Archive for November, 2007
Review: Fargo
Penguin November 30th, 2007
Rating: 3.5/4 stars
Fargo is about a man who schemes to have his wife kidnapped so he can scam his father out of some money. As the film progresses, things start spiraling out of control and people start dying.
The pacing is just right, evoking the emptiness of winter in Minnesota and the simple lives that these characters live. The acting is superb and you want the characters to “succeed” in their own way. It’s exciting and sometimes brutal, but it’s never dull. And it won’t be long before you start wondering what will happen next.
This is definitely a film you’ll want to see.
- Penguin
Related postsCalendars for the new year
Ninja November 30th, 2007
2008 is just around the corner, so here are some calendars + their purchasing links.
+ DIY recycled calendar from A Little Hut
+ Hand marbled, letterpress printed calendar from Albertine Press
Related Link:
+ infodesign challenge—legible business card-sized calendars
+ The human calendar
- Design , Posts by Ninja , Shopping , Type
- Comments
Ninja’s jewelry guide
Ninja November 29th, 2007
I’ve been asked by a few friends to offer up my humble ninja opinion for presents. So I’ll be writing a few gift guides to help with your holiday gift giving. Here’s my first one. Enjoy!
Continue Reading »
Review: Live Free or Die Hard
Penguin November 29th, 2007
Rating: 2/4 stars
Live Free or Die Hard is about a bunch of hackers who are out to steal some money. Don’t worry, that’s not a spoiler. Since it’s Die Hard, you know it’s about money. It’s always about money. John McCain (Bruce Willis) is back with a damsel in distress, Matthew (Justin Long), in tow.
All Matthew does is wine and wine and state the obvious. The few times that he’s actually useful for something, he manages to get in trouble or get a gun pointed to his head. Lucy, McCain’s daughter, has a bigger sack then Matthew.
Any card carrying geek will automatically balk at having the “Mac Guy” play the resident hacker. And you would think seeing the “Mac Guy” get emasculated left and right would be fun, and it is, for about 5 minutes. At which point, it gets old.
Die Hard has its requisite explosions and gun fights, but none of it builds any tension. We’ve been here before and we know all the bad guys die and all the good guys live. No matter how preposterous it may seem.
- Penguin
Related postsWho’s On the Line
Penguin November 29th, 2007
For those of you who don’t know, the Writer’s Guild of America is on strike. As an aspiring filmmaker and writer, I’m 100% behind them.
Watching this video really opens your eyes to the realities of screenwriting in America. If you have dreams of making it rich, this may not be the profession for you. But these writers show just how much they love doing it and will pursue that dream. It’s definitely a career of passion.
- Penguin
Related postsAdrian Tomine visits Giant Robot
Ninja November 29th, 2007
When
Saturday, December 8th, 2007
6:30PM
Where
Giant Robot
437 East 9th Street
NY, NY 10009
Holiday Cards
Review: THX 1138
Penguin November 28th, 2007
Rating: 3/4 stars
THX 1138 is the feature-length directorial debut of George Lucas. With it, we see a very different writer / director than from either Star Wars or Indiana Jones, both focused much more on narrative. With THX 1138, we see how much potential Lucas had. Not to say that Star Wars or Indiana Jones weren’t good, they just were good in a different way.
The movie is about 3 residents in a highly controlled dystopian future. Emptions are suppressed and laws are enforced by android police.
When watching THX 1138, one wonders where Lucas’s directorial talent went to. His choice of camera angles, sense of pacing, story telling, all stand in stark contrast to the rest of his work. In a good way.
- Penguin
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