Quiz: Movie countdown
Posted on July 3, 2008 at 9:19 am
This is an astonishing compilation of 100 movie clips — all from well-known films — counting down the numbers from 100-1. How many of these films can you name?
Posted on July 3, 2008 at 8:00 am
A Mindset Media study finds that people who go to the movies more than three movies a month, they are more likely to be highly optimistic, creative, or assertive.
“We asked ourselves why, with insane gas prices and video-on-demand, would people go to see movies – and lots of them – on the silver screen,” said Sarah Welch, COO and co-founder of Mindset Media. “The answer is their personalities.” In a study fielded earlier this year among 25,000 respondents, Mindset Media found that people who plan ahead to regularly see movies have a distinct Mindset Profile, or set of psychographic traits.
The study, which defines people who go to the movies regularly as those who see three or more movies each month and plan what movie they are going to see in advance, found four Mindsets distinguished regular movie goers from the general population: 58 percent more likely to be an Assertiveness 5, 99 percent more likely to be a Dynamism 5, 38 percent more likely to be an Optimism 5, and 76 percent more likely to be a Creativity 5.
Highly assertive people, or Assertiveness 5’s in Mindset Media parlance, are alpha dogs. They know what you want and go after it with purpose. They also have strong opinions and have no problem taking charge of a situation. Dynamism 5’s (highly dynamic people) thrive on being where the action is. They see and do more in a typical day than many would dream of doing in a week, or even a month. They believe the only place to be is in the thick of it; never on the sidelines. Highly optimistic people (Optimism 5’s) never fail to look on the bright side of things, no matter how bleak the current situation. Others tend to look towards Optimism 5’s to cheerfully look forward to what the future will bring. Those who score high in Creativity (Creativity 5’s) are both inventive and imaginative. Creativity 5’s also tend to be emotionally sensitive and intellectually curious.
This is marketing mumbo-jumbo, but it makes sense to me that people who are active enough to get themselves out of the house and go to a movie are likely to be assertive, dynamic, energetic, and optimistic (with so many awful movies out there, they have to be optimistic to expect the next one to be good). And it makes sense, too, that people who want to enter new worlds and engage with new characters are likely to be imaginative and creative. So, next time you’re planning to stay home and watch reruns, try a movie!
Posted on July 2, 2008 at 8:00 am
The virtual field trip website MeetMeAtTheCorner.org is challenging kids to create a video documentary of a special summertime event in their hometown.
The “Summer in My Town” video documentary contest is for children ages 7-13. The winner will receive a cash prize of $250.00 plus a special airing of the video on the Web site this fall. The contest deadline is August 31, 2008 and all films must be submitted on MiniDV tape.
Complete information on how to make a video documentary, including step-by-step instructions on creating storyboards and voiceovers, as well as submission guidelines, rules and forms can be found at MeetMeAtTheCorner.org. Final cassette tapes can be mailed to Meet Me at the Corner “Summer in My Town” Video Contest, 1710 First Ave., PO Box 283, New York, NY 10128. All submissions are the property of Meet Me at the Corner and will not be returned.
“The ‘Summer in My Town’ contest is a great way for kids to learn how to make a complete documentary-style video and discover more about their community. It’s not a way to share summer vacation videos. It’s so much more than that. It’s the perfect way for kids to reveal their special part of the world with their peers,” said Donna Guthrie, founder of MeetMeAtTheCorner.org.
Posted on July 1, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Slashdot has identified some of the hidden Pixar in-jokes and Apple references in Wall?E. Be sure to read the comments for many more. The New York Times also has some info on the involvement of Apple industrial designer Johnny Ive as an advisor on the film.
Posted on July 1, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Idol Chatter has posted a list of the five best movies celebrating the American Dream. All good choices: Avalon and An American Tail (about the immigrant experience), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington about an idealistic young Senator, and Rocky, the Bicentennial boxing classic. I was especially happy to see one of my favorites that never got the audience it deserved on the list: America’s Heart & Soul a touching, inspiring, stirring, and thrilling documentary about the American spirit.
Loyal reader jestrfyl suggests the “Back to the Future” movies, the “National Treasure” movies, and “Pleasantville.” I would add movies like Best Picture Oscar winners You Can’t Take It With You, All the President’s Men, and On the Waterfront , because an essential element of the American dream is the triumph over tyranny and corruption. And I’d also include fact-based movies like “Glory,” “Young Mr. Lincoln,” and “The Right Stuff,” because the most American of dreams is the idea that there are no limits on what we can accomplish beyond the limits of our own imagination and daring.