Movies

The Matrix Reloaded, Revolutions, Re-Explained.

Where did the garbage monster came from on the Death Star ? You know, when 2 garbage monsters love each other very much... The history of Dianoga, the monster in the Death Star sewers is intriguing :

Dianogas originated on the planet Vodran — discovered by the Hutts prior to the formation of the Galactic Republic — where the creatures evolved a form of natural camouflage to avoid the planet's large predators. Their bodies would become transparent when unfed.

Wookieepedia is an online reference of the Star Wars universe, and reads like a thrilling book.

Techblog has an article listing the best 15 geek movies to see before you die. Is your favorite pet movie included ?

Dusso.com has some great high resolution images of the Naboo and Coruscant planets.

Mr. Brown : I'm talking morning, noon, and night. Dick, dick, dick, dick, dick, dick, dick.
Mr. Blue: How many dicks is that?
Mr. White : A lot.

This gem, along others, can be found on the movie quotes database.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams is a remarkable book : it begins with earthling Arthur Dent facing the destruction of his house to make room for a new highway. To add insult to injury, Arthur's friend of many years, Ford Prefect, informs Arthur that Earth itself is about to end, as an alien race wishes to make an intergalactic highway and Earth is in its way. The novel then follows what becomes of Arthur and Ford as they hitch their way onto the Heart Of Gold, the most advanced ship in the galaxy, which itself was hijacked by Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed, way trippy ex-hippie president of the galaxy. Also on board, they meet the unforgettable Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend, whom Arthur once tried to mack on, and Marvin, a paranoid, chronically depressed robot. Thus, Arthur and Ford cruise the galaxy, searching for the question to the Ultimate Answer Of Life, the Universe, and Everything.

The book has been rewritten numerous times, been adapted to other media formats, including stage shows, and radio broadcasts. As a result, many versions of the Guide were develloped, all slightly different. And now, a new version has been added in the form of a movie, being released this week in theathers in Belgium. Most of the reviews I've read were going from 'this sucks' to 'could have been better', so I'm not settings my hopes too high for this.

With the release of the new Star Wars DVD box, it's a good thing to reveal the truth about the saga : from the beginning, Lucas confused the good guys with the bad. The deep lesson of Star Wars is that the Empire is good. In his column, Jonathan Last explains in his case for the Empire, what's wrong with our view on a galaxy far, far away.

The original Star Wars movies have been re-re-remastered; I'm still in doubt whether or not to buy the 3 DVD box, but at 50$ I guess it's not such an exaggerated price. TheDigitalBits has a nice overview what has been changed graphically between the 1997 Special Editions of the Star Wars films and the new 2004 DVD Editions.

I saw the DVD of 'Le fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain' laying in the hypermarket, so I bought it. For a hefty 22 Euros, I'm a bit dissapointed, because the DVD contains only the movie itself, with no additional material. After ten times watching the movie, there are still questions puzzling me, like why every scene in the movie contains red and green as the most basic colors. Why does the wind blows so hard in the garden of Amelie's father ? Questions I hoped to find answers for on the DVD, but alas...The DVD has as subtitle She will change your life, and that's ironically very true. Since I have seen this movie, my life has changed remarkably in the past month...

Last Friday, I saw for the first time Le fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain. I generally don't like French films, but Le destin is a juwel. I'm apparently not the only one with this opinion, because the movie, which is regarded as the master of feel-good movies, was for 52 weeks (!) on the programmation list of the famous Studio movie theathers in Leuven. If you watch the movie, pay attention to the photography. Nearly every frame is a watercolor painting come to life, even the most mundane scenes.

Take, for instance, the snippet where Amelie encounters the man playing the record player in the subway. Look at the colors, and how even the buttons on the man's coat echoes the peas in the painting behind him. Look, too, at the colors in the concierge's apartment and in the park -- everywhere! It is a feast for the eyes!

Very beautifull soundtrack too from Yann Tiersen.