There are certain signatures in cinema that inspire emotions in us at an instinctive level, Bo Derek in a bikini, the cool confidence of John Wayne with a gun on his hip, the sight of Jaws’ fin above the water line; but only one creation in cinema has ever been able to inspire terror simply by breathing. When we hear that metallic inhuman sound we feel an innate terror that mixes with a feeling of anticipation and excitement because we know it means that Darth Vader is coming and people are going to die. We may admire a triumphant hero…
Month: December 2015
Star Wars Machete Order- Live Tweet
Hey Everybody!!! In anticipation of Watching Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens this week I thought I would catch up by watching the Saga the way its supposed to be watched Machete Order style. What is the Star Wars Machete order? Well first you watch Episodes 4 and 5 followed by 2 and 3 then ending with 6. This way you cut out The Dreadful Menace and see Darth Vader’s fall to the dark side via flashback. Is it better. Well to answer that your going to have to follow along on twitter @theeccentricGR as I live tweet my…
We Can Do That Now- Lightsabers
Over the years, science fiction has shaped the mind of many a young scientist and set them on a course to make reality the fictions of their childhood but perhaps never has that pursuit been more geared towards adolescent fulfillment than in scientists attempt to make the famous weapon of the Jedi the lightsaber, or as Obi-Wan would say an elegant weapon from a more civilized age. That’s right, continuing our Star Wars themed week here at The Eclectic Eccentric this edition of We Can Do That Now is going to focus on the dream of every fanboy the possibility…
How Have You Not Seen That?- Star Wars: A New Hope
This Thursday Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens will open in cinemas across the globe and when it ends its run I have no doubt that it will do so as the highest grossing film of all time. Such is the power of the Star Wars franchise to influence pop culture and shape our imaginations. And nowhere will the Force be felt more heavily this week than here at The Eclectic Eccentric. To start this Wookie-tastic week off right we’ll look back at the movie that started it all and ask the question of that one curmudgeonly, anti-Star Wars…
On the Shelf- The Colour of Magic
Have you ever wondered what it would look like if Mel Brooks had decided to sit down and write a fantasy novel? Me too. And I’ve decided that the result would read a lot like Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. And if that’s not something you’d be interested in I question your life choices. Full confession I’ve read Colour of Magic more than a few times and while it is not my favorite entry of the twenty plus novels set in Discworld it is up there. It’s also the first in the series and so as a holiday gift to you…
Subtitle Subversives- Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India
Given how many films I’ve watched, rated, and reviewed over the course of my life I think that it is not too much of a stretch to call myself a cinephile. Much too pretentious certainly but not too much of a stretch. I’m a fan of films that range from the golden age of the Hollywood studio system to underground Korean revenge epics. But one glaring hole in my knowledge base has always been Bollywood. The closest I’d gotten to an Indian produced film was Slumdog Millionaire which when I read it out loud sounds a bit racist. It’s not…
World Building 101- Geography
As a genre writer and general fan of fantastical worlds built from the ground up it’s amazing to me just how many writers overlook the “ground” part of that expression. Some authors get so excited about the cool weapons and magic and exotic life forms of their world that they forget about the actual physical world that their creations must inhabit. While that kind of mistake might not necessarily ruin a good story it can lead to logical inconsistencies that take the reader out of the realm you’ve worked so hard to get them to inhabit. The thing is with…
Science! For Parties!- Flaming Pine Cones of Christmas Cheer
Thanksgiving is over. Christmas lights are being hung around town. Shoppers are bustling about trying to find the perfect present for that special someone. Yep that magical season is upon us again. Get excited because it’s Office Holiday Party Time! And when it comes to office holiday parties I think we all know who the coolest person in the room is, why the person doing mind blowing science tricks of course. So if you want to be the cool cat at your workplace shindig keep reading because this edition of Science! For Parties is going knock your reindeer adorned socks…
A General Update
Hello everyone and welcome back to The Eclectic Eccentric. Or perhaps I should say welcome back me after my semi-intended month long hiatus. I say semi-intended because while I had decided to step away and not post during the month of November, the impetus behind that was to build up a queue of posts that would sit in a folder just waiting to be unveiled in order to give you, my faithful reader, a more stable and regular diet of new and informative diatribes. Unfortunately, my plans where undone by a confluence of circumstances both beneficial and detrimental to my…