Son of the Blu-ray Dossier

There has been a lot of talk about piracy as of late with SOPA & PIPA.  I don’t stream movies or check into the pirated versions of films still in the theater for the simple reason that I absolutely love the clear, crisp picture and sound reproduction that Blu-Ray provides.  When delivered in a proper 1080p format with surround sound a lover of film is in for a treat.  The format, while stunning and wonderful is woefully underutilized in that motion picture companies and film studios could pack some great things into their releases but most of the time they don’t so that they can reap the most return on their dollar from the public which starts with the theatrical release and moves to the DVD / Blu-Ray release, the steaming release (cable & Netflix), the cable television release and the hotel & airplane versions of the film.  Hey, that’s showbiz.  Still it is a pet peeve of mine that some movies hardly get a Blu-Ray release worthy of the format. 

Speaking of pet peeves I’ve got two more things that I find highly annoying.  First, when companies disable the ‘fast forward’ through the trailers.  Look, I love a good trailer as much as the next movie-geek but one of the advantages to seeing a movie at home is to be able to plow through any unwanted commercials.  Many companies these days are opting to take that ability away from the consumer – the person who rented or bought their product.  Annoying?  Yes, very much so.  Secondly, and I sincerely hope this is not a new trend, the disabling special features on Blu-Ray rentals.  I recently rented, “Cowboys and Aliens” (reviewed below) and after watching the movie I scrolled to the ‘Special Features’ section of the menu where I got a message that told me that if I wanted to see the special features then I should go and buy the special edition Blu-ray package and not be a shmuck and just rent this movie.  All right, I made up the part about the “shmuck” thing but still the intent is apparent.  Really?  You want to restrict this content because I rented your movie instead of buying it?  There is precious little that would make me desire to purchase ANY Blu-ray set if the very company who produced it pulls the rug out from under the viewer.  You see you’ve restricted me thus far why on earth would I enable you to continue to do so?  This should be filed in the “Dumb Idea” drawer and the motion picture industry would be wise to steer far and away from such practice in the future.  Just how long do you think you can treat the public like pirates before they take you at your accusing word and start acting like them?

I don’t know.  I’m not a pirate.  I am; however, a lover of the Blu-ray format and of film so, without further ado here is the latest edition of The Blu-ray Dossier!  I rate film on a two tier scale; first for story and secondly for the Jaw-Dropping Blu-ray effect.  5 is good, 1 not so much.  Here’s what I’ve been watching…

THOR – 3.8 / 4.  This past summer THOR and Captain America paved the way for this summer’s Avengers movie.  I am a Marvel Zombie so it was a pretty good summer for yours truly.  THOR delivered.  I don’t exactly remember where I read it but I heard it said that the wonderful thing about THOR is that none of the actors were told that they were in a “comic book movie”.  The performances are wonderful.  Epic Norse god, superhero stuff aplenty.  The Blu-ray is nice with the Destroyer and with the World Tree at the end.  If you are not familiar with the Destroyer or the World Tree then you should probably rent THOR before the Avengers hits. 

Evil Dead 2 – 25^th Anniversary Edition – 4 / 3.5.  I am a HUGE fan of Sam Rami’s Evil Dead series.  Evil Dead 2 is unique in that it is a remake and a sequel all in one movie.  There are some horror staples here but there is also something almost unheard of – the horror movie hero.  Bruce Campbell makes this horror / comedy movie his own.  I just can’t believe it’s been 25 years since I first was introduced to Ash and the rest of the Deadites in a darkened movie theater in Pleasantville, New Jersey.  I’m really looking forward to the special edition Blu-ray release of “Army of Darkness” the sequel to Evil Dead 2.  If you are a fan than you know the simple joys of a good ‘Boomstick’.

Hangover – 3.5 / 4.  Not for those who are easily offended.  This is a ‘men behaving badly’ movie that fires on all cylinders.  You will laugh and when you begin to realize how WRONG this movie is you will laugh harder.  There are some wonderful, crisp, Blu-ray moments surrounding the city that is Las Vegas.  The disc is full of extras; which is a refreshing change of pace.  It made bank at the box office so I suppose it was a good idea for the studio to stack the deck.  You will laugh – you’ll cringe too, but you will laugh.

Bridesmaids – 4 / 3.  Not for those who are easily offended.  This is a ‘women behaving badly’ movie that fires on all cylinders.  Ready for more déjà vu?  You will laugh and when you begin to realize how WRONG this movie is you will laugh harder.  Bridesmaids is a movie that is for both women and men.  Do not be bamboozled into thinking otherwise.  The wonderful surprise about this film is the amount of heart that it brings to the table.  You really feel for the woman that Kristen Wiig portrays.  It is tragic to watch her character do the things she does.  You know what they say about tragedy?  Yeah, ‘they’ are right.

Serenity – 4 / 4.  I came to the whole “Firefly” party late.  Joss Whedon and company had lightning in a bottle and were just getting their running shoes tightened when FOX pulled the curtain on the show.  Enter, “Serenity”, the movie.  Not to give anything away but Whedon took that old writing quote, “Kill your darlings” to heart on this one.  The Verse is a dangerous place and Captain Reynolds and his more than motley crew are wonderful to watch.  I can only hope that the future smiles on this property once again.  Very shiny.

The Frighteners – 4 / 4.  This is a fun movie from the man who would go on to sweep the Oscars a few years later.  “The Frighteners” was the film that Peter Jackson made just before, “The Lord of the Rings – the Fellowship of the Ring”.  The storytelling is taught and Michael J. Fox really delivers as a man who can communicate with the dead.  I do not know why this film didn’t launch as it should have.  Do yourself a favor and check it out.  You’ll have a good time at the movies.  Some of the shots of New Zealand are worth the Blu-ray look-see.

The Walking Dead: Season One – 5 / 4.  Hands down, Frank Darabont’s, “The Walking Dead” is the best thing on television.  It is based on the graphic novel series of the same name.  The story is riveting.  It puts a human face onto the zombie apocalypse.  You will care for these characters.  The storytelling is fierce and the acting is second to none.  There are only six episodes in the first season.  After the first 5 minutes the hook is set and you will have to know what happens next.  Simply amazing.

Cowboys and Aliens – 3.5 / 4.  John Favreau took a lot of grief for this film but I gotta tell ya, I enjoyed it for what it was.  He got James Bond and Indiana Jones to work for him in a western that happens to involve aliens.  Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford chew up the screen together.  It’s a shame that this didn’t perform at the box office because it works.  I like movies to throw me a curve or to mix things up ~ this does so in spades.  Rent it.  You’ll like it.  You won’t be able to see any of the special features that would endure the film to an audience that it has not truly discovered yet but you’ll see the movie.  I hope such decisions don’t alienate potential cult-movie status fans.  That would be a shame.  Oh well, rent it.  It was fun storytelling and I had a good time.  Perhaps you will too.

Keep on, keepin’ on my fellow internet users and Blu-ray fans.  These are interesting times, Gentle Reader.  I’ll see you in line at the Redbox machine. 

George Lucas is Retiring

Mr. George Lucas, one of the architects of my imagination, announced that he is retiring from blockbuster filmmaking.  Here is the article by Bryan Curtis from New York Times Magazine, entitled, “George Lucas is Ready to Roll the Credits": http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/magazine/george-lucas-red-tails.html?_r=2&smid=tw-nytmag&seid=auto. 

It looks like he has created a loophole for Indiana Jones 5 but from this point forward he is going to be making art-house movies that are designed to fire his imagination.  He’s going to do what he wants to do and that happens to be a wonderful possition to be in.

I wonder how much of this decision was due to the fanboy backlash that happened with the release of the “Special Editions” of his opus, “Star Wars” and the release of “Episode I, II, & III” of the Star Wars series.  As a child of the seventies and as someone who was deeply influenced by “Star Wars” my generation has not been kind concerning “the prequels”.  We grew up and were given new tools to discuss & digest our passions (an internet connection) and the rest was history.  We are, as consumers, a selfish lot ~ but, I ask you, can you blame us?  “Star Wars” changed people’s lives – mine included.  Such devotion is not easily manifested.  In a strange sense Mr. Lucas is the father to a generation of geeks who grew up to be writers, artists, directors, filmmakers, model builders, animators, and innovators.  “Star Wars” made people from my generation of geekdom think differently and for that, Mr. Lucas, we thank you. 

…I thank you.

I am looking forward to seeing; “Red Tails” and am eager to see how you express yourself via film in the future.  I wish all the best to you; Sir on this chosen path but part of me is still wishing that Episodes VII, VIII, and IX were a go.  ...As I may have mentioned we are a selfish lot.

Please forgive my fanboy wishes, Mr. Lucas, all the best.

Senator Wyden

Senator Wyden

I few minutes ago I saw this on Twitter: http://wyden.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/letter-to-internet.pdf.  I had to post it here on the electronic pages of Chicken Scratch.

Thank you, Sir.  I sincerely hope that yours is the dominant opinion in this matter.  All the best. 

End Piracy - Not Liberty

Gentle Readers, both old and new.  Please consider the implications of an internet where SOPA & PIPA are law and sign the Google petition, which can be found right here: https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/.  These bills must be stopped. 

End Piracy – Not Liberty.

STOP SOPA & PIPA

All morning I have been stewing.  I read a Tweet from Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame concerning stopping SOPA.  He included a link that sums up some of the most important points of the whole issue: http://www.craigslist.org/about/SOPA.  Much of this particular entry is derived from this Craigslist Online Community page.  This blog is a bit of a departure for me.  I do not get involved with politics knowing in my heart that, “life goes on no matter who is wrong or right.”

NUTS!  Did you see that?  I just quoted from a Billy Joel song; no, more than that, it was a quote from a copyrighted Billy Joel song.  That’s the type of thing that will shut Chicken Scratch down but more of that in my letter to Congressman LoBiondo.  Sorry.  I’ll try to do better.     

After doing some research, reading some articles, and after years of writing here on the electronic pages of my blog, I thought it important to say that I oppose H.R. 3621 "Stop Online Piracy Act" (SOPA) and S. 968 "Protect IP Act" (PIPA).  I like the concept of a free internet.  I like being able to say what I want without the fear of corporate or governmental censorship.  I know that ‘piracy is a problem’ but accepting these two bills and turning them into the law of the land in Cyber-America you change fundamental liberties on a molecular level.  It’s akin to being adrift and thirsty in the middle of the ocean – sure you can drink the saltwater to quench your thirst but that comes at a high price: your cells will implode and you will die.  That is what happens to civil liberties on the internet if this passes.

Techdirt has a wonderful article by, Mike Masnick entitled, “Definitive Post Why SOPA and Protect IP Are Bad, Bad, Ideas”.  Please give it a read and let it digest.  Mr. Masnick’s article explains what is at stake much more succinctly than the scope of this humble blogger (yours truly): http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111122/04254316872/definitive-post-why-sopa-protect-ip-are-bad-bad-ideas.shtml.

The quotes at the end of the article are priceless; frightening, but priceless…

 
"It's theft...Any time you skip a commercial or watch the button you're actually stealing the programming." Turner Broadcasting CEO Jaime Kellner in 2002

‘So take THAT you thieves (formally known as subscribers)!  How DARE you use that DVR!?  Philistines!  Heathens! PIRATES!’  Yep, these are the people that want to control you and dictate public policy that will usher in the future of a place that used to be deemed ‘free’.  “Welcome to the machine.” – Pink Floyd

GACK!  I just quoted a song that is copyrighted.  I’m really going to have to get the hang of this new world order thing.

Here is a great little tool: https://action.eff.org/o/9042/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8173.  I used it this morning to sign the petition.  Not for nuthin’ but I encourage you to do the same.

Here are some other concerned folks brought to you be the Center for Democracy & Technology: http://cdt.org/report/growing-chorus-opposition-stop-online-piracy-act.  

Here is a site to identify you congressman: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml.  I used it to send the following ‘letter’ to my Congressman, Frank LoBiondo from New Jersey… 

Congressman LoBiondo 

I am a blogger in the South Jersey area.  I write about distractions, humor, and trivial entertainments; simple stuff, in all actuality.  One of the things that I routinely write about is film and I am, therefore, deeply concerned about the scope and reach of SOPA & PIPA.  It is not hard to envision a time in the future where my blog is deemed and considered “Censured Material.”  Seriously.  What happens to my blog / me if I post something that that the corporations or government does not like?  SOPA & PIPA are steep, well lubricated slopes.  Once we as a county start sliding down it is our very liberty that will die in the sudden stop. 

Freedom of speech should not be dictated to the American people by corporate entities, lobbyists or PACs.  I do not know where you stand on H.R. 3621 "Stop Online Piracy Act" (SOPA) and S. 968 "Protect IP Act" (PIPA) but I hope you oppose them as much as I do.  If you support SOPA & PIPA I hope you reconsider and make a stand to not legislate the citizenry’s liberty away to corporations.

I thank you for your time, Sir.

So there you have it, Gentle Reader.  It’s funny how the simple stuff seems to reflect so much more of the heart of man.  Perhaps the simple is not really all that simple after all.  There may come a day when the simple act of surfing the net is a blocked & censored crime – an offence that the corporations or government can shut you down.  Not for knocking over a liquor store, cow tipping, or for plotting to become a James Bond villain bent on world domination but for writing about or posting about copyrighted material.

REALLY?! “James Bond” in a sentence!  I hope that MGM in the future can find it in their heart to forgive such a lowly blogger as I, your humble servant, Evil Chicken.

Only time will tell.

[NOTE: If you feel the call to action proofread you letter before you send it.  I just found a stupid, hack mistake that I changed for this blog and that I hope does not undermine the overall message.  What can I say, I’m a shmoe.  I do, however, believe the intent is intact.]  

Ever After Review First Issue

The very first electronic issue of the Ever After Review is up and running.  I haven't had a chance to sit down and check it out yet but when I do this: http://www.everafterreview.com/Issues.html is where I'll look.

The Ever After Review is a great concept for short stories, flash fiction and photography.  Short fiction has taken a hit over the years with what has happened to print and the craft has suffered.  The Ever After Review is the marriage of the medium with the ever emerging world of technology.  I don't know if there is an iPhone or Android App yet but it there's not then that development is only a matter of time. 

The story will find a way to be told.  Stories have a way of doing that.  The Ever After Review is a new 'story delivery vehicle' and that's a good thing.  It is a wonderful concept and I hope this is the first of a million and two issues.

Out With the Old, In With the New

“According to my watch the time is now, the past is dead and gone.  Don’t try to shake it just nod your head, breathe in breathe out, move on.” – Jimmy Buffett

First and foremost, Happy New Year!  2011 left us last night at 11:59 PM.  2012 is a GO.  The time is NOW.  Congratulations, Gentle Reader, we are now living in the last year according to the Mayan calendar.  Not to worry, though, there’s just under a year left before it all comes to an end.  That being said there is much to look forward to before it all comes crashing down.  But before we explore the future let’s dig up a bit of the past and consider some lists!

2011 – here are some of the most bizarre stories of the past year.  Tread lightly, Gentle Reader, there are some things you simply cannot un-see.  You have been warned: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/30/weird-news-2011-oddest-news-stories_n_1152035.html?ncid=txtlnkushpmg00000023#s547986&title=Air_Force_Nixes.

2011 – There was a lot going on and there just may have been some coolness that you may have missed.  I, therefore, gladly pass this blog from the right, honorable, Cyber Trout; friend, fellow traveler, and proud Über –Geek (NOTE Über has only one umlaut): http://cybertrout.wordpress.com/2012/01/01/11-things-you-may-have-missed-in-2011/.  Thanks to this list I am going to be downloading a copy of, “The Buntline Special” via my Android Kindle App.  I already downloaded a copy of Paul Cicchini’s, “Godsmacked” – which was a blast and a half, I might add.  Now I’m beginning to lust after a Wampa Rug.    

2011 – It was not a good year for dictators.  Some heavy hitters made took their final bows this year.  Here is a list of “Famous People Who Died in 2011” – missing from the list are Osama Bin Laden and Cheetah from the Tarzan movies.  Even with these glaring omissions I thought I’d pass this along: http://www.biography.com/people/groups/died-2011/all. 

“But that was THEN.  What about 2012?” 

I thought you’d never ask.  Let’s talk movies.  Here is a list of what to expect in the coming year: http://www.movieinsider.com/movies/-/2012/.  Feel free to click around at what you may find interesting; there is bound to be a sleeper or two in there somewhere.  That being said, here is the list of what yours truly, Evil Chicken, is looking forward to.  Will I see all of these in the theater?  No.  Will I rent ‘em on Blu-ray?  Yes.  That being said, here is what I’m looking forward to looking at in 2012:

1/20, “Red Tails”.  The Tuskegee Pilots meet George Lucas.  I hope they fare better than Han Solo did against Greedo. 

2/17, “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance”.  I’m crossing my fingers on this one; but still, it’s Ghost Rider on the big screen.  I remember buying the first issue back in the seventies.  That makes me an Old Skool Geek, yo; and one who is interested in what’s new in the life of one Johnny Blaze. 

3/9, “John Carter”.  There is a doctoral thesis that could be written concerning Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Mars Books.  The story is monumental and was the basis for SO MANY science fiction books that came after.  My main concern here is James Cameron.  You see he made this little movie called, “Avatar” and it was EVERYTHING that Barsoom, Mars, and John Carter should be.  John Carter has a LOT to live up to.  I sincerely hope that Disney has brought their A-Game.  If they didn’t then they have squandered a golden opportunity to rewrite modern filmmaking and storytelling and THAT… that’s just sad.

3/9, “The Raven”.  Edgar Allen Poe trying to solve a mystery before his death in Baltimore?  John Cusack is Poe?  Yeah?  Sign me up.

4/13, “The Three Stooges”.  Three reasons why I will see this movie: Larry, Moe, & Curly Joe.  Further, Will Sasso is the LIVING ENBODIMENT of Curly.  I hope the Farley brothers don’t try to paint a mustache on the Mona Lisa with this.  The Three Stooges are hallowed ground and deserve all the respect they get; nyuck, nyuck, nyuck, indeed. 

4/13, “The Cabin in the Woods”.  This is a ‘new twist’ on a tried and true formula.  Some guy named Joss Weadon is producing.  I’m in.

5/4, “The Avengers”.  For me this is not just ‘opening night’, no, this is OPENING NIGHT in IMAX.  Final answer.  Marvel has had a wonderful slow build to this and with Joss Weadon at the helm I’m expecting my jaw to D R O P.

5/11, “Dark Shadows”.  A spooky soap opera from the sixties and the vampire, Barnabus Collins is being played by Johnny Depp?  Ok, I’m in.   

6/8, “Prometheus”.  This is Sir Ridley Scott’s prequel to his film, “Alien”.  Can you understand the GEEK magnitude of that sentence that I just typed?  If you do then I will see you at the theater opening night too.

6/15, “Jack the Giant Killer”.  Jack and the Beanstalk on the big screen will it be the Golden Goose or will it be a Fe, Fi, Fo, Flop – only time will tell.  BTW, remember you heard that last sentence here at Chicken Scratch first!  ; )

6/22, “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”.  At long last a historically accurate version of one of our greatest presidents.  It is a film whose time has come.  Sounds like a fun time at the movies.

6/22, “Brave”.  Simply put, I love Pixar.  This one is about a conquering redhead.  I plan to take my redheads and to conquer at the very least a large bucket of buttered popcorn.

7/3, “The Amazing Spider-Man”.  The more time goes on the more excited about this film I become.  It’s being shot in 3D and it will mark the first time that SONY makes you buy the 3D glasses for a 3D movie that they are already overcharging you for.  Word to the wise, Gentle Reader; save those 3D glasses now and smuggle them into Spidey or any other 3D movie that comes down the pike.  You have already paid for them and you will have already purchased a ticket.  Enough politics.  It’s Spider-Man!  I’m there.

7/20, “The Dark Knight Rises”.  I could gush about my theories but it would only be the sound and the fury ultimately signifying nothing.  I should say that this will be another OPENING NIGHT IMAX for yours truly.  I will say that I desperately want the cast to reunite in 10 years time to make, “The Dark Knight Returns”.  I’ve said it before about other times but 2012? – Oh yes, it is a GOOD time to be a GEEK.

9/21, “Dredd”.  Judge Dredd, that is.  He is Judge, jury, and executioner in Megacity One and this time out I’m hoping they got him right. 

11/9, “Skyfall”.  This will be Daniel Craig’s third effort as James Bond, the 00 agent with a license to kill.  Craig is the best Bond since Sean Connery.  Final answer.

11/21, “47 Ronin”.  Based on a true story from feudal Japan.  Keanu Reeves is one of the swordsmen, “Whoa, that’s sharp.”  May be something to see.

12/7, “Les Miserables”.  I never saw it on Broadway or in the traveling company version.  Plus this has Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) and Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) in the leads.  They’ve got the chops and the singing range to pull it off.  I’m gonna have to coax the girls to the theater but they will be glad that I did.

12/12, “World War Z”.  Based on the wonderful Max Brooks book of the same name, WWZ will be in theaters before the end of the Mayan calendar (12/21/12).  I have been reading that Brad Pitt’s company, “Plan B”, has been making some changes to the plot.  I hope that doesn’t blow up in our faces.  The simple fact is that the story was not broken so I don’t know if it needed to be fixed.  We shall see.  I live with Zombie Freaks so chances are I’m gonna see it on the big screen.

12/14, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”.  Talk about gushing; the moment I heard the music in the trailer for, “The Hobbit” the goosebumps started.  Then the Dwarves started singing at Bagend in the Shire.  Then the Golem uttered the words, “My precious…”.  Peter Jackson, Sir, I love you.  I am so there and I hope to be seeing it with a group of like-minded Hobbits from my own neck of the Shire.  The only downside is that we have to wait until 2013 for Part II.  It is my hope that the Mayans are wrong ONLY for this reason.  …Well, maybe not only THAT reason, but you get the idea.

12/25, “Django Unchained”.  Quentin Tarantino has a Christmas present for fans of spaghetti westerns and it is Django Unchained.  Jamie Foxx is Django a former slave who has become a trained bounty hunter who goes to free his wife from the clutches of an evil plantation owner, Calvin Candie, played by Leonardo DiCaprio.  I am a fan of Mr. Tarantino and, in lieu of fireworks for next years New Years Eve; I just might stop at the multiplex instead. 

So there are my picks for 2012 at the movies.  I am not a huge TV guy but even I will be watching for the next half of season II of, “The Walking Dead”, as well as a visit from my favorite doctor, courtesy of BBC America, “Doctor Who”.  

Trivial stuff, really – yet, on the other hand, not so trivial after all.  Some say it is the orbit of molecules that holds the universe together.  Some say it is gravity.  The truth of the matter is the Word holds everything together.  Stories are the glue that the universe clings to.  Trivial?  Perhaps.  Anyway, where was I?  Oh yes… 

2012 – What of the shiny, new, and undiscovered future?  What is next for us both globally and locally?  Well, I can tell you this in no uncertain terms, I just don’t know.  My Magic Eight Ball’s little window has been scratched and fuzzy for years.  All I can say it that my prayer and hope for the future is that we are a blessing to others more than a curse, that laughter outweighs our tears ten fold, and that the Good Lord above holds you in the palm of His hand.  Yes, that sounds vaguely Irish in nature.  Come to think of it, “Vaguely Irish” would make a good name for a band.  Although I have made no New Years resolutions I just may see someone concerning Attention Deficit Disorder… unless I get distracted.

Happy New Year, Gentle Reader!  Let’s see what kind of trouble we can get into together!   

Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas are true architects of the imagination.  To say that they helped shape a generation does not really scratch the surface as to the sphere of their influence on culture; both ‘pop’ and otherwise.  People’s lives changed after viewing their work and it struck a chord.  These people now wanted to be a part of the magic of film, of mythmaking, of storytelling.  I was one of those people.  

But this is not about me; NO.  It’s about Mr. Frank Darabont and how his script was almost the fourth Indiana Jones movie.  Now if you are a movie-geek then you know the name.  He is the man responsible for films such as “the Shawshank Redemption”, “The Mist”, and TV shows like, “The Walking Dead”.  He is a writer, he knows what he is doing, and back when the script was being circulated it caused a lot of excitement in certain circles (geekdom).  For whatever reason in 2008, Lucas and Spielberg passed on Darabont’s script and instead went with David Koepp, who is a fine writer as well.  Now the way that Indy movies work is that George Lucas (and please stop me if I’m wrong here, Mr. Lucas) comes up with a story and then farms it out to writers to connect the dots.  It has been a brilliant strategy and has been more than a successful formula since, “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in 1981.

Now a lot of people snipe at the fourth movie.  I’m not going to do that here.  I had a good time at the movies when I saw Indy 4 and, at the end of the day or when the credits roll, that’s the experience I want to have.  There will never be another “Raiders” and that’s ok.  “Raiders” is pure, transcendent magic – lightning in a bottle.  The sequels are icing on the cake and if you approach them expecting to have a good time at the movies - that is exactly what you will have. 

Well, this morning I’m horsing around on Twitter (at OMG Facts to be precise) and what to my wondering eyes should appear but a link to the Frank Darabont script!  I threw on my trusty John Williams score, sat back with a few cups of coffee and read it.  I encourage you to do the same, Gentle Reader, if you are a fan of the craft that is.  Some of it will seem familiar and some of it will not.  It is the Indiana Jones movie that didn’t happen.  Here it is in its entirety:  http://www.slideshare.net/Zeitgeist/indiana-jones-and-the-city-of-the-gods-frank-darabont-script.  It is interesting to see how Darabont approached Lucas's story verses how Koepp did.  The big plot points are there but there is no Mutt and Marion is married to some other archeologist who is not Indiana Jones.  I loved the explanation as to what happened to Willie Scott.  Read it.  It's the script that never was now available for consumption. 

THAT being said, Mr. Spielberg, Mr. Lucas, and Mr. Ford, adventure still has a name; that name is Indiana Jones and I would LOVE to see him on the big screen one more time.  From one member of the generation that you helped to shape to you three gentlemen, I’m ready for Indy 5!  I don’t think I’m alone. 

 

Merry Christmas, Gentle Reader!

I don't believe it is Christmas time once again.  I have reached that age where one's brain perceives the passage as time much differently than one may have in days of yore.  Translation: I'm old.

Time.

Moves.

Fast.

Very fast.

I appreciate that better now than I ever have.  I'll probably appreciated it better in the next ten years, Lord willing.  But that is a blog of another day; that is then and THIS is now.

These are the good old days, Gentle Reader.  May your holiday be blessed and joyous this season and may those blessings and joyfulness last the whole year through.

Merry Christmas!

Level Up Entertainment & Farpoint Toys

In the very beginning of the film, “A Christmas Story” Ralphie and his family are looking into the intricate holiday display at the local department store in rapt wonder at the trains, the toys and, of course, that Red Rider BB Gun.  The film is set in the fifties and is really a love letter to that period in time. 

Retailers these days could take a page from that old ‘five and dime’ store window.  It seems that the farther our drive and desire for material things comes the less imagination retailers use in their window fronts.  Their corporate entities must just channel all that creativity from the stores to their ad campaigns.

I am happy to report that my cynicism towards storefronts was put completely and utterly on hold this past week.  Yes, it’s true; I had a Ralphie moment and it all happened at the Hamilton Mall at the shop window of Level Up Entertainment and Far Point Toys & Collectables.  If you are a card-carrying geek such as myself you owe it to yourself to make the pilgrimage.   

This is not merely a storefront; NO, it is an assemblage of art.  The skill and forethought that went into the execution of this piece shows the depth of love for the subject matter.  I love the care that went into this piece – it all interconnects and tells this epic tale of comic book glory.  It is simply brilliant.  The pictures I took have the glare of the storefront window so it really is best seeing it up close and personal.  Of course you could also check them out on Facebook by clicking right here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Level-Up-Entertainment/65595896816 and here: http://www.facebook.com/farpointtoys. 

 

Level Up Entertainment and Farpoint Toys & Collectables, as you may have surmised, specializes in video games, comics, toys and collectables.  So if there is a piece missing from your collection, if you’re seeking a particular videogame or if you are looking for that last Avenger figure to complete the security for around your computer – then these are the people you need to see.  I went in to compliment the man who put the whole diorama together and, while in the process of geeking out, I let slip that I needed three stands for the Avengers figures that protect my laptop.  He was kind enough to give me some spares that he had lying around.  That was a kindness that I truly appreciated, Gentle Reader.  These guys get it.  They love what they do and they love sharing that love with the world.  That being said I wanted to share them with YOU. 

Level Up Entertainment / Farpoint Toys & Collectables is located in the Hamilton Mall, 4403 Black Horse Pike, Mays Landing, NJ 08330, Suite 1129.  Their number is 609-569-9200.  They are located on the first level via the main entrance – make a right before the escalators and prepare to have your jaw drop.  Show ‘em some love. 

When you visit just ask me to move over so we can both share a Ralphie moment at the storefront window together. 

Thin the Herd

"Honesty is such a lonely word, everyone is so untrue..." - Billy Joel

I like social media.  Facebook & Twitter are convenient ways for me to communicate the way I prefer to (i.e. without using a phone).  That being said every once in a while I run into moments where it is obvious that I must thin the herd, so to speak.  If you have been involved with social media for a while then you know what I mean.  The “friend” from another country who contacts you, tells you nothing but lies and then asks for money or the cell phone updates that keep chirping and chirping and chirping but only for ONE single person that you happen to be following.  There are times when you must separate the wheat from the chaff.    

The thinning of the herd became much easier for me after I saw an article by WIRED Magazine’s Erin Biba, entitled, “Twitter’s Fame Machine: Confessions of a Celebrity Ghost Tweeter”.  You can read it for yourself here: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/11/mf_samsung_qa_anniecolbert/all/1.  Ms. Annie Colbert is a Ghost Tweeter and her job is to find technology addled celebrities who cannot figure out how to use Twitter and make them look less stupid by tweeting for them.  She is good at what she does - brilliant, really.  She provides these celebrities easy access to self-promotion and twenty-first century communication without the celebrities actually having to dirty their hands in trying to figure out how to text. 

That got me thinking about whom I follow on Twitter.  Who was real, who was phony, and who just showed up on Twitter one day at the request of a PR person, conglomerate, studio, or publishing house who told them that they “Need a Twitter account”?  So that’s what I did.  If their feed was sterile or generic – GONE.  If they didn’t care about their feed – GONE.  Oh, I still follow a bunch of people but now I am slightly more confidant that that is exactly what they are: people.  Social media provides new avenues for lying, falseness, and fakery, I see enough of that in my real life; I don’t need it when I’m kicking back trying to read my Twitter feed.  No, I crave the actual, genuine article.  I respect the truth; especially since these days I find myself relying on Twitter more and more for up to the moment news (not to mention keeping my finger on the pulse of all things GEEK).  

I’m not going to lie to you; some of the cuts hurt me.  Case in point, America’s weatherman, Mr. Al Roker.  For whatever reason he was the ONLY person on Twitter that my phone recognized; further he or whomever else Tweets for him really, really likes that Twitter account.  This really wasn’t Al’s fault.  I’m sure that it has something to do with my settings but we have come to far to turn back now.  My cell phone would alert me to one message, then another and another and one more and people would ask, “Who keeps texting you?”

“Al Roker,” I would tell them, “America’s weatherman.”

“No.  Really.  Who keeps texting you?”

Forgive me Al.  Know that it’s not you; it’s me.

Wear Star Wars Share Star Wars

A long time ago (well, last year, really) in a galaxy far, far away (actually somewhere close to Chicago) a first grade girl was bullied for wearing a Star Wars shirt.  Here is the harrowing tale of her adventures: http://www.chicagonow.com/portrait-of-an-adoption/2011/12/wear-star-wars-share-star-wars-day/.

That was last year.  THIS year geeks are uniting to proudly display their Star Wars (and sci-fi) finest.  The saga continues… the young Jedi found that she was not alone and that thousands of others wanted to help her make a stand not simply for the love of Star Wars but also to put an end to tyranny (and bullying) from one side of this galaxy to the other.  Wear Star Wars Share Star Wars was born: http://starwarsblog.starwars.com/index.php/2011/12/15/wear-star-wars-share-star-wars/.

Tomorrow don’t grab your polo or button down shirt, no; grab your Star Wars (or other sci-fi) tee and wear it proudly.  Let your geek flag fly and let Katie know that she is not alone.

“The Force will be with you… always.”

54,726

NaNoWriMo 2011 is about to come to a close at 12:00 AM tonight.  To my fellow writers out there, whether you won or lost you still played the game and I, your humble peer, SALUTE YOU!

ROCK on wid jer bad self, writers.  Straight up.

 

Thanks to Chris Baty, Lindsey Grant and all the rest of the fine people from the Office of Letters and Light.  

I hope to see you again in April for Scriptfrenzy!

For Vick

If you have ever clicked onto this blog then you know that I am pretty good at the trivial.  Useless information is usually what I pedal here on the electronic pages of Chicken Scratch.  It’s what I do. 

However, this blog, My 828: http://www.my828.org/fifty-year-travel-plans/#comment-150, is not trivial in the least.  It is written by a man I met a few times (once at their wedding), his family, and his wife Victoria whom I graduated with in 1987.  Vick and I were friends in high school and for those of you playing at home that was 24 years ago.  (...Ouch.) 

A year ago Vick suffered a traumatic brain injury and the world changed.  It has been a hard road that she, her husband, Stephen and their children have walked and the entire situation evokes that gossamer thin line that separates the world, as it should be verses how it is.  Vick is a woman of faith, she always has been; Stephen is a man of faith too and now, more than ever, their family has been leaning on it.

“Why does suffering like this occur?”  The simple answer is I don’t know.  I can show you what I wrote after reading Stephen’s blog. 

I can only imagine the path that Vick, you, and your family have been on.  I know that I am preaching to the choir, so to speak, but Romans 8:28 covers a lot of ground.  “All things for good” means all things for good.  I cannot begin to understand the ‘whys’; I am only a limited, broken, and mortal man who cannot grasp what the infinite sees.  His ways are not our ways.  The only thing I can say is that in good times and in bad times He is still on the throne.  Going right along with 828, I’m a fan of P16 (Philippians 1:6), “…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…” That’s not just a verse; that’s a promise and one you can stand on.  I know you have, that you are, and that you will continue to do so.

Ya know, St. Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel at all times.  If you have to open your mouth.”  It is impossible to hide the lit city on the hill…  Thank you for your testimony.   

Please give Vick, my/our love,

George Scully, class of ‘87

This Thanksgiving make plans to tell those you love that you love them; we are, after all, only on loan to each other.  In that spirit, for the Moons – their children, for Stephen and for, of course, for Vick – I love you guys.  God bless you and may you keep moving forward on whatever path you may find yourselves.

SKYRIM

My oldest daughter and I were in line at Game Stop to pick up our copy of, “SKYRIM Elder Scrolls V” at 12:01 on 11-11-11.  Bethesda, the same company that made “Fallout 3” the jaw dropping experience that it is has developed this latest offering.  It is a massive – open experience game; in other words, within the world of SKYRIM you can go anywhere and do pretty much anything that you wish to do.  The mountains in the background of all the towns and villages are all climbable – all waiting to be explored.  As a matter of fact there are over 17 fully detailed miles of the world to discover.  That’s a lot of dragons and giants to slay or befriend.  The details are startling; from the veins in the individual leaves to the thatch on the roofs of the more cozy villages, if you are a gamer, a role-playing or Dungeons & Dragons fan then prepare to have your world rocked.  Chick 1.0, or Mal Loup, as she is known in the world of SKYRIM has been doing a lot of exploring and she has barely scratched the surface.  I’m looking forward to spending some quality time in SKYRIM myself in the near future. 

That being said when one looks at where the industry came from to where it is now it boggles the mind.  I remember playing on our Telstar system in 1976 and it was revolutionary.  I believe it was a gift from my Aunt.  It had not one, not two, but THREE versions of Pong on it!  Remarkable.  Our next game system was the Atari 2600 circa 1980.  It came packaged with two joysticks with a single red button in the upper left corner and two paddle controllers to play games like, “Breakout” or “Pong”.  The big advantage to the Atari 2600 was variety.  No longer were gamers stuck with whatever was hardwired onto the motherboard of the game console – cartridges were the big innovation here.  If you got tired or frustrated with one game you pulled it out and put another one in.  Back in the early eighties games were about $20.00 a piece and therefore, out of my price range.  I had to scrimp and save or see what was on sale in clearance (Some things never change).  The advent of Jobs & Woz and all that came in their wake had me playing on PCs instead of consoles for several years and it wasn’t until the SEGA Genesis (1991) that I started playing consoles again.  I remember my father-in-law after watching my mother-in-law playing, “Sonic the Hedgehog” on that SEGA Genesis saying that graphics probably could not get much better than that.  I wish he were here to see his granddaughter play SKYRIM.  From the Genesis we migrated to the SONY Playstation (1995); which was fast becoming a hit with my daughter (Chick 1.0).  She was only about 4 but it bit her and the infection spread.  From the Playstation we were given a Nintendo 64 by my mother-in-law who was tired of hers.  We then acquired a Playstation 2, a Nintendo Game Cube (2001), a Nintendo Wii (2006) and then an Xbox 360 (2008).  Each system strode forward by leaps and bounds.  Who knew that Ones and Zeros could do such AWESOME things?  I mention my family’s history with videogames so that I can show you where the state of the art was and then I can show you where it is at.

This is a screenshot of the Telstar, my first experience with videogames…

 

Here is a screenshot from Bethesda’s, Elder Scrolls V: SKYRIM, our latest experience with videogames…

Mind you this is not just an artist’s rendering – this is an actual screenshot.  I can tell you when you are in there the entire world is textured and simply beautiful.  I find myself just walking around staring at the scenery.  I am a tourist in SKYRIM.  I’m going to have to do more than that but for a gamer of a certain age it is hard not to stop and smell the finely pixilated & detailed flowers.  It is a feast for the eyes.  Seriously.  Another factor here with SKYRIM is the fact that the entire world is open.  I can tell you that it is certainly worth the trip.  The fine people at Bethesda truly know what they are doing.  Their last BIG game was Fallout 3, which is amazing.  From what this humble traveler has seen thus far, SKYRIM has already surpassed it.  I do not say that lightly.

Long days and pleasant nights, fellow adventurer.  Be mindful; though, here there be dragons.   

[Screenshot of the Telstar from thegameconsole.com]

The Ever After Literary Review

I ran into something accidentally this morning on Twitter.  Someone that I follow, Mr. Dule Hill, retweeted a little blurb from something called the Ever After Review.  It turns out that they are a non-profit bi-monthly literary publication that is now asking for short and very short story submissions.  Here’s their site: http://www.everafterreview.com/Home_Page.php.  You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.  

As their homepage says, “Ever After Review is a literary journal that focuses on Fiction short stories and Flash Fiction. We accept stories from published and unpublished authors.”  That being said, Gentle Reader, I know for a fact that more than a few of you are Gentle Writers too.  I gently lifted the following from their About Us section; “Ever After Review is a new literary journal that focuses on works of short fiction (up to 5,000 words) and flash fiction (up to 1,000 words). Any genre will be considered for publication. We will accept published and unpublished authors, but we will NOT accept previously published works.

This is a non-profit journal that will be published bi-monthly. The first issue is set to release in January 2012. Each issue will vary in the quantity of stories.

The journal is free; therefore, we do not pay for stories. This is a chance to get your work known by many readers. Please use the submissions link to submit a story.”

The deadline for the January 2012 issue is December 31, 2011.  Now I ask you, how cool is that?  Very cool, indeed, says I

Happy Writing!

Another Reason to Remember the Fifth of November

Remember, remember the fifth of November; of gunpowder treason and plot.  I see on reason that gunpowder treason should ever be forgot...

The Fifth of November recently passed.  Guy Fawkes aside, in our household the Fifth of November will also mark the day that our oldest daughter got her driving permit.  Mother Hen took Chick 1.0 (henceforth known as, “Bad Wolf”) to the New Jersey Division of Motor Vehicles and the Big Bad Wolf passed!  It’s sort of a bittersweet situation; while it is great that she is moving forward it is still another punch in the whole “ADULT” card and another reminder that my little girl is really a woman.  She goes to college and has a part-time job.  Lord knows, Chicks 2.0 & 3.0 will be happy when she does get that license.  Chick 2.0 has plans and designs on having her sister drive her and Chick 3.0 all over the place.  Further, I believe that Chick 2.0 will want to be at DMV on the eve of her 16^th birthday just to wait in line so when the doors open she can rush to the counter shouting, “I’m HERE! – I’M HERE!”  For now, however, one extra driver in the family is enough.

We took her out driving and she did great.  

God bless you and keep you Amanda.  You ROCK out loud.     

Project Thanksgiving

I am a blessed man, Gentle Reader.  I’m no Warren Buffet or Donald Trump but in the battle between “wants” and “needs”, the Lord has provided.  I am not rolling in money and I have no gold ingots stashed away yet the lights are still on and my children are fed.  With the molehills in my life that I can turn into mountains I can still recognize – just by keeping my eyes open and looking around me that my “problems”, when seen in comparison to others are not as mountainous as they appear to be.

“May you live in interesting times…” is often quoted as being a curse more often than being a blessing.  It’s a double-edged statement; it cuts both ways.  These are most certainly, “interesting times.”  There is a lot of need out there and Thanksgiving, Christmas and the rest of the Holidays are on deck and waiting to pounce. 

Enter Project Thanksgiving.  This is the brainchild of a friend of mine, Mr. Alex Kaganzev and it is sponsored by the Salvation Army.  Project Thanksgiving is a local turkey drive that provides turkeys to families in the Cumberland County area.  This is a grassroots sort of movement and it is currently for people in the Cumberland County area (Millville, Bridgeton, & Vineland).  Just like an avalanche begins with one too many snowflakes Project Thanksgiving has been gaining momentum and growing too.  As you may have guessed, yes, they could use your help.

“What can I do?”

On Saturday, November 19^th, bring a frozen turkey or a donation to ANY of the four local ShopRite supermarkets in Vineland, Millville, or Bridgeton between 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.  That’s it.  That’s pretty painless and it has the direct effect of helping someone out.  Not too shabby, I’d say. 

But wait – there’s more!  The Cosmopolitan Restaurant in Vineland has thrown their hat into the ring too.  If you bring a turkey or a $20.00 (or greater) donation between November 10^th and the 19^th you will be given a coupon for 15% off of your next meal at the Cosmo; again, not too shabby.

Chances are you’ve earned a frozen bird or two with your ‘super-saver’ card.  If you happen to have a spare turkey, please consider making room in your freezer and donating it to Project Thanksgiving this year.  These are interesting times – perhaps we can help making these times a little less complicated.

Sincerely,

Evil Chicken

All Hallow's Read

Neil Gaiman, a yarn spinner of great renown (and one of my favorites, I might add), has devised a magnificent new tradition ~ All Hallow’s Read!  He describes it as, “It’s All Hallows Read, a tradition we just made up. You can fancy it up as much as you like. Just make sure you give someone a scary book this Hallowe’en…” That about sums it up.  Here are the gory details: http://www.allhallowsread.com/.  You can also follow all the twists and turns at #AllHallowsRead on Twitter.

I love it.  What a brilliant way to foster a love of reading!  What will you give and to whom?  Poe, Bradbury, Lovecraft, Gaiman?  The possibilities are endless and I am grateful for that.

I encourage you, Gentle Reader, to enjoy All Hallow’s Read!  I know we will be here at Rancho del Evil Chicken.  

National Novel Writing Month 2011

Here is one for the writers out there or for those who out there who want to be.  National Novel Writing Month (i.e. NaNoWriMo) is almost upon us.  That means it just may be your time to shine.  I am seriously thinking of throwing my hat into the National Novel Writing Month ring once again (knowing that if I can do it anyone can) and possibly nudge YOU, Gentle Reader, into joining me on the quest.

“The quest?”  Yes, the quest.  The quest is to write a novel in the month of November – 30 days, 50,000 words.

“That’s not a novel.”

Says who?  Probably all the people who have never written one says I.  Do yourself a favor and push out all that negative energy – you have a novel to write!  To date I have participated in about 4 of them, NaNoWriMos that is.  Twice I crossed the finish line so I know for a fact it can be done.  In days of yore a geocaching friend of mine introduced me to NaNoWriMo and I have spread the love ever since, even in the years that I took off.  I talk to a lot of people; some of them have something to say or a story to tell.  Well, if you believe YOU are one of those people that I am talking about, November may just be the excuse you’ve been looking for.

Tell your story. 

November is coming.  NaNoWriMo draws near.  Make your plans & your provisions; let us Quest together!

Steve Jobs

A man who shaped the world has now left it behind.  Steve Jobs has passed.  He was a wizard who took technology and put it in the hands of the common man.  In 1976, he and Steve Wozniak built something called a personal computer in a garage in southern California and in doing so changed everything.  Here is an excellent piece on his life: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44794276/ns/us_news/#.To0HenJENNs.

Wikipedia mentions towards the end of Job’s article – just before the reference section that, “After his resignation as Apple's CEO, Jobs was characterized as the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford of his time.”  Yeah, that’s not a bad description.  Full article here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs.  

The 1999 TV film, “The Pirates of Silicon Valley” (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0168122/) is in serious need of a sequel.  There is so much more to the story then the pre-iPod time period where it ends.  I would humbly implore whoever makes it to please use the same cast and put it onto BIG screens this time.  Hey, it worked for, “The Social Network” and it would work here too.  Really, it is owed to history to do it right.   

I will leave the poetry and the ponderings to better writers than I; however I will leave you with this quote from Mr. Jobs.  "Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life," he said. "Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important."

I never owned an Apple but I wouldn’t be typing this blog on my beat-up old laptop if it weren’t for the visionary that we have just now lost; a man who changed the world and shaped the future.  Some souls make their mark on history and he was a man who helped define our time.

Godspeed, Mr. Jobs

The Call to Dream Bigger

“Why would you read that?” a girl I went to school said to me when I was little more than youngling.  Even after all these years later I can still see the sneer on her face.  I had been reading a Star Trek book and for whatever reason she felt the compunction to belittle me for it. “It’s not real.  There is no benefit in the REAL world.”  I didn’t get the chance to ask her the circumstances for her lack of enthusiasm.  She simply saw no value in the story whatsoever.  This Fun Police foot soldier gave me the message and walked away.  About a month after she dispensed this sage-like advice to me she dropped out of school never to be seen or heard from again. 

However, in a startling change of pace, Gentle Reader, this blog isn’t about me – it’s about a genre that was once called “Science Fiction”.  Revelries have morphed into realities in recent days.  Long held scientific views are being questioned about the very fabric of the universe.  Basic tenants of the Science Fiction genre are falling into place in “the real world”.  This sort of surge has happened before.  Consider if you will, Mr. Jules Verne.  He was popular in his day (and to this day) for writing some pretty astonishing fiction.  I can almost here some of his readers – fans and otherwise, confronting him…  

“Pure fantasy!  Think about what you’re producing here; space travel, men on the moon, atomic energy an underwater ship that terrorizes shipping fleets, giant animals on some Mysterious Island?  Jules, you’ve got a great imagination but there is no benefit in the REAL world.” 

Verne was a visionary and he championed the cause of science fiction until it all became science fact.  Space travel, humans on the moon, atomic energy, submarine warfare, and genetics augmentations were all in the pages of Verne’s books before they were realities.  One could also point to H.G. Wells, or George Orwell, or a host of other writers for similar effect.  For whatever reason, we find ourselves in a similar state RIGHT NOW.  I don’t know if you’ve noticed but this past week or so there have been some pretty monumental stories that underline the fact that we are going to have to start dreaming bigger.

Tattooine was discovered - http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/09/new-binary-star-exoplanet/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+wired%2Findex+%28Wired%3A+Index+3+%28Top+Stories+2%29%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher.

Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic Spaceport is a GO.  That means the VSS Enterprise (Virgin Space Ship) will be in orbit in the near future - http://sciencefiction.com/2011/09/24/spaceship-factory-now-open-for-business/.

Now I just need an extra $200,000 for a ticket!

The good people from CERN (who run the Large Hadron Collider) from Geneva announced that they believe that they have found neutrinos that exceed the speed of light.  Yeah, there is the possibility that the laws of physics are about to change.  That’s the news in layman’s terms now to read what the authors of the paper (who are definitely NOT laymen) have to say here is a copy of their paper - http://arxiv.org/abs/1109.4897.

USS Enterprise at Warp Speed. 

       

Scientists at The Gallant Lab at UC Berkley are using brain scans to reconstitute video images by using an fMRI machine.  Possible translation: You will no longer have to tell us what is on your mind, we’ll just look for ourselves.  Creepy mind-video reconstruction movie here - https://sites.google.com/site/gallantlabucb/publications/nishimoto-et-al-2011.

And then there’s the man who wants to reconstruct a dinosaur by “de-evolving” a modern chicken.  It’s the cover story on this month’s WIRED Magazine but Michael Crichton was doing the same thing in his books since 1990.  Click on this link for the full story… as WIRED says, “What could possibly go wrong?” - http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/09/ff_chickensaurus/all/1 

I wonder what a Chickensaurus tastes like?

Now that there is no such thing as Science Fiction perhaps the moniker “Speculative Fiction” will make a comeback?  Who’s to say?  What I really want to know; however, is with all of these potential advances in science and technology WHERE is my FLYING CAR!?