Alcohol&Me
This website from the New Zealand division of alcohol company, Lion, was revamped earlier this year, to make it a much more engaging experience.
Posts
The Deuce- Seasons 1-3
This is a gritty drama from the creators of The Wire. The Wire is probably unmatched for its depth and epic scope but The Deuce is a very impressive follow-up. It’s set in a different city, at a different time: New York (mostly, Times Square), through the 1970s and 1980s. Over 25 hours, it tells the stories of over a dozen characters, most of who are either a part of the sex trade, or have a hand in shaping it.
There are three aspects of it that are especially worth mentioning. The first is the manner in which it marries fact with fiction. Not only is the background narrative based on actual events, some of the key characters, while seeming to live ordinary lives, have real-life inspirations. Secondly, the performances are uniformly excellent, and a few are outright stunning. Thirdly, and probably most impressively, is the way in which it instantly and consistently immerses you in its world. As one reviewer put it:
World-building is a topic that tends to come up with science-fiction sagas or fantasy epics, but The Deuce is one of the most impressive examples in recent memory.
Here’s a link to the trailer.
Remedy- Rethink Your Fizzy Drink
Two fun commercials from kombucha brand, Remedy, that waste no time in making their point:
The Submarine Sports Car
Hammacher Schlemmer claims to be “America's Longest Running” shopping catalogue. Yet if the item below is anything to go by, I think their cataloguing leaves something to be desired. Rather than appear as a one-of-a-kind item, or under the “Exclusives” category, this appears alongside items priced as low as $30 in the category of “Sports and Leisure” under the sub-category “Pool & Water”.
This is the only car that navigates underwater realms as easily as it cruises across land. Inspired by the submarine Lotus driven by James Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me, the car floats when driven into water and submerges with the pull of a lever, sending the sports car on an underwater adventure.The two-person capacity car has the same steel chassis used in the Lotus Elise, its interior is impervious to fresh or salt water, and an onboard laser-guided sensor enables the sports car to operate autonomously. Batteries power the car for up to 80 miles on land and for three hours underwater after a four-hour charge. Special conditions and guarantee limitations apply.
Price $2,000,000
The Congressman vs. the Cow
If you don’t follow US politics, the name of Congressman, Devin Nunes may not ring a bell. Some in the media have described him as President Trump’s lapdog. Late night host, Jimmy Kimmel went a step further, saying that calling him that, was “an insult to dogs and laps”.
This year, Mr. Nunes made headlines for filing a defamation lawsuit against a satirical internet cow- an anonymous Twitter user going by the name of “Devin Nunes’ cow”. The result: the number of followers of that account spiked, briefly surpassing his own Twitter follower count. Currently that account has 662,000 followers.
As if that was not enough, more recently, after a rival politician claimed to know the identity of the person(s) behind that account, Mr. Nunes’ lawyer sent a legal missive, demanding that he shut down that account. This is what his opponent had to say:
Yes it’s true; a sitting member of Congress wants me to force a fake cow @DevinCow to say sorry. This keeps getting weirder and weirder.
If You Don’t Vote…
A bold campaign that seeks to inspire, notably those from marginalised communities, to register to vote in the forthcoming British elections.
Valerie Plame for Congress
An extraordinary political ad for someone with an extraordinary back story.
Prince Andrew Interview- Talking Points
There was a lot that was weird and bewildering about the Prince’s responses and his choice of words, but one bit that especially stood out for me:
Q: For the record, is there any way you could have had sex with that young woman, or any young woman trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein, in any of his residences?
A: No, and without putting too fine a point on it, if you’re a man, it is a positive act to have sex with somebody. You have to take some sort of positive action and so, therefore, if you try to forget, it’s very difficult to try and forget positive action.
Dublin Murders
This 8 hour series is based on the first two novels in the ‘Dublin Murder Squad’ series by Tana French. My quick take: this is an uneven yet poignant, largely gripping, atmospheric crime drama.
Independently, each of these books could have made for pretty compelling drama. Instead, the series attempts to mesh these two whodunnits, using the connecting themes of identity and memories. The result is that one story doesn’t get told as well as the other, and for three episodes or so in-between, there is a fair bit of slack. Still, the strong opening and closing, the well-etched characters, and the splendid performances carry enough weight to make it worth checking out. Just don’t expect every plot point to be resolved and tied up neatly.
Here’s a link to the trailer.
Boris Johnson- Relatable
When asked on morning television why he was relatable to families across the UK, Boris Johnson gave, what some felt, was a cringeworthy reply that culminated in him saying this:
I’ve not the faintest idea and it seems to me the most difficult psychological question that anybody’s ever asked me.
Accepting Criticism
Director Paul Feig’s response to the one-star review of his movie, Last Christmas, by Rolling Stone magazine.
John Lewis Parody
Barely a day or so after the Christmas commercial from John Lewis and Waitrose was released, we have a splendid parody by PoliticsJoe.
On the other hand, there have been some interesting exchanges on Twitter such as this.
A Hard Pill to Swallow
Depending on your point of view, this campaign from Swedish pharmacy chain, Apotek Hjärtat, may strike you as thought-provoking or controversial.
Twitter’s New Ad Campaign
This set of B2B TV commercials from Twitter, carry a level of black humour that I am not sure what to make of. According to one report, the idea was to enhance Twitter’s appeal to advertisers by showing how engaged Twitter users are. To anyone watching these spots, though, Twitter users may appear to be portrayed as little more than compulsive addicts.
Spot 1: Roommates
Spot 2: The Office
Spot 3: Couple
Virgin Australia- Frequent Flyer Preferences
A selection from Virgin Australia’s recent print, digital and outdoor campaign for its Velocity Frequent Flyer program.
The Limey- Bide Your Time
This scene from The Limey (1999), featuring Terence Stamp and Bill Duke, is a standout for its imaginative exchange of words.
For those who haven’t seen the movie, Stamp plays Wilson, a British ex-convict, in the US, in search of the man who killed his daughter. Duke has an uncredited cameo as an unflappable DEA commanding officer who is in pursuit of the same person, on a drugs charge. Unaware of who Wilson is, or his intentions, when their paths cross, he has his men bring him in for questioning. As this scene shows, that doesn’t go the way anyone might have anticipated.
The Milk Bottle
This commercial has had me scratching my head. For one, I didn’t (and still don’t) know what to make of the claim in the ad. I haven’t yet been able to verify it, and it is too bizarre to accept outright. For another, I can’t see much merit in the way that the ad has been scripted. Lastly, I am conflicted about the ethics of promoting what is being promoted, especially in the way that it is.
High Flying Bird (2019)
This is the second movie by Steven Soderbergh (after Unsane) to be shot entirely with an iPhone. To borrow the words of one reviewer, it is “a wordy, witty and at times impenetrable basketball drama”.
To be clear, this isn’t strictly a sports movie: it’s about the politics and the business of the sport. Even so, it isn’t necessary to be familiar with the ins and outs of US basketball to enjoy the movie. It’s just that those who are, will enjoy the movie much more.
The performances are solid, and the dialogue is smart and frequently razor-sharp. But what stood out for me the most is how scene after scene unfolds with ambiguity and intrigue that keeps you in suspense till it is resolved. All throughout it is clear that machinations are at work, and only at the end do you find out who was playing who (no pun intended). Still, I believe that a second viewing will be necessary for many of us to fully appreciate the meaning and context of all that is said.
Here’s a link to the trailer.
The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (2018)
The setup for this movie is pretty straightforward. Somewhere in the US, members of a militia have gathered together for an emergency meeting at their hideout. They need to plan their next move in light of news that a congregation of local police officers was attacked by armed gunmen. They are anticipating police retaliation on militias at random (including them). But that worry quickly escalates when it emerges that one (or more) of their members might be involved in the attack. How they try to resolve this is pretty much what the rest of the movie’s 88 minutes running time is devoted to.
This is a low-budget, atmospheric thriller that milks tension from taut character interactions in the claustrophobic confines of a single location. It is an inspired piece of filmmaking with solid performances.
I found the trailer to be pretty confusing but in case you’d like to check it out, here’s a link.
Dracula Question
Someone asked this question on an online forum:
How does Dracula always have his hair so neat when he can’t see his reflection?
This was the top-voted response:
I don’t know if this is addressed in the book of all reflections or just mirrors, but traditionally one of the reasons vampires can’t see their reflection is because mirrors used to use silver to create the reflection. Silver is supposed to be a pure metal that wards off evil (also why you use it to kill werewolves)
So maybe he can use his reflection on windows/water to sort of get an idea.
Here’s a selection of some of the other responses:
Taking a handful of gel and just slicking all your hair back like that is not that difficult. Especially after a few centuries of practice.
They are soaked in blood, it's sticky
Goes to Barber
He is a count and an ancient vampire. He has a servant do it. He most certainly has vampires serving under him.
Billy’s Lemonade
The agency behind this 2 minute video, describes it as “what happens to an agency after being sold”. It could well be a comment on how start-ups often evolve, regardless of the industry they are in.
Polar (2019)
Pardon the pun, but this Mads Mikkelsen starrer appears to have polarized viewers. I am probably in a small minority in saying that I liked this movie.
The movie is based on a webcomic: one in a series about an ageing hitman, that is noted for its distinctive but muted colour scheme, lack of dialogue, and gory fight sequences. The movie cranks that up with splashes of vibrant colours and a surfeit of ultra-stylized shootouts, fights, and torture. This is laced with dark humour and plenty of gore, and packaged together with kinetic editing. The violence is over-the-top ridiculous and the humour is frequently grossed out.
Here’s a link to the trailer.