You must See the “Red Tails” Movie

Filed Under (Movies) by adonn on 26-01-2012

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George Lucas planned “Red Tails,” the film he produced on World War II’s Tuskegee Airmen, with the best of intentions. But he begins this earnest, old-fashioned combat film with its worst scene. It’s a blast of video-game quality aerial combat, digitally rendered, blandly written, with maybe the worst sound effects and worst score (inappropriately modern, by Terrance Blanchard) Lucas has allowed since his days in film school. It’s a body blow that this collection of corny cliches and stock movie “types” played by a very dull cast isn’t good enough to overcome.
The novel approach of this story — directed by Anthony Hemingway — is leaving out the formation of a “Negro” fighter pilot training program at Tuskegee Institute, to pick up their saga after they’ve endured Army indifference, racism and months of being assigned outdated P-40 fighter planes and rear echelon patrol duty on the Italian front.
The digital dogfights, after that first one that feels like screen captures from the “Blazing Angels” video game, are pretty good. Not good enough to lift this one out of the cornfield, but good enough to make us glad that we aren’t spending more time on the ground, drawling bad one-liners, chewing on pipes or taking nips from a whiskey flask. MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some sequences of war violence.
Cast: Nate Parker, Terrence Howard, Ne Yo, Cuba Gooding Jr.
Credits: Directed by Anthony Hemingway, written by John Ridley and Aaron McGruder. A 20th Century Fox release. Running time: 2:05

Watch “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Filed Under (Movies) by adonn on 21-01-2012

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Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) has always been the smartest man in the room…until now. There is a new criminal mastermind at large-Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris)-and not only is he Holmes’ intellectual equal, but his capacity for evil, coupled with a complete lack of conscience, may actually give him an advantage over the renowned detective. When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan), points to suicide.
But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder-a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by Professor Moriarty. The cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead of Holmes as he spins a web of death and destruction-all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history.
Those of us who looked forward with eagerness to the fateful confrontation between fiction’s greatest detective and his greatest adversary — so nicely presaged in Guy Ritchie’s first crack at Sherlock Holmes in 2009 — are going to find A Game of Shadows a rather shallow disappointment.
It doesn’t take a master of deduction to see that Ritchie has decided to play it too safe with this sequel. Game of Shadows is identical in style and substance to the original, right down to the jaunty, pre-jazz-age musical score by Hans Zimmer. The unrequited bromance between Holmes and former flatmate Dr. John Watson at 221B Baker St. is a classic example.

The New Bed Bug Detector

Filed Under (Technology) by adonn on 12-01-2012

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The device replicates the way dogs pick up scents, enabling it to sniff out bedbug pheromones, chemicals that insects use to communicate with one another. Dogs’ olfactory system allows them to recognize even the faintest of scents. In recent years, well-trained bedbug-detecting pups have proven their ability to recognize bedbug pheromones with 98 percent accuracy in a controlled study. Goggin’s cocker spaniel, Nina, acted as a model by lending the device her unique “sniff cadence,” the rhythm dogs use to breathe in an odor. The snuffling pulls a scent into the smaller of a dog’s two olfactory chambers; over time, faint aromas build up in the chamber and become recognizable to the animal.
Goggin’s electronic version uses CO2 and methane sensors, as well as a proprietary pheromone detector, to pinpoint bedbugs to within one square inch, from a distance three times as far away as a dog could. The device can also tell the bugs’ sex. The handheld unit will go on sale this year for $200. Goggin says a new model that works for a wider variety of pests, including cockroaches, ants and mice, is on the way.

How do Computers help in Real Animated Movies?

Filed Under (Technology) by adonn on 03-01-2012

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In movies, one of the most trending scenes are those caught through animation. We have the computer geeks and geniuses who can all create now the wonder of modern technology.
3-D effects in the movies can now be created by capturing reflected light off actual human faces. Digital images of the strobe-light pictures are animated to produce more realistic human expressions. A character’s movement can look very real in movies, but animators admit it is hard to make the faces look as expressive as human faces. Animators are now working hard on new technologies to make it almost impossible to tell the difference between cartoons and real-life. Ken Pearce, a computer scientist with Mova Contour, admits, “We recognized that facial animation is really one of the last big challenges of computer animation.”
The technology is catching on quickly; video game companies want the technology to make more realistic characters, and motion picture companies have orders in to start creating real-life animated worlds.

Welcome to the Garajonay National Park

Filed Under (Travel) by adonn on 19-12-2011

The Garajonay National Park is one of the more enchanting parks in Spain. There are several types of fauna to be seen and also lush natural scenery.
There are several types of plants and flowers in the park. There are also several types of bats and birds. There are a couple of reptile species to be found: Chalcides viridanus (Gomeran skink) and Gallotia gomerana (Gomeran lizard).
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There are many types of amphibians including the stripeless tree frog (Hyla meridionalis). Visitors to the Garajonay National Park will also get to see Bolle’sPigeon (Columba bollii) and Laurel Pigeon (Columba junoniae).
The park has several kinds of forests. On the north side are protected valleys and several lush greens. At the higher mounts, the winds and sun become more prominent. The south section of the forest is made up of heather and beech. Here you will find species that have adapted to this kind of less humid condition.
The park takes up 40 km2 (15 sq mi) and reaches into the municipalities at the island. The tallest peak on the island is also known as Garajonay. It is 1,484 m (4,869 feet) high. It also has a plateau with an altitude of 790-1,400 meters above sea level.
The Garajonay National Park is also known as one of the best examples of the laurisilva subtropical forest. During the Tertiary period, these forests were spread over the European continent.

The Champasak Provincial Museum of Laos

Filed Under (Travel) by adonn on 16-12-2011

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One of the most admired tourist spots in Laos, the museum contains artifacts and documents related to the province’s culture and history. Musical instruments, jewelry and ethnic clothing are also on display. Also noteworthy is a jar dating c. 11th or 12th century.
Pakse is a city within the Champasak Province, in Southern Laos. Temples, museums and the old market are among the tourist attractions here.
The Champasak Provincial Museum in Pakse – Laos gives you an insight on the history of the province as well as the town. It is therefore a recommended stop if you want to learn more about the beginnings of the province.
When you visit the Champasak Provincial Museum in Pakse – Laos, you will get a glimpse of the history of Champasak Province, as well as the history of the country’s people as they struggled to make the country a better place for its people, specifically its working class.
The museum is a two-storey structure where the lower section houses various ethnological relics such as farming tools, traditional costumes and ornaments that were worn by the tribes that inhabited the province as well as a few ethnic clothes.There is also a selection of traditional musical instruments.

Visit Marrakech in Morocco

Filed Under (Travel) by adonn on 18-11-2011

Situated at the foot of the Atlas mountains in Morocco, the imperial city of Marrakech is large, noisy, polluted and fascinating. If you enjoy a daily assault on all your senses then you’ll have a lot of fun.
There are so many things to see, you should spend at least 3 days in Marrakech. Stay in a Riad in the medina (old walled part of town), because this is where all the action is. The Majorelle Gardens offer a lovely respite from the bustle of the souqs and shouldn’t be missed. The heart of the medina, the Djemma el Fnaa, should also be a priority for anyone who visits.
It is best to try and avoid the summer heat and crowds and visit Marrakech in the cooler months between September and May. But, some annual events take place in summer which you may not want to miss:
Marrakech Popular Arts Festival in July. This annual festival attracts folk singers, dancers, fortune-tellers, acting troupes, snake charmers, fire-swallowers and more, from all over Morocco.
Fantasia is a horse-riding spectacle that includes hundreds of charging horsemen (and women) wearing traditional clothing. It’s part of the Popular Arts Festival so it takes place at the same time in July.
Imilchil Marriage Feast is a Berber marriage festival where up to forty couples tie the knot. It takes place in Imilchil in the Middle-High Atlas Mountains near Marrakech.

The Cape Town of South Africa

Filed Under (Travel) by adonn on 01-11-2011

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Cape Town is a highlight of any trip to Southern Africa. The natural beauty of Cape Town makes it one of the most attractive cities in the world. Cape Town boasts beautiful beaches as well as the impressive Table Mountain right in the heart of the city. The restaurants are world class, and so are the wines. Cape Town is also one of the most culturally diverse cities in Africa and has reputation for social tolerance.
When you visit Cape Town you’ll see a huge slab of sandstone, 1086m high and 3km long, smack in the middle of town – that is Table Mountain. Table Mountain’s top is often shrouded in clouds commonly known as the mountain’s “tablecloth”. The mountain is home to more than 1400 unique species of plants as well several mammals and over 100 invertebrates. The views of Cape Town and its coastline from the top are spectacular (if the mountain doesn’t have it’s tablecloth). You can even see Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 18 years. There are cable cars to get you to the top but if you’re fit it’s worth attempting the 3 hour climb up one of the many trails. If you are interested in paragliding down you can do that too. There’s a restaurant and a souvenir shop at the top of Table Mountain for your convenience.

Watch “Contagion” Movie

Filed Under (Movies) by adonn on 28-10-2011

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This is one of the best ensemble cast films I have seen in a long time. It is also one of the best pandemic films I have seem in a while. I can’t believe Steven Soderberg (director) was able to make such a good movie with so many top tier actors and actresses. It seemed like each one of them was very aware that the movie wasn’t about them but rather the movie was about the movie. Does that make sense? Contagion is about a pandemic that happens and no one knows what to do. A virus spreads that there is no cure for. The one thing I would have liked to see in the movie is a little bit more extremes. The movie didn’t really have any big “wow” scenes, which made it very real but at the same time left me wanting a little more. Still a very great movie.
This film was very different from all over “all killing virus” movies that I have seen before. I actually really liked it because it focused on the virus instead of the characters and their personal stories. The film was very realistic and there was no over-exaggerated drama or unnecessary subplots, it was straightforward and pretty scary. There are a lot of great actors in this film and they all do a really good job. The only character that I was not sure about was Jude Law, I did not really understand the purpose of giving this character really bad teeth and the film could have done without him all together.
This subject is more frightening than the movie. It’s a rather cerebral look at the worldwide spread of a lethal new virus: personal reactions and panic in the streets, while scientists attempt to find a cure. The first 30 minutes almost seem like an upscale government informational video about plagues. While numerous parallel stories develop, none of them makes an emotional impact. The star-laden cast gives it gravitas, but director Steven Soderbergh keeps his distance from involving drama. Cool soundtrack. You WILL probably be a bit more enlightened about hygiene and touching your face.

Watch “Shark Night” Movie

Filed Under (Movies) by adonn on 21-10-2011

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This is a horror film about college kids and shark infested lake that they decide to vacation by, the film is directed by David R. Ellis and stars Sara Paxton, Dustin Milligan and Chris Carmack. The film is absolutely terrible and I do not recommend seeing it in the theaters, do not waste your money and time. The film is really boring, there is absolutely no suspense or fun in it, it is a huge waste of time. I felt bad for the actors, they were actually pretty good, except Paxton who was so dull that she looked like a zombie in this film. The worst of all, is that the sharks are so poorly shot, this film is supposed to be about them and the filmmakers could not even shoot them right, ridiculous.
Shark Night 3D sets itself apart from Ellis’s other films in its sincere attempt to humanize its heedless pretty young things. There are relatable heroes and villains in Shark Night 3D and some real pre- and post-shark attack chills, like the sight of the choppy surf after a body disappears from view. Too bad Ellis’s film doesn’t know how to fully realize its relatively lofty ambitions.
When push comes to shove, Shark Night 3D proves that it’s only a small cut above the rest. Scenes like the one where little “cookie cutter sharks” attack Beth or the one where Gordon (Joel David Moore), the requisite geek, is reluctantly made to swim in shark-infested waters, are as good as they are because we’re made to care about these characters. They’re thoughtful when put under pressure and are all capable of rising above their paint-by-numbers tics: Beth eventually stops being a catty bitch and Blake selflessly risks his life trying to save the day at one point. These characters are slightly more substantive than your average shark bait with pretty faces/asses/pecs. And that alone almost makes up for the way that Ellis infrequently shows us that he really doesn’t know how to sustain a mood even when he’s apparently trying very hard to do just that.