Chick 1 says:
Nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards were anounced this morning. (Groundhog Day!) No major surprises. I didn’t expect major nominations for (500) Days or Star Trek but I was disappointed that (500) Days of Summer was not nominated for Original Screenplay. Oh well.
My main question – will this be the year that a woman finally wins Best Director? Many feel Kathryn Bigelow is deserving. We’ll find out March 7th. Read more
Chick 1 says:
Love this new spot for Nickelodeon! It has great music and fantastic editing & pacing. The energy and charisma of the actors show why they are leads on Nick programming. And I love seeing the physics of the slime in slomo. Interesting that only one of these stars has the sense to keep his mouth closed when being slimed. Gross. Makes me wonder what it tastes like.
Chick 1 says:
Hans Zimmer is one of my favorite composers and I know I’m not alone in that feeling. He’s an incredibly prolific and varied writer. From Twister & Driving Miss Daisy to The Lion King & Prince of Egypt to Gladiator and Pirates of the Caribbean, his work is really amazing. Gladiator & Pirates are two of my favorites of his and I tend to associate him with big epic scores. But his work is not as easily identified as John Williams or James Horner (whom I can sometimes identify by a single chord). Read more
Chick 1 says:
Ever get a giggle at the completely-not-connected-with-reality computer screens that are often shown in the movies? I’m looking at you, Mission Impossible. Remember the screen when Ethan is sending emails to Job. It’s awful. Granted, it was 1996 and the internet & email were still relatively new but most folk knew it looked nothing like that.
Sometimes the unrealistic screens work within the world of the movie. In The Matrix, the computer interface is obviously an important part of the script and we’re willing to believe that the strange characters and the falling green columns are meaningful to the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar. Read more
Chick 1 says:
I’ve occasionally stumbled across Ted Talks on MentalFloss.com but I’ve never really had the time to explore them. Yesterday I discovered this 20 minute manic and somewhat scattered speech by Lost & Alias creater, JJ Abrams. While I do wish he had gone a little deeper into the topics, I appreciate his perspective on mystery & what good “action” movies are really about. His thoughts reveal why he is such a successful writer and director. Enjoy.
Chick 1 says:
Yes, it was 20 years ago this summer that Tim Burton changed the landscape of comic book movies and made a ton of cash. 1989 was a great summer for movies; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, When Harry Met Sally, Parenthood, The Abyss, and Uncle Buck (an odd choice for summer release considering the cold Chicago setting). But the mother of them all was Batman. It gave me quite the little crush on Michael Keaton. And while I sensed this was a significant movie, my understanding of its impact was limited to the rising prices at the concession, a phenomenon I dubbed “Batprices”. There’s a great article over at Salon.com about the lasting impact this movie has had on the film industry. Check it out if, like me, you’re interested in that sort of thing.
Chick 1 says:
Working at a graphic design/animation company, there are always new & creative videos & such that make the rounds. Here’s one that was sent to us by a client as a reference. Besides being hilarious and fairly disturbing, I love the theme of creativity vs making a living. If this video is this guy’s way of dealing with his frustration at working in the industry, I’m impressed. (And, also, I hope he doesn’t live anywhere near me.) Please note this may not be safe for work, depending on where you work. It will definitely make you say, “That is SO wrong.” Be sure to watch til the end. That’s the best part!
Chick 1 says:
Chick 2 can explain this better than I but for our loyal readers who are wondering, “What is lens flare and why should I care?” I will attempt to explain.
Flare is what happens when light reflects within the lens. This happens when a light source (other than the light that is bouncing off your image) enters the camera and refracts off the glass. That’s one reason you don’t normally shoot directly toward a light.
For those of you wondering flare looks like, here are some helpful examples:
Notice something about these pictures. Yes, they are both from Star Trek. And they’re just the tip of the iceburg.
In the last decade or so, it’s become more and more popular to use lens flare on purpose. It can be used for a variety of reasons; like making a film feel “real” or documentary-like or emphasizing how hot or bright a light source is in the story. (You often see this technique in a “lost in the desert” scene when someone looks up at the sun.) And when creating a fake environment (like a computer generated scene in space) details like flare can make that CG environment more believable.
Now I loved Star Trek. I thought it was the best summer movie of 2009. But the flare in that movie was waaay over the top. Early in the movie, I did like it. I thought that having a lot of flare did help set the mood, make the space scenes cool, and even give the film its own style. But it made it very hard to see the action. Check out those photos again. See how fuzzy it looks. During the movie, I found myself squinting to try and see what was going on. (Didn’t work.)
I get it. I get it. There are a lot of bright lights on the ship and a lot of shooting into suns & stars (yes, I realize they are the same things) so naturally there will be some flare but if I can’t actually see the film, there’s a problem.
So what is lens flare? – light refracting through a lens
And why should I care? – Lens flare can be used purposefully to either enhance a story or obscure that story.
Discuss.
PS. I still love you, JJ Abrams, and I would like to carry your briefcase and follow you around for a couple of years.
Chick 1 says:
Sing it with me now, “When Cameron was in Egypt land, Let my Cameron go.”
Cameron Frye’s house, complete with car museum, is for sale in Highland Park, IL, just outside Chicago. Ferrari sold seperately. You can see pictures at the realtor’s website. If you decide to purchase, I’ll be expecting a finder’s fee.
Chick 1 says:
I love to surf the net and MentalFloss.com is one of my favorites. I visit their Morning Cup O’ Links almost everyday. They write on a wide variety topics and the posts are usually witty and brief.
Yesterday they posted this article about the origin of the phrase A List in Hollywood. I have to admit even I didn’t know this. But yes, Virginia, there really is an A List. Read about it here.
