Burger
Food "IF an American tells you to go and try the best hamburger in town, you might start thinking of one of the American diners decorated with those oh-so-typical red leather seats and chrome bar stools, purchased out of a How to make an American Diner catalogue. The hamburgers there are huge, garnished with half a kilo of Freedom Fries, swim in ketchup and mayonnaise, and, horror of horrors, the juice has been squeezed from the pickles." -- Eszter Balázs on a Budapest burger battle.
Pianonono
Music The theme from Tetris played on a badly tuned piano. But she's not the only one @ YouTube with the bug. There are thousands ...
Healthy
Life I've handed my essay in and I'm in the process of trying to do some reading although with the summer and the fact that everyone else in the university seems to be having fun it's very easy be distracted. Which is possibly why I'm typing this rather than have my head in the book.
As I walked away from the faculty I was heckled by someone, an older man with a friend. They were both bearded and in old looking clothing. They were carrying half drunk bottles of white cider.
"Hey student." He shouted, "You're healthy lookin' for a student. Are your mummy and daddy in the police? Is your daddy a mason?"
Wierd.
As I walked away from the faculty I was heckled by someone, an older man with a friend. They were both bearded and in old looking clothing. They were carrying half drunk bottles of white cider.
"Hey student." He shouted, "You're healthy lookin' for a student. Are your mummy and daddy in the police? Is your daddy a mason?"
Wierd.
Grin
Politics Since this seems to be a politics and plants sort of a day, lets join our correspondent Nick Robinson as he asks Just Why Is Gordon Brown Smiling?
Plant envy
Plants " There is more to nettles than just their sting. Butterflies love them, clothes are made from them, and they can even cure aches and pains. This week (17-28 May) is national Be Nice to Nettles Week and this Saturday 27 May the Natural History Museum is celebrating with a Nettle Day. You can take part in a range of talks, activities, tuck into nettle-based food or even buy nettle gifts."
I seemed to spend my whole childhood being stung by these things. And every single time I'd cry. And every single time my Dad would rush off to look for some dock leaves to cure the pain. Despite the medicinal effects of the nettle, it's really those dock leaves that are the heroes in this. But's not national Be Dandy to Dock Leaves week is it? It's always the bad guys that get all the glory.
I seemed to spend my whole childhood being stung by these things. And every single time I'd cry. And every single time my Dad would rush off to look for some dock leaves to cure the pain. Despite the medicinal effects of the nettle, it's really those dock leaves that are the heroes in this. But's not national Be Dandy to Dock Leaves week is it? It's always the bad guys that get all the glory.
News cycle
Politics "Federal authorities are actively investigating dozens of American television stations for broadcasting items produced by the Bush administration and major corporations, and passing them off as normal news. Some of the fake news segments talked up success in the war in Iraq, or promoted the companies' products. [...] The range of VNR is wide. Among items provided by the Bush administration to news stations was one in which an Iraqi-American in Kansas City was seen saying "Thank you Bush. Thank you USA" in response to the 2003 fall of Baghdad. The footage was actually produced by the State Department, one of 20 federal agencies that have produced and distributed such items." -- Andrew Buncombe
I don't usually cover US politics here (or any kind of politics for that matter) but this is really, really horrifying. I suppose the comparison are those media outlets that use the video packs that film companies send out to publicise films in which they'll sometimes use the interviews and pretend the particular actor or director was talking directly to them. But this is political propeganda that cuts to the heart of the subject of journalistic independence. As far as we can tell these news outlets don't have to release this stuff, but that fact that they do and pass it off as real news is wierd. But then I look at the news in the UK when parliament is sitting and see how often the top story is some initiative that the government here is due to/has announced at such time that it'll perfectly hit the news cycle and I wonder. But then, I suppose, in those cases, balance is provided through the opinion of other parties ...
I don't usually cover US politics here (or any kind of politics for that matter) but this is really, really horrifying. I suppose the comparison are those media outlets that use the video packs that film companies send out to publicise films in which they'll sometimes use the interviews and pretend the particular actor or director was talking directly to them. But this is political propeganda that cuts to the heart of the subject of journalistic independence. As far as we can tell these news outlets don't have to release this stuff, but that fact that they do and pass it off as real news is wierd. But then I look at the news in the UK when parliament is sitting and see how often the top story is some initiative that the government here is due to/has announced at such time that it'll perfectly hit the news cycle and I wonder. But then, I suppose, in those cases, balance is provided through the opinion of other parties ...
Most comic, Holmes ...
Comics "It was about this time that DC tried to break away from its policy of pushing fifties and sixties reprints and make a few bold moves, creating short-run comics with new characters to see if any spark caught flame. Among such other legendary notables as King Arthur and Beowulf, Mr. Sherlock Holmes appeared in his very own comic for September-October 1975, a double-story issue that contained extremely abbreviated versions of "The Final Problem" and "The Empty House." -- Douglas Johnston at A Study In Sherlock
Raw nerve
Film George Lucas must really hate the fans who paid for his ranch. Remember all the excitement a few months ago because the original, original versions of the Star Wars trilogy were being released? Forget it. Details have emerged and far from spending a few dollars to clean up the prints and releasing them in any kind of quality. They're apparently using the old laserdisc masters and dropping them onto the disk non-anamorphically which'll be fine if your tv set is square but if you're like me and widescreen it won't look that much better than high end VHS -- well ok that's an exageration, but it certainly won't have the same picture or sound quality that other films have enjoyed. There's also a useless space gulping X-Box demo which means the bit-rate'll be shot to pieces. It gets worse.
Rage in the fan community has led to statement from Lucasfilm's publicity. I'm going to reproduce it in full with commentary, because I haven't had a good textual rant in a while and this looks ripe for it ...
I wanted you to know how much we appreciate the passion and enthusiasm you have for Star Wars, and thank you for sharing your concerns about our upcoming DVD release.
Doesn't the tone of that sound a bit patronising. It reminds me of the Magrathean defence system on the Heart of Gold in The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy .. 'We'd like to thank you for your interest in our planet and it's services...' Erm. We paid for Lucasfilm by endless buying your products. Be nice to us.
The DVDs being released in September will contain two versions of Star Wars: Episodes IV, V and VI - the Special Editions (which represent George?s vision of the movies) and the first versions, which will be included as bonus material. We hoped that releasing those 'original' movies on a bonus disc would be a way to have some additional fun with the debut of the movies as individual DVDs. We certainly did not want it to become a source of concern or frustration for any of our fans.
One step at a time. It's getting really tiresome when we hear that the special editions of the films are George's vision. Because weren't the original versions his vision? And the original special edition releases? Shouldn't that read George's vision (at the moment). Additionally it's always being said from a Wellesian perspective -- as in -- we'll never see Orson Welles' vision for The Magnificent Ambersons but we have seen a close approximation of Touch of Evil. If that's the case what about the visions of the other two directors of these films, Irvin Kershner and Richard Marquand? Whilst the documentary which accompanied the last boxset went some way to debasing Marquand's contribution, the impression was that Kershner certainly had a lot to do with the success of Empire -- has anyone asked him if he wants all the digital jiggery pokery scuzzing up his vision?
After making some play about the fact that they were releasing the original versions we remember from our childhoods -- now it transpires that they're actually being considered 'bonus material' to films we've all bought anyway in a boxset with a bonus disk. How is it 'additional fun' to include them with individual versions of films (let me say it again) the vast majority of fans have bought already anyway. I'm not concerned or frustrated -- I'm annoyed -- because if I want to see those films on dvd as I remember seeing them with my dad at The Woolton Picture House when I was eight (double bill re-release Wars & Empire with ice-cream and Kiora in the middle) I'm going to have to buy a dvd that I already own and pay extra for the privilege. Err, thanks.
As you may know, an enormous amount of effort was put into digitally restoring the negatives for the Special Editions. In one scene alone, nearly 1 million pieces of dirt had to be removed, and the Special Editions were created through a frame-by-frame digital restoration. The negatives of the movies were permanently altered for the creation of the Special Editions, and existing prints of the first versions are in poor condition.
Here's what I don't understand. If the films were cleaned up for the special edition then presumably scanned into the computer for the CG and whatnot, surely these cleaned up versions are going to be the original versions except, err, cleaner. As they said once on South Park -- 'Chewbacca the wookie -- forest moon of Endor -- this does not make sense...' Has something interesting gone on with the negative that we as film fans (and possible historians) aren't privy to? The wierdness continues. The second sentence indicates that the original negatives for the films, those vital items from which all celluloid prints are struck have been "permanently altered for the creation of the Special Editions, and existing prints of the first versions are in poor condition." It's fairly ambiguous as to what that means but if it means that the original negatives have been damaged -- and by that I mean as well as being cleaned actually been physically changed in some way that's just terrible -- if only from a film archiving and history point of view becuase it means that when we're all gone and someone wants to visit a version of the original negative for educational purposes or new release in the future, they're not there. What's wrong wrong with them that they couldn't be used for this release?
So many fans have requested the original movies, we wanted to find a way to bring them to you.
OK. Thanks. How about releasing the newly cleaned up versions, with the original commentaries from the laserdisks and anamorphically, with the deleted scenes that we still know are knocking around because they appeared on the Behind The Magic CD-ROM last decade? Hell even a reasonably priced vanilla release would do.
But since these movies do not represent George's artistic vision, we could not put the extraordinary time and resources into this project as we did with the Special Editions. The 1993 Laserdisc masters represented the best source for providing the original versions as DVD bonus material. Although these are non-anamorphic versions, they do preserve the original widescreen composition of the movies.
About the only good thing about this is that the soundtrack might actually be closer to what we remember. Anyone reading this who's (a) not a fan of the series (b) not the slightly nerdy type of film fan or (c) thinks I'm crazy won't understand all this jesticulating. But really all I'm asking for is ...
- The chance to buy a reasonably priced version of my favourite film as I remember it from when I was kid (Dad, Woolton Picture House, Kiora) on dvd without having to buy a version I already own
- Anamorphically so that it fits my widescreen tv
- Shiny
And now, based on this apocalyptically bizarre statement ...
- some assurance that the original negatives are still in their archive, peachy clean and available to film historians of the future.
I think they touched a nerve. I'm glad I'm not a really big Star Wars fan or this would have been really annoying. I probably just needed to get some things of my chest and this statement was there for the taking. Oddly enough, I feel much better ...
Thanks George.
Rage in the fan community has led to statement from Lucasfilm's publicity. I'm going to reproduce it in full with commentary, because I haven't had a good textual rant in a while and this looks ripe for it ...
I wanted you to know how much we appreciate the passion and enthusiasm you have for Star Wars, and thank you for sharing your concerns about our upcoming DVD release.
Doesn't the tone of that sound a bit patronising. It reminds me of the Magrathean defence system on the Heart of Gold in The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy .. 'We'd like to thank you for your interest in our planet and it's services...' Erm. We paid for Lucasfilm by endless buying your products. Be nice to us.
The DVDs being released in September will contain two versions of Star Wars: Episodes IV, V and VI - the Special Editions (which represent George?s vision of the movies) and the first versions, which will be included as bonus material. We hoped that releasing those 'original' movies on a bonus disc would be a way to have some additional fun with the debut of the movies as individual DVDs. We certainly did not want it to become a source of concern or frustration for any of our fans.
One step at a time. It's getting really tiresome when we hear that the special editions of the films are George's vision. Because weren't the original versions his vision? And the original special edition releases? Shouldn't that read George's vision (at the moment). Additionally it's always being said from a Wellesian perspective -- as in -- we'll never see Orson Welles' vision for The Magnificent Ambersons but we have seen a close approximation of Touch of Evil. If that's the case what about the visions of the other two directors of these films, Irvin Kershner and Richard Marquand? Whilst the documentary which accompanied the last boxset went some way to debasing Marquand's contribution, the impression was that Kershner certainly had a lot to do with the success of Empire -- has anyone asked him if he wants all the digital jiggery pokery scuzzing up his vision?
After making some play about the fact that they were releasing the original versions we remember from our childhoods -- now it transpires that they're actually being considered 'bonus material' to films we've all bought anyway in a boxset with a bonus disk. How is it 'additional fun' to include them with individual versions of films (let me say it again) the vast majority of fans have bought already anyway. I'm not concerned or frustrated -- I'm annoyed -- because if I want to see those films on dvd as I remember seeing them with my dad at The Woolton Picture House when I was eight (double bill re-release Wars & Empire with ice-cream and Kiora in the middle) I'm going to have to buy a dvd that I already own and pay extra for the privilege. Err, thanks.
As you may know, an enormous amount of effort was put into digitally restoring the negatives for the Special Editions. In one scene alone, nearly 1 million pieces of dirt had to be removed, and the Special Editions were created through a frame-by-frame digital restoration. The negatives of the movies were permanently altered for the creation of the Special Editions, and existing prints of the first versions are in poor condition.
Here's what I don't understand. If the films were cleaned up for the special edition then presumably scanned into the computer for the CG and whatnot, surely these cleaned up versions are going to be the original versions except, err, cleaner. As they said once on South Park -- 'Chewbacca the wookie -- forest moon of Endor -- this does not make sense...' Has something interesting gone on with the negative that we as film fans (and possible historians) aren't privy to? The wierdness continues. The second sentence indicates that the original negatives for the films, those vital items from which all celluloid prints are struck have been "permanently altered for the creation of the Special Editions, and existing prints of the first versions are in poor condition." It's fairly ambiguous as to what that means but if it means that the original negatives have been damaged -- and by that I mean as well as being cleaned actually been physically changed in some way that's just terrible -- if only from a film archiving and history point of view becuase it means that when we're all gone and someone wants to visit a version of the original negative for educational purposes or new release in the future, they're not there. What's wrong wrong with them that they couldn't be used for this release?
So many fans have requested the original movies, we wanted to find a way to bring them to you.
OK. Thanks. How about releasing the newly cleaned up versions, with the original commentaries from the laserdisks and anamorphically, with the deleted scenes that we still know are knocking around because they appeared on the Behind The Magic CD-ROM last decade? Hell even a reasonably priced vanilla release would do.
But since these movies do not represent George's artistic vision, we could not put the extraordinary time and resources into this project as we did with the Special Editions. The 1993 Laserdisc masters represented the best source for providing the original versions as DVD bonus material. Although these are non-anamorphic versions, they do preserve the original widescreen composition of the movies.
About the only good thing about this is that the soundtrack might actually be closer to what we remember. Anyone reading this who's (a) not a fan of the series (b) not the slightly nerdy type of film fan or (c) thinks I'm crazy won't understand all this jesticulating. But really all I'm asking for is ...
- The chance to buy a reasonably priced version of my favourite film as I remember it from when I was kid (Dad, Woolton Picture House, Kiora) on dvd without having to buy a version I already own
- Anamorphically so that it fits my widescreen tv
- Shiny
And now, based on this apocalyptically bizarre statement ...
- some assurance that the original negatives are still in their archive, peachy clean and available to film historians of the future.
I think they touched a nerve. I'm glad I'm not a really big Star Wars fan or this would have been really annoying. I probably just needed to get some things of my chest and this statement was there for the taking. Oddly enough, I feel much better ...
Thanks George.
washer and dryer
Commuter Life I was passing through Manchester this morning on the train I discovered how some of buildings which back onto the canal have their windows and fixtures washed. The window cleaner, with bucket, mop and squeegy absails down the side of the building, just thin but sturdy looking bit of rope keeping from certain doom. The train had stopped opposite and all of passengers sat mesmerised has he swung there, applying soap, scraping it off leaving those glass pains shiny and newish. Amazing.
Whatever happened to Rin Tin Tin?
Wildlife Low Culture presents -- Animal Superstars. Where are they now? Seriously though -- Animal from The Muppets? I thought he was still very much with us. I thought he'd just changed hands.
Three paragraphs about one thing
Life A progress report. My dissertation research is in full swing although I seem to be in the unusual situation of being bewildered to the point that I can't focus on any one thing but also being unable to switch off from thinking about it. As usual there seems to be almost too much to read, not enough time and an insurmountable hill to finding a road map to follow.
It's a chicken and egg syndrome -- I need to have some idea of the structure of each chapter so that I know what to concentrate on reading, but I won't have a really good idea of the structure until I've done the reading. Also there's all of the film watching which is why I should probably be viewing Love Actually instead of writing this, but I'm attempting the displacement activity approach and trying to concentrate on something else in an attempt to get away from that thing.
I've begun to talk to the dissertation as though it's a person as 'Well, you're going to be about this...' which can't be a good thing. In some ways the handing in date of September seems like an age, but on the other hand it's only three months. And with the snails pace it takes me to write academically. So anyway if I'm not here then I'm there doing that.
It's a chicken and egg syndrome -- I need to have some idea of the structure of each chapter so that I know what to concentrate on reading, but I won't have a really good idea of the structure until I've done the reading. Also there's all of the film watching which is why I should probably be viewing Love Actually instead of writing this, but I'm attempting the displacement activity approach and trying to concentrate on something else in an attempt to get away from that thing.
I've begun to talk to the dissertation as though it's a person as 'Well, you're going to be about this...' which can't be a good thing. In some ways the handing in date of September seems like an age, but on the other hand it's only three months. And with the snails pace it takes me to write academically. So anyway if I'm not here then I'm there doing that.
Would you be quiet, please.
Books "The library last year decided to let the undergraduate masses into the reading rooms. On the face of it, a good idea. The British Library is a national collection funded by taxes, so why should its material be limited to a small band of researchers? But the past 12 months have witnessed a catastrophic collapse in its working environment. The studied calm of the reading room has given way to a hum of mobile phone ringtones, chit-chat and pubescent histrionics. It is difficult to get any work done. As one letter of discontent to Brindley puts it: "Many new readers are simply idling away the hours in the library in time-honoured undergraduate fashion, when one of the great characteristics of the British Library used to be a sense of communal hard work and endeavour by professionals of all ages." -- Tristram Hunt in The Guardian
I haven't obviously been to the reading room so I can't comment on the accuracy of the article, however, based on experience there is one item I really can agree with. Libraries are supposed to be a place for quiet and learning. If there's too much noise that studying becomes impossible, something has definitely gone wrong. One regular reader will be pleased to know that I actually asked someone to talk a bit more quietly at university last week. You know what happened? They apologised then carried on exactly the way they had before...
I haven't obviously been to the reading room so I can't comment on the accuracy of the article, however, based on experience there is one item I really can agree with. Libraries are supposed to be a place for quiet and learning. If there's too much noise that studying becomes impossible, something has definitely gone wrong. One regular reader will be pleased to know that I actually asked someone to talk a bit more quietly at university last week. You know what happened? They apologised then carried on exactly the way they had before...
L'Ant En Dec
TV If ever there were a set of circumstances that would lead to The Idiot's Lantern taking a hit, it would be live celebrity football on the other side and a bank holiday. But hey, 'we' still beat them in the averages (by one percent).
BBC 1 ITV 1 BBC 2 Channel 4 Five
19:00 … 5.8 (30.9%) … 5.4 (28.7%) … 1.3 ( 7.0%) … 1.2 ( 6.6%) … 1.0 ( 5.1%)
19:15 … 6.5 (32.7%) … 6.2 (31.5%) … 2.0 (10.1%) … 0.7 ( 3.8%) … 0.5 ( 2.6%)
19:30 … 6.7 (32.8%) … 6.8 (33.5%) … 2.3 (11.1%) … 0.5 ( 2.3%) … 0.5 ( 2.5%)
Does somewhat prove that ITV need to drop in something really special to have an impact -- although when does the next talent show begin? It's not next week is it?
BBC 1 ITV 1 BBC 2 Channel 4 Five
19:00 … 5.8 (30.9%) … 5.4 (28.7%) … 1.3 ( 7.0%) … 1.2 ( 6.6%) … 1.0 ( 5.1%)
19:15 … 6.5 (32.7%) … 6.2 (31.5%) … 2.0 (10.1%) … 0.7 ( 3.8%) … 0.5 ( 2.6%)
19:30 … 6.7 (32.8%) … 6.8 (33.5%) … 2.3 (11.1%) … 0.5 ( 2.3%) … 0.5 ( 2.5%)
Does somewhat prove that ITV need to drop in something really special to have an impact -- although when does the next talent show begin? It's not next week is it?
Sour Grapes
Film "IF YOU HATED THE MOVIE SO MUCH WHY DID YOU GO AND SEE IT IN THE FIRST PLACE????? That's what my mom means when she says you have a bad case of sour grapes. Sour grapes is when you don't like something and you tell everyone you don't like it. Its not nice and my mom also says that if you don't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all. Your review should have just been one blank space instead of the negative stuff you wrote. I mean, I don't know you so I can't say your'e a bad person, but if writing negative things about people is your thing, then maybe you should write obituaries. That way no one's feeling get hurt because the person you are writing about is dead." -- A young commenter takes issue with the reviewing of a Lyndsey Lohan film at The AV Club. Like whatever.
vitriolic
Journalism "Subjects such as women's issues, racism, anti-war politics, environmental matters and virtually any topic deemed "liberal" inspired some vitriolic comments from readers that I will mention here. I was called everything from "bitch" to "whore" and was often addressed as "sweetie" or "honey" before a launch of expletives. Most attackers took the position that I was just a cute, dumb, college student (even though I was in my late 20s) in an effort to discredit me and I was most reliably attacked by a collection of right-wing Web sites and right-wing men who sent me letters." -- Heidi Schnakenberg for AlterNet
Blade Runner
Film Blade Runner: Final Cut. Does this mean that we'll get everything? Also -- four versions of the film? Isn't the international cut only four seconds longer? I'd just be happy with a good looking restored print of any of the them. The negative used for the now deleted Vanilla release looked like it had been driven over.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)