Video, Film, and Television

Review: Nollywood Babylon

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If you make films or any media, if you're interested in film culture beyond the usual geekonomic US-Japan-Bollywood-UK group, then you need to see the movie "Nollywood Babylon."  It's right here at Neftlix and you can read a summary here at IMDB.

If you're still wondering why I'm saying this, as opposed to following my every word unthinkingly, let me sum up the film.

This is a look at the Nigerian film industry, an industry that differs so vastly from ones in other countries (yet is huge), and is such a different look at filmmaking, it's incredibly informative.  It will make you think about media, culture, and technology – if you have an interest in film culture in Africa, that's a plus, but that's just one thing you'll learn about.

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More SOPA Updates

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It just keeps coming despite the impending holiday.

So le'ts get to my roundup.

  • GoDaddy isn't just being smacked, it seems they're being made an example of.  I don't know their future, but if you work there, you're probably going to want to keep an open mind on new employment – and remember being there may now tarnish you.  I haven't seen this level of hatred for awhile.
  • SOPA awareness is increasing all the time – and the GoDaddy thing fuels it.  Getting SOPA/PIPA through Congress is going to become next to impossible, though I do expect people to try.  Stay aware of this.
  • There are more holes in the "Pro-SOPA/PIPA" alliance than we thought and more are forming.  I'm also thinking this makes the US Chamber of Commerce look even worse – and they've been in political crosshairs for awhile for their positions and backing.  There may be further political fallout for them, and believe me they're not liked in some areas.
  • This has increased awareness of how the U.S. government functions – and doesn't.  It could become a catalyst or a bigger political issue.
  • Some companies took a beating in this (most noteably Google).  Now's a chance for a turnaround.  SOPA non-support could be a powerful political/marketing/reputational tool.
  • Despite SOPA support some companies are going to get forgiven pretty quickly, let's be honest about that.

– Steven Savage

 

 

Steve’s Kill Your Cable Adventure #4: Into The Abyss

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Last week was a convenient way to practice Kill Your Cable – my roommate was out for a trip.  So I decided to go Cold Turducken and not watch anything on cable – just via other sources.

Here's what I found:

  • Hulu has ads, and that annoys me, but when you think about it you get a half-decent selection for a low price.  Being ad-free should not be a measure of something's value, it's more per-dollars.  I get used to it – but I'd pony up a little more for no ads.
  • Netflix still has an amazing selection of items.
  • The XBox really is evolving nicely as a media machine – I like what it can do and I think the latest update shows Microsoft is finding it's niche.  As they have a good gaming box and PC gaming is big, I figure it's entertainment.
  • Any browser hooked to a TV is valuable – because a TV really is a giant honking monitor.  Don't deny the possibility of using it to run shows off of a computer normally not used for the process.
  • The update to the Logitech Revue, which includes apps, is a nice start.  It's got a ways to go, but I think a big advantage of potential Killboxes for Cable is their updatability.
  • The act of having to search for things to watch actually opens up your horizons to other shows, properties, etc.
  • I missed Glee and realized I didn't miss Glee.  Still want a show with Kurt, Blaine, and Puck living together.  That's just me. 

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