The finalists for the 2007 iPod Film Festival are now available online. Categories are Student Film, Indie Film, and The Kitchen Sink. I took a particular liking to the simplicity of Summer Storm.
No word on whether the endings made anyone’s face implode.
Professor John H. Lienhard of the University of Houston has been narrating episodes of this radio series for NPR since 1988. Broadcast by KUHF FM at UH, the show is simply one of the best on public radio. As the website describes it, “… Engines of Our Ingenuity is a radio program that tells the story of how our culture is formed by human creativity.” But it’s more than that; it’s a vehicle for Leinhard himself, who is a sage and a poet as much as he is a scientist and engineer.
You can get the podcast off NPR, or visit the show’s website for transcripts of every episode.
This morning’s episode, # 2206, is Leinhard’s thoughts after reading Mankind So Far, a critical review of the origins of man and the theory of evolution by William Howell, written in 1944. Leinhard is full of praise for the meticulousness of Howell’s approach, noting:
A theory it is, of course, but in the true scientific sense. It is no mere supposition.
What’s fascinating in Howells’ book is how squarely he looks at holes in the prevailing account of our evolution. Most of his questions have since been resolved. The hallmark of any science is that it’s driven, not by what we presume to be true, but by pin-pointing what we don’t yet know.
That’s typical of Leinhard – to always invoke the context of science. And no episode of Engines would be complete without his final insight; in this case, he masterfully turns the modern-day controversy on its head:
[Howell] wonders what we’ll evolve into in a million years. While we cannot know, there’s no shred of doubt that we’re far from finished — that the creation continues. And there lies the great beauty behind the hard fact of evolution.
There isn’t any real new casting information about casting for the new Star Trek franchise reboot to report. However, I did see The Departed a couple of weeks ago, and also Oceans 11 for the second time. Between the two of those films, any lingering doubt I might have had about Matt Damon playing James Tiberius Kirk has been effectively neutralized.
But if they do land Gary Sinise as Bones McCoy, that’s the real casting coup.
Wouldn’t Topher Grace make for a great Spock?
I lived in Boston from 1996-1998, working as a research assistant at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. During those two years I explored every nook and cranny of Beantown I could find; on foot, on bicycle, via boat, car, train, and even plane. I made it to Boston’s MFA a few times, including during the winter of 1997 when they hosted “Picasso: The Early Years, 1892-1906“. Of these, the following painting really grabbed my attention:
What was particularly odd about the painting was that at the time, I had very similar beard and hair, and was wearing a thick black coat as well, so there was a non-negligible resemblance. It was eerie.
What arrested me the most about the painting was the confident expression. There is no angst or concern in the face – Picasso seems to be looking forward in time, assured and optimistic. Given that I was fresh out of college and working at my first real job, living in a vibrant city like Boston, I felt an instant kinship.
Who knew I had such reserves of ego such that I could look at an artists’ self-portrait and make it all about me!
Incidentally, Picasso also has a famous sculpture in Daley Plaza in Chicago (my hometown). It’s been in my consciousness since I was a young child; I always imagined it to be a seated sphinx-like creature, that will come to life when you’re not looking.
There’s an hour-long video on SciFi that recaps the major plot developments of Battlestar Galactica seasons 1 and 2. This will bring any newbie up to speed for Season 3, which just ended a couple of weeks ago.
Now, if only they’d do something like this for Lost…
Interesting blog platform aimed at foreigners who are blogging from Japan. Shouldn’t it be named Gaikokujin in Japan though?
Incidentally, I’ve added an Internet subcategory. It’s aimed at new blog and other CMS technologies.
Miyazaki’s next Studio Ghibli film is going to have a lot of baggage. From the AICN summary,
Miyaki will be addressing his relationship with his son, Tales of Earthsea director Goro Miyazaki through the movie’s boy Sosuke. Parent/child relationship will influence the movie. In particular, Hayao Miyazaki found his work informed by what as saw as Goro actor of “resistance” directing Earthsea.
[…]
Miyazaki notes the effects of his age several times and demonstrates a strained relationship with his son.
ok, then. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also controversy over Miyazaki’s rivalry with Yasuhiro Nakura of Girl Who Leapt Through Time fame:
Some are accusing Miyazaki of plagiarizing the work of Yasuhiro Nakura, an animator who worked with Miyazaki on Laputa: Castle in the Sky as well Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, Metropolis and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Message board 2Chan notes similarities to the book “The world of Nakura Yasuhiro.”
There’s a lot more information, about the film as well as the meta, at GhibliWorld.