There's a good article floating around on theplaylist.com which summarizes a recent article written by Steven Soderbergh which essentially smacks the cable companies in the face in an effort to demand satisfaction. His gripe is basically over the cropping of super-widescreen movies. Confusion follows...

This is a 2.40:1 movie (Superwide):



And this is the same image cropped to fit a 1.85:1 ratio (widescreen TV ratio):


With the "less" rectangular shape of the 1.85 image size there is less of a horizontal scope. This is achieved by cropping the original image or by opening the matte up, which is essentially taking the black bars off the top and bottom of a super wide film. Open matte can only be achieved through when the director chooses to film this way. The director chooses to shoot in a less wide aspect ratio because it's easy to both crop the image to make it wider for theaters and show the less wide footage on cable networks to fill up a widescreen TV with no black bars.
Most networks especially, cable networks crop the 2.40 to fit the 1.85 so the viewer sees no black bars and is comforted. But some crop it down to 1.33:1 (a square) which is really baffiling.
Phew, it's a confusing issue, and I know I didn't make it any clearer, but this might help. I'm interested to see if Soderbergh addressed the open matte issue.

I got a laugh out of this...

The Amerikin' version of the theme from Disney's release of Hayao Miyazaki's Ponyo.



They managed to get a Jonas and a Cyrus on the track! Seriously though, it's pretty damn catchy, and the kiddies sound great with Autotune vocals. Most of the melody and lyrics from the original Japanese version are included, which will surely go unappreciated by grumpy Ghibli fans.

Here is the original version of the song...



I don't know, the Disney version seems to lack the innocence and timelessness of the original. Whatcha think?

Look for Ponyo in theaters on August 14!

Once is really, really fantastic. I'd heard about when it was first released in '07 but never had the opportunity to check it out.
My interest was peaked when I found out it was a film about music! Some of you might not know, but, I love music.

I came across the dvd today. And for a real bargain too: $9.99. I took a chance.I was not disappointed. I rarely am, actually.

The story, put simply, is about a friendship that grows out of two strangers love of playing music. They come across each other one night in Dublin. The lead male character, "Guy", performs with his guitar on the streets for money. He doesn't need the extra money necessarily, his main source of income comes from him repairing vacuum cleaners at his dad's shop. He performs because he loves it. The female lead, "Girl",who cleans houses for a living and lives with her mom and daughter, just so happens to hear one of his own original songs one night and from there decides to inquire more about him. She's a musician, too, he discovers, who plays the piano.
They take an interest in each other, at first, musically and decide to collaborate on some songs. From then on the relationship grows, beyond just music, and they start becoming a part of each others lives.

The film has very real and very natural performances by the "actors". They're not professional actors. They're musicians first, which is why the music works so well in the film, who the director himself knew and asked to be apart of the project.

They do a spectacular job for persons who have never acted in a film before.
Granted, a lot of the scenes they're just playing music together, so, I guess, they didn't really need to act so much.

The scenes that do involve music are probably some of the most convincing moments I've seen captured on film that involve the process of writing and rehearsing songs. I have some experience with this process myself. Other "music" movies tend to skip over these creative moments in songwriting. Or if they do try and show it it always seems too fake (it is, of course) or rushed. Case in point: the recent film, Cadillac Records. Horrible, horrible movie.

Once rushes nothing. It's a slow boil, but in the best possible way. It's great! Did I mention that?
It's not hokey, fake, or formulaic at all. This is why the film is so good.

I recommend anyone who likes good movies to check this one out. It's bloody brilliant!



Also: If you want to know about another great film that has to do with music bringing strangers together to form beautiful friendships, check out The Visitor. Also on dvd now.

Richard Jenkins, the star, was nominated for an oscar for his performance.

Not that you'd care, but this is a blog after all. Since it's summer and I recently finished school, I've had plenty of time to enjoy all the meats of our cultural stew (pardon the Simpsonsism). Let's go down the list shall we?

First: Old Games
I've been playing a lot of Battlefield 1943, trying to level up my character, I'm at level 24/50. This game has become increasingly enjoyable since I've become adept at capturing bases. I've been playing sniper more often than not which really affects your close range game if you haven't had the chance to hone it. I finally got all the achievements for this one, but I don't think I'm going to give it up any time soon.

On the other hand, I've also been playing a lot of Street Fighter IV. Again, I've been trying to level up. I recently reached G1-E which the second highest level. Match making is a little more difficult but the level of competition is much better than G2. But I must admit that since I've reached G1 my compulsion to play the game so regularly has dwindled a bit.

Second: New Game
I've purchased the game TMNT: Turtles In Time Reshelled. Which I haven't played much, because there's not to much to it. It was pretty fun for a 10$ game, though 4 player action was hectic. Look for a video review in the coming days.



Third: Movies
I recently had the chance to watch Time Crimes, which was pleasantly surprising. ***Spoiler Snitch***
The story is that of a man who sees a beautiful young girl disrobing in the forest getting murdered by a mysterious masked man, and pursues the two. I was so sure that I had this movie figured out in the first five minutes, but the movie really doesn't try to spring any surprises on you since the plot twist I predicted happened fairly early on. This movie is about inevitability and disaster, and I must say, is probably the best movie on the subject of time travel I've ever seen. It's not a movie that's power lies in a reveal at the end of the film, though there is one, it's a movie that examines the consequences of time travel in a more meaningful way than Back to the Future ever could.



I also had the chance to watch was Who Killed the Electric Car. This documentary puts the blame squarely on you, the viewer. Just kidding, but it actually does put the blame for holding back the electric car to some extent on the viewer, as well as car companies and oil refineries. This is a flavorless little documentary that really doesn't have any rhythm. It's pretty bland and seems only somewhat informative. The interviews are pretty crazy, in one Mel Gibson has a huge black and white beard and the street testimonials seemed down right phony. Two thumbs down on this one.



And by the way my new Xbox avatar has bike messenger style thanks to Sam Fisher.

Reminder: On slow news days/weeks publish posts about top ten lists or video game cakes. I stumbled across this on Hackaday. These tiny little Arcade cabinets give new meaning to scrounging through your pockets play coin-op. They're pretty cute, I wish they had a six button layout, but hey they're Neo-Geo!! You can see some the production stuff here.

I must admit I'm not the biggest PJ fan. And the new trailer for The Lovely Bones makes this movie actually seem moderately interesting. There's just something about his illustrated book cinematic style that really puts me to sleep. But at least the CG looks somewhat compelling in The Lovely Bones. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not familiar with the source material, so I'm open to the possibility that this will be a really cool flick. I hope there's not too much Peter Jackson approved slo-mo in this one. That gets real tiresome real quick. Here's a look at some of the scenes ***spoilers*** of heaven:






I'm really digging the way this looks, hopefully the more amazing elements of this story will be perfectly suited for PJ's Polar Express style of computer graphics, though it seems he borrowed more from Tarsem's vocabulary.

POTENTIAL SPOLIERS!

Funny People, in these reviewers’ eyes, is not a dramedy. Like all the previous Judd Apatow movies, it’s mostly jokes. It’s pure comedy. It’s really only mature in its subject matter: a lonely, bitter, unhappy, desperate man (celebrity) trying to cope with his impending death. This is the first plot, the third act goes into a new direction having to do with Sandler’s character trying to win back the love of his life after becoming well again. Unfortunately for him, though, she’s married and has two kids. The only real dramatic moments in the film, I guess, involve Adam Sandler shouting at Seth Rogen a couple of times. I’d expected more.

But the movie does deliver when it comes to jokes, and there are plenty of jokes. Crude, tasteless jokes. Vulgar jokes. The kind a guy like me can really dig. All of the main characters in the film are comedians. Some are already established in the comedy world (Adam Sandler), while others are potential up and comers (Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill).
If you’re looking for a little insight into the world of stand up comedy this would be the picture for you to see. Judd Apatow, the director, used to be a comedian himself who also wrote jokes for comedians Roseanne and Tom Arnold.

The comedy in the film is typical of a Judd Apatow movie. There’s lots cursing and talk about male and female genitalia, masturbation, relationships, geeks and nerds, and a whole lot of movie and pop culture references. But some of the best gags for me came from the celebrity cameos, of which there are many. My favorite one would have to be James Taylor’s appearance with Seth Rogen’s character where he ends up using a lot of “blue” language, if you know what I mean. And Eric Bana, for the short time he’s actually in the movie, is hilarious as well playing a moody Australian traveling salesman grounded in eastern philosophy.

What’s atypical about this Apatow picture, and what I found to be the most enjoyable aspect, are the characters themselves. I’m used to seeing Seth Rogen playing lazy, sarcastic stoners, incompetent deviant police officers, or mentally unstable, date raping mall security guards, but in this movie he actually plays a very amiable, hard working, compassionate guy whose doesn’t smoke pot once! Adam Sandler on the other hand is the complete opposite of Rogen’s character: he’s a very mean, angry, and empty person. But, of course, he does have his redeeming qualities, which we see towards the end of the film. Sandler hasn’t played anyone this grumpy since Happy Gilmore.

Funny People is a decent film. Not my favorite comedy from this year (that cherry goes to Land of the Lost!), and not even my favorite Apatow movie, but it’s not terrible either. I certainly wasn’t bored. This is probably Adam Sandler’s best role since Punch Drunk Love, and Seth Rogen has shown us he has the acting chops to take on a role different from what we’re used to seeing him in. So it’s not all bad. My only disappointment was that Funny People wasn’t as big a leap forward in maturity for it’s director/writer, Judd Apatow, as I’d thought it would be.

Episode 11 of the Media Fix Podcast:
Listen on iTunes.
In this episode we have a rather uninformed discussion about Tron 2, and we talk about plenty of new trailers.
Trailers can be seen here.

BTW, here's the television we discuss.


tc-p54v10

Here is an interesting take on the controversy surrounding the price hike of Modern Warfare 2 in Europe (the game will now sell in that region for roughly $90 YIKES!).

Industry analyst Chris Deering suggests that blockbuster game titles will have to be priced around $116 to maintain profitability.

Are people willing to spend that kind of money on games in this yo-yo economy? Are the spit-polished HD graphics and Hollywood quality soundtrack really worth two weeks of groceries (and that's bachelor's groceries, mind you). My guess is no.

So what is the answer to the game industry's woes then? Mind you, I'm no expert, but here are a couple of obvious suggestions...

SUBSCRIPTIONS! SUBSCRIPTIONS!

Activision has two of the worlds most popular online video games on market (World of Warcraft and Call of Duty). One of these titles is subscription based, one is not. How much longer do you think you'll be fraggin' for free every month on COD? Much like WOW, Call of Duty has become a gaming platform unto itself. It's only a matter of time before they start charging $15 a month to play.

CHEAPER BUDGETS/CHEAPER GAMES BOTH IN-STORE AND ONLINE

With the advent of digitally distributed games via popular online services like Steam (PC), XBOX LIVE Arcade, WiiWare, and the Playstation Network, it is now proven that a company can make nice profit off of smaller, low budget games that range in price from $5-$20. This could very well be the blueprint for the future of industry, only for one thing: This business model only penetrates the part of the market that is connected to high speed internet.

Why not take some of these fantastic budget priced downloadable games like Battlefield 1943, Geometry Wars 2, or Braid, slap them in jewel-cases with nice color booklets and sell them at retail for a couple bucks more than their digitally distributed counterparts? I bet that the fanboys would even double dip in some cases.

It's hard to say what the gaming landscape will look like in the next 5 years but I'm guessing the most popular titles will be either significantly more expensive or cheaper than what we're playing now.

Remember when Nintendo 64 games were $70? Don't even get me started on the price of Neo Geo games. *SHUTTER*

Okay, even though I hate to admit it, some times nostalgia gives me the warm fuzzies. And the prospect of a Thundercats live-action movie makes think back to my childhood and that cartoon I can barely remember. Since this project is in-development, little has been divulged, but fortunately some concept art slipped through the cracks. What do you think?

On Hulu, for a very limited time, you can watch '45365', which is a documentary of sorts that captures the story of life in a small town. The small town is Sidney Ohio which is actually the home town of the filmmakers, which explains the level of access this movie has. It's a lot like being a fly on the wall of this community. It remains consistently interesting, which was a big surprise for me.
It's very odd checking in on this community and it's even more strange how quickly we, the viewer, are tempted to be judgmental. But anything out of context seems strange, and most of us are quick lash out against that which we don't understand. Maybe that's just me. Maybe people will be more sympathetic, or empathetic rather, than I was. The truth is, this movie walks the fine line between celebrating the thing that it's showing and making it into a unfavorable spectacle. I think, ultimately, it's respectful but some might not agree.

It's a very limited engagement so, if you're interested, be sure and catch it before August 6th.

I also got a chance to watch Food Inc.

This movie is one of the most satisfying documentaries I've seen in a long time. I have to own this when it comes out on DVD. Maybe it's just a case of being in the right place at the right time because I've recently been reading a lot on the subject of food production. I could tell from the audience was deeply affected by the documentary, at times gasping and other times snickering. I'll hold off on saying whether or not I think this is a really "good" documentary or not, because at the moment that's besides the point. What I will say, and I realise this is totally biased, is that this documentary is extremely important to watch. I felt all warm and tingly inside afterward.

God I hope this is true...

According to CHR_AeON from Neogaf, "In the latest edition of german games magazine "M! Games" there's a small article about Snap Dragon Games (developer / publisher of, amongst others, "Karate Phants" (WiiWare)). They are currently working on remakes of the following
Data East games: Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja (XBLA, PSN) Karate Champ (XBLA) Tumble Top (XBLA, PSN, WiiWare)"

Nothing says late 80's like Data East arcade games, particularly Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja, which recently has gained popularity by way of humorous internet memes.

If a new Bad Dudes does make it's way to a game system in the near future, I hope that they keep the tradition of having the player rescue the current U.S. president from the nefarious Dragon Ninja clan. It will be a historical event and will mark the first time a Democratic and an African American president has been kidnapped by ninjas.

There sure are a lot of awesome new trailers to talk about this week. A new Coen brothers movie as well as a Wes Anderson stop-motion animation and a few lower profile movies. So let's get this going.

‘45365’ captures the complexities and ambiguities of one towns shared experience. It is a patient and inquisitive look at the lives and landscapes that make up this community of 20,000 people. Multiple storylines eventually coalesce into a mosaic of faces, places, and events. It is an inquiring look at life in Sidney, Ohio.
The trailer is positively enchanting. I'm really interested to see what this one's all about.


Only is a movie about a boy named Daniel. Daniel lives in a motel, managed by his parents, in northern Ontario. People come, people go, Daniel hardly notices. Until one day a girl arrives and changes his world. Only is a glimpse into the heightened impressions and dreams of two unlikely 12-year-olds. Over the course of a single day, they venture on a journey, exploring deep secrets, dark fears, and first love in a pure and powerful meeting of young hearts and minds.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox is Wes Anderson's newest movie, it has much of his usual line up. It features the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Willem Dafoe, Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Jason Schwartzman, Brian Cox, Michael Gambon, and even Wes Anderson himself (as the Weasel). It's cool to see him change his game up, although you'll recognize a lot of the dialogue pacing and structure. Fantastic Mr. Fox is both written and directed by the fantastic Oscar nominated filmmaker Wes Anderson, of Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and The Darjeeling Limited most recently.

Fox Searchlight is bringing Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr. Fox to theaters everywhere starting on November 13th this fall.


The new Coen Brother's movie looks awesome as expected. A Serious Man is the story of an ordinary man’s search for clarity in a universe where Jefferson Airplane is on the radio and “F-Troop” is on TV. It is 1967, and Larry Gopnik (Michael Stuhlbarg), a physics professor at a quiet Midwestern university, has just been informed by his wife Judith (Sari Lennick) that she is leaving him. She has fallen in love with one of his more pompous colleagues, Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed), who seems to her a more substantial person than the feckless Larry. Larry’s unemployable brother Arthur (Richard Kind) is sleeping on the couch, his son Danny (Aaron Wolf) is a discipline problem and a shirker at Hebrew school, and his daughter Sarah (Jessica McManus) is filching money from his wallet in order to save up for a nose job. While his wife and Sy Ableman blithely make new domestic arrangements, and his brother becomes more and more of a burden, an anonymous hostile letter-writer is trying to sabotage Larry’s chances for tenure at the university. Also, a graduate student seems to be trying to bribe him for a passing grade while at the same time threatening to sue him for defamation. Plus, the beautiful woman next door torments him by sunbathing nude. Struggling for equilibrium, Larry seeks advice from three different rabbis. Can anyone help him cope with his afflictions and become a righteous person – a mensch – a serious man?


And finally here is a short featurette for Where the Wild Things Are with Maurice Sendak.