Category: movies
IMAX theatre
A hotel I’m at has on demand video of all description: movies, award winning TV, documentaries. All commercial free, pay per view.
On demand video, when and where I want, is essential.
Next on my list is quality. In future, video content must be more interesting. Happily, this is already here.
I love IMAX cinema.
I just saw Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag, the largest aerial war games in the world. Fantastic experience! (though the film is not as accurate as it could be).
IMAX quality is the future. I can’t understand why it has never achieved the kind of popularity it deserves.
DRM – Digital Rights Management
James Kim posted a nice summary of the DRM controversy:
MP3 Insider: Rallying behind the eMusics of the world – CNET reviews
Two of his points rang true with me:
DRM seems to be used less to thwart piracy and more to establish a dominant position in the music industry.
That’s certainly true of the iTunes store. It’s Apple’s business model.
I’m not anti-DRM, but I have a problem with closed DRM schemes–I’ll buy DRM tracks if I can play them on any device. … I have purchased many iTunes and WMA tracks and find it deplorable that I can’t play my music on all my devices.
Those computer savvy and ethically flexible enough to download music illegally may continue to do so — after getting ticked off when music they bought legally will not play on a new MP3 device or computer.
larger propoganda on crfp.com
climbing Crowsnest Mountain
15yrs or more since I had last seen Scott Whiteside from Lethbridge, we hooked up to scramble the most enticing peak in the Crowsnest Pass.
Originally a gymnastics coach, Scott now runs the climbing wall at the University of Lethbridge and has climbed the highest mountain in South America, Aconcagua. (Actually his group turned back before the top even though Scott was feeling great at the time.)
Scott and his wife recently purchased a holiday home in the Pass with a view of this mountain. To find out how we made it to the summit — check the comic video clip.
photo – George Novak
» next travelogue post on this trip – cycling Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
movie – Primer – Grand Jury Prize Sundance 2004
Primer is an independent film written, directed, produced by and starring Shane Carruth. It looks very professional.
A sci-fi puzzle-thriller, it explores the ramifications of time travel.
Most fascinating to me, is that Carruth put it together for US$7000. That means you or I could make a feature film.
Primer – on Wikipedia
Charlie lost a Chaplin look-alike contest?
Just another urban legend?
In 1915 Charlie Chaplin look-alike contests were the rage. Bob Hope won a contest in Cleveland.
Many times it has been said that Chaplin entered and lost. The details vary.
Snopes.com confirms that Chaplin did indeed enter one contest in San Francisco — and that he did not event make the finals!
Urban Legends – Charlie Chaplin once lost a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest.
Warner to start movie downloads
BBC NEWS | Business | Warner to start movie downloads
Warner says users will be able to buy downloads of films and TV shows on the same day they become available on DVD.
Pricing for a feature film will be about the same as the DVD release. The cost of a television show could be as low as a dollar.
Good news. Warner will use Bit Torrent technology to speed internet file transfer. Apple is building it into their next operating system.
Currently Bit Torrent is mainly used for illegal file transfers.
video – Take the Lead – mashup
Addictive TV, the top VJ duo working today, was hired to video mashup the Antonio Banderas dance movie Take The Lead . It’s pretty cool.
Click on the video below. Or watch it on YouTube.
Details on Wired magazine.
gymnastics movie – Stick It
I’ve been waiting for this.
The successful predecessor to this film, Bring it On, helped popularize cheerleading. Stick It will do the same for gymnastics, I think.
Reviews have been less-than-Oscar-worthy so far. To see for yourself click the video below to watch the trailer.
Rick McCharles 
