It is 48-hour film weekend, when small teams of mad people make complete short films in 48 hours. In honour of the event I post once again my first 48 hour film. If you look carefully, you will spot me in my tiny role as the titular monster.
And the most recent one I was involved in, 2009 entry Dedication:
Huge good wishes to all involved this year!
Now, some linky. Yes I know there is loads of interesting stuff to blog about – not least the joys and challenges of fatherhood – but man oh man I am busy right now. And linky doesn’t need thinking, only sharing. I share for you!
Cool visual index of tricks used by MacGyver to solve adventure problems! Watch how the # of tricks in each episode flatlines in its later years.
Cop in the Hood – blog by a police officer in Baltimore. Wire fans take note.
I have this theory that I have bored many people with over the years: that one of the reasons NZ does so well creatively is that we are just the right size – big enough to have opportunities and space for people to grow their craft, but small enough to be incredibly densely networked with all the benefits that delivers. Case in point: The Adults, new music assembled by the front man of Wellington’s legendary rock group Shihad, but involving a who’s who of other legendary Kiwi musicians from all kinds of different genres and styles. And its obvious they are all really into it. (Also of note: whoever has been doing the marketing & promotion for The Adults has done a damn fine job of it.)
I’ve linked before to Mike at nonwrestler and his weekly link to a free music track. Now my fellow moose Billy has posted something about it so I don’t need to work out what to say, I can just link there. If you care at all about music and/or not having to pay for things, go see.
From many people, a lovely and sweet strip about being an artist.
US Center for Disease Control official website includes instructions for what to do in a zombie apocalypse (via Al Galloway). The domestication of the Romero-zombie nightmare takes another step, beyond Pride & Prejudice & Zombies and that time I saw a men’s toiletries kit in a department store branded as a “zombie survival grooming kit”. And I continue to be… not flabbergasted, but surprised. Because the zombie nightmare, which was born only in the 60s, is almost indescribably grisly and depressing. Unlike previously domesticated nightmares the vampire and the werewolf, which can both be swung into more palatable territory, the zombie story is deeply and unflinchingly sickening. It’s also inescapably a political nightmare. The prominence of the zombie in contemporary culture weirds me out.
Blimey, just realized I hadn’t blogged this – our friends at Kaibosh are fundraising for a big ol’ chiller van they can use to collect lots more food and get it to people who need it.
Miss a Meal in May – Instead of eating out this month, donate the cost of one café or restaurant meal to Kaibosh and help us rescue food for people in need.
This is a great cause and worth a few dollars. Forgo anything from a bag of chips through to a four-course meal at Logan Brown and toss the coin their way. The karma pigs will oink in joyous approval when you do.
Dr. James Hansen, one of the world’s most prominent and influential climate scientists, is in New Zealand to deliver his lecture “Climate Change: a scientific, moral and legal issue”. Tonight – in Wgtn.
Mon 16th May: Wellington
5.45pm public lecture Rutherford House, welcomed by Mayor Celia Wade-Brown
Willa rolls on to her front. Then she gets stuck. It is like a metaphor for all of human endeavour.
Also, man oh man this week has been busy. Tired now. But linky shall happen:
Trailer for the newWgtn webseries Urban Numina, which releases its first ep this weekend:
Inevitable Doctor Who link: amazingly obsessive/devoted site tracking the fates of the individual Dalek props used in Doctor Who.
Just when I think I know all the geeky stuff about the Alien movies, something comes along that expands the horizons further than I could have imagined. The Alien theme music, disco remix.
Via Steve Hickey: Ten things screenwriters can learn from Aliens. Even though it gets some stuff massively wrong (e.g. Ripley’s motivation to go back to the planet), this is a nice reminder of how amazingly well-crafted this film is.
Saturday’s newspaper had a magazine section with a big article heavily featuring our little fambly – Cal, Willa and myself. It’s up online here. It is actually quite a good piece, I reckon.
One message in there is how much we are relying on family for support, and on employers being flexible. We are blessed with much support in all those ways, plus plus a babby who is happy and not much trouble as babbies go. We are lucky people.
I am feeling the lucky today. Today (and the whole week actually but especially today) has been manic to the extreme. But I am getting by and well-fed (good healthy home-made tucker) and wee Willa has been adored by many people today and has lots of cuddles and food and poor hardworking Cal was super supportive tonight as I raced to get a piece of work done…
This blog is gonna stay low-frequency low-thinking posts for a while I guess. Capacity is low right now. But I want to record this here so I can’t argue with myself later: for all the challenges fitting everything in? I’m having an amazing time.
Hey 15-year-old self in 1991! It’s 2011 calling. Guess what! They made a movie out of Thor! THOR! With the big dots on his chest and the big red cape and the hammer! Yes, I know, it sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. No-one here saw that one coming either! And here’s the kicker: the director is Kenneth Branagh! I KNOW! No, I’m not kidding around! Truly. Yeah, you see, all those genre things that mainstream media despises? Turns out they win. Doctor Who is back and is incredibly popular. The Lord of the Rings gets made into films, too, and you’ll never believe who –
– what’s that? Star Wars? Um… we don’t talk about Star Wars.
From the Alligator, a recap of the last five years of Spider-Man comics continuity in the form of a Calvin & Hobbes strip. (Oh, comics, keep on being you!)
Did Lucas ever invent a word with a more pleasing sound than “Wampa”?
For a competition now in progress, my buddies Jon and Jarratt chose to recreate the Wampa cave sequence from Empire Strikes Back. It is grooovy! Check it:
EDIT EDIT: here’s the right way to vote for them:
“I posted on Facebook, I got the process for voting for the people’s choice award wrong. You need to:
1) Go to the Facebook V Energy NZ site,
2) Click on the 48 Second link/application from the menu on the left hand side
3) Find our video
4) Click on the “thumbs up” icon. “
