That might fit in my other blog, but it's borderline...
The following site transforms any text in music: P22 Music Text Composition Generator
Great fun, I tried to put Matrix Reloaded's Architect speech in it, at 960bpm, using an overdriven guitar sound, it rocks! In a very experimental way, of course... :)
The next one transforms your keyboard in a drumbox (and flashes subliminal patterns in front of your eyes as you drum along). Kitsch!
http://www.ronwinter.tv/drums.html
Friday, March 20, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Guillon encore...
Pour remettre les points sur les "i".
Faut pas deconner, les riches en chient aussi!
Faut pas deconner, les riches en chient aussi!
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Watchmen.
I read the comics about 5 years ago, when I got into Alan Moore's work. I actually think I started with From Hell and moved on to it, as it was the next logical step.
I'm not going to discuss the magnificence of this work, as my poor words are not worthy.
Let's only say that, having seen at that point some other work from Moore "adapted" to the cinemas, I hoped and hoped that theyr would NEVER try to adapt this. They could only trash it.
When I learned they were actually going to do it, I was just horrified. I might have sworn I would never go and see it.
I couldn't help to follow the production news (through the usual channels, eg AICN) when it actually kicked in. I have to say that knowing that Zack Snyder was involved attracted my curiosity...
And as news came in, looking quite good, I found myself actually believing that it could actually work...
Well the day I hoped that would never arrive arrived...
And I just can't believe it.
They made it. They made a "super hero movie" out of Watchmen. Action scenes, poses, it's al there. Just that would be heresy (although, having had a look at the comic book, it's all there, only less emphasized). But "the rest" (ie the important stuff) is there as well!! It IS Watchmen. They did it. They made it work. It all blends perfectly. The acting is incredible, the production design makes the comics universe alive and real and the music enhances the whole thing (the use of Dylan's The Times They Are A Changing for the introduction credits, which encapsulates the Minute Men history, is one example of a perfect choice).
What's not in the original comics is wondefully adapted, it just all fits (the ending I think is a wonderful idea, it makes so much sense...).
The great moments of the comics are there. Dr Manhattan's monologue. The citadel on Mars. Archie's flight.
It's all there, the spirit is there.
It's Watchmen. I can't believe it.
If seeing that many crappy adaptations of Moore's work (V For Vendetta being the only notable exception in my book, as this one was brilliant if slightly flawed) was the price to pay to see that one go through and get the proper treatment, well I'm glad to have paid it.
(that leaves From Hell as the truly "unadaptable" comics from Moore)
I'm happy.
I'm not going to discuss the magnificence of this work, as my poor words are not worthy.
Let's only say that, having seen at that point some other work from Moore "adapted" to the cinemas, I hoped and hoped that theyr would NEVER try to adapt this. They could only trash it.
When I learned they were actually going to do it, I was just horrified. I might have sworn I would never go and see it.
I couldn't help to follow the production news (through the usual channels, eg AICN) when it actually kicked in. I have to say that knowing that Zack Snyder was involved attracted my curiosity...
And as news came in, looking quite good, I found myself actually believing that it could actually work...
Well the day I hoped that would never arrive arrived...
And I just can't believe it.
They made it. They made a "super hero movie" out of Watchmen. Action scenes, poses, it's al there. Just that would be heresy (although, having had a look at the comic book, it's all there, only less emphasized). But "the rest" (ie the important stuff) is there as well!! It IS Watchmen. They did it. They made it work. It all blends perfectly. The acting is incredible, the production design makes the comics universe alive and real and the music enhances the whole thing (the use of Dylan's The Times They Are A Changing for the introduction credits, which encapsulates the Minute Men history, is one example of a perfect choice).
What's not in the original comics is wondefully adapted, it just all fits (the ending I think is a wonderful idea, it makes so much sense...).
The great moments of the comics are there. Dr Manhattan's monologue. The citadel on Mars. Archie's flight.
It's all there, the spirit is there.
It's Watchmen. I can't believe it.
If seeing that many crappy adaptations of Moore's work (V For Vendetta being the only notable exception in my book, as this one was brilliant if slightly flawed) was the price to pay to see that one go through and get the proper treatment, well I'm glad to have paid it.
(that leaves From Hell as the truly "unadaptable" comics from Moore)
I'm happy.
Friday, March 06, 2009
The Zombie Survival Guide / World War Z
I finished a book! That didn't happen for some time...
I actually have good stack I want to read, but I haven't taken the time lately...
Anyway this one I finished.
I 1st heard of Max Brooks when I read an interview of his dad, Mel Brooks, on AICN.
I felt quite like reading a zombie story, so I went ahead and bought both The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z.
I have to say I wasn't really impressed with the first one. Sure, it is wittily written, it is entertaining, but for me it was the concept that actually failed. As a guide, it needed to be a sort of catalog of things and I got a bit bored with it, I didn't finish it (I read 3/4 of it still and stopped during the description of various attacks through time). It still developped some interesting ideas. It's more something like each part was good, but it didn't work for me as a whole.
So I still got onto World War Z. And that's another beast completely. So it starts from the hypothesis that a major zombie outbreak broke out and started the 3rd world war. And it's built on the testimonies of actors of it, well after the fact. So you have this sort of kaleidoscopic view of the world as it was, as it became and how it evolved after this. And it's built well engough that you know enough, but still can guess a lot.
I extrapolates on the world we live in, throws this "what if" in and I think that what it describes would really happen if the world came to an end like this...
Clandestine refugees spreading the disease...
The role of the stock market and reality TV...
USA declaring war on zombies...
North Korea disappearing...
Only a few examples of scenes whose vivid descriptions shall stay with me for a while...
I thought it was brilliant. It's very well written, with lots of details that make it feel real and it's very well structured as well which make up for an engaging read.
I heard they're trying to make a movie out of it. I'll keep an eye on that one, because there's a lot of potential for an epic film...
I actually have good stack I want to read, but I haven't taken the time lately...
Anyway this one I finished.
I 1st heard of Max Brooks when I read an interview of his dad, Mel Brooks, on AICN.
I felt quite like reading a zombie story, so I went ahead and bought both The Zombie Survival Guide and World War Z.
I have to say I wasn't really impressed with the first one. Sure, it is wittily written, it is entertaining, but for me it was the concept that actually failed. As a guide, it needed to be a sort of catalog of things and I got a bit bored with it, I didn't finish it (I read 3/4 of it still and stopped during the description of various attacks through time). It still developped some interesting ideas. It's more something like each part was good, but it didn't work for me as a whole.
So I still got onto World War Z. And that's another beast completely. So it starts from the hypothesis that a major zombie outbreak broke out and started the 3rd world war. And it's built on the testimonies of actors of it, well after the fact. So you have this sort of kaleidoscopic view of the world as it was, as it became and how it evolved after this. And it's built well engough that you know enough, but still can guess a lot.
I extrapolates on the world we live in, throws this "what if" in and I think that what it describes would really happen if the world came to an end like this...
Clandestine refugees spreading the disease...
The role of the stock market and reality TV...
USA declaring war on zombies...
North Korea disappearing...
Only a few examples of scenes whose vivid descriptions shall stay with me for a while...
I thought it was brilliant. It's very well written, with lots of details that make it feel real and it's very well structured as well which make up for an engaging read.
I heard they're trying to make a movie out of it. I'll keep an eye on that one, because there's a lot of potential for an epic film...
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Gran Torino.
I hadn't seen a CVlint Eastwood movie for a while. I gave Flags of our fathers & Letters form Iwo Jima a miss and I didn't get round to see Changeling.
I managed to catch that one.
And I have to say it was worth it.
He started taking his aging into account early on and so he did the grumpy old man role before, but not up to the point of thee main character here, so it feels still a bit fresh. And he put all his charisma to it as well, making Walt Kowalski a very memorable character (those grunts will be remembered, that's for sure!).
The symbolic is also very strong: almost 20 years after finishing off The Man With No Name in Unforgiven, he's giving Dirty Harry a last stand here. And he evolved in a remarkable way...
The story might be quite predictable, but it's well paced and the themes are fairly subtly developed. I say "fairly", because there are a few tricks that I found a bit too obvious. For example, Walt's family feeled way too much like a bunch of bastards to me. Then again, if you want an old racist git to go towards an Asian community, you would want to set an appropriately stark contrast. So I guess that could blow away if I see the movie again in a different mood...
Anyway I don't think it will stand among the classics Eastwood delivered before, but it's still a worthwhile entry in his filmography. And it could be a very appropriate "filmic" epitaph...
I managed to catch that one.
And I have to say it was worth it.
He started taking his aging into account early on and so he did the grumpy old man role before, but not up to the point of thee main character here, so it feels still a bit fresh. And he put all his charisma to it as well, making Walt Kowalski a very memorable character (those grunts will be remembered, that's for sure!).
The symbolic is also very strong: almost 20 years after finishing off The Man With No Name in Unforgiven, he's giving Dirty Harry a last stand here. And he evolved in a remarkable way...
The story might be quite predictable, but it's well paced and the themes are fairly subtly developed. I say "fairly", because there are a few tricks that I found a bit too obvious. For example, Walt's family feeled way too much like a bunch of bastards to me. Then again, if you want an old racist git to go towards an Asian community, you would want to set an appropriately stark contrast. So I guess that could blow away if I see the movie again in a different mood...
Anyway I don't think it will stand among the classics Eastwood delivered before, but it's still a worthwhile entry in his filmography. And it could be a very appropriate "filmic" epitaph...
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