ideonexus

Month: November 2003

  • Dreams of Apocalypse

    “The Earth is degenerating these days. Bribery and corruption abound. Children no longer mind their parents, every man wants to write a book, and it is evident that the end of the world is fast approaching.” – Assyrian Stone Tablet, c.2800BC The Y2K Bug infused the media with warnings of impending doom for the new…

  • The Theater Experience

    Seeing the film “Mystic River” in the Regal Cinema multiplex demonstrates the power of the theatrical exhibition over television’s presentation. With its much larger dimensions, the theater’s screen draws the audience into the film’s action to the exclusion of all else. This world creation through the theater’s visual superiority grows even more enhanced with its…

  • Noir Archetypes

    In the films “Devil in a Blue Dress” and “Murder, My Sweet” the Hard-Boiled Detective protagonist encounters a menagerie of characters who are deceptive, dangerous, and powerful, all working either directly or indirectly to complicate his quest for the truth. The Floozy appears to help the Detective, while actually pursuing her own motives. The Mad…

  • The World of Doggie

    Director Wu Tianming creates a real-life fantasy world as the stage for his film “King of the Masks”. With this backdrop, we follow the story of an eight-year old girl, Liu, as she struggles against tradition, adult authority, and the need to survive in her quest for a family. While her actions are grounded in…

  • The Evolution of the Internet

    The first computer my family owned was the Timex/Sinclair 1000. It had 2K of RAM, 4K of ROM, and a tape-player drive. I played chess with it a few times. I would make my move, press “play” on the tape drive, and come back in an hour to see what the computer had done. The…

  • Ryan’s Account of Hurricane Isabel

    Thursday September 18, 2003 10:30 AM – Doug calls to tell me I should move my car to the ODU parking lot. I debate this with my wife. ODU is a 15 minute walk away, I complain, and I might lose my hat. 10:45 AM – Mom calls me to tell me that the police…