random thinks

Wallace & Gromit Feature Film Coming in October!

Finally!

The first sneak peek at Aardman Animation's feature length Wallace and Gromit film is available for viewing (Quicktime req'd). Go to Apple Trailers: "Wallace and Gromit" featurette. The film's "official" website is at wandg.com.

It is not so much a trailer as a quick "behind the scenes" look at the making of the movie. Very cool, though. I still pull out my "Adventures of Wallace & Gromit" DVD for a quick laugh now and then.

(via Slashdot)

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Trailer!

Amazon.com has the trailer to "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" movie on its front page. Check it out.

I got a present a couple of weeks ago in the mail: a navy blue hoodie with the screened image below (available at J!NX). The line above the "42" says "Have Towel, Will Travel". I wore it to the bar on a Wednesday night gathering of friends and nobody understood the image. I found this somewhat disturbing. It would seem that very few of my current friends have ever been exposed to Douglas Adams' work. Again, I realize I am a geek, but I would have thought it would have been a bit more recognized. In my previous life as a chemist at DuPont, lines were regularly quoted by my peers. I guess we were all geeks. Either that or my friends have missed a not-quite-vital-yet-important piece of their education.

Anyhow, the movie comes out on April 29th. Check out the trailer, and be sure to see the movie. Oh, BTW, the voice of Marvin, the Paranoid Android... Alan Rickman. Should be hysterical.

For more information about "The Hitchhiker's Guide" phenomenon, go here: Wikipedia on H2G2.

Remote Blogging: Return of the King Style

I am over at our student center, watching these words play out on a 12 foot wide screen, via a Proxima projector. Wireless Internet courtesy of the school.

A group of us are getting set up to watch the Extended Version of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" in stereo and on the big screen. I am here early to make sure the setup works and deliver the treats.

We have a 20 gallon bag of popcorn ($5 at the local convenience mart), Twizzlers and chocolate, biscotti and soda, and some comfy couches on which to see the conclusion of the trilogy.

I bought the "super duper gift set" version of the DVD, including the Minas Tirith bookend and the extra DVD of the making of the LOTR symphony with Howard Shore. It is playing in the background now.

I'm tellin ya, technology rocks, and so does having a few extra days off at the holidays (thanks to semester break) to plan fun stuff like this.

I have no idea how many of us will be here, but it really does not matter. It is gonna be way cool.

Coming December 14th!

(Click to enlarge)

Fine, I'll admit it: I'm a geek. I cannot wait until this comes out.

I bought this version for "Fellowship" to get the staues of the Argonath. I skipped the "big box" of "The Two Towers" because I thought the statue of Gollum was too creepy. But I simply cannot pass up this one. Minas Tirith.

This is gonna be so cool. See the details here. 4 disc set, statue, and an extra DVD about the music of the trilogy.

Let the countdown begin!

Hero - Visually Stunning

(Click to enlarge)

I tried to get several friends to go see this movie with me, knowing that it would soon disappear from the local googolplex. No luck. So, I gave up and headed off yesterday to catch it by myself. It used to be that this was my preferred modus operandi, but it seems lately I want the company and the chance to discuss the film afterwards.

Hero is a visually stunning film. The color palette and the cinematography are wonderful. CGI and the "Crouching Tiger" wire effects aside, the film was just amazing from a visual point of view. The locations used were incredible.

The story is about the least compelling part of the whole package, but it still grips nonetheless. I am not one who minds subtitling at all, but I could tell that a few people in the audience (a very spartan few - I can tell it is football season) didn't really like it. Dubbing would have been bad.

Catch this if you can. The themes are worth exploring.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow

I caught this last night with my friend Mike at the local googolplex. What a fun, wonderful, exciting flick! It was just a great amount of fun. I found myself laughing out loud and clapping a lot of times in the movie, which is something I rarely do.

The movie pays homage to the great serials of the past decades, and tips the hat to several newr films (Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, etc.) in a playful and not derivative (IMO) way. From what I understand there was very little location shooting, most of the principal photography happened in front of a green screen.

Jude Law, Angelina Jolie, and Gwyneth Paltrow were pretty awesome, and Giovanni Ribisi (sp?) was neat in a fun supporting role. Of course, I would pay money to see Gwyneth read the phone book, but she was great, especially in the long blond tresses 1930's - 1940's style.

This is simply a fun way to spend some time in the theatre. I will be catching it again. Go see it!

Rereading I, Robot and Wondering About the Movie

I am in the process of re-reading Isaac Asimov's "I, Robot" in anticipaion of seing the new movie soon. I'd forgotten what fun Asimov seemed to have with his dialogue. This excerpt, from the portion of the book about the two troubleshooters has a line that I really enjoy (emphasis is mine):

"What I want to know," said Donovan, in sudden savagery, "is why we're always tangled up with new-type robots. I've finally decided that the robots that were good enough for my great-uncle on my mother's side are good enough for me. I'm for what's tried and true. The test of time is what counts - good, solid, old-fashioned robots that never go wrong."

Powell threw a book with perfect aim, and Donovan went tumbling off his seat.

"Your job," said Powell evenly, "for the last five years has been to test new robots under actual working conditions for United States Robots. Because you and I have been so injudicious as to display proficiency at the task, we've been rewarded with the dirtiest jobs. That," he jabbed holes in the air with his finger in Donovan's direction, "is your work. You've been griping about it, from personal memory, since about five minutes after USR signed you up. Why don't you resign?"

This whole section of the book has some great lines and some very amusing instances of these two characters troubleshooting their charges strange behaviors, including an abundance of reason, a pool of selenium on Mars, and a supervisory robot who forces his five cybernetic charges through intricate martial and ballet movements whenever something threatens his system.

Very good stuff. I know the movie will take a completely different track, but I am still looking forward to it. The movie seems to be, at least from viewing the trailer, to be an amalgam of A.I., Minority Report, The Terminator, with a little Independence Day thrown in.

Badder Santa - Guiltily Funny

I never got to see "Bad Santa" in the theatres last winter. I really enjoy Billy Bob Thornton, and from what I'd heard about the movie (that it was a biting 'black' comedy about Christmas), I thought it would have been good to catch. I never made it.

I did get my hands on a copy of the un-rated "Badder Santa" DVD, and had a chance to pop it into the player last night for a little relaxation therapy. About two hours later, I was so glad I did. I have not laughed that loud and that long for quite some time. Very crude. Very rude. Very unapologetic about itself and its' assault on the holiday so many consider sacred. A couple of moments where it was hard to catch my breath.

One of the reviews I read about the movie stated that if you held ANY sentimentality at all about Christmas that you should NOT watch this movie. I disagree. I thought it was great, and I do hold some small bit of sentimentality for the season (note: SMALL BIT).

Thornton was excellent. The little boy (Brett Kelly) , who was a complete amateur, was spot on. I really enjoyed Lauren Graham as the slightly sleazy bartender with the Santa fetish. Bernie Mac was his usual funny self, and Tony Cox was good to see in a larger role than he usually has. This was also John Ritter's last movie, and while he had a small part, it was quite well done.

So...if you like crude humor, and think you can stand the assault on your holiday feelings, check this out.

AFI Top 100 Movie Songs

The American Film Institute decided on a list of the 100 top movie songs of all time. I missed the 3+ hour TV special, but did get a copy of the list. Top 10 listed here, the rest in the ...continued section.

BTW, I am familiar with 69 of the 100 songs, including all of the top ten. Some of my favorites: "As Time Goes By", "Mrs. Robinson", "Everybody's Talkin'", "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head", "Aquarius", "It Had to Be You", "Suicide is Painless", "Rainbow Connection", "Let the River Run", and "Lose Yourself". Yes, I know the last one is Eminem, but it is a great song for the movie that it was in.

The List:

1. "Over the Rainbow," "The Wizard of Oz," 1939.
2. "As Time Goes by," "Casablanca," 1942.
3. "Singin' in the Rain," "Singin' in the Rain," 1952.
4. "Moon River," "Breakfast at Tiffany's," 1961.
5. "White Christmas," "Holiday Inn," 1942.
6. "Mrs. Robinson," "The Graduate," 1967.
7. "When You Wish Upon a Star," "Pinocchio," 1940.
8. "The Way We Were," "The Way We Were," 1973.
9. "Stayin' Alive," "Saturday Night Fever," 1977.
10. "The Sound of Music," "The Sound of Music," 1965.

11. "The Man That Got Away," "A Star Is Born," 1954.
12. "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," 1953.
13. "People," "Funny Girl," 1968.
14. "My Heart Will Go On," "Titanic," 1997.
15. "Cheek to Cheek," "Top Hat," 1935.
16. "Evergreen (Love Theme From `A Star Is Born')," "A Star Is Born," 1976.
17. "I Could Have Danced All Night," "My Fair Lady," 1964.
18. "Cabaret," "Cabaret," 1972.
19. "Some Day My Prince Will Come," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," 1937.
20. "Somewhere," "West Side Story," 1961.

21. "Jailhouse Rock," "Jailhouse Rock," 1957.
22. "Everybody's Talkin'," "Midnight Cowboy, 1969.
23. "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," 1969.
24. "Ol' Man River," "Show Boat," 1936.
25. "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin')," "High Noon," 1952.
26. "The Trolley Song," "Meet Me in St. Louis," 1944.
27. "Unchained Melody," "Ghost," 1990.
28. "Some Enchanted Evening," "South Pacific," 1958.
29. "Born to Be Wild," "Easy Rider," 1969.
30. "Stormy Weather," "Stormy Weather," 1943.

31. "Theme From `New York, New York,'" "New York, New York," 1977.
32. "I Got Rhythm," "An American in Paris," 1951.
33. "Aquarius, "Hair," 1979.
34. "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," "Shall We Dance," 1937.
35. "America," "West Side Story," 1961.
36. "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," "Mary Poppins," 1964.
37. "Swinging on a Star," "Going My Way," 1944.
38. "Theme From `Shaft,'" "Shaft," 1971.
39. "Days of Wine and Roses," "Days of Wine and Roses," 1963.
40. "Fight the Power," "Do the Right Thing," 1989.

41. "New York, New York," "On the Town," 1949.
42. "Luck Be a Lady," "Guys and Dolls," 1955.
43. "The Way You Look Tonight," "The Swing Time," 1936.
44. "Wind Beneath My Wings," "Beaches," 1988.
45. "That's Entertainment," "The Band Wagon," 1953.
46. "Don't Rain on My Parade," "Funny Girl," 1968.
47. "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," "Song of the South," 1947.
48. "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)," "The Man Who Knew Too Much," 1956.
49. "Make 'Em Laugh," "Singin' in the Rain," 1952.
50. "Rock Around the Clock," "Blackboard Jungle," 1955.

51. "Fame," "Fame," 1980.
52. "Summertime," "Porgy and Bess," 1959.
53. "Goldfinger," "Goldfinger," 1964.
54. "Shall We Dance," "The King and I," 1956.
55. "Flashdance ... What a Feeling," "Flashdance," 1983.
56. "Thank Heaven for Little Girls," "Gigi," 1958.
57. "The Windmills of Your Mind," "The Thomas Crown Affair," 1968.
58. "Gonna Fly Now," "Rocky," 1976.
59. "Tonight," "West Side Story," 1961.
60. "It Had to Be You," "When Harry Met Sally ...," 1989.

61. "Get Happy," "Summer Stock," 1950.
62. "Beauty and the Beast," "Beauty and the Beast," 1991.
63. "Thanks for the Memory," "The Big Broadcast of 1938," 1938.
64. "My Favorite Things," "The Sound of Music," 1965.
65. "I Will Always Love You," "The Bodyguard," 1992.
66. "Suicide Is Painless," "M-A-S-H," 1970.
67. "Nobody Does It Better," "The Spy Who Loved Me," 1977.
68. "Streets of Philadelphia," "Philadelphia," 1993.
69. "On the Good Ship Lollipop," "Bright Eyes," 1934.
70. "Summer Nights," "Grease," 1978.

71. "The Yankee Doodle Boy," "Yankee Doodle Dandy," 1942.
72. "Good Morning," "Singin' in the Rain," 1952.
73. "Isn't It Romantic?" "Love Me Tonight," 1932.
74. "Rainbow Connection," "The Muppet Movie," 1979.
75. "Up Where We Belong," "An Officer and a Gentleman," 1982.
76. "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Meet Me in St. Louis," 1944.
77. "The Shadow of Your Smile," "The Sandpiper," 1965.
78. "9 to 5," "9 to 5," 1980.
79. "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)," "Arthur," 1981.
80. "Springtime for Hitler," "The Producers," 1968.

81. "I'm Easy," "Nashville," 1975.
82. "Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead," "The Wizard of Oz," 1939.
83. "The Rose," "The Rose," 1979.
84. "Put the Blame on Mame," "Gilda," 1946.
85. "Come What May," "Moulin Rouge!" 2001.
86. "(I've Had) the Time of My Life," "Dirty Dancing," 1987.
87. "Buttons and Bows," "The Paleface," 1948.
88. "Do Re Mi," "The Sound of Music," 1965.
89. "Puttin' on the Ritz," "Young Frankenstein," 1974.
90. "Seems Like Old Times," "Annie Hall," 1977.

91. "Let the River Run," "Working Girl," 1988.
92. "Long Ago and Far Away," "Cover Girl," 1944.
93. "Lose Yourself," "8 Mile," 2002.
94. "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," "The Big Chill," 1983.
95. "(We're Off on the) Road to Morocco," "Road to Morocco," 1942.
96. "Footloose," "Footloose," 1984.
97. "42nd Street," "42nd Street," 1933.
98. "All That Jazz," "Chicago," 2002.
99. "Hakuna Matata," "The Lion King," 1994.
100. "Old Time Rock and Roll," "Risky Business," 1983

Violent Movies

I have been updating my typeLists and have noticed that the last five movies I went to see (see Cinema Views List at the left sidebar) have been extremely violent: Hellboy, Walking Tall, Kill Bill vol. II, The Punisher, and Man on Fire. I am trying to decide what this says about me or my current frame of mind... anybody out there have any ideas?