello producers? You listening?
Natch, I don't watch Alias as I don't have a TV, but what I've seen displays how good a show it is and I hopefully will watch the DVDs sometime
In another moment of Hive Mind, forum-participant Coleman was the first to notice that Steven Spielberg is involved in an effort to create a live action movie based on the Transformers, the popular 80s and 90s action toys. Spielberg will apparently be executive producing the movie, Tom DeSanto will be serving as the chief writer. DeSanto's work includes the X-Men movies (1 through 3, even), and Logan's Run.
"Like X-Men, Transformers offers an amazing mythology with all the elements to create a successful ongoing franchise, iconic characters, global themes, and a world that has never been seen before on screen," said DeSanto. "We hope that this will be the first in a franchise that is embraced by fans and newcomers alike."
The film will not be a cartoon on CGI-based flick, leaving many to wonder how the sly machinations (quite literally) of the likes of Optimums Prime and Megatron will be pulled off. As Rold Gold implied, if Power Rangers::Voltron as X::Transformers... yikes! The original Transformers movie (1986) was animated.
Huh. I'm not sure how to take this -- could be interesting, could be bad, but Spielberg's name on it is the strangest of all. The movie is slated for a summer 2006 release.
Jerry Goldsmith has died. A moment of silence... is it appropriate as symbolic, or should it instead be filled with his music in tribute? Either way, his passing of the man synonymous with scores is a blow. Soundtracks are in some ways the heart of my music likes and collection, and Goldsmith is one of the names I have greatly respect. It is a sad thought to think there will be no more.
Audio Cue: The House Raising from Secret of NIMH
Office enthusiasm had a few of us truck off to see HP3 last Friday afternoon. I'm sure most of you have read the book, but I'll separate it nonetheless to not influence one's view of the film...
Something strange happened with this film. The first two Potter films (and similarly with LotR, of course) I decried the departure from the books, the hacked-up job the films became, some of the imagery interpretations, etc. And I most certainly wondered, if the first two films were so cut up, how they could possibly handle the third book which grew tremendously in size (and the fourth, and the fifth!). So that's how I approached the film going in.
Coming out, I'll have to say, somehow I was semi-satisfied. I can't fully explain it, but despite the fact the film is shorter than the previous two (IIRC) it managed to feel more a whole. I think it probably has to do with the fact that they realized 'we're screwed' and went ahead and only put in the absolute bare essentials to still have a plot.
Even so, such bang-bang-bang type films, without any exposé or the like, usually annoy the smeg out of me. Why didn't this one? Was my mind somehow filling in the extra bits from the book seamlessly? Of three other people I've spoken to about the film, two had read the book and found the film very disjointed and choppy -- so something odd is going on here. Yet the person who hadn't read the book (for shame!) found the film logical and easy to follow, w/o any confusion. Hmmm.
Either way, I enjoyed it. I still am surprised Rowling went the film route (even with her supposed 'complete control') but hopefully it will inspire more children to actually read (it would be a good reason to make the film void).
Bits:
1 - I liked the new Hogwarts imagery/sets, especially the grounds around the school. The new bridge was especially nice. The pendulum was weird, and I hope that wasn't supposed to be the front door (where's the grand staircase?) but tied into the theme of time I guess it was appropriate.
2 - Why were the kids dressed so often in street clothes? In the context of the story, it made no sense, even when they were going to Hogsmede, and definitively less so when they were at the school. And even when they were in their robes, the costume change made it look more like generic_british_prep_school than all robes, all the time.
3 - Buckbeak was very well done. 'nuff said. As was the werewolf at the end.
4 - The effects, overall, were understated, a nice change. They were just there, not HEY, LOOK AT ME. Kind of like how you'd expect magic to look if it was an everyday occurrence, like computers.
5 - I don't know why they didn't make more of the fact Harry's Patronus was a stag. You see it once, the first time at the lake, but they don't say anything more about it. Odd.
6 - What's with the stirrups on the brooms??
7 - What a bizarre way to end the film. Though end titles were way to fun to watch (though weird with the v/o).
8 - LOVE the choir (well, no surprise there, but moreso because) with their cheerful rendition of the Witches Brew from Macbeth.
So, yeah. Despite previous experiences with book-to-film malaise, somehow it didn't bother me as much as it should have this time. Again, because or in spite of the fact they trimmed it so much? Resigned to it? Very odd.
I cannot hide it. I am a bit of a magazine junkie. It comes part and parcel with being such a knowledge hound; magazines often simply provide an easy fix. That being said, I do remain a somewhat discriminating magazine reader -- there needs to be quality information or exploration. I don't read everything that comes my way (that's what the 'net is for - well, ok, not really).
Right now I'm collecting or receiving magazines on computer game development, digital art and graphics, digital video, some National Geographic, infotechgeek and, of course, architecture and society. Architectural Record, CA and Architecture are the usual core suspects, but supplemented with Dwell. This latter is often very keen, though I do really need to write them a letter to discuss one or two issues (like their aversion to floor plans).
But today I want to talk about Metropolis.
I have glanced through Metropolis a few times, but only recently have I come to discover that there seems to be some really good calibre articles hiding within. I referenced one earlier already, but this month's provides a couple more, including the typical 'here's a design'-type article about a house up near Marin County (the crux of this one is its difficult site including a slope and extreme proximity to a freeway). But what really caught my attention (and my praise) is this article, on a sort-of award for innovative design ideas. Launched by the magazine and actually backed with $$ to pursue the building and/or further exploration of the award winners, this is a pretty keen concept and much kudos for the dollar award to take it beyond competition.
First winner up (they are having multiple) is also a concept that is totally enshrined in a key value of mine: Adaptive Reuse. More than just a archi-speak, this idea of re-inhabitation and urban re-use (rather than sprawl) is a big thing on its own, but to use the detritus from another project and to transform it into something radical and new is even more noteworthy (and worthy of praise).
Taking the now-redundant elevated roadway (and its structure) from Boston's Big Dig, the architects for the project saw in the castoffs a perfect long-span, wide bay structure with the capacity for great loads. Combine and erect together in new ways and you have a curvaceous housing development with high floor-to-ceiling space, cantilevers, total internal bay freedom and enough load capacity for all the pianos, libraries and weight rooms in the world, not to mention a full earth-depth park, pools and the like on the roadway-come-roof. A curtain wall encloses the whole thing, and unless one knew, one would be hard pressed on first glance to think 'Gardner Expressway'.
Obviously, the foundations and the curtain walls are not already there, so the project isn't uber-cheap, but with the structure already taken care of it's a long-way there already (not to mention perfect for loft-type spaces w/o the kitch!). Less landfill, more interesting spaces to live in. Mmmmmm.
Check it out. Myself I'm going to keep checking out Metropolis for articles like these. They may not be on how to solve all the world's problems, but little steps that add to bigger leaps.
One night (long before I moved to the SF Bay area) while talking to some friends online (who lived in said area) they mentioned a show that sounded just crazyweird. Cooking, sports commentary, secret ingredients, judging, time limits, and a flamboyant chairman? Yep, the show of which they spoke was none other than Iron Chef, at the time in its subtitled KTSF 26 glory. Of course, it garnered a cult following.
I managed to garner many, MANY tapes full of episodes.
Fast forward to today, where Iron Chef was brought to the masses when Food Network got their hands on the show and dubbed the hell out of it. Even in this bastardized form, IC's popularity grew. Then, Food Network decided to produce their own IC specials.
Yep, this is a critique of the latest special.
Iron Chef America is the most concerted effort to bring the magic that is IC into an American studio for production. Yet, despite so many years of success on both Japanese and KTSF television, they don't manage to do it full justice. Did they think they were improving it? Probably -- many of the problems are the standard Holywood problems. Le sigh.
1 - Iron Chef works because it is a whole package. Its zany-ness and over-the-top-ness is done with an honesty to the concept rather than being 'played up' for 'over-the-top-ness's sake. Let the show be what it is -- you don't need to try to viagra-ize anything.
2 - IC is about cooking. Show as much of the cooking as possible. This means do not, before every commercial break, spend 2 minutes recapping things, and then another 2 minutes when the show returns post-long-commercial-break recapping things AGAIN. Just show the cooking as it happens.
3 - Fake poorly rendered fire? W T F ? Enough said. And see #1 again.
4 - If you're hiring staff, at least get a floor reporter who can speak well (doesn't need to be as fast as Ota, but speak well) and for crying out loud this is a cooking show. Get someone who knows about FOOD. "Something just went into the Iron Chef's Pan. I don't know what it is."
5 - On the theme of staff, Alton Brown is knowledgeable and made a good Hattori, but Hattori was not alone in his commentary; he had 2 other judges with him and they all spoke, made comments and predictions.
6 - And the judges, oy. Get judges who are able to judge and who like cuisine and food. As Rev put it: "Food judges are supposed to be open minded, not dumbasses."
7 - Beating Sakai on plating? I don't think so.
8 - And what's this feeling of exposé that permeates everything? Do we need to know that judging is based on 10/5/5? Why? So we can see the idiocy of some of the scores?
9 - Hey, you have the new amaracan ICs rising up on their platforms -- why don't they have a prop? Why are they all in the same colour? Here's a chance to be flamboyant, in the same mode as the original show! You missed it!
10 - Lastly, pour l'amour de dieu, it's "a la cuisine!" I don't care what any book has poorly translated, it is just not right!
I will say I was quite impressed with the cooking all around, except for one Sakai dish and Morimoto's second battle, where his dishes were stunning but the use of the ingredient was a bit lackluster. It's the amazing culinary feats, both in what is made, how its made, and the skill of the chef's making it (those knife skills especially) that has one sitting there, jaw open, just simply going "wow…" There were moments like that in abundance.
I've one more episode to watch, the tag-team match (which is probably more of a two-chef rather than tag-team), so that should be very interesting.
And oui, this is a nearly completely negative critique. The cooking was excellent, and worthy of Iron Chef, no question. It was the presentation of the show was flawed. I'll also call some doubt on the judging.
I'm sure some will call me a purist; maybe I am, though I doubt I'd find changes problematic if they work better than the original and do not detract.
Visited the Asian Arts Museum in SF yesterday with good friends Mike and Bernadette plus a friend of theirs, and met up with more mutual friends. We went to see the Monumental Landscapes of Li Huayi -- all I can say is WOW. These are rather different Chinese landscapes, contemporary but not devoid of tradition, very dense (as in lines and detail and depth, in a good way) and gripping. Impressive to say the least, and hard not to try and distract the guard and, um, accidentally walk out with one.
Worth a visit if you are in the area and have appreication for the style of Chinese Landscape paintings.
Saw the film The Italian Job today, who's title is a bit misleading as it mostly takes place in LA. It was a fun fluffy film, though it needed more Seth Green (and better writing for his character). It was also a very, very Spycraftian movie... mmmm, Spycraft...
Tonight a group of us went to see Fog of War (here or here), a film about Robert McNamara. It is the first film I have seen by this film maker, and is best put as a Intermentary -- part documentary, part interview, part lecture. During its running time, it attempts to chronicle bits of wartime history from WW2 and Vietnam, with a small measure of the Ford motor company thrown in, and illustrate those historical revisitations through the man who made the decisions and through 11 'lessons' or 'platitudes' postulated by mr McNamara. Ultimately, the film is about McNamara, and the way he sees himself and his role in the 20th century. But, in a good way, it left me longing to forgo the long montages and just hear Mr McNamara give a full-blown lecture. (The film was taken from 20 hours of interviews, down into 90 minutes) Armed with the better understanding of him through this film, I think it would be provoking to learn his thoughts in full, let him expand on them in a structured way, and then distill it through the appropriate filters (re: knowing more about the man from the film) to gather some ideas. Well done, a definite recommended watch, and a tonal score by Phillip Glass that is somewhat haunting and ominous (as can be expected) that is also surprisingly sticky in the mind. (For the visually and graphically interested, there are some interesting montages and even one or two very well done CG pieces that are very classy).
As I start the car for the drive home, on NPR what should come to my ears but someone talking about the movie Bleu (here and here), the powerful film by Krzystof Kieslowski (the first of the Trois Couleurs series). I truly adore this film, and even more so the score by Zbiegnew Priesner. Totally in a different vein than the docu-view I just saw, it is an evocative journey into the meaning of liberty that goes beyond the headline and sound-bite meaning. It is not a complex tale, but it unfolds without saying to much or too little as we follow the main character's (Juliette Binoche -- absolutely wonderful, the first film I saw of hers) struggle. Music takes centre stage several times, including scenes where the image fades away leaving only the music; you have to give a film director credit for guts when he turns off the images.
I'm giving both films somewhat of the short shrift by such a short overviews here; reading the reviews from the linked pages above can give a more complete sense of the films, but I definitively recommend both of them; for completely different reasons, yet both are mind-engaging in their own way.
I still need to watch Blanc and Rouge, though.
I will admit, it makes little sense, and the logic still escapes me. Back in Nov, when I bought the TLK DVD, I was... frustrated by the quality of the set (platinum edition my !). Ironically, it was the 'cleanliness' of the transfer (digital, so no film grain) which made the JPEG artifacts so unbearably noticeable, and the turbulence/effects muddled. To you bozos: next time, use the whole disk, and compress as little as possible. Gods does that remind me how gorgeous the LD was.
Anyway, seeing that made me so annoyed that I bought TLKoB tickets to the travelling show here in SF. Yes, I'm annoyed at them, so I'll give the franchise more money. I said it didn't make any sense.
Especially given the fact that I have seen the broadway show once already, in Toronto. But, I'm a TLK freak in many ways (and many will attest to it in comments, I'm sure) so I went up to the city to enjoy the show. (Yes, it's not Macbeth at Stratford, but still can enjoy it).
What. The. Hell.
When I first saw the show at the 'permanent' location, I swear it was much better. While the 'generic' animal and landscape scenes were good (think Circle of Life at the beginning), for the most part there was a total lack of conviction by the performers. No energy, tentative and not very evocative. They just weren't moving. The action was overall understated, be it the dances or the character interactions. The fights were limper than a wet noodle, with either excruciatingly slow movements, or very unconvincing movements. Simba pouncing, or being pinned was similarly slow. And the choreography for the dances themselves was pretty limp, with a few jumps back and forth and a bit of running around. A) If you were auditioning people for this kind of show, you'd hire people who could dance, no? B) Did they 'tone down' dances in case they only got a small stage to perform on?
Also, if you've got these swords as a metaphor for claws, use it everywhere or not at all. And get a better fight coordinator! Do something with the sword/staff, hire some wushu martial artists, or something.
Amusingly, Mufasa and Scar both were overacting when it came to their dialogue. Scar was particularly annoying, there was just some particular way that he was delivering his lines, with a particular inflection that I just can't put my claw on. Very flat "a"s, kind of nasally. Feh. The rest of the actors were mostly ok, except that Young Nala couldn't sing. Adult Nala and Simba were both good, though, and Zazu and Timon were both excellent in their delivery. And Rafiki, well, she did an excellent job all over (except for her staff work, ugh).
At some times, I think the fact they tried to stay as close as possible to the film hurt them in a lot of ways. The birdie boiler, Rafiki "drawing" Simba on the tree, etc. IJCWtbK just DID NOT WORK, and couldn't be salvaged by an excellent Ikea Shower Curtain joke (even if it is a contemporary reference). Some of the better parts were the changes or additions: a Simba Flashback to the stampede when Timon gets swept away in a river, Rafiki hearing Simba's song on the wind (though then they went back to the 'snatch/sniff/draw'). "You've already bucked up royally, sire."
And the new songs, not being from the loins of Rice/EJ, were also for the most part the best pieces of music (most adaptation of Lebo M's work from Rhythm of the Pridelands). Of the original songs, CoL worked the best, I've already mentioned IJCWtbK, they ruined BP with this rhino dung sudden change in tempo and style (discoish??) to add in some lame dancing, CYFtLT had some odd plant costumes, and very horrible and strange Cirque-inspired aerial hanging twirlers and dancers that did some lame stuff while the two main characters stood off to the side and did nothing. Bleah. And speakers played an important role in the delivery of the sound (though not for drums/bongos, which were off to the side and very nicely live) which made it sound flat.
This really makes me question my memory. I really enjoyed the show, I still do like the new music pieces a lot (and if you found the original songs somewhat tame, the french lyrics are actually much better), I do like most of the costumes a whole tonne. I don't remember having some of these downside impressions of the show the first time, and while I know travelling shows can be just as good or better than static ones, I wonder if this one was a victim.
Still, at least there was no JPEG artifacts.
Quote: "The hotel didn't have an elevator ... which made it a bit of a pain when we arrived, as we had to carry our luggage up ... in which we had two cast-iron pots."
So, there's all set to be a biiiig announcement of 'the return to spaaaaace!' -- or, more correctly, to the space race -- by this administration. Never mind the fact that the ISS isn't funded worth anything already, and that the country is on a massive deficit budget and that the Apollo missions, as grand and amazing as they were, involved a huge amount of luck. Woah, you say, Mr Lynx, I thought you were a huge fan and supporter of NASA??! And I am. Before the Columbia accident, I would watch the live feeds from the ISS as they were building it. I watch ever launch I can. I have read countless books. I love the space programmes. But coming from an administration where information has just surfaced about pre-pre-emptive strike discussions, I am worried about exactly what will come out of it. Will the ISS be thrown to the space wolves? Will the planetary explorer probes be curtailed? Will engineering research (such as on the ion engine) be kaiboshed, all in a great 'patriotic' push?
All because the Chinese became the third space faring nation (the election year doesn't hurt either). But, given the right Push Hands master, they wouldn't even need a booster. (how's THAT for a segue) I started learning push hands tonight, and like most soft internal styles, the movements are easy, doing them right isn't. Ever try to unlearn using your muscles? I'm sure, like everything, there are people out there who grasp it w/o problem, but while I think I did a job of not overdoing it, I could feel the tension where there should not have been. Sifu says it takes 2 years of 2h practise every day to become a push hands 'master', so I don't feel too bad. I'm really looking forward to learning how to relax and flow more, hopefully it will carry over into my climbing (if I actually start climbing more regularly again, grrr) and into my shaolin sets.
Over the xmas break I read Tad William's latest novel, The War of the Flowers. Tad read us a chapter during a book signing when his previous novel (the end of the Otherland trilogy) came out, and it was very cool and very exciting and sounded very fascinating -- he is an excellent reader. The book was interesting, but unfortunately I (and other friends who have read it) found it was not as gripping as Tad's reading was. I can't quite place my finger on why -- it wasn't a bad book, nor was it devoid of action or twists, and it avoided the pitfall that made the end of Otherland drag a bit. A fun read without the ohmygodIcan'tputthisdown pull.
Opening quote to this post: (highlight to see, spoiler protected)
Yes, but do you remember Gandalf's words: Even Gollum may have something yet to do? But for him, Sam, I could not have destroyed the Ring. The Quest would have been in vain, even at the bitter end. So let us forgive him! For the Quest is achieved and all is now over. I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam.
I don't know what quite to write about the last instalment of the film trilogy. Certainly seeing the three movies back to back was an interesting experience, not only for the story-arc-ness of it all, but also for several blemishes one picks up on that may have gone unnoticed otherwise. Minor items, like the overuse of certain imagery or technique. But on the other end, to grasp better the way PJ wanted to have the character's evolve (vis-a-vis the books), or the evolution of the musical themes as the score traces its path across the three films, and similar made the films shine better than before in other ways. Of course, we'll all have to wait for the uber-7-disk-all-one-film-uber-edit-version to get the real feeling. };) (before the geek-IPO funded 48-disk, everything-literally-translated version in 2012).
By the time this film rolled around, my memory of the books has gotten a bit shaky and I was able to view it more in isolation. It's also gotten to the point where I (and others) can guess where things were cut and that will likely appear in the extended editions (of which the extra scenes in Two Towers were excellent, amazing, helping the film immensely, though not fully rectifying it). The above quote is one thing I think was one very uber-key missed opportunity, as it is the redemption of Frodo's pity on Gollum, of heeding Gandalf's words, and also of Gollum's own semi-redemption. Still, on the other hand, PJ did use the same last line from the book in the film -- a nice touch. On the third hand, without the burning of the Shire, the rapid succession of endings was too much and not very smooth flowing.
The soundtrack is wonderful to have, there are many, many choral tracks (which I love) and one in particular that takes place in a very well crafted scene and is sung in a large empty hall for that full cathedral effect. And speaking of which, sort of, the architectural design in RotK was magnificent and a bonus for me.
Most of the major nits I have are nits I have with all the films (or with modern hollywood films in general) and some issues with PJ's directions and character decisions. }:)
So, while the thought of watching RotK again scares the living crap out of me since I'm still living the films now after so long in the theatre yesterday -- well, I will be seeing it again on the 23rd -- one week later. We'll see how my impressions change. }:)
Ahh, le Cirque, le Cirque du Soleil. On Sunday night I travelled to the city with some friends to share in the Cirque's Alegria experience. Alegria is actually one of Cirque's older touring shows, though it was the only touring show I hadn't seen either on video or in person. Needless to say, I was really quite (appropriately) bouncy in anticipation.
I was doubly keen, as I had caught a glimpse of a particular act from Alegria a year prior, an act that looked amazing and that I really wanted to see. A few days before the show, however, I read a blurb in the SF Chronicle indicating that while Alegria was one of their older shows this particular incarnation had been pretty much completely revamped (!?) with all the acts changed... save one. Uh oh...
As it turned out, the one act I knew of and thus wanted desperately to see was still in the show. Crisis averted. So how did this newly redone show do overall? (spoilers to follow!)
Alegria definitively does have an oldschool Cirque feel to it. That terminology may seem confusing, but I define 'oldschool Cirque' as the Cirque shows pre-Quidam. The newer shows tend to feature a few pure-dance-like numbers, and have more pretence of theme and/or story, while the older shows are more in the realm of liberal freeform fantasy. Alegria was definitively a whimsical escapade, but with a few elements that spoke to the new style ... almost to strongly.
The stage for one was very spartan compared to either... well, just about all their shows, even Saltimbanco. Featuring a rusty-like structure forming part of a dome near the back, a large mirrored lozenge was suspended over the back stage -- until it was inexplicably removed during the intermission, to be equally inexplicably replaced by a lantern of some sort. Hmm. The stage was nifty in that it curved quite seriously upward near the back, where the musicians played in full view under the structure.
Costumes were fantastic. Less overall lycra content than other shows, but an intricateness in the accessories and the whole that made up for it quite fantastically, making for a continual eye feast, and adding to the impressiveness of being able to perform in them. The anticipation to see the next batch of costumes was nearly as high as that for the next act.
Trapeze acts bracketed the show, beginning with a dual independent trapeze act, with the two performers on their respective bars twirling and leaping about to catch themselves with either hands or feet on the bar or rope. Nicely done were the smiles plastered to their faces as they looked at each other continually during the act, ending with a flying dismount that made good use of their harnesses. The end act we knew would be serious when the brought out a net (first time I had seen a net at a cirque show), and consisted of 8 well-costumed guys, two on a single trapeze seat below, catching one of the six who flung themselves from one of the three bars set in a very obtuse triangle above the swing (with the middle bar higher than the other two). It was quite the act to watch, but unfortunately it stayed firmly planted in the simple zone, never getting more gripping than the first few leaps. A shame, as it appeared as though it could have quite handily gotten more complex with the interaction of so many performers and, more importantly, the three bars being used in conjunction (think a set of widely-set parallel bars from gymnastics) in a complex game before the throwing of selves.
Appearing early in the show was the act I had been dying to see. Parts of the stage slid away to reveal a trampoline surface set about a foot below the level of the stage, forming a large X. The performers flipped and bounced their way down these springy runways, gathering an impressive amount of speed to perform aerial maneuvers at their last jump and landing on a mat at the edge of the stage. In rapid choreographed succession they would cross each other, providing quite the dizzying spectacle. I had expected them to jump over each other at the crossing, but instead they would simply cross each other succession, though they did occasionally jump over the clowns at the end of their runs. Interspersed throughout were breaks in the tumbling action where the artists would 'dance' (bounce in sync and in interesting ways, using the stage as well) up and around the X. Definitively the highlight of the show for me, a very high energy set with well-placed serene moments. An aerial ballet with tumbling.
Hand balancing, an old staple of Cirque routines, was made new through the performer. A very good-looking young Russian, who appeared quite lithe and small as well as looking very strong, effortlessly pulled himself up atop the blocks from a few angles throughout his routine. The usual body contortions, spins, impossible angles and hand switches were especially a joy to watch because of how easy it appeared for him and how quickly he moved vis-à-vis the other Cirque shows. A definite treat to watch.
Unfortunately for the contortionist in the second half, however, along with the hand balancer we had already seen a performer do a ribbon and hula routine, manipulating her props while performing various contortions without missing a twirl. A third contortionist just seemed, well, stale by that point. It did not help that the flying man routine did not show that night; while it is not uncommon for an act to be changed or omitted from a particular performance, this proved to be a hindrance as its removal reduced the variety of act styles.
The strong man and the fire dancer were interesting exhibitions, but did not evoke any particular sense of awe. The Russian bars, however, were pure Cirque acrobatic beauty, again in amazing costume and with a small twist at the end (double pun, ouch, if you see it you will know) that was very nifty.
One of my biggest nits with the new Cirque shows has to do with their clowns. Not that they clowns are not funny, for which they usually are with inventive skits, but the fact that the clowns do not fit within the theme of the show. Either they are dressed differently (contemporarily), or their acts are quite definitively cut from a different cloth, pulling themselves out of the show around them. Admittedly, with the pure whimsy of the oldschool shows it is easier (Quidam = street performers = all to easy), so the fact that Alegria's clowns were just as interestingly dressed and felt more part of the show should come as no surprise. What was interesting was that after nearly every act there was a clown routine. The clowns were very expressive, but I would have to say it fell short of the standard set by the other Cirque shows I have seen. Think chuckle vs laughter or amazement.
Alegria really stepped off the beaten oldschool path with a very long solo clown routine that ended the first half. Lasting what must have been a good 10-15 minutes, it was as if we had left the big tent and instead traveled to a black-box avant-garde theatre. The best way to describe it was that the play had the feel (though not the theme nor the story) of the film Alegria. (The film has very little to do with the circus known as Alegria, but was made by the same creator) Highly esoteric, very slow in parts (long moments of silence and no movement by the clown) and being rather dark and brooding, I really wonder how this will play at audiences across the continent.
Another inexplicable non-oldschool moment was with one performer walking to the edge of the stage, where a mechanical bird descends... the actor grabs the legs, the bird rises 4 feet, then descends... the actor drops off, the bird retreats. End. ?
In the end, as the fantastic music swells, personally I would not call this the strongest of the Cirque shows. Of course, poor-cirque is like saying poor 18 year scotch: not bad by any stretch of the imagination. And the X-trampoline act, as I like to call it... the one act I was desperate to see lived up to all of my own-induced hype and made the show more than worthwhile.
Next up... 'O' in Las Vegas. Cirque on several hundred thousand gallons of water? I am so there...
So, I've seen two movies over the past two days... Matrix: Revolutions and Disney's Brother Bear. And it is the latter that I will talk about, because I feel more of a need to do so.
Disney is a film making company that can invoke a surprising amount of emotion from people, for a myriad of reasons, be it evoked during their movies, or from childhood memories, for seeing a particular film in a particular circumstance or with a person, or calling Disney the epitome of crapshlock and soul-sucking evil american empire -- and sometimes we may have conflicting feelings with some or all of those in our emotions. For myself, there is a bit of nostalgia, but my bigger interest in Disney began in their 'rebirth' years, and for those who know me TLK was a rather profound film for me. So while I certainly think that Disney isn't the pinnacle of animated films, I do have some feelings for the big D.
The best way to sum up Brother Bear is probably this: it has 5 writers.
There is some nice stuff in Brother Bear. The scenery is beautiful. There's an aspect ratio change that is inspired. There is some lovely animated special effects. There is some not-great stuff in BB. Some of the character animation is plain wrong (perspective, bad motion). Some illogic. But for the most part, the big thing about BB is that there is a LOT of stuff that falls in the range of neither good, nor bad. It's just there.
The story has plenty of potential, I think. It is certainly not unsimilar to many other Disney films (a valid criticism of so many D films) but it has the potential to go through the motions in a new and powerful way. But while one of the central themes in the movie is all about Storytelling, this is the one thing the film fails to do in a spectacular fashion: to tell a good story, and tell it well. And that is a huge shame.
What ends up happening is the story plods along on its own, with this and that happening, with the necessary check boxes of plot development coming up, but it is very disjointed, it doesn't engage, and thus feels like a string of vignettes. Everything is a bit too raw, to much show for showy-ness sake.
It's great to see the McKenzie brothers, but there is really no point for them to be in the film (their brotherly discussion near the end does not excuse their inclusion in the film). The echoing goats are amusing, but that's about it. The strangeness of some of the bears at the salmon run seemed odd. What gets lost with these inclusions is a greater sense of journey, of discovery, of learning. Even for a D film, at less than 90 mins, this film felt super short and devoid.
Nicely, there are no musical numbers by the characters; I'm still undecided how I feel about the songs overall. They were not particularly strong, but I would want to hear them on their own before passing judgement.
In the end, I am very disappointed with the film. This will not surprise to many of my friends or acquaintances who will argue I am always disappointed by films (which is not true), but there are some beautiful themes and animation in here, and it is the flaccid-ity of the movie as a whole that brought a tear to my eye as much as the strength of those moments of themes/animation.