Zazzalicious

This is the picture of my daughter that I ran through the Photoshop mill to put on a postage stamp using Zazzle. You will note there is no link to Zazzle, but not because I am lazy. I originally wanted to post a picture of the stamp, but discovered that my photo in their template is their
intellectual property and I can't drum up business for them by showing you how cool it is.
So, consider this base shot a placeholder until the stamps arrive and I can take a picture of them. Hopefully the xenon-gamma watermarking virus won't erase my SD card in the camera..

Miami Vice

I try not to write negative reviews. The creative process, and the movie making process are both more impressive than what I do, criticizing from the armchair seems wrong. 2 viewings and a week later I can say for sure:
Michael Mann has upped the ante on the sound and visual of large caliber weaponfire into vehicles, no mean feat after "Heat".
The Mojito is a delicious drink, decidely not just for Cuba anymore.
Mark's Dirty Mojito Recipe, Pint Size
In a pint glass:
2tsp sugar
6 mint leaves, chopped
juice of one lime
4oz Dark Rum
Shake or stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Pour over ice into a second glass, qs with Club Soda
Float rum on top
Garnish with mint sprig
Miami Vice is no "Collateral".
A shame, as this premise was rich enough to get Tully into the theatre.
Is that mint caught between your teeth?

The Descent

6 Women, 1 Cave and....
That might have been enough for this film, but this is more than an exercise in lighting and gore. The cave doesn't enter the picture for nearly 30 minutes. This is to lay the groundwork for the psychological Descent.
Yes, as in most ensembles, there are characters you like and characters you like not so much. Since this is a bunch of women we can't tell which of them are wearing the Star Trek red shirts. How much snippy dialogue and intentionally awkward silence can we endure before the flashlights die?
This movie will not be the poster child for spelunking. It is a study in claustrophobia and fear and morality in a world gone dark and wet.
To say I enjoyed this film...Well...Remember "Das Boot?" Three hours in a submarine with deadly bolts and a stench you could smell in the theatre? Remember surfacing into the bright outdoors after and feeling the sun..Yes, it is like that..

Alice

I loves me that stop motion animation!
Alice is a combo stop-motion, live action retelling of "Alice in Wonderland". Inventive, disturbing, boundary pushing and absolutely delightful. That being said, let me get the one legitimate criticism out of the way: dubbed vocal narration.
Alice is played alternately by a charming brat and a plastic doll..She ranges from pint sized to nickel sized...And man she puts up with a lot!
While this is not the first example of animated meat I have seen it is certainly a good intro to SRL for the potentially squeamish.
The film is not as shiny and bright as we have come to expect from animated features, but this is no Grimm misstep. A black animated tale to engage the mind with many wow did you see that moments.
The DVD also includes a short film involving self assembling body parts..

Hdr Photo Manipulation

Just started playing with this toolset, don't know jack yet, but should be fun! Here is a link to the Wiki on Hdr. Oh, the subject: That's Ariana, aka Corazon Suicide, from her Deactivated Robot set.