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Ponderings For 2010-02-04

Submitted by GuyGG on Thu, 02/04/2010 - 11:59pm
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  • I've been compiling a blu-ray compilation of the criminally under appreciated 2006 TV series Standoff recently. While looking up the episode information online I noticed that series stars Ron Livingston and Rosemarie DeWitt actually got married in November of 2009. Standoff was an excellent series, and much of that was thanks to Livingston & DeWitt. I had noticed in passing a while back that the two of them were dating after starring together on the series, but that's not an unprecedented thing. It's kinda cool that a few years later they actually tied the knot. The two of them had that on-screen spark of chemistry with seemingly effortless ease, so I guess it wasn't entirely an act.
  • Incidentally, it's worth mentioning just how far digital video technology has come in the last 10 years. 10 years ago, you were lucky to pull off VHS quality in a digital format (via SVCD, for instance). And CD-R's were the best you were going to do for media, and it wasn't gonna be comparatively cheap. Today, one can make a BD-R compilation on a single layer 25gb disc containing extremely nice quality 720p video and 5.1 audio comfortably holding 750 or more minutes for less than a buck and a half.
  • Tuesday's Lost episode was great (well, technically it was 2 episodes). It's cool to finally have the final year of the series under way. Amusingly, ABC just announced the date that the series finale will air - May 23. That's amusing because it just happens to be my mother's 75th birthday.
  • Speaking of the Lost series finale, here's an amusing video.
  • Now THIS is a great paint job.
  • A very fun vid for your Star Wars or Star Trek fans.
  • A great write-up for those of you wishing to harness the power of GMail's interface & functionality. Particularly you keyboard reliant users out there.
  • For you less-than-butch soldiers
  • The can make Transformers 3 in 3D, with magical holigram technology, rumble-rama, and sensurround for all I care. There is nothing, and I mean NOTHING they can do with Transformers 3 that will get me to see it. It could star my favorite actors and actresses, with a score by Bruce Broughton or John Williams, and there wouldn't be a whelk's chance in a supernova of my seeing it.
  • Groovy
  • And RIP: Justin Mentell. He was good during his brief starring run on the late, great Boston Legal.
  • I'll be getting a couple specialty posts online over the next couple days. One will be a write-up on the Oscar nomination list (which I'm very happy with this year), including my yearly predictions. Another will finally be my follow-up on the iPhone now that I've been using it for a few months. And within a week or so, I should have some Doctor Who fun posted. I just got my Complete Specials blu-ray set today and am going through extras on it. I must say that David Tennant's video diaries are some of the greatest special features on any home video releases ever. Plenty more of them on this set. On, and I've also got a general TV related post mostly put together that I have to put the finishing touches upon. Should be posted by the weekend.

Ponderings For 2009-09-09

Submitted by GuyGG on Wed, 09/09/2009 - 10:59pm
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  • Gonna try and catch up on tons of tid-bits that have been piling up in my starred and flagged items over the next few days. First, I'll mention that a couple days ago I posted a new music video edit I did.
  • I've been doing a related movie/documentary per day starting on Labor Day leading up to the anniversary of 9/11 on Friday. Started with United 93 on Labor Day. Not only is it the best 9/11 movie/documentary, but it's possibly my favorite drama film of all time. Yesterday was HBO's In Memorium, and tonight was Oliver Stone's surprisingly well done World Trade Center. Tomorrow will be WTC: The First 24 Hours. Friday will be 9/11, the haunting and startling documentary shot by the French Naudet brothers. It's the documentary that started out as a firefighter documentary and inadvertently found itself end up as one of the most significant documentaries of the generation - and has the distinction of containing the only footage of American Airlines flight 11 making the first impact on the north tower. If you want to watch something in rememberance of the anniversary on Friday, I most highly recommend either United 93 and/or the Naudet's documentary, 9/11.
  • Finally answering the question of if Tron: Legacy was gonna make it out in late 2010 or wait until early 2011, Disney has set the official release date for December 17, 2010.
  • The trailer for Up In The Air has debuted online. It stars George Clooney and is directed by Jason Reitman. After Reitman's first two directorial gigs, Thank You For Smoking and Juno, I'd see ANYTHING he directed. Up In The Air has gotten great reviews from it's festival debut, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing it.
  • Contender for most retarded idea a broadcast network has come up with in the last decade (and that's saying something): FOX's moronic Twitter idea.
  • Here's two great water related cat videos. First is one who doesn't like the water. Then there's this one who does. Oh, and how about some musical kitties? OK, enough cat vids for now.
  • Check out these awesome pics from the Chaiten Volcano eruption last year in Chile. Here's a high res version of the most amazing pic of the bunch.
  • Speaking of cool pics, here's a set of shots from the newly refurbished Hubble telescope.
  • Last but not least, the cool MonopolyCityStreets.com launched today. The site has been massively overloaded all day, and I've yet to get it to work fully for me.
  • I'll be catching the midnight showing of Whiteout tomorrow night. It's from the fun Dark Castle production studio and stars Kate Beckinsale (and is directed by the talented Dominic Sena). That's enough to make me look forward to seeing it. And on Friday, I'll be catching the IMAX Star Trek one last time before it disappears from this brief reappearance on the IMAX. Saw 9 tonight, which was pretty good. Put that brief review and a number of others here on the site recently.

Ponderings For 2009-09-02

Submitted by GuyGG on Wed, 09/02/2009 - 10:59pm
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Ponderings For 2009-07-20

Submitted by GuyGG on Mon, 07/20/2009 - 10:59pm
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Ponderings For 2009-06-29

Submitted by GuyGG on Mon, 06/29/2009 - 10:59pm
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  • I've added another of my older music videos to the site. This one is my Star Trek: Deep Space Nine video from back around 2004 or so.
  • Not that I was at all expecting it to happen, but it's pretty clear that Virtuality really stands no chance at a last minute series pickup after the pilot tanked in the ratings.
  • Shout Factory is bringing the complete It's Garry Shandling's Show to DVD. Nifty. It was such a fun show, and one of the most self-aware comedies TV ever saw. And it had one of the all-time great theme songs (by Randy Newman, no less).
  • Speaking of self-aware comedies, tomorrow marks the momentous event of Shout Factory's release of the Parker Lewis Can't Lose season 1 DVD set. Never thought I'd live to see the day (suddenly, paranoia set in...)
  • I'm watching my copy of a Canadian import Blu-Ray for The Illusionist that finally arrived today at my house from Amazon's Canadian site. As online reviews stated, it's a very nice picture and sound transfer, but also as reported the disc is otherwise completely featureless. Having such a nice transfer of this film in particular is kind of an amusing thing, as a state-of-the-art transfer of the film is kinda at odds with the visual style of the film, which is intentionally soft around the edges with alternating exposures to give it that aged style of the era. It's a favorite movie of mine, and as I'm watch it yet again (I've probably watched it a couple dozen times at this point), I'm struck by how perfect an example the film is for one thing in particular. While the script for the film is solid and entertaining, it doesn't break a whole lot of new ground, and the twists aren't particularly surprising. Sure, it has a nice air of mystery about it, but it's not trying to reinvent the wheel as such. But it remains one of the ultimate examples of taking that solid framework of a script and elevating it to brilliance with a fantastic cast and a wonderful production. It's a flawless production when it comes to a sense of style and look. It has wonderful editing, a masterful score from Phillip Glass (one of his best), brilliant set design and location work, and gorgeous cinematography. In short, all the departments took the script and really ran with it, and featureless or not, I'm thrilled to have this lovely blu-ray presentation of the film. Would have been nice if it got a more feature-driven domestic release in the States, but this'll do nicely.
  • Well, that's it for today.

Ponderings For 2009-05-17

Submitted by GuyGG on Sun, 05/17/2009 - 10:59pm
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  • Hurray! ABC has made up for their annoying choice to cancel Pushing Daisies and Eli Stone, by renewing Castle. As an 11th hour entry to the 2008-2009 TV season, featuring only 10 episodes for its first season, Castle slipped into my favorite new show of the season slot. So, needless to say, I'm very happy to hear that ABC has picked it up for next season. And from the not-so-surprising department, Fox has picked up Bones & House. Surprising, no, but good news none-the-less. Then again, there's the very surprising news that Fox has renewed Dollhouse. Just when you think you've got Fox figured out, they zig when you think they'll zag. I'd accepted the fact that Fox would drop the series like a rock before they even started airing it, and after the low ratings was fully expecting the bad news. But then they go and renew it. Go figure.
  • Google Sky Map for Android. So very, very cool.
  • Google has also added some very nice search options.
  • Genius. Pure genius.
  • And yes, sorry for yet another slow, delayed (and sadly short) post. I've been busy primarily with non-computer stuff at the house lately. Each week has brought new mechanical problems, from sump pump problems to lawn mower problems to a dead refrigerator (with a repair man due tomorrow morning to fix). Hey, I did at least get my full review posted for Star Trek (which I've now seen 3 times, twice in IMAX). And I've also been back filling some brief summary reviews for previous movie entries for the year (as well as keeping up with info on ones I've seen currently). Oh, and speaking of Trek, looks like it's held on rather nicely in this second weekend. How it'll hold up to Terminator next weekend remains to be seen.
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