A Resurgent Warning
Never underestimate the impact of a movie’s soundtrack.
Independence Day: Resurgence hits theaters on June 24th. The original is a classic. The 1996 science-fiction smash hit is as American as apple pie. Considering the multiple trailers and special videos involved in the viral video-driven marketing strategy of movie studios these days, resisting the hype for this highly-anticipated sequel has been difficult. Ideally, a little taste from just the first trailer will best allow for maximum surprises when sitting on the edge of my seat in the theater the opening Friday night.
Listening to the isolated trailer music helps quench my thirst until the premiere.
The sequel must get here faster.
Bust a Move
Will the new Ghostbusters movie honor the original by more than simply name only?
That is the question and a heated one at that.
July 15th is the movie theater release date, so there’s still plenty of time for debate and prognostication. For now, fans of the Ghostbusters can unite together to sing and dance to one of the single greatest (if not the greatest) original pop songs for a major motion picture.
Here’s a throwback to the ’80s synthesizer.
Ray Parker Jr. still has it.
As does Bill Murray!
The Ghost of Busters Past
There was a time when people didn’t have Ghostbusters in their lives.
And they had no idea who to call.
For today’s history lesson, June 8, 1984 was the day when the science-fiction comedy starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis and Ernie Hudson changed the real movie world by saving a fictional one with proton packs, sharp wit and the courage to cross streams. With a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (that’s pretty good), Ghostbusters is uniquely beloved by fans and critics alike. This is important to note because part of the intense backlash against the new all-female reboot this summer is not a reaction to an all-female cast, but more to do with the caricature nature of the new cast and their characters. The original film and its superb cast was smart, clever and never tried hard to be funny.
They were naturally funny, endearing and (ironically) real.
As odd as it sounds, the 1984 classic doesn’t appear like actors playing parts, but instead felt like a genuine group of misfit friends chasing and capturing ghosts throughout NYC in the coolest ways imaginable within the parameters of a major motion picture. The film has an escapism quality that transcends far beyond the cinema and culture of the mid-1980s.
Thus far, the reboot isn’t generating that same reaction.
For the record, this is how you make a Ghostbusters trailer that kicks some–
History thanks you (in more ways than one), Ghostbusters.
Flip or Flop?
Ironically, despite Samsung’s vision, the concept of what a phone looks like is far from being an open-and-shut case.
“The details are somewhat rough, but from what we can gather, one device will be a phone/tablet combo, whose 5-inch screen could be unfolded into an 8-inch screen. The other will be a phone that folds in half, not unlike a cosmetic compact (so, basically a flip phone but with a screen on both sides).”
–Stan Schroeder of Mashable, “Samsung’s bendable smartphones might become real in early 2017″
According to reports (which can be a dime-a-dozen in the tech world), there appears to be legitimate buzz building concerning a 2014 cell phone design by Samsung with a familiar throwback.
Bloomberg’s Jungah Lee has speculated on a possible 2017 launch for Samsung’s new phone.
The bendable phone seen in the video from 2014 will gain the attention of the smartphone consumer base. Specifically, businessmen, businesswomen and users in general who were excited by the Blackberry may find that this is a true alternative to the modern smartphone.
The prototype shown above has a large screen with expansive features that permit multi-tasking that’s visible in one large view, but is collapsible into a manageable storing size. The bendable phone also seems like it can be more conducive to business applications (ie- Microsoft Office programs) than Android models and the iPhone. Flexible tech is the trend these days, as evidenced by an LG TV prototype with a similar capacity.
Will consumers ultimately flip to Samsung’s new tech? Time will tell, but the answer could reveal where phones are headed the next few years. Smartphones are mobile computers and Samsung has, potentially, innovated that reality to a fascinating new level.
A level that opens up into a future with a wink and nod from the past.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 