Factoid: Smith

In The Matrix Reloaded, the license plate on Agent Smith's car reads "IS 5416," which is a Biblical allusion to Isaiah 54:16, which reads "Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy."

Source: The Easter Egg

OpEd: How to Enjoy Going to the Movies Again

How To Enjoy Going To The Movies Again: 

Moviegoing is, at its core, a social experience. The moment those lights dim and the film reel rolls, you’re no longer an individual sitting in an auditorium; you’re part of a mass of people who are connected through a shared event and the desire to be entertained and transported. In that moment, when you turn from a solitary viewer into an audience, you form a trusting and reciprocal relationship not only with the movie but also with those around you. Every person in the theater contributes to the experience. Usually, this means reverent silence. But I’d argue that there is no theater audience that contributes more to the experience of seeing a movie than one at a midnight show.

I was skeptical until I decided to attend one for the first time. The film was “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” in 2002. I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of being up until 3 in the morning, and I was unsure and a little worried about the kind of crowd I would have to put up with — especially given that when I saw an opening-day screening of “The Fellowship of the Ring,” I shared the theater with fans dressed as Gandalf or wearing “Frodo lives!” T-shirts, all losing their minds audibly throughout the film. And that was just a matinee.

But what I learned from seeing “The Two Towers” is that a midnight screening is not something you attend but something you do. That’s why, ever since, I have developed the habit of turning “midnight” into a verb. As in, “I’m going to midnight ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ ” or “I’ll definitely midnight ‘Prometheus.’ ” Midnighting a movie is more than just seeing the movie — it’s an act of dedication and enthusiasm above and beyond what most people are willing to give.

Source: The New York Times

News: deGrasse Tyson is behind change in Titanic re-release

Neil deGrasse Tyson is behind the only major technical change in the Titanic re-release:

It took James Cameron 60 weeks to prepare Titanic for its rerelease, but apart from remastering the original at 4k resolution and converting it to stereoscopic 3D, nothing about the movie has really changed.

Well, almost nothing.

According to Cameron: “Neil deGrasse Tyson sent me quite a snarky email saying that, at that time of year [April 15, at 4:20 am], in that position in the Atlantic in 1912, when Rose is lying on the piece of driftwood and staring up at the stars, that is not the star field she would have seen.”

“And with my reputation as a perfectionist, I should have known that and I should have put the right star field in. So I said ‘All right, send me the right stars for that exact time and I’ll put it in the movie.’”

So Tyson did just that, and Cameron re-shot the scene. According to the Telegraph , it is the only major technical change in the film’s re-release.

Source: io9

Daily Links: March 26, 2012

Infographic: The Learning Power Of Lego

20 Criminal Cases Solved By Using Facebook

25 Facts You Should Know About Your Gray Matter
 Cheating casinos as a good Christian:  Group members believed what they were doing was consistent with their faith because they felt they were taking money away from an evil enterprise. Further, they did not believe that counting cards was inherently a bad thing; rather, it was merely using math skills in a game of chance.

Here's how to make The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie

Homeless on purpose, how a U1 philosophy student braves the elements, sleeps outside, and keeps an eye on his GPA Shane is a U1 Philosophy student at McGill, and has been homeless since July. He lives on campus, using its facilities like most of us use different rooms in a house. He eats his meals in student lounges and does push-ups in the library. He showers at the gym and stashes extra socks in convenient hiding spots. He won’t say where – he guards his possessions closely.

Instructions for squeezing a survival kit into a pill bottle.

Organized irreligion! This weekend , Washington, D.C. will be invaded by the voice of reason. A free rally featuring Tim Minchin, Paul Provenza, Richard Dawkins, Eddie Izzard, Adam Savage, James Randi, Bad Religion, and many others, in what is anticipated to be the largest gathering of non-believers in America. "If we don't organize, we will be the only ones not organized. Religion will be organized. We won't be organized. That means we lose... and they win."

Unconsumption is a Tumblr devoted to re-purposing old junk into new household items

Video Distractin: Duck Tron

Duck Tron from Ryactive on Vimeo.

Tron is a 1982 American science fiction film. DuckBrand.com is a company that sells duct tape. The two combine with awesome results.

Video Distraction: Greatest Movie Bank Robbery Ever

Cinema’s more memorable bank heists come together to form the Greatest Movie Bank Robbery Ever in the latest Screen Junkies Supercut.

Quick Pic: Badass Gandalf

ZZ-Gandalf

THE HOBBIT is being filmed in 3D. Even wizards have to wear the glasses. Snapped by Peter Jackson in Wellington, 2011.

Movie Mockery: Shaun of the Dead in 30 Seconds

This is basically my love letter to all things Edgar Wright/Scott Pilgrim! I saw and read Scott Pilgrim in the summer of last year, and it had such a massive impact I decided to make this to vent my creative juices!