The great Sci-Fi and Action movies of the late 70s and early 80s are an era gone by. Those of us who remember the first offerings of Star Wars, ET, and Raiders were completely dazzled by a new breed of cinema. Lucas, Spielberg, and the like were young up-and-comers who were shaking up the industry.
Now, those guys ARE the establishment. They are offering pretty much the same production values they originally brought to us but we, as the audience, are, dare I say, bored with their filmmaking. If not bored, we have very high expectations because of the impression the original movies left on us.
It's kind of like going back to a place you haven't been to since you were a kid and it's much smaller and less interesting than you had it in your mind.
This isn't to say that these guys are terrible filmmakers or that their craft is not up to par. I'm saying that the hype created by the media in ourselves only makes one feel disappointed when the movie is just that--another movie.
I think the industry itself is in a pretty bad place right now. Movies are made that really shouldn't have been made so the overall quality from the corporate movie studios is just abysmal.
Story is king. Unfortunately, visual effects and spectacle have become the story supported by the script. They keep trying to make blockbusters instead of focusing on the craft of filmmaking. The indie films are doing so well because they have to have good scripts--there's no budget for Michael Bay/Brett Ratner/Roland Emerich epically expensive multi-million dollar set pieces.
Unfortunately, like all corporations, the studios are most interested in delivering profits to shareholders. The just don't understand that if you "build it, they will come"--a good movie with good special and visual effects that serve the story will do well. They just want to make gimmicky pieces that will turn into money makers.
So, don't be surprised if Raiders is disappointing. It's just a cog in the wheel of the dark machine that is Hollywood.
Actually, I did say it sucked but I meant that only parts of it sucked--there were some good parts (pretty funny part, too). My issue is with the sucky parts that didn't get cut when they should have.
I was entertained for about 2:45 seconds. After that, it really dragged out. It's OK to have a different opinion--but please respect mine. I didn't say it sucked, I just said it could have been a lot better with some more effort on the art of editing. It was too long and had too many jokes that fell flat.
Actually, I'm not just talking out of my ass. I'm a film maker, editor, and videographer.
This piece needed to be about one third the length with a tighter script and better sound. The production value was actually pretty low with regards to sound and editing. Editing is not the technical splicing of scenes--it's having the balls to cut things down to serve the function no matter how attached you are to your material.
I don't mean to be an ass about it, it's just annoying to me that end product wasn't as good as good as the concept.
But, sure--for a couple of nerds with a video camera, too many floppies, and too much time, yeah, it's OK.
6 minutes 46 seconds of my life I'm not getting back.
Maybe next time somebody invents a office product canon, they'll just make a one-part video: the part that doesn't suck.
Seriously, a highlight reel of this thing would have been so much easier to make (and so much more satisfying) than whatever that was. The thing about a "parody" movie is that don't have to have a working model of whatever you're featuring--people just assume it's special FX.
A tech video of how to make it and showing it in use goes pretty far amongst the geekerati here at/.
ps. Kudos to the girl for her righteous Ash impression, tho.
Cinco de Mayo--it's like the Mexican version of St. Patrick's Day. Evidently, there was a big military victory at Puebla in the mid 1800s and the date stuck. Now it's more of an Americanized holiday/celebration of culture. It's not like the 4th of July--Mexican Independence day is in September.
It's really big in TX, NM, AZ, and CA. Here in Texas, it's a pretty big deal--but mostly for the Tex-Mex restaurants and the cultural nazis.
Gringos usually celebrate by eating "Mexican" food (i.e., something with cheese and jalepeño peppers) and get drunk on Corona and Margaritas. Coincidentally, so do Mexicans--but usually with Miller Lite and Tequila and better Mexican food.
OK, I'm only going to say this once (or at least this one last time):
Shut up. Seriously. No matter what your conviction is about religion, science, or politics, do everyone a favor and just keep your opinion about it to yourselves. If you're hoping that an acrid little reply on a comment thread will somehow assuage the masses of idiots, you fail to see that you're just one of them contributing to the noise and the petty bickering....kind of like this comment.
At the risk of stirring the pot, I think it might be worthwhile to teach both theories side-by-side in the context of "The History of Science." Teaching about how and why the two factions differ might actually diffuse the finger pointing and educate everyone.
The religious implications aside, it is a good thing to be educated about the Jedeo-Christian culture and beliefs--something that's shaped much of Western culture's history, customs, and laws. I think it wouild also be a good thing for conservative religious types to be exposed to the culture of secular science as well. I mean, even Jesus said, "Be in the world, but not of it" so there is a precedent encouraging cultural awareness even in the Bible. Education isn't about being right, it's about being informed.
It's a shame that everything must be taught as absolute.
Faith is the deep conviction that you're right. Fear is suspicion that others might be.
***GUARANTEED increase your galaxy by 6,000 light years*** thick and sturdy clusters. ladies love dark matter. hawking beautiful einstein copernicus keppler cassini jplab buzz lightyear wormhole
I suppose that makes Bill Gates a modern uber-"Robin Hood." He has no problem squeezing corporations, government, and K through higher ed out of billions so that he can give it away.
Slashdot Mirror
The great Sci-Fi and Action movies of the late 70s and early 80s are an era gone by. Those of us who remember the first offerings of Star Wars, ET, and Raiders were completely dazzled by a new breed of cinema. Lucas, Spielberg, and the like were young up-and-comers who were shaking up the industry.
Now, those guys ARE the establishment. They are offering pretty much the same production values they originally brought to us but we, as the audience, are, dare I say, bored with their filmmaking. If not bored, we have very high expectations because of the impression the original movies left on us.
It's kind of like going back to a place you haven't been to since you were a kid and it's much smaller and less interesting than you had it in your mind.
This isn't to say that these guys are terrible filmmakers or that their craft is not up to par. I'm saying that the hype created by the media in ourselves only makes one feel disappointed when the movie is just that--another movie.
I think the industry itself is in a pretty bad place right now. Movies are made that really shouldn't have been made so the overall quality from the corporate movie studios is just abysmal.
Story is king. Unfortunately, visual effects and spectacle have become the story supported by the script. They keep trying to make blockbusters instead of focusing on the craft of filmmaking. The indie films are doing so well because they have to have good scripts--there's no budget for Michael Bay/Brett Ratner/Roland Emerich epically expensive multi-million dollar set pieces.
Unfortunately, like all corporations, the studios are most interested in delivering profits to shareholders. The just don't understand that if you "build it, they will come"--a good movie with good special and visual effects that serve the story will do well. They just want to make gimmicky pieces that will turn into money makers.
So, don't be surprised if Raiders is disappointing. It's just a cog in the wheel of the dark machine that is Hollywood.
Actually, I did say it sucked but I meant that only parts of it sucked--there were some good parts (pretty funny part, too). My issue is with the sucky parts that didn't get cut when they should have.
Hardly.
I was entertained for about 2:45 seconds. After that, it really dragged out. It's OK to have a different opinion--but please respect mine. I didn't say it sucked, I just said it could have been a lot better with some more effort on the art of editing. It was too long and had too many jokes that fell flat.
Didn't I see Wyle E. Coyote with one of these?
If the Swiss man flew this into a mountain side with a tunnel painted on it, I wouldn't be surprised at all.
Actually, I'm not just talking out of my ass. I'm a film maker, editor, and videographer.
This piece needed to be about one third the length with a tighter script and better sound. The production value was actually pretty low with regards to sound and editing. Editing is not the technical splicing of scenes--it's having the balls to cut things down to serve the function no matter how attached you are to your material.
I don't mean to be an ass about it, it's just annoying to me that end product wasn't as good as good as the concept.
But, sure--for a couple of nerds with a video camera, too many floppies, and too much time, yeah, it's OK.
6 minutes 46 seconds of my life I'm not getting back.
/.
Maybe next time somebody invents a office product canon, they'll just make a one-part video: the part that doesn't suck.
Seriously, a highlight reel of this thing would have been so much easier to make (and so much more satisfying) than whatever that was. The thing about a "parody" movie is that don't have to have a working model of whatever you're featuring--people just assume it's special FX.
A tech video of how to make it and showing it in use goes pretty far amongst the geekerati here at
ps. Kudos to the girl for her righteous Ash impression, tho.
I will probably never use the term "crash" to describe a hard drive failure again.
I'll bet Ontrack made a fortune off of this recovery, too.
Cinco de Mayo--it's like the Mexican version of St. Patrick's Day. Evidently, there was a big military victory at Puebla in the mid 1800s and the date stuck. Now it's more of an Americanized holiday/celebration of culture. It's not like the 4th of July--Mexican Independence day is in September.
It's really big in TX, NM, AZ, and CA. Here in Texas, it's a pretty big deal--but mostly for the Tex-Mex restaurants and the cultural nazis.
Gringos usually celebrate by eating "Mexican" food (i.e., something with cheese and jalepeño peppers) and get drunk on Corona and Margaritas. Coincidentally, so do Mexicans--but usually with Miller Lite and Tequila and better Mexican food.
Conflatulations!
So, the good people of MADD are, well, mad about a violent video game?
Let me see if I have this right--the GTA series is historically riddled with sex, drugs, and violence but adding a little booze is over the line?
Those are some f**ked up values.
OK, I'm only going to say this once (or at least this one last time):
...kind of like this comment.
Shut up. Seriously. No matter what your conviction is about religion, science, or politics, do everyone a favor and just keep your opinion about it to yourselves. If you're hoping that an acrid little reply on a comment thread will somehow assuage the masses of idiots, you fail to see that you're just one of them contributing to the noise and the petty bickering.
Move along now...
I think they should check some of the recipes for the meals served to me while in the U.S. military...
I'm sure it's still classified, though.
If that kid is right, we don't need to worry about the unix calendar problem!
I wish I had a big bag of money. I'd get all kinds of stuff to go my way, too.
As a fellow Houstonian, I concur. We don' need municipal wi-fi anymore than we need another freakin' light rail train (er, I mean "trolly").
The bandwidth costs and maintenance overtime will far exceed the $5M "windfall" from the default fine against Earthlink. Yet another money pit.
It's amazing. 5% growth despite 4 Michael Bay productions...
In the *HISTORY* of science class, it's quite appropriate!
At the risk of stirring the pot, I think it might be worthwhile to teach both theories side-by-side in the context of "The History of Science." Teaching about how and why the two factions differ might actually diffuse the finger pointing and educate everyone.
The religious implications aside, it is a good thing to be educated about the Jedeo-Christian culture and beliefs--something that's shaped much of Western culture's history, customs, and laws. I think it wouild also be a good thing for conservative religious types to be exposed to the culture of secular science as well. I mean, even Jesus said, "Be in the world, but not of it" so there is a precedent encouraging cultural awareness even in the Bible. Education isn't about being right, it's about being informed.
It's a shame that everything must be taught as absolute.
Faith is the deep conviction that you're right. Fear is suspicion that others might be.
If I had mod points, I'd promote this to +5 funny. I laughed so hard I farted myself.
***GUARANTEED increase your galaxy by 6,000 light years***
thick and sturdy clusters. ladies love dark matter. hawking beautiful einstein copernicus keppler cassini
jplab buzz lightyear wormhole
[sorry--I couldn't resist]
All you need is duct tape and a solid rocket booster....
I suppose that makes Bill Gates a modern uber-"Robin Hood." He has no problem squeezing corporations, government, and K through higher ed out of billions so that he can give it away.
Will it serve Slurm, too?
Our good friend, Mr. T., needs to pay them a visit to talk about the DOs and DON'Ts of Virtualization...
[not an endorsement for the advertised product--it's just ridiculously funny]
Although the iMac has had its share of quality troubles, the XPS systems have a pretty nasty record for this as well. Caveat emptor.
I think it's the ONLY Chuck Norris book ever--or, at least the only one that sold more than 2 copies. Chuck wants part of the action.
Evidently, Chuck Norris' lawyer causes bank accounts to bleed.
[funny post, btw]