Comments on: Cameron’s Avatar: Jar Jar Binks Meets Pocahontas http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245 New Words, New Worlds Fri, 03 Sep 2010 08:24:25 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Athena http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245&cpage=1#comment-56190 Athena Sun, 30 May 2010 21:22:33 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245#comment-56190 As I said to others, to each their own. However, I sincerely doubt that anyone will become either a biologist or a nature lover after seeing <em>Avatar</em>. And for the bucks spent, the movie's bang was more like a fizzle. Even <em>How to Train Your Dragon</em> had a better signal to noise ratio -- to say nothing of that hidden gem, <em>The Secret of Kells</em>, which I discuss briefly in <a href="http://www.starshipreckless.com/blog/?p=2128" rel="nofollow">The Unibrow Theory of Art</a>. As I said to others, to each their own. However, I sincerely doubt that anyone will become either a biologist or a nature lover after seeing Avatar. And for the bucks spent, the movie’s bang was more like a fizzle. Even How to Train Your Dragon had a better signal to noise ratio — to say nothing of that hidden gem, The Secret of Kells, which I discuss briefly in The Unibrow Theory of Art.

]]> By: Web design http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245&cpage=1#comment-56180 Web design Sun, 30 May 2010 06:28:54 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245#comment-56180 Avatar is a great movie, I really liked it and as Walden2 said, the good point is that I'm pretty sure this movie will inspire lots of people to become biologists or exobiologists in the future. Anyway, you have to like nature after seeing it and just for this (although this movie is incredible) it's definitely a great movie. Great article by the way. Avatar is a great movie, I really liked it and as Walden2 said, the good point is that I’m pretty sure this movie will inspire lots of people to become biologists or exobiologists in the future.
Anyway, you have to like nature after seeing it and just for this (although this movie is incredible) it’s definitely a great movie.
Great article by the way.

]]> By: Walden2 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245&cpage=1#comment-56043 Walden2 Tue, 18 May 2010 02:20:48 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245#comment-56043 We are on our way to having giant blue alien bodies! First Person Experience of Body Transfer in Virtual Reality PLoS one May 12, 2010 European researchers have used immersive virtual reality in the first experiment to show that body ownership can be transferred to a virtual body. A first-person perspective of a life-sized virtual human female body that appears to substitute the male subjects’ own bodies was sufficient to generate a body transfer illusion. The results… http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=12166&m=25748 We are on our way to having giant blue alien bodies!

First Person Experience of Body Transfer in Virtual Reality PLoS one

May 12, 2010

European researchers have used immersive virtual reality in the first experiment to show that body ownership can be transferred to a virtual body.

A first-person perspective of a life-sized virtual human female body that appears to substitute the male subjects’ own bodies was sufficient to generate a body transfer illusion. The results…

http://www.kurzweilai.net/email/newsRedirect.html?newsID=12166&m=25748

]]> By: Eloise http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245&cpage=1#comment-55993 Eloise Fri, 14 May 2010 01:35:39 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245#comment-55993 Another article on cinematic technologies: http://denofgeek.com/movies/482286/message_to_hollywood_why_imax_beats_3d_every_time.html The McDonald's analogy in one of the comments is utterly priceless... Cheers, Eloise :) Another article on cinematic technologies:

http://denofgeek.com/movies/482286/message_to_hollywood_why_imax_beats_3d_every_time.html

The McDonald’s analogy in one of the comments is utterly priceless…

Cheers,

Eloise :)

]]> By: Athena http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245&cpage=1#comment-55892 Athena Wed, 05 May 2010 20:40:05 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245#comment-55892 You're on the button, Rene. Research has shown that a film's box office returns correlate directly to its budget (in particular, the portion spent on PR). You’re on the button, Rene. Research has shown that a film’s box office returns correlate directly to its budget (in particular, the portion spent on PR).

]]> By: Rene http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245&cpage=1#comment-55891 Rene Wed, 05 May 2010 20:15:19 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245#comment-55891 I basically thought the story line of Avatar was 'Dances with Wolves' in space. Very predictable and the visuals were not as impressive as everyone raved about. I agree with many of the previous posts. Most people can barely pass 8th grade level science equivalency exams so to present complex story lines utilizing esoteric scientific concepts would guarantee box office failure. In the end, the all mighty dollar determines the scope of our entertainment. I basically thought the story line of Avatar was ‘Dances with Wolves’ in space.
Very predictable and the visuals were not as impressive as everyone raved about.

I agree with many of the previous posts. Most people can barely pass 8th grade level science equivalency exams so to present complex story lines utilizing esoteric scientific concepts would guarantee box office failure.

In the end, the all mighty dollar determines the scope of our entertainment.

]]> By: Athena http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245&cpage=1#comment-55829 Athena Wed, 28 Apr 2010 18:51:00 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245#comment-55829 Aack! Another celeb doing the social cause bit. Bottom line: Is he donating <em>Avatar</em> profits to this cause? Aack! Another celeb doing the social cause bit. Bottom line: Is he donating Avatar profits to this cause?

]]> By: Walden2 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245&cpage=1#comment-55823 Walden2 Wed, 28 Apr 2010 05:19:57 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245#comment-55823 “Avatar” Director James Cameron Follows Box Office Success with Advocacy for Indigenous Struggles On the heels of his record-setting Hollywood blockbuster Avatar, the film director James Cameron is taking on a new role as an activist, allying himself with indigenous struggles he says mirror the plot of his film. In Avatar, an indigenous species called the Na’vi resists the private military force of a powerful corporation bent on exploiting their planet’s valuable minerals. Democracy Now! producer Aaron Maté caught up with James Cameron to discuss Avatar, Cameron’s opposition to the Belo Monte in Brazil, last week’s peoples’ climate summit in Bolivia, and his reaction to seeing Avatar embraced by indigenous people worldwide, from the Amazon to the Occupied Territories. Listen/Watch/Read http://www.democracynow.org/2010/4/27/avatar_director_james_cameron_follows_box “Avatar” Director James Cameron Follows Box Office Success with Advocacy for Indigenous Struggles

On the heels of his record-setting Hollywood blockbuster Avatar, the film director James Cameron is taking on a new role as an activist, allying himself with indigenous struggles he says mirror the plot of his film.

In Avatar, an indigenous species called the Na’vi resists the private military force of a powerful corporation bent on exploiting their planet’s valuable minerals.

Democracy Now! producer Aaron Maté caught up with James Cameron to discuss Avatar, Cameron’s opposition to the Belo Monte in Brazil, last week’s peoples’ climate summit in Bolivia, and his reaction to seeing Avatar embraced by indigenous people worldwide, from the Amazon to the Occupied Territories.

Listen/Watch/Read

http://www.democracynow.org/2010/4/27/avatar_director_james_cameron_follows_box

]]> By: Athena http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245&cpage=1#comment-55358 Athena Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:39:42 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245#comment-55358 Well, <em>Avatar's</em> defects were pretty obvious, so it's not surprising that anyone with a brain would discover and list them. Note also that Kurzweil's main beef was with the portrayal of technology as evil, whereas mine were 1) shoddy worldbuilding, 2) silly science and 3) whiteboi messiah syndrome. I must confess that <a href="http://www.starshipreckless.com/blog/?p=1775" rel="nofollow">I indulged in Schadenfreude</a> on Sunday night. Well, Avatar’s defects were pretty obvious, so it’s not surprising that anyone with a brain would discover and list them. Note also that Kurzweil’s main beef was with the portrayal of technology as evil, whereas mine were 1) shoddy worldbuilding, 2) silly science and 3) whiteboi messiah syndrome.

I must confess that I indulged in Schadenfreude on Sunday night.

]]> By: Odin Xenobuilder http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245&cpage=1#comment-55357 Odin Xenobuilder Wed, 10 Mar 2010 02:18:06 +0000 http://www.starshipnivan.com/blog/?p=1245#comment-55357 Apparently Avatar's Oscar upset prompted Ray Kurzweil to watch the movie :-P ... and it looks like he shares some of your sentiment but maybe for some different/some shared reasons: <a href="http://www.kurzweilai.net/news/frame.html?main=/news/news_single.html?id%3D11907" rel="nofollow">linky</a> Weird??? Guess I just always pictured him as one of those post-human types of opposite polarity from you Athena. But in this case that opposing polarity caused both yours and his thumbs to go down. I'm conjuring images of magnetic thumbs... good grief. Apparently Avatar’s Oscar upset prompted Ray Kurzweil to watch the movie :-P … and it looks like he shares some of your sentiment but maybe for some different/some shared reasons: linky

Weird??? Guess I just always pictured him as one of those post-human types of opposite polarity from you Athena. But in this case that opposing polarity caused both yours and his thumbs to go down. I’m conjuring images of magnetic thumbs… good grief.

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