Friday linky! Today, written past midnight on Saturday night. Hurrah!
Stop-motion Lego ninja madness. Verrry nice.
Kate Beaton found this incredible Children’s Object Book from the 1880s
Dylan pointed to this revelation of Facebook’s hidden sweatshop moderators. Interesting in its own right, but also it helps explain what happened to Joe Lipari.
Via Marie – so Dad, how do you like the iPad we bought you?
Everyone has seen Benedict Cumberbatch and Otters, right? Mr D. Ritchie of Hamiltron has drawn my attention to David Mitchell and Koalas.
Stanley Kubrick section:
Dangerous Minds gave more credence than I would have to this take on the hidden messages of Kubrick’s 2001, but I found it an engaging watch over lunchtime anyway.
And (also on Dangerous Minds) the story behind Kubrick’s ban on Clockwork Orange
Kubrick’s photos from 1940s NYC (via Mr H. Ritchie of Australiaton, relation)
And, um, Toy Story meets The Shining
6 ridiculous first drafts of famous movie monsters – some interesting stuff here!
I don’t have it in me to write anything about Trayvon Martin, but I will share this searing bit of writing
Some Star Wars linky, since last week’s offering was a wee bit on the odd side:
The whole internet loved this suggested viewing order for the full Star Wars saga. Worth a read for writer/structure nerds, at least.
Via The Gator – why the lightsaber battles in the Phantom Menace sucked
The Wampa scene from Empire Strikes Back, remade with a pug dog as the monster
How I helped destroy the Star Wars Galaxies MMO
Topher Grace edited all the prequels into one single, better film (my main reservation with this is I really really didn’t like the third prequel, whereas I thought the first two were fascinating, engaging disasters)
And, finally, Jedi A-holes!
My real problem with the lightsabre fights in the prequels (well, okay, I didn’t watch the last one, and I think I’ve repressed most of the second as well) is that they break the fundamental rule established in the original trilogy: whoever lights up their sabre first, loses. Now, that loss may be moral/spiritual, but it’s the defining point of the battle.
The beauty of this is that it reinforces – makes real, even – the whole passive, non-violent approach of the Jedi. And I like that instead of dark-side aggression being marked by striking first, it’s by drawing first, even though there’s frequently a significant pause between drawing and attacking.
THis is the original Gawker article referred to in that Sydney Morning Herald posting (?) of that Daily Telegraph article about Facebook’s moderation sweatshops. Much longer, well worth it.
http://gawker.com/5885714/inside-facebooks-outsourced-anti+porn-and-gore-brigade-where-camel-toes-are-more-offensive-than-crushed-heads
Do a search for “Star Wars Despecialized” if you have some spare bandwidth you *really* want to use up. They’re available on most torrent sites. Basically someone went to a huge and impressive effort to make HD versions of the original trilogy that have none of the later changes. No CGI in Star Wars (and it’s *not* A New Hope)! Greedo fires First! No dance number in Jedi!
PS. I forgot, it shows the actual moderation guidelines at the bottom. Curious stuff… although superseded recently.
Sorry, I meant Han fires first!
Jamie: nice observation. I hadn’t realised that.
Mike: thanks, you’re right, well worth the read!
Andrew: I heard about that the other week and looked at the comparison images – Lucas messed around with so much in his special edition! I didn’t mind most of the changes to be honest but it’s good to have the originals in HD. Not that I have a TV that makes HD worthwhile… one day I’ll grab it I guess…
It’s funny but I never really minded the changes either, but suddenly having Tatooine looking all dry and empty seems so much more *right* than with the CGI monsters added in. Even the subtitles evoke nostalgia.
But yes, get HD TV. Expense of babby no excuse.
can’t believe i just read that much star wars related stuff and it made perfect sense