Microsoft's Illumiroom demonstration has dropped and I gotta say that it's a pretty interesting concept. At first, I didn't know what the difference was between this and a regular projector that would just amplify the picture onto an entire wall, but the Illumiroom is more of a peripheral experience that may even be interactive. It will probably make the most sense to use with a Kinect and with first person shooter games. I can see it working for other games too. For instance, for Madden games, you would be able to see practically the whole stadium. Or the picture would be amplified so that the field remains the same size, but the quarterback is much bigger on screen. The possibilities are out there, but as you can see from the video below, it is more of an environmental immersion. The player subject is still contained within the TV screen, which is kind of confusing. Here is the basic idea: As you can see, it is practically a projection, but for the first person shooter games, you can scan your environment to achieve your goal better. And as you can see below, they are working to project to the entire room so you get the FULL environment. But why am I still talking? Check out the video below for a demonstration!
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While revisiting some of my old work on my YouTube account. I came across my old portfolio for my Editing I class back in 2008. Obviously, I didn't have the original files for every video as the aspect ratio and quality changes throughout, so I apologize about that. However, I still get pumped up to the song and all the clips set to the lyrics (save for my cheesy rhyme at the beginning). It's a great way to find the fire I once had and fight back from the negativity I encounter. These clips were all compiled of video projects I made prior to the explosion of projects at Missouri Western, so this portfolio is very dated. Regardless, it's fun to go back and revisit old videos! I hope you enjoy! Here is a short I made for my Producing/Directing I class. It was the first project that I was fully in charge of (acting, writing, producing, choreography, editing, directing [although the credit went to my cinematographer, Aaron Ward]). I used the opportunity to experiment with filmmaking methods such as dolly shots, ADR and other sound designs, along with choreographed fight scenes. It's not without its flaws. I wish I could've made the script less melodramatic since it's from a concept that I wanted to use for a full length feature film, but when I condensed it down, it became forced. I worked with a cool stunt team from ATA Martial Arts on this project and filming took one day. I hope you enjoy! The following documentary is a very important one for me. It deals with the image of Asian males in American cinema and television. They speak volumes about the portrayal of Asian men in the creative media whereas Asian women are exotic and more accepted into society. Daniel Wu (an American-born, Hong Kong star) makes the argument about the diversity of L.A. and how much of the population IS Asian, so it's pretty weird that a lot of roles, that may be written as an open race or not, aren't given to even a good percentage of the Asian population of actors. Personally, I was lucky. I never had an image problem, because ever since a young age, I identified with Bruce Lee, and those of you who are true fans of him, know that there's more to him than just martial arts. He was charismatic. He was cool and a rebel, like James Dean, but also a philosopher. AAANNND, he could kick ass! He presented himself with a certain confidence that I am still trying to discover. However many Asian men you see in action movies, this documentary tries to decipher why there aren't more in more three dimensional roles. Why aren't they more romantic leading men? Why are they good enough to be sidekicks? This is very important to me, because although I never had an image problem when it came to my ethnicity, I was raised very American and feel as if I identify with a number of different cultures. I can get along with everyone and not represent a single, specific trait. However, if the people who are in charge only see skin, then it worries me deeply and forces me to review my dream. I will fight though. I will fight for a place in cinema. Lately, it seems that movies and TV have gotten more accepting of Asian males (Harold and Kumar, 21 and Over, Fast and Furious, Lost, Walking Dead), but I am not one to play a role that dwells on a certain racial aspect. I am someone who experiences angst the same as other youth in America. And I will fight for my place. The first step to not be pigeon-holed is to present this excellent documentary. Please give it a watch! Big credit to writer/director Jeff Adachi! The Slanted Screen - part 1The Slanted Screen - part 2The Slanted Screen - part 3The Slanted Screen - part 4According to CityOnFire.com, writers of unused drafts for "Die Hard 4" have dropped hints that they've optioned the sixth and final installment to take place in Japan where the Nakatomi Corporation will commemorate McClane with a special award for his heroics of the first movie. I can't say I hate the idea. It's a good way to get a lot of the original cast back, plus it puts a nice bookend on the whole series. Details below! The fanmade poster, on the left, is courtesy of yours truly. (for more of my designs, check the "Graphic Design" section) A website called The Action Elite was contacted by producer Jacqueline Swift with new information on what could become Die Hard 6. Before anyone gets excited, this isn’t a rock solid rumor (Jacqueline Swift’s name isn’t anywhere to be found on imdb.com) and should be taken with a grain of salt. Whatever the case, here’s what The Action Elite has to say: Source: http://www.cityonfire.com/die-hard-6-to-be-set-in-japan-and-involves-the-nakatomi-corporation/ Keanu "I know Kung Fu" Reeves is making his directorial debut for a martial arts movie called "Man of Tai Chi." Keanu is a huge fan of the genre (which is probably why 'The Matrix' was a dream for him) and I am excited for him to pull a Ben Affleck and become an amazing director. I especially became excited when I saw this short behind the scenes clip that highlights a special camera rig they would be using for the fight scenes. And now the teaser trailer. I thought it would've been a more period piece, but I'm excited for a contemporary martial arts film! The trailer, unfortunately, has a certain cheese factor reminiscent of direct-to-video movies, but he's got Yuen Woo Ping ("Matrix" choreographer) doing the fight arrangements, so the action will be top notch and Keanu is playing the villain! It also co-stars Iko Uwais of "The Raid." Check it out! For most of my life, I have been a huge Jackie Chan fan. What can I say? His action scenes are an utter pleasure and a feast for the eyes that no amount of CGI can duplicate. It’s a real testament to creativity and the abilities of the human body. We probably wouldn’t have Parkour or Freerunning today if it wasn’t for Jackie. After Bruce Lee died, producers tried to pigeon hole Jackie as the new Bruce Lee in a series of films that flopped when it tried to imitate him. After a while, Jackie was finally given creative freedom, and as a lover of American silent films, he created his own brand of martial arts. This is my top 10 Jackie Chan fights. These are my opinion, yours may differ, and that's ok. This is purely for entertainment. Honorable Mention: Fighting Jet Li in “Forbidden Kingdom” When this movie hit, all martial arts fans were geeking out at the match up that finally transpired. It was the perfect trifecta. Jackie vs Jet and choreographed by arguably the best choreographer, Yuen Woo Ping. It’s a great fight and it goes on for a while, but I feel both have had better and it’s more of the novelty of it being Jackie vs Jet that really elevates it from being average. 10: Warehouse fight from “Rumble in the Bronx” Like most American audiences, I didn’t see this until it hit US theatres. Watching this with a group of people exposed to Jackie for the first time was simply awesome. People were going crazy at the insanity. Jackie plays a tourist in New York who becomes the target of gang violence and he takes them all on in their own lair littered with items that Jackie uses against them! 9: Chemical Plant fight from “Dragons Forever” Jackie plays an attorney who unwittingly defends an environmental criminal. After the trial, his two best friends expose his client and in the finale, they all brawl with the very people he kept out of jail. Here, Jackie has a great one-on-one with Benny “The Jet” Urquidez, who he’d actually fought in another fight that will show up on this countdown. The use of environment and all the falls are painful and make you cringe. It’s all great! 8: Construction site fight from “Heart of Dragon” Jackie plays a cop with a mentally challenged brother who he takes care of by himself. Kind of like a Kung Fu-“What’s Eating Gilbert Grape.” It’s one of Jackie’s rare dramas. His brother accidentally becomes a person of interest for the mob and when he’s kidnapped, Jackie goes into insane protective mode. This is a rare time when Jackie is pissed and gets violent. Not much physical comedy. 7: One on One with Benny “The Jet” from “Wheels on Meals” Jackie and brothers butt heads with bad guys in a castle. This is the first of his fights with Benny “The Jet” and it’s regarded as the best martial arts fight ever in movies. As you can see by its placement, I disagree, but I understand what makes it so great! It’s like watching a boxing match! Jackie is getting countered in every maneuver he makes, so he relies on his training to get him through it. It’s a scientific fight, full of fake outs and diversions. 6: Restaurant fight from “Miracles” This is a close number 6 because it’s just incredible. Jackie pulls out so many incredible maneuvers, it’s just amazing to watch what a man like that can accomplish. He uses doorways, railings, and booths to his advantage in an incredible display complete with painful falls from the bad guys! 5: Playground fight from “Police Story 2” A playground is the most natural place for a Jackie Chan fight. The way he uses normal environments as a playground, it’s only inevitable that he actually fights on a playground. Here, the fight exceeds just using the equipment to his advantage, although it’s quite a sight and the falls look so painful. The fight turns up a notch when metal pipes are introduced into the fight and Jackie UNLEASHES on all of them! 4: Factory fight from “Drunken Master 2” This has an American release under the title “Legend of Drunken Master.” Its finale is a 15 minute spectacle of pure martial arts and stunts! It features the actor who plays Liu Kang in the first two ‘Mortal Kombat’ video games and the mad kicker at the end is Jackie’s former bodyguard. It’s no wonder he hired him. This finale took four months to film and every effort shows. Simply amazing! 3: One on One with Brad Allen in “Gorgeous” This is an interesting movie, because it’s a Jackie Chan romantic comedy, but not a good one. I would be very receptive to a Jackie Chan romcom. However, in this movie, he plays a millionaire businessman whose rival sends a talented, young fighter to fight him for sport. There are two fights they have in this movie, but the end fight is the best. It’s simple, no props. Just martial arts. 2: Rooftop two on one in “Who Am I?” Silly title, fun movie. Jackie plays an undisclosed military agent who loses his memory and has to piece together a conspiracy not knowing who to trust. It’s like a simpler Bourne movie. Jackie has a fight on a rooftop with two henchmen that goes on for a while. And that’s why it’s number 2. It’s a long fight! It goes through so much amazing choreography! It changes from comedy to fighting to stunts then back to fighting. They go everywhere in the fight! 1: Mall Brawl from “Police Story” This was the very first movie I saw Jackie in at the tender age of 6 when my cousins showed it to me when I visited them in the Philippines. Jackie plays a rookie cop who makes a big bust at the beginning of the movie with a Hong Kong crime lord. All throughout the movie, his men put Jackie through the ringer. He protects a witness who works for the bad guy and won’t cooperate. He’s framed for murder. He’s forced to hold his station hostage so he could clear his name. It all culminates in an all out brawl between Jackie and the population of goons working under this Hong Kong crime lord. It takes place at a mall and EVERYTHING breaks apart! Glass shatters everywhere. Men are kicked down escalators. And brutal, quick choreography with a pissed off Jackie Chan! It’s probably the angriest he’s ever been! Top it all off with a three story slide down a pole to get to the ground floor to catch the bad guy. Jackie’s injuries were alarming when he did this stunt! It’s the first I’ve seen of his and he hasn’t done anything to top it! *Scene starts at 8:52 There is no need to recap the horrible events of yesterday. However, what always reaffirms my faith in people is how sincerely supportive they act in the aftermath of the situation. Comedian Patton Oswalt is a complete class act when he posted these words yesterday on his facebook. Boston. Fucking horrible. soul of the game (1996) vs 42 (2013)I recently saw the movie "42" and without doing a full movie review, I'll just say it was pretty good, if a little lightweight in the drama department. Before this movie came out, the story of Jackie Robinson had been told in a number of movies, including "The Jackie Robinson Story" where Jackie Robinson actually starred in the movie and played himself. That may be the first ever instance I've heard of where the subject of the biopic had actually played themselves. It's a funny thought, what if his performance was bad? He'd be bad at playing himself. But I digress. My first in depth exposure to his story came in an underrated HBO original movie, "Soul of the Game." It seems that HBO originals are heads and shoulders better than the usual made-for-TV movies, so please don't let the fact that it isn't theatrical throw you. It's a good movie. But now, I pit them together in a head-to-head challenge. I'm not a baseball historian by any means, so there will be no accuracy analysis, just a judgement based on the movies. This is just my opinion, yours may differ, and that's ok. This is purely for entertainment. Warning: Minor story spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk. story
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winner: soul of the gameI don't want to be predictable and pick the older movie, but "Soul of the Game" is the winner. It's just a better acted movie with moments that show the characters' bad moments as well as the good. They're presented as men, whereas "42" is more of a Disney-fied movie that is more about the legend than the man. I love inspirational stories, but part of the inspiration is seeing people hit their lowest before getting the strength to rise to the top. In real life, Jackie may very well have been a consistently good man, but he was probably more three dimensional than the movie portrayed. However, they're both a good watch. I still recommend them both.
I thought "A Good Day to Die Hard" was an entertaining, dumb action movie at best. Bruce Willis says he's up for doing one final "Die Hard," so I made this one for fun. I couldn't think of a better title than one that people have suggested already.
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AuthorE.J. is just a simple man who loves movies. Don't judge. Archives
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