The Musings of Scott

As you may or may not know, Atlas Shrugged is still in theaters. It holds the unique qualification of being one of the few movies to get almost universally bad press (although the media has been sure to not mention it at all whenever possible). Having seen it this past weekend, I went in with an objective eye (being sure to not let my love of the book taint my review of the movie), and I left that theater angry.

I was not angry at the adaptation, in fact I quite enjoyed the movie (as did the 3 other people I saw it with). No I was angry at the overwhelming negative reviews: simply put, many them are unwarranted (and I left wondering if many had been “prewritten” before the movie was viewed).

Before I address the common criticisms of the movie, I did have a couple of criticisms of my own. I am an adamant movie buff, watching many per week. While I truly enjoyed the movie, I do think there are some improvements to be made before the next installment:
(continue reading…)

Popularity: 40% [?]

As a long time zombie fan, I am kind of happy there has been such a surge in zombie popularity. (I documented the steep increase in zombie movies recently) Because of the plethora of competition out there, as well as plenty of well established zombie franchises, it’s tough for a new comer to stand out from the herd.

Last year, AMC struck cable TV Gold with the Walking Dead. With the internet eating up their niche, now even non-premium movie are turning to original content to stay relevant. The Walking Dead was well executed, it premiered on Halloween, had superior production quality, and was based on a popular Graphic Novel with an established fan base. Like any other drama it hosts a diverse set of developed characters, who over the course of the season you come to better understand the back story and motivations of. Instead of being in an emergency room full of unsavable patients, the story is set in a post apocalyptic everyday world full of unsavable monsters. It was a gamble on AMC’s part, but ultimately a good one. The Walking Dead ended up being my favorite new series last year.

Now the latest fine piece of fine Zombie comercialism that inspired me to write this post. Dead Island by Techland immediately got me (and others in my network) instantly intrigued. The artfulness won over the Ad crowd, and the originality excited all of us zombie enthusiasts. I dare say that in a market where the quantity of zombie games & movies have skyrocketed, there has been very little innovation to speak of (Zombieland was the last example of supreme creativity). They’re building a lot of hype with no clear release date, so Techland better be able to back it up with a good finished product!

This teaser released this week drew in not only gamers, but all zombie fans. From a marketing perspective it’s unorthodox presentation style instantly draws in the viewer (I don’t think a “watch the whole video it’s worth it” is necessary), but manages to tell some very complex exposition without a narrator thanks to some very creative editing. The icing on the cake of this video is the soundtrack, the sorrowful and relaxing music paints a sharp contrast to the horrific scenario unfolding in reverse. The detailed characters look quite realistic (with in game graphics that portray emotion as well as an actor could), and this looks like another genre-bending cinematic video game. The question will be is when we can expect to experience it, and if the gameplay is as artful and creative as their promotional content. Enjoy.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Those that I converse with know I enjoy using media to enhance interactions, and properly convey my feelings (which text alone is often inadequate for).

For the past couple years I have abused the hell out of this site to convey displeasure: http://www.nooooooooooooooo.com/

Well a channel over at Blip.tv which specializes in Montages has finally stepped up to the plate and found a suitable (if 12 minute) replacement for my desire to show cliché disapproval

Popularity: 5% [?]

Another entry for the Holy Taco photoshop contest today. This one was inspired when I discovered that the director for the newest movie is David Slade, who also directed (a vampire favorite of mine), 30 Days of Night.

Original

Popularity: 34% [?]

Updated with more resources 3/15/10

The past few years, many folks have analyzed the obsession, and apparent addiction some people show towards video gaming. After recently coming across yet another thought-provoking viewpoint that offered insights on this new cultural phenomenon, I felt a need to share my favorites. I have been known to play some PS3 now and again, though the time I log in now pales in comparison to the times of my carefree youth. I never have “fallen” to the kind of depths illustrated by some of these subjects, but I do find the sociology-technology interaction fascinating. I’ve gathered my favorite resources which helped me see quite a few new angles on this new cultural phenomenon.

Though often over looked as a niche appeal, MMO games are a form of social media in themselves (large networks of people socializing and interacting). Some of these networks are so complex as to have created “real” economies which actually begin interacting with the actual global economy. Furthermore, they have proven to be much more profitable (and addictive) than conventional social media networks. It’s hard to not find these developing alternate realities fascinating, and the people living in them so very unique that they seem almost alien to the non-gamer. Part of the selection process of the perspectives was I wanted to only include those who did not condemn the differences of these people, but tried to understand, convey, and “humanize” their subjects. Coincidentally, all of these can be viewed online at your leisure…

10 years after The Matrix, we indeed have a segment of the population who lead computer generated lives
(continue reading…)

Popularity: 15% [?]

ven·geance
Pronunciation: \?ven-j?n(t)s\
Function: noun
: punishment inflicted in retaliation for an injury or offense

10. Rocky IV

While this movie has many concurrent themes, most notably the Cold War and the authenticity of athletes, it’s easy to see the main force driving the plot of this movie: revenge for his killed friend and mentor.
(continue reading…)

Popularity: 16% [?]

Both of these movies serve of warnings of what is to come unless we change our cultural habits regarding fossil fuel use, but which one does the best job?
(continue reading…)

Popularity: 11% [?]

Since I did a worst of, it’s only fair to pick my favorites of 2009 as well. These are in no particular order

Popularity: 6% [?]

#5: Knowing
Nicolas Cage seems to be taking up all the roles Keanu Reeves is turning down. This movie follows a tired formula and had the lamest punch out ending of all time (in 2009).



#4: Fast & Furious 4
Someone had the idea that Paul Walker and Vin Diesel should once again team up in a high budget car movie. The talent of these two master craftsmen truly shines when they are reunited and push each other to new heights of acting brilliance. I forgot to mention that they become Mexican drug smugglers… yup.


#3: The Time Traveler’s Wife
Let’s break the laws of time and physics to make a super-mega-ultra-romantic story. A man with the (never to be explained) ability to travel through time randomly decides the best way to utilize this ability is to make a 6 year old girl fall in love with him. Did I mention he travels through time “Terminator style” and leaves his clothes behind. A nude man from the future woos over his pre-pubescent soul mate, playing a careful chess game of seducing the woman he loves before meeting her for the first time. Aside from the perverted overtones this movie took, it also lost serious points due to the lack of the following items from a movie featuring time travel every five minutes: a Dolorian, Jean-Claude Van Dame, awkward sexual tension when meeting own mom in past, nazis, robots, or dinosaurs.

Actual DC Comics Villian: Tyrannosaurus Reich

(continue reading…)

Popularity: 30% [?]