The Day After Tomorrow

by

I got back home a bit ago from seeing Roland Emmerich‘s latest death, doom, and destruction lovefest: The Day After Tomorrow. The verdict? Surprisingly, not nearly as bad as I was expecting it to be, as long as you keep in mind that it’s your typical summer disaster movie, big on special effects, and short on plausible plot.

The first half of the film, dealing with all of the cataclysmic weather tearing through the world (mostly the US, though we are treated to shots of gargantuan hailstones in Tokyo and snow in New Delhi), is by far the stronger half. Since it doesn’t have to worry about niggling little details about why things are happening or how people are coping and is free to just let the effects department run rampant, it’s actually a lot of fun. Okay, so this is defining “fun” in a somewhat odd way — wholesale destruction and massive loss of life — but hey, it works.

It’s the latter half of the film where things get iffy. None of the various plot threads are really that gripping, and many of the actions taken are silly at best, and fairly ludicrous at worst. When a small group of survivors hole up inside a room in the New York Library and start burning books in the fireplace in order to stay warm, one really has to wonder why they don’t start breaking down the heavy wooden tables, chairs and sofas, or tear into some of the wood paneling all around the room for some longer-lasting and better burning fuel, for instance.

One thing that was bugging me a bit as the movie went on was how badly the passage of time was managed. While there were numerous remarks about the superstorm that glaciates the entire Northern hemisphere lasting for seven to ten days, it was very difficult to tell when time jumps were being made. Scenes just cut one to another, and aside from the occasional easily-missed line about something happening “a couple of days ago”, there was no real way to tell when scenes were changing between events taking place at roughly the same time, and when scenes were jumping forward hours or days at a time. Anything from a few quick montages, or even wipes or dissolves rather than jump cuts could have done a lot to make the passage of time a little more obvious.

I will say that I think (hope) that Emmerich may be on a bit of an upswing again, though. I’ve watched his career as a director sink pretty steadily downwards through the years, but even with all its flaws, I found TDAT entertaining enough that it gives me hope that there may be more in the future that is at least watchable. ;) My basis for this is as follows:

  • 1994: Stargate — maybe it should be a guilty pleasure, but I’ve always enjoyed Stargate. The effects were good, I loved the design work mixing Egyptian themes with sci-fi technology, and while the plot was a little shaky in spots, overall it wasn’t that bad, and it was a fun look at the ever-popular theory that the construction of the pyramids was assisted by alien technology.
  • 1996: Independence Day — while it was still enjoyable, even if only for the sheer ridiculous spectacle of it all, Emmerich was definitely favoring effects over plot for ID4. The effects were definitely a blast (almost literally, I suppose), but the script got to be so ludicrous at times (the virus upload, for instance) that you really had to turn your brain off to enjoy it. Still, even with good effects and a shoddy plot, it was still entertaining.
  • 1998: Godzilla — some of the best trailers I’d seen in a long time…and one of the worst movies. Nothing worked in this one — bad script, bad plot, bad acting, and bad effects. All in all, a bad idea. Plus they took one of the most-loved movie monsters in history and turned him into a joke of a giant iguana. Easily the low point of Emmerich’s career to date.
  • 2000: The Patriot — never saw it, so I don’t know how it figures into this. :)
  • 2004: The Day After Tomorrow — here, we’ve returned to the good effects and shoddy plot combination of ID4. I don’t think that TDAT is as enjoyable as ID4 was, but it was certainly more enjoyable than Godzilla (admittedly, not hard to do).

Here’s hoping that the pendulum will continue to swing in Emmerich’s favor, and that his next film — King Tut, according to the IMDB — will actually be at least decent, and maybe even actually something close to worthwhile.

Scientifically, of course, the whole movie is laughable. I had some fun after I got home looking up some of the articles that have popped up on the web in the past week or so taking a critical look at the science in the film.

From the Seattle PI, Scientists scoff as climates run amok on big screen:

“Shameless scientific prostitution,” blasted Gerard Roe, professor in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences.

The Statue of Liberty knee-deep in snow with taxi-sized icicles dangling off her nose? A bit of a stretch?

“It was a gross distortion of almost everything we know,” Roe slammed.

And the team of tornadoes that leveled half of Los Angeles? A tad over the top?

“The whole thing is absurd,” declared David Battisti, director of the Earth Initiative, a UW-wide program looking at the effect of humans on the planet.

From TechNewsWorld, ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ Heats Up a Political Debate:

“I’m heartened that there’s a movie addressing real climate issues,” says Marshall Shepherd, a research meteorologist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. “But as for the science of the movie, I’d give it a D minus or an F.”

From MTV’s review, ‘Day After Tomorrow’ Rich In Effects But Hilariously Implausible:

And where did this “science” come from? Well, it’s worth noting that “The Day After Tomorrow” was “suggested in part” by a book called “The Coming Global Superstorm,” by Art Bell and Whitley Strieber. Art Bell is a UFO buff who hosts a syndicated radio show devoted to the paranormal. Whitley Strieber is the author of a best-selling 1987 book about his many encounters with space aliens. The name of the book is “Communion: A True Story.”

Lastly, MSNBC has a good Q-and-A page about some of the climactic theories put forth in the film.

Disney vs. Pixar

by

The continuing animosity between Disney and Pixar amuses me to no end — it’s amazing how snarky the comments have been getting. For instance, this one, from a post about the possibility of Disney making sequels to the Pixar films that they have the rights to on MacMinute:

“The unproven writing and graphics quality of Disney’s work with computer-guided-image animation may have an unintentional ‘contagion’ impact since consumers may subconsciously associate these films as Pixar product,” Reif Cohen said in a report Thursday. “In addition, too many releases may fatigue CGI’s scarcity value, which has created consumer intrigue for this ‘event’ animation format.” Her comments mirror those made by Pixar (and Apple) CEO Steve Jobs. “We feel sick about Disney doing sequels because if you look at the quality of their sequels… it’s been pretty embarrassing,” Jobs said during Pixar’s fourth-quarter earnings call in February.

He’s certainly not wrong, though.

iTunes: “Bless You” by Orlando, Tony from the album Pop Music: The Golden Era 1951-1975 (1961, 2:09).

More online crack

by

Another good online time-waster: a version of Breakout that actually manages to put a new twist on the game by giving it a circular playfield — Plastic Balls.

Rather than running your paddle back and forth across a plane…well, you know those bright yellow plastic funnel coin collectors where you drop a coin down a trough and watch it go spinning in circles down the funnel? Put bricks around the outside edge of the funnel, put your paddle rotating around the funnel, and let the ball bounce between your paddle in the center and the bricks on the outside.

Very cool, and the extra level of pseudo-dimensionality adds a nice new touch to the gameplay.

(via Collision Detection)

Anti-Goth measures fail due to lack of interest

by

Two years ago, in a rather ridiculous display of small-minded stupidity, the town of Blue Springs, MO earmarked \$273,000 of their education budget to combat Goth culture.

“Goth culture” in Blue Springs, Mo., may be in for some tough times.

Thanks to Rep. Sam Graves, a Republican who represents the Kansas City suburb, \$273,000 out of the Department of Education’s fiscal 2002 budget will help the Blue Springs Outreach Unit take on a perceived problem for local youths.

“It is my hope that this funding will give the officers in the Youth Outreach Unit the tools they need to identify Goth culture leaders that are preying on our kids,” Rep. Graves said in a press release announcing the appropriation last month.

[…]

“It was really a community need, and they really weren’t able to satisfactorily get money at the local level,” Mr. Patek said of the Blue Springs project to combat Goth culture. Some parents and law- enforcement officials are concerned that, beyond the dark fashions and music characteristic of that subculture, some “Goth” teenagers are drawn into potentially dangerous behavior.

The program is meant to help train police officers, and help schools and families with children involved in Goth culture, according to the announcement from Rep. Graves. Drug abuse and self-mutilation are among the troubling behaviors Goth culture fosters, Mr. Patek said.

He stressed that the effort will not be limited to Blue Springs. “I know this was a good project,” Mr. Patek said. “And it’s a finite amount of resources. … We’re not talking about an ongoing federal commitment.”

This was so unnecessary. We must protect our children from those evil people who wear black, and listen to all that wierd music! Ugh.

Thankfully, word comes now that the project essentially went nowhere, and more than half of the money is being returned (and, hopefully, put to better use in the future). The best part? Rather than “combatting” Goth culture, the people involved ended up realizing that it’s not such a horrible thing, and just another aspect of how some people choose to present themselves.

The Goth grant is over.

Goth acceptance and tolerance is now in.

…plans for the grant never unfolded, and Blue Springs has returned \$132,000 of the money unused. Officials concede today they never found much of a “problem” at all associated with the Goth culture, and instead have developed a new understanding and acceptance.

A little good news to start the day, for once.

(via Jesus’ General, via Atrios)

Life in Fallujah today

by

This is the democracy and freedom that our soldiers are dying for…

With U.S. marines gone and central government authority virtually nonexistent, Fallujah resembles an Islamic mini-state – anyone caught selling alcohol is flogged and paraded in the city. Men are encouraged to grow beards and barbers are warned against giving “western” hair cuts.

“After all the blood that was shed, and the lives that were lost, we shall only accept God’s law in Fallujah,” said cleric Abdul-Qader al-Aloussi, offering a glimpse of what a future Iraq may look like as the U.S.-led occupation draws to a close. “We must capitalize on our victory over the Americans and implement Islamic sharia laws.”

The departure of the marines under an agreement that ended the three-week siege last month has enabled hardline Islamic leaders to assert their power in this once-restive city 50 kilometres west of Baghdad.

(via Atrios)

How to make friends by telephone

by

Many people are linking to this 1940’s era booklet on the then-newish telephone system and commenting on how amusing it is.

As for me, after flipping through the pages, I’m struck by how much more bearable many phone conversations these days would be if people would keep these pointers in mind.

(via Boing Boing)

iTunes: “Storm 3000” by Leftfield from the album Leftism (1995, 5:43).

Gore’s speech at NYU

by

Excellent speech given by Al Gore at New York University yesterday (it’s a shame that this Al Gore wasn’t the Al Gore campaigning against Bush in 2000). This is a long one, but it is really worth watching, or reading, in its entirety.

C-Span Video (RealOne, 1 hour 9 minutes): Al Gore at NYU.

MoveOn.org Transcript: Remarks by Al Gore, May 26, 2004.

George W. Bush promised us a foreign policy with humility. Instead, he has brought us humiliation in the eyes of the world.

He promised to “restore honor and integrity to the White House.” Instead, he has brought deep dishonor to our country and built a durable reputation as the most dishonest President since Richard Nixon.

[…]

As a nation, our greatest export has always been hope: hope that through the rule of law people can be free to pursue their dreams, that democracy can supplant repression and that justice, not power, will be the guiding force in society. Our moral authority in the world derived from the hope anchored in the rule of law. With this blatant failure of the rule of law from the very agents of our government, we face a great challenge in restoring our moral authority in the world and demonstrating our commitment to bringing a better life to our global neighbors.

During Ronald Reagan’s Presidency, Secretary of Labor Ray Donovan was accused of corruption, but eventually, after a lot of publicity, the indictment was thrown out by the Judge. Donovan asked the question, “Where do I go to get my reputation back?” President Bush has now placed the United States of America in the same situation. Where do we go to get our good name back?

The answer is, we go where we always go when a dramatic change is needed. We go to the ballot box, and we make it clear to the rest of the world that what’s been happening in America for the last four years, and what America has been doing in Iraq for the last two years, really is not who we are. We, as a people, at least the overwhelming majority of us, do not endorse the decision to dishonor the Geneva Convention and the Bill of Rights.

[…]

In December of 2000, even though I strongly disagreed with the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to order a halt to the counting of legally cast ballots, I saw it as my duty to reaffirm my own strong belief that we are a nation of laws and not only accept the decision, but do what I could to prevent efforts to delegitimize George Bush as he took the oath of office as president.

I did not at that moment imagine that Bush would, in the presidency that ensued, demonstrate utter contempt for the rule of law and work at every turn to frustrate accountability…

So today, I want to speak on behalf of those Americans who feel that President Bush has betrayed our nation’s trust, those who are horrified at what has been done in our name, and all those who want the rest of the world to know that we Americans see the abuses that occurred in the prisons of Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo and secret locations as yet undisclosed as completely out of keeping with the character and basic nature of the American people and at odds with the principles on which America stands.

I believe we have a duty to hold President Bush accountable – and I believe we will. As Lincoln said at our time of greatest trial, “We – even we here – hold the power, and bear the responsibility.”

(via MeFi)

Descent 2 for Mac OS X: FREE!

by

This rocks.

I’m not much of a gamer. Never have been, likely never will be. Most computer games bore me, requiring far too much time and mental effort to bother with (any strategy based game — StarCraft, WarCraft, WoodCraft), or just being so pointless I can’t envision devoting time to them (EverCrack). Generally, if I get into a game, it’s for a few minutes at a time, and either brainless but fun point-and-shoot (Doom) or brainless drive-around-in-circles racing games (Star Wars Pod Racer, Wipeout for Playstation).

One of the few games that ever really got my attention was Descent. At the time it came out, it was a groundbreaking game — taking the then-typical pesudo-3D first-person-shooter approach of Castle Wolfenstein, Doom, and so on, and putting it into a true three dimensional world.

Where previous “3D” games were actually two-dimensional (your only real choices of movement were on a plane — forward, backwards, left, and right turns, etc.), Descent put you in control of a small spacecraft flying through tunnels within planets and asteroids, adding the final third dimension, allowing you to pilot your craft through all three axis of movement. You could dive, barrel roll, loop-de-loop, swoop down on targets, anything.

We had some great multi-player Descent games at The Pit (my old apartment in Anchorage), and for once, I had the advantage. While I would occasionally play games, I wasn’t enough of a gamer to have very many old habits built in, so when I started playing with the controls of Descent, it didn’t take me long to get the hang of moving through a fully three-dimensional world. My roommate Jason wasn’t able to adjust as quickly, due to the ingrained habit of only thinking along two axis of movement. Many was the time when he’d end up behind me, blasting away, when suddenly I’d go round a bend in the tunnel just out of his sight, fly into a large open room, and immediately shoot straight up to hover just above the entrance. Jason would come screaming into the cavern and start trying to find me — panning left and right. Meanwhile, I’d be targeting him from above, suddenly unleashing a blistering stream of laser fire onto the top of his ship, and sending him off into blissful digital oblivion.

Of course, Jason being the jobless obsessive-compulsive that he was, he soon spent far too many hours doing nothing but play Descent, so it was only a matter of a week or two before he was flying circles around everyone else in the apartment. Still, my little reign of terror was fun while it lasted.

What got all this started running through my brain, though, was Phil tipping me off to some wonderful news — Descent 2 has been ported to run on Mac OS X, and is freely downloadable!

Schweeeeet.

It’s downloaded, just waiting for me to install it. I think I better wait ’till the weekend to do that, though, otherwise I’m likely to get nothing done from here on out.

What a deal!

by

While on my lunch break today, I heard the sounds of Queen’s “We are the Champions” emanating from the television mounted in the corner of the burger joint I frequent daily. I looked up to see shots of middle-aged men running down the street, jumping into the air, and pumping their arms in jubilation. Then the subject of the commercial came on.

Some sort of Viagra “club” deal — buy six doses, get the seventh free.

This struck me as completely bizarre.

I’m also left wondering just what the punchcard for this deal must look like…

iTunes: “Music (Groove Armada Club)” by Madonna from the album Music (2000, 9:31).