Where’s North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il?

Ask anyone, Team America took care of him!

Western officials confirm to FOX News that there is intelligence suggesting that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il suffered a stroke on Aug. 14 and could be incapacitated — even wheelchair bound.

Filed under: Global Affairs, Global Threats, Movies

Jessica; Photoshop versus Copyright.

“I’m not bad, I’m just photoshopped that way…”

A common legal question in the realm of artistic license – is it a personal work of art or a copyright violation?  We have recently seen many instances of the power of Photoshop, most recently the Iranian Missile launch.  But, the photo below may actually cross the line and enter copyright territory.

 

Found in several places on the Internet, the Photoshop Jessica Rabbit could be landmine for the talented artist at Pixeloo.  Or would the infringement only come if the artist attempted to sell the image.  Disney is usually pretty heavy handed on dealing with violations of “fair use doctrine”.

Disney lawyers’ heads must be spinning over this one. A movie posted on Stanford University’s site called “A Fair(y) Use Tale” mashes up all your Disney favorites to humorously and effectively explain copyright law.

But, this picture has been out on the web for a while with no apparent backlash.  But, I imagine that should the photo get more exposure, the risk will increase.

Filed under: Business, Movies, Technology

Actor Harvey Korman dies in Los Angeles – MSN TV News

Now this really make me sad.  I thought this guy was hilarious, especially in Blazing Saddles -  which happens to be an absolute favorite around my office.  Like little kids, we quote the stupid movie all the time, never tiring of the sophomoric humor.

Too bad…  Life needs more humor!

Cutthroats, bull-dykes and Methodists

 

Actor Harvey Korman dies in Los Angeles – MSN TV News

Filed under: Hollyweird, Movies

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Like everyone else, I absolutely enjoyed all these movies.  They never get old!  And now the latest installment – Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is coming May 22d!

Filed under: Movies

The Court Jester

Such simple pleasures on a long weekend.  After a particularly grueling work week, I thought I’d plant myself in front of the tube, laptop at my left hand, black berry on my right and indulge myself in techno-geekery and classic movies.

Couple of Danny Kaye movies later and I stumbled on this smile inducing sketch.  Anyone remember this?

The pellet with the poison is in the vessel with the pestle, but the chalice from the palace is the brew that is true…  wait was that the flagon with the dragon?

I’d heard the line before years ago, I think it was one of my old high school buddies who was a cinephile at the time.  Even more recently, one of my big-brained instructor-partners goes into the routine after particularly troublesome staff meetings.

I didn’t realize the following ladies starred in The Court Jester with Danny Kaye?  Of course, had I seen the original film artwork (as shown up top), I wouldn’t have been so surprised.  I most remember Glynis from Mary Poppins.  And who doesn’t think of Murder, She Wrote when we see Angela Lansbury.

 

Filed under: Actors, Movies, Thoughts

Fox Shows "Islam Against Islamists"

I’ve been watching Fox’s presentation of the movie that PBS chose not to air.  According to Gaffney, Burke and Alexiev, the makers of the documentary, PBS found it to be too alarmist in their representation. 

Twenty three minutes into the show, I can almost understand why they might say that.  The first twenty minutes relies heavily on an interview with a confirmed terrorist who has ties to Omar Abdel-Rahman, the Blind Sheik.  No other moderate Muslim leader’s counterpoint is presented.

It is unclear at this point if Fox is presenting the entire film or select scenes.  If the latter is true, then Fox certainly is taking the film slightly out of context.

Where are the interviews with moderate Muslim leaders who are speaking out against such things as Jihadism, honor killings and intimidation of moderate Muslims?  Are we to believe that Frank Gaffney and Alex Alexiev, both of whom are experienced, recognized National Security experts, would purposefully slant the presentation.

Perhaps, but wouldn’t this be obvious and discredit them?  And I certainly don’t want to go down another conspiracy rabbit hole.

Fifty two minutes into the film, they have not yet shown any moderate Muslim leaders.  I may be going against the grain here, but I think I understand why PBS didn’t want to show this.  While the film doesn’t exaggerate the problems with radical Islam, it really doesn’t present any substantial footage of moderates speaking out against radicalism.

PBS probably didn’t want to show a one sided piece, no matter how accurate it was.

I’ll continue on this later…

Filed under: Islam, Movies, Muslim, Politics, Religion, Thoughts

LMAO – Paris in Jail Vid!

Sorry, this had me in stitches. I just had to share it!

Filed under: Actors, Film Actors Guild, Fun, Hollyweird, Movies, Thoughts

Team America Revisited

It’s raunchy, racist, sexist, bigoted and inflammatory, but perhaps one of the slickest evaluations of politics, actors and current events today.  I have an unfortunate affinity to it, despite the coarseness of its presentation.  In fact, I can’t help but chuckle every time I think of it.

Okay, Team America came out three years ago, but is it still relevant?  I dunno, let’s compare the sequence where Hans Blix is berating Kim Jong-Il, telling the North Korean sociopath;

Kim Jong Il: Hans, Hans, Hans! We’ve been frew this a dozen times. I don’t have any weapons of mass destwuction, OK Hans?
Hans Blix: Then let me look around, so I can ease the UN’s collective mind. I’m sorry, but the UN must be firm with you. Let me in, or else.
Kim Jong Il: Or else what?
Hans Blix: Or else we will be very angry with you… and we will write you a letter, telling you how angry we are.

Seems the Film Actors Guild has come out enforce again, with the noble expert on diplomatic and military matters Sean Penn giving these classic quotes:

  “You [President Bush]… and the smarmy pundits you have in your pocket can take your war and shove it! Let’s unite not only in stopping this war, but in holding this administration accountable.”

“The money that’s spent on this war would be better spent on building levees in New Orleans and health-care in Africa. Iraq is not our toilet. It’s a country of human beings whose lives that were once oppressed by Saddam are now in Dante’s Inferno.”

The previous quote was recent, but the next (from TmAm) shows his real perceptions,

“Last year I went to Iraq. Before Team America showed up, it was a happy place. They had flowery meadows and rainbow skies, and rivers made of chocolate, where the children danced and laughed and played with gumdrop smiles. “

Gotta love those actors!  And give a lot of credit to the Film Actor’s Guild…

Filed under: Actors, Film Actors Guild, Fun, Global Threats, Movies, Politics