A Mini Modern Renaissance, Hopefully

I mentioned a while back that Ford was selling Jaguar (and Land Rover) to an Indian conglomerate named Tata.

I was slightly worried at this development, as I am a huge Jaguar fan, and am saddened by the way that Ford has handled the brand. The cheap modeling and half-assed design have essentially driven it into the ground, making it into a losing business. At this point, I feel that any change in ownership is likely to be a good thing.

Well, it seems like I might not be too far off:

"As far as Jaguar is concerned, the plan calls for a return to its premium traditions, eschewing volume models such as the unloved X-type. The first step will be a new XJ, Jaguar’s flagship saloon, due next year, which will ditch the current model’s frumpy retro styling for something insiders describe as even more radical than the XF. After that there is likely to be a coupé version of the XF and, most exciting of all, a successor to the E-type sports car of the 1960s."

Joy!

Jaguar needs exactly this type of re-invigoration. The leaders at Tata have also said that they plan on giving Jaguar and Land Rover extra freedom to run their own type of luxury car business, something that Ford wasn't too keen on doing.

Good news for Jag, here's to hoping that we see some nice new models soon, with the extra polish that the brand so desperately needs.

---

wall-e

The "Final Trailer" is up for wall-e.

I don't remember the last time that I was this excited about a movie. Probably when the LOTR movies were coming out. Or perhaps the Matrix.

Ratatouille was unbeleivably fantastic. I went in to that film thinking that it would be passable, and I was blown away. Similarly with Finding Nemo and The Incredibles. All great. Pixar has become, in my mind, one of the Juggernauts of accessible comedy.

Thus I am eagerly anticipating wall-e's release. It looks like one of the funniest things I have ever seen. (plus it doesn't hurt that it is set in my favorite genre) I think people will be imitating wall-e's greeting for a long time to come.

---

WTF. Just... wtf.

---

First Draft

The bright sun momentarily blinded him as he walked through the open portal onto the smooth white surfacing outside. Gleaming in the light at the center of the courtyard was the object that they had been telling him about. It was smaller than he expected, but it belied a kind of constrained energy that gave him goosebumps. The silvery paneling shone with a kind of unearthly reflection, distorting the sunshine into a white arc. It was literally painful to look at in the midday sun.

They had told him that it helped to think of it as simply a kind of exoskeleton. He tried, but the sheer presence of the thing was awe-inspiring. He found himself trailing a finger along the leading edge, and even in the hot sun the surface was quite cool. The entry to the cockpit was a smooth depression on the lee side, and he slid into the waiting seat with ease. He was surrounded by controls, more than he even had imagined. They had told him that the vast majority of them were not necessary for the the primary use of the the object, but he felt overwhelmed nonetheless.

He remembered from the pictures which things were important for operation and tried to focus on those. The driver's seat was suprisingly straightforward, and he grasped the ovoid main drive control, feeling for the various velocity adjustment levers at his feet. The seat underneath him held him in place securely, and everything that he needed for operation was barely a hand's width away. A sense of amazement washed over him, as he thought about the unseen implements that would eventually rocket him out of this courtyard and into the world beyond. He took a moment to savor the relaxed feeling he was experiencing, for he would surely be awash in adrenaline.

They has given him an entry and verification implement for making the exoskeleton functional, and he inserted it onto the reader by his right hand. The device must have accepted his key, as he was immediately rewarded with a gentle hum and the activation of the various displays and readouts surrounding him. Almost imperceptibly, the atmosphere inside the cockpit had equalized to a comfortable temperature and humidity, even though the air outside had begun to make him sweat.

The object required no other steps for startup, so he switched it to its main drive function, and nearly crashed into the wall in front of him. They had told him that the velocity controls were sensitive, and that they would take some getting used to, and he now fully believed them. The main drive control was simple enough to use, and he turned the object around, slowly this time, and accelerated out of the courtyard.

He took it slowly at first, getting a feel for the way that the extremely sensitive controls and how they interacted. Soon he had a good feel for it, and felt that he could test maneuvers at some higher speeds. He slowly increased the output of the engine, wondering at what point it would reach its maximum. It turned out that he reached his comfort level long before the object topped out.

Settling it back in courtyard, he dropped the card with the officer that had issued it to him. They exchanged a knowing glance, and he went into the administration wing to turn in his acceptance for the program.

What a machine.

---

I Am Legend - Original Ending

By now, you probably know about the original ending for I Am Legend that has been floating about. You've probably already seen it. If you haven't, check it out at FirstShowing.net I just saw it, and I am amazed and pleased and intensely disappointed.

The fact that this ending was ready to ship with the movie and then left on the cutting room floor is slightly frustrating. The ending that we all saw in theaters was pretty acceptable, it was emotionally charged, at the least. It provided too much closure, though, and it made the whole movie feel like an exercise in futility.

The new ending, however, is masterful. The plot is closer to the book's without parroting it, and it adds a huge degree of character depth that we did not see in the theaters. The dynamic between the lead Vampire and Neville is amazing. Also, it didn't have to rely on the shlocky angel wings to tell Neville to take action, it appealed directly to our emotional sensibility for that sense of climax.

So, this is my vote for the alternate ending. It is much better by far than what shipped with the film, and I would really like to have the opportunity to see the film on DVD (read, Blu-Ray) with the option to watch it seamlessly with this new ending. For me that would be enough of a concession to be happy, though I am still very disappointed at the marketing hack responsible for the decision to lop it off in favor of the more "accessible" ending.

---

Delicious.

---