Doom & Gloom: Taeng00ey's Rant On The Future Of ...Stuff

A classic? Not really. But would you miss being able to watch it? YES.

Have you ever thought about what's coming in future as far as movie-watching? Serously. Because I have...and I grieve.

With movies, music and news readily available on your PC or wireless devices, the future of entertainment and how you consume it begins heading for a turning point. Streaming movies and buying digital (mp3) music online has become a normal event in our lives but this will eventually lead to more restrictions on what you and cannot consume.

Cue Doomsday music of your choice.

Think about it: The more people start streaming movies, sales of DVDs & Blurays will drop to the point that its possible that:
1. Only new movies will come out on physical media and will only be available at that time, or
2. All PHYSICAL media will cease to exist and you will end up only being able to stream or pay to download your movies.

That scares me. It really does.

From the early HBO days. I am happy to own this

 one.

To not be able to watch a movie at your own leisure, and repeatedly watch it without having to pay a rental fee each time is a huge luxury...one that is available to everyone RIGHT NOW. But given that this generation is more into digital content, they don't see that the more they stream video, the more they (and we, in turn) dictate to the movie studios ideas like "DVD is dead" or "People would rather stream than buy a bluray", etc. Whether you know it or not, we are inching towards an all-digital entertainment future.

There will be NO physical media. CDs, DVDs, Blurays, will all cease to exist. You wanna watch a movie? Stream it. Want music? iTunes. News? Online subscriptions.
By this time, we could see the big movie studios setting up their own streaming services. And depending on the studio, the prices could vary.
Want to watch "Star Wars"?  Sign up at Disney's site and pay...how much? Studios could monopolize on their franchises. Paramount could charge a premium for their "Indiana Jones" material, 20th Century Fox could do the same for their "Die Hard" movies.

Low-budget awesome!

Heck this could breed a whole new idea that the most sought-after movies automatically bump up to premium-tier pricing. Imagine "Sharknado: 3peat" costing more than "Jaws"??? Just because the public made it popular? I just got the chills.

And what if your favorite movie or t.v. series of all-time suddenly becomes unavailable to stream because it wasn't being viewed enough and the studio would rather devote the server space to newer content? Or if its a cable series, it could get tied up in corporate red tape much like the Dish Network vs CBS fiasco going on right now and the episodes are held, essentially, for ransom. And who loses? Certainly not the corporate bigwigs.

Like I said: more restrictions.

..and you go in pieces!

Now I'm not saying that you should go out an buy every movie you've ever wanted RIGHT NOW (but its a start...) but me being a guy that loves to have a physical copy of my fave movies (and there are MANY) to watch at any time on a whim, I realize that this way of life is going to change. And most people are oblivious to this, or just don't care enough about movies and music to be concerned. I'd like to say that I want to be there when the "I told you so!" moment happens, but f-ed up thing about it is I'd be in the same damned situation...just with the ability to watch old movies in my collection.

It's a small consolation but at least I have one...

OH, THE HORROR! I just watched SHARKNADO..and I can't UNwatch it..!

Taeng's take:

SHARKNADO.

Shark + Tornado.

WTF!

[I would say that this 'view contains spoilers, but how do you spoil a movie like this? How?]

I signed on for THIS?!

For years Syfy has been building a library of awful b-grade movies in a effort to have something to show on Saturday night that isn't a rerun of another show that ran during the week. But believe it or not there was a time when they did some halfway decent flicks such as SNAKEHEAD TERROR, WYVERN and SEA BEAST. As of late, though, halfway decent has dwindled to wacky mutant combinations that could almost be mistaken as translated from another language. But they're NOT. The titles are EXACTLY as the network intended them to be. And for that, we are both thankful (because we know what it is and can avoid it) and scared (because someone actually came up with the idea and it became a movie).

4 reasons to watch this? Maybe...

MEGA PIRANHA. MEGA SHARK vs GIANT OCTOPUS. PIRANHACONDA. DINOCROC. SHARKTOPUS. DINOCROC vs SUPERGATOR. MEGAPYTHON vs GATOROID.
I avoided every one of these.

Now I'm one who would try to find something to like in most any movie, whether it be a nice premise (executed wrong), cool  effects (well, maybe just OK effects) or even at the barest requirement, a hot chick. Does Sharknado have any of these?

The answer is a resounding NO.

So that's why I don't get it. It's horrible and yet you watch it just to see how even MORE outrageous it could get.
Never mind that its raining one minute and bone-dry the next (in a matter of .5 seconds), that the ambulance to rescue the kids seems to be abandoned and just parked on the highway, that people on the road are just leisurely driving along while a sharknado of squiggly proportions is approaching, that the barmaid can spot a tiger shark as it swims by the car. And who DIDN'T see the fact the new boyfriend of the hero's ex-wife wasn't gonna be shark food? And the whole swallowed-by-a-shark-but-sawing-your-way-out-while-rescuing-your-barmaid-employee...I really, REALLY have no words.

Death from above...!

Mind you, I knew from the title alone that this was a no-budget deal so I avoided it completely. Wasn't even on my radar that night (SNSD was..but when are they not?).

The fact that the social media networks were all a-buzz with it caught my attention..and I'm ANTI-social media! Now the whole Twitter thing was probably a case of people saying its "so bad but it's a GOOD bad" with a heap of sarcasm. But the whole thing,whether a joke or not, has its CONSEQUENCES.

And the consequence is...there's gonna be a SEQUEL.

There you have it, folks. Democracy in action.

Death from above, Part 2...and probably the coolest scene.

From Randomness: Ok. So my two cents on the whole Sharknado phenomenon.  SyFy is sooo riding this one! They have since played this movie no less than three more times within almost as many days. This wasn't SyFy's worst movie but I have to liken it to an accident. You cannot NOT stop watching. This is definitely not a movie to watch late at night because you'll stay awake for the hour and 25 minutes (not including commercials). The fact that some of Hollywood jumped into the Twitter flood... well that is pretty funny. Then of course SyFy then started loading up the other "shark" movies. Two-headed Shark Attack... 'Nuff said on that one. Well, girls in bikinis. Ghost Shark?!? Oh please. Stop the pain already. The least they could do is license Deep Blue Sea.

A movie so bad that someone would actually watch it. Yup. This was it. In fact, they are already working on a SECOND movie! Really? Do we really need another one? From Taeng: "Sharknado: The Next One". No. Stop.

Don't get me started on the "mockumentary" that was "Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives" (Animal Planet's "Mermaids: The Body Found", anyone?) And I admit the thought that this shark could still swim the oceans today is both exciting and terrifying! I mean, who wasn't ready to believe "Jurassic Park"? One mosquito and you were able to manufacture all those dinosaurs?!? That was one busy mosquito.

And as is my fashion I have gone all over the subject with additional tangents included. I think I better stop here...

From T808: Me & Random were discussing the Megalodon "mockumentary" and found quite a few holes in it to deem it, well, a mockumentary. I've read most of Steve Alten's MEG books, about the
Meg actually surfacing in modern-day waters via a very interesting theory. I loved the 1st book..it was fun, exciting and a little scary. But when I watched Discovery's tribute to SyFy, I was not impressed. Sure, as Random said, the thought of the Meg alive and cruising the open ocean is exciting & scary. But there were so many dramatic licenses taken that "The Monster Shark Lives" started to look like another "found footage" movie a la "Cloverfield" (Which I absolutely loved). Once that idea set in, we began seeing the show unravel. This just goes to show that Discovery Channel can make movies like the old Sci-Fi Channel could...but Discovery is trying to pass this off as reality TV.  As if.

From Randomness: Totally see that. I am disappointed that Discovery has sunk to this level of "reality". They were among the few stations I would watch. Learning channel has very little "learning". History channel. Uh yeah.

From T808: You forgot MTV, as well. None of these channels are who they say they are anymore.

Taeng's Down-N-Dirty Quick Reviews

RED 2
Frank Moses & Co. are back, with a little additional help of some new and old "teammates" in R.E.D. 2, the sequel to the original R.E.D. How does it live up to its predecessor? Not that well. While the crew is still the same, the feel isn't. Oh, its got explosions, humor and all that. But it doesn't beat or match the level of fun that R.E.D. was at. I guess its because that was the introduction to these characters and it all seemed new & cool at the time. And while R.E.D. 2 had its moments, it pretty much just kept the same formula from the first movie.
With the addition of Catherine Zeta-Jones as Katya (Frank Moses' former flame, kinda) it was interesting but not enough. Then there's Korean action actor Byung Hyun Lee (Storm Shadow in the G.I. Joe movies) who adds youth and martial arts coolness and humor ("Where's my plane?") but cannot save the movie.
Don't get me wrong, its a OK movie but I was expecting something cooler.
I did like the fact the Helen Mirren and Brian Cox are together in this one...they're better than Bruce Willis and Mary-Louise Parker, even with what little screentime they had together.
Final shot: The decision on if I like a movie is usually if I decide that I'm buying it on Blu-ray when it comes out. Barring any ridiculous sale prices ($11.99 or lower? I'm THERE!), R.E.D.2 is a no-buy. When it drops to the $9.99 level, then we'll see.

THE WOLVERINE
Having suffered through the first movie, X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, with its twisty, somewhat inconsistent plot and just plain WTF sequences, I wasn't too hyped about this one. But after reading mostly favorable reviews, it started to pique my interest. And with the much anticipated X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE, PAST to be released next year, I decided to get into mutant hero mode and take the chance. Was it worth it?
YES.
I do not claim to be an X-Men fanboy but I read it when I was a kid and loved it. And you guessed it, Wolvie was my fave character becuz he didn't take sh!t from anyone. And I knew some of the storyline that was adapted for WOLVERINE but not all of it, so it was a nice surprise. I loved the female leads in Mariko (Tao Okamoto) and Yukio (Rila Fukushima), both were strong willed and a could fight (Yukio more than Mariko) and Logan himself shows some depth (What? In a comic book movie? Nooo) and you can actually relate to his pain and may even root for him (I did). Guest appearances by Jean Grey help convey his regret and loss.

All in all a well-balance action/drama with a couple of scenes that may make you roll your eyes but are still enjoyable.
Final Shot: I'd buy this on Blu...but I still want it to be a good price...
Oh and stay for the epilogue during the credits. It's become a staple for EVERY Marvel movie.

Minions Get All The Fun...

SNSD were on their way to the airport terminal when they encountered...

Note: Seohyun &Taeyeon will return to voice act as Edith & Margo in the Korean release of  Despicable Me 2.

"euigeung that jerk^^ he touched my butt!! Lol #AsExpectedMyFriends"

 -Taeyeon's Instagram

Tiffany couldn't resist...

Sunny: Wha--?

Also, Taeyeon's Instagram has a video of her and Seohyun with the Minions so go check it out! Meanwhile, lucky Taiwan Sones get to see SNSD their GIRLS & PEACE Tour.

SNSD's Tiffany from Ceci Magazine August 2013. 'Nuff Said!

OMG!

BONUS:

This one always gets me when watching the "I Got A Boy" MV..

PACIFIC RIM: Taeng00ey808's Take & More

First off, I have to say that growing up in Hawaii and having seen some of the Giant Robot animated shows from Japan broadcast through American and local Japanese TV, I always wondered when someone would make a movie of it...or something like it.
The 1980's did a have a couple, ROBOT JOX and CRASH AND BURN and both used the then tried-and-true stop-motion animation techniques. Love ya, Ray! Computer generated images were in the very early stages of development and mostly used in stickman figures or 10-second TV spots and that still took months to make.
Still, with the advancement of CGI into the 90's and then the millenium, no one took the chance on making a full-scale motion picture of Giant Robots fighting...whatever. I thought that Japan would've been the first, since they basically brought the genre to life and this continues today in the form of the long-running Gundam series.  C'mon guys, we were expecting you to be the first.
But alas, decades would go by and then The TRANSFORMERS (again, a Japan import) makes its live-action film debut to the delight of those who grew up watching it on TV every afternoon after school (that and Robot---, I can't say it but you know which series). And this is done through the American film industry. Now, I know all 3 movies got trashed by critics, but REALLY, how do you critique Giant Robots? It's a POPCORN movie of a toy line, for chrissake! Check your brain at the door, take your seat and enjoy the ride. =)
Flash forward to 2012 and the rumblings of the latest Guillermo Del Toro (HELLBOY, MIMIC, PAN'S LABYRINTH, BLADE II) film called PACIFIC RIM. I didn't really pay it much attention becuz it didn't shout "Giant Robots VS Giant Monsters!" just by the title. It took a little bit of time but the first images came out and I was like &$#^* (expletive)! It was starting to pique my interest and then the first trailer hits and I AM HOOKED. But, having waited so long for something like this to come along sorta made me hesitate as far as whether it would be any good...you know, the first model will have some bugs so it may not function great all the time and you wait for the next version. Except if this fails, there won't be another version. So I headed into the movie with low expectations, even if a director that I admire and whom brought fantastic characters to life onscreen with awesome results, was behind it all.

Honestly, I really wasn't that excited but I had committed to seeing it (to myself) and this was the only way to see it...on the big screen, with Regal's RPX system and nice, somewhat racecar-like comfy chairs.
The result?
It was AWESOME! And intense. One of the few movies in a long time that made me actually sit up in my seat (don't lie, you slouch in those seats too) and dig into the action. I've already made up my mind to buy the blu-ray.
It had interesting concepts, especially dealing with the Jaeger/Giant Robot and human link up through a neural net and that you needed 2 drivers (1 for right and 1 for left brain hemisphere control). Remember, the Japanese animated versions just had the operator sit in a chair and drive the robot. Not so for this movie. There so many concepts I found interesting that, in addition to cool Jaeger/Monster battles, I found myself liking the movie more and more. Yeah, some of them were a bit far-fetched...but we're talking about Giant Robots...I think we're past "far-fetched" and deep into "Holy Crap, that's crazy!" territory.
Nevertheless, for the little kid in me who loved those animated Japanese Giant Transforming Robots from childhood, PACIFIC RIM more than satisfied him.  I may even go see it again.
Critics and non-critics can bash the movie for whatever reasons but I took it for the thrill ride it was and believe that was, in part, the intent.
Oh yeah and if you go see it, stick around for the gag during the credits.

A film like this opens up the idea that we can now make a Giant Robot movie, as the technology has allowed us the freedom and scope to make it happen. I, personally, would love to see a live-action Macross or even Gundam. Heck, Japan already has a life-sized Gundam robot on display. I think its time he started walking...

What do you think?

How to install JDownloader

Written by:

Leonhu

http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/922

Because JDownloader isn't part of the Linux Mint Software Center, you have to download the automated Install/Start-Script from http://212.117.163.148/jd.sh.

After downloading, place the file wherever you want, best place for me is the Desktop (because that is the file, which starts JDownloader after the installation).

If you want to edit the Installation-path, open the file with a text-editor and edit line 19. Default is "~/.jd" (home).

Now you have to make the file executable. Right-click on it and select "Properties". Go to the Permissions-Tab and mark the option "Allow executing file as program". Then open the file again.
JDownloader should now start the installation.

When the installation is complete, run the file again. Now JDownloader should start.

Tags: JDownloader install
Created: 1 year ago.
Last edited: 1 year ago.
Reviewed: 1 year ago.
Read 0 times.