My Week With Marilyn

The Oscar nominations came out on Tuesday and so, like I do each year, my goal of screening as many pictures as possible before the broadcast is officially underway.  My Week With Marilyn just opened at the Monarch Theatre last night and so it was the perfect opportunity for Andrea and I to head down and check it out.

First things first, Michelle Williams is spot on in her portrayal of Monroe.  You might expect something shamelessly camp, but what's delivered is vulnerable, emotional, and intelligently nostalgic. It's a well earned Best Actress nomination for Williams, and her performance alone is a strong enough reason to see the film.  Thankfully, the supporting cast is no let down either and I was thoroughly engrossed throughout.

What I've always found fun about the Oscars is the variety of films that you can discover if you're willing to take a few chances.  I had a good feeling about My Week With Marilyn to begin with, but there are several flicks I know nothing about this year.  When you've grown up addicted to movies, sometimes it's just fun to find more ways to feel connected to them. 

The Monarch Theatre remains a great venue for watching smaller, more dramatic films. It was packed last night because it was 5+5 Wednesday - $5 ticket and $5 pop and popcorn.  If you live in Medicine Hat, you really should visit the Monarch.  They still have some of the best theatre seats in town.  

Ernie the Spaceman (1997)

Like a lot of kids do, I created my first videos using my toys.  At 12 I took what little savings I had and put it towards a used video camera that was for sale in the newspaper.  It's what makes these videos special now, the fact that I actually planned to create these and had it in my head that I wanted to buy myself a camera because I knew I wanted to make movies.

Ernie the Spaceman was actually an Ernie key chain, a mascot from Expo '86, a World's Fair held in Vancouver, BC.  He seemed just unique enough to not be recognizable, and before I started creating my own characters a year or so later, I got a feel for my camera by creating random episodes about the adventures Ernie would go on.  Once he crash landed on a planet full of Mr. Potato Head's, another time he had to rescue an alien princess, and plenty of times he was simply lost in space.

I created scenes using everything from strings of Christmas lights, to old Star Wars toys, construction paper and poster board, and remote controls as spaceship consoles.  The production value couldn't have been more bottom of the barrel, but the fact that I found ways to work in music, that I printed off my credits and taped them to the walls, and that I took the time to create miniature sets at least proved how much fun I was having.  It was only '97 after all and it wasn't like I had a computer to edit on or a digital camera to make things easier.

I only really shared the ten or so episodes I created with my friends, and for the sake of preserving my nostalgia that's the way it's going to stay.  Ernie the Spaceman is special only because it kicked off what I already knew I wanted to pursue as a kid.  It was my amateur directorial and editing debut, and the work I put into those shorts really lit a fire in me that set everything else in motion.

Looking back at it now and thinking about the setups that I'd build in the basement makes me realize how formative those experiences really were.  Without knowing it at the time I was exploring framing, composition, basic editing, and generally priming myself for the digital revolution that was just starting to hit.  The fact that I'd share my creations and get to see everyone's reactions only boosted my confidence.

The results were a long way from perfect, and they were even more embarrassing to watch after I'd gone through puberty, but it's that imperfection that seems so meaningful to me now.  I had no notions about how I was making something, it was nothing more than creative exploration.  Fifteen years later though, through a film school education, having had my work screened at numerous international venues, having over a million video views online, and having edited for a handful of big name clients, it's a rush to be able to trace it all the way back to this.

Ernie's haphazard and clumsy adventures may have only been a blip on my timeline, but it sure felt epic in the moment.  At the very least, it was an exercise in persistence.

The original title card from the Ernie the Spaceman episodes.

Lenovo Ideapad 32GB Review

So a few weekends ago I began doing some research about e-readers and inevitably found myself looking at tablets.  Some will argue that an iPad is the clear front runner in this category, but on price point that's far from the truth.  What I eventually decided on was the Lenovo Ideapad Tablet with 32GB and Wi-Fi.  Here's why I came to that decision and what I've come to really like about my tablet in general.

1.  Value for Money - A quick scan of tablets will show how competitively priced the Lenovo is (compared to other tablets and laptops).  I ended up spending about $350 for a tablet with 32GB of memory, a 10.1" screen, a front and rear camera, a stylish design, and that is easily customizable in terms of the display, apps, what widgets go where, etc.

2.  More Than an E-Reader - I was really just after an e-reader to begin with, but found it hard to pass up the ability to freely surf the web, watch YouTube, check facebook, download from the Amazon Kindle store, or scroll my emails (all at the same time).  The point is that this tablet is a lot more versatile for not much more money.

3.  Portable and Convenient - I found it cumbersome using my laptop in bed when I just wanted to check blogs or read web pages and a tablet is the answer to that.  The Lenovo is comfortable to hold thanks to the rounded edges and although it may be a bit on the heavier side for tablets, I still find it quite light. 

While I haven't taken it on the road with me yet, I also like the idea of having my maps downloaded and having a large screen to view them.  Navigating maps on my iPod Touch hasn't always been the most convenient and now I don't necessarily need to bring my laptop on the road with me either to stay connected.  

4.  The Show-Me Factor - How often do you have someone over and end up talking about a funny YouTube video or webpage?  The tablet is quick to launch and easy to pass around for moments just like that.  It's also what makes the tablet a great presentation tool, and it was really convenient to pull up my portfolio and scroll the pages when I had people over.

5. Adaptability - What I love about my Lenovo Ideapad (and a tablet in general) is the way that you can continue to change it based on how you use it.  There are plenty of apps to play with and explore, and the Lenovo Ideapad has 5 pages that you can flip through and customize however you want.  I'm sure I'll continue to find more fun ways to use it as I play around a bit more.

In my personal opinion having used this product for a couple of weeks now (in addition to my regular PC, laptop, and iPod Touch) I'd give the Lenovo Ideapad a solid 8/10. The only areas that I'd really make improvements to would be the speaker, which could be a bit stronger.  The tablet could also be a bit lighter, and I'd like to see more apps for Android products.  For the time being though, this is a more than adequate product for a casual user like myself and it's exceeded my expectations. 

For more specifics check out the review of this product on PC World.