Current Configuration

  • Spam Inundation

    The parasites of the web are hammering the site with comment spam, which I’m deleting in droves. I guess somebody got a spamming company for Christmas. I may need to shut off commenting for a while before I upgrade and take more comprehensive steps to reduce the amount of garbage collecting on this site, with the help of my man.

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:

    Dear Spam-bot writers,

    I hope you all get cancer of the eyeballs and die.

    Sincerely,
    Chris

    PS: And so does everyone else.

  • The Sins of DVD Menu Design

    'The Sins of DVD Menu Design', across Gustave Doré's illustration of Farinata degli Uberti addressing Dante, with the FBI warning from DVDs appearing on a stone behind him.

    Original wood engraving illustration by Gustave Doré.

    Good people of the internet, the DVD has existed for more than a decade. Yet, the design of DVD menus seems to grow more tyrannical and confused with time. Those responsible are blinded by the insidious vices of pride and greed, tempted into committing one, two, or perhaps all of the Sins of DVD Menu Design.

    “…they kill the life of grace and risk eternal damnation unless absolved in the sacrament of confession, or taken away by a perfect contrition.” —Wikipedia.

    So let us examine these sins, so that we may know of their folly and be led by the light of Reason, unbesmirched in our own journeys.

    (more…)

  • 2007 Philadelphia New Play Festival

    The Philadelphia New Play Festival logo

    Last week, with the hard work of Anne at Mindlabs, the Theatre Alliance’s Philadelphia New Play Festival site went live, introducing the first multi-theatre festival of its kind in the country. We designed the logo, website, and promo materials for the Theatre Alliance to help launch this great project.

    Philly’s got a thriving and innovative theatre community, so if you’ve got the time in early February, you should check out the work being produced as part of the festival. Perhaps the best part is the festival pass, which gets you discounts on tickets, food, and parking, so you can end up ahead in the end by buying one for a night out at the theatre.

  • I Read Comics

    A row of graphic novels' spines, cropped to show only the top.

    Believe it or not, I love reading comics. If you look at Current Config’s comics section right now, there are four posts, one of which is about a comic-based movie. I write a lot more about movies here than anything else, which is funny, considering I read comics and play games more than I watch movies. I’ve decided this needs to change. Hopefully (I make a lot of plans on Current Config I can’t keep), from now on I’ll be posting about comics that I believe people interested in this art form should read, and some that everyone should read.

    If you don’t have a local comic shop to support, I recommend you check out InStockTrades, which has a decent selection and gives steep discounts to individuals, rather than retailers.

    So, rather than bore you with a long ramble about “teh gestalt of sequential art, blah, blah, blah…”, I’ll just say this: Comics have grown up, so you should too. Read comics.

  • Casino Royale

    Shown in black and white, James Bond's pale face stands out from the darkness of a low-lit office.

    I’m a bit late in posting this, as we rushed out to see it on opening night, but here it is now for posterity: Casino Royale is the best Bond film and is one of the coolest action movies I’ve ever seen. No more crazy supervillains who want to carve their names on the moon or use giant ice lasers to freeze the Bahamas if they don’t get $1 billion or whatever. It’s Bond becoming 007, pushing himself to the limits to find and stop the enemy, because he will never stop. It’s James Bond at his rawest and most driven, and Daniel Craig does a brilliant job giving Bond a perfect blend of cool, arrogance, wit, steel, and poise. I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better re-imagining of the Bond character and series than what was delivered in Casino Royale.

    (more…)

  • Children of Men

    A monitor in a coffee shop displays the BBC News headline 'Baby Diego Murdered', with a picture of the 18 year-old Deigo and the years of his life 2009–2027.

    The film opens with the death of the world’s youngest child, a boy saddled with celebrity and the focused emotions of millions, if not billions. His death is the result of an enraged autograph seeker. The opening of the film is a slap in the face to the fame-obsessed, drawing clear parallels to the death of Princess Diana, a victim of celebrity obsession. This film makes it very clear from the opening moments that this world is a bleak one.

    Alisa and I saw Children of Men last night. I’d heard someone describe it as the Blade Runner of our generation. When I heard it, I was skeptical of this statement, but now I understand.

    What makes Children of Men so powerful is not just Alfonso Cuarón‘s excellent directing, but the entire production. Every element is perfectly honed towards creating a bizarre but entirely believeable scenario. A world that’s only a half-step from our own, but full of the same seeds. The world is rich and full of characters who act with a strangeness that communicates verisimilitude. Extreme circumstances push the people populating this fictional Britain away from homogeny and into their states of coping: denial, survival, brutality, commitment, extremism, and blends of all these traits. Little explanation is given for anything beyond the main thrust of the story, and the world of the film thrives on this frigthening confusion. It feels a lot like the chaos of real life.

    Go see Children of Men. It will not let you off easily for one moment, but that weight you leave with is the understanding that the choice to change is your own.

    MPAA Review: Strong violence, language, some drug use and brief nudity.
    Ad Exec Review: “No children. No future. No hope.”, “The future’s a thing of the past”, “The last one to die please turn out the light”, “The last days of human race”, “No child has been born for 18 years”, “He must protect our only hope”

  • Armchair Airport Administrators

    You know what I love? When news programs interview stranded travellers in airports during snowstorms, fog, etc. Their viewpoints are so refreshing and unexpected. They usually run something like this:

    Reporter: We know that there have been 4,000 delays and cancelled flights this holiday weekend, stranding people like yourself here in Industrial Parkway International Terminal of Gray Dispair. How long have you been here?

    Traveller: I’ve been here for 3 days. Last night, I slept inside of my garment bag, on Section A, level 3, area K48 of the parking garage. My mouth tastes like Orange Julius all the time now.

    Reporter: Do you feel that aiport officials are looking out for you, the traveller?

    Traveller: Well, I don’t think the people in the airport can be held accountable for the weather, but the administrators are clearly a bunch of idiots. I mean, it snows, like, every year, right? So why do we have such problems? If I was a boss of an airport, I would just send my flights to another airport or call everyone up and tell them that they didn’t have a flight anymore as soon as the weather got bad. I don’t know what’s so hard about that. It seems like such an obvious solution.

    Reporter: Well, there you have it. Shit be mad nuts and managing airports is totally easy.

    Seriously, I DON’T CARE. John Q. Public has no idea what it takes to run an international or national air travel hub (and neither do I). Airports are badly managed, but it’s not because they just aren’t trying. Also, I’ve been in an aiport before, so I know that simply stepping through the doors on a sunny day still makes your life notably worse. Just…just stop. Please.

  • Nate Wiley, 1924–2006

    I just heard today from a friend that Nate Wiley died. This is a real loss to Philly, its culture, and its music scene. I didn’t know him, but next time I’m at Bob and Barbara’s, I’ll toast his memory and his drinkin’ music.

    Screen captured from A Taste of Nate, directed by Jim McGorman.

    (more…)

  • PS3 Reveals Why the Terrorist Really Hate Us

    I’ve been reading, over the past week or so, about all of the ridiculous human behavior here in the U.S. (and elsewhere, but I’m focusing on my fellow citizens here) related to and surrounding the launch of Sony’s newest game console, the Playstation 3. Robbery, fights, waiting in line for days in the cold, acrimony, shadowing people to smash and grab from their cars, etc., etc. All of this and more. I have one thing to say to you all, both the law breakers and the line waiters.

    You are all idiots.

    (more…)

  • 2006 Midterm Elections

    Do not forget to vote today. If you think politics don’t affect you, then just look at where we were in 2000 and where we are now. Don’t know where to vote? Find out here. If you live in Pennsylvania and have a driver’s license, you’re already registered. If you’re reading this, you have web access and have no excuse not to be informed enough to vote.

    And remember, if you don’t vote, you can’t complain afterwards that you aren’t getting what you want.