Ok so haven't blogged in a while so thought I would blog about my first Anzac day memorial I went to.
First of all I was not really enthused about going, getting up early is one thing I hate but I had to go to do a photography assignment I am doing for university (we have to take photos and select 5 to represent ANZAC day how we want to). So I got up at like 4:30am with not much sleep beforehand and went to Henderson park (Mildura) for the Dawn service. Immediatly I was shocked as to see how many people were there, young and old. The youngest in thier mothers arms still asleep the oldest in wheelchairs. As I have never been to one before I wasn't sure what to expect and as the crowd grew and the sun slowy rose I saw the 4 ARMY servicemen (and one women I think) stand around the shrine I knew this was going to be interesting. We said a prayer (which I didn't know was a big thing) to pay our respects to the fallen members of the ANZACS. I knew it from catholic upbringing but I think it was more the church of England version.
I chose not to take any photos till after the minute silence out of respect, and didn't even dream of taking any during it. After the service was complete people layed wreaths on the shrine, their were school groups doing this as well which I found extremly touching. The fact they got up early on a Sunday morning in their school uniforms to pay thier respects. It is this generation that is going to have to keep the tradition alive once we lose the WWII veterans.
After this service we went out to Red Cliffs for their service, it was smaller but had a much stronger affect on me. I met the oldest member of the Red Cliffs division who was very nice and allowed us to take photos of his medals (he had quite a few). Just the way these men and women and even thier relatives wore these with such pride and heads held high was good to see. They earned them and you knew they deserved them, I just wish I could have talked to a few of them and ask them about them. But I was rushing around taking photos of everything and anything. During the Red Cliffs service a woman from the nursing division spoke about the nurses on the warfront. This is something I have never thought about and her story was touching. She spoke of how the nurses helped lead the way for women in the armed forces and how they were the unsung heroes of the war(s) which I believe is true. She read a touching poem about how the nurses were the last people the soldiers died in the make shift hospitals. They were thier last friends and the last person to hear them speak. As she read it images in my head were of a soldier holding the hands of a nurse and just saying thank you before he died. I admit I nearly got a bit teary at this point. Her story was amazing to say the least, if I can get a copy of the poem I will post it.
Another thing that touched me was both at the Mildura and Red Cliffs memorial walls I noticed Gleeson was on thier, they may not be related but just to see my family name on thier made me proud. Both my Grandfathers didn't fight in the war. My mum's father got called but got out of going due to his work on the family farm. My dad's father went to Darwin but didn't go to the war front, Dad says he isn't sure what happened my Poppy never talked about it. So although I had no direct family members in the war to see my family name up there still made me proud and thats who I thought about during my 3 minute silence (1 minute at Mildura 2 at Red cliffs). I couldn't put a face to the name but I quietly said thank you to them.
Then we went to the Mildura march and to see again young and old marching was awesome. This talk about not having children marching in the march is stupid in my opnion, it is them who we have to carry on this legacy for their grandparents and pay respect to a history that is dear to Australia.
I believe after my first ANZAC day I will be going again and again sure I don't have medals of grandparents to show but I still think it's important to remember the men and women who risked thier lives to fight in a war that shouldn't even have started under the Australian flag and for our freedom. ANZAC day is not a celebration of war but a remembrance of those lost and living who kept this country safe. Every country has somesort of remembrance for war and people who were lost http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Remembrance_days (list of some of them)
I have decided I will be going to the dawn service every year now (it is one day of the year I have to get up early) and also decided I want to go to Gallipoli for an ANZAC service one day and even eventually walk the Kokoda trail (if we still can). Just to pay my respects and say thanks
LEST WE FORGET!!
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Alice in Wonderland Review
I am a big Tim Burton fan and when I discovered this was coming out I was super excited, Alice is one of my favourite stories of all time. The only thing I hate when remakes are done is how they don't stick to the stories properly. Alice in wonderland and Alice through the looking glass are two different stories. But as we see in most representations of Wonderland we see Twiddle dee and Twiddle Dum appear (these characters actually appear in the looking glassm which isn't actually Wonderland) With Tim Burton's Alice it created a new dimension to the much loved story. What if Alice is grown up and goes back to Wonderland?
Plot:
Alice is now 19 years old and is having dreams about a white rabbit in a blue waistcoat since she was young, she has forgotten about her last adventures in wonderland and all the creatures/characters she met 13 years ago. Alice is going to be asked to marry a man she may not even love mainly for the benefits of the two families combining. When she is proposed too she decides to run away and follow the white rabbit. She is shoved into the rabbit hole and greeted by the White Rabbit, The Twiddles, Dodo and Doormouse. Telling her she is the right Alice. Alice is very confused about this and they confront the Blue Caterpillar. Alice goes on a journy through Underland (What Wonderland is really called, Alice just misheard it as Wonderland 13 years earlier). Underland is not the previous Wonderland we have come to love over many other remakes. It looks like a barren wasteland with dead trees and scary forests everywhere (only the white queens castle looks beautiful and maintained) Alice confronts the Mad Hatter who greets her with open arms. Alice must defeat the Red Queen and allow the White Queen to regain rule over Underland. To do this Alice must look deep inside herself and find her inner bravery to defeat the Red Queen's champion the Jabberwocky.
I quite enjoyed this film and the idea of Alice coming back to Wonderland (or Underland) and seeing the differences in previous adaptions. Another interesting thing is that all the characters Mad Hatter, both Queens and the Blue Caterpillar actually have real names (although I can't remember them nor spell them) this adds much more depth to the characters I think. It makes them seem more human in a way.
Now the Actors
Mia Wasikowska - Alice - Being an Australian actress in one of her first feature films and to score the leading role must be pretty big. She captured the innocence of Alice quite well, still living in her mind the childhood she has left behind. I think she has a big future Ahead of her
Helena Bonham Carter - Red Queen - she looked amazing, that big head was what made her character so good. That and her acting of course. I would consider her a cross between Beatrix Lestrange (Harry Potter) and Mrs Lovett (Sweeny Todd). You can see she has had a tough childhood competing with her sister (White Queen) for attention. Her soloution to everything is off with thier head. Surely one of the best character adaptations. (My favourite still maintans Miranda Richardson in a mini series a few years ago)
Johnny Depp - Mad Hatter - Johnny never ceases to amaze me with his talent. He can play a shy man with scissor hands, a drugged induced journalist, a homicidal barber, an over the top chocolate maker, a rum hungry pirate or just a sweet boyfriend who gets killed by a guy with knife hands. Now he plays an eccentric Mad Hatter with a bit to much Mercury in the brain. This I think is up here as one of his best characters. It wasn't as over the top as I expected but that i gathered was due to the changes in Underland throughout the years. He was cleary born for this role
Anne Hathaway - White Queen - When I heard this my initial response was Anne Hathaway in a Tim Burton film? NO WAY CAN SHE PULL THAT OFF.....well she proved me wrong. She was so graceful, she floated around with her hands in the air and was a complete juxtapostion to her sister. I would really like to see her in more roles like this. Although the dissapointment was that she didn't seem to get much air time through the film.
All in all this was a good film and good adaption of the franchise and having Tim Burtons touch was what made it good (I actually found myself comparing sets like that from Nightmare before christmas and Edward scissorhands - thats the kind of mood it sets). So yes it was visually stunning, yes the story was great, yes the actors acting was excellent. But no it is not my favourite Tim Burton film. I think I was let down by it expecting it to overtake Nightmare before Christmas as my favourite, but it didn't there was just something that sat odd with me about the whole film and I can't put my finger on it
3/5
Now as an added bonus I thought I would rank my Tim Burton films from as far as him Directing.
1. Nightmare before christmas
2. Beetlejuice
3. Edward scissorhands
4. Charlie and the Chocolate factory
5. Corpse Bride
6. Alice in wonderland
7. Mars Attacks
8. Sleepy Hollow
9. Batman
10. Batman returns
11. Planet of the apes
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000318/ according to IMDB, I have not seen Big Fish yet (thought I had) nor have I seen some of his earlier short films
Like to know some of your favourite Tim Burton films.
Plot:
Alice is now 19 years old and is having dreams about a white rabbit in a blue waistcoat since she was young, she has forgotten about her last adventures in wonderland and all the creatures/characters she met 13 years ago. Alice is going to be asked to marry a man she may not even love mainly for the benefits of the two families combining. When she is proposed too she decides to run away and follow the white rabbit. She is shoved into the rabbit hole and greeted by the White Rabbit, The Twiddles, Dodo and Doormouse. Telling her she is the right Alice. Alice is very confused about this and they confront the Blue Caterpillar. Alice goes on a journy through Underland (What Wonderland is really called, Alice just misheard it as Wonderland 13 years earlier). Underland is not the previous Wonderland we have come to love over many other remakes. It looks like a barren wasteland with dead trees and scary forests everywhere (only the white queens castle looks beautiful and maintained) Alice confronts the Mad Hatter who greets her with open arms. Alice must defeat the Red Queen and allow the White Queen to regain rule over Underland. To do this Alice must look deep inside herself and find her inner bravery to defeat the Red Queen's champion the Jabberwocky.
I quite enjoyed this film and the idea of Alice coming back to Wonderland (or Underland) and seeing the differences in previous adaptions. Another interesting thing is that all the characters Mad Hatter, both Queens and the Blue Caterpillar actually have real names (although I can't remember them nor spell them) this adds much more depth to the characters I think. It makes them seem more human in a way.
Now the Actors
Mia Wasikowska - Alice - Being an Australian actress in one of her first feature films and to score the leading role must be pretty big. She captured the innocence of Alice quite well, still living in her mind the childhood she has left behind. I think she has a big future Ahead of her
Helena Bonham Carter - Red Queen - she looked amazing, that big head was what made her character so good. That and her acting of course. I would consider her a cross between Beatrix Lestrange (Harry Potter) and Mrs Lovett (Sweeny Todd). You can see she has had a tough childhood competing with her sister (White Queen) for attention. Her soloution to everything is off with thier head. Surely one of the best character adaptations. (My favourite still maintans Miranda Richardson in a mini series a few years ago)
Johnny Depp - Mad Hatter - Johnny never ceases to amaze me with his talent. He can play a shy man with scissor hands, a drugged induced journalist, a homicidal barber, an over the top chocolate maker, a rum hungry pirate or just a sweet boyfriend who gets killed by a guy with knife hands. Now he plays an eccentric Mad Hatter with a bit to much Mercury in the brain. This I think is up here as one of his best characters. It wasn't as over the top as I expected but that i gathered was due to the changes in Underland throughout the years. He was cleary born for this role
Anne Hathaway - White Queen - When I heard this my initial response was Anne Hathaway in a Tim Burton film? NO WAY CAN SHE PULL THAT OFF.....well she proved me wrong. She was so graceful, she floated around with her hands in the air and was a complete juxtapostion to her sister. I would really like to see her in more roles like this. Although the dissapointment was that she didn't seem to get much air time through the film.
All in all this was a good film and good adaption of the franchise and having Tim Burtons touch was what made it good (I actually found myself comparing sets like that from Nightmare before christmas and Edward scissorhands - thats the kind of mood it sets). So yes it was visually stunning, yes the story was great, yes the actors acting was excellent. But no it is not my favourite Tim Burton film. I think I was let down by it expecting it to overtake Nightmare before Christmas as my favourite, but it didn't there was just something that sat odd with me about the whole film and I can't put my finger on it
3/5
Now as an added bonus I thought I would rank my Tim Burton films from as far as him Directing.
1. Nightmare before christmas
2. Beetlejuice
3. Edward scissorhands
4. Charlie and the Chocolate factory
5. Corpse Bride
6. Alice in wonderland
7. Mars Attacks
8. Sleepy Hollow
9. Batman
10. Batman returns
11. Planet of the apes
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000318/ according to IMDB, I have not seen Big Fish yet (thought I had) nor have I seen some of his earlier short films
Like to know some of your favourite Tim Burton films.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Game Review: Assassins Creed
Ok so I know I am a bit late jumping on this bandwagon but I bought this game for about $20 for my desktop computer but it didn't work. So I tried it on my laptop and to my suprise it worked. I finished the game in about a week (thought it would take longer). So now I thought I would do my first game review.
First a little plot telling:
Desmond Miles has been kidnapped by a company called Abstergo Industries, a pharmaceutical company. They plan to use him in a machine called the Animus which can read a persons DNA to recall ancestors memories. The memories Abstergo are after are that of Altaïr ibn La-Ahad, who is a member of a league of assassins during the year 1191AD. After going on a mission with fellow assassins and making a decesion that risks the life of him and his fellow assassins, Altair is demoted losing all his weapons and skills (how one loses skills I don't know). But his master Al Mualim tells him he must kill 9 people to regain his rank as he had before. His mission takes him to Acre, Jeruselem and Damascus. Each of these 9 gives him an insight into why they did what they were doing and Altair discovers that they are all members of The Knights Templar. As Desmond and Alatair are exploring the memory they discover the hidden truth behind why Abstergo wants Desmonds memory of Alatair and why Al Mualim wants Alatiar to kill the 9 people.
So thats the plot I didn't want to spoil much. The game starts is spilt between the two controlable characters of Desmond and Alatair. Although all Desmond can really do is wonder around the Animus room of Abstergo, go to bed, hack into peoples email accounts and talk to Lucy (Animus operator with a secret of her own....insert dramatic music here). So mainly its up to Alatair to gain all the information. Too kill the 9 you must first discover the map of the three towns by climbing on tall buildings and "syncronising" with them to get a feel for the world around. This unlocks different missions to which you discober where and when the assassination target will be. This includes pickpocketing letters, interrogating people who rant about the target on the street, helping an assassin who supplies information or simply eavesdropping on someones conversation. After this you gain access to where the target is and must report to the assassination bureau of the town to get a feather (this feather as proof of the kill with the targets blood wiped on it). The idea is to be stealthy for these missions but I found this to be quite difficult so i found myself running to kill the person them running away to a point and me chasing after them and getting in a big sword fight with them and about 20 guards and make sure i was the last man standing. Probably the most difficult I found was one of the earlier ones (i was still trying to be stealthy) It was a doctor accused of drugging his patients with a drug allowing them to be controlled. So you go into this hospital and I am being all stealthy but there were these rabid patients who kept pushing me. One happened to push me into a guard and the guard attacked me....so i had to kill the guards kill the guy and get the hell out. Then I couldn't find the exit. I got out eventually and hid in a haystack.
It is stuff like this that makes the game difficult. As the game progresses the guards get more suspicious and to get from one place to the other you have to walk (running apprently causes to much suspicion, so what running was outlawed in 1191?)
Like I said before the game wasn't as challanging as I thought. There were a few times I died but after trying it one or two more times doing exactly the same thing I found myself passing it. Using my laptop was a bit difficult as the game uses the traditional WASD for movement while the arrows are used for camera, and the mouse pad for attacking. I got quite annoyed because for some reason the game never opened in full and i still had the windows toolbar down the bottom and often found myself clicking out of the game mid stab. But this is a computer problem not the game I guess. I have often been weary of playing games on computer with the WASD controls I didn't mind it, the only thing was to run fast whilst knocking people out of the way I had to press W, left mouse button, shift, spacebar and of course to run diagonally you had to press WD (or any combo of W-S with the A-D) buttons and this got difficult.
All in all though it was a good game, with good story lines and gameplay (except the issues I mentioned. But that just means I need a PS3 :-P ) although the game felt reptetive at times with the sub missions in order to reach the assassination it was the assassination that drove you to hang in there. With a cut scene before the assassaination of the target talking it allowed you to figure out a plan. For example one of the guys was an executioner and was onstage. As you can move around during the cutscene. I got up the front as close as I could and my plan was to once I could just one on stage. I managed to kill him before the guards came...ADAM WIN. then the guards chased after me and I had to run like a pansy boy...but I killed the bad man so ADAM STILL WINS. Also the good things about the cutscenes were that they had "Glitches" these glitches flashed up and if you pressed the mouse button it showed an alternate view.
I give the game 4/5 and now I have to wait till March till the number 2 is on computer :-( or buy a PS3/Xbox 360 before then....I will go with the first option
First a little plot telling:
Desmond Miles has been kidnapped by a company called Abstergo Industries, a pharmaceutical company. They plan to use him in a machine called the Animus which can read a persons DNA to recall ancestors memories. The memories Abstergo are after are that of Altaïr ibn La-Ahad, who is a member of a league of assassins during the year 1191AD. After going on a mission with fellow assassins and making a decesion that risks the life of him and his fellow assassins, Altair is demoted losing all his weapons and skills (how one loses skills I don't know). But his master Al Mualim tells him he must kill 9 people to regain his rank as he had before. His mission takes him to Acre, Jeruselem and Damascus. Each of these 9 gives him an insight into why they did what they were doing and Altair discovers that they are all members of The Knights Templar. As Desmond and Alatair are exploring the memory they discover the hidden truth behind why Abstergo wants Desmonds memory of Alatair and why Al Mualim wants Alatiar to kill the 9 people.
So thats the plot I didn't want to spoil much. The game starts is spilt between the two controlable characters of Desmond and Alatair. Although all Desmond can really do is wonder around the Animus room of Abstergo, go to bed, hack into peoples email accounts and talk to Lucy (Animus operator with a secret of her own....insert dramatic music here). So mainly its up to Alatair to gain all the information. Too kill the 9 you must first discover the map of the three towns by climbing on tall buildings and "syncronising" with them to get a feel for the world around. This unlocks different missions to which you discober where and when the assassination target will be. This includes pickpocketing letters, interrogating people who rant about the target on the street, helping an assassin who supplies information or simply eavesdropping on someones conversation. After this you gain access to where the target is and must report to the assassination bureau of the town to get a feather (this feather as proof of the kill with the targets blood wiped on it). The idea is to be stealthy for these missions but I found this to be quite difficult so i found myself running to kill the person them running away to a point and me chasing after them and getting in a big sword fight with them and about 20 guards and make sure i was the last man standing. Probably the most difficult I found was one of the earlier ones (i was still trying to be stealthy) It was a doctor accused of drugging his patients with a drug allowing them to be controlled. So you go into this hospital and I am being all stealthy but there were these rabid patients who kept pushing me. One happened to push me into a guard and the guard attacked me....so i had to kill the guards kill the guy and get the hell out. Then I couldn't find the exit. I got out eventually and hid in a haystack.
It is stuff like this that makes the game difficult. As the game progresses the guards get more suspicious and to get from one place to the other you have to walk (running apprently causes to much suspicion, so what running was outlawed in 1191?)
Like I said before the game wasn't as challanging as I thought. There were a few times I died but after trying it one or two more times doing exactly the same thing I found myself passing it. Using my laptop was a bit difficult as the game uses the traditional WASD for movement while the arrows are used for camera, and the mouse pad for attacking. I got quite annoyed because for some reason the game never opened in full and i still had the windows toolbar down the bottom and often found myself clicking out of the game mid stab. But this is a computer problem not the game I guess. I have often been weary of playing games on computer with the WASD controls I didn't mind it, the only thing was to run fast whilst knocking people out of the way I had to press W, left mouse button, shift, spacebar and of course to run diagonally you had to press WD (or any combo of W-S with the A-D) buttons and this got difficult.
All in all though it was a good game, with good story lines and gameplay (except the issues I mentioned. But that just means I need a PS3 :-P ) although the game felt reptetive at times with the sub missions in order to reach the assassination it was the assassination that drove you to hang in there. With a cut scene before the assassaination of the target talking it allowed you to figure out a plan. For example one of the guys was an executioner and was onstage. As you can move around during the cutscene. I got up the front as close as I could and my plan was to once I could just one on stage. I managed to kill him before the guards came...ADAM WIN. then the guards chased after me and I had to run like a pansy boy...but I killed the bad man so ADAM STILL WINS. Also the good things about the cutscenes were that they had "Glitches" these glitches flashed up and if you pressed the mouse button it showed an alternate view.
I give the game 4/5 and now I have to wait till March till the number 2 is on computer :-( or buy a PS3/Xbox 360 before then....I will go with the first option
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
District 9 review
Ok so I recently saw District 9 and thought it was blog review worthy.
First of all it wasn't what I expected at all. I saw the trailers and expected another "aliens attack, world is in doom" movie. But of course it wasn't. For those of you who don't know the story revolves around a spaceship hovering above Johannesburg, the aliens are sent to a shanty town to live (District 9) by order of the MNU (Multi-National United) here the Humans and Prawns (as they were called, sort of a racist slang) lived happily. Fast forward 20 years into 2010 and things are going bad the "prawns" and humans relationship is starting to break and the MNU decide to move them further out of Johannesburg to a place where they can not be disturbed (District 10) it is Wikus van der Merwe's job to round them up and move them to the other district. But he stumbles accross a fluid that one of the "Prawns" is working on which slowly starts turning him into one of the aliens. He seeks refuge in District 9 with the "prawns" and finds Christopher Johnson (The aliens are given Earth names) Chris eventually agrees to help Wilkes stop the alien transformation if Wilkes can get the fluid back that MNU has so Chris can go to the mothership. Thats just a brief outline. I don't want to spoil anything.
Now obviously the first thing you notice is the movie is set in a documentry style talking about the aliens and Wilkes operation and setting the scene of the aliens and humans parts in the story. The other thing you realise is just how poltical this movie is. I think it resonates with Australians well because of the on going "Boat People debate". The aliens them selves were Immigrants and seeked refuge to a better place only to find them selves in poor housing with little rights. This is in ways similar to the "boat people" being put in detention centres waiting to become australian citizens. Although the "Prawns".
When the MNU is rounding up the "Prawns" they do it peacefully but many of them disagree with the move and act out and end up getting shot or killed, they are then experimented on later in a biolab as the MNU is also trying to disover how to use the "Prawn's" weapons as it can only be used with their DNA. Wilkes can also acheive this once he starts turning into an alien and is used for similar testing.
Like I said the conditions they are living in are quite poor, even poorer than the poorest og the south africans are living in. The "Prawns" have to fend for them selves by dealing with the Nigerian war lords by trading guns and stolen goods for cat food (the choosen food of the "Prawns"). The government offers no assistance in anyway apart from the housing, they can not get jobs or anything (again boat people?)
The poltical aspects are certainly there and are quite evident of similar situations going in the world with refugees all over the world. What I liked most about this story is that instead of making the alien race superior and wanting to destroy the world; they are the good guys, the underdogs, the refugee. So instead of feeling sorry for the human race you feel for this alien race and are finding yourself barracking for them (and not your own race). I can't say I have seen many other movies where this happens, apart from maybe E.T. Which shows a similar story in a way, Alien refugee - humans want it for experiments - trying to get home - befriends a human. But District 9 pushes the poltical side of the story more with what the government ideally wants with these aliens (technology)
All in all I quite enjoyed the political satire of modern day issues with sci fi. I spent the whole time thinking "boat people are the least of Kevin Rudd's problem if this happens". Like I said i also liked making the aliens the good guys (we are seeing a lot of this role reversal stuff lately) I actually found myself comparing it to Avatar but its like reverse Avatar.
District 9 - Aliens come to Earth -> aliens get screwed over
Avatar - Earth goes to Pandora -> aleins get screwed over
Both have similar outcomes but the Human Race's part in each is completly different.
I give it 4/5 (guess i should review Avatar now, been a while since i saw it though)
First of all it wasn't what I expected at all. I saw the trailers and expected another "aliens attack, world is in doom" movie. But of course it wasn't. For those of you who don't know the story revolves around a spaceship hovering above Johannesburg, the aliens are sent to a shanty town to live (District 9) by order of the MNU (Multi-National United) here the Humans and Prawns (as they were called, sort of a racist slang) lived happily. Fast forward 20 years into 2010 and things are going bad the "prawns" and humans relationship is starting to break and the MNU decide to move them further out of Johannesburg to a place where they can not be disturbed (District 10) it is Wikus van der Merwe's job to round them up and move them to the other district. But he stumbles accross a fluid that one of the "Prawns" is working on which slowly starts turning him into one of the aliens. He seeks refuge in District 9 with the "prawns" and finds Christopher Johnson (The aliens are given Earth names) Chris eventually agrees to help Wilkes stop the alien transformation if Wilkes can get the fluid back that MNU has so Chris can go to the mothership. Thats just a brief outline. I don't want to spoil anything.
Now obviously the first thing you notice is the movie is set in a documentry style talking about the aliens and Wilkes operation and setting the scene of the aliens and humans parts in the story. The other thing you realise is just how poltical this movie is. I think it resonates with Australians well because of the on going "Boat People debate". The aliens them selves were Immigrants and seeked refuge to a better place only to find them selves in poor housing with little rights. This is in ways similar to the "boat people" being put in detention centres waiting to become australian citizens. Although the "Prawns".
When the MNU is rounding up the "Prawns" they do it peacefully but many of them disagree with the move and act out and end up getting shot or killed, they are then experimented on later in a biolab as the MNU is also trying to disover how to use the "Prawn's" weapons as it can only be used with their DNA. Wilkes can also acheive this once he starts turning into an alien and is used for similar testing.
Like I said the conditions they are living in are quite poor, even poorer than the poorest og the south africans are living in. The "Prawns" have to fend for them selves by dealing with the Nigerian war lords by trading guns and stolen goods for cat food (the choosen food of the "Prawns"). The government offers no assistance in anyway apart from the housing, they can not get jobs or anything (again boat people?)
The poltical aspects are certainly there and are quite evident of similar situations going in the world with refugees all over the world. What I liked most about this story is that instead of making the alien race superior and wanting to destroy the world; they are the good guys, the underdogs, the refugee. So instead of feeling sorry for the human race you feel for this alien race and are finding yourself barracking for them (and not your own race). I can't say I have seen many other movies where this happens, apart from maybe E.T. Which shows a similar story in a way, Alien refugee - humans want it for experiments - trying to get home - befriends a human. But District 9 pushes the poltical side of the story more with what the government ideally wants with these aliens (technology)
All in all I quite enjoyed the political satire of modern day issues with sci fi. I spent the whole time thinking "boat people are the least of Kevin Rudd's problem if this happens". Like I said i also liked making the aliens the good guys (we are seeing a lot of this role reversal stuff lately) I actually found myself comparing it to Avatar but its like reverse Avatar.
District 9 - Aliens come to Earth -> aliens get screwed over
Avatar - Earth goes to Pandora -> aleins get screwed over
Both have similar outcomes but the Human Race's part in each is completly different.
I give it 4/5 (guess i should review Avatar now, been a while since i saw it though)
Saturday, February 13, 2010
I generation (pt 2)
Ok so now is the time where I continue boring you with my thoughts on technology. Like I said, in this post I will be talking about movies, communication and life in general.
sooooooo Movies:
Well it is pretty obvious how far movies have come. Don't know if much of you know this but one of the first movies ever shown was the great train robbery and there was footage of a train coming towards the audience. The audience freaked out at this and thought the train was going to come out of the screen and hit them. Flash forward today and that is actually happening with more and more movies coming out in 3D (Monsters vs Aliens, Avatar etc) seems this is where movies are going now. But lets go back a few years before this. Looking at any movie in the 1920 till about the 50's and it's black and white. Wizard of Oz revolotionised film by combining both. Look at the early colour films and you see a different picture quality. Even movies up to the early 90's have a different quality somewhere in between now and the 50's. I am no expert on how films are made, but I assume this is due to such things as camera capturing, editing, lighting etc. Obviuosly now all the editing is done on computer making it a much more crisp image. Ever watched an old movie and wondered why a black spot flashes up every now and then and lines in the screen? Well this was the old edting style where they use to just glue the bits of film together from the reels those black dots are called "cigarette burns" and they are a mark to know where on reel ends and the other starts. so from the 90's 3d was a gimmick and around but very solemn I remember going to the Melbourne show and they had a tent that was a cinema showing 3d images and i was so scared I had to take my glasses off (a Bug came out trying to eat me and a tiger was jumping above my head) fast forward today and its the new norm. James Cameron has been waiting 10 years for technology to advance so he could make Avatar. Every new animation (disney pixar, dream works) is coming out in 3d now. So is it still a "gimmick"? I say no I think it is here to stay, with more and more live action films being rumoured to be 3d (Harry Potter, Spiderman, Avatar 2). Even T.V is becoming 3d with the release of 3d televisions. My question is will we see computer games take the step into 3d. I haven't heard anything yet but sure it is in the works.
Communication (is the key.....lol had to say that)
Obviously communication has changed probably the most over the decades. Carrier pigeons, Telegraphs, Morse code are all things of the past and now replaced with Email, Mobile phones, and instant messaging (MSN,Skype etc). Alexander Bell created the telephone, I wonder what he would think now if he saw us on mobile phones. Mobile phones started off as "bricks" and only the wealthy could afford it (think i heard they started at 1000 dollars). Now nearly everyone has one and they are now only half a brick in size (although still getting smaller) Now phones aren't just used for ringing people but also used for text messaging, surfing the web, sending emails, organising your life, listening to music...and the list goes on. I am typing this on my laptop but I could easily type this again on my Iphone, seems computers are becoming obselete with mobile phones doing pretty much everything a computer can do anyway.
Gone are the days we send some a letter or decreasing slowly is calling people. With social netowrking sites increasing why spend money calling someone? When you can simply send them a message on facebook. I am noticing a trend of instead when we used to call someone for thier birthday we know text messaging them or even just facebook them (Thank you Facebook for reminding me of my friends birthdays so I don't have to remember). Communication stays fundamentally the same with the generic "how are you going" it's just the way we send it that is changing.
Life:
with technological changes obviously we adjust our lives accordingly. As I write this on my LAP TOP I am watching T.V with the SET TOP box my IPHONE is next to me and I am also uploading photos from my DIGITAL CAMERA. (see all the technology I am using in everyday life)
I watched an interesing documentry (can't remember the name) but it was all about a family use to having all the above technology and more going back to the 1900's and every day they would go forward a decade till they got to the year 2000. They had kids who were use to laptops and game consoles and tv, and the parents had laptops mobile phones. It got me thinking how would i survive? The answer is....I couldn't I would be so bored and wouldn't know what to do without having a mobile or a laptop or even some form of game console. I agree myself this sounds bad but having been use to growing up with this it is hard to think of life without all the stuff i take for granted.
So in conclusion thinking about my life I think I was born at the right time (1988) I have seen the development of computers ( From Amega Commodore to Acer Aspire laptop), Tapes to C.D's to Digital downloads, game consoles (atari to Wii). It kinda freaks me out that in 22 years of my life just how much technology has changed and how I have adapted, I remember my first internet experience I had no idea what I was doing, now look at me here in the blogosphere, on facebook, twitter,msn,itunes,email etc etc.
I thought the atari was the best thing ever invented (I said that for the nintendo, gameboy, N64, Playstation and Wii).
Just goes to show how much tecnology has changed throughout the years and I hope you think next time you are surfing the web or playing a game console.....WHAT WOULD MY LIFE BE LIKE WITHOUT THIS. Because unfortunatley there are places in the world where people can't afford stuff like this or have no internet/ game consoles etc.
Would like to hear your thoughts on this and how you have seen technology change or bring up anything I missed. So leave comments please
sooooooo Movies:
Well it is pretty obvious how far movies have come. Don't know if much of you know this but one of the first movies ever shown was the great train robbery and there was footage of a train coming towards the audience. The audience freaked out at this and thought the train was going to come out of the screen and hit them. Flash forward today and that is actually happening with more and more movies coming out in 3D (Monsters vs Aliens, Avatar etc) seems this is where movies are going now. But lets go back a few years before this. Looking at any movie in the 1920 till about the 50's and it's black and white. Wizard of Oz revolotionised film by combining both. Look at the early colour films and you see a different picture quality. Even movies up to the early 90's have a different quality somewhere in between now and the 50's. I am no expert on how films are made, but I assume this is due to such things as camera capturing, editing, lighting etc. Obviuosly now all the editing is done on computer making it a much more crisp image. Ever watched an old movie and wondered why a black spot flashes up every now and then and lines in the screen? Well this was the old edting style where they use to just glue the bits of film together from the reels those black dots are called "cigarette burns" and they are a mark to know where on reel ends and the other starts. so from the 90's 3d was a gimmick and around but very solemn I remember going to the Melbourne show and they had a tent that was a cinema showing 3d images and i was so scared I had to take my glasses off (a Bug came out trying to eat me and a tiger was jumping above my head) fast forward today and its the new norm. James Cameron has been waiting 10 years for technology to advance so he could make Avatar. Every new animation (disney pixar, dream works) is coming out in 3d now. So is it still a "gimmick"? I say no I think it is here to stay, with more and more live action films being rumoured to be 3d (Harry Potter, Spiderman, Avatar 2). Even T.V is becoming 3d with the release of 3d televisions. My question is will we see computer games take the step into 3d. I haven't heard anything yet but sure it is in the works.
Communication (is the key.....lol had to say that)
Obviously communication has changed probably the most over the decades. Carrier pigeons, Telegraphs, Morse code are all things of the past and now replaced with Email, Mobile phones, and instant messaging (MSN,Skype etc). Alexander Bell created the telephone, I wonder what he would think now if he saw us on mobile phones. Mobile phones started off as "bricks" and only the wealthy could afford it (think i heard they started at 1000 dollars). Now nearly everyone has one and they are now only half a brick in size (although still getting smaller) Now phones aren't just used for ringing people but also used for text messaging, surfing the web, sending emails, organising your life, listening to music...and the list goes on. I am typing this on my laptop but I could easily type this again on my Iphone, seems computers are becoming obselete with mobile phones doing pretty much everything a computer can do anyway.
Gone are the days we send some a letter or decreasing slowly is calling people. With social netowrking sites increasing why spend money calling someone? When you can simply send them a message on facebook. I am noticing a trend of instead when we used to call someone for thier birthday we know text messaging them or even just facebook them (Thank you Facebook for reminding me of my friends birthdays so I don't have to remember). Communication stays fundamentally the same with the generic "how are you going" it's just the way we send it that is changing.
Life:
with technological changes obviously we adjust our lives accordingly. As I write this on my LAP TOP I am watching T.V with the SET TOP box my IPHONE is next to me and I am also uploading photos from my DIGITAL CAMERA. (see all the technology I am using in everyday life)
I watched an interesing documentry (can't remember the name) but it was all about a family use to having all the above technology and more going back to the 1900's and every day they would go forward a decade till they got to the year 2000. They had kids who were use to laptops and game consoles and tv, and the parents had laptops mobile phones. It got me thinking how would i survive? The answer is....I couldn't I would be so bored and wouldn't know what to do without having a mobile or a laptop or even some form of game console. I agree myself this sounds bad but having been use to growing up with this it is hard to think of life without all the stuff i take for granted.
So in conclusion thinking about my life I think I was born at the right time (1988) I have seen the development of computers ( From Amega Commodore to Acer Aspire laptop), Tapes to C.D's to Digital downloads, game consoles (atari to Wii). It kinda freaks me out that in 22 years of my life just how much technology has changed and how I have adapted, I remember my first internet experience I had no idea what I was doing, now look at me here in the blogosphere, on facebook, twitter,msn,itunes,email etc etc.
I thought the atari was the best thing ever invented (I said that for the nintendo, gameboy, N64, Playstation and Wii).
Just goes to show how much tecnology has changed throughout the years and I hope you think next time you are surfing the web or playing a game console.....WHAT WOULD MY LIFE BE LIKE WITHOUT THIS. Because unfortunatley there are places in the world where people can't afford stuff like this or have no internet/ game consoles etc.
Would like to hear your thoughts on this and how you have seen technology change or bring up anything I missed. So leave comments please
Monday, February 8, 2010
I generation
As you will see by the time you get to the bottom of this page, I have written this post on my iPhone. It has come to my attention that this iPhone is slowly taking over my life. I recently downloaded this application as well as some ones for Twitter. I was never caught up in the Twitter craze I signed up to check it out and shortly after left it alone. Now that I have the iPhone though I have found myself checking every 5 minutes along with my facebook. Having these things at my fingertips is now making me think why I feel the need to check them so often. What are the odds if someone posting something on my wall or tweeting me something in a space of 5 minutes..... Highly doubtful I assume, but then there is the fact I feel the need to know everyones business by checking thier status/tweet when I could easily just pick up my iPhone and call them (I know you can call people on them too... Amazing!)
The day after I got my iPhone I went down to Melbourne and whilst sitting on the train I was looking at all the people with iPhones typing away a message, playing their music or just checking facebook (Me) and thought how these devices have changed since the brick phone days and now most phones come with Internet, mp3, camera etc capablities. It only makes you wonder where we go from here with the release of the ipad makes you wonder where the next step is in the likes of mobile devices and what they can do. I can already order pizza via an app or tweet my poo with details, make a band, update numerous social sites plus much more I have yet to discover.
The reason I titled this blog I generation is reference to an MC Lars track of the same name. We really are living in an I generation where moat households probably own one or my apple products . I only have my iPhone and iPod. But with so many products out there doing the same thing anyway it really is the genration of the uber-do-everything phone. Being 22 I have seen technology change a fair bit. Let's break this up in tecnology genres:
Entertainment: first video game console we owned was the atari my brother got it for his birthday and I thought it was the best thing ever. We then got a nintendo (original) then the first real taste of handheld gaming he gameboy (and later the
Advance) then came the N64 the first look at 3d gaming then I got a ps2 same sorta thing just a little crisper picture and now I own the wii which is working towards the first virtual reality console (one day?) all the predesscers to the wii have become obselete and are in boxes somewhere and only bought out on days I feel really nostalgic.
Music: obviously the genres have changed due to technolgy but I am more talking about how we get music. I may be a bit too young for records but I still remember listening to them occasionaly and taping them on to tapes. My first tape player was a hand me down that still works I used to record my own voice or stuff off the radio and listen to it over and over. I still remember my first cassette I ever got a tape full of kids tv show themes (still listen to it sometimes) then came CDs we bought a cd/tape/record player all in one for about 500 bucks back when CDs first came out. The first cd I ever got was simpsons in the key of Springfield but it wasn't till about a year later I got my own cd player , this unfortunately died a few years ago and I have not had another cd player since. You see I used my computer as a cd player and put all
My music on there then i got my iPod and could take my music where I want when I want. Now with the launch of iTunes and file sharing I found myself visitng the music stores less and less I only ever by hard copies of stuff if I really like the band. I admit I do download music but I then go out and buy it if I like it enough. The stuff I don't just gets fogotten about. If only most people thought this way then downloading wouldn't be such a problem.
Anyway I am going to leave this here for now and will continue later with communication, movies and life just in general....thanks for letting me bore you
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
The day after I got my iPhone I went down to Melbourne and whilst sitting on the train I was looking at all the people with iPhones typing away a message, playing their music or just checking facebook (Me) and thought how these devices have changed since the brick phone days and now most phones come with Internet, mp3, camera etc capablities. It only makes you wonder where we go from here with the release of the ipad makes you wonder where the next step is in the likes of mobile devices and what they can do. I can already order pizza via an app or tweet my poo with details, make a band, update numerous social sites plus much more I have yet to discover.
The reason I titled this blog I generation is reference to an MC Lars track of the same name. We really are living in an I generation where moat households probably own one or my apple products . I only have my iPhone and iPod. But with so many products out there doing the same thing anyway it really is the genration of the uber-do-everything phone. Being 22 I have seen technology change a fair bit. Let's break this up in tecnology genres:
Entertainment: first video game console we owned was the atari my brother got it for his birthday and I thought it was the best thing ever. We then got a nintendo (original) then the first real taste of handheld gaming he gameboy (and later the
Advance) then came the N64 the first look at 3d gaming then I got a ps2 same sorta thing just a little crisper picture and now I own the wii which is working towards the first virtual reality console (one day?) all the predesscers to the wii have become obselete and are in boxes somewhere and only bought out on days I feel really nostalgic.
Music: obviously the genres have changed due to technolgy but I am more talking about how we get music. I may be a bit too young for records but I still remember listening to them occasionaly and taping them on to tapes. My first tape player was a hand me down that still works I used to record my own voice or stuff off the radio and listen to it over and over. I still remember my first cassette I ever got a tape full of kids tv show themes (still listen to it sometimes) then came CDs we bought a cd/tape/record player all in one for about 500 bucks back when CDs first came out. The first cd I ever got was simpsons in the key of Springfield but it wasn't till about a year later I got my own cd player , this unfortunately died a few years ago and I have not had another cd player since. You see I used my computer as a cd player and put all
My music on there then i got my iPod and could take my music where I want when I want. Now with the launch of iTunes and file sharing I found myself visitng the music stores less and less I only ever by hard copies of stuff if I really like the band. I admit I do download music but I then go out and buy it if I like it enough. The stuff I don't just gets fogotten about. If only most people thought this way then downloading wouldn't be such a problem.
Anyway I am going to leave this here for now and will continue later with communication, movies and life just in general....thanks for letting me bore you
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Album review - Regina Spektor - Far
Ok another album review for you. This time Regina Spektor's new album far. I would say this is one of her best albums yet and she is back with her heart felt and deep lyrics that we all know and love. Her vocal range is also showcased nicely in such songs as "eet" that's the sound she makes in the first single off the album. Like I said before her lyrical genius is shown again. I will share some of my favourties with you
You use your headphones to drown out your mind -eet
Blue lips, blue veins, blur the colour of our planet from far far away- from blue lips
No one laughs at god in a hospital no laughs at god in a war - laughing with (whole song is like this, but it isn't preachy that's why I like it)
Also makes you wonder the meanings of each song for example machines sounds like her anti piracy song to me but that is open to opinion like I said laughing with is her song about religion and how when bad things happen people curse god even if they don't believe
The album again is also ranged from the mellow to the upbeat each showcasing her amazing vocal range and random sounds she makes such as the song dance anthem of the 80's which has similar singing to that of my favourite song of hers "that time"
In conclusion really is a good album showing us what she is really capable of and a great follow up to begin to hope. I swear she just keeps getting better
4/5 rating
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
You use your headphones to drown out your mind -eet
Blue lips, blue veins, blur the colour of our planet from far far away- from blue lips
No one laughs at god in a hospital no laughs at god in a war - laughing with (whole song is like this, but it isn't preachy that's why I like it)
Also makes you wonder the meanings of each song for example machines sounds like her anti piracy song to me but that is open to opinion like I said laughing with is her song about religion and how when bad things happen people curse god even if they don't believe
The album again is also ranged from the mellow to the upbeat each showcasing her amazing vocal range and random sounds she makes such as the song dance anthem of the 80's which has similar singing to that of my favourite song of hers "that time"
In conclusion really is a good album showing us what she is really capable of and a great follow up to begin to hope. I swear she just keeps getting better
4/5 rating
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:,Mildura,Australia
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