BTP 8: All Hail Our Alien Masters!

We would like to interrupt your usual episode of Beside The Point to bring you this important announcement on behalf of Zorlag and the mighty Gal-Ash Empire:

"Pathetic Humans. I, mighty Zorlag, come to you with a message courtesy of the sneaky and traitorous one you call Drew. The Gal-Ash Empire has conquered this blog and will soon conquer this entire planet! Now, observe as I reward Drew for selling out humanity and helping us in our conquest...Yes Drew, I know I agreed not to fire you out into space if you helped us but that's Beside The Point..."

Fear not intrepid reader, it's not real, there is no Gal-Ash Empire and obviously Drew would never, ever, think of selling out his fellow man in the name of his own skin. Ahem. So why has BTP come over all extraterrestrial? Well, it all boils down to a certain scientist by the name of Stephen Hawking deciding that Aliens are probably out there.

Apparently, in a Discovery Channel documentary series scheduled to begin next month, Hawking drops the bombshell that he concedes that we are most likely not alone in the universe. According to the Sunday Times, Hawkins points out that with his mathematical brain the sheer numbers involved make it rational to suspect that aliens are indeed living somewhere in the cosmos.

Now, I don't know about you but I'm of the kind of ilk where if someone like Hawking says something is true I more or less accept it. Let's face it, Hawking is so smart that he probably knew how to finish Myst before the developers had even finished making it. He also put my mind at ease by saying that the Large Hadron Collider wasn't going to blow up and it hasn't...yet. So really, Hawking's comments should neither surprise or concern us except for one fact: He thinks it would be a really bad idea if we met our neighbours.

And that's not the end of it, to further put the fear of God (Zorg?) into us, he paints a convincing picture of why this might be and how it could come about. Regarding is argument that alien life might be hostile to humanity Hawking is reputed to have said "We only have to look at ourselves to see how intelligent life might develop into something we wouldn't want to meet." When you think of how civilization has expanded and what it has done to native populations it encounters you have to agree he has an irritatingly good point. He then goes on to imagine an Independence Day like scenario where aliens travel the galaxy in search of resources. He says: "I imagine they might exist in massive ships, having used up all the resources from their home planet. Such advanced aliens would perhaps become nomads, looking to conquer and colonise whatever planets they can reach."

Shut the hell up Hawking! You're starting to scare me now, I don't want you telling me that aliens can and probably will enslave us all! Lie to me, tell me sweet little lies about how aliens will come with peace love and Nintendo. But perhaps there is some hope, I might not be as smart as Hawking, but I do sometimes wonder if aliens would really act in the same way we have done. Surely we are looking through human eyes from human perspective, after all it seems a little arrogant to assume that if E.T. can traverse the stars and visit worlds that he would really have need of anything we have to offer or that they would treat us in the same callus manner that we treat each other. The point would be that they are more advanced then us and we would have to hope, for our own sakes, that would mean more cultured and less violent.

Or they could be the kind of visitor who comes over, watches your T.V., eats your food and doesn't clear up after themselves, who knows? Either way, it could make for an interesting television documentary but shouldn't be something to lose sleep over. Not until the probes come out anyway...

If you want to check out the series for yourself, then catch Stephen Hawking's Universe on the Discovery Channel beginning Sunday May 9 at 9pm. Just remember to bring a ray gun.

BTP 7: 3D Or Not 3D?

We at Beside The Point have been living in 3D for around nine years now and while it is nice to see movies finally catching up we want to know, are 3D films just another fad? Are they going too far? Or are they on the verge of becoming the industry standard? And further more, when will they finally make a film of everyone's favourite blog...Beside The Point 3D!

Unless you have been spending an unusual amount of time in the 19th century you can't help but notice that 3D films seem to be everywhere these days -well in movie theatres mostly, but one thing is certain: 3D films are getting a lot of attention. And it's not just from the slightly over-weight likes of you and me that are garnering such attention over 3D films, the film industry has seemingly found the “next big thing” in cinema. This was confirmed recently by Warner Bros' announcement that all tentpole films will be released in 3D.

According to Slashfilm.com, Warner Bros intend to release five 3D films in 2010 and nine in 2011. I can only assume that production for 2012 has been halted pending the apocalypse...

Also, Todd Phillips is currently writing the script for The Hangover 2 and has hinted that the film will probably be filmed in 3D as part of the industry's transition to 3D as standard. According to MarketSaw Phillips agrees that “soon everything will be shot in 3D” and likens it to the transition from black and white to colour. He also goes on to say that in relation to The Hangover 2 that the key lies in “restraint”. He references how James Cameron's Avatar was "not about poking you in the eye but instead it was pulling you in." It seems 3D is indeed on the march...

But is this really a good thing? At the most basic personal level these films cost us more to see, so we have to ask is it worth the extra cash? After all, it costs a fair penny to pay for the ticket, popcorn and soda and at most you get three hours of entertainment. So why do we do it in the first place? Entertainment obviously, so on the face of 3D can only be a good thing -if it enhances the movie experience. Now that's a big if.

Let's go back to the beginning. According to the bible that is Wikipedia, 3D films have existed in some form since 1890. So they're not what you'd call a new idea. In fact my first (and favourite) 3D experience was the Terminator 2-3D, Battle Across Time that I saw in Universal Studios, Florida. Now, this was opened in 1996, that's 14 years ago, yet we're only now seeing a real push of 3D films. Why is this? Is it a technology thing or is it simply a cash thing?

Think about it, when you take a filming style that has existed for a long time but costs a little more to produce why not implement it and charge a little more, or simply rely on wow-factor to boost sales? Probably because many films simply don't need to be shot in 3D. Look at Burton's Alice In Wonderland, it made a killing when it premièred in 3D ( $116.1 million on it's opening weekend) but I have yet to speak to anyone who feels the film gained much for being in 3D. And as for The Hangover -what could they possibly do? Projectile vomit anyone?

I don't buy the argument that 3D was not pushed early because of technological restraints, nor do I accept any artistic reason for every major film to be released in 3D. This isn't like the introduction of talkies or colour where the benefits are obvious, this is about paying extra for a little depth perception and some ridiculous glasses. And to be honest, the experience leaves me feeling a little flat.

I know that Hollywood as taken a kicking of late, piracy and the recession have taken their toll, but is pushing a fad like 3D really going to make such a difference? Don't get me wrong, sometimes 3D can and does enhance films, but the danger is that once people get fed up with paying to see films in 3D that didn't need the three dimensional treatment that they simply opt to go to the movies and watch standard viewings leaving 3D dead in the water. Which could prove to be a costly mistake for Hollywood. Perhaps the key to success here really is restraint.

-Drew-
Drew discovered the third dimension in 1914. It was in a basket beside some books.

BTP 6: Bill and Me

It's 2:39 am and I've just got back from London, had an hours sleep and woken up to discover that the article I'd being planning and researching has already been written and I haven't had a cup of coffee in two days. I'm beginning to shake a little from sleep deprivation and caffeine intake but by the devil's socks I'm going to write something because I need to, because I must, because...because...because why is Beside The Point!


Before I go on I'd like to point out that while I was going to write an article about Tim Burton's take on Alice In Wonderland, it appears to have already been written. And is good. So if you haven't already read it I want you go away, read it, comment on it, take a few moments quiet reflection then come back here for todays sermon. All done? Then let's begin.

Ladies and gentlemen, children of reading age and you strange frog-like creatures of the media, I'd like to talk to you about my new best friend Mr Bill Thompson. "Who the hells Bill Thompson?" you ask. You don't know? He's only the latest ally in an on going moral crusade against greed, corruption and all things evil. He's also an independent journalist currently writing for the BBC with a few things to say in the defense of creativity on the internet. You see kiddies, there's a war going on that you might not be aware of. It has many fronts, some of them legal others cyber based, but they're all hot. And it's going on right now.

This is a war between freedom of expression and censorship, between art and law and between open source and copyright. But the thing I want you to pay most attention to is that it involves YOU. That's right private, you've been drafted. Because in the end almost everyone uses the internet these days and most of us remember a time before paid content on youtube. We remember when web pages didn't insist on users viewing ads in return for articles and most of all we remember having rights.

If you'll allow me to don my smocking jacket and be frank with you here, because this isn't something to be mucking about with like TNT. This is serious. Because of the reckless way the internet has grown, governments and businesses the world over are having to play catch up. And so is everyone else. The sudden influx of infomation and freedom to distribute it has left several gray areas over digital copyright and more pressingly, whether the old way of selling media is even still viable. In their haste to control all this (not necessarily a bad thing), governments have set new bills and rules popping up all over the place that on occasion seem to go too far in repressing freedom of infomation and go too far in giving power to large business interests (both of which are most definitely bad things).

And that's the crux of it. We all need to fight to make sure the internet is both fair and safe for EVERYONE. Not just big business. It isn't wrong to want to see the internet regulated but without public intervention regulation could become domination.

So that's it. I'll continue to cover events as they unfold while you go away, have a little read of the links and perhaps makes yourselves a small sandwich for your troubles. Now I'd like you all to turn to hymn number 34: In Drew we trust (54 verse edition.)

-Drew-

Linkage; Read Bill's thoughts 'ere

------------------------

Drew contains 54% more iron filings then the store brand equivalent.