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Techie Tip Tuesdays: iTunes, Apple, and Online Movie Trailers

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iTunes, Apple, and Online Movie Trailers

Well, I'm finding an interesting trend here - this week's Techie Tip has to do with movies as well... only this time, I'm talking about movies in theaters. When I go to a movie, I know that if it says it starts at 1:30pm, the actual feature film I'm going to see won't start until 1:50pm at the EARLIEST - the first 20 minutes generally are a couple of commercials and then movie trailers. But I always make a point of making sure I'm there for the trailers - I love to see what's coming up!

Since Apple has started providing movies via iTunes, they've done a great job of setting up a part of the iTunes store where you can watch movie trailers, and it's great! You can pretty much find any upcoming movie there... I will sit down with Erin some evenings and we'll just go and see what's coming up in the theater. If you're NOT an iTunes user, you can actually accomplish the same thing via Apple's website - just click here to go and see what's coming up. Just make sure you have a few minutes to waste - often the trailers are a little longer than they generally are in the theater which is an added bonus!

                

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Academy Awards Highlights

I'm discovering that I'm not really big on awards shows. I watched the last 30 minutes or so of the Grammys as I rode my bike in my living room (it's on a trainer, which is a piece of equipment that turns my road bike into a stationary bike). Well, last night I only caught the last hour of the Academy Awards, turning it on right in the middle of the "Falling Slowly" performance. Here are my highlights from that point on:

• performance of "Falling Slowly" - if you have not yet downloaded the soundtrack to the movie "Once" do it NOW. This song in particular is one of the most moving songs I've come across in a long time... just a beautiful melody and the synergy of the two vocals is fantastic.

• Jon Stewart inviting Marketa Irglova back to say her thank-yous - I was quite impressed with Jon Stewart all night, actually. He was an entertaining host (for the portion that I saw) and didn't try to push any boundaries or push any personal agenda. But what I found extremely classy was when, after she was cut off at the mic by the music going into a commercial break and not able to say her acceptance thank-yous, Jon invited Marketa BACK on stage after the break and let her say her piece as well - which was a beautifully humble word of thanks and encouragement to the independent artist community. Very classy, indeed.
• "Juno" winning "Best Original Screenplay" - while I can't say anything about her lifestyle, I will say that "Juno" was a beautiful story and well-deserving of the recognition. (Read more about writer Diablo Cody here. [HT: Randy])

Ben Stein is Expelled

I came across this movie the other day [HT: Brock] and have been quite taken by it. I've seen banners for it on other blogs but  haven't taken the time to really check it out. Watch the trailer and let me know what you think.

Ben and his team have done a fantastic job of providing some great resources for people like us to help get the word out on this movie. It's releasing in April, not February like some of the trailers say. One of the quotes in the super trailer that stuck out to me is this:

"In my experience, people who are confident in their ideas are not afraid of criticism..."

Check out these links for more info:

Resource Site
Official Website
YouTube
MySpace

(This is post 301, by the way... pretty cool!)

Rambo a Steroid Junkie

I knew it! There's no way John Rambo could have looked like that naturally. I will admit, however, that I'm more than a little disappointed. 61 year-old Sylvester Stallone has admitted he used HGH (human growth hormone) to shape up for the new "Rambo" movie which just released this weekend. This is the hormone - most would refer to it as a steroid - that has caused such a huge stink in Major League Baseball, among other sports.

I don't think I would be quite as upset if he just announced that he used it. But he's also gone on record as saying, "Anyone who calls [HGH] a steroid is grossly misinformed... Everyone over 40 years old would be wise to investigate it because it increases the quality of your life. Mark my words. In 10 years it will be over the counter."

I'm sorry, Rambo, but I believe I must disagree with you. Please don't kill me!

Video Game Addiction

This is one reason why I don't want to get into video games. In fact, the American Medical Association was supposed to vote on adding "video game addiction" to a widely used mental illness manual created and published by the American Psychiatric Association. I heard that they voted in favor of it, but I haven't been able to find anything to back that up online. Can anyone help?

In the meantime, if you've got gamers in your family, make sure you do some reading... And check out As Real As Your Life, the documentary from which this movie trailer originated [HT: Ethos].

Bourne Ultimatum: A Thrilling Must See!

"Man Crush"... I believe I've used the term before in a blog post (yup, I did - click here to read it). That particular post was in reference to Jack Bauer. Well, it's the summer and Jack is hiding out getting some much needed rest to prepare for the upcoming season. Taking his place this summer: Jason Bourne.

Erin and I went to see The Bourne Ultimatum last night, and it was great! If you are a fan of the series (I've read all the books) it's definitely a must see. This Los Angeles Times review summed it up quite nicely... Have you seen it? What did you think?

Born Into Brothels

I am currently on a whirlwind tour of eastern Canada with my band as we are promoting the release of our upcoming album, "Wide-Eyed and Mystified". It's been a struggle just finding time to sleep, let alone blog...

But enough excuses. My wife was watching a DVD in the van today and I was reminded of how it moved me and that I need to help spread the word. It's called "Born Into Brothels" and is a beautifully produced piece, winning the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. The website describes the the movie as "a tribute to the resiliency of childhood and the restorative power of art... Born into Brothels is a portrait of several unforgettable children who live in the red light district of Calcutta, where their mothers work as prostitutes. Zana Briski, a New York-based photographer, gives each of the children a camera and teaches them to look at the world with new eyes."

As a result of their work with these children, Zana and director Russ Kauffman started up an organization called Kids With Cameras in order to help facilitate the sale of the childrens' work around the world and send the money back to them to help fund their educations. Besides the flagship project in Calcutta (which is documented in the movie), they now have workshops going in Haiti, Jerusalem, and Cairo. Take a second and check out these remarkable kids and the remarkable work they are doing. Prepare to be inspired!

[This was reposted as part of Watercooler Wednesdays.]