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Cloud Atlas
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Film
- Hits: 570
Directed by: Wachowskis
Starring: Tom Hanks, Hugh Grant, Susan Sarandon, Agent Smith
High ideas badly realized, overly-ambitious, applause for effort but none for realization.
I ended up largely wincing on behalf of everyone involved - especially Tom Hanks with his many roles under layered makeup, more ridiculous "disguises" than make-up, you are supposed to recognize them in their various incarnations, after all.
It drives home the fact that while I don't mind Tom Hanks, he does best when he's playing Tom Hanks.
And the invented future dialogue - the "True-True" - as well cringe, and the "Old Nick" or devil played by Agent Smith, is cringe, and - overall, few scenes weren't.
It's the Hero's Journey spliced over several lifetimes, to confusing and indifferent ends.
Applause for effort, none for realization, the inclusivity, clear aiming at a global audience, the cheeseball and corny philosophy saw my head imploding.
Another one I watched so you don't have to.
4'33"
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Blog
- Hits: 470
The poetry slam, last Thursday, attended, in a pub - and - no longer the cozy venue it once was, now perhaps 70, 100 people.
And tonight I'm committed to reading...
Only, it's not quite done and so, taking the microphone, discover I'm not as comfortable speaking in front of crowds as I'd imagined, skip the poem I'd written, too long, too many trigger warnings, and default to another:
The lyrics I'd written to accompany John Cage's "4'33"" of silence.
Unfortunately nobody knew the tune, and so nobody appreciated the lyrics...
Black Mirror
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Film
- Hits: 561
So a long time since I've seen a few episodes of this, there's some new and so I watch them.
And - depending on where you live, have already come to pass.
Consider China, a very little bit in the news lately, still rioting over the Covid lockdowns, videos of massive internment ("quarantine") camps being constructed outside cities, videos of apartment buildings under quarantine having their doors welded shut, and "Code Yellow" - that app by default required on Chinese phones - that tracks where you've been and if you've come in contact with anyone suspected of having Covid turns yellow - the yellow advising you to report to quarantine for testing.
And - that app, it's needed to let you onto public transport, into shops, into your own apartment building. So - if it turns yellow or red, you're done. Just done.
So, watching what was only a couple of years ago some sort of dystopic science fiction right now playing out under our noses, only it's not here, not here yet...
Otherwise, some interesting predictions on a future that's already arrived...
Samsung S22 Ultra
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- Written by: Rod Boyle
- Category: Other
- Hits: 548
I've gone on about this before, about the camera, and the proof is in the absolutely amazing photos it takes. (See earlier posts).
And it's great as a phone and doing wifi and the internet and the Reddit app is certainly a five star time waster, but these things are common to most phones.
The feature I find most useful is the pen-stylus, that embeds in the bottom of the phone and when you pop it out it automatically prompts you with a note. It accepts handwriting or text, small drawings, etc. You can embed images in it. It's really useful. I use it a lot.
This is probably the best technology investment I ever made.
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