Well, it’s actually been a while since the last link dump, so here’s a few interesting links:
- God of War Movie Trailer: If it were directed by Wes Anderson, that is. Excellent spoof of indie movie tropes.
- I Write Like: David Foster Wallace, apparently. Mayhap I should finish off Infinite Jest sometime. Actually, it looks like they updated the algorithm. I still get mostly Wallace, but I’m also getting lots of other folks (Lovecraft, James Joyce, etc…) which is a bit strange. I mean, I write like everybody! I’d like to know more about how they determine the key indicators for each writer.
- Film Longevity: Box Office vs. Oscars: Sam Stoddard (of the excellent but sporadic All Movie Talk podcast) takes on two inevitable movie topics:
- Those snooty Academy Awards! Why do they always nominate obscure art films? In 20 years, nobody will remember them. When the films of today have stood the test of time, they’ll have been forgotten. The films people will remember, see, and cherish are the ones that dominate the box office!
- The public is stupid! Every year they turn the most mindless drivel into cash cows. But the fame these movies have will not endure. When the films of today have stood the test of time, they’ll have been forgotten. The films people will remember, see, and cherish are the ones that win Academy Awards!
These claims are obviously at odds with each other. They can both be false, but they cannot both be true, except in cases where the movies that win at the box office are also the ones garnering awards attention.
He then goes into a relatively thorough examination of the Oscar Nominees and Top Grossing films for each year, going back to the beginnings of the Oscars. Fascinating stuff.
- KFC Drive-Through: Doublelicious all the way. You know, the great thing about laughter is that it just happens. You don’t have to think about it or explain it, which is a good thing, because I have no idea why I laughed so much at this.
- Cognitive Surplus Visualized: Wow.
That’s all for now…