Eric Berlin’s posterous

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins is one of the great and underrated flicks out of the '80s.

And was there ever a better creepy/noble mentor figure than the great Chun ?

Very nice look at the history of Craigslist and founder Craig Newmark.

I love that Stephen Fry does the blogging thing. He's one of my favorite authors, so seeing his take on technology and the strange ways of the modern world is always a lot of fun.

RDF to debut interactive cartoon series

'Sleuths' allows viewers' avatars to appear onscreen

By James Hibberd

Aug 24, 2009, 08:04 PM ET

RDF is looking to launch the U.S.' first interactive animated series.

The reality production company behind such shows as Fox's "Don't Forget the Lyrics" and ABC's "Wife Swap" is teaming with new-media company Artificial Life to design a TV series in which viewers can participate in the onscreen action.

In the proposed series, "Sleuths," viewers customize their own avatar that will appear onscreen during the show's live telecast. A quiz question will be asked three times per half-hour episode, and viewers will text their answers. Those who answer correctly continue to the next round; a wrong answer means elimination from the screen.

At the end of each episode, the top five avatars will appear onscreen standing with the show's characters.

Bringing avatars into a live television environment is a pretty cool concept, though in practice the content and production and concept will have to be there. But I think we'll see a lot of experimentation in this area, will be interesting to watch.

It's one of my (not so) secret ambitions to be invited to partake in one of Slate's TV Club sessions, where writers and subject experts are brought in to gab -- in pleasantly old school letter/e-mail format -- about selected shows... and can you get much better than Mad Men?

I'm really interested right now in the interaction between Google products (gmail, Google Reader), Posterous, and Twitter. And FriendFeed? Still trying to figure out where FF fits in these days.

Uh oh. Plaxico, why did you have to go and be so dumb...

Quentin Tarantino concludes his seventh feature, the Nazi-bludgeoning fantasy Inglourious Basterds, with a grisly flourish and a self-satisfied review. Having performed one of his signature mutilations, a character peers down at his handiwork and into the camera and declares: "This might just be my masterpiece." This is typical Tarantino bluster, in keeping with the image of the bratty wunderkind that he worked hard to cultivate and that, even at 46, he refuses to outgrow. But as the rare filmmaker who's also an avid reader of film reviews, he also surely knows that it's been a while since the critical establishment thought of him as a maker of masterpieces.

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Since it premiered at Cannes in May, Basterds has met with some wildly conflicting reactions (some of them—no surprise given its breezily outrageous approach to a loaded subject—highly negative and morally accusatory). Tarantino's career since Pulp Fiction continues to seem like one long backlash. Could it be that one of the most overrated directors of the '90s has become one of the most underrated of the aughts?

Tarantino's filmography is split in two by the six-year gap that separated Jackie Brown (1997) and Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003), during which, among other things, he worked on the notoriously unwieldy Basterds screenplay (which was at one point supposed to be a miniseries). The received wisdom has it that he never quite made a comeback. But the criticisms most frequently leveled against him these days—he's a rip-off artist, he makes movies that relate only to other movies, he knows nothing of real life, he could use some sensitivity training—apply equally, if not more so, to the earlier films. (Reservoir Dogs lifted many of its tricks directly from the Hong Kong film City on Fire; Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown are the Tarantino movies with the most flamboyant use of racist language.) Reviewers and audiences may have wearied of the blowhard auteur, but there's an argument to be made that Tarantino, far from a burnout case, is just hitting his stride, and that his movies, in recent years, have only grown freer and more radical.

Taken as a yin-yang whole, Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 constitute a globe-spanning feat of genre scholarship, blithely connecting the dots from Chinese kung fu to Japanese swordplay, from blaxploitation to manga to spaghetti Western. Tarantino's reference-happy method is often dismissed as know-it-all geekery or stunted nostalgia, the video-store dreams of an eternal fanboy. But there is something strikingly of the moment and perhaps even utopian about Kill Bill's obsessive pastiche, which at once celebrates and demonstrates the possibilities of the voracious, hyperlinked 21^st-century media gestalt: the idea that whole histories and entire worlds of pop culture are up for grabs, waiting to be revived, reclaimed, remixed.

First released as part of Grindhouse, 2007's double-header exercise in retro sleaze, Death Proof confirmed that Tarantino has no interest, or maybe is incapable of, straightforward homage, even when that's the nominal assignment. While partner in crime Robert Rodriguez tossed off a scattershot bit of zombie schlock for his contribution (Planet Terror), Tarantino borrowed a few motifs from sorority slashers and car-chase zone-outs and fashioned a curious formal experiment that would have given a '70s exploitation producer fits. Death Proof (on DVD in an unrated, extended version) is split down the middle into mirror-image halves. In each segment, the same scenario unfolds (with very different outcomes): a group of young women has a scary run-in with Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell), a killer in a muscle car, and the exhilarating final burst of action is preceded by a provocatively long bout of directionless yapping.

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Quentin Tarantino: Has one of the most overrated directors of the '90s become one of the most underrated of the aughts?

You might also like:

• The Good, the Bad, and the Nazis: Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds.
• 400 Percent APR—Is That Good?: Do people take out payday loans because they're desperate—or because they don't understand the terms?

Dennis Lim is editorial director at the Museum of the Moving Image and a regular contributor to the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times.

Illustration by Charlie Powell.

COMMENTS

I've seen all his works except Basterds (which I plan to see soon).

The reason I like Tarantino isn't because of the violence, or even the dialogue, or the pop culture references. I like him because of his patience. There's something about all his films that say, "Hey, I'm making a real movie here, so either pay attention, or get out." He has some of the most deliberate pacing I've seen since Kubrick. Every movie of his could be 30 minutes shorter, which I don't think is an insult. Even during the slowest parts of Death Proof, you know it's going somewhere and there will be a payoff. Most modern films don't give us a chance to anticipate anything. It's all just action-action-mini climax-action-action-major climax - resolution. His films just feel weightier (a word?) and more significant to me. No, he's not my favorite filmmaker, but he is one whose style I like a lot.

-- Browzer
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Quentin Tarantino is the most overrated director of the '90's? Wow, have you watched any Oliver Stone movies? I am not an expert on movies or movie-making but I love Quentin Tarantino for making movies that surprise and thrill me as no other director has. I am particularly captivated by his ability to capture a certain essence of criminality that no other film maker has seemed to be able to do. My brother was an undercover cop for years and after watching Reservoir Dogs he commented that it was by far the most realistic portrayal of a certain kind of career criminal's attitudes, dialog and relationships. Tarantino certainly has accomplished something worthy of note - maybe he's not as great as I think - fine, but he certainly is great. I'll watch anything he makes, and have for a long time. I know that he isn't afraid to take risks and every time I'll walk out having experienced something new in film - something I can't say about any other director. I can't wait to see Inglorious Basterds and will go tomorrow.

-- glennd1
(To reply, click here)

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Pretty great analysis of Inglourious Basterds (which I haven't seen yet -- but I must and will soon) and Tarantino's overall body of work.

I do think that Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction are masterpieces both, whereas Tarantino's followups have been merely good (Kill Bill) to very good (Jackie Brown, the second half of Death Proof).

Really looking forward to seeing where Basterds comes in.

I get deal pitches daily.  I want all of you to understand the code words that IMHO are sure fire signs that the entrepreneur has no idea what they are doing and is destined to fail.  This is from an email today, redacted of course to protect the guilty.  My interpretation of the letter is in bold.

My name is John Doe, CEO and Founder of John Doe Unlimited Innovations and Technology, LLC. JDUIT is an innovation conglomerate, designed for many different industries and is dedicated to improve the quality of life for individuals throughout the world, one step at a time.

The first thing I do at this point is look at the senders email address. Is it an email with the company name in the URL ? If it isnt.. ding, ding, ding.  They sender has come up with a name, but doesn’t have the focus or confidence to put up a website. This person was using a gmail account. Next my #FailDar was ringing louder than Larry Kudlow talking nonsense on CNBC about green shoots when I read the “designed for different industries and is dedicated to improve the quality of life of individuals throughout the world, one step at a time” Im sorry, but could anyone possibly invent and write anything that is more full of shit than this person ? That has to go down in business letter history as one of the all time worse lines. If you want to get someone interested in your company, DO NOT tell them you are going to save the world.  You are not. No one will believe you will. Save that nonsense for your grandma when you are trying to make her proud of you.

First, I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to overlook a great opportunity we have for the near future. As you may know, with the steady progression of time, there are rapid advancements in technology and trends through innovation. We have devised a revolutionary and lucrative idea that will produce much success to all parties involved. We have created a plan with four separate projects that together ensure short- and long-term success. We have adopted a cutting-edge engineer consulting alliance to bridge our vision and planning with technical expertise. In addition, Famous Person   is  our President and Co-Founder.

Quite a few words to say absolutely nothing. But here is the more important point. Ready ? If you have someone who is famous, which suggests they are wealthy, or who actually is known to be wealthy, involved in your company and you are pimping that person in order to increase my interest, I will tell you what goes through my head: If this is such a great fricking idea, why aren’t they funding the entire thing. If you were able to buy dollars for 50 cents, would you go out and get outside investors, or would you keep this sure thing to yourself and your famous friend ? You would keep it. The fact that your famous friend doesn’t think enough of the idea to keep it all to you and him/her tells me I should be very, very careful.

We have designed a perfect plan that fits the standards of the 21st century; advanced and revolutionary ideas, solutions, and projects though innovation. We have acquired an excellent project support team, complete with scientists and engineers as well as an extensive list of connections. We are seeking to add our only missing piece, an investor(s), to become a partial owner. We are seeking investment for the first of our four project. Through thorough research, our scientists are confident in their ability to create and perfect a novel, consumer-friendly “Kick Ass System” based on proven Kick Ass physics. We ask that you consider this opportunity, as we are confident you will find it to be revolutionary and profitable.

Once again, did this person actually say anything ? No. Reminds me of a line from a DMX song… “talk all day and say nothing”. At this point I am reading this email and actually smiling, thinking it must be a joke. That someone sent me this because it won a literary prize for the worst introduction letter of all time.

Attached is a copy of our executive summary. If you could be so kind as to take a moment of you time to overlook it, I am positive you will be as enthusiastic as I am for an opportunity like this. I look forward to speaking with you soon and the possibility of a working relationship. Once again, thank you for your time and consideration. Have a wonderful day. God bless.

The above is acceptable. At least they are polite.

Im not going to show the entire executive summary. I dont want to give away the company, but I will share some lowlights

In our plan, we bridge together technical expertise and vision to jump-start the next generation of living. The JDUIT Plan will be the key part of a stable, invigorated economy by providing secure jobs and generating great wealth

Anyone for jumpstarting the next generation of living. ? Does the person who wrote it, seriously believe it ?

II. The Mission
JDUIT intends to ignite the next generation of living, providing groundbreaking solutions to current economic issues, while continuing to encourage people to grow with everexpanding innovations. It is a lifestyle.  We will not only make life easier, but dramatically improve the quality of living by helping people rethink their lifestyle choices. We do not merely seek to expand our business volume, but we are dedicated to the use of our unique, advanced technologies to contribute to the safety, benefits, and welfare of people worldwide. Our success is directly linked to the prosperity of our customers, management, employees, investors, partners, advisors, and shareholders; the
entire JDUIT family

Now if this isn’t a mission statement that makes you want to get out your checkbook, I don’t know what is.

Thats about as much as I can post without giving the company identity away. I’m not saying this company can not be successful. I don’t think they can, but I have been wrong before. But one thing I know for certain, their pitch to me is one of the worst , if not the very worst I have ever received and I can not take it or the company seriously.

If you are an entrepreneur who is looking for capital and is sending letters or emails of introduction, leave out the Bullshit.  Say who you are. What you have. What makes it different than the competition. What you want to accomplish. How you plan on getting there and how I can help. Everything else will usually hurt more than it will help

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PR spammer/e-mailers are taking a beating this week. This rant courtesy of Mark Cuban. Enjoy.

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