A 10-minute compilation of some of the cheesiest movie quotes of all time. Enjoy!
[Via BuzzFeed]
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20Jan
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20JanCulture, Music & Movies, News, Uncategorized, guillermo del toro, hobbit, hobbits, lord of the rings, peter jackson, tobey maguire No Comments
The Internet was all a thither yesterday with rumors that Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro had finalized casting for Bilbo in The Hobbit… with Tobey Maguire. The Twittersphere went bananas, and after a few hours, we heard directly from the source, and the directors assured the panic-ridden public that they were still a month away from finding their Bilbo.Did you hear that collective sigh of relief? I know I did.
But all this speculation begs a few questions and brings to light some inherent issues with casting such a monumental role. The biggest problem with casting Bilbo is that he’s really the sole hobbit, and truly the most important role in the film. There’s no hobbit supporting cast this time around, no Pippin or Samwise. Sure, there’s a lot of dwarves, a dragon, and some familiar faces (we’ll see Ian McKellan as Gandalf and Hugo Weaving as Elrond again) but much of The Hobbit revolves around Bilbo’s solitary adventures as he gets separated from the group time and again.
At any rate, here are a few things I hope that the casting directors will take into consideration when casting Bilbo.
- Age. No, Bilbo isn’t aged as in the Lord of the Rings films, but as of The Hobbit he’s 51. Which, by hobbit standards is really closer to your 30s (since they mature much slower, having their coming-of-age at 33). Still, since Bilbo is definitely an adult in the film, casting too young of an actor would be a certain detriment. Case in point with Tobey Maguire, who still looks like he’s about 12. Though, I should point out that theoretically Frodo should have been the oldest of the hobbits in the Lord of the Rings, and yet PJ opted for Elijah Wood (who I love, honestly) but was barely out of puberty when filming started. The purist in me is still irked.
- Accent. As recently demonstrated in Avatar, sometimes an actor simply can’t shed their accent. Adding another accent on top of that only makes it more laughable (seriously, I could not take it). Bilbo has got to be English! Or at least, have had extensive training to sound English… I mean, really, really extensive. It’s grating otherwise. And as a born and bred Hobbiton aristocrat, Bilbo’s got to sound pitch-perfect. There’s a ton of rather hilarious dialogue in the books, and if it sounds like he’s talking with marbles in his mouth, I’m going to be gravely disappointed. In my mind, James McAvoy would be perfect for this, especially with his occasionally twitchiness (granted, he’s Scottish… but he can do just about any accent).
- Size. Okay, so ever since I saw the behind the scenes footage with the hobbits and their stand ins on the extented Lord of the Rings DVDs, as well as the camera angles PJ used in the last film, the whole mystique has been ruined for me when it comes to size manipulation. I hate to say it, but every time I watch some of the far away shots in the Lord of the Rings, I just don’t buy it anymore (although the scene where Bilbo makes tea for Gandalf in Bag End continues to amaze me). So let’s make sure the actor is short enough to make for some more believable CGI magic. Though, with all the advances in the last decade or so when it comes to Weta, I’m not sure that’ll be so much of a concern.
- Wit. Bilbo has got to have charm; he’s that blend of English country gentlemen and eccentric, and since he carries the whole film this really must be taken into consideration. Ian Holm was perfect as the older incarnation of Bilbo, but clearly they are looking to cast someone younger for the new film (if only CGI could reduce wrinkles more convincingly). Unlike Frodo, who takes his adventure with remarkable poise and bravery, Bilbo is literally dragged kicking and screaming along on his trip, descrying the loss of his handkerchief and wishing after various foodstuffs every step of the way. He’s an anti-hero who achieves much of his success rather unwittingly, though by the end learns to embrace it.
- Warmth. Bilbo is absolutely the heart of the story, inasmuch as he’s the soft, squishy center of the company and a foil to Thorin Oakenshield’s hard exterior. These two must play well, of course, but Bilbo needs to have that sense of humility, self-doubt, and trepidation throughout the story that truly makes him the everyman (or, well, everyhobbit). It’s Bilbo’s heart that so often, inadvertently, brings him to heroic feats, and that must be portrayed well, or else the film will be a grave disappointment.
Personally I’m hoping they go with an unknown British actor on this one, but I know that won’t be the case. While there are a lot of rumors out there, chances are the actor they pick will be a surprise. Or not. Maybe it is Maguire after all. Which might make me cry.
Any LoTR geeks out there with predictions or other considerations for the portrayal of Bilbo Baggins, Esquire? And how about the dwarves? I wonder if we’ll see any intriguing casting surprises there.
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- Colin Firth as Hobbit’s Bilbo Baggins?
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20Jan
Well folks, ex-Microsoft CEO Bill Gates has finally joined twitter yesterday, and so far, he tweeted 5 times and got over 185,000 followers. Now, let’s see how long he keep this up. If you want to follow him, just hit this link.
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20Jan
If you’re like many bloggers, you have (or you’re thinking of developing) products and services to sell to your readers.
Your instinct might be to write the sort of hard sell copy you’ve seen so much of, because you will assume that’s what always works.
But will it? Maybe. Maybe not.
The trouble with hard sell is that it’s overused, it can destroy your credibility, and many bloggers just don’t feel comfortable being so aggressive.
So what do you do?
I’d like to show you a different approach to selling that turns conventional wisdom on its head, replacing hard sell with a less aggressive and more natural way to write copy. We’ll call it Zen Copywriting.
The limitations of writing hard sell copy
Most of the techniques for hard sell copy come from the world of “direct response” marketing, which is the business I work in.
This sort of selling is often highly aggressive. We want to “capture” the attention of our audience, “push” their hot buttons, and “force” them to act immediately.
It’s a good approach. It’s based on sound behaviorist principles that do, in fact, work. We operate with the functional analogy that copy is a “sales person” speaking to prospective buyers. We want our sales person to coax, urge, persuade, and sell — just like someone going door-to-door.
However, this is only an analogy, a way of thinking about what we do. It is not reality.
Unlike face-to-face sales, words can’t force anybody to do anything. A car salesman can grab you by the lapel and sit you down in the vehicle he wants to sell. He can, to a certain extent, push you past many of your doubts and objections with an aggressive approach. But written words can’t be that forceful.
In copywriting, there is a line beyond which the aggressive approach cannot take you. When you reach this limit, it’s time to think of a different analogy.
Zen Copywriting: The “passive” approach to selling
Let’s reverse our typically aggressive thinking that casts us as the hunter and our prospects as the prey.
Instead of thinking “I’m going to capture a sale,” think “I’m going to remove the barriers to buying and allow people to follow their natural inclination to make purchases from me.”
No, I’m not wearing a tie-dyed shirt and hugging trees here. I’m just talking about understanding the modern consumer and writing copy in a way that’s more natural and appealing to a wider segment of your audience.
Consider a few basic principles:
Principle #1: Your readers WANT to buy from you. We live in a highly evolved consumer culture. Shopping and buying are the modern equivalent of the hunting and gathering of our ancestors. People don’t just buy necessities; the majority of purchases today are discretionary. Luxury cars, smart phones, designer clothing, gourmet food, books and magazines for every interest. People are in a daily frenzy to purchase products of every kind, including yours.
Principle #2: You CANNOT force anyone to do anything they don’t want to do. No matter how good your copy might be, it is not endowed with magic powers. For all the huffing and puffing we copywriting gurus do about persuasive communication, the reality is that you can’t force a sale with words. The best you can hope for is to capitalize on an existing need or want and turn it into a buying action.
Principle #3: Selling does not require brilliant copywriting. (Don’t tell my clients this. It will be our little secret.) Since people are natural consumers, we don’t need clever ideas to sell them our products and services. They are actively looking for things to buy, because they want to solve problems and better themselves. Yes, there’s a certain amount of want-making you can do, but you’ll find much more success if you offer items for which there is an established need or want.
Principle #4: You must remove the barriers to buying. If we agree that people naturally consume, that you can’t force a sale, and that clever copy is not a requirement, we must ask ourselves why prospects accept one offer and reject another. What is stopping the natural inclination to buy? What are the barriers to buying? All things being equal, isn’t it reasonable to conclude that if we identify and remove these barriers, our sales will increase? When we take away all the reasons prospects have to say, “No,” what can prospects do but say, “Yes?”
Are you starting to feel excited? Can you see the possibilities here? Keep reading, I think you’ll like this.
The benefits of Zen Copywriting
Going beyond the behaviorist approach of hard sell and adopting a barrier-removal mindset presents a host of benefits for the smart blogger writing copy:
- You see your audience as real, individual people, not just faceless targets.
- You start making a genuine effort to help people, rather than just sell stuff to them.
- You decrease your reliance on random copywriting techniques.
- You increase your chances of finding meaningful appeals that hit the real hot buttons.
- You reduce the “perceived risk” your potential customers feel about buying from you.
- You ensure more long term business by avoiding tricks and deceptive ploys.
- You develop a more realistic, practical approach to writing and selling.
- You have a better sense of when to follow copywriting rules, when to break them, and when to make up your own.
Overcoming the barriers to buying
The barriers to buying include everything — physical, emotional, intellectual, and financial — that may stand in the way of your prospective customers responding positively.
Your goal is to ask yourself questions about your copy to identify and remove every conceivable barrier so that absolutely nothing stops the sale.
The identification barrier
All of us have a certain image of ourselves which helps determine how we think and act. Does your copy make your prospect think, “Yes. A person like me would buy this” or maybe “I want to be like people who would buy this, so I’ll buy it, too”?
Does your copy clearly target the prospect you’re aiming for? Does your headline get the attention of your particular prospect? Is your message interesting to your prospect? Does your copy have a distinct personality to which your prospect can relate?
The clarity barrier
Don’t expect to sell something to someone who doesn’t understand what you’re selling or the benefits of accepting your offer.
Is your offer absolutely clear? Does your copy say what you really intend to say? Are all the details about your product or service fully understandable to your prospect? Is your copy easy to scan and easy to understand at a glance? Is it simple, straightforward, and to-the-point?
The product identity barrier
Your product or service should have a distinct identity.
Remove your product from your message and replace it with a competitor’s product. If your copy still makes sense, you have not established identity.
Do you provide a “big idea” for your product or service? Can your prospect instantly grasp your unique selling proposition? Have you proven your superiority? Have you turned all your features into benefits that are meaningful to your prospect?
The involvement barrier
Have you given your prospect a choice to make? Do you encourage involvement with a quiz or checklist? Do you ask your prospect to complete something (like an order form) to accept your offer? Have you offered your prospect something of true personal value? Do you use audio, video, photos, illustrations, or animations to help activate the senses?
The credibility barrier
You may be truthful, but does your prospect actually believe you? You can’t argue a prospect into trusting you. You must remove all doubt with tangible displays of credibility.
On what authority do you make your offer? Do you show how other people have used your product or service? Do you communicate your reputation without chest beating?
Can you show how there’s a trend for using your product? Do you provide testimonials from satisfied customers or experts? Have you featured your guarantee? Do you show who personally backs up the guarantee? Do you make clear any qualifications to your offer? Do you have teeny legal type that might arouse suspicion?
The immediacy barrier
Have you expressed why it’s so important to respond now rather than later? If your offer is really urgent, does your copy make it sound urgent?
Do you tell people what you want them to do in clear, specific terms? Have you painted a “word picture” of how your prospect will immediately benefit by responding? Do you have a deadline? Have you talked about the scarcity of your product (only 100 remaining)? Instead of punishing those who order late, can you reward those who order early?
The acceptability barrier
Have you put yourself into the shoes of your prospects to consider whether your offer is really acceptable to them? Have you made an appeal to your prospect’s emotional needs? Do you also make an appeal to logic? Is your product, offer, and overall presentation “likable?” Does the idea of responding make your prospect feel good?
Have you made an effort to show how desirable your offer is? Does your offer allow prospects to feel that responding is consistent with their self-image, goals, and past actions? Do you give prospects the logical justification they need to make a purchase?
The accessibility barrier
Is there any physical barrier your prospect must overcome to respond?
Is your order button easy to see? Does your web page load quickly? Is your site able to handle the traffic you expect to generate? Are you using popups, scripts, or animations that may cause problems with certain browsers? Are links obvious or do you confuse people with underlines that don’t link to anything? What can someone do if there’s a question about your offer or if something goes wrong?
With hard sell copywriting, you try to beat your prospective customers into submission with line after line of copy. With Zen Copywriting, you offer something of high quality that people want, then focus on making it so easy to buy that people can’t refuse.
Wearing a tie-dyed shirt while you’re writing your copy is optional.
To learn more about how to understand and write copy for today’s buyers, read A copywriter’s guide to consumer psychology at Pro Copy Tips.
About the Author: Dean Rieck is one of America’s top freelance copywriters and publisher of the Direct Creative Blog and Pro Copy Tips, a blog that provides copywriting tips for smart copywriters.
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20Jan
The Hollywood Reporter broke the story that apparently FOX is developing a U.S. version of the popular BBC show Torchwood, which for the uninformed, is a Doctor Who spin-off with a more adult flavor. The good news apparently is that creator Russell T. Davies (who has some free time now that he’s left Doctor Who) will be writing, and series star John Barrowman might be reprising his role as Jack Harkness. Of course, there’s no telling if this move is a real attempt to bring the Who-verse to American audiences, or if it’s just a case of someone thinking “Ooh! CSI Cardiff! Grab that!” Still, my knee-jerk reaction (apparently shared by a lot of the show’s fans, judging by the Internet buzz so far) is that this is a terrible idea. Here are a few reasons why:
- Remember the last time Doctor Who tried to come to America? It is a black mark on the franchise called the 1996 movie which featured the Eighth Doctor in San Fransisco. Let’s just say it wasn’t pretty.
- Coupling. Blackpool (known stateside as the trainwreck Viva Laughlin). Teachers. Eleventh Hour. Life on Mars. Just a few examples of incredibly awesome British TV shows that became mediocre to horribly, horribly painful American TV shows. There are obviously exceptions to this – Queer as Folk comes to mind, and it was actually written by Russell T. Davies. But if you want an example of just how horribly Hollywood can mess something up, have a look at the American version of Coupling, which uses the exact same scripts and somehow manages to fail horribly.
- FOX. Really. FOX? Really? Because they have such a great track record of nurturing cult science fiction shows. < irony > On the bright side, at least Joss Whedon isn’t writing this one. < / irony >
I’m all for sharing the Doctor Who love with American audiences, but I think this is probably a case of: If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. Otherwise we’re going to have Torchwood: Miami starring David Caruso, or better yet – a Doctor Who reboot starring Zac Efron as the Twelfth Doctor.
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20Jan
Scott McCloud's classic book on comics explains a lot more than comics.
A key part of his thesis is that comic books work because the action takes place between the frames. Our imagination fills in the gaps between what happened in that frame and this frame, which means that we're as much involved as the illustrator and author are in telling the story.
Marketing, it turns out, works precisely the same way.
Marketing is what happens in between the overt acts of the marketer. Yes you made a package and yes you designed a uniform and yes you ran an ad... but the consumer's take on what you did is driven by what happened out of the corner of her eye, in the dead spaces, in the moments when you let your guard down.
Marketing is what happens when you're not trying, when you're being transparent and when there's no script in place.
It's not marketing when everything goes right on the flight to Chicago. It's marketing when your people don't respond after losing the guitar that got checked.
It's not marketing when I use your product as intended. It's marketing when my friend and I are talking about how the thing we bought from you changed us.
It's not marketing when the smiling waitress appears with the soup. It's marketing when we hear two waiters muttering to each other behind the serving station.
Consumers are too smart for the frames. It's the in-between frame stuff that matters. And yet marketers spend 103% of our time on the frames.
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20Jan
Uptime is a pretty important factor for the success of a website which directly effects the number of visitors, visitor loyalty, search engine positions & more.
Here is a lovely free service which is created by me & Daniel Rimille of SSLmatic to minimize downtime.
Uptime Robot is a totally free service which monitors your websites every 5 minutes & alerts you if they go down.
It allows you to monitor up to 50 websites & alerts can be received via e-mail or SMS (Twitter & RSS coming soon).
You can add multiple alert contacts to notify multiple users in case of a downtime.
It is possible to monitor both http & https addresses which is pretty important to check if the SSL certificate installed functions correctly.
The service has a simple & fully Ajaxed interface for a faster usage.
P.S. Uptime Robot will hopefully get mature within a short time. But during that period, if you're looking for a more professional service, you may want to check paid ones like Pingdom, SiteUptime, AreMySitesUp…
Upcoming features
- RSS & Twitter alerts
- keyword checking in websites monitored (testing)
- mobile version
- monitoring from multiple locations (we may need your help, will be sharing more details later)
Follow at Twitter for updates, support..
We'll be updating you via @uptimerobot Twitter user for new features, improvements, etc. Also, feel free to contact us from there for support, feature requests, etc.
A little story of Uptime Robot:
I'm sharing a little office with Daniel Rimille of SSLmatic which we're building a complicated web application for a while.
The application is something totally different from Uptime Robot but it needed to monitor websites/IPs it worked with & we created a module for this which worked awesome.
It was my idea to convert this module into a website uptime monitoring service.
Daniel was a little uncommitted as he thought this would take much time & we would be missing our schedule for the application we're building. I thought this was an opportunity to see how it would scale, help us improve ourselves in means of usability, handling support requests, etc.And I claimed to build it in only 2 days, had a bet (lost a dinner), but completed in 4 days. It took 8 extra days for us both to polish it & here it is.
We loved what we created & will be updating/improving Uptime Robot frequently as there are so many similarities with what we're already building.
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20JanTaking a look at the numerous security implications for Google users after last week's cyber attack on Google by China. ...
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20JanIf you like Google Toolbar's highlighter, but you don't want to install the add-on or the toolbar doesn't support your browser, try the Word Highlight Greasemonkey script. After performing a Google search, the script highlights the keywords and lets you quickly find their occurrences. Click on the arrows displayed next to each keyword to find the next match and use the map to visualize the distribution of the keywords.
My favorite feature is that you can use the word highlighter even when you're not searching the web. Press Ctrl+/, type the keywords and the script will highlight them.
The script can be installed in Firefox (it requires Greasemonkey), Chrome 4 Beta, Opera, Safari (it requires GreaseKit).
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20JanCMS Softwares, Extras, FLV, GPL License, Goodies, M4A, MP3, Media, Python No Comments
MediaCore is an open source platform for publishing audio, video & podcasts which makes distributing media on any website so easy.
The platform supports many media formats like FLV, M4A or MP3 which can also be played via the integrated FlowPlayer.
It can pull media from any source (Youtube, Vimeo, Google Video, etc.) & a site-owner can publish media from the administrative interface or let users create the content via the upload interface.
MediaCore has RSS feed support for iTunes & Feedburner.
It can display the page views, comments or how many viewers “liked” a video to th eend users like Youtube.
And, a powerful admin panel helps controllingall the system from managing media to approving comments & much more.
The application is built with the TurboGears Python Framework and MooTools Javascript Framework.
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