RonVitale

Apple's iPad

I know it doesn't matter much, but I'm so glad that Apple went with iPad rather than "iSlate." Branding does mean a lot. So, like the rest of the world, I waited for what would be announced and I must say that I'm impressed. Impressed with what's coming in the future and not with what we have today. But can any first generation product be all that you want? There are several deal breakers for me:

• You can't multi-task. So, if I'm writing e-mail, I can't play music at the same time? That better be fixed in the second generation of this product. This is critical.
• There's no Flash support. Why is Apple so against Flash? Maybe they hope that Flash will fade away and the HTML5 experience will replace it?
• No automatic built-in always connected internet. What I thought innovative about the Kindle was Whispernet (by Sprint I believe). You buy the device and can, out of the box, buy books online from it wherever there's coverage. That's nice. Very nice. The original iPad will have Wi-fi and later models will have 3G but, again, you have to pay AT&T a monthly fee and, doesn't AT&T have horrible service? (I can't tell you how many times I've tried to call people on their iPhones and they don't get the call.)

Still, with all of these major points aside, I'm still impressed with the product. I'd love to get my hands on one to play with it. I'm also looking at it as a possible replacement for a writing tool. I believe you can connect an optional keyboard to it and I was thinking of writing stories/novels off of the iPad. Prop it up, connect the keyboard, use Google Docs and write away.

Would I run out tomorrow and spend $499 on the iPad? No. But if the multi-tasking was fixed in the second generation, I might seriously consider picking one up. In looking to the future, it would behoove (nice word) the publishing industry to get behind the iPad and similar devices because paper publishing is slowly fading away. Young readers want touch screens and not newspapers. Imagine being able to play your race car game, write e-mail, post to Facebook, read a book and listen to music all on one device--isn't that what people are already doing now with their iPhones? Wouldn't it make sense for people to have a better experience on a 10" or so screen? I foresee a time in the not so distant future in which many of us are using an iPad like device. Drop the price point a bit, boost the battery life and give it multi-task and I think you have a killer product. Again, time will tell. It always does.

For more iPad goodness, check out several editorial in-depth reviews of the iPad from Engadet for some great reads.

Movie Review: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Over the holiday break my friend and I went to go see "An Education" (an amazing little film with a great breakout performance by Carey Mulligan) and before the movie began we saw the trailer for "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus." I had forgotten that the movie was coming out soon so I was swept up in the trailer. Just from the minute and a half of footage I could tell that this film would be a feast for the imagination. However, I had heard of some of the problems that Terry Gilliam had in finishing the movie. The most complicated being that Heath Ledger died having completed only 1/3 of his scenes. With that in mind, my wife and I saw the film last night and seeing it was somewhat of a last minute adventure. We had planned on going out on a date to see "3 Idiots" but I convinced my wife to go to a different movie theater as I thought we'd have better dinner choices. And, as luck would have it, we were able to see "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus."

The film is far from perfect suffering from breaks in Heath Ledger's having been unable to film 2/3 of the film, but the solution on solving that problem is brilliant. When you see the film and understand the solution, I think you'll agree that it's nearly seamless. But still, I wonder if the script had to be changed as the editing is good, but the narrative does break down toward the end. I won't give much away but it is what it is (again, I'm being vague on purpose). Yet the film is an imaginative joy to behold. There is depth in vision in this film as it's not only visually stunning, but filled with a sense of purpose and fun. The onscreen duel between Christopher Plummer and Tim Waits is timeless and we are asked to consider what we have sold to the devil in our own lives.

Plummer, as the Doctor Parnassus, is continually betting with the devil, desperately trying to save his daughter, but never quite able. Immortal and often filled with despair, Doctor Parnassus lives life knowing that the universe exists because humans tell their stories whereas the devil disagrees. The wisdom that comes from Parnassus causes us to question: Why are our stories so powerful and why do people keep telling them?

Depending on your willingness to use your imagination and take a leap of faith, I suspect some will love this film while others will ignore it. But isn't that true about life? Terry Gilliam has made a certain type of film. Somewhat arty and quirky with lots of dark humor and a critique about modern society. If you're willing to self-reflect and be whisked off into the world of Doctor Parnassus' imagination, you'll embark on a trip that you'll not regret. The film isn't perfect, but it's refreshing to see such a work on the big screen. And what about Ledger: He's good here, but he does not rise to the amazing work he did as the Joker in the "Dark Knight." If only he could have been around to film the rest of the film...

Yet, in a strange twist, immortality and fame are central themes to the film. Just as the devil tempts, showing a woman several floating flowered boats of famous people (James Dean, Princess Diana, etc.) drift down the dark river Styx, so I imagined Ledger's boat being there, too. Burned out too soon, he made a choice we are all given: Fame, money, power (fill in your own vice here) or true satisfaction and self-actualization. In a moment of pure fun early in the film, a young man runs to a mountain full of steps that lead to the light at the top. Engraved on the steps is: "12 x 12 x 12 Step Program." Looking up, the man sees that the road ahead will be difficult but, in the end, he'll find Nirvana and salvation. Behind him he sees a bar. Shrugging, he turns away from enlightenment and chooses the drink.

And that, in a nutshell, is brilliant. Always fast, easy and immediate gratification: Isn't that what we normally choose? In "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus," we're asked to see the bigger picture and are tempted with two paths. As old as the world itself, Good vs. Evil. Ledger's character, Tony, chooses his path, Parnassus makes his own as do others in the film. In the end, our choice frames us for who we are and, if you're open to it, you'll be brought on a fun yet somewhat disturbing ride. If you're not up for that, then pass on this movie as you'll not enjoy it.

Movie Review: Avatar

I went in to see Avatar wanting to dislike it. I had listened to the Filmspotting podcast's review and was all ready to hate it. I had made a bet with myself, thinking that I would love the visuals but dislike the weak narrative. But that's not what happened. Let me get the negative out of the way first. I did see the movie in 3D but not in IMAX. I was not impressed. To me the 3D was distracting and a gimmick as it was one of the strongest drawbacks to the movie. The world of Pandora is beautiful to behold and the ghost-like 3D images pulled me out its rich texture. A few times I peeked out of the glasses wanting to see the crisp colors on the screen instead of spears being jabbed at me in "amazing" 3D. I wanted to take in more of amazing art that unfolded on screen and not appear to be balanced over a cliff in 3D.That did nothing for me.

And the acting... Well, well. How can I say this without it coming off negative? The human actor parts of the film kept pulling me out of the story. Giovanni Ribisi as a ruthless businessman and Matt Gerald as a gun-ho corporal were so over the top that I believed in the emotions of all the Na'vi people more than those of the human actors. The 2D "we hate the hostiles" attitude came off weak, too simplistic and annoying.

Closely tied to the bad acting is the storyline. Have you seen "Dances with Wolves," "Pocahontas" or "Princess Mononoke"? Then you know the plot and how things are going to work out. (And if you'd like to discover more of the planet as "Gaia" theme, I highly recommend you watch the japanese anime series "Arjuna." This series thoroughly addresses our relationship with mother Earth in a complicated and engaging way.)

Now with all the negative off my chest, what did I think of the film? Gone are the days of Jar Jar from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. In ten years, technology has advanced to such a point that I can believe that a CGI character is real--moves real, expresses emotion believably and interacts with live actors naturally. Zoe Saldana who is the voice actor for Neytiri breathes life into her character. As Neytiri jumps, flashes her teeth in anger or cries, Saldana's voice melds with the onscreen image as though she is using an avatar herself. The CGI character we see is seamless with the human voice. She's beautiful to behold.

Watching the forest of Pandora come to life is an amazing treat and well worth the price of admission as you've not seen anything like this before. Do not be surprised when Avatar is nominated for best picture of the year. There is an energy in this film that speaks to both men and women, reaches into our core selves asking that you put aside some of the lame plot (what's the point of "unobtainium" anyway?!) but to allow the child within to enjoy the world that unfolds before you. My favorite parts are the forest night scenes. The phosphorescent glow of the plants and the creatures at night are breathtaking, but it's not just the visual art that is award winning. The interaction between Jake and Neytiri is just plain awesome to behold. Are we watching animation or are we watching real actors come to life? Yes, there are other Na'vi that are not as well drawn out on the screen, but I never felt the awkward moment knowing that a character was CGI and just looked wrong. Instead I was drawn into the forest and amazed at the attention to detail: Cracks in Neytiri's war paint as she scrunches her face to flash her teeth at her enemy.

Avatar has already crossed the $1 billion dollar mark and I suspect that there will be no slowing in sight as the mid week screening I took in last night was packed and the IMAX shows were all sold out. If you're on the fence about seeing this film, go. You will have spent $14 in worse ways. No, it's not a perfect film as just a little more time on the script could have done wonders. But you have not seen anything so beautiful and magical. Funny enough, I want to see the film again, but in 2D and not in 3D so that I can take in all that I missed. Enjoy yourself with this film as there's a lot to love.