Thursday, December 8, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
To Google: Stop Reading My Email
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
What’s YOUR Budget These Days? « THE WAKING GIANT
I love it when complex things are simplified so that most people can understand.
• United States Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000
• Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000
• New debt: $ 1,650,000,000,000
• National debt: $14,271,000,000,000
• Recent budget cut: $ 38,500,000,000
Now, remove 8 zeros and pretend it’s a household budget.
• Annual family income: $21,700
• Money the family spent: $38,200
• New debt on the credit card: $16,500
• Outstanding balance on credit card: $142,710
• Total budget cuts which some politicians are proud about: $385
Monday, December 5, 2011
Ridley Scott Signs On For Blade Runner Sequel
For those of you born post-1990, Blade Runner is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep? Superficially it's the story of a man hunting down android killers, though (depending on which version you watch) it also serves as a meditation on what it means to actually be human.
The film features Harrison Ford, Sean Young and the most intense Rutger Hauer performance not centered on transient vigilantes. Most critics adore Blade Runner, and rank it alongside Alien (another film directed by Scott) as one of the finest science fiction efforts ever committed to the silver screen.
Now, nearly 30 years after the film's debut, Scott has agreed to revisit the universe. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal's Speakeasy blog, Scott said production is already rolling along nicely, and that he is currently seeking a screenwriter to assist in crafting a final script.
"I think I'm close to finding a writer that might be able to help me deliver. We're quite a long way in, actually," Scott says.
As for what exactly this new film might be about, that remains a question mark. Though Scott specifically says that this new tale won't focus on the original's cast of characters, he did mention his impression that the original "is very much about humanity," offering a subtle hint that the follow-up will likewise focus on the original's core existential query.
Revisiting his early successes seems to be a key theme for Scott these days, as the director recently finished filming Prometheus, a movie tied to the same mythos as 1979's Alien.
So, what would you like to see in a new Blade Runner film? I've got my fingers crossed for some of them glittering C-beams.
Ridley Scott Signs On For Blade Runner Sequel
Saturday, December 3, 2011
The New Eugenics in Cinema: Genetic Determinism and Gene Therapy in GATTACA
Genetic Determinism and Eugenics in GATTACA. Given this cultural context, Sony Pictures’ GATTACA (1997) presents a unique counter-argument. GATTACA not only deals with the bioethical issues associated with the new eugenics, it actually suggests that these issues arise from societal acceptance of the genetic-determinist ideology. In essence, GATTACA tries to break out of the black box constructed by genetic scientists who portray a world dominated by genes. GATTACA does not deny the importance of genes, nor does it fault the technology itself; rather, the film warns of the problems that arise if we believe that humans are nothing more than their genes.
GATTACA depicts a future world in which parents are encouraged to decide the genetic makeup of their offspring before birth. In this world not everyone has access to the technology, and individuals who have not been genetically enhanced encounter severe discrimination. GATTACA’s narrative focuses on Vincent Freeman, a genetically unenhanced individual, and his interactions with three characters, Eugene, Irene, and Anton, who are genetically enhanced. During the course of the film, Vincent avoids genetic discrimination by passing off Eugene Morrow’s genetic makeup as his own.8 Because everyone believes that Vincent has Eugene’s genetic profile, he is able to obtain a job at the prestigious Gattaca corporation, which arranges offworld expeditions. While at Gattaca, Vincent develops a romantic relationship with Irene, who would be genetically perfect except for a single flaw, a weak heart—ironically, the same defect suffered by Vincent himself. Early in the film an executive is murdered at Gattaca, and the subsequent investigation is conducted by Vincent’s genetically augmented younger brother, Anton. A stray eyelash provides DNA evidence, making Vincent the prime suspect in the murder. Because the DNA profile from the eyelash shows a genetically imperfect individual, nobody suspects that the eyelash really belongs to the best engineer working at Gattaca. As Irene and Anton begin to realize that Vincent is not genetically perfect, they are forced, along with Eugene, to confront the fact that the genetically unenhanced Vincent is actually a superior human being, able to excel physically and socially despite his built-in "flaws."
More: David A. Kirby: The New Eugenics in Cinema: Genetic Determinism and Gene Therapy in GATTACA