The Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Spy, and Superhero Genre

[Chieftain]

I thought his 'Troy Rising' series was very good.

Same here...he talks about some actual techniques that are being actively discussed by a couple of companies that are exploring ways of getting into asteroid mining.  Tremendous potential if we can ever get the hell out of low earth orbit...

 

[kevindavis007]

"Okay Kevin, we are out of here, hopefully you brought snacks!"

What kind??

[Mechanicos]

Is this a pirated copy?

Also....please remove it....and just provide a link to it if it is not pirated...

Its was on youtube under standard licenses as far as I could tell. But out of caution I removed it

[EC]

Good call. The studios can get somewhat shark-like when they smell free money. 

Guardians was great fun.

Kill Command - I've seen it (Just unlucky, I guess). It's - OK. Bubblegum movie with some good moments and the usual sections of dialogue that make you want to take a knitting needle to your eardrums.

[geronl]

It's - OK. Bubblegum movie with some good moments and the usual sections of dialogue that make you want to take a knitting needle to your eardrums.

 

[EC]

 

I'm not asking for Chekov or Proust - but just once would it kill them to make a big budget sci-fi that had dialogue as spoken by real people? Their idea of elevated dialogue is to fit it with a pair of stilts.

And it's really not that difficult to do. I've done some script doctoring for smaller studios and it just takes a bit of effort (and some time with the actors, of course. How they are playing the character has a huge impact on words to be avoided.)

[Neverdul]

Has anyone seen the 2009 movie “Moon”? If you did, what did you think?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twuScTcDP_Q

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1182345/

I count it as one of my Sci-Fi film favorites.

It’s not a big budget film, it is very sparse in fact but never looks cheap or cheesy.  There are no aliens, big battle scenes, huge explosions nor reliance on GGI, and has a cast consisting almost entirely of three characters; two of which are Sam Bell, both played by Sam Rockwell (who I thought was brilliant) and the other character – the robot helper GERTY (think HAL but with a sense of humor and with human like compassion) as voiced by Kevin Spacy.

It touches on themes of scientific ethics (in some ways it can be comparable to Blade Runner) and of corporate greed, and of human identity and loneliness and memories - real or implanted.

I highly recommend it.

[Doug Loss]

Has anyone seen the 2009 movie “Moon”? If you did, what did you think?

I'll second your recommendation.  It was thoroughly enjoyable.

[uglybiker]

‘Star Trek’ ship to be displayed on main floor of Smithsonian

http://nypost.com/2016/06/27/star-trek-ship-to-be-displayed-on-main-floor-of-smithsonian/

[EC]

@Neverdul  and @Doug Loss

Thank you! Didn't see it when it came out. Meant to pick it up, but it sort of slipped off the radar. Thanks for the reminder!

[Neverdul]

Its was on youtube under standard licenses as far as I could tell. But out of caution I removed it

There are a lot of full length movies uploaded to YouTube, and most of them have been uploaded illegally often by foreign users.  Full length movies, especially recent ones cannot be uploaded and posted online under a “standard license” unless the person or entity uploading it holds the copyright.  Just because the uploader claims “Standard YouTube License” doesn’t mean they have permission from the copyright holder to upload the movie for free viewing.  IMO you should remove the link to the Kill Command movie too.

There are a few old B&W and rather obscure movies that perhaps fall under “free use” such as movies that are regularly shown on commercial broadcast channels, where the studio and original copyright holder is defunked and hasn’t asserted any copyright claims.

YouTube will remove movies posted there if the copyright holder flags them. But as soon as one is taken down, another takes its place.

Here is how you can tell the difference.





The first one is a pirated copy. Note the name of the person who uploaded it, note the word “MoVIE” -  there will often be misspellings or strange capitalization in the title, and also note the run time compared to the legit copy. 

Another tipoff is if the soundtrack sounds “muddy” or is out of sync with the pictures or the movie looks grainy as was both the cases with the GOTG YouTube link you posted. Yet another tipoff is if the YouTube post has embedded links – a “good” i.e. BAD way to pick up a virus or malware - never click on them.

The second ones are legit. It is from the legitimate Marvel Studios’ YouTube Channel. Note the logo and that comments have been disabled.  But also note, you’ve got to pay to watch it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maIEaTm5gBE

[kevindavis007]

Vote for your favorite SciFi show... http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/doctor-who/feature/a799119/poll-whats-the-greatest-science-fiction-show-of-all-time-vote-now/

[Mechanicos]

There are a lot of full length movies uploaded to YouTube, and most of them have been uploaded illegally often by foreign users.  Full length movies, especially recent ones cannot be uploaded and posted online under a “standard license” unless the person or entity uploading it holds the copyright.  Just because the uploader claims “Standard YouTube License” doesn’t mean they have permission from the copyright holder to upload the movie for free viewing.  IMO you should remove the link to the Kill Command movie too.

What you say may be accurate, I do not give the fact others are selling it still as much weight as you tho. The copyright police are very efficient on youtube, An un -anti-copyright movies are pulled very fast by automatic systems. A long playing un-copyright check blocked movie such as the one I posted thus gets a presumption that any copyright holders know its there in the public domain and is not calling for its pull down. That could be for several reasons, one its in the public domain because of their failure to police their copyright and believe its futile, they are trying to build interest for a squeal and the movie has run its course at the bargain bin (the 2.99 post supports this), etc.

The tells I have seen for pirated are reversed screen, whiteout spot, clipping the beginning or end, adding to it to change its run length, changing its speed, voices, etc.

On the Guardian movie none of the counter copy right policing measures were in place and its been out long enough for the CR holders to pull it down if they had reason too. So as I said, I saw no reason to believe it was a problem video as it was highly viewed long running and had none of the counters normally seen with pirated videos.

[geronl]

Nothing goes better with random spaceship generator in Blender than, well, planets...



[attachment deleted by admin]

[kevindavis007]

Nothing goes better with random spaceship generator in Blender than, well, planets...

Time to Terraform the Sh*t out of that planet.

[geronl]

Time to Terraform the Sh*t out of that planet.

Well, it's like taking a cruise to a 3rd world dump.

[kevindavis007]

Well, it's like taking a cruise to a 3rd world dump.

True..

[Smokin Joe]

Time to Terraform the Sh*t out of that planet.

But if it doesn't have any sh*t, it wouldn't be Earthlike....

[Neverdul]

What you say may be accurate, I do not give the fact others are selling it still as much weight as you tho. The copyright police are very efficient on youtube, An un -anti-copyright movies are pulled very fast by automatic systems. A long playing un-copyright check blocked movie such as the one I posted thus gets a presumption that any copyright holders know its there in the public domain and is not calling for its pull down. That could be for several reasons, one its in the public domain because of their failure to police their copyright and believe its futile, they are trying to build interest for a squeal and the movie has run its course at the bargain bin (the 2.99 post supports this), etc.

The tells I have seen for pirated are reversed screen, whiteout spot, clipping the beginning or end, adding to it to change its run length, changing its speed, voices, etc.

On the Guardian movie none of the counter copy right policing measures were in place and its been out long enough for the CR holders to pull it down if they had reason too. So as I said, I saw no reason to believe it was a problem video as it was highly viewed long running and had none of the counters normally seen with pirated videos.

Not to highjack or derail this thread any further and perhaps it warrants a new thread(?), but you are incorrect on several accounts with respect to copyrights, copyright law, what is in public domain or what constitutes fair use, etc.

BTW – the link to GOTG on YouTube that you posted (which BTW also had a clipped/shortened run time), it’s gone from YouTube now.  But there are many others in its place, most of which have been uploaded in the last 1 to 4 weeks.  YouTube’s Content ID is helpful in screening out illegal downloads of copyright protected movies but it is not foolproof.  Copyright holders (and only the actual copyright holders) can flag videos for removal but it is not instantaneous and as I said, as soon as one is taken down, others crop up in their place. It must be a very time consuming process for the copyright holders to search and put in a complaint for each and every one posted to YouTube.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324906004578290321884631206

“People who have used Content ID at media companies said the system works well, but that some individuals who illegally upload videos to YouTube have been able to manipulate the soundtrack or video to avoid detection by the system. These people add that some media companies don't always use the system properly and forget to block some illegal content.”

One of the other ways uploaders get around Content ID is to post short clips or previews and or embed them in “Play Lists” but in the text description, they post links to bit torrent sites.

Here is an example – it looks like it is the full movie posted on line but is not and doesn’t even have any clips from the movie so it would not be caught up by YouTube’s Content ID filter, but the text gives a link to what appears to be an illegal bit torrent site, most likely hosted in a foreign country. But I would not recommend clicking on it. (Posted only for illustrative purposes).


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vdC5_iby0U

Also read:

http://www.techhive.com/article/2109954/even-after-settlement-youtube-remains-a-pirates-paradise.html

And:

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2797466?hl=en

That Marvel Studios created their own YouTube channel and is offering a onetime view rental of GOTG at $2.99 SD ($3.99 for an HD rental and $14.99 SD and $15.99 HD for purchase), doesn’t negate their copyright claims. And those prices to legitimately rent or buy from their - the copyright holder’s official YouTube channel, even if you think it puts it in the “bargain bin”, it is in line with what Amazon or NetFlix or what cable companies like Comcast On Demand charges or what you’d pay if you bought the move DVD from a retailer.

IMO posting YouTube links to any “free” full length movie here of dubious legality, whether you think they are OK or not, puts this site at risk for potential legal claims and that we should respect this site just like we should for excepting articles, and just not do that. If you want to watch pirated movies on bit torrent sites or on YouTube, that’s on you.  But I am not a fan of stealing or receiving stolen goods. YMMV.

@mystery-ak @Mechanicos

[geronl]

Still having fun with the Blender spaceship generator...

The last remnant of the human race finds that all suitable worlds are already occupied, the sad conclusion is that for humans to survive, they will need to become alien invaders...

[attachment deleted by admin]

[kevindavis007]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NVcfW5sHSU

[kevindavis007]

Still having fun with the Blender spaceship generator...

The last remnant of the human race finds that all suitable worlds are already occupied, the sad conclusion is that for humans to survive, they will need to become alien invaders...

I see it this way. I see the future of humanity going to two different directions...


1. Our future could be the verse in Firefly with either B5 or Star Trek technology.
2. Our future could be like the Expanse..


I prefer option 1..

[geronl]

1. Our future could be the verse in Firefly with either B5 or Star Trek technology.
2. Our future could be like the Expanse..

I'd pick 1 too

[geronl]

Music from a James Bond intro.... mixed with Empire Strikes Back....



http://vimeo.com/165592795

[geronl]

My blog story has reached nearly 22,000 words, it will increase in a second draft as I add detail, description and stuff. It's definitely got potential as a future e-book.