Cuz We Said So

2009 Blockbuster 1 "Watchmen"

Too early? I know I'll be waiting in line on March 6 when this thing opens. (Hopefully at midnight the night before.) I am, admittedly, a big fan of the DC graphic novel on which this film is based. Looking at the trailer, so is the director. He seems to have taken the novel and handed it to his team, saying, "Okay, here are your storyboards."

Okay, so I don't know if the movie's going to suck (which it won't), but I do know that this might be the best trailer I've ever seen. The pace, the way the images flow with the music. If you listen carefully, the scenes often coincide directly with the lyrics of the song.

Here's a couple of funny things about the trailer that aren't immediately obvious. One is that the song which plays ("The Beginning is the End is the Beginning" by Smashing Pumpkins) is from the soundtrack to one of the worst comic book movies ever made, "Batman and Robin".

Here's the other. If you watch the trailer very carefully and pause it at the correct moment (right around 1:33), you see a man holding a weapon on another man, about to get his ass handed to him. But the weapon isn't a gun in that shot. It's a walkie-talkie. This is a mean-spirited homage to Spielberg's retooling of "E. T." (heh)

Yeah, I can't wait.

2008 Blockbuster 11 "The Dark Knight"

I should really see the film a second (or third) time before I write this review. But I won't. I'm late enough already.

2008 Blockbuster 10 "Hellboy II: The Golden Army"

I was a big fan of the first "Hellboy". It had such a freaky premise, but such real emotion behind it that I was truly moved. Also, it kicked ass. Nazi's trying to crack open the doorway to Hell? Who wouldn't love that?

So I was particularly stoked for the sequel. Bigger budget, bigger scope, same cast and director. (Different studio. Now that's just weird.)

2008 Blockbuster 9 "Hancock"

You know, there's a reason that Will Smith is such a huge star. He can walk into any project and make it seem just a little more engaging. (Okay, except for "Wild Wild West". But he certainly gave it his best.) For "Hancock", he plays a misanthropic amnesiac superhuman who receives some unwanted help from an idealistic PR man to fix up his image with the public. That premise could have been a total disaster. But it works, amazingly.

Now, I haven't told you anything here that you can't get from the trailer, and I don't want to spoil the movie for you. The point in the film when you realize what it's all really about... That's a moment you don't usually get in a summer film.

I will give props to Jason Bateman, turning in another in a string of very impressive film appearances (including last year's "The Kingdom" and "Juno"). Give that guy any role he wants. Seriously.

2008 Blockbuster 8 "WALL-E"

My three word review? "Good. Not great."

Rush On The Colbert Report

“The band Rush is here.  Either that, or a drum factory exploded in my studio.”  In case you missed it, as I did, Rush appeared on The Colbert Report last week, their first television appearance in 30 years.  The complete episode is available here online.  Stephen’s first interview question: “You’ve been touring for over 30 years.  Do you ever get tired of being so awesome, and kicking so much ass?”

David's Del.icio.us Links for 2008-07-23

• Schneier on Security: Homeland Security Cost-Benefit Analysis
  I"ll hopefully have time to comment on this one at greater length; in the meanwhile, it's another good example of the sort of cost/benefit analysis that must go into any serious consideration of public policy.
  (tags: policy security terrorism)
• Obama: Surge Doesn't Meet Long-Term Goals
  By which I presume he means, "getting me elected."
• Forbes: Best 10 Cities To Buy A Home
  Texas fares well on their list: Houston is #1, Austin #2, and both San Antonio and Dallas are present also.
• Basra - here's the good news story - Times Online
  "There is an interesting piece of graffiti on a bridge near Basra. A fleeing militiaman has scrawled 'We'll be back'; underneath an Iraqi soldier has scribbled in reply 'And we'll be waiting for you'."  (Via Instapundit)

Barack Obama: Bat Boy?

 

Is Barack Obama the Bat Boy?

Process Seems to Make Gadgets REALLY Waterproof

Calling this demo (via Engadget) for Golden Shellback Waterproof Coating “incredible” sells it short.  The laptop running under a stream of water is my favorite part.  Can this be for real?  Seriously, watch this:

Golden Shellback Waterproof Coating from gCaptain.com on Vimeo.

So Vista is slow as a dog on a hot summer day...

In a quick post on InfoWorld, Tom Sullivan notes that XP is faster than Windows Server 2008 is faster than Vista. This as Microsoft makes a desperate attempt to woo us into reevaluating Vista, with a commercial noting that once people thought the world was flat. We no longer think the world is flat, but I still think Vista fell flat on its face and stayed there.