There are plenty of reasons to dislike Coca-Cola, including the recent kerfuffle about them funding research that shifts the blame for America’s obesity problem to lack of exercise rather than sugary drinks. That said, I’m a big fan of Coke Zero, and since AMC Theatres sent me a free drink coupon for my birthday, I went…
It’s Monday and after days of being deeply involved with the conference, I need to get back to my writing. Just a few short things to share: Ex Machina I’ve had mixed luck with future tech movies lately. Big Hero 6 was fantastic, Transcendence was a mess, and after reading the reviews, I couldn’t bring…
I think I’m going to make a habit of posting a film — short or otherwise — on Wednesdays.This week’s submission is a 42-minute long 1972 documentary based on sociologist Alvin Toffler’s vision of the future and how he thought we would push back against it (his wife Heidi also contributed, but she was not acknowledged as…
Need help getting through the middle of the week? Enjoy this award winning, Kickstarter-funded, 20-minute film from 2012, in which a spaceship builds itself a body. It considers themes of consciousness and personhood that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. (h/t io9) The official movie site has some behind-the-scenes production photos, too.
Sony Pictures released a vastly improved trailer for the upcoming movie Chappie. The effects look good and the cast is intriguing: Dev Patel, Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, and both Yolandi and Ninja from Die Antwoord (who seem to be playing versions of themselves). At one point in the trailer, Dev Patel says, “What interests me…
I haven’t stood in line for the first showing of a movie since an ex-boyfriend dragged me to some godawful Star Wars prequel. The one with Jar Jar. Yeah, exactly. Kinda soured me on the experience. But I’m so ridiculously excited for Big Hero 6 that I might have to do it. Why? Baymax. The…
The movie Lucy opened in the US last week and it has simultaneously thrilled and enraged the geek subculture of which I consider myself a member. If you somehow haven’t seen the trailer, here you go: See the dilemma? On the one hand, we get a superhero-type action movie with a female protagonist, directed by Luc…
The spread of technology allows people around the world to participate in events simultaneously. It’s remarkable to me how little this utilized. Why are we locked in our geographical containers for so many things? Time zones play a role, and language, but too often the barriers are broadcast rights and access restrictions. I think humanity…
Next month, the movie Transcendence hits theatres. The trailer below seems to give the major plot points: in a future where technology is omnipresent, a radical protest group called RIFT attacks the creators of that technology, resulting in the death of a scientist played by Johnny Depp. Before he dies, his consciousness is uploaded and…
A few days ago, after a mention of the Second Life 10 year anniversary, io9 put together a memory-jogging post about how our concept of virtual worlds — as seen through movies and television — has evolved in the past 40 years. It’s worth a look and some thought. Below: Anthony Hopkins in Freejack (1992),…