Sunday Roundup – 1/9/11
Watch the trailer for Tokyo Godfathers here.
Hello World,
I haven’t been able to get back into my regular writing schedule this past week, so I apologize for that. Personal matters have gotten the worse of me but I’m hoping they will resolve themselves soon; for now, I have taken great solace in the work of the late Satoshi Kon, primarily Paprika and more recently Tokyo Godfathers. Having finally seen all of Kon’s works (save Paranoia Agent, which I hope Netflix will begin streaming soon) I can definitively say Kon is hands down one of my all time favorite directors, period. And in the words of Viet Le, he has not died but simply gone on into the realm of his dreams.
In retrospect of yesterday’s Arizona shooting, I offer this quote as my pacifist form of response (courtesy of Viet Le again):
“Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.”
—Isaac Asimov, US biochemist and science fiction author (1920-1992)
In lieu of a incredibly bad week, here are a few things that made me smile:
• Back to Neverland – a 25-second video of a pencil test voice acted by Robin Williams. Phenomenal (if I must say so myself) and courtesy of the Pencil Test Depot. Film and animation fans alike, I highly recommend this!
• Tokyo Godfathers, film review by Roger Ebert
• Evolution of the Batmobile – my personal favorite is the Tumbler.
• Infographic: The Many Body Shapes of Christian Bale – put together by /Film reader Matt Ellerbrock, this chart shows the physical dedication Mr. Bale puts into his roles over the course of eight years. It includes how much he weighed for each role, and the weight difference (positive/negative : gain/lost) between roles.
• iPad Cat (original title: Iggy investigates an iPad) – if I had a cat, I would seriously consider investing in an iPad. Not because I would actually use the iPad for anything remotely useful, but just so I could watch in bemusement as my cat gets curious and ‘investigates’ it.
And lastly, from my good friend Justin:
Yes, you are correct: the cat is Tron. And I am ex-aspartame addict.
