The movie tried so hard to recreate Sherlock that the only thing the characters in the movie shared were names and a Baker Street address.

Without traditional characteristics as described in the books, the characters could have been named anything else and it would have been just as good, the marketing just would have been a bit harder, and it would have been harder to create a "franchise."

The performances were good, it was an enjoyable film. It just felt more like a turn of the century detective tale than an actual Sherlock Holmes movie. It could have been called "Will and Jack from "Will and Grace" solve mysteries at the Turn of the Century."

I much prefer "Young Sherlock Holmes" -- the 1985 Barry Levinson film detailing how Sherlock and Watson meet. And save a girl from being sacrificed by a secret society. Hey, that sounds familiar. That was an issue, for me, too: Two Sherlock theatrical releases in 25 years and they share this major plot point.

Anyway, it's worth spending the money, especially if you go in not knowing much.

As it is evident from the facts of reality and from the analysis of Pacific Unity League, the ruling groups of Oceania are not interested in development on the basis of economic self-sufficiency and real progress. They are interested in the preservation of a dead-end economic model since their true social nature is comprador i.e. they are intermediaries between national market and owners of foreign capital, which penetrating this market. The path in which they are pushing their own people is the path of eternal underdevelopment and neo-colonial dependence. The unenviable fate of low-wage lackeys of rich Western tourists and unhappy lot to become guest workers in Australia and New Zealand are in store for the peoples on this path. It is the path of destruction all national traditions and culture with transforming them into exotic entertainment for the wealthy Western tourists. And the only way out that letting the Oceania peoples to avoid this sad future is path to socialism.

It is possible.

Experience shows that bursting through the front of imperialism and neocolonialism is not a simple task even for the larger countries than the small island states. So, why the victory of socialism is possible in Oceania? To answer this question,

Its not like the world needs another review of Avatar (so I will be brief) - I saw it today and was amazed at how much I loved it. I was expecting to be dazzled by the shiny new visuals but they were not only better than I had anticipated (even with trailers) but I was surprised by how much I remained engaged with the plot too - and Sigourney Weaver is amazing - its great to see her back in the sci-fi saddle.
Once every few years a film comes along that raises the bar of how films are shot. (regardless of whether you like the plot, characterisations, etc.) The Matrix was probably the last film to do this for me, but Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, Toy Story and Star Wars have all had their turns. Avatar now joins that list for me - expect a slew of pale imitations to follow.

Current Mood: impressed
Current Music: Ibrahim Ferrer - Boquinene

renaissance2010
Turning to photography as a creative outlet during a valiant fight with breast cancer at age 34, renaissance10 survived and set up a photo contest to help raise funds for the Lavender Trust, a nonprofit that provides information and support to younger women with breast cancer. In the first two years, the competition brought in over £65,000 (that's $107,260.73 U.S.!), with entries from 130 countries last year. Renaissance10 recently joined LiveJournal to meet other passionate photographers and find supportive friends.

Tags: cancer, renaissance2010

curiouscupcakes
Holy buttercream frosting! If you have a sweet tooth for sugary goodness or a wandering eye for whimsical confection, this is pure ecstasy iced in deliciousness. Hailing the beloved cupcake as the artisinal canvas of choice, you'll enjoy recipes, photos, and bountiful tips to bake up a batch, whether your taste leans toward French classics or funky and flavorful.

Tags: cupcakes, curiouscupcakes, desserts

mission101
With New Years in the offing, it's an ideal time to reflect on past accomplishments, make peace with disappointments, and refocus the lens on future goals. This community welcomes you to create a bucket list of 101 things you plan to accomplish in the next 1,001 days. Offering support, guidance, and inspiration, this is a great way to jumpstart those pesky resolutions.

Tags: bucket list, mission101

I had a bad experience from reading Bret Easton Ellis's masterpiece, American Psycho, and then watching the film - which isn't very good, apart from Christian Bale's force-of-nature performance, that is. I think Fight Club is a much better film than American Psycho, and it does stay faithful to the book. But, the book doesn't have a particular strong narrative, and therefore doesn't translate particularly well onto film.

It is obviously to everyone now that energetics needs the revolutionary changes. Energetics based on nonrenewable energy resources (oil, coal, gas) have to be replaced, sooner or later, by energy based on the inexhaustible sources. Although two-thirds of the world's electricity is still generated by thermal power stations working on fossil fuels, which are to a great extent responsible for the adverse environmental effects (global warming, ozone depletion, etc.), almost all developed countries are actively elaborating alternative energy sources.

The solar and wind energy are considered by many as these sources. Indeed, these powers are reliable and highly desired renewable energy sources. But in spite of all this they have significant limitations. Such alternative power plants can't work at night and in case of lack of winds. In order to radically change the structure of power generation in favor of renewable resources we need a stable energy source that has great energy potential.

And that source really exists.

I recently made that list of the movies I thought of as the best of the decade, as you may have noticed.
The list ended up being around 150 movies.

These are the ones available for instant viewing on Netflix, fyi.

( This is totally an exercise in self-indulgence but people are always asking if there are any good movies on Netflix instant viewing... The list of 45 movies is below the cut. )

Current Mood: self-indulgent