Missyisms

Star Trek: Countdown

If you are a fan of Star Trek you don't need me telling you that a new Star Trek movie is opening this weekend. The movie is a prequel to the original TV show, a.k.a. The Original Series (TOS), but also has a direct connection to the second Star Trek TV series, The Next Generation (TNG).

To help viewers understand the connection between TNG and the new movie, the producers had a comic book series developed. Star Trek: Countdown was originally produced as four comic books. It's now available in multiple formats from trade paperback to comic books to Kindle* to iPhone/iPod Touch apps* and maybe others.

Out of curiosity, and because they were cheap (only $.99 each), I downloaded all four parts via iTunes and read it on my iPod Touch. The work done to re-create a comic book for the Touch/iPhone is remarkable; the graphics are detailed, colorful and pop off the screen. I'm not a comic book reader, so I can't comment on the artwork as far as comic books go, but it was very easy to read and enjoy on the Touch. To see what I'm talking about, click the iPhone/iPod link above to view the sample screens...they look better on the device. I also compared the content to the trade paperback, using Amazon's "Look Inside" feature, and it appears to contain all the original content (at least on the first few pages).

Continuing my curiosity, I also downloaded a free sample of the Kindle version of Star Trek: Countdown #1 to the Kindle application on my iPod Touch. Ouch...its not in color, is in portrait-mode instead of landscape, had small text, and is more expensive than the iTunes color versions. I don't know if you purchase the Kindle versions if they would be in color, but I don't think so since I believe the Kindle reading device is not color (right?). I doubt they have a separate Kindle version for the Kindle application on the iPhone/iPod Touch, even though color is available on these devices. (I'm tempted to display sample screen shots, but it's late and that might violate some copyrights.)

I wonder if they'll try to explain the TNG connection in the movie or just jump in assuming viewers either know it or that the story works without the explanation. Since I have several friends that want to see the movie, I'm sure I'll be seeing it sometime after the opening crowds die down. If you see the movie before me, which won't be hard I'm sure, let us know what you think and about the explanation. "Live long and..." you know.

*The Kindle and iPhone/iPod Touch links are to Part 1 of Star Trek: Countdown. Parts 2-4 are available, but must be downloaded individually.

Marvel Pride and Prejudice

Marvel, yes the comic book people, are inking into the Jane Austen frenzy. They are releasing Pride and Prejudice in five-serial comic books. I believe the first issue will be released in April, but I can't say for sure.

If you need smelling salts to recover from the thought of P&P in comic book form, then you might want to pre-order all five editions from Marvel via this location. Personally, I'm the cautious type (OK, maybe over cautious), but I think I'd like to see them first and will try to find them in a local comic book store. Plus, I'd rather they arrive unbent from the post office. I can't say the cover art for the first edition thrills me, except "Bingleys Bring Bling" is rather funny.

It's also possible that Marvel will eventually combine the five comics into a hardback or trade paperback in the future. I'm not an expert on this, so check out the comments over at AustenBlog.com to see what other readers say about Marvel's habits in this regard.

(I'm still hoping for Lego Jane Austen. I want my Pemberley!)

UPDATE: There is conflicting information on whether Marvel will release hard cover or trade-paper editions of the comic strip. 

Image Copyright: Marvel Comics.

Going, Going, Firth Gone

The other day I told you that you could own a piece of the Firth as Darcy legacy. The painting went for 12,000 British pounds. I did not win the image. Oh wait, I didn't bid...so nothing gained, nothing lost. For more information check out the Bonhams website.

As I mentioned the other day, there is a Flash version of the photo available so viewers can zoom in for a better view. It's surprising how much this improves the image over what appears on the screen.

Here's the portrait with no zoom:

Not very impressive. But when we zoom in, I'm actually pleasantly surprised that it does, in fact, look like a Firth as a younger Darcy...that's exactly what it's supposed to look like.

Not bad...if the price had been lower I wouldn't have minded him hanging around my walls. Since the opportunity presented itself, I also zoomed in on that building on the right side of the painting.

I had to lighten the image some, but how sweet of them to put an image of Pemberley (or at least the Pemberley from this adaptation) into the portrait!

I was also interested in the book that Firth Darcy is holding...could it be...would they have done it...

Phooey...they didn't put the title First Impressions* on the book! How could they have not thought of that!

Oh well. At least we got to see the portrait in better detail and know that it isn't all that awful. Now, if whoever purchased it would send it on a tour around the globe....

*For those of you that don't know your Pride and Prejudice history, First Impressions was the original name of the novel.

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring

OK, I admit it. Hanging my head in shame. I've never watched or read the Lord of the Rings books. My brother loved them and now his older children do also. My niece is always shocked to learn that I haven't even watched the movies.

Well, tonight I'm watching Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. I'm not sure what I think of this so far. The cinematography is fantastic, the special effects are fantastic, but we seem to either be slowly traveling (through fantastic scenery or special effects) or fighting gruesome creatures. Travel, fight, travel, fight, travel, fight, etc. Seems like there should be more.

And so far, the movie just seems like a prologue to the next two movies.

Well, it isn't over yet, so we'll see.

(If I have bad dreams filled with these gruesome creatures, I'll blame everyone that encouraged me to watch this!)

Mr. Darcy, Firth Style

Need a little more Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy in your life? Is the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice just not fulfilling your Firth/Darcy need? Well, now you can own a piece of the movie for the right price. The portrait of "young" Darcy that Elizabeth gazes at in the Pemberley portrait gallery is up for auction.

For more information, check the Bonhams website. Be sure to select the Flash version of the portrait so you can zoom in on the details. I must say that in close up, the portrait doesn't look as bad as it does in the movie.

Apparently, the first edition of the portrait was so bad a production hand to "tweak" it to get what we see in the movie. The Telegraph has a letter from Firth explaining a bit of this.

Bonhams estimates the portrait will sell for 6,000-7,000 British pounds. Since this isn't the wet-shirt Darcy, I guess I won't be bidding. Or rather, unless the price drops to 6 or 7 pence, I won't be bidding.

If you happen to purchase the portrait, do send us a picture of it hanging in your gallery! And good luck bidding.

Animation

Somebody showed me how to do some animation in PowerPoint today. I've never done animation in PowerPoint, but I have done it in Keynote. Here's an example (only it doesn't look the greatest on YouTube):

This is part of a bigger project that I haven't had time to finish. It plays too fast on YouTube, but it isn't meant to be slow either. There are over 25 animation steps in this...I just wish it wasn't so choppy. Oh well. Enjoy the biker dude.

Pride and Prejudice...Facebook Style

Missy is a fan of Pride and Prejudice Facebook style.

Well worth the reading. A few of my favorite lines from the above link:

Elizabeth Bennet and Caroline Bingley are attending the event Take a Turn about the Room.

Fitzwilliam Darcy is proposing to Elizabeth Bennet. It is not going well. :-/

Mrs. Bennet KNEW that single men with good fortunes would want wives.

It's all funny. Check it out and let us know what you think.

Zodiac (2007)

As previously mentioned, last night I watched Zodiac. I'm talking about the 2007 movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr. It's not a horror film, or even a gory film, but it is very well made and very suspenseful. Zodiac is the story of the journalists and the police officers that tried to capture California's self-named serial killer, the Zodiac. The movie received excellent reviews, but didn't do too well at the box office...probably because a bad movie about the Zodiac came out the year before.

I purposely didn't read anything about the movie or the hunt for the Zodiac killer before watching the movie, and that made it even more nerve-wracking, because I didn't know who would live or die. Although Zodiac focuses on the police and journalists, it does show a few of the murders through the point of view of survivors. These screens are worthy of Hitchcock because the suspense and fear from them carries into later scenes making you anxious about what will happen to the various characters. The journalists in particular made many stupid moves putting themselves and their families in danger of being attacked.

I recommend the movie, but be prepared to be freaked out. The acting is great and the plot keeps you involved all the way through. (I'm too tired to come up with better words to recommend the movie. Really need to stop writing my blog at 11:30 at night!) 

In the end, we still don't know who the Zodiac is or was. The movie presents one theory, but it is un-proven. Here's a theory:

   

Is it just me or are there some similarities between the men (man?) in these sketches; especially around the eyes? Is the Zodiac also Dan Cooper (a.k.a. D.B. Cooper)? You be the judge. 

Kinda' Wish I Hadn't Done That

I watched Zodiac tonight. Watching this movie late into the night by myself...not really a smart thing.

A Little Remix Terror

Did you know that Mr. Darcy, gentleman that he was, was really a menace. This YouTube video proves it. Well, it proves the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice does have an interesting sub-text when remixed a bit. The narration on this video is a little forced, but it is interesting how many images from the movie fit the narrator's theme. Great use of remixing the audio over the silhouette of Lizzie in the last shot of the video.

And YouTube recommended the following video because I watched the above. Yes, I always did think Laura Ingalls Wilder was a horror writer...or at least the TV show kind of turned it into horror with all the silly drama they added. I wonder why the video creator left out the blowing up and burning down of the city in the last episode? I mean, come on, that was right out of LIW's books; right. Here's a clip of the Little House horrors: