Zombieland

Well Zombieland is a movie that came out a little while ago that I was finally convinced to see thanks to a friend of mine. It uses the whole "zombies take over the world" basis that has been used in the past but explains how it happened in a more creative way by relating it to a progression in mad cow disease.

It is more of a comedy but I still really didn't want to see it because I thought it'd be a stupid, pointless movie with some gore thrown in (turns out there really wasn't that much gore, though you do see a few people get eaten). Needless to say I was surprised by this movie. It turned out to be a lot less concerned with zombies and the destruction of the world and more about relationship and dealing with loss and trust.

Zombieland did bring up some interesting points. One such as, are humans going to end up being our own downfall? It certainly seems that way lately with all the wars and threat of nuclear weapons. Also, as I said earlier, loss and how it affects those that have to deal with it. All characters loose something really but there is one that stands out from others (not going to say much about it to try and not spoil it if anyone hasn't seen this movie and wants to). Anyways, through flashbacks, the characters personality is shown to be totally changed. Even further into the movie it develops even further as the character somewhat reverts back to the way they were before zombieland as they continue to grown more attached to the other characters.
For ideas like these to be put into a comedy/adventure movie, it really surprised me. Hopefully it's showing a growing trend that people want more then the mindless junk they are more normally being given in tv, music, and movies (don't get me wrong, some of those things can be good it just seems there are way too many lately) and that producers of these things will continue to put deeper ideas into they're works, even comedies.

Image: http://flyingfarther.wordpress.com/2009/10/

Ghosts and They're Hunters.

So last night I was watching Discovery Channel again and I happened to come across Ghost Hunters. This a show about exactly what it sounds like. These people go to "haunted" places and look for signs of ghosts using the latest equipment. Sounds like a lot of shows out there and it sort of is. Though it may be somewhat like other shows it does seem a bit different. This might just be because it features people that have a lot of character or because it's the only ghost show I know of that uses conspiracy theories in they're search for specific ghost (for example on the episode I watched last night they were in search of John Wilkes Booth's ghost going on the theories he didn't die where he was said to have).

This is another one of these shows that I can't stop watching once I have (sadly I know I should stop watching them since I scare very easy even if very little happens). And again I want to know why exactly it's fascinating. In this case I know part of it is that it's very out of the ordinary and that science can't always explain certain events involving "ghosts". The thing is I don't even totally believe in them, though I am open to the idea. A part of me thinks it would be really cool to actually have proof ghosts did exist and though I know no one on these shows ever finds any conclusive proof that ghosts exist, I still watch them. I also believe this goes for a lot of people that watch these shows, a part of them wants it to be true. It might also be true to the actual ghost hunters. Maybe even some skeptics out there may admit it'd be at least interesting that they exist. Whether you believe or not, it gives people something to look into, to keep them wondering, and I think that's something people need. Maybe not everything should be explained.

Fascination with Destruction.

Destroyed in Seconds in a show normally seen on Discovery Channel that usually features a number of accidents that were caught on video and, as the the shows name suggests, destroys something or everything around it. There is some explanation to what happens in these accidents but not much for a Discovery show.

So why are people so interested in these accidents? Is it a morbid fascination? Do people find it funny? Well there might be those out there that do but that's not the case with me. Usually I won't watch these things but when there's not else on I will occasional give this a try and find I can't stop watching. But why is this? It might be because the accidents shown are so extreme and in most cases the people involved are fine with little injury and somehow it was all caught on tape. But there are also cases of test crashes (for example testing the way a plane crashes) where there are no people directly involved yet there's still the same sort of fascination. Maybe it's simply the fact what they show things that are so out of the ordinary for our normal lives we can't help but be mesmerized by it. To me these suggestions are all possible reasons as to why people like this show but it probably varies by person and can't be pinned down to one reason. Whatever the reasons are, many people like shows like these and it's likely these shows will continue for quite some time.

Image: http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5092349

Huggable Urns

Just a bear right? Well it's actually a bit more then that. The picture above is of what is being called a huggable urn. Basically, when a person is cremated, these urns can be bought to place their ashes in.

The ashes are put in the bag (as seen in the picture above) and then placed in the bear and zipped up. It can then be treated, basically, as a normal bear.

When I first saw this on tv I was really freaked out. But apparently people are buying these (whether they use them or not I'm really not sure) and I think that's why it interests me. It's radically different then what's been done in the past. It also gives us a somewhat different look at death and how the living deal with and "honour" the dead. To some these bears could be seen as very disrespectful to the dead and on top of that, really weird. Some may even wonder why any one ever created these. In a way it's a form of defamiliarization (mixing teddy bears with death), which does make huggable urns an art form. Though some find it weird, there are others that think this is a great way to keep loved ones with them forever. It just shows you, it's all in the eyes of the beholder.

Image 1: http://www.ship-of-fools.com/gadgets/death/177_1.html

Image 2: http://www.estatevaults.com/lm/archives/2007/07/

The Phoenix - Firebird

Firebird was created by Ahyicodae of DeviantArt. I just love this work. The realistic images mixed with the surreal image of the "phoenix" is amazingly well done. I also really like the way the the fire on the bird looks as well as the fact the bird seems to light up the sky around it. The warm, bright colours of the bird also very nicely contrast the darker grasses on the ground helping to create an, in my opinion, interesting layout.

Firebird was one of two ideas to create a phoenix. The original work is was called Phoenix and is looks very much like Firebird. I like the fact the artist resided to post both versions. It's like seeing part of the design and thinking process and in a way it lets you go through that process with the artist.

Image: Ahyicodae

Knytt Stories

Knytt and Knytt Stories is a free 2D platformer that allows user's to create they're own levels and then share them with others. Levels come with a difficultly rating but there are some that even allow difficultly to be changed. It comes with a few playable levels but from there more can be downloaded from websites and played later.


The level editor is very detailed and allows the user to create both complex and ambient environments with entertaining gameplay. Depending on what the user wants to create, levels can be classic survive-to-the-ending or just nice places to explore and discover. There are also options to allow the creation of multiple endings and for users to insert there own art works. Most levels follow Juni, the main character from the creators levels, but from there the user can create any story they wish. Such as Don't Eat The Mushroom (video by ProtonJonSA of youtube) by UncleSporky (http://knyttlevels.com/)

I love the creative aspect of this game. The fact that it can be anything the level designer chooses and include anything. This freedom is what art is about and for this reason I find Knytt stories an art form.


Image 1: http://elitegames.wordpress.com/2008/08/08/knytt/knytt_stories/
Image 2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tigsource/466489976/

The Perfect World- Perfect World International

Perfect World International is a free-to-play mmo rpg which I have played in the past. It's fully explorable, allowing you fly, swim or run just about anywhere. Its graphics are breathtaking, especially the background. With the graphic settings turned up to there highest perfect World becomes a game where it is very easy to become totally immersed. Water is amazingly realistic and the "natural" lighting (such as the sun and moon) create a world that feels like it actually exists.
Like almost all games, Perfect World also has a background story. To me, it's story reflects the thought put into this game. It explores the idea that nothing can truly be perfect as there are many variables that change and grow as time goes on. In addition it brings up the idea that everyone makes mistakes and those mistakes can have impacts on others. What is important is learning from the past and working towards a better future. Perfect World shows that even games where you run around fighting monsters there are sometimes meaningful ideas behind them.

Image: http://lunarphoenix.net/lpb/?p=28

I though this would be an appropriate start...

Well considering my name I went with I thought this would be an appropriate way to start out. The work above is -:-The fox-:- by ksenia-silence on DeviantArt. This, most likely, will be the only fox related work I speak of though.
To start off I love the way this image has been done. The effect of the snow on the foxes back and light through the trees especially. The blending of colours on the fox and throughout the image is also very well done.

Overall I really like this work but what I really wanted to talk about is where the artist got her inspiration for this piece. It was from a poem about a fox and from a real life experience of seeing a fox while reading the poem (link below).
I love hearing just how artists are inspired or come up with an idea for their work. This is probably because, most of the time, it is very different for each artist. For some people ideas seem to just appear in their heads, for others a life experience or even a different form of art can inspire. Inspiration can come from anywhere, from the simplest of everyday things to some major once-in-a-life-time event, and that to me is amazing.

Image and Poem: ksenia-silence