Is “Writer’s Block” a terrifying moment, or a hateful disease that doesn’t discriminate between new and seasoned writers?

Whatever it is, when it happens, the best thing to do is to figure how to overcome it, quickly. When I am writing about a subject often it helps to put myself in the subject’s environment; hence, go where your book takes you; often, this helps to stimulate fresh ideas and coax creativity. If you can’t get to your story’s setting in real life, Second Life® is great for “armchair travel,” and works well for fast inspiration. Below are a list of sims that may help “break the block.”

Sci-fi /Fantasy Writers

“Club E-co’s Air Lounge;” built by the extraordinary artist, Patch Tibaud, has a futuristic feel and seems like it could be straight out of the 1920’s silent film “Metropolis.”

“Ciudad de Mexico” (opening soon) also, built by Patch, has the exciting flavor of “Blade Runner.”

“Templum Ex Obscurum” by elusive builder, Baron Grayson. Crashing waves and dark mountains; I refer to this sim as: Tim Burton’s Maui.

“Milk Wood,” (Harriet’s haven) where Fairy greetings and rolling hills will magically transform your spirit—“A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

Specific Location

“Paris Eiffel Sim” is Paris in the 1900’s (evidenced by the lack of stalls selling postcards and overpriced candy.) Good to visit if you are doing a period piece.

 “Mao,” the perfect sim if your story incorporates “The Great Wall of China.”

“Manhattan Island,” a safe way to explore a dangerous scene; remember, you cannot finish your book if you are dead.

…and this is just weird. If you do visit “Manhattan Island” make sure you wander into the warehouse to see Robot Aliens removing Phillip Linden from the “Noob-a-tron 4000″ and placing him in a box.

Hope these very detailed and interactive sim’s help with your writing endeavors. If you have any suggestions on how to handle “Writers Block,” I would love to hear it!

-Jaen Wirefly

No, I’m not referring to  the world-famous London black cab (whose drivers I appreciate the more I travel!). 

This isn’t about the famous Hackney Carriage that offers Londoners the swiftest way from A to B with juicy pearls of cabby related wisdom along the way.  This new-fangled modern one has no driver…

Driverless taxis (guided by lasers / sensors) will soon ferry passengers from the business car park at Heathrow airport, over to Terminal 5. No inane chatter, just a quick driverless ride from car park to terminal in just over five minutes.

It’s great to see further innovation from Heathrow in the run up to 2012. Certainly brings those Blade Runner-esque cars of the future a little closer. To see them in action, watch the short video on the BBC news website…

Iain G. Morrison is a senior marketer in the British Tourism Industry. And although a self-proclaimed petrol head, loves the look of these cabby free carriages…

EPISODE 45

Hello, welcome to the Carolyn and Joe Show Zoo. This weeks special guest are the one and only Carolyn and Joe! Yes, they’re back and ready for action. On this weeks thanksgiving episode Carolyn and Joe run amok on many subjects like, Kevin Smith!, Joe’s adult store documentary, Peter Jackson, Curls meeting Dave Navarro, how the mail man left Joe’s blu player in the rain,how twitter equals titter, and being woken up by Pamela Anderson, plus much, MUCH MORE! You can only find it here, so enjoy.

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Ci co mnie znają wiedzą, że o “Blade Runnerze” nie ma ze mną co dyskutować, bo za dużo do powiedzenia o nim nie mam. Miałem może jeszcze parę lat temu, kiedy dowiadywałem się na temat tego filmu szczegółów, które normalnemu człowiekowi nie przyszłyby do głowy w ogóle. Ale od tamtego czasu sprawa jest dla mnie jasna – “Blade Runner” to dla mnie najlepszy film w historii. Ale my tu o grach…

Na podstawie “Blade Runnera” wypuszczono dwie gry komputerowe (rozróżnienie warte podkreślenia, bowiem wyszła też planszówka!) – w 1985 i 1997 roku. Ta pierwsza to prosta strzelanka na ówczesne maszyny liczące, bez rewelacji, raczej coś na kształt współcześnie wypuszczanych przylepów do wielkich, filmowych hitów (każda premiera “Transformers” to kolejna, średnia, gra). Druga pozycja to gra przygodowa przygotowana przez nieistniejące już, acz owiane legendą studio Westwood. Cóż tu słowa mnożyć ponad miarę; adaptacja okazała się wyborna i zdecydowana większość miłośników filmu, jak i książki, stwierdziła, że twórcy udźwignęli temat.

Całe te wspominki uskuteczniam tu nie ze względu na niepohamowaną miłość swą do tytułu – choć to pewnie też jakiś motor – ale głównie ze względu na strzępek wiadomości, jaki pojawił się ostatnio przy okazji premiery gry komputerowej “Borderlands”. Otóż studio odpowiedzialne za ten tytuł, Gearbox, wyznało, iż brali pod uwagę stworzenie gry na podstawie “Łowcy andronów”! Niestety, plany zostały szybko zweryfikowane i stanęło na niczym. A jeśli wiadomo o co chodzi, to wiadomo, że chodzi o pieniądze:

Jeden z moich kolegów, Brian Martell, miał Blade Runnera na liście – przyznał szef Gearbox, Randy Pitchford. Mieliśmy plany i naprawdę coś mogło z tego wyjść. Ale pomysł upadł od strony finansowej, bo sposób w jaki chcieliśmy to zrobić wymagałby 25 milionów dolarów. A kiedy się wszystko policzy, nie zwróciłoby się to nam.

I tak oto wyszło, co wyjść miało. Aż chciałoby się skomentować: “Gościu, jak masz taki ból serwować, to lepiej nie mów nic”. Z drugiej strony, jeśli mieliby stworzyć jakiegoś potworka ze strzelaniem w roli głównej za 25 milinów baksów, to może i lepiej, że piękna legenda nie będzie rozmieniana na drobne. Tym bardziej, że “Borderlands” wyszło im kapitalnie.

A few weeks ago, Cinematical ran a post entitled “Movies that everyone seems to love but you” and that got me thinking.  For years, I’ve had a grocery list of films that I just can’t get into, just don’t understand, or outright dislike.  I have been thinking of these films from time to time but thanks to the post, I (after talking with Rob and Pete) have a great reason to consolidate these films.

There is one common element in each of the films listed below that is a prime contributor making these films “not our cup of tea”, and that’s probably hype.  If people always say, “that film is awesome!!“, and have said so for years, you expect that, after seeing it, you’d have to find your socks as they, true to the phrase, have been “knocked off”.  Sadly none of these films accomplish said metaphorical action.

You can call us all dense for not appreciating the following films, but we at   G-S-T just don’t buy into the hype that makes other people (namely our friends) just love these films.  Lastly, we have tried, really, on repeat viewings to find the elements that make people just love these films, but to no avail.  We may be cinematically impaired to ‘great cinema’ but part of being a film fan is liking what you like and voicing about what you don’t.  So using this wonderful thing they call a blog, allow me to elaborate on our behalf, some films that we at  G-S-T truly hate…well hate is strong isn’t it?  How about films we just don’t get?  That better?  Thought so…

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Blade Runner – Number one on my list for years and I cause quite a stir whenever I bring up my dislike for this film.  I’ve written before that I think some parts are cool, it is visually gorgeous and that I can see how it was visionary when it was made but that’s as far as I’ll go with it.  Part of the movie’s missteps, (for us at least) it that everything you see is rather ambiguous.  Not sure who is telling the truth, what you’re seeing is real or what to expect in the next scene can get a little old as nothing seems to get resolved.  Part of the reason we dislike the story is that just when they start to get somewhere, and attempt a resolution to something resembling interest, the movie just ends.  That just pisses me off.  Again call me dense for wanting something wrapped up in a Hollywood bow, but why make something so apparently “Hollywood” then go for an indie or foreign feel.  We just don’t understand.

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Scarface – Now there’s two firm classes of fans that just love this film:  Wanna-be gangster rappers and high school kids.  Since we fall into neither category, that might explain the disconnect that we experience.  I know some people who still have posters in their garages, and while I don’t fault them I still shake my head at it.  We’ve never liked this movie but still continually feel we are missing something but don’t know what it is, and do not have a desire to endure another viewing to find out what it is.  If it is a cultural phenomenon, then why is it such a small class of people who like the movie?  Want a great Pacino/DePalma flick??  Try Calito’s Way…much better in all respects.  Though I’ve got to hand it to Tony Montana, how you can get a grown man to wear a Scarface t-shirt is beyond us.

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Donnie Darko – I think a resolution in this film is the most important non-element.  The only saving grace for this film (and I may be really alone on this) is the soundtrack, namely the Tears for Fear song “Head over Heels” but that’s just me.  For something with such a cool concept, interesting characters and something that could have been very impressive and expanded further, it just fell flat.  Now we’ve tried since college to get into this movie but we can’t.  Time travel, alternate realities and Patrick Swayze should have been waaay cooler…it just wasn’t.  Best thing to come out of the movie was the cover of “Mad World”.

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The Nightmare Before Christmas – Something about mixing Christmas with Halloween using a huge Tim Burton spoon just seems off putting.  To top it off, it was more of a musical than a motion picture and the songs were hit or miss.  While the visuals were incredible, we kept asking “what is the point here?”  It was a ballsy concept and there were some parts that were entertaining but overall this film was just kind of a mess.  Now to us, Tim Burton is an acquired taste and being fans we (oddly enough) don’t like all his films.  We love Batman but not Mars Attacks!.  We like Sleepy Hollow but not Big Fish.  Strangely, Nightmare is loved by people of all ages…just not us.  Also as big a hit as it is here, it is just HUGE in Japan.  Rob lives there now and he still doesn’t understand the appeal.  Well I guess there’s no accounting for taste and we just can’t buy into this film.

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Unforgiven – What I really am starting to see with more recent Eastwood films is a pattern.  It goes like this: the film is slow, very slow and sometimes, so slow you fall asleep then wonder how you’re still watching the same movie.  That can be said of other films that we actually do like very much (i.e. Dances With Wolves) but Clint’s ‘lil Oscar winner doesn’t do anything for us.  To be fair, his films really are great, and I love Million Dollar Baby (though it’s not what you would call a “feel good” movie) but I see Clint’s style constantly replicated in each succeeding film and think he got way better after this one.  Admittedly, this came out when the Western was as dead as it could be and tried to make a character film rather than a guns blazing film about cowboys. Freeman and Eastwood’s performances didn’t really inspire and it felt a little hollow for people who are supposed to be friends in real life.  This film started as nothing special, rolled along like a tumbleweed and then just kind of rolled out of sight without any resonance.  ”Unremarkable” is what I would have called it.

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Dis-Honorable Mention:

Sideways – Paul Giamatti is an amazing actor but this film’s wit (and point, really) just eluded all three of us…pity.  Trailer made it look so charming.

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Well film fans, what say you??  Did we stir up a hornet’s nest or hit a nerve with any of you??  Opinions are subjective, but do you think we’re out of line or truly just don’t get “great” cinema??  Love to hear your thoughts…

The composers of Frankenstein and Blade Runner both use non-human characters to shine a spotlight on the human experience. In addressing questions related to these texts we must ask ourselves, what are the fundamental needs, experiences and desires shared by human beings? We are all born, we all need nurturing, we all desire to know the answers to questions such as, ‘why am I here?’ ‘what is my purpose?’ We all want companionship at different levels, from acquaintances to friends to romance and sexual fulfillment. We are all aware, at some level, that we will one day die and we all fear that end of our existence, yet we all hope that something of ourselves, whether it be children or achievements or just moments in time, will live on after we are gone.

Thinking about these issues in relation to the characters and themes in key moments of both texts will help you to deepen your understanding of the texts and the module. Focus on scenes that have resonated with you as reader and viewer. Spend time reviewing them and journalling your responses. The more engaged you are with the texts and concepts of a module, the better your responses will be and, more importantly, the more you will enjoy it.

Yesterday’s quote for the day: “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time… like tears in rain… Time to die.”

So, yesterday was a movie night and for some reason I’m writing this at goddamn ten in the morning, which is hurting my eyes and my fingers are slow and clumsy. Last night we watched Blade Runner, The Matrix and Gonzo, which is the documentary on Hunter. I had forgotten how amazing Blade Runner is, really stunning in pretty much every way. The Matrix is still amazing, the acting could use some work but the philosophy, style, etc. is all awesome.

And I really really enjoyed Gonzo. You guys are probably sick of hearing “Hunter S Thompson this, Hunter S Thompson that” from me, but yeah. I’d really not seen a lot of footage of him outside of interviews, where he was mostly behaving himself, so this was a lot of fun to watch. I think it might have been better for me to have finished reading the book of letters first; now I have a broad idea of what goes on and I won’t be surprised/have my own ideas about it, but it was still worth watching. The music was great, of course. Johnny Depp did the narration, as Depp, not Duke, and he was, as usual, great.

Anyway, enough on that. Today I’m catching up with a friend to hang out then apparently there is a pub crawl later. I’m not sure if I’ll go; I’m supposed to be saving up for a better graphics card, but I can tell that I’ll most likely go drinking and waste all my money anyway. Mm, shall see.

Mornings are a terrible time of the day, unless you’re still awake.

Anyway, since that one up there is for yesterday, here is today’s quote: “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”

I need some breakfast, so, arrivederci,

Your moustachioed android,

TDE

When I say Peter Jackson, what do you think of? Hobbits? Giant Apes? Maybe if you’re confused, one of the long-lost Jackson 5? Whatever you may be thinking, I wonder if it matches up to the critical acclaim of his newest film alongside Neill Blomkamp, ‘District 9‘. Now I know you’re wondering what this is about, that is, if you haven’t seen the trailers; movie posters, or heard of the hype from your friends. This somewhat of a masterpiece is a unique blend of E.T, Crank and Transformers, in the sense that the film’s focal point is primarily regarding an alien race, dubbed ‘the prawns‘ hunted by humans after years of being chained to earth and the realization that they’re the good guys. Let’s not forget the intense blood splatters and giant alien powered robots, shall we?

After countless alien renditions over the years, none have the attributes which District 9 so proudly shows, with it’s irresistible to watch docu-faux start, following on through to its comic genius turned crushing storyline and the underlying essence of E.T and Blade Runner crushed up into an original crazy cocktail of consumers desires. With enough scenes to keep you on the edge of your seat, cheering inside, or flinching in fear, its to be said that District 9 is one of the more anticipated and impressive films of 2009. In fact enough excitement has been caused that fans are flustered at the thought of a sequel, which is heavily hinted throughout the film. Everything a film lover could want is encapsulated within this gem of a sci-fi, from radiating blue lightning explosions to the projectile decompresser built into the kick ass biologically powered alien robot suit, or if you’ve failed to notice, a huge, hulking alien mothership over a city. Anything else? Yes actually, a lot of historical background. Whilst District 9 may or may not have been a real event, there were events that inspired it, such as the forced removal of over 60,000 inhabitants of Distict Six, Cape Town. Not only that, the film explores varied controversial issues including xenophobia and social segregation.

In all the films glory, stars Sharlto Copley and Jason Cope have been thrown into the limelight where anyone can identify the fact that District 9 has ignited a forest fire of potential for their future careers. Throughout the film, Copley showed a tremendous ability to improvise dialogue and Cope took on more than 4 separate roles, giving grand performances of the films protagonists Wikus van de Merwe  and Chistopher Johnson. Most notably out of everything is the dedication they showed to perfecting their characters, making their performances both realistic and full of panache. After watching District 9, I was admittedly one of the fans that were hoping for a sequel, with several theories as to how they go about it already fresh in my mind as the credits started to roll, Blompkamp expressed much enthusiasm as the thought of a sequel and he stated in an interview with Rotten Tomatoes: “I haven’t thought of a story yet but if people want to see another one, I’d love to do it.” District 9 is an alien epic, worthy of a place on any collectors or conspirators shelf, a must see.

Cinema’s snappiest sign offs…

http://www.totalfilm.com/features/30-killer-movie-closing-lines ]]> http://jackmoreno.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/trilogia-de-roy-batty-completada/ Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:22:27 +0000 jackmoreno http://jackmoreno.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/trilogia-de-roy-batty-completada/ http://sniffits.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/just-stick-with-the-original-ending-5-movies-that-jacked-up-the-last-few-minutes%e2%80%a6/ Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:23:52 +0000 sniffits http://sniffits.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/just-stick-with-the-original-ending-5-movies-that-jacked-up-the-last-few-minutes%e2%80%a6/

What do you often hear when you think of an adapted movie?  The book was better.  Oh yes, and the book is almost always better.  Why this is, is nothing the film can stop.  The stories in novels are generally written that way because the author felt they could be told that way the best.  The same goes for graphic novels, musicals, plays and the like.  Each author felt that the medium they chose was the best for their work.  Changing mediums is always risky.

This article is not about me bitching that adaptations don’t do it right.  I know why film adaptations will always be different or, in the college student’s trump card-like excuse, I took a film and literature class.  These are the inexcusable changes to endings where it was actually detrimental to the film as a whole, at least in my opinion.  Get your geek goggles on, cuz it’s time for a list of five movies (in no particular order) that jacked it up.

Warning: CONTAINS SPOILERS

I Am Legend

The Book:

The story of I Am Legend is the story of scientist Robert Neville as he fights against zombie/vampires that are turned by a disease.  Heralded as a unique take on both fandom’s mythos and a dark look at humanity itself, the book is an excellent and quick read.  It has been adapted into three feature films, the most recent of which shares the same name.

The movie:

As far as movie adaptations goes, it’s pretty good for while, we slowly see a build up, development and plot threads laid throughout (a basic component of writing) leading up to the big reveal at the end.  At first, the monsters are viewed simply as that: terrifying monster that will murder and kill anything in their way.  As time goes by, we see they are actually clever creatures, capable of building traps, holding meetings and communicating.  They also seem to have a form of government with a clearly defined “leader”.  There’s also symbolism involving a butterfly laced throughout, linking Neville, his family and the vampires to each other.  Then the ending comes and…

Robert Neville blows everything up.

Why it was a stupid change:

Apparently, the studio didn’t like the original’s tone?  Test audience didn’t like it?  I’m not sure, but the reason it sucks is because it removes the entire point of the original story.  The point was that the vampires come and try to rescue a girl that Neville has taken and is experimenting on.  The big reveal here is that these are rational creatures on a rescue mission and that he is the monster from their legends.  A real “Oh Shit” moment to be sure.

We are supposed to sypathize with the creature

Instead, Neville tosses a grenade and dies as a martyr, essentially trashing every plot thread throughout the movie up to that point.  Hooray Hollywood.

Did they fix it?:  The original ending is on the DVD release.  Watch is as God intended.

Rambo

If you are a man you will read this book.

The Book:

The book Rambo is based off of, is called First Blood hence the subtitle of the original film.  In it, the character of Rambo is hitchhiking through a lonely Kentucky town, still wearing his Vietnam gear.  He is picked up and treated poorly by the sheriffs, shaved beaten and witness to abuse of others who are jailed there.  He escapes and hides in the mountains, killing anyone who comes after him in a manhunt, essentially reverting back into his soldier mode as he is pushed to the edge.  The book is powerful in its commentary on both the way soldiers returning from the war were treated and how the law often abuses its power, only because it presides over criminals.  John Rambo also dies.

This shouldn’t discourage you from reading the book.  Rambo is the shit.

The movie:

How could you abuse a face like that?

The movie sticks to its guns throughout just about everything, from conveying a strong sympathetic view of Rambo and a negative view of the sheriff’s department, right up to the climactic battles in the trees.  The only problem?  Rambo blows everything up at the end.

Why it was a stupid change:

Not so much a stupid change, I suppose, as it was a sleazy change.  After all, if Rambo dies, how would they make cash cow sequels?  I am of the opinion that if something is meant to be told in one go, then it should be.  It if is meant to have sequels then so be it.  I just hated seeing Rambo raped by Hollywood and Stallone for so long.

Though I woulnd't mind owning this figure

Did they fix it?:  As far as I understand, the uncut ending is on the DVD.

Blade Runner

The Book:

Blade Runner is based off of Phillip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Being a big fan of the man’s work, you know I am a sucker for good sci-fi and this book has it.  It’s all about an android bounty hunter named Rick Deckard (damn that is a cool name) who is charged with the task of “retiring” or shutting down six escaped Nexus-6 androids that are capable of showing human emotions.  As he tracks them down, Rick asks himself what qualifies being a human and if having emotions gives the androids the right to seek a quality of life.

The movie:

The movie originally kept the book’s ending, because Ridley Scott is awesome, where the android that Rick is illegally harboring, and falling in love with, will be put into the “sheepless sleep of death”.  Basically, it’s something of a bittersweet conclusion, like a lot of science fiction (think District 9).  The studio, deciding this was too bleak, changed the ending where it is revealed that she doesn’t have the program to self-terminate and they live happily ever after, thus crushing the entire reason anyone should read or watch the god damned thing.

Did they fix it?:  They released the original uncut ending, along with several other cuts of it on a super sexy box set, all for the low, low price of $78.99.

…Just read the damn book.

Smooth talk

I spy, with my little eye, a serial rapist

The book short story:

Smooth Talk is based off of the short story Where are you going, where have you been? by Joyce Carol Oats.  In it, a young girl named Connie is obsessed with acting like an adult and hanging out with the older kids and is subsequently stalked, raped and then killed.

The movie:

The same thing happens, with some embellishments and development to spread the story over two hours.  Then we get to the ending and Connie is just raped.  I know that sounds terrible, but the original impact of the story is that Connie is dead.  It makes the rereading chilling.  The first time you read it you don’t even notice the first line which states “Her name was Connie…”  By removing her death, the movie has something of a sweet conclusion where, in typical teen movie fashion, Connie is more grown up and accepting of her parents and sister.  Way to sugar coat rape, there, guys.

Rape is a great way to help young girls grow into womanhood and understand parental motivations.

Did they fix it?:  Nope.  The short story isn’t long.  Go read it.

Apocalypse Now

The book:

Apocalypse Now is based off of the incredibly famous Joseph Conrad novella Heart of Darkness, where a man named Marlow is sent up the Congo River to retrieve a rogue named Kurtz who has, essentially, stopped doing his job for an ivory transport company.  During his journey, Marlow encounters brutal slavery, cannibalism and the death of comrades.  Upon reaching Kurtz’s camp, Marlow realizes that the man has become a god of the people there, despite being close to death and gives Marlow the opportunity to take up the mantle.

The movie:

Instead of the Congo, the movie takes place in Vietnam as Willard is charged with the task of finding Kurtz and killing him.  During his journey upriver he comes across soldiers who have lost their minds and are shooting at nothing, innocent civilians gunned down during mass confusion, and a crazed leader who orders soldiers to surf in the middle of a battle.

You crazy man, you crazy!

This all leads to Willard finally finding Kurtz and getting the exact same offer.  In the original ending of the film, Willard agrees to it and takes up the mantle as king.

Did they fix it?:  Actually yes.  They scrapped the ending and instead have Willard killing Kurtz, Kurtz whispers the iconic line “the horror, the horror” and Willard leaves as The End by The Doors plays over the credits.  So I guess this is more of a movie that almost jacked up the last few minutes.

by IntrepidCaptain

More often then not, members of the mainstream culture joke that many Steampunks are simply the matured refugees of the Cyberpunk era. While I know this holds true for myself, this is in general an oversimplification of Anachronistic and Sci-Fi subcultures. The most obvious difference being that Anachronistics (usually) live in the civilized and decadent past, while the Cyberpunks prefer a more rugged, crime-infused world that is either in the future or near future. Key word here? Robotics.

However, some woud argue that robotics plays into both subcultures. Let’s disprove this, shall we? First off, steam-powered gadgets are vastly different from the electronic paraphernalia of the cyberpunk. For one, aesthetics. The steampunk hauls around brass gadgetry that is bulky, obvious, and ornate. It’s showy. The whole thing is showy and outlandish and that’s the point, ladies and gentlemen, for much of it. It is a subculture of statement pieces given new meaning via science that has been made obsolete and therefore attractive to those who feel above the current culture (keep in mind I’m a part of this group and therefore not trying to be insulting). Cyberpunks are sleek, chrome, and decked in black and green, glowing blues, with tiny computers and embedded microchips. Wires abound, yes, but these glorified hackers somehow to keep from electrocuting themselves due to the bad-assery of embracing the computer revolution. And is it just me or do cyberpunks seem to get a lot of time running about grimy and rain-slicked city streets, getting into motorcycle chases despite the general sedentary nature of the hacker lifestyle? At least that’s what all my friends and I discovered in the 90s, the glory days of cyberpunk.

And let’s not forget the power of visual learning. If you want an introduction to the cyberpunk world, go rent two earth-shattering films. The Matrix, and Blade Runner. Curious about steampunks? Check out Steamboy and The City of Lost Children. And no, I do not think it’s coincidental that the American movies are cyberpunk and the foreign films are steampunk. It actually makes a lot of sense. In any event, those movies’ll give you a pretty good idea of the vibe of the two subcultures.

But let’s look at the basics of cyberpunk for a moment. The main things to get your head around when it comes to cyberpunk is ONE that the internet is everywhere and is the answer to any and all problems, and TWO robots infiltrate and are a part of everything, even human anatomy. And on that topic, robotics have become quite advanced in the medical world today, reminding me of something that always bugged me about sci-fi movies and the world of Cyberpunk. If you’ve got the nanotech to go in to someone and monitor their vitals, why not (especially since money never seems to be an issue in Cyberpunk-land due to the high demand for hacked info) have those nanobots in there all the time? They could be hooked up to a LCD screen implanted in the arm that shows all vitals, so when you get hit with the poison that’s burrowing into your bloodstream, you can actually get to the hospital, and NOT just take two Advil and a shot of tequila and wait around your wire-cluttered NYC apartment until you feel a little too dizzy. Like a step up from booster shots. It’d take a hell of a lot of strain off your supply of post-apocalyptic heroes.

And of course, as I mentioned in my previous post, technology is getting amped up
to sci-fi proportions in the world of entertainment. The Cyberpunk wet dream of having the hologram-projecting headgear that’ll plug you into the interactive mainframe of Internet 2.0 may just be around the corner with the gadgets breaking into the market these days. Hail the spawn of man and computer, ye believers!

The Future is Now
~ your Captain

*Money: This infographic shows how billions of dollars are spent. USING BLOCKS OF COLOR. The infographic. Not the people. Or the dollars.

*Automotive: Bad news for drivers who love whale penis – Russian car-maker Dartz is dropping the whale penis leather interior option they had planned for their luxury vehicles.

*Movies: Here’s a question for you – What if “Blade Runner” had been set in San Francisco? My dad took me to see “Blade Runner” when it was still in the theater. Until the one guy tried to pop the other guy’s eyeballs with his thumbs. Then we left. [snarkmarket]

*Television: One thing I like about Roger Ebert on Twitter is that he sometimes links to frivolities such as the 10 Greatest Cleavage Moments in Television History. Also, cleavage.

*News: Feltron cuts up 13 years of CNN data. I’ve talked about Feltron before. And I will again. At a later date. [waxy]

*Eating: I ate a Blucy at the Blue Door Pub, a St. Paul institution that I heartily recommend. I also ate beer batter-fried green beans. This is why they call us “little houses.”

*Today’s links: F.

I often go to bed with the soundtrack from Blade Runner on repeat on my ipod because I really like waking up in the middle of the night hearing this beautiful tunes…

No hay finales sin principios, y a petición de diversos lectores (Gonzalo, Radagast, etc) aquí da comienzo este espero que curioso TOP TEN rebosante de nostalgia por un tipo de cine que no volveremos a ver. Quiero dejar claro que a veces los realizadores optan por poner los rótulos de crédito en la secuencia inicial, otras no. En algunos casos están realizados y concebidos por los propios directores, y en otras no. Por eso, indicaré quién elabora los títulos cuando sea preciso. Para comenzar esta selección quiero hacerlo de una forma un tanto retórica. Si comenzamos elegiendo diez finales y ahora vamos a hablar de inicios, pues quien mejor que Chistopher Nolan para abrir fuego. Fue este arriesgado director que se atrevió a poner el final de la historia al principio del largometraje. Así pues, vayamos pues hasta el año 2000 cuando se estrenó “MEMENTO”.  Estamos ante un final y un principio, todo en uno. Mejor forma de empezar esta selección de comienzos de película no he podido encontrar. Ojo, a pasar de que me gusta mucho, este no cuenta. Se trata sólo de una forma de comenzar, allá vamos…

INICIO DE MEMENTO

En el puesto número diez tenemos… el inicio de “LA GUERRA DE LAS GALAXIAS“  dirigida en 1977  por George Lucas. Los títulos de crédito fueron obra de Dan Perri, creador también de los de “El exorcista” o “Taxi driver”. Este es uno de esos comienzos que uno tiene grabado a fuego en la memoria. Era un niño que deseaba verla. Había visto por la tele que habían estado en el festival de San Sebastián C3PO, R2D2, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, La princesa Leia. Tengo el recuerdo vago de verlos posando ante las cámaras en la playa de Donosti. Desde ese mismo instante quise verla. Tras mucha turra en casa y diversos intentos, conseguí que me llevaran a verla. Lo recuerdo perfectamente aún, fue en los cines Roxy de la calle fuencarral de Madrid, en sesión de noche, estaba abarrotada la sala y nos tocaron de las últimas filas A pesar de que era canijo y alguna cabeza me tapaba parte de la pantalla me fue absolutamente indiferente. Al oir los maravillosos acordes de Williams, entré en un fascinante mundo del que todavía creo que no he salido.

INICIO DE STAR WARS: UNA NUEVA ESPERANZA

En el puesto número nueve tenemos… el comienzo de “SEVEN“, dirigida por David Fincher en 1995, en este caso fue el siempre genial Kyle Cooper quien se encargó de los títulos de crédito. En su currículum hasta ese momento tenía “Breaveheart” de Gibson y “Quiz Show: El Dilema“ de Redford. Me parece fascinante la maestría con la que resuelve este inicio, y por eso lo he elegido. La secuencia inicial incluye los títulos de crédito y nos describe perfectamente la mente y el modus operandi de este asesino en serie. Destacar tanto la fotografía de Darius Khondi y la música de Nine Inchs Nails, y la barroca voz de Trevor Horn.

INICIO DE SE7EN

En el puesto número ocho tenemos el inicio de una gran adaptación literaria… “LAS AMISTADES PELIGROSAS“ realizada por Stephen Frears en 1988. Impresionante me parece la labor de Stephen Frears en cómo plantea esta secuencia que engloba los rótulos de crédito. Hace una descripción física y psicológica de los personajes inmejorable. Todo acentuado por la increible suite de George Fenton, que recalca el momento histórico. Maravillosa la actuación de Glenn Close y John Malcovick.

INICIO DE “LAS AMISTADES PELIGROSAS”

 En el puesto número siete venido de la Tierra Media tenemos… “EL SEÑOR DE LOS ANILLOS“ dirigida por Peter Jackson en el años 2001. Todo un gran comienzo para una obra épica que consta de tres partes. Estamos una vez más ante una magnífica adpatación, y se me ponen aún los pelos de punta con la música de Howard Shore y la narración en off, es brutal.

INICIO DE “EL SEÑOR DE LOS ANILLOS”

En el puesto número seis tenemos… el comienzo de “BLADE RUNNER“, concretamente el de la versión de 1982. Film dirigido por Ridley Scott, contaba para sus rótulos de crédito con la colaboración de Vangelis, que le componía un score de lujo que te dejaba noqueado en la butaca. Esta es una de esas secuencias que ningún amante del séptimo arte olvida. Esa belleza postindustrial, llena de coloridos neones y llamaradas. Esos encuadres que parecen sacados de una viñeta de cualquier historia del “Metal Hurlant” merecen todo un respeto. Eso por no hablar de los increíbles efectos y fotografía obra de los desaparecidos Douglas Trumball y Jordan Cronenweth.

INICIO BLADE RUNNER VERSION 1982

En el puesto número cinco tenemos nada más y nada menos que los…“RESERVOIR DOGS“ dirigidos en 1992 por Quentin Tarantino, le enfant terrible de la industria de Hollywood. Cinéfago, cinéfilo, inclasificable, esos pueden ser algunos de los adjetivos con los que podemos calificar a este director norteamericano. De dialogos contundentes y salvajes tanto por duración como por temática. En el inicio de su ópera prima tenemos todas las claves de lo que veríamos con el paso del tiempo a lo largo de sus ocho películas como director. Brillante y delirante comienzo donde los haya.

INICIO DE RESERVOIR DOGS

En el puesto número cuatro… “ABRE LOS OJOS” dirigida por Alejandro Amenabar en 1997. El creador de los rótulos de crédito del film fue Carlos J. Santos, pero estos no llegan a estar incluidos en la secuencia inicial van tras la segunda secuencia. Su trabajo es de sobra conocido, ha hecho también los de “Acción mutante” de Alex de la Iglesia, “Familia” o “Torrente, el brazo tonto de la ley”. Creo que este es uno de los inicios más inquietantes del cine español. Considero que esta es su mejor película, y que no creo que vuelva  a realizar nada Amenabar a la altura de esta. Maravilloso el plano con la Gran Vía vacía.

INICIO ABRE LOS OJOS

En el puesto número tres tenemos… “EL DIABLO SOBRE RUEDAS” realizada en 1971 por Steven Spielberg. A pesar de ser un telefilm consiguió traspasar las fronteras de lo catódico y lo cinematográfico y consigió venderse si mal no creo en el festival de Cannes, y en Europa se distribuyó en cines con este título. Os recuerdo que el original es “DUEL”, que podríamos traducir como “Duelo” y está basado en un relato corto de Richard Matheson, otro viejo conocido de la videoarena.

INICIO DE “EL DIABLO SOBRE RUEDAS”

Y esta lista no puede acabar sin la gran labor de dos grandes genios. En primer lugar, aquí tenéis a un viejo amigo del blog, hablo de mi tocayo Alfred Hitchcock, así que en el puesto número dos tenemos…“LA SOGA“ realizada en 1948. En esta secuencia inicial plantea las múltiples lecturas que posee este largometraje. Por la forma en que está rodada, por la actitud de los personajes, por miles de cosas, pero es algo más que un asesinato, es el final de un trio sexual. Soberbio. Cómo se enciende el cigarro, aprece que acaba de echar el polvo de su vida como dice el detective Nick Curran en “Instinto básico”. Atentos y no dejar que se os escape ningún detalle. Y sobre todo los remordimientos que quedan después. Soberbio el maestro una vez más.

INICIO DE “LA SOGA”

Y para finalizar en el puesto número uno tenemos al otro gran maestro, Stanley Kubrick y su… “LA NARANJA MECÁNICA“ realizada en 1971. Se dice, se comenta, que los rótulos de crédito iniciales fueron elaborados por otro de los grandes, Pablo Ferro, pero no encontréis acreditado este trabajo por ningún lado, y eso es raro en Kubrick, así que le pasaría como a Alex North en “2001″.  En esta secuencia inicial comprenderéis la función y el sentido de un travelling. Es maravillosa la forma en la que describe el entorno y a los personajes. Su simplicidad es sólo igualable a su efectividad. Arropándolo con todo el mimo del mundo estan los estupendos acordes de Wendy Carlos. Además, en la pasada edición de Sitges Malcom McDowell recogió el premio por su labor en este film. Os puedo decir hasta cuando la vi por primera vez, porque luego le siguieron unas cuantas. Fue con dieciseís años en el extinto cine Torre de Madrid en la sala dos en la sesión de siete de la tarde. Desde entonces la tengo taladrada esta escena en mi cabeza. Mi madre no quería que la viera, ella consideraba que era ultraviolenta. Lo curioso es que con el paso del tiempo ya no lo parece tanto. Pero a pesar de todo, es impresionante.

INICIO “LA NARANJA MECÁNICA”

Evidentemente ardo en deseos de saber los vuestros Mister Crowley, Redrum, Homo Insanus, Mister Lombreeze generadores del invento, así como los de  Miss Darko, Eulez, Marchelo, 39 escalones, Ramón, Victor Guybrush, Empantallado, Gine, Álvaro, Ricardo, Mapoto, Fantomas, Dick, Miss Watflech, Varelax, Luis Cifer, Mister Frost, Alberto, que obviamente no es obligatorio contestar ni continuarlo porque sé de sobra que algunos de vosotros estáis muy liados, este post surge por la curiosidad de algunos de los lectores de este blog.

SFREG – TU NON SEI NESSUNO è la canzone degli androidi, macchine razionali cui viene negato di provare emozioni, prerogativa esclusiva degli esseri umani, di un’ipotetica società del 4023. Il brano è tratto dall’opera rock italiana Androidi (1989), musiche di Franco e Vanni Boccuzzi, testi Mastromarino-Boccuzzi, testo e regia di Ida Mastromarino.

E’ questo un tema caro alla fantascienza, dalle saghe di Isac Asimov al poco noto e straordinariamente attuale “Solo il cuculo canta al limitare del bosco” di Walter Tevis, alle immagini memorabili del film Blade Runner di Ridley Scott.

Perchè siamo così sensibili a questo tema?
Il rapporto tra razionalità e psiche ci riguarda molto da vicino come esseri umani: non avremo pace nè piena coscienza finchè non saremo consapevoli di questi due aspetti della nostra personalità e delle nostre abitudini mentali ed emotive.

Nel frattempo, la ricerca scientifica continua a perfezionare modelli di robot e androidi,  finalizzati  a scopi militari e di controllo…  la fantascienza più inquietante prende corpo e si fa attuale.

When I was a kid I had a t-shirt with the Adam and the Ants logo on it

I was thinking about film today, as I do pretty often, wondering what I’d pick if I tried to come up with a combo list of slightly strange sci-fi movies including some post apocalyptic stuff.  Films I liked.  Films that had an impact on me… couldn’t forget scenes from them, made me think a bit… that sort of thing.  This is what I came up with…. in no particular order.

2001: A Space Odyssey (68)

2010 (84)

A Boy and his Dog (75)

A Scanner Darkly (06)

Bicentennial Man (99)

Blade Runner (82)

Brave New World (80)

Capricorn One (77)

Cherry 2000 (87)

Damnation Alley (77)

Dark City (98)

Demolition Man (93)

Dreamscape (84)

Escape from New York (81)

Gattaca (97)

Handmaid’s Tale (90)

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (78)

Jacob’s Ladder (90)

Liquid Sky (82)

Logan’s Run (76)

Mad Max Movies (79-85)

Matrix Trilogy (99-03)

Metropolis (27)

Minority Report (02)

Mission to Mars (00)

Omega Man (71)

On The Beach (59)

Planet of the Apes Films (68-73)

Quatermass and the Pit (68)

Scanners (81)

Red Planet (00)

Silent Running (72)

Soylent Green (73)

Stargate (94)

Tank Girl (95)

The Running Man (87)

The Day The Earth Stood Still (51)

The Island (05)

The Island of Dr. Moreau (77)

The Andromeda Strain (71)

The Time Machine (60)

They Live (88)

The Thing (82)

V for Vendetta (05)

Total Recall (90)

Videodrome (83)

The Warriors (79)

Waterworld (95)

Westworld (73)

Zardoz (74)

El Moscú que algunos tenemos en la cabeza parece no tener nada que ver con la realidad que se da en la actual capital de la antigua Unión Soviética. Esta es una de las pruebas que dan fe de que algo está cambiando. Un conjunto de estupendas fotografías realizadas por Dmitriy Chistoprudov en el distrito ruso de los rascacielos un día de niebla recuerdan aquellas imágenes que sí conservamos intactas de la película Blade Runner.

via englishrussia

Some days I think I’m radioactive because …

it feels like I’m living a half-life.

note: a candle that burns twice as bright burns half as long, so a candle that burns twice as dim must burn twice as long … but why bother?

double note: an unlit candle lasts the longest but it’s kind of useless without a match.

triple note: when I think about images of loving life and wanting to squeeze out everyday of it … I think of Rutger Hauer as Roy Batty jamming that nail into his hand in Blade Runner.

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notes to myself #55

You never have a cool hair style.