tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19188734019820282182024-03-18T19:52:29.662-07:00Pickled PeanutsEnter the world of my Geeky & Dorky obsessions! I post about the places I go & the things that interest me like comic books, movies, & more.Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-28861176911443629272012-03-30T21:49:00.000-07:002012-03-30T21:49:51.740-07:00Drawing the line at, whatever we feel like?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkgJeLdx991_OctSYzHWDu9V4XRSIs_13oBC-agfzL5k4UXiFkmB1R_6DbAkPexX3V3gHJCZfk2ic2bJ-4XDfKa5qAusL8J1786tUCC9JlM3LLmO-2dzdyOAMe7UpHYDr4VqlHDZXTcA/s1600/Justice_League.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkgJeLdx991_OctSYzHWDu9V4XRSIs_13oBC-agfzL5k4UXiFkmB1R_6DbAkPexX3V3gHJCZfk2ic2bJ-4XDfKa5qAusL8J1786tUCC9JlM3LLmO-2dzdyOAMe7UpHYDr4VqlHDZXTcA/s320/Justice_League.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">DC Comics had a slogan called"Drawing the Line at $2.99", which is a clever way of saying that all of their comics would cost no more than $2.99. This slogan was ushered in January 2011 and phased out right before the revamping of their comics with the New 52 in September of 2011. According to <a href="http://ifanboy.com/articles/is-dcs-drawing-the-line-at-2-99-making-a-difference/" target="_blank">sales figures</a>, the campaign had no affect on DC sales. While the slogan may have disappeared as had the prospect of increased profits, the actual pricing of many DC comics remained 2.99. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">DC's flagship title, Justice League (JL) costs $3.99. This is the same as some of their more popular titles such as Batman. JL is drawn by DC's visionary leader Jim Lee and was the first comic released for the New 52 line. Less popular titles of the New 52 line are still priced at the $2.99 mark. This difference in pricing had me wonder why some of the DC comics are priced at 3.99 while others at 2.99. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://ifanboy.com/articles/is-dcs-drawing-the-line-at-2-99-making-a-difference/" target="_blank">iFanboy</a> website laid out some solid reasoning as to why the $2.99 price tag was done away with, such as someone who doesn't normally read a comic would see 2.99 be just as expensive as 3.99 in light of how much time per $ they would receive in entertainment. I would add that the retention of the $2.99 price tag is in effect for less popular titles as a way to encourage new readers on board. These are the readers that already buy comics on a weekly basis and acts as a low price point to entice them to try a new title. If the title becomes more popular (as a result of the low price acting as a lure), then I would wager the price tag would jump to the $3.99 mark. Another reason for the price differences is that there is likely a difference in the artist's page fees. Every artist employed by the big companies such as DC and Marvel are paid per page they draw. Better and hence more popular artists can command higher page rates than less skilled and hence less well known artists. These lesser known artists often draw fledgling comics and hence the production costs for these comics is also less. The idea of different page rates would explain why Jim Lee's JL costs more than say Supergirl who is illustrated by Mike Johnson (who by-the-by does produce some great art but isn't as well known as Jim Lee).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The topic of the New 52 also reminds me that the majority of the initial story arcs have now ended. Out of the 52 new comics released back in September of 2011, I have continued reading roughly 6 on a regular basis and occasionally grabbed a few issues of about 3 or 4 others, but find myself always a few issues behind on them. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyReepDYwOvBDkph4aBQOxH0bAfiAx85ZzEyZJosnt3hHilmlGRY57rP4LBMMW2zojZtak_s8-NNQRBlKV4FV6W5WobZDtaMSri166SEly6APhJ07MWsKP84Hpg5lHg5o3xIXLXFYGaA/s1600/Justice-League-1-Geoff-Johns-Jim-Lee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVyReepDYwOvBDkph4aBQOxH0bAfiAx85ZzEyZJosnt3hHilmlGRY57rP4LBMMW2zojZtak_s8-NNQRBlKV4FV6W5WobZDtaMSri166SEly6APhJ07MWsKP84Hpg5lHg5o3xIXLXFYGaA/s200/Justice-League-1-Geoff-Johns-Jim-Lee.jpg" width="132" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lee's cover for JL</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGw_CTV7AiTzdIi7VY4TqHGi1GHBKWSLmf4kPj6kbnNy2JJWvRRbib7-9JzQz3Q4CixxrVSDDQasHpM0A-Sg8_LyXggoOaXtuPtsRy38XO4vC4CtWYcNleJQCkApBJftbP81HKAjwct4/s1600/daredevil09-large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGw_CTV7AiTzdIi7VY4TqHGi1GHBKWSLmf4kPj6kbnNy2JJWvRRbib7-9JzQz3Q4CixxrVSDDQasHpM0A-Sg8_LyXggoOaXtuPtsRy38XO4vC4CtWYcNleJQCkApBJftbP81HKAjwct4/s200/daredevil09-large.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mack cover for DD</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Justice League is the first of the New DC comics to complete its initial story arc while it seems that most of the others are about 1 or 2 issues away from doing the same. I have been pretty pleased with the comics that I have continued reading except for Green Lantern, which has a sluggish story and I am still mystified (to put it kindly) as to why nothing in the character's life had changed following the Flashpoint series. As to the Justice League story, I was immediately enamored by the highly skilled line work of Jim Lee. His art is still one of the finest in the realm of comics, although at times it is more flashy than substance unlike other artists such as David Mack. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKbs7LW5dxvT_thj5oJlXvQoyP7NK3d_nQuTcHhrAihEJf-LB4i5JJydwGYfZhCiu3P8dOtXPs1HCaaREY6fdExc7E8zQmj0L2vAU_CHr00-LdoktQg_btbYqjED04IeXOrCSvawujyNg/s1600/JUSTICE-LEAGUE-1-JIM-LEE-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKbs7LW5dxvT_thj5oJlXvQoyP7NK3d_nQuTcHhrAihEJf-LB4i5JJydwGYfZhCiu3P8dOtXPs1HCaaREY6fdExc7E8zQmj0L2vAU_CHr00-LdoktQg_btbYqjED04IeXOrCSvawujyNg/s320/JUSTICE-LEAGUE-1-JIM-LEE-3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2 pages from JL featuring smashy-smash panels & no dialogue</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">The initial story arc of Justice League was interesting because it rapidly brought the team together as the evil Darkseid made a play at taking over the world. This brought us some spectacular fight scenes that utilized Lee's art to the fullest. However, the context of the story was rushed leaving myself wondering <i>why</i> Darkseid was doing any of this; I'm sorry, but a reason of 'he's just evil' does not always cut it. In the end, there really wasn't much of a story that Geoff Johns brought to the starting plate of Justice League. We were really only handed a beautifully drawn six issues of fight scenes where the characters clumsily found themselves brought together as a means to stay alive during Darkseid's devastating attack in America, which by-the-way is where apparently every extraterrestrial /demon likes to invade the world. I can only hope that from issue 7 on we see an actual story somewhere in the pages of Justice League. Otherwise, I may only regularly be collecting 5 comics from DC. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Well, I think I rambled along enough here. Suffice to say that I understand (for the most part) why companies like DC charge different prices for their comics but that doesn't mean I like it. And speaking of not liking something, I really hope that an actual story with a plot emerges in JL. While I love Jim Lee's explosive fight sequenced paneling, I would also love to know who these characters are!</div>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-78132706276803708412012-03-29T21:35:00.001-07:002012-03-29T21:36:32.508-07:00Vote for What Could Become the Next Lego Set!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDv3p04cqNKTushZiA-0wBVxX9lE8ntbCNunK2f4ndTzn197eRyhnM-KZU_CzuDkbf-m3CLuVBPv_VmRz7Yxp83aaZqA4oDnqT-7dcYxQBjWg_e_vu2uUiGABNUXwLPbBhT2SUwOFKI0/s1600/LEGO-CUUSOO-Hayabusa-21101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDv3p04cqNKTushZiA-0wBVxX9lE8ntbCNunK2f4ndTzn197eRyhnM-KZU_CzuDkbf-m3CLuVBPv_VmRz7Yxp83aaZqA4oDnqT-7dcYxQBjWg_e_vu2uUiGABNUXwLPbBhT2SUwOFKI0/s200/LEGO-CUUSOO-Hayabusa-21101.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1 Idea Lego has already made a reality!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">So a friend off of facebook posted about a website where people post their ideas for new Lego sets, called <a href="http://lego.cuusoo.com/#" target="_blank">LEGO CUUSOO</a>. These ideas are then voted upon by anonymous internet peeps and voila! the most voted for idea might be picked up by Lego! If Lego does decide on making your creation into a reality, then you will receive a 1% royalty from the total net sales. Pretty damn cool if you ask me!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Aes0B9mIzHiLUiC3fVqDWD8vyz9WA6aQQxpm84wQYmMNX_mu6xNqnvXnD1Hl_vkwcLfdwNBQqkgqxduAreALHTJs7RpQ4fSe9IPlXXK2lxI08DGYG5EhiaUbgovogQBe2gpX0kfa8xs/s1600/thumb640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Aes0B9mIzHiLUiC3fVqDWD8vyz9WA6aQQxpm84wQYmMNX_mu6xNqnvXnD1Hl_vkwcLfdwNBQqkgqxduAreALHTJs7RpQ4fSe9IPlXXK2lxI08DGYG5EhiaUbgovogQBe2gpX0kfa8xs/s200/thumb640.jpg" width="200" /></a>What makes this site even more interesting is that upon voting you are asked a series of short marketing questions, such as your gender and how much you'd pay for a set like the one you are voting on. This information is then used to influence Lego's decision. The questions are also not invasive so as to encourage people to answer truthfully. Overall the site gives me the feeling that the ideas that you are voting on could truly become a reality in the land of shiny bricks and cylindrical heads!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxbpD-IUmgiHraVfPHs6WSd3dnH4eOeVAMIRyUfROFQMDm4wxFI8gNK2ByrzFCAVfeCYbvj4GAkTZyOU4cxylG2Moe2hfREWMFBXBugNCD8nkcv3HhYlRkwAZ2FiPEhDeQuMpnbIRoXk/s1600/thumb640x360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxbpD-IUmgiHraVfPHs6WSd3dnH4eOeVAMIRyUfROFQMDm4wxFI8gNK2ByrzFCAVfeCYbvj4GAkTZyOU4cxylG2Moe2hfREWMFBXBugNCD8nkcv3HhYlRkwAZ2FiPEhDeQuMpnbIRoXk/s200/thumb640x360.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The downside to this site is that it appears to be swamped with ideas inspired by previous properties. Almost every idea is related to either this movie or that, or this comic book character or that. While I have nothing bad to say against a Lego product designed around <a href="http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/96" target="_blank">Back to the Future</a> or <a href="http://lego.cuusoo.com/ideas/view/7451" target="_blank">Shaun of the Dead</a> (both of which I voted for), I did nonetheless wish for something a bit more creative. I greatly enjoyed seeing the ideas for various architectural feats but again I think the ideas could be bolder and more original. To be fair, an untested idea is a much more risky venture for a company as known properties like Harry Potter and Star Wars already have a well cultivated fan base to draw from. Nonetheless, I hope to see more creative and original ideas pop up on this site.</div>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-52195113061033103242012-02-20T00:56:00.000-08:002012-02-20T00:56:42.575-08:00Where's my Star War's Styled 3D Glasses<div style="text-align: justify;">I went to see Star Wars: A Phantom Menace in 3D on it's opening weekend because I love Star Wars and wanted to relive the experience of seeing the movie on a big screen with a bunch of strangers. Kinda creepy right? Well, I did bring a friend and I was after some of the free Star Wars swag they were to give out during the opening weekend. That makes it better right? Right.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8h3DpvUKuZzwT6RQDhk8d_RruT67tJqybE8wmcq4hInA12Y3DtmGGwaxKwuFd8Ff_2xO2iyJHaox2D-8oBX10qDJUxcrurGkVIagCm3D20n0FxrxDMLJeEqkpnE0S1ky7s1L7CT3KQRs/s1600/MarketSaw_01+Jan.+23+19.06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8h3DpvUKuZzwT6RQDhk8d_RruT67tJqybE8wmcq4hInA12Y3DtmGGwaxKwuFd8Ff_2xO2iyJHaox2D-8oBX10qDJUxcrurGkVIagCm3D20n0FxrxDMLJeEqkpnE0S1ky7s1L7CT3KQRs/s200/MarketSaw_01+Jan.+23+19.06.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I had seen numerous adds on TV and the internet proclaiming that Darth Maul styled 3D glasses and Star Wars themed toys would be given out to those going to see the movie on its opening weekend. I thought this was great and am a sucker for anything Star Wars related, not to mention 'free'. Apparently I was taken as a sucker as none of this was offered when I went! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNirhzvLIkTpqxsza7EjD5EAJGXEsh4uV0T0VXj6ZZ4Tettnr5vr74_v9MkeDTytE6V4fK0zReJ9EJ-_yC1c-n3UXrHdOV6HzlpO8344fMVlnvqsWMQgDIZqoyOHDTIlVxwuDXuJ0p3Y/s1600/RealD_DM_Glasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="81" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNirhzvLIkTpqxsza7EjD5EAJGXEsh4uV0T0VXj6ZZ4Tettnr5vr74_v9MkeDTytE6V4fK0zReJ9EJ-_yC1c-n3UXrHdOV6HzlpO8344fMVlnvqsWMQgDIZqoyOHDTIlVxwuDXuJ0p3Y/s200/RealD_DM_Glasses.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQCPcatVApp_2dOQOLIYlercqt9RrvTTaAW7ecCgfWDL8Y-x0VWCflodGp5k2RalBPW57UfE_nGD_P_C5o0CIEqrLy621jT0sZQxX62NblTVRHB82pKH6rTWZwcq_Iy8cc0NeioNlj0c/s1600/Image.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQCPcatVApp_2dOQOLIYlercqt9RrvTTaAW7ecCgfWDL8Y-x0VWCflodGp5k2RalBPW57UfE_nGD_P_C5o0CIEqrLy621jT0sZQxX62NblTVRHB82pKH6rTWZwcq_Iy8cc0NeioNlj0c/s200/Image.aspx.jpeg" width="200" /></a>I bought my tickets online to assure myself and my friend the best seats in the house and came extra early to take it all in! I usually hate opening weekends because of the crowds but figured I'd be surrounded by fellow Star Wars fans and that this would make it OK. I was correct on this account but was wrong about there being free Star Wars swag. There were no Star Wars 3D glasses or toys! The people working at the theater -Chinook Cineplex in Calgary Alberta- were unaware of such things and I felt like someone who just bought a Darth Vader mask thinking it would have sound effects; sure the helmet may still look cool but it would've been cooler with the sound effects! All I can figure is that these offers were only valid in the States (in particular at AMC movie chains), which pisses me off to no end because I am sick of specials such as this being offered only in the States. Canadians spend more per person than the average American! We deserve to be provided the same incentives as Americans! Now I'm left without these useless trinkets that likely would've found their way to the depths of a cardboard box in a matter of weeks! Gah!</div>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-85464653214203294872012-02-06T21:50:00.000-08:002012-02-06T21:50:44.298-08:00Star Wars Burgers Make a Disturbance in my Belly!<div style="text-align: center;">Would I buy it, sure! Would I regret, you bet! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">So in celebration /capitalization on the upcoming release of Star Wars in 3D, the fast food chain <i>Quick</i> has released a Star Wars themed burger. I'm just afraid of what they did to make the burger bun black.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIeeJAYGPssdp-qo7cGG0973AhCOVfdHl2zrjyitY-U3OdlAqYoN20WqGLcSpW5UaVhs9bsVemY16ZZfv8Vec-dygRVlgdNS3ovBkWNJYVlmU3Sceib609Qf-oIVOoySGb0_6hBfebi0k/s1600/starwars_burger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIeeJAYGPssdp-qo7cGG0973AhCOVfdHl2zrjyitY-U3OdlAqYoN20WqGLcSpW5UaVhs9bsVemY16ZZfv8Vec-dygRVlgdNS3ovBkWNJYVlmU3Sceib609Qf-oIVOoySGb0_6hBfebi0k/s320/starwars_burger.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-51539894816704628352012-02-06T21:45:00.000-08:002012-02-06T21:45:12.511-08:00Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace in 3D!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIfiT1uPIuWbb2GrI06J5-n2wNw_E3ez9_Gc0HEgzIuedZH7NWPLXO-ta9cU0sCUgG-5iOZKmnrIvNH3Yrm0E5W4SGoq4PrPZHt8upYPWkZ4sbAL1xmZRs92_j7Y26QmJXfy3e6dnmjA/s1600/star_wars_episode_one_the_phantom_menace_3d_movie_poster_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHIfiT1uPIuWbb2GrI06J5-n2wNw_E3ez9_Gc0HEgzIuedZH7NWPLXO-ta9cU0sCUgG-5iOZKmnrIvNH3Yrm0E5W4SGoq4PrPZHt8upYPWkZ4sbAL1xmZRs92_j7Y26QmJXfy3e6dnmjA/s320/star_wars_episode_one_the_phantom_menace_3d_movie_poster_01.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I think that many Star Wars fans are not too interested in the re-release of episode I despite it's graphics update into the realm of 3D magic. As we are all painfully aware, there is little that can be done to erase the painful performance by Jake Lloyd, who portrayed a young Anakin Skywalker, or the searing comedic talent of Ahmed best, who voiced the zany Jar Jar. On the bright side, episode one has some amazing chase scenes and action sequences thanks to the uber talented Ray Park, who of course played Darth Maul. I will still fork over the cash to see this movie because I am a sucker for special affects and am too obsessed with Star Wars to pass this opportunity by. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDKAMCpq8IsJKmaEDIBROf-jmzIKoKIWM2Lc8i2B47hZKnl29hJ6tyboQAMrMXkESvHZ8H7h0YdM2GRktllW1VUBB4O1kPWUe6-yRY4p8VD4v_X-G1WuLu7pDoI_i6T5woVNgeZCmGuI/s1600/star-wars-in-3d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDKAMCpq8IsJKmaEDIBROf-jmzIKoKIWM2Lc8i2B47hZKnl29hJ6tyboQAMrMXkESvHZ8H7h0YdM2GRktllW1VUBB4O1kPWUe6-yRY4p8VD4v_X-G1WuLu7pDoI_i6T5woVNgeZCmGuI/s200/star-wars-in-3d.jpg" width="200" /></a>Recently, Mike Ryan of Moviefone website published a story that unearthed rumors that swirled the interweb before episode I came out. Some of the rumors are pretty weak but there are a few that would have made the movie much more interesting, particular where Darth Maul would have been Kenobi's clone. Pretty neat idea right? Well, <a href="http://news.moviefone.com/mike-ryan/star-wars-the-phantom-menace-rumors_b_1257668.html?_r=true" target="_blank">follow the link here</a> to read the rest of these unearthed rumors. Also, the one rumor I remember is the one that came from a trailer for episode III. Footage of the Millennium Falcon, Bubba Fett, and Chewbacca (not from the final Kashyk scene) were shown. I've met a few other people that remember this trailer and recalled that it played for only a short time; really it was more of a teaser trailer. However, no one seems to know why the footage was not used in the final film. Anyone out there with any ideas about it? I've also never seen this trailer again and would love to know if it exists somewhere out there in the web!</div>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-3266293948883835982012-02-04T22:19:00.000-08:002012-02-04T22:31:03.652-08:00Not All Girls Bring You Lasagna...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIJNkUsOxZr8oDc10AFIRvuBebYk1QQJCTqniuUNLjBH_VNurTt7uRFGlIj4CqcvotrxxFH3SolRpH9lyq9nB5YsnHQUzUUBmurzullk2zfI0LiS3cEP2GCZuDVphOTDXaxabCR6vOlg/s1600/star-wars-wedding-pic-mike-walker-m-and-y-621225324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxIJNkUsOxZr8oDc10AFIRvuBebYk1QQJCTqniuUNLjBH_VNurTt7uRFGlIj4CqcvotrxxFH3SolRpH9lyq9nB5YsnHQUzUUBmurzullk2zfI0LiS3cEP2GCZuDVphOTDXaxabCR6vOlg/s200/star-wars-wedding-pic-mike-walker-m-and-y-621225324.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My wife and I never signed prenuptials before marrying. We've been happily married for almost 7 years. Thankfully she tolerates my geeky obsessions and has even joined me in the dark side for a few of them. Some marriages, however, can be strained by geeky obsessions, like any other obsession such as sports or video games. The result of a strained marriage can mean a messy divorce where the geeky life-long collection of toys or comics comes to an end. In these cases prenups would have been ideal.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Irp9dv6iADftihztro4Rs8eUbardK-JGTwO7rXSC_uAgg1lD3MfB_7rYs5nMtIngpM0W3q5CNRcFZghziAacL5mrPQTPhPzQYGZOlw_gyU13O3Nw4VCvo2XY1qwUJSkuLwnNmvvltfg/s1600/trekguy01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Irp9dv6iADftihztro4Rs8eUbardK-JGTwO7rXSC_uAgg1lD3MfB_7rYs5nMtIngpM0W3q5CNRcFZghziAacL5mrPQTPhPzQYGZOlw_gyU13O3Nw4VCvo2XY1qwUJSkuLwnNmvvltfg/s200/trekguy01.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From SF website.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">An article from the website <a href="http://sciencefiction.com/2012/01/25/jaw-dropping-custom-star-trek-home-destroyed-in-the-wake-of-a-divorce/">Science Fiction</a> recently posted a story about Tony Alleyne, of England, who lost his customized flat to his ex-wife. This was no ordinary flat but one that was personally customized into a replica of the star ship Voyager! Tony had, with incredible patience and skill, transformed his flat into a real-life Trekie dream, minus the warp drive! The verdict from his long divorce showed that it was his wife that actually owned the flat he had transformed into a piece of Star Trek heaven. So with this decision, Tony was forced into destroying all his customized Trekie embellishments. In all, Tony had spent over $150,000 US and 16 years to create this 'man cave' fit for Captain Janeway herself, only to see it disappear the same way his marriage had!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDMWyZDkQAXpUlZ2CKQvvjiyrJ7rLsAdb8B8jT-jS67A_3-Ga6iPBrlTgdQGOKAaaN1hSrSudK59DBB2RfNhKMtRcA6tpB9s7uNuye179qaUH39hCrHFB_11sfIu0RaWHWyTveHU_Wkk/s1600/starwarsfigures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsDMWyZDkQAXpUlZ2CKQvvjiyrJ7rLsAdb8B8jT-jS67A_3-Ga6iPBrlTgdQGOKAaaN1hSrSudK59DBB2RfNhKMtRcA6tpB9s7uNuye179qaUH39hCrHFB_11sfIu0RaWHWyTveHU_Wkk/s200/starwarsfigures.jpg" width="173" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From SF website.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Not to be outdone was an earlier story (also posted on <a href="http://sciencefiction.com/2012/01/10/a-fanboys-ex-wife-tosses-his-entire-star-wars-collection-in-the-garbage/">Science Fiction</a>) where a man was kicked out of the house by his ex-girlfriend. She piled and bagged up his life's collection of Star Wars collectibles and threw them out into the neighbouring alleyway. Blessed with clear skies and two working arms, the man hurried to save his collection. While I feel for this guy in the way of having a life's collection being put in jeopardy, I feel more strongly that if he had put as much gusto into his relationship that he now (presumably) would not be back to living in his parent's basement. I would say the same argument goes for Mr. Alleyne but to be fair the story of these two men's actual relationships is left unsaid, except (and it is telling) that the stories never mentioned if these men were in new relationships.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The moral of these two stories is that if you are entering a serious relationship and have a geeky passion, you must then make a decision! Before entering a serious relationship, decide what is more important: your geeky obsession or your relationship with your significant other. If it is your obsession that wins out, then make sure you have prenups in hand because chances are your serious, real-life relationship will falter. A good relationship is built on love, respect and to devoting time to being with one another. In this case, the second option is to continue your geeky obsessions with a modest amount of restraint and understanding that <i>it</i> is not the most important component to your life. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Personally, I love my geeky obsessions such as Lego, comic books, and science-fiction movies. However, it is the relationship with my wife that means more. It is for this reason that my wife has shown interest in my hobbies, as I have shown interest in her's. A solid relationship is built on understanding what is truly important, which I suppose is something that neither of the men in the two stories above understood before they entered serious relationships. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So to all the geeks in relationships out there, remember that it's easier to replace a collectible than it is a relationship! Don't take it fore-granted!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qE-2CB2uEys?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">The wise Silent Bob (Clerks) sums it up best.</div>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-12835324429396016792012-02-03T06:02:00.000-08:002012-02-03T06:02:51.543-08:00Lego is for Everyone: Awseom Time-Lapse Vid of Building Millennium Falcon<div style="text-align: justify;">Lego is for everyone! On <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/randav/star-wars-lego-millenium-falcon-build-2woa">BuzzFeed</a> I came across a cool time-lapse video of someone building the 9-14, 1254 piece Lego Millennium Falcon set! The host says it took her 4 hours to complete and I am beset with envy! Thinking of my own Lego sets, I don't think I own anything in the 1,000 piece mark. Cool video to watch.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/gi_1gwKfQzM/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gi_1gwKfQzM&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gi_1gwKfQzM&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><br />
<span id="goog_1933009850"></span><span id="goog_1933009851"></span>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-3816398875023724732012-01-31T08:17:00.000-08:002012-01-31T08:17:37.305-08:00More Lord of the Rings Lego news!<div style="text-align: justify;">The awesomeness that will be "Lord of the Rings <i>LEGO</i>" continues! Recently, images of the principle mini-figures and some set names were released. The set names, along with the mini-figures included, were leaked and hence unofficial. The photos for the mini-figures, however, were officially released by LEGO. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I am ecstatic about these new sets but am still confused why they wouldn't start with sets that would tie into the Hobbit movie. I think they should definitely produce sets for the trilogy but it would make more sense to begin with the first book to keep the sets in a more chronological order. It also stands to reason that MGM Studios and Peter Jackson would've preferred a toy licence with Lego that had them first make Hobbit sets. </div><br />
<u>List of set names:</u><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001392/" itemprop="director"></a>- "Gandalf Arrives" – Minifigures: Gandalf, Frodo<br />
- "Shelob Attacks" – Minifigures: Samwise, Frodo, Gollum<br />
- "Uruk-hai Army" – Minifigures: x4 Uruk-hai with a siege crossbow, x1 Rohirrim Soldier, x1 Rider Of Rohan with his horse<br />
- "Attack On Weathertop"- Minifigures: Samwise, Frodo, Aragon, x2 Nazgul<br />
- "Mines Of Moria" – Minifigures: Frogo, Gimli, Legolas, Boromir, x2 Goblins, x2 Skeletons, Cave Troll<br />
- "The Battle Of Helms Deep" – Minifigures: Aragon, Gimli, Legolas, Theoden, x5 Uruk-hai<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNn80jqvlFhESztBoILwVyph3yLtLL7kELQLCvpC3lNQ1aKyJVPgkMlFnam-EAc0T7xLMhkrH3lH7DUYYqEBuN8o4Qrv4IgvptYeK2IPIPx8-ug6MnIWZPqxWfXzstEvauwR0ch51-cE/s1600/ea77d27b6c9823ef954da35e23a9f9f7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDNn80jqvlFhESztBoILwVyph3yLtLL7kELQLCvpC3lNQ1aKyJVPgkMlFnam-EAc0T7xLMhkrH3lH7DUYYqEBuN8o4Qrv4IgvptYeK2IPIPx8-ug6MnIWZPqxWfXzstEvauwR0ch51-cE/s320/ea77d27b6c9823ef954da35e23a9f9f7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFGobH-SfniweC-AHUgLajzx7d2xU8uX6uLLf4qAjHK5Wg_5t-23ukzYf3bNjojc-nNvPQI97Jk3BSYgQNulQG2J9UPLGkujreJ9opQzXTCRSEBeQJYQjoeGGN7uhkiJaXdkOq4iPkeg/s1600/a2c8b689537fd3eea6b7fec95da5d7bd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFGobH-SfniweC-AHUgLajzx7d2xU8uX6uLLf4qAjHK5Wg_5t-23ukzYf3bNjojc-nNvPQI97Jk3BSYgQNulQG2J9UPLGkujreJ9opQzXTCRSEBeQJYQjoeGGN7uhkiJaXdkOq4iPkeg/s320/a2c8b689537fd3eea6b7fec95da5d7bd.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfTZCmbAeAbmwYyIKRj4cRgI39RcG5YKHz4gpsz9c0C3BWIG7kxwAPJ7zDMkPx9AEpfKktyxs4dE5TGeaJ0RHyc5PZq6zcI6wfeC7018Vd9EIDATM2by99g71h8BfNZ3YRZzfRnMUFz8/s1600/fc85ceaa8a39402cb63196f8b3ebbce6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfTZCmbAeAbmwYyIKRj4cRgI39RcG5YKHz4gpsz9c0C3BWIG7kxwAPJ7zDMkPx9AEpfKktyxs4dE5TGeaJ0RHyc5PZq6zcI6wfeC7018Vd9EIDATM2by99g71h8BfNZ3YRZzfRnMUFz8/s320/fc85ceaa8a39402cb63196f8b3ebbce6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-27651994714252198782012-01-26T09:40:00.000-08:002012-01-26T09:40:41.160-08:00Lepors & Pirates<div style="text-align: justify;">A new claymation movie entitled <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1430626/"><i>Pirates! Band of Misfits</i></a> is set to be released on April 27th, 2012. The movie is produced by Aardman Animation, the same company that brought us British claymation gems like <i>Wallace and Gromit</i> and <i>Chicken Run</i>. Recently, the movie has come under fire from Leprosy Advocacy groups because of a scene where the Pirate captain boards a boat that turns out to be filled with lepers. <a href="http://www.movies.com/movie-news/leprosy-groups-upset-over-controversial-scene-39the-pirates-band-misfits39/6335?_r=true">According to the angered advocacy groups</a>, a particular comedic scene that involved a leper loosing his arm only helps to further the stigma of the disease (movie trailer below). </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/iiQNvcYlZVg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.ilep.org.uk/facts-about-leprosy/">Leprosy</a> (also known as Hansen's disease) is a disease that continues to ravage people across the globe. Leprosy is curable with the treatment of several drugs over a period of months to years, with vital importance being placed on early diagnosis. Leprosy is uncommon in wealthy nations but is common in poorer nations such as India and across Africa. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I did not agree with the outright removal of this scene by leprosy groups, but instead felt that this was an instance of both PC gone a muck and a huge missed opportunity by leprosy groups, as contradictory as it may sound. What I mean by this is that political correctness in this case had the result of stripping the subject entirely away from the a source that potentially could have brought greater exposure to the disease -<i>Pirates: Band of Misfits</i>. A joke, that by appearance in the trailer suggested it had made light of the issue but did not seem to be maleficent in nature towards those afflicted with the disease. The missed opportunity here was huge. Instead of stripping the joke away, leprosy advocacy groups could instead have encouraged Aardman Animation to include a short trailer that educated the audience about the disease. This trailer could have been shown right before the movie and mentions the joke within the trailer, instructing the audience how leprosy is actually a current disease where funding is greatly needed for medicine and research. The result of this missed opportunity would be to educate millions of people across the world about the current issues involved with leprosy and perhaps have an added benefit of gaining new benefactors through those watching the film.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The common saying <i>"there's no such thing as bad publicity"</i> does not apply here. All that has happened here is bad publicity for leprosy advocacy groups because of their missed opportunity to promote their cause and that they chose a fight with a children's animated movie. What furthers the situation is that a particular individual from <a href="http://www.leprosymission.org.uk/about/people.aspx"><i>The Leprosy Mission</i></a> has made it her goal to connect with anyone who disagrees with the removal of this scene. This lawyer, a miss Sian Arulanatham, is the Head of Programs for the mission and a self-proclaimed <i>Human Rights Defender</i> according to her <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/SianTLMEW">Twitter account</a>. Sian sends personal insults and accusations to people who criticize this move by leprosy groups on Twitter. Below is the Twitter exchange between myslef and miss Arulanatham.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong></strong></strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong></strong></strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong></strong></strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong></strong></strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong></strong></strong></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><strong><strong><a href="http://www.leprosymission.org.uk/about/sian.aspx" shape="rect" target="_self"><strong></strong></a></strong></strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hTA9MnKhq-gI_zxlWk374vukj9PONyYs7vpmLefEbm5e4R5fQxY4vX8ddb0zOop9Ob-ThWrP990sQZiAH2cd07DpXvoaxKMpFhhNlKeh-TPkyYcaEsz7EnxeL6MrTHSUnRSetXYmks4/s1600/lepor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hTA9MnKhq-gI_zxlWk374vukj9PONyYs7vpmLefEbm5e4R5fQxY4vX8ddb0zOop9Ob-ThWrP990sQZiAH2cd07DpXvoaxKMpFhhNlKeh-TPkyYcaEsz7EnxeL6MrTHSUnRSetXYmks4/s320/lepor.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The part that annoyed me the most about miss Arulanatham's Tweets was that she turned my criticism of a situation into a personal insult and assumed a lot about someone she had never met. In her first Tweet she wrote "clearly you have not experienced such suffering". Such attacks on people via the social network does no one any good and in fact it ultimately hurts the institution /beliefs you represent, in this case leprosy advocacy groups. In fact, this runs counter to what the leprosy advocacy groups were saying in the first place: that <i>Pirates</i> had made the joke a personal matter against those afflicted with leprosy, or in another words a joke is not funny when it comes at the expense of someone. Furthermore, her Tweet would suggest that only those that have been affect by 'suffering' can understand leprosy. Does this mean that my opinions mean less because I have not 'suffered' enough according to her vague criteria.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">I truly hope that the Leprosy Mission rethinks who they have representing them through social media networks and also rethinks how they want to go about creating social awareness for their cause. Via attacking children's movies and forming personal attacks on people through social media venues, groups such as the Leprosy Mission will never achieve the positive exposure that I believe they are ultimately seeking. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">I believe that issues such as leprosy deserve attention and illustrate a true tragedy in this world since it is a problem that can be solved. We have the medication but for various reasons it is not being dealt to those suffering with the problems. What is disheartening is that the groups that supposedly stand to help and be the voice for those ailing with leprosy are instead more concerned with how a children's movie is going to depict the disease and how a few people on Twitter disagreed with their stance against the said movie. <br />
</div>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-18811941094405953362012-01-24T08:52:00.000-08:002012-01-24T08:52:49.865-08:00My Problems with the 2012 Oscar Nominations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46H9n8CEaOSOWwtvLmzfhD54uJIh6kq3zU0ONwTj_hhOaiWTXrYwUJYiRMjlxk3j1YRU0dLzk0mSGXAkk5nMQAd8EolO_FSlEIlBntnRHi9zobGxU7keprbtYsq4UPRXmez44MeyH8j0/s1600/oscars-statues-image-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46H9n8CEaOSOWwtvLmzfhD54uJIh6kq3zU0ONwTj_hhOaiWTXrYwUJYiRMjlxk3j1YRU0dLzk0mSGXAkk5nMQAd8EolO_FSlEIlBntnRHi9zobGxU7keprbtYsq4UPRXmez44MeyH8j0/s320/oscars-statues-image-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Oscar Nominations were listed today and right away I found myself angry! Below are my problems with the list and my opinion on who will win according to their list. <a href="http://oscar.go.com/nominees">The full list of 2012 Oscar Nominations can be found here.</a><br />
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1. Why were there only 9 films chosen for Best Picture? <i>50/50, Ides of March, Crazy Stupid Love, Young Adult</i>, and <i>Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</i> are all real contenders for the spot of 10th film nod. <i>Artist</i> will win, but <i>Hugo</i> deserves to win.<br />
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2. Best Actor category filled with award favorites, not necessarily best actors. Leonardo Dicaprio (<i>J. Edgar</i>) and Joseph Gordan Levitt (<i>50/50</i>) should have been included over Brad Pitt. Clooney, Pitt, and Oldman all delivered adequate performances (Oldman perhaps the best), but Dujardin (<i>The Artist</i>) will win. Levitt should have been nominated and won.<br />
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3. Best Actress category is filled with incredible performances. There were handfuls of strong leading ladies this year and while some were left out, they were not substituted by weaker actresses unlike the best male actor category -however, I would have liked to have seen Theron (<i>Young Adult</i>) nominated somehow. Meryl Streep will win, and probably should win.<br />
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4. Supporting Actor category has two inclusions that take away from more deserving actors. Jonah Hill (<i>Moneyball</i>), in particular, delivered a strong but not award winning performance. Sacha Baron Cohen (<i>Hugo</i>), however, did. Christopher Plummer will win, but Cohen should win.<br />
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5. I have no issues with the Best Supporting Actress category. Lots of great female actors this year and it is difficult to choose who was best. I think Octavia Spencer (<i>The Help</i>) will win, but I have to admit to not seeing the <i>Artist</i> yet.<br />
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6. Honestly, this was not a terribly strong year for animated movies. From the Oscar list I have only seen two of the nominations, <i>Rango</i> and <i>Kung Fu Panda 2</i>, which neither were all that special. What I do find notable is that<i> Cars 2</i> was not nominated. This makes it the first time Pixar has not been nominated, and from what I hear from reviewers, they didn't deserve a nomination anyways.<br />
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7. In the Best Director category we see David Fincher again being snubbed. I think Fincher and Christopher Nolan need to start up their own self-help <i>I got snubbed by the Oscars again</i> club! Scorsese for Hugo is a shoe-in for winning the award, but Hazanavicius and Payne may give him a run for his money. Overall, a lot of strong contenders.<br />
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8. Best Original Score overlooked Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross' amazing soundtrack for <i>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</i>. It's a real shame because Reznor and Ross produced an amazing soundtrack that added depth to each scene of the movie. <i>Tintin</i> is the obvious choice for me as to who should not have been included in the list, but I think the <i>Artist</i> will win as it is a silent movie and therefore the soundtrack becomes that much more obvious and important.<br />
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9. How can there be only TWO nominations for Best Original Song? How? Was there really only two good original songs this year? Bullshit! I'm sure Elton John had at least ONE decent song from <i>Nomeo and Juliet</i>! Plus, <i>The Muppets</i> was loaded with awesome songs! <i>Muppets</i> will easily win.<br />
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10. Best Adapted Screen Play makes a HUGE omission by not including <i>Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</i>. Huge mistake! My money is on <i>Hugo</i> winning.<br />
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11. Best Original Screen Play also made HUGE omissions by not including <i>Young Adult</i> and <i>50/50</i>! <br />
Either one of these movies could have won, but as it stands I would have to choose <i>Midnight in Paris</i>.Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-58648656210253042842012-01-23T22:44:00.000-08:002012-01-23T22:44:41.162-08:00Star Wars: The Next Generation, Blue Ray Release<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2NqvTtnCqdQ9O2LmuljU8__Rs5DO0bivC76cGAfXQW_635-1PzO08eKCTbj5HmvLw9Lqcz9v5otJXrxv7jwZvUwBEKaplyHOOecv_l1BERG13iY930cSck1CUlYJbYTE7mCTfTDSRig/s1600/The_Next_Generation_Main_Cast_Season_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE2NqvTtnCqdQ9O2LmuljU8__Rs5DO0bivC76cGAfXQW_635-1PzO08eKCTbj5HmvLw9Lqcz9v5otJXrxv7jwZvUwBEKaplyHOOecv_l1BERG13iY930cSck1CUlYJbYTE7mCTfTDSRig/s320/The_Next_Generation_Main_Cast_Season_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Recently read that TNG seasons, the TV show, will be begin being released on blue-ray early in 2012, beginning with a sampler collection on January 31st. I usually don't care about HD transfers because I have a crappy TV but this time I do because the difference is substantial! On the <a href="http://www.randomtuesday.com/archive/?view=./Star%20Trek:%20The%20Next%20Generation/bluray/ships.gif">Random Tuesday website</a>, photos from the DVD set are shown morphing into the same photo from the Blue Ray set. This morphing illustrates some outstanding differences between the two sets. Scenes with characters appear substantially sharper and the film grains from the original production are smoothed out and the lines now appear crisp. Changes in focus are also made, providing greater depth to each scene as well. The most noticeable differences are probably those that involve special effects. These scenes are principally those that feature the Enterprise, where the ship is depicted with considerable more detail. In one particular screen shot, the Enterprise is shown in front of a Klingon Bird of Prey. The Enterprise again is shown with a much higher level of clarity and detail and the Bird of Prey is replaced completely with a CGI version of the ship. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Overall, the changes look fantastic and is what a lot of fanboys had originally hoped would happen with the Star Wars films -update the film quality and special effects but leave the damn story line alone! Again, here is the <a href="http://www.randomtuesday.com/archive/?view=./Star%20Trek:%20The%20Next%20Generation/bluray/ships.gif">link to the website that features the comparison /morphing screen shots</a>.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-DZEcKM33YY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-48596636728229386382012-01-22T09:37:00.000-08:002012-01-22T09:37:04.788-08:00Popular Culture of the early 1900's -In Film!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1rrW5vX-a6I7wIoQ0lNXyjKgIHYvWmoj0gFbQSDKFJJtjQvNefgX5nX6wgO5wMZxZQ6e__lTjFrWA_IbeeWCooF5Td1fl0BL_ViKmdH1QWKuc5Eii1xH12SQnTeXrBIgo1xFpqvne_g/s1600/movie_ratings.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1rrW5vX-a6I7wIoQ0lNXyjKgIHYvWmoj0gFbQSDKFJJtjQvNefgX5nX6wgO5wMZxZQ6e__lTjFrWA_IbeeWCooF5Td1fl0BL_ViKmdH1QWKuc5Eii1xH12SQnTeXrBIgo1xFpqvne_g/s1600/movie_ratings.gif" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today's cinema produces images and ideas that are sometimes too risque for the general public. Grossly, however, these films are not banned but instead labeled with the nefarious <a href="http://filmratings.com/filmRatings_Cara/#/home/"><i>NC17</i> or <i>X</i> ratings</a>, which imply that no children are allowed to see the film. A recent example of this comes from the 2011 release, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1723811/"><i>Shame</i></a>, which offered a critically praised lead performance by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1055413/">Michael Fassbender</a>. What produces strong labeling often includes overtly sexual imagery such as graphic sex scenes, while over-the-top violence achieves much less restrictive labels such an <i>R</i> rating. Outright banning of a film is an extremely rare occurrence in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_banned_films#United_States">Western cinema world</a>, and the reasons often involve lawsuits that result only in a film being delayed.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The reasons why modern films are provided <i>NC17 </i>ratings or are banned are only slightly different from the rationales utilized in the turn of the 20th Century. My previous post discussed how much popular culture had changed in the past 100 years, but this post illustrates how in some areas popular culture has not changed at all. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thomas Edison is the creator of film and two of his initial films were banned for being too sexual in nature! In 1896 Edison released the incredibly short and silent film, <i>The Kiss</i>. This film featured a couple having a short but sweet smooch. In 1900, Edison revisited the subject with <i>Kissing</i>. The image of two lovers partaking in a kiss was too much for the average Western eye and so the films were moth balled. In one shade of light, this is starkly different from today where film scenes with a sexual nature are much more graphic than this before they are moth balled or slapped with strict labels. In another shade of light, popular culture of today and yesterday are no different for it is the subject matter of intimacy between two people that is the mire of our society while images of violence are allowed and praised. In 1900, the most popular film was <i>The Great Train Robbery</i>, which was also crafted by Edison. From the title alone, this film has a much more violent theme than <i>The Kiss </i>or <i>Kissing</i>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/zURTEs8C1lo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/7vBtQpQR7Eo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I am not suggesting that violent films should be moth balled in replace of more sexual films. I personally enjoy action films and movies such as <i>Pulp Fiction</i>, <i>A Clockwork Orange</i>, and <i>Taxi Driver</i> are among my all time favorite films. However, I think it is instructive to consider what subjects our society restricts and to think of why these subjects over others are viewed in certain ways. By doing so, we as a society can understand ourselves better and come to more holistic conclusions on what direction our society should take in the future.</div>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-64858257122207757772012-01-22T08:43:00.000-08:002012-01-22T08:43:44.673-08:00Documentary of the Arctic Resurfaces after 108 years!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnjsVcrTJ2rBTscgY9PcMcpjm3R5CzAL0OivAu-1Pclqxh8PoYTua5y8zQhZXXvclzXYurJTWkjWmvQcIQXfFnQQWKGlnxDbQ5ycAehMeQ0N-1ZBpysoFfwjPwunN7rXLikRoZi1A8R8/s1600/melies_trip-to-the-moon_1902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnjsVcrTJ2rBTscgY9PcMcpjm3R5CzAL0OivAu-1Pclqxh8PoYTua5y8zQhZXXvclzXYurJTWkjWmvQcIQXfFnQQWKGlnxDbQ5ycAehMeQ0N-1ZBpysoFfwjPwunN7rXLikRoZi1A8R8/s320/melies_trip-to-the-moon_1902.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still from <i>Trip to the Moon</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>A hundred years ago popular culture was much different than today's. This statement probably won't surprise anyone but I doubt that many people know what <i>was</i> popular 100 years ago. Looking back on what constituted popular culture forces me to think of what is considered popular culture today and how it will be viewed in the future. A hundred years ago popular culture was characterized by learning about foreign cultures and landscapes (to name but two), which are subjects found in famous pieces of literature such as <i>Heart of Darkness</i> and early films such as <i>Trip to the Moon</i>, which is a film presented within the recent wonderful film <i>Hugo</i>. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb34wKW5LBiMEAOd3Bivs8cvc1vy2zQdOTBc-X9F2Nrw5H45CKz4ErHWu0fQ-ueS1Awylk_qfVsZ5O0YLXJE0k6m3lpOeNFU4VCr6pJnEwvaV5bnWLypOeapkza5lQfRGfnn7Z9iZ51fo/s1600/fire_and_ice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb34wKW5LBiMEAOd3Bivs8cvc1vy2zQdOTBc-X9F2Nrw5H45CKz4ErHWu0fQ-ueS1Awylk_qfVsZ5O0YLXJE0k6m3lpOeNFU4VCr6pJnEwvaV5bnWLypOeapkza5lQfRGfnn7Z9iZ51fo/s200/fire_and_ice.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early publicity image from the arctic.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>In the mid to late 19th Century, film was just beginning. The beginnings of film are rooted in the public showing of photographs, which is something that has been featured in the recent AMC show <i>Hell on Wheels</i> with the two Irish brothers showing photos from home that are projected upon a screen. One of the more popular subjects for these screenings, and for the first silent movies, was images of the <i>savages</i> in exotic locales. The images that were captured during this time have been a rich resource for anthropologists and archaeologists in studying the life-ways of traditional cultures in areas such as South America, Africa, Polynesia, and the Canadian Arctic.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwQrCUkLUigyc9AuwII_Fu8GchA7AA1ulO03RoQdtKp6aXZmgFF3VYHjRiBZM8M2eb0hQzEqdijLzSRcx07gfaXQtLNI23SJQdFlnNbBpaEsywuQHQVMmSoNjjQtVqCRNTy86zdRLY7s/s1600/30_years.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXwQrCUkLUigyc9AuwII_Fu8GchA7AA1ulO03RoQdtKp6aXZmgFF3VYHjRiBZM8M2eb0hQzEqdijLzSRcx07gfaXQtLNI23SJQdFlnNbBpaEsywuQHQVMmSoNjjQtVqCRNTy86zdRLY7s/s200/30_years.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Illustration of the search for the Franklin Expedition. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>The arctic, in particular, captured the popular imagination because of it's stark dissimilarity to the world in which Westerner's knew. This ice covered land that appeared to be uninhabitable was instead populated by thriving Inuit groups. This region was also important as a possible route for shipping as the Panama canal had yet to be built at this time. The exploits of Western explorers (think Shackelton and Franklin) became legendary and entranced Western audiences via newspaper articles, public lectures, and of course, newly created slide shows and later moving pictures.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFU7aySm_7E3gU4zRTjgA2hHino3iUlLdovRzpKORxE26chm5x-iE4al9MSGqEBtjsv4tV2mB9miUbw7RlnIfjmGbeEqf5n3gw4ACu_o-uTDvlCy14PKMCjEsX7byGhJ9-Y6UgAOPFciE/s1600/_58004296_hudson_bay_company_archive_silhouette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFU7aySm_7E3gU4zRTjgA2hHino3iUlLdovRzpKORxE26chm5x-iE4al9MSGqEBtjsv4tV2mB9miUbw7RlnIfjmGbeEqf5n3gw4ACu_o-uTDvlCy14PKMCjEsX7byGhJ9-Y6UgAOPFciE/s1600/_58004296_hudson_bay_company_archive_silhouette.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still from <i>The Romance of the Far Fur Country</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Recently, a documentary resurfaced from archives in England that dates to 1919! This silent film was entitled <i>The Romance of the Far Fur Country</i>. This is some of the earliest footage of the Canadian arctic and it seems from the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16648847">BBC News story</a> that the film is very romantic in nature, which is inline with many of the arctic documentaries of that era. The restored documentary will be shown in numerous arctic communities and hopefully will be made available online through the HBC archives, which is the company that originally financed the film. I recomend you see this film as it provides an idea of what once constituted popular culture and is also an excellent portal into how traditional cultures thrived in the Canadian arctic!Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-79629016893793221752012-01-21T08:27:00.000-08:002012-01-21T08:27:36.846-08:00Assassidate ~ New Webseries from David & Kate Hewlett!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpyLCxRBkyX1KKxQh6fG6_sjyrAkkDGRWnt4wn30SDBlzNhErlZs1JzAQF-QARyiqxYoTvY1qbVx3iteFYOSQ2JW3VmreyJ3fOHOxgjfuN_cGO90Ax1lD9f2odhUYJQqyCLNXmqd9XcgI/s1600/GetPicture.asp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpyLCxRBkyX1KKxQh6fG6_sjyrAkkDGRWnt4wn30SDBlzNhErlZs1JzAQF-QARyiqxYoTvY1qbVx3iteFYOSQ2JW3VmreyJ3fOHOxgjfuN_cGO90Ax1lD9f2odhUYJQqyCLNXmqd9XcgI/s320/GetPicture.asp" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Hewlett hard at work on set of Stargate</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">David Hewlett is perhaps best known for his role in the <i>Stargate</i> franchise, notably <i>Atlantis</i>. His sister, Kate, also acted alongside him in a few episodes but she is not as well known. David is also known for his writing and acting abilities in the beloved cult Canadian indy films, <i>Cube</i> and <i>Nothing</i>; I beg you to see these two movies if you have not already! Recently, David was cast as the angry neighbor in <i>Rise of the Planet of the Apes</i> movie that was released in the summer of 2011. Privately (or perhaps not so privately), David is known for his consistent Tweeting about his son and their geekish adventures of making lightsabers and learning the inner mysteries of comic book lore. Suffice to say, David is one beloved icon of geekdom! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Just this week, David and his sister Kate released the first episode of their webseries entitled Assassidate. The first episode is just over 3 minutes long and focuses on a skype conversation between the brother and sister where David reveals that his wife just left him. Within three minutes I managed to laugh more frequently and harder than I have at most of the tv shows aired this season! The premise is unique and filled with geeky references -if you're not a geek, make sure to look up what <i>LARP </i>is before watching this! The comedic timing is also spot on, with juicy punches being jovially thrown between the two siblings. I highly recomend watching this webseries and I hope to see more episodes in the near future!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="goog_984619611"></span><span id="goog_984619612"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://0.gvt0.com/vi/c_H2ha9nq0w/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/c_H2ha9nq0w&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/c_H2ha9nq0w&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/01/assassidate/">Geekdad</a> has a good article about this webseries, and the original vid can be found on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_H2ha9nq0w&feature=player_embedded">youtube here</a>.</div>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-60512667517808121872012-01-20T08:11:00.000-08:002012-01-20T08:11:33.774-08:00Star Trek Sequel Update!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvPO3_eU3Xk3ORb-nOcTbNK9HHWig7oIVFQ7wiWpOCaA7cyrcJHX4Z5b76E9HUNPQPZGjMcXEbVGCuBz5Z3wt2P2A3hCJuelpvgQ7FOWy0UbHNyCh4LaG2imEYxwvZjjP6126WJNItew/s1600/StarTrekXI_DVD_Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvPO3_eU3Xk3ORb-nOcTbNK9HHWig7oIVFQ7wiWpOCaA7cyrcJHX4Z5b76E9HUNPQPZGjMcXEbVGCuBz5Z3wt2P2A3hCJuelpvgQ7FOWy0UbHNyCh4LaG2imEYxwvZjjP6126WJNItew/s320/StarTrekXI_DVD_Front.jpg" width="227" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I loved J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie because it was a fresh and gritty take on a classic sci-fi favorite. I also appreciated the movie because it engaged people that were not originally fans of the franchise, such as my wife who loathed the acting in the original series but loved how the characters were portrayed in the new movie despite how the new actors faithfully rendered the styling of the original Enterprise crew. This being said, I do recognize how many Star Trek fans were dismayed as to how Abrams filmed a Star Trek movie that was more in line with the Star Wars franchise and dismissed some of the core values of the original shows. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The latest news of the Star Trek sequel is that principal photography has begun, along with the announcement that the release date will be May 17th, 2013. Below is the press release from Paramount pictures:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <i>Paramount Pictures announced today that principal photography has commenced in Los Angeles, CA on the sequel to STAR TREK from director J.J. Abrams. The film will be released on May 17, 2013 in 3D. The 2009 re-launch of the “Star Trek” franchise by Abrams was met with critical acclaim and a worldwide gross of over $385 million at the box office.<br />
Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions present a Bad Robot Production of a J.J. Abrams Film. Returning to their posts on the Enterprise are John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, and Anton Yelchin. They are joined by new cast members Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve and Peter Weller.</i></div>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-90301407082488115012012-01-12T09:17:00.000-08:002012-01-12T09:17:10.085-08:00Top Movies of 2011: My OpinionFor what it's worth, here's my list of the top movies I've seen this year. There are a few movies I did not have a chance to see yet that I am sure would make it somewhere in this list, such as Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, Midnight in Paris, Ides of March, Driver, The Artist, and Martha Marcy May Marlene. Nonetheless, I have seen a large swath of the movies released this year and I have noticed that the ones I believed to be the best were nowhere to be found on the lists others have set up (<a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/guides/golden_tomatoes_awards_2011/">for instance Rotten Tomatoes</a>). In particular, I strongly felt Hugo was an astounding piece of film despite being unanimously panned and dismissed, unlike the popular clunker that the Descendants was and yet unanimously hailed as being the year's strongest.<br />
<br />
The movies here are what I felt were some of the best and most worth watching. I had more of a 'take it or leave it' mentality for movies like Contagion and Transformers, and hence are included here.<br />
<br />
<i>My choices:</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1w0_iOK5B9BUw75arYMLsIAM6O2y37ECGPNJnL-1WRVPCMk02PWSUhGmoNqaZYkF06OUGbYVQyiBGm2r8z1tBKt90gMBKRxZrI7X_AUi6-uUeerjuCrpcOrPuJFtUP7zKF8Kb2mX8UY/s1600/Hugo+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-1w0_iOK5B9BUw75arYMLsIAM6O2y37ECGPNJnL-1WRVPCMk02PWSUhGmoNqaZYkF06OUGbYVQyiBGm2r8z1tBKt90gMBKRxZrI7X_AUi6-uUeerjuCrpcOrPuJFtUP7zKF8Kb2mX8UY/s200/Hugo+Poster.jpg" width="156" /></a></div>1. <b>Hugo</b><br />
A visually stunning movie where Scorsese delivers a doctoral thesis on why film is important and how 3D can be used to tell a story. This is a masterful movie where each character is well rounded and utilized to their full potential. Most under-rated movie of the year.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSaIJLMmPXkhw44ocP7OFcOTVcNvprSgPFryAoxgW2ZBXjO-Ef6uWA93K6qhsgspE8NFfi-kcj8rwlFZV96B7O5a8gh_FottIUAdNb7f8VigQu6qR-RjZbsskEUXVyyo3vjP0ew2Tfd8/s1600/fifty_fifty.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSaIJLMmPXkhw44ocP7OFcOTVcNvprSgPFryAoxgW2ZBXjO-Ef6uWA93K6qhsgspE8NFfi-kcj8rwlFZV96B7O5a8gh_FottIUAdNb7f8VigQu6qR-RjZbsskEUXVyyo3vjP0ew2Tfd8/s200/fifty_fifty.jpg" width="134" /></a>2. <b>50/50</b><br />
This was an astounding movie in how real and powerful the subject matter of cancer was presented. The performance by Joseph Gordan Levitt was inspiring and the script was strong. Levitt definitely deserves an Oscar nod, if not the prize itself.<br />
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3. <b>War Horse</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_y4p37HI7Is2PL9p99-8cthzxLZcEwa68Rq2p2-IdEFQzp0Ab2Kp4jS2t1m0rkG0Pczn3eXgiyZRClYuIJWaGfByJFcuuE5hcimKHGHsTmlBbJgYZPY7PIcVVSi9WgiBWVWKDRzyRNVo/s1600/war-horse-poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_y4p37HI7Is2PL9p99-8cthzxLZcEwa68Rq2p2-IdEFQzp0Ab2Kp4jS2t1m0rkG0Pczn3eXgiyZRClYuIJWaGfByJFcuuE5hcimKHGHsTmlBbJgYZPY7PIcVVSi9WgiBWVWKDRzyRNVo/s200/war-horse-poster.jpg" width="140" /></a> It begins with a Disney-esque sequence but quickly turns into a Spielberg classic thereafter. This is a movie constructed around several vignettes that approach the subject of war from a few different angles and manages to do so deftly and with great thought. What surprised me the most was that considering I am not someone who cares for animal centric movies, I was moved and attached to the character of the horse by the end of the film. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxQUvVz1kPYqY4OxxGLybhSyfGfeimF4p2n3uNTI-R8mG_tTUXFhsdnNir9ctlFsTGM2WfCm6IR34-AhW1h72zisys82XiyQokOjurYaFZNHZJyD3bcFx1HE-7SkSfXja2LpoQ6bBVP0/s1600/Muppets1SheetPayoff450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxQUvVz1kPYqY4OxxGLybhSyfGfeimF4p2n3uNTI-R8mG_tTUXFhsdnNir9ctlFsTGM2WfCm6IR34-AhW1h72zisys82XiyQokOjurYaFZNHZJyD3bcFx1HE-7SkSfXja2LpoQ6bBVP0/s200/Muppets1SheetPayoff450.jpg" width="134" /></a>4. <b>The Muppets</b><br />
To be fair, I am a little biased in my opinion of this movie as I was already a fan of this franchise. However, the people that went to see the movie with me were not but quickly became fans thereafter. I loved how witty and original the songs were, how gifted the jokes were, and how the new movie stayed true to the original conception of the Henson Muppets. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhom_TYzJdSF3-qNLzKnipTDwcp-cl_xIJHL_b8rP81QDHq2PlPpbKcmhK3RVdH7enVBzux2VHiaaSPDIS0ZemX_9RiRDsHJOoc4DN3C9g0JFHFnDKYEIGOEf6yiq3Ls0im4p3hZlsSr9g/s1600/young-adult-movie-poster-large-01.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhom_TYzJdSF3-qNLzKnipTDwcp-cl_xIJHL_b8rP81QDHq2PlPpbKcmhK3RVdH7enVBzux2VHiaaSPDIS0ZemX_9RiRDsHJOoc4DN3C9g0JFHFnDKYEIGOEf6yiq3Ls0im4p3hZlsSr9g/s200/young-adult-movie-poster-large-01.jpg" width="132" /></a>5. <b>Young Adult</b><br />
This movie stands out from many of the other movies I saw this year for it's unparalleled acting from Charlize Theron and the level of detail that director Jason Reitman brings to the screen. The story is flawless with having a twisted nature that makes you simultaneously sympathize and hate the main character. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitN4ei9zyYueL43Ne0ljXpcI_TczUx6kIO7r66AHi-05-8YOu11pdFiPghGnABr4CBysY-zcEB2GOeoL53GDFRO-PqGhAv_Su4jr11Ms1MygEp9DoiJA8sHsdEeHcFYz-u49kjM_F9ARk/s1600/crazy-stupid-love-movie-poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitN4ei9zyYueL43Ne0ljXpcI_TczUx6kIO7r66AHi-05-8YOu11pdFiPghGnABr4CBysY-zcEB2GOeoL53GDFRO-PqGhAv_Su4jr11Ms1MygEp9DoiJA8sHsdEeHcFYz-u49kjM_F9ARk/s200/crazy-stupid-love-movie-poster.jpg" width="134" /></a>6. <b>Crazy Stupid Love</b><br />
Hands down the biggest surprise of the year. Going in I thought I would encounter a generic romantic comedy but instead left seeing a well thought out and composed drama. A multitude of well conceived characters both in story and acting are presented. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_q1MvdtT1z70tFeaZQR1ZtrmGTPRvr0uejoxYYnDp0J2NKIsdVXmtoPiT84wjzP83ygl0G2dVDGWTPerEBb1W_67YI9HszFY080PYUURp0hGvB254oVOhg_sBpcox0NQo0qN5RigbQs/s1600/moneyball-movie-poster-2011-1010711004.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_q1MvdtT1z70tFeaZQR1ZtrmGTPRvr0uejoxYYnDp0J2NKIsdVXmtoPiT84wjzP83ygl0G2dVDGWTPerEBb1W_67YI9HszFY080PYUURp0hGvB254oVOhg_sBpcox0NQo0qN5RigbQs/s200/moneyball-movie-poster-2011-1010711004.jpg" width="135" /></a>7. <b>Money Ball</b><br />
The acting is superb and the cinematography is captivating. The love for the game is on center stage and interest in the characters is abound. The movie falters, however, with not presenting enough on the characters themselves and would have done better if the supporting characters were developed more. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblQRGeqnhzRupLqj3IUdzjZn2R2p2My8GpPway1zWvqa1NFrZrt_xIw0MlY36h_09T5ljdLPzVgQ-RtIQflaAOsuVWz5bxp-QoZycku0vQYL0SiXGc0doxqw3BA4m8ntqnsFYTrcc9F4/s1600/detail.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiblQRGeqnhzRupLqj3IUdzjZn2R2p2My8GpPway1zWvqa1NFrZrt_xIw0MlY36h_09T5ljdLPzVgQ-RtIQflaAOsuVWz5bxp-QoZycku0vQYL0SiXGc0doxqw3BA4m8ntqnsFYTrcc9F4/s200/detail.jpg" width="133" /></a>8. <b>Captain America</b><br />
It has the thrills as expected with a summer block-buster, but it also had some of the strongest characters to be found in any movie this year. The movie is filled with fun and excitement, which pleased me on a visceral level but also left me surprised with the breadth of story and character. By far the best of the summer block busters. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8_unaJZ6l0_ydq2Xjo0Bbys_qHbtF5SepheW94H2ycQ7Nakeff5_W32PaOkjxD97Nv3xd-i45MkhlbbqlMpOAUXwKJLMzV4jFvVYSaYpMMNobbivhGkLISH0lYPddYv2XD6z5u9RLZU/s1600/friends_with_benefits.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT8_unaJZ6l0_ydq2Xjo0Bbys_qHbtF5SepheW94H2ycQ7Nakeff5_W32PaOkjxD97Nv3xd-i45MkhlbbqlMpOAUXwKJLMzV4jFvVYSaYpMMNobbivhGkLISH0lYPddYv2XD6z5u9RLZU/s200/friends_with_benefits.jpg" width="135" /></a>9. <b>Friends with Benefits</b><br />
Reminded me of 300 Days of Summer, but came up short in the story's grandeur and originality. However, I greatly appreciated the refreshingly real substance of this romantic comedy, which is why I draw parallels to it and 300 Days of Summer. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDli__dwYC46ieq9sySa6DMHcGLMvrJdgN2B0JFxw7tvuE5F7OcGFFMqQ5uvZ95qYHp8bERhKw71zcL6gVyiO-27rutgP7ktLqzSD8zDUmMXuYqlfDtjeQag9AaOTj1oZvtF5H-SMLoC0/s1600/rise-of-the-planet-of-the-apes-teaser-poster-01.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDli__dwYC46ieq9sySa6DMHcGLMvrJdgN2B0JFxw7tvuE5F7OcGFFMqQ5uvZ95qYHp8bERhKw71zcL6gVyiO-27rutgP7ktLqzSD8zDUmMXuYqlfDtjeQag9AaOTj1oZvtF5H-SMLoC0/s200/rise-of-the-planet-of-the-apes-teaser-poster-01.jpg" width="135" /></a>10. <b>Rise of the Planet of the Apes</b><br />
Like Captain America, I came in expected a generic summer blockbuster but left seeing something much more. While falling in the category of sci-fi, this is more of a drama that focuses on the relationship between an ailing father and his son. This is an incredibly bleak movie with strong acting and a surprisingly sophisticated story line. One of the year's dark horses. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEDjCss70OTdFFdoDBiIp5GVtiA46bhBxtmqulINhhSY-DTOdn-yQM4nbrkJ8ZU5t3qIVqOPwW9b9PjX43lMT0xs3Yetb0ejYq7Jp_Lmb0s5lVqqbYtbY-mllAfc02clgirKr7G78NQA/s1600/arthur-christmas-movie-poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEDjCss70OTdFFdoDBiIp5GVtiA46bhBxtmqulINhhSY-DTOdn-yQM4nbrkJ8ZU5t3qIVqOPwW9b9PjX43lMT0xs3Yetb0ejYq7Jp_Lmb0s5lVqqbYtbY-mllAfc02clgirKr7G78NQA/s200/arthur-christmas-movie-poster.jpg" width="155" /></a>11. <b>Arthur Christmas</b><br />
Funny and touching. The subject matter is not unique as it features the squabbling relationships within a family, but it is executed very well with numerous well timed laughs to make it perhaps the best animated movie of the year. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0dsqIABfIjnBi_mFlJXXZwAMQVb2rPhGMCmAWqywZDdghi_SajZcdTxp3JLFzAMi4M0MKNc4kXek-rP-_eahV6fcl6Ad4TpaAbajJ6-UwYUFvFVEuzFcpR6eDEwWybr3hTxP2cgf7nc/s1600/harry-potter-deathly-hallows-part-2-movie-poster-hi-res-01.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-0dsqIABfIjnBi_mFlJXXZwAMQVb2rPhGMCmAWqywZDdghi_SajZcdTxp3JLFzAMi4M0MKNc4kXek-rP-_eahV6fcl6Ad4TpaAbajJ6-UwYUFvFVEuzFcpR6eDEwWybr3hTxP2cgf7nc/s200/harry-potter-deathly-hallows-part-2-movie-poster-hi-res-01.jpg" width="135" /></a>12. <b>Harry Potter</b><br />
The ending of an epic franchise. By itself, the movie is strong but not excellent. However, in the context of the series this finally acts as a terrific bookend. I left the theater feeling satisfied with how the characters were left but was aggravated how it completely dropped the Deathly Hallows' storyline that the previous two movies had been working towards.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOC8Wv3gQXGBYbrAhAD2-mlPQ5xNLYLlDhxrnQZqcfNKn30qoF_nWzp5QHZyJ3XmO3Y2d8YYjvzeUNXM03J7oMU2L8E1hzFRwgoW3PBV9_F2DxeKscnsOFviJ_gCELiI72jmyngJBTwE/s1600/Thor+French.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOC8Wv3gQXGBYbrAhAD2-mlPQ5xNLYLlDhxrnQZqcfNKn30qoF_nWzp5QHZyJ3XmO3Y2d8YYjvzeUNXM03J7oMU2L8E1hzFRwgoW3PBV9_F2DxeKscnsOFviJ_gCELiI72jmyngJBTwE/s200/Thor+French.jpeg" width="150" /></a>13. <b>Thor</b><br />
There is nothing deep or Oscar worthy found in this movie. However, this was one of the most fun movies of the year besides The Muppets. Some of the best casting was featured in this movie, with a story line that had a perfect pace and amount of laughs that filtered through the screaming action sequences. The biggest flaw, however, was that a lot more story could have been told. In particular, this story focuses on the decent and resurrection of Thor, but the story pays hardly any time to showing Thor's decent.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIx3ogg7IYDeYyNtFH4k3A4PzO9CohzPzaAvYvzjqe6QKffSzNMPkFFVYTTMajZIpzjaI1Z7sszzEm4_Hl9ju776LWypM-T61Hg25Z6bafW2z1X1Bcji-2uOXCpWyJqdvn0TROcywxycE/s1600/bridesmaids-movie-poster-01.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIx3ogg7IYDeYyNtFH4k3A4PzO9CohzPzaAvYvzjqe6QKffSzNMPkFFVYTTMajZIpzjaI1Z7sszzEm4_Hl9ju776LWypM-T61Hg25Z6bafW2z1X1Bcji-2uOXCpWyJqdvn0TROcywxycE/s200/bridesmaids-movie-poster-01.jpg" width="132" /></a>14. <b>Bridesmaids</b><br />
While funny, I did not find this movie as hysterical as some. It is obviously a female take on The Hangover, and does so with a considerable amount of originality. One of the better comedies of the year. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwotDYcxprqcf5m2ZXFFP-K7-nDDZfs_KzDKwp0wSz2kEXqAFWMHtVoYT1IgLZKlVSS0KE5-diPqTUW-krccQ5CuxuF3nN7NNkjxGAknClfYwg-Kc8rKd29nwiun7kOYgMZ9n0GxEJ_Lk/s1600/xmen_first_class_ver6.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwotDYcxprqcf5m2ZXFFP-K7-nDDZfs_KzDKwp0wSz2kEXqAFWMHtVoYT1IgLZKlVSS0KE5-diPqTUW-krccQ5CuxuF3nN7NNkjxGAknClfYwg-Kc8rKd29nwiun7kOYgMZ9n0GxEJ_Lk/s200/xmen_first_class_ver6.jpg" width="135" /></a>15. <b>X-Men: First Class</b><br />
Like Thor, X-Men had some of the year's best casting. The acting was outstanding but the film suffered from several slow moments in the story; Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy stole the show.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocQ6XqHoToPWhyphenhyphen2_2Db6bAh4UPWnkvg-32BGJxu6f0l4ktijL_tnfimPWEKQoHkJpEdQTRmXSoTYzBwlRF2hwSaarEkDjWFro9jqWeN3N-gs-H30kf1X69_bKEgCA45HWmsYeA4oojvs/s1600/super-8-movie-poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocQ6XqHoToPWhyphenhyphen2_2Db6bAh4UPWnkvg-32BGJxu6f0l4ktijL_tnfimPWEKQoHkJpEdQTRmXSoTYzBwlRF2hwSaarEkDjWFro9jqWeN3N-gs-H30kf1X69_bKEgCA45HWmsYeA4oojvs/s200/super-8-movie-poster.jpg" width="135" /></a>16. <b>Super 8</b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocQ6XqHoToPWhyphenhyphen2_2Db6bAh4UPWnkvg-32BGJxu6f0l4ktijL_tnfimPWEKQoHkJpEdQTRmXSoTYzBwlRF2hwSaarEkDjWFro9jqWeN3N-gs-H30kf1X69_bKEgCA45HWmsYeA4oojvs/s1600/super-8-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a> I want this movie to be better! The first 4/5 of the movie reminded me of the best Spielberg films but the ending was so damn poor and cliched! The movie opens with an original premise and uses aliens as a foil to understand the relationship between father and son, and the loss of the mother character. Excellent dialogue and acting all around, but with such a weak and generic ending it reminded me of District 9 where again we had an original movie that ended like a generic action flick. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlL9Yc0QLBd14nlQELafmjk276QYZE1sAWydwRm8FzB66wfP5iURKNymSCzvwhm6jIiWw3qKY91IF-QznGIVUXGCS_-M246DwSeuE97e_LCdR70_EPz7QYofZwgaysVO9n7q8zaths8L8/s1600/descendants.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlL9Yc0QLBd14nlQELafmjk276QYZE1sAWydwRm8FzB66wfP5iURKNymSCzvwhm6jIiWw3qKY91IF-QznGIVUXGCS_-M246DwSeuE97e_LCdR70_EPz7QYofZwgaysVO9n7q8zaths8L8/s200/descendants.jpg" width="133" /></a>17. <b>Descendants</b><br />
I don't get why people love this movie so much. George Clooney is good but he is only playing himself; I do not see a noticeable difference from how he portrayed characters in other movies. The directing is well executed with some terrific cinematography, however the story is segmented with characters being haphazardly dropped and a different storyline being awkwardly jammed in half-way through the movie.Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-34643132401063662522012-01-12T07:41:00.000-08:002012-01-12T07:43:05.842-08:00Star Wars Lego Mini-Figures: 7957 Sith Nightspeeder<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3A8NLqDJ6bNv8UZpW8516G7_6s40RAGHkhIYcuY7phVswQi7W9tzyvwnVBsxxaC1CZ-tmGTh7xBjr893W3VXtJJMq2I_HWLOMHATEXMg8P-TgjM_tXCAZ4vn5VNTrTVROy1N38fz-F2U/s1600/ACW_IA_10963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3A8NLqDJ6bNv8UZpW8516G7_6s40RAGHkhIYcuY7phVswQi7W9tzyvwnVBsxxaC1CZ-tmGTh7xBjr893W3VXtJJMq2I_HWLOMHATEXMg8P-TgjM_tXCAZ4vn5VNTrTVROy1N38fz-F2U/s200/ACW_IA_10963.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ventress</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczR1r_LkGxu2poGa2TRHcg6bA2XWdcd6BgTBX5PDYnK6-mtxR3WdCC6rSIN3lZrRot739FXXckKl9-hXFk6wPMknmu0SNjNu4-lGmQMebxL6zxr5col9mbSjvJj7wtyrsFMjektUfWAI/s1600/SavageOpress-Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiczR1r_LkGxu2poGa2TRHcg6bA2XWdcd6BgTBX5PDYnK6-mtxR3WdCC6rSIN3lZrRot739FXXckKl9-hXFk6wPMknmu0SNjNu4-lGmQMebxL6zxr5col9mbSjvJj7wtyrsFMjektUfWAI/s200/SavageOpress-Poster.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opress</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYNA1E2Gi3xSszBcTpzriEd2yvczpNg0Xv2EdPR8imzXAIsR68pifTjCcymMSaEENlFvvrgMBq9tJrFENclrxz51siRvQmQY1scFD8vhSlkXhX0U98CeAp_UOuApkHvPkmRLYfxmH8dw/s1600/ENT_clonewars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWYNA1E2Gi3xSszBcTpzriEd2yvczpNg0Xv2EdPR8imzXAIsR68pifTjCcymMSaEENlFvvrgMBq9tJrFENclrxz51siRvQmQY1scFD8vhSlkXhX0U98CeAp_UOuApkHvPkmRLYfxmH8dw/s200/ENT_clonewars.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anakin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Over the holidays I was given a new Star Wars Lego set! This is a new set based off characters from the Clone Wars tv show and featured Asajj Ventress, Savage Opress, and Anakin Skywalker. This set's vehicle is pretty simple, featuring a skiff-like machine with two detachable rocket-styled bikes. Opress and Ventress utilize the vehicle. There is nothing horribly complicated to this set, and truly the set is memorable only for the mini-figures that it includes.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gCCwdeR_KeU62C1lI4p8XPdllW7nGZxlj7fNREQHlaRhs30_bC7YoXHloapGKwFweIiL6KocOcvxjRYuVSIX8RkatNxvpRVfD3GsfvD6UyiA3Wb-5rETdhPb-vehbjbLXIDcNusMwGQ/s1600/IMG_5589.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0gCCwdeR_KeU62C1lI4p8XPdllW7nGZxlj7fNREQHlaRhs30_bC7YoXHloapGKwFweIiL6KocOcvxjRYuVSIX8RkatNxvpRVfD3GsfvD6UyiA3Wb-5rETdhPb-vehbjbLXIDcNusMwGQ/s200/IMG_5589.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbb03exzEoD5zUh29iZIU-n5mDMugrhaZ4ouK7Y0q8A4rgcrS8pjN0hgPC8ZR3-TcFplp8BYJDE-jF-gOmufnkLhbxcTT3stu-upGCmpJ1GJ9JjRVSXrX-R1tLdGJ-jVqnKhFui13Usas/s1600/IMG_5590.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbb03exzEoD5zUh29iZIU-n5mDMugrhaZ4ouK7Y0q8A4rgcrS8pjN0hgPC8ZR3-TcFplp8BYJDE-jF-gOmufnkLhbxcTT3stu-upGCmpJ1GJ9JjRVSXrX-R1tLdGJ-jVqnKhFui13Usas/s200/IMG_5590.JPG" width="150" /></a>I did not previously have a Ventress or Opress in my Lego mini-figure collection, but do have several Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker figures. The Ventress mini-figure included two lightsabers with curved handles similar to Count Dooku's. Her body has a simple design with dark blues and blacks, with small amounts of silver on the front. The head has an intricate design, faithfully representing the markings she sports in the cartoon series. These markings are found on both the front and back of her head.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sKKN6aX-DmtkKUbccYh9zNkPuNEcEkv9adT31puuxQtGnOKCLw1VLTZjKSYvaRa-vxhEgfx8mUrjDA2gwbm6DubuDYkBykj-xeHBkZR2RsBZ8fLriElB3kN8jKYKj4GBgYwVWZTUtZs/s1600/IMG_5591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0sKKN6aX-DmtkKUbccYh9zNkPuNEcEkv9adT31puuxQtGnOKCLw1VLTZjKSYvaRa-vxhEgfx8mUrjDA2gwbm6DubuDYkBykj-xeHBkZR2RsBZ8fLriElB3kN8jKYKj4GBgYwVWZTUtZs/s200/IMG_5591.JPG" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGoEAl72S5mYXUkkaaNEmlL1sSiAStZwRWXKLJLFow6FLJACf9JyirQGBeqamEJUvtTMIKmc53xlNPCGDiYEoQTWNPp_FSyx8z6gfHPZITIVHhn8t3edbKJCdRmVdA4_ALvkje4yxalNY/s1600/IMG_5593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGoEAl72S5mYXUkkaaNEmlL1sSiAStZwRWXKLJLFow6FLJACf9JyirQGBeqamEJUvtTMIKmc53xlNPCGDiYEoQTWNPp_FSyx8z6gfHPZITIVHhn8t3edbKJCdRmVdA4_ALvkje4yxalNY/s200/IMG_5593.JPG" width="200" /></a>Savage Opress is easily one of the most complex mini-figures I've seen. He came with two weapons, a double-sided lightsaber and a large war axe. The front of his face has an intricate design similar to that of Darth Mauls', but is in eye and has a head attachment with upward extended horns. A chest plate fits under his head and covers another intricate yellow design. When the chest plate is fitted on, this yellow design is completely obscured. I appreciate the level of detail here as Lego did not have to add the yellow design with it being covered up.</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzB6VdlgmwTsNXHuKFrXAU5K1Hd5J95oEtswrcV78zddL8Ex2Ic9hYPKNgNT7Myx6ZOYi9_HKQkyVIFUgrZsLSInfkU4z8pug8_JpZ_3n1f_omZCENxXqh2kSeIbfzno_v_Adbvm3bSY/s1600/IMG_5588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnzB6VdlgmwTsNXHuKFrXAU5K1Hd5J95oEtswrcV78zddL8Ex2Ic9hYPKNgNT7Myx6ZOYi9_HKQkyVIFUgrZsLSInfkU4z8pug8_JpZ_3n1f_omZCENxXqh2kSeIbfzno_v_Adbvm3bSY/s200/IMG_5588.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#7957 set Anakin</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Lastly, an Anakin Skywalker mini-figure was included in this set. He came with a blue lightsaber that had a dull silver handle. Black and brown colors dominate his body, with simple lines suggesting robes and a belt, which is the attire worn during the cartoon series. There are scars on both the left and right side of his face and his hair is big and disheveled. Compared to the other Clone Wars series Anakin Skywalker I have (from the #7669, Anakin's Jedi Starfighter set) , the heads are identical, but the chest for the new one is much darker in color and has a slightly different pattern.</div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeptwf5bnmeW4MPk_EwyV5J2uxLOhJY0ZdeNRXbL1saexPjhhrrvV3LippDyqE7a4UIyf9H9t4DUaYNjyL5_zsb_LB-shEafAukfzI1BphU4CrwlCGH6sPPw67UrjEjTB9LmSC83UrmI/s1600/IMG_5587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDeptwf5bnmeW4MPk_EwyV5J2uxLOhJY0ZdeNRXbL1saexPjhhrrvV3LippDyqE7a4UIyf9H9t4DUaYNjyL5_zsb_LB-shEafAukfzI1BphU4CrwlCGH6sPPw67UrjEjTB9LmSC83UrmI/s320/IMG_5587.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All three mini-figures from #7957</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9az3VIdDjo7mHj6Zv2oYlBQ-w7fxmHCTUwhi8W1-_5z7k3jCO9b75s0PIoq5j0qGCfboUy6g6gElsCiI3frFvL-d1LAxg7VgRWdnAqWma6kywiS7a8M6EXjNNRRam3nnlVaulZg0nnPo/s1600/IMG_5405.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9az3VIdDjo7mHj6Zv2oYlBQ-w7fxmHCTUwhi8W1-_5z7k3jCO9b75s0PIoq5j0qGCfboUy6g6gElsCiI3frFvL-d1LAxg7VgRWdnAqWma6kywiS7a8M6EXjNNRRam3nnlVaulZg0nnPo/s200/IMG_5405.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#7669 set Anakin with R2D2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-89741820525584026332012-01-07T11:33:00.000-08:002012-01-07T11:33:18.147-08:00World Juniors 2012: Calgary<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQ6kGjLHbOqQMoK_iaKot9axqNeJHsVuW6LNnNnvwJc9EQeXG1fGnCIRRmGB5q_eEzAlJ_AADOqgSZsHlEidEzZi1DnmEXno0M3ko7wGODielub2jKX9wecGY5LGSiy7S6PuCTW286vk/s1600/2843486341u_0x424x360f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQ6kGjLHbOqQMoK_iaKot9axqNeJHsVuW6LNnNnvwJc9EQeXG1fGnCIRRmGB5q_eEzAlJ_AADOqgSZsHlEidEzZi1DnmEXno0M3ko7wGODielub2jKX9wecGY5LGSiy7S6PuCTW286vk/s200/2843486341u_0x424x360f.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For the past few weeks I've been working at the World Junior's event in Calgary, Alberta. I wasn't doing anything too remarkable, but the event itself was. There were people from multiple countries such as Latvia, Sweeden, Russia, and so on; all of whom had different roles with the hockey teams that were participating in the events. During the two or so week long event I managed to see a few games including the gold medal game that pitted Russia against Sweden. On the day of the gold medal game I saw or met numerous people associated with the various teams. I also saw or met numerous notable hockey and political personalities that were attending the games, such as Steve Yzerman, Prime Minister Harper, and Jim Peplinski. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmbmVluxzdc3NS7MU17Jqn4SdbOadHZHCc1rNC1IvvgS2IxYNjFT-VdZ0e-7eT9mv68oztpunHjT7jfJ414n7cAbaEZPs8tMx65-P_xNeN1JGiNitygqKpiCaZQz8jwWnM5iwOL2ewqQ/s1600/940-swe-rus-2-8col.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmbmVluxzdc3NS7MU17Jqn4SdbOadHZHCc1rNC1IvvgS2IxYNjFT-VdZ0e-7eT9mv68oztpunHjT7jfJ414n7cAbaEZPs8tMx65-P_xNeN1JGiNitygqKpiCaZQz8jwWnM5iwOL2ewqQ/s200/940-swe-rus-2-8col.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gold medal game: Rus vs Swe</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">A few of the individuals I met, including Peplinski, gave me pins. I am not a pin collector but as you can imagine from the kind of things I discuss on my blog here, I do collect a variety of things. The pins that were given to me are incredibly unique and definitely make great keepsakes from attending and working the games. Additionally, my experiences have been nothing but positive and in particular one pin showed just how enthusiastic and kind the people associated with the World Juniors teams were.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYoenSkmat0xme0fi2uY_DThvreJc-jU8ikQqRnz1IMWkWZ8jB2E5s6SfOFgjDXQ1oEORhgO7_l_Aj6nprIG_b0o_KInfrS2ct19JdBx9IRvATzDSga8L-tco03MWsqQnnBUSQT0HKB8/s1600/IMG_5583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Jk75u3Sd3ejUlqnbKIQC88PfbMw3OL1Vn-_X0vMe4thCOslhvXV0QWnLNhhPvRvtozxFYLQ4bonutD45n7QE8in5QpZDYI11MiV__vAT8BTgsNMwzmOFqwjplDQWnS6W_7Nt4zFaWf4/s1600/IMG_5585.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Jk75u3Sd3ejUlqnbKIQC88PfbMw3OL1Vn-_X0vMe4thCOslhvXV0QWnLNhhPvRvtozxFYLQ4bonutD45n7QE8in5QpZDYI11MiV__vAT8BTgsNMwzmOFqwjplDQWnS6W_7Nt4zFaWf4/s200/IMG_5585.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Event Organization pin.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYoenSkmat0xme0fi2uY_DThvreJc-jU8ikQqRnz1IMWkWZ8jB2E5s6SfOFgjDXQ1oEORhgO7_l_Aj6nprIG_b0o_KInfrS2ct19JdBx9IRvATzDSga8L-tco03MWsqQnnBUSQT0HKB8/s1600/IMG_5583.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYoenSkmat0xme0fi2uY_DThvreJc-jU8ikQqRnz1IMWkWZ8jB2E5s6SfOFgjDXQ1oEORhgO7_l_Aj6nprIG_b0o_KInfrS2ct19JdBx9IRvATzDSga8L-tco03MWsqQnnBUSQT0HKB8/s200/IMG_5583.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IIHF 2012 pin.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgM7TCNUMCeL95dGL_gTXXdYpMhTdE3Nq1Lwg3cr53LEBxNGH0G1JpcXU1eFERXkg7I6dGcCvzebG6uKlhFtaQH5XcHTZw4NszOeTJRnimNovza7MBB1AGxvr8C1wfxhEU5jnkAU3tGE/s1600/IMG_5584.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWgM7TCNUMCeL95dGL_gTXXdYpMhTdE3Nq1Lwg3cr53LEBxNGH0G1JpcXU1eFERXkg7I6dGcCvzebG6uKlhFtaQH5XcHTZw4NszOeTJRnimNovza7MBB1AGxvr8C1wfxhEU5jnkAU3tGE/s200/IMG_5584.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finish /Swedish 2012 IIHF pin.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbdNUAznB_jk93CFSjDFQgXW91HSwX2o_oo4kL5v5KoiVrMN2BDPQyyPAuMpOLrX1PBISuI1_w1kfigCc0qMt_wAcHLQygtLWhm1HM3pX-ssZfhGVeiBlONccbzWPG4su0ntqbGz76jQ/s1600/IMG_5586.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbdNUAznB_jk93CFSjDFQgXW91HSwX2o_oo4kL5v5KoiVrMN2BDPQyyPAuMpOLrX1PBISuI1_w1kfigCc0qMt_wAcHLQygtLWhm1HM3pX-ssZfhGVeiBlONccbzWPG4su0ntqbGz76jQ/s200/IMG_5586.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Russian hockey pin (Russian text).</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">In all, I was given 4 pins. None of these pins could be bought at the event. Instead, certain individuals (mainly people associated with the IIHF or specific teams) handed out pins when asked. One pin I received was provided by the event organization for working there. This pin features an image of the World Junior's location, unlike any of the other pins I saw. A second pin, given to me by Peplinski, is the IIHF 2012 event pin. A third pin commemorated the Finish and Swedish teams and was given to me by one of the Swedish team coaches. The fourth pin represented Russian hockey and was given to me by the assistant coach of the Russian team. When I had first met the assistant coach I had asked if he had any extra team pins. In his broken English, he said he had run out but would grab more from his room. I didn't think for a second that he would actually return, but sure enough he did. </div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">Those associated with the Russian team were by far the nicest of anyone at the games. The Russians were not the nicest because they gave me a pin, but instead because of how genuinely enthusiastic they were about the games. They were enthusiastic about Canada and hockey as a whole, which is counter to the serious nature that has epitomized their popular perception. It is because of this that I will cheer a bit more loudly whenever I see a Russian team play!</div>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-6615303118235392832011-12-29T18:52:00.000-08:002011-12-29T18:52:29.551-08:00Lord of the Rings Lego sets!<div style="text-align: justify;">That's right! Lego is planning on releasing a series of Lord of the Rings sets this summer, 2012! I learned of this from <a href="http://www.aintitcool.com/node/52415">Ain't it Cool</a><a href="http://www.aintitcool.com/node/52415"></a>, who shared images from four proposed sets -which I have also posted here. I am already excited about this and am curious to see where they could go with this product. Unlike other movie franchises that Lego has mined, like Star Wars and Harry Potter, there are no vehicles and few key structures that could be built. In these six images we see two key structures, Helm's Deep and the Mines of Moria. Besides these places we have possibilities in the various homes from the Shire and the tower of Isengard. What is perhaps more enchanting is the possibility of sets featuring The Hobbit! A giant Lego set of Smaug would be truly jaw-dropping-drool worthy!</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rb15fBTCmYE/Tv0mnTEWEuI/AAAAAAAAA1E/LoOPPot40VU/s1600/lord-of-the-rings-lego-image-uruk-hai-army.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Rb15fBTCmYE/Tv0mnTEWEuI/AAAAAAAAA1E/LoOPPot40VU/s200/lord-of-the-rings-lego-image-uruk-hai-army.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kzyk0mUSvBQ/Tv0mn-0RCZI/AAAAAAAAA1M/CVviPldZR2w/s1600/lord-of-the-rings-lego-image-shelob-arrives.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kzyk0mUSvBQ/Tv0mn-0RCZI/AAAAAAAAA1M/CVviPldZR2w/s200/lord-of-the-rings-lego-image-shelob-arrives.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAUI0-vI0yg/Tv0mpRXyoAI/AAAAAAAAA1k/_WW5TbiSFxE/s1600/lord-of-the-rings-lego-image-battle-of-helms-deep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAUI0-vI0yg/Tv0mpRXyoAI/AAAAAAAAA1k/_WW5TbiSFxE/s200/lord-of-the-rings-lego-image-battle-of-helms-deep.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6sLxiijiFi0/Tv0mpj_fexI/AAAAAAAAA1s/ETJUNM7TZFc/s1600/lord-of-the-rings-lego-image-attack-on-weathertop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6sLxiijiFi0/Tv0mpj_fexI/AAAAAAAAA1s/ETJUNM7TZFc/s200/lord-of-the-rings-lego-image-attack-on-weathertop.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-75867522555667808872011-10-20T12:04:00.000-07:002011-10-21T07:58:04.842-07:00Week 4 of the New DC Comics: Part Deux!This was the final pile of new DC books I read. The pile included All-Star Western, Aquaman, Batman: The Dark Knight, Blackhawks, The Flash, and The Fury of Firestorm. This was a very strong group of books in comparison to the other books released in the final week. There were some weaker books, but overall each of the books hold an argument for continuing to read them. Also, I had not previously read any of these books on a monthly basis. From what I read, at least three of these books will be picked up again in the future: All-Star Western, Aquaman, & The Flash.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwCAtG8TavAyb_IyQhLtZnqp1feSto3p00CwExTPzVTZuG2MnJ8EGLHvT3FFShUmgrSpMA5_3Ns5HwfPs3dBq5Efbl8UE3OUG34RMfuaY8HzhfNQjEDCudMY1YTE-bt08uX1XRIkqXLo/s1600/2020995-all_star_western_cover_medium.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCwCAtG8TavAyb_IyQhLtZnqp1feSto3p00CwExTPzVTZuG2MnJ8EGLHvT3FFShUmgrSpMA5_3Ns5HwfPs3dBq5Efbl8UE3OUG34RMfuaY8HzhfNQjEDCudMY1YTE-bt08uX1XRIkqXLo/s1600/2020995-all_star_western_cover_medium.jpeg" /></a></div><b>All-Star Western</b>: This is a fun book to read! It is a wonderful break from the rest of the super-hero laden comics that DC churns out. Here we have the story of Jonah Hex, a mysterious bounty hunter of the late 1880's. Hex comes to Gotham city where he finds himself caught up in a Jack-the-Ripper style murder mystery. The story is great with wonderful nods to places and names that crop up in the modern Batman books, making you wonder if what happens in this book could affect the modern books. The art is by Jimmy Palmiotti, who is an artist I have loved for a very long time. This past summer at the Calgary Fan Expo, Palmiotti was in attendance and made the announcement that he would be joining the creative team on this book. His art is masterful here and shows how much his talent has grown over the decades. Highly recomend this book!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFgByg-l1rQEmHB0yTGU-AohtW-Q2OPjLT1vDjA6kWSi0rs8DbcV8LQFk1m-BAeHwUDIgIsM5QN-D9mSy3nLm3fTPMEVKYXBUaz7UfmnpYeoiF0-v37L-WgJNDItuEm826SoUoRBX9LY/s1600/Aquaman-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFgByg-l1rQEmHB0yTGU-AohtW-Q2OPjLT1vDjA6kWSi0rs8DbcV8LQFk1m-BAeHwUDIgIsM5QN-D9mSy3nLm3fTPMEVKYXBUaz7UfmnpYeoiF0-v37L-WgJNDItuEm826SoUoRBX9LY/s320/Aquaman-1.jpeg" width="205" /></a></div><b>Aquaman</b>: Doesn't Aquaman talk to the fish or something? This and other questions are all bluntly answered in this well crafted and highly entertaining first book!<br />
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Honestly, I have never been a fan of Aquaman. He's the but of most geek'ish jokes. Geoff Johns, the writer of this book presents a a character who is re-examining his past, left his previous role of King of Atlantis, and is trying awkwardly to fit in to life on dry land. The story also has a slight edge to it that feels as though this is how Quentin Tarantino would interpret the character provided he had to work within a PG-13 framework.<br />
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Johns' story does not explain the origin of Aquaman but instead plops the reader in the middle of this character's story where a new chapter in his life is being explored. This strategy has been found in a number of the new DC comics such as Swamp Thing and Hawkman, and as in the case here can be a great tool to satisfy older and newer readers by not discrediting the past while offering a clean slate for the new reader. In all, I really enjoyed this take on Aquaman and am very interested in where this character will be taken next.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRI5B7BEtNE-JwKG9iV9eLjEyWs4zhyphenhyphenRnJvcRU97IXM1UVGsHSK7MnYBj5g9U5fS6rCxVEguktcV7jNzYVnrq5kU9oRDGL52m5MNJRlNvSxoLXHsPfZCgbBlAv2sfyTPBMzWSwlEOeY9Q/s1600/DCnU_05Batman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRI5B7BEtNE-JwKG9iV9eLjEyWs4zhyphenhyphenRnJvcRU97IXM1UVGsHSK7MnYBj5g9U5fS6rCxVEguktcV7jNzYVnrq5kU9oRDGL52m5MNJRlNvSxoLXHsPfZCgbBlAv2sfyTPBMzWSwlEOeY9Q/s1600/DCnU_05Batman.jpg" /></a></div><b>Batman, The Dark Knight</b>: Another Batman book is included in the New DC lineup. Thus far there have been Batman, Batman & Robin, Detective Comics, and the plethora of Batman spin-off titles like Batgirl. The high number of Bat books is rationalized if each of the comics focused on one aspect of Batman. In such a case Batman & Robin would be the relationship between the two, Detective Comics would focus on Batman solving crimes, and Batman would be a holistic book focusing on Bruce Wayne, alter ego of Batman, and interactions with secondary characters like Robin. However, what is The Dark Knight supposed to be about then? It would seem that this book focuses more on the private life of Bruce Wayne as the first issue explores a party that Bruce holds where a member of the police department says he is being investigated for financially supporting the Batman. If this book is to focus on Bruce Wayne, then I am left wondering if this is something I have ever wanted to read about or will this provide me an interesting angle on the complex world of Batman?<br />
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Overall, the story isn't bad but I do not find that it adds anything to the other Batman books and instead this book will get forgotten about. Even if the book is to focus on Bruce Wayne, I am unconvinced there is a need for such an ongoing book; instead, this might work better as a mini-series. The writing and art is provided by David Finch, who might be better than Tony Daniels who draws & writes for the Detective series. I recomend this book but would not doubt this book being canceled within the year because of its redundancy with the other Bat books, even if it is done well.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr63an_Cl_d4kVT8xxD8FwUzX85HUxUoU4syk8_W0xZW92WDRFn8yZjS-ci0dVbRl2eiswyLnFQuMRBWr0uG_7bFbQnSSHVfLMC9B_vTAvaJgN12V-Ik39TzNXf6_Twjdjn3af07ohRkk/s1600/blackhawks1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr63an_Cl_d4kVT8xxD8FwUzX85HUxUoU4syk8_W0xZW92WDRFn8yZjS-ci0dVbRl2eiswyLnFQuMRBWr0uG_7bFbQnSSHVfLMC9B_vTAvaJgN12V-Ik39TzNXf6_Twjdjn3af07ohRkk/s1600/blackhawks1.jpg" /></a></div><b>Black Hawks</b>: This is not a bad book, but it makes very little sense in how it figures into the overall DC Universe. A team of UN sanctioned covert military agents are focused upon here where they combat various threats. In the first story we see the group stop terrorists (I guess that's what they are), a UN representative informs the Black Hawks that their cover has been compromised, and that one of their agents has been infected by something. Not a bad introductory plot, but without an explanation of how this fits into the realm of other superhero books I was left wondering what the point of Black Hawks will be. Is this book to be an isolated group of characters or will their actions have repercussions (and vice versa) in other DC books? Black Hawks #1 is worth reading, and I am tempted to read the next few issues to see where this book is headed. However, if the creators of the book do not explain the role /importance of this book soon I will also quickly loose interest.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohOrFRpQyzqrSbfmGdjd5UWarrIM0L-ltNWec9izZWxEAUYxtVudNEGxmKinSBXz9NkFdTxsc5foEZrwdeGSU9isvS8QOy0FWzKmq1pWX_LOitx1KJu3cpiDnodWA8gSAzG0yRe6FRBY/s1600/Flash01-540x835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohOrFRpQyzqrSbfmGdjd5UWarrIM0L-ltNWec9izZWxEAUYxtVudNEGxmKinSBXz9NkFdTxsc5foEZrwdeGSU9isvS8QOy0FWzKmq1pWX_LOitx1KJu3cpiDnodWA8gSAzG0yRe6FRBY/s320/Flash01-540x835.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><b>The Flash: </b>The releasing of the Flash during the final week of the New DC run was a misstep. The Flash was the central figure during the Flashpoint series that led to the re-numbering of the DC comics. As he was such a pivotal figure, one would guess the title Flash book would be massively promoted and included in the first week of books. This book, one would again assume, would be used to explain how things did and did not change in the DC Universe as the Flash was the reason why these changes had begun at all. Additionally, one might assume that the Flash would be one of the few characters to remember what the universe had been like and to recall what he had previously done. Instead, the first issue of the Flash provides none of this and leaves the long-time reader wondering how the previous Flashpoint and Flash books figure into the new Flash series.<br />
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Leaving the problems above aside, Flash #1 is a stupendous comic. It is loads of fun and features some of the best art in the DC Universe. Manapul utilizes grey washes over top a cartoony /anime style that works really well here; also reminds me of Tim Sale's work. The dialogue is also crisp and the pacing of the comic works very well, leaving a lot of story for developing characters but never making you feel bogged down with too much exposition. This is one of the best books DC has produced and should /will become one of their most popular books!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdFNiVzjz0QZ8f5kahjAKvm7fdXsk-ZWpN4dk6CHe19rjYIH4_npQ8qAhItRaj8fOtd4SqjJ3aOddOiR748vcreVzfwltwjIj-0uu5Z8cPG2ZZEtcwNkq0S1BZ6HpS1Q78ZFklncKi3g/s1600/Fury-of-the-Firestorm_Full_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVdFNiVzjz0QZ8f5kahjAKvm7fdXsk-ZWpN4dk6CHe19rjYIH4_npQ8qAhItRaj8fOtd4SqjJ3aOddOiR748vcreVzfwltwjIj-0uu5Z8cPG2ZZEtcwNkq0S1BZ6HpS1Q78ZFklncKi3g/s320/Fury-of-the-Firestorm_Full_1.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><b>The Fury of Firestorm, The Nuclear Men</b>: This is hands down the worst illustrated book out of the bunch. Yildiray Cinar's <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_294648381" style="color: black;" title="More Yildiray Cinar articles"><strong></strong></a> art is horribly stilted and filled with poor anatomy. The faces feature two expressions: nothing or angry. The story was also generic and poorly structured with a secret group of assassins chasing after a mysterious product of a science experiment. The reader is taken on a voyage across the globe as this group brutally murders anyone associated with the experiment as they track down whatever it is they are looking for. Eventually their chase leads them to a high school in the United States where two teenage boys have the product and use it and become Firestorm. This is a very generic story that has been used for the retelling of too many other super-heroes. What makes the story worse is that it took TWO writers to come up with this: Gail Simone & Ethan van Sciver. I'm not familiar with Sciver, but Simone has produced much better stuff and recently gave us the pretty decent Batgirl comic. I don't know what happened here between these three creative persons, but I have no interest in seeing where this book goes.Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-38884824474690601632011-10-13T10:13:00.000-07:002011-10-20T12:05:07.341-07:00Week 4 of the New DC Comics!: Part Une!<span style="font-size: large;"><b> </b><span style="font-size: small;">This is the longest post yet about the new DC comics. This length is due to the poor nature of many of the books DC put out in their final week of new books. In this post I only discuss half of the books DC released in their final week, and the other half will be discussed in a later post (probably next week). None of the below comics were ones I previously read and none are instant winners. Four of the comics did leave me interested enough to pick up a second issue and give the books another try, but overall this group of comics was a serious disappointment. From the group discussed here, I would recommend: Justice League Dark, I Vampire, Savage Hawkman, and maybe Teen Titans.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uASU7AuyiD1ybD_N9RdOG7_DcpfUtidz68qS90gt9vJKRx5wrcxOAMF45PJ6tOrQW_92BF7PfnfmyiGsM6Ju-trVYyD5SNyqDIwMOi4zcCmpiEO4tqnzFtyAKcTFFuJWn573jheEwkE/s1600/209px-Green_Lantern_New_Guardians-1_Cover-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uASU7AuyiD1ybD_N9RdOG7_DcpfUtidz68qS90gt9vJKRx5wrcxOAMF45PJ6tOrQW_92BF7PfnfmyiGsM6Ju-trVYyD5SNyqDIwMOi4zcCmpiEO4tqnzFtyAKcTFFuJWn573jheEwkE/s320/209px-Green_Lantern_New_Guardians-1_Cover-1.jpg" width="208" /></a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Green Lantern, New Guardians</b>:<b> </b>On the plus side this book offered the kernels of an interesting story, a very brief reframing of the origin of Kyle Rayner becoming a Green Lantern, and that the art was OK. The biggest downside is that as a previous follower of the Green Lantern comic the story left me thoroughly confused as to what the heck has happened to the continuity of the Green Lantern comics and the DC universe as a whole. First off, why is Kyle not already a GL but everyone else previously shown in GL books are? In the previous GL books Kyle was already a GL, so I presume this book represents a complete reboot of Kyle's character, but why is he the only GL to have a reboot? In the previously released GL #1, the story picked up right where the previous GL story started. This lack of coherency in story has left me wondering where all the other new DC books fit into the continuum as it appears that books such as Batman have been left unchanged but books like the Blue Beetle have been completely altered. Is it me or did DC release a source book explaining all this that I missed? A second and smaller problem is that Kyle is unaware of the presence of other Lanterns when he first becomes one, yet a random guy he saves on the next page is well aware of their existence. Furthermore, this comic appears to occur at the same time as does the story in the Green Lantern CORPS comic where the Lanterns are very well known throughout the world. So how the heck doesn't Kyle know about the Lanterns? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The issue of continuity problems has been addressed by many other online critics. It is a glaring problem with the DC reboot that boggles my mind as to how they managed to mess things up so badly. The blame settles upon the editors and should have been a simple issue to ensure not to happen. DC advertised their reboot as a clean slate to their heroes so new readers could begin reading their books. However, this clean slate and issue of reboot has only been applied to a select few characters with no explanation why other heroes were not included.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJ_g_mKam0TNUmVcToosICRshrlwCpLl59dZHFnERpnT6IJTMSHg3gcOrcaujSefOvbfPqzjbxrpnWbQq8jir4LHgc9Ok_LTCDamG41QCL900tdflYw0ekAT-nbcZ_MRtvsKDaTlOJj0/s1600/I-Vampire_Full_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRJ_g_mKam0TNUmVcToosICRshrlwCpLl59dZHFnERpnT6IJTMSHg3gcOrcaujSefOvbfPqzjbxrpnWbQq8jir4LHgc9Ok_LTCDamG41QCL900tdflYw0ekAT-nbcZ_MRtvsKDaTlOJj0/s320/I-Vampire_Full_1.jpg" width="208" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b>I, Vampire</b>: Right away I was confused by this comic for the title is almost identical to another comic DC is producing under its Vertigo imprint. This other comic is called I, Zombie and is an absolutely exceptional book. The close similarity in name had me thinking these books would be connected in some way, but after reading 'I, Vampire' I discovered that there were no similarities other than the name and presence of classic horror creatures; but why use such a similar name? It makes no sense and is frankly a stupid move by DC.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">One of the best parts of this book is the art. Andrea Sorrentino provides the illustrations that are strongly reminiscent of Jae Lee's work with the usage of heavy and blocky blacks and scratchy /scribbly lines. This similarity is so strong that it leaves Sorrentino's art less memorable because of the lack of originality in style, but nonetheless the art looks good. What does work to Sorrentino's benefit is that no one else in the DC line of new books are using a similar style. While Sorrentino's art is not original, it is original in comparison to the other DC books.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09OKuo3KdL0G0EP_YYmwcfBv-KSquQ7AIY9TEmakRHFmOtj4gbflLQ9UP5Phi1CriZN9S6blim9mf5IDZZW3DrjBXw2NxupKrZRt-ygcuWs7BW4uWL3miRs8LkKh6fOLz-DjYFxmOal0/s1600/izombie1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj09OKuo3KdL0G0EP_YYmwcfBv-KSquQ7AIY9TEmakRHFmOtj4gbflLQ9UP5Phi1CriZN9S6blim9mf5IDZZW3DrjBXw2NxupKrZRt-ygcuWs7BW4uWL3miRs8LkKh6fOLz-DjYFxmOal0/s320/izombie1.jpg" width="208" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">i Zombie: confusingly similar names.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: small;">Going into this book I knew nothing about the characters or the previous usage of vampires in DC comics for that matter. The book opens with a conversation between two vampires, Andrew & Mary, and an ill described sequence of Andrew walking through a street filled with dead and weeding out the vampires from the dead that he then kills. The premise is interesting enough and a shallow depth of mystery this book provides also engaged my senses. However, I finished the book not caring about the characters. Such a lack of caring destroyed any sense of engagement the book had instilled in me. There is little depth provided to the characters and I, the reader, was thrown into the climax of the story without having a solid build-up to it. This book needed to start out much slower and allow the reader to become more familiar with the characters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">In all, I Vampire is a curious book that has me conflicted about the art's originality, confused by the naming of the book, and left me not interested in the main characters. Yet, the storyline had some interesting elements that could pan out to be a gripping yarn later in the year. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6nj0QEXY6VKR13AuDVemR8GasY-pMGEkzFAA8eSeMc663HxLfTj_V3tD6EeXGE8HLVQiFhrd6tORvDVVsCAGC5obocdEY_EMAoAHvf7F2ES7b5AtRbs_bYVAw6tyW5DrB27Q4AKJ-K0/s1600/Justice-League-Dark-New-52-1-Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP6nj0QEXY6VKR13AuDVemR8GasY-pMGEkzFAA8eSeMc663HxLfTj_V3tD6EeXGE8HLVQiFhrd6tORvDVVsCAGC5obocdEY_EMAoAHvf7F2ES7b5AtRbs_bYVAw6tyW5DrB27Q4AKJ-K0/s320/Justice-League-Dark-New-52-1-Cover.jpg" width="207" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Justice League Dark</b>: This is a fantastic comic because I LOVED the art and the story presented a unique cast of characters in an exciting premise! In this issue, a team is slowly comprised with a group of mystics such as John Costantine and Deadman. The team has not yet gelled but the characters are converging, with their importance foreshadowed with the defeat of three members of the JLA by the character known as Enchantress. The story is very dark and moody, with tons of foreshadowing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The book could do with one or two less characters as a group of six is maybe too much and does not leave enough time to develop each character. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the group of characters assembled here but feel that Swamp Thing too should be included (despite the fact the book would do better with fewer characters). The art inside the book is just as well rendered as the illustration on the cover. The art is provided by Mikel Janin who uses soft lines with a realistic style that reminds me of J.G. Jones and Adam Hughes. I don't think this book has received much attention and could easily become a sleeper hit!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76qEGbgr5G7YBatlZzsNO4kEl6MUqtp69rx6fd7ABMtIgLvZ4ni3PmfCThFkcj3QBzzA5icVyLNFuMWeKeTJqe6oztmTGVfOzQ3ThukLfntFE2baktp2EzdM5IWQ7XEY-HmG6HFuvse0/s1600/Savage-Hawkman_Full_1-665x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76qEGbgr5G7YBatlZzsNO4kEl6MUqtp69rx6fd7ABMtIgLvZ4ni3PmfCThFkcj3QBzzA5icVyLNFuMWeKeTJqe6oztmTGVfOzQ3ThukLfntFE2baktp2EzdM5IWQ7XEY-HmG6HFuvse0/s320/Savage-Hawkman_Full_1-665x1024.jpg" width="207" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Savage Hawkman</b>: I am most familiar with the character of Hawkman from cartoons and a handful of his guest appearances in other comic books. I have always liked the character but whatever reason never became a big fan. This first issue did not make me into a big fan but did pique my interest. The story is pretty simple with Hawkman conflicted about having powers, which then change and force him into retaining his powers. Hawkman's conflict over his powers is poorly explained and made me feel that I should've read earlier Hawkman issues. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The second component of the story is a glimpse at Hawkman's private /regular life, and then the story's third act reveals a new villain. These last two components were presented well but did not leave any character development for secondary and tertiary characters as multiple pages were used up with a fight sequence in the final act. As for Hawkman himself, there is little exploration or explanation of his character. The only side of Hawkman we see is his anger, which is all fine and well if you're talking about the Hulk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> Turning to the art you find a very compelling reason to pick up this and future issues of the book. Philip Tan provides luscious illustrations that have grey tones that give the illusion of each page looking like a water color painting. I love the contrast of loose and angled lines and the minimalist approach taken on some of the elements like clothing. It really works and I look forward to seeing where Tan's art will go later in this book.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqDgpewYncyHDJ-_J9F_jl6YYYSVWQT0wyVxSVWDxR8oeH_HqfeAeN3gZEpa2g7pAsdXb2Kf2xZiNWrDsY3cdSPLinDkn2LvqoUCA1duKg2aVa09GWKL6_Zkge-S7rZADmYZyyUQ5u80/s1600/DC-Superman-0001-cover-195x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqDgpewYncyHDJ-_J9F_jl6YYYSVWQT0wyVxSVWDxR8oeH_HqfeAeN3gZEpa2g7pAsdXb2Kf2xZiNWrDsY3cdSPLinDkn2LvqoUCA1duKg2aVa09GWKL6_Zkge-S7rZADmYZyyUQ5u80/s1600/DC-Superman-0001-cover-195x300.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Superman</b>: Who is Superman in light of the new DC? This is a question left unanswered in this first issue. It is not until the final few pages that Clerk Kent is provided a brief character sketch. Instead, we are treated to a long explanation of what the role of the Daily Planet, or lack thereof, is in the new DC universe. It is more of a commentary on the changing face of the modern news media with obvious references to the Rupert Murdoch scandal of unethical journalism. Considering that this comic is named SUPERMAN, and that the point of the renumbering of the DC comics was to reintroduce new and old readers to their characters, I am left bewildered why George Perez, the writer, took such a bizarre direction in the first issue. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Another glaring problem with this comic is that at no point was there a sense of wonder or awe. These are critical elements in portraying Superman. He is the Man of Steel, the Man of Tomorrow, yet neither nickname find relevance in this issue. Superman is instead used as a tool to halt evil doers, but in an unremarkable way where any other superhero could have been swapped in for Supes. In all, I was left un-enthused with this issue and the treatment of Superman. I truly expected much better from this issue.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9Hyf_SMrmAQnMrXUZ9hF1Ah3q-AbNwGb927jX_Dwm618qvXO1T_IKHUz6mgrT49sV2P1oYRAfcU-3hXKtIopgmVqHk-4TKflwQpk_EoZThhEWZh03w3c5kxmfGfwwwMY9PsihMAI7wE/s1600/teentitans1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie9Hyf_SMrmAQnMrXUZ9hF1Ah3q-AbNwGb927jX_Dwm618qvXO1T_IKHUz6mgrT49sV2P1oYRAfcU-3hXKtIopgmVqHk-4TKflwQpk_EoZThhEWZh03w3c5kxmfGfwwwMY9PsihMAI7wE/s1600/teentitans1.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Teen Titans</b>: I am very torn on how to feel about this first issue. To begin, a book entitled 'Teen Titans' does not have the feel of a group of 'Teenagers'. Instead, Scott Lobdell, the writer, introduced us to a group of superheroes that are in their early to mid 20's; perhaps the book should be called 'Young Adult Titans"? Problems of age aside, I found the dialogue some of the best and funniest yet in the new DC books. The dialogue felt genuine to each character, with good usage of stereotypes in the dialogues that set the characters apart from one another; for instance, Kid Flash speaks in a quick and arrogant fashion while Red Robbin speaks in a more deliberate and wiser fashion. The overall story itself is strong but nothing too original. On the plus side, the book briefly introduces you to all the characters that will join the team but focuses on only three of them. This allows the reader a slower introduction to the book which fosters greater character development and character likability. This was a strong move that Justice League Dark would've been improved by following. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The final point to mention is the art, which is one of the undoings of this comic. Brett Booth provides generic artwork where everyone has the same body type and facial features. The environments are rendered with sufficient detail but the choice of framing is uninspired. For this book to succeed, Lobdell needs to rethink who his script fits into a book called 'Teen Titans', and Booth needs to spend more time on creating original and realistic art.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl7QteGRUWm4p4NZ1hO7ZlwoccjydndJDJChEsL3DLYrcnTga3HK0H8h3ciLDLNi8rtDSyUjWQzmBjbO3kA_G9iAXopN2RofsNk8TYVhGCRRKcVHzBUj2Cq31Pkgn86r6HGhxPinBehMI/s1600/DC-Voodoo-0001-cover-194x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl7QteGRUWm4p4NZ1hO7ZlwoccjydndJDJChEsL3DLYrcnTga3HK0H8h3ciLDLNi8rtDSyUjWQzmBjbO3kA_G9iAXopN2RofsNk8TYVhGCRRKcVHzBUj2Cq31Pkgn86r6HGhxPinBehMI/s1600/DC-Voodoo-0001-cover-194x300.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Voodoo</b>: Wow DC. All I can say is wow, and I do not mean this in an awe inspiring kind of way. This book had a number of problems, the biggest of which is who DC believes the target audience of this book is for? Ron Marz provides the script and is a writer I enjoyed years ago for his run on Green Lantern where he first introduced us to Kyle Rayner as a new GL and the beginning of Hal Jordan's insanity and fall from the GL's. Marz was a trendsetter back in the 90's, but his work on Voodoo is the work of a teenager who watched the movie Species too many times. The first 3/4 of this book is situated in a strip club and the last little bit features a brutal killing. There are no warnings for how graphic this comic is. DC is advertising their comics for all ages, yet have ramped up the maturity of the content.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Getting past the over the top usage of sex and violence, Voodoo does very little to build interest in where this comic is going. The story feels very tired with the over-done story of alien who is hiding on Earth and a mysterious government agency that chases after such aliens. This is all too similar to the a fore mentioned movie Species, and many other franchises such as X-Files. This lack of originality definitely hurts the comic's ability to spur interest, but the lack of story development also does not help. The first 20 or so pages could have been slimmed down to 5 as the exposition was gratuitous. In consideration of the art, Sami Basri does a commendable job. There is very little detail in his art, resulting in people looking more like silhouettes with a few interior lines. The result of such a style are clean and easily understood illustrations while also not leaving a big impression upon the viewer for remembering the art. Basir does the job well, but not well enough to be remembered against other artists. </span>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-48207975653395045432011-10-07T12:27:00.000-07:002011-10-07T12:27:16.503-07:00Design of Modern Movie Theaters: Encouragement of Privacy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizejjxRyY1dA6dZXGpK_Zag_kcd14eMeglgsOWs7Wa48FRgCwIRcowTkFBmoz_RbIINXUKmxzszOYHm9UZoJMB-2_2pGct4uVoMJPfihJ0ElzQYGPzmmvmSpQ6WqYzEumm-eTcijBf3M/s1600/blueprint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizejjxRyY1dA6dZXGpK_Zag_kcd14eMeglgsOWs7Wa48FRgCwIRcowTkFBmoz_RbIINXUKmxzszOYHm9UZoJMB-2_2pGct4uVoMJPfihJ0ElzQYGPzmmvmSpQ6WqYzEumm-eTcijBf3M/s320/blueprint.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">Last night my wife and I saw The Help. It was a very enjoyable movie that suffered from the same malady as our previous escapades to a theater, restless and talkative audience. This got me thinking of why this is such a prevalent problem with the movies I've seen in the past decade and how I don't remember this being an issue when I was younger. To be fair, perhaps I am turning into a curmudgeon in my old age. Then again this might be due to something else: the changing design of movie theaters.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHjSsenCLvvm6nYmRPQjS5vJwREdFTJ-P98rWzqocsOH4KpzAQ6mCgwHwyUM3zRbJuMvnn_Kw_dzWu5HPN_lrog8X0OFS0oBz6oiQyzHObtD6-3QfNuP1NEbC00h7cgTGlXM8zPHKOhE/s1600/THEATER+DESIGN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHjSsenCLvvm6nYmRPQjS5vJwREdFTJ-P98rWzqocsOH4KpzAQ6mCgwHwyUM3zRbJuMvnn_Kw_dzWu5HPN_lrog8X0OFS0oBz6oiQyzHObtD6-3QfNuP1NEbC00h7cgTGlXM8zPHKOhE/s320/THEATER+DESIGN.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black arrows represent the movement of staff while movie is playing. Note the limited amount of movement in a modern theater's design compared to the pre-modern design. The further you sit from the black arrows (staff presence) the greater the afforded privacy, and hence modern designs afford vast areas of privacy and ability to act against social rules.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Before the 2000's most movie theaters were designed with the theater sinking downward from where you entered the room. From my experiences, you would have two doorways at the back of the theater and another two at the bottom. These two entrances led to open pathways that split the theater along the sides, leaving the bulk of seats in the middle, similar to how modern theaters are designed. The difference between modern and earlier theaters is that the entrances now lead you to the middle of the room, where the back half of the theater is angled upward from where the entrance led you. This design breaks the flow of people entering the theater with people walking up to the back of the theater and walking down to the front of the theater. This results in the back of the theater being more secluded as no one needs to walk up to this area unless there are empty seats. Theater staff who check on the movie during a screening never enter the back half of the theater as their business is located in the front. As the staff only need to walk to the front (I don't really know what they do there) and the entrance opens in the middle of the theater, this creates a situation where movie goers know that the staff will never be walking near them. This adds a greater amount of privacy and freedom for them to act whichever way they wish.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_5vpsNmOnc2C99ccKFxwhtTwVfqRt3VwzWmn-KdqY8JcM64qzf1Facz1wMRnuGdROBdD376DisJ4BdmTUMT6iqr4SkKJXV_euef3BVUHaRflx1qyqUSfKVRToc_x01zuIwN2oWQYHWs/s1600/big-brother-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_5vpsNmOnc2C99ccKFxwhtTwVfqRt3VwzWmn-KdqY8JcM64qzf1Facz1wMRnuGdROBdD376DisJ4BdmTUMT6iqr4SkKJXV_euef3BVUHaRflx1qyqUSfKVRToc_x01zuIwN2oWQYHWs/s320/big-brother-poster.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">I am not suggesting that a theater's staff would solve all the problems of rudeness in theaters. Instead I am suggesting that the possibility of staff entering someone's vicinity will create a sense of paranoia. I believe most movie goers know what is socially acceptable and not acceptable. Privacy encourages someone to act whichever way they wish for there is no fear of punishment. The possibility of the presence of staff removes the sense of privacy and has movie goers acting in a more socially acceptable manner for <i>fear of punishment</i>. By eliminating the traffic of theater staff to the back half of the rooms, designers have unintentionally created a space of privacy that allows for socially unacceptable behavior. The solution to making movie theaters a quieter and more enjoyable place is to eliminate private spaces and induce fear of punishment. To this end, staff must be sent in both directions from the entrance of modern designed movie theaters.</span>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-24318482339738900512011-10-06T07:52:00.000-07:002011-10-06T07:53:49.778-07:00Less is More, DC Comics!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLFl8r1trJ4ft535U11CzAU9nAHzeMK3RJRUsIHip14BZxsDQSYxZBNOlBxjiAe-_JGyQ-R-mg8y32NCMPoz6ppuDUhZ4h9Qy5wKNTyeQlp_fQs3iX4MhB6YnOsjFv7bcAsm78Gi1pu8/s1600/DC-Comics-The-New-52.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="98" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLFl8r1trJ4ft535U11CzAU9nAHzeMK3RJRUsIHip14BZxsDQSYxZBNOlBxjiAe-_JGyQ-R-mg8y32NCMPoz6ppuDUhZ4h9Qy5wKNTyeQlp_fQs3iX4MhB6YnOsjFv7bcAsm78Gi1pu8/s320/DC-Comics-The-New-52.png" width="320" /></a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7x19erPfo4iuvLeSS-M-dG4ztuDNxTkIQk5TV7i45bn7OJzXc4uPeI93p26lPnyRzcX3PCKpB6KBJSBFb4DPhhl-PZ-4uXj-X5Dbgg5hPgTKi-Xo8sFBBFQ_awICDj22oymUXj1LJlzM/s1600/DC-New-52_First-Wave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7x19erPfo4iuvLeSS-M-dG4ztuDNxTkIQk5TV7i45bn7OJzXc4uPeI93p26lPnyRzcX3PCKpB6KBJSBFb4DPhhl-PZ-4uXj-X5Dbgg5hPgTKi-Xo8sFBBFQ_awICDj22oymUXj1LJlzM/s200/DC-New-52_First-Wave.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1 weeks worth of DC comics: too much?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">I have enjoyed many of the DC relaunch comics but it would have been better if DC had started with only a few books instead of 52. Fifty-two comics every month is a lot of comics and would leave a new reader beleaguered. It would have been wiser if DC had relaunched with a dozen to 20 comics instead. As it stands you average 13 new issues every week, which will increase as DC unveils various mini-series and one-shots. A smaller number of comics each month also means a better and tighter focus on what you have, increasing the production value. It also means that readers will not be stumped on what to buy, granted due to there being less choice.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But, consider the redundancy. There are a total of four Batman books and another SIX Bat-related books (eg. batgirl); there is definitely room for downsizing! A new reader would have little idea of what Batman book to choose. How would you choose if you've never read a Batman book before but loved the movies and decided you wanted to read the source material!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyELgJ6b_Ky5qA04gZMqjfiTdzRhCNDtU7apZzfLOD_sDWaiuH4Yf3UH802isOG9MfaEDnl4J7DJKym5C2P2rltNft24vGy5SSmxiSsUfitofq5-AId3DWz4aHPiBES3oJ7s32mgGWQ0/s1600/new52batmanii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyELgJ6b_Ky5qA04gZMqjfiTdzRhCNDtU7apZzfLOD_sDWaiuH4Yf3UH802isOG9MfaEDnl4J7DJKym5C2P2rltNft24vGy5SSmxiSsUfitofq5-AId3DWz4aHPiBES3oJ7s32mgGWQ0/s320/new52batmanii.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Compilation of Batman & Batman affiliated comic covers.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">DC missed what a lot of the readers were asking for: fewer books and more concise stories. The more books you have for one character, the more difficult it becomes to follow the story arc of that character because inevitably the story crosses over from one book to the next. I will grant you two things: that Detective Comics and Batman have been around forever and it would be sacrilege to cancel either one: and that affiliated books have readers of their own, like Batgirl, and present very different stories and styles of stories. However, I fail to see a reason to publish both 'Batman the Dark Knight' and 'Batman and Robin' when both books discuss concepts already covered in 'Batman' and 'Detective Comics'. It is overkill!</span>Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-18506020042391937872011-10-04T10:04:00.000-07:002011-10-04T10:43:52.395-07:00Media Companies Out of Touch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNyiy6X6qhk0w3C4-ohWDRHBPCqrhiGjaTt9j04KQ8P2S0TZoOTqbsxITm5zTKTMl-mFhpF_9GHXAc4wprTmEIl_a4-qcO7Pid-hEogIidTyQWR13W5uxeGizAKL-2L-KCKczyVkeOQA/s1600/monopoly_man-13539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNyiy6X6qhk0w3C4-ohWDRHBPCqrhiGjaTt9j04KQ8P2S0TZoOTqbsxITm5zTKTMl-mFhpF_9GHXAc4wprTmEIl_a4-qcO7Pid-hEogIidTyQWR13W5uxeGizAKL-2L-KCKczyVkeOQA/s200/monopoly_man-13539.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Media companies are out of touch with the economic crunch most people are feeling. Prices for entertainment have gone up while the average wage has stayed the same and the economic fear machine has marched its way inside most people's noggins.<br />
<br />
The average new DVD movie costs over $20 and closer to $30 if on blue ray. If choosing to rent it, you will be looking at a price tag of at least $5 for a new release. If you choose to go out and see the movie in a theater then you're looking at between $13 and $18, depending on the type of screening -eg. regular or 3D. The music industry has not changed much either, with concerts and CDs at or above the price level of the 1990's. Sure you can buy someone's music on iTunes, but that only saves you maybe $5 while not actually receiving a physical copy of your purchase.<br />
<br />
Even though the media industry complains that their sales are falling they continue to produce a product that they sell for a higher rate than they did previously while so much of the world cannot afford it. If your market audience cannot afford your product and you are loosing money, then the logical step is to produce a cheaper product that can therefore be sold more cheaply. The other side of the coin is to produce a product with additional value for the same price. However, neither step has been taken. I find this odd.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiH2Ap_gDhZzcJ9rILfFw3AWMoTGN7mX7FpQ7-HtNtYtQFqshLhZWiULPaX4fZ8dYmR0gcC-mpqs8UYVx2K7RjhzyYztzwm2LFd1ET8PEtMm_Ky3wKVfPFQ8mLfUDAAEjs8wN-rTGY6I/s1600/obama-star-wars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdiH2Ap_gDhZzcJ9rILfFw3AWMoTGN7mX7FpQ7-HtNtYtQFqshLhZWiULPaX4fZ8dYmR0gcC-mpqs8UYVx2K7RjhzyYztzwm2LFd1ET8PEtMm_Ky3wKVfPFQ8mLfUDAAEjs8wN-rTGY6I/s320/obama-star-wars.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even Obama is into Star Wars!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The media industry also complains about people pirating their products. To a degree I do not blame them for their complaint. The companies produce a product that is in no way a 'need' for consumers. They produce wants, and they do so to make a profit so they can continue making the things you enjoy. The problem lies in that their product has become a 'need' in our society. Film and music have become integral threads to our society and to be a part of our society one must have some knowledge about this thread. Ask yourself how many people you know have no knowledge about music or film? Secondly, ask yourself how it would be to hold a conversation with someone and never be able to discuss film or music or the entertainment industry as a whole? I myself often use film and music as conversation starters. When meeting someone new the most obvious connection we could have would be found in music and film.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7h_UYttB6-9WhT62EY5DWZxqaodcj8iQy4eh9mzDwwN1i-i6aqkEhceb_jfOVT7Cv2Wa2aAXm9KrsgxAJVd1yo1_cHx9VrPo8BDS6X6U7agmtQfeOaB1F1P-i6rrFk6xrLPLeI9Xros/s1600/pirates-of-the-caribbean-johnny-depp-orlando-bloom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP7h_UYttB6-9WhT62EY5DWZxqaodcj8iQy4eh9mzDwwN1i-i6aqkEhceb_jfOVT7Cv2Wa2aAXm9KrsgxAJVd1yo1_cHx9VrPo8BDS6X6U7agmtQfeOaB1F1P-i6rrFk6xrLPLeI9Xros/s320/pirates-of-the-caribbean-johnny-depp-orlando-bloom.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pirates! Ahr!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Because the product of the media industry has become a need and the prices are high in reflection to what the average person earns, people are turning to stealing the product. I personally do not pirate music or movies for a number reasons. One, I am not savvy enough to know how to download music and movies; I'm a bit of a Luddite really. Secondly, I feel that pirating is stealing and I like to financially support the artists I appreciate. Nonetheless, I understand why some people are pirating media products because they are components of our cultural reality.<br />
<br />
What I hope to see is that the media industry begins to lower the prices of their products to reflect the economic climate we are in today. Perhaps this means the industry will need to spend less money on their products, such as slashing movie budgets. This would not be a bad thing as movies of generations ago did just fine with smaller budgets. Secondly, the media industry cannot expect to make as large of profits as they do now when their consumers have less to spend. It makes little sense for companies to be expecting to make more when their audience has remained virtually the same size and has less to spend. Where do they expect their extra revenue to come from?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgU877rMfHn09S8m4pnbMECHlsAITlMsuA9YvyV5LAN7XtQrS6Q1KdnYkCyfEvMxRW6qg7gia6Lu2WNTQDUy7DrQED16B4WoPaF39y9YSrqt3hxM5qyJ5PQcV1tkJptBV0RLqQOpReU0/s1600/Star_Wars_Day_at-at-walker-baby-stroller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgU877rMfHn09S8m4pnbMECHlsAITlMsuA9YvyV5LAN7XtQrS6Q1KdnYkCyfEvMxRW6qg7gia6Lu2WNTQDUy7DrQED16B4WoPaF39y9YSrqt3hxM5qyJ5PQcV1tkJptBV0RLqQOpReU0/s320/Star_Wars_Day_at-at-walker-baby-stroller.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prevalence of the entertainment industry in today's culture & society.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I don't claim to be a financial or economic expert. What I do claim is to have a solid knowledge of culture, and in this instance pop culture. I understand that the media industry's products are vital to many people's lives but in the end we can always do without them. However, to strip ourselves of this product would also mean stripping a thread out of our cultural milieu; for instance Star Wars has become an important and influential component of our society, much like other products like Twilight, Guns 'n Roses, and the Simpsons. The media industry (I hope) must understand that their products need to be produced with less money, sold for less money, and to recoup smaller revenues from their products. Otherwise more people will continuing utilizing alternative ways of obtaining their products and looking for alternative and hence cheaper forms of media products such as Youtube.Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1918873401982028218.post-7258823814883377732011-10-03T07:01:00.000-07:002011-10-04T10:49:56.605-07:00Generations in the Movie Theater<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglG9D0t38Bn8I7AgonJXHOLzGGM9dUzUA9xeR42fj88anBvpaL0e63cY8vOtbIqjLvMj2p_V5S16NRFOqjvkMZMZw_bfSVO2Gv-bmu56qTUHNFElFG4ONRWqjA_kQ4kgD_eimIBaiPjoo/s1600/sugimoto-trylon-theatre-new-york-1976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglG9D0t38Bn8I7AgonJXHOLzGGM9dUzUA9xeR42fj88anBvpaL0e63cY8vOtbIqjLvMj2p_V5S16NRFOqjvkMZMZw_bfSVO2Gv-bmu56qTUHNFElFG4ONRWqjA_kQ4kgD_eimIBaiPjoo/s320/sugimoto-trylon-theatre-new-york-1976.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>My wife & I recently saw the Lion King in 3D at the movie theaters. We saw the matinee show on a weekday thinking it wouldn't be too busy but would have at least a few families in attendance. Originally, we wanted to see a late night screening of the movie as it would have fewer kids and hence be quieter. However, due to her work schedule we were forced into choosing the matinee.<br />
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When attending a family-friendly movie during a matinee time, one should expect children to be also be in attendance. One should also expect child-like behavior. What one should not expect is child-like behavior coming from the parents.<br />
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Children can be little shits at times, but it is the role of the parent to teach their child what acceptable social behavior is. My stance here means that I do not blame a child for being a shit but I also do not condone a child being a shit. A child needs to be educated on how not to be a shit. That education comes principally from the parent. If the parent is not providing this education, then I blame them when their kid is acting like a little shit.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNqLeUaRMlbBI3uHH7WZaO9IpMUYbAzjF3ianmLHzbOdEzGx0pgDW5xDMLG9gfwTIFSN7EKvs5mW_qwIus9kcQubNCQzKvCkXRhi2r6CV4TftpWgUUlqoN1Y_BeRki-PaZRT7IXu9EKA/s1600/bad_parents_30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNqLeUaRMlbBI3uHH7WZaO9IpMUYbAzjF3ianmLHzbOdEzGx0pgDW5xDMLG9gfwTIFSN7EKvs5mW_qwIus9kcQubNCQzKvCkXRhi2r6CV4TftpWgUUlqoN1Y_BeRki-PaZRT7IXu9EKA/s320/bad_parents_30.jpg" width="310" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bad parenting comes in many forms.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>While watching Lion King, two families with kids in tow sat behind us. There were many families throughout the theater. For the majority of the film the children were very respectful. The children were quiet and still. When the children broke the social rules, such as talking loudly, their parent quietly corrected them. Sometimes a child could be heard loudly asking a question, which often times were pretty damn funny because it was an innocent kid kind of question. This is actually one of the fun aspects to seeing a kid's movie with kids: they ask funny questions that somehow make the movie that much more enjoyable. However, there is a limit to these questions and the way in which they are asked and handled.<br />
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The families behind us allowed their kids to do whatever they wanted. The children flailed and carried on as if they were watching a movie at home. But this is not their home! Again, I do not blame the kids for how they were acting, I blame the parents. The father constantly laughed whenever his child did something socially inappropriate and when speaking to the child did so in a loud voice. Often I could hear the father telling his wife how funny the kids were being, in which she also responded in a similarly loud voice.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohpbsdSqH4GChWDwjV6VBjc4st15m9sfO-pTYT0rXC_UETVt7cNgHPPpWO2v4vhDvOvbjlRGk0msIg1YWKNC-jBYk5OJ4Q5TGo3BPfXu7jma5cn_tBAhwEWrJCcgIPjNI_wUoEBTefh0/s1600/LINDSAY-LOHAN-FUCK-U-NAIL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohpbsdSqH4GChWDwjV6VBjc4st15m9sfO-pTYT0rXC_UETVt7cNgHPPpWO2v4vhDvOvbjlRGk0msIg1YWKNC-jBYk5OJ4Q5TGo3BPfXu7jma5cn_tBAhwEWrJCcgIPjNI_wUoEBTefh0/s320/LINDSAY-LOHAN-FUCK-U-NAIL.jpg" width="177" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Are we producing a generation of Lohans?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I won't go so far as to say these families ruined the movie for me, but obviously it ticked me off. It costs a lot of money to see a movie and it pisses me off to have it soiled by ignorant people who obviously have more money than I do as they don't care about spending x amount of dollars at a theater, only to sit through the movie talking and laughing. The financial aspect is definitely one reason why this upset me, but a second is that I worry for the kids. Yeah, here's my sensitive side dammit. I worry how those kids are going to grow up without a social education. Their parents have failed to teach them social etiquette. This is more worrisome because if the parents couldn't teach etiquette in a movie theater then what about more important social arenas such as classrooms and workplaces? The lack of education in the theater is just the tip of the proverbial ice-berg.<br />
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An additional thought gives me a glimmer of hope: much of human behavior is cyclical. Music for instance runs in cycles with rock music being predominant for about 13-16 years and is then replaced by pop music for an equivalent amount of time. This makes me wonder if parenting styles also run in cycles, with one generation being firm and the next loose? If this is so, then we are in a loose style of parenting. However, I have also sensed a level of apathy and 'don't give a shit' mentality that I am unaware of from previous generations of parents. It would seem all too often that current parents, particularly older parents with very young children don't give a shit about actually raising the kids. It would seem they only want the ability to say they have kids and to spend marginal amounts of time with their kids. In these cases I suggest the parents purchase a chia pet as it would be safer for everyone involved; I would have suggested a dog but I wouldn't wish that kind of life upon such a noble creature.Archaeomatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17960870333727826295noreply@blogger.com0