Requiem For A Dream

Links for June 18th from 12:39 to 13:07

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(Note: Normally, these will show up sometime after or around midnight-ish each day. I just wanted to make sure the system was working correctly, so this one’s a bit early. The joys of bug testing!)

Sometime between 12:39 and 13:07, I thought this stuff was interesting. You might think so too!

  • Wall.E : Pixar animation: [Sound designer Ben] Burtt has spent much of the past two years holed up on his own in a concrete bunker at Pixar's studios, recording the sounds made by toothbrushes, household appliances, miniature jet planes, army tanks and his own voice.
  • Exits: Stewart Butterfield’s bizarre resignation letter to Yahoo: I'm also told that this email is classic Butterfield, and that his employees at Flickr would stage dramatic readings of some of his better missives at Flickr's San Francisco headquarters…
  • in vestimentis ursum: Surely the robot hiding in the bear's clothing, vestimentis ursum, is impressive. So: armed with my childish curiousity and the spurious excuse of 'product design research,' I set out to discover what, exactly, these creatures are hiding.
  • Requiem For A Day Off: Absolutely incredible re-cut trailer, setting Ferris Bueller's Day Off to music from Requiem For a Dream.
  • Takei Marriage License Big News [UPDATED]: George Takei (Star Trek's Sulu) and his partner Brad Altman get California's first same-sex marriage license. Congratulations!

Egypt, martial arts, drugs, sex.

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Not much of an update today. Was supposed to go out with Miranda to see The Mummy Returns, unfortunately as she’s not feeling well, that’ll have to wait until later in the week. But, I’ve got a good selection of alternative entertainment available…this being a Tuesday with some good new releases, I came home with some more movies. Here’s this weeks loot….

Big Trouble in Little China: A mid-80’s John Carpenter classic that was probably way ahead of its time. Chinese mythology and fighting in the midst of San Francisco just didn’t fly when it came out…but in today’s age of wire-fighting turning up everywhere (from traditional type films such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon to The Matrix and Charlie’s Angels), then this one fits right in along with the rest. Besides — it’s just a kick-ass flick!

Requiem for a Dream: The sophomore effort from Darren Aronofsky, the man behind Pi, this was in no way a ‘sophmore slump.’ A masturfully done and incredibly disturbing film, this story of four people descending into the depths of various addictions is not one to expect to walk out of feeling happy with the world, but is a very powerful film. I was lucky enough to see it in the theater while I was in Seattle last November, and was just amazed by this one — Darren Aronofsky is definitely a director I’m going to keep my eye on in the future.

Sex and the City: Season 2: After Adri recommended Season 1 to me and I went through it, I was pleased to discover that this is a wonderfully entertaining show. Didn’t even realize that the Season 2 set came out today until I saw it on the shelves, then figured I might as well pick it up — pretty much just a whim purchase. Not a bad one, though, if it holds up to the quality of the first season. Here’s hoping!

So that’s it. I’m thinking this would be a good evening to watch Kurt Russel kick some butt in Chinatown….