What would happen to us if politicians decide to lift whaling sanctions in this weeks talks?

A lack of whales could lead to some bad scenarios. One recent study suggests whale poo is crucial to slowing down global warming, however another threat to our environment looms; the terrestrial beings who communicate with Earth’s whales. If the whales all die and that communication ceases, these aliens may come looking for their fat friends… and destroy our planet in the process.

Leonard Nimoy understood this threat to our existence and made a documentary about it in 1986. In Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Captain Kirk manages to to travel back in time, meet the mum from 7th Heaven and beam some whales to the future thus stopping our otherwise inevitable annihilation:

Some people say Captain Kirk is not a real hero, but an aging man with a talent for beat poetry. If these accusations are true then who will save the whales from their hunters?

That’s the job of the politicians we elect and we can not let them decide that commercial whaling is ok.

Please do something to save whales

Just landed in Prague.

Czech Dream is a documentary about advertisers who created massive hype about the opening of a new supermarket. Even though the location of it was in the middle of a fields tons of people came to see what they could find at the sale – what they found disappointed them all. It’s an interesting study into the power of advertising, I have the DVD if anyone wants to borrow it, or have a look at the trailer:

I’ve wanted to see Art & Copy since I saw the trailer awhile ago and pestered my local cinema about a screening. Finally tonight they held one and I got to see the film everyone has been raving about. Overall I loved it!

Although I have to point out Lee Clow (TBWA/Chait/Day) was wrong saying that all computer advertisers use macs to make their ads. As someone working on Microsoft as a client I can only wish that was correct!

I used a Macintosh PC for the first time in about 1991, before I could read, and have been using them ever since. Lately I have been on Windows 7 at work & home and although it does a lot of things well, running Photoshop is not one of them.

Lee Clow also talked about the reasons people think the 1984 ad was a hit:

Was it the new style of film it caused? Was it that it only ran once? Was not showing the product what made it so powerful?

No. I’ll let you in on a secret.

The reason this ad:

was so well received

is

the

boobies

bouncing up and down as she runs towards the big brother screen.

Fact.

Everyone has been rabbiting on about how Cameron spent years and millions of dollars developing the technology to make this film. IMO time and money that would have been better spent bringing the mise en scene to life, holograms for the win. A few people with opinions I once trusted said this movie was actually really good so I went to see it. I tend to agree more with the reviews below. (Spoilers etc).

“This is the essence of the white guilt fantasy, laid bare. It’s not just a wish to be absolved of the crimes whites have committed against people of color; it’s not just a wish to join the side of moral justice in battle. It’s a wish to lead people of color from the inside rather than from the (oppressive, white) outside. Think of it this way. Avatar is a fantasy about ceasing to be white, giving up the old human meatsack to join the blue people, but never losing white privilege. Jake never really knows what it’s like to be a Na’vi because he always has the option to switch back into human mode.”

“But the more blatant lesson of Avatar is not that American imperialism is bad, but that in fact it’s necessary. Sure there are some bad Americans—the ones with tanks ready to mercilessly kill the Na’vi population, but Jake is set up as the real embodiment of the American spirit. He learns Na’vi fighting tactics better than the Na’vi themselves, he takes the King’s daughter for his own, he becomes the only Na’vi warrior in centuries to tame this wild dragon bird thing. Even in someone else’s society the American is the chosen one. He’s going to come in, lead your army, fuck your princesses, and just generally save the day for you. Got it? This is how we do it.”

Speaking of pretentious has anyone seen the TIFF best film list?

26. Gerry (Gus Van Sant, U.S.).

Jono and I once got it out tbecause Gus Van Sant is awesome and film critics rave about it. I swear there is more dialogue in the trailer than the actual movie, we ended up fast forwarding it to see if anything happened… and no it’s just walking through a fucking desert for almost two hours.

Watch below on repeat and you’ll start to get a feel for it:

The only reason give this film acclaim is you want to be admitted to the board of pretentious film wankers.

I went to see An Education because someone said I am similar to the main character (left), I think they just meant looks. She reminded me of Poppy (cello, smart, older men) + Colette (Paris, Latin, charming).

The story line gets very lame at the end – but the middle is good and the costumes are spectacular, especially on the character Helen.

And keeping with yesterday’s theme, here are some photos of the leading man, Peter Sasgaard and his IRL wife, plus their cute deughter, Romana. Seriously, Suri and Shiloh have nothing on this girl.

This movie looks like my kind of film! I hope it comes out in Australia or on DVD soon because from just seeing the teaser I am dying to watch it!

“Advertising, in fact, may actually be an innately human act itself. But like all creative endeavors (books, paintings, movies, architecture) most of it is mediocre. Ultimately, I hope “ART & COPY” inspires artists and writers to strive to make more meaningful, more entertaining, or more socially uplifting ads.” – Doug Pray – Director

See the teaser for it here.