Category Archives: Hollywood

General, Hollywood, lists, Uncategorized

Present In Absence

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I just realized that I haven’t posted in a couple days.  It’s not for lack of work on the site, though.  I’ve been slowly and surely updating some tags and categories on posts that were imported from the old tikiwiki blog (or earlier).  My hope is that those updates will make searching the blog by tag, etc., a little more useful.  Hey, even if it doesn’t end up that way for you, I think it will for me  😛

I am also desperately hoping each day that one of the plugins I use that is holding me back from upgrading to the latest version of WordPress with drop with an update, already.  There are some features in the next iteration that I’m anxious to implement, but it just wouldn’t be senible to do so at this time.  Hence, I check, refresh, check again, and I wait…

Outside of the metablogging, though, what can I tell you about the most recent weekend?  The big BSG finale was on Friday night.  I went over to Jason H’s place to see it with him and Brian.  Jason has the 42″ flatscreen and HD cable, so… it was kind of worth it.  I took a look back at my ‘Final Five Questions‘ from January, and without completely rehashing them, check this out:

  1. Check
  2. Check
  3. Check
  4. Adequate checkitude
  5. Check

I was really satisfied with the finale and didn’t feel like any mysteries were left forgotten or issues left unanswered.  Yes, it is entirely possible that there is something I’m forgetting, but not going to change my mind about the fact that I had a good time with the end of the series.

For those of you that are even kind-of interested in sci-fi and you missed this show, I highly recommend going back to the beginning and checking out the DVDs.  I think you’ll find that it was one of those rare shows that was really solid from top to bottom and start to finish.

Hollywood, The Singularity, Uncategorized

Non-News Reporting

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A harrowing but obvious headline streaked across my New Scientist feed today:

Robotic computer watches your every move

Well, duh.  Not exactly something that I would consider “breaking news.”

Speaking of non-breaking news, looks like we’ll have a group of 3-6 bodies for a Watchmen matinee on Saturday.  Looking forward to it…

Hollywood, Uncategorized

Who Will Help Me Watch The Watchmen?

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The biggest superehero movie geekfest ever is scheduled to drop on 3/6– 9 days from now.  I will be busy on opening day, but I am willing and able to go on Saturday, the 7th.  I think it would be very cool to see this flick at that iPic theater @ Bayshore.  Since you get reserved seats there, and it’s 21+, I would call that the makings of a good time.

I’d love to hear from anyone that might be interested.  There are several showings throughout the day on Saturday, and it looks to cost just 9 bucks for a matinee.  Starting at the 6:30 show, it’s $12.

My copy of the book is in pretty sad shape; I think I’ll try to find a paperback on Amazon or something before next week.  Wondering if Hoping that this flick makes my 2009 as geektastically awesome as The Dark Knight did for 08…

Hollywood, Uncategorized

Oscar Fail

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Despite the effort to get out early and knock out those contending flicks, Jen and I did not see all the Best Pic nominees.  Sadly, then, I cannot reasonably offer any critique or prediction on the outcome Sunday’s show.

On TMJ this morning, they did mention the predictions of some sort of math genius who likes movies and has been mostly spot-on with the “big categories,” over the last few years.  Take that for what you will.

Other than that, I will open it up to you, my comrades, about the nominees you may have seen this year– what are your thoughts?  Here is a quick summary of an Oscar-related talk I had with Schneidie via phone yesterday:

  • Ben Button — really, really, REALLY long.  Gump-ish, which is not necessarily a bad thing; it’s just that Gump has been on cable like twice a week for the last 10 years, so everyone in America has seen it like a million times.
  • Slumdog Millionaire — nice movie.  Truly.  But what’s with all the hubub?  The way some people are talking about it, it BLEW them away in a Star Wars–circa ’77 sort of way.  For the uninformed, they have had motion picture technology in India now for more than a couple decades…

Enjoy the show, if you decide to watch it.  I usually only catch the last 30-40 minutes, then review the recap of winners in the morning.  Maybe I’ll watch The Producers, at home from my Netflix right now…

Hollywood, Uncategorized

(Partially) Swearing Off DVD

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At some point during this week (not sure when, the days and mornings are sort of starting to blend together), I ended up on Amazon browsing at CDs and DVDs.  With so many of my friends and fam now making the jump to BluRay, I realized– maybe I ought to quit buying DVDs (for now) altogether.

Jen agreed that for those films where outstanding picture clarity and sound truly add to the experience, that’s a good idea (your special effects extraveganzas, etc.), but for certain other movies or TV (like The Mosquito Coast, for example, which I’ve got coming next week), it’s probably not vital.  I decided I won’t be collecting any more seasons of Heroes until I’m rockin the BluRay, and ditto for BSG.  There’s just not much point when you know that you’re not getting the best that the current tech has to offer, right?

One point I will not waver on, though, is this: I absolutely refuse to put one more goddamned dime in George frakkin Lucas’s oversized pockets.  I’ve bought your son-of-a-bitchin trilogy 6 times now, Georgey-boy, and that will be quite enough.  I don’t care if the BluRay edition comes with a coupon for a free, lifesize X-Wing fighter replica ((I DO care about that, and if that was the actual offer, I would be at the front of the line.)), I am done.

Meanwhile, speaking of DVDs, I really need to find a reasonably priced storage medium for discs.  Don’t like the clunky (and expensive) cases, so I’d like to get a book.  But what sort of storage capacity do I really need?  That’s the question.

Hey, since YOU went BluRay, which are your favorite movies so far?  Have you caught yourself licking the screen at any point?  That’s kinda gross, dude, but I understand.

"Roll Your Own", General, Hollywood, Uncategorized

Fun With Fonts

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Like 20 thousand other Lifehacker readers, I picked up on this post a couple days ago that mentioned a website where you could generate your own hand-written fonts FOR FREE.  It took about 2 and a half days for the traffic to settle down, but early this morning, I was able to get in there and scan in a few different “Bocko” fonts.  The timing on the post was funny, because I had asked Michelle just a day or two before if she knew how to design one’s own font; I have a couple projects on which I’d like to use my own digital handwriting…

Anyway, I was really impressed with how they turned out.  I even changed a few default fonts on my system to use my new handwritten ones instead; we’ll see how long that lasts before it gets too annoying for words (I have a feeling that the first time someone else comes over to the house and sits down at the computer, we’ll need to switch back to something else.  But I can read these JUST fine…).

On the geeky-website-news front, I was excited to see that there should be a bug-fixing version of WordPress due out soon.  I took a look at the list of tickets that have been closed on version 2.7.1, and it seems like a couple of my plugin problems might get fixed.  I’m anxious because there are a couple new features in the next version I’d like to be able to implement here on the site.  I don’t think I’m going to bother testing the beta, but as soon as there is an official x.x.1 release, I’ll be on it.

On the geeky-television-news front, Jen figures that Sylar’s dad is invisible.  In more ways than one, Jen, in more ways than one…

On the sisters’-bithdays front, Christy is 26 today!!  I talked to her yesterday and mentioned that it’s time to start that next quarter-century– no lookin back now; next stop: 30!  Happy b-day, Kid.

Time to head out to work– have a fabulous Wednesday.

Hollywood, Uncategorized

Gut Reactions

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Jen and I went to Mayfair to watch a couple Best Picture nominees today.  I will have more to say about everything when I get to my final “Oscars Preview” post, but for the time being, these were my initial thoughts:

  • Slumdog Millionaire – Nice movie.  Well-directed.  Interesting for Americans to see for the sake of some exposure to India, but that’s probably most unique thing about it.
  • The Curious Case of Benjamin Button – Long movie.  Very, very long movie.  There’s a decent payoff in the last 30+ minutes, but I don’t think the build-up was worth it.  13 nominations?  Seriously?

Now I am very tired, and I am going to sleep.

Hollywood, Uncategorized

Oscar Time: The Usual Suspects At It Again

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Just to note: There was not a sequel to The Usual Suspects released this year.  If there ever was, I suspect (ha-HA!) that it would NOT receive an Oscar nom.

In terms of the vast majority of nominees for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Actress, though, I am Jack’s total lack of surprise.  Seems like I’ll need to get to work, though, as I have seen zero of the nominees so far.  Major work.  In a profound way.

Off to check the movie listings…

Hollywood, Uncategorized

My Final Five Questions

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Had a good afternoon/evening up in Sheboygan with Petters yesterday.  We re-watched the 10 episodes of BSG, season 4.0.  There were a couple moments where we both said, “oh yeah, I forgot that that happened,” and I think we both enjoyed the opportunity to freshen the whole series in our minds again.  Counting down the days to the “season” premiere on 1/16, then, here are a few questions that I would like to have answered before the series wraps in 10 more ep’s.

Caution to those of you who haven’t see the show yet but might be interested in doing so at some point– there may be some spoliers herein.  Caution to those who don’t give a crap: this is an exceedingly geeky post.

  1. Obviously, who is the Last Cylon? We both noted (and I had forgotten) that D’Anna told Roslin and Adama that the fifth Cylon “[was] not in the fleet.”  So, of course, you have to decide if you want to believe her first, then having done that, who would a shocking, yet familiar Final Face be?  Keep in mind, with the Cylons ability to resurrect only recently trashed, the field is wide open, even to the “deceased.”  A few possibilities (all “not in the fleet”): how about Billy, Zak Adama (don’t ask me how that would work), Joseph Adama, Admiral Cain, or Kendra Shaw?  I think the smart money is on Zak.
  2. Almost as obvious, what happened to Earth, and when did our heroes arrive there? Is it the past, the future, an alternate present?  It’s going to be very interesting to me to see how that shakes out.  I’m also really curious to know when and under what circumstances the Final Five had been there before.
  3. Has Kara Thrace fulfilled her destiny as the cause of mankind’s destruction (maybe her earlier visit to Earth somehow triggered the destruction that they later found there), and if not, will she, and if so, how will that happen?
  4. What is “the truth of the opera house”? I still have no frakkin clue what the real meaning of this vision is.  Sub-question: what will Baltar’s final role be?  Will it be one of redemption, or will he cement his place as the bane of his own species?
  5. The issue didn’t feel that vital as the first half of season 4 wrapped, but as I ponder it, what is the implication of Caprica Six’s pregnancy? I mean, what we’re looking at there is a 100% CYLON CHILD, conceived by natural human means.  Could this child be an even greater harbinger of things to come for the Cylons than Hera Agathon, the human-cylon hybrid?

Looking forward to the premiere next Friday– I’ll be out of town on that day and won’t able to watch it, but you can bet I’ll be catching it on the web as soon as I’m able…