2013 iPhone Photography Awards
Amazing what one can do with just an iPhone. Check out the entries and award winners here.
I love maps.
"40 Maps that explain the world" by Max Fisher of The Washington Post. Check them out here.
Otten Tomatoes: Iron Man 3 and Star Trek Into Darkness
As I've been very busy in the last few weeks, I haven't been able to write up complete reviews of two movies I've seen recently; Iron Man 3 and Star Trek Into Darkness. As I don't see my busy-ness decreasing anytime soon, here are two short reviews of each of the movies.
Iron Man 3
After The Avengers (2012), it would difficult to believe that the further adventures of Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr) could get any stranger, funnier, or intense. However, Iron Man 3 proves that to not be the case. In this installment, Tony Stark's struggles are more personal, as he attempts to stop a terrorist named The Manderin (played terrifically by Ben Kingsley) from, well, terrorizing. I was a little concerned after the alien events of The Avengers that it would be difficult to return to the more grounded, "real" world of Iron Man; luckily, the story here does a good job of being in the middle ground between completely "cosmic" and completely "real". The movie, written by the awesome Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, 2005, also starring Downey) is both incredibly funny and intense. Tony Stark's one liners are better than ever, and then when the movie gets dark, it gets DARK. Wonderfully, it also includes more involvement of Downey's assistant-turned-partner-in-life Pepper Potts (Gwyenth Paltrow). Pepper Potts is no longer just a minor character for comic relief and/or serving as a damsel-in-distress. No, in Iron Man 3, Pepper Potts is a major character and kicks some major ass. It's awesome. Further, I believe she is set up as a character that will continue to be a major part of the Iron Man storyline into the future. All in all, Iron Man 3 was a completely enjoyable summer movie and sets up well Phase II of Marvel's comic book hero movies.
Star Trek Into Darkness
The recent reboot of Star Trek (2009) directed J.J. Abrams was a very enjoyable re-imagining of the iconic characters that are the basis for so much fandom and, well, Comic-con costumes. I really felt the actors did a great job of playing homage to the original portrayals while adding their own personalities. In Star Trek Into Darkness, the crew of the USS Enterprise are faced with stopping a formidable terrorist of their own, a dark, sinister John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) who, let's just say, is not who he seems. This movie is much more about revenge than "exploring strange new worlds", so many ways it doesn't push the boundaries of the Star Trek world very far from the origin story of the first movie. However, I think it still provides for good character development of these new characters, especially James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto), and I look forward to where the likely next sequel takes us. My favorite character is most definitely Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Karl Urban), whose sarcastic and somewhat "defeatist" attitude is hysterical, while also serving to provide gravity to the serious and intense moments. I'd also like to make mention of the score composed by Michael Giacchino. It was great; delicate and specific in the smaller moments, and completely bombastic in the epic ones (Buy it on iTunes here). Overall, Star Trek Into Darkness does a great job of giving homage to some of the most memorable moments of the original Star Trek shows and movies while also creating memorable moments of it's own.
I couldn't love this more if I tried
Joey Votto, first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds, talking about the people who don't buy into sabermetrics and therefore question whether he is too patient at the plate (let me translate: he may not be "earning his contract" because "he's a number 3 hitter" and therefore "he's paid to drive in runs, not take walks"):
I'm trying to get the most out of myself, and I have decided that this is the way I get the most out of myself. And if people don't like it, that's their decision. But the people that think I'm doing well are the same people that make sure an automobile drives straight and an airplane knows how to land. These are scientists and mathematicians that can figure out some things.
The entire article by Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com is here.
Fort McHenry, Baltimore, MD, April 14, 2012.
Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Otten Tomatoes: The Great Gatsby
Making movies in 3D is nothing new, although it certainly seems to have had a resurgence in the last several years. Initially, I thought that this resurgence, like those of the past, was solely a gimmick, something to make the move seem closer to a ride at Disney World (Captain EO, anyone?). However, while I've only seen a few movies in 3D (Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), Brave (2012), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)) before yesterday, I now see that 3D as a filmmaker's stylistic tool may actually have some staying power. Sure, you can still show a sword being thrown at the audience, but it now seems that filmmakers are actually using 3D to create depth in a scene, making it appear more epic and "immersive" (I'll save my frustration with the term "immersive" for another day).
Which brings me to The Great Gatsby. The story is not new; most of us read the 1925 book by F. Scott Fitzgerald it in high school. Therefore, for this review, I'm not going to focus on the story itself; this review is about the movies style. Or rather, the filmmaker's style. I think that you'll find going forward that many of my reviews will be similar. Most films don't tell unique stories. But some films have unique styles, and consequently, deliver unique experiences. That's a major part of why I love movies.
The movie is directed by Baz Luhrmann, of Romeo and Juliet (1996) and Moulin Rouge! (2001) fame. Luhrmann has only directed five movies since 1992, but his visual style is already well known to many film fans. The best way that I can describe his style is that he makes everything and everyone in his films look bold and glamorous. Just as an example, the title character, played terrifically by Leonardo Dicaprio, at one point wears a pink suit. The interesting part about it, though, is that in this film, in the world Luhrmann has created, it doesn't seem out of place. It totally fits.
Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
And the use of 3D in this film is just as fitting. Luhrmann creates the world of 1920's New York City, it's outskirts, and Long Island, and transports the audience back and forth between those areas as if we were on a rocket, giving a sense of geography and orientation that I think only 3D can truly provide. The most important of the "sets", the mansion of Gatsby on one side of the bay and the mansion of Tom and Daisy Buchanan (Joel Edgerton (Zero Dark Thirty (2012) and Carey Mulligan (Drive, 2011))) on the other, emphasize this even more. The two mansions play such an important role in the telling of the story, and the use of the 3D creates a "world" made up of the mansions and the space between that we are then transported around, between, and every other which way. It's really amazing. Further, within the scenes of Gatsby's parties at his mansion, the 3D amplifies everything, from the architectural spaces to the costumes of the partygoers. Everything is more lavish, more intense, more well... bold and glamorous.
Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Certainly it's not a style that will be everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. Further, it gave me at pause as to whether 3D is just a temporary gimmick as before or something destined to stay. I have to admit, I'm not sure. But if filmmakers continue to use it in as enjoyable of a way as Baz Luhrmann did in "The Great Gatsby", I think it has a chance.