Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Atlantis Finale Underwhelms
I did think that about Carter's explanation for Landry's absence. I haven't seen The Ark of Truth or anything on it, so I don't know if he was involved in it in any way either. As for that FBI position, I'm not sure they'd take me on, what with my past HomeInsec track record. -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Atlantis Finale Underwhelms Date : Sun, 11 Jan 2009 03:10:47 + From : keithbjohn...@comcast.net To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com I caught Sam's explanation for Landry being absent, just thought it was goofy. Maybe Beau Bridges decided to get back to a movie career and was unavailable, or maybe they couldn't afford to pay him? You do indeed show a facility for obfuscating the truth. I just got an e-mail from a friend telling me the FBI is hiring. You should look 'em up! -- Original message -- From: Martin Baxter If memory serves, the reason that Colonel Carter was running the SGC was because General Landry was on a special mission. BTB, did you catch the tribute to Don Davis they threw in, by renaming the ship Carter was going to command from the Phoenix to the General Hammond? As for the battle being seen, yes, several people would've seen it, or even captured footage, but they'd be pretty much relegated to conspiracy theorists, Atlantis falling to earth explained away as a meteorite or some such, the explosion of the hive ship made out to be a near-earth collision of two bodies in space. (Hey, I think I've got a career cooking as a Guv'mint disinformation guy.) And yes, I'd figure that setting off a nuke near a ZPM would take out Earth and the Moon. No, I figure that Atlantis will mosey on back to Pegasus, because the Wraith threat is still serious. -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Atlantis Finale Underwhelms Date : Sat, 10 Jan 2009 23:03:00 + From : keithbjohn...@comcast.net To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Mild spoilers Same here. Ronan's death was so sudden I figured it couldn't possibly be permanent. The whole show was rushed, with all that action in one hour. A two hour movie would definitely have allowed more plot to be explored. Sam Carter, for example, running SG-C seemed contrived. How convenient the general wasn't on base. And talk about convenient: Rodney just happened to have been working on wormhole drive, something apparently the Ancients never even perfected, and it not only worked, but worked well enough to move the entire city? Uh-huh. Everyone I liked was given too little to do, and the threat of the Wraith near Earth deserved a much more detailed treatment. How and when will Atlantis go back to Pegasus? Is there a chance it'll stay? Will Rodney and the doctor get married? Given that I still think that major battle would have been noticed and recorded by some governments, scientists, and amateur astronomers, I thought the series would end with the secret out. As the Wraith s! hip exploded in a nuclear fireball that *had* to have been seen, and an entire city screamed toward Earth like a fireball, I thought Wow, looks like the Stargate program will finally be revealed. No way they can hide all this from everyone. Yet they claim they did. Not sure I buy that. Felt as if the writers got lazy and just tossed out something, which they called a series finale. The only thing I can say is that the finale was much better than that embarrassing finale Bamp;B tossed out for Enterprise. By the way, if a fully charged ZPM is blown up by a nuke, wouldn't all its energy be released in a catastrophic burst? -- Original message -- From: Martin Baxter Keith, I think that's where the Guv'mint Hush-Up Machine would kick in, silencing anyone who claims to have seen anything through the use of money and/or threat of bodily harm. Once more, Skiffy fails us. They knew that they were closing the show out, and could've given it a two-hour send-off without a problem. That way, the plot elelments of the show wouldn't have been as rushed. And I can't tell you how miffed I am at the way they killed off Ronan, only to bring him back six minutes later. His actual death didn't even impact on me, because I looked at my computer clock and just *knew* that he was coming back. A tiny, *tiny* chuckle at the ending, with Atlantis being parked in San Francisco Bay, cloaked. Maybe they'll do the movies better... -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Atlantis Finale Underwhelms Date : Sat, 10 Jan 2009 03:10:11 + From : keithbjohn...@comcast.net To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Well, that wasn't exactly a great series ender. The battle was foreshortened, going from discovery of
[scifinoir2] Re: Oxygen Gardens
I agree it is not a new concept but it seemed fresh to me because I don't recall seeing it before in a science fiction movie. The notion of an oxygen garden seems so simple and intuitive. But the real reason I put this out there was because I was curious as to whether or not anyone on this list knew of oxygen gardens existing elsewhere in s.f. film or literature. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, keithbjohn...@... wrote: Cool visuals, but the concept is pretty old. I remember reading about something like this a good thirty years ago. I'd think it'd be almost mandatory for long range missions, such as if we ever get around to sending astronauts to Mars. -- Original message -- From: ravenadal ravena...@... One of the more interesting concepts explored in Sunshine was something called an oxygen garden. http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/oxygen-garden.html As the film's official website explains: Oxygen production is vital for manned long-term space flight. Accordingly, a long-term mission should have a natural, unmechanical way of replenishing its oxygen supplies. As a person who lives in constant symbiotic relation to and with plants, I give them my carbon dioxide and they give me their oxygen, this notion of a long-term space flight traveling with a living, renewal form of oxygen is fascinating to me. ~rave!
[scifinoir2] Good Sh*t: Treeless Paper Made from Elephant Poop
Good Sh*t: Treeless Paper Made from Elephant Poop by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 01.10.09 DESIGN ARCHITECTURE The moment we've all been waiting for has finally arrivedwhen we can finally do all of our writing exclusively on elephant feces. This is no jokethere's a new line of eco-paper available, and for once, the term's not an oxymoron. It's from the Sri-Lankan based company Mr. Ellie Pooh, and yes, the paper really is made out of elephant poop. Even more amazing than the fact that elephant poop paper exists at all is the reason it was created in the first place. Why Harvest Elephant Poop for Paper in Sri Lanka? To save elephants, of course. It turns out that a tenth of the mere 40,000 Asian elephants worldwide live in Sri Lanka, where they're killed due to their interference with agriculture. There's no major ivory trade, and Sri Lankans don't eat elephant meat, so the sole factor that elephants are being exterminated is because they're a nuisance. Many Sri Lankans have long regarded elephants as dangerous pests that ruin their crops via trampling them, and kill them to protect their livelihood as some Americans kill wolves to protect livestock. Mr. Ellie Pooh hopes to change that conception by proving that elephants can be valuable to the economy, and thus worth sparing. They feel that the only way to protect the elephants is to change the public's idea of their indisputable valueif Sri Lankans are making an honest living creating paper, and an entirely new market is opened up, there'll be more incentive to find alternative solutions to protecting their crops. Making Paper Out of Elephant Poop The paper is made from 75 percent elephant dung (the other 25 is all post-consumer waste), which is collected from elephant orphanages in Sri Lanka. From Mr. Ellie Pooh: Since an elephant's diet is all vegetarian, the waste produced is basically raw cellulose. Thoroughly cleaned and processed, the cellulose is converted into a uniquely beautiful textured product, marketed as Ellie Pooh Paper. It makes for an acid free, linen-like papyrus-type paper. But how Viable can a Poop Paper Industry Be? If you think the whole idea of paper-from-elephant-poop seems to be a desperate effortthink again. An adult elephant creates 500 pounds of dung a day, making it a very reliable, very renewable resource. Elephant poop paper could prove to be a sustainable, lucrative boon to the Sri Lankan economy. And there's the fact that the paper uses absolutely no trees in its creation is a huge bonus to eco-minded consumers. The poopy paper is now being sold by Pixxlz, a Massachusetts based printed products company, so expect to see more of around the US soon. If you'd like to purchase some, it's available in numerous colors and covers and card stocks. And no, it doesn't smell like sh*t. More on Elephant Poop: Zoo Poo Power: Elephant Dung for Electricity Will Melting Mammoth Poo Speed Up Climate Change?
[scifinoir2] Is Baltimore Mayor a Gamer?
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/01/09/baltimore-mayor-allegedly- bought-game-systems-gift-cards-meant-needy Baltimore Mayor Allegedly Bought Game Systems With Gift Cards Meant for Needy January 9, 2009 Apparently the corrupt Baltimore politics portrayed in the HBO series The Wire wasn't all that far from the truth. State prosecutors charged today that Mayor Sheila Dixon (D) cashed in Best Buy gift cards donated for needy families for her personal use. Among Dixon's alleged purchases were a PlayStation 2, an Xbox 360 and a PSP. It's unknown whether she is a gamer herself or if the systems were given to others. Dixon also faces charges of perjury and misconduct in office.
[RE][scifinoir2] Is Baltimore Mayor a Gamer?
For me, Charm City, where once I hung my hat, no longer deserves that moniker... -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Is Baltimore Mayor a Gamer? Date : Sun, 11 Jan 2009 16:44:36 - From : ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/01/09/baltimore-mayor-allegedly- bought-game-systems-gift-cards-meant-needy Baltimore Mayor Allegedly Bought Game Systems With Gift Cards Meant for Needy January 9, 2009 Apparently the corrupt Baltimore politics portrayed in the HBO series The Wire wasn't all that far from the truth. State prosecutors charged today that Mayor Sheila Dixon (D) cashed in Best Buy gift cards donated for needy families for her personal use. Among Dixon's alleged purchases were a PlayStation 2, an Xbox 360 and a PSP. It's unknown whether she is a gamer herself or if the systems were given to others. Dixon also faces charges of perjury and misconduct in office. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
[RE][scifinoir2] Good Sh*t: Treeless Paper Made from Elephant Poop
(applauding thunderously) -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Good Sh*t: Treeless Paper Made from Elephant Poop Date : Sun, 11 Jan 2009 16:39:48 - From : ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Good Sh*t: Treeless Paper Made from Elephant Poop by Brian Merchant, Brooklyn, New York on 01.10.09 DESIGN amp; ARCHITECTURE The moment we've all been waiting for has finally arrivedwhen we can finally do all of our writing exclusively on elephant feces. This is no jokethere's a new line of eco-paper available, and for once, the term's not an oxymoron. It's from the Sri-Lankan based company Mr. Ellie Pooh, and yes, the paper really is made out of elephant poop. Even more amazing than the fact that elephant poop paper exists at all is the reason it was created in the first place. Why Harvest Elephant Poop for Paper in Sri Lanka? To save elephants, of course. It turns out that a tenth of the mere 40,000 Asian elephants worldwide live in Sri Lanka, where they're killed due to their interference with agriculture. There's no major ivory trade, and Sri Lankans don't eat elephant meat, so the sole factor that elephants are being exterminated is because they're a nuisance. Many Sri Lankans have long regarded elephants as dangerous pests that ruin their crops via trampling them, and kill them to protect their livelihood as some Americans kill wolves to protect livestock. Mr. Ellie Pooh hopes to change that conception by proving that elephants can be valuable to the economy, and thus worth sparing. They feel that the only way to protect the elephants is to change the public's idea of their indisputable valueif Sri Lankans are making an honest living creating paper, and an entirely new market is opened up, there'll be more incentive to find alternative solutions to protecting their crops. Making Paper Out of Elephant Poop The paper is made from 75 percent elephant dung (the other 25 is all post-consumer waste), which is collected from elephant orphanages in Sri Lanka. From Mr. Ellie Pooh: Since an elephant's diet is all vegetarian, the waste produced is basically raw cellulose. Thoroughly cleaned and processed, the cellulose is converted into a uniquely beautiful textured product, marketed as Ellie Pooh Paper. It makes for an acid free, linen-like papyrus-type paper. But how Viable can a Poop Paper Industry Be? If you think the whole idea of paper-from-elephant-poop seems to be a desperate effortthink again. An adult elephant creates 500 pounds of dung a day, making it a very reliable, very renewable resource. Elephant poop paper could prove to be a sustainable, lucrative boon to the Sri Lankan economy. And there's the fact that the paper uses absolutely no trees in its creation is a huge bonus to eco-minded consumers. The poopy paper is now being sold by Pixxlz, a Massachusetts based printed products company, so expect to see more of around the US soon. If you'd like to purchase some, it's available in numerous colors and covers and card stocks. And no, it doesn't smell like sh*t. More on Elephant Poop: Zoo Poo Power: Elephant Dung for Electricity Will Melting Mammoth Poo Speed Up Climate Change? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
[scifinoir2] SOS: Syringes over Sydney
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/01/10/1231004356536.html Needle-stick injury risk for motorists Eamonn Duff January 11, 2009 USERS of the Cross City Tunnel have been warned of the risk of needles being dropped by drug addicts who frequent a Sydney suburb directly above. Syringe signs have been installed along the southbound ramp connecting the tunnel and the Eastern Distributor. A tunnel spokesman said the signs were erected because an area in Darlinghurst directly above the partially-roofed link had become a hot spot for injecting. Syringes are frequently disposed [of] in this area, causing a potential safety hazard, the spokesman said. The laneway, between Palmer and Bourke streets, has attracted users since it was created as a result of the tunnel's construction in 2005. At night, drug users congregate along the dimly lit path to inject drugs including heroin and ice. They toss the used syringes over a high chain-link security fence or push them through gaps in the barrier, causing them to fall onto the road directly below, posing a potential threat to tunnel workers, motorists with convertible cars or open sunroofs and drivers who have broken down and left their vehicles. The tunnel spokesman said: To the knowledge of the current management - which has been in place since the change of ownership in September 2007 - there has never been an incident of needle-stick injury. Nonetheless, the signage remains in place in the interests of worker safety and in the rare event that a motorist got out of their car and walked around in the ramp area. Opposition roads spokesman Andrew Stoner said the situation was a demonstration of Labor's policy failure on two fronts. He said: The Cross City Tunnel design has been dogged by controversy from day one and this is yet another indication of the flawed process. Second, this proves the Kings Cross injecting rooms are failing to take people off the streets, which is what they're there to do. Mr Stoner said the priority should be to close the pathway, which would ensure addicts had no opportunity to dispose of needles in a manner which posed such a danger to tunnel users. It shouldn't be a huge task. It is, however, essential given the real risk of a needle-stick injury, or worse, he said. ed...@fairfaxmedia.com.au This story was found at: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/01/10/1231004356536.html
[scifinoir2] Keith Olbermann: video demanding environmentally friendly porn
http://current.com/items/89702750/5_billion_porn_bailout_demanding_env ironmently_friendly_porn.htm
[scifinoir2] Push movie trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNGu1QWwK9I I am a sucker for this kind of stuff. Djimon Hounsou? Check. Camilla Belle? Check. Dakota Fanning? Check. Chris Evans (well, okay...). ~rave!
[scifinoir2] Alan Moore Spitting venom On Watchmen
Apologies if this was posted before. Given the age of the article, I'll bet it was. But i've recently started following the Watchmen movie news, and came across this interview. Moore's spitting venom on the project? Intense, though i can understand the spirit of his objections given how H'wood screws up things. Maybe he should ask Frank Miller what led him to let 300 and Sin City be filmed? I find Terry Gilliam's position that it deserves a five-hour miniseries treatment to be intriguing. There really are some works that just can't be done full justice in a two or three hour movie. I recall that LOTR was originally slated to be two films, but Peter Jackson prevailed on New Line to do three. Even then some stuff was left out. No idea what if anything Snyder had to cut to make the film, nor do I know how long it is. From what I understand of the complicated structure of the comics--a couple of stories running, jumps in time--it will require some skill. Sounds like something that would have been up Chris Nolan's alley. But still, the trailers look great, and early buzz from those who've seen an extended piece of the movie has been favourable. I must confess, I've never read Watchmen (something I'm about to remedy). When it debuted, I was swept up in DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths maxi series, and then all the Year One retellings of Superman, Batman, and others that followed. At that time I was also relatively new to Marvel's universe, having just discovered X-Men and Spider-Man three years before. So, I was also immersed in understanding the world of mutants, catching up on backstories such as the Gwen Stacy thing, and diving into Marvel's Official Handbood of the Marvel Universe. Watchmen was all around me, but i could never find the time... Is it indeed as good as the hype of these last two decades? And while i'm on the confessional kick, I have to admit I haven't read From Hell, V for Vendetta (or seen the movie), or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (saw the movie--unfortunately). ** http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2008/09/alan-moore-on-w.html Alan Moore on 'Watchmen' movie: 'I will be spitting venom all over it' 12:48 PM PT, Sep 18 2008 For the record, Alan Moore has not softened his view on Hollywood nor its plan to bring his classic graphic novel Watchmen to the screen next March. I find film in its modern form to be quite bullying, Moore told me during an hour-long phone call from his home in England. It spoon-feeds us, which has the effect of watering down our collective cultural imagination. It is as if we are freshly hatched birds looking up with our mouths open waiting for Hollywood to feed us more regurgitated worms. The 'Watchmen' film sounds like more regurgitated worms. I for one am sick of worms. Can't we get something else? Perhaps some takeout? Even Chinese worms would be a nice change. Moore is often described as a recluse but, really, I think it's more precise to say he is simply too busy at his writing desk. Yes, perhaps I should get out more, he said with a chuckle. In conversation, the 54-year-old iconoclast is everything his longtime readers would expect -- articulate, witty, obstinate and selectively enigmatic. Far from grouchy, he only gets an edge in his voice when he talks about the effect of Hollywood on the comics medium that he so memorably energized in the 1980s with Saga of the Swamp Thing, V for Vendetta, Marvelman and, of course, Watchmen, his 1986 masterpiece. The Warner Bros. film version of Watchmen is due in theaters in March although the project has encountered some turbulence with a lawsuit filed by 20th Century Fox over who has the rights to the property. Moore has no intention of seeing the film and, in fact, he hints that he has put a magical curse on the entire endeavor. Will the film even be coming out? There are these legal problems now, which I find wonderfully ironic. Perhaps it's been cursed from afar, from England. And I can tell you that I will also be spitting venom all over it for months to come. Moore said all that with more mischievous glee than true malice, but I know it will still pain Watchmen director Zack Snyder when he reads it. The director of 300 absolutely adores the work of Moore and has been laboring intensely to bring Watchmen to the screen with faithful sophistication. But I don't think there's any way to win Moore over, he simply detests Hollywood. Moore said he has never watched any of the film adaptations of his comics creations (which have included V for Vendetta, From Hell, Constantine and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) and that he believes Watchmen is inherently unfilmable. He also rues the effect of Hollywood's siren call on the contemporary comics scene. There are three or four companies now that exist for the sole purpose of creating not comics, but storyboards for films. It may be true that the only reason
Re: [scifinoir2] Alan Moore Spitting venom On Watchmen
I love Alan Moore. My fav comic series of his is Promethea. ~ Where love and magic meet ~ http://www.adriannebrennan.com Experience the magic of Blood of the Dark Moon: http://www.adriannebrennan.com/botdm.html Take a bite out of Blood and Mint Chocolates: http://www.adriannebrennan.com/bamc.html Dare to take The Oath in Book 1 Bound: http://www.adriannebrennan.com/theoath_bound.html On Sun, Jan 11, 2009 at 1:54 PM, keithbjohn...@comcast.net wrote: Apologies if this was posted before. Given the age of the article, I'll bet it was. But i've recently started following the Watchmen movie news, and came across this interview. Moore's spitting venom on the project? Intense, though i can understand the spirit of his objections given how H'wood screws up things. Maybe he should ask Frank Miller what led him to let 300 and Sin City be filmed? I find Terry Gilliam's position that it deserves a five-hour miniseries treatment to be intriguing. There really are some works that just can't be done full justice in a two or three hour movie. I recall that LOTR was originally slated to be two films, but Peter Jackson prevailed on New Line to do three. Even then some stuff was left out. No idea what if anything Snyder had to cut to make the film, nor do I know how long it is. From what I understand of the complicated structure of the comics--a couple of stories running, jumps in time--it will require some skill. Sounds like something that would have been up Chris Nolan's alley. But still, the trailers look great, and early buzz from those who've seen an extended piece of the movie has been favourable. I must confess, I've never read Watchmen (something I'm about to remedy). When it debuted, I was swept up in DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths maxi series, and then all the Year One retellings of Superman, Batman, and others that followed. At that time I was also relatively new to Marvel's universe, having just discovered X-Men and Spider-Man three years before. So, I was also immersed in understanding the world of mutants, catching up on backstories such as the Gwen Stacy thing, and diving into Marvel's Official Handbood of the Marvel Universe. Watchmen was all around me, but i could never find the time... Is it indeed as good as the hype of these last two decades? And while i'm on the confessional kick, I have to admit I haven't read From Hell, V for Vendetta (or seen the movie), or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (saw the movie--unfortunately). ** http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2008/09/alan-moore-on-w.html Alan Moore on 'Watchmen' movie: 'I will be spitting venom all over it'http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2008/09/alan-moore-on-w.html 12:48 PM PT, Sep 18 2008 [image: Alan Moore]http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/09/18/alanmoore_2.jpgFor the record, *Alan Moore* has not softened his view on Hollywood nor its plan to bring his classic graphic novel *Watchmen* to the screen next March.http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/09/18/alanmoore.jpg I find film in its modern form to be quite bullying, Moore told me during an hour-long phone call from his home in England. It spoon-feeds us, which has the effect of watering down our collective cultural imagination. It is as if we are freshly hatched birds looking up with our mouths open waiting for Hollywood to feed us more regurgitated worms. The 'Watchmen' film sounds like more regurgitated worms. I for one am sick of worms. Can't we get something else? Perhaps some takeout? Even Chinese worms would be a nice change. Moore is often described as a recluse but, really, I think it's more precise to say he is simply too busy at his writing desk. Yes, perhaps I *should* get out more, he said with a chuckle. In conversation, the 54-year-old iconoclast is everything his longtime readers would expect -- articulate, witty, obstinate and selectively enigmatic. Far from grouchy, he only gets an edge in his voice when he talks about the effect of Hollywood on the comics medium that he so memorably energized in the 1980s with *Saga of the Swamp Thing*, *V for Vendetta*, *Marvelman* and, of course, Watchmen, his 1986 masterpiece. The Warner Bros. film version of Watchmen is due in theaters in March although the project has encountered some turbulence with a lawsuit filed by 20th Century Fox over who has the rightshttp://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2008/08/watchmen-movie.htmlto the property. Moore has no intention of s eeing the film and, in fact, he hints that he has put a magical curse on the entire endeavor. [image: Comedian]http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/09/18/comedian.jpgWill the film even be coming out? There are these legal problems now, which I find wonderfully ironic. Perhaps it's been cursed from afar, from England. And I can tell you that I will also be spitting
[RE][scifinoir2] Alan Moore Spitting venom On Watchmen
I really can't fault Moore's venom. Just saw the trailer for Watchmen, and I was less than moved by it. Even if I weren't a hermit-in-training, I'd pass on this and dig out my trade copy for rereading. Keith - READ IT. -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Alan Moore Spitting venom On Watchmen Date : Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:54:43 + From : keithbjohn...@comcast.net To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Apologies if this was posted before. Given the age of the article, I'll bet it was. But i've recently started following the Watchmen movie news, and came across this interview. Moore's spitting venom on the project? Intense, though i can understand the spirit of his objections given how H'wood screws up things. Maybe he should ask Frank Miller what led him to let 300 and Sin City be filmed? I find Terry Gilliam's position that it deserves a five-hour miniseries treatment to be intriguing. There really are some works that just can't be done full justice in a two or three hour movie. I recall that LOTR was originally slated to be two films, but Peter Jackson prevailed on New Line to do three. Even then some stuff was left out. No idea what if anything Snyder had to cut to make the film, nor do I know how long it is. From what I understand of the complicated structure of the comics--a couple of stories running, jumps in time--it will require some skill. Sounds like som! ething that would have been up Chris Nolan's alley. But still, the trailers look great, and early buzz from those who've seen an extended piece of the movie has been favourable. I must confess, I've never read Watchmen (something I'm about to remedy). When it debuted, I was swept up in DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths maxi series, and then all the Year One retellings of Superman, Batman, and others that followed. At that time I was also relatively new to Marvel's universe, having just discovered X-Men and Spider-Man three years before. So, I was also immersed in understanding the world of mutants, catching up on backstories such as the Gwen Stacy thing, and diving into Marvel's Official Handbood of the Marvel Universe. Watchmen was all around me, but i could never find the time... Is it indeed as good as the hype of these last two decades? And while i'm on the confessional kick, I have to admit I haven't read From Hell, V for Vendetta (or seen the movie), or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (saw the movie--unfortunately). ** http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2008/09/alan-moore-on-w.html Alan Moore on 'Watchmen' movie: 'I will be spitting venom all over it' 12:48 PM PT, Sep 18 2008 For the record, Alan Moore has not softened his view on Hollywood nor its plan to bring his classic graphic novel Watchmen to the screen next March. I find film in its modern form to be quite bullying, Moore told me during an hour-long phone call from his home in England. It spoon-feeds us, which has the effect of watering down our collective cultural imagination. It is as if we are freshly hatched birds looking up with our mouths open waiting for Hollywood to feed us more regurgitated worms. The 'Watchmen' film sounds like more regurgitated worms. I for one am sick of worms. Can't we get something else? Perhaps some takeout? Even Chinese worms would be a nice change. Moore is often described as a recluse but, really, I think it's more precise to say he is simply too busy at his writing desk. Yes, perhaps I should get out more, he said with a chuckle. In conversation, the 54-year-old iconoclast is everything his longtime readers would expect -- articulate, witty, obstinate and selectively enigmatic. Far from grouchy, he only gets an edge in his voice when he talks about the effect of Hollywood on the comics medium that he so memorably energized in the 1980s with Saga of the Swamp Thing, V for Vendetta, Marvelman and, of course, Watchmen, his 1986 masterpiece. The Warner Bros. film version of Watchmen is due in theaters in March although the project has encountered some turbulence with a lawsuit filed by 20th Century Fox over who has the rights to the property. Moore has no intention of seeing the film and, in fact, he hints that he has put a magical curse on the entire endeavor. Will the film even be coming out? There are these legal problems now, which I find wonderfully ironic. Perhaps it's been cursed from afar, from England. And I can tell you that I will also be spitting venom all over it for months to come. Moore said all that with more mischievous glee than true malice, but I know it will still pain Watchmen director Zack Snyder when he reads it. The director of 300 absolutely adores the work of Moore and has been laboring intensely to bring Watchmen to the screen with faithful sophistication. But I don't think there's any way to win Moore over, he simply detests Hollywood. Moore said he has never watched any of the
[RE][scifinoir2] Push movie trailer
This, on the other hand, *does* rev my engines. -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Push movie trailer Date : Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:44:54 - From : ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNGu1QWwK9I I am a sucker for this kind of stuff. Djimon Hounsou? Check. Camilla Belle? Check. Dakota Fanning? Check. Chris Evans (well, okay...). ~rave! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Oxygen Gardens
Did the novel Rendezvous with Rama mention plants being used to generate oxygen? I seem to remember reading a novel about this but can't remember what it was. It's been three decades since I read Rama. -- Original message -- From: ravenadal ravena...@yahoo.com I agree it is not a new concept but it seemed fresh to me because I don't recall seeing it before in a science fiction movie. The notion of an oxygen garden seems so simple and intuitive. But the real reason I put this out there was because I was curious as to whether or not anyone on this list knew of oxygen gardens existing elsewhere in s.f. film or literature. ~rave! --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, keithbjohn...@... wrote: Cool visuals, but the concept is pretty old. I remember reading about something like this a good thirty years ago. I'd think it'd be almost mandatory for long range missions, such as if we ever get around to sending astronauts to Mars. -- Original message -- From: ravenadal ravena...@... One of the more interesting concepts explored in Sunshine was something called an oxygen garden. http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/oxygen-garden.html As the film's official website explains: Oxygen production is vital for manned long-term space flight. Accordingly, a long-term mission should have a natural, unmechanical way of replenishing its oxygen supplies. As a person who lives in constant symbiotic relation to and with plants, I give them my carbon dioxide and they give me their oxygen, this notion of a long-term space flight traveling with a living, renewal form of oxygen is fascinating to me. ~rave! ---BeginMessage--- I agree it is not a new concept but it seemed fresh to me because I don't recall seeing it before in a science fiction movie. The notion of an oxygen garden seems so simple and intuitive. But the real reason I put this out there was because I was curious as to whether or not anyone on this list knew of oxygen gardens existing elsewhere in s.f. film or literature. ~rave! --- In scifino...@yahoogroups.com, KeithBJohnson@... wrote: Cool visuals, but the concept is pretty old. I remember reading about something like this a good thirty years ago. I'd think it'd be almost mandatory for long range missions, such as if we ever get around to sending astronauts to Mars. -- Original message -- From: ravenadal ravena...@... One of the more interesting concepts explored in Sunshine was something called an oxygen garden. http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/oxygen-garden.html As the film's official website explains: Oxygen production is vital for manned long-term space flight. Accordingly, a long-term mission should have a natural, unmechanical way of replenishing its oxygen supplies. As a person who lives in constant symbiotic relation to and with plants, I give them my carbon dioxide and they give me their oxygen, this notion of a long-term space flight traveling with a living, renewal form of oxygen is fascinating to me. ~rave! ---End Message---
Re: [RE][scifinoir2] Alan Moore Spitting venom On Watchmen
What about the trailer left you cold? Is it the first trailer that's set to music, or the new second trailer that has more dialog? I plan to find an inexpensive copy of the graphic novel this week. -- Original message -- From: Martin Baxter truthseeker...@lycos.com I really can't fault Moore's venom. Just saw the trailer for Watchmen, and I was less than moved by it. Even if I weren't a hermit-in-training, I'd pass on this and dig out my trade copy for rereading. Keith - READ IT. -[ Received Mail Content ]-- Subject : [scifinoir2] Alan Moore Spitting venom On Watchmen Date : Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:54:43 + From : keithbjohn...@comcast.net To : scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Apologies if this was posted before. Given the age of the article, I'll bet it was. But i've recently started following the Watchmen movie news, and came across this interview. Moore's spitting venom on the project? Intense, though i can understand the spirit of his objections given how H'wood screws up things. Maybe he should ask Frank Miller what led him to let 300 and Sin City be filmed? I find Terry Gilliam's position that it deserves a five-hour miniseries treatment to be intriguing. There really are some works that just can't be done full justice in a two or three hour movie. I recall that LOTR was originally slated to be two films, but Peter Jackson prevailed on New Line to do three. Even then some stuff was left out. No idea what if anything Snyder had to cut to make the film, nor do I know how long it is. From what I understand of the complicated structure of the comics--a couple of stories running, jumps in time--it will require some skill. Sounds like som! ething that would have been up Chris Nolan's alley. But still, the trailers look great, and early buzz from those who've seen an extended piece of the movie has been favourable. I must confess, I've never read Watchmen (something I'm about to remedy). When it debuted, I was swept up in DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths maxi series, and then all the Year One retellings of Superman, Batman, and others that followed. At that time I was also relatively new to Marvel's universe, having just discovered X-Men and Spider-Man three years before. So, I was also immersed in understanding the world of mutants, catching up on backstories such as the Gwen Stacy thing, and diving into Marvel's Official Handbood of the Marvel Universe. Watchmen was all around me, but i could never find the time... Is it indeed as good as the hype of these last two decades? And while i'm on the confessional kick, I have to admit I haven't read From Hell, V for Vendetta (or seen the movie), or League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (saw the movie--unfortunately). ** http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2008/09/alan-moore-on-w.html Alan Moore on 'Watchmen' movie: 'I will be spitting venom all over it' 12:48 PM PT, Sep 18 2008 For the record, Alan Moore has not softened his view on Hollywood nor its plan to bring his classic graphic novel Watchmen to the screen next March. I find film in its modern form to be quite bullying, Moore told me during an hour-long phone call from his home in England. It spoon-feeds us, which has the effect of watering down our collective cultural imagination. It is as if we are freshly hatched birds looking up with our mouths open waiting for Hollywood to feed us more regurgitated worms. The 'Watchmen' film sounds like more regurgitated worms. I for one am sick of worms. Can't we get something else? Perhaps some takeout? Even Chinese worms would be a nice change. Moore is often described as a recluse but, really, I think it's more precise to say he is simply too busy at his writing desk. Yes, perhaps I should get out more, he said with a chuckle. In conversation, the 54-year-old iconoclast is everything his longtime readers would expect -- articulate, witty, obstinate and selectively enigmatic. Far from grouchy, he only gets an edge in his voice when he talks about the effect of Hollywood on the comics medium that he so memorably energized in the 1980s with Saga of the Swamp Thing, V for Vendetta, Marvelman and, of course, Watchmen, his 1986 masterpiece. The Warner Bros. film version of Watchmen is due in theaters in March although the project has encountered some turbulence with a lawsuit filed by 20th Century Fox over who has the rights to the property. Moore has no intention of seeing the film and, in fact, he hints that he has put a magical curse on the entire endeavor. Will the film even be coming out? There are these legal problems now, which I find wonderfully ironic. Perhaps it's been cursed from afar, from England. And I can tell you that I will also be spitting venom all over it for
