Culture – Page 4 – Gohlkus Maximus

Troll provides secret to defeating trolls

On August 1, 2008

In Communication, Culture, Life, News, Spam

In “Malwebolence – The World of Web Trolling”, to be published in the next New York Times Magazine and available now online, a troll reveals the secret of how not to be trolled:

…the Theory of the Green Hair.

“You have green hair,“ he told me. “Did you know that?”

“No,” I said.

“Why not?”

“I look in the mirror. I see my hair is black.”

“That’s uh, interesting. I guess you understand that you have green hair about as well as you understand that you’re a terrible reporter.”

“What do you mean? What did I do?”

“That’s a very interesting reaction,” Fortuny said. “Why didn’t you get so defensive when I said you had green hair?” If I were certain that I wasn’t a terrible reporter, he explained, I would have laughed the suggestion off just as easily. The willingness of trolling “victims” to be hurt by words, he argued, makes them complicit, and trolling will end as soon as we all get over it.

Aha!

Roger Ebert on The Seven Samurai

By Jason L. Gohlke

On July 31, 2008

In Culture, Recommendations

A great reviewer reviews a great movie: Roger Ebert’s review of The Seven Samurai.

Just because.

East Bay Express: Get Your Brain Washed

By Jason L. Gohlke

On July 23, 2008

In Culture, Recommendations

Check out today’s East Bay Express Brainwash writeup!

From the review:

In the ensuing years, Krzysik worked hard to ensure the cult status of Brainwash. He’s tried to perpetuate a myth that festival director Shelby Toland is actually an alien — one of a strange foreign race that have infiltrated this planet in search of movies “that are less boring than what they have abroad.” He’s given the festival a sense of ritual, in that it begins with an invocation and culminates with an awards presentation in which all honorees get bowling trophies (along with more valuable prizes such as Gorilla Film Production software).

If we’re not exactly “respected,” we’re certainly notable!

Brainwash Movie Festival – July 25th & 26th – Oakland

By Jason L. Gohlke

On July 11, 2008

In Culture, Recommendations, Video

Check out the mildly embarrassing trailer Dave and I updated last night for the 14th Annual Drive-in/Walk-in/Bike-in Brainwash Movie Festival (7/25-26, 9 pm-11 pm, 1357 5th St in Oakland, $9 each night):

Oops, no longer available: http://www.youtube.com/v/QMZ7T0GShHM

[hmm, I wonder if I still have copies of these on an external hard drive that happens to still work]

I know, it’s all over the place, to put it mildly. But it establishes the precise level of quality and weirdness Brainwash has honed over the last thirteen-plus years.

(The old version had previews of movies from previous years instead of this year.)

I encourage you to come to the festival if you’re anywhere near the Bay Area. This year we’re featuring a solid crop of weird and funny shorts (none longer than 23 minutes), often with the famed “Brainwash twist” — and it’s a good deal. Bring your FM radio, and feel free to drive in, walk in (via BART, most likely), or bike in.

[We could also use help setting up the screen…. let me know if you’re interested in some hard physical labor (with the offer of free dinner and/or pizza during or afterwards). Looks like it’s going to be Tuesday night after work. The more the merrier.]

There’s lots more at BrainwashM.com.

The Long Now Foundation – “of the deep future, for the deep future.”

By Jason L. Gohlke

On June 25, 2008

In Culture, Life

I just heard about The Long Now Foundation (via this interview about innovation, which in itself is worth reading, via the interviewer).

From the Long Now website:

The Long Now Foundation was established in 01996* to develop the Clock and Library projects, as well as to become the seed of a very long term cultural institution. The Long Now Foundation hopes to provide counterpoint to today’s “faster/cheaper” mind set and promote “slower/better” thinking. We hope to creatively foster responsibility in the framework of the next 10,000 years.

…

The point is to explore whatever may be helpful for thinking, understanding, and acting responsibly over long periods of time.

…

[Footnote:] * The Long Now Foundation uses five digit dates, [sic] the extra zero is to solve the deca-millennium bug which will come into effect in about 8,000 years.

The organization’s board members include the illustrious Brian Eno.

I like the idea. Despite everything, hope and an overdeveloped sense of duty to try to make things better are two things that the world probably isn’t going to destroy in me.

Comic Relief owner dies

By Jason L. Gohlke

On June 13, 2008

In Culture, Life

I just found this out today: Rory Root, owner and proprietor of the great comic bookstore Comic Relief in Berkeley, died in May at age 50.

I loved his store and spent more than a few bucks there over the last few years. I actually didn’t even realize he was the owner until I heard this news today. And now I kick myself for never giving myself the chance to get to know him as a person. But his legacy lives on in Berkeley. See the site linked above for memorial service information (June 21st).

Press release: 14th Annual Brainwash Movie Festival returns July 25-26, 2008

By Jason L. Gohlke

On June 13, 2008

In Culture, Recommendations

Bay Areaâ€™s own Drive-In/Bike-In/Walk In movie festival features original shorts from around the world

June 12, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shelby Toland, 415-273-1545

The New York Times says the Brainwash Movie Festival â€œpirat[es] a piece of that old Hollywood magic and challeng[es] conventions on the role of public space in the process.â€ (â€œNow Playing, a Digital Brigadoon,â€ 7/29/04, Chris Thompson)

â€œWe show movies on a big sail in West Oakland,â€ counters festival director Shelby Toland.