Imagination, How It All Ends, Google wireless, Muse
Saturday, November 17, 2007
I have six things to mention today:
1. I will soon be reviewing the independent film Imagination by Eric and Jeffrey Leiser for Filmometer.com. They’ve let me know that a DVD screener of their three-year effort is in the mail. After invitations to a number of film festivals in 2007, additional theatrical openings of Imagination are coming soon to screens in Portland, New York, and Los Angeles. The Leiser Brothers have already secured distribution though Vanguard International Cinema, with a February 26, 2008 street date. I’m really looking forward to watching the DVD once I return from vacation in early December. You can watch the Imagination trailer (plus a 10-minute version) at albinofawn.com.
2. A few weeks ago I came across this guy wonderingmind42 on YouTube. He has an enormous quantity of videos on global warming (and global climate change) issues in which he critically analyzes the future possibilities from multiple angles. The main video that’s worth watching to get a sense of his “undeniable” argument is “How It All Ends,” which is an update (followed by dozens of “expansion pack” videos) of “The Most Terrifying Video You’ll Ever See.” His videos provide some nice food for thought (and some batshit crazy flaming from the YouTube peanut gallery).
3. Google’s interest in the 700MHz band of frequencies to run a mobile telecommunications network is back in the news. Check out today’s PC World article: “Google Readies Wireless Bid.”
4. Speaking of Google, I randomly found an airplane embedded in a Google Maps satellite photo off the coast of Lido Beach, New York. I wonder how many aircraft images there are, randomly juxtaposed on satellite photos of Earth’s surface. Someone hasn’t already created a website about this? I guess the existence of these things change as satellite photos are constantly being updated here and there, but still.
5. This isn’t news at all, but I was watching some music videos on YouTube last week (Muse in particular) and found this oddly compelling video, “Muse’s Invincible performed by Gwen Stefani,” in which “Muse vocalist Matthew Bellamy gets magically transformed into Gwen Stefani with a little help from a pitch shifter.” Matthew with a 120% pitch shift sounds pretty much just like Gwen!
Also, if you’ve never watched the music video for Muse’s “Knights of Cydonia” you are missing out on a lot of fun! It’s a great cheesy mini-movie with cowboys, robots, holograms, laser guns, unicorns, and more.
(I’ve heard from a gamer friend that “Knights of Cydonia” is extremely challenging to play on Guitar Hero III, because the song is about six minutes long and the riffs are repeated so often . . . and also because of the part at around four minutes when they really start rocking hard. You’ve got to click away on those little plastic buttons like crazy! Not unlike Stan and Kyle. Yep, I’m still loving the South Park.)
6. Here’s some new rock music for you: Causes 1, a limited edition charity CD focused on helping victims of the ongoing human rights crisis in Darfur, is now available from Waxploitation for preorder for $10.99. It includes exclusive and rare tracks donated by Animal Collective, The Black Keys, Bloc Party, Bright Eyes, Cornelius, The Cure, David Sylvian, Death Cab for Cutie, The (International) Noise Conspiracy, The Shins remixed by Clint Mansell, Spoon, Teargas & Plateglass, Thievery Corporation, and Travis. One hundred percent of the proceeds will go to three non-profit organizations: Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Watch, and Oxfam America. Preorder now!