Tretakoff Musings

Modern day videogames have their own graphics engines that put the hardware to the test. Recently, some artists started to use those engines to recreate classic (and some not-so-classic) movie scenes . The results? sometimes breathtaking. For instance, The Fifth Element NYC chase scene to the right looks gorgeous. The only oddity of these recreations is their oddly empty feel. Most are just the venues (the adamantium chamber from X-Men 2 ; the temple in Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade ), and, while incredibly vivid, they lack that spark of life. Even the Clerks faithful rendering . Still, the Blade Runner scene is simply awe-inspiring.

Random thoughts from a recent whirlwind business trip to Cincinnati (24 hours; 12 of it on a plane): United's 777's are huge . With a 2-5-2 seating configuration and three separate sections in Economy, each the size of a normal 737, this thing packs them in. However, it is easily one of the most poorly designed planes I have ever been on: - The seats in Economy are so tightly packed, it's insulting. Especially when you compare to JetBlue or even Southwest. - Why don't people ever learn that design and compromise almost never go well together ( Ayn Rand taught us this, folks.) For instance, who's the brain surgeon who said "we want a multimedia system at every seat in Economy" and then followed it up with putting a metal case the size of a desktop PC under every seat? This lovely setup gives you a choice: a place to put your bag, or a place to put your feet. Nope, you can't do both. Outstanding. - Those first class "pods" are truly something...

As long as Kevin Smith has been around, I've been an unadulterated fan. The boy's got talent. Say what you want about Jersey Girl , but Clerks and Dogma are simply perfect films. But put the work aside, and focus on the man for a moment: his in-person appearances are hands-down the best entertainment, ever. Now, as long as he's been famous, people have commented that we look way too much alike, especially before I dropped about 40 lbs. and still had the full beard. I've even had relatives call up and ask if I was on TV the previous night, because they saw Kevin being interviewed, and had the sound off. Of course, the gig's up when Sir speaks: I could never be that hip or fast. But no question, more than one person has dropped the "separated at birth" comment on it, to me. An Evening With Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder captures the man's talent and genius, like the previous DVD of his live performances. And, oh yes, note in the promo pic when it drops:...