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Anyone want?

Could this be a reason why Star Wars, in its last few incarnations has totally sucked?

George Lucas has insisted that the Star Wars movies are not science fiction. The franchise creator said science has little connection with the universe he invented for the films. He is quoted as saying: "We look at it as a different dimension. The laws of physics are different here. Star Wars is not science fiction at all. It's much more attuned to mythology, to psychology, to history than it is to science.

Perhaps the problem started when Lucas stopped being interested in telling stories and more interested in creating myths.  Stories are meant to entertain.  Myths don't have to.

"Mac Daddy" of Kris Kross is 30.

Jump.

Do you have an EEE PC? What OS are you running on it?
The default works for me...but there are some annoyances. I hear Ubuntu is good, but has anyone put it on their EEE?

I'm not sure about this.

This. Edit: fixed link.

Did you miss Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog the first time around? Hulu.com has all three episodes available today only.  You can see them starting here.

I've been shooting a film for a week or so. The experience has been completely miserable, with little communication, and some major issues.

Well, last night was no different.

I showed up on time. No one was there, except the director. The call was for six, and no one...not the actors, not the crew, not the make up people were there. This did not bode well, especially considering that I had told them that my absolute cut off point - the point at which I must be wrapped and walking out the door - was 10PM.

Everyone finally arrived an hour late, and I was supposed to start my 2 hour makeup job. Except that my costume wasn't there. This make up is such that I need to be wearing the costume shirt, as it won't go over my head after the make up is done. The shirt...was in Mississauga. So, someone goes to get it, and I wait more.

When makeup finally begins, the adhesive won't stick. So they have to keep putting on more. The mask covers one eye, so I can only see out of my right eye. But when the make up is finally adhered, the right eye of the mask is drooping so my vision is limited through that eye.

Finally I shoot my first shot. I'm chasing two guys. Fine. I can barely see, but I figure that if I can manage to not trip, I'm doing well. I do not trip.

Then they spring a fight scene on me. I remind them that I am nearly blind. The director says, I'm sure you'll be fine. I keep telling them that I do not feel safe. They say they will find the safest thing for me to do. I am doubtful, but it sounds innocuous. In a series of short shots, I attack one actor, and he "punches" me. Now a punch for film does not connect. Because the camera lacks depth of field, the punch can pass quite a difference in front of the target, and if the reaction is timed well, it looks like it connected.

These are the instructions given to the actor. And I'm confident that it will go well. We shoot the bit. All the sections go fine considering that I can barely see. And then we get to the scene with the punch. The director says "action"...

And the guy punches me. In the jaw.

I say "fuck".
I say "dude, you're not supposed to actually hit me".
The director says "that looked really real".
I say "that's because he really hit me".
I say "I'm done. get me out of this".

Now I'm not saying he hit me really hard. But when you aren't expecting to be hit, its a shock to actually hit. And he hit me hard enough that I can still feel it. And the strenght of the hit is not the point. The point is...that if he'd hit me the wrong way, he could have dislocated my jaw.

Anyway, I go upstairs. And I look at the clock. Its 11:30.
So much for promises.

I finally get home, and whine to redwordslinger, who is very kind to me and listens to my pathetic whining, and then I go to sleep.

I'm done with this fiasco of a film.

I sort of worry that one has to be a really special kinda nerd to find this funny...but I can't help it.

MTV Remaking The Rocky Horror Picture Show
I guess it depends what they do with it...

This is a few years old, but still kinda funny.

Last night was my first night on set for this werewolf movie. And I learned something.  Something that every actor should remember: Always follow your gut.

You see, after my audition, I thought to myself "I don't think I want to work with this director."  There was something about him. He didn't look at me, like he wasn't all that interested.  And he kept losing things.  He'd forget where he put the sides (they were in front of him), and he clearly didn't know what he wanted, and he didn't talk about the film and how he saw it (something that is important when the audition is absolute cold read).

The specifics aren't that important.  The important thing is that my gut said "don't do this movie".

When they contacted me to ask me to do a role (not the role I auditioned for, but a different one), against my better judgement I said yes. And I've regretted it since. They have been poor with communication. They were clearly unorganized.  We were shooting at night on the first night (a sunday) and I told them several times that I had to work in the morning, and would need to be finished at a reasonable hour - 11 at the latest  (This wouldn't really have been a huge deal... If the film was paying.  But it isn't.  And so, you would think this would engender some understanding on their part that the job that pays me would of course be more important to me).  They promosed this would be the case. When I got there for my call, I knew things would not be going well.  There was no crew.  The director is also the camera operator and the cinematographer.   And worse, there were two massive werewolf makeup jobs to do: me and another guy.  The make up takes three hours.  They did them one at a time, rather than at the same time. They had to rush mine, becuase no one told them that I had to be done at 11. And then 11 turned to midnight, and midnight turned to 12:30.  And then 12:30 turned to 1 before I left.

I was livid.

I almost walked as soon as I realized they were't going to keep their promise to me.  But for some reason I didn't.  I really wish I had.  At least I would have gotten some proper sleep.
So, the lesson for the actors out there...always go with your gut. If your gut tells you that you shouldn't do a project....listen.

Oh.
Mah.
Gaw.

Watchmen Trailer.

Dr. Horrible Act II: 13 minutes of awesome

Apparently, this morning, I was one of the lucky folks who was able to watch the first episode of Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog.  Shortly thereafter, the site crashed due to the number of people trying to watch the episode.

When the site is back up...I highly recommend checking it out.

Its a musical about a super villain!

Have you heard this?

Why is Charlie Angus the only MP going after Jim Prentice on the Copyright bill?! Where’s the Liberal Industry Critic? Where are the Liberals at all on this issue?

Watch this video of Angus taking Prentice to task and asking specific questions about digital locks making ordinary Canadians into criminals, and watch Prentice completely avoid the question to repeat his talking points.