Every time that the world has been in a crisis, like we are now, cinema has always found a way to attract audiences. First, it was sound, then colour, then widescreen, then it was 3D, surround sound, and then 3D again. It's never for the audience's enjoyment, usually just for the money.
It's not that I'm an opponent of 3-D, the technology of James Cameron's Avatar is amazing, but I just feel it's being overused. A recent example would be the Clash of the Titans remake - originally not meant to be shown in 3-D, because it wasn't shot in 3-D. However, because Avatar made a bagillion dollars at the box office, it was converted to 3-D. This is very, very, very bad. The full effect doesn't show and seems gimmicky, with things popping out of the screen here and there, a bit like an old William Castle film.
A lot of studios have noticed the surge in 3-D and have put more 3-D films into production. Dreamworks has announced that it will only make 3-D films from now on, even in its live-action films. These trends have oversaturated the market with 3-D, and it's hard to find a film at the cinema that isn't in 3-D.
Perhaps I'm biased, because I wear glasses and I don't recieve the full 3-D effect, but perhaps we can hope that this is a surge in 3-D, akin to the 50s and 80s fad.
Sunday, 27 June 2010
Sunday, 6 June 2010
Good News!
According to the BBC, BskyB has bought out Virgin Media's TV Channels, meaning that Virgin Media subscribers now have access to Sky Movies HD, MGM HD and Sky Sports HD.
The MGM HD channel seems to benefit me the best, as it shows more obscure movies from MGM's back-catalogue. MGM have also announced that they plan to show some of their silent films, with only one commercial break, much like an intermission and that nearly all of their films have been remastered in HD. I personally hope to see "San Francisco" with Clark Gable, and "The Shop Around the Corner" with Jimmy Stewart.
The MGM HD channel seems to benefit me the best, as it shows more obscure movies from MGM's back-catalogue. MGM have also announced that they plan to show some of their silent films, with only one commercial break, much like an intermission and that nearly all of their films have been remastered in HD. I personally hope to see "San Francisco" with Clark Gable, and "The Shop Around the Corner" with Jimmy Stewart.
Saturday, 5 June 2010
Dolly Parton
I must confess that I don't know many of Ms. Parton's songs, only the usual "9 to 5" and "Islands in the Stream". However, while looking for something to watch last night, I stumbled upon "Dolly Parton: Live from London" on BBC Four.
I'm not ashamed to say that I watched the whole 80 minute concert, I actually quite enjoyed it. Some songs were better than others, and I particularly enjoyed the acapella version of "Do I cross your mind" by Ms. Parton and her band. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the show, an example of "Dollymania". Arguably, the best song of the night was "I will always love you", which was actually better than the Whitney Houston version, which, quite frankly, I feel ruined the beauty of the original recording.
I definitely think I'll be watching more of Ms. Parton's recordings, and I think I may buy a few of her albums.
I'm not ashamed to say that I watched the whole 80 minute concert, I actually quite enjoyed it. Some songs were better than others, and I particularly enjoyed the acapella version of "Do I cross your mind" by Ms. Parton and her band. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the show, an example of "Dollymania". Arguably, the best song of the night was "I will always love you", which was actually better than the Whitney Houston version, which, quite frankly, I feel ruined the beauty of the original recording.
I definitely think I'll be watching more of Ms. Parton's recordings, and I think I may buy a few of her albums.
Friday, 4 June 2010
Mystery Science Theater 3000
I recently got into the early 90s programme, Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST 3K). It's a sci-fi comedy show revolving around Joel Robinson and, later Mike Nelson, who is held captive in space on the Satellite of Love by Dr. Forrester and TV's Frank, so that they can experiment on him and eventually drive him insane by forcing him to watch bad movies. Joel/Mike "riffs" on the movie, with the help of his robot friends, Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo. There's also Gypsy, who controls the satellite's piloting system, and CamBot, who records the crew "riffing" on the movie and communicating with Dr Forrester and TV's Frank.
It's rather metafictional, with many references to the show itself and how bad the show is. The movies are always spectacularly awful, only made better by the crew making fun of them. The show doesn't take itself seriously with the theme song saying "if you're wondering how he eats and breaths, and other science facts, repeat to yourself it's just a show, I should really just relax..."
I can't really explain why I love it so much. Perhaps it's the fact that the characters are so funny, and the fact that I love really bad movies. I also like the fact that the show had a really low budget for seasons 1-5, and even though they had an increasing budget, they kept the bric-a-brac motif of the sets, reminding themselves that they used to be a "cow- town puppet show". Fans of the show call themselves MSTies, and I now consider myself one.
It's rather metafictional, with many references to the show itself and how bad the show is. The movies are always spectacularly awful, only made better by the crew making fun of them. The show doesn't take itself seriously with the theme song saying "if you're wondering how he eats and breaths, and other science facts, repeat to yourself it's just a show, I should really just relax..."
I can't really explain why I love it so much. Perhaps it's the fact that the characters are so funny, and the fact that I love really bad movies. I also like the fact that the show had a really low budget for seasons 1-5, and even though they had an increasing budget, they kept the bric-a-brac motif of the sets, reminding themselves that they used to be a "cow- town puppet show". Fans of the show call themselves MSTies, and I now consider myself one.
Some DVDs I bought recently
Yes, it's that time of the month (No, not in that way), when I reveal what I've recently bought.
Blade Runner 5-Disc Special Collector's Tin - £6 from HMV
Sinking of Japan - £5 HMV
King Kong classic 4 DVD collection, contains King Kong 1933, King Kong Colourised, King Kong Escapes and King Kong vs. Godzilla - £5.99 Amazon
Clutch Cargo Vol. 1 - £3 Alpha Video (oldies.com)
Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Complete Third Series - £10 HMV
Planet of the Apes Special Edition 6-Disc Set - £6 HMV
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark - £4 Tesco
Terminator Salvation T-600 Limited Edition - £8 HMV
Ed Wood - £5 HMV
Big Fat Important Movie (An American Carol) - £3 HMV
The Breakfast Club & Weird Science boxset - £5 Morrisons
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - £5 HMV
Wacky Races Vol. 1 - £5 HMV
As you can see, I do buy a lot of DVDs. However, I do have a lot of spare time on my hands, and as a film student I feel the need to be update on the current films and have contextual knowledge around the main syllabus. Also, I have too much spare money.
Blade Runner 5-Disc Special Collector's Tin - £6 from HMV
Sinking of Japan - £5 HMV
King Kong classic 4 DVD collection, contains King Kong 1933, King Kong Colourised, King Kong Escapes and King Kong vs. Godzilla - £5.99 Amazon
Clutch Cargo Vol. 1 - £3 Alpha Video (oldies.com)
Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Complete Third Series - £10 HMV
Planet of the Apes Special Edition 6-Disc Set - £6 HMV
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark - £4 Tesco
Terminator Salvation T-600 Limited Edition - £8 HMV
Ed Wood - £5 HMV
Big Fat Important Movie (An American Carol) - £3 HMV
The Breakfast Club & Weird Science boxset - £5 Morrisons
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - £5 HMV
Wacky Races Vol. 1 - £5 HMV
As you can see, I do buy a lot of DVDs. However, I do have a lot of spare time on my hands, and as a film student I feel the need to be update on the current films and have contextual knowledge around the main syllabus. Also, I have too much spare money.
Friday, 30 April 2010
Blog Name Change
Yes, I thought it was time for a bit of a change. It's now called "Geek Thoughts", and the web address is http://www.johnquig.blogspot.com
Not much else to say at the moment. Bye.
Saturday, 24 April 2010
Time Travel
Wouldn't Time Travel be amazing? Not that crappy Quantum Leap time travel either, I'm talking Doctor Who and Back to the Future. Oh yeah.
The big question is, however, Where would I go and who would I meet? Interesting...
Well, of course there's Guy Fawkes, The 1914 football game between the Allies and Germany, but... then I could always...
a) Meet Ed D. Wood Jr
The king of kitsch, Ed Wood directed some of the cheesiest, campiest movies ever made. Plan 9 from Outer Space and Glen or Glenda, to name a few. It'd be amazing for a geek like me to meet someone like that, just to see how his mind worked. To save money on his films he used friends to fill the spaces of actors, and effects in Plan 9 were almost non-existent -- a ball with paper plates was used for a flying saucer-- he could show the directors nowadays a thing or two.
b) Meet Shakespeare
Just so that I could ask him why he has to make his plays so confusing for GCSE/AS Students. Nothing against Shakespeare, he's a legend of literature, he just is a figure of hate for so many.
c) Go to 1885
For obvious reasons.
d) See what the 80s were like.
and, if John Hughes films and Back to the Future are anything to go by, they were amazing. Specifically, 1984 - There was Thriller, Band Aid, Duran Duran, Sixteen Candles and DYNASTY!
e) Visit Roswell, New Mexico in June/July, 1947
Just to see if it was actually an Alien. We all know the U.S. Government are covering up, I'd put a £100 bet on it.
So, there you go, a few reasons I would like to Time Travel. Of course, it should be noted that allowing me to Time Travel would be almost as foolish as letting George Bush have control of nuclear weapons-- oh, wait, we did that? I'd probably end up either tearing a hole in the Space Time Continuum, or cause my own Grandfather Paradox.
The big question is, however, Where would I go and who would I meet? Interesting...
Well, of course there's Guy Fawkes, The 1914 football game between the Allies and Germany, but... then I could always...
a) Meet Ed D. Wood Jr
The king of kitsch, Ed Wood directed some of the cheesiest, campiest movies ever made. Plan 9 from Outer Space and Glen or Glenda, to name a few. It'd be amazing for a geek like me to meet someone like that, just to see how his mind worked. To save money on his films he used friends to fill the spaces of actors, and effects in Plan 9 were almost non-existent -- a ball with paper plates was used for a flying saucer-- he could show the directors nowadays a thing or two.
b) Meet Shakespeare
Just so that I could ask him why he has to make his plays so confusing for GCSE/AS Students. Nothing against Shakespeare, he's a legend of literature, he just is a figure of hate for so many.
c) Go to 1885
For obvious reasons.
d) See what the 80s were like.
and, if John Hughes films and Back to the Future are anything to go by, they were amazing. Specifically, 1984 - There was Thriller, Band Aid, Duran Duran, Sixteen Candles and DYNASTY!
e) Visit Roswell, New Mexico in June/July, 1947
Just to see if it was actually an Alien. We all know the U.S. Government are covering up, I'd put a £100 bet on it.
So, there you go, a few reasons I would like to Time Travel. Of course, it should be noted that allowing me to Time Travel would be almost as foolish as letting George Bush have control of nuclear weapons-- oh, wait, we did that? I'd probably end up either tearing a hole in the Space Time Continuum, or cause my own Grandfather Paradox.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
