Children Of Men

[Calamity Jane]

Just finished downloading this flick.

ummm...I'm really not the techie nerd I want to be...can you teach me how to do this?

[Kanada Kev]

ummm...I'm really not the techie nerd I want to be...can you teach me how to do this?

Well, the best bet is to be sure you have a high speed connection. Then, you download some free bittorrent software (i highly suggest uTorrent http://www.utorrent.com/ ) and install it. Then you have to configure it and get on some torrent sites and download away!!!

There are a few things you'll have to learn how to tweak, but it's not too hard. Also, the private sites are better for getting movies and stuff without getting any warnings from your ISP, etc. I can help you out with an invite to a couple of those ... as can some other kind skanks here

The other option is to simply have some kind folks here burn some of these onto discs fer ya. I'd be happy to fire you off a copy of this (along with some other stuff) if you like.

[Calamity Jane]

well I certainly like 'option B' as the easiest and laziest on my part Plus, we trust your taste in music and movies, impeccably.

we really do need an in-house computer-tutor though...last time a friend tried to help us with bit torrent, things in the system went all wonky-legged and sea-sick, so being the faux-pirates (yaarrr!) that we are, we just gave up.

I'm coming to terms, though, with getting a little bit less tech-savvy each year. I'll be happy as long as I can keep all my own teeth for ahile yet.....

[Kanada Kev]

Got it! I'll let you know when it's ready to go and what you should be expecting to receive

[Kanada Kev]

Finally got around to watching Children of Men last night. I enjoyed it. I love the "euro" look/feel of the flick. The lack of a score and only using songs sparingly added to the "bleakness" of it all.

I love "what if" scenarios and this one worked well. This one seemed relatively plausible. You don't want to think too hard, as some of it is a bit far-fetched if you think about the logistics of the world that they are living in.

Darlene normally falls asleep while we watch movies like this one, and she was glued to it from start to finish (Finding Neverland put her to sleep in less than 5 minutes ). Just put it on and you get hooked.

Next up ... Last King Of Scotland

[dancingbear]

i thought this movie was pretty bad. didnt like much about it at all.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

hey KK....for some reason the copy you sent had no sound (CJ posting as DEM, btw) and I also would love to know if Babel is supposed to have subtitles or not...on our version, there were no subtitles, so given the title/theme of the movie, we just kinda went with it, though it was a tad confusing at times!

[Kanada Kev]

Shit! Sorry about that. I just tested the disk to make sure that it had a visual. My bad I haven't even watched Babel yet. I did notice that there are some subtitle files. I'll have to tweak it a little and see if i can get it to work. I'll be happy to send you out a new copy, along with some more entertainment on the disc.

[allison]

I just watched Babel without subtitles this weekend too-I thought that's how it was supposed to be seen. When I waxed eloquent about the use of language as a stylistic device my boyfriend informed me I was a technological retard and had just turned off the subtitles somehow.

Made a whole lot more sense second time around,plus there is one line in the film that I found hysterically funny.

[MasterShake]

HUUUUUUGE fan of the dystopian future books (although that kinda disturbs me a little haha) 1984 changed my life, and I remember not being able to put Oryx and Crake down. Fahrenheit 451 had a big impact on me as well.

I just watched Children of Men last night and was glued to it the whole time. The one shot battle scene was really impressive and I damn near bit my nails off.

I also agree with Kanada Kev, 28 days later was BADASS (another movie love, ZOMBIES!)

They made a sequel and it looks deadly!

28 Weeks Later

[Kanada Kev]

I just watched Children of Men last night and was glued to it the whole time. The one shot battle scene was really impressive and I damn near bit my nails off.

That was an amazing scene. So well shot (pun intended ).

I also agree with Kanada Kev, 28 days later was BADASS (another movie love, ZOMBIES!)

They made a sequel and it looks deadly!

28 Weeks Later

That's what I'm talking about! I can't wait to see 28 Weeks later now. Thanks for sharing that. I had no idea there was a sequel on it's way

http://www.28weekslatermovie.co.uk/

[Calamity Jane]

I just watched Babel without subtitles this weekend too-I thought that's how it was supposed to be seen......I waxed eloquent about the use of language as a stylistic device ......

yeah, that's what we did, too!!!

I'll be happy to send you out a new copy, along with some more entertainment on the disc.

that'd be mighty appreciated!!!

[Kanada Kev]

I really like the "what if" type sci-fi type stories too. Ever read any John Wyndham stuff? Amazing stories and not too out-dated considering when they were written. Day of the Triffids is classic.

Have you read any John Brunner? The Sheep Look Up is one of the original environmental disaster novels (as well as being written in a non-linear fashion; see also his Stand On Zanzibar for another non-linear story); it's fairly depressing' date=' though.

Aloha,

Brad[/quote']

the sheep look up is my favourite dystopian sci fi book. double exclamation point. the scary thing is it is coming true...the day the insurance companies roll out policies to protect parents against developmental challenges caused by environmental toxins, i'll be heading to the roof with a mirror to flag down a passing flying saucer.

I still haven't had the chance to read the Sheep Look Up yet (thanks DEM and Calamity Jane) but here's another book that looks like a cool read along the lines of a fucked-up future world:

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/06/11/ken_macleods_executi.html

The Execution Channel is set in an ever-so-slightly alternate future, in which the War on Terror is being lost, where terror and terrornoia has destroyed every semblance of decency and humanity. Britain is rocked by race-riots, America is a vast, festering stew of conspiracy nuts and debt-shattered indenture slaves, China and Russia are retreating into old-line Communism, and France is spying on all of them (!).

The story follows a number of engaging, sharply drawn characters -- a soldier in the middle east, a peacenik camped outside a US base in Scotland, a paranoid Brit engineer turned French spy, an American warblogger in the midwest, a clade of disinformation sock-puppeteers who maintain great handsful of fake provocateur blogs.

The action is set in motion when a new weapons system -- a nuke? a propulsion system? a beam weapon? -- explodes at a US base in Scotland. As the plot unfolds in enough twists and turns for three spy novels, the players are haunted by The Execution Channel, a warporn Internet video stream of people being murdered, tortured, shot in war on killed in riots. No one knows where the Execution Channel emanates from -- maybe it's CIA black propaganda, maybe it's some snuff-artist's wank-fodder.

The spies and civilians and nutters and radicals circle and snarl, falling on each others' necks like wolves, as scene after scene of gripping action pound relentlessly past one another. This is one hell of a book.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0765313324/ref=dp_proddesc_0/105-5282458-5522018?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

[SaggyBalls]

I was going to keep this private but I figured that it is worth stating here:

It's very easy to focus on the focal points of the film - the main character and the specifics of the plot. It's pretty stark and simple and doesn't really meander in the foreground, while all the really meaty content and commentary is in the background - happening as it may while the movie moves forward (focusing on what is ultimately the most important thing - working to preserve life and humanity).

it's a pretty strong message and definitely helps me identify and side with the path of the plot and the focus on the protagonist.

All the CGI is used to show things we wouldn't typically be able to see like a guy already blown in half, a birth, a newborn on camera, digital billboards and hints of technological advances.

the cinematography is really challenging and subtle while the actual advances in filmmaking are pretty strong. I did happen to watch the bonus features and they really didn't add much more than I took from the film as it was mostly apparent while a different experience of this movie would probably lend itself to really needing those extras on the DVD in order to really understand it more than a relatively empty bleak future.

The importance of film as a medium to display social commentary has really been lost as many topics addressed by movies lately seem to pale in comparison - as far as the movies I've seen anyhow. Personally, fewer movies have been so sharp as to slice through my personal sensibilities.

this movie is quite elegant and simplistic while upholding the grace, power, and beauty of humanity replenishing itself.

I can understand how someone might not quite like it or it might make people feel uncomfortable but I don't quite understand how the term 'bad' could really apply here.

[Jaimoe]

I get all that. I was not "blown away" by the film. It's good, but not something that I'd buy and/or rave about.

[SaggyBalls]

'blown away'

no.

impressed?

yes.