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So, PROnetworks more or less fell off the face of the internet this afternoon. While most parts of the site and other sites hosted on the same server, such as this blog or Hawaiian Style are working fine, the main area, the forum is still dead. I'm sure there are a lot of people sitting around pressing F5 to refresh the page, just hoping it will come back, but you get no love and only a phpBB error unfortunately.
Now you want to know what is causing the issue(s). Well, if you're a regular visitor, you would have noticed about the same thing a couple weeks ago where PRO just disappeared. Apparently it was about the same issue then too. The web host had some power issues and, well, you can really run a server or anything without power. They got the issue fixed temporarily and things went back to normal. Well, at about 2:40pm ET, apparently there were some more power issues and we've been sitting around wearing out the refresh button on the browser ever since. Since I'm currently board out of my mind, I figured I'd post a little something at the blog to utilize it a little more since it gets no real use, but also to help pass the time as there is nothing that I want to do at the moment. So, until we're back, read on and continue to refresh in the hopes that we come back to life.
Posted by imnuts at 07:08 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Windows Vista build 5365 was recently released to TAP program members and Tech Beta testers as the latest 'interim' build in the Beta 2 fork. While this build is not a CTP or IDW build, and is not subject to the tighter standards in terms of stability, it seems to be much better perfoming in many areas. Although some users have reported some major issues with certain hardware, I have found that it works better than any previous build on my hardware. Noticable improvements have been made to the Media Center Shell, which has been an issue in previous builds. Windows Media Player 11 has also gone through a number of enhancements, and although not all of the features are fully implemented, it gives a good look at things to come.
With the Beta 2 release currently scheduled for some time in late May, the development of Windows Vista seems to be headed in the right direction. The user interface is becoming more refined, and many of the features such as system restore, tablet PC input, speech recognition, and performance tools are becoming more fully functional. There has been a major focus on security, and this is evident throughout the Vista experience. From the integrated Windows Defender to the new User protection mode, Microsoft is making it easier to protect your system from unwanted attacks.
I really like some of the new features, such as the Snipping Tool which allows you to take a snapshot of any selected area of your desktop. This feature give the user much more control than using teh Print Screen key, and will allow much easier collection of screenshots. Another nice new feature is the DVD maker, which lets the user create a DVD from videos or pictures stored on their computer. It has an easy to use interface, and provides the casual user a free alternative to third party sofware for creating this type of DVD.
I can't wait to see what wonders the Beta 2 release will bring!
Posted by jrfree1 at 05:02 PM | Comments (0)
At my age, I really don't need the Easter candy, so perhaps the Easter Bunny can take a jaunt through Redmond this year and pick me up a Windows Vista CTP. Build 5308 (February CTP) was packed full of features, but not all of them were fully functional yet, while Build 5342 (the March Tech Beta release) was not quite as stable as a regular CTP build. So now I want something new, something better, something that has more driver support and has a better working Media Center. Does it matter that the Public Beta seems to have been pushed back? I would rather see MS take the time to address the current issues, and release something that is going to make the public go oooooh and ahhhhhhh. There are so many great features under the hood of Vista besides the obvious eye catching graphics.
I really like that I will be able to view previous versions of my files, that finally I will be able to resize my partitions without having to rely on a third party application, and I really like that I will be able to talk to my computer and tell it what to do! Now I just have to decide which version of Vista I want to run...... like there is really a question here - Ultimate all the way!
Posted by jrfree1 at 08:09 AM | Comments (0)
I had the great pleasure of seeing "One Last Thing" this weekend. Twice, in fact -- Saturday night's East Coast Premiere and Sunday's "East Coast Afternoon Premiere" as it was billed by the Philadelphia Film Festival. After having read and heard and seen just about all one could over the last year, it was exciting to finally watch the film.
Most have read the basic synopsis of "One Last Thing", and I always prefer to comment on the performances rather than write reviews, so I think it's safe to just say that the plot involves a 16 year-old (Dylan, played by Michael Angarano) who has a terminal illness. He is given a "wish" by a national foundation, and making that wish come true is the essence of the story.
I'll come back and post some more about the other actors and talk about the film somewhat, but after having let these two screenings sink in a bit I just wanted to post some of my impressions of Michael Angarano's performance for you.
Michael Angarano is finally beginning to tackle some powerful leading roles, with the soon-to-be released "The Bondage" (which had its World Premiere last month) and now with "One Last Thing." As "Sky High's" Will and "Lords of Dogtown's" Sid we saw just a hint of the powerful range of Michael's abilities, and in "One Last Thing" he uses both his comedic talents as well as dramatic ones in a way that we haven't really seen before. If you liked Sid, you'll love Dylan.
To cut to the heart of his performance here would give too much away, so in lieu of spoilers I'll just say this: Angarano has an uncanny ability to make us laugh when we want to cry and to make us cry when we want to laugh. It's a real gift, and one which we've seen a bit in films like "Dear Wendy" and "Dogtown." But here is able to use that gift from opening to closing credits.
Since the earliest days of theater, tragedy and comedy often go hand-in-hand, and it's no wonder that director Alex Steyermark says that Michael was really his only choice for this role. Anyone who has seen his films will not be surprised at how elegantly Michael slips into this character, but hopefully others who are not as familiar with his body of work will now discover what the rest already know.
Posted by phileysmiley at 04:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Some musings on the performances. A disclaimer: I did not write about all the leads (there are too many) as this is an ensemble cast and it's hard to do everyone justice. If I left someone out it's not that I wasn't impressed. All the cast was excellent. These are just some who stayed in my mind after another day passed.
Erica Leerhsen: Is heartbreaking as the would be-vixen Heather, whose moods can turn on a dime depending on whether or not her fears of her cheatin' boyfriend seem rooted in reality or not. She confides in her best friend Allison, and wonders just who she can trust. She's strong on the outside but oh-so fragile on the inside and one of the film's finest performances.
Rachel Miner: The tension-filled seesaw relationship between Leehrsen's Heather and Eric Szmanda's Derek has to have a fulcrum, and Miner's Allison is it. One wonders whether or not the weight of emotionally supporting the now-neurotic now-psychotic Heather will break her, but Allison has an inner strength which will serve her well as the film reels towards its climax. Miner scores with the film's most tearjerking moment. She's brilliant and just gets more powerful as the film goes on, both in her performance as well as her character. Her final scenes are not to be missed.
DJ Qualls: Perfectly cast as Corey, Qualls is the wounded but hopeful sidekick to Pedro, who will fearlessly drag Corey down any path he travels, however dangerous. His storyline is the comic relief in the film, with a face that easily lends itself to Zuber's sharp writing. His experience shines through, and one could almost hear the audience smile every time he appeared onscreen.
Jorge Garcia: As Pedro, Garcia has the unenviable task of providing the film's comic relief. Because in a film filled with woe and heartache, Garcia has to be able to grab the viewer by the throat and turn that frown upside down. And he does it with every scene, every line, every glance. He dominates the screen physically as well as with his life-affirming performance, as he is fearless, relentless in his pursuit of whatever it takes to survive, circumstance be damned.
Jill Ritchie: In a film of one heartbreak after another, Ritchie's Jessica is the queen of heartbreak. Not only is she accused of cheating, but also of hurting others in the process. She has it coming at her from both sides. The world is falling apart around her, yet she somehow manages to fly from one crisis to another with the ability to hold her head high through it all. Her performance impressed me from the moment she appeared onscreen, and never let go. She is one to watch.
Shawn Hatosy: His character doesn't appear until the latter portion of the film, but it's the time when the film's four storylines come together and put all the characters in one setting. Now that we know everyone, Hatosy's Carter emerges as a would-be hero to one of our walking wounded, but is he strong enough to keep his word? Hatosy is a veteran of the business and this part is well-suited to his sweet but scary big-brother screen presence. I've long admired Hatosy's work and he does not disappoint.
John Patrick Amedori: Every drama needs an underdog, and nobody is better at tugging the heartstrings of the audience than Amedori. You can't help but root for Jimmy, the loner of the bunch, the one character without a buddy or a partner or a sidekick to lean on. It's ironic that the one guy who would appear to have the most going for him is the one who has nobody around to validate that. Or maybe that's the point -- he doesn't need anyone. He's smart enough, sharp enough -- he's got the self-esteem the others lack -- but will that be his downfall?
His is arguably the most sympathetic character in a film where you tend to feel sorry for everyone. He's perfectly cast -- the story had to have one sometimes sad but hopeful puppy-dog, and he's it. What Jimmy lacks in good sense he makes up in youthful headlong determination. If he had the grades and the money he'd be in Harvard Business School. Or working for his daddy's law firm. But he didn't, and he doesn't. But he's got ambition, and this is a role made for Amedori. And how exciting it is to see him able to showcase his talents beyond the small screen, where he has an impressive body of work in commercials and episodic television, and the supporting roles in films like Butterfly Effect, his most notable to date. This is the first time we've seen him as a dramatic lead and it's more than an impressive "debut." He's sure to be in demand in the years to come.
Posted by phileysmiley at 04:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
I attended a screening of "Little Athens" at the Philadelphia Film Festival tonight, and it was a fascinating experience. I'd been tracking the course of the film through the various festivals over the last year, but this was the first time it was in my own backyard. It was exciting to see friends and associates show up, having heard me talk about the film or seeing the posts about it here and elsewhere, and my anticipation of seeing the film was mixed with the butterflies in my stomach as I didn't want the film to disappoint. I chatted up some of the folks waiting in the lobby beforehand, and found that many had heard about the film from friends who'd grown up in a similar environment as the characters. Others had simply picked up the buzz on the street and some saw our posts here at IMDb. So, needless to say, it was a positive and friendly crowd going in. Most festivals I attend attract an "okay, I'm as aspiring actor/filmmaker/critic and you'd better make my time worth it" type of audience. This was not that crowd. Although I don't think it would have mattered -- "Little Athens" would win them over.
I generally avoid writing (or reading) reviews, since I'd rather let the viewer see the film and discover it for themselves. It's also hard to write about a film in detail without spoilers. So I won't be doing that.
Briefly, the film follows the lives of a group of post-high school graduates (or dropouts), late teens and early twenty-somethings for whom college is not an option. There are 4 stories which proceed independently of each other, occasionally passing off the baton from one to the next, but eventually all coming together.
"Little Athens" is a slice of life in a relatively lifeless environment -- a small town called Athens, but it could be any small town just about anywhere. Certainly, anyone who grew up in such a place knows it well. There isn't a whole lot to do. So you do what you can to get by. These characters' lives are about who you're dating, used to date, or would like to date, who you're cheating on and who's cheating on you, who's doing drugs and who's selling them, getting jobs and getting fired, getting into trouble and staying out of trouble, and trying to figure out who you are in a town where nobody amounts to much unless you leave. Stay and you're stuck, so you may as well make the best of it. In a town with no rock concerts, no sports arena, no dance clubs, no mall, and no multiplex, there's no drama. And when the drama doesn't exist without, you create it from within. Nature abhors a vacuum, so these young people fill the void by creating their own conflicts, because it's so much easier to be discontent than not.
If it sounds sad, well, where there's pity there's sympathy. And where there's sympathy there's comfort. We know these people. And that cuts to the heart of what makes this film what it is -- this brilliant young cast does what good actors are supposed to do -- they make these characters real. You never get the feeling that this is scripted, or has been rehearsed -- and the camera similarly stays out of the way.
Most of the film is shot in widescreen 35MM, as if to emphasize how small these characters are set against the bleak landscape of this town. We are watching them from a distance, just observers, taking it all in and allowing us to slowly invest ourselves in these people. The last portion of the film uses handheld 16MM, as the four separate storylines come together towards the climax of the film. Now we are there, with them, because now that we know them we are allowed into their world.
So that sets the scene for the territory covered by "Little Athens." I'll come back and post more later, as the aspects of the film which stand out the most in my mind usually are easier to write about some time afterwards. I can say right off the bat that the performances are just spot on. It's always hard to single anyone out in an ensemble cast, but I'll try. The other highlight for me was the music, but that's always my weakness. There was no Q&A tonight, but I usually try to ask the first question and it's almost always, "tell us about the music." After the acting and the soundtrack (which is often all I need) comes Tom Zuber's intricate story, told with the luxury of one able to write it, produce it, direct it, and edit it. He should be extremely proud of this work.
More to come...
Posted by phileysmiley at 08:53 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
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