Ask MetaFilter questions in the media & arts category

Movie theaters in Sacramento?

Justinian — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:24:36 -0800

What's the best theater around Sacramento in which to see Avatar? Visiting family in Sacramento over the holidays and want to see Avatar. But I'm used to really nice theaters like the Arclight in Los Angeles. So what's the best theater in or around Sacramento to see a movie like Avatar? 3D true IMAX would be best. There are several IMAX theaters listed in the area but the reviews for most of them are mixed at best.

Two Avatar queastions.

cowmix — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:37:34 -0800

Regarding Avatar: Is it appropriate for an 11 year old (who's REALLY into scifi) and which 3D system? I figured that some small percentage of the MeFi crowd has seen Avatar already so it would ask this now: How appropriate is the movie for an eleven year old boy who LOVES scifi movies and books?

Also, if / when my kid and I view the movie should we pick Real3D or IMAX 3D?

"Safe" song with a driving beat for Best Buddies video

UMDirector — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:58:17 -0800

Looking for a song with a beat like Tik Tok by Ke$ha or Tonight's Gonna be a Good Night by Black-Eyes Peas but without references to drinking or "language" for a video. I volunteered to produce a video for Best Buddies and rather than the typical inspirational stuff they use I am trying to create something that is a bit more "cool" and "fun", not as much Goo Goo Dolls "Give a Little Bit", which they use too much. So both those songs have a great beat and are fun...looking for something like that but that won't risk offending...any thoughts? Bonus points if it has an inspirational message...

Halno

Christ, what an asshole — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:26:32 -0800

I just got an Xbox 360. I'm not the biggest fan of first-person shooters, Grand Theft Auto, and pseudo-instrument games like Guitar Hero, but I do love novel, esoteric games. What are some of the unsung heroes in the XB360 library that I should invest in? I used to be a hardcore gamer back in my heyday, but I just lack focus and time, so I'd call myself a casual gamer these days.

Games I've really enjoyed over the past few years: Mario Galaxy, Bangai-O Spirits, Viewtiful Joe, Shadow of the Collosus

Help her tell her story

shothotbot — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:11:34 -0800

What is a good screenwriting class in NYC? Mrs. HotBot has extensive storytelling experience (edited major comic books, done TV production work) and wants to write some screenplays. I think the thing she most wants is the structure of having to write on a weekly deadline. What are some good screenwriting classes in NYC? If I can sign her up as a Christmas present, all the better.

That drunk guy on TV that was on past my bedtime.

chambers — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:37:31 -0800

Identify this late 70's-early 80's British TV show starring a drunk guy! I saw it in the late 70's - early 80's in the United States, on a PBS station in Pittsburgh. It was on late at night, right before or right after Benny Hill. It was most definitely from the UK, but wether it was BBC or ITV produced I don't know.

Forgive the somewhat odd backstory, but it will help give some context to the vague remembrances of over 25 years ago. I was only a small lad then, and was only about seven or eight. My parents found it somewhat amusing, but discouraged me from watching it, as it was apparently a bit of salty humor. Most of it went over my head, but i remember he was offensive at times, and quite opinionated. Topics mostly were about current events, I think. It would have been seen as a very un-PC show, if that term were around then.

It was just a middle-aged man, in a suit and sitting on a stool, and he always had a drink in his hand. He was some sort of comedian or raconteur, and would get progressively more drunk as the monologue went on. I have no recollection of him having guests on, but I may be wrong.

Any ideas?

Help me find a new Pixelsurgeon-ish site!

aqueousdan — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:10:42 -0800

Looking for a site that aggregates sites to do with character design, typography, cute craft, flash interfaces, 3d goodness, crazy news and general cool stuff in the vein of the now defunct Pixelsurgeon. Oh how I miss Pixelsurgeon :( There were a few similar sites around at the time (around 2002 ish) that I really cannot remember but pixelsurgeon was by far the best of the lot. It pushed me to design my own stuff and I loved it for that. If such a thing doesnt exist anymore please feel free to post your own sites that fall into these categories... my current whim is cute stuff made from felt but I can feel a Zbrush modelling frenzy coming on or maybe some kind of 3d tank design :D

Looking for older edition of Lord of the Flies

pwally — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:48:17 -0800

I'm trying to buy two copies of Lord of the Flies for an art project but.. I really don't like the current editions cover. I want two copies of this older edition. I was going to buy used copies on ebay.. but as far as I can tell there is no guarantee that I'm going to get the right edition. Know of any online book stores or book stores in the Boston area that might have the edition I'm looking for?

Printing large custom sizes in LA?

speicus — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:14:25 -0800

Is there a print shop in Los Angeles that excels in dealing with large custom sizes (10x13 and/or 13x20)? I'm making parts for a piece of orchestra music that requires these custom sizes. I know that places like Kelly Paper and xpedx can make the paper for me, but after that I still need access to a large-format printer. The way I see it I have a couple options:

1) Find a place that would allow me to handle the printing myself. This would be ideal, as there's a lot of finicky specifics that are easy to mess up, and I've had bad experiences with LA print shops in the past.

2) Find a place that has a lot of experience handling custom sizes -- maybe even one that specializes in music copying.

Can anyone recommend such a mythologically awesome print shop?

Help us find some musical compromise

dickasso — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:03:57 -0800

She thinks I'm a music snob, I think she listens to overcommercialised crap, what can we enjoy together? I find myself, for the first time ever, going out with a girl with whom I have very little in common musically.. She basically likes pop R&B, and I like a whole load of stuff but not that.

I'm absolutely certain that there is some interesting, well crafted, critically acclaimed work happening in the R&B genre like there is in every other one - I just have no idea where to start looking. So, as a starting point, what can I listen to that will get me to like (some) R&B? I'm in the UK and on Spotify so I should be able to find and listen to most of what's suggested pretty easily.

Plan B, maybe there's some stuff out of (or on the edge) of that genre that you think she and I might both like?

Her taste list provided for the purposes of this question: Akon, Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Mariah Carey, Sean Paul, Keri Hilson. So basically, pop R&B.

My taste kind of circles around it: indie rock, folk, blues, old soul (and some new), funk, afrobeat, electrotango, a range of electronica (boards of canada to orbital, shpongle, etc) and old-school hip-hop.

We both like Public Enemy era gangsta rap - but I can't listen to that all the time - and she kind of likes (and I really like) Maya Azucena.

Help? :)

Beatles Bootlegs?

musofire — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:18:29 -0800

What are the most interesting Beatles bootlegs? How do you get them? Are there any interesting "legit" bootlegs? For years I've been reading about bootleg recordings of the Beatles in studio. These aren't the "unplugged" recordings, or alternate takes that sound more or less the same as the ones we've all heard a million times on the records. They're slow versions of songs that were released fast, or versions done to a different beat -- versions that helped the Beatles figure out what their song wanted to be.

How can I hear these? Are they available in libraries? Are there safe sites from which to download them? (Yes, I'm aware that they are illegal recordings.) Are there any legally released bootlegs with significant differences from the original release? I don't need to keep them on my computer, I just want to hear'em.

Cool and contemporary chick bands?

stefanie — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:13:02 -0800

I need some awesome, contemporary girl bands for a mixtape. My 14-year-old niece just discovered Luscious Jackson and I think she's ready for a cool, "chicks who rock" mixtape. I have some great stuff from previous threads but those are a few years old and I need to flesh this thing out with newer music.

So, please give me your recommendations for current, college radio-ish, smart, strong, rocking songs by women.

Note: Songs with swearing are a-ok, but please no sexy-sex stuff because nobody wants to get that kind of shit from their aunt.

photography that blends into web pages

ollyolly — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:10:36 -0800

Is there a term for photography with a plain-colored background (i.e. a background that will blend seamlessly into an x-colored web page background)? I like photographs that blend seamlessly into the background color of a web page (e.g. this photo of red shoes). Basically, anything photographed so that there are no shadows, patterns, or textures to indicate where the photo ends and the surrounding web page background begins. I've tried just searching "white background" (that's where I found the above example photo), but is there a specific term (or place to look) for this type of photography?

Region Free At Last, Thank the Beeb I'm Free At Last!

robocop is bleeding — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:04:49 -0800

Now that we have a region free DVD player, what British shows should we look in to ordering? My wife and I are huge fans of British comedies like Black Books, The IT Crowd, and Peep Show. We've been frustrated that many series are not available in the US (anything beyond the first series of Peep Show or That Mitchell and Webb Look, for example) and so broke down and bought a DVD player (a Philips DVP3980) that I unlocked to be region free.

So after we gorge ourselves on Mitchell and Webb, what else should we look for that's not available in the states?

We're not limited to comedies, either. My wife likes shows like Skins and I'm a huge murder mystery nut (Midsomer Murders, Inspector Morse, A Touch of Frost, etc).

While we're mainly interested in stuff we can't get over here, we'd like to take advantage of the seemingly cheaper DVD prices. For example, a 10 episode set of Midsomer Murders comes to something like 60 dollars, shipped, from amazon.uk while a 4 episode set costs 40 bucks here in the states. The less said about the amount I paid for my complete Morse vs the amount being charged on amazon.uk, the better. So any suggestions as to where we can get more for our money are welcome too.

please help me i.d. this photo(series) and the artist

Baby_Balrog — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:13:55 -0800

Argh! Can't remember the name of this series of bizarre photos. I think it was something like, "What's the matter with Jonathan" or something like that. It's making me crazy. Please help.

Maybe she can avoid my years of blurry pictures of flowers

dreamyshade — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:48:54 -0800

Gift-filter: I'd like to find a book about fun photography projects for a very smart 14-year-old girl. A family friend, a freshman in high school, likes to take photos out on walks around her neighborhood. That's the age I started to get into photography, so I'm really happy for her. What book can I get her for Christmas that would give her some good ideas about how to expand beyond shots of roses? She's brilliant and very artistic, and she has a typical small Canon compact camera.

I found Click: The Ultimate Photography Guide for Generation Now and Digital Photography for Teens, but I don't know if they'd be good. I'm hoping to find a book that would present some principles of interesting photography, samples of styles, and a bunch of good examples -- something encouraging and fun to browse, but not childish, and not focused on DSLRs. It doesn't have to be "digital photography for young people", but an Ansel Adams formal technical book would probably be too serious (I looked at this previous question). What's in between?

What movies or documentaries about motorcycles would my boyfriend like?

MaryDellamorte — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:41:44 -0800

What movies or documentaries about motorcycles would my boyfriend like? Details inside. Things he's already seen that I know he likes:

On Any Sunday
World's Fastest Indian
Brittown
Choppertown
Easy Rider

Other factors:

He likes old Triumphs.
He pretty much hates most motorcycles post 1975.
He doesn't like Harleys even though he likes the movie Easy Rider.
He's not too much into BMWs either although he doesn't hate them.
Don't suggest Motorcycle Diaries.

Help me find a poem!

nataliecay — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:34:49 -0800

Help me find a good inspirational poem to frame as a Christmas gift for someone going through a hard time. With the economy in the tank, my dad is going through a hard time with his company and I wanted to find a classic uplifting poem to frame for a Christmas gift. Something inspirational that makes you think. Googling fails me as it only seems to bring up the cheesy poems that don't have any deep thought behind them.

Not being one who studies poetry, I am kind of at a loss. Does anyone have any favorites that they feel might fit the bill?

Thanks in advance!

Wading through the VU bootlegs

ryanshepard — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 09:11:47 -0800

What are the best Velvet Underground bootlegs in terms of sound / performance quality? I'm interested in picking a few more up via blogs like The Nuns Are On The Sea Wall, but want to aim first for those with high sound/performance quality. Can any VU collectors out there point me in the right direction?

Why are writers people that wad ruled paper?

voronoi — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:04:28 -0800

What's the origin of the image of the frustrated writer? You know this character - crumpling his drafts into little balls and throwing them in the wastepaper basket, or staring endlessly at a blank page. What are some really early appearances of this image? If you don't know the exact origin, examples of it from film and television would help.

Step Aside, I'll Sing This One

xingcat — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 04:06:49 -0800

Examples of hit songs sung by someone other than the lead singer? I've been kicking around a play script that involves someone taking over the lead vocals for a band, and I'm interested in examples of hit (Top 40 or just songs with radio play) that were sung by someone other than the lead singer. Examples I can think are songs like "Texarcana" by R.E.M. and "Drive" by The Cars.

I know a number of bands like Fleetwood Mac, They Might Be Giants, Tears for Fears, etc., have a number of singers who take the lead, and many bands changed lead singers, and I'm not interested in those. I'm specifically looking for songs where a band member who normally doesn't sing lead did so, and the song became a hit.

Bliss!

polyglot — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:41:35 -0800

MusicFilter: tell me of the finest blissed-out dub. Specifically, I'm looking for tracks like the quieter half of Salmonella Dub's Inside the Dubplates, especially tracks like Tui Dub, Push On Thru, Loop 7 or Tiki Taane's Tainui Waka. Or from Waldeck, Floater (Dubblestandart Remix) (Night Garden Reflowered).

Vocals are OK, faster/cheerful is OK (like For the Love of It or Problems), but most important is an awesome and detailed bassline and none of that annoying dissonance or crazy triplet-percussion that makes most of modern dubstep sound disorganised and/or angry. Assume I already know of all the classic dub artists (King Tubby, Lee Scratch Perry, Scientist, etc).

I'm in my mid 30's, have some money saved up, and thinking of going to art school. Yes? No?

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:11:35 -0800

I'm in my mid 30's, have some money saved up, and thinking of going to art school. Yes? No? I guess what I'm really asking is, will I be able to afford it? I have close to $100 grand.. but by then it might be down to 50-60..? I know.. it's 20 something per semester (thousands) so it's like going to USC. But that's only assuming I can get in. I'm starting by continuing at the local community college art classes and hope to build the portfolio there. I'm hoping I've taken enough to meet most of the first year requirements.. so maybe I could finish in fewer years, if I do it full time.

I'm asking here instead of looking at the art schools and contacting them, because I'm not even sure I'll go through with this. It all depends on this upcoming year, whether this being 'fired' will motivate me or bring out some unseen drive I didn't know I had. Oh yeah, forgot to mention, I was fired. That's what's bringing this up... long story, but basically I'm at a point I have no job, I can't see myself going back to the fields I was in, I don't see anything out there I want/can do, and I'm not bad at art.. but I'm about as "not bad" at art as many many other people are. I'm not great.. but I could see myself still improving even now. Hey, I been playing bass 2 months and already playing Iron Maiden.. n u know Steve Harris is just insane.. so I'm a quick learner ;) (I might play at some gig too.. going from zero playing to up on stage in 2 months.. hmm.. just pattin myself on the back hehe) But it made me realize age means nothing. It helps that I looked like a kid my whole life too ;P

I feel good about my potential.. as in art skills, but it's the realistic element that worries me. Is this realistic?

Any words of wisdom? Success stories? Failure stories?

I'm really scared I'll lose the interest or passion, or just realize my skill only will plateau and never really reach that arteest level, or I'll be this washed up has been who's broke.

Name that early-90s rap song.

kensington314 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:10:55 -0800

There is a rap song about closing down the crack house. It had lots of early-90's rappers on it - I think I remember KRS-ONE, and Shock G from Digital Underground. What was this song called, and who was the main artist? My memory says it was called "Close the Crack House Down," maybe even "Close the Crack House Down Part II." We're talking somewhere between 1992 and 1995. The video played a lot on the Box, but not MTV.

Help me find this Chris Brown song

pandabearjohnson — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:12:44 -0800

I want to find the "real" Chris Brown song that is the basis for the Chris Brown and Elmo Sesame Street duet called See the Signs. See the video here. My family loves this song and we want to hear the original song (if there is one). I've briefly looked through Chris Brown songs available on iTunes but didn't come across it. Video here:

Thanks!