Rumblings

[ehowton]

Took my boy to see Speed Racer. What a visual extravaganza! What a great score! But at two hours and fifteen minutes what an extraordinarily long movie! Having been born in 1969, I grew up watching Speed Racer the cartoon - and was thrilled to hear those elements in the music. The eye-candy was hyper-saturated and over the top and much better than a live-action version of Hot Wheels: World Race which is what I was expecting.



RUMBLINGS: Apparently some thought it to be a 'serious' movie and were disappointed.

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The family and I walked to the pool and I spent a good hour listening to Hellboy and started William Gibson's "Pattern Recognition." On the back of the cover was a recommendation by Neil Gaiman, who they cited as the author of "American Gods" which I understand galinda822 has sent me, with her full recommendation that I will love it - I can't wait! The book will now reside in my backpack so I can always have it with me, just in case. Due to my soundtrack selection I came home and sought out the trailer to Hellboy II. IT LOOKS FANTASTIC! I watched it seven times.



RUMBLINGS: I've heard some say it may be crap. Perhaps they saw a different trailer than I did?

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So far the movie which displays the worst picture on my new widescreen television is the Battlestar Galactica seasons (I haven't checked the mini-series yet.) They're very grainy. To the point of distraction. I don't know why. The best picture on it I've seen thus far is Alfred Hitchcock's Rope. To the point of distraction. I became emotional at the brightness of the colors.



RUMBLINGS: They're saying Blu-Ray players will price-drop considerably after Christmas this year.

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I have a road-trip of sorts planned for tomorrow. I'll try to take some snaps along the way. Accompanying me will be an ice-cold 16oz. can of Monster and "Riding As One: The Western Film Scores of Bruce Broughton" and "Redwoods."

I'm looking forward to my drive.

Comments

[lehah.livejournal.com]

Neil Gaiman is the poor man's Harlan Ellison.

Gibson isn't a bad writer but his stuff becomes dull as he gets older. Go get a copy of Burning Chrome or Neuromancer to see him at his peak.

[melancthe.livejournal.com]

Also, Gibson's The Difference Engine, co-written with Bruce Sterling. ehowton, I don't know how fond you are of alternate history (I'm a big ho for it, so I may well be prejudiced), but I think the premise, involving Charles Babbage's mechanical computers, might be just up your street. It's not always an easy read, but it's very entertaining. And it came out before it was fashionable to complain constantly about how steampunk has just become SO MAINSTREAM, OH NOES.

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

My only brush with alternate history was Robert Harris' Fatherland (discussed here) (http://ehowton.livejournal.com/148952.html) and I found it fascinating.

I've never read any steampunk that I know of, but I sure have enjoyed what's been provided via the big screen.

[melancthe.livejournal.com]

Fatherland had an interesting premise, although I liked it (and Enigma) less than I thought I would, despite being a big fan of Harris' very amusing Selling Hitler. My favourite different-ending-to-WWII novel is Philip K Dick's Man in the High Castle, which is definitely worth a read if you come across it.

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

Neuromancer will be by next Gibson read. I borrowed them from drax0r who's read them all, and while I don't recollect the reasons behind this one being selected first, its my understanding that both of them are excellent reads. I'll have to ask if he has a copy of Burning Chrome.

What of Ellison's would you suggest?

[lehah.livejournal.com]

Burning Chrome is a short story collection. Neuromancer was Gibson's first *book*. As far as I know, all his books have connections to each other (IE: Johnny Mnemonic from the short story is mention in Neuromancer - and a minor character in Mnemonic is a major character in Neuromancer).

As for Ellison, anything.

[photogoot.livejournal.com]

Enjoy the drive and your scores. Arrive alive dude, keep it under the speed of sound out there.

I miss you, and send my love to the family.

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

I have an 88 mile drive one way, fairly early. I thought I would drive 88 miles an hour, in hopes to engage the flux capacitor. However, it being a holiday weekend, I would think it foolish to speed, so my normally hour-long trip will likely be nearly two.

Thank you for your well-wishes, Lard Whisperer.

[swashbuckler332.livejournal.com]

So far the movie which displays the worst picture on my new widescreen television is the Battlestar Galactica seasons (I haven't checked the mini-series yet.) They're very grainy. To the point of distraction. I don't know why.

I am not certain, not having seen BSG in high def (yet), but I think that the grain is being pushed to emphasize the quasi-documentary aesthetic the show aims for, in a way emulating the cheap film stock that a group of guerilla filmmakers would use.

This is actually something that was once more common than it is today; as I'm sure you know, agitating one's exposed film longer during development increases contrast while also increasing grain. The resulting appearance of motion picture footage would be harsher, which could often be useful to create a gritty effect. The grain itself is mostly noticeable because, being part of a uniform photochemical process, there isn't a 'pattern' to it when projected, it is just sort of alive in the frame. The shots look "dirtier," and are more abrasive in appearance.

However, what looks a certain way on the big screen doesn't always translate so well to television. Grain on television, with its reduced resolution and significantly lower contrast ratio, tends to just look more like what it is: the surface of the film. I know many people who are turned off by the prospect of watching a 70s cop film because of what they look like.

You remember the grain on the laserdisc of the extended cut of Aliens? Now that was just ridiculous.

If you think Rope looks good, check out North by Northwest.

I have a road-trip of sorts planned for tomorrow. I'll try to take some snaps along the way. Accompanying me will be an ice-cold 16oz. can of Monster and "Riding As One: The Western Film Scores of Bruce Broughton" and "Redwoods."

Sweet! Will there be wide, open spaces on the road trip, as befits Riding As One?

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

I know that the mini-series (seemingly less so by the middle of the first season) was shot in that docu-style of hand held, low to the ground, in-again-out-again focus, long zooms, and yes, grainy for that 'edgy' feel, and had considered that as the reason except for the single wrench in my theory: The menu's are just as bad.

Funny you should mention North By Northwest - my wife and I were watching National Treasure 2 and they had a shot of Mount Rushmore which ignited in me a longing to dust of my DVD.

Sweet! Will there be wide, open spaces on the road trip, as befits Riding As One?

A good portion of Texas is wide, open spaces. However, I will be passing through the planets core Dallas proper so my 'wide open' spaces are limited to prior to, and just after the DFW Metroplex.

I'll actually be taking 75 through Dallas to I-20. My ultimate destination is West of Benbrook, which also marks the edge of Fort Worth - nothing at all after that.

And yes sir, I'll be Riding as One! This trip is solo ;)

[swashbuckler332.livejournal.com]

I think you'll find Riding As One to be pretty appropriate, then! It's very expansive! It's one of my personal favorites, but I just don't have the landscape for it here!

[melancthe.livejournal.com]

Discount day on exclamation marks, eh? :)

[swashbuckler332.livejournal.com]

Blue Light Special!!!

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

I assume you're familiar with Telarc's Round-Up? That is my *de-facto* western album. This makes a great second. And just like with Telarc recordings, I was impressed with the quality of the sound. I'll have to listen to it a few times to get comfortable with it, though it was just the ticket for my drive in - not too brassy, not too mellow.

[swashbuckler332.livejournal.com]

Yes, a few months ago I ordered the SACD of Round-Up, primarily because I wanted to hear the main title of The Big Country in superior quality (I love the original soundtrack performance, but I also love good sound). I was also (happily) surprised by Franz Waxman's The Furies, which was not a score I was previously familiar with, and I'm a big Waxman fan (no full album available, unfortunately).

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

I'm the same way with The Music Man. God I love Robert Preston, but The Cincinnati Pops' full orchestration coupled with that flawless Telarc sound...That's why I have them both.

[melancthe.livejournal.com]

I like the cropping on your new icon. Shiny.

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

I like to drive.

[time3.livejournal.com]

I once had a professional skeptic co-worker analyze Speed Racer. "It is impossible to cut down trees with circular saws when driving through the woods at 100 mph" he said. I couldn't stop laughing.

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

Some people are very, very literal.

[galinda822.livejournal.com]

You should be getting the book in a few days. I hope you enjoy it. Knowing you, it'll definitely get your mind going. *lol*

Have a safe drive!

[ehowton.livejournal.com]

Awesome! I need to double-time Pattern Recognition.