If – like me – you feel that Leon Shuster is doing to film, what the rest of us to do toilet paper, then be of good cheer, because there’re a couple of really good films heading our way, both of which deserve some advance info and background.
BlackHawk Down is a true story set in ’93, when the US were in Somalia – and what happened over a 15 hour period when a helicopter went down in central Mogadishu. The film makes Saving Ryan’s Privates look like a walk in the park, by comparison, and I’m amazed that anyone got out of there alive. (As it was, the body count was around 19 US dead, 79 wounded, and at least 1 000 Somalians dead) Official Movie Site. Then to read the serialized Online Book. And for an excellent overview, complete with real video and interviews with the survivors, PBS Ambush in Somalia.
There’s a new David Lynch flick, and while not as intense as the above movie, will still have you debating and thinking long after the film’s done. Official Site. Then for a review that covers the basics, try Driving Us Crazy. And bookmark this next one for AFTER you’ve seen the film, unless you want the experience spoiled – Everything You Were Afraid to Ask About Mulholland Drive. And for a further step into the strange visions of Lynch, try The Universe of David Lynch.
Gear change. While providing a weird glimpse into the mindset of our national trading partner and invader of Tibet, this next site also has some rather collectible Chinese Propaganda Posters. Then for an interactive demo on how to make prints, courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art, get your ink and potato cutters ready for What Is A Print?
You’ll need a little bandwidth for this one, but if you have some curiosity about jazz, and can’t afford to go buying stuff unheard in hopes that you’ll like it, take a look at the info and have a free listen to some sounds of John Coltrane. Then to soak up the basics on Who’s Who in Jazz, (the real stuff, not the banal elevator muzak they use as fillers on TV) do some reading at Jazz One Online. And as a starting point, to see whose style grabs you, go download some Jazz mp3’s (some links aren’t working – others are) at The Jazz Stream
Then more cool online reading (or frantic cutting and pasting to notepad, if you’re fighting Telkom’s new rates) there’s a lot of very insightful reading to be had at this experiment to interview folks in the street at Interview 50 cents. And for a glimpse into the fast and often glamorized world of California, try the pix and stories at Fast Forward.
This suggestion is partly to make my long suffering service provider smile at me again, as well as being a valid and sane alternative to using a modem. If the idea of being permanently online 24 hours a day, without any dialling up or phone bills to worry about, sounds like what you need – consider Megawan.
Lots of people don’t quite ‘get’ the fun of gaming, and its rare to find a decently written article which conveys some of the reality of modern gaming, so take a look at Fear and Loathing in Alien Resurrection.
Having problems with your PC again? For info for the slightly advanced newbie, on various parts of fixing a PC without paying exorbitant workshop rates, take a cautious look through Online PC Help. Finally, we’ve all subscribed to email newsletters and after a few issues wished we hadn’t, well – for a truly valuable newsletter filled with info, links and help on all the latest PC-related news – do yourself a favor and head to the homepage of this next newsletter, browse the latest issue online, then subscribe to The Langa List.
Until the next time, if Leon Shuster doesn’t get me.
Ian Fraser is a playwright, author, comedian, conspiracy nut, old-time radio collector and self-confessed data-junkie. Winner of numerous Vita and Amstel Awards, he’s been an Internet addict and games-fanatic since around 1995, when the Internet began to make much more sense than theatre.