Best Form Of Defens

Love through strength: "

Mmmmmm-meat

Photo: "

Reblogged

an image from fukung.net

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Troubling Single System

Every now and then I am reminded why I am an advocate of double-system (even if I lazily use single-system on some of my own low budget stuff).

Edit: wow, that's such a hefty setup it might not all fit into your browser. Here's the scaled down version:

Tumbleweed Blows Past Blog

I'll admit it, I'm busy. Twatting out less than 140 characters is a lot easier then writing actual content.

I got a rebate on my tax return. That's not so bad.

"The Fix" is tentatively scheduled to be completed June 2010. Watch this space.

However, this last tax year I've done less sound recording and more micro-budget movie producing. Not sure how I feel about that.

The iPad. Yes, it's a good iDevice. With Apple at the top end of the casual computer user market with the iPad and Google at the lower end with Chrome OS, Microsoft will be screwing business users for all the CALs they can charge you for in order to pay for the stock buy-backs to prop up MSFT. This is turn will drive business users back to *NIX, and guess what? Microsoft may finally have to up its stake in Novell SuSE Linux and buy the damn thing.

#2095

Just Testing Google Reader Send To Blogger

Magic Mouse Doubles Apple Market Share: "The Magic Mouse has helped Apple double its market share in mice within two months."

Movie Review: Mission X

Directed by David Paul Baker, Mission X is a heist movie with a decidedly Scottish accent. I'd describe it as 'Paranormal Activity' meets 'Heat'. It's a grungy looking documentary, made in a style I can emphasise with since it's a style I chose as a starting point for my first feature. Oh, and there's guns. Lots of guns.

Difficult to follow at times, the narrative does not spoon-feed you which seems in opposition to some of the graphics overlays which I consider a bit hackneyed (you know the thing, where it's meant to be a camcorder viewfinder - never fails to pull me right out of a movie). Personally I liked the doubletakes the movie made me do before I figured out I was seeing flashforwards. They serve to be disorientating which strengthens the mood and heightens the anticipation.

I really got a sense of the dynamic between Ryan (the head mercenary) and Grant (the student videographer), very reminiscent of a father/son relationship (if my relationship with my son is anything to go by). The rest of the mercenaries all have their own character traits, from the insecure psychotic to a surprising romantic revelation. The story rounds off with a bittersweet payoff as Ryan reveals the purpose of the mission. Can't really say anymore without spoilers.

Technically it's not without issues. My sound system accentuated every little pop and tiny dropout - not hugely annoying but mildly irritating. In some scenes though the production sound was markedly better. I suppose it was this inconsistency (and the fact I tend to get over anal about soundtracks) that drew my attention.

Frankly though, when you consider what David has achieved with no support from any funding body, he has shown the 'can do' attitude and some cheeky requests can get you anything from a Hummer to a Winnebago and an armourer. It's also created interest in his next picture, Death Movie.

You can follow David on Twitter and the DVD is available here. From what I gather it will also be published from iTunes and other places soon.