Elsewhere, June 26, 2010

Elsewhere: A collection of interesting links and articles that I’ve come across in the last week or so. For more of the same, follow me on Twitter.

Did you know you can create your very own Scott Pilgrim avatar?

M. Night Shyamalan responds to the accusations of racism that have been leveled at The Last Airbender, his live-action version of the Avatar: The Last Airbender. I’d quote from the article, but it does contain some potential spoilers, especially if you’re watching the cartoon. Suffice to say, Shyamalan sounds pretty pissed by the accusations. (For what it’s worth, I’ll be posting an in-depth analysis of Avatar: The Last Airbender in the next few days.)

A guy who goes by the moniker of “Sillof” has put together an awesome collection of Star Wars and comic book-inspired artwork, figures and dioramas, including a set inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s movies, a set inspired by World War II, and a set inspired by the films of Pixar. Via Kottke

Josh Hurst reviews Woven Hand’s The Threshingfloor: “This isn’t an album that’s meant to act as a musical extension of your youth group; this is music made by a man without shoes, for he knows he’s standing on holy ground.”

You’d think that “Soccer: The Perfect Socialist Sport” was from The Onion, but it’s neither good enough nor funny enough. Via @RaeWhitlock

The impending Akira live-action remake will now likely be PG-13, which doesn’t bother me — after all, The Dark Knight was PG-13 — so much as the director’s apparent discontent with the studio and the script issues.

Tiffany and Debbie Gibson will be duking it out in Mega Python Versus Gatoroid. I have a feeling that the title is going to be the best part of the movie.

All of Solspace’s ExpressionEngine add-ons are now 30% off until July 28th, 2010.

Roger Ebert’s “My vocation as a priest” is a beautifully written account of his religious upbringing, though he no longer believes.

“The Twitter of Doom”:

I am glad that World Cup scores are delivered to my phone while I travel. My phone cannot match being at a match, however, for good and bad. The sun of South Africa, the joy of fellow fans, and the deafening sounds of the vuvuzela are all missing. When all I want is the result, my phone is good enough, but sometimes a fan has to go.

This is even more true about the biggest human events. Humans cannot be baptized with online water, because we are not just minds, but bodies. Only a coward breaks up with an email, because some news deserves eye-to-eye contact.

Death is such an event. It is physical and spiritual. A man created in the image of God has passed through the greatest and final challenge. Cultures that debase this event, debase their own humanity. The death of any human being is an awful thing. It is momentous and sacred. Reporting on it requires thought, compassion, and a human touch.

This is why it was wrong for a government official to “tweet” the news of an execution. Twitter can convey information and the writer’s immediate feelings, but any death, especially one sanctioned by the state, demands more seriousness.

PopMatters reviews Hisae Iwaoka’s Saturn Apartments: “[it] embraces an existential melancholy, accentuating quiet moments, mystery and introspection over space opera. Call it zen in the art of window-washing… in space.” More information, including some samples, can be found here.

Enjoy reading Opus? Want to support my writing? Become a subscriber for just $5/month or $50/year.
Subscribe Today
Return to the Opus homepage