Beau Bridges.. madman or genius?
Madman.
Sand kings the movie, which is different from the book, takes place in a future where life was found on Mars and the government has been doing research on the specimens. They start out small, building fortresses out of sand to protect themselves from the other waring clans of sand kings. When the main character, played by Mr. Bridges, is fired from the project he decides to take some of the eggs home in order to do more research on his own. As the law of 'don't mess with mother nature' goes, we can be assured that bad things ensue. The sand kings get bigger and bigger and when they stop getting fed, all hell breaks loose. The sand kings war amongst themselves for food and territory. The sand kings break free of their glass terrarium and run rampant throughout Beau's house. The story ends with a cliffhanger as the camera pans over a nest of sand kings in the forest outside of the house.
I would like to take a moment to comment on Beau Bridge's performance in this movie. Not only do we get the pleasure of seeing him lose his mind completely, but his hair has a story of its own throughout the movie anyway. There is a scene where he is cutting his hair in front of the mirror and he just loses it. Talking to himself as he cuts, Beau thinks about what his dad thinks and that his wife was wrong for leaving him.. I disagree. I think the moment he put a strand of hair over his mouth like a mustache and spoke into the mirror was the moment Beau Bridges lost all evidence of sanity.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Monday, November 26, 2007
Sci Fi Log: Contact
Contact is a story of a scientist who receives a transmission from space and then tries to decipher its contents. The information received turns out to be schematics of a machine that will transport one person through space to the star Vega. It takes a coalition of quite a few countries to fund and birth the project.
The film ends with the main character, Ellie, traveling to see the aliens in the machine. The machine travels through wormholes. The part I found interesting was that the Vegans said they didn’t create the portals and that they didn’t know who did which means that there is even more sentient life out there.
When we watched Contact in class, I found myself way more into the movie than I ever have been. I’ve seen the movie on tv countless times but never before have I focused in on every detail of the film. I liked how they incorporated the theory of special relativity into the movie, it makes it feel more possible. Maybe that's it, the reason I was so into this movie was because we learned about the science used in it beforehand. On another note, the radical evangelical that blows up the first machine creeps me out.. big time. I think it's important, however, that there was a religious theme throughout the film because if this were to actually happen, I could see there being a lot of religious protest as seen in the movie.
The film ends with the main character, Ellie, traveling to see the aliens in the machine. The machine travels through wormholes. The part I found interesting was that the Vegans said they didn’t create the portals and that they didn’t know who did which means that there is even more sentient life out there.
When we watched Contact in class, I found myself way more into the movie than I ever have been. I’ve seen the movie on tv countless times but never before have I focused in on every detail of the film. I liked how they incorporated the theory of special relativity into the movie, it makes it feel more possible. Maybe that's it, the reason I was so into this movie was because we learned about the science used in it beforehand. On another note, the radical evangelical that blows up the first machine creeps me out.. big time. I think it's important, however, that there was a religious theme throughout the film because if this were to actually happen, I could see there being a lot of religious protest as seen in the movie.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Sci Fi Log: 2001
Where do I begin?
I think the first thing I thought when we finished 2001 in class was that I would definitely need to watch it again on my own time to fully understand what was going on. Not only that but the fact that we watched it in sections didn't help.
From what I gathered, this movie can be broken down and analyzed on several aspects. It is indeed a slow-moving movie with lots of slow cut scenes with either 20 minute scores or long periods of complete silence. HAL is a character I found to be surprisingly deep. At first I thought him not to be a major part of the story but in fact he is a very dynamic character. It's creepy how calmly HAL addresses Dave when he is manually shutting him down. "I really think you should sit down and take a stress pill, Dave." I think the programmers who made HAL should have given him different tones of voice so people who interact with him understand what he's trying to convey better. But that's just me.
My internet is starting to go out so I'll pick this up another time..
I think the first thing I thought when we finished 2001 in class was that I would definitely need to watch it again on my own time to fully understand what was going on. Not only that but the fact that we watched it in sections didn't help.
From what I gathered, this movie can be broken down and analyzed on several aspects. It is indeed a slow-moving movie with lots of slow cut scenes with either 20 minute scores or long periods of complete silence. HAL is a character I found to be surprisingly deep. At first I thought him not to be a major part of the story but in fact he is a very dynamic character. It's creepy how calmly HAL addresses Dave when he is manually shutting him down. "I really think you should sit down and take a stress pill, Dave." I think the programmers who made HAL should have given him different tones of voice so people who interact with him understand what he's trying to convey better. But that's just me.
My internet is starting to go out so I'll pick this up another time..
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Sci Fi Log: Electronic Soldiers
FFW stand for "Future Force Warrior." It's a program that the army is carrying out that will completely re-invent our fighting men and women. It consists of a bunch of technologies that will all be put in to place by the year 2020. Some more liberal estimates put the deadline at 2030-32.
I'm studying the FFW program for my Synthesis Prompt and I must say it's very interesting to see what systems will (hopefully) be used in later years. Some I'm more skeptical of others. however. I mean, liquid body armor? I'm not so sure..
Already in service as part of the FFW program are the Stryker attack vehicles. They are heavily-armored mobile platforms that can perform a multitude of tasks. There's a Stryker for evacuating the wounded, one with a large carrying capacity for troop transportation, a Stryker with a large cannon on it for artillery support and even a Stryker vehicle with a vast array of sensors and communications equipment that is used for command and control.
Next to be put into service will be the Land Warrior system. This is a man-mounted computer and sensor system that will greatly reduce what is know as 'The Fog of War.' Or battlefield confusion. The Land Warrior system has a Heads Up Display (HUD) that the soldier wears on his helmet. It gives him up-to-date status on other platoons, enemy locations, reinforcement status, and many other important bits of information. All of this information is transmitted through wireless internet mounted on the soldier's back. This system will be improved upon in the future to include physiological monitors and will be more compact.
Far into the future, the army plans to implement liquid body armor. This is achieved by having an oil or silicone-based liquid with iron particles suspended in it. When impacted with an object at high velocity, the iron particles become electrified and harden instantly. I'm skeptical of how this is going to work but scientists have assured the press that it will be in place in later years.
Being a Military buff, the FFW program has been an interest of mine for quite some time and I saw this Synthesis Prompt assignment as a way to display all that I've learned about it up until now. I could talk for hours on the subject but I don't think there's enough bandwidth for me to do that.. so on the note I'll take my leave.
I'm studying the FFW program for my Synthesis Prompt and I must say it's very interesting to see what systems will (hopefully) be used in later years. Some I'm more skeptical of others. however. I mean, liquid body armor? I'm not so sure..
Already in service as part of the FFW program are the Stryker attack vehicles. They are heavily-armored mobile platforms that can perform a multitude of tasks. There's a Stryker for evacuating the wounded, one with a large carrying capacity for troop transportation, a Stryker with a large cannon on it for artillery support and even a Stryker vehicle with a vast array of sensors and communications equipment that is used for command and control.
Next to be put into service will be the Land Warrior system. This is a man-mounted computer and sensor system that will greatly reduce what is know as 'The Fog of War.' Or battlefield confusion. The Land Warrior system has a Heads Up Display (HUD) that the soldier wears on his helmet. It gives him up-to-date status on other platoons, enemy locations, reinforcement status, and many other important bits of information. All of this information is transmitted through wireless internet mounted on the soldier's back. This system will be improved upon in the future to include physiological monitors and will be more compact.
Far into the future, the army plans to implement liquid body armor. This is achieved by having an oil or silicone-based liquid with iron particles suspended in it. When impacted with an object at high velocity, the iron particles become electrified and harden instantly. I'm skeptical of how this is going to work but scientists have assured the press that it will be in place in later years.
Being a Military buff, the FFW program has been an interest of mine for quite some time and I saw this Synthesis Prompt assignment as a way to display all that I've learned about it up until now. I could talk for hours on the subject but I don't think there's enough bandwidth for me to do that.. so on the note I'll take my leave.
Sci Fi Log: Crazy Mr. Hammond
(Sorry these are late, i made some hard copies during some down time i had and lost track of where I put them. Won't happen again!)
"So my park wasn't a success, I see now that I was trying to manipulate nature in a way that I could not. I only hoped that people could come from around the world to see these beautiful creatures in all of their glory. Living and breathing right in front of their eyes. We were so close, but in the end Malcom was right. I had a false sense of control over the park and ultimately that was my downfall. For a moment there I thought my grandkids weren't going to make it out alive. This is why I've decided to cancel any and all further plans with Jurassic Park and the InGen corporation...for now"
-Mr. John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) at the end of the film "Jurassic Park."
"Those damn fools! If Nedry hadn't bugged the system, if all of the park systems had stayed online and the animals hadn't reproduced I would have my dreams laid out before my eyes right now. It's all their fault. I could've made billions of dollars off of this park, billions. Instead I'm sitting on this god forsaken hill with a broken leg. I sacrificed everything for this park, is this how I am to be repayed!? Imagine what the investors will think, or even the public once the story gets out. Nevermind that, I have more urgent problems, I hear something chirping in the bushes. It's coming closer, compy's!"
-Mr John Hammond (Crichton's Character) at the end of the book.
Of course these aren't real quotes, I was trying to compare the Hammond in the book to the Hammond in the film. In the book I see a crazed, money-hungry businessman who is angry and frustrated that things didn't go as planned. He seems almost childish at the end of the book, fuming. He had dreams of endless fortunes and fame, only to die alone on a rocky hillside.
And in the movie, he basically has an outlook of "Oh darn, Jurassic Park didn't work out after all. Better luck next time." He's an old man that just wanted for people to enjoy his work, not make money. I much prefer the book's ending over the film's because not only is it justice that the mad man that is Hammond dies, but it brings more closure to the story because the creator of all Jurassic Park ceases to exist. Of course in the movie they left room for John Hammond to be in the second movie. Hollywood, always looking to make a buck.
"So my park wasn't a success, I see now that I was trying to manipulate nature in a way that I could not. I only hoped that people could come from around the world to see these beautiful creatures in all of their glory. Living and breathing right in front of their eyes. We were so close, but in the end Malcom was right. I had a false sense of control over the park and ultimately that was my downfall. For a moment there I thought my grandkids weren't going to make it out alive. This is why I've decided to cancel any and all further plans with Jurassic Park and the InGen corporation...for now"
-Mr. John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) at the end of the film "Jurassic Park."
"Those damn fools! If Nedry hadn't bugged the system, if all of the park systems had stayed online and the animals hadn't reproduced I would have my dreams laid out before my eyes right now. It's all their fault. I could've made billions of dollars off of this park, billions. Instead I'm sitting on this god forsaken hill with a broken leg. I sacrificed everything for this park, is this how I am to be repayed!? Imagine what the investors will think, or even the public once the story gets out. Nevermind that, I have more urgent problems, I hear something chirping in the bushes. It's coming closer, compy's!"
-Mr John Hammond (Crichton's Character) at the end of the book.
Of course these aren't real quotes, I was trying to compare the Hammond in the book to the Hammond in the film. In the book I see a crazed, money-hungry businessman who is angry and frustrated that things didn't go as planned. He seems almost childish at the end of the book, fuming. He had dreams of endless fortunes and fame, only to die alone on a rocky hillside.
And in the movie, he basically has an outlook of "Oh darn, Jurassic Park didn't work out after all. Better luck next time." He's an old man that just wanted for people to enjoy his work, not make money. I much prefer the book's ending over the film's because not only is it justice that the mad man that is Hammond dies, but it brings more closure to the story because the creator of all Jurassic Park ceases to exist. Of course in the movie they left room for John Hammond to be in the second movie. Hollywood, always looking to make a buck.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Sci Fi Log #3
Happy Sputnik anniversary!
I want to start off this blog with a shoutout to Mr. Inloes whose melodious tones fill the air at last night's powder puff football game where early in the game, the Juniors showed a firce offense, crossing the field in a mere three plays for a touchdown. It was 16-25, Juniors when I left but apparently the game ended closely at 22-29 in favor of the Juniors; the curse is back. Mr. Inloes played the national anthem with his 1974 Fender Stratacaster (probably not it's real name.. I don't know guitars). It was a nice change from the usual not-so-great, over-energized ladies who usually sing the anthem at other venues. I liked the ending the most, joyful and triumphant.
I don't like how Alan Grant is portrayed as a guy who doesn't like kids in the movie. It makes the story a lot more interesting to read because Alan is constantly talking to Tim about different dinosaurs and such. It's also fun to see Tim get so excited about having someone else in his life who likes dinosaurs as much as he does. I can relate to Tim when he was describing his visit to the dinosaur museum. His family was barely interested and he was completely exhilaerated about the all of the exhibits. this happened to me when I went to Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio in the seventh grade. My family showed similar disinterest when I was beaming and poking around all of the airplanes. This has happened repeatedly when we went to the Smithsonian in D.C. and to the HMS Hornet docked in South Carolina. Tim's dad wanted to go home and catch the end of a sports game. My dad usually had to sit down more towards the end of the day, his ankles aren't in the best shape. It's good that Tim gets this role model, especially one who's book he has read. I'm glad Tim and Alan get to bond in the book, even if they are being chased by dinosaurs.
The bell's about to ring.. transmission terminated.
I want to start off this blog with a shoutout to Mr. Inloes whose melodious tones fill the air at last night's powder puff football game where early in the game, the Juniors showed a firce offense, crossing the field in a mere three plays for a touchdown. It was 16-25, Juniors when I left but apparently the game ended closely at 22-29 in favor of the Juniors; the curse is back. Mr. Inloes played the national anthem with his 1974 Fender Stratacaster (probably not it's real name.. I don't know guitars). It was a nice change from the usual not-so-great, over-energized ladies who usually sing the anthem at other venues. I liked the ending the most, joyful and triumphant.
I don't like how Alan Grant is portrayed as a guy who doesn't like kids in the movie. It makes the story a lot more interesting to read because Alan is constantly talking to Tim about different dinosaurs and such. It's also fun to see Tim get so excited about having someone else in his life who likes dinosaurs as much as he does. I can relate to Tim when he was describing his visit to the dinosaur museum. His family was barely interested and he was completely exhilaerated about the all of the exhibits. this happened to me when I went to Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio in the seventh grade. My family showed similar disinterest when I was beaming and poking around all of the airplanes. This has happened repeatedly when we went to the Smithsonian in D.C. and to the HMS Hornet docked in South Carolina. Tim's dad wanted to go home and catch the end of a sports game. My dad usually had to sit down more towards the end of the day, his ankles aren't in the best shape. It's good that Tim gets this role model, especially one who's book he has read. I'm glad Tim and Alan get to bond in the book, even if they are being chased by dinosaurs.
The bell's about to ring.. transmission terminated.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Solanum.
"I was only thirteen on Z day. It feels like ages ago, but it's really only been four years. I was reading in my room, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix had just come out, I remember. The window was open because it was a hot July day and it was about 7:30pm. The sun was setting and casting a brilliant yellow glow across suburban Detroit. I heard the sounds of the weekend: children playing in the street, lawn mowers humming, air conditioning units buzzing on and off periodically. Their unified din put me in sort of trance as I turned each page of my book eagerly. I was forced to look away from my book when I noticed the neighbor across the street had left his lawnmower running and abandoned it, his name was Mr. Moore. Thinking it was nothing, I returned the the book. About ten minutes later I was distracted again when I heard the kids screaming and running back inside. Mr. Moore was chasing the kids, arms outstretched as if he was going to scoop the kids up in his arms. He couldn't catch up to the kids, he was just stumbling across the street. Alarmed, I ran downstairs to see more clearly. I opened the front door and there they were. About eight of them, all staring at me with they lifeless eyes, bite marks in various places. Most were on the neck or arms. I'd seen them so many times in movies and on tv that I didn't really register it to be real, that these four things in front of me were the undead. I think maybe it's best I don't talk about the rest right now. I get terrible dream when I talk about it for too long..
About three weeks after Z day, the government released a statement that what the country was experiencing in all 50 states was a mass breakout of Solanum. An infection that kills first, then takes over the brain in the form of an infection, completely controlling the now dead body. The press were calling them Zombies. It was almost comical at first, until you started seeing signs of outbreak everywhere. Not just North America anymore. The reason the infection hadn't spread all over the world in a couple days was that the government seemed to have a quarantine method planned out. And it was definitely planned out. All exits in and out of the continental U.S. were cutoff withing 12 hours of the first reportings of infection. You can't tell me that wasn't already thought up.
Whatever you call them, these were people who got infected (90% of the time through biting of the flesh) and died only to reanimate as a walking corpse, eager for the taste of the living.
These past four years it's certainly been a challenging. Living. That's all that drives me, the infection is thick on the urban ares but out here in the country, we only have about five or six attacks every two weeks or so. I stayed at camp Regis for about four months with my little brother. We were there the day it all went to hell, it all started when a hole was breached in the fence, something about a refugee family trying to leave. They were immediately mauled the second they got past the temporary haven of the fence gave us. Soldiers couldn't hold back the amount of infected that amassed around the breach. In the subsequent panic, I lost hold of my brother's grip. He was lost in the crowd.. I've been alone ever since."
-Journal entry: Z day +4 years, 8 months, 3 days.
(Sci Fi Entry 3.5?)
About three weeks after Z day, the government released a statement that what the country was experiencing in all 50 states was a mass breakout of Solanum. An infection that kills first, then takes over the brain in the form of an infection, completely controlling the now dead body. The press were calling them Zombies. It was almost comical at first, until you started seeing signs of outbreak everywhere. Not just North America anymore. The reason the infection hadn't spread all over the world in a couple days was that the government seemed to have a quarantine method planned out. And it was definitely planned out. All exits in and out of the continental U.S. were cutoff withing 12 hours of the first reportings of infection. You can't tell me that wasn't already thought up.
Whatever you call them, these were people who got infected (90% of the time through biting of the flesh) and died only to reanimate as a walking corpse, eager for the taste of the living.
These past four years it's certainly been a challenging. Living. That's all that drives me, the infection is thick on the urban ares but out here in the country, we only have about five or six attacks every two weeks or so. I stayed at camp Regis for about four months with my little brother. We were there the day it all went to hell, it all started when a hole was breached in the fence, something about a refugee family trying to leave. They were immediately mauled the second they got past the temporary haven of the fence gave us. Soldiers couldn't hold back the amount of infected that amassed around the breach. In the subsequent panic, I lost hold of my brother's grip. He was lost in the crowd.. I've been alone ever since."
-Journal entry: Z day +4 years, 8 months, 3 days.
(Sci Fi Entry 3.5?)
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