Kubrick
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Film buffs will want the free Kubrick app for iOS
I love film history and the classic films from the 1960s and '70s. I had some interest in seeing the Stanley Kubrick exhibit currently at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, but I didn't wind up making the trip. Fortunately, there is a new free app that gives me a terrific taste of what's on offer. Kubrick is a universal iOS app that contains a treasure trove of information, videos, photos and correspondence from the iconic director of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Spartacus, Eyes Wide Shut and more. The app features an interactive timeline of Kubrick's career, production documents with Kubrick's handwritten notes, interviews about Kubrick's work and excerpts from a rare audio interview with Kubrick from 1965, where he says other than the gladiator school part of Spartacus, he didn't care much for the film. %Gallery-172377% There are a lot of rare photos taken behind the scenes, and some pretty fascinating letters Kubrick got, including a note from actor Richard Widmark about how much he enjoyed 2001. The Kubrick app is a real find if you're interested in film, and at a price of free, it's really a must-have. Kubrick's untimely death in 1999 was a loss to the industry and the people who loved his movies. The app requires iOS 5.0 or later, and is a 184 MB download. The videos are streamed, so you will need an internet connection for those. I'll be digging into Kubrick over the weekend, and hope you'll do the same. Check the gallery for some screen shots.
Samsung cites '2001: A Space Odyssey' in Apple case
We always appreciate a good 2001 reference, but we can't say we expected to see one crop up in Samsung's ongoing legal dispute with Apple. As noted by FOSS Patents' Florian Mueller though, that's just what Samsung has done in an opposition brief filed last night, which cites the tablet-like devices pictured above as an example of prior art for Apple's iPad-related design patent. Of course, that's just one small part of Samsung's overall defense, but it is certainly one of the most interesting we've seen so far. Head on past the break for the film clip in question.
Chuckle Chuckle: Samsung claims Stanley Kubrick invented the iPad in '2001: A Space Odyssey'
Samsung lawyers just have too much time on their hands. Florian Mueller over at FOSS Patents notes that late last night Samsung filed a brief in opposition to an Apple suit against the company claiming that the iPad is not original. In fact, the brief claims that there is 'prior art' in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. The filing notes that in a scene in the movie, the two astronauts are shown eating and watching the news on a device that looks like an iPad. You can watch a clip from the film here. "As with the design claimed by the [Apple patent], the tablet disclosed in the clip has an overall rectangular shape with a dominant display screen, narrow borders, a predominately flat front surface, a flat back surface (which is evident because the tablets are lying flat on the table's surface), and a thin form factor," Samsung said. Actually, Steve Sande pointed out the tablet device here at TUAW last January (Samsung, expect our bill shortly). The difference is that Steve knew Kubrick's version was fictional, and not a real invention. If successful, Samsung could invalidate the Apple patent that is irritating the company and driving them to tactics like this. I'm not holding my breath that a court will rule for Samsung. Perhaps they should consult with the HAL 9000 computer before going too much farther down this road, or did Apple copy HAL, too?
A Clockwork Orange Blu-ray trailer revealed
Don't think for a moment we've forgotten about the massive Kubrick Blu-ray boxed set due at the end of May. Ahead of that, Warner has revealed a trailer for A Clockwork Orange (also being released on its own) on Blu-ray, embedded above. We'll stop talking and let fans press play right now.
Warner releasing A Clockwork Orange & Kubrick boxed set on Blu-ray May 31st
It'll be a good spring for classic movie lovers, as Warner Bros. has announced plans to deliver Stanley Kubrick's classic A Clockwork Orange (MSRP: $34.95) in a Digibook Blu-ray release, as well as a ten-disc, nine-movie boxed set of the director's movies. The boxed set (MSRP: $148.95) includes Spartacus, Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Eyes Wide Shut and two other films not currently available or yet announced on Blu-ray in Lolita and Barry Lyndon. Check the press release after the break for a pic of the A Clockwork Orange set and details on extras and packaging for both releases.
Mega savings on Capcom merch for Black Friday
We know the pre-Thanksgiving/Thanksgiving/Black Friday/Cyber Monday season is hard on wallets already thanks to a preponderance of unmissable deals, so we can only offer the following sincere words before dropping yet another set of deep discounts on you: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. It's true: we've become drunk from power, thanks to our ability to link to deals and make people buy things. Capcom has begun its Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale on its online store, offering discounts on not just games, but exclusive items like Mega Man Zero Collection t-shirts, Dead Rising 2 Bubble Budd toys, and ... Mega Man Kubricks and Be@rbricks?! Oh no, our diabolical plan has backfired. We're tempting ourselves. What kind of monster would do this to people?
Nikon concept cameras surface, spark rumor mill
Is the future of photography painted in Kubrick white? It is if you believe Nikon and Canon. We've seen the latter's concept in much more detail, and now a handful of pics from the Nikon Sapporo Showroom have surfaced, showcasing at least one similarly unpigmented design. The other two models, snapped and found via burner-images, look like more run-of-the-mill DSLRs, but the one that's causing a stir online is the all-white model that originated from DCHome forums. The original poster chimes in to say it might be the EVIL camera, but we're not exactly convinced. For starters, the body doesn't look much smaller or different than the rest of its lineup -- not exactly what we'd expect for a "new market" product, as the company reportedly wants its mirrorless shooter to be. Additionally, as noted by a number of Nikon Rumors commenters, that apparently 18-55mm lens implies it's rocking an APS-C sensor. Of course, if we saw the other side, we could see whether or not it had a viewfinder, which does narrow down the possibilities. So in conclusion, we still don't know what it is, or if we ever will with any certainty, but we're making an educated guess as to what it isn't. Got that? Good.
Canon's Wonder Camera, and other future concepts that tease us from behind glass
Canon had a lot to show for itself at its annual expo today, from the EOS 60D to the (working!) Multipurpose 4K concept, but the best goodies are of course the ones just a few steps outside of today's technological limits. One display in particular that caught our eye was the 2010 Image Creation set, featuring the bold Wonder Camera Concept from July. Nothing functional here, not even in sleight-of-hand video render form, but the models are quite the lookers. Joining the "SLR Style Concept" (as it was being called here, according to the accompanying placard) were the 3D Cam, Image Palette (display), Image Navi Cam (point and shoot), and MR HMD (helmet) -- all aesthetically Kubrick in nature. Not that we mind, of course; we find it best to go ahead and accept our future for the glossy white design motif that it'll assuredly become. Elsewhere, we happened upon the purported "world's largest CMOS sensor" -- not that we'd argue with what we saw -- and the more compact 120 megapixel CMOS, along with (separately) its panoramic camera prototype body. You can live vicariously through us in the photos below. %Gallery-101173%
Another series of colorful Halo 3 Kubricks
Yet another round of Halo Kubrick love will be releasing later this year when Medicom releases series two of their Halo 3 Kubricks. And just like the first series which came out last year, this set will feature four overly adorable, super attractive Spartan figures, but in white, gold, steel and green armor. The four pack will be available sometime in September and retail for around $20. Also, we've been told to keep an eye out for an uber rare orchid colored Spartan Kubrick. Then again, who'd want an orchid colored Spartan? Purple, pink or magenta we could live with ... but orchid?[Via HBO]
Halo 3 Kubricks are coming
Super detailed mini figures plus Halo 3 equals heavenly bliss. Japanese Kubricks makers Medicom is creating a limited run of Halo 3 Kubrick four packs that will be out later this November. The set contains four Master Chief figures, each different, sporting blue, red, and green armor with one all clear with active camo. If you're in love already, you can preorder the four pack at various online stores (like Comics Infinity) for roughly $18 a set. Master Chief, saving the the mini-world one Kubrick (or Lego) at a time.
Play GTA this fall... in toy form
Grand Theft Auto in your hands... sounds too good to be true, right? If for some reason, you want to ignore the impending release of Vice City Stories for the PSP, you can pick up these Kubrick toys. The set of five includes Tommy, Lance, Ricardo, Candi and Ken so that you can re-enact your favorite GTA scenes in the palm of your hand. Imagine how cool you'll appear to your co-workers as they see you screaming "It's time for the Lance Vance Dance!" while playing with these figures. They're available for only $35, a real bargain considering how some of my own most-wanted figures cost much, much more.[Via QJ]
Warner Bros. keeps pumping out HD DVD movies
A couple of titles we already knew were coming to HD DVD but didn't know when, have gotten a date. May 16 the few, the proud, the...$800/$500 lighter in the wallet can look forward to high definition copies of Unforgiven and Full Metal Jacket coming to stores near them. The price is set to $28.99, and will include the bonus features in SD just like previous HD DVD releases. Since these titles are also slated for Blu-ray release, it will be interesting to see if bonus features for that format will be included in HDTV resolutions as some Blu-ray supporters have suggested.
