I am Legend (VIDEO)

While a swarm of problems infest "I Am Legend," I must admit I was quite taken with the film's sensation of misery and isolation. Typically, a Will Smith genre film is a noisy monster, equipped with endless one-liners and explosions. However, "Legend" is introspective and paranoid. It's almost worth a ticket just to witness a wildly marketed, blockbuster film remain so still and mannered.

When a cure for cancer mutates, killing off 90 percent of the planet, Robert Neville (Will Smith), a military scientist, is left alone in New York City with his dog, hoping with every passing year that he can reverse the mutation. Slowly drained of his sanity and growing weary of battling the vampire-like creatures that attack during the night, Neville is losing hope that his nightmare will end. When other survivors start to surface, the revelation stuns Neville, who finds his struggle to remain optimistic is in constant battle with his knowledge that humanity has likely been snuffed out for good.

"I Am Legend" is the third attempt to bring Richard Matheson's 1954 novel to the big screen, coming after the 1964 Vincent Price production "The Last Man on Earth," and the 1971 Charlton Heston curiosity, "The Omega Man." "Legend" is perhaps the first film to be blessed with a budget large enough to render the extensive isolation Neville is facing, the absence of community that slowly eats away at his soul.

Director Francis Lawrence ("Constantine") is a skilled enough stylist to pull off the visual majesty of "Legend," and the finest moments of the picture are easily the sequences of Neville and dog Sam driving around the city streets, interacting with a world frozen in 2009. Hunting deer or shooting golf balls into buildings, Neville has the world to himself in the daytime, employing careful street choreography honed over three years of seclusion. It's a game of boredom and survival, and the balance between the two is where "Legend" finds the strongest dramatic flavor, carefully studying Neville's brittle sanity while upping the tension with the menacing "Dark Seekers" and their escalating aggression toward the viral survivors.

I Am Legend - Watch more funny videos here
For the rest of this Review by Brian Ormdorf, go here.

`I Am Legend' Has Record $77 Million December Sales



Weekend Ranking: US Movie Houses
1. I Am Legend
2. Alvin and Chipmunks
3. Golden Compass

NVDL: I am very excited about this film, not least of all because it stimulates and inspires along the lines of another post-Apoc story I've recently embarked upon. Titled Fire, Ice and the Whole Wide World, I intend to explore and render the isolation and dismantling of community in a gritty, austere story. So far I have cave-dwelling Luc van Lierde (based on the real Ironman Wiorld champion) pitting his triathlon skills into a new game: kill or be killed by roaming survivors. Fellow human beings turn out to be the most dangerous predators in the world, and he is forced to become his most dangerous self. Is it worth it? Meanwhile, against this war within and without, the world paints itself in blindingly white sun, a light that cools and is dimmed by almost permanent rain. The rain turns to snow, and the snow to ice. It is in this bleak world that van Lierde finds himself completely, utterly, miserably alone. It is then that he stumbles upon a small tribe of female survivors, and their pregnant patriarch...

This weekend I watched Star Wars, Revenge of the Sith and it really must be the best sci-fi movie ever made, in terms of the feast of visuals. The plot is not great, but not bad. It is a pity Lucas has quit (or has he?). It would be great if he re-rendered the next 3 movies, starting with A New Hope, which while some see as classics, could obviously be jazzed up a lot with today's technology. And then the final 3 Star Wars films?

I also found the political undertones in Revenge of the Sith very intelligent: 'if you're not with me you're my enemy' (eliciting George Bush), the law of absolutes (Bush again), and the simple use of passion to sway the masses astray. And what does Natalie Portman say: Padme: So this is how liberty dies - with thunderous applause. It ends though in a frigid wasteland.

Golden Compass world premiere (REUTERS VIDEO)

Actors Nicole Kidman, Eva Green, Daniel Craig and Dakota Blue Richards attend the world premiere of 'The Golden Compass'.

The story is set in a world where witches rule the northern skies, ice bears are the bravest warriors and where every human is joined by an animal spirit representing their soul.

But the film has already come under attack from conservative Christian groups for portraying religion in an unflattering light.

Also: Taking Direction From 'The Golden Compass'

Beowulf

Besides the aforementioned fight of the nude dudes (sold with amusing “Austin Powers” framing), the character of Grendel’s Mother is presented as a lustful, gorgeous beast with a heavenly body and persuasive promises of satisfaction and fame upon delivery of a sexual favor. For reasons so obvious my teeth hurt, Angelina Jolie is ideal casting. Beowulf is a man of chest-thumping action and mead-swilling respect, taking thunderous pride in achievements both real and imagined. Yet, it makes sense that he would throw it all away for a taste of this gold-slicked mommy demon who can melt swords with a mere touch and a helping of sex kitten purr. Zemeckis couldn’t have cast the she-devil better if he tried.

For the rest of this EXCELLENT movie review, read Brian Ormdorf's Ohmynews article, here.

Safe Sex and the Romance Novel

An interview with Kate Hofman, author of Greek Fire
Ambrose Musiyiwa

This year alone, she has published seven romance novels, among them, A Greek Love Story (Romance At Heart, 2007), Castle in Spain (The Dark Castle Lords, 2007), Navajo Dreams (Romance At Heart, 2007), Greek Fire (Romance At Heart, 2007) and A Sensual Seduction (Romance At Heart, 2007).Two more novels, A Greater Love (Romance at Heart, November/December 2007) and The Spanish Conquest (AweStruck EBooks, February 2008) are going to be released soon.

In a recent interview, she spoke about her writing.

When did you start writing?

On April 22, 2002. The romance author Nina Bruhns, for whom I do Internet publicity, said that I should write. I was very surprised, but decided to try it, and found that she was right. Writing came easy to me.

I’ll also tell you my most daunting moment: when I sat down in front of that blank page on my computer. I remember thinking, I must be mad to think I can do this. And then I thought, Nina thinks you can. Do it! And, slowly, I began to type WILL AND KIKI (right from the start I titled all my books with the names of the protagonists. Later, when I got published, I had to think of actual titles -- which I am lousy at…) I remember looking at my watch as I began to type WILL AND KIKI.It was five o’clock.

By one o’clock that morning, I had 13 pages of close-typed script. Not all of it good, mind you! I did a lot of revising, rewrites, deleting, you name it, I did it. But I had a strange feeling that I could do this.

This year alone, you've published seven books. How did this happen?

I had been writing in happy obscurity for about five years, when one of my friends, the writer Jennifer Mueller (a fabulous writer!) said to me, You should submit something to a publisher. I doubted I was ready for that, but I had written 25 books in the five years since April 2002, and Jennifer persuaded me to submit.

In November, 2006, I submitted a book to Awe-Struck, and three books to Romance At Heart, intending to give RAH a choice. To my intense surprise, they accepted all three.

For the rest of this Ohmynews article click here.

Botlierskop: A Natural Connection

Mountains and magic, Botlierskop is unique for its elephants, riverside tented suites and Bushman artifacts

Despite an ignominious flight number -- MN 911 -- I emerge alive from the rear end of the green, missile-shaped McDonnell Douglas. A cold front is converging on my position, but right now it is still pleasantly cool and breathless on the tarmac.

Michelle and I (we met on the plane) walk under the green wing toward the neat building that is George Airport. It is the only airport in the country with such a spectacular purple and green backdrop.The large jagged Outeniqua Mountains push against the deadweight of stress that has built up inside me. I feel it begin to shift, and in its place life emerges; grassroots stir in the still dry soil of my soul.At the conveyor belt my bag arrives first; I bid the young lady, my once-off traveling companion, adieu.

I find Jacques Venter, a ranger from Botlierskop Private Game Reserve, at the arrivals exit. He wears a leather cowboy hat and he has that affable good nature that reminds me of Marius Weyers in "The God's Must Be Crazy."

Getting There

Botlierskop is a 20-minute drive from the airport in the direction of Mossel Bay. After two minutes Jacques points out a vervet monkey on the side of the road. I'm still too jaded and sleep deprived to see it. Jacques keeps up a lively conversation. He tells me that Outeniqua means "honey bringers," a Bushmen word, and yes, this area is one of the haunts favored by these original people, the first people of Southern Africa.

Just outside Mossel Bay we turn off the tar road for a short stretch. As the hillsides roar upward around us, I reflect that once the wanted posters went up, the Bushmen, like Al Qaeda, made for the mountains.

Lord of the Rings

Jacques points out a bizarre rock formation rumored to be behind the nomenclature of the place. From the summit of Botlierskop, he tells me, a large fire was made to alert local farmers that ships were coming in and they could start moving fresh supplies to the ships. The fire was lit in the "Lord of the Rings" style after a faraway beacon was set alight near the present Mossel Bay lighthouse.

The rocks here seem to be sculpted by extreme wear and tear: ice, rain and wind. Finding myself similarly weathered by the world of work, the rugged surroundings are a comfort to me. I'm happy to escape the chatter, the clutter, and anything and everything manmade. Just get me away from it all!

For the rest of this article, click here.

Recession Too Mild A Word

By Pablo Ouziel

Yet yesterday in Crain's New York Business this could be read: "Only weeks after financial-sector employment in the city hit levels not seen since the technology-stock bubble, investment banks have switched into firing mode and halted most job searches ...

As a result, at least 10,000 Wall Streeters of all stripes could lose their jobs by year's end, according to estimates from Manhattan recruiting and consulting firm Options Group."

For the rest of this Ohmynews article, click here.

World's first internet president logs on

Web already shaping policy of new South Korean leader

Jonathan Watts in Seoul
Monday February 24, 2003
The Guardian

South Korea will stake a claim to be the most advanced online democracy on the planet tomorrow with the inauguration of a president who styles himself as the first leader fully in tune with the internet.

From calls for a softer stance towards North Korea to demands for a revision of the security alliance with the US, websites are already shaping the position of Roh Moo-hyun's new administration.

"The development of internet technology has changed the whole political dynamic in South Korea to an extent that the outside world has not yet grasped," said Yoon Yong-kwan, the head of foreign policy formulation in Mr Roh's transitional team. "It will affect foreign policy."

The rise of webocracy has already made South Korea a place of exhilarating but unpredictable change.

In recent months online campaigns have swung the presidential election, stirred tens of thousands into anti-US protests and nudged government policy on the nuclear standoff.

New Korea's hi-tech credentials have been a focus of national pride. Its biggest claim to international fame is the development of internet services, which are far ahead of most countries. Almost 70% of homes have a broadband connection, compared with about 5% in Britain.

Because of the high connection speeds, much faster than most British broadband, people use the web more for shopping, trading and chatting. Koreans are said to spend 1,340 minutes online per month, and 10% of economic activity is related to IT - one of the highest levels in the world.

"The internet is so important here," a western diplomat in Seoul said. "This is the most online country in the world. The younger generation get all their information from the web. Some don't even bother with TVs. They just download the programmes."

The voice of this New Korea is OhmyNews, arguably the world's most domestically powerful news site, which has built up almost as big a readership and as fearsome a reputation for moving public opinion as the Sun.

"OhmyNews is as influential as any newspaper," a South Korean diplomat in Tokyo said. "No policymaker can afford to ignore it. South Korea is changing in ways that we cannot believe ourselves."

Polls showed that the victory in December of Mr Roh - who claims to be the world's first president to understand HTML website coding - came from a huge surge of support from twenty- and thirty-somethings. In South Korea, where elections are usually decided by regional rather than generational loyalties, this was a dramatic development.

It was not the last. An OhmyNews report on an accident in which two girls were crushed to death by a US army tractor prompted one surfer to call for demonstrations. Within a week, South Korea was witnessing the biggest anti-US protests in its history.

"We are becoming very powerful," said Bae Eul-sun, one of the Ohmynews editorial team. "The pay is lousy, but it is very satisfying to work here because I really feel like I can change the world little by little."

When the new administration takes power, its external priorities will mark a continuation of the "sunshine policy" of outgoing president Kim Dae-jung, who focused on maintaining a strong alliance with the United States while engaging with North Korea.

But Mr Yoon said policy towards North Korea would be developed to reflect public opinion better. This is likely to give more influence to domestic media and less to the US.

"We will maintain strong ties with the US, but our young people have tasted democracy and they speak out about what they feel. They believe bilateral relations are important but unlike the older generation they don't think it is taboo to make demands of the US."

The change is already apparent. In comparison with the efforts it made during the last North Korean nuclear crisis in 1993-94, Seoul has taken a far more active role in trying to head off a confrontation - even at the expense of infuriating its ally.

Ranked 2nd

2 different articles, Hypersexed and Disruptive Technologies, were both 2nd most popular on 2 respective citizen websites: Ohmynews and Reporter.