Personal
Picking Up the Pieces and Putting Them Away
As I mentioned previously, we moved. In fact, we did the whole thing last Saturday on what was, up to that point, the hottest day of the year. Not a great day to be hauling boxes and whatnot from one place to another.
In truth, we had movers do the majority of the actual hauling. We just have way too much stuff and, more importantly, H is gestating Project M at the moment so she shouldn’t really be lifting anything. And as we know, I’m extremely lazy (and have a useless back). So, movers.
The movers were mostly okay and managed not to break 99% of our stuff. Sure, a couple things were damaged, but it could have been a lot worse. Most importantly, they got everything in the truck, got it to the new house and put it pretty much where it goes. All for a reasonable fee. I’m calling it a win and moving on.
Although, I did call the moving company to tell them about the few broken items (again, none of them were critical or irreplaceable) just to see what they would say. They haven’t called me back yet. I suspect I will be politely told to suck it up, but we’ll see. I could be surprised.
Now we are in the process of unpacking and putting stuff away. I only hate this part a little less than packing. Although, one highlight for me was finally being able to install my Nest thermostat and get it going. Yes, I did it myself and managed not to be electrocuted.
Plus, starting to set up my office and getting Internet installed were also very good first steps. It’s amazing how much we’ve come to rely on having super speed Internet. You really miss it when you don’t have it for a couple days.
There are many other aspects (good and bad) of moving and home ownership I won’t get into now. Suffice it to say we are slowly getting back to normal.
Or, as normal as we get.
Moving On (Again)
H and I are in the process of moving to our new house. If I have anything to say about it, this will be the last move we do for a long time. I don’t enjoy packing. This wish will be made possible, in large part, because the new house is much bigger than we really need so we can grow into it should “Project M” ever decide he needs a sibling, or whatever.
Although, chances of that happening are slim at best. In fact, it’s almost guaranteed not to happen. Besides, he’s got to start learning to live with disappointment and this is as good a time as any to start.
Of course, with the move and move-related activities this week, things are a bit hectic for me, as you might expect. As I mostly work at home these days and have a more “flexible” schedule than H does, many of the moving particulars have fallen to to me.
In truth, it’s not so much the actual move that’s taking a lot of time (although it does), it’s all the other things you need to do to a house before you can move into it and all the logistics involved.
Things like painting, installation of new appliances, transferring of TV and Internet providers, utilities and more take a lot of time. Plus, there’s a lot of other things involved when closing out one household and opening another while also maintaining a third during the process. As I’ve said on more than one occasion, I’m not complaining, just explaining.
All of this leads me to the conclusion that I won’t be writing here (or anywhere) much this week, unless, of course, I am. Also, it’s going to be next Monday before I get Internet in the new place. That’s just the way it goes.
But fear not, I’ll be back soon enough to torment you with tales of my exploits and all the other gems and tidbits you’ve come to expect from this site, and me. I won’t let you down.
Oh, in case you’re wondering, the pic above is the J-Pop group “Secret” from their album “Moving In Secret.” Yes, I realize it has no more than a tacit relationship with actual moving, but I thought it would be more interesting than a pic of sweaty dudes hauling boxes.
I hope you agree. And if you don’t, I’ll try to live with the disappointment.
Some Random Things For a Friday
It’s Friday and I’m tired. It’s been a long week mostly spent dealing with contractors, painters and more that will hopefully lead to our house being in order in time to move in next Saturday.
I feel pretty good about the whole process, but it’s exhausting. Fortunately, I’m used to negotiating, so that’s not the problem. The problem is I just want it all to go well and being the fan of control that I am, it’s sometimes hard to rely on other people to do their jobs.
But in the end, all I can do is my best and with a little luck, it will all work out fine. Heck, I’ve produced movies with that kind of philosophy before and those involved a heck of a lot more problems and more money than I’m dealing with now, so I’m really not all that worried about it.
Still, it is exhausting all the same. More than I thought it would be. However, all things considered, I feel very fortunate to be able to have these kinds of problems. It could be far worse. Far worse indeed. Nope, life is good.
Moving on, here’s a few random videos and whatnot for a Friday. Happy Weekend. Try to remember to enjoy yourself.
[vimeo 67871488 w=560 h=315]
A film title designer’s tribute to Alfred Hitchcock
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tto-eTLXEH4?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
If you can’t handle milk and cookies, I feel sorry for you.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFdn2TGx5VE?rel=0&w=560&h=420]
A remix by EclecticMethod from The Sopranos in honor of the dear, departed Mr. James Gandolfini. RIP sir.
Finally, here’s a handy info graphic that tells you all you need to know about the military alphabet. You’re welcome.
'009ノ1: The End of the Beginning' Looks Pretty Crazy
I’m a fan of movies from around the world, and this trailer for 009ノ1: The End of the Beginning is one reason why. Sure, it doesn’t have the high dollar production value of a Michael Bay “epic”, but it does have one important thing going for it: heart.
I know, I know, but I can tell these actors, and the rest of the team, are really having a great time here. And that, to me, is pretty important.
I think it makes for better, more entertaining, movies. Plus, I firmly believe loving what you do, and having a great time doing it, applies to pretty much all parts of life, not just work.
We’re all here a relatively short time so let’s try and not get so caught up in the BS and have a little fun along the way, okay? Good.
Turing back to the trailer, no, I can’t tell you what they’re saying or really, what the movie is about. I can tell you it’s based on a classic Manga from the late ’60s, early ’70s and that the movie is hitting Japan in September. Oh, and it has cyborg girls and other interesting bits too.
But all that doesn’t really matter at this point, does it? It just looks cool. Check it out below.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1zDPd10YIg?rel=0&w=560&h=315]
I'm Undecided About 'The LEGO Movie', Here's A Trailer Anyway
I loved, loved, loved LEGO as a kid (That’s a lot of love, I know). I’m pretty sure I’ve spent thousands of hours building things with those little multi-colored plastic bricks over the years.
I still have all of my sets too. They are currently in boxes in storage until H and I move into the new house. Then, I will be able to fully unpack all of my sets of bricks and marvel, once again, at the vastness of my empire.
That brings us, somewhat indirectly, to the upcoming LEGO movie. Yes, a LEGO movie. I don’t know about this. What do you think?
[youtube www.youtube.com/watch
A First Father's Day
However, things are a bit different on this particular Father’s Day. What’s different? Well, in a nutshell, this is my first Father’s Day as a father. Yep.
Okay, in truth, my child hasn’t actually been born yet, but I think that’s a technicality. He’s in there cooking away, doing great and is due to arrive in early September. That is, if he stays on schedule.
Since he is my son, I know his sense of timing will be impeccable and I expect he will arrive exactly when he means to and not a second too soon, or too late. Just like his father. He also has my good looks, of course.
So, this Father’s Day is quite a bit more special than it normally would be. That’s not to take anything away from my own father. He was a complex guy who taught me a lot of things, not the least of which was to question everything and always strive to better myself. He was also one of the first people to believe in me, much like my mother, and for that I will always be grateful.
I wish my father and my son could meet, but they never will. All I can do is make sure he knows about his Grandfather and how much his hard work and wisdom meant to me over the years. My son will know. I’ll make sure of it.
But this particular post isn’t about the past. It’s about the future.
It’s about a future where I will, after long last, be a father. A future where I will experience the world through the eyes of someone to whom it’s all brand new.
I know it won’t be easy and I know it’s a huge responsibility. I also know it’s going to be one hell of a ride.
And I can’t wait for it to start.
Trouble Sleeping? It Could Be Your Gadgets
In truth, I don’t know if anything from the handy infographic below applies to me or not. I do know I frequently use my iPhone, or one of my other gadgets, in bed right before I try to fall asleep.
I also know that I used to be able to sleep very well and make it all the way through the night with no problem. Now, not so much. In fact, these days, I occasionally suffer from insomnia and can’t sleep much at all.
So I have to wonder, is it my gadgets? Maybe so. To find out, I’m going to try a little experiment.
For the next few weeks I’m going to make a conscious effort not to look at my iPhone, laptop or other backlit gadget in the hour or so before I try to fall asleep. That also means I’m going to have to switch back to the older Kindle, without the backlight, if I want to read any books. Or, I guess I could just read an actual book. That would probably work too.
It may be difficult at first, but I think I’m up to the challenge. I’ll let you know how it goes. Now, where did I put my glasses?
The History of the Superman 'S' Logo
In honor of Man of Steel, Zach Snyder’s take on Superman (which opens tonight at midnight), I thought it would be fun to take a look at the evolution of Superman’s “S” logo over the years. Fortunately, someone has already thought of the idea and created a handy infographic showing all of the logos since the character was first introduced in Action Comics #1 in 1938.
Yes, there’s a lot of them. And yes, I think they’ve gotten better over the years. Of course, I do have a special place for the one from 1978. That’s the one worn by Christopher Reeve in Richard Donner’s classic Superman, which I saw in the theater with my parents on opening weekend.
That’s the logo, and the movie, that made a young boy truly believe a man could fly. As cliche' as that may sound today, after a heavy dose of Star Wars the year before and a whole host of other sci-fi, fantasy and comic book influences and input on a daily basis, I was ready to believe . . . And I did.
Let’s hope Snyder’s Man of Steel can work that same magic again on the much older and somewhat cynical (yet still a kid at heart) adult I’ve become. I don’t think it’s too late for me. I think there’s still a chance.
Because, dammit, I want to believe again.
The First 24 Hours With iOS 7
As promised, I’m back with more on Apple’s latest iOS offering, a “little” update known as iOS 7. Things started off a bit rough yesterday as I tried to get iOS 7 to install and activate on my test iPhone 5 (CDMA) in order to get to know it better. I was able to install the beta but then could not activate the phone. The result was, effectively, a bricked device.
Fortunately, I was able to boot the iPhone into DFU mode and revert to iOS 6. I actually ended up doing this twice due to trying alternative install methods using iTunes. One, the usual wipe and restore and the other an upgrade to iOS 7 over an existing install of iOS 6. Neither of these resulted in the iPhone going all the way through the activation process.
What finally ended up working was a wipe and restore using Apple’s development tool for iOS (and OS X) called Xcode. Using Xcode I was able to wipe and restore iOS 7 to the device and then, this time, the activation completed and I had a working iPhone. This was after several hours and went on into the night.
Consequently, I haven’t had a lot of time to get into the intricacies of the new OS. However, I did have a chance to play with it a little bit and following are my thoughts so far.
First (and this is a big one), I’m not sure I like the new look. Sure, the skeuomorphic aspects of iOS 6 are pretty dated and probably needed to go. I won’t miss the leather-bound elegance of the Calendar app or the simulated wood grain of iBooks. I’m just not sure iOS 7 is going in the right direction either.
In its present form, I find the font and lines around elements too thin and the colors too similar to be very distinct. In my several hours of use I’ve found myself clicking on the wrong thing or trying to slide something to the left or right that can’t actually be slid. Plus, the contrast between UI elements seems much more muted as well. When everything is flat and looks similar with similar colors and little contrast, it’s difficult to tell which elements can be interacted with and which can’t.
I find this especially true when using the new keyboard. A key with a thin black line around it over a light grey background is harder to hit, at least for me, than a key with a heavier line against a darker background. Contrast is good and not something to be scared of. Of course, more contrast makes things look less flat. I get that.
I also get that I’m not a designer, but I have participated in the design of many projects and supervised designers of various kinds over the years. I also know what I like and what I think looks good. And I’m not sure this color scheme and lack of contrast is it. Although, maybe it’s because I’ve haven’t spent much time with the Yahoo Weather app.
Yes, I know, Jony Ive is a genius and I can clearly see what he was going for with iOS 7. You only need to look at the man himself and see what his wardrobe looks like to know he’s not a fan of contrast. He prefers uniformity and order. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But that doesn’t mean his taste is the right taste for everyone. Some people might prefer things to be different. I might be one of those people.
As this is a beta, and an early one, many things also don’t work as expected or seem unfinished. This is especially true with a few apps I use regularly, like Gmail, that haven’t gotten the memo about using the new keyboard. Consequently, when you need a keyboard in the Gmail app, the old one pops up.
This is actually one of the ways I know I don’t like the new keyboard very much. I still have occasion to use the old one and find it much easier to type on than the new one. I’m also not a fan of the seemingly arbitrary change from lines to dots to show cell network signal strength. I didn’t mind lines. What’s wrong with lines? They were used quite a few other places in the new UI, why not for signal strength?
I’m also not sure why I now can’t double click on the home button to get a list of running apps, press and hold on one of the icons to get it to vibrate and then press the “X” to quit it. I’ve had more than a few apps crash on me so far and the old way to get them to work again was to make them stop running and then launch them again. Now, it’s all different.
The way you do it now is to double click on the home button to get thumbnails of the running apps. Then, you swipe the thumbnail upwards to close an app you want to quit. I was able to do it but I also found myself bringing up the control center from the bottom of the screen several times too. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like a rather convoluted “new” way to accomplish a previously simple task.
On a positive note, I do like the new static wallpapers and that cool 3D-looking effect when you move the iPhone around. Plus, the motion wallpapers are kinda nice too. I’m using one right now, in fact. I don’t know what effect they will have on battery life but so far, somewhat surprisingly, I’m getting pretty much the same battery life as when the iPhone had iOS 6 installed on it. Let’s hope that continues.
With any massive change, there’s bound to be bumps and rough edges. None of my issues with iOS 7, at least so far, are hugely annoying, would prevent me from continuing to use it or make me switch to Android. Although, I’m entertaining that thought for other reasons. But that’s a subject for a future article (or two).
I’m sure as iOS 7 matures, many of the things that bother me about it will be addressed and corrected. At least I hope so.
Once I’ve had more time with iOS 7 I’ll bring you another exciting round of observations. I’m also going to be installing the new version of OS X, code named Mavericks. More on that later too.
Initial Thoughts on iOS 7 and Apple In General
Well, now we know.
My first reaction on seeing iOS 7 was less dramatic than I thought it was going to be. I like the way it looks but I wasn’t “totally blown away” as I thought I might be.
That’s not to say iOS 7 isn’t nice to look at, it is. And in truth, I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting and/or hoping for. It’s just that I don’t think the look of iOS was really the big problem that needed solving. Flat icons and a thinner font don’t make things work better, it just makes things better looking (and that’s a matter of opinion too).
Of course, it’s hard to judge something I haven’t really had time to play with, so I’ll reserve any deeper analysis until I’ve had a chance to install and use iOS 7, which I’m going to do a bit later today.
One other thing I did want to mention about the WWDC keynote that bothered me was the bashing of other companies (especially Google) and the almost apologetic self-promotion by Apple. Let me put it another way: You don’t have to keep talking about how great you are, to be great you just make great products. People will figure it out.
Over the years I’ve managed companies and teams large and small and one thing I’ve always tried to remember is if you have to keep insisting you’re in charge, you really aren’t. The person in charge doesn’t have to say they’re in charge or prove anything, he or she just is.
It’s the same for Apple. The more Apple insist that they’re amazing innovators, the more they try to refute critics and the more they bash other companies, the less they look like a market leader and one of the most successful companies of all time. They just look desperate.
The more Apple tries to be like everyone else, the less special they become. There’s no reason to publicly acknowledge critics or paint rival companies in a bad light and there’s certainly no reason to make it more difficult/impossible for iOS users to choose which default search engine they want or what Maps app they want. That’s just dumb and, frankly, beneath a company like Apple.
Apple got where they are today by not doing things like everyone else. They should win by having the best ideas and the best products. Period. The rest just isn’t important.
Okay, enough of that. More on iOS 7 after I’ve had a chance to work with it a bit.
Seven Coffee Mistakes You Might Be Making
If I made a list of the things I love it would have to include, of course, many things geek such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Sci-Fi in general, Apple, Google, Comics, D&D and a whole lot more. Another prominent item on that list would have to be coffee.
In truth, I’m kinda obsessed with it. Not just drinking it but with the whole process of bringing it from bean to cup. I’m also obsessed with getting the best cup of coffee I can at home.
Turns out, there’s others like me.
In fact, one of them has written a list of the seven mistakes people make when preparing coffee at home. Yes, this is a list of bad things you should stop doing so your coffee doesn’t suck.
Here they are (with my notes as applicable):
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Dirty Equipment: Make sure all parts of the machine have been rinsed thoroughly and no coffee or soap residue remains. (I clean my stuff daily).
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Old Beans: If you can’t remember when you bought your coffee, it’s time to buy some new beans. Only buy as much as you will consume in 1 to 2 weeks. (I get my beans fresh from these guys, these guys or these guys.)
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Pre-Ground Coffee: Coffee that has already been ground is more susceptible to oxidation. Grinding your beans as close to brewing as possible ensures freshness. (You’ll need a grinder for that. I use this one).
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Wrong Size of Grounds: Each brewing method requires a different size of grind. Coffee that has been ground too fine is often bitter, but if ground too coarse it may be weak. Check the machine’s manual to find out which size is ideal. (Again, get your own grinder and RTFM).
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Wrong Coffee-to-Water Ratio: For every 6 ounces of coffee, you’ll need 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds. Using more, your coffee may be too strong and taste bitter; use less and you’ll end up with watery, weak coffee. (To measure, I use this
. Or, you could weigh your ground coffee with one of these
).
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Improper Water Temperature: If the water is too hot, you can scald your coffee, and if it’s too low, the flavors will be mellow. The water should be around 200 degrees Fahrenheit, or just before boiling (water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit). (I use one of these
and let it get just to the point of boiling, then I turn it off, wait a few second, then pour).
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Impure Water: Tap water often contains minerals that can alter the flavor of your coffee. Use bottled spring water or filtered drinking water. (I don’t have a sophisticated walter filtration system at home, yet. I just use Arrowhead drinking water. It seems to work well).
While we’re on the subject, my current preferred method of making coffee at home is the French Press. This one
Yes, it takes a bit of time and you need to clean up a bit after, but it’s so worth it if you do it right. Of course, for the real coffee geek, the next step is to start making espresso at home. I’m going to do that after the move. But that’s a topic for another time.
Until then, go make some great coffee!
Every Ray Harryhausen Creature Creation In One Awesome Video
I am a huge fan of visual effects master Ray Harryhausen, who passed away recently at the age of 92. During his lifetime he brought us all manner of creatures and pioneered the use of stop motion effects in movies and television.
He was a true visionary and his creations will live on and inspire countless generations of current and future filmmakers. To give you an idea of just how many amazing creatures the man brought us during his career, YouTube user Mat Bergman has put together a video highlighting every one of them.
Check it out below and be amazed.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9kmjW73-v4?rel=0&w=525&h=394]
Happy 30th Birthday 'War Games'
Sorry, it can’t be Star Wars 24/7 around here. Instead, let’s turn our attention to another movie from my youth I thoroughly enjoyed then and still do today.
That movie? Director John Badham’s 1983 cold war computer geek classic War Games.
In War Games, a young Matthew Broderick plays computer hacker David Lightman who tries to impress a girl named Jennifer (the equally young and cute Ally Sheedy) by hacking into the school’s computer to change her grade. He does it, she’s impressed and all is well. However, things then take a turn for the worse when David inadvertently hacks into a powerful NORAD defense computer known as the WOPR and almost starts World War III.
The feds, as you can imagine, are not amused and go looking for David. As they close in, and with the clock counting down until the start of an actual war by the computer that thinks its not a game, David goes on the run to find the only man who he hopes can make things right: the thought-dead inventor of the WOPR Professor Falken.
Sure, the movie’s technology is dated and yes, so are the hairstyles. But after 30 years War Games still holds up as a serviceable cold war thriller and provides some good insight into the mentality of an eighties teenager/hacker.
As a former eighties teenager/hacker myself, I can relate. Although, not to the almost starting World War III thing. That wasn’t me. I was out of town that day.
Check out the trailer for War Games below. If you haven’t seen it in awhile, or ever, it’s definitely worth a look.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbqMuvnx5MU?rel=0&w=525&h=295]
Over 1000 Behind the Scenes Photos From the 'Star Wars' Trilogy
The internet can be home to some pretty amazing things. Sure, there’s also a lot of porn too. Fortunately, the worthwhile bits outnumber the naughty ones.
A prime example of this is Imgur user JoinYouInTheSun who’s taken the time and made the effort to assemble over 1000 behind the scenes photos from the original Star Wars trilogy. As someone who grew up with this first (and some say only) trilogy of movies, these images brought back a lot of wonderful memories and were great fun to look at.
In fact, I liked them so much I clicked through each and every one of them. Slowly.
If you’re a Star Wars geek like I am, you’ll understand.
Here’s a couple more. Head over to Imgur for the rest.
'The History of Typography' - An Animated Short
Among the many reasons I consider myself a geek is my love of fonts and typography. I love the way type and graphics look when laid out properly on a page. I’m not sure where it comes from, but I’ve always been a big fan.
So, this animated short, made by Ben Barrett-Forrest, about the history of typography was very enjoyable for me. Perhaps you will enjoy it too.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOgIkxAfJsk?rel=0&w=525&h=295]
'The Empire Strikes Back' Is 33 Years Old Today, So How About Some Bloopers?
It should come as no surprise to anyone that I am a huge fan of the original Star Wars trilogy. In fact, I’m such a fan that I know The Empire Strikes Back was released 33 years ago today. Yes, I was there to see it on opening day.
Although, opening day was actually the second time I had seen it. The first time was at a press screening a few weeks earlier my Mom had won tickets for by listening to the radio all day while I was at school.
Do I have a cool Mom or what?
I still have that press kit somewhere with all the awesome black and white photos from the movie. Must dig that up someday soon.
To commemorate this milestone in history, here’s some bloopers for the first (and only good) trilogy. Enjoy.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_XgTyBzWZ0?rel=0&w=420&h=315]
Fear is a Four Letter Word
This is one of those times where I don’t think I have anything to say, but I still feel like writing anyway. I was once told by a writing teacher that even if you feel you have nothing to say, you should just start writing anyway.
His opinion, and I’ve often found this to be true, was that if you start and keep on going, eventually words will flow. The trick is to start.
Thinking about that now I really feel it applies to almost any endeavor. Simply put: If you don’t start, you’ll never finish.
I’m sure most of you are familiar with the famous Wayne Gretsky quote where he says: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Again, I think that applies to most things in life.
Starting things, like a writing project, is often very difficult. But I don’t think it’s the act of starting that’s the problem. What we’re really talking about here is fear.
For a writer, that fear most often manifests along the lines of “What if it sucks?” or “What if nobody likes it?” or even “What if people are so enraged by what I write, they want to burn me in effigy?” Actually, that last one might not be so bad.
Well, nobody wants to get burned in effigy, of course, but writing something powerful enough and moving enough to get people that enraged could be kinda cool. Again, if you can avoid the whole being burned thing.
We all feel fear at one time or another and there’s always the potential that fear will drive us to do something or, more to the point, to not do something. But we can’t let it win. We can’t let it get to us.
One of my favorite movies of all time is Lawrence of Arabia. In the movie, T.E. Lawrence, played by the amazing Peter O’Toole, holds up a match and then extinguishes it with his thumb and forefinger, seemingly oblivious to the pain this must surely have caused him.
His fellow soldier, William Potter, then tries to do the same and as he does, he realizes just how painful it actually is. He exclaims that “It damn well hurts!”
Potter then askes Lawrence what the trick is. Lawrence replies that yes, of course it hurts.
The trick is not minding.
Here's Some 'Community' Outtakes for a Friday
Many of these made me laugh. Some made me, well, experience other emotions. Anyway, here’s a little video containing some fun Community outtakes.
Enjoy them as this week’s episode may be the last one ever. Fingers crossed for a renewal from NBC, though. Thursday night’s episode would be a hard way to go out.
No, I didn’t think it was that great. I was hoping for more. On a side note, don’t read anything into the fact that most of these outtakes contain scenes with Alison Brie. That’s just a coincidence.
I also have no idea how the picture of her eating ice cream came back again. I thought I got rid of that. Please accept my humble apologies and I will try not to let it happen again.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woP-4BP4w5M?rel=0&w=525&h=295]
What Your Coffee Says About You
Continuing a fine tradition of coffee-related posts, I’ve got another one for you. This one is a new, handy chart that tells you just what the coffee beverage you order says about you as a person.
Check it out below. Oh, in case you’re wondering, according to this chart I’m “assertive and outspoken, don’t let seasons dictate how I live my life and I like straws.” Huh, maybe there’s something to this chart after all?
What kind of coffee are you?
Sunday Old School with 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'
I’ve been thinking a lot about Raiders of the Lost Ark lately, so I decided to watch it for what must be at least the thirtieth time. I will assume (dangerous, I realize) that most of you have seen it. If not, I think you should immediately find a way to see it and then come on back here.
For the rest of you, you know how truly awesome the movie is. From the acting to the story to the set pieces to the cool stuff going on just under the surface (the subtext, as we writer-types like to call it), Raiders has so many amazing things about it, and going for it, that it’s considered by many (myself included) to be one of the best movies of all time. In fact, it’s on my top ten all-time best list. If it isn’t on yours, it should be.
I was alive and there on opening day when Raiders first arrived in theaters On June 12, 1981 and as a young boy I was captivated by Indiana Jones and his adventures from the moment the Paramount mountain first dissolved to a real mountain until the last frame as the Ark is being put in a safe place, presumably until those so-called “top men” have time to examine it.
Director Steven Spielberg, producer George Lucas and writer Lawrence Kasdan knew just what to include in Raiders so kids of all ages would be entertained, enthralled and still be watching, and talking about, this moving textbook of filmmaking excellence over thirty years later. You certainly can’t say that about most films made in the last thirty years, especially a vast majority of the immediately forgettable crap that seems to pass for movies these days.
Raiders is one of a handful of films that help remind me what’s possible when a dedicated group of highly creative people get together and use their considerable talents and imaginations to create something. It helps me recapture the sense of wonder and, dare I say it, magic that’s sorely lacking in today’s films and, let’s face it, in society in general.
It truly is one of the greats and worthy of the esteem it holds with millions of fans around the world.
Here’s the original trailer for the film below. Enjoy. And really I can’t stress this enough, if you haven’t seen the movie, you owe it to yourself to watch it as soon as possible.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uABsht2bgY?rel=0&w=525&h=295]