Last Tango in Paris (1972)

So, I decided again to watch a classic from a while back. It's a supremely odd movie. The plot makes no sense--and doesn't really try to. It's pretty cliche, actually, as are the metaphorical events and characters. Not sure why the famous NYT review by Pauline Kael is such a big deal. The acting is a sort of high point...very weird stuff...very spontaneous feeling. I guess the language and content would have seemed very daring in 1972? They too are just sort of dull and cliche now. Techinically, I don't think the film has anything to offer today's audiences, either. Seriously, there is no reason to watch this film for the contemporary audience. It is a historical curiousity. Wanna watch a classic from the 70's? Try "Planet of the Apes" or maybe "Soylent Green" or something. Late 60s? Try "Blow Up".

Apple Mac App Store: A Question

Of course (how could one avoid it) everybody has seen that Apple opened their new Mac App store today.

What do you think about it? Will it be success? What magnitude? Why, why not?

Pro:
*Cheap s/w
*almost zero cost for authors, rev. split with Apple
*"Apple" branded == walled garden with nice people in it only, you can trust the Steve--he's on of the Steves!
*access to new market with little risk for authors
*yet another iTunes store extension
*market seems to accept this new channel strategy--is credible for tech. and "quality" reasons. Apple takes "permission" to yet another level. it was sort of "necessary" for iPhone...now it just plain seems like a good idea that works
*expectation set for cheaper, single use apps thanks to iPhone apps...utils, gimmicks, games. spectrum from "flashlight noisemaker to "Angry Birds""
*cloud is OK for everything now! Netflix, Apps, what next? your whole iTunes library?
*add'l value in the free updates (presuming that carries over to Mac Apps)
*new route for shareware/freeware to monetize? I'd "buy" OpenOffice from the App Store if it was cheap enough and I felt the $$$ were going to the good guys?

Con:
*not filling an empty niche?
*s/w market already had distinct monetization/channel schemes?
*low prices...and share revenue with overlord Apple?
*value stack not special/unique/required as it was for iPhone?
*expectations different for s/w on computer vs. portable device?
*if a failure, black eye that injures the Apple teflon coating.

If this is such a great idea, why didn't Microsoft do it already? Guys like Digital River have done it as the "back office" for many vendors and authors already. What's the big deal? Why didn't somebody else do this...one the big mail order houses that made the seen for PC and Mac back in the day?

Paging Mr. Porter, your "5 Forces" are required...paging Mr. Porter...

Apple: A complaint

Just purchased the following:

iMac 21"

Airport Extreme

the complaints:

1. iMac seems to have a well-complained about blue-tooth related "wake from sleep" problem.

2. Apple "support" site is so jammed or slow that you can't even post about it.

3. the very cool looking sync feature in "Address Book" with yahoo is currently busted. why is all this stuff allowed to be broken all the time? documentation from either Apple or Yahoo is out of date...10.6.5 must plain be just too new

4. Apple still doesn't seem to have a solution for the tremendous "roving sync" problems many of us have...multiple locations, multiple computers. I can't buy anything while on vacation due to this, for starters. iTunes still doesn't have a way to share libraries accross user id's on machines, either. As iTunes gets more central to our lives, Apple needs to address this stuff or we'll have to exit the Apple ecosystem.

...as for AirPort extreme:

5. no web interface for setup...but, to be fair, the Airport Utility is quite good.

6. no support for DynDNS!!! What??? If I had known this, I would not have bought the thing. This router is replacing (my last ever!) Cisco/Linksys WRT54G variant...it had problems at a deep level with certain WiFi hosts...causing it to crash the WiFi side of the network about every 4 days like clockwork--requiring a re-boot of the router. I hope Apple adds DynDNS at minimum to the Airport line, very convenient, with a firmware update.

Other than that...beautiful, speedy hardware that is simply incredible. I wish I could junk every last one of my windows machines and laptops!!!

That is all.

The Singing Detective

So, I just watched the original "The Singing Detective" BBC mini-series (1986) and then a few weeks later, the Hollywood version starring Robert Downey Jr and Mel Gibson (2003). The original is quite long, 6 hours, but has much better visuals styles and the multiple plots are all given enough room to develop. Michael Gambon is amazing in the lead.

The Hollywood version suffers from the short run-time (standard feature, ~90 min) and what appears to be an incredible low budget. The important make-up effect for the lead looks ridiculous. Also, the development of the plots is cut so short as to make no sense...none of the events in any of the plots really end up being meaningful. This is despite some amazing acting by Robert Downey Jr, Robin Wright Penn, and Mel Gibson. Mel Gibson has the small role of the psychiatrist...he was also a producer. He really delivers a great, different, non-typical performance...Mel is quite and actor when he wants to be.

The only thing this back-to-back viewing has accomplished is that the original BBC version of everything is really probably the only one to bother with. 2nd: I'm interested in completeing the rest of the Dennis Potter trilogy...the BBC version of Pennies from Heaven and Lipstick on the Collar. The latter sounds best...hopefully it is on Netflix.

whither Mint?

so...what is the f'n deal with mint.com? they contstantly seem to have outtages and banks and accounts that worked at one point, suddenly stop working. the site was JUST on the verge of being useful...but the wheels seem to have come of this week. First, SallieMae stopped working...and last night it was down totally, and today it can't update anything. Useless!!! Must I return to the accursed non-web Quicken??? Meh.

Avatar

So...finally watched Avatar by the James Cameron. Surprisingly good! I actually wished I had seen it in in 3D in a theater. It is basically "Titantic" + "Aliens" with CG. Amazing acting by the CG cast...not irritating at all. Story had the pace to carry the length...and the images were amazing.

Zombieland

Watched "Zombieland" over the weekend. Not a bad movie, but not a particularly good one, either. Acting was overall quite good. Shot well in a workman-like style. The problem was not story, either. Where it broke down for me was tone...it never seemed to get on track either with the comedy or the suspense or horror. Everywhere "Shaun of the Dead" works, this one fails. Too bad...they had something going there with the concept. Better luck next time!