I ran the trailer for this a while ago and peeps seemed to like it. Now there's a 21 min feature at Kickstarter which is well worth a look.
Can't embed it here, sorry, but you can follow the link.
There might never be another official Star Trek series, despite recent rumours, but it's beginning to seem as though that won't matter; there's so much indie fan talent doing their own thing with Roddenberry's story world. No idea how that works with intellectual property law, but it does seem to work.
Having enjoyed Star Trek Continues Ep 3, I was stoked to find this pop up in my news aggregators a while back. A feature-length kickstarter about the Klingon-Federation war that predates ST-TOS.
The production values are great. I hope they can build from this teaser into a full length movie.
But now, back to the deadline.
I dips me lid to Beeso for this link to a kind of brilliant bit of work reimagining movie posters from alternative time lines.
And the must see action blockbuster that Leonard Nimoy rode to crossover big screen stardom when he escaped the gravity well of Star Trek.
I usually come out of a Marvel film surprised at how much it impressed me. Not at how much I enjoyed myself, which is a given, but rather how much more than a comic-book-come-to-life the movie seemed to be. Perhaps that’s just because I haven’t read enough comic books recently.
The rust and corrosion eating away at Iron Man’s soul, the weight of expectation crushing down on Thor, and now the sense of anomie and rootlessness which frames Steve Rogers second life in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Comics long ago abandoned the simplistic moralism of early Superman, of course, but big screen cinema still loves a black and white dichotomy. Especially in the realm of superheroes and supervillains.
For me, it was the emotional complexity of Cap’s resurrection which provided the depth for all of the action sequences driving TWS. I very much enjoyed the discovery of his friendship with Sam Wilson, the veteran/counsellor and the way the script used this to explore the issue of Roger’s temporal dislocation.
I don’t want to go into plot points, because I know there’s lots of people haven’t seen the film yet and Marvel borrowed enthusiastically from the post-Bourne playbook of story mechanics. Suffice to say, I’ll happily watch it again when it becomes available via legitimate digital distribution channels everywhere.
If you want to talk plot and character revelations in the comments, however, feel free, with appropriate SPOILER WARNINGS.
"I’ll happily watch it again when it becomes available via legitimate digital distribution channels everywhere" I am so going to use that phrase in future. With of course all credit to the original source.
On the related topic, some might have seen a retweet of Bette Midler's tweet on 4 Apr 2014.
@Bette Midler
@Spotify and @Pandora have made it impossible for songwriters to earn a living:
three months streaming on Pandora, 4,175,149 plays=$114.11.
Which is why I buy all my music at full price.
What Stirling said, per books.
On the other hand, this hypocrite is presently listening to Pharell's Happy on Spotify.
Respects,
Murph
On the Outer Marches
There is only one thing that bothers me about SHIELD in general.
Where do they get their funding?
A Nimitz class carrier is nothing to sneeze at in terms of cost, complexity and time to construct. The follow on Ford class is even more complex, costly and has a longer lead time. These helicarriers, I suspect, are built after the events in NYC circa the Avengers. So figure a year and a half to two years for THREE of them?
Further, they seem to be crossbred with the Lexington Class carriers pre-World War II.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexington-class_aircraft_carrier
The kid in me loves the helicarriers but the guy who does some of the research around here is scratching his head going, "How is that possible?" Black box MacGuffins like the ARC reactor and Stark repulsor technology take you only so far.
That being said, I did enjoy the journey Steve Rogers takes through the story. A stranger in a strange land doing things he is uncomfortable with makes the hard call with the help of a few of his friends. In that respect, I did enjoy the film.
Respects,
Murph
On the Outer Marches
only ONE thing?
I believe, "Where do they get their funding?" covers my overall concerns.
Wasn't there a line in 'Armageddon' about this? Something about $4000 toilet seats?
I'm still trying to figure out why the rovers had gatling guns in that movie.
In fact, I want to know why Hollywood, when they are at a loss for a plot says, "I know, gatling guns, fuckahs!!!!"
Respects,
Murph
On the Outer Marches
Because:
Ever since Richard Gatling's 1861 invention, the rapid-firing rotary gun has had a special place among BFGs. Because it's basically the gun equivalent of a chainsaw, there is an undeniable attraction to a gun which can produce high enough rates of fire to cleanly trim hedges, cut down trees, or, in the case of the GAU-8 Avenger, cut tanks in half. Just imagine what they do to human flesh.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GatlingGood
I think they explained SHIELD funding in the film - something to do with ripping off the middle class.
A pyramid scheme. That explains everything.
Tell me they at least reprised the theme song from the marvel cartoon series from the seventies
No they didn't :( I was thinking that in the MCU they could have really made a Cap cartoon series in the 1960's and have Steve encounter it ansd the theme song, perhaps at the museum exhibit about him LOL
Black Widow - Born according to the released shield files in 1980.
Said she was trained by the KGB - which became the FSB in 1991 or so.
They should have just said "Trained by the FSB"
Funding:
Y'know, just before WWI, the British Imperial General Staff requested a doubling of the number of machine guns in every British battalion, and a reserve to replace losses in the event of war (and more heavy artillery.)
Lloyd George, who was then at the Treasury, denied the request on the grounds that the British public was heavily overtaxed. At that time, only people making more than about 1000 pounds a year, equivalent to about $250,000 now, paid substantial income tax, especially if they had children.
After 1918, Lloyd George had the barefaced effrontery to recount how he forced the reactionary military brass to accept more machine guns, when in reality they were clamoring for every one they could get. This should not surprise anyone who knows anything about Lloyd George, who was a brilliant but utterly corrupt and dishonest man who lied reflexively and with vicious bitchery whenever he thought he could get away with it.
Politicians spend the money on stuff that's more popular in peacetime, and then when the balloon goes up soldiers pay for it in blood.
(BTW, the stuff about Haig and the others not understanding modern weapons is complete crap. Haig was an enthusiast for new technology, demanded every machine gun and heavy artillery piece he could get, loved tanks as soon as he saw them, and badgered London continually for more aircraft. Kitchener in 1914 bluntly told the Cabinet that the war would last at least 3 years and require mobilizing millions of men, profoundly shocking the "frocks" who'd expected a limited-liability naval war. The British commanders weren't usually geniuses, but they -were- usually solid, intelligent professionals. They were simply confronted with a situation that didn't -have- any good solutions.)
One problem with the mythology versus reality (not helped by historical revisionism) is that many present day history professors avoid matters military like the plague, preferring instead to focus on social history.
Worse, if you try to teach military history in a standard survey course you find that there is considerable resistance to the material because they've been taught over and over and over again that, "War is bad, evil and we don't learn evil things."
So instead we focus on the lives of fishmongers, skirt makers and other unsundry bits of social history.
Or to put it another way, most of the military history I know I've had to acquire on my own through my own research without mentorship.
Anyway, if there is rampant ignorance about Field Marshall Douglas Haig out there (and I confess to skimming the wiki entry on me after I read your post, Steve) it is part in parcel due to what passes for history classes today.
Respects,
Murph
On the Outer Marches
""War is bad, evil and we don't learn evil thing" so is disease but I don't see calls for doctors to take it from th curriculum in medical schools.
Surely the US with as long a military history as it has, been involved in so many conflicts must have dedicated, professional miltary historians?
Murphy, for a fully-rounded picture of history one probably needs to look at both (as well as others). I think there was a long period (very long: I got some it in my 1980s schooling) when history was taught as military & government only.
Lulu, you'd think but trust me, most of the historians I encountered tend to avoid it in the classroom.
Barnes, yes, we have competent military historians. They generally tend to be in the military though not all of them are. In fact, they tend to be everywhere but in a college classroom teaching their subject matter.
Respects,
Murph
On the Outer Marches
Damn doesn't that mean that college class rooms are missing a significant chunk of history in their history classes?
Yes.
As I mentioned upthread, there is significant resistance to the topic among students and faculty.
I had an undergrad professor who said, "Nothing important happens during the wars."
Now, maybe he simply didn't like talking about them. I have my topics that I prefer not to talk about. That preference doesn't override actual necessity concerning the coverage of a topic. For instance, I can't skip American Reconstruction in my American History since 1865 course nor can I brush it off with, "Read it out of the book."
Moreover, in survey courses, which is what most college students will take (the mandatory minimum exerting as little effort as possible in order to maintain a passing average) it is impossible to cover every valid topic in detail. So some instructors try different things to compensate.
Personally, I prefer to pick an historical figure who can serve as a focal point for a given period of history, using them as a tour guide to illustrate problems, challenges, potential solutions and conflicts. That option is not always possible with each topic but when it is an option and I use it, students seem to dial into the material better.
Anyway, Captain America was great.
And Carthage must be destroyed!
Respects,
Murph
On the Outer Marches
So Much to say!
Will have a look at Which-50 shortly.
Missed the last post/email.
Saw a video in Canberra 1996 called "Horny Housewifes".
Credits included PJRL and N(*).
Then there's that video 'Perfeect People" by Tommy.
Where is he now?
Signing off.
'78 Records.
Posnamo, come no?
While this week's episode of cultural imperialism maybe offer momentary 'splodey diversion even dressed dowin the shabby rags of ennui, Samsung (not apple) have produced graphene monolayer monocrystals. This is a big deal. Perhaps not cold fusion or room temp super conductor big, but big enough.
http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/179874-samsungs-graphene-breakthrough-could-finally-put-the-wonder-material-into-real-world-devices
Bob, why do you hate America?
Its an impresive techical achievement and will chnage how tech is build in ways we can not even yet imagine.
"Bob, why do you hate America?"
60% jealousy
30% fear
10% other
I was kidding. I never really suspected you of hating America (just Kansas, Arizona and Missippippi).
I don't think I'll ever ask that question in jest again.
Those Kansans did carry out Order Number 11.
I thought that happened in Missouri.
Do you think there was a more immediate and effective way to respond to the Lawrence Massacre?
I just realized we opened the door for a discussion that includes Jayhawkers, Bushwhackers and Redlegs but excludes just about everyone here. I deeply regret doing so. Let's not go there, shall we?
PNB,
1. Yes.
2. No.
3. OK.
Respects,
Murph
On the Outer Marches
" but excludes just about everyone here" hey I may be ignorant of all the facts, details and issues. Doesn't mean I don't have an opinion on the matter on which I will carry out long, text heavy posting about.
I stand corrected: everybody here but Barnesy.
Speaking of Missouri, I never realised that Kansas City was also known as the "Paris of the Plains".
That does make me wonder what Murph, aka 'Frenchy', has been complaining about all these years. It must be a product of his innate Parisian hauteur.
We're called that because of the proliferation of fountains, many of which often do not work.
As for French food, Aixois is worth a visit.
Respects,
Murph
On the Outer Marches
It's actually Oreganics & Washingtonians* that truly Sh!t me. Their superscillious attitude "we're so clever" "We make boeings" that grates.
*Note: the State, not the Disctrict of Columbia. East coasters are generally more humble, gracious and they have the Smithsonian.
The state of Rhode Island always seems short of fans.
That'd be because it barely qualifies as a Zip code. Whomever granted State-hood must have had an agenda.
I am shocked no one here knows that Kansas City was known as "the Paris of the Plains" due to the availability of inexpensive, but skilled, prostitutes.
A joint project of UCLA and the University of Tennessee has successfully reconnected the spinal cords of four men totally paralyzed from the waist down for 2-4 years.
(They tried the new technique of four men; all four recovered showed about the same response. The program will now be expanded.)
The men have recovered sensation and mobility in the lower limbs, bladder and bowel control, and sexual function.
My money will be spent on the Lego Movie. and maybe beer, and a band or maybe beer and wait for the DVD,
Not aiming this at anybody, but....
I can't see how people who enjoy the super hero genre, can disdain the fantasy genre because magic.
Those emotional complexities are also stock in the fantasy/magic genre. Those who have magic are often fearful of the ability. Struggle to control it. Get it wrong to horrific effect. See it as a curse. Can feel it's threat of absolute moral corruption. Would rather not walk across the land to fight monstrous evil.
@ W. It's pretty simple;
1 There is a Maguffin (Spider-bite etc) that sets limits on the degree of superhero-ness, unlike in Magical stories where there is no *logical* limitation of powers.
2 No hobbits, sprites, elves or other punchable little F*kers.
The problem with the superhero genre is not the Maguffin itself but when they are a medium that has been running a continuous story for 70years and you have to keep inventing new ways of using, challanging the character.
Imagine fantasy telling one continuous story for 70years with the same characters and settings at times it would have to dig into the grab bag that DC and Marvel have had to resort to.
Not so big an issue with the movies sinec they can simply choose the best stories and ignore any bits that make things ridiculous/too fantastic.
Hey W,
Magic is sxciesez yet to be understood.
Flying planes were magic a while ago.
Still everyone is a scientific expert aren't they?
Actually, no, they weren't. The principle was understood as far back as the Renaissance, and working models were demonstrated in the 1840's. The main problems were stability and a power source with a sufficiently high power-to-weight ratio, which was just engineering.
I will put this here rather than in the SJ thread preceding
http://www.dailydot.com/fandom/black-widow-reviews-wrong-captain-america/
"
Just for kicks, I took a look at the top reviews for The Avengers, to see what America’s most acclaimed and respected cinema critics thought of Black Widow back in 2012. Bear in mind that most of these quotes are the only description of Scarlett Johansson’s performance in the entire review.
In the New Yorker, Anthony Lane wrote, “not to be left out, Black Widow repels invading aliens through the sheer force of her corsetry,” while the Wall Street Journal’s Pulitzer-winning Joe Morgenstern complained, “Black Widow spends lots of time looking puzzled or confused.”"
Hopefully Blackwidow with SJ does get a solo movie
Seeking Female,
Intelligent, nice, likes good food, honest, good fighter.
I met her when she was a kid but she (probably)won't remember it.
Hey, you know that early scene with Sam where Steve has a small pad where he writes down things that he missed in the 60+ years he was on ice that have been suggested to him? I gather that the list of items is different for each country! JB - see any Australian references there? :)
it was too fast for me to catch any oz specific reference. There is a reddit thread devoted to this topic.
Australia & New Zealand
AC/DC
Space travel
Steve Irwin
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
Tim Tams
Thai Food
Star Wars/Trek
Nirvana (band)
Rocky (Rocky II?)
Troubleman (soundtrack)
You missed "cashed up bogans."
Thank you!
Superman's morality may have been black and white in the germinal days of the 1930s, but it was black and white in a very politically progressive and partisan manner: crusading against corporations and the merchants of death and quelling endemic government corruption. All consonant with the latest Captain America movie.
Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington.
Saw her yesterday in Captain America, which was awesome and which I'll write up in a moment, and she's also playing against type in some freakish horror movie where she lures Scottish men to their deaths. But I think I'll probably see her in this Luc Besson SF action/thriller first.
Luc Besson is always worth the time.
And then there is Scarlett, who is also worth the time.
Oh, Cap Two? Teh Awesome!
Respects,
Murph
On the Outer Marches
I wrote Scarlett Johansson before Scarlett Johansson was cool... 8-).
Seeing Cap tomorrow.
On those endorsements I too am off to see Captain America 2. Is the title the Winter Solider is a reference to Paine's The American Crisis with the line
"The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman"?
I wouldn't be surprised if Marvel was inspired by Paine but I suspect the more simplistic reason is that he was a Cold War communist counterpart to Captain America.
Respects,
Murph
On the Outer Marches
wouldn't that be ???????? Rossiya?
Kapitan Rossiya
My son and I saw CM2 yesterday and we loved it. Can't wait for JB's take.
And Steve, Scarlett was always cool.
Paul, I wrote Scarlett before Scarlett was -born-.
I got no comeback for that.
What did you think of the film?
Captain America was great, but we need "Black Widow".
I think I had seen her in a minor role before but, like for many, the first time I became aware of Scarlett Johannson was in 'Lost in Translation' with Bill Murray.
The opening shot of that film was very memorable as an unconventional introduction to the relatively unknown female lead.
Again the 10% fallacy, but the movie looks good.
Looks like she is going to have a hard time leaving a fossil.
Scientology uses it, but the meme was floating around long before Elron. It was a mid-20th century staple; it comes up in a lot of the SF of the era.
The rest, apparently, is used for penguins.
Limitless on steriods, done by Luc Besson. Nice.
Yeah But this is the real deal-
Code Pink.org or something
Even Scarlett can't beat the fkwits of AIPAC and the Sycophants in Egypt.
Egyptian "Men" who suck camel dicks. Then look toough. Pieces of shit.
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2014/03/04/medea-egypt/
There is a woman I would die for.
Noew Israhell has shut dowm der Embassies watch the Egyptians follow suit.
The trailer looks awesome! I've marked out time to watch Lucy when it comes out.
Greetings from long absent
Tygertim
Welcome back TT
+1
Long time No read
I's good to be back. Courtesy of kindle fire. I've missed you guys!
tygertim
Caught the trailer for this local apocalypse flick on Gizmodo yesterday and was kind of impressed. Some wobbly voice/over scripting at the start but it soon left that behind and promised a great looking story that might even be emiggening without a Hollywood happy ending.
You'd spend it at the Apple store wouldn't you.
Nice one
if I knew it was going to end, I have a list of people I would want to 'speak to' before it ends.
Don't we all.........it would be messy.
I'd be shooting at Some bastard from fkn orbit, or...in a plane, they would be.....FKN CHINESE! PRC PLAN MUPPETS I THJINK!, after I got the plane into the air. Actually, no, I would have a bull bar on me ute, and every dumb fkn bastard who was being a GIT on the road and thats gunna include the retards in the right lane driving along fat dumb and fkn happy and taxi's ( cos we all hate them on the bloody road ) and I would be DTRINING INTO THEM< and somewhere along the the line..ID find a LAMBO to fkn SIDE SWIPE!
'Seeking a friend for the end of the world' is a nice spin on this subject matter too.
That film was much better then I thought it would be...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0156729/?ref_=fn_al_tt_7
Did it first and did it better.
Larry Niven, ran with this in 'Inconstant Moon' which I first read in 81.
C'mon, nobody did it better than The Postal Service with 'We Will Become Silhouettes'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rKC7ElkTUQ
Blarkon ducks in to say...
Posted August 1, 2014
Structure owes a lot to Ken Burns.
Barnesm reckons...
Posted August 1, 2014
w from brisbane reckons...
Posted August 1, 2014
Murphy_of_Missouri swirls their brandy and claims...
Posted August 2, 2014
Barnesm would have you know...
Posted August 1, 2014
Rhino asserts...
Posted August 2, 2014
Murphy_of_Missouri mumbles...
Posted August 2, 2014
Paul_Nicholas_Boylan asserts...
Posted August 2, 2014
This is what I've been going on about for years: the advent of independent, self financed media productions that just make my life better and better.
Blarkon would have you know...
Posted August 2, 2014
Paul_Nicholas_Boylan puts forth...
Posted August 3, 2014
MickH asserts...
Posted August 2, 2014
Darth Greybeard swirls their brandy and claims...
Posted August 2, 2014
AuntyLou puts forth...
Posted August 2, 2014
Axanar was chosen for its position not for proximity to the new ships. Or I got it all wrong. Nothing new in that. Sorry Blarkon. Love it anyway. Just wish my hubby liked the 'splody goodness like me :)
Darth Greybeard swirls their brandy and claims...
Posted August 3, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eak26ohx1Y8
Japanese Doctor Who vs Dalekor (you fiend!) and his Cyber-ninjas. Lucky the Doctor had his Sonic Screw Sword.
Trashman swirls their brandy and claims...
Posted August 3, 2014
This is the first time I've backed a Kickstarter, but after seeing what the Veronica Mars Kickstarter achieved - I think it's definitely worth it.
Murphy_of_Missouri swirls their brandy and claims...
Posted August 4, 2014
Trashman asserts...
Posted August 4, 2014
Paul_Nicholas_Boylan reckons...
Posted August 4, 2014
Murphy is gonna tell you...
Posted August 5, 2014
Trashman puts forth...
Posted August 6, 2014
Therbs ducks in to say...
Posted August 5, 2014
Could they flog copies on iTunes/Amazon/website or on dvd? I'd be willing to buy dvd's.