The featurettes on the Outpost region 2 DVD are very good. They’re concise, informative, and populated by people who know their stuff. I especially liked “The Look of Outpost“, about the set design. You’d expect such a large locale to be constructed in something obvious, like an old warehouse, a film studio or, you know, an actual bunker. Or a run-down industrial estate, for that matter, where much of the set dressing would already be in place. But as it turns out, the bunker used in Outpost was constructed inside Old Govan Town Hall, near Glasgow; it’s pretty bizarre to see production designer Max Berman amid the balcony seats, overlooking the set below. I guess this was the cheapest option, and as always, necessity is the mother of invention.

How to put an old town hall to good use.

Note: Franz Ferdinand recorded their latest album in the same, cavernous space. Go here for an interesting article about their experiences, and a nice description of the building’s interiors. There’s a reference to The Shining and everything!

“Dollhouse” Season 1
a review by Darby O’Gill

What if you could do anything, be anyone, and nothing you did ever had any consequence? Take one part Quantum Leap, one part Charlie’s Angels, add a truck load of Joss Whedon’s imagination, and you’ve got one hell of a show. If you missed the first season of Dollhouse, you’re in luck because the DVD is out now, and it’s time for you to play catch up. A few of my friends tuned out after episode three, but as I told them, you really need to hang in there till episode six. Episodes one through five are basically stand-alone episodes, to please the network I would imagine, but episode six is a real game changer and is truly where the series shows it’s full potential.

In Dollhouse we follow Echo, played by Eliza Dushku, a seemingly unwilling Active in the Dollhouse, an underground organization that for the right price will program human beings to fit your every need or desire. Actives have had their brains wiped, and are imprinted with new personalities, and abilities, that allow them to become anyone or anything to achieve their objective. What illegal underground organization would be complete, with out an obsessed F.B.I. agent determined to bring them down? Agent Paul Ballard, played by Tahmoh Penikett, finds himself filling that role, and the deeper he digs the more entwined he seems to get. When we first get to the Dollhouse, an Active, codename Alpha, has gone rogue, and in the process has left a trail of bodies in his wake. For some unknown reason Echo was spared. But, that’s not the only unique thing about Echo. She also seems to be retaining, or recalling memories while in her wiped doll state, raising the question, can you ever truly clean a slate?

This show is a dream on so many different levels. For one, it’s an actor’s dream, because they can be a doctor, a lover, a spy, an assassin, or maybe just someone there to help someone that can’t help them self. In episode four, Eliza Dushku and Dichen Lachman play the same character, when Echo and Sierra get imprinted with the same imprint.  Two actors playing the same character, with the same traits and speech pattern at the same time! This is what truly makes this show unique. The cast is amazing! The amount of talent on this show, in front of and behind the camera, truly boggles the mind. The other thing about this show is that it raises smart and intelligent questions dealing with morality. Whether it be slavery, human trafficking, or just basic human rights, Dollhouse once again enforces the belief that mankind will always exploit and abuse any and all technologies they discover. I think the part I liked the most about re-watching season one, was knowing all the twists and turns, and being able to see things I might have missed the first time around. I’ll say it once again; Dollhouse is an amazing television series! Don’t believe me? Well, why don’t you get the DVD, and tune-in to Dollhouse season two this year, and see for yourself? Feel free to thank me later.

Rating:

DVD Special Features:

• 3 Audio Commentaries on Selected Episodes

Joss Whedon and Eliza Dushku do a commentary track for “Ghost,” where they talk about the show’s shoe budget, and while Eliza’s strawberries maybe loud, Joss’ tummy commentary is louder.

Joss Whedon does a commentary track for “Man on the Street,” and talks about the importance of the turning point in this episode.

Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tancharoen do a commentary track for the infamous unaired 13^th episode “Epitaph One.”

I would have liked a few more commentaries on some more key episodes, but three is better than none.

• “Epitaph One” Never-Before-Seen 13^th Episode

The infamous unaired 13^th episode stars Felecia Day and Zack Ward, and takes place in 2019. I would suggest not watching this episode if you want to be surprised by the upcoming relationships and events of the Dollhouse series. It doesn’t tell you the hows and whys, but it does show you things they hope to do with the series. Could be a spoiler for some; you’ve been warned.

• Original Unaired Pilot “Echo”

This is the pilot episode that Joss pulled the plug on and thus decided to take a three week hiatus to rethink the show opener. I for one am glad he did. The episode moves too fast and gives away way too much. But, it wasn’t a complete loss, because they ended up cutting it up and sprinkling bits and pieces here and there throughout the season.

• Deleted Scences

• Making Dollhouse Featurette

A behind the scenes look at the making of Dollhouse

• Coming Home Featurette

The Cast & Crew share their stories and memories of working on other Joss Whedon shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.

• Finding Echo Featurette

A look at Eliza Dushku’s important role as producer and star, and how she and Joss developed the idea for the show.

• Designing the Perfect Dollhouse Featurette

Joss Whedon takes us on a tour of the soundstage that houses the Dollhouse.

• A Private Engagement Featurette

The Cast & Crew talk about what their ideal doll would be.

DVD Special Features Rating:

Well, readers, I am considering starting a new business venture.  I enjoy making films and I enjoy attending arts shows in the twin cities.  I see that there seems to be a great value in marketing local shows on the web, so naturally I want to consider making a business of recording little web featurettes of fine arts shows going on in the twin cities.

To do this real successfully I will likely need a camera that allows for at least one XLR input that can feed in from the mixer to the camera to get a great sound, color correction and text editing software.  The latter two I already have.  the first will likely require a request for use of my digital cinema professor’s XL2 camera.  All are well within my grasp.

Next I need to market my skills to the local fine-arts performance organizations to allow me to film their shows.

Ironically I’m working on my first production featurette for a show that took place at IPR called the Producer’s Review.  If that turns out high quality, which I’m aiming for it to, then I might be able to have a decent chance with them to hire me part time to advertise their shows online; be their online PR person in a way.

Now that I’ve carved out a small business pathway, what could I call my business?

I wonder what made the makers of Google decide on the name Google.  As far as I have read it doesn’t stem from any other word in the Western hemisphere of literary history.  Would I be able to pull something out of a hat and make it sell?  If the product is good enough, anything will likely sell.

But what would be the tell-tale type of business name?

I’d like to have the website that everyone goes to locally to find out what is going on in the fine arts world in the twin cities…

Twinnet

MNNet

MetroMusik

MNMusic

MNPops

MNArts

But maybe I don’t want to be restrictive to the twin cities.  Say I want to move and include what is going on wherever I relocate…

PopArtsToday

CurrentPops

ArtCandy

HitCandy

MusicEssence

Moods

Tranced

Staged

Stajed

Jagged

Shatter

Glisten

Wheat – Separating the Wheat from the Chaff

Let me know if you have any ideas:)  What would you like to see on this type of web site?  What kind of music are you into?  What would be helpful for you to know what is going on in the twin cities?

Drop me a line, I’d love to hear from you!

Lets get back to the diskos shall we , our photograph got featured in OBSESSIONSYNDROME. What is OBSESSIONSYNDROME? They are a group of e.d.m. enthusiasts, teaming up to create an online publication dedicated to everything related to the electronic dance music scene in KL. Be sure to checkout the interviews ANDDD download the exclusive mixsets at the end of the article, I myself got caught up with their funky rad beats!

The third Issue of SIEG Magazine is out! This time around I got my work in the magazine as well Its on the third page I got 7 pages out of it. and I think I did a pretty good job, could have done better though Anyways, Its an honor to get my work spread through these digital mediums. Thank you Eka, Amira for the opportunity and Bibo you did an awesome job as always

]]> http://darbyssecretstash.com/2009/08/04/tokyo/ Tue, 04 Aug 2009 22:16:00 +0000 Darby O'Gill http://darbyssecretstash.com/2009/08/04/tokyo/

Tokyo!
a review by Darby O’Gill

In the spirit of Four Rooms and Paris, Je T’aime comes Tokyo! a collection of three short films about Tokyo, as told by three visionary directors, Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, and Bong Joon-Ho. We’re going to take a look at the three films individually, and then rate the project as a whole.

First we have “Interior Design” by New York based French director Michel Gondry. Gondry based his short on a graphic novel by Gabrielle Bell, called “Cecil and Jordan in New York.” In Gondry’s version, it’s the story of a young couple moving to Tokyo, and crashing at a friend’s flat as they look for one of their own. Hiroko, played by Ayako Fujitani, was the more together of the couple, but seems to find herself being the less than useful one in Tokyo. As days turn into weeks, Hiroko finds herself more and more out of place. Until one day a strange event leads her to find her place in the world. All the stories in this collection are that of surrealism, but Gondry’s is definitely the most surreal. Wonderfully shot, and with an amazing special effect shot you would only come to expect from Michel Gondry.

Next we have “Merde” by French director Leos Carax. Now I have to say this one surprised me. Not the short itself, but the fact that it wasn’t directed by Bong Joon-Ho. I honestly watched this entire short thinking it was Joon-Ho, and even thought I was seeing signs of his film style throughout. Wow. It’s not Bong Joon-Ho, but it is Leos Carax’s short, and quite simply the best of the collection. It’s the story of a “creature,” or more like a homeless full grown leprechaun, that crawls out of the sewers and wreaks havoc on the streets of Tokyo. A frightened Tokyo reports various sightings of the creature on the news and even holds a bizarre trial for the creature. I mean, you can see why I thought it was Joon-Ho: a creature that lives in the sewer, has a smoky white eye, spreads horror across Tokyo via newscasts, and is a plot heavily laced with offbeat humor. This short is fantastic! The cinematography is amazing and the performance of Denis Lavant as the creature is purely stellar. “Merde” is anything but shit. I would love to see more of this story some day.

And now, sadly, we have to talk about the last short in this collection, “Shaking Tokyo,” by South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho. I honestly have to say, that I was really looking forward to this director’s piece. The Host was an amazing film that I’m so glad I heard about in time to be able to see it when it opened in theatres, and was more than excited to see something new from its director Bong Joon-Ho. I just wish it was “Merde” and not “Shaking Tokyo.” The story in “Shaking Tokyo,” is that of a man that is a shut-in that has shut himself out of the outside world for the last ten years, but it’s in the eleventh year that his world crashes down around him. I’ve got to say this story is really weak. It wants to be grand; but it’s a short, and doesn’t have the time to take its time. It also keeps the viewer in the dark, which is the case in all three of these stories. But, in “Shaking Tokyo” it keeps you in the dark, and never really lets you know what the hell is going on. Joon-Ho has an amazing sense of the characters in his films, and this is no different. His characters don’t have to say a word, and yet just looking at them through his lens seems to speak a thousand words. I only wish the story had more time, to make it worth telling. It’s just sad that the movie has to end its collection with this short. It might have been better off in the middle of the film.

Rating:

DVD Special Features:

• Making of “Interior Design”
• Making of “Merde”
• Making of “Shaking Tokyo”
• Director Interviews
• Photo Gallery
• Trailer

The “Making of” featurettes are outstanding! No, truly. They’re even longer than the short films themselves. Each one gives you an amazing look into the very distinct directing style of each visionary director. Gondry likes to keep the film rolling. By doing so he feels it doesn’t let the actors get out of the moment. It’s quite ingenious really, because when a film crew cuts, they stop down for a good ten or twenty minutes. Hair and make-up step in, the lighting team checks lights, and actors stop being their characters. This concept is new to the “Tokyo!” actors working on “Interior Design,” and it takes a little while to warm-up to the idea of not cutting at the end of a take. Also, during the behind the scenes interview with Ayumi Ito, it sounds like someone’s having sex in the background, but it’s just the interviewer. It took me a few minutes to figure out. She should just quietly listen to what the actors have to say.

When it comes to Leos Carax, I was amazed to find out that he shot the first street scene at least, without a permit and in a total gorilla filmmaking style. In his “Making of,” we watch the cast and crew rehearse, step by step, the pacing of the scene off site. It’s truly filmmaking at its best. Also, watching Carax and Lavant develop the character of the creature is fantastic. Which brings us once again to Bong Joon-Ho, but this time it’s good news. His “Making of” finally let us in on what he was trying to say. I think the real downfall of his short is that he’s not the type of director that can be rushed or given a time restraint. I’ve never seen a director pay more attention to the timing of a shot and his actors, almost to a fault. But it’s clear that is what makes his filmmaking so unique. Sadly, this project just doesn’t lend itself to that style of filmmaking. The one saving grace is that in the “Director Interviews,” it seemed clear, to me that is, that even Joon-Ho wasn’t pleased with the outcome of his short. Seeing him talk about what he was trying to do in the short definitely helps you see the short in a different light; but it still doesn’t change the fact that it doesn’t work.

DVD Special Feature Rating:

Take a look at 5 new Behind The Scenes featurettes from Disney’s The Princess and The Frog, the first black princess for Disney, and also the first animated offering from the studio in years.

http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/06/30/five-behind-the-scene-featurettes-for-the-princess-and-the-frog-spark-mild-controversy/

(The Featurette section is a new series of articles about the little things in today’s automotive world that most of us probably don’t think too much about, but are either important enough or cool enough that we should know more about them. So, enjoy!)

All-wheel-drive is one of those automotive technologies that, like navigation systems or stability control, quietly sneaks into the mainstream while nobody’s watching. Like those systems, it’s something you probably did without on your first car (be it your shitbox or your parents’), but the next time you saunter into your local showroom to pick something out, you might just find it lurking under the chassis like Robert DeNiro. (Or, even worse, Sideshow Bob.)

Of  course, the salesman will probably throw a little extra spit in his hair and swing by to brag about how much “safer” all-wheel-drive is. But you don’t trust him! Here’s a man who still wears a beige tartan suit jacket he bought at Sears all the way back when Roebuck and Inc. were still with the place. His house has fake-wood laminate wallpaper. You do not want to trust anything he says.

So then, what exactly is the deal with all-wheel-drive?

Well, let’s start with the basics – what is it?

All-wheel-drive, or “AWD,” basically means power goes from the engine to all four wheels. Historically, most cars have been either rear-wheel-drive (RWD) or front-wheel-drive (FWD), each of which provides its own advantages. RWD usually makes for a better balanced car, as it shifts more drivetrain weight to the back axle, away from the  heavy engine. It also usually results in better performance, as each set of wheels can concentrate on one task – the front wheels on steering, the rear wheels on pushing.

FWD, however, improves traction by placing the drive wheels under the heavy engine, increasing the percentage of the vehicle’s body weight over them. It also increases interior space by eliminating the driveshaft between the engine and rear axle. However, making the front wheels handle both steering and propulsion can prove too much to handle, especially in powerful cars; this can result in torque steer, where the car weaves uncontrollably under hard acceleration. Plus, lightening the rear can cause the back end to swing out on slippery roads.

AWD, in theory, offers the best of both worlds. By putting power to all the wheels, it maximizes traction, making the vehicle safer and improving performance.

(On a side note, don’t confuse AWD and four-wheel-drive [4WD] – it’s a common rookie mistake, but easily remedied. 4WD is defined by one of two features – a low range, and/or an off-switch. A low range is a second set of gears designed to improve low-speed performance, and is designed for off-roading. An off-switch – well, it’s pretty self-explanatory, but basically allows the driver to put the vehicle into two-wheel-drive mode on dry roads. 4WD tends to be found in trucks and SUVs designed for off-roading; AWD is usually found on cars and car-based SUVs.)

Sounds good so far, right? Well, don’t go checking that AWD box on the order form just yet. (Unless you’re just screwing around on the build-your-own section of a carmaker’s website- which is how we spend about 80 percent of our unsupervised time here at CCO.)

First off, adding AWD almost always adds mass. Manufacturers have been working on reducing the  weight of their AWD systems, but for the most part, you’re still looking at a gain of around 100 pounds or more. As a result, fuel economy usually dives a tad. A BMW 328i with rear-wheel-drive gets 28 highway mpg, while its AWD counterpart gets 25; after 15,000 miles of highway driving, the RWD car will have used 64 fewer gallons of premium gas – or $176 worth at $2.75/gallon.

The added weight can also have a negative effect on performance. Note the italics, though. Whether or not AWD slows your car down or speeds your car up comes down to how fast your car would be without it. For cars with engines capable of pushing the U.S.S. Enterprise into warp speed, AWD’s increase in traction reduces wheelspin, enabling the car to put down more power more quickly (and overriding the detrimental effects of weight gain). However, wimpier cars (that is, most of them) don’t have those sorts of problems with traction under acceleration, so the AWD system only serves as a burden on the drag strip.

(AWD also provides improved handling, but again, that’s in large part a matter of how quickly you’re taking those turns, and most cars don’t take them fast enought to make a significant difference.)

There’s a second downside to AWD systems: they  usually add cost, too. Different manufacturers tack on different amounts, but you should plan on paying at least $1000 more for the feature.

So should you spring for all-wheel-drive next time you buy a new car? Well, if you take away one point from this feature(tte), make it this. On most cars, all-wheel-drive is a safety feature, not a performance feature. Its primary focus is to give you added traction in slippery situations. If you live somewhere like Vermont or Minnesota, where snow can sit on the ground for six months, it’s probably worth the extra money. If you live in the Sunbelt and are worried about the five days a year you venture north, save the cash for your A/C bill and just drive slowly if things get slick. And if you’re somewhere inbetween? If AWD makes you feel more secure and you don’t mind the cost, go for it – but a good set of all-season tires and an attentive driver will be just as safe 95 percent of the time.

During my casual browsing of my news feed reader, I came across this interesting chart that shows how George Lucas’s “people, companies, and technologies” have forever influenced moviemaking. I have always said that no single movie franchise has contributed more to movies as we know them today than Star Wars, and this chart graphs it out beautifully.

From Lucasfilm, to Skywalker Sound, to Industrial Light & Magic, to LucasArts, to the many actors and directors and industry experts that Lucas help create, it’s all here.

Whether you liked the Star Wars movie series or not (how could you NOT!), there is no denying George Lucas’s influence. This chart was created by Michelle Devereaux, with help from Erik Malinowski. Way to go, guys.

Click the image below for the larger version.

(Featurette courtesy of TrailerAddict.com)

TrailerAddict.com has posted a short featurrette that discusses the look and style of the upcoming ‘Watchmen’ movie with Director of Photography Larry Fong. If you are looking forward to this movie as much as I am, then this is something you should definitely check out. Enjoy!

Ohh, thank you, /Film, for your wonderful updates. There are two new Dark Knight featurette-type videos on Comcast.net that include never-before-seen footage. If you’re not interested in a description or watching the vids, then don’t read on. Technically it’s not a spoiler if it’s in something official, but it’s up to your whether you want to know.

The first vid is an Imax featurette that has scenes from the trailer mixed in with discussion by Christopher Nolan and Wally Pfister. They even show some filming being done. On top of that, there are some awesome scenes in the first Imax featurette, like a cool moment between Bruce and Alfred where Alfred says, “Know your limits, Master Wayne,” to which Bruce answers, “Batman has no limits.” Sooo true to the comics! It would be awesome if in TDK they did some classic Batman by showing him push himself too far. Besides … it’s the Joker we’re talking about here. Batman’s only true equal match among all the villains in his Gallery of Rogues. All that laughing is bound to drive anyone a little over the edge.

And then there’s some intense Joker scenes, including a closer look at the interrogation room one which promises to be chilling indeed.

Plus, there’s a couple shots of Harvey Dent (before he becomes Two-Face) flipping a coin. Creepy.

Then there’s another video that goes behind-the-scenes of making the Joker’s goons’ masks, which is actually pretty neat. It even shows time-elapsed footage of one being made.

While you browse the Comcast site, you’ll hear some cool voice-overs as you visit different sections, too.

Anyway, here are some screenshots from the first featurette. It looks like there are some more shots of Batman being chased and having to fight back against SWAT, but I couldn’t get a decent pic (him elbowing a SWAT guy, then jumping off a rooftop, it looks like, to avoid them).

A sneak peak at District Attorney Harvey Dent’s obsession with his infamous two-sided coin:

Oohh, shiny … our preciousss!

Yeah, check this out. Holy crap. That definitely looks painful, but it’s no match for Jack Bauer’s sixteen months or whatever of Chinese torture. Now those were some nasty scars. (But unfortunately I can’t find a pic. Oh well.)

Ouch.

Here’s a screen shot of the interrogation room scene. God, I can’t wait to see this! Two costumed freaks who just happen to become arch-enemies in one tiny room? Hell yeah!

“We really ought to put our differences aside and do lunch sometime. My butler makes great tea and these delicious little biscuit things that are just to DIE for.”

And I think I finally figured out what the blue blur at the end is, which can also be seen in certain tv spots. The background looks like Arkham Asylum (you can make out the barred cells), and the guy pictured looks like the Joker. Put two and two together, and this just might be security camera footage, and the Joker is knocking out the feed. Yeah, real impressive detective work, I know. Batman would be proud.

Smile for the camera!

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