Practical Jokes and Feelings

Anne Thompson over at the Risky Biz blog has a post about one of the "stars" of Borat. In this case, the guy isn't suing, but he still feels shafted. Don't just read the excerpt at Biz, read the full link as well.

I think the most surprising thing about Cohen is that he never reveals the gag to the victim. Imagine an episode of Punk'd where Ashton never comes out of the woodwork and you have to wait for the episode to air before you find out that you've been taken advantage of. Think that is a stretch? Given how Vanilla Face describes the "waiver process" and how much the filming was misrepresented, one could imagine some less than scrupulous comedian improving on Punk'd by having actor's sign any kind of contract under any kind of pretense.

Korean Video Game Developers Understand Economics!

One of the things I find continually frustrating about my online gaming experiences is that I just don't have the time available to warrant the monthly fee associated with my favorite online games. It seems absurd to me to pay $15 a month for a couple of hours of entertainment where I am not able to accomplish much except watching my friends gain wealth and power while I remain a noob.

Players like me are why there is a secondary market, ie goldmining, for items, money, and higher level characters. I work and have a pretty full calendar, but I want to be able to keep up with my friends when I game. That means that I have to buy things that let me keep up. Specialty stores have arisen on the internet to give me that very option.

Before I get a lot of responses yelling at me for being a cheater, let me cut them off at the pass a little bit. I love playing online games for two reasons. I play for the story and for social interactions with people around the world. I often find it annoying when I want to do a particular instanced event when the people I team up with run through the event because they've done it twenty times. I want to experience the narrative and explore new things, and I want companions who are doing the same thing. Some people have a lot of time to play and it would be unfair for me to demand that they be bored with the same old thing, so I sometimes buy the privilege to keep up with my friends.

This isn't unusual, nor is it cheating, it's good solid economics. If you want a better car, in life, you can either build one (presuming you have the knowledge and time) or you can buy one with the largess you have acquired. That's the real world folks. As for cheating and bad economics, that is what most online game providers are doing. Let me illustrate. You have two gamers. One has near unlimited time to play and uses a large amount of server resources every day. The second has limited time and barely uses the server. Let's say one plays 80 hours a week, those 16 hour marathon weekend days are awesome, and the other plays 4. Both pay $15 dollars a month to play. One gets to do everything he or she wants, the other has a continually diminishing experience when it comes to possible play, there are just fewer people of similar power available to play with and sluggishly slow advancement can be frustrating. The 80 hour a week player, and his Czech employees, begin selling their accomplishements on the internet to the 4 hour a week player.

Both are happy, and are being economically rational. The problem is that the game company is being irrational. Not because they frown upon the secondary market or even that they try to prevent it from happening, no those are rational. The problem is that they have created an economic imbalance and refuse to acknowledge it. They allow both limited and unlimited users to access at the same rate which is economically irrational. They then complain when people who get what is essentially a discounted rate take advantage of their time and sell the spoils. Sorry, you don't get to do that. You have two rational options at this point, from an economic perspective. Either charge by the amount of time used, which will be very unpopular, or allow those who have less time and more money to purchase advancement and items from you, which has a bi-product of eliminating or diminishing the black market you oppose anyway.

Some key Korean developers understand this process and have begun to implement it in a Free to Play system where you can buy, for micro fees, in game advancements. Trust me, this is the way to go.

Eli Broad to Tribune, "I don't take no for an answer."

According to the Hollywood Reporter, it appears that following his initial refused bid to purchase the Los Angeles Times from Tribune Co., Eli Broad has decided to buy Tribune Co. in partnership with RON BURKLE. One can imagine the conversation went a little like this...

A PLAYGROUND in MIDDLE AMERICA children cheer the departure of DUSTY BAKER from the CUBS in the background. ELI BROAD,and TRI BUNECO, are having an argument about UGLY LAT IMES who is baffled by the attention. RON BURKLE is playing stickball with some of the happy youth.

ELI BROAD

(Shouting above the celebratory hollers of "Just Wait Til Next Year!")

I don't like the way you've been treating LAT, and I'll give you four ice cream bars if you stop beating her up and let me play doctor.

TRI BUNECO

No way! She's going to keep giving me her lunch money, and she's going to sell her shoes if she has to in order to give me $5.00 everyday. I can't make it on $4.95!

(ELI and TRI have a brief scuffle when it becomes apparent that TRI is a better fighter)

ELI
(Defiantly)
I don't take no for an answer you punk!

TRI
Whatever!
(Breaks LAT's glasses just for fun)

(ELI walks over to the stickball game and talks with RON BURKLE. They both start walking back toward TRI and LAT. BURKLE is carrying the stickball stick.)

ELI

Fine! You won't let me play doctor with LAT, then Ron and I will play stickball with your head!

NBC Expands Internetelevision

Those of us who have been disappointed that NBC wasn't offering full episodes of The Office on their website, and those of you who like Passions, now have reason to rejoice. NBC will be making episodes of these shows available for viewing on internetelevision. Online versions of The Office will feature additional scenes and extra footage.

The Office was one of the first shows available for purchase on iTunes and its movement over to internetelevision, as well as still being available on iTunes, shows how quickly the dynamics of internetelevision are changing from a purchase to an ad funded enterprise, or at least an industry with a combination of funding sources (see Xbox story below to see how the show purchase environment is expanding).

The On Demand Future is Here

Owners of Microsoft's Xbox 360 game console will soon be able to download video entertainment content directly to their console's hard drive starting on November 22. You know, the non-interactive kind. According to the Hollywood Reporter, "The first wave of content will include dozens of high-definition and standard-definition offerings from such partners as Warner Bros. ("Batman Forever," "V for Vendetta," "The Nine"), Paramount Pictures ("Nacho Libre," "Jackass: The Movie"), MTV Networks ("South Park," "SpongeBob SquarePants"), CBS ("CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "Survivor") and Turner Broadcasting ("Aqua Teen Hunger Force," "Robot Chicken")." Consumers will also be able to purchase television shows and watch those from their Xbox device as well.

In light of this development, one can begin to see the future battles of the video entertainment delivery world. Microsoft's decision will make it a competitor of Netflix, TiVo, and the various developing online on demand networks like Innertube. Given that Microsoft is entering the game at this, possibly, late stage Microsoft is having to develop a purchasing system consistent with its competitors. Though pricing information hasn't been revealed, methodology has. Movie purchases will follow a rental model of purchase/watch once/auto-erase which puts it in line with DVD mail companies and Cable On Demand purchases. Television purchases will work differently and be "purchase-to-own" in nature, this means buyers will be able to watch television shows they purchase from any Xbox by using their Xbox Live account. Given that Microsoft's main competitors in the TV watching demographic are free online services like CBS's Innertube, this is the most interesting aspect of the Microsoft decision.

It appears that my earlier statements that the internet will become television are still true, but I should also add that television will become the internet and it won't be that crappy WebTV either.

Stories of Halo's Demise Exaggerated.

It was recently reported that financial backers Universal (makers of Bean II) and Fox (distributors of The Marine) had backed out of funding a movie based on the successful video game franchise Halo.

According to James Brightman of Hollywood Reporter, predictions that this may prevent a film from ever being released are premature. The creative team of Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh are still very much behind the movie, as is Microsoft.

Having played the first game and enjoyed its narrative nature, I very much look forward to a big screen adaptation of the Master Chief. I have watched enough computer based fan-films and I want to see the story super-sized.

Why Does the Media Hate Me?

According to Court TV, a defense attorney is claiming that it was obsession with Dungeons and Dragons that made James Flemons walk into his workplace with a Samurai sword and slash a co-worker to death. You see, according to the defense, Jack Chick was right and D&D, is corruptive and evil (you can read an MST3K-esque parody here).

As you know, I hate the association that is constantly put in front of the public that roleplayers are "deviants" and "outsiders" who don't merge well with society and are in constant danger of committing homicide. I wrote about it last year when discussing Anti-Harry Potterism and when discussing Penny Arcade's charity.

This is just another one of those ploys. ICV2 describes many of these "rpgs-are-evil" types as small time Savonarola's and I'm just wondering when Americans will really evaluate the claims made by the press regarding rpgs and give them the same amount of credence as the "Twinkie Defense." When are we going to come to understand that storytelling and catharsis aren't action? When will we come to learn that the News Media is so obsessed with sensationalism that facts don't matter? When will we learn that these modern Brother Girolamo Savonarola's are manipulating us and making a Bonfire of the RPGs? Do we really need Court TV to save our children's souls? And to be fair, though we may have disdain for Savonarola's attacks on art and games he was opposing actual corruption in the Church. So let's not give him a worse name by associating it with people who just want to remove any sense of personal responsibility from the actions of their clients.

This very night, I am opening up my first edition Dungeon Master's Guide and putting a hex on the attorney.

Why the first edition? It's the one with the real hexes!

On the Horizon

Next spring will see the release of a Pokemon based collectible miniatures game. I hate Pokemon's premise, that being slavery. I hate the show. I hate the card game. But I might just be interested in playing this miniatures game. Have you looked at the Charzard?

Marvel Comics is developing a TV series based on my favorite Batman ripoff Moon Knight.

Fantasy Flight Games' Marvel Superheroes Boardgame should be coming out any day now. You can look at some pictures here.

The boardgame based on Wizkids' popular "Pirates of" constructible card game series of games was just released, "Quest for Davy Jones' Gold."

Eden Studios will no longer be producing game products based on the Buffy and Angel licenses.

How Are You Ringing in All Hallow's Eve?

This weekend, my wife and I are inviting some friends over to watch classic horror films and play one of my horror themed boardgames. This year's likely candidate is The Fury of Dracula by Fantasy Flight Games, it's actually a new edition of a classic Games Workshop game from when they did more than miniature wargames. We'll likely slide in an old Vincent Price or vintage Hammer film and have a roaring good time.

That is, if we don't go over to the Alex Theater to watch Vincent Price exact revenge in larger than life fashion in House on Haunted Hill. In a move that would please Tim Burton, the Alex screening includes the EMERGO effect where the skeleton emerges from the screen and floats over the audience. At least that's what the website promises.

What About Frankenweenie?

The Calendar section of the LA Times has a nice bio of Tim Burton and his return to Los Angeles for the 3-D opening of his classic Halloween musical The Nightmare Before Christmas. The bio is filled with some interesting Angelino nostalgia points that are useful to LA Implants like me, for example the location of a historic restaurant in Burbank or discussions of how Hollywood's facelift might affect an aging goth.

The article is quite good, but the intro paragraphs focus on Tim Burton's "dark side" and how it is evident in films like Edward Scissorhands or The Corpse Bride, but what isn't mentioned is how Burton's dark side is only dark in appearance. His films are about outsiders, who often misunderstand normal society, whose attempts at kindness often appear frightening to those around them. His films are a wonderful expression of the desire of a person to love and be loved, but who doesn't understand or value "normal" society.

Besides, the article didn't mention my favorite Tim Burton film Frankenweenie. How can you say that someone has a frightening dark side when he makes a film that is a tale of wish fulfilment for any child (or adult) who has ever had a dog die. His combination of the Frankenstein story with the "terrors" of suburbia is genius. Go watch it on your The Nightmare Before Christmas DVD and you can see what I am talking about.

Entertainment News Rundown 10/25

I am thinking of doing a new feature, similar to Fishbowl LA's rundown of LA news. I'd like to do a quick stroll through entertainment news.

Anne Thompson has a good post on how the NYT is covering the box office results for Clint Eastwood's Flags of Our Fathers. She also has an excellent article on Aronofsky's upcoming fantasy The Fountain.

TV Critic Ray Richmond weighs in on the Madonna adoption.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Borat will no longer be a wide release, rather it will open on 800 rather than 2000 screens demonstrating just how much Americans don't pay attention to foreigners. Ah, the power of YouTube...show the first four minutes of a major studio release and have to cut back the number of theaters.

Patrick Goldstein, unlike the NYT, understands that October is also early Oscar season and not just when we worry about grudges.

You too can be baffled as to why the best new show on television was ranked 24th last week.

Shawna Benson keeps us appraised of the state of the fall lineup. I know that you can get info from the Futon Critic as well, but I like the way Shawna structures the results and predictions.

Bill Cunningham gives us the lowdown on Drive-in studio AIP. Bill's comments on how direct to dvd is the new AIP is very informative.

Construct Your Own Cylon for Halloween

Thanks to the folks over at Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories, you can now build your very own Cylon Jack O'Lantern for Halloween.

Before you do though, I would like to add the following cautionary note. Be sure that your household does not have a wireless ethernet router. It is one thing for sinister alien androids to take over your neighbor's computer, or even the city's computer system. One might even argue that alien androids taking over city computers might be a good thing, but one's own computer? Nay, I say!

Oh, and after the holiday, make sure that you have a class V disruptor as the combination of plant matter with computer circuitry makes the Cylon O'Lantern resistant to Classes' I through IV.

Titanic: Two the Surface

In a world gone mad with sequel-mania, one man had the courage to go where no sequel had gone before.

The 300 Teaser Trailer

The Battle of Thermopylae is one of the classic battles of Western history and a quintessential few against many story. A few years ago, Frank Miller wrote an acclaimed comic book adaptation of the story and a film based on Miller's adaptation is scheduled to be released early next year. I couldn't be more excited. I am a big fan of the story, and of the cheesy film version The 300 Spartans by Rudolph Mate. I expect great things from the latest version, which seems like it will be filled with common Spartan wit.

Watch the trailer to get an example of Spartan comments, but know that many of the best lines were not written by Miller. Rather they are matters of historical record and can be found in Plutarch's Moralia.


Get this video and more at MySpace.com

Now that you've seen the video, here are some quotes from the Moralia.

• Leonidas: When someone said, "Because of the arrows of the barbarians it is impossible to see the sun," he said, "Won't it be nice then, if we shall have shade in which to fight them?"


• Thearidas: Thearidas, as he was whetting his sword, was asked if it was sharp, and he replied, "Sharper than slander."


• Themisteas: Themisteas fortold to Leonidas, the king, the coming destruction both of himself and of his fellowsoldiers at Thermopylae, for he was a prophet. He was sent away by Leonidas to Sparta, on the pretext of announcing there what would come to pass, but in reality so that he should not suffer death with the rest. He, however, would not brook this, but said, "I was sent out to fight, not to carry messages."


• When the ambassador from Elis said that his citizens had sent him for the especial reason that he alone emulated the Spartan way of living, Theopompus said, "Is your way of living or that of the other citizens better?" And when the man said that his own was, Theopompus said, "How then, can that State be saved in which, among many citizens, only one is a good man?"


• Theopompus: When someone pointed out to him a wall, and inquired if it was strong and high, he said, "Is it not a place where women live?"


• Cleomenes: When somebody inquired of him why Spartans do not dedicate to the gods the spoils from their enemies, he said, "Because they are taken from cowards."


• Leonidas: Being asked why the best of men prefer a glorious death to an inglorious life, he said, "Because they believe the one to be Nature's gift, but the other to be within their own control."

In Thucydides Peloponessian War, Archidamus describes the Spartan character by saying:

The quality which they condemn is really nothing but a wise moderation; thanks to its possession, we alone do not bemome insolent in success and give way less than others in misfortune; we are not carried away by the pleasure of hearing ourselves cheered on to risks which our judgment condemns; nor, if annoyed, are we any the more convinced by attempts to exasperate us by accusation. We are both warlike and wise, and it is our sense of order that makes us so. We are warlike, because self-control contains honor as a chief constituent, and honor bravery. And we are wise, because we are educated too little to despise the laws, and with too sever a self-control to disobey them, and are brought up not to be too knowing in useless matters -- such as the knowledge which can give a specious criticism of an enemy's plans in theory, but fails to assail them will equal success in practice -- but are taught to consider that the schemes of our enemies are not dissimilar to our own, and that the freaks of chance are not determinable by calculation.

There are many more, but that should whet your appetite.

Comic Books and Daytime Soaps

I know that the A's moving to Fremont might be more "important" news, but I am very intrigued by the fact that Marvel Comics is doing a bit of cross-promotion with Guiding Light.

According to ICV2 News: "Marvel plans to add an 8-page backup story written by comic-and soap scribe Jim McCann to a number of books starting with four titles releasing on October 25th, while Guiding Light episode telecast on November 1st will provide the origin of Springfield's first costumed crime fighter and plenty of "Easter Eggs" for sharp-eyed Marvel fans."

That's right, all us comic book geek completists will need to set our TiVos to CBS and record Guiding Light.

A lot of people I know are surprised by the move by Marvel, but I am not. This seems a perfect way to reach out to new audiences, especially young female readers. Even the idea of having a superhero on a soap doesn't seem all that bizarre to me. I grew up with Scorpio's spy escapades on General Hospital, the show was like a really bad Man From UNCLE for a while. More recently, Port Charles had a "Buffy" storyline where Lucy was a vampire hunter and nearly all of Port Charles were turned into vampires.

How do I know this? Oh, the storyline was so bizarre that I had to watch. Leaving out that storyline, it doesn't take much to find genre soaps, Dark Shadows, Babylon 5, and Battlestar Gallactica all come to mind, at least as far as having what are typically soap operatic conflicts.

RE: Q&A

I'll join in
1. up at 4:30 am,
2. pearls (more class),
3. The Protector,
4. MNF,
5. Corn Pops or oatmeal,
6. quick,
7. Paul,
8. Brussel Sprouts -childhood hangup,
9. N/A
10. Tuna,
11. Cutting my hands climbing a chain link fence,
12. Arbitraryness, (my weakness spelling)
13. running shoes,
14. Nepal,
15. Coral,
16. N/A
17. Philly (there is something about a big city)
18. 20
19. Baseball, Football
20.to 22. N/A
23. Me
24. 8/12
25. Long distance running (it only takes me 6 miles to clear my mind), reading
26. Not sure, or that hell is really one long spelling test
27. passing out on the hood of a car, that was not mine.
28. missed a tree by 3 inches while skiing in Co.
29. Attny
30. She knows who she is,
31. I'd like a dog but none now
32. Plastic
33. A judge, a doctor (what can I say, I am not the greatest at advanced math).
34. Mums - they are tough, I respect endurance
35. If I could, I would make people more reasonable.

Very Long Q&A

The good folks at Pererro have been answering the following Q&A and I figured that I would join them.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:00.

2. Diamonds or pearls? I find pearls to be more attractive, especially black pearls.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The Departed, saw it right after Employee of the Month.

4 What is your favourite TV show at the moment? Either Heroes, Ugly Betty, or Eureka two of which can be watched online.

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Faux eggs and turkey bacon.

6. Favourite cuisine? Proficient

7. What is your middle name? Arthur

8. What food do you dislike? Mayonnaise (the jarred kind, I know that certain "sauces" are whipped oil and thus technically mayonnaise. I am talking Best Foods here.) and Liver and Onions.

9. What is your favourite CD at the moment? The new Snow Patrol CD is getting a lot of play in my car, but I am already shifting over to the Killers.

10. Favourite sandwich? Philly Cheesesteak.

11. First Childhood memory? Needing "gummy bottom" shoes so I could run on the bomb shelter door cover.

12. What characteristic do you despise? People who think that ranting is "dialogue."

13. Favourite item of clothing? Uh...Omega watch.

14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would it be? Neuschwanstein.

15. What colour is your bathroom? White.

16. Favourite brand of clothing? Brooks Brothers.

17. Where would you retire to? Northern California, Oregon, or England if they change their taxes.

18. What was your most memorable birthday? 31st, my wife threw me a Disneyland surprise party.

19. Favourite sport to watch? In order...Baseball, Soccer, Formula One.

20. Furthest place you are sending this? Cinerati.

21. Who do you least expect to send this back to you? N/A

22. Person you expect to send it back first? N/A

23. Person who is most busy? My Wife.

24. When is your birthday? 1/8

25. Hobbies? Reading, Movies, Rpgs, Computer Games, Boardgames.

26. Biggest Fear? Void.

27. Drunk memory: Not going there.

28. Luckiest moment: We make our own luck.

29. Career highlights: Promotion to Program Director of Non-Profit.

30. Regrets: Being unfair to certain people in the past.

31. Pets? Cat. Used to have 3 cats and a dog, but time takes its toll.

No. 32 Paper or Plastic? Plastic.

33. What did you want to be when you were little? Lawyer, Politician, or Astronaut.

34. What is your favourite flower? I really like Lilies.

35. What would you change about the world? If I had psionics, I'd make it so people were mentally incapable of using Nuclear Technology in the development of weapons. Barring that, keep making my space in the world as pleasant as possible.

A Look at Video Gamer Demographics

According to the Hollywood Reporter, those of us looking to have "gaming" experiences with those mysterious creatures known as women need look no further than our desk tops. Of the remarkably high 58.5 million "active gamers" who play online games, 64% are women. That's right, according to Nielsen if you want to play a game with a woman play online.

Does that mean that all those WoW players hiding in their basements are on the cutting edge of the dating future like Will Ferrell in The Wedding Crashers (he crashed funerals)? Not necessarily, the Nielsen study defines some of the terms a little differently than an MMORPG player might expect. First, "active gamer" means someone who plays 1 or more HOURS a week on a gaming device. To you and me that is more like what I would call a "casual gamer." Second, "older females make up the largest percentage of casual gamers, usually playing online card and puzzle games." Casual games are games similar in content to traditional boardgames. So if you want to meet "gamer women" the likelihood is that they love Scrabble, chess, sudoku, or some other traditional type games. Of course, this also means they like games that translate well into a "social" environment so if you meet a date via online Scrabble, you might actually want a second date.

The Hollywood Reporter article has a lot of information about other demographics, but the fact that females make the majority of online gaming is pretty interesting stuff.

A Glimpse at the Beautiful Game.

An interesting song, a compilation of Football clips featuring grace, violence, and bloopers. Life is indeed good.



Oh, and this video is way better than the actual video.

I Was Bushwacked!

Those who frequent this site, both of you, might have noticed a significant downturn in the number of posts last week. That is largely due to the fact that I was in Jesse James country. You got it, I was in western Missouri in a small town called Excelsior Springs, which is pretty close to Liberty and is only a few miles away from Jesse James' birthplace.

I would have posted earlier, but I had to prove I was neither a "Yankee" or a "damned Pinkerton croney." Beautiful country, see for yourself.

Eragon Trailer Now Available for Viewing

Part Elfstones of Shannara, part Harry Potter, and part childhood dreams of flying, the Eragon trailer is now available for viewing. After seeing Jeremy Irons in Dungeons and Dragons, I began to fear that any fantasy film in which he starred would be doomed to failure. But if the trailer is any clue, then all that is required for a good fantasy film is a good story. Oh, wait...I already knew that. Eragon the book was very entertaining and the movie looks equally good.

You can view the trailer here.

Upset That Robert Downey Jr. Was Cast as Iron Man?

Well, I've got news for you. Soon you too will be able to be Iron Man, and not in some meaningless film either. That's right, Engineers in Japan are designing a working powersuit for those in the Nursing profession. Sure, the suit makes you look more like Exo-Skeleton Man (from the Champions Role Playing Game) than Iron Man, but it's a start.

Thanks to Chris Roberson of Monkeybrain Books for the tip.

Brave new old world…

Hello Cinerati citizens! It’s been awhile since I have posted a guest article, but with the permission of Christian and company, Uncle Loophole would to say a few things. I think Cinerati is the best place for this discussion, as television and entertainment on the internet is an occasional topic. As most visitors to The Shelf are aware, we work hard to bring to you a weekly media roundup. We wade through the morass of media releases for the week and give you our highlights and picks, whether it’s music, DVD releases, books, games, or television. These are our picks for the week and, of course, they sometimes reflect our interests and taste. We do a lot of legwork for this weekly “public service” (see- I just made myself seem all…civic minded and stuff!), and it does take some time. I’m going to let you in on some behind the scenes “footage”, if you will (maybe, one day, soon to be available on The Shelf DVD as a featurette) , and let you see what goes into it: a lot of reading and research. That’s mostly it. Yes, we get to preview and screen a few DVDs, but most of the films we’ve seen before so we do rely on lots of industry information, research, and tips from our operatives in the field. These aren’t reviews; these are our picks that we recommend that our readers give a try.

I bring this up because a fairly recent discovery has aided and abetted in our endeavors as of late: AOL. Yes, that AOL. Well, specifically AOL Music. You see, every week on AOL Music, you can preview selected new CD releases (in their entirety) for a week. The next week, new releases are available for a listen. We’re able to really review several new CD’s for our Media Roundup a day before they drop in stores. I can listen to several of them during normal earth work hours, and then recommend my choices and review them for you. I usually provide a link so that you can see them for yourself. I know that perhaps most of you are saying to yourself; “Gee, Uncle Loophole, we know this already. We’ve been listening to Ludacris all week!” I understand that may be the case, but let’s consider the bigger picture for a moment. Ludacris, huh? Hmmm..

The end result is this: If I am not able to figure out if a CD is worth buying, I can preview it. I also get to sample music from artists I’m not familiar with or even listen to genres I’m not used to buying. I get comments and email from readers who have mentioned they have gone out to purchase a CD or DVD that we have recommended. Some of them have even stated they have listened to the CD on AOL Music for free that week. Did you catch that? They went out and purchased a CD after they were able to listen to it for free for a whole week. It’s rather elementary, really, and I think that it is just the latest in what we are seeing on the internet in this age of digital media.

Not too long ago this form of free digital entertainment was strictly verboten. Now things are a little different. It has become a smart business model. Companies show upward spikes in sales when the preview model is applied. It’s not revolutionary; it’s just now really being applied to digital entertainment. In fact, this is really old hat… with a new sheen. AOL music has recently revamped their music site and is now offering song downloads for a price, and subscription-based internet radio stations (think XM). Think of the CD listening party as a service that draws in potential customers, not just to purchase on AOL Music, but really anywhere. AOL is not the only one; Apple and Amazon are on the same path. And it’s not just about offering free previews and services. They know that while entertainment is ageless, the way to access it is not. With new forms of electronic gadgetry available every year, the masses are able to access many forms of entertainment at work, at home, in the car, on the plane, or subway. Don’t get me started on storage. Heck, with the right gadgets, even when you are at summer camp in the wilderness you don’t have to be uncivilized. Thank goodness for that. Finally, being the nerd at summer camp has advantages!

As Christian has discussed before, television has been in on the act as well. CBS, NBC, and ABC are all putting episodes and web-only shows online mostly for free. I enjoy CBS’s Innertube, although I think they need to work out the kinks and make it even more user-friendly. It’s nice to be able to watch some of the current week’s episodes after they have aired. What’s the attraction with that? This past Tuesday night I missed the latest episode of NCIS. I love NCIS and The Unit. Tuesday nights is one of the few nights that I sit down and watch television. Sometimes, other, more important things come up. No worries. The next day, during a well deserved lunch break, I sat down to eat, and through the courtesy of CBS and Innertube, I watched the NCIS episode I missed the night before. Again, this isn’t revolutionary. The show was free to begin with, and reruns happen all the time. I could have watched it for free, oh… sometime next year. But through the Networks making shows available on the web, I was able to catch up before the next episode. This is increasingly important to producers, as serial shows are increasing in popularity. Shows like Lost, or even newer shows like Kidnapped or Smith, rely on viewers keeping up with the ongoing storyline.



With Ipod, Apple and Disney are providing even more ways to get digital entertainment in television and movies wherever you may be. Microsoft is not one to be left out when money is to be made. They recently announced their own media player, Zune (above) set for launch in November. Zune has some exciting changes with more focus on wireless capabilities and being software and content driven. Being able to share files with other Zune owners with WiFi technology will be cool. Heck, even Sony is getting television downloads to your PSP. With the disappointing performance of UMDs, this is a way to affirm Sony’s vision of the PSP as an all-in-one portable entertainment device.

With digital forms of entertainment growing larger in number, and the ways of accessing it increasing everyday, providers are pushing themselves further beyond conventional business models. They need to get our ear, catch our eye and make us aware of what they have to offer. Again, this isn't necessarily new. It's a familiar business approach, but applied in a new way. Will organizations like the MPAA and RIAA get what's happening or will they continue to be increasingly archaic and fight home entertainment and every new way to access it? Who knows? In the meantime, we can increasingly find ways to get content that doesn’t involve going to the music store, big box retailer, or Movie Theater. At the same time, providers are also finding ways to utilize technology to reach semi-luddites like myself, who still like to go to the music store or DVD section of the local big box retailer to browse. In simple terms, just because one of my favorite pastimes is going to the local bookstore and actually reading a physical book, that doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate being able to read an excerpt or find out what I can online, before I buy. What social implications this may have as far a societal interaction and the like, I can’t pretend to fully know. I suspect that some of what the soothsayers have been saying may be true and some of it- not so much. Humans still have the need for contact and each other. It’s just that sometimes it’s nice to be able to get the latest album from our favorite artist without having to drive and fight crowds.

Don’t forget to visit us over at The Shelf. See you there!


This commentary is the responsibility of J.C. Loophole and not the editors at Cinerati, who generally have more sense than Mr. Loophole possesses. Their willingness to allow him to post here can be interpreted as a case of charity, and in the long run, folly. Along with Wolf Flywheel, J.C. Loophole is the proprietor of The Shelf; a daily excursion into an eclectic mix of cinema, pop culture, history, politics, nostalgia, and recently, Halloween candy. Hey, we didn’t say it made sense; we just said it was fun.

Doing Our Part for the Neglected Ninja

As you all know, Talk Like a Pirate Day happened earlier this week. I personally think that pirate holidays, particularly ones with "talking," are discriminatory against ninjas. The parallel holiday would, after all, have to be "be quiet like a ninja day" and who wants to be silent for a whole day?

How fun is that?

So to combat anti-ninjatism, I offer you Ask A Ninja. A good a place as any to start, is with the ninja view of podcasting, which according to the ninja is more exciting than watching wood be wood.

After watching the videos, I am sure you will agree that every ninja has Strong Bad as a role model.

Spreading the Grudge: Interactive Marketing

Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures is taking an interactive approach to marketing their upcoming film The Grudge 2. In the film, as in the first Grudge, ghosts from an eerie house in Tokyo seek to spread terror to anyone who has visited the house, or who knows anyone who has. In the film's universe, the terror of the Grudge should come into contact with all of us, like a disease. Ghost House Pictures has decided to simulate the film's "haunting" and incorporate it into their marketing.

You can now receive surprise phone calls from Kayako or Toshio, the creepy spirits who bring death and madness to those they haunt, by registering at the official website. Better yet, you can sign your friends up and freak them out. You can also view non-platform specific mini-films to your computer or mobile phone. Raimi and crew call these, non-platform specific blipverts (that's a Max Headroom reference if you were wondering) "anysodes" because they can catch up to you anywhere.

I enjoyed the first US version of the Grudge, though one scene was very reminiscent of the old SNL "Land Shark" skit and made me laugh out loud.

Sword and Skull -- A Boardgame Review in Honor of Talk Like a Pirate Day

Today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day in honor of which ABC's Wife Swap featured the Baur family last night (John Baur is a co-founder of Talk Like a Pirate Day). It is only fitting that on such an auspicious day we here at Cinerati should do a review of material related to pirates and piracy. One could easily do a positive review of Pirates for the PC/Xbox, but if you don't own the game you are no true pirate fan! It is a must have.

No...we here at Cinerati want to guide you into places you may not have looked before to be entertained, while at the same time not being so obscure as to be overly arcane and alienate the novice gamer. With that in mind, we would like to present the following review of the Sword and Skull boardgame published by Hasbro under their Avalon Hill label.



Sword and Skull is a simple "Track Game" for two to five players with an entertaining premise:

The nefarious Pirate King has stolen Her Majesty's Ship, the Sea Hammer, pride of the Royal Navy. Furious, the Queen has offered a great reward to the person who can retrieve it. As one of the advisors to the Queen, you have chosen an officer of the Royal Navy to pursue the Pirate King. Of course, it might take a thief to catch a thief, so you've also conscripted a vicioius pirate from the Queen's dungeons.

Now they are preparing to enter the dreaded Lair of the Pirate King. Will one of them be the first to recover the Sea Hammer? Or will one of your rivals receive the Queen's reward instead?

Each player in the game is in control of two "Avatars," one Pirate and one Loyal Captain, who must find a way to bring the Sea Hammer back to the Queen. There are two ways to achieve this goal. The player can either raise enough gold to bribe the Pirate King to return the ship, or the player can defeat the Pirate King in combat forcing him to return the ship. The goals may be simple, but the accomplishing of them is not for it is good to be the Pirate King. Player's start out with little money and even less skill at arms. So each player must work their way around the track encountering various fortunes/dangers until they have sufficient lucre or puissance to attain the goal.

The "track" element of the game requires the players to move around the track in a clockwise fashion and encounter the "space." This element of the game is like a combination of Monopoly and Games Workshop's famous questing game Talisman. Sword and Skull at the same time lacks the complexity of either the games it borrows from, and adds innovation to each. It is an interesting paradox, but one that is true. As the players work around the board (pictured below), they encounter various "space" types. The two most common are "settlements" and "caves."



At settlement squares the player can recruit crew to assist in the defeat of the Pirate king. These crew members are an absolute necessity and come in three types. "Money grinders," which are similar to property in Monopoly, provide the player with gold each time another player lands on a settlement matching the color of the money grinder and everytime the player passes the fort (think Go in Monopoly. What separates money grinders from property is that only the color of space matters and not the specific name of the individual square. Some settlements have three or four squares and if you have a money grinder for the settlement you are paid by the player landing their. Naturally, multiple players may have grinders at the same settlements. The second type of character is the "buffer" who adds combat skill to either your Navy Captain or your Pirate Captain (this is distinguished by a symbol on the card). Finally, there are crew who are both money grinders and buffers. Recruiting the right crew can lead to rapid victory, but it can also irritate other players.

At caves players encounter various "monsters." These range from the simple Crocodile to Pirate Skeletons. This type of encounter is nothing surprising to your average "quest game" fan, but they have added an innovation. The difficulty of defeating each challange is based on the size of your crew, your total crew. So if your Pirate Captain has to battle a Siren and you have 6 crew members you will have a tough challenge. This is especially true if all 6 of your crew are money grinders or Navy Captain buffers. So it helps to have a balanced crew. Defeating challenges gets you items and gold, items usually help you in combat and gold helps the bribe victory.

The games that I have played were fast and furious. The rules were clear enough that any inter-player bickering was due to cards which allow one player to "steal" items from another player (note: while this adds variety to games it can add "meanness"). The end game was close and all players had a chance to win during the last stages of the game. The game is simple and combines elements from board game classics. Of the two possible victory outcomes, the most rewarding seems to be combatting the Pirate King. This is true even though the more innovative of the two is to win by bribery. At the beginning of the game everyone knows how tough the Pirate King is, but no one knows how much it will take to bribe him until the end of the game.

Click on Photo of Game Box for PDF copy of the rules from the Hasbro site.

LYT Does Sketch Comedy

Black Dahlia Without the Hyperbole.

Since today is the release date for the Black Dahlia movie, only 59 years and 9 months after the body was found, and since this means a lot of you in the interwebs are looking for some information regarding the Black Dahlia murder and how well the movie portrays history, I am offering some links to what I think is a reasonable analysis.

First, a little background. Like most people, I had a vague knowledge of what the Black Dahlia murder was, but hadn't become wrapped up in its mystique. Then last year I attended an LA Press Club event regarding the Donald Wolfe book The Black Dahlia Files: The Mob, The Mogul, and the Murder That Transfixed Los Angeles where Wolfe reveals his theory that Bugsy Segal was behind the murder because Norman Chandler wanted to cover up a pregnancy. I thought the theory was crazy, still do, but it got me looking around the interweb looking for better information.

That's when I found Larry Harnisch's blog (Harnisch is essentially the Los Angeles Times "Black Dahlia Guy" and his methodology is rigorous) where he decimates the Wolfe book and provides robust analysis of the murder. Harnisch also has a site dedicated to his own theory about the murder. Harnisch also has a piece in today's LA Times, as does James Ellroy.

You can find a lot of crazy stuff on the web, so stick with the links above and you'll better be able to view the film critically.

Speaking of the Interwebonetosphere as TV

This Fall Season appears to be the season of internet premieres and internet support of television. Cinerati has already reported that CBS will be using its Innertube streaming video site to support its more serial television shows (CSI:Miami, Jericho, and Survivor will be available for viewing on the site)>.

It looks like other networks will be following the lead and offering network content on the internet, according to today's Hollywood Reporter. The methods of raising money, and show selection, vary from network to network, but one thing is clear...your PC (or Mac) has become another television. This PC television has one major advantage over your regular TV, and no it isn't the higher possible screen resolution (though that is cool too). You can use your computer to watch the shows you want, when you want. On demand TV is being test marketed this season and it is an exciting time. With products like "Gold Rush" being marketed on AOL, can a major show/ARG be far behind?

Here is a list of the big three network sites and the shows they will be offering:

CBS -- Innertube

"CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "CSI: Miami," "CSI: NY," "Jericho," "NCIS," "Numbers" and "Survivor" will be posted on Innertube the morning following their initial network broadcast. Episodes of the three "CSI" series, "NCIS" and "Numbers" will be available for four weeks while episodes of "Jericho" and "Survivor" will remain available on the broadband channel all season.

NBC -- I thought they were going to be limited to the "Netflix Premiere," but they decided to show me that they want to live in the now as well. Just click on the NBC 24/7 button at the NBC site.

The current player will begin exhibiting the new series Monday, but the NBC 24/7 branding won't kick in until Oct. 1.

Four episodes of the new comedies "30 Rock" and "Twenty Good Years" will be available, while eight episodes of the dramas "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," "Kidnapped," "Friday Night Lights" and "Heroes" will as well.

ABC -- In addition to their partnership with Apple which will allow you to download episodes for a fee, ABC is supporting an ad supported streaming network. I am very excited about their new show Ugly Betty.

Disney-ABC Television Group is returning its ad-supported player Sept. 23 with an even bigger lineup of series than it featured when the network first experimented with the technology in the spring. Seven series, including "Lost," "Ugly Betty" and "Six Degrees," will be featured four episodes at a time as well as "The Nine," the Warner Bros. TV series ABC secured through a separate deal that the companies announced Tuesday (HR 9/12).

Burgandy Skies already mentioned that her munchkin can watch Spongebob ad infinitum online, but this article doesn't want to delve to deep into how much content is going to be offered from the cable world. Let's just say...this is an exciting time to be a consumer, unless you are indecisive and don't like choices.

Supernova, Drunk on Tranya, Picks Lukas Rossi

Remember the Carbomite Maneuver? Remember the wierdly made up and bizarre looking Clint Howard who was somehow entrancing? Remember how the voice dubbed for young Mr. Howard felt unnatural? Me too.

Apparently Supernova thinks that odd combination of traits is exactly what they want in a new lead singer. That's right, Supernova chose the one remaining artist who would disuade me from purchasing their upcoming CD, Lukas Rossi. The only way I will buy the CD is if I drink too much tranya myself.

That's right...no Magni (boo!), no Dilana, and no Toby. Go to the 664th level of the abyss Supernova, or better yet the 666th level, because that's where I predict your CD will go...straight to the bottom.

The internet vs. T.V.

Television has, for me, jumped the shark. If a show is really good I can get it on DVD (and sometimes even when its not so good), clips of popular shows can be had via places like iFilm and YouTube, and now they even have epsiodes you can download into your iPod (heck, the Boo watches the latest episodes of Spongebob and the Fairly Odd Parents on Nick.com). Given that none of these mediums require that you stop every few minutes for commericals, nor that you sign up for TiVo, and given that the average person only has so many viewing hours, how many people out there are still watching T.V. that are internet/tech savvy?

I was just curious, because I never seem to even find the time to watch my stack of DVDs that I want to watch, much less browse television, but everyone in our college classes seem to have these laundry lists of television shows that they watch, even when they don't like them very much. Which is really surprising given that all these people go to work 40+ hours a week and go to school full time. Any thoughts from out there in T.V. Land?

The Temeraire Novels are Coming to the Big Screen

One of the most exciting Fantasy book series released this year was Naomi Novik's Temeraire collection. Earlier this year, the first three books in the series were released within one month of each other giving the series a nice movie serial/television show feel. I found it novel that I didn't have to wait the requisite 1 to 2 years between novels of a series, a fact that usually keeps the first book of a series unread on the shelf until sufficient sequels arrive and has led to me purchasing books I otherwise wouldn't. Nothing worse, as a reader, than waiting for a trilogy to finish, buying all the books, only to discover that the first book is aweful, all the while having waited 6 years before beginning the journey.

Novik's publisher didn't make me wait and I read the first book, His Majesty's Dragon, as soon as I bought it. I then waited with baited breath for the next two books. The series is a combination of traditional fantasy elements (dragons) with the Napoleonic nautical conflict of a Horatio Hornblower novel. If you love Dragons and cannon fire, these books are for you. It should be noted that while there are three books currently available, the series is not a trilogy and should continue in the near future. Yes, that probably means waiting the obligatory 1 to 2 years for sequels, but at least there are already three entertaining books out.

According to Novik's livejournal blog, and the Hollywood Reporter, Peter Jackson has optioned the movies for production. I can hardly wait!

Exploring the Supernatural, or Exploiting the Gullible?

The 19th Century, much like today, was a time when many were obsessed with the supernatural and wanted "proof" of life after death. There were, and are, many in the marketplace who address this obsession with either products or promises. Turn on the television tonight and you can watch a Medium talk with the dead or a "Psychic Detective" solve crimes in Santa Barbara. There are still people like John Edward who are willing to exploit people's personal loss for financial gain, using chicanery to simulate "abilities".

What separates the 19th century from today, and I think makes it an era with richer narrative potential when it comes to supernatural stories, is that it was a time (like the 1970s I guess) when scientists -- you know the empirical people -- and magicians examined the claims of the paranormal. Deborah Blum has an interesting book covering the investigations of William James and his friends entitled Ghost Hunters and fiction author Sax Rohmer's nonfiction book The Romance of Sorcery is a wonderful glipse into one member of the Golden Dawn's attempt to study the occult in a semi-scholarly fashion.

In the late 19th century, stage magic was at a pinnacle not seen since, except in Vegas, and you have room for narrative mystery. Modern science has taken the mystery out of many paranormal claims, and we are better societally for it, but it is still fun to tell tales of ghosts and sorcerers and the Victorian era makes such a wonderful backdrop.

This is why I am excited to see The Illusionist tonight, why I read Christopher Priest's The Prestige (I reviewed the book here), and why I look forward to the upcoming film version of the Priest book.

Speaking of the Victorian Era, "tricks," and ghosts, the Stephen Cohen Gallery in Los Angeles is showcasing the works of many "spirit" photographers from the late 19th and early 20th century in their Immaterial World exhibit. The Stephen Cohen Gallery is located at 7358 Beverly Blvd. and the exhibit is open 11 am to 6 pm Tuesdays through Saturdays. The exhibit begins September 7th and ends November 11. I am excited to visit the exhibit, but a part of me finds it appropriate that the exhibit closes on Narrentag (Fool's Day).

Crickey!

Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, died today due to wounds caused by a Stingray.

Nell Minow (aka The Movie Mom), Joe Bob Briggs, and the Death of Fun

January 15, 1982 was more than the 55th anniversary of the Black Dahlia killing, it also saw the birth of the first Joe Bob Briggs drive-in movie review. The 80's were the decade that the culture wars really took root in the American psyche and Joe Bob jumped into the fray head first. Joe Bob came armed with a sharp sense of humor and a vast knowledge of blood, breasts, and beasts.

December 1984 Tipper Gore, according to her book Raising PG Kids in an X-Rated Society, purchased Purple Rain by Prince for her then 11-year old daughter. Four months after Tipper Gore purchased the Prince CD, Joe Bob Briggs was fired from the Dallas Times Herald due to protests of a spoof version of "We are the World" called "We are the Weird." The events are not directly related, nor is the fact that both Raising Kids and Joe Bob's Joe Bob Goes to the Drive-In were published in 1987. But these events do show the power that the culture wars hold on our collective consciousness.

The culture wars are an interesting phenomenon where political opponents on one issue can be the staunchest allies on another issue. This is especially true whenever "what is best for the kids" comes into the picture. People who might attack one another, if not for the intervening presence of police, during a protest/support rally at an abortion clinic find often find themselves agreeing about how movie X, or song Y, are the root cause of all the shenanigans teenagers are getting themselves into today. Ask an anti-abortion Baptist, or a liberal Sociologist, about the nefarious influence of Hip Hop and you'll get the same response. The critics might use a different vocabulary, but the critique is the same. It is the same old story that has been handed down since the Waltz, Ragtime, and Rock n' Roll. As the reverend in Footloose might say, "It's the Devil's music." Or as Theodor Adorno might say, "It is a vulgar manipulation of the youthful proletariat."

Today, the culture wars are alive and well. This morning NPR hosted an interview with Nell Minow (aka The Movie Mom). Minow has written a book about how parents can become more involved with their children's movie choices. Shades of Tipper and the PMRC? In the NPR interview Minow discussed how the PG rated Material Girls starring the "Duff Sisters" was inappropriate for children. Minow was especially disturbed by Hilary Duff's imitation of Erin Brocovich and the inclusion of prostitution in the narrative. According to Minow, sexual innuendo doesn't belong in a movie rated appropriate for 2nd and 3rd graders. I think I agree with her that overt sexual innuendo might be inappropriate for 7 and 8 year olds, but I was taken aback when she said that PG movies were for 2nd and 3rd graders. That's right, Nell Minow believes that PG (Parental Guidance) describes a movie that should be appropriate for 2nd and 3rd graders. Don't believe me? Listen to the interview. I thought the words "Parental Guidance suggested" meant parental guidance suggested and not, "send your 7 and 8 year-olds alone to this picture before reviewing it yourself."

Here is how the MPAA, the ratings body, describes a PG movie.

This is a film which clearly needs to be examined by parents before they let their children attend. The label PG plainly states parents may consider some material unsuitable for their children, but leaves the parent to make the decision. Parents are warned against sending their children, unseen and without inquiry, to PG-rated movies. The theme of a PG-rated film may itself call for parental guidance. There may be some profanity in these films. There may be some violence or brief nudity. However, these elements are not considered so intense as to require that parents be strongly cautioned beyond the suggestion of parental guidance. There is no drug use content in a PG-rated film. The PG rating, suggesting parental guidance, is thus an alert for examination of a film by parents before deciding on its viewing by their children. Obviously such a line is difficult to draw. In our pluralistic society it is not easy to make judgments without incurring some disagreement. As long as parents know they must exercise parental responsibility, the rating serves as a meaningful guide and as a warning. (emphasis mine)

I may be wrong here, but "There may be some violence or brief nudity" is a pretty clear statement that doesn't imply the film is alright for 2nd and 3rd graders. I might concede that the MPAA, by having a PG-13 rating at all, is doing the public a disservice, but there is no way that PG means "okay for little Timmy." Add to this the shock that Minow has that Hilary Duff, little Lizzy Maguire, is starring in a film with sexual innuendo, and I think that Minow doesn't live in the same world as I do, or she isn't paying attention. Sure Duff was Lizzy, but she is also (at least for now) dating Joel Madden of the pop-punk band "Good Charlotte." I think she might be at that stage where she is trying to live down her "good girl" image, but that could just be me.

The "worried" side of the culture wars are alive and well in 2006, but what about the humorous defender Joe Bob Briggs? What has he been up to lately? He's written two excellent books, Profoundly Disturbing and Profoundly Erotic. These books are insightful and detailed scholarly glimpses into the history of "shocking" cinema. Joe Bob has even had an article about the "star" of the porn film Deep Throat published at National Review Online. These works by Joe Bob Briggs are all informative, they are also well written, but none of them are funny. These are not the Joe Bob I know and love. I shouldn't love the funny Joe Bob since according to his criteria I am ineligible to vote in the Hubbies (the Drive-In Academy Awards). My ownership of "Police" CDs makes me a Communist in the old Joe Bob's world. But I think the new Joe Bob might want to discuss how the "Police" fuse Ska and Rock with Punk sensibilities. Joe Bob Briggs has become more like his Bruce Banner-esque alter ego John Bloom than the Joe Bob I know and love. John Bloom, the Vanderbilt honors graduate, might write the following sentence, "Chain Saw was the first baby-boomer shocker, in which pampered but idealistic suburban children, distrustful of anyone older than thirty, are terrorized by the deformed adult world that dwells on the grungy side of the railroad tracks." I cannot see Joe Bob, America's foremost expert on Drive-In movies, writing those words. No...Joe Bob would write, "We all have our favorite scenes in Saw. I guess mine is when the cannibal family tries to feed Marilyn Burns to Grandpa, but Grandpa's too weak to suck through a straw or lift his dinner hammer high enough to crush her brain into potato salad."

The voices, and critiques, by the "worried" side of the culture wars haven't changed over the years. They are still genuinely worried about children and so their arguments remain the same. The defenders of schlock have changed though. Joe Bob isn't as funny as he used to be, now he publishes books that have academically insightful commentary about the films the "worried" side worry about. No longer is Saw "a national symbol of everything that had gone wrong with American culture." Now it has cultural significance and, "has become America's cultural shorthand for perversity, moral decline, and especially the corruption of children." Joe Bob wouldn't even know how to spell perversity.

I like John Bloom a lot, and I think you should read his books. But I do miss Joe Bob, he would know what to say to Nell that would put her in a murderous rage. He might say something like, "I wanted to tell you that I do NOT subscribe to filth and violence. I buy it off the newstand."

Jonathan Kent Dies at 90

Sad news today from the Los Angeles Times. Glenn Ford, the actor who played Pa Kent in Richard Donner's Superman, has died. Ford turned 90 this past May when he was saluted by the American Cinametheque for his historic film achievements. The Times obituary is a wonderful remembrance of a wonderful acting career. But by focusing on Ford's "important" films and his noir work, it leaves out the role he defined for a generation of filmgoers.

Ask any Gen X-er who they think of when they think of Superman's dad and they will most likely say, "Glenn Ford." Okay, to be honest they'll most likely say, "That old guy from the Chris Reeves Superman movie. (sic)" Yes, I know that should be Christopher Reeve, but "Reeves" is what most people will say. Glen Ford's portrayal of Jonathan Kent is the superhero parent performance that all other superhero parent performances are judged by. Though Ford's character doesn't live past the first act (he dies in a scene that re-envisions Superman's childhood radically from what had been established continuity), his presence is felt throughout the entire movie. The Donner film is the story of how two fathers, one human and one Kryptonian, provided the moral foundation for the World's Greatest Superhero.

Ford's portrayal was stern and loving and has stuck with me since that day.

So yes, Ford's roles in Gilda, The Blackboard Jungle, and The Courtship of Eddie's Father should be remembered and praised (in fact, go watch Eddie's Father now! Shirley Jones...mmmmm), it is the death of Jonathan Kent that makes my heart sink today.

Download Johnny Cash, Gwen Stefani, INX, and Audioslave for Free?

In a move to challenge the supremacy of iTunes in the music download business, Universal Music Group has decided to back SpiralFrog. According to the Los Angeles Times and the Financial Times the New York based SpinalFrog will open a music download website where advertising dollars, and not purchase dollars, will pay the fees for downloaded music. You and I will be able to download the Universal Music Group artists we enjoy while Perry Ellis and Levi's Jeans will pay the bill.

Downloading songs will require the "purchaser" to view a 90 second advertisement before the actual download begins, viewing a 120 second ad will be required for video downloads, which will have the effect of increasing the effective download time. According to the "Times," SpiralFrog believes that young purchasers will be willing to wait the few extra moments for free and legal downloads.

One can only speculate whether young purchasers will be willing to leave P2P networks where music is available free with no wait, but the success of iTunes leads one to believe that the model may work well.

One thing is certain, the SpiralFrog/UMG alliance will provide a market test for the viability of the internet as an advertising funded vehicle. Currently radio and broadcast television are funded primarily through advertising, consumers will have to wait to see if the internet follow their model or whether the future is more like cable where advertising is a part of the picture and subscription fees are the other part of the equation.

If the commercials are entertaining, maybe Ricky Gervais or Dr. Z entertaining, I think I might just be willing to wait 90 seconds. Waiting until December when they start the service will be the harder trial.

Bonus Points for Microsoft

Apparently David Brent, of BBC Documentary The Office fame, was hired in his capacity as Business Advisor to do a training video for Microsoft. Take that Apple. Sure...you might have Chinese workers who manufacture iPods over 60 hours a week. Sure...you might have to "revise" your financial statements. Sure...your batteries might need to be recalled. Sure...you had to settle with Creative for patent violation, but used the settlement as an opportunity to increase monopoly status. But do you have David Brent as a trainer? No, right, no.

Seriously though, I am a huge fan of The Office and this is funny stuff. Some of my favorite lines, "Will Sir William of Gates be there" or "Nobody watching this video has met William Gates, I'll bet you that."

On the downside, you had better watch this fast. The Microsoft empire has already pulled this from YouTube due to copywrite violations. All I have to say, is this was available for purchase on MSN I'd buy it and they wouldn't have to worry about the copywrite.

Back to Our Regular Scheduled Programming

Sorry for the quick digression yesterday, but one must reach out to friends in need. Now it is time for us to get back to the other important things in our lives; Snakes on a Plane, Eureka, and Rockstar: Supernova.

• Last Friday my wife and I went to the theater to watch the "cutting edge" and "internet buzzworthy" camp-action film Snakes on a Plane. We had a good time. The film delivers what it promises, namely snakes...on a plane. There are plenty to spare. Sure we had fun, but is the film any good from a "is it rewatchable" perspective? Not an objective aesthetic perspective (it falls very flat on that count), but on a basis of whether a Snakes on a Plane DVD will spend more than once spinning in one of our DVD players.
  
  Quick answer...no. The film was fun, but I think it would fall flat on multiple viewings. Unlike many of the masterpieces in the camp-action film genre (Deatrace 2000, Big Trouble in Little China, and Kung Fu Hustle) Snakes on a Plane is neither campy nor action-y enough for multiple repeated viewings, a couple of extra viewings sure but nowhere near Deathrace level. Snakes starts with appropriate camp, but it has a patina of respectability. It is this patina that made my wife wince whenever the villain delivered a line of dialogue -- thankfully rare -- and made me wonder if someone couldn't have just made the film "straight."
  
  Don't get me wrong. I had a great time at the show, but I left wanting either a more serious film or a funnier one. In the end, I left the theater amazed at how quickly snakes could hollow out a human skull, how useful olive oil is, and wondering why I was denied a kung fu showdown between the villain and the random kickboxing stud who happened to be on the flight. Happy Married Couple, but we're only watching it one more time on Netflix.



• The Summer television season is an interesting hodgepodge of new, and old, television shows. It is a time to try out a popular series you haven't watched regularly in the past, and a time to watch interesting new shows on cable networks. One of my wife's, and my, favorite shows is "The Closer" on TNT. We like the character dynamics and the way the show plays with standard criminal "procedural" narrative devices. It's well written, fun, and we discovered it last year. This year, the Summer brought another enjoyable show to be recorded regularly on our TiVo.
  
  SciFi channel's new original series "Eureka" is a gem of a show. The best way to describe it is a quirky, modern day, science fiction, version of the Andy Griffith Show. Colin Ferguson plays a formal US Marshall who has recently become the Sheriff of a strange town called Eureka. The city is filled with fantastic technology and strange characters. Most of the town's residents are supergenius scientists who have been recruited to live in Eureka by the US Government where they invent the devices that make our lives easier. The city was created during the Cold War to ensure the development of the sciences in the US and to prevent espionage etc.
  
  Ferguson is wonderful as the Sheriff and presents the character's "talented fish out of water" personality with humor and charm. Each episode he deals with some new, and often interesting, problem resulting from the town's unique residents. Much like the "Andy Griffith Show" the stories are often mundane narratives about quirky citizens, well at least they often begin that way. Unlike in Mayberry, there are some very evil people who are interested in Eureka and the series has a few secrets that it is keeping from the audience. It will be fun to see where the show is heading. Happy Married Couple.



• When it comes to "Rockstar: Supernova," I have only one thing to say. If Magni doesn't win...I don't think I will buy their CD. That is unless Dilana wins. Really, for me it is between those two with regard to who I think would be the best edition to the band. Toby's cool, Storm is a Valkyrie, Lukas looks like the love child of Clint Howard and Billy Idol, and any one of them would be "alright" and I might buy the CD after hearing a couple of songs first. I'd buy the Dilana or Magni "Supernova" CD sound unheard. As for Ryan, he is a jackass. I can't believe that people have forgotten what a jerk he was the first couple of weeks. I know that the "writers" are painting Dilana as a bit of a diva lately, but it will take more than creative editing to get me to like Ryan. Dude can't decide if he is Emo, Grunge, or Glam and is phenomenally inconsistent. Magni is a straight up rocker. Dilana is the epitome of Punk meets Glam (the '70s deal). Lukas is straight Glam, glitter and all, but without the voice to pull that style off (except when he actually lets himself sing, then he has a nice voice). Toby...is well...Toby, he's like jock rock, same goes for Storm. She could totally beat me up and make me like it.
  
  My ranking of the final 6:
  
  1. Magni
  2. Dilana
  3. Toby
  4. Lukas
  5. Storm
  6. Ryan
  
  
  I know that I am not "in sync" with the public on the Magni deal, but I think that the 15 year-olds who dominate the polls are nuts.

This Post is for Maia

I have a friend who is experiencing very hard times and has asked for sympathy and help. One of the things she asked for was scripture or Psalms to help her in her current life. This isn't something I do very often, but given that I have written about my own sadness in the past and asked for other's sympathy, I could do no less for her.

When I am overwrought with sadness there are a couple of pieces of scripture which help me to see that I am not unique in the silence with which G-D rewards my prayers. Key among these is Psalm 22:

Tehillim - Chapter 22

1. For the conductor, on the ayeleth hashachar, a song of David.
2. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? [You are] far from my salvation [and] from the words of my moaning.
3. My God, I call out by day and You do not reply, and at night I do not keep silent.
4. But You are holy; You await the praises of Israel.
5. Our ancestors trusted in You; they trusted and You rescued them.
6. They cried out to You and they escaped; they trusted in You and they were not shamed.
7. But I am a worm and not a man; a reproach of man, despised by peoples.
8. All who see me will mock me; they will open their lips, they will shake their head.
9. One should cast his trust upon the Lord, and He will rescue him; He will save him because He delights in him.
10. For You drew me from the womb; You made me secure on my mother's breasts.
11. Upon You, I was cast from birth; from my mother's womb You are my God.
12. Do not distance Yourself from me, for distress is near; for there is none to help.
13. Great bulls have surrounded me; the mighty ones of Bashan encompassed me.
14. They opened their mouth against me [like] a tearing, roaring lion.
15. I was spilled like water, and all my bones were separated; my heart was like wax, melting within my innards.
16. My strength became dried out like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaves to my palate; and You set me down in the dust of death.
17. For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evildoers has encompassed me, like a lion, my hands and feet.
18. I tell about all my bones. They look and gloat over me.
19. They share my garments among themselves and cast lots for my raiment.
20. But You, O Lord, do not distance Yourself; my strength, hasten to my assistance.
21. Save my soul from the sword, my only one from the grip of the dog.
22. Save me from the lion's mouth, as from the horns of the wild oxen You answered me.
23. I will tell Your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise You.
24. You who fear the Lord, praise Him; all the seed of Jacob, honor Him, and fear Him, all the seed of Israel.
25. For He has neither despised nor abhorred the cry of the poor, neither has He hidden His countenance from him; and when he cried out to Him, He hearkened.
26. Because of You is my praise in the great congregation; I pay my vows in the presence of those who fear Him.
27. The humble shall eat and be sated; they shall praise the Lord, those who seek him; your hearts shall live forever.
28. All the ends of the earth shall remember and return to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall prostrate themselves before You.
29. For the kingship is the Lord's, and He rules over the nations.
30. They shall eat all the best of the earth and prostrate themselves; before Him shall all those who descend to the dust kneel, and He will not quicken his soul.
31. The seed that worships Him; it shall be told to the generation concerning the Lord.
32. They shall come and tell His righteousness to the newborn people, that which He has done.

Tommorrow we will resume our regularly scheduled programming and discuss Snakes on a Plane, Eureka, and Rockstar: Supernova.

Betrayal and The Book of Jhereg

Hi, I'm Eric. I am a member of Christian's SciFi/Fantasy Book club.

Our first book, Betrayal by Aaron Allston, is the first novel in the 9 part Legacy of the Force series which comes after the action of the New Jedi Order. The story is built up around the goings on in the Correllian System, where a dangerous weapon capable of destroying whole planets is being reactivated by the local regime in an effort to leave the Galactic Alliance. The story focuses on the actions of Jedi Knight Jacen Solo. By the way how do you pronounce this guy's name? Is it a J pronounced like an H and a hard C like "Hawken" or is it more like the common name Jason? Anyway, all of the main EU and cannon characters are along for the ride. The book features many Jedi vs. Sith battles, a bunch of droid smashing urban fights and lots of starfighter combat. The action in the book was exciting and kept up through the entire book and sets the table well for the 9 part series.

For the month of September our club deciced to read The Book of Jhereg by Steven Brust. Readers in the club will only be required to read book 1, Jhereg. In a strange coincidence I met a fan of Steven Brust today in my bowling league. I only broght it up with him because he happened to be reading a collection of fantasy stories which contained a Steven Brust short story set in his Taltos world. He had a very high opinion of the story. So obviously we are headed somewhere good.

I Knew Firefox Was Too Good to Be a Human Creation!

It turns out that the Firefox Web-browser, my browser of choice, was created by aliens and not mankind. Students at Oregon State University have found proof. I only hope it is the friendly little grey aliens with transporter technology and not the mean snake aliens who take possession of human hosts and built the pyramids.

Hat tip: Ziggurat of Doom.

Stephen Colbert Puts the Following People "On Notice!"

Put your own choices On Notice!

Don't Forget CBS's Online Network Innertube When Planning Your Fall Viewing

When it comes to the internet as network entertainment medium, it looks like CBS might just be "getting it." According to the Hollywood Reporter the Eye will be floating a number of its key shows on their internet channel Innertube.

The HR reports:

episodes from "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," "CSI: Miami," "CSI: NY," "Jericho," "NCIS," "Numbers" and "Survivor" will be posted on Innertube the morning following their initial network broadcast. Episodes of the three "CSI" series, "NCIS" and "Numbers" will be available for four weeks while episodes of "Jericho" and "Survivor" will remain available on the broadband channel all season.

.

Add to this revelation, the DVD advance release of "Kidnapped" and "Studio 60" pilot episodes to Netflix by NBC and you can see how these two networks are trying to stay ahead of Disney and their iPod connection. By the look of things, it appears that CBS and its Innertube Channel may just be leading the way and may have even come up with a possible solution to the "Serial Television" problem that Hollywood Reporter Ray Richmond reported about during the Television Critics Association Summer Meeting.

It is with the serial drama, like the new show "Jericho," where the new medium will become most useful in establishing an audience. The consumer directed and on demand nature of internet content will raise the possibility of "Jericho's" survival. Let's say the show gets good critical reviews early on, but that the show is extremely dependent upon knowledge of prior episodes. No problem, consumers can watch -- at will -- the earlier episodes, in the case of "Jericho" the whole season to the date the person first tries the show, and catch up on what has happened.

Not to mention that if "Jericho" doesn't get enough TV viewers, ratings are everything, but it achieves awesome web numbers, the show might continue as an online (and hopefully eventually DVD) only show. Imagine if "Firefly" had been made available in this format by Fox, or "The Inside," or "Invasion."

Those assume that the show will be good, a fact I cannot testify too or even guess at, but if the show isn't good than Innertube won't harm the show either. The addition of an internet television network is an exciting opportunity for even more viewer selected programming. Current Nielson systems are not 100% accurate, but bandwidth demands don't lie. If one show's content creates a drain on servers, you know you have a hit.

Exciting times my friends exciting times.

B is for Bookclub

I want to thank those of you who put out ideas for authors to be read by my fantasy/scifi book club. As you may know, next month we will be reading a book by a fantasy/scifi author whose name starts with a B. Once more, I don't want to dictate to my reading group which books should be read so I'll provide the following list and ask all of you to vote which book I should recommend to my group.

1. The Mucker by Edgar Rice Burroughs


2. Beyond 30 by Edgar Rice Burroughs


3. Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks


4. Wishsong of Shannara by Terry Brooks


5. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury


6. The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold


7. The Book of Jhereg by Steven Brust

Eric, who is a part of my group, mentioned that he was thinking Brooks for B and I am a pretty big Brooks fan. Sword of Shannara is a pastiche to the Lord of the Rings, with a little post-apocalyptic fare, but Elfstones and Wishsong are wonderful fairy-tales which I would be happy to re-read.

The Mucker and Beyond 30 are often overlooked adventure tales by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I have found both to be quick, and pleasant, reads. They are very much products of their times, and they lack the "fantastic" element of Burroughs' Mars/Venus/Moonmaid stuff, but they make for a good look at the history of the genre.

The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold is a good representation of where Fantasy is at today as a genre.

The Book of Jhereg is a remastered version of the first Taltos novel. The author has made slight changes to make the narrative more consistent with later books. These books are essentially hard-boiled Fantasy novels, think Mike Hammer meets magic.

As for Something Wicked This Way Comes, does it really need justification? Classic.

So, I leave the voting up to you and I will make my recommendation to the group on Thursday (after we have discussed the latest Star Wars novel) based on your comments.

As for the Star Wars novel, I will post a review of the book on Friday.