I've started production of a deluxe DVD edition of No Retreat No Surrender. The reason I'm doing this is because the version that I own on VHS has never been released on DVD and I never expect it to be. As a result, I've made a copy of the VHS to my computer and am now in the process of designing menus and creating extra features for the DVD. Obviously, the video and audio quality of the film is going to be pretty poor but it's better than nothing. Especially since the VHS was wearing out and the possibility of soon being left with nothing was very real.

So far, the only extra feature I've got is the No Retreat No Surrender/Brokeback Mountain mashup that I made. I'm also seriously considering recording a commentary for the film with Leonard and possibly writing short bios on each actor.

I've finished the first draft of the disc and you can see the menus in the slideshow at the top of this post. I've already changed the background image for the first page of chapters and I eventually plan on replacing the Criterion Collection text and logo. If you're interested in a copy of this once I'm finished, let me know.

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Woo! The quote I submitted got published on Overheard in New York. It's the fourth one down.

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On the left is a new building designed by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA). It's a 247,569-square-foot Science Centre for the Hamburg Hafencity located on the Hamburg harbor.

In the center is a screenshot from a classic 1982 arcade game known as Sinistar. In the game, you fly around in a little spaceship blowing up asteroids and collecting crystals. While you're collecting crystals, little "worker" ships are also meddling around in search of those same crystals. I'm not quite sure why you want the crystals but the worker ships are collecting them in order to build Sinistar, the "skeletal-looking boss" you see in the third image.

Could it be that the Rem Koolhaas and the rest of OMA are worker ships themselves? Is this the beginning of an all out attack upon the world by Sinistar? Why is he beginning by taking out the ships docking in Hamburg? There are a lot of unanswered questions surrounding this whole situation but the resemblance between the two is uncanny. Further investigation can be done at the following links:

Gizmodo's report on the "building" in question
The Wikipedia article about Sinistar
Play the full game online on Midway's website

Thanks to Steve for originally pointing out the resemblance.

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This side by side comparison might not be the best example but does anybody else think that Eli Manning and Milhouse kind of look alike?

Anyway, lately, I've been reading a lot of stuff written by strong intelligent women. Because Bell Hooks, Marjane Satrapi, and Emma Goldman were having their way with my mind I figured I'd allow a dumb male influence in my life just to even things out. Unfortunately, instead of doing something awesome like seeing the new Rambo movie, I watched The 300. What a big mistake. What a shockingly dumb and offensive movie. What the hell? That's all I have to say about that.

In addition to The 300, I've recently watched Juno, which was much better than I expected it to be, and Sansho the Bailiff, which was just flat out amazing.

Currently, I'm working on copying No Retreat, No Surrender to miniDV (for eventual transfer to DVD) while watching the political circle jerk that is the State of the Union Address. I can hear both at the same time, it's a pretty interesting combination and I highly recommend trying it sometime.

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I'm sorry to report that Shampoo Hanukkah came to an end a couple days ago. It was fun while it lasted. In other news, there's been a lot of activity over at Lucid Screening which has been very encouraging. Hopefully we'll do a better job of keeping the site up to date this year. I've also been working on a site called Lunchboxr. It's still in heavy heavy development so I don't want to start publicizing it too much but once the time is right I'll unleash it upon midtown and the rest of the city. So far the it's been well received, even amongst some prominent NYC food bloggers. If you haven't noticed, I've also been better about posting here more often. That's all for now, gotta go practice some Pictionary.

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Yesterday, some co-workers and I were discussing Robert Altman's Popeye and how weird it was. Somehow, the conversation eventually went from Popeye to Howard the Duck. As a child, the movie scared the crap out me. I remember seeing part of it on T.V. and being profoundly disturbed by Howard. I don't remember why, I just know that I really disliked that movie. Of course my curiosity got the best of me and I had to look up some clips from the movie. What I discovered was that I still find Howard incredibly disturbing and can't really look at him without feeling uneasy. My co-worker, Steve, concluded that it must have something to do with Howard occupying the deepest, darkest regions of the uncanny valley. I think he might be right.

Reading the trivia for the movie on IMDB, I did discover the one good thing that resulted from the creation of this movie. I'll just paste the exact text below:

According to reports at the time of the movie's release, George Lucas was heavily in debt (having just built the $50-million Skywalker Ranch complex) and was counting on this film to get him back in the black. When it bombed, he was forced to start selling off assets to stay afloat. His friend Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple Computer, offered to help by buying Lucasfilm's newly-launched CGI animation division for a price well above market value, and Lucas, in desperate straits and thankful for the assistance, agreed. That division eventually become Pixar Animation Studios.

Weird.

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Late last week I discovered that I had just about run out of shampoo so I flipped the bottle over. That way the little bit that was left could all gather in the lid so that I could wash my hair with it one last time the next morning. Miraculously, I still have shampoo left today. Every morning I wake up and there's a little bit of shampoo remaining in the bottle so that I can go to work with clean hair. It's Shampoo Hanukhah and you're all invited to come celebrate!

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These are the people who screamed "YOU! CHINESE! WACHOO WANT!?" at me when I was in Chicago.

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From Lucid Screening. Inspired by Scanners

1. Ages 4-8 The first film I remember seeing in a theater is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The first and last film I walk out of is Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Trips to Blockbuster Video usually result in me bringing home WWF Wrestling videos or Godzilla movies. I'm also quite fond of the Thundercats.

2. Ages 9-12 Discover my dad's old VHS copies of the Star Wars trilogy. The following two or three years of my life are spent doodling a character I invented named "Ben Vader" on all my homework (I still remember how to draw him). At age 11 I saw the films Bloodsport and No Retreat, No Surrender for the first time. "Movie Magic" on discovery channel is my favorite show, my dream job is working at Industrial Light and Magic, and my heroes include Darth Vader and Jean Claude Van Damme.

3. Ages 13-15 I fall under the impression that I'm smart and begin to develop a pretentious streak. In the process of seeking out more "serious" fare The Thin Red Line, Dr. Strangelove, Bladerunner, Taxi Driver and the Passion of Joan of Arc change my life. After meeting Lucid Screening's own Andrew in 7th grade, my love for film grows by leaps and bounds as I find someone to share and talk about movies with. I also get my first DVD player around this time. My first DVD is L.A. Confidential.

4. Ages 16-18 My first job is at a Hollywood Video. I work approximately four hours every other week. I don't need the money, I need the free rentals! My rental total grows at an astronomical rate. Now that I have a car, when I'm not watching DVDs I'm driving to art house theaters in Seattle. I also volunteer at the Seattle Film Festival. I watch a LOT of movies during this period of my life. Even though I work at a videostore I still sometimes go to Scarecrow Video to rent more hard-to-find items. One of my first trips to Scarecrow results in me putting down a $400 deposit so I can rent a VHS copy of The Garbage Pail Kids. Favorite filmmakers include David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick, Werner Herzog, and Terrence Malick. The Thin Red Line is my default favorite film when people ask me that dreaded question.

5. Ages 19-20 I start film school at NYU and am sorely disappointed by the tastes of my peers. The first movie I see in New York at a theater is High and Low at Film Forum. I get lost afterwards and have to take a cab back to my dorm. The most memorable film I'm introduced to in my first couple years of school is Hiroshima Mon Amour. Even though I go all the time, I'm unimpressed by Kim's Video. While on a trip back home, a barista working at the espresso stand inside Scarecrow even disses them. Sophomore year I watch In The Mood for Love and No Retreat, No Surrender each at least twenty times. A series of Brian DePalma films and Jules and Jim lead to my getting together with my current girlfriend. I've fallen out of love with David Lynch by the end of my second year at school. Favorite filmmakers now also include Wong Kar Wai, Jean Luc Godard and Brian DePalma. George Washington is my default favorite film when people ask me that dreaded question.

6. Ages 21-24 I graduate from film school and get a job as a web developer so that I can afford to remain in New York City. In addition to working in the real world, I show my short film, Gas, at some festivals and work on some scripts on the side. This is also around the time when I start Lucid Screening with Andrew and Alex. In my last two years of school the film that made the greatest impression on me was probably The Subconscious Art of Graffiti Removal. I also realize as I rewatch the films I liked in high school that I still like them but for very different reasons. I realize that I wasn't as smart as I thought I was in high school or even in my first few years of college. In a couple years I'll most definitely realize that I'm not as smart now as I think I am. I haven't watched as many movies as I'd like to but I'm slowly improving that. In March 2007, my job sends me to Austin, TX for the Interactive Festival at SXSW. While there, I see a couple movies at the Alamo Drafthouse and instantly fall in love. In addition to making films, another dream of mine is to open a theater like that in Brooklyn. Favorite filmmakers now also include Robert Bresson and Michael Mann. In the Mood for Love is my default favorite film when people ask me that dreaded question. My most recent discovery is Max Ophuls whom I've come to adore (thank you BAM).

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Aesop Rock featuring John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats. J.D. "sings" the last verse in his own unique way.

The video is just another example of last year's revival of the "grindhouse" aesthetic but I'm a big fan of J.D. and I think he's pretty awesome for the short time he's in this video. In other news, I got tickets to mid-March Mountain Goats show in NYC.

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Be sure to watch all the way to the end.

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