No word if they found any evidence of robotic owls.

Lair of Ancient 'Kraken' Sea Monster Possibly Discovered


Quote:

A giant sea monster, the likes of the mythological kraken, may have swum Earth's ancient oceans, snagging what was thought to be the sea's top predators — school bus-size ichthyosaurs with fearsome teeth. The kraken, which would've been nearly 100 feet (30 meters) long, or twice the size of the colossal squid, Mesonychoteuthis, likely drowned or broke the necks of the ichthyosaurs before dragging the corpses to its lair, akin to an octopus's midden, according to study researcher Mark McMenamin, a paleontologist at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/10/10/lair-ancient-kraken-sea-monster-possibly-discovered/

a kid named joon from sommerville is kicking butt on jeopardy. 7:30 channel 4.

BOSTON (AP)—Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein is likely to join the Chicago Cubs within the next 48 hours, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Tuesday night.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made.

The Cubs fired general manager Jim Hendry on Aug. 19 and finished 71-91. They have been pursuing Epstein, who just finished his ninth season with Boston. The Red Sox missed the playoffs following a record collapse, going 7-20 in September and finishing at 90-72.

General manager Theo Epstein just finished his ninth season with Boston.
Epstein would be going to a Cubs franchise that hasn’t won the World Series since 1908...



http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-redsox-epstein

I predict that in the not-to-distant-future space travelers will be able to look down on Chicago, see Wrigley Field and declare in the words of Mike Nelson and his Robot Pals:

"Look: you can see the Cubs lose from here!" :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbmNuuX18u8

Apple's Siri is getting lots of attention for being the App with attitiude. She also seems to have seen the same movies that we have!

Not all of her advice should be taken...
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/SiriTrek.png

but she is wise in the ways of sparrows.
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/SiriPython.jpg

Just don't ask her to sing....
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/SiriHal.png
:D

For much too much more:

http://shitthatsirisays.tumblr.com/

I just hope the link makes it through our filters.

"tell me all the good things that come to mind when you think about your mother?"

Quote:

"tell me all the good things that come to mind when you think about your mother?"

"They're only questions Leon."

R_F_Fineman wrote on Oct 18^th, 2011 at 3:34pm:

"tell me all the good things that come to mind when you think about your mother?"

Quote:

"They're only questions Leon."

"Let me tell you about my mother...."

Wonder what would happen if you taught it phenomenology.

Quote:

Wonder what would happen if you taught it phenomenology.

This...
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/SiriLife.jpg
It's nice to know she wouldn't explode.

R_F_Fineman wrote on Oct 18^th, 2011 at 6:42pm:

It's nice to know she wouldn't explode.

     Yes, it's odd.
     Look, I can see youre really upset about all this.  Why dont you sit down, take a stress pill, & think things over.

Quote:

Look, I can see youre really upset about all this.  Why dont you sit down, take a stress pill, & think things over.

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/PodBayDoors.png :)

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/PodBay3.png :D

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/PodBay2.png ;D

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/HAL9000.png :o

Siri doesen't miss a thing! At first I was amused, now I'm a little frightened!
Again, these are real quotes, not a product of my imagination.

R_F_Fineman wrote on Oct 19^th, 2011 at 8:38am:

Siri doesn't miss a thing! Again, these are real quotes, not a product of my imagination.

     This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.

siri would not pass the turing test. i could easily phrase a question that would confound siri. such as "in what location would you likely find evidence that a large brown carnivore has gone to the bathroom?"

"how do you serve man?"

kirok wrote on Oct 19^th, 2011 at 12:02pm:

siri would not pass the turing test. i could easily phrase a question that would confound siri. such as "in what location would you likely find evidence that a large brown carnivore has gone to the bathroom?"

     Things like this have cropped up before, and they have always been due to human error.

kirok wrote on Oct 19^th, 2011 at 12:02pm:

siri would not pass the turing test. i could easily phrase a question that would confound siri. such as "in what location would you likely find evidence that a large brown carnivore has gone to the bathroom?"

"I found three dog parks. One of them is near you."

Metaluna wrote on Oct 19^th, 2011 at 12:43pm:

"I found three dog parks. One of them is near you."

     Yes.  It's puzzling.

Maybe we need to restart the "Signs of The Apocalypse" theme thread. This news story does it for me:


Quote:

...it was announced who would be squaring off against Tom Cruise in his potential franchise-starter "One Shot": Werner Herzog. As in, Werner Herzog, the acclaimed documentary filmmaker. As in, holy crap, Werner Herzog is gonna be the bad guy in a Tom Cruise movie

:o

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/the-projector/werner-herzog-tom-cruise-screen-nemesis-193049832.html

R_F_Fineman wrote on Oct 20^th, 2011 at 7:35am:

...it was announced who would be squaring off against Tom Cruise in his potential franchise-starter "One Shot": Werner Herzog. As in, Werner Herzog, the acclaimed documentary filmmaker. As in, holy crap, Werner Herzog is gonna be the bad guy in a Tom Cruise movie

     Maybe he'll make Tommy pull a ferryboat up a mountain with his teeth.

First the Sci-fi Message Board now hackers have done it again!

http://www.theonion.com/video/hackers-shut-down-january-jones,26460/

They couldn't put it on the internet if it wasn't true! ;)

Scientists have discovered prostate cancer in a 2000 year old mummy. Let's hope larry king makes a full recovery.

http://news.discovery.com/history/mummy-prostate-cancer-111101.html

oh come on. photoshop. obviosly.
http://www.slashgear.com/massive-networks-of-stripes-appear-in-chinese-desert-14194983/

Kirok:

Quote:

oh come on. photoshop. obviosly.

Nope, its legit
Go to these news sources...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/14/china-desert-structures_n_1092392.html


http://gizmodo.com/5859081/why-is-china-building-these-gigantic-structures-in-the-middle-of-the-desert

You can check it out yourself.

At first I thought it was a planned community under construction, perhaps near a new strip-mining location (as indicated by the circles) . Then I thought of our own Nevada A-bomb tests in 56' where US scientists built a mockup city near the blast zone. I don't know whether or not China signed on to the above ground atomic test-ban treaty. Scary stuff :o

R_F_Fineman wrote on Nov 14^th, 2011 at 5:15pm:

Kirok: Quote: oh come on. photoshop. obviosly. Nope, its legit Go to these news sources... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/14/china-desert-structures_n_1092392.html http://gizmodo.com/5859081/why-is-china-building-these-gigantic-structures-in-the-middle-of-the-desert You can check it out yourself. At first I thought it was a planned community under construction, perhaps near a new strip-mining location (as indicated by the circles) . Then I thought of our own Nevada A-bomb tests in 56' where US scientists built a mockup city near the blast zone. I don't know whether or not China signed on to the above ground atomic test-ban treaty. Scary stuff :o

Simply building living quarters for all those darned prawns and Newcomers that keep landing here.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/17/europa-water-jupiter-moon-photo-video_n_1099463.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Chp-desktop%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk2%7C113705

Hold on a minute.  Let's not forget......... "ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS EXCEPT EUROPA. ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE." 

Natalie Wood case reopened after 30 years...

http://news.yahoo.com/la-detectives-open-natalie-wood-death-inquiry-014714964.html

Her death occured after the wrap party to "Brainstorm" which has not played since SF-9.

The tragedy overshadowed what I recall was a good SF movie, with a good cast: she costarred with Christopher Walken and the underrated Cliff Robertson. It had a good premise, a memory recording/playback device, which would be retreaded in "Strange Days" (and probably some other titles if we were to put our minds to it.) I have not seen it since anywhere, and a whole generation of moviegoers have no idea that Walken was not always the professional creepy guy or that Natalie Wood actually had a career after the 1960's.

We'll probably have to put "Brainstorm" down among the titles never to be seen on the big screen again for lack of a print. :-[

what kind of wood doesn't float?

Lignum Vitae, for one...  Among the densest woods in the world....  There are others - I just don't know their names.

Oops - just read the rest of the stream.  I guess I can add myself to that list of densest woods..
:-/
Sorry.

Remember all of those SF movies from the fifties and sixties where they reversed the old V-2 rocket launch footage to show what they thought a spacecraft landing might look like? For me it joins "we don't need no stinkin' helmets on mars!" and "aliens we just met speak english" as halmarks of an underachieving SF film.  That is until now...


Quote:

There hasn't been much coming from Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, one of the companies NASA selected to develop future manned space vehicles. But this new video provides a glimpse of their New Shepard vehicle taking off and landing vertically

http://gizmodo.com/5861097/watch-bezos-new-shepard-launch-vehicle-take-one-small-step-for-future-space-travel :o

http://simpsonswiki.net/w/images/thumb/3/38/UpscAlien-Turkey.jpg/220px-UpscAlien-Turkey.jpg

Happy Thanksgiving, Earthlings

Frank wrote on Nov 17^th, 2011 at 4:52pm:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/17/europa-water-jupiter-moon-photo-video_n_1099463.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Chp-desktop%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk2%7C113705 Hold on a minute.  Let's not forget......... "ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS EXCEPT EUROPA. ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE."

"My God,it's full of stars."

Looking for more signs of the Apocalypse?

Look no further:

Theater to Allow Cell Phones During Live Performances
http://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/omg-theater-allow-cell-phones-during-live-performances-221000475.html


Quote:

"I am convinced we can control the experience, but we can't forbid the experience." He added, "We are creating a new etiquette for a younger audience."

>:([size=12][/size]

save the chapel.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11332/1193048-54.stm

R_F_Fineman wrote on Nov 28^th, 2011 at 9:09pm:

Looking for more signs of the Apocalypse? Look no further: Theater to Allow Cell Phones During Live Performances http://shine.yahoo.com/work-money/omg-theater-allow-cell-phones-during-live-performances-221000475.html Quote: "I am convinced we can control the experience, but we can't forbid the experience." He added, "We are creating a new etiquette for a younger audience." >:([size=12][/size]

This is happening in my backyard,I'm note sure I want to support this place.

No actual story, just a couple of amusing Behind The Scenes photos from a couple of old favorites:

http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web04/2011/11/29/18/enhanced-buzz-1466-1322608052-18.jpg

PLANET OF THE APES (1968, natch!)

http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/web03/2011/11/29/18/enhanced-buzz-7856-1322608226-16.jpg

STAR TREK tv series

Those of you on the west coast have a chance to see a total lunar eclipse tonight. Won't be another until 2014.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/09/us-lunar-eclipse-idUSTRE7B826D20111209

Took this tonight...1001 Mass Ave:

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h256/Metaluna/6c01811e.jpg

Are there theaters up those stairs?

A group of us did meet up at that site this past May to visit the old haunt (on the hottest day of the year!!).

As you can see it's a restaurant. The google earth photo was several years old last time I checked.



Metaluna wrote on Dec 10^th, 2011 at 6:44pm:

Took this tonight...1001 Mass Ave: http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h256/Metaluna/6c01811e.jpg

L.A. Connection wrote on Dec 10^th, 2011 at 7:00pm:

Are there theaters up those stairs? A group of us did meet up at that site this past May to visit the old haunt (on the hottest day of the year!!). As you can see it's a restaurant. The google earth photo was several years old last time I checked. Metaluna wrote on Dec 10th, 2011 at 6:44pm: Took this tonight...1001 Mass Ave: http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h256/Metaluna/6c01811e.jpg

I think a nearby futon store might be relocating there. Not sure though. It's a nice futon store. I got my futon there.

Metaluna wrote on Dec 10^th, 2011 at 7:04pm:

L.A. Connection wrote on Dec 10th, 2011 at 7:00pm: Are there theaters up those stairs? A group of us did meet up at that site this past May to visit the old haunt (on the hottest day of the year!!). As you can see it's a restaurant. The google earth photo was several years old last time I checked. Metaluna wrote on Dec 10th, 2011 at 6:44pm: Took this tonight...1001 Mass Ave: http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h256/Metaluna/6c01811e.jpg I think a nearby futon store might be relocating there. Not sure though. It's a nice futon store. I got my futon there.

Now if we could mix a futon store with the marathon, a nap would be invigorating especially when one of those "special" picks starts rolling. 

Frank wrote on Dec 10^th, 2011 at 7:57pm:

Now if we could mix a futon store with the marathon, a nap would be invigorating especially when one of those "special" picks starts rolling.

:D


Quote:

[Dr Blockhead breaks free, pushes Mulder down and goes out the door. Mulder falls onto bed of nails] Scully: "Mulder, are you okay?" Mulder: "It's more comfortable than a futon."

http://shippymoments.tvheaven.com/2x18j.jpg

One of my favorite non-movie related marathon moments goes back a few years.  I was going to lie down on the floor and take a nap.  As I got comfortable, a woman brought her blanket and pillow and set up camp next to me.  Her words to me were "will your wife mind that you are sleeping with another woman?".  Fran and I both lost it.  It was a great line...

First US Army Cyber Brigade announced:
http://gizmodo.com/5868171/the-first-us-army-cyber-brigade-are-not-your-typical-hackers

I can just imagine their boot camp!
http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/CarpalTunnel.jpg
CARPAL TUNNEL...Not in MY outfit!

Before the board went down I posted the discovery of Gilese 581-D, the first known extrasolar earth-like planet. Now it seems that there is an ever-increasing catalogue which ranks it twelfth in livability. If you rushed to buy a condo there the property values are way down!

Amazingly KOI-76.81 ranks .98 on the earth-like scale! (By comparison Mars scores .66) Maybe all of those planets that looked like Vasquez Rocks in the sci-fi movies weren't that far off after all! :)

http://phl.upr.edu/projects/habitable-exoplanets-catalog/list_esi

Ranked by surface temperature:
http://phl.upr.edu/projects/habitable-exoplanets-catalog/list_hab

New Decoy Website Launched To Lure Away All Moronic Internet Commenters

SAN JOSE, CA—With funding from dozens of news outlets and media companies, the groundbreaking Outkube.com launched this week, providing an online destination where pandering and incendiary content is used to lure moronic Internet commenters away from all other websites... sources confirmed that each day Outkube's software produces dozens of new pop-culture rankings, such as "The 10 Most Underrated Bands" or "The 15 Best Sci-Fi Movies Of All Time," which have been shown to occupy some of the Internet's most obnoxious commenters indefinitely, freeing the remainder of the web for actual rational discourse.



http://www.theonion.com/articles/new-decoy-website-launched-to-lure-away-all-moroni,26393/
They couldn't put it on the internet if it wasn't TRUE! -RF ;)

Here's a list of 100 top Cult films apparently based on an upcoming book. Two of them - LADY TERMINATOR and VIDEODROME were shown at the Marathon this February alone.

Can u name all the others that have screened at our event?

http://www.npr.org/2011/12/07/143296617/what-s-on-your-cult-film-list

2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick, 1968

Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo, 1988

Angel of Vengeance, Abel Ferrara, 1981

Bad Taste, Peter Jackson, 1987

Baise-moi, Virginie Despentes, Coralie Trinh Thi, 2000

Begotten, E. Elias Merhige, 1991

Behind the Green Door, Artie Mitchell, Jim Mitchell, 1972

La belle et la bête, Jean Cocteau, 1946

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, Russ Meyer, 1970

The Big Lebowski, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, 1998

Blade Runner, Ridley Scott, 1982

Blue Sunshine, Jeff Lieberman, 1978

Brazil, Terry Gilliam, 1985

Bride of Frankenstein, James Whale, 1935

The Brood, David Cronenberg, 1979

Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, Robert Wiene, 1920

Café Flesh, Stephen Sayadian, 1982

Cannibal Holocaust, Ruggero Deodato, 1979

Casablanca, Michael Curtiz, 1942

Un chien andalou, Luis Buñuel, Salvador Dalí,1928

Coffy, Jack Hill, 1973

Daughters of Darkness, Harry Kümel, 1971

Dawn of the Dead, George A. Romero, 1978

Deadly Weapons, Doris Wishman, 1974

Debbie Does Dallas, Jim Clark, 1978

Deep Red, Dario Argento, 1975

Dirty Dancing, Emile Ardolino, 1987

Django, Sergio Corbucci, 1966

Donnie Darko, Richard Kelly, 2001

Don't Torture a Duckling, Lucio Fulci, 1972

Edward Scissorhands, Tim Burton, 1990

Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals, Aristide Massaccesi, 1977

Emmanuelle, Just Jaeckin, 1974

Enter the Dragon, Robert Clouse, 1973

Eraserhead, David Lynch, 1977

The Evil Dead, Sam Raimi, 1981

Fight Club, David Fincher, 1999

Flaming Creatures, Jack Smith, 1963

Freak Orlando, Ulrike Ottinger, 1981

Freaks, Tod Browning, 1932

Ginger Snaps, John Fawcett, 2000

The Gods Must Be Crazy, Jamie Uys, 1981

Godzilla, Ishirô Honda, 1954

The Harder They Come, Perry Henzell, 1972

Harold and Maude, Hal Ashby, 1971

Häxan, Benjamin Christensen, 1922

Hellraiser, Clive Barker, 1987

The Holy Mountain, Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1973

The House with the Laughing Windows, Pupi Avati, 1976

I Walked with a Zombie, Jacques Tourneur, 1943

Ichi the Killer, Takashi Miike, 2001

In Bruges, Martin McDonagh, 2008

Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Don Siegel, 1956

Invocation of My Demon Brother, Kenneth Anger, 1969

It's a Wonderful Life, Frank Capra, 1946

The Killer, John Woo, 1989

Lady Terminator, H. Tjut Djalil, 1988

The Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson, 2001–3

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, George Miller, 1981

Man Bites Dog, Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel, Benoît Poelvoorde, 1992

Manos, the Hands of Fate, Harold P. Warren, 1966

The Masque of the Red Death, Roger Corman, 1964

Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, 1975

Near Dark, Kathryn Bigelow, 1987

Nekromantik, Jörg Buttgereit, 1987

Night of the Living Dead, George A. Romero, 1968

Pink Flamingos, John Waters, 1972

Piranha, Joe Dante, 1978

Plan 9 from Outer Space, Ed Wood, Jr, 1959

Re-Animator, Stuart Gordon, 1985

Reefer Madness, Louis Gasnier, 1936

Repo Man, Alex Cox, 1984

Ringu, Hideo Nakata, 1998

The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Jim Sharman, 1975

Rome Armed to the Teeth, Umberto Lenzi, 1976

The Room, Tommy Wiseau, 2003

Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1975

She Killed in Ecstasy, Jesús Franco, 1971

Showgirls, Paul Verhoeven, 1995

Soul Vengeance, Jamaa Fanaka, 1975

The Sound of Music, Robert Wise, 1965

Star Wars, George Lucas, 1977–2005

Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, Todd Haynes, 1988

Suspiria, Dario Argento, 1977

Tank Girl, Rachel Talalay, 1995

Tetsuo, Shinya Tsukamoto, 1989

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Tobe Hooper, 1974

This Is Spınal Tap, Rob Reiner, 1984

Thriller: A Cruel Picture, Bo Arne Vibenius, 1974

Thundercrack!, Curt McDowell, 1975

El Topo, Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1970

The Toxic Avenger, Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman, 1984

Two-Lane Blacktop, Monte Hellman, 1971

Two Thousand Maniacs!, Herschell Gordon Lewis, 1964

The Vanishing, George Sluizer, 1988

Videodrome, David Cronenberg, 1983

The Warriors, Walter Hill, 1979

Witchfinder General, Michael Reeves, 1968

Withnail & I, Bruce Robinson, 1987

The Wizard of Oz, Victor Fleming, 1939

What no "Apple"? Unless "Flaming Creatures" is an alternate title. (a reference to the actor who played the Devil).

Here's what I came up with without looking. (In the words of former President Nixon: "That would be wrong!")

2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick, 1968
Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo, 1988
Blade Runner, Ridley Scott, 1982
Bride of Frankenstein, James Whale, 1935
Brazil, Terry Gilliam, 1985
Godzilla, Ishirô Honda, 1954
Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Don Siegel, 1956
Lady Terminator, H. Tjut Djalil, 1988
Plan 9 from Outer Space, Ed Wood, Jr, 1959
Repo Man, Alex Cox, 1984
Tank Girl, Rachel Talalay, 1995
Videodrome, David Cronenberg, 1983

(I'm guessing we might have seen "Bride of Re-Animator" and not the original)

Twelve is pretty good given it's an NPR list and not a list of Science Fiction/Horror films. Good job adding "Lady Terminator" last year! To tell the truth you've pretty much got the list covered, as nothing else that I'm familiar with would really fit. "Army of Darkness" played well, but "Evil Dead" really isn't a fit. Some pretty good zombie films have played over the years, but the "cult classics" listed here are more horror-gore than sci-fi. :)

I have 17 films, so you're getting there.

An even higher percent of the whole list!

P.S. FLAMING CREATURES is an underground micro-budget indie, not the red ripe delicious hoot we showed.


R_F_Fineman wrote on Dec 19^th, 2011 at 7:42pm:

What no "Apple"? Unless "Flaming Creatures" is an alternate title. (a reference to the actor who played the Devil). Here's what I came up with without looking. (In the words of former President Nixon: "That would be wrong!") 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick, 1968 Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo, 1988 Blade Runner, Ridley Scott, 1982 Bride of Frankenstein, James Whale, 1935 Brazil, Terry Gilliam, 1985 Godzilla, Ishirô Honda, 1954 Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Don Siegel, 1956 Lady Terminator, H. Tjut Djalil, 1988 Plan 9 from Outer Space, Ed Wood, Jr, 1959 Repo Man, Alex Cox, 1984 Tank Girl, Rachel Talalay, 1995 Videodrome, David Cronenberg, 1983 (I'm guessing we might have seen "Bride of Re-Animator" and not the original) Twelve is pretty good given it's an NPR list and not a list of Science Fiction/Horror films. Good job adding "Lady Terminator" last year! To tell the truth you've pretty much got the list covered, as nothing else that I'm familiar with would really fit. "Army of Darkness" played well, but "Evil Dead" really isn't a fit. Some pretty good zombie films have played over the years, but the "cult classics" listed here are more horror-gore than sci-fi. :)

2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick, 1968

Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo, 1988

Blade Runner, Ridley Scott, 1982

Brazil, Terry Gilliam, 1985

Bride of Frankenstein, James Whale, 1935
 
Donnie Darko, Richard Kelly, 2001

Godzilla, Ishirô Honda, 1954

Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Don Siegel, 1956

Lady Terminator, H. Tjut Djalil, 1988

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, George Miller, 1981

Night of the Living Dead, George A. Romero, 1968

Plan 9 from Outer Space, Ed Wood, Jr, 1959

Re-Animator, Stuart Gordon, 1985

Repo Man, Alex Cox, 1984

Star Wars, George Lucas, 1977–2005

Tank Girl, Rachel Talalay, 1995

Videodrome, David Cronenberg, 1983

and, the original post lists multiple STAR WARS films, so you could add EMPIRE STRIKES BACK to the list.

I guess we be pretty Cult-y.........

;)

I have seen about 75 of the movies listed here...... I guess I am a cultist.

Every year the Library of Congress' National Film Registry puts out a list of 25 films that will be guaranteed preservation.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/national-film-registry-forrest-gump-silence-of-the-lambs-276426

This year, WAR OF THE WORLDS has been added to the list. No, not the Spielberg-Cruise mediocrity, but the George Pal 1953 original
(and a 4-time Marathon film, the last being about 4 years ago: http://sf.theboard.net/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1319772249/0#0)

It's a hodgepodge list of shorts, obscurities and FORREST GUMP? Sure GUMP was a Best Picture winner and pretty entertaining film - but, is this big budget big studio pic in any real danger of not being "saved" by the studio?

SILENCE OF THE LAMBS is also on the list along with Film Noir fave THE BIG HEAT and the first computer animated bit from 1972. Which you can see here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5seU-5U0ms


http://www.war-ofthe-worlds.co.uk/images/war_worlds_pal_9_x.jpg

Sorry but seeing Gump on the same list as War of the Worlds, Silence of the Lambs and The Big Heat sickens me.  As far as Gump is concerned, I think that it is a silly, schmaltzy movie at best.    

http://www.theonion.com/articles/cool-dad-raising-daughter-on-media-that-will-put-h,26132/

the top 10 most pirated movies of 2011.
http://perezhilton.com/2011-12-28-most-pirated-movies-of-2011-list-has-been-released

Elon Musk.  The name sounds as if it came out of an Asimov novel.   Sounds crazy but sometimes crazy gets things started.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2011/12/27/elon_musk_spacex_will_bring_man_to_mars_in_less_than_20_years_video_.html

Quote whores, that is. Movie critics in name only. The studios love these folks, because even the biggest turkeys can always rely on one of these whores to provide them with a positive quote to use in their adds. No Boston based critics that I know of.

I love the number one whore (Shawn Edwards). In May he proclaims BRIDESMAIDS "the funniest movie ever!". 6 weeks later, HORRIBLE BOSSES is "the funniest comedy of the year!" Poor BRIDESMAIDS, it's "funniest" title only lasted for such a short time.............. :D

http://www.efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=3343


P.S. Still, perhaps the best recent example is Ben Lyons who proclaimed Will Smith's I AM LEGEND "One of the greatest movies ever made" and then didn't even name it to his Top 10 list that year!

i get suckered by these quote whores all the time. most recently "horrible bosses"
but i think book of eli was very good and it had some staying power.

kirok wrote on Dec 29^th, 2011 at 4:01pm:

i get suckered by these quote whores all the time. most recently "horrible bosses"....

Finally, Kirok admits to getting taken in by Whores!

I don't understand how folks will spend hours, if not days, going over consumer reports before buying a toaster, but don't spend the time to scout out Film Reviewers. Over the course of a single year - not to mention, many years - most of us spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on movie tickets. With sites like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, it is easier than ever to see over time those critics who's taste most closely mirrors your own.

Quote Whores feed the studios these dummy quotes, because so many filmgoers are dummies themselves who don't distinguish between a Ben Lyons or a Shawn Edwards and someone consistently brilliant in his reviews like that guy from L.A.!  :-X ::)

L.A. Connection wrote on Dec 29^th, 2011 at 5:07pm:

kirok wrote on Dec 29th, 2011 at 4:01pm: i get suckered by these quote whores all the time. most recently "horrible bosses".... Finally, Kirok admits to getting taken in by Whores! I don't understand how folks will spend hours, if not days, going over consumer reports before buying a toaster, but don't spend the time to scout out Film Reviewers. Over the course of a single year - not to mention, many years - most of us spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on movie tickets. With sites like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic, it is easier than ever to see over time those critics who's taste most closely mirrors your own. Quote Whores feed the studios these dummy quotes, because so many filmgoers are dummies themselves who don't distinguish between a Ben Lyons or a Shawn Edwards and someone consistently brilliant in his reviews like that guy from L.A.!  :-X ::)

Because critics are for the most part just some guys and gals with modest writing skills, an opinion and an axe to grind.  Nothing special there.  Also, most of us don't pour over consumer reports and when we do it's hopefully to learn something objective about an item, HP, gas mileage, etc.  Movie critique is subjective.  You can help me out with a brief synopsis, or cast and production notes but that is about all.  The opinion of a critic means precious little to me.  I hit way more often than miss without the help of croitics.  Our experiences should teach us as we walk through life.  Sorry, don't see the need for movie critics.  Way too many of them and with the internet, more and more evey day.  Is that how you determine what you are going to see?  You let someone else decide for you? 

Frank wrote on Dec 29^th, 2011 at 9:14pm:

Because critics are for the most part just some guys and gals with modest writing skills, an opinion and an axe to grind.  Nothing special there.  Also, most of us don't pour over consumer reports and when we do it's hopefully to learn something objective about an item, HP, gas mileage, etc.  Movie critique is subjective.  You can help me out with a brief synopsis, or cast and production notes but that is about all.  The opinion of a critic means precious little to me.  I hit way more often than miss without the help of croitics.  Our experiences should teach us as we walk through life.

By that standard, we don't need Teachers or Historians either. To each his own. Sure, we all need to make our own way at a certain point, but Teachers, Historians and Critics serve a function. They can point out aspects of a subject one might not have seen. A learnered practitioner of those crafts has seen, read and experienced things that we may not have.


Frank wrote on Dec 29^th, 2011 at 9:14pm:

Sorry, don't see the need for movie critics.  Way too many of them and with the internet, more and more evey day.  Is that how you determine what you are going to see?  You let someone else decide for you?

Of course, I don't slavishly follow a certain critic (or group of them for that matter). But, if I see that a film gets an unusually high amount of praise from folks I respect, I will delve deeper into whether I should check it out. Ed's mention of LA QUATTRO VOLTE is a good example. Although I didn't read Ed's review at the time, I did hear some interesting things about it from writers I admire. It's not a GREEN LANTERN or TRANSFORMERS Part Trois, so reviews do matter in a case like that.

As to there being "way too many" critics on the internets, you are actually making my point: You have to do your homework a bit in order to separate the genuine critics and the Shawn Edwards and Ben Lyons.

     These people arent critics, theyre reviewers.  A true critic is a very rare bird these days.  I doubt a real one would even be able to get published.
     Dwight Macdonald was a critic.  James Agee was a critic.  John Simon -- whatever else you might think of him -- is a critic.  The now all-but-forgotten Charles Thomas Samuels & William Pechter were critics.  These people were cultured, they spoke other languages, they were interested in the other arts, & they brought a true critical mentality to bear when they wrote, and they all wrote well.
     Just about everyone else you can name is a reviewer, of the "I like this but not that" variety.  As Truman Capote once quipped (not about reviewers), "Thats not writing, thats typewriting."

David the Projectionist wrote on Dec 30^th, 2011 at 2:16pm:

Dwight Macdonald was a critic.  James Agee was a critic.  John Simon -- whatever else you might think of him -- is a critic.  The now all-but-forgotten Charles Thomas Samuels & William Pechter were critics.

never hoid of em.

kirok wrote on Dec 30^th, 2011 at 3:01pm:

David the Projectionist wrote on Dec 30th, 2011 at 2:16pm:           Dwight Macdonald was a critic.  James Agee was a critic.  John Simon -- whatever else you might think of him -- is a critic.  The now all-but-forgotten Charles Thomas Samuels & William Pechter were critics.  never hoid of em.

Because they ain't whores, Kirok!  :D

Seriously, there are still a few bonafide critics out there (along with a good number of solid reviewers).

Some I read include: Stanley Kauffmann & David Thompson at the New Republic. Anthony Lane of the New Yorker. A.O. Scott of the New York Times. Richard Corliss of Time Magazine. Dana Stevens of Slate. There are others, but these are a few to consider....

if not for pickpockets and the occasional screwing by quote whores, l.a. would have no sex life at all. >:(

L.A. Connection wrote on Dec 29^th, 2011 at 11:31pm:

Frank wrote on Dec 29th, 2011 at 9:14pm: Because critics are for the most part just some guys and gals with modest writing skills, an opinion and an axe to grind.  Nothing special there.  Also, most of us don't pour over consumer reports and when we do it's hopefully to learn something objective about an item, HP, gas mileage, etc.  Movie critique is subjective.  You can help me out with a brief synopsis, or cast and production notes but that is about all.  The opinion of a critic means precious little to me.  I hit way more often than miss without the help of croitics.  Our experiences should teach us as we walk through life.  By that standard, we don't need Teachers or Historians either. To each his own. Sure, we all need to make our own way at a certain point, but Teachers, Historians and Critics serve a function. They can point out aspects of a subject one might not have seen. A learnered practitioner of those crafts has seen, read and experienced things that we may not have. Frank wrote on Dec 29th, 2011 at 9:14pm: Sorry, don't see the need for movie critics.  Way too many of them and with the internet, more and more evey day.  Is that how you determine what you are going to see?  You let someone else decide for you?  Of course, I don't slavishly follow a certain critic (or group of them for that matter). But, if I see that a film gets an unusually high amount of praise from folks I respect, I will delve deeper into whether I should check it out. Ed's mention of LA QUATTRO VOLTE is a good example. Although I didn't read Ed's review at the time, I did hear some interesting things about it from writers I admire. It's not a GREEN LANTERN or TRANSFORMERS Part Trois, so reviews do matter in a case like that. As to there being "way too many" critics on the internets, you are actually making my point: You have to do your homework a bit in order to separate the genuine critics and the Shawn Edwards and Ben Lyons.

Many teachers and historians are indeed hacks.  You should avoid them like the plague.  Also, watching film is not learning science.  Teach me film theory if you like but don't tell me to avoid directors or actors because you have no tolerance for them or maybe it's that you don't like a certain genre.
   
Also, by that reasooning I we should have our kids study reviewers.  Puh-Leese.

See you are telling me that I have to do my homework shopping for something I DON'T NEED! 

David makes my point there are way too many hacks calling themselves critics.  These people are not objective.  If I have to find a critic I like then I really don't need him or her because all they are doing is confirming my opinion.  Don't need em, don't want em, don;t wate my time on them.   

kirok wrote on Dec 30^th, 2011 at 4:22pm:

if not for pickpockets and the occasional screwing by quote whores, l.a. would have no sex life at all. >:(

Whoa, whoa, whoa. I would NEVER sanction that Whores be banned from Kirok's life!

;)


Here, are some more for ya............


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rJYxLOsQoII/Skfyn8hYldI/AAAAAAAAAfU/nWqXWu1VkHU/s320/TR_grin.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v5NoTz_8kwE/TZrUIjXx9lI/AAAAAAAACeE/cyEzXi145OA/s400/prostitutes.jpg


http://www.efilmcritic.com/images/users/198/ShawnEdwardsBurgerPhone.jpg

which one is your mom and which one is your sister?
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v5NoTz_8kwE/TZrUIjXx9lI/AAAAAAAACeE/cyEzXi145OA/s400/prostitutes.jpg

I try to be helpful and I get that..........tsk tsk.................

L.A. Connection wrote on Dec 31^st, 2011 at 1:00pm:

I try to be helpful and I get that..........tsk tsk.................

You are NOT being helpful, get over it.  Critics aren't helpful they just want to be heard.....

L.A. Connection wrote on Dec 30^th, 2011 at 3:45pm:

Stanley Kauffmann & David Thompson at the New Republic. Anthony Lane of the New Yorker. A.O. Scott of the New York Times. Richard Corliss of Time Magazine. Dana Stevens of Slate.

     I will grant you that Kaufmann is a critic, albeit one with whom I am never in agreement: I think his judgement is unsound, so I stopped reading him.
     David Thompson is a bloviating idiot: besides writing books filled with misinformation, wasnt he the dope that said The Truman Show was the best movie of the 90s?  Dont have room in my life for dummies like that!
     Lane is intermittently amusing, but I think calling him a true critic would be an upgrade from what he actually is.
     Scott is a hack; as if the NYT would ever hire someone who wasnt.
     Corliss is a pretentious, drooling fanboy.
     Never read Stevens, so nothing to say.

Frank wrote on Dec 30^th, 2011 at 7:39pm:

David makes my point there are way too many hacks calling themselves critics.  These people are not objective.  If I have to find a critic I like then I really don't need him or her because all they are doing is confirming my opinion.  Don't need em, don't want em, don't waste my time on them.

     Well, you cant be a critic & be "objective."  The whole idea of a critic is to bring your personal understanding & cultural acumen to the work at hand!
     But the other point David would like to make is that a true critic can open doors of understanding which reviewers dont even know are there.  A true critic can give you insight & perspective, not only on what a film is doing right, but also on what it's doing wrong.  A true critic can get you to see things in a way you never thought of before.
     As an example, the critic I mentioned above, William Pechter, wrote a review of The Wild Bunch, & he pointed out something that never occurred to me, even though I'd seen the movie well over a hundred times.
     John Simon wrote major essays on Godard & his admirers, Fellini & his later films, and Kael & Sarris & the auteur theory, & these essays are brilliantly written, wonderfully reasoned, & none too kind.  Wonderful stuff!
     Reviewers, on the other hand (if I may paraphrase Fellini), leave you in the same darkness with which you entered.  You learn nothing about the movie, but plenty about the reviewer.  Thats the difference.

dave. do you consider yourself to be a critic of critics?

kirok wrote on Jan 1^st, 2012 at 4:07pm:

dave. do you consider yourself to be a critic of critics?

     Nope.  Just spent waaaaaay too much time watching & reading about movies!

I was wondering why here it is January and not a single title has been announced. What's Garen been up to? Then I saw this:


http://www.lvrj.com/news/alien-cathouse-brothel-to-feature-girls-from-another-world-136131043.html
and..
http://io9.com/5870980/inevitably-depressing-alien+themed-brothel-to-open-in-nevada

Oh yeah, that must be it. ;)

R_F_Fineman wrote on Jan 3^rd, 2012 at 5:26pm:

I was wondering why here it is January and not a single title has been announced. What's Garen been up to? Then I saw this: http://www.lvrj.com/news/alien-cathouse-brothel-to-feature-girls-from-another-world-136131043.html Oh yeah, that must be it. ;)

Hey, I worked with that triple breasted babe (Lycia Naff)! Sorry, to burst people's bubbles though - that third one ain't real.... ;)


http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2011/08/02/total-recall_320.jpg

Quote:

that third one ain't real....

FAKE Breasts in Hollywood! Who'd have thought it! :)

Happy Birthday, HAL 9000 1/12/92 Urbana, Illinois    http://30ninjas.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/hal-9000-300.jpg

i believe he is 20.

kirok wrote on Jan 12^th, 2012 at 1:55pm:

i believe he is 20.

I believe that he "died" or was absorbed about 2 years ago. Who knows what happens when alien super intelligences are involved?   

hal's higher brain functions were de activated from 2001 to 2010. so he only lived 9 years.

Another movie theater will be opening near Boston...on the site of a former movie theater.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2012/01/13/theater-first-tenant-somerville-development/Rpztv2XNIqhCKJmYXnkG2H/story.html


Quote:

AMC Theatres will open a 12-screen movie complex at Assembly Square in Somerville, becoming the first major retail tenant to commit to opening at the $1.5 billion development on the former industrial property.

The bad news is it's going to be all digital but the good news is they are also considering including a bar. All movies look better in 3B. Or at least you don't mind so much that they are murky.

http://www.alicia-logic.com/capsimages/sbr_002MoranisThomas.jpg

Metaluna wrote on Jan 13^th, 2012 at 10:56pm:

Another movie theater will be opening near Boston...on the site of a former movie theater.

     Yeah, the one I used to work!


Quote:

The bad news is it's going to be all digital but the good news is they are also considering including a bar.

     It will suck, the way all AMC scummyplexes suck.  They dont give a sh!t about presentation: they only care that you buy their popcorn.  And the LieMax, if they install it, will be 2K video.
     If your idea of going to the movies is to watch an oversized TV screen, AMC is for you.
     You should give the Somerville your business.

http://www.alfredhitchcockgeek.com/2012/02/hitchcock-in-outer-space.html

In honor of Franky's monster.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110927095614.htm

Celebrate James Bridges birthday. Among his many accomplishments, he wrote the screenplay based on the D.F. Jones novel for Colossus: The Forbin Project

From Alfred Hitchcock Geek:

The director of such movies as THE PAPER CHASE, THE CHINA SYNDROME and URBAN COWBOY, was an actor when Norman Lloyd tapped him to write an episode for ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS. He then wrote 15 more, among them the most lauded and memorable in the series, including "The Jar," "An Unlocked Window," and "Where the Woodbine Twineth." Bridges died in 1993 at the age of 57, survived by his longtime companion, Jack Larson who is familiar to many as Superman's Jimmy Olsen.

what are people's predictions for the superbowl? specifically;will madonna have a wardrobe malfunction? will madonna sleep with the winning team?

Quote:

Quote   what are people's predictions for the superbowl? specifically;will madonna have a wardrobe malfunction?....

"Is there any man in america who hasn't already see your busooms?" Rosie O'Donnell to Madonna in "A League of Their Own"

"I predict PAIN." Mr. T in "Rocky II"

My hoetown won't ever be the same.  I have met these guys.  They are super nice and I wish them well on this new project.  They are the team that brought Hatchet and Hatchet 2 and Frozen to the big screen.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/west/2011/11/05/adam-green-sets-sitcom-holliston-old-hometown/TTMtW8t6a65nqZWuPpZLKM/story.html

I always figured that the Norwegians would get there first


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/09/world/europe/russian-scientists-bore-into-ancient-antarctic-lake.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

MacReady: I dunno, it's like this: thousands of years ago this spaceship crashes, and this thing, whatever it is... gets thrown out or crawls out and it ends up freezing in the ice.
Garry: So, the Norwegians find it, and they dig it out of the ice...
MacReady: That's right, Garry. They dig it up. They cart it back to their base. It gets thawed out, it wakes up, probaly not the best of moods, and... I don't know, I wasn't there!
Childs: How could this motherfutter wake up after thousands of years frozen in the ice?
George Bennings: And how can it make itself look like a dog?
MacReady: I don't know. Because it's different then us. Because it's from outer space. What more do you want from me? Ask Blair!

Recent occurrences of madness in Arkham MA and the discovery of horribly mutilated library books at the library of Miskatonic University have followed the news of the Russians tapping an enormous lake under the Antarctic ice cap.
Those aware of the Cthulu Mythos or the recent movie The Call of Cthulu should check out the news of the Russians tapping a "Gigantic freshwater lake hidden under miles of ice for millions of years"(AP)http://universe.byu.edu/index.php/2012/02/09/ap-in-scientific-coup-russians-reach-antarctic-lake/
Looking at the Wikipedia article on H.P. Lovecraft you will find that, "Eventually, as Antarctica became uninhabitable even for the Elder Things, they migrated into a large, subterranean ocean."
Be afraid

I just interviewed Garen for a piece about the Marathon scheduled for this week's Somerville Journal (I think it's published on Thursday). He was erudite, or something like that. It'll also be somewhere on this site: http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville

"He was erudite, or something like that" would make one hell of a gravestone epitaph.

Joe Neff wrote on Feb 13^th, 2012 at 8:51pm:

"He was erudite, or something like that" would make one hell of a gravestone epitaph.

Geez, you guys are all wicked smaht....

The Truth is Out There!

Eisenhower Met With ETs Says Ex-Government Consultant
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/14/eisenhower-met-aliens-says-timothy-good_n_1277133.html


Quote:

Whether you believe this story or not, an interesting related side-story reared its head in 2010. A retired New Hampshire state representative, Henry McElroy Jr., taped an intriguing video announcement in which he revealed seeing a secret briefing document intended for Eisenhower. This document, according to McElroy, contained information that aliens were in America and that Eisenhower could meet with them

I also know for a fact that Chief NASA Rocket Scientist Werhner von Braun was an alien*. -RF :)



*Alien n. An unnaturalized foreign resident of a country. Also called noncitizen.
source: American Heritage Dictionary

R_F_Fineman wrote on Feb 16^th, 2012 at 8:30pm:

The Truth is Out There! Eisenhower Met With ETs Says Ex-Government Consultant http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/14/eisenhower-met-aliens-says-timothy-good_n_1277133.html Quote: Whether you believe this story or not, an interesting related side-story reared its head in 2010. A retired New Hampshire state representative, Henry McElroy Jr., taped an intriguing video announcement in which he revealed seeing a secret briefing document intended for Eisenhower. This document, according to McElroy, contained information that aliens were in America and that Eisenhower could meet with them I also know for a fact that Chief NASA Rocket Scientist Werhner von Braun was an alien*. -RF :) *Alien n. An unnaturalized foreign resident of a country. Also called noncitizen. source: American Heritage Dictionary

I Aim At The Stars, But I Often Hit England.

Quote:

Me: I also know for a fact that Chief NASA Rocket Scientist Werhner von Braun was an alien*. -RF [quote]Frank: I Aim At The Stars, But I Often Hit England.

[/quote]

Tom Lehrer sings of Wernher von Braun:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V7me25aNtI&feature=player_embedded

I've been saving this one for the right movie.

Here's that interview with Garen. See you all soon!!!

http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/news/x1676724218/Science-fiction-movie-madness-to-take-over-Somerville-Theatre#axzz1mlu8QtnK

Bad news:

The Razzies are yet to be announced but critics are busy compiling the year's worst; eager, in Roger Ebert's words, to take one more crack at films that robbed precious hours from their lives:


From Time:
And the Worst Film of the Year Is Officially...


Quote:

http://news.yahoo.com/worst-film-officially-140500460.html

Yes, it wouldn't be a proper worst-list without the usual suspects: "Twilight", Michael Bay, Nicole Kidman, Adam Sandler.. ;).

I think there might be a movie in this...

Goat Accents


Quote:

The scientists believe the goats are displaying the first stage in the evolutionary development of language. The next stage would be imitation, which some birds (hummingbirds, parrots and songbirds), bats, whales and dolphin have exhibited. The study concludes that animals could one develop complex language like humans: “This suggests an early step in the evolution of vocal communication, leading to the advanced and unique vocal-learning abilities found in humans, which allow us to speak.”

GET YOUR HOOVES OFF ME YOU DAMNED, DIRTY GOAT!

Metaluna wrote on Feb 27^th, 2012 at 12:07pm:

I think there might be a movie in this... Goat Accents Quote: The scientists believe the goats are displaying the first stage in the evolutionary development of language. The next stage would be imitation, which some birds (hummingbirds, parrots and songbirds), bats, whales and dolphin have exhibited. The study concludes that animals could one develop complex language like humans: “This suggests an early step in the evolution of vocal communication, leading to the advanced and unique vocal-learning abilities found in humans, which allow us to speak.” GET YOUR HOOVES OFF ME YOU DAMNED, DIRTY GOAT!

YOUR SPECIES PRODUCES MILK TOO, YA HOOFLESS BASTIDS.  MAKE YOUR OWN DAMNED CHEESE.

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/KurtRussel.jpg

Where's Kurt Russel when you need him?


Quote:

Alien Invasion Threatens Antarctic Ecosystem SYDNEY (REUTERS) - In the pristine frozen continent of Antarctica scientists fear an alien invasion -- not from outer space, but carried in people's pockets and bags http://news.yahoo.com/alien-invasion-threat-antarctic-ecosystem-030858080.html

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/old/thing1_thing2.gif

Today's news story quiz: identify the source of this headline:


Quote:

Huge solar storm races toward Earth Earth's magnetic field is about to be shaken like a snow globe by the largest solar storm in years.

a) The Snow Globe That Ate Peoria
b) Solar Stormtroopers
c) Day of the Magnets
d) yesterday's Boston Globe

I really enjoyed "Zippy" today.

http://www.seattlepi.com/comics-and-games/fun/Zippy_the_Pinhead/

Never could get into the whole Zippy thing, myself.

These are my 2 go to comics each day:

http://www.gocomics.com/lio

www.mania.com/content_pics/000003/35/31/06f4de144062907c_thumb.jpg" name="post_img_resize_28" alt="" border="0" id="imagecount28" style="display:none" />www.mania.com/content_pics/000003/35/31/06f4de144062907c_thumb.jpg]http://cdn-www.mania.com/content_pics/000003/35/31/06f4de144062907c_thumb.jpg[/url]

and


http://www.grimmy.com/comics.php

http://www.astronerdboy.com/comic-strips/images/toons/grimmy10.gif

Please note:  Soylent Green is in short supply, so remember—Tuesday is Soylent Green day.

Frank wrote on Mar 17^th, 2012 at 11:43pm:

Please note:  Soylent Green is in short supply, so remember—Tuesday is Soylent Green day.

Warning: May contain nuts.

Metaluna wrote on Mar 18^th, 2012 at 1:56pm:

Frank wrote on Mar 17th, 2012 at 11:43pm: Please note:  Soylent Green is in short supply, so remember—Tuesday is Soylent Green day. Warning: May contain nuts.

Muse of comedy - I fall at your feet and weep tears of laughter............ ;D

soylent green is leprechauns. soylent green is leprechauns.

Metaluna Relinquishes Title:

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/MistressUniverse.jpg

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/MistressUniverse.jpg

Stuff and nonsense sir!  I served Metaluna, I knew Metaluna, I am a thrall of Metaluna, and that teen is no Metaluna.  Besides, you don't relinquish that title you have to take it.  Trial by combat sir, trial by combat.  To which I say, 10,000 quatloos on Metaluna.

Frank wrote on Mar 21^st, 2012 at 9:39am:

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/MistressUniverse.jpg Stuff and nonsense sir!  I served Metaluna, I knew Metaluna, I am a thrall of Metaluna, and that teen is no Metaluna.  Besides, you don't relinquish that title you have to take it.  Trial by combat sir, trial by combat.  To which I say, 10,000 quatloos on Metaluna.

right. and this teen probably slept with far fewer than the 500 or so that meta luna sleeps with every year.

Frank wrote on Mar 21^st, 2012 at 9:39am:

Stuff and nonsense sir!  I served Metaluna, I knew Metaluna, I am a thrall of Metaluna, and that teen is no Metaluna.  Besides, you don't relinquish that title you have to take it.  Trial by combat sir, trial by combat.  To which I say, 10,000 quatloos on Metaluna.

You shall be rewarded for your loyalty.


Quote:

right. and this teen probably slept with far fewer than the 500 or so that meta luna sleeps with every year.

Yeah, I'll bet she doesn't even spend $3000 a year on birth control. I know law students who are "friendlier" than that.

For anyone who didn't get enough steampunk at the marathon:

Boston crafts show spotlights steampunk designers

http://articles.boston.com/2012-03-22/arts/31218743_1_steampunk-arts-and-crafts-traditional-art

I didn't mind steampunk until it got trendy.

Oh Captain, my Captain, happy birthday..........

Frank wrote on Mar 22^nd, 2012 at 10:59am:

Oh Captain, my Captain, happy birthday..........

yes. captain kirk will be born in riverside iowa on this date, march 22, in 221 years. which incites me to revisit the 2010 reboot and point out that the aternate timeline had to be created at some point prior to the arrival of Nero. how did i miss that during our exhaustive star trek 2010 discussion? (which has since been lost in cyberspace due to the great board crash of 2011.)

today is the 100 birthday of werner von brown. sure he was a nazi and he used some slave labor and his rocket killed civilians in london but hey, the v2 was a really cool rocket and it appears in many 50's sci-fi films. do we still use the v2 wrist stamp apon admittance to the marathon? his role in the early space program was pivotal. the saturn 5 was his design.

AFAIK, our L.A. Connection does not have any nominations this year but, you can still vote in the Rondo Awards! Maybe we can give him a write-in somewhere. ;)

http://rondoaward.com/rondo/rondos.html

Ballots must be sent via email by Sunday night at midnight, April 1, 2012.

Mars Attacks! Will Be Made Into a Broadway Musical

Sorry, L.A. but it looks like they aren't getting Danny Elfman to do the music.

Personally I love the movie.

Metaluna wrote on Mar 31^st, 2012 at 4:53pm:

Mars Attacks! Will Be Made Into a Broadway Musical Sorry, L.A. but it looks like they aren't getting Danny Elfman to do the music. Personally I love the movie.

BOTH the movie and Danny Elfman's music.......


http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tJ4JrF9ZUZs/TZ8LgDYqSGI/AAAAAAAAACo/G_9wPW2JEWs/s320/rott+tom.jpg

L.A. Connection wrote on Mar 31^st, 2012 at 5:39pm:

Metaluna wrote on Mar 31st, 2012 at 4:53pm: Mars Attacks! Will Be Made Into a Broadway Musical Sorry, L.A. but it looks like they aren't getting Danny Elfman to do the music. Personally I love the movie. BOTH the movie and Danny Elfman's music....... http://www.screenhead.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/actual-rotten-tomatoes-300x225.jpg

In other Mars Attacks news the first issue of the new Mars Attacks comics, due in June, will have FIFTY FIVE different covers. That's a complete set of the original gum cards.
You can order a complete set of the covers for only $199 in a special collectible box.
This year is the 50th anniversary of the original card sets so look for a lot of toys & stuff including a plush martian that I hope to be cuddling at SF 38.

he wants to be flexible....with THESE GUYS???
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/technology/sci-tech/russia-working-on-electromagnetic-radiation-guns/story-fn5iztw3-1226317396841

Wow! A Studio exec actually tells the truth for once!

:o :o :o :o :o

Get a gander at this quote:

"One of the worst movies we ever made was Wolfman. Wolfman and Babe 2 are two of the shittiest movies we put out. … Cowboys & Aliens wasn’t good enough. Forget all the smart people involved in it, it wasn’t good enough. All those little creatures bouncing around were crappy. … Land of the Lost was just crap. I mean, there was no excuse for it. The best intentions all went wrong."

Full piece: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ron-meyer-universal-president-309173

Quote:

Wow! A Studio exec actually tells the truth for once! [quote]"One of the worst movies we ever made was Wolfman… Cowboys & Aliens wasn’t good enough

[/quote]

Nah...he's still lying! Mrs F and I saw both Wolfman and Cowboys and Aliens and they put out movies way crappier than those two! ;)

The related link on your above link is unintentionally telling of the problem:

How to Save the Movies: A 2012 Box-Office Game Plan
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mission-impossible-tom-cruise-box-office-hollywood-278813


Quote:

In 2011, for the first time ever, all of the 10 top-grossing films domestically were franchise titles and spinoffs, including Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. There are even more franchise titles in 2012 than in 2011 -- 28 vs. 25 -- including the final Batman and Twilight films

Just because they were the top ten grossing films in a dismal year doesen't mean the public wants MORE of them! >:(

L.A. Connection wrote on Apr 7^th, 2012 at 6:45pm:

Wow! A Studio exec actually tells the truth for once! :o :o :o :o :o Get a gander at this quote: "One of the worst movies we ever made was Wolfman. Wolfman and Babe 2 are two of the shittiest movies we put out. … Cowboys & Aliens wasn’t good enough. Forget all the smart people involved in it, it wasn’t good enough. All those little creatures bouncing around were crappy. … Land of the Lost was just crap. I mean, there was no excuse for it. The best intentions all went wrong." Full piece: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ron-meyer-universal-president-309173

 
A complete liar..............  Wolfman was a terrific nod to Universal and Hammer and thoroughly enjoyable.   A studio exec.  He is not lying if his lips aren't moving and even then he is thinking up lies. 

R_F_Fineman wrote on Apr 7^th, 2012 at 9:57pm:

...The related link on your above link is unintentionally telling of the problem:How to Save the Movies: A 2012 Box-Office Game Plan http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mission-impossible-tom-cruise-box-office-hollywood-278813 Quote: In 2011, for the first time ever, all of the 10 top-grossing films domestically were franchise titles and spinoffs, including Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. There are even more franchise titles in 2012 than in 2011 -- 28 vs. 25 -- including the final Batman and Twilight films Just because they were the top ten grossing films in a dismal year doesen't mean the public wants MORE of them! >:(

Were that the truth! Unfortunately, Hollywood only gives a damn about $$$$$$$$$$. Sure, there are a couple of Harvey Weinstein types who care about awards and prestige films, but the majors don't as a whole.

THE AUDIENCE is the problem. It's pretty damning that WRATH OF THE TITANS has already made more than THE ARTIST in 2 weeks than the Best Picture winner has in 20! And, some middling piece of pure product like JOURNEY 2: MYSTERIOUS ISLAND will earn $100M!

Don't #$#$ing go to these pieces of #$#$, and then, and only then, will Hollywood listen.

L.A. Connection wrote on Apr 8^th, 2012 at 11:12am:

R_F_Fineman wrote on Apr 7th, 2012 at 9:57pm: ...The related link on your above link is unintentionally telling of the problem:How to Save the Movies: A 2012 Box-Office Game Plan http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mission-impossible-tom-cruise-box-office-hollywood-278813 Quote: In 2011, for the first time ever, all of the 10 top-grossing films domestically were franchise titles and spinoffs, including Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. There are even more franchise titles in 2012 than in 2011 -- 28 vs. 25 -- including the final Batman and Twilight films Just because they were the top ten grossing films in a dismal year doesen't mean the public wants MORE of them! >:( Were that the truth! Unfortunately, Hollywood only gives a damn about $$$$$$$$$$. Sure, there are a couple of Harvey Weinstein types who care about awards and prestige films, but the majors don't as a whole. THE AUDIENCE is the problem. It's pretty damning that WRATH OF THE TITANS has already made more than THE ARTIST in 2 weeks than the Best Picture winner has in 20! And, some middling piece of pure product like JOURNEY 2: MYSTERIOUS ISLAND will earn $100M! Don't #$#$ing go to these pieces of #$#$, and then, and only then, will Hollywood listen.

You miss the point dear boy.  That is exactly what the public wants and well and why not........ If it's what they want then give it to them......... I don;t have to go see Transformers but if it sells go for it...... I see no problem in that.....

Frank wrote on Apr 8^th, 2012 at 2:53pm:

You miss the point dear boy.  That is exactly what the public wants and well and why not........ If it's what they want then give it to them......... I don;t have to go see Transformers but if it sells go for it...... I see no problem in that.....

uh, that's actually what I said (about the audience getting what they go out and see).......... ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

L.A. Connection wrote on Apr 8^th, 2012 at 3:44pm:

Frank wrote on Apr 8th, 2012 at 2:53pm: You miss the point dear boy.  That is exactly what the public wants and well and why not........ If it's what they want then give it to them......... I don;t have to go see Transformers but if it sells go for it...... I see no problem in that..... uh, that's actually what I said (about the audience getting what they go out and see).......... ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)

And as always you only report the part that helps your point.  You also added and conveniently omitted..........
"Don't #$#$ing go to these pieces of #$#$, and then, and only then, will Hollywood listen".  So it is you telling people not to go see that they want to see.   :D :o ::) Please report all of the facts Michael Moore.....not just the ones that help you...

Gentlemen, gentlemen, gentlemen...today is Easter: a time when people gather together and share hope and joy. Families everywhere are enjoying the season's lamb and joining in Easter Egg hunts.

In the spirit of the holiday, I submit:

http://hiddendvdeastereggs.com/films/2594.html


Quote:

Black Sheep (2006) (Region: 1) Visit the Official Site Bonus Clip: In the main menu, highlight the "Play Movie" sheep. Then, press left. None of the sheep should be highlighted. Then press enter. You should see an outake with Henry, Experience, Tuker and a surprise in bed.

"I ate a bunny!!!!!" :'( -Grant in "Black Sheep"

Frank wrote on Apr 8^th, 2012 at 4:26pm:


And as always you only report the part that helps your point.  You also added and conveniently omitted..........
"Don't #$#$ing go to these pieces of #$#$, and then, and only then, will Hollywood listen".  So it is you telling people not to go see that they want to see....[/quote]

Well, if you read all the entries in that thread in a row, my prior post makes sense. I agreed that people are getting what they want. I was ALSO replying R.F.'s post. Gotta read em all in context.........

L.A. Connection wrote on Apr 8^th, 2012 at 6:08pm:

Frank wrote on Apr 8th, 2012 at 4:26pm: And as always you only report the part that helps your point.  You also added and conveniently omitted.......... "Don't #$#$ing go to these pieces of #$#$, and then, and only then, will Hollywood listen".  So it is you telling people not to go see that they want to see....

Well, if you read all the entries in that thread in a row, my prior post makes sense. I agreed that people are getting what they want. I was ALSO replying R.F.'s post. Gotta read em all in context.........
[/quote]

Sorry... that dog won't hunt....
saying this ""Don't #$#$ing go to these pieces of #$#$, and then, and only then, will Hollywood listen"  pretty much negates your point.  But I get it now..... We will have to remember that you speak out of both sides of your mouth. 

I was not saying that people are getting what they want.  I am saying that people SHOULD get what they want and you sir are not saying THAT at all.  People WANT to see what YOU are calling pieces of sh!t... THey don;t see these movies that way and therefore Because it what is putting asses in the seats......

Den Of Geek's 20 biggest SF film disappointments of the last 20 years.

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/1317071/20_of_the_biggest_scifi_cinema_disappointments_of_the_last_20_years.html

PHANTOM MENACE should clearly be number one. Not the worst film on the list, but, the hopes and expectations were sky high. Tim Burton/Marky Mark's PLANET OF THE APES would be close behind along with the MATRIX sequels. Not sure why BATTLEFIELD EARTH or not one, but two, ALIEN VS. PREDATOR films are listed - did anyone really have high expectations for them?

L.A. Connection wrote on Apr 12^th, 2012 at 7:06pm:

Den Of Geek's 20 biggest SF film disappointments of the last 20 years. http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/1317071/20_of_the_biggest_scifi_cinema_disappointments_of_the_last_20_years.html PHANTOM MENACE should clearly be number one. Not the worst film on the list, but, the hopes and expectations were sky high. Tim Burton/Marky Mark's PLANET OF THE APES would be close behind along with the MATRIX sequels. Not sure why BATTLEFIELD EARTH or not one, but two, ALIEN VS. PREDATOR films are listed - did anyone really have high expectations for them?

You're right about BATTLEFIELD EARTH, but I think people did have high expectations for the AVP films, especially after the first one tanked and they tried the old "yeah, we know it sucked but we learned our lesson" trick.  And, as it turns out, no they didn't, kind of like what happened with OCEAN'S 13.

Also, it doesn't appear as if they were ranking them numerically in the article, which is always up for debate.  But PHANTOM MENACE would probably be number 1 if they chose to go that route.

In a blatant act of hijacking this "Planet of the Apes" sequel thread, I'd like to mention a "Today's News Story"

News to some:


Quote:

North Korean Rocket Breaks Up on Liftoff http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/12/11168783-north-korea-rocket-breaks-up-after-much-touted-launch?lite North Korea faces rocket reality: Failure is an option Space experts say making things go boom is easy; controlling the blast is hard http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47043711

Not to others:

Quote:

It seems the North Koreans are always the last to know... Rocket Launch? What Rocket Launch? :o http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/13/11185972-failed-rocket-launch-what-rocket-launch?lite

All discussion of PLANET OF THE APES, sequels, remakes, timelines etc should go here:

http://sf.theboard.net/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1334418641/0#0

http://www.powerlineblog.com/admin/ed-assets/2012/04/ObamaDogEater067.jpg

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/JarJar.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-upH0dpZckpU/T5cq88oB3JI/AAAAAAAAAnU/0paxHB5TvUo/s320/Daily_Maul_He_Likes_It_Tshirt_dogs_against_romney.jpg

Great news for our sister Thon'.


Quote:

NASA Announces Plans To Put Man On Bus To Cleveland CAPE CANAVERAL, FL—Hailing the dawn of a new era in long-distance highway travel, NASA officials unveiled Monday the agency’s ambitious plans to put a man on a bus to Cleveland, OH by early 2013. The complex and dangerous three-day mission, dubbed “Chariot I,” is expected to pass through six states and include two brief transfers in Atlanta and Louisville in both directions, at a reported total cost of $360 dollars plus taxes and fees. “For almost as long as our nation has existed, man has gazed upon a map of the eastern United States and dreamed of traveling to Cleveland, the largest metropolitan area in Ohio,” NASA administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr. said at a press conference announcing the agency’s first major initiative since the discontinuation of the space shuttle program. “Until now, the immense physical and psychological risks involved in any manned mission had put that dream sadly out of reach.” “But not anymore,” he added. “Next year we are going to Cleveland and back.” Standing next to a scale model of the vehicle that will make the difficult 1,215-mile voyage—a Motor Coach Industries 102DL3 equipped with...

:o

http://www.theonion.com/articles/nasa-announces-plans-to-put-man-on-bus-to-clevelan,28024/

Quote:

John Edwards Mistress Wanted to Say She Was 'Abducted By Aliens' When the National Enquirer broke a story that presidential candidate John Edwards was having an affair, Edwards' campaign was worried by mistress Rielle Hunter's initial reluctance to issue a denial. Instead, she wanted to put out a flip statement that she was "abducted by aliens." http://gma.yahoo.com/john-edwards-mistress-wanted-she-abducted-aliens-132445737--abc-news-topstories.html

Hey it had to work better than the truth. Still, this could have been a great tie-in for the release of "Paul"! :D

ps. Your narrator just got back from a colonoscopy performed by a foreign-born doctor...so yes, being probed by an alien: been there, done that! ;)

One of you guys could have written this.

Buyer beware: Your local theater will make 'Avengers' look like dung


Quote:

Greg Vellante, an excellent young movie critic for the North Andover Eagle Tribune, is up in arms about how lousy "The Avengers" looks at the Regal Fenway -- and let's be honest, how almost every movie looks at almost every multiplex across the land. His piece, drolly titled "Critic Smash," describes the experience of watching the superhero extravaganza at a press screening with projection that rendered the movie a depressing monochromatic washout.

http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/blog/2012/05/buyer_beware_yo.html?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed6_HP

Metaluna wrote on May 4^th, 2012 at 6:26pm:

One of you guys could have written this. Buyer beware: Your local theater will make 'Avengers' look like dung Quote: Greg Vellante, an excellent young movie critic for the North Andover Eagle Tribune, is up in arms about how lousy "The Avengers" looks at the Regal Fenway -- and let's be honest, how almost every movie looks at almost every multiplex across the land. His piece, drolly titled "Critic Smash," describes the experience of watching the superhero extravaganza at a press screening with projection that rendered the movie a depressing monochromatic washout. http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/blog/2012/05/buyer_beware_yo.html?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed6_HP

i heard that seeing it in imax 3d is like avenger cake and eating it too.

I have to agree.  I loved the movie but not the projection.....

http://cdn2.maxim.com/maxim/sites/default/files/5GIF_0504_promo.jpg


http://i.imgur.com/ymMWU.gif

Just couldn't resist............ :D


(apparently, it was part of an 'innocent' counting lesson on the show)

RIDLEY SCOTT’S NEW BLADE RUNNER IS OFFICIALLY A SEQUEL & WILL STAR A WOMAN IN THE LEAD ROLE!

http://www.themarysue.com/blade-runner-woman-star/

Quote:

RIDLEY SCOTT’S NEW BLADE RUNNER IS OFFICIALLY A SEQUEL & WILL STAR A WOMAN IN THE LEAD ROLE!...http://www.themarysue.com/blade-runner-woman-star/

"They're only questons Ridley."

"Ridley: describe the good things that come into your mind about...your mother."


Quote:

Ridley Scott: "I’m used to very strong women because my mother was particularly strong, and my father was away all the time. My mother was a big part of bringing up three boys, so I was fully versed in the strength of a powerful woman, and accepted that as the status quo"

Whew, Ridley passed the Voight Kampf test! ;)

Leon didn't do so well...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiuAI-GuOOc

R_F_Fineman wrote on May 18^th, 2012 at 3:35pm:

Whew, Ridley passed the Voight Kampf test! ;) Leon didn't do so well... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiuAI-GuOOc

He did better than Holden.

Falcon 9 launches into orbit, delivering supplies to the ISS
http://www.q13fox.com/news/nationworld/os-spacex-launch-falcon-2nd-attempt-20120522,0,3871210.story

Famous departed supporters of space exploration have hitched a ride.
http://news.yahoo.com/scotty-trip-final-frontier-spacex-rocket-174001331.html



Quote:

Falcon 9 carries a secondary payload as well - a container holding lipstick-tube-sized canisters filled with cremated remains. The deceased include Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper, who died in 2004, and actor James Doohan, who portrayed chief engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott on the original Star Trek television series. Doohan died in 2005.

James Doohan needs no introduction to this audience. Gordon Cooper (accurately portrayed by Dennis Quaid in "The Right Stuff") was a veteran of Merury 7 and Gemini 5. He's slept in space before. He will sleep there forever more.

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/GordonCooperLife.jpg

Metaluna wrote on May 18^th, 2012 at 7:06pm:

R_F_Fineman wrote on May 18th, 2012 at 3:35pm: Whew, Ridley passed the Voight Kampf test! ;) Leon didn't do so well... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiuAI-GuOOc He did better than Holden.

Holden will be fine. as long as nobody unplugs his heart lung machine.

kirok wrote on May 22^nd, 2012 at 10:47am:

Holden will be fine. as long as nobody unplugs his heart lung machine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWREQyGZsEw

The SF board has been quiet...too quiet! What has everybody been up to?

Then I read this:


Quote:

Witness in Kenya blast blames bearded man NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A witness wounded in a blast in downtown Nairobi says that the explosion occurred soon after a bearded man left a bag near her stall. http://news.yahoo.com/witness-kenya-blast-blames-bearded-man-134709337.html

The police lineup is going to look a lot like the line to get into the Somerville on Presidents' Day Weekend! ;)


Let's not forget Metaluna:


Quote:

Thousands take part in 'Slut Walks' in Brazil http://news.yahoo.com/thousands-part-slut-walks-brazil-235843355.html

R_F_Fineman wrote on May 28^th, 2012 at 10:17am:

Let's not forget Metaluna: Quote: Thousands take part in 'Slut Walks' in Brazil http://news.yahoo.com/thousands-part-slut-walks-brazil-235843355.html

I'm gonna have to check out the Somerville Theater mens room to see what people are writing on the walls about me. It sounds like it's a lot more interesting than my real life.

Metaluna:

Quote:

I'm gonna have to check out the Somerville Theater mens room to see what people are writing on the walls about me.

'Twas just a reference to a pervious er, previous "Today's News Story" post and all of those guys you've slept with on Presidents' Day Weekend. ;)

R_F_Fineman wrote on May 28^th, 2012 at 3:52pm:

Metaluna: Quote: I'm gonna have to check out the Somerville Theater mens room to see what people are writing on the walls about me. 'Twas just a reference to a pervious er, previous "Today's News Story" post and all of those guys you've slept with on Presidents' Day Weekend. ;)

You can't expect me to remember something like that with all the guys I sleep with.

"Damnit Jim I'm a doctor, not a..."

MIT Scientists Develop a Device for Needle-less Injections


Quote:

MIT scientists are developing a needle-less injection that could make getting a flu shot as painless as a mosquito bite. The device shoots a tiny, high-pressure jet of medicine through the skin as fast as the speed of sound.

http://mashable.com/2012/05/25/mit-needle-less-injections/

Where's Ken Tobey when you need him!

Monday, June 4, 2012 4:35pm PDT

Anglers' extraordinary find is no sea monster, but a giant squid

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/33793/anglers+extraordinary+find+is+no+sea+monster+but+a+giant+squid/

Sorry but Ken Tobey is for giant octopi who are shy of eight legs.  Kirk Douglas and James Mason would be better suited for fighting off giant squid.   

Quote:

Frank: Kirk Douglas and James Mason would be better suited for fighting off giant squid.

When dealing with surly cephelapods you can go with the dashing tar armed with a harpoon...

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/20000Leagues.jpg

but I'm going for the guy with the torpedoes!

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/KenTobeySub.jpg
"One jumbo order of sashimi coming right up!"  :)

R_F_Fineman wrote on Jun 5^th, 2012 at 6:11pm:

Quote: Frank: Kirk Douglas and James Mason would be better suited for fighting off giant squid. When dealing with surly cephelapods you can go with the dashing tar armed with a harpoon... http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/20000Leagues.jpg but I'm going for the guy with the torpedoes! http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/KenTobeySub.jpg "One jumbo order of sashimi coming right up!"  :)

Sorry Tobey is strictly a squid, super carrot, rhedosaurus type of hero and the odd lost missle, werewolf and sech.  Oh yea helicopter rides too.

The Best Trailer in theaters right now. It's for a Norwegian film called TURN ME ON, DAMMIT!. It's already come and gone in L.A. - but, for some reason, a theater in Santa Monica is still showing the trailer. It's terrific, possibly NSFW, and has Orson Welles singing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tfu99WkSrs



Unfortunately, the movie's been Banned in 'Bama (big shock - in the SOUTH! No, way!). Article: http://www.al.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2012/06/tuscaloosa_arts_council_pulls.html

Gotta tell ya the movie does look promising but that trailer with the voiceover and that piece of music comes aross as some pretentious piece fof drivel.....

Frank wrote on Jun 8^th, 2012 at 10:44am:

Gotta tell ya the movie does look promising but that trailer with the voiceover and that piece of music comes aross as some pretentious piece fof drivel.....

Orson Welles, man. Orson #@#$ing Welles!!!

Site of the Du Jour:

Instant Wilhelm Scream!
http://instantrimshot.com/index.php?sound=wilhelmscream

You needed this, you just never realized it.

March of the Penguins II NC-17



Quote:

Penguins' Explicit Sex Acts Shocked Polar Explorer Hidden for nearly 100 years for being too "graphic," a report of "hooligan" behaviors, including sexual coercion, by Adelie penguins observed during Captain Scott's 1910 polar expedition has been uncovered and interpreted. The naughty notes were rediscovered recently at the Natural History Museum in Tring, in England, and published in the recent issue of the journal Polar Record..."As it was boldly headed 'Not for Publication' it immediately caught my eye," Douglas Russell, who discovered the pamphlet, told LiveScience....penguins' autoerotic tendencies, and the seemingly aberrant behavior of young unpaired males...necrophilia...non-procreative sex...homosexuality

:-?

http://news.yahoo.com/penguins-explicit-sex-acts-shocked-polar-explorer-125137476.html

Try posting that on Facebook - ;)

R_F_Fineman wrote on Jun 11^th, 2012 at 5:05pm:

March of the Penguins II NC-17 Quote: Penguins' Explicit Sex Acts Shocked Polar Explorer Hidden for nearly 100 years for being too "graphic," a report of "hooligan" behaviors, including sexual coercion, by Adelie penguins observed during Captain Scott's 1910 polar expedition has been uncovered and interpreted. The naughty notes were rediscovered recently at the Natural History Museum in Tring, in England, and published in the recent issue of the journal Polar Record..."As it was boldly headed 'Not for Publication' it immediately caught my eye," Douglas Russell, who discovered the pamphlet, told LiveScience....penguins' autoerotic tendencies, and the seemingly aberrant behavior of young unpaired males...necrophilia...non-procreative sex...homosexuality :-? http://news.yahoo.com/penguins-explicit-sex-acts-shocked-polar-explorer-125137476.html Try posting that on Facebook - ;)

FB is where I first read this.

L.A. Connection wrote on Jun 8^th, 2012 at 10:47am:

Frank wrote on Jun 8th, 2012 at 10:44am: Gotta tell ya the movie does look promising but that trailer with the voiceover and that piece of music comes aross as some pretentious piece fof drivel..... Orson Welles, man. Orson #@#$ing Welles!!!

  The wine guy?

Quote:

Me: "March of the Penguins II"  NC-17 [quote]Journal of Polar Records: Penguins' Explicit Sex Acts Shocked Polar Explorer...aberant behavior...necrophelia...etc.

[/quote]

Quote:

Caleb: Facebook is where I first read this.

I'm sorry to hear that Caleb. Once you've clicked on the link, Mark Zuckerberg makes your interest in Penguin Necrophelia part of your permanent record...soon you'll be getting repulsive spam ads from the N.A.A.N.: the National Association of Avian Necrophiles. ;)

R_F_Fineman wrote on Jun 13^th, 2012 at 4:29am:

...soon you'll be getting repulsive spam ads from the N.A.A.N.: the National Association of Avian Necrophiles. ;)

Adblock Plus takes care of that pesky problem.

Mmmmmm...naan. Now I want Indian food.

Darth Vader: Your ride is here.

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/Skylon.jpg
The UK's Skylon space plane currently under development with the European Space Agency.
http://www.reactionengines.co.uk/skylon.html

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/Spaceships.jpg
Check out the size of the Skylon in comparison to other spacecraft! The design looks very much like the spaceplanes of 1950's and 60's science fiction, so much so that on this blog by serious aerospace engineers, one even suggests that the sled and parobolic track launching method used in "When Worlds Collide" would be a more efficient method of launching it.

http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/02/skylon-spaceplane.html

Scroll down the comment by "Silverthorn" It is supported by others and serves as a great response to people who think science fiction is silly. :)

Another one bites the dust:

AMC to close theater in Harvard Square in July

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/cambridge/2012/06/amc_to_close_theater_in_harvar.html?p1=Well_Local_YourTownlinks

Metaluna wrote on Jun 21^st, 2012 at 12:14pm:

Another one bites the dust: AMC to close theater in Harvard Square in July http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/cambridge/2012/06/amc_to_close_theater_in_harvar.html?p1=Well_Local_YourTownlinks

my god! the last rocky horror picture show! get advanced tickets on line. scalp them at the theater and make a fortune.

Ah, the good old Harvard Square Theater. Double features, rock films like MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR & THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME, midnight shows....

Surprised it lasted this long under the Loew's and AMC banners. These chains only care about maximizing profits - not historical preservation or the movie-going pleasures of their neighbors.

Cinema Treasures page: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/484 ; (Somerville's Ian Judge has some choice words for AMC there)

Blade Runner: Which predictions have come true?


Quote:

It's been 30 years since the release of Blade Runner and 10 years since Minority Report. Both are rich sources of predictions about the future. But what has actually come to pass?

Holy Crap! Minority Report is ten years old.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18026277

Americans favour Obama to defend against aliens


Quote:

NEARLY two in three Americans think President Barack Obama is better suited than Republican rival Mitt Romney to deal with an alien invasion, according to a survey released today.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/americans-favour-obama-to-defend-against-aliens/story-e6frf7lf-1226410853567

Soon to be Already has been a Roger Corman Film:


Quote:

Bizarre fish with scary-looking teeth throw scare into lake community The discovery of an alien fish species in a small lake in Illinois has put locals and tourists on edge because the fish posses dangerous-looking teeth and bear a striking resemblance to ravenous piranha...Lake superintendent Jim Caldwell, sounding a bit like the Amity Island mayor in Jaws, assured that everything's OK, adding that he has a small swim in the lake regularly. http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/34025/bizarre+fish+with+scary-looking+teeth+throw+scare+into+lake+community/[/url] http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=7HhOeuPUO74&NR=1

Are you ready for a video called...

"Seven Minutes of Terror!"

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/mars-rover-landing-seven-minutes-terror-194446094.html :o

Once you sit through the irritating ad, the seven minute video really is worth watching. Just think: it takes 14 minutes for a signal from Mars to reach Earth, so by the time we receive the Rover's "entering Mars' atmosphere" message next month it's already the largest and most sophisticated landing craft ever to reach another planet or a hunk of junk smoldering in a crater far far away. :o

Somewhere William Castle is smiling.....

4-D Movies: Coming Soon to a Theater Near You!

What is a 4-D movie?


Quote:

"It refers to physical effects that are coordinated with the images on the screen that involve your other senses," says media analyst and entertainment lawyer James Hirsen. "It is things like moving seats during a chase scene, the smell of gun powder when there is an explosion on the screen and during a spooky foggy scene you are surrounded by real fog."...seats equipped with back, neck and leg ticklers...

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/4-d-movies-coming-soon-theater-near-172042434.html

Didn't they try this at the West Newton Marathon one year? I'm sure I felt real pain during one of the torture scenes in "Demonlover". ;)

Demonlover played in Dedham...............

Quote:

Posted by: Frank Posted on: Yesterday at 5:13pm Demonlover played in Dedham...............

Frank: you have fallen into my cunning trap! I knew you couldn't resist pointing out the error. I knew I could lure you back to the board!

In the words of the late great Vincent Price:

"BwooHaaaaHaaaaHaaaa!" ;D

Riggggggggght............................ I prefer a different explanation for the mistake. 

"Citizen Kane" no longer a top film according to the BFI poll.

http://movies.yahoo.com/news/vertigo-tops-citizen-kane-greatest-film-time-poll-174039158.html

One science fiction film made both top ten lists. ...I'm betting we'll all get this one right. ;)


The critics list, not surprisingly, is filled with films that are more respected than actually liked and more talked about in film books than screened...

The Critics’ Top 10 Greatest Films of All Time

Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1958)

Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941)

Tokyo Story (Ozu, 1953)

La Règle du jeu (Renoir, 1939)

Sunrise: A Song for Two Humans (Murnau, 1927)

2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick, 1968)

The Searchers (Ford, 1956)

Man With a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, 1929)

The Passion of Joan of Arc (Dreyer, 1927)

8 ½ (Fellini, 1963)

STORY: Orson Welles' 'Citizen Kane' Oscar Sells for $861,542

The director's list is a lot more fun:

The Directors’ Top 10 Greatest Films of All Time

Tokyo Story (Ozu, 1953)

2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick, 1968)

Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941)

8 ½ (Fellini, 1963)

Taxi Driver (Scorsese, 1980)

Apocalypse Now (Coppola, 1979)

The Godfather (Coppola, 1972)

Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1958)

Mirror (Tarkovsky, 1974)

Bicycle Thieves (De Sica, 1948)


Interesting how a list from a UK publication has only one british director (Hitchcock) for work after he left the UK, plus Kubrick who left the US for the UK.

The two top 10s are pretty similar. I suppose TAXI DRIVER, THE GODFATHER and APOCALYPSE NOW are more "fun" than somthing like SUNRISE that is left off the other list - but SUNRISE is better than all 3 of those films.

But, any list that has 8 1/2 on it, is all right by me (my Number 1, even if Ed Symkus doesn't understand it!  :P  Heck, on second thought, it's even greater because of that!  :D ).

I love VERTIGO. It has the greatest film score ever - Bernard Herrmann (you know, the one THE ARTIST paid "homage" to). For the record, my favorite Hitchcock films: SHADOW OF A DOUBT, 39 STEPS, PSYCHO and THE YOUNG AND THE INNOCENT - VERTIGO would be in the running.



R_F_Fineman wrote on Aug 2^nd, 2012 at 12:24pm:

"Citizen Kane" no longer a top film according to the BFI poll. http://movies.yahoo.com/news/vertigo-tops-citizen-kane-greatest-film-time-poll-174039158.html One science fiction film made both top ten lists. ...I'm betting we'll all get this one right. ;) The critics list, not surprisingly, is filled with films that are more respected than actually liked and more talked about in film books than screened... The Critics’ Top 10 Greatest Films of All Time Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1958) Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941) Tokyo Story (Ozu, 1953) La Règle du jeu (Renoir, 1939) Sunrise: A Song for Two Humans (Murnau, 1927) 2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick, 1968) The Searchers (Ford, 1956) Man With a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, 1929) The Passion of Joan of Arc (Dreyer, 1927) 8 ½ (Fellini, 1963) STORY: Orson Welles' 'Citizen Kane' Oscar Sells for $861,542 The director's list is a lot more fun: The Directors’ Top 10 Greatest Films of All Time Tokyo Story (Ozu, 1953) 2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick, 1968) Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941) 8 ½ (Fellini, 1963) Taxi Driver (Scorsese, 1980) Apocalypse Now (Coppola, 1979) The Godfather (Coppola, 1972) Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1958) Mirror (Tarkovsky, 1974) Bicycle Thieves (De Sica, 1948) Interesting how a list from a UK publication has only one british director (Hitchcock) for work after he left the UK, plus Kubrick who left the US for the UK.

The 1-Ton Mars Lander is going in tonight and watch parties logging in to www.nasa.gov can see it as it happens, minus the time delay, anxious to find out whether it becomes the greatest achievement to date in planetary exploration or if it follows the Beagle, and 60% of other landing efforts, in becoming a smoldering mass in a big crater on the planet's surface.

Will it send back amazing images?

Will Marvin blow it into 1,000,000,000 micro-bits?

Tune in and find out!  :o



Quote:

NASA said it will find out whether its Mars Science Laboratory and rover, Curiosity -- designed to hunt for soil-based signatures of life and send back data to prepare for a future human mission -- landed safely at 1:31 am Eastern time (0531 GMT) on Monday.

http://news.yahoo.com/alone-nasas-mars-rover-aims-190238257.html

http://gizmodo.com/5931635/nasa-will-attempt-to-photograph-the-curiosity-landing-from-an-entirely-different-spacecraft?tag=space
http://gizmodo.com/5931650/mars-curiosity-makes-first-discovery++and-its-crucial-for-human-interplanetary-travel?tag=space
http://gizmodo.com/5931861/find-your-local-mars-rover-landing-party?tag=space


Quote:

Are you ready for a video called... "Seven Minutes of Terror!" http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/mars-rover-landing-seven-minutes-terror-194...

i plan to be watching and going "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH" live on Facebook.

Noooooooo! :o

Robert Pattinson set to play Lawrence of Arabia

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/robert-pattinson-set-play-lawrence-arabia-222452694.html

mot oo roy ah
mot oo roy ah

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/fukushima-caused-mutant-butterflies-scientists-071343446.html

R_F_Fineman wrote on Aug 14^th, 2012 at 7:05pm:

Robert Pattinson set to play Lawrence of Arabia

     Idiots.
     "Then you would be a thief."
     -----or-----
     "The trick is not to mind that it hurts."

Quote:

Robert Pattinson set to play Lawrence of Arabia

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/roy-battyHURT.jpg


Quote:

"The trick is not to mind that it hurts." -T.E. Lawrence (thanks Dave!)

"Yeah, but it still hurts." -Dick Rude in "Repo Man"

R_F_Fineman wrote on Aug 15^th, 2012 at 3:41pm:

Quote: Robert Pattinson set to play Lawrence of Arabia http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/roy-battyHURT.jpg [quote] "The trick is not to mind that it hurts." -T.E. Lawrence (thanks Dave!)

"Yeah, but it still hurts." -Dick Rude in "Repo Man"

[/quote]
actually this is roy before he gets clocked in the head with a pipe. he get's hit, pulls his head out and the confronts dekard and says "that hurt"

Me wants! :o

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/aerofex-hover-02.jpg

New Hover Vehicle Recalls 'Star Wars' Bike
http://news.yahoo.com/hover-vehicle-recalls-star-wars-bike-171401941.html

The aerial vehicle resembles a science fiction flying bike with two ducted rotors instead of wheels, but originates from a design abandoned in the 1960s because of stability and rollover problems. Aerofex, a California-based firm, fixed the stability issue by creating a mechanical system — controlled by two control bars at knee-level — that allows the vehicle to respond to a human pilot's leaning movements and natural sense of balance.

"Think of it as lowering the threshold of flight, down to the domain of ATV's (all-terrain vehicles)," said Mark De Roche, an aerospace engineer and founder of Aerofex.

Talk about fool's gold. Trying to remake a Cronenberg film WITHOUT Cronenberg.

VIDEODROME has a LOT of problems, but, the essence of the film is Cronenberg. There's even talk of opening it up and making it more "action" oriented. Here is the new filmmakers' pitch: "...modernize the concept, infusing it with the possibilities of nano-technology and blow it up into a large-scale sci-fi action thriller."

http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2012/08/23/out-with-the-new-flesh-in-with-the-lame-why-a-videodrome-remake-is-a-lousy-idea/

A tad misguided, no?

Trailer for the original: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPGszmU1egQ


http://awesomebmovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Videodrome-1-590x787.jpg

Quote:

VIDEODROME... Here is the new filmmakers' pitch: "...modernize the concept, infusing it with the possibilities of nano-technology and blow it up into a large-scale sci-fi action thriller."

I clicked the link. I read the article. I was dismayed. When I saw that Ehren Kruger of "Transformers II" er, uh, fame was writing the script, I had to check that the article wasn't from "The Onion". ::)
http://www.theonion.com/

No, not The Onion: It's Hollywood, Jake...


http://www.horrorshirts.com/images/VIDEODROME/pic_videodromelogo.jpg

Martians, flying saucers discovered on Mars, report extremely unreliable sources (+video)

But I want to believe.


Quote:

According to the fringe sector of the Internet, Mars is practically teeming with aliens. Since NASA's Curiosity rover touched down on the Red Planet two weeks ago and powered up its cameras, it has already managed to photograph several alleged UFOs and other "anomalies" in the surrounding landscape. From classic flying saucers to an absurdly out-of-place fossilized human finger, here's a rundown of what UFO believers claim to have found in Curiosity photos so far.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2012/0824/Martians-flying-saucers-discovered-on-Mars-report-extremely-unreliable-sources-video

Metaluna:
Quote:

I want to believe.

Yes, according to theories supported by NASA scientists, those things that are the color of rocks, the shape of rocks, and sit around in the same place all day are probably rocks...probably.

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/Curiosity.jpg

In space no one can hear you photoshop.
- ;)

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h256/Metaluna/smilies/41707abe.jpg

No, you go to hell!

According to documents filed by a chinese manufacturer, Apple stole their design. Never mind that the new i-Phone greatly resembles the old i-Phone; the plaintiffs maintain that the Goo-phone (yep, that's really the name), which just hit the shelves, has been knocked off by the yet to be released i-Phone 5.

How would they know that their Goo-phone was copied by a yet to be released product? Are we to believe that Apple, having no track record whatsoever in producing such phones, resorted to breaking into Goo-phone's Hong Kong headquarters in order to catch up to the cutting edge design that an infamous knockoff manufacturer produces?


After all, the Chinese would never resort to piracy themselves.

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/Pirate_Capote.jpg
In this DVD offering, Philip Seymore Hoffman gives Truman Capote like you've NEVER seen him before! ;)


I, for one, can't wait to hear what Goo-Siri says! :D

Read this surreal story here:
http://www.tweaktown.com/news/25726/chinese_company_could_sue_apple_over_patents_of_their_new_iphone_design/index.html

Strange Mystery Spheres on Mars Baffle Scientists


Quote:

A strange picture of odd, spherical rock formations on Mars from NASA's Opportunity rover has scientists scratching their heads over what exactly they're looking at. The new Mars photo by Opportunity shows a close-up of a rock outcrop called Kirkwood covered in blister-like bumps that mission scientists can't yet explain. At first blush, the formations appear similar to so-called Martian "blueberries" — iron-rich spherical formations first seen by Opportunity in 2004 — but they actually differ in several key ways, scientist said.

http://news.yahoo.com/strange-mystery-spheres-mars-baffle-scientists-123054357.html


http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/RoverPano1.jpg

R_F_Fineman wrote on Sep 16^th, 2012 at 10:53am:

Strange Mystery Spheres on Mars Baffle Scientists Quote: A strange picture of odd, spherical rock formations on Mars from NASA's Opportunity rover has scientists scratching their heads over what exactly they're looking at. The new Mars photo by Opportunity shows a close-up of a rock outcrop called Kirkwood covered in blister-like bumps that mission scientists can't yet explain. At first blush, the formations appear similar to so-called Martian "blueberries" — iron-rich spherical formations first seen by Opportunity in 2004 — but they actually differ in several key ways, scientist said. http://news.yahoo.com/strange-mystery-spheres-mars-baffle-scientists-123054357.html http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/RoverPano1.jpg

a little known fact about "devil in the dark" is that shatner received news of his fathers death during the taping of the episode. he refers to it as his favorite episode. hardcore trekkies will debate him and say "okay. it's your 'sentimental' favorite. but don't you think "the ultimate computer" or "errand of mercy" is a better episode?" Shatner never alters his opinion.

In Sports News


http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/GiantsOverpowerReds.jpg


http://sports.yahoo.com/news/giants-beat-reds-6-4-083804092--mlb.html

this is a colossal error!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=TphFUYRAx_c

Was that really Jack Nicholson in the Hotel Photo in THE SHINING?:


http://www.movies.com/movie-news/photo-at-end-of-shining/9988?wssac=164&wssaffid=news

Looks like Joel Grey.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001297/
He hasn't changed a bit. ;)

Either Michael Bay has strange powers of persuasion or Marky Mark's career isn't going as well as perceived (or he owes a $hitload of money to someone), but he has agreed to be in TRANSFORMERS 4.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/nov/09/mark-wahlberg-transformers-4

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PXeDY3KOwgA/R0W2Fr77eaI/AAAAAAAABIY/yi5LGI-vL1E/s400/Alien+Turkey.jpg

Kim Jong-Un's Wife Escapes North Korea In Long-Range Missile

PYONGYANG—Following North Korea’s sudden and controversial launch of a long-range rocket Wednesday morning, reports have confirmed that Ri Sol-ju, the wife of leader Kim Jong-un, successfully jumped inside the missile just in time to escape the communist country.

“At this time, we are able to confirm that Ri Sol-ju did, in fact, manage to board the Unha-3 mere seconds before it propelled off the ground,” said Defense Department spokesman John Kirby, noting that Ri “quickly evaded her handlers to jump aboard the 100-kilogram missile” in a frantic, yet successful, attempt to abandon her life in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. “When we found Ri this morning, she was floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean clinging to the remnants of the missile.”...

http://www.theonion.com/articles/kim-jonguns-wife-escapes-north-korea-in-longrange,30698/

In August, 1966 Stanley Kubrick contacted IBM and gave them a heads-up on a science-fiction film he was making. The letters have surfaced, showing that the computer giant had no problem: so long as the killer computer wasn't an IBM it could kill as many people as it wanted. People were much cooler then.

http://gizmodo.com/5973247/dear-ibm-your-computers-psychoticjust-letting-you-know

Today they would probably say "I'm sorry Stanley, I can't do that." ;)

Both Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick maintained that HAL, one letter removed from IBM, was just a coincidence. That's their story and they stuck to it.

R_F_Fineman wrote on Jan 5^th, 2013 at 12:43am:

In August, 1966 Stanley Kubrick contacted IBM and gave them a heads-up on a science-fiction film he was making. The letters have surfaced, showing that the computer giant had no problem: so long as the killer computer wasn't an IBM it could kill as many people as it wanted. People were much cooler then. http://gizmodo.com/5973247/dear-ibm-your-computers-psychoticjust-letting-you-know Today they would probably say "I'm sorry Stanley, I can't do that." ;) Both Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick maintained that HAL, one letter removed from IBM, was just a coincidence. That's their story and they stuck to it.

it astounded me to see the typos in the ibm response. in 1966 they were using a mechanical typewriter?? what is up with this? also the grammar and unclarity of the wording is atrocious. you have to read the thing three times to comprehend the intent of the author.

Firefighters sworn in on iPad Bible app after no one brought a Bible to the ceremony
Read more at http://www.tweaktown.com/news/28422/firefighters-sworn-in-on-ipad-bible-app-after-no-one-brought-a-bible-to-the-ceremony/index.html#jglSsM6kI6B4KM6L.99
http://www.tweaktown.com/news/28422/firefighters-sworn-in-on-ipad-bible-app-after-no-one-brought-a-bible-to-the-ceremony/index.html

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/SiriGod_zpscae0b591.jpg
I hope Siri behaved during the ceremony. :)

Time lapse photos from near my daughter's apartment.
http://distilleryimage8.instagram.com/59d073fa72c511e2877022000a9f1278_6.jpg
The snow hit at about the time that I would have been coming in for some fest and the Marathon.
Hence I won't be there.
Have fun.

pogo wrote on Feb 9^th, 2013 at 1:40pm:

The snow hit at about the time that I would have been coming in for some fest and the Marathon. Hence I won't be there.

     Aw, Gary: itll be mostly cleared up by next weekend!  No chance to reschedule?  :'( :'( :'( :'(

William Shatner says J.J. Abrams ‘has gone too far’ in taking over both ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Star Wars’

"A certain "Star Trek" veteran feels that J.J. Abrams has indeed boldly gone where no man has gone before ... and not in a good way...."Star Trek Into Darkness" opens May 17. "Star Wars: Episode VII" will open some day."

Read the article and watch the teaser trailer for 'Star Trek Into Darkness':

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/william-shatner-says-j-j-abrams-gone-too-181738978.html

R_F_Fineman wrote on Feb 13^th, 2013 at 8:24pm:

William Shatner says J.J. Abrams ‘has gone too far’ in taking over both ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Star Wars’ "A certain "Star Trek" veteran feels that J.J. Abrams has indeed boldly gone where no man has gone before ... and not in a good way...."Star Trek Into Darkness" opens May 17. "Star Wars: Episode VII" will open some day." Read the article and watch the teaser trailer for 'Star Trek Into Darkness': http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/william-shatner-says-j-j-abrams-gone-too-181738978.html

One of the funniest quotes has to be Shatner accusing Abrams of being a pig.  This coming from a guy who will do anything for money with a reputation for upstaging everyone.  I love the Captain and the various personas but Shatner the man, the jury is still out but I see movement in the jury room.  A dude who cannot believe that the franchise can go on without him or that there can be a second Kirk because after all...... 


http://tomsastroblog.com/images/2011/04/captain-kirk.jpg

Congress to discuss asteroids as a threat to Earth, won't involve Bruce Willis
Read more at

http://www.tweaktown.com/news/28587/congress-to-discuss-asteroids-as-a-threat-to-earth-won-t-involve-bruce-willis/index.html

No Bruce? Too right wing? How about Steve Buscemi? ;)

An i-o9 article: "Movies as barcodes"  links to a Tumblr page that displays famous films on a frame by frame color bar. A lot of our favorite sci-fi films are there.

http://io9.com/5986516/classic-sci+fi-films-represented-as-multicolored-barcodes

Dark City is, not surprisingly, dark:
http://moviebarcode.tumblr.com/post/35418812599/dark-city-1998

GATTACA, a personal favorite:

http://moviebarcode.tumblr.com/post/7010534683/gattaca-1997-prints
Note the occasional bright blue bands that break up the sepia and dark tones.

The complete list:
http://moviebarcode.tumblr.com/movie-index

5 real robots that outperform humans

http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged-in/5-real-robots-outperform-humans-224656793.html

Or, as the man said, " Are you freaking out!" :o

Now You Can Watch this Lost Space Movie from the Dawn of World War II in Germany

Rocket Flight to the Moon, a film also known as Spaceship Number I Starts (Weltraumschiff I Startet), was made in 1938 by the Bavaria Film-Kunst. Since the Germans cancelled most of their science fiction films once the war began, the film that remains is only a short, 23-minute remnant, edited from scenes already filmed.


http://io9.com/now-you-can-watch-this-lost-space-movie-from-the-dawn-o-452605972


-The earthrise over the moon shot was a groundbreaker. One of my fondest childhood memories was seeing Apollo-8 live broadcast the same scene. -RF

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njpWalYduU4

.
Apollo Moon Rocket Engines Raised from Seafloor by Amazon CEO
By Robert Z. Pearlman | SPACE.com – 16 hrs ago.

"Long thought to be lost forever on the ocean floor, massive engines that launched astronauts to the moon more than 40 years ago have been recovered by a private expedition led by the founder of Amazon.com.

"We found so much," said Jeff Bezos, the online retailer's CEO, in an update posted Wednesday (March 20) on the Bezos Expeditions website. "We have seen an underwater wonderland – an incredible sculpture garden of twisted F-1 engines that tells the story of a fiery and violent end, one that serves testament to the Apollo program...."


Complete story:
http://news.yahoo.com/apollo-moon-rocket-engines-raised-seafloor-amazon-ceo-190956909.html

That'll look great on his coffee table. -RF ;)

How many science-fiction films start out just like this...

NASA: Flash in East Coast sky likely a meteor

NEW YORK (AP) — East Coast residents were buzzing on social media sites and elsewhere Friday night after a brief but bright flash of light streaked across the early-evening sky —in what experts say was almost certainly a meteor coming down.

Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environmental Office said the flash appears to be "a single meteor event." He said it "looks to be a fireball that moved roughly toward the southeast, going on visual reports."

"Judging from the brightness, we're dealing with something as bright as the full moon," Cooke said. "The thing is probably a yard across. We basically have (had) a boulder enter the atmosphere over the northeast."

He noted that the meteor was widely seen, with more than 350 reports on the website of the American Meteor Society alone.

"If you have something this bright carry over that heavily populated area, a lot of people are going to see it," he said. "It occurred around 8 tonight, there were a lot of people out, and you've got all those big cities out there."

Matt Moore, a news editor with The Associated Press, said he was standing in line for a concert in downtown Philadelphia around dusk when he saw "a brilliant flash moving across the sky at a very brisk pace... and utterly silent."

"It was clearly high up in the atmosphere," he said. "But from the way it appeared, it looked like a plane preparing to land at the airport."

Moore said the flash was visible to him for about two to three seconds — and then it was gone. He described it as having a "spherical shape and yellowish and you could tell it was burning, with the trail that it left behind."...more

http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-flash-east-coast-sky-likely-meteor-041939030.html

That gives me an idea for the next quiz. -RF

Maybe the Truth Really is Out There!


Quote:

FBI attempts to explain UFO memo in vault The Federal Bureau of Investigation has broken its silence on the most popular file in its digital vault. The one-page memo, dated March 22, 1950, was addressed to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover from Guy Hottel, then head of the FBI's Washington, D.C., field office. It relayed some information from an informant. The subject: FLYING SAUCERS INFORMATION CONCERNING "An investigator for the Air Force stated that three so-called flying saucers had been recovered in New Mexico," Hottel writes. "They were described as being circular in shape with raised centers, approximately 50 feet in diameter. Each one was occupied by three bodies of human shape but only 3 feet tall, dressed in metallic cloth of a very fine texture. Each body was bandaged in a manner similar to the blackout suits used by speed fliers and test pilots.” No further evaluation was attempted, Hottel reports. The file, released in April 2011 under the Freedom of Information Act, has been viewed nearly a million times, the FBI said, in part because media outlets "erroneously reported that the FBI had posted proof of a UFO crash at Roswell, New Mexico [in 1947] and the recovery of wreckage and alien corpses." "A bizarre memo that appears to prove that aliens did land in New Mexico prior to 1950 has been published by the FBI," the Daily Mail declared in 2011. "The Hottel memo does not prove the existence of UFOs," the bureau said in a blog post on its website this week. "It is simply a second- or third-hand claim that we never investigated." Besides, the FBI notes, the Hottel memo is dated nearly three years after the infamous events in Roswell in July 1947. "There is no reason to believe the two are connected," the bureau said: The FBI has only occasionally been involved in investigating reports of UFOs and extraterrestrials. For a few years after the Roswell incident, Director Hoover did order his agents—the request of the Air Force—verify any UFO sightings. That practice ended in July 1950, four months after the Hottel memo, suggesting that our Washington Field Office didn't think enough of that flying saucer story to look into it.

The memo goes on to state: "According to mr. XXXXXXX informant, the Saucers were found in New Mexico due to the fact that the government has a very high powered radar set-up in that area and it is believed the radar interferes with the controlling mechanism of the saucers."

http://vault.fbi.gov/hottel_guy/Guy%20Hottel%20Part%201%20of%201/view

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/fbi-ufo-memo-guy-hottel-151647542.html

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_4IsrUoO6T68/S7XK_crZtgI/AAAAAAAAAoM/QtLzwn60HTI/s320/Easter-Alien--39178.jpg

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151547440756737&set=a.10150176291871737.310028.69027951736&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf

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Kirok: William Shatner to appear in New Star Wars Movie https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151547440756737&set=a.1015017629187173...

You ARE AWARE of today's date aren't you! :D :D :D

http://abcnews.go.com/images/Entertainment/gty_jodie_charlie_christopher_foster_ll_120116_wblog.jpg

national examiner reports that james woods is the father of jodie foster's test tube son charlie. they were costars of "contact".

This test of the Navy's new laser looks a whole lot more devastating than the red streaks that don't do much damage in "Star Wars".


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmoldX1wKYQ&feature=player_embedded

I hope that Kim-Yong-Un is paying attention!

http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/8/4197316/navy-laser-weapon-deploying-2014-shoots-down-drone

just saw this and thought, "'Dark Lightning,' what a great movie title!" :D 
http://weather.yahoo.com/dark-lightning-zaps-airline-passengers-radiation-120727432.html

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The Atlantic North Korea Says Tokyo Is Target No. 1 Don't look now, but the birthday of Kim Jong-un's grandfather, Kim Il-Sung, is right around the corner, on Monday, with absurd celebrations and marathons and magic horses all weekend. But nothing would do more poetic justice to North Korea's warped version of history and its "unacceptable" war-mongering rhetoric than to drown one of its oldest enemies in a sea of nuclear flames. Which absurdity will win out? "North Korea warned Japan Friday that Tokyo would be the first target in the event of a war... http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2013/04/north-korea-targets-tokyo/64163/

This reminds me of a movie. It didn't end well.

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/BigManJapan_zps0ef99cca.jpg

Big sad day in Boston. Hard to believe. I'm sure many of us have been at or near the finish line at past races. Just be thankful it was at the other Marathon.

L.A. Connection wrote on Apr 15^th, 2013 at 8:03pm:

Big sad day in Boston. Hard to believe. I'm sure many of us have been at or near the finish line at past races. Just be thankful it was at the other Marathon.

Odd coincidence that we were talking about the old Paris Cinema a few days ago. It was just down the street from where the explosion happened. The marathon used to end almost across the street from it years ago when I worked there.
Truly an insane evil act of terror.

Just noticed the post before yours mentioning what the date represents to North Korea. That really scares me.   

da_Bunnyman wrote on Apr 15^th, 2013 at 9:49pm:

Truly an insane evil act of terror.

     You mean like dropping hellfire missiles from drones almost every week & killing innocent people?  Innocent children?  At funerals?  In restaurants?  You mean like that?
     Or maybe you mean kidnapping innocent Muslims & torturing them to death in black sites?  Maybe you mean that?
     You cant complain.  I cant complain.  None of us can complain if any of the violence we commit every day across the globe comes home.
     I mean, you can, but youll sound like a hypocrite when you do.


Quote:

Just noticed the post before yours mentioning what the date represents to North Korea. That really scares me.

     Oh, grow the hell up.  This will turn out to be another domestic attack, you wait & see.
     You might recall that all the idiots were shouting about the "terrorists" when the Murrah Building went up.  And how accurate were they again?
     This was a horrible thing.  I'm very familiar with that street.  I saw a lot of the videos & it's just hideous.
     But we all better get used to it, because you can bet theres more coming.  And seeing as the bozos in Congress cant even pass a few simple gun laws, you can wait till hell freezes over for something intelligent to be done.

clarify.which is it dave? payback from al qaeda for drone attacks or a domestic terror attack.

Suspected Ricin Bomber and Elvis Impersonator Paul Kevin Curtis has been released.


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OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi man charged with sending poisoned letters to President Barack Obama, a U.S. senator and a state judge was released from jail on Tuesday, federal official said, though the reason for the release wasn't immediately clear. Jeff Woodfin, chief deputy with the U.S. Marshals Service in Oxford, Miss., said Paul Kevin Curtis has been released from custody. Woodfin said he doesn't know if there were any conditions on the release. The development comes hours after officials canceled a detention and preliminary hearing without explaining the reason for the change.

He's a free-bird!

http://www.columbusunderground.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Picture-13.png


http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/30th-annuarl-24-hr-sci-fi-marathon-may-4-5-2013-at-drexel

how about some live tweets? did i say that right? live reactions to "safety not guaranteed" would be nice.

Today's News:  :)
http://news.yahoo.com/warp-speed-scotty-star-treks-ftl-drive-may-161638125.html

"Phase IV" for real? :o


'Crazy' Ants Driving Out Fire Ants in Southeast

"When you talk to folks who live in the invaded areas, they tell you they want their fire ants back," ...Crazy ants, on the other hand, "go everywhere," invading homes and nesting in walls and crawlspaces, even damaging electrical equipment by swarming inside appliances...In areas with crazy ants, the researchers also found greatly diminished numbers of native ant species, according to the study.
Full story:
http://news.yahoo.com/crazy-ants-driving-fire-ants-southeast-235504911.html


Are you freaking out? :o How about "Zombie Ants":

How Zombie Ants Lose Their Minds.

"New gruesome details have emerged explaining how a parasitic fungus manipulates an unfortunate ant, filling its head with fungal cells and changing its muscles so the ant can grab a leaf in a death grip just when and where the fungus wants it. "

http://www.livescience.com/14064-zombie-ant-fungus-parasite.html

Gallery of infected Zombie Ants:
http://www.livescience.com/13045-zombie-ants-fungi-photo-gallery.html

Scenes are graphic and shocking if you're an ant! ;)

There's a documentary which just debuted at Cannes about Alejandro Jodorowsky's (El Topo) failed attempt in 1975 to make DUNE. Interesting tidbits in this review about how some of the stuff developed for that film directly influenced the look of ALIEN, and, maybe, THE FIFTH ELEMENT:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/jodorowskys-dune-cannes-review-525204

http://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/cannes-film-review-jodorowskys-dune-1200483641/

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/2013/05/jodorowskys_dune_05.jpg

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/PAoftheLivingDead_zps2b054749.jpg

Massachusetts auditor finds more than 1,000 dead people on welfare
The state Department of Transitional Assistance, which is charged with administering the benefits, told the state auditor almost a year ago that it was already in the process of addressing the issues, including comparing its list of welfare recipients to the Social Security Administration’s master list of dead people in July 2012 so it could end benefits to people who have died.

http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2013/05/28/massachusetts-auditor-finds-more-than-dead-people-welfare/UAjCYtau24hrU4ZKFYHLpI/story.html

And this just in...
http://weather.yahoo.com/doomsday-9-real-ways-earth-could-end-134549020.html

Paraphrase:  "...Not with a bang, but a..." duck?!
;)

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Man Describes Life With 'Walking Corpse Syndrome' By Katie Moisse | ABC News Blogs – Fri, May 31, 2013 11:32 AM EDT A man's account of living with Cotard's syndrome offers a chilling look at a rare condition that has patients convinced they're zombies.... "I've been analyzing PET scans for 15 years, and I've never seen anyone who was on his feet, who was interacting with people, with such an abnormal scan result," Dr. Steven Laureys of the University of Liège in Belgium, who consulted on (the patient) Graham's case, told New Scientist. "Graham's brain function resembles that of someone during anesthesia or sleep. Seeing this pattern in someone who is awake is quite unique to my knowledge."* http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/man-describes-life-walking-corpse-syndrome-160429791.html

*Perhaps Dr. Laureys should attend a sci-fi marathon. -RF ;)

http://www.rantsports.com/nhl/files/2013/06/boston-bruins-sweep1.jpg

http://bostonherald.com/sports/bruins_nhl/boston_bruins/2013/06/sweep_surprise_as_b_s_dismantle_pens

A new Robo-ape is being developed by DFKI-Deutschland. German scientists wouldn't do anything creepy would they? :-? -RF


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There'll Be Nowhere to Hide When These Robot Apes Take to the Trees If you thought the prospect of being chased down by one of DARPA's terminator-wannabes was horrifying, there's a whole new flavor of terror for you to consider: the iStruct robo-ape. It's just barely limping along for now, but it's easy to imagine it galloping out of your nightmares someday soon. The robo-ape—developed by DFKI (the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence)—is still in its early testing phases, as is plenty apparent by its slowly, careful gait. But the form factor has already proven itself pretty versatile in nature, and it seems plenty possible that this thing will be lurching and climbing around in no time. What exactly DFKI is attempting to accomplish with its robo-ape isn't totally clear, but the center's admittedly vague description suggests it's all about melding robots' locomotive structures with sensors and internal wiring. The result are "intelligent structures," robotic analogs for biological structures like legs that move and feel, or a full-on artificial spines. It's a step closer to building robots like they are real living creatures that just happen to be made out of metal and plastic. Clearly this can only mean one thing: there's an army in the making, and a Planet of the Apes and Terminator crossover will be real life. Better get to work on developing some robot bananas in the meantime. [DFKI via IEEE Spectrum]

http://gizmodo.com/therell-be-nowhere-to-hide-when-these-robot-apes-take-512187351
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9xMoXywKyOs#at=68

http://celebrationtowncenter.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Scifi4thLogo-PRINT-V2-540x309.jpg

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A-Rod and 19 other MLB players to be suspended! Linked to Biogenesis* Clinic :o ..The question is the length of the suspensions. Sources said the commissioner's office was considering 100-game bans for Braun and Rodriguez, the punishment for a second offense, even though neither player was previously suspended for violating MLB's drug policy... http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/report-ryan-braun-refuses-answer-mlb-biogenesis-questions-230540570.html

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/Coma1_zpsc6661033.jpg

*The name "Biogenesis Clinic" just has to have been used in sci-fi movie at some point. ;)

In a related note: "Coma" has never played the 'thon. -RF

Rimshot!


R_F_Fineman wrote on Jul 9^th, 2013 at 7:31pm:

Quote: A-Rod and 19 other MLB players to be suspended! Linked to Biogenesis* Clinic :o ..The question is the length of the suspensions. Sources said the commissioner's office was considering 100-game bans for Braun and Rodriguez, the punishment for a second offense, even though neither player was previously suspended for violating MLB's drug policy... http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/report-ryan-braun-refuses-answer-mlb-biogenesis-questions-230540570.html http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/Coma1_zpsc6661033.jpg *The name "Biogenesis Clinic" just has to have been used in sci-fi movie at some point. ;) In a related note: "Coma" has never played the 'thon. -RF

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Japan launches talking humanoid robot into space TOKYO (AP) — Japan has launched the world's first talking humanoid robot "astronaut" toward the International Space Station. Kirobo — derived from the Japanese words for "hope" and "robot" — was among five tons of supplies and machinery on a rocket launched Sunday from Tanegashima in southwestern Japan, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said. ...Ahead of the launch, the 34-centimeter (13-inch) tall Kirobo told reporters, "one small step for me, a giant leap for robots."... Photo deleted for being obscenely too cute http://news.yahoo.com/japan-launches-talking-humanoid-robot-space-002814797.html

Yeah, but what will he do when you tell him to "open the pod bay doors?" ::)-RF

In other news...TREMORS for real!...

Hydrothermal Worm Viewed Under An Electron Microscope

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/6a5a8d67-aae1-4856-8788-5c9413374f2b_zpsa651cfb5.jpg
http://www.livescience.com/33401-hydrothermal-worm.html

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Mysterious ‘horned’ sea monster washes ashore in Spain A mysterious sea creature featuring what appear to be horns on its head was discovered in the advanced stages of decomposition along the shoreline of Luis Siret Beach in Villaricos, Spain, on Thursday. A woman first discovered the head and then found the body farther down the beach, according to ThinkSpain.com. The entire carcass with the head stretched 13 feet. “A lady found one part and we helped her retrieve the rest,” said Maria Sanches of Civil Protection in Cuevas. “We have no idea what it was. It really stank.”

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/mysterious-horned-sea-monster-washes-ashore-in-spain/

Soon to be a Already has been a bunch of motion pictures! :)

"It was no boating accident!"



Quote:

Mysterious sea monster discovered in Spain is identified It wasn't an oarfish, as many believed, but a shark, three leading shark experts conclude; 'definitely a shark skeleton,' says one... http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/mysterious-sea-monster-discovered-in-spain-is-identified/

"How many sci-fi movies start out like this?" part 7 :o


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Is it The Hum? Listen to the strange groaning from the sky that's spooked a Canadian town... following similar reports from around the world Kimberly Wookey of Terrace, British Columbia was able to catch a mysterious noise from above on video Thursday Since 2011, hundreds of such videos have appeared on YouTube from all over the world A similar phenomenon known as The Hum strikes indoors and only affects two percent of people Science has yet to identify the cause of The Hum or the sounds from the sky By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 17:30 EST, 2 September 2013  | UPDATED: 07:15 EST, 3 September 2013 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2409453/The-Hum-Strange-groaning-sky-spooks-Canada-town.html

Meanwhile...in Kiev:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcUDYBIrWio

Could it be the sound of the Rays season imploding? ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEvXII4ntZQ

I might want to consider moving in if the recent SF-board warfare escalates to the use of WMDs! 8-)-RF


"Blast From The Past" for Real!


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Underground Vegas estate lets you weather the apocalypse Even on the eclectic list of underground homes on the market (like a converted missile silo or a $53 million six-story hacienda), this Las Vegas bunker is unique. Built during the Cold War, when being vaporized by Russian nukes was an imminent fear of many Americans, the subterranean palace is pure 1970s-era luxury.... Surrounded by rusty iron gates, the aboveground portion of the Las Vegas house is 2,800 square feet that sits on a 1-acre lot. It fits in comfortably with the surrounding properties. But take an elevator down 26 feet beneath the ground and you’ll find another house--this one truly built to last. In fact, the home has been preserved in all its 1970s-era glory, including a now-retro kitchen, bright pink walls and a fake backyard fit for the Brady Bunch...green carpet meant to mimic grass...The barbecue grill, hidden in an artificial rock, ventilates through the artificial trees.... :D http://homes.yahoo.com/blogs/spaces/underground-vegas-estate-lets-weather-apocalypse-235937555.html

Click the link for some truly amazing pictures -RF

Voyager 1 becomes first human-made object to leave solar system:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/12/tech/innovation/voyager-solar-system/


http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130912144609-voyager-nasa-story-body.jpg


Next stop for the Voyager - becoming "V'Ger" for the Star Trek crew to discover.......

OH $HIT! I just gave JJ Abrams the story idea to re-hash in his next Trek film..............

Quote:

Quote LA: Voyager 1 becomes first human-made object to leave solar system:

I'm thinking Pioneer X¹ or Jarrod Saltalamacchia's grand slam last night would come in a close second!  :)


Quote:

LA: OH $HIT! I just gave JJ Abrams the story idea to re-hash in his next Trek film..............

Don't be so hard on yourself LA. If you hadn't done it J.J. would have had NO Idea what story to rehash. ;)



Quote:

1Pioneer 10 will continue to coast silently as a ghost ship through deep space into interstellar space, heading generally for the red star Aldebaran, which forms the eye of Taurus (The Bull). Aldebaran is about 68 light years away and it will take Pioneer over 2 million years to reach it....Pioneer 10 is now over 8 billion miles away. (On 17 February 1998, Voyager 1's heliocentric radial distance equaled Pioneer 10 at 69.4 AU and thereafter exceeded Pioneer 10 at the rate of 1.02 AU per year.) http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/missions/archive/pioneer.html

"Snakes on a Plane II: Snakes on a Mars Explorer" :D

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European Space Agency Wants to Send a Snake Robot to Mars "It's because of a snake's ability to get past almost any type of obstacle that makes it useful. Howie Choset, a professor of robotics at Carnegie Mellon University, said that there are many places that current rovers can't reach. "The snake robot could travel to cliffs and look underneath overhangs," he said. "It could find a crevasse, crawl down it and extract a sample, which itself could tell us how Mars evolved as a planet." http://news.yahoo.com/european-space-agency-wants-send-snake-robot-mars-214805716--abc-news-tech.html

"Verne Troyer need not apply"


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Wookiee? 'Star Wars' Sequel Casting Call Suggests Hairy Biped So you want to be a Wookiee? This could be your lucky day! That is, if you're extremely tall, relatively thin, and have good posture. British casting service Spotlight has reportedly put out feelers for actors who fit the body type of Chewbacca. The film is unnamed in the call, but we're all but certain it's for "Star Wars: Episode VII" as the production date is listed as "early 2014" and the producers named include Lucasfilm co-chair Kathleen Kennedy and "Episode VII" writer-director J.J. Abrams. Not a lot of actors will meet the physical requirements for role: "Male, 7 ft. to 7.3 ft. tall with a slim/thin build and upright posture. Not too worked out or too 'thick set' especially in the shoulders. Broad facial features would be a bonus." That's in the range of the height of Peter Mayhew, who played everyone's favorite Wookiee in the previous "Star Wars" films. The Chewbacca actor stands 7 feet, 2 inches tall. Mayhew is now 69 years old and has been having health problems that make it difficult for him to walk, so if Chewie is coming back, they'll need someone new to fill the suit.... http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/wookiee-star-wars-episode-vii-casting-call-suggests-170500828.html

Beachgoers in Spain discover 30-foot giant squid

Carcass found in Cantabria is that of the mysterious and fabled Architeuthis Dux; it remains unclear whether the deep-sea denizen will be put on display

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/squid1_zps76286009.jpg

weighed nearly 400 pounds....there has been some argument regarding ownership, and it remains unclear whether the squid will be put on display, eventually, or dissected in the name of science. According to some reports it was initially to be simply cremated...In the times of ancient mariners, Architeuthis Dux, which resides in the lightless depths of all of the world’s oceans, is believed to have spawned tales of sea monsters, such as the legendary Kraken.

Architeuthis Dux was one of the vicious creatures in Jules Verne’s classic science fiction novel, “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea


http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/nature/post/beachgoers-in-spain-discover-30-foot-giant-squid/


http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/KenTobeySub.jpg

What would Ken Tobey do?

One blogger's opinion:


Quote:

Getting rid of the human police and using robots could be a good thing [quote]...But given good software, good logic—like following Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics—and good practices—with judicial control, transparency and public monitoring—I really think we will be more safe with robots and flying drones than with a police force that has demonstrated to have plenty of mentally unstable—hey, we are human after all—and trigger-happy people.

http://gizmodo.com/new-robocop-trailer-a-badass-robot-cop-built-to-save-t-1460143609/1460233390/@jesusdiaz[/quote]

Oddly enough, it's posted alongside the trailer for the new "Robocop".  :)

If THIS doesn't make you feel old - THE RIGHT STUFF film is having it's 30th Anniversary! And, as is pointed out in this interview with Director Philip Kaufman - that means that the real events of the Mercury and Gemini space programs were closer to the making of THE RIGHT STUFF, than the movie is to us today!

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-news/director-philip-kaufman-makes-stuff-30-later-011811715.html

excuuuuuuse me but you have made a false assertion. towit the gemini program was not featured in the movie "the right stuff". the movie ended with gordon cooper's launch into his 22 orbit flight.

Quote:

Google acquires robot maker Boston Dynamics Google acquires robot maker Boston Dynamics, now we just have to work out why.... Read more at: http://www.tweaktown.com/news/34423/google-or-skynet-google-acquires-robot-maker-boston-dynamics/index.html?utm_source=ttnewsletter&utm_medium=ttemail&utm_campaign=ttcs

Why ask why? What part of "global domination" don't they understand?  In the future, changing your default browser may have horrific consequences:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAspqCD34Hw

More Robots in the news:


Quote:

Robot Olympics: Japan's Schaft Takes Lead in 2-Day Competition HOMESTEAD, Fla. — After one full day of competition, a two-legged, 209-pound (95 kilograms) blue robot sits atop the leaderboard here at the DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials. The world-class robotics competition features 17 teams from five different countries attempting to demonstrate some of the most advanced disaster-response capabilities in the field of robotics. DARPA, the agency within the U.S. Department of Defense responsible for developing new technologies for the military, designed the contest as a way to foster the development of new robots that could one day work with humans to secure disaster sites in the aftermath of a natural or man-made catastrophe. The two-day event is being held at the Homestead Miami Speedway. The scored competition is based on the teams' performance in eight challenging tasksthat test the robots' mobility, perception, strength and dexterity. [WATCH LIVE: DARPA Robotics Challenge] http://news.yahoo.com/robot-olympics-japan-39-schaft-takes-lead-2-135331699.html

Oddest news report - from Mars!







http://mildlypleased.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/santa_claus_conquers_martians_poster_011-e1354920441205-699x400.jpg