Graphics tablets and the art of crime
I've just posted a question to the blog about the Wacom Graphire II graphics tablet, which I'm seriously thinking about buying at some point (hopefully soon). If any of you are familiar with graphics tablets in general or this one in particular, would you mind having a look at said post and leaving a comment, here or there, to let me know what you think?
In a completely unrelated bit of news, I watched the recent remake of The Italian Job last night. I really wasn't expecting to enjoy it, not after the scathing review I'd heard on CBC Radio when the movie first came out in theatres. Then, the reviewer had said the movie was hopelessly dull, with flat characters, a slow-moving plot, and utterly lacking in the wit and verve that marked the original. Well, I haven't seen the original movie myself, so I wasn't inclined to make those kinds of odious comparisons; still, the review did cause me to approach the remake with some skepticism.
But you know what? I really liked it.
Oh, it's not deep. It's not exceptional. And I can't imagine wanting to sit down and watch it more than once or twice. But nevertheless, I found it engaging, surprising, and fun. I have a weakness for caper flicks (I liked the Ocean's Eleven remake, too), and this had all the twists and turns and logical puzzles, plus the clever teamwork and camaraderie, that make a caper flick enjoyable for me.
It sure is a two-hour commercial for the Austin Mini, though. But at least they didn't subject us to endless closeups of the manufacturer's logo in the middle of the chase scenes (which I'm sure all of us who learned to loathe the Ford Focus last year, thanks to a series of anvillicious product placements on Alias, would approve).
Watching Seth Green as the team's resident hacker was a slightly surreal experience, though. Aside from finding him the most attractive guy in the film looks-wise (which says something about my indifference to Mark Walhberg), I kept frowning at him and wondering who he reminded me of. About halfway through the film I realized it was Clay Aiken. Hee!
Anyway, yeah. Italian Job fun. And it has Donald Sutherland in it. 'Nuff said.
ETA: If for no other reason, it's worth checking out that pic of Clay Aiken just to see that the guy has the biggest feet in the history of the world. They're like pontoons! It's unbelievable!
In a completely unrelated bit of news, I watched the recent remake of The Italian Job last night. I really wasn't expecting to enjoy it, not after the scathing review I'd heard on CBC Radio when the movie first came out in theatres. Then, the reviewer had said the movie was hopelessly dull, with flat characters, a slow-moving plot, and utterly lacking in the wit and verve that marked the original. Well, I haven't seen the original movie myself, so I wasn't inclined to make those kinds of odious comparisons; still, the review did cause me to approach the remake with some skepticism.
But you know what? I really liked it.
Oh, it's not deep. It's not exceptional. And I can't imagine wanting to sit down and watch it more than once or twice. But nevertheless, I found it engaging, surprising, and fun. I have a weakness for caper flicks (I liked the Ocean's Eleven remake, too), and this had all the twists and turns and logical puzzles, plus the clever teamwork and camaraderie, that make a caper flick enjoyable for me.
It sure is a two-hour commercial for the Austin Mini, though. But at least they didn't subject us to endless closeups of the manufacturer's logo in the middle of the chase scenes (which I'm sure all of us who learned to loathe the Ford Focus last year, thanks to a series of anvillicious product placements on Alias, would approve).
Watching Seth Green as the team's resident hacker was a slightly surreal experience, though. Aside from finding him the most attractive guy in the film looks-wise (which says something about my indifference to Mark Walhberg), I kept frowning at him and wondering who he reminded me of. About halfway through the film I realized it was Clay Aiken. Hee!
Anyway, yeah. Italian Job fun. And it has Donald Sutherland in it. 'Nuff said.
ETA: If for no other reason, it's worth checking out that pic of Clay Aiken just to see that the guy has the biggest feet in the history of the world. They're like pontoons! It's unbelievable!