Category: movies
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Apollo 13 with Jim Lovell
I have just spent a remarkable two hours, watching the movie Apollo 13 with astronaut Jim Lovell. Actually, I have watched it in my home (again) with the commentary turned on for Lovell and his wife. How amazing to hear all their thoughts, remembrances, and clarifications as I watched the movie yet another time. Very…
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HP & The Goblet of Fire
I was finally able to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire tonight. Great film overall, but my children will certainly not be seeing it anytime soon. Of course that was quite predictable, given the intensely dark nature of book 4. I thought the scriptwriter and new director did an admirable job telling what…
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Ken Burns’ Civil War
Last night I watched the first part of Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary series produced for PBS. Wow. I agree with the historian in the film who says it is impossible to understand the history and the culture of the United States without a deep understanding of the US Civil War. It defined us in…
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Landing on the moon
A couple of weeks ago when I was in Vancouver, I had the amazing opportunity to watch the IMAX film “Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D” narrated by Tom Hanks. The film was shown on the 8 story high IMAX screen at Canada Place downtown. The idea that human beings not only traveled to…
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BitTorrent and iTunes
In last month’s article, “BitTorrent’s Grab at Respectability,” Business Week revealed the surprising attempt to move a peer to peer (P2P) file sharing program most closely associated with illegal movie downloads into the legal mainstream. I have never used BitTorrent (yet), but from what I have read the amazing thing about the technology is the…
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The Elegant Universe
I watched part 1 of Brian Green’s NOVA special “The Elegant Universe” last night. What an amazing film and an engaging topic. I have an admission to make. I love physics. I did not major in science in college– but some of my favorite courses in high school were Engineering Physics, Atmosphere & Space Science,…
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Hotel Rwanda
Every human being on the planet over age 15 needs to see “Hotel Rwanda.” That is a strong statement and a strong opinion, but the facts of the film and the situation it describes justifies this imperative. Digital storytelling is a powerful medium. Watching a film is not as powerful as actually “being there” and…
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“The Super Network” or the future of TV
Wired magazine used to delay the online publication of its print magazine articles awhile, waiting a few weeks after its analog/print version was released to paying subscribers. No longer, apparently. My print copy of Wired arrived yesterday, but already the entire magazine seems to be available online. Interesting. A nod perhaps, to a theory I’ve…
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Podcast4: Netflix – Google RSS Research – Trails, Trains, and T-1s
In this program I address: WebSighting: Netflix: www.netflix.com. Research Tip: Google.com News RSS ATOM XML Generator: www.justinpfister.com/gnewsfeed.php. Editorial: Trails, Trains, and T-1s: My visit this summer to Marysville, Kansas, home of the only remaining Pony Express station in its original location, prompted some reflections on the nature of telecommunications lines from the 1860s through the…
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Narnia Teaser Trailer available online!
Last night, the teaser trailer for the upcoming Narnia movie was posted online! “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” will come to the theatrical screen as never before in December 2005. The just-released teaser trailer looks great! As a Disney film and one clearly designed for children, hopefully there won’t be a question of…