Gnomeo Gnows Fun

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3_5nEAM7yw

Toy Story meets Shakespeare…in a garden.

As with the play, the gnomes here are split into two warring factions: the blue-hatted gnomes represent the Montagues and the red-hatted gnomes the Capulets.  They inhabit adjacent gardens and are happy in their own worlds, so as long as the other side minds their own business.  This cold war becomes hot when Juliet (determined to capture a rare flower across the alley to prove her worth to her family) and Gnomeo (free-spirited alpha male of the blue hats) meet in an abandoned lot underneath a romance and star-filled sky.

The star-crossed pair falls in love immediately as they do not realize that the other is from their rival tribe due to Juliet wearing a black sock as a ninja outfit and Gnomeo covered in camouflage mud and war paint from his recent attack on the Capulets.  Only after falling into the garden’s pond and cleaning up does the couple realize the error of their quick love: their soulmate is from their sworn enemy!  After Juliet lies for Gnomeo, the pair make a pact to meet again in the abandoned garden and to keep their love a secret.

Not just for the little kiddies, Gnomeo throws in some subtle references for the adults to enjoy including Braveheart, Forrest Gump, American Beauty and Grease plus plenty of double entendres.  Just as enjoyable as the randomness of the plot points is the ensemble cast put together for this film including Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, Jason Statham, Ozzy Osbourne, Patrick Stewart, Dolly Parton and Hulk Hogan who steals scenes as the voice for the ad for the Terrafirminator.

The colors jump brilliantly off of the screen…and that’s before the 3D effects take hold of your eyeballs.  The soundtrack features remixes of several Elton John songs with a brief appearance by the theme song from the Enchanted Tiki Room.  Great flick for the entire family or for young lovers from star-crossed families.

(4 out of 5)

Just Go With It Review

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHNieMwYbmQ

The trailers for Just Go With It present Adam Sandler’s character, Danny, as a heartless player that takes advantages of young women who fall for his “married guy in loveless marriage” routine as he prowls the college bars.  However, the first ten minutes of the movie present Danny completely different: he is the lovable loser nice guy that has his heart ripped out by a materialistic tramp.  Danny wants love but is too afraid to commit to another serious relationship since he is trying to avoid having his soul trampled on again.  As a plastic surgeon, he lives a wild bachelor lifestyle which is the opposite of his assistant, Jennifer Aniston’s single mom with two kids character, Katherine.  Danny meets Palmer, played by Brooklyn Decker, and falls instantly in love with her.  However, after a romantic tryst on the beach, Palmer finds Danny’s fake wedding ring and Danny’s lies begin.

As in real life, one lie begets another and another and (of course) another.  Danny calls on Katherine for help with the lies which has two major consequences: her two children are dragged into the lies and Katherine starts lie as her past confronts her.  As the lies build, so does the mounting abuse Danny’s wallet takes as his cohorts continue to blackmail him.  The kids take the most advantage of the situation as they squeeze him for acting lessons (very appropriate), cash, a PS3 and a trip to Hawaii to swim with the dolphins.  The movie then transports all of the main characters for days of lie building with mixed humorous results.

Just Go With It is basically two movies in one: the first half is Baywatch-esque in the fact that it features beautiful women that Danny hits on and several scenes with the beautiful Brooklyn Decker moving in slow motion followed by the second half of the movie which is a slow moving, predictable romantic comedy with some funny bits.  The surprise of the movie are the scenes with Nicole Kidman and Dave Matthews, especially the Coconut Kiss game.

Overall, Just Go With It follows the typical romantic comedy formula to appeal to the masses: popular actress & romantic story for the ladies and eye candy & sophomoric laughs for the guys. The movie slows down quite a bit into the second hour but the chemistry between Aniston & Sandler, Matthews & Kidman’s surprise appearance and the wit of the kids make it a survivable flick.  Brooklyn Decker held her own in several scenes in her big screen debut…I would be interested to see how well she does in her next film, Battleship. (Yes, that’s the very same Battleship game that most of us played growing up)

(3 out of 5) (Despite being a sucker for romantic comedies, I think that guys should spend the night cooking for their special lady while renting this film.)

No Strings Attached… (or are there?)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubfcfs98MBw

After seeing the movie No Strings Attached, I had mixed reactions regarding the actions of some of the characters in the film.

Ashton Kutcher was great in the role as swinging bachelor yet sensitive guy in response to Natalie Portman’s busy doctor and jaded friend. The pair’s onscreen chemistry carries the filmgoers through the ebb and flow of their friendship turned more than just friendship.

This movie, like the relationship portrayed, does not subscribe to a straight line. Instead, a zig-zag approach is used to get our main characters to their final destination: a realization that they love each other. However, they are too proud (and stubborn) to admit these feelings to each other.

Overall, No Strings Attached is a solid romantic comedy.  Your opinion of the flick may side with your feelings on the friends with benefits argument or if you have personal experiences that are reflected in the film.  It is an enjoyable date film and I would recommend to see it in theatres if not at least as a rental. 

(3.5 out of 5) (Note: I am a hopeless romantic and love movies like this.)

Want to meet Swimsuit model Brooklyn Decker?

How great would it be to run into a supermodel while you are running your errands at the grocery store, the bank or while picking up your dry cleaning?  Well, since most of us don’t live close to exotic beaches or major metropolitan areas littered with beautiful models, Esquire has upped the odds of such an encounter using modern technology.

Using the augmented reality platform GoldRun, users can “meet” Brooklyn in the magazines section of one of over 700 Barnes & Nobles stores nationwide.  Thanks to the iPhone’s GPS and the coordinates set up by GoldRun, the app will generate one of five photos of Brooklyn that will make it appear that she is in the store with you.  You can take a picture “with Brooklyn” which may then be uploaded to Brooklyn’s Twitter account or emailed to friends. 

http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1

Although Barnes & Noble is not contributing to the cost of this promotion, they seem to be the big winner.  Since the GoldRun activation zone is only 150 feet around the magazines section, users must physically visit a B&N store location.  This increased foot traffic should result in additional sales for B&N which might not necessarily be purchases of the Esquire issue with Brooklyn on the cover. 

There is a second compaign that Esquire is running using GoldRun which enters users into a drawing for an iPad but after meeting a supermodel, what more do you need?

(via Promo Magazine)

The Future is Now

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzKmGTVmqJs

I don’t even know where to begin with explaining the awesomeness that is this creation by Pranav Mistry from MIT.  View the video and prepare to be amazed!

“The SixthSense prototype implements several applications that demonstrate the usefulness, viability and flexibility of the system. The map application lets the user navigate a map displayed on a nearby surface using hand gestures, similar to gestures supported by Multi-Touch based systems, letting the user zoom in, zoom out or pan using intuitive hand movements. The drawing application lets the user draw on any surface by tracking the fingertip movements of the user’s index finger. SixthSense also recognizes user’s freehand gestures (postures). For example, the SixthSense system implements a gestural camera that takes photos of the scene the user is looking at by detecting the ‘framing’ gesture. The user can stop by any surface or wall and flick through the photos he/she has taken. SixthSense also lets the user draw icons or symbols in the air using the movement of the index finger and recognizes those symbols as interaction instructions. For example, drawing a magnifying glass symbol takes the user to the map application or drawing an ‘@’ symbol lets the user check his mail. The SixthSense system also augments physical objects the user is interacting with by projecting more information about these objects projected on them. For example, a newspaper can show live video news or dynamic information can be provided on a regular piece of paper. The gesture of drawing a circle on the user’s wrist projects an analog watch.”

$350?!? I need to figure out how to build one of these today. (The SixthSense DIY instructions site will be available soon…but how soon?!?) If Mistry and his group can make the interface user-friendly and streamline the look of the physical product, this will be a hit, especially among young adults.  However, I’m not sure how people will feel about wearing their technology despite the fact that in some social circles, Bluetooth headsets are a status symbol.

Hello world!

As you can see from the above line, this is my new blog. I hope to delve into sports business, gadgets and movies in this space but I’m not going to limit it to only those topics. I am sure that other happenings in my life and the world will find a way to sneak onto this page. Thank you in advance for reading and let the blogtastic fun begin.

Jason