Occasionally, I really like something I find on the Interwebs. In those cases, I feel compelled to share what I’ve found with the three or four of you who read this site. Okay, maybe the eight or ten of you.
With that in mind, I bring you the latest trailer for Zack Snyder’s upcoming Man of Steel — made with Lego. I loved Lego as a kid and obviously, the person who created this video still does. Kudos, I say. Kudos.
Enjoy. After the break.
For those interested, and I think I see one or two of you way in the back, I’ve started a new writing project. This is in addition to the several other things I’m currently working on.
Yes, I like to keep busy. Someone once told me, or it may be an actual “thing” people say, “Once you slow down, you die.”
I’m not ready to die just yet.
So, that brings me to the new writing project. It’s a bit different from what I normally write, so it’s challenging on that level. A large part of the challenge also has to do with the fact that, even after all these years, I’m not really sure if I’m any good.
I suspect I’m not alone here. I would bet most “creative” people, at one time or another, feel their work just doesn’t measure up. Or, that it just plain sucks. Or they’ve been told by others their work sucks.
It’s just the nature of the thing. But even if you or some other people do think your work (or my work) sucks, who cares? I don’t. Well, not that much anyway.
The reality is I’m not doing it for you. I’m doing it for me. I’m doing it because I don’t have any other choice. The words, images and such are in there, and they need to come out. So, I let them come out and whatever will be, will be.
You hear that? Time to come out.
I guess I might reconsider the title of this post and perhaps change it to something like “Things That Are Useful to Me” or even “Things That Are Useful And Interesting to Me.” Although, because I’m the only one writing here (at least as far as I know), I guess it’s pretty much implied that anything I list in a “useful” or “interesting” post is, or has been, useful or interesting to me personally.
That’s not to say you won’t find these items useful or interesting too, you may. In fact, I hope you do. Anyway, here we go. . .
• Because everyone seems to be getting sick these days, Lifehacker has a no-nonsense, non-alarmist, essential guide to Flu and how to deal with it. Useful indeed.
• The California State University system is going to give online courses a big test and offer a lot of them online during a trial program at San Jose State University. This could save the state quite a bit of money. I wonder how it will go?
• Facebook unveiled a new search feature today which will allow users to search, well, Facebook. The new feature, called “Graph Search,” is designed to allow users to search for content on Facebook such as news posts, status updates, photos, locations and more within the Facebook Social Graph. Sure, why not?
• Over at Sprouted Kitchen, Hugh details his Chemex brewing method. If you like coffee as I do, this is a great way to make it. To make things even easier, he’s put together a video demonstrating the process. Check it out below.
[vimeo 48920310 w=500 h=281]
The photo above is also from Hugh’s article. Just wanted to mention that.
It isn’t really a secret, but yes, I’m working on a movie. It was written by an old friend of mine (old in the sense I’ve known him a long time, not the other thing) and he is also directing it as well. This isn’t his first movie. In fact, he’s directed several already, but he’s trying to broaden his range and show he can do something different than he usually does.
I appreciate that and I can relate. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons I’m producing the movie with him. Although, I’ve produced movies before so my motivation isn’t exactly the same as his. More on that in a later post.
In the meantime, we have our first production meeting today (Sunday) where all the key people get together, go through the script and discuss how we’re going to get this movie done. It’s usually a good time full of lots of creative energy and optimism.
It’s also one of the few times everyone will be in the same room before we get to the set on the first day to actually start filming. Or, in this case, capturing images to a really large flash drive. Still, it’s pretty much the same process.
I haven’t been to one of these meetings in some time, so I’m looking forward to it. In truth, I’m looking forward to the entire process.
I guess I missed it.
In case you were wondering, the picture above is of legendary director Sam Peckinpah on the set of The Wild Bunch, one of my favorite movies. If you haven’t seen it, now is a good time to remedy that situation.
As you’re likely aware, the Oscar nominations were announced this week by the event’s host, Seth MacFairlane, and the lovely actress Emma Stone. As usual, the nominations brought a flurry of angry denouncements from people on Twitter, and elsewhere, about what film, actor or director got “snubbed” and how the Academy doesn’t know what it’s doing.
This kind of anger and confusion is to be expected and happens every year. After a few years of really caring a lot, I’ve pretty much given up being angry, outraged or disappointed by anything the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences says, does or thinks is worthy of consideration.
The opinion of that group just doesn’t matter all that much to me, except for my friends who are actually in the Academy. Their opinion means a great deal to me. You know who you are and I thank you.
Still, seeing as how they went to all the trouble of announcing nominations, I suppose I should comment on them and make a few predictions. So, with that in mind, let’s go through the major categories and I’ll tell you who I think should win and then who I predict will win.
Let’s play our game.
Best Actor
Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook
Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln
Hugh Jackman in Les Misérables
Joaquin Phoenix in The Master
Denzel Washington in Flight
I’m torn right off the bat. On the surface it seems Daniel Day-Lewis should have this one locked up. He basically channeled Lincoln in the movie and from the first moment he’s on screen, he owns. Still, people really seem to love Hugh Jackman (and you can’t blame them really) and he’s playing a pretty well known character in a pretty well known musical, so it could end up being him.
As for the rest of the nominees, as much as I love Denzel, this feels more like a courtesy nomination, so I don’t think it will be him. Joaquin Phoenix won’t get it either because he’s been better in other things. Plus, nobody is going to give props to a movie that basically rips Scientology a new one. Not in today’s Hollywood.
This brings me to Bradley Cooper. Not bad for a guy who played what my friends and I used to call “Casual Will” on Alias. Good for you Bradley, but this isn’t your year. This is also a courtesy nomination. Don’t worry, you’ll get ’em next time — or maybe the time after that.
Who should win? Hugh Jackman
Who will win? Daniel Day-Lewis
As previously mentioned, I’ve been trying to write with the iPad as much as possible instead of using the MacBook Air or any other OS X-powered Mac. After a couple weeks of doing this, I’ve got some thoughts to share.
First, and this should not come as a surprise, I love almost everything about the iPad as a device. It’s extremely portable and has amazing battery life, even when used for several hours of work and pretty much continuous syncing of Dropbox via Verizon’s 4G LTE. I can only imagine the portability and battery life are going to get better and better as we see newer versions of the iPad.
As a device used for content consumption, the iPad also excels. If you want to watch a movie or TV program via Netflix or iTunes, the iPad is your best choice. The screen is excellent and the afformetioned battery life can get you though several programs during a long plane ride to Hawaii, or wherever you’re going. It also features an impressive collection of apps devoted to bringing you content.
On that note, the iPad is excellent for reading books via the Kindle or iBooks app or comics using an app like Comixology. I also enjoy checking out news, Twitter, Facebook and my Instagram feed using an app like Flipboard. These kinds of content consumption, and the quality experience they provide, are all pretty much a given.
It’s CES time in Las Vegas and yes, I’m very glad not to be there. I’ve been several times and each time I vowed it would be the last.
This year I was able to keep that promise. Although, strangely enough, I’m kinda sorry I wasn’t there to at least see this new trailer for Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim.
Oh well, at least we always have the power of the Interwebs. That is, until the trailer gets taken down. . .
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FA_TQqENzQ?rel=0&w=525&h=295]
Two pictures, one Saturday. The first is where I would like to be right now. The second is what I would take with me. I’ll leave it to you to figure out which is which. I’m sure you’ll have no trouble.
Happy Weekend.
Come on, you know you want one.
Because I feel bad about the Star Trek:TNG video not working (see previous post), I’ve decided to give you a new thing to watch that probably won’t go away any time soon. Well, we hope not anyway.
Like the vanishing Star Trek:TNG video, this video is also very cool. It’s Wil Wheaton reading an excerpt from Warren Ellis‘ new novel Gun Machine, which you can get right here. It also has some great art by Ben Templesmith as well.
And it’s even Star Trek:TNG related. See, I do care. Enjoy.
As a huge fan of the original Star Trek series, I was quite skeptical when Star Trek: The Next Generation came out. Fotunately, it only took about five minutes for the new show to win me over and I’ve been a big fan of Picard, Riker, Data and the rest ever since.
With the series coming out on Blu-ray, we’ve gotten some great supplimental material. One such bit of greatness is this blooper reel from Season Two of the series.
Great stuff indeed. Enjoy.
Update: Sorry kids but it seems the video has been taken down by YouTube for those pesky “copyright violations.” I’ll see if I can find it somewhere else. Meantime, go read a book or something.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_nVEm5Yc3c&w=500&h=281]