I just finished watching IJsbrand van Veelen’s excellent 50-minute documentary on the glamorization of amateur content producers and the potential negative effects that it may or may not have on society, especially as experts (informed individuals who work for, reason with, and experience wisdom) are waning in popularity. Here are some thoughts: (more…)
Lindsey and I watched The King of Kong: Fistful of Quarters on Wednesday, a hilariously funny “documentary” that follows Steve Wiebe as he attempts to overtake the world’s highest score in a game of Donkey Kong from reigning champion Billy Mitchell.
Not only is the movie entertaining, but it’s cleverly presented in “good vs. evil” fashion, boasts an awesome soundtrack, and features some very creative transition effects. Oh, and it stars lots of socially inept individuals who are fun to watch.
I’ve blogged about Helvetica before (my review here), and now that the documentary is posted in its entirety on Google Video, there’s really no reason for anyone not to see it. Get that!
I watched an inspiring documentary on PBS this weekend — Harvesting the Wind narrated by Morgan Freeman. The film profiles wind farmers from southwest Minnesota, and how they are harvesting wind energy to provide local power and supplemental income for a decline in crop profitability.
The idea, which has shown initial success, is that wind farming can bring business back to small town America, without multinationals owning all the pie. In Minnesota, more than 25 percent of wind farms are owned by private individuals or cooperatives to keep money within the community.
This documentary was a surprise to me. It is extremely well done and the cinematography is fantastic. It’s a heart-felt story of how Empire Penguins migrate and breed during the cold winter months in Antarctica. You will be amazed and impressed upon seeing what it takes to give birth to a baby chick and how family oriented Penguins can be. Very good story and it helps to have Morgan Freeman narrate.
Overall: B+
Smooth Harold is a collection of thoughts by Blake Snow -- a video game critic and recovering web consultant living in beautiful Orem, Utah. The site covers a variety of topics including culture, entertainment, business, technology, journalism, sports, parenthood, and politics — kind of like a blogging General Store. Blake is married to a loving wife named Lindsey and is the father of two girls, Sadie and Madison. He can be reached by email.
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Smooth Harold is a collection of thoughts by Blake Snow -- a video game critic and recovering web consultant living in beautiful Orem, Utah. The site covers a variety of topics including culture, entertainment, business, technology, journalism, sports, parenthood, and politics -- kind of like a blogging General Store. Blake is married to a loving wife named Lindsey and is the father of two girls, Sadie and Madison.
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