Mr March

I'm sure I don't need to yet again post my distaste for the entire series. If I have to say something positive about the new film Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire I can say that this is easily the strongest Potter picture yet. Director Mike Newell (finally, a brit is directing a Potter film...about damn time) did a fantastic job creating the darkest and most grounded film in the series. Not only was there a strong sense that the Potter, Weasley, and Hermione characters were growing, but some genuine adolescent emotions and sexual tension helped ground the characters, providing some much needed development. Astonishingly, this also lead to a film that doubles as a coming-of-age story and a surprisingly moving tragedy. As a non-fan and constant skeptic, I was expecting Goblet of Fire to offer yet another formulaic, more-of-the-same tone as the three previous films. Rather than present a film trapped by the typical limitations of a middle act, Newell instead managed to push the story forward and forced the characters to deal with intriguing dramatic issues. The result was a more, dare I say it, realistic human drama and a more accessible film for those in the audience yet to be enraptured by the world of Potter. While the other Potter films sit around one or two stars out of five, I'd give Goblet of Fire a fair three out of five simply for the effort.

At the risk of going off topic onto a series of films I dislike, I will say this: the fourth installment is easily the most well made of the Potter films. Take that for whatever it's worth.

Well, I'm finally back after 2 1/2 weeks without the internet (Telus can go do you know what with themselves) and thought I'd post a topic. I was dragged to the 4th Harry Potter movie and yet again looked forward to another wasted evening, but found at least something to enjoy out of the whole affair: a teaser for Superman Returns. I've been quite the skeptic of the new Superman film for some time. Granted, I've loved every Bryan Singer film I've seen to date, but I wasn't sure if the timing was right, the casting was sound, or story was tight. I do like the look of the film based on the teaser and what I've seen of the actor and suit gives me some hope. Now I don't want to work myself up over a trailer (something trailers are specifically designed to do), but I must admit I'm feeling a little better about the chances of success for this film. Any opinions? Screams? Cries of - dare I say it - rape? Superman Returns Teaser

The new scans are very much appreciated. Thanks.

I'm curious what people think of Samurai Seven. I've heard plenty of good things about it and I'm considering buying the first DVD release.

All I want to know is, when is Halo 3 coming out? I probably won't buy an X-Box 360 until Halo 3 is out...unless they release another Soul Calibur game for the 360 of course

Just when news of some video game film adaptations was going well... You know, it wouldn't be so bad if the video game adaptations were of crap I didn't care for. Sadly, each time I hear about video game film adaptations, some jerk like Anderson or Boll is going straight for the throat of a franchise I like. I weep for film adaptations of franchises like Half-Life if this trend of lousy filmmaking is allowed to continued unabated.

Valve Software released the Lost Coast this past Thursday and I've only had a chance to play a little bit of the game. So far, it's really good, playing exactly like a "lost" level from the game. I won't really have the opportunity to test the new dynamic lighting effects until I get my new system up and running, but I was curious if anyone else here is playing the game.

Actually, Serenity should quite easily turn a profit. The film is almost past its cost in worldwide receipts ($34 of $39 million) and the film did well enough that the DVD sales will be respectable. Firefly on DVD is doing well for a series of its type and the movie will no doubt follow suit. I don't think there was ever any expectation that Serenity would create an explosion of interest in Firefly, that the series would again find a home on TV, or that the franchise would become a pop culture hit. The film was barely marketted and the interest in pushing it seems negligable. My guess is Whedon had enough pull with his record of successes to create a movie for a series that he loved; as special treat for the fans who felt like he did. THe film was plenty of fun in my opinion and worth buying on DVD when it is released. I doubt I'm that much of a fan to buy the series, but since a friend of mine recently purchased the series, I'll no doubt watch it

Oh dear...

Hahaha, the Ed Wood of Video Game movies I like that one. Reading these interviews, the tactics and responses of Boll sound so familiar. I don't know how many here are familiar with PC gaming, but Boll reminds me so much of another great tragedy called Derek Smart. I must admit, people like this create a sort of morbid fascination...a "car crash" of stubborn determination and willingness to humiliate themselves by any means necessary just to secure attention and press. Ironically, more entertainment is to be found in the contraversy than the actual productions created by these people

First of all, the explanation I provided is a simplistic example in laymans terms which is technicially correct given most cases of fusion/fission. Like I said, I'm no engineer or scientist; I can only discuss the subject from the basic understanding of an amateur. Discussion into what can or can't happen is not answering the question concisely; it creates more complexity than is needed to answer the questio. Fusion/Fission are complex subjects, but the answer to this particular question need not be so. Also, the idea of the fusion/fission reaction as it applies to this discussion is to create a small, fighter-sized device which safely produces more energy than that which is needed to ignite the fusion process (we want gain, not loss). Some fusion reactions actually require more energy to create than they produce and fission reactors are not able to be miniturized like fusion reactors. Do we really care about all these POSSIBILITIES in the context of this discussion? No. For more in-depth analysis, it's best to self-educate. There are several Fusion FAQ's on the internet and websites devoted to the discussion of fusion theory.

The short answer to both your questions: No. Now, I'm no engineer, but as a enthusiastic fan of both science and science fiction, I can provide a long answer in layman's terms. Skippy438 is on the right track, but further explanation is needed. The Reaction Engines of OverTechnology in Macross are indeed nuclear fusion, not nuclear fission. At the most fundamental level, fusion theory holds that a reaction can be produced by COMBINING stable elements (as opposed to current nuclear fission which requires SPLITTING complex elements and thus produces harmful by-products). So fusion is by far a "cleaner" nuclear reaction, because it can be achieved using basic reactants such as hydrogen, combining them in a sustainable, controlled fashion eliminating production of radioactive neutrons. As for the Reaction engines themselves, fusion reactors would not explode if breached. A fusion reactor is basically the reaction of a star, created in conditions of extreme pressure and heat. Breaching a fusion reactor would result in the quick release of hydrogen and helium gases (in a plasma) but there would be no instantaneous reaction or excessive harmful radiation. While a breached fusion reactor is certainly very hazardous, it is not a high energy effect of mass destruction (like a nuclear bomb).

I see no honor in ignorance nor do I see any nobility in expense. I do not long for those early school days of sans-subtitled bootleg-quality beta cassettes at $50 a pop. Expecting better of the companies that sell me their product is not a "sell out", it's called consumer responsibility and creating a more faithful dub for Macross is not a slippery slope that leads to the ever-hated ways of HG. I'm thankful this new release will do good for Macross and for my hobby as a fan.

I like this new map. THe old one was good as well, but I don't think I was on there and the map wasn't detailed enough to get specific locations. Still, this new one isn't without it's problems. The locator icons are too big and sometimes overlap nearby members. Regardless, a good idea on MM79's part and a fun project to work on.

Great pictures, but a larger scan would be nice. Whoa, I just noticed the wings in battroid mode. I think they ARE overlapping somewhat. Not as much as the lineart and CG models in the Macross Zero series, but there is definitely something of an overlap when the wings are folded. This is cool.

I think the nature of Macross is such that popularity can be improved by more exposure, but I seriously doubt the franchise will create another "Evangelion" or "Gundam" anime explosion among the 12-25 fan crowd. I can see more accessible Macross product accompanied by a modest increase in the international (or north american) fanbase. I don't see much beyond that. A few more websites, some more adverts, a few comic books, the occasional blog...that's about it. Anime is unique in that it translates better (by better, I mean more acceptable, not necessarily of good quality) in dub format than any other visual medium. Subtlety of performance is a trait lost from most animation simply becuase of the limitations of the artform. Thus, the generalized facial expressions in most anime can feature substituted dialogue with far less impact than a live action performance. Hence why dubbing in live action is frowned upon. I'm well aware of the opinions of many here regarding dubs. In my opinion, you're welcome to maintain a seperatist, segregation mind-set for as long as you want. If you don't want anyone else to share your interests, that's your problem. But this behaviour does not persuade and I'm a person who encourages people to try. If I have to put up with a new dub of Macross and hordes of diehards acting stroppy about it, that's a small price to pay for more Macross merchandise, Yamato's easier to obtain, and a region one release of Macross Zero/Macross 7/Flashback 2012. There is little to fear and so much to gain, and I am thankful this new release of Macross is not up to the Macross fans. Like I've always said, fandom wouldn't exist, if it were up to the fans.

ANd the hardcore subtitles crowd too! Don't forget them! My god, Bandai is making a huge mistake with this! We better tell them this isn't going to sell before it's too late!

I do so love the VF-0D. I urge you to continue your work.

I like that. Very dramatic and very Macross. You should do more!

Although T3 wasn't that great of a film, it was far from a total failure. As an action piece, the film was a success. It remained more often faithful to the universe set up by the two earlier films and had some genuinely thrilling action pieces. The themes dealt with in the terminator films were also present as were many of the character stories, albiet of less quality than T1 and T2. As a follow-up to Terminator 2: Judgement Day - one of the finest action films ever made - T3 was less than successful. I suppose this is why T3 has a bad reputation.

There was a thread started in the Conventions/Gatherings forum that dealt with fellow Macross World members in Canada. You should check it out.

I for one am glad a dub is coming out. Macross will be more accessible to the average person and thus maybe more products will follow. Hoping this will happen is somewhat fleeting, but there is the possibility of more international releases. Sadly, it is true that most people will not watch subtitles. This is not a phenomena exclusive to anime. The vast majority of people will avoid ANY film that is in a foreign language. There are three rules about marketting modern film (with very few exceptions) that will see people avoid viewing of the product: 1. Foreign language/subtitles 2. Black and white 3. Old re-releases The vast majority of people put little to no effort into what they watch. You must understand, by your very nature as a viewer of anime, you are the exception...not the rule. You have gone beyond mainstream viewing and tastes and as you watch anime you distinguish yourself from the average consumer of popular culture. Naturally, it goes without saying that while you personally may have no problem with subtitles, most do. Even many of your fellow anime fans dislike subtitles. Given the choice between formats (a foreign film in subtitles versus a foreign film with dubbing), the average viewer will most often choose the format requiring the least effort.

From what I got out of Donnie Darko (which was very little), the film had less to do with parallel or tangent universes and more to do with time. Donnie Darko, to me, is a time travel story that focused specifically on the concept of a paradox, however it did so in a new and innovative way from any other time travel tale on film. Personally, I feel one can somewhat understand the film just thinking about time, even if the result is circular (the grandfather paradox for example). Ultimately, the story of what occurs is really up to you...but rather than say "your own interpretation" I would say your own idea of what Donnie Darko is based on your understanding of the time paradox concept. People use "alternate" or "tangent" universes as explanations because people can understand that concept easier than a time paradox. Sounds silly to say that, but let's be realistic, this film is really bizarre There are several good websites like the IMDB or stainlesssteelrat.net that discuss many of the plot points and elements of Donnie Darko in detail. I'd recommend reading those. I also hear the directors cut (in that funky new tin case) helps create a better picture of the story than the original release.

That film doesn't deserve to be the cause of any banishing...except that of itself. But I suppose that's wishful thinking.