DVD Review: Iron Man
There’s so much to like about Iron Man it’s a bit hard to keep count. Between the tight, engaging script, Robert Downey Jr.’s loose, natural performance, the fact that Gwyneth Paltrow actually seems to be having fun and the top-notch special effects it’s just fun. On top of that it’s a good movie in and of itself.
Reviewing the movie at this point is kind of point…less. The movie has a widespread fanbase from its impressive theatrical run that includes both comic book mavens and general movie goers. So I’m probably not going to change anyone’s mind with a positive review of the film itself. If they didn’t see it in theaters they’re probably waiting until it hits DVD, which is what w’re here to talk about.
The two-disc DVD set from Paramount is filled with good stuff. Here’s what’s available:
- Deleted/Extended Scenes
- Featurettes: (Special Collector’s Edition “I Am Iron Man”, “The Invincible Iron Man”, “Wired: The Visual Effects of Iron Man”
- The Actor’s Process
- Robert Downey Jr. Screen Test
- Still Galleries Images
The two biggest parts of the features are the I Am Iron Man documentary that runs an hour and 45 minutes and The Invincible Iron Man, which goes into the history of the character from the comics. Both are very interesting and entertaining in and of themselves.
In addition to what’s listed above there’s also a bonus treat on the second disc that people are sure to find enjoyable since it’s definitely more light-hearted in tone.
You can check out clips of some of the bonus features on MySpace:
The whole set is fantastic and is well designed and certainly a must pick-up for any fans of the movie or the Iron Man character.
No need to have an Excel spreadsheet on standby
Marshall Kirkpatrick offers a list of reasons you should absolutely be reading blogs on the clock. So next time someone says you’re just wasting time ask them about the trend you’re reading about right now but which won’t hit the trade magazine they rely on for another two months.
Bring me that APT ASAP
Yahoo has unveiled APT, the new ad buying platform that was developed in part by members of its Newspaper consortium. The platform will allow for display ads to be managed across the web through a single interface and let buyers secure placement on any number of sites in one fell swoop.
Unless I’m wrong, this is the 17th (only a slight exageration) “simplification” of their ad platform that has been announced by Yahoo in the last two years. That says to me they either A) Had an incredibly complex system to begin with that has needed so many revisions or B) They’re making this up as they go along.
QOTD: 9/25/08
David Parmet:
“Bloggers. Fuckin’ A.”
Welcome to BlogOrlando. High-minded conversation from beginning to end.
A Lutheran Manifesto
The blog of The Brothers of John the Steadfast, a Lutheran organization meant to encourage men to study not only the Bible but also the Book of Concord, have put up a document titled A Lutheran Manifesto.
The document is meant to address some of the divisions, both theological and political, that have arisen in the Lutheran church, specifically the Missouri Synod, and make clear what positions are consistent with what Luther wrote all those hundreds of years ago in Wittenburg.
Addressed specifically are clarifications on what needs to be not only believed but actively confessed about Christ and his divinity, sin, the watering down of God’s truth in an effort to not offend people and much, much more. It’s a rich document that deserves to be read. Pr. Baue, the author of the Manifesto, follows the rough format of the Augsburg Confessions to lay out his points and it’s a good companion to that, addressing some issues that were taken for granted in the time of the Reformation and so aren’t specifically laid out there.
NYT taps some major talent
The New York Times has begun syndicating content from Read/Write Web to compliment its other fed-in coverage. R/WW puts out some of the best stuff on the web and they deserve as big an audience as they can muster.
Doritos requires metrics for paying out on Super Bowl ad contest
For years I’ve railed against the fact that advertisers seem more than happy to buy television advertising on a system that uses the network’s best guess about what a show will do to set the price of a spot.
I bring this up because Doritos is offering $1 million to the person who creates their Super Bowl commercial, but only if it is the highest ranked spot in the game according to the USA Today Ad Meter.
Let’s put aside the fact that this focus on consumer polls the next day is absolutely ridiculous. Because it is. But the fact that they’re only paying for the commercial if a certain metric is achieved – the first time this has ever happened, and this time only when they’re needing to pay a civilian – is certainly notable.
Music writers gots to get paid
Copyright holders – or at least their representative assocations – have figured out how they’d like to get paid for streaming of the music.
The hard part, coming now, will be seeing if services like Pandora can handle these costs.
Bonus QOTD: 9/24/08
Relevance is not demonstrated by ad dollars or circulation metrics alone. It is better tested through the relationship of the reader to its outlet, and in all the metrics that we evaluate – from page views to uniques to good old fashioned pass-along readership – don’t bring us closer to understanding what we need to do to stay relevant.
Julia is right on many levels. This is what has enabled social media platforms to take off and supplant, at least to some extent, traditional media outlets. People had never been able to form a relationship of any sort with a stagnant newspaper. But through comments, emails and trackbacks they were able to form relationships with online writers. It’s those relationships that marketers are looking to tap into, but its those relationships that writers are intent on protecting.
QOTD: 9/24/08
…you need both push and pull tactics to round out any social media program, but in much the same way push tactics shaped and defined traditional PR media work the last, oh, century or so, I think pull tactics — especially publishing — will be increasingly what shapes and defines industry work on the web moving forward.
