NOT a Review: Why I won't be seeing "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"

If you ever read my blog, you know that I love movies and robots. The casual observer might think I'd be head-over-heels for the new Transformers movie. But I can't and won't.

Because I saw the first one.

Because it is universally hated by everybody who cares what they see, but widely accepted by those trying to kill $8 and a weekend night with nothing else at the box office.

Because of this hysterically bad clip. This is what the PR people released as a solid representation of the film, to whet your appetite. An RC car robot doing his best Joe Pesci impression. Somehow, I'm not really hungry for that.

Because Jordan couldn't even write a review (and his reveiw for "17 Again" was spot on.

I imagine the greatest entertainment value available from this movie is indirect; i.e. reading the hysterical reviews. <=NOTE: The last link has some offensive (but well deserved) comparison to a baser genre of film, if you take my meaning.

But most of all, because I don't want to support it.

The following was written by a friend of a friend.

"Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen" and its predecessor, aside from being devoid of any substantive narrative quality, are pointlessly violent, meaninglessly vulgar, and shockingly sexed-up movies despicably marketed to children. Ads for the film run during virtually every commercial break on Nickelodeon. Burger King is featuring Transformers kids' meals. Advertisements for myriad toys feature bright-eyed, curly headed tots. It is even included on Nick Junior's "Flicks for Kids" list! All this in spite of the production's claims that the target demographic is older teenagers and adults. My nephews (ages 4, 7, and 9) knew the exact date the film would be released long before the slated date. And they watch "Sponge Bob" and "iCarly", not Spike, Adult Swim or even major networks like ABC and Fox. The youngster networks run ads that, conveniently, skip the pin-up-esque shot of Megan Fox straddling a motorcycle in barely-there shorts.

KidsInMind.com, an online resource for "ratings that work" rated the film as follows on a 10 points scale: Sex/Nudity-6, Violence/Gore-7, Profanity-5. Compare to other action films with clearly much older target demographics: "Terminator Salvation", "X-Men Origins", "The Dark Knight", "Iron Man", etc. Each one listed rated lower in both profanity and sexual content though were comparable in violence. "Transformers" was even rated on par in sexual content with "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past", an inuendo-filled film, incidentally, marketed to adults. "Transformers" rated higher in sex/nudity than "Casino Royale". Reflect on that for a minute: a James Bond film ranks lower in sex/nudity than a film based on a Saturday morning cartoon!

I do not attack responsible and meaningful depictions of violence and sexuality or such use of profanity, but this film is irresponsible and superficial. Add the advertising of a more mature film to young children and you can tack on "exploitative" to the list of adjectives. This production does not deserve a contribution from you at the box office. Your admission ticket tells Bay and Spielberg that you think this is okay and you'll keep stuffing their pockets for being skeez bags.

So I'll never see it. Out of principle, I won't see it in the theater. And when the special effects glut is on a smaller screen home viewing, what's the point? Besides, I watched part of the first Transformers on a TV that displayed twice the regular frame rate. The special effects failed to be impressive at that picture clarity. It looked uncomfortably like a video game. No fun at that point.

RIP MJ

I know I'm late on this one.

I'll try to remember the best.



Personally, I am a huge Thriller fan. Love that song. Listen to it year round. And Rock With You. Timeless, those.

You can hand this to the man: When his songs start, everyone hits the dance floor. Everyone.

Here is a pretty solid short bio of The King of Pop.

Happy Father's Day.

I love my Dad. He is as great a father as anybody could have. Hope you all have a wonderful Father's Day. http://bit.ly/H4k0p #fb

Stop. Motion. Stop. Motion.

It's the simple stuff that always gets me.

Stop motion has had a Web golden age over the last couple years. I've wanted to try, but it's just so time consuming.

Here are a couple that I rather like.

This one uses the ubiquitous post-it. Simple idea. Very effective.



If you like the tune, it's by Röyksopp, a Norwegian duo. It's called "Eple". Listen to the whole song below.

Eple (Original Edit) - Röyksopp

Nokia successfully coordinated a truly viral campaign, not an easy task, I can tell you from experience. As with the earlier video, there is a chiptune playing in the background. I think the makers understand their audience for this all too well.

If you like this, it's worth checking out the making of video on the campaign's site.



It's the simple stuff that always gets me. I think I may take the time to actually make one of these some day soon. I'll keep you posted.

Forgotten

I wanted to finish some thoughts I had on a couple previous topics. But I can't remember what I was going to say. I just can't remember.

The Department of Lost Souls

Replace "Wall Street" with "conventional newsroom journalism". That's where I am.

Radiant

I drew this during class a few months ago when we had a guest lecturer.

Dreamy

I stopped recording my dreams, so I don't remember them as well as I used to. But I appreciate how often I seem to show up in other peoples' dreams.

Got this message from a friend earlier today.

Had another weird dream about you. We were at graduation and your G1 turned into a Transformer. And then we were on a roller coaster.

Well, that about sums it up. That's the perfect day.

Loophole

I just finished the fourth season of LOST. It took me just over two weeks from the first episode of the first season.

That J.J. Abrams. He knows how to weave a mystery. Or, at the very least, he knows how to keep you in suspense.

Android Video

I finally got the Cupcake update for my G1. This is the first video I've taken with my phone. Also, I can upload it directly to YouTube immediately after taking the video.

Lookout, world. I'm coming atcha' with a camera.

A Disciple, Scholar, and Gentleman

Truman G. Madsen died. He was a tremendous person. I saw him speak several times and had the chance once to speak to him myself. He'll be missed.

Reviews and More: Coraline (in 3D), Star Trek, Terminator Salvation

I haven't done reviews in a while. Been busy. So I'll speed through these.

Coraline was fun, if a little awkward at times. Not entirely sure I'd want young kids to see it, and older kids would probably boycott, thinking it too juvenile. Henry Selick delivers an eerie atmosphere on par with the Nightmare Before Christmas. The visual appeal is great. It's colorful, dynamic, and geometric. If you're excited for a dark but playful nightmare world, check it out. The 3D even helps the film, instead of distracting.

Star Trek is a blast. It is. It's just plain, simple, action fun. J.J. Abrams knows what he is doing, as I've mentioned before. You don't have to know a thing about the Star Trek back-story or mythology. You don't even have to like sci-fi, because while this uses the tropes of a sci-fi, at it's heart it's an action flick (even action-comedy). It's good-looking people doing really cool stuff, with chase scenes, fights, explosions, kissing, and jokes. It's the bread and butter of a Hollywood film, and in this case, that isn't a bad thing.

Terminator Salvation was entertaining, but ultimately a letdown. Next time I won't get my hopes up when the director calls himself McG and has an ouvre consisting mainly of Charlie's Angels. There seemed to be no consideration for the style and feel of the previous films, especially the well-loved first two.

I will say this. While it lacked any pacing, buildup, or subtlety, it was a very impressive wrecked world. The effects were seamless, the sound was immersive, and the actors did an effective job with what they were given. I guess that's all it takes for mainstream reviewers to like it, too.



Speaking of Terminator, Angela pointed out an interesting article on why the Terminators make us so uncomfortable. The Uncanny Valley is a concept I've known for years now. Though it's a common query today, it's not a new idea. It never seems to lose my interest, either. It's at the heart of a surprising amount of great fiction, I think because it begs the question of identity.

That Uncanny Valley might have seemed like an impossible chasm for some film-makers (you listening, Zemeckis?), but it may have finally been crossed, and did it so fluidly that we hardly noticed.

The possibility of photorealism with even the human face plays right in with the trending cinéma vérité fictional narrative style showing up so often. We're in a post-reality-TV world, well on our way through the maturation of YouTube. We see films like the Bourne series, where shaky camerawork "immerses" the audience, where you feel the uncontrolled reality of the situation (though I feel that particular example was excessive and alienating).

You'll see more and more films not only using the documentary aesthetic, but the form as well. The Blair Witch project broke that ground, showing how effective the technique is. Their mockumentary on the Sci-Fi channel took me in as a sixteen-year-old, hook, line, and sinker. I've talked before about the "found footage" techniques used in Cloverfield and Diary of the Dead. It was even recently featured in a BYU Film project manned by a class that unfortunately didn't fit in to my schedule. Would have been great to be a part of that.

The style is becoming recursive, with doctored videos showing up on YouTube as though they were home videos. Here is a recent example that's floated around the Web.



The same form is used for an upcoming sci-fi picture presented by Peter Jackson.



The trailer for District 9 plays out as though it were a documentary, with the only indication of fiction coming from the impossible premise. That same premise was used in a short film from the same director. District 9 is really an expansion of that short (seen below). I'm excited.



Of note is the fact that I can't think of a single major film in this style that didn't use some kind of ARG and/or viral marketing. Viral ARG is becoming more and more common, but is far from universal. It's the exception rather than the rule. However, when we see first person narratives, it's a must, a staple. The film form and the promotional techniques play together to draw the audience in, to have them not only watch, but experience the world of the film.

How is all this for some stream of consciousness?

I've got more to say on the matter. A lot more. But for now, I'll leave it as is.

Expect more on this and related topics soon.

Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time

This is somewhat out of the regular for this blog, but I thought it was worth sharing.

Fair Use

I'm blogging this as much so I can remember where it is when I want to refer to it as I am to share it.



Here is the full report.

See previous posts like The Pirate's Dilemma, XKCD on copyright, and Larry Lessig.

>100 Days

I did number 21.

Number 39 shamelessly ripped me off.

They probably made a healthy chunk of change from that.

C'est la vie.

UPDATE: I emailed them.

Hi,

I made a remarkably similar design to the Barack On! print you guys have. I created and posted it to spreadshirt.com a year ago.
http://blog.spreadshirt.net/us/2009/04/30/100-days-100-obama-t-shirts/
I did the design on number 21. Your design is at 39.
It's the same phrase and effectively the same image.
You tell me; is this just great minds thinking alike, or coincidence, or did you get the idea from my original design?
Do you think you could give me some kind of credit for that? Mention my name, or send me a check, or at least send me a shirt?
I know this is the Web and that's the nature of things, take, use, borrow, steal, whatever we want to call it, but I think you could at least give some kind of shout out.
Just a thought. Your design is better than mine, but you might consider giving me some kind of appreciation. Thanks, good job, good luck.

-Austin M. Craig

The Green Myth

I really appreciate and enjoy Bill Moyers Journal. I'm more and more convinced that PBS broadcasts much of the best journalism and socially responsible dialogue anywhere.

I particularly enjoyed his discussion with Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence (and excellent book), Social Intelligence, and most recently, Ecological Intelligence. He explains why the idea of going green in largely a myth.

Moyers said Goleman's book was heartbreaking, but I thought their talk was enlightening and motivating. I recommend watching it. Just click here.

NOTE: Even if you don't watch the video, visit GoodGuide. It's a database of the ecological and social responsibility factor of the products we buy.  Skin Deep is the same thing for cosmetics.

Microsoft's Home of the Future

Last summer, I took a tour of the Home of the Future on the Microsoft Campus. They took a bunch of us interns and showed us around. I got to tramp all around this neat house.



I wasn't allowed to take pictures then, but it doesn't look like Microsoft's vision of the Future Home has changed much since then. Take a look.

Tribes

Watch This.

Star Trek - Just a good, fun movie?

If you read this blog, you should know by now that I like that J.J. Abrams guy, and I like sci-fi, and I like movies.

So it should come as no surprise that I'm going with some friends to an advance screening of the new Star Trek movie. This should be good.

Early reviews are positive, though not everybody is happy with the outcome.


Trekkies Bash New Star Trek Film As 'Fun, Watchable'

The Hunt for Gollum,

NOTE: This post is link heavy, but I didn't want the font color to distract from the content. Hover over a word to see if there is a related link.

NPR ran an interesting piece yesterday. It's got a few notable angles.

The Lord of the Rings franchise has been wildly successful. Fans came from every demographic, flocking to theaters, to the web, and to the DVDs in their various iterations. It's been five and a half years since The Return of the King, the last of the trilogy, was released, and it's still a touchstone the industry tries to replicate (some with more taste than some [many] others).

Enter The Hunt for Gollum. The 40 minute featurette was written, directed, acted, and filmed by volunteer fans. Every aspect of pre-production, production, and post-production was coordinated and executed by people who simply loved Middle-earth and wanted to see another LOTR movie.

Fan fiction is notoriously...bad. There is a reason writers and filmmakers get paid to do what they do. They're very good at it. The average joe with his home video camera and PC (historically speaking) isn't. Even noble efforts lack the resources to put together high production value.

But The Hunt for Gollum crew seems to be a dedicated team. They took their time (two years) and scrapped together an impressive group of talent.

And from the looks of it, they deliver.

Trailer 2 - The Hunt For Gollum [2]
by HuntForGollum

True, it's not indiscernible from the Hollywood hits. But you can be sure many fans of the series, myself included, will be checking this out when it's released on May 3 (in HD, no less).

Such an impressive feat, using widely recognized media, begs the question:

Is this legal? Doesn't this constitute piracy? Aren't there copyright issues at play here? Intellectual property? brand hijacking? Wholesale theft!?

The lawyers can (and likely will) argue both ways.

An apologist might say, "It's fair use, nobody is making money!"

The prosecution may answer, "It's copyright infringement that devalues a developing property!"

New Line is far from done with the Ring series. Why stop when it's still making money? The Lord of the Rings' prequel The Hobbit is being adapted for a 2012 release, directed by Guillermo del Toro of Pan's Labyrinth fame. Expect ticket sales to be big.

This kind of conflict has been, and will continue to be, a growing problem. Intellectual Property laws are in bad need of reform, but more than that, business modelers need to understand the new paradigm that cheap technology presents.

Technology is cheap. No, really. You may think it's pricey to get the latest and the greatest gear, but compared to only a few years ago, when that gear didn't exist, it's cheap.

Anybody can get the tools to create media. Good tools. An HD camera and a computer with video editing software doesn't cost that much. In fact, I'm planning on purchasing some this week.

What that means is there is no barrier to entry. Anyone can do this (probably very poorly) for very little cash.

Take a look at YouTube, Twitter, Blogger, Flickr, etc. Everybody is a writer, videographer, and artist. Everyone is a celebrity.

And nothing (short of a time machine) can change that.

With that reality in mind, media producers need to leverage the anxious crowd. User-Generated Content will be vitally important to most media outlets if they want to survive (and thrive) in coming years. Some early adopters are already putting that strategy to play, and making a hefty profit.

It even works for established brands. One American film maker has directed only six feature films since 1971, but his properties have become so popular, copied, and parodied, that his net worth is $3.9 billion (with a b). His name is George Lucas.

So, what do we say? Sue The Hunt for Gollum crew? I don't know why. They're drawing more eyes to a valuable franchise, keeping interest alive till the next installment is released (as if the viewers of The hunt for Gollum won't also go see The Hobbit opening weekend). The makers don't have any money; they're not making any money. But if producers play their cards right, the crew will make money for the studios.

I don't think honey bees ever stop to realize who ultimately reaps the harvest, but it's never far from the beekeeper's mind.

Or maybe it's just a matter of perspective.

What if we are all just pawns in corn's clever strategy game to rule the Earth? Author Michael Pollan asks us to see the world from a plant's-eye view.