Transformers
razib | June 24, 2009I saw the newest Transformers movie today. In terms of the cast, there were really only two who I felt were necessary in any way to the development of the film. Optimus Prime and Megan Fox.*
Slate has a spoiler filled review which hits many of the aspects which I think are relevant. I don't watch many films in the theater, on average about 1 every 6 months. I've loaded up this spring since I saw the Star Trek reboot. I'm not a huge Trekkie, I've seen most of TOS & TNG episodes, but not so much of Voyager or DS9, and hardly any of Enterprise. I also didn't watch many of the films. But I'…
razib | February 27, 2009Matt Yglesias says:
There's no denying that this is a pretty amusing poster. Still, it reminds me that I think the film engaged in a bit of revisionism when it portrayed the Autobots as humanoid-shaped robots capable of change into cars and trucks and so forth. My understanding from my childhood is that we should think of them as car-shaped robots capable of changing into humanoid-shaped ones. After all, they're called autobots, like automobiles. Their essential property is their car-ishness.
No surprise that Matt is being ahistorical, and relying on analysis of terminology, instead of…
amillikan | December 29, 2008I came across this video floating in the ScienceBlogs back channels and decided it is way too cool to not post. Try watching this without feeling some kind of deep-seated nationalistic impulse stir within you. I never was much of a sporto, but I think this must be what frat boys feel when they watch football.
I won't say which team I was rooting for, but did you see the way that Mac ran away in fear and had to go get it's friends? Herein lies the Mac user bond that stems from a brand allegiance I will never understand. It's a good thing the video ended with ambiguity, before the Windows Vista…