…at least if the recent transit strike in New York is any indication. Frankly, I find this surprising, but then I assume New York is the kind of place where, if you don’t show up for work and kiss the right asses at the right time, you’re probably sunk.
The Chronicles of Narnia is pounding King Kong at the box office, apparently. I’ll be seeing Narnia in a couple of days, and I’ll be able to pass judgement myself on which is the better film. Meanwhile, the Xbox 360 is being outsold in Japan by the Gamecube(!) Heh.
First off, sorry for the dearth of posting lately. I’ve been sick with some sort of flu (I think it’s called the “you’re 35, dummy, you can’t stay out late and celebrate like you’re 20 anymore” flu) and I’ve been hitting the sack around 8 p.m. for the last four days, hence the sparse blogging.
Anyway, I’m on the mend, and I’ve got two good Apple related tidbits for y’all. The first is courtesy of the Cupertino Posse itself, a page detailing all the crazy things people are doing to their Mac Minis. And the second is an article from the NYT about how one man’s commute was transformed from drudgery to delight by the new iPod Video, a device I’ll have in my hot little hands tonight.
Clearly, the answer is yes. 🙂 But according to Slate, New York reporters can’t actually afford to live in New York. Ditto for the rest of the artsies.
$200 million and three hours later, King Kong has hit the big screen. So how is Peter Jackon’s follow up to the Lord of the Rings? Well….it’s definitely a decent film, but I don’t think it holds a candle to the Rings trilogy.
First the good stuff. Naomi Watts puts in an amazing performance. Being able to pull off the requisite screaming and running is a given, but Watts actually conveys a wealth of emotion while interacting with a giant ape, and really makes you buy into what is an inherently ridiculous story. The other actors put in good performances too, but Watts is the standout.
Except, of course, for the big furry guy himself. By using the same technology (and actor) as with Gollum in Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson has managed to show a beast with heart and feelings. You can really see acting on Kong’s face, and it makes the inevitable tragedy that much stronger.
The showcase sequences, like Kong beating the living crap out of three dinosaurs and the Empire State building finale are all amazing to look at, as is the digitally created New York of the 1930’s, which is an eye-popper.
But there are negatives. For one thing, the movie is LONG. Way longer than it needs to be, at three hours. They could have easily cut a half hour’s worth of running around Skull Island getting attacked by bugs and dinos and creepy-crawlies. And at the end of the day, for all the razzle-dazzle..this movie has already been made. It’s fun to see, but it is a remake of a perfectly cool film.
But these are minor complaints…it’s the sort of film you should see on the big screen, in a really good theatre, and probably with a sizable crowd. Three out of four stars.
Great, another step towards 1984. There’s a pretty good analysis of how Bush has made the presidency more authoritarian here as well.
…from, no surprise, the wonks at Foreign Policy magazine.
Newsweek says “maybe.” Just what the world needs, a religious zelot with a sense of invulnerability and his finger on the button.
Ok, I was willing to buy into the rumours of a Mac Mini DVR, a Intel based iBook, and other semi-plausible upcoming Apple innovations. I can even believe in an eventual wireless iPod with a big-ass screen. But now Appleinsider is reporting His Steveness is planning an iPod boombox. Weh? Zuh?
When Oliver Stone is on his game, like with JFK or Nixon, he’s an incredibly solid filmmaker, able to pack a dense amount of information into a compelling, innovative package. But when he screws up, he does so in a big way (the Doors being a good example, and Alexander being an atrocity he’ll be hearing about for years to come.) He’s got a new film, “World Trade Center,” in the works, and people are justifiably worried that he’s going to sully an event that is still fresh and painful in the minds of many Americans.