tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13608936896110476412024-03-18T10:07:14.726-07:00Cutting Edge ConformityCool is just cutting edge conformity. This is a blog about what I find cool, interesting, or otherwise diverting. Also nonsense about projects I'm working on.
More of my art can be seen on my website: www.jtillustration.com
Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger407125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-69691890106537943832024-03-12T06:09:00.000-07:002024-03-13T14:27:04.688-07:00Dune II review<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3prRJVBC_B45A4EoFsXjf1LZdMhZyuNxsx_OV5-5pl_8hrb5nY3JDRhTnajz2J47u7AKnTill3o5Pp04BJYfMgZF8pq39KVA4B2rRYie64Xcm4h5PP66PRTuCyHS6MJBoZsD2-alWGTokUd8f5Q20jvKQUQQ7oLBgFxt6U6XyhkQeGyvQVgL6Zxwfk6c/s1600/link-tank-dune-2-denis-villeneuve-timothee-chalamet.jpeg.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3prRJVBC_B45A4EoFsXjf1LZdMhZyuNxsx_OV5-5pl_8hrb5nY3JDRhTnajz2J47u7AKnTill3o5Pp04BJYfMgZF8pq39KVA4B2rRYie64Xcm4h5PP66PRTuCyHS6MJBoZsD2-alWGTokUd8f5Q20jvKQUQQ7oLBgFxt6U6XyhkQeGyvQVgL6Zxwfk6c/s320/link-tank-dune-2-denis-villeneuve-timothee-chalamet.jpeg.webp" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hey you guys, I found my knife!"</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">This is one of those rare films that simply must be seen in IMAX.</span></p><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">It's a breathtaking, epic spectacle. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The art direction alone is worth the price of admission, IMHO.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Visually on par with<i> Lawrence of Arabia</i> and other classics, this is a hyper-serious take on the ttale of a messiah created by a bunch of space nuns, trapped in a neo-feudal nightmare galaxy of murder, intrigue, betrayal and fanaticism. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">If anyone was going to make gigantic mile long sand worms believable, it's Denis Villeneuve. </div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjak9vl0KuHJWoD6biy8guvMz7KkbLnoyasoLoDbvEbQUFNk1BCDYr7I1DKdC_rsc9eFlTwioxeeLEC7NQ2Xr68qLpkLvl5WSArvQ7C-jcfPch6WSyRTO6rJh0J2MuahQpLtuvIiE4H2gSwIVMILcir7s1Q1qIMb1y8WACRRf9ASke67wR3s26uFUjmsIc/s1200/rev_1_DUN2_T3_0044r_High_Res_JPEG.6.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjak9vl0KuHJWoD6biy8guvMz7KkbLnoyasoLoDbvEbQUFNk1BCDYr7I1DKdC_rsc9eFlTwioxeeLEC7NQ2Xr68qLpkLvl5WSArvQ7C-jcfPch6WSyRTO6rJh0J2MuahQpLtuvIiE4H2gSwIVMILcir7s1Q1qIMb1y8WACRRf9ASke67wR3s26uFUjmsIc/s320/rev_1_DUN2_T3_0044r_High_Res_JPEG.6.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Run away!</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Dune II is faster paced and more of a roller coaster than the first installment (which proceeded at a rather stately pace) and it kept me hooked from beginning to end, despite being familiar with the books. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">It's a stunning triumph, a visual feast, and the most impressive film I think I've seen in a very long time. In terms of visual impact, it's up there with the original <i>Star Wars,</i> <i>2001: A Space Odyssey</i>, <i>The Matrix</i>, or <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>. It's a little less emotionally affecting than the modern classic LOTR, but still highly enjoyable, immersive, and easily the visual equal. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Herbert was concerned with how people can be manipulated to believe collective myths (such as ideologies). Ideologies are enormously powerful, capable of uniting millions of separate individuals into a gestalt organism that can accomplish great, or terrible, things. Nation states, empires, religions, political ideologies are essentially collective organisms, and human history is littered with their deeds. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Dune I and II effectively convey the wastefulness and paranoia of a feudal universe, where every royal is constantly on guard, wary of assassins, while the masses are little more than cannon fodder. Chaff for the gestalt grinders. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGo1RD4L8fAQFA0lb2YW5RyyXT5dBhE3tYTptmYsCRLCcPOUkyAbjL1TDYblOge4t456UTutxSonwevrOWHVc-nrIrF6zPOT72BXvuzgga1-zsxUinod_JpeEjGhKDMPILvxgsKUiRVdmy-QxXiJEh8ThS1wS3evJ4w6x6RaVKhhN7ejuEO4SLqh_cuRI/s500/MV5BNzY4OGI3OTEtYjg5MS00NTUyLWEzZjctZTIzMzY3MjAxZTdkXkEyXkFqcGdeQVRoaXJkUGFydHlJbmdlc3Rpb25Xb3JrZmxvdw@@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="500" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGo1RD4L8fAQFA0lb2YW5RyyXT5dBhE3tYTptmYsCRLCcPOUkyAbjL1TDYblOge4t456UTutxSonwevrOWHVc-nrIrF6zPOT72BXvuzgga1-zsxUinod_JpeEjGhKDMPILvxgsKUiRVdmy-QxXiJEh8ThS1wS3evJ4w6x6RaVKhhN7ejuEO4SLqh_cuRI/s320/MV5BNzY4OGI3OTEtYjg5MS00NTUyLWEzZjctZTIzMzY3MjAxZTdkXkEyXkFqcGdeQVRoaXJkUGFydHlJbmdlc3Rpb25Xb3JrZmxvdw@@._V1_QL75_UX500_CR0,0,500,281_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tinfoil is back in, boys!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The Bene Gesserit genetic experiment to create the ultimate human leader is a crucible through which the Atreides, Harkonen and Corrino must pass. These machinations drive the entire plot, and most of the foreground players are merely pawns of it, causing untold bloodshed and suffering while they play their parts. Why exactly are they trying to create this ultimate ruler? I don’t remember the book providing an answer, but it might be to escape the feudal trap. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Paul is initially sympathetic, but as he grows in power he finds his actions constrained by the role he must play. The film also states flat out that horrible crimes lie in his future, and the death of billions. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The script is smart and faithfully brings to screen Frank Herbert's sci-fi classic. There are a few on the nose lines, which might have been mandated (it's a complicated scenario Denis Villeneuve has to set up, executives might have insisted on more clarification); the only other quibble I have is that there were some changes to the story, additions and omissions, that I didn't really understand the reason for, and after awhile the sheer weight and scale of the film can feel a little crushing. Everything here is BIG; even door openings are epic. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYg5VEV1vF1fxXCJd_8Fpbb1mElVA8IQFh8l9cJbeDai3L_uqyoftqd-8Y65_dyiVkXXCkmEr6bGxnmievjhjujQS1RojlUcNHr6sHVL2hTmgxXCzzS0f26l2hH0g02BzulpkInwpj0bhoU123Bpd5QZW_F9MnDqEv70I6Cgvn1sy3PDfL2Y3aJINOd4/s980/zendaya-chani-timothee-chalamet-paul-atreides-dune-part-2-65d38d516b1f6.jpg" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="980" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYg5VEV1vF1fxXCJd_8Fpbb1mElVA8IQFh8l9cJbeDai3L_uqyoftqd-8Y65_dyiVkXXCkmEr6bGxnmievjhjujQS1RojlUcNHr6sHVL2hTmgxXCzzS0f26l2hH0g02BzulpkInwpj0bhoU123Bpd5QZW_F9MnDqEv70I6Cgvn1sy3PDfL2Y3aJINOd4/s320/zendaya-chani-timothee-chalamet-paul-atreides-dune-part-2-65d38d516b1f6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I hate sand. It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets in everything!"</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The acting is top notch. It's not a character film, it's an epic, and it doesn't delve as much into Paul's inner world (for example) as it might, but you'd need 9 hours to bring all the inner life from the books to film. As it is, you get all the information and character context you need to understand what's going on. <br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The music is immersive, powerful and compelling; as usual from Hans Zimmer, it also made me wonder if I came out with hearing damage. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBA2-VjC85ZsOQwNRmBZ7MY0VO2pbfUBsoqAnlXrY5rYsH7eHQmxaAM_4BHuS0xMVvgXrdD4OHt4UQQZLSsCQDUm-iSI_nvZ7aer4LinYGyPTfCln4iqLBnmrgb_GDVbAWY-YtCge94EhNLwFi_DD-fPUORQT4FQxXJjygaM4H9Epc-xv8THX5zVhLT90/s799/Dune-1.png.webp" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="799" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBA2-VjC85ZsOQwNRmBZ7MY0VO2pbfUBsoqAnlXrY5rYsH7eHQmxaAM_4BHuS0xMVvgXrdD4OHt4UQQZLSsCQDUm-iSI_nvZ7aer4LinYGyPTfCln4iqLBnmrgb_GDVbAWY-YtCge94EhNLwFi_DD-fPUORQT4FQxXJjygaM4H9Epc-xv8THX5zVhLT90/s320/Dune-1.png.webp" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave Bautista gets to yell a lot in Dune. And I mean A LOT.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Denis Villeneuve has crafted an epic sci-fi art film in a class of its own. He has an undeniable eye for scale, like Gareth Edwards, and he merges that with top tier material; the production design here–the ships, the costumes, the sets—are as close to perfect as fallible humanity is likely to get. I can't find anything to criticize. They're unique, unlike anything else in sci-fi. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">I can't recommend this film highly enough. Don't wait for it on streaming, see this in the theatre, in IMAX if possible. Take ear plugs as a precaution, it will be LOUD.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhzdWdap7JKw-LGWxVzGy7ceKxQ6hxUOJZ3B5fz6s2RArBHRhO2iSwc2lCZkxLPzBlt1PR3p2QDUn7SIIJ42epZC8uZ9kOApkYqZSBcBwjFjFg8a73BAAXQi2RNwq5QjewYO_Cj9bbKO-7B555lXUoeqvjdg2ets-G4XOOuT7FeeJ2DU4G8NNJBr_wLY/s799/interviews.png.webp" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="436" data-original-width="799" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhzdWdap7JKw-LGWxVzGy7ceKxQ6hxUOJZ3B5fz6s2RArBHRhO2iSwc2lCZkxLPzBlt1PR3p2QDUn7SIIJ42epZC8uZ9kOApkYqZSBcBwjFjFg8a73BAAXQi2RNwq5QjewYO_Cj9bbKO-7B555lXUoeqvjdg2ets-G4XOOuT7FeeJ2DU4G8NNJBr_wLY/s320/interviews.png.webp" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Read my face</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">I can't wait for Dune: Messiah. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Oh yes: the movie is too long. But all movies these days feel too long to me. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-12822362648859110892024-03-11T07:20:00.000-07:002024-03-11T07:20:19.877-07:00(Sort of) Russian literature review: Day of the Oprichnik & War with Russia: An Urgent Warning <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7eJWRvzdUYGFwvoNxVtV6Kvik3ff2GhgJcMLdckbCwpbo-2rrTdx5GKnpPpjcqqdkASTDhq3FkutrDuioJMT_3dWkflgVtk4fD7elpCxUfkqZCtnSEYhk_pybmk7xbPWEsvckvgUdJdV87eJCdMBNi8NlTLGJAtXEWkNf1qhZ_Z1xDkehL6YD1mgENo/s1000/61cg2bKAZlL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="day of the oprichnik cover" border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7eJWRvzdUYGFwvoNxVtV6Kvik3ff2GhgJcMLdckbCwpbo-2rrTdx5GKnpPpjcqqdkASTDhq3FkutrDuioJMT_3dWkflgVtk4fD7elpCxUfkqZCtnSEYhk_pybmk7xbPWEsvckvgUdJdV87eJCdMBNi8NlTLGJAtXEWkNf1qhZ_Z1xDkehL6YD1mgENo/w269-h400/61cg2bKAZlL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg" title="day of the oprichnik cover" width="269" /></a></div><p><i style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Day-Oprichnik-Novel-Vladimir-Sorokin/dp/0374533105/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1FRJEXTKHOJD1&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HyBQuK32d7eSbrNPb6CDFL80pnZvzlC5uFDK1iX5jQNP4OrikeRkqJsxInM0r3U8reP1AcJRfjImyFlj9YlxW2xPVF87Q_1gvo__AF2-YhWyxsAT76G6PRW9HSjL-IwQ2CvKFbv8EGXeSyaOENg6_WclV5NmwIqlC73m2zEZRxY1kFVqWQc6kXDO2pcX0JigP8hGq79KU1Wv2vHCo_WbYu3HLHXjKHDlmikLjPnXYk4.7fSUyyrGC73NAFih5R2v_764UcTCqbd6cbxDplKkXeY&dib_tag=se&keywords=day+of+the+oprichnik&qid=1710085275&s=books&sprefix=day+of+the+oprichnik%2Cstripbooks-intl-ship%2C79&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Day of the Oprichnik </a></i></p><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">by Vladimir Sorokin<div><br /></div><div>This was sold to me as a kvass soaked satire of Putin's Russia. I can see some parallels, in the mixture of religion and fascism with an Imperial Czarist face. But it's really more of a parody of <span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.375999px;">General Pyotr Nikolayevich Krasnov (</span><i style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.375999px;">ataman</i><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.375999px;"> of the Don Cossack Host) </span><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.375999px;">1927 utopian novel </span><i style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.375999px;">Behind the Thistle, </i><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.375999px;">in which he posits the return of the Czar.</span></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; font-size: 12.375999px;">Everything positive that Krasnov posits is revealed as dysfunctional by Sorokin. The infallible, imperious leader is a petty Machiavellian tyrant. The Oporichniks (based on Ivan the Terrible's secret police) are brutal thugs who rape and murder in the name of both Czar and God. They observe religious rituals and trifles while committing horrific crimes with a clean if twisted conscience. They engage in extensive drug use and sodomy that the church would imprison others for. The book is a litany of hypocrisy, of entitled elites exploiting and oppressing the people in the most amoral fashion while marinating in their own self-aggrandizing piety. </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; font-size: 12.375999px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.375999px;">Technology in this nightmare state is skewed and warped to serve the system, with some extreme high tech and the rest... not so much. Only what is of use to the regime, what keeps it in power, is leveraged. </span><span style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; font-size: 12.375999px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 12.375999px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; font-size: 12.375999px;">It's a good dystopian book, but it's an ugly read, despite the poetic leanings of Sorokin. The florid prose is like dressing on roadkill. </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; font-size: 12.375999px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; font-size: 12.375999px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOsBMB-ohPw1ir6Cv1D5DLb4iZuuoPi_tPcMsqz1c3jpVk_o0ERMT0d2HldE8cFBiYI5dDFKtMqQ3PzisxOBmZtL3v0gDxAQoGS5t2_eINAMnr9ib9S6yqIzo96zV7rhaMuU6P7ecNU_MUaUl84vJtmDfxeqCsnFRrkVgIP8lPOHOe1_lZj0hVxC0JX8/s1000/71LLMYgieLL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="War with Russia cover" border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="654" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOsBMB-ohPw1ir6Cv1D5DLb4iZuuoPi_tPcMsqz1c3jpVk_o0ERMT0d2HldE8cFBiYI5dDFKtMqQ3PzisxOBmZtL3v0gDxAQoGS5t2_eINAMnr9ib9S6yqIzo96zV7rhaMuU6P7ecNU_MUaUl84vJtmDfxeqCsnFRrkVgIP8lPOHOe1_lZj0hVxC0JX8/w261-h400/71LLMYgieLL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg" title="War with Russia cover" width="261" /></a></div></span></div><div><span style="color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f8f9fa; font-size: 12.375999px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/War-Russia-Warning-Military-Command/dp/1681441381" target="_blank">War with Russia: An Urgent Warning from Senior Military Command </a></i></div><div>by General Sir Richard Shirreff </div><div><br /></div><div>I picked this book up in the wake of all the articles and hand-wringing about a possible Russian attack on the Baltic States after Russia defeats Ukraine. The author, Sir Richard, is a former <span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO and </span>showed up on a news video I saw which touched on his book, and its prediction of a Russian invasion of Ukraine (followed by an attack on the Baltics). </div><div><br /></div><div>Given the current state of the world, that peaked my interest. The Baltics are NATO members, so Article Five would presumably be invoked should the Russians attack, setting off WWIII. </div><div><br /></div><div>Surely an insane scenario, yet one being seriously considered now by people in the know. I wanted to understand why.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>War with Russia</i> is filled with more military jargon and acronyms than you can shake a stick at. Yes, the author knows his stuff. No, I did not need to know the calibre and specifications of every weapon. </div><div><br /></div><div>This sort of thing is to be expected of a book in the Tom Clancy vein (military gear porn!), with loosely sketched characters, mostly out of central military casting. It does include a variety of political figures, and pointed behind-the-scenes machinations, some of which are no doubt culled from the author's personal experiences. Impractical defense spends, budget cuts, fickle leaders in pursuit of approval ratings, and military decisions driven by photo op opportunity all get a spill of ink. </div><div><br /></div><div>The plot unfolds briskly, the action scenes have verisimilitude, and the story is disturbingly believable.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And that's the real point: the narrative trappings are just the sugar coating on the policy paper pill. </div><div><br /></div><div>An attack on the Baltic states actually is possible. It is unlikely and would be a huge gamble, but then, Putin looks like more of a poker player, than a chess player, by the day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Shirreff's posits a lightning strike by Russian combined arms into the Baltics, with paratroopers being dropped in from Narva and supported by armoured columns. The Russian plan is to present the West with a fait accompli: occupy the Baltics, formally annex them, and declare any attack on Russian territory will result in a nuclear response.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Baltics are small and their armed forces are tiny; they don't have the ability to stop a determined Russian attack. They can make the occupation unpleasant, but by then it will be too late. </div><div><br /></div><div>As the Ukrainians have discovered, it's extremely difficult to root out entrenched Russian troops. The US would not have total air superiority here, unlike in Desert Storm. Invading the Baltics would be enormously costly, and Western European governments might not want to spend lives on a (seemingly) lost cause against a foe that thinks nothing of its own combat casualties.</div><div><br /></div><div>NATO also requires members unanimously agree to activate Article Five; with Hungary practically a Russian vassal, that's not likely. The larger NATO has gotten, the more unwieldy, slow and bureaucratic it has become. Worse, anything they discuss winds up on Putin's desk within a few hours. </div><div><br /></div><div>Putin also ascribes to something called 'Nuclear De-escalation'. The term is not what it seems: if NATO were to launch a major ground attack on the Baltics, or Kaliningrad, Putin would drop a nuke on Warsaw or Berlin. This would so shock Western governments that they would completely back off, and the conflict would turn to negotiated settlement on Russian terms. That's the idea, at any rate. </div><div><br /></div><div>Peachy.</div><div><br /></div><div>Only an inveterate gambler would dare to pull a stunt like this. </div><div><br /></div><div>Is Putin that guy?</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not sure, and neither it seems are the pundits. Some assert this attack is inevitable, others insist it's delusional nonsense. </div><div><br /></div><div>Either way, the <a href="https://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/" target="_blank">doomsday clock</a> is closer to striking than ever before: we're now 90 seconds away, 'at a moment of historic danger'. </div><div><br /></div><div>Rather sobering.</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-41294129965098879882024-02-03T17:41:00.000-08:002024-02-25T10:57:25.673-08:00World War Three inbound?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/russia-preparing-for-ww3-plans-to-double-troops-on-nato-border-claims-estonian-intelligence-chief/3136541" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="estonia warns of war" border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="1163" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCiGf_YYy1PgVVTgkTJiasfhQhtn98Sb4CFOL-LPzCY4FEZCph9mf-LNRLd0I-Ru4y8G4zT3T3diJzIjjZnDRpKVUqW1aMvB9F3_JCVfMBPHtZ94yqQxCxpHeTGtxjmsFQH4jcneXGHKzYenTQGkXyuetKOfktPqodseRLYCzxx1ffY3SyZ-nzXylZDtE/w400-h294/estonia-warning.png" title="estonia warns of war" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aw, c'mon!!! I was just starting to relax...</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The last few weeks have seen an unsettling tsunami of warnings about a coming land war with Russia, from think tanks, defence ministers, retired generals, pundits, and badly dressed people on street corners wielding bullhorns. </p><p>Fear mongering? I certainly hope so! </p><p>The last thing I thought we'd have to worry about post-Covid lockdown was World War III. It's so outlandish, so outrageous, it can't possibly be true. Like Russia's newest favourite pastime (threatening to nuke the UK), it's probably hot air. Or a bit of undigested mutton? </p><p>And yet...</p><p>The United States and Europe have been unable to provide enough ammunition to Ukraine. Everyone has been surprised by the incredible consumption rate of munitions. That has raised the fear that Western stockpiles are horribly inadequate were Russia to stumble into the Baltic States and accidentally annex a few countries.</p><p>The West has no ongoing ammunition production; it's all finite, discrete orders. The US had to provide Ukraine with controversial cluster munitions because they had nothing else. </p><p>In October, the US started dividing its dwindling munitions stocks between Ukraine and Israel. Israeli generals have said that if the US were to cut off the supply of weapons, the incursion into Gaza would grind to a halt. </p><p>Now the US and the UK are lobbing missiles at Houthi positions in Yemen. The Houthis have plenty of missiles and drones provided by the IRGC to attack international shipping, causing insurance to skyrocket and most ships to detour around Africa, driving up costs for, well, all of us. </p><p>Prior to the Hamas attack, senior Iranian leadership visited Russia. Hamas and the Houthis are Iranian proxies. Iran is supplying Russia with drones and other weapons. </p><p>The Russians bombed Syria to contribute to the refugee crisis; they are now trying to flood Finland with migrants, causing Finland to close several border crossings.</p><p>Russia has funded extremist organizations and splinter parties across the EU and in the US, in an effort to foment chaos and social strife; Russian social media troll-bot farms and willing (or compromised) media idiots intensify this. </p><p>Undersea cables to islands off Scotland and Denmark have recently been cut by powers unknown. The Nord Stream pipelines were cut a few years ago, also by powers unknown. </p><p>Estonia just started building 600 bunkers along its border with Russia. Poland is doubling the number of personnel in its armed forces and is raising its defence spending to 3% of GDP.</p><p>Japan is <a href="https://warontherocks.com/2023/01/japans-shift-to-war-footing/" target="_blank">preparing for war</a>.</p><p>Navalny died in a prison in the far north; his spouse has alleged he was poisoned by the Russian government (wouldn't be the first time). </p><p>Meanwhile, Russia is dedicating 42% of its GDP to the military, along with large scale ammunition production. </p><p>It's possible it is all connected. </p><p>This Unherd video tries to make sense of it for us neophytes:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/j0ZvGwzo3GQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="j0ZvGwzo3GQ"></iframe></div><p>The news is so much better when it's boring.</p><p>UPDATE: John Mearsheimer doesn't think there's anything to <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/experts-analyze-state-of-ukraine-war-2-years-into-russias-invasion" target="_blank">this</a>. He has a sober article on his Substack <a href="https://mearsheimer.substack.com/p/the-darkness-ahead-where-the-ukraine">here</a>. Naturally, the Estonian intelligence chief <a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/russia-preparing-for-ww3-plans-to-double-troops-on-nato-border-claims-estonian-intelligence-chief/3136541">disagrees</a>. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-29352431188365061402024-01-08T07:22:00.000-08:002024-01-11T09:47:35.482-08:00Midnight Mass mini-review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMAPmPT2Svr-_2Vr6sKQLrlGiLSSYPqJN9UruzETQTZwq9jCZP7IG2vQXYt7-Mkx5XgSxsjzVHTNBHAAawBqVmharq5OzeuGprF7GwbiK5o19BRqVddVFqxV1dPs4g8qyVfPWJUwep7HQPhNsDDw_rrflcWlT02E72dJCl97XRo6FkVoYyb8mo4kOEHk/s1920/midnight-mass.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMAPmPT2Svr-_2Vr6sKQLrlGiLSSYPqJN9UruzETQTZwq9jCZP7IG2vQXYt7-Mkx5XgSxsjzVHTNBHAAawBqVmharq5OzeuGprF7GwbiK5o19BRqVddVFqxV1dPs4g8qyVfPWJUwep7HQPhNsDDw_rrflcWlT02E72dJCl97XRo6FkVoYyb8mo4kOEHk/s320/midnight-mass.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><i>Midnight Mass </i>is dark, brooding, contemplative and fabulous. It's a slow burn show that dives deep into how people see what they want to see; how we are all in peril of grafting our desperate wants and desires onto pre-existing moral structures to justify them. <div><div><br /></div><div>More specifically, it's about how faith and God can be twisted into thought-pretzels and then used to justify heinous crimes. As the perpetrators descend into darkness, they don't even realize their moral compass has been inverted. They cling to a warped version of faith like a drowning person to a straw until the illusion can no longer be maintained.</div><div><br /></div><div>Want and need are incredibly powerful perception filters, ones that can lead even the well meaning astray.</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Midnight Mass</i> builds well, laying out clues as it goes; you can see the twists coming, but they are so expertly built up, the reveals still have impact, like when we see the roller coaster drop coming: it builds anticipation, rather than being anti-climactic. </div><div><br /></div><div>It's not easily bucketed as a horror genre flick: those elements exist primarily to explore larger, weightier themes. More of a horror-drama-mood piece.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unlike <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boy_and_the_Heron" target="_blank">The Boy and the Heron</a></i>, this limited series spoke to me, and the performances are absolutely top notch across the board. The journey of the priest was particularly fascinating, and Hamish Linklater puts in a superlative performance as Father Paul Hill. It's wonderful, full of nuance and pathos. </div><div><br /></div><div>When the show concluded, I still had questions about what the priest believed at various points during the series, or if he knew from the very beginning. </div><div><br /></div><div>I suspect the good reverend knew from the start. </div><div><br /></div><div>He just wanted what he wanted so, so much, he couldn't be honest, not even to himself. </div><div><br /></div><div>Highly recommended. </div><div><br /></div><div>Watch knowing as little as possible. </div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-65067449911142461002024-01-07T11:01:00.000-08:002024-01-07T14:04:01.874-08:00The Boy and the Heron<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfbLTq8kayj2_tvOVdo5kPnZmpEjLL6wOQ4uJXV4Hi-v6kfk7NM9Nmsn68DVWEOH47epMo4rWcmkjASQ1MjF12wPCNHILU0nbyRZdx6sEpYrZ1qSPMrBmvkY_tDons9NO5YC2pAY1-u0E1FCoLlVOQPSqr5xxgTCmQm2-7H9i5hpvAynZzOnSKwk8nNo/s1763/boy-and-heron.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="boy and heron poster" border="0" data-original-height="1763" data-original-width="1175" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfbLTq8kayj2_tvOVdo5kPnZmpEjLL6wOQ4uJXV4Hi-v6kfk7NM9Nmsn68DVWEOH47epMo4rWcmkjASQ1MjF12wPCNHILU0nbyRZdx6sEpYrZ1qSPMrBmvkY_tDons9NO5YC2pAY1-u0E1FCoLlVOQPSqr5xxgTCmQm2-7H9i5hpvAynZzOnSKwk8nNo/w266-h400/boy-and-heron.jpg" title="boy and heron poster" width="266" /></a></div><p>A new <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayao_Miyazaki" target="_blank">Miyazaki</a> film! </p><p>I was looking forward to this. </p><p>Like <i><a href="https://cuttingedgeconformity.blogspot.com/2023/12/godzilla-minus-one-review.html" target="_blank">Godzilla Minus One</a></i>, <i>The Boy and the Heron</i> is set during the waning days of WWII, and follows the story of a young boy in the aftermath of his mother's death during an Allied air raid. He then slips away into an alternate universe dominated by giant militaristic budgies, passes through various <i>Narnia-</i>style gateways, runs into a younger version of one of his 'nannies' (one of the house keeping staff? A relative? I wasn't sure), and is guided about by an obnoxious Heron with a big warty-nosed dwarf inside it. </p><p>Ultimately, he must take on the role as Supreme Storyteller from Loki to save the universe from destruction.</p><p>Or something. </p><p>Honestly, this one didn't engage me.</p><p>I usually find a metaphor or theme that resonates, that I can connect to, in a Miyazaki film, but not this time. A boy dealing with the death of his mother is understandable, yet that storyline didn't play out in any intelligible way for me, nor was I inspired to analyze it over a piece of pie afterward, as Quentin Tarantino might.</p><p>I'll just leave this one for brighter souls than I. </p><p>Like <i><a href="https://cuttingedgeconformity.blogspot.com/2023/11/the-creator-mini-review.html" target="_blank">The Creator</a></i>, though, it does look fabulous!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-33277569277478810662024-01-05T11:12:00.000-08:002024-01-05T18:39:15.328-08:00Genocide in Gaza(?)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOOKYZ8QAmSbrh_90TG-l2OkfPCTY6DrXqlFmPPJSM9MSOvoCyX2U_sQW7gI2-OFWqOG1_UZ-NqtDvo7jMZ9jA7QzoR02QXIeoiTaZMncQyvWcSCgsvuoqp5u1UL1f9SCvsbqkhSv1WdDLnXIGQistyc59iVwhVPJAUt5-cJ87ndZW4H79xzsHYnoTag/s768/sky-new-image.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOOKYZ8QAmSbrh_90TG-l2OkfPCTY6DrXqlFmPPJSM9MSOvoCyX2U_sQW7gI2-OFWqOG1_UZ-NqtDvo7jMZ9jA7QzoR02QXIeoiTaZMncQyvWcSCgsvuoqp5u1UL1f9SCvsbqkhSv1WdDLnXIGQistyc59iVwhVPJAUt5-cJ87ndZW4H79xzsHYnoTag/w400-h225/sky-new-image.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>I don't always agree with John Mearsheimer, but he's well informed, smart, and always thought provoking.</p><p>On January 4th, he put up an <a href="https://mearsheimer.substack.com/p/genocide-in-gaza" target="_blank">article</a> on his substack about the South African application with the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza: </p><p><i>“The application is a superb description of what Israel is doing in Gaza. It is comprehensive, well-written, well-argued, and thoroughly documented...</i></p><p><i>“...the application provides a substantial body of evidence showing that Israeli leaders have genocidal intent toward the Palestinians. (59-69) Indeed, the comments of Israeli leaders – all scrupulously documented – are shocking. One is reminded of how the Nazis talked about dealing with Jews when reading how Israelis in “positions of the highest responsibility” talk about dealing with the Palestinians. (59) In essence, the document argues that Israel’s actions in Gaza, combined with its leaders’ statements of intent, make it clear that Israeli policy is “calculated to bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians in Gaza.”</i></p><p><i>“...there is little doubt that the Biden administration is complicitous in Israel’s genocide, which is also a punishable act according to the Genocide Convention... I never imagined I would see the day when Israel, a country filled with Holocaust survivors and their descendants, would face a serious charge of genocide.”</i></p><p>Deeply disturbing stuff.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-23342769044942042602023-12-28T11:28:00.000-08:002023-12-28T11:28:46.322-08:00Back to D&D <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgxOYr_g4cbla77T7sgmWvAJdBRRac4955QpaRFB_33OpSuLS5dyijIJUvxXlINPx5grawkCY5j5LzMyWFVKVhjJ8xrtcZqnyMOSLoe4xPm741Zi3i8PmJ3W11lUlGOWv5tg3AxdN2nbJocc7ioeBIP7ZS1MHekmwIHKcB64J2WYcHRS1H0RKzRoHQG0/s521/dugneons%20and%20dragons.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="410" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDgxOYr_g4cbla77T7sgmWvAJdBRRac4955QpaRFB_33OpSuLS5dyijIJUvxXlINPx5grawkCY5j5LzMyWFVKVhjJ8xrtcZqnyMOSLoe4xPm741Zi3i8PmJ3W11lUlGOWv5tg3AxdN2nbJocc7ioeBIP7ZS1MHekmwIHKcB64J2WYcHRS1H0RKzRoHQG0/s320/dugneons%20and%20dragons.png" width="252" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Classic</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I haven't played <a href="https://dnd.wizards.com" target="_blank">Dungeons & Dragons</a> in decades, but after reading my new book, a friend recommended I give Dungeon Mastering a go. Why? <i>Dragon Garage</i> follows a group of RPG players who open up a portal into their fantasy game world. Fun, drinking, and adventure ensue. </p><p>Seemed like a good fit.</p><p>The main focus for <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Garage-James-Turner/dp/1593623194/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3J6WW8GPZA6OF&keywords=dragon+garage+james+turner&qid=1699566186&sprefix=dragon+garage+,aps,579&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Dragon Garage</a></i>, for me, was the contrast between the modern and the medieval. Thanks at least in part to fairy tales, the Middle Ages is viewed through an idealized lens. We tend to think of princesses and knights, rather than dysentery, famine and bed bugs. </p><p>I wanted to mix up the focus and smash them all together: ideal and real, medieval and modern, the fantastical and grounded. </p><p>A generic fantasy role playing game was a device through which I could explore that. </p><p>I remember (fondly) playing Dungeons & Dragons in public school, but wasn't particularly good at it (to be fair, I don't think many of us were.. there was a lot of open the door, kill the monster, and take their stuff). The rules were dense and extensive, so taking it up again could be a time consuming challenge which I might not be up to.</p><p>So I deferred and, at first, declined.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYz1vKtcXHomAZM4Yuo4_AK5ozbTQKKBBLrC90ZUv9rUAfKrBrddkXQpFNxjs-h-zlPFbydVb0LfYCYg-qXDqGicWbX_FIX6lee1F2XQCz4oQz_D54kx0BwW_KB6IeP10ZEcm16zJWfQQdO4xI24A_3gcjv-iuSjblk4DDP93Bv4jMhCf5pMy9N2UMO8s/s1000/the-expanse-books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="the expanse novels" border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="805" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYz1vKtcXHomAZM4Yuo4_AK5ozbTQKKBBLrC90ZUv9rUAfKrBrddkXQpFNxjs-h-zlPFbydVb0LfYCYg-qXDqGicWbX_FIX6lee1F2XQCz4oQz_D54kx0BwW_KB6IeP10ZEcm16zJWfQQdO4xI24A_3gcjv-iuSjblk4DDP93Bv4jMhCf5pMy9N2UMO8s/w324-h400/the-expanse-books.jpg" title="the expanse novels" width="324" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So good!!!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Ultimately, it was <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Expanse_%28novel_series%29" target="_blank">The Expanse</a></i> that changed my mind: Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck created the book series based on role playing game sessions. It's a brilliant idea: run your plot through interactive sessions, and test the logic. A great way to spot holes in a fantasy or sci-fi series: test it! \\</p><p>Soon as I mentioned this to a few other friends, they put me on to <i><a href="https://critrole.com" target="_blank">Critical Roll</a></i>, which features a phenomenally talented gang of voice actors running through Dungeons and Dragons adventures. There's an entire media empire around it now, including a TV show and comic books. </p><p>So I'm late to the party, but undeterred. Running a D&D (or other RPG) game could help work out scenarios for future books, as well as generate 'happy accident' material that was truly authentic. </p><p>With that in mind, I set about building out the world of <i>Dragon Garage</i> for player characters. At first I thought I'd build everything, the whole world; very quickly I discovered this is a crap ton of work, far more than the amount of world building you'd need for a novel.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmXGt64gUePLnqRoVriXhrxxsBn7h2r1FU3QCRDPnqL2ibHanjGtL9gxunqZenuW6A7FfxYrcA4LDBpLR-GRqami6ba1rb1hLX1hgrtuIEgHh35DVxsyx1q9JHiTdrQ-hOy-k-VfKzQWIalr6_2M8-tKun96i9CGdNTM_Gjsj0Mh3IsX3048pb3Llj70/s634/cover-dragon-garage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="dragon garage cover" border="0" data-original-height="634" data-original-width="428" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglmXGt64gUePLnqRoVriXhrxxsBn7h2r1FU3QCRDPnqL2ibHanjGtL9gxunqZenuW6A7FfxYrcA4LDBpLR-GRqami6ba1rb1hLX1hgrtuIEgHh35DVxsyx1q9JHiTdrQ-hOy-k-VfKzQWIalr6_2M8-tKun96i9CGdNTM_Gjsj0Mh3IsX3048pb3Llj70/w270-h400/cover-dragon-garage.jpg" title="dragon garage cover" width="270" /></a></div><p>I was also determined to make a <a href="https://dungeonsdragons.fandom.com/wiki/Megadungeon" target="_blank">Megadungeon</a>, because when I was a kid, it was all about the Megadungeon. Every DM had their own. Gary Gygax had the platonic ideal in Castle Greyhawk (not that I ever saw it), and so I resolved to have my own: Castle Druidun!</p><p>Seemed a good idea at the time. </p><p>Of course, a megadungeon is a stupid amount of work. No one sane is going to try and do this right off the bat. Fortunately, I laugh at sanity barriers: I've tackled full on prose novels, even screenplays! In fact, making a megadungeon is rather similar to writing a novel, just more compartmentalized and interactive, like an enhanced version of <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choose_Your_Own_Adventure" target="_blank">Choose Your Own Adventure</a></i>. </p><p>Over the years, I've tried my hand at comic books, graphic novels, prose novels, short stories, comedy skits, joke strips, and improv, so why not this?</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFc-YtTknc7bkDO2rOsMba4QKf3V7uiqMyETFDhw0dv9MLxChiv_Sw5WBTADSFPktStsaXXAhwzlLV80F4zQeyMgYRuUflEOzB3HyG2tMIPobh_VJVo3cPPr73Y0DQxE5LtW_gxTakfXCRZydwdUipNNBIw4ZE63-mVv9uvVBOsnySrzBR_XmE5EDN7SQ/s1024/king-faces-enemy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="king atop hill with clouds" border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFc-YtTknc7bkDO2rOsMba4QKf3V7uiqMyETFDhw0dv9MLxChiv_Sw5WBTADSFPktStsaXXAhwzlLV80F4zQeyMgYRuUflEOzB3HyG2tMIPobh_VJVo3cPPr73Y0DQxE5LtW_gxTakfXCRZydwdUipNNBIw4ZE63-mVv9uvVBOsnySrzBR_XmE5EDN7SQ/w400-h400/king-faces-enemy.jpg" title="king atop hill with clouds" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Epic adventure!</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Intially, I filled the dungeon with my own creations, but before long I turned to decades worth of fantasy trope D&D material to flesh it out. It's just too big a job for one person, especially when you have hundreds of dungeon rooms to fill. I can edit out stuff later, should this path prove fruitful and I have the opportunity to do a sequel to <i>Dragon Garage</i>. </p><p>Fingers crossed; there's so much more to explore and play with in that world. </p><p>I thought I'd put up the material from the world of <i>Dragon Garage</i> here, for fun, as the experiment progresses. We'll see what happens, and how far I get with it.</p><p>One big change from the book: I had the players roll up characters native to the fantasy world, rather than playing their real selves. It'd be too complicated for me to pull off initially, not until I'm more seasoned at this. </p><p>A megadungeon is a nice, 'simple' realm for adventuring, with built in guard rails. There are rooms and tunnels and all the choices reside within that framework. It's much harder to mess up than, say, an open world space opera mixed with horror (which is what I originally wanted to do). </p><p>There's a reason why many shooter video games occur within finite structures.</p><p>What is an imaginary world? Where is it? Same place as Santa Claus, the United States, and Narnia: in our minds. Think about it. Nations only exist through agreement in, and enforcement of, the collective imagination.</p><p>Welcome to the World of Arthea...</p><p>Check out the Dragon Garage blog <a href="https://dragongarage.blogspot.com" target="_blank">here</a>. </p><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-35175151317854736892023-12-14T06:48:00.000-08:002023-12-17T13:10:43.480-08:00Godzilla Minus One review: rock the kaiju!<p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBazA3hJJPHGhhEpCJmynL1ISylowG4nDiyp0F8zg766xhr_L508KIFLi62F3OXm1Meqzq4yxUXRgupeIj12SCddQsiI-GkhDFZw1o3OlAtI16OWMvL-cvP0f2yr7B_6yLnhfPwuz5tDvHC2J2OJXDr7otpYYWEksVOz_AWYlUMhlfKy_f2UAuV5_n99c/s480/1410490_godzillaminusone_754145.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="godzilla minus one" border="0" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="480" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBazA3hJJPHGhhEpCJmynL1ISylowG4nDiyp0F8zg766xhr_L508KIFLi62F3OXm1Meqzq4yxUXRgupeIj12SCddQsiI-GkhDFZw1o3OlAtI16OWMvL-cvP0f2yr7B_6yLnhfPwuz5tDvHC2J2OJXDr7otpYYWEksVOz_AWYlUMhlfKy_f2UAuV5_n99c/w400-h266/1410490_godzillaminusone_754145.jpg" title="godzilla minus one" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Urban redevelopment, Kaiju style</td></tr></tbody></table><br />First, <i>Godzilla Minus One</i> is awesome.<p></p><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Second, they made it for under $15 million USD.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">SERIOUSLY?!?</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><i>Godzilla Minus One</i> looks as good or better than many $200 million dollar blockbusters. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Even better, it has a solid emotional core (in a Godzillla film!) and has something to say about Japanese history, society, and the value of human life. It's not an empty, zombie franchise lumbering about devouring money, bereft of soul. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The human side of the film is centred around a Kamikaze pilot who claims a mechanical problem with his plane in order to skip out on blowing himself up. He comes into contact with other survivors of the war, all of them badly scarred and traumatized by the experience. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Inevitably, their paths cross with our favourite gargantuan bipedal lizard, Godzilla. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">One of the most striking sequences in the film is a chase at sea: it's absolutely riveting, and reminiscent of<i>Jaws</i>, but better, because it's a gigantic radioactive monster with atomic heat ray breath. Did <i>Jaws</i> have that? I think not!</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_ZpulzvOf80yWKwQFd6r3WbXUQC0dy9S424a3G_KQB2YtMfSCSCcjiscGdVAYolicVPo6QPeD8hSsCELdZj40zAp9iK3gRgMMukmjjxzLeDqOallBrAxPIwE1VICgR3XGYV09Gb-O9P_arPwppZIqBafMfIJAdTR_5RvVcxw_UJnYFXecUK_QVDTp-Y/s640/Godzilla-%20Minus%20One-thumb-700x394-258654.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="godzilla chasing ship" border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF_ZpulzvOf80yWKwQFd6r3WbXUQC0dy9S424a3G_KQB2YtMfSCSCcjiscGdVAYolicVPo6QPeD8hSsCELdZj40zAp9iK3gRgMMukmjjxzLeDqOallBrAxPIwE1VICgR3XGYV09Gb-O9P_arPwppZIqBafMfIJAdTR_5RvVcxw_UJnYFXecUK_QVDTp-Y/w400-h225/Godzilla-%20Minus%20One-thumb-700x394-258654.png" title="godzilla chasing boat" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Throw him a stick, you fools!</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">This Godzilla is not cute or cuddly, doesn't mug for the camera, doesn't dance, and takes his urban redevelopment VERY seriously. He's one scary 20,000 ton dude. Personally, I think he's lying about his weight and doesn't weigh a pound less than 40,000 tons. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The ending has fun schemes from a delightful egghead, and a thematically relevant twist. Thankfully it does not involve giant breath mints. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The whole movie comes together in a very satisfying way, unlike the vast majority of recent Marvel escapades. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Frankly, franchise fatigue abounds. Old IP are being resurrected, rebooted, retooled and trotted out for fresh generations constantly. Or maybe time just flies by faster now that I'm old. I've witnessed reboots of reboots. <i>Godzilla Minus One</i> qualifies as (I think) the fourth retelling of the original Godzilla story, but somehow, incredibly, remains fresh and fun, making this entry all the more insanely remarkable. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The last time a reboot really impressed me was with Ron Moore's <i>Battlestar Galactica</i>. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">And while this film can't compare to my childhood memories of Monster Zero, for my money, it's nevertheless the best Godzilla film ever made, and the most surprising and delightful cinematic experience of the year.*</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">I never, ever thought I'd say that about a Godzilla flick. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Will wonders never cease?</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Highly recommended. See it in IMAX, even. It's worth it! </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>*To be fair, I haven't actually been to the theatre much this year...</i></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-57695753405372990812023-12-08T15:32:00.000-08:002023-12-08T15:32:52.626-08:00Max Zing interior cover<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4xIztlXoOW9Dpzx1K0CVNQRXXf-4ekO9qS306ZP2QO_QmCkLR2pF4LhFTE91tKxZeprOqMkPFIlhHWNgcPdv59lIlgIakUJWU0faE579WwCjckDqW6VpdTqbWpS4-R_3y5QKFgqniLGbXr2EoTYPqvrh-KAV80h3UPDZ1fWv9uHeSlg60bX5n-qhyU4/s1162/interior-cover-of-max-zing.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="interior cover of max zing" border="0" data-original-height="785" data-original-width="1162" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN4xIztlXoOW9Dpzx1K0CVNQRXXf-4ekO9qS306ZP2QO_QmCkLR2pF4LhFTE91tKxZeprOqMkPFIlhHWNgcPdv59lIlgIakUJWU0faE579WwCjckDqW6VpdTqbWpS4-R_3y5QKFgqniLGbXr2EoTYPqvrh-KAV80h3UPDZ1fWv9uHeSlg60bX5n-qhyU4/w400-h270/interior-cover-of-max-zing.png" title="interior cover of max zing" width="400" /></a></div><br />His adventures aren't really that sedentary. <p></p><p>Check them out over on <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Max-Zing-One-James-Turner/dp/1593622546/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2BHCBJL2MQJMK&keywords=max+zing+james+turner&qid=1702078349&sprefix=max+zing+james+turner%2Caps%2C90&sr=8-1">Amazon</a>!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-19591616136656099942023-12-07T12:44:00.000-08:002023-12-07T12:44:47.234-08:00Portfolio stress<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgkth5NaF3ko4PboGhkf6qKRy52n_10Q7eZrnTY7xCjaHx98Z3JwPBi_0OKD3H9qNXv8q68DB6VxmoKalhu2mEeg4S1iSeYR5zZ2c1n1PYQmLgkQY_t7TQb2x7NQrIfXsY19zH9Oy9HtNo_g7kdPU5OCZRE5zzoc3jXZe_0ooaZSSO1B2Jdous0TnlMIg/s800/portfolio-stress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="portfolio stress meme" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgkth5NaF3ko4PboGhkf6qKRy52n_10Q7eZrnTY7xCjaHx98Z3JwPBi_0OKD3H9qNXv8q68DB6VxmoKalhu2mEeg4S1iSeYR5zZ2c1n1PYQmLgkQY_t7TQb2x7NQrIfXsY19zH9Oy9HtNo_g7kdPU5OCZRE5zzoc3jXZe_0ooaZSSO1B2Jdous0TnlMIg/w400-h400/portfolio-stress.jpg" title="portfolio stress meme" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I can identify with this...</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-21595237921391773512023-11-24T06:54:00.000-08:002024-01-01T16:55:21.840-08:00From Voyager to For All Mankind: Ronald D. Moore's fabulous forays into the cosmos<p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuU092soq3ZJeAolyqxMHhr-gO4pJUYKD4c-cGlg5Da7VCHBC6f8eEAhbGHibCCLBBX3hRhT_rIPO4LpvbxGK85tXHtVzzHsfoRDrqG_9bJhAXyUW0zFnQbCzPMebeCewyB0g4JXm9GHMEul9HRXC7EzA6zXylMfQhd80lXlX5WREQ6oGSoJNMZrkJpNo/s1200/Apple_TV_For_All_Mankind_key_art_graphic_header_4_1_show_home.jpg.og.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="For All Mankind hero image" border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuU092soq3ZJeAolyqxMHhr-gO4pJUYKD4c-cGlg5Da7VCHBC6f8eEAhbGHibCCLBBX3hRhT_rIPO4LpvbxGK85tXHtVzzHsfoRDrqG_9bJhAXyUW0zFnQbCzPMebeCewyB0g4JXm9GHMEul9HRXC7EzA6zXylMfQhd80lXlX5WREQ6oGSoJNMZrkJpNo/w400-h210/Apple_TV_For_All_Mankind_key_art_graphic_header_4_1_show_home.jpg.og.jpg" title="For All Mankind hero image" width="400" /></a></i></div><i><br />For All Mankind</i> season one is superb TV. <p></p><p>It's one of the best sci-fi shows out there. Maybe one of the best shows on TV currently, period, and for a number of reasons. </p><p>They say with good writing, you:</p><p>1) Create characters people love.</p><p>2) Put those characters through sheer hell.</p><p>FAM does exactly that. </p><p>The cast of characters is nuanced, diverse and easy to root for. Rather than engaging in easy breezy cynicism, it displays the resilience, courage and adaptability of humanity. And yet, these are no idealized supermen: they struggle with their own flaws and weaknesses, often being forced to acknowledge their own imperfections in order to better collaborate with others.</p><p>This is the latest foray into the cosmos by the extraordinary show runner Ronald D. Moore. Every time he gets both more brilliant, and closer and closer to reality. </p><p>He started his career submitting spec scripts to <i>Star Trek</i> (his favourite show), and on the strength of those, got into the writer's room of <i>The Next Generation</i>. That is no easy feat. From there, he went to the more serialized <i>Deep Space Nine</i>; where he wrote some of its best and most memorable episodes.</p><p>He followed that up with a very brief stint on <i>Voyager</i>. Unfortunately, he hated it, and quickly bounced. In an interview, he didn't hold any punches: <i>Voyager </i>failed to fulfill the promise of the premise.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYlyS_pfysA2S0OFqd-uJu9iTJxO2N_Uq-eAAZKVAlstNINGwCGlbV1Rqj7IG9weQKS9CkELtIMLSXc-SymgIR5nS35AuVunYXeL5FYOT6547CqFztvLmTrYM4AmSQ285qWwvV7HxGmEAAkHAX0M2_CE6Oh8Wvip0npqE0OFF2DIb2N155v3s4d5NasEA/s640/640px-Voyager.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="the other voyager" border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="640" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYlyS_pfysA2S0OFqd-uJu9iTJxO2N_Uq-eAAZKVAlstNINGwCGlbV1Rqj7IG9weQKS9CkELtIMLSXc-SymgIR5nS35AuVunYXeL5FYOT6547CqFztvLmTrYM4AmSQ285qWwvV7HxGmEAAkHAX0M2_CE6Oh8Wvip0npqE0OFF2DIb2N155v3s4d5NasEA/w400-h315/640px-Voyager.jpg" title="the other voyager" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not this Voyager, the other one</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><i>"I just don't understand why it doesn't even believe in itself. Examine the fundamental premise of VOYAGER: </i></span><i style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">A starship chases a bunch of renegades. Both ships are flung to the opposite side of the galaxy. The renegades are forced to come aboard Voyager. They all have to live together on their way home, which is going to take a century or whatever they set up in the beginning. </i></p><p><i style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">I thought, This is a good premise. That's interesting. Get them away from all the familiar STAR TREK aliens, throw them out into a whole new section of space where anything can happen. Lots of situations for conflict among the crew. The premise has a lot of possibilities. </i></p><p><i style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">...This ship was going to have problems. It wasn't going to have unlimited sources of energy. It wasn't going to have all the doodads of the Enterprise. It was going to be rougher, fending for themselves more, having to trade to get supplies that they want. </i></p><p><i style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">That didn't happen. </i></p><i style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><p><i>It doesn't happen at all, and it's a lie to the audience. I think the audience intuitively knows when something is true and something is not true. VOYAGER is not true. If it were true, the ship would not look spick-and-span every week, after all these battles it goes through. How many times has the bridge been destroyed? How many shuttlecrafts have vanished, and another one just comes out of the oven? </i></p></i><p></p><p><i style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">That kind of bullshitting the audience takes its toll. At some point, the audience stops taking it seriously, because they know that this is not really the way this would happen. These people wouldn't act like this.”</i></p><p>I can't argue with that: Moore makes very good points. Sadly, he couldn't make any headway against the executives running the show.</p><p>That fruitless creative collision led Moore to jump ship and reboot <i>Battlestar Galactica </i>instead, turning it into the best sci-fi show on TV in the early 2000s. It was innovative, gritty and far more adult than anything <i>Star Trek </i>had done to date. The fleeing survivors of Caprica dealt with all kinds of shortages, unlike the pampered TNG crew who could just replicate anything they wanted with the push of a button (or 'Tea. Earl Grey. Hot'). Ships flew in a more realistic manner, and they even toyed with removing all the sound from space scenes. </p><p>Storylines were daring, dark and tied back to <i>The War on Terror</i>, making it must-see TV.</p><p>At least, it was for the first two seasons. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8MKnMA6TC0aQcyF9Dx3hucYUlxHv2xOyngADihquctjimh17X_lA94forE_Y6wSIUPjA56DXfluSRe75zj2-SY1JAhtZRymwuroZXocuFyTCajgqrfup7XyJQO2sm6h69VjMfRlj6y_vieitHAusBwYaPEcyXBT4_3aEL6go3iqtDeNN0rTvg21RTKM/s1000/battlestar-galactica.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Battlestar Galactica" border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="1000" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8MKnMA6TC0aQcyF9Dx3hucYUlxHv2xOyngADihquctjimh17X_lA94forE_Y6wSIUPjA56DXfluSRe75zj2-SY1JAhtZRymwuroZXocuFyTCajgqrfup7XyJQO2sm6h69VjMfRlj6y_vieitHAusBwYaPEcyXBT4_3aEL6go3iqtDeNN0rTvg21RTKM/w400-h210/battlestar-galactica.jpg" title="Battlestar Galactica" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BSG: So good it can get away with a pic like this</td></tr></tbody></table><p>One of the main themes of the show (That everyone never agrees on anything, making compromise and negotiation necessary for civilization to function) got jettisoned out the airlock in the finale. The survivors put their ships on automatic pilot and sent them soaring into the sun, along with all their tech, universally adopting a hunter-gatherer subsistence existence on earth. </p><p>Okay, sure.</p><p>Yuval Harrari would be proud. </p><p>Thanks to the hive mind, BSG wrapped up with a neat if perplexing bow. Maybe I just didn't understand the premise of the show. Moore would know. I can't help but imagine a postscript where, once everyone else is frolicking in hippie-time meadow, criminal gangs reveal squirrelled away tech & weapons and take over.</p><p>But for the first two seasons, it was breathtaking, genre defining sci-fi. BSG pushed the sci-fi envelope and then some. </p><p>Now, Moore is back with some of his best work yet: an alternate history show centred around the space program. The central conceit is that the Soviets landed on the moon first. Like the flapping of the wings of a butterfly, this causes a cascade of further changes. As the show progresses through the decades, the more it diverges from what we know as reality. </p><p>Moore wisely avoids rehashing <i>The Right Stuff</i>, <i>Apollo 13</i>, and the like. Instead, the space program is the supporting scaffolding upon which human drama can be hung. <i>For All Mankind </i>is as much about culture, prejudice, social change, organizational and individual fallibility, and the human experience as it is about space shuttles and moon bases.</p><p>Each season covers a decade, starting with the sixties. The period details are wonderful, and the evolution of the cast's fashions fun to digest. </p><p>Thanks to the Soviets landing a woman on the moon, the Americans are forced to include women in the space program. Propaganda posturing propels them to become more inclusive, the better to win hearts and minds. Yet the social improvements that cascade out of these calculated, reptilian motives winds up improving society as a whole. </p><p>Allowing everyone to contribute to a society to the best of their ability maximizes human capital, making society stronger and healthier.</p><p>The show tackles everything from panic attacks, alcoholism, egotism, to geopolitics and space hazards, yet remains hopeful and positive throughout. </p><p>It's a virtuoso performance: <i>For All Mankind </i>sees all the warts, yet loves humanity anyway.</p><p>Give it a watch on Apple+. </p><p>It's too good to miss.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB61Kq1ZoiLjvYVQfeJqkKSrvuaafusm2zhVEEsGlaU0mxx2UmOmIZ-p5ASQZZ2JOJm7B90Tzm7rzWYsLz6LNqyGHhygTzFBCu0-3_vsC404Ar8kv-lsPXDa36VmbQ2k__nmbHUnEMo9rRjB-Sn9JsdHB88ZW7irrjgCfesjEmY0Cfoe5QgdeL-yQtsIM/s2000/FAM_103_01049F_fW.jpg.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="astronauts from For All Mankind" border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB61Kq1ZoiLjvYVQfeJqkKSrvuaafusm2zhVEEsGlaU0mxx2UmOmIZ-p5ASQZZ2JOJm7B90Tzm7rzWYsLz6LNqyGHhygTzFBCu0-3_vsC404Ar8kv-lsPXDa36VmbQ2k__nmbHUnEMo9rRjB-Sn9JsdHB88ZW7irrjgCfesjEmY0Cfoe5QgdeL-yQtsIM/w400-h266/FAM_103_01049F_fW.jpg.webp" title="astronauts from For All Mankind" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Astronauts heading out to watch For All Mankind</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-25468525416801397182023-11-18T14:10:00.000-08:002023-11-18T14:10:29.025-08:00Invincible is Awesome<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUeAMMYwM-Er3vBxzMENMkU_N07iEzM1SxEAAPuzGcPbK3CDPA7nXTNhjzN0ZJu0yg3zyL_qc0UI6O8geebMFZ92STWWM2NJluDBiNEF1xoLbwFXZz2OTAtBkDAfyNY3oIoX3qHp6gYaa6FXpvmhONb_jiy3xbq2Jn-P0AwL1UhQ4flpkDV0_mmdTuyw/s1265/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-18%20at%205.04.56%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="invincible tv show" border="0" data-original-height="703" data-original-width="1265" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUeAMMYwM-Er3vBxzMENMkU_N07iEzM1SxEAAPuzGcPbK3CDPA7nXTNhjzN0ZJu0yg3zyL_qc0UI6O8geebMFZ92STWWM2NJluDBiNEF1xoLbwFXZz2OTAtBkDAfyNY3oIoX3qHp6gYaa6FXpvmhONb_jiy3xbq2Jn-P0AwL1UhQ4flpkDV0_mmdTuyw/w400-h224/Screen%20Shot%202023-11-18%20at%205.04.56%20PM.png" title="invincible tv show" width="400" /></a></div><p>And also Mark Grayson. </p><p>No, seriously, the show is fabulous. </p><p>Great premise, great execution, great voice talent, and plenty of twists and turns to keep you engaged. Alternates between action and intimate character moments, comedy and gore, yada yada. </p><p>It's right up there with <i>Guardians of the Galaxy</i> (are those REALLY super hero movies?) and <i>The Boys.</i></p><p>Of the three, only <i>Guardians</i> is really fully family friendly. Different brands, different audiences.</p><p><i>Invincible </i>is every bit as dark, cynical and gory as <i>The Boys, </i>just in animated form. And while the gore is a lot cleaner looking, I don't think I'd recommend this to children. </p><p><i>Superfriends</i> it is not. </p><p>Highly recommended. </p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-53152527572840623452023-11-09T07:27:00.006-08:002023-11-15T15:21:58.570-08:00The Creator: beautiful sci-fi trope purée<p><i style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugITAuuOlbnzNZwV99qtf0cMt1_mpb3ZCiAmUUnIoKe8HEJBnCmAA5qh15xsQMFSm2gTJOVF9oMXPDOrifFLVlSLM-gSj4k_prDJgC38AN9GcA2gBinU-DYSRp9Jg-vU0zw7v_rwjc2zWBeEHS7l1-Y1zqADhYXsP9HWwieALDRra3d_ByfxI_aIllL0/s500/the-creator-movie.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="the creator movie poster" border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="400" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugITAuuOlbnzNZwV99qtf0cMt1_mpb3ZCiAmUUnIoKe8HEJBnCmAA5qh15xsQMFSm2gTJOVF9oMXPDOrifFLVlSLM-gSj4k_prDJgC38AN9GcA2gBinU-DYSRp9Jg-vU0zw7v_rwjc2zWBeEHS7l1-Y1zqADhYXsP9HWwieALDRra3d_ByfxI_aIllL0/w320-h400/the-creator-movie.jpeg" title="the creator movie poster" width="320" /></a></i></div><i style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br />The Creator</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">, written and directed by Gareth Edwards, is visually spectacular. It conveys an impressive sense of scale, and the sci-fi elements are seamlessly integrated. </span><p></p><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Edwards is very good at conveying verisimilitude, of making the fantastical seem believable, and loves distant shots of characters in sweeping landscapes. Visually, it reminds me of David Lean epics like <i>Doctor Zhivago</i> and <i>Lawrence of Arabia</i>. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Story wise, not so much.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The actors are excellent, making the most of the material they've been given. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">There are many impressive scenes which, in isolation, suggest a great film. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Unfortunately, the whole is less than the sum of its parts. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">I really wanted to like this film. I admire Edward's innovative film making. He's a visionary. At least, he is when it comes to visuals and production process. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">His background is in VFX, and that's where he truly excels. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">But while the design of this futuristic reality was slick and polished, it felt just a little... generic. That wouldn't be a problem if the rest of the film were compelling. Unfortunately, there's not much underlying the gleaming VFX facade here in terms of world building. The conflict here has no depth. It's like they put a great big bucket of sci-fi tropes into a blender and this purée was the result. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Even that can be fun, but story wise it did not work for me. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">It was one of the most frustrating viewing experiences I've had in recent memory. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Edwards has oodles of talent, it's obvious from the visuals and his production process. And he loves sci-fi. I have no doubt that Edwards, powered by right script, could produce a cinematic sci-fi masterpiece. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">One day.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Sadly, this isn't it.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-1009102214280400992023-11-05T10:20:00.002-08:002023-11-12T11:06:26.924-08:00GenV: sharp witted social commentary <p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_541OPDrSplLfI0NRB2VPjMynq2VqGF5hw2gzzSMbmnF2WKI5HbnRkJTchiknvbkDDwORla7YKcVt4SFxrJqhu206zobUL7ZEE3VTZbz01FX4kFJoiRHwoONtldR59GROk_Btx6MqQ7hmMKkvFZhEB6yem8-_Re2HvZv_w-4pPct5RU0VHGjHSfK18Tc/s10236/genv-ad.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="gen v ad" border="0" data-original-height="10236" data-original-width="7213" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_541OPDrSplLfI0NRB2VPjMynq2VqGF5hw2gzzSMbmnF2WKI5HbnRkJTchiknvbkDDwORla7YKcVt4SFxrJqhu206zobUL7ZEE3VTZbz01FX4kFJoiRHwoONtldR59GROk_Btx6MqQ7hmMKkvFZhEB6yem8-_Re2HvZv_w-4pPct5RU0VHGjHSfK18Tc/w281-h400/genv-ad.jpg" title="gen v ad" width="281" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharp witted social commentary wrapped in spandex and capes. Just... without capes or spandex. Yet. I think Homelander is wearing some other kind of synthetic fabric... </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">GenV is crass, graphically violent, irreverent, and cynical. It's also riotously funny and incisive, if you're in the right mood.</span></p><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">I can totally understand why some people don't like the show. I get it. It pushes the envelope of what's acceptable on television. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The violence is over the top grisly and the camera does not shy away. At all. Fists are covered in bits of brain, bloody body parts are scattered about, arms are ripped off and ragged flesh hangs from the stump. It's awful and gruesome. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">And yet, the violence here is more impactful and horrific than in the sanitized and equally violent <i>Marvel </i>or <i>Star Wars</i> franchises. People get shot, decapitated, vaporized, disemboweled, and worse in those shows, and we don't even blink. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">With <i>GenV</i> and <i>The Boys</i>, the violence makes me never want to actually engage in real violence, it's that ugly. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">It has an impact.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">GenV also delights in skewering vacuous marketing platitudes, showing the unvarnished truth beneath the palatable lies. There are a few lines that made me laugh out loud.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The show pits bright eyed and bushy tailed student idealists, full of hope and credulity, getting slammed face first into the brick wall of adult realism. Their trust is taken advantage of and ultimately completely betrayed, ripping out the underpinnings of their world. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The character work is solid; everyone has a tragic backstory, and a closet full of skeletons. Guilt undergirds many. They're nuanced, rather than black or white, and sympathies can shift about as the program progresses. Some character pivots don't work quite as well as others, but they all are driven by their circumstances and history. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Those on a quest for redemption, looking to conform with proper societal expectations, realize they aren't as uniquely horrific as they had assumed: this entire world is drenched in debauchery, hypocrisy, cruelty and exploitation. Those they look to for validation turn out to be infinitely worse.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><i>GenV</i> depicts this as unflinchingly as in the flagship <i>The Boys</i>, and several characters (natch) cross over into the spinoff. Nothing like a surprise guest appearance to boost interest.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">As a bonus, they lay waste to UofT's Erindale campus. What fun!</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The ending has a twist and leaves the main characters in limbo, awaiting season two. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">I'll be tuning in. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-2792515412916180502023-08-27T07:17:00.010-07:002023-09-09T13:28:44.633-07:00Apple TV's Invasion review<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5H_unwA4ZJ-SWj0tYHhRTYAMqFWJ9n6CJvoLht13X9Cgq-kD05-H0E-4gz2TXGw9on7Pl_vtZg4CzGJ3rZuYkZKhwUGUvYFoiUJKxINBdkOV3CFpe-YA6TOdA9q70nKukrgIOb9FyGsHF6Dzk5r-hwM8bsDM0klvR3jTsbD3NbioJFpBWpNvHzb77rI/s417/Unknown.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="121" data-original-width="417" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU5H_unwA4ZJ-SWj0tYHhRTYAMqFWJ9n6CJvoLht13X9Cgq-kD05-H0E-4gz2TXGw9on7Pl_vtZg4CzGJ3rZuYkZKhwUGUvYFoiUJKxINBdkOV3CFpe-YA6TOdA9q70nKukrgIOb9FyGsHF6Dzk5r-hwM8bsDM0klvR3jTsbD3NbioJFpBWpNvHzb77rI/w441-h128/Unknown.jpeg" width="441" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>This show is the definition of the slow burn.</span><span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There’s a saying about the military: it’s 99% boredom and routine, and 1% sheer terror.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Invasion </i>gets the first part right.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">That statement is hyperbole (and framed the way a teacher I had would). Nevertheless, a maxim in modern Hollywood is that you have to get to the Promise of the Premise FAST. Streaming presents us with a bajillion shows to pick from, so if you don’t catch the audience quick, they’ll click.</span><span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";"> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue; font-size: medium;">Admittedly I sometimes don’t bother with a show that doesn’t grab me until/unless someone (or several someones) recommends it. And if something doesn’t intrigue me, if I don’t feel trust in the show runners right away, I will click away. That’s far from fair, and all on my deteriorating attention span. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">In light of that, </span><i style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">Invasion</i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue;">’s somnambulant pacing is defiantly radical. Movies today are faster paced and include more cuts than in the 1980s, partly because they had to splice physical film back then, and now it can be done digitally; Fury Road had ten times as many cuts as The Road Warrior, for example. It can be too much, yet here the more lackadaisical pacing just didn’t work for me.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It follows 4-5 different character journeys, switching between storylines that (mostly) intersect towards the end. Some are far more engaging than others. Sam Neil leads one stream (which got me to tune in), but it's a Sean Bean fake out.</span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaXcXji7Vk_qwBsXlA572ArvPcdgxDoZwTokrW0Tnk5ZL-Gegqr46xXVZTOEt2PZdOs5saKgQdNB0SX3VPuKiBF4_IxDNBb6r40HIRlHk1eBe-6NiHKR2EWcgt8ZMX7FWGJkfHqL-0BhWUC-qBzZ6fhu74EoUZ1vn1zkzE2SpBRoOo10NPL2PkPNo6FE/s6000/Invasion_Photo_010101.jpg" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFaXcXji7Vk_qwBsXlA572ArvPcdgxDoZwTokrW0Tnk5ZL-Gegqr46xXVZTOEt2PZdOs5saKgQdNB0SX3VPuKiBF4_IxDNBb6r40HIRlHk1eBe-6NiHKR2EWcgt8ZMX7FWGJkfHqL-0BhWUC-qBzZ6fhu74EoUZ1vn1zkzE2SpBRoOo10NPL2PkPNo6FE/s320/Invasion_Photo_010101.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There one minute, gone the next</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It doesn’t help that the show is dark. It’s shot with naturalistic lighting, and the aliens (when they finally appear) are only seen at night or in dim interiors. This accentuates the menace of the unknown, but also frustrates.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue; font-size: medium;">Maybe they did it because their FX budget couldn’t withstand daylight. Honestly, that’s fair, you have to work within the production limits you’ve got. The show looks very good, at least what you can see of it. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">With the exception of one character thread that follows a Japanese aerospace prodigy (all in Japanese with subtitles, which was frustrating because I wanted to also draw while watching), everything is viewed from a plebeian POV. We see people trying to manage their day to day lives in the midst of (somewhat vague) chaos. There is no rah-rah 'Ride of the F16’s'. This isn’t Tom Cruise or Will Smith type alien butt-kicking fare, it’s far more naturalistic, following ordinary people. It’s more brooding and moody than explosive and energetic, which can be wonderful when done right.</span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3PUFULQV7Z7pdSJ0ODdiFz_ErCt3cm0-1JHzKicLYFu6O3dtcmsNFUjwh5dmcUhtcpBuVV5dCWUajUGi6IZdgj_5Z5hi4o8Kpa18kyv28d6KCmyJXbtAbkkZe3w_tjXM6WNl846cKnvEYcqIz1BNCauy1CXEMdzI3frL1rQjstxMRQllAowYOekFNaM/s318/images.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="318" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3PUFULQV7Z7pdSJ0ODdiFz_ErCt3cm0-1JHzKicLYFu6O3dtcmsNFUjwh5dmcUhtcpBuVV5dCWUajUGi6IZdgj_5Z5hi4o8Kpa18kyv28d6KCmyJXbtAbkkZe3w_tjXM6WNl846cKnvEYcqIz1BNCauy1CXEMdzI3frL1rQjstxMRQllAowYOekFNaM/w464-h232/images.jpeg" width="464" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By far our most capable cast member</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">The leads are far from paragons of virtue; they’re warty and flawed. Great to have nuance. Unfortunately, they’re not likeable or compelling, </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">and </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue";">they make some painfully dumb decisions, all to amp up tension (admittedly very common in horror films). That came at the cost of empathy: </span></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: large;">I started rooting for the alien monsters. </span></div></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The climax smacks of both <i>Independence Day</i> and <i>War of the Worlds, </i>the grand daddy of all alien invasions.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue; font-size: medium;">I suspect<i> Invasion</i> succeeds or fails based on whether or not you like the characters. It’s well produced and well acted. The dialogue is naturalistic and worked well enough for me that it wasn’t distracting. </span></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue; font-size: medium;">Unfortunately, while it has many of the elements I like, the slow pace and unlikeable characters made it a swing and a miss. </span></div><p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-49851799131769303032023-08-13T09:58:00.005-07:002023-08-27T07:19:37.687-07:00 Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sUimhVgavzW5JOJLyvY3Na_2II0uWS5Nt6_giX5ZbhPMEPhoIysCZKY4qjEn3VjL7IzjSi3_9KIvyOHrcEFLZLCOkhP-c2Lny6qR-7UoSWIFHWRxwN86z67CrhwkgYfTrnwZjX3OmnJhGTXpNuM3LoEzX4yqG_9JkKZTjt78iYeuGsJy7jaZiGA7WPc/s1280/spiderverse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sUimhVgavzW5JOJLyvY3Na_2II0uWS5Nt6_giX5ZbhPMEPhoIysCZKY4qjEn3VjL7IzjSi3_9KIvyOHrcEFLZLCOkhP-c2Lny6qR-7UoSWIFHWRxwN86z67CrhwkgYfTrnwZjX3OmnJhGTXpNuM3LoEzX4yqG_9JkKZTjt78iYeuGsJy7jaZiGA7WPc/w462-h260/spiderverse.jpg" width="462" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hands down the most radical, unrestrained, gobsmacking, visually creative animated film I’ve ever seen.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well. </span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Other than the first one.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Watching <i>Across</i> is like main-lining pure creativity. It’s a kinetic, visual cacophony of cinema marvels.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On the downside, it’s exhausting. Innovative approaches are jam packed into every frame.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">It’s so radically different, it overwhelms.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">All kinds of sweet gee-jaws, evoking printed comics, saturate the film: half-tone dots shade character faces, colours are shown with slight off-register, scenes morph from 3-D backgrounds to beautiful pastel paintings. Characters change colour based on mood. People from other dimensions may be made of paper, scratchy scribbles, or LEGO.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">Frames are dropped from character movement, creating a staccato jerkiness that gets across the idea of watching moving pictures. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Trips between universes are accompanied by kaleidoscope FX rainbows. Visual representations of emotion, and sound effects, punctuate important moments.</span><span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The direction is as kinetic and super-powered as the heroes, spiralling around and through them (in the case of the villain), then pulling back for serene scene setting long shots. </span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><br /></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Across </i>relentlessly pushes the boundaries of animation, taking the medium to infinity and beyond.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Pixar </i>films are beautiful, but they’re not radical. This? This is radical artiste experimentalism in pop-culture packaging.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Unfortunately, you can have too much goodness. The movie is over two hours long; shorter, discrete episodes might be more enjoyable for my limited attention span. I wanted to freeze frame and have captions (the dialogue can be hard to catch at time, it’s so rapid fire).<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Story wise, <i>Across </i>doesn’t hold back; it pummels the audience with The Multiverse’s kitchen sink.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Thankfully, <i>Verse </i>movies are grounded in authentic character moments. Without them, it might just be a gorgeous way to induce an epileptic seizure. Miles is an endearing lead, and the Morales’ family dynamic equally so. Even the villain has his charms. And Spider-Gwen is well matched with Miles. The other bajillion Spider-men (including an Indian one) are icing on the Spider-cake.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The film relentlessly barrels towards its no-holds-barred… To Be Continued.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Which is fine by me, I don’t think I could have taken any more in one sitting.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The story isn’t tight, but the characters and the visual spectacle are so incredibly enthralling it doesn’t matter.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In the theatre, it's an overwhelming visual feast; I look forward to watching it again at home, in smaller (both screen scale and time) doses.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There’s nothing else like it. </span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Radical, energetic, barely controlled creative chaos the likes of which I've rarely seen, it's audacity and innovative ferocity is breathtaking to behold.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's genius in motion.</span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Highly, highly recommended… albeit not for everyone.<span class="gmail-Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-39789788988757453952023-08-05T11:54:00.008-07:002023-08-07T13:49:36.561-07:00 High versus low art in film: Lynch vs Spielberg smackdown!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlw07yrFDYi6Di_ZZJgjVGoE7nD7AcAocwZjkRnzxEialMvXZ9c2Hs-Ej9JL-CWaxE7dy5JumkYtVMk8b2J3pHFSWxCQXB5Sh6L8DmAkm40uQLWHGZgm6oTgVJDHD5pqGqXoLLt_dFehKHufGyugMe3FjEyCXO4AN5mYxSr3pc7DitaZi-H_ZMlXECIxo/s2000/image.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlw07yrFDYi6Di_ZZJgjVGoE7nD7AcAocwZjkRnzxEialMvXZ9c2Hs-Ej9JL-CWaxE7dy5JumkYtVMk8b2J3pHFSWxCQXB5Sh6L8DmAkm40uQLWHGZgm6oTgVJDHD5pqGqXoLLt_dFehKHufGyugMe3FjEyCXO4AN5mYxSr3pc7DitaZi-H_ZMlXECIxo/s320/image.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yin vs Yang</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: medium;">David Lynch is an exemplary film maker, but his work is not for everyone. Lynch's foray into blockbuster territory (Dune) was a bomb (I still love it's weirdness). He has difficulty raising large amounts of cash for his (personal) projects. </span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Steven Spielberg is the opposite: the Main Man has his finger on the pulse of the people. His films are colossal blockbusters that have redefined cinema and summer movie going. Studios salivate to fund his films, and spend more, much more, knowing Spielberg is at the helm. </span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A Spielberg flick is one of the surest bets you can make in Hollywood. And obviosuly he, too, is an exemplary filmmaker.</span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><br /></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So... which is better? </span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">That depends on your point of view, and what you value. </span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTvskkunF2z3tPkjeONO124otsCOjsqXrCAr-6edTO7zt2bviu9YaNzbYEE_xiLEZQBg1UHOC-EMla_o22UCwBe0f-lJ7IXE79d8ACTjGSWHBXH3VKUHXqrXtB9mkf5axTMoJ_5xz1sEEr-E3wXv_uhuJALSB0EKHneMEZvFyDgxWICCtxeiqXoAaTqM/s1128/568a894a-4fc1-4e05-b6cd-ac3e60b4a895_screenshot.jpg" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="1128" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibTvskkunF2z3tPkjeONO124otsCOjsqXrCAr-6edTO7zt2bviu9YaNzbYEE_xiLEZQBg1UHOC-EMla_o22UCwBe0f-lJ7IXE79d8ACTjGSWHBXH3VKUHXqrXtB9mkf5axTMoJ_5xz1sEEr-E3wXv_uhuJALSB0EKHneMEZvFyDgxWICCtxeiqXoAaTqM/s320/568a894a-4fc1-4e05-b6cd-ac3e60b4a895_screenshot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From a certain point of view, this article is true.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I’ve been lectured by professional writers that the best films are the ones that make the biggest box office. Studio execs no doubt largely agree: the Hollywood machine is a business, it has a bottom line, and they need to make oodles of greenbacks to fund their lavish lifestyles… and fund bigger and more spectacular films. </span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And yet, it isn’t that simple. </span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Award season exists, prestige films still get funded, despite studios knowing full well that, unlike <i>Barbie</i>, <i>Women Talking</i> isn’t going to be a global summer blockbuster. But so what?</span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Populist and elitist streams exist in cinema and they rarely meet. One leans thoughtful and introspective, the other towards thrill rides and escapist fun. One is in danger of being pretentious, the other of pandering.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But every now and then, the streams cross and you get an instant all-audience classic. <br />
</span></span></p><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cXklSBd8m90JQCNPZND8_TzdwYEAWt5KfeaDVlMVtKNYBErVGuSm0qIPOrGJzN-U3TnR8buPA6Tzh3aaU46iIPZuAVvZDL0qenilPEsHLCo-O8gXarGklv9zp092Pdzr2F6m444-N28ZZB-B9eFi-SDDUW38qty8iU6UPDpOlrolRUr6IHPohz-LcVc/s498/ghostbusters-dont-cross-the-streams.gif" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="498" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_cXklSBd8m90JQCNPZND8_TzdwYEAWt5KfeaDVlMVtKNYBErVGuSm0qIPOrGJzN-U3TnR8buPA6Tzh3aaU46iIPZuAVvZDL0qenilPEsHLCo-O8gXarGklv9zp092Pdzr2F6m444-N28ZZB-B9eFi-SDDUW38qty8iU6UPDpOlrolRUr6IHPohz-LcVc/w361-h151/ghostbusters-dont-cross-the-streams.gif" width="361" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do what you shouldn't do?<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sometimes this is immediately obvious, as the film generates both box office and critical conversation over pie. Populist films are sometimes re-evaluated in the years, and decades, after release. The initial critical disdain for tropes, archetypes and action gives way to a realization that the film was superbly executed and speaks to the human experience on a level that wasn’t obvious on first viewing. </span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Filmmakers like Lynch struggle to find broader recognition. While vetted at prestige film festivals, their sensibility doesn’t resonate with the mass audience. Sometimes, they find their place in genre cinema and successfully dwell on the edges of the industry. Others are ‘artsy’ or intellectual enough to be hailed by critics for eschewing the typical and titillating the elitist palate. </span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And I get it. Professional critics prefer the different, because they’re drowning in mass produced typical. They become bug eyed, gollum-like creatures, gaunt and pallid from watching movies all day, every day. Like I did during COVID lockdown.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On top of that, I’m old enough to have seen multiple reboots of blockbusters past, I’m tired of it. Honestly, if you’ve seen ten superhero movies, you’ve seen them all. Same for some long running TV shows that are caught in an infinite franchise premise loop, endlessly recycling a mushy scene and premise puree. </span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">These are film flavours for the masses, visual equivalents to chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. And they’re great. But after awhile, people crave something… different. Rocky Road or Heavenly Hash.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You’re less likely to be truly surprised by a typical blockbuster than the most artfully crafted of art cinema (but there are notable exceptions that become event cinema, such as we've recently seen). Going off the beaten path will interest those tired of treading the same old same old, but that will annoy the majority who are looking for the well trodden path. We don't always want the unexpected.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Franchises have risen to dominate film and television during my lifetime. What’s a franchise? Take it as a simple outline of what happens… every time. A plucky gang of kids investigates paranormal mysteries and exposes them as frauds, for example. Familiarity is the appeal, so characters tend not to change. We’re not going to see Sherlock Holmes pivot to politics or become a tax auditor. People want him to be a detective, and so a detective he remains. Forever caught in amber, repeating the same loops. <i>Westworld </i>was as much a commentary on robots as it was on franchises and entertainment itself.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There’s a saying: people watch TV for character, and film for plot. I don’t remember a lot of plots from <i>Star Trek, Fringe, Seinfeld </i>(okay it was a kind of anti-plot show), or <i>WKRP in Cincinnati</i>. But the characters? Loved them. </span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But.. what if you have a film franchise? </span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">How much did Indiana Jones change? Dominic Toretto? </span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Is Ethan Hunt really any different now? </span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">They’re essentially huge budget TV episodes on gigantic screens. </span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Elitist disdain for populist films compelled Spielberg to stretch into more niche, high brow works, in an effort to get that sweet, sweet elitist recognition. To be recognized by the chi-chi cognoscenti. </span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On the one hand, I don’t think he should have felt such a pivot was necessary. Populist art ties into our common humanity, and to do that well requires every bit as much artistry and talent as the so-called high art. On the other, I’m glad he did, because he’s an interesting filmmaker, whatever he does.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The niche and the populist have their place and purpose, and entertainment would be lesser without both.</span></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 12px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span><br /></span></p>
<p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In this argument, there is no spoon. </span></span></p><div><span style="font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdtKku4ag3Iv4zcYpMF3sdD9QQ4Fa3tDEcTrWvmuZTaBM8cQKueiXn0GH1YJBbfLNPYuzlRei5RjVerhz53EUN1y_Ss5eLNex5VhA71zq46ielwYmfCtggnSTAIVTaUtBLKxzUrWqib44y_GJvx4uMU5V_XZyCOlplPqvVWSX6__H7MjSpLq-172RiEg/s347/Unknown.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="145" data-original-width="347" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdtKku4ag3Iv4zcYpMF3sdD9QQ4Fa3tDEcTrWvmuZTaBM8cQKueiXn0GH1YJBbfLNPYuzlRei5RjVerhz53EUN1y_Ss5eLNex5VhA71zq46ielwYmfCtggnSTAIVTaUtBLKxzUrWqib44y_GJvx4uMU5V_XZyCOlplPqvVWSX6__H7MjSpLq-172RiEg/s320/Unknown.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's CGI, man!</td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-kerning: none;"></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-32196432212793792742023-07-15T11:51:00.007-07:002023-10-26T08:39:34.851-07:00Girls gone wild: Yellowjackets review <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnRdBGtAbZDi3Jo3LMk9t8CSZsqYaaV27BPGmHEJTLP5ojEluUVC2E-F9YSfKIdu0yPDmkpsaGxlUhcy4ucGXX2WW2vJLDEQGbQafstYEUlK4Q_raWaEBS8_O90y_zcVNYO37JQmxu1gkUEeVAM6YaRjzNXEZiAG8TD-dNIcxCt96m4MnQhny2cpJK2U/s300/yellowjackets.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnRdBGtAbZDi3Jo3LMk9t8CSZsqYaaV27BPGmHEJTLP5ojEluUVC2E-F9YSfKIdu0yPDmkpsaGxlUhcy4ucGXX2WW2vJLDEQGbQafstYEUlK4Q_raWaEBS8_O90y_zcVNYO37JQmxu1gkUEeVAM6YaRjzNXEZiAG8TD-dNIcxCt96m4MnQhny2cpJK2U/s1600/yellowjackets.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What goes up...</td></tr></tbody></table><p>WARNING: SPOILERS</p><p>Season one of <i>Yellowjackets</i> was different and fun. The show's basically <i>Lord of the Flies </i>with girls, and it switches from their ordeal in the wilderness to the characters some 30 years later. </p><p>The young ladies in question are members of a ruthlessly competitive girls soccer team, who are heading off to the world championships, when their chartered plane goes down in the Canadian wilderness. God knows we have enough wilderness to go around, enough for a thousand such shows. </p><p>You'd think there'd be moose. Or beavers. Or at least horse flies. Nope.</p><p>Things get nasty quick. One nerdy little girl, the outcast of the bunch, takes immediate charge and cuts off the injured coaches mangled leg, which is caught under a piece of the aircraft. She's taken all the first aid courses there were on offer, and knows her stuff. </p><p>Unfortunately, she quickly becomes addicted to her new valued status. </p><p>Things get worse from there. Much, much worse.</p><p>Exactly what is left to our imaginations, at first. But it is heavily implied that as little as four or five people survive.</p><p>The very opening scenes show the girls hunting one of their own members, wearing masks, and performing what look like cannibalistic rituals. </p><p>But we don't get to that state again in season one. It's a teaser to hook viewers in with the promise of the premise which they seem to mostly forget about.</p><p>Instead we cut to the girls later in life, when they've settled down into dull, domestic not-so-bliss. At first, there are only three. It seems the wilderness was a bloodbath that few returned from... until they introduce another survivor. </p><p>And another. </p><p>And another. </p><p>And so on. </p><p>It's like a shampoo ad, and the longer it goes on, the lower the dramatic stakes become. </p><p>The show dives deep into the characters to the point of disinterest. The navel gazing is extensive and probing, and not recommended for carbon fibre hulls. But the actors are fabulous, and they do well with what they are given. It's an abundance of riches, which will suit some tastes more than others.</p><p>The scenes with the kids in the wilderness were even more compelling, with higher stakes. Whenever a 'now' scene rolls by, the urge to fast forward soon strikes, especially later in the season. </p><p>Yet the wilderness family cannibal adventure is well worth watching, and I recommended the show to friends. I liked the heavy hints of the supernatural, that there were otherworldly forces dwelling in that forest, and had confidence the showrunners wouldn't drop the ball.</p><p>Then season two landed. </p><p>The ball wasn't just dropped, it was lost entirely.</p><p>The scenes in the present became meandering and self-indulgent. </p><p>Back in the wilderness, the vague supernatural forces hinted at earlier are... hinted at again and again. There's enough vague hinting to constitute trolling.</p><p>One character sits with her best dead frozen friend for three months, doing her hair and makeup before casually eating her ear. Because of course she did. Her friends find out about her freezer zombie ear parties, and decide enough is enough, they'll burn the corpse. </p><p>You'd think that'd be the end of that. But wait! Vague maybe-sort-of-kinda supernatural forces drop a pile of snow on the funeral pyre, and voila, the corpse comes out like a braised butterball turkey. The girls then crowd around and chow down.</p><p>That got a guffaw. Not the response the show runners were hoping for, I suspect. Maybe they were going for horror or revulsion or something. All I could see was mouth watering Butterball.</p><p>The famine angle is mentioned, but not consistently, and the girls didn't behave or look starved. Obviously, they can't starve aspiring actresses. I mean, this isn't a Stanley Kubrick show. </p><p>A few skipped episodes later was the finale, because that's all I could stand to watch. It was silly and pat. The central mom continued her death spiral into awfulness, hoping to one day to join the esteemed ranks of Dexter, Walter White and Tony Soprano. Or maybe not. </p><p>Few shows so intriguing became so awful so quickly. Yellowjackets, like Icarus, soared high and then plummeted straight down and pancaked into pavement. Well. Icarus went into the sea, but you get the idea. </p><p>Of course, I am not the target audience, so your mileage may be much better. For your sake, I sure hope so.</p><p><i>Yellowjackets </i>would be an interesting subject for a screen writing class.</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-42640967064729456942023-07-14T17:47:00.006-07:002023-07-15T06:36:44.778-07:00War of the Roses and Medieval Genealogy ChatGPTrees<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8Q--3G7Za4gy9iL24Kk4oL0HGZRjyZkUAqq9O-D8s-J_blg4S7MtMztZF07yyj90a-qY__ZtalvMFgd1YT5F_U1qoEg9mfDSoITZ_g9H7I0lVb63IMEAgHHonVvf36mmDEDFKe00GEVrVZe0nVJ_kvxX7CvublDeFLU2dmb1Cw1b2hByY0b9-yvSRuk/s1024/tree-rose-war.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="415" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8Q--3G7Za4gy9iL24Kk4oL0HGZRjyZkUAqq9O-D8s-J_blg4S7MtMztZF07yyj90a-qY__ZtalvMFgd1YT5F_U1qoEg9mfDSoITZ_g9H7I0lVb63IMEAgHHonVvf36mmDEDFKe00GEVrVZe0nVJ_kvxX7CvublDeFLU2dmb1Cw1b2hByY0b9-yvSRuk/w415-h415/tree-rose-war.png" width="415" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They begat and begat and begat until one day God said, "Stop fucking around!"</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">So I was looking into how Henry VI of Lancaster was related to the York leader Richard Plantagenet, for reasons that will soon become clear. I decided to pose the question to ChatGPT, because I’m lazy and genealogy gives me a headache:</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">Edward III was the grandfather of Henry VI. The lineage connecting them is as follows:</span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">Edward III (1312-1377): Edward III was the King of England from 1327 until his death in 1377. He was married to Philippa of Hainault, with whom he had several children.</span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">John of Gaunt (1340-1399): John of Gaunt was the third surviving son of Edward III. He married three times and had numerous children, including an illegitimate line of Beaufort descendants.</span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset (1373-1410): John Beaufort was the eldest son of John of Gaunt from his relationship with Katherine Swynford. He was later legitimized by King Richard II. John Beaufort's descendants were known as the House of Beaufort.</span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset (1404-1444): John Beaufort, the great-grandson of John of Gaunt, was elevated to the title of Duke of Somerset. He married Margaret Beauchamp, and their son was Henry Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset.</span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset (1406-1455): Edmund Beaufort was the brother of John Beaufort, 1st Duke of Somerset. He succeeded his brother as the 2nd Duke of Somerset. Edmund Beaufort's son was Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset.</span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset (1436-1464): Henry Beaufort, the son of Edmund Beaufort, was the 3rd Duke of Somerset. He was a prominent Lancastrian during the Wars of the Roses and a key figure in the reign of Henry VI.</span></i></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">Henry VI (1421-1471): Henry VI was the son of Henry V and Catherine of Valois. He became the King of England in 1422 as an infant and his reign was marked by political instability and the Wars of the Roses. He was a Lancastrian monarch.</span></i></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">Thus, Edward III was the grandfather of Henry VI through his son John of Gaunt and subsequent generations of the Beaufort family.</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); white-space: normal;">And this is why I hate the Middle Ages.</span></span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-49084961040742205822023-07-13T09:06:00.006-07:002023-07-17T18:22:40.811-07:00Extraction 1.0 and 2.0 review<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3iz7QvNkNNPleOdZ-4cXyRvzJTaXBG2e92_rcN4KY5XitMBFCxgIkCWioSJEzJyi0AcMYtpO70R_8a_DutRnmpam8n5MxzcY5Xprcs5-vEr0T7p8Z7N_v0TfwwZYZ1z1ITaVCHUKmTIqTbL2PtymFVqTBC4QUWsfy0pp9HbCpvgz43jqWZC2BalSqPE/s665/extraction-poster.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="665" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI3iz7QvNkNNPleOdZ-4cXyRvzJTaXBG2e92_rcN4KY5XitMBFCxgIkCWioSJEzJyi0AcMYtpO70R_8a_DutRnmpam8n5MxzcY5Xprcs5-vEr0T7p8Z7N_v0TfwwZYZ1z1ITaVCHUKmTIqTbL2PtymFVqTBC4QUWsfy0pp9HbCpvgz43jqWZC2BalSqPE/s320/extraction-poster.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Was it live or AI?</td></tr></tbody></table><p>What a great video game walkthrough! </p><p>Or was it a movie? </p><p>The lead sure looked like Chris Hemsworth, but he wasn't jokey/goofy. So hard to tell. Could have been AI. Like Salma Hayek in Black Mirror.</p><p>Extraction is eerily like watching someone play a video game: long action sequences that morph into car chases, then foot chases, train chases and then more action scenes. </p><p>Every now and then there is a cut scene where the actors emote and cry. </p><p>Then it's right back into astonishingly long single shot action scenes. </p><p>The action here is incredibly intense and visceral. You can almost feel the pain of the blows; it's not clean or antiseptic. That was quite well done, although most people (all people?) would be dead long before the characters in the film after taking that much punishment.</p><p>So fabulously well done action flick from a technical point of view. Very bare bones, plot and character wise. If you're good with that, you'll love Extraction. It's incredibly well done for what it is. </p><p>If you want a more involved story, and aren't keen on 90 minutes of stabbing, shooting, pummelling, kicking, eviscerating, hacking, exploding and decapitating(?), then maybe this movie isn't for you. </p><p>I have just one question: can Salma Hayek star in the next one?</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-83064207038565764412023-07-11T14:35:00.000-07:002023-07-11T14:35:24.283-07:00Commute Density Graph for Toronto<p>Basically, the best time to drive is 5 AM Mon-Friday:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbslgPdk-2I6JsgthMDk5REVRyksgHneFPb0ZF1bZDf8igpeX1Vkc_JUug2Dv2XoqVROYeRVD9opmduYuAY05OGKT8NyLfPxk40byru75tmiys7zo4v-HUUyiM-loyoSD7t54GFe7-i3HrT4_n4eXEqqaIytvpoTeHbfwQRjEPEVV2r4dr-KPcHjDGz_o/s784/traffic-density-toronto.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="784" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEbslgPdk-2I6JsgthMDk5REVRyksgHneFPb0ZF1bZDf8igpeX1Vkc_JUug2Dv2XoqVROYeRVD9opmduYuAY05OGKT8NyLfPxk40byru75tmiys7zo4v-HUUyiM-loyoSD7t54GFe7-i3HrT4_n4eXEqqaIytvpoTeHbfwQRjEPEVV2r4dr-KPcHjDGz_o/s320/traffic-density-toronto.png" width="320" /></a></div>Somehow I don't see myself rearranging my schedule. <div><br /></div><div>On the flip side, there's a black hole Thursday afternoon around 2:30 PM that sucks cars into a super density black hole from which they'll never reappear, and which will ultimately destroy the entire planet.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-48225628073829427972023-07-08T11:10:00.002-07:002023-07-08T11:10:13.621-07:00Savage review of Mandalorian Season 3<p>The Pitch Meeting series I've really enjoyed watching over COVID lockdowns. It's one guy who plays both the screenwriter and the studio exec in an imagined pitch meeting for the film. He's usually got some sharp, or at least funny, insights.</p><p>This one? Savage. Absolutely savage:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BAtDj7WLjDY" width="320" youtube-src-id="BAtDj7WLjDY"></iframe></div><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-30603008627186456882023-07-07T12:59:00.012-07:002023-11-12T10:10:36.405-08:00Battle of Kursk: deja vu in Ukraine?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5xGTIVUtuBzexAcs9NUIbhczvmX83IRLvQ4QqASu2IxHEjc4MBqT-Z3ZruPDxdfDd9FHXMfpa23d6lNjztMzNZWiQV_zYHq60hKQYJ__9MtmQtktygkDxv4xThdbXSOkdw9-CPRIwBhAkSgWkvMQVJ4s8X5Pgp1wST99ivE0mmBM44-GY3VKkOCVerg/s926/Battle_of_Kursk_(map).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="map of battle of kursk" border="0" data-original-height="926" data-original-width="605" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5xGTIVUtuBzexAcs9NUIbhczvmX83IRLvQ4QqASu2IxHEjc4MBqT-Z3ZruPDxdfDd9FHXMfpa23d6lNjztMzNZWiQV_zYHq60hKQYJ__9MtmQtktygkDxv4xThdbXSOkdw9-CPRIwBhAkSgWkvMQVJ4s8X5Pgp1wST99ivE0mmBM44-GY3VKkOCVerg/w306-h468/Battle_of_Kursk_(map).jpg" title="battle of kursk" width="306" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kursk Pimple</td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">During the early months of 1943, the Nazis were rolled back hundreds of miles from Stalingrad, until they finally stabilized their defensive lines in Ukraine. The line was relatively straight, except for a large bulge into the German side, centred around the city of Kursk. </span></p><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The Germans decided to squeeze this obvious like a ginormous pimple.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">But the Soviets could read a map, too, so they new exactly where the Nazis were going to attack (also thanks to intel from the British Ultra program and the Red Orchestra).</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Hitler hemmed and hawed, waiting until more of his Wonder Weapons were ready before attacking. The Soviets used that extra time to pack the pimple with troops, tanks and artillery, wrapped them in pillboxes, trenches, and mines, and tied a great big kill zone bow on top.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij73PIXpuK_Y52EsostLRh8oMCH9RmSZPtzNEOUvNeqml2Uwr-U44VHKCMit9SSzhw-5adpyVjgylxJRk6pO2xreiM9E6R0parVMGz-WKU4iu3xwGFIIhL098xcbP6bWBo-8kEJlTTvRYfc8HvfRPYisZnH3cQfheEOYHr7sEMVuZDMyP0SmdXq0bvOgc/s652/Ferdinand-Porsches-%E2%80%98Elefant%E2%80%99-Tank-Destroyer-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="652" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij73PIXpuK_Y52EsostLRh8oMCH9RmSZPtzNEOUvNeqml2Uwr-U44VHKCMit9SSzhw-5adpyVjgylxJRk6pO2xreiM9E6R0parVMGz-WKU4iu3xwGFIIhL098xcbP6bWBo-8kEJlTTvRYfc8HvfRPYisZnH3cQfheEOYHr7sEMVuZDMyP0SmdXq0bvOgc/s320/Ferdinand-Porsches-%E2%80%98Elefant%E2%80%99-Tank-Destroyer-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of Porche's Not-So-Wonder-Weapons: The Ferdinand Dud</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">When the Nazis finally did attack, they made slow and costly progress against fierce and entrenched Soviet resistance. The new Nazi tanks proved unreliable: they hadn't been tested long enough to work out all the mechanical problems, and many broke down and were abandoned before they even encountered the enemy.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Once the Nazis had spent their offensive power, the Soviets launched a massive counter attack, overwhelming the exhausted Germans and paving the way to Berlin. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvrEcnjhDJCJ6SJOiPRZovlrddx-NO_HR56IXnnCg1fvxR3A1JaTPYFrn26HkeXQYc-UKqR9pPgQLJfXAMcmfK1V4xJsw3w3cuGpWb-hJcY9S0FxElbXHUeK4Zpfql_5vC8DKQOkCQ8XHpe4PG3ZP4Ps74qWQKJhhs7JnosqgrVZQEsaVtzP3C6I9n_Q/s960/kursk-battle-painting.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="960" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWvrEcnjhDJCJ6SJOiPRZovlrddx-NO_HR56IXnnCg1fvxR3A1JaTPYFrn26HkeXQYc-UKqR9pPgQLJfXAMcmfK1V4xJsw3w3cuGpWb-hJcY9S0FxElbXHUeK4Zpfql_5vC8DKQOkCQ8XHpe4PG3ZP4Ps74qWQKJhhs7JnosqgrVZQEsaVtzP3C6I9n_Q/s320/kursk-battle-painting.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A painting of the carnage at Kursk</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Sound disturbingly familiar?</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The Ukrainian offensive is trying to cut off Russian supply lines to Crimea. The Russians know exactly what the Ukrainians want to do, and where they are likely to attack. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">And while the Ukrainians have been waiting for Western tanks and equipment (and better weather), the Russians have been creating multiple defensive bands, with pillboxes, trenches, mines, kill zones, etcetera. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISqX6O16wh0KcCpz2simBD0YwZD7RUpzBafG6L9rT08HZHQ6V9MXjQrCauRb-mmNFpDWKxOREt3dK0a9q_b0JytlVs2nx32RMJDsrBo05pVtpryncIOMmQI5qo7xVFOteQ4ZUTEboLdJxlE4c3e1ZN-WAfTjIT14MHhFt-GEcs3HMMXN8M8asBybmL_U/s716/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-07%20at%203.49.21%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="716" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjISqX6O16wh0KcCpz2simBD0YwZD7RUpzBafG6L9rT08HZHQ6V9MXjQrCauRb-mmNFpDWKxOREt3dK0a9q_b0JytlVs2nx32RMJDsrBo05pVtpryncIOMmQI5qo7xVFOteQ4ZUTEboLdJxlE4c3e1ZN-WAfTjIT14MHhFt-GEcs3HMMXN8M8asBybmL_U/w387-h380/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-07%20at%203.49.21%20PM.png" width="387" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A zoomed out view of multiple Russian defensive lines in Ukraine</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The Russians are really good at this, and they don't need especially skilled soldiers to pull it off.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Speaking of which, the Russkies just moved some 300,000 more men into the area. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Heck, take a look at the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/graphics/UKRAINE-CRISIS/MAPS/klvygwawavg/">Reuters page</a> on the Russian defenses, they describe it better than I ever could.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Pundits set unrealistic expectations for the Ukrainian counter offensive during the spring (and no thanks to the spectacular Ukrainian success last year around Kharkov), and as such people are now looking in askance at seemingly lacklustre Ukrainian progress. Ukraine is reportedly going slow to preserve the lives of their troops and inflict Russian casualties. Fair enough!</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Yet the longer the war goes on, the more damage to Ukraine, its people, and its economy. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">US General Ben Hodges was suggesting that Russia might be thrown out this summer, leading to an armistice. While that might still happen (Ukraine is cutting of Russian supply bridges to Crimea using missiles), it seems increasingly unlikely. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">But hope doth spring eternal!</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The superficial view shows Ukraine bogged down in attritional fighting. Which is bad. Very bad.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">What happens if Ukraine falls? Some pundits say that's as far as Putin and Co. will go. Which would be bad, especially for Ukraine, but not catastrophic. </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Others claim he's going to keep going, and will hit Moldova next, then the Baltic states. Which are in NATO. Which means potentially catastrophic escalation.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Which is bad for everybody.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">It's in Russia's interests to sow fear and division in the West, to amp up escalation worries, and in so doing deprive Ukraine of needed assistance, so maybe that's all these fears are.</div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">I think I'll go watch some TV.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-71672186615957082902023-07-05T18:24:00.003-07:002023-07-05T18:24:37.374-07:00Slo mo life drawing<p> Dragged my lazy old bones out for some more life drawing. The poses were for the same duration as always, but I felt like I was in slow motion. I usually can get in some shading, or even colour on the longer poses. </p><p>Not this time. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lVIotKVUpmct5kMXfKQJ-aub326E7rF7apZelqnkmxZ8ezzNet7fVQSJgycL2PidmwkNDmD10l5IyaxqNe6MnMKqDvxnu7CMBNtO5w0bHVehQWDy1yQUgOok3n3-Vjr5EY3e6BGzlPspahwmIvSLtyiGPJT7ww5icMIc0iUJYLHBgLk-_J1up9j-j2Q/s1366/image0.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="life drawing woman touching toes" border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1lVIotKVUpmct5kMXfKQJ-aub326E7rF7apZelqnkmxZ8ezzNet7fVQSJgycL2PidmwkNDmD10l5IyaxqNe6MnMKqDvxnu7CMBNtO5w0bHVehQWDy1yQUgOok3n3-Vjr5EY3e6BGzlPspahwmIvSLtyiGPJT7ww5icMIc0iUJYLHBgLk-_J1up9j-j2Q/w240-h320/image0.png" title="touch your toes" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xmIIdn68n_IrTWHESp8e0nrWN71GqTnFsJGqS-FMPvGtZMXt6672TS4Qf7me9YdzxlV5-WPMo6FiDvSdi5KCdxvtpo1CcMnaJVkKUvaX3MFf-eLPKr0QVcQD3uNYaOyla_nZ2PcPigt4xOq8UjKnmX8TjhsElGAni3zDy6FgGeuBBnduLYYeq2k5vPA/s1366/image1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="woman with hand on neck" border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3xmIIdn68n_IrTWHESp8e0nrWN71GqTnFsJGqS-FMPvGtZMXt6672TS4Qf7me9YdzxlV5-WPMo6FiDvSdi5KCdxvtpo1CcMnaJVkKUvaX3MFf-eLPKr0QVcQD3uNYaOyla_nZ2PcPigt4xOq8UjKnmX8TjhsElGAni3zDy6FgGeuBBnduLYYeq2k5vPA/w240-h320/image1.png" title="contemplation pose" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KvSsplu9HAJ7OVjzAvPehp2zB1t2JQqckO2iBAg-d34YMmo4LQqR0rTbxxsrjDcf7d4tJ1mLB0OE07bJIZXA3f4yB9Gj1e8tbiutiVkUUrh2vMFJgVH26PmNVRSBwygHS8iwZ27XTkXeaSMvRuUVzYUS2xhlSTBiZ6futbP0bzcZX47VGg01PIRjDT8/s1366/image2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Woman lying back in exercise wear" border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2KvSsplu9HAJ7OVjzAvPehp2zB1t2JQqckO2iBAg-d34YMmo4LQqR0rTbxxsrjDcf7d4tJ1mLB0OE07bJIZXA3f4yB9Gj1e8tbiutiVkUUrh2vMFJgVH26PmNVRSBwygHS8iwZ27XTkXeaSMvRuUVzYUS2xhlSTBiZ6futbP0bzcZX47VGg01PIRjDT8/w240-h320/image2.png" title="Life drawing reclining woman sketch" width="240" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pdj1hS-HXsrVEnmrzMTi-N27lOEhHOWZQjM3ks4KSK5zjA4pXvMe4hxT2mqcMdnWP6b076tiV5x8zYFokkIP0YihHxgOrRiLI3z85ZS8UyRWC9WHKAd32ODcQgKCBAnPso7wJE3MX279yI5Ck6VXQX0N3NtWxxzO0WtaOSEeVbtqT8lNKsZEm3NQwCo/s1366/image3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Sketch of woman in exercise gear sitting down" border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1pdj1hS-HXsrVEnmrzMTi-N27lOEhHOWZQjM3ks4KSK5zjA4pXvMe4hxT2mqcMdnWP6b076tiV5x8zYFokkIP0YihHxgOrRiLI3z85ZS8UyRWC9WHKAd32ODcQgKCBAnPso7wJE3MX279yI5Ck6VXQX0N3NtWxxzO0WtaOSEeVbtqT8lNKsZEm3NQwCo/w240-h320/image3.png" title="Seated figure sketch" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the longest pose. Can you tell?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc86_470VSD4WZWB1R4NnrTqEWMk2VMpw59K5_9svxiK79V-_K-ZPlj1aGsZ9L4PoMXnxem5DNoCv6gqPWW7weRbuFTwlZyD6RTHlF3hqLKtSRr7S43guoVWRsgGm_JNqJHX7mNa6fuHALYe4_ToJu5GFXZUvgjfXUR83bkrx-SkYcpe8JnNtcjVlXyIs/s1366/image4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Drawing of woman doing arm stretches" border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc86_470VSD4WZWB1R4NnrTqEWMk2VMpw59K5_9svxiK79V-_K-ZPlj1aGsZ9L4PoMXnxem5DNoCv6gqPWW7weRbuFTwlZyD6RTHlF3hqLKtSRr7S43guoVWRsgGm_JNqJHX7mNa6fuHALYe4_ToJu5GFXZUvgjfXUR83bkrx-SkYcpe8JnNtcjVlXyIs/w240-h320/image4.png" title="Life drawing arm stretches" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1360893689611047641.post-70388031155150351142023-06-30T14:34:00.010-07:002023-07-07T10:19:50.757-07:00Collision 2023 whizzed by with plenty on AI<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBLDJxt-ZO9ApijyC0c_hwJcMhaarVGtkKHKLrjzAWGlfSG3BFOW3kouznzz_GKUW6GrpCT34jjsUETIUryqgPvQg14rnpn-nfHe_6pRtDi7v_qZEKLDPDDnAoOxbKIKSCTArRia1Rj9ueicXgMxqHAgiXY4X9LaqVydbRl-d_gzLBR1ga12MHdiFwDYs/s720/collision-hinton.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Collision 2023 talk with Hinton" border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="720" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBLDJxt-ZO9ApijyC0c_hwJcMhaarVGtkKHKLrjzAWGlfSG3BFOW3kouznzz_GKUW6GrpCT34jjsUETIUryqgPvQg14rnpn-nfHe_6pRtDi7v_qZEKLDPDDnAoOxbKIKSCTArRia1Rj9ueicXgMxqHAgiXY4X9LaqVydbRl-d_gzLBR1ga12MHdiFwDYs/w393-h220/collision-hinton.png" title="Godfather of AI Hinton on stage at Collision" width="393" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Godfather of AI: Geoffrey Hinton... he's the tiny figure in the centre. Squint and you can see him.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I dropped in on Collision 2023 during the week. It's billed as the biggest tech industry event in Canada. </p><p>Think of your usual office meeting. Now set it in the middle of a Madonna concert: that's Collision. </p><p>I don't think I'm as used to so much cacophony since COVID.</p><p>The day's top billing was with the Godfather of AI, Geoffrey Hinton. The rest was filled with big sounding talks like The Future of Quantum Computing, but which really were just company sales pitches. I bet investors get the same deal. Rather than higher level or theoretical discussion, it was the limited perspective and plans of a single company. </p><p>If I made a social media app and then billed a talk as 'The Future of Social Media', that'd be disingenuous. </p><p>The talk itself was fine for what it was; I just felt the title advertised something the talk was not. </p><p>Another presenter was still with Google. Now Google is in so many ways awesome, putting out products we are hopelessly addicted to. However, this mouthpiece was so peppy, positive and reassuring about everything AI it verged on soporific. </p><p>And honestly, I've listened to car salesmen I'd trust more. I don't buy the corporate line there will be no job loss thanks to AI. </p><p>Creative Destruction has been bringing diminishing job creation returns, while productivity boosts drive money to the owners, not the workers. GM, Ford, etcetera employed millions back in the day. The new drivers of the stock market (Meta, Google, etc) employ a small fraction. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNys2BwAaBSS4nrz7qfpjAt21Wa3qAvQMYDMBXLFDXvowLp-xbnbde9jBxPylNgP3yDcgvDEj1VgaLhVpE5v_HDKvahq_-c_dIuNyvZVqY9XWyrv0jg5EYDwiodZrou_bPj9NdVOPO73CnbxJkqxslfbSfqbM_Yn-GBPJFVOi-3uh_6-mSs2gD6LYod3Q/s1280/Mouth-of-Sauron.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNys2BwAaBSS4nrz7qfpjAt21Wa3qAvQMYDMBXLFDXvowLp-xbnbde9jBxPylNgP3yDcgvDEj1VgaLhVpE5v_HDKvahq_-c_dIuNyvZVqY9XWyrv0jg5EYDwiodZrou_bPj9NdVOPO73CnbxJkqxslfbSfqbM_Yn-GBPJFVOi-3uh_6-mSs2gD6LYod3Q/s320/Mouth-of-Sauron.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corporate Mouthpiece?</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Google Mouthpiece claimed AI cannot think, it can only thunk, which while cute was directly contradicted by the Godfather of AI, who's left Google and can now say whatever the heck he likes. He's run tests with large language models and says they show reasoning abilities. Generative AI is a lot more than just advanced autocomplete. </p><p>I'm more inclined to believe him than the happy happy corporate shill. Funny enough, it was the journalists earlier who were noting that Generative AI doesn't do well with nuance. Neither do some agendas. </p><p>Hinton expressed concern about autonomous AI battlebots, wealth polarization, mass disinformation and other points of concern that I really should have written down because now I can't remember. Old age sucks, man.</p><p>99% of researchers are working on making AI better, and only 1% is working on making it safe and ethical. </p><p>I don't doubt that avaricious, insatiable, manipulative and machiavellian AI being built for the stock markets and don't have the faintest clue what an ethic is, or if you can buy it. </p><p>Hinton's talk only lasted 20 minutes or so, which is a selling point for the event; the talks are short enough there's no time to get bored. Here though, it was much too short. Honestly, I could have listened to Hinton all day. </p><p>A lot of money was poured into the super slick Collision glitz fest, and I'm sure many a useful connection was made; hopefully productive deals, too, especially for all the startups and smaller companies. One can hope.</p><p>For me, though, the talks were disappointing, especially the corporate ones. I wanted more candor, less pablum. The most interesting talks were by gadflies who'd quit their prestigious positions to warn the world about AI, and the nuanced take of the journalists, who will one day be writing about 'our new robot overlords.'</p><p>And I for one just hope to be a part of it.</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0