Video Game Makers Go Hollywood. Uh-Oh.

The interesting thing to me about the following article, from The New York Times, is how quickly this "conversion of the games industry" to the Hollywood model has happened. Secondly, how durable the film production model is for producing "entertainment content." The same struggles for good independant content that typifies the film business today will now be a fixture in the video game industry. Whatever happened to the game industry transforming the way films, or entertainment in general, gets made!

Video Game Makers Go Hollywood. Uh-Oh.
By EVELYN NUSSENBAUM

Published: August 22, 2004

OVIE producers are often criticized for running at the sight of original ideas, preferring instead to milk plays, books, news events, toys and even video games for their screenplays. Now the video game industry is returning the favor, and then some. Seeking to establish the medium as a mass market form of entertainment instead of a niche technology, the game industry has taken the playbook of the movie business.

The results have been movie-based games, Hollywood-quality special effects, professionally composed soundtracks, celebrity voices - and even Hollywood-style economic problems, including ballooning budgets and a greater reliance on monster hits.

"The entire industry is looking more and more like filmed entertainment," said Edward S. Williams, who follows video game makers for Harris Nesbitt, the investment banking firm. "Soon a handful of hits will drive the entire industry."

Video game executives say they have no choice if they want to make their $11 billion industry as mainstream as the movie business. Whether they can achieve that goal remains to be seen, but their embrace of Hollywood-style production values has already made it much harder to turn profits.

Game publishers have always been subject to a nerve-wracking business cycle, which forces them to essentially reinvent their software every five years. That's roughly how often Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo introduce new consoles, which require new software formats and render most older games obsolete.

Bigger budgets and more complicated effects have made the process even dicier. The movie industry's rule of thumb is that just 2 out of 10 movies make a profit. Video game executives say their industry now has about the same batting average. A game that costs $10 million to produce - the industry average - and another $10 million to market has to sell a lot more units to make money than games made in the late 1990's, when the average production budget was closer to $3 million.

The numbers can go much higher for some new games. Atari spent $20 million on its "Enter the Matrix" game last year, an amount that is about one-third the average cost of a feature film.

As a result of the changes, game publishers are less willing to take creative chances, people in the industry say. They make fewer games and rely more on movie tie-ins and what they consider sure-fire sequels. But the smaller number of bets can make publishers walk the kind of financial high-wire that has long been part of the hit-driven movie business. At Activision, 40 percent of publishing revenue last year came from two sets of games, "Tony Hawk's Underground" and "True Crime: Streets of L.A."

At first glance, the Hollywood-style strategy has paid off, because the video game industry is still expanding. The number of video game players is growing, in the United States and abroad, and adults as well as teenagers are playing the games. Sales of game software for the Big Three consoles - the PlayStation from Sony, the Xbox from Microsoft and the GameCube from Nintendo - rose 4 percent in the first half of 2004, versus a year earlier, according to the NPD Group, a marketing consulting firm. "We had a 35 percent return on invested capital last year," said Robert Kotick, chairman and chief executive of Activision, the No. 2 game publisher. "You won't find a movie studio that comes close to that.''

But industry numbers have masked what looks like the beginning of a shakeout. While big competitors like Electronic Arts, Activision and THQ become bigger, some smaller rivals are flailing. Midway Games, which had huge hits in its "Mortal Kombat" and "SpyHunter" games, has had 18 consecutive quarters of losses. Acclaim Entertainment, maker of "Shadow Man," just staved off a bankruptcy filing. And Eidos, the British maker of the "Lara Croft Tomb Raider" series, just put itself up for sale.

Finding a way to hedge risks won't be easy for the video game business. While movie studios have a reputation for profligate spending, they have always had a cushion the video game business lacks - ancillary revenue. Home video rentals, DVD sales, broadcast rights for television, toy spinoffs and licensed video games all help movies that bomb at the box office eventually make profits.

And movies can generate profits for years: "Finding Nemo," the hit animated film that first appeared in theaters two years ago, is still making money for Pixar.

Video game makers, by contrast, have traditionally had one window for making money: the first three to six months after their products hit the shelves. If they don't sell fast enough during that period, retailers mark them down from, say, $50 to as little as $19. "We're in the land of legitimate entertainment, rivaling the movie box office now," said Steve Allison, the chief marketing officer for Midway Games. "But we're a little crippled when it comes to the secondary opportunities the movies have."

To combat the problem, publishers are - again, in Hollywood fashion - scrambling to develop secondary revenue streams. One is online games: selling subscriptions to play on the Internet, often against other players. Another is advertising: the industry's biggest company, Electronic Arts, for example, has a small but aggressive advertising team that calls on Fortune 500 companies, pitching in-game advertising as an alternative to television commercials. Clients include Burger King, Dodge and Procter & Gamble. Activision is working with the Nielsen ratings company to develop an advertising rate card like that used in television.

At Microsoft, the company's Xbox game division is planning a marketing juggernaut modeled after a "Star Wars" movie release for its "Halo 2" game. Selling the $54 CD is just the start. There is also a $5.99 monthly fee to play in "Halo 2" tournaments online; action figures for $14.99; a DVD with movie ads and a guide to playing the game for $19.99; and three novels based on the game. A soundtrack CD is due in November.

At Midway Games, developers are trying to turn the movie license game on its head, creating games that movie studios might like to buy from them. Mr. Allison, the chief marketing officer, calls them "movieable franchises" and says his company is in talks on three or four projects.

VIDEO game executives tend to be cautious about these initiatives, and with good reason. At Electronic Arts, which probably has the most sophisticated divisions for generating new revenue, subscription-based Web sites contributed just $50 million of its $3 billion in revenue last year. Advertising, licensing and programming revenue came to $33 million.

Chip Lange, vice president of EA Online, said his company was not trying to "milk every source of revenue." He said it was just as important that Electronic Arts not be caught flat-footed if a smaller rival got the jump on a new technology or business model.

That makes sense, because Electronic Arts is big. Last year, 27 of its games went platinum, meaning that they sold a million copies; no other publisher came close. Electronic Arts wants to keep its edge, particularly if the industry is headed for a consolidation that leaves just five or six survivors.

Some people in the business think that the industry's consolidation will go beyond the pattern of big publishers devouring the little ones. Entertainment conglomerates have begun eyeing the video game industry again. Warner Brothers, part of Time Warner, recently bought the game developer Monolith Productions. Viacom's chairman, Sumner M. Redstone, has a controlling interest in Midway.

Alternatively, a cash-rich publisher may decide to add a movie studio to its portfolio.

The right combination, of course, would capture the best of both worlds, cushioning a hit machine with a safety net.

Selma and Graham Get Married

Well, at long last, the lovely Selma Ferhatbegovic and charming Graham Craft are married. Their civil ceremony took place yesterday in Ottawa, at the home of friends Lida and Jacque, and was followed by a reception at a lovely restaurant in The Market district of downtown Ottawa. Selma was gorgeous and full of emotion in her stunning dress (how could she not be?), made in Spain, and chosen this past year with help from Meg. Graham was very handsome, with a flashy red tie, and they both faired very well in the ceremony. The ceremony included speeches in English, and Bosnian, which was very special, considering the circumstances of the war in the former Yugoslavia, and the Ferhatbegovic family's escape to Canada. At dinner, there were some great speeches, of course, and an exceptional master of ceremonies in Selma's brother in law Roger (who is married to Selma's eldest sister Amina). Meggi dug deep to find the nerve to say a few words, something she is not so comfortable doing, and everyone was very appreciative of her kind and very funny words for her "otra media naranja!" Meg and I are so happy to see Selam and Graham together and starting out as a married couple in what I am sure will be incredibly memorable and thrilling circumstances: two years in Guatamala. We wish them great health, the best of luck and much love. They have been spectacular friends to us, and I am sure our relationship with continue to grow and grow, especially when they return together to Portland!!!

The National Gallery of Canada

For me, a trip to Ottawa could never be complete without a trip to the National Gallery of Canada. Situated as it is, on a bluff adjacent to Parliament and overlooking the Ottawa river, it is a picturesque and inviting building whose modern architectural surfaces of reflective steel and glass bathe its interior with gorgeous natural light. This trip featured to special exhibitions, and unfortunately not enough time for the permanent collection. The first special exhibit was a display of French drawings spanning four centuries. Mostly preliminary sketches and preparatory work, the drawings really gave you a visceral feel for what lay underneath, the structure and foundation of many artist's work. I think that the simplicity of a drawing often leads to a more direct appreciation of the artistry, especially when it captures a look, or gesture that seems raw, or unaffected by the often "finished" nature of the subsequent painting. Delacroix's gestural cartoons for his larger work were very telling in this manner. The second special exhibit was a broad and inclusive collection of images, contexts, and theories of clowns, fools, and freaks throughout the history of art. Ranging from medieval depictions of classic "town idiot" entertainers, to more modern conceptions of art as performance. I much prefered the depictions of clowns as reflections of society's fears, illusions, or phobias as opposed to the more leud, intentionally self-agrandising and pretentious shock-factor shenanigans of some of todays performance based art. They seem to illuminate more of what is really going on in people's minds as to why the clown is such an enduring creation, a necessary character in our society. The broad nature of the work was a bit daunting at times, but the truly great works, really shone through and I enjoyed it immensely.

The Nation's Capital

Meg, Meg's mom Jennifer, and I traveled together to Ottawa today. We are here principally to celebrate with Meg's great friend Selma Ferhatbegovic at her wedding! But, also to celebrate this year as Grannie Blakely's 95th! What an achievement. I am also hoping to see Canada's National Gallery and the Museum of Civilization. Both great places to spend a few hours. I think we may also have a chance to play golf with the Blakely's (Jennifer's side of the family) which would be fun. The last time we were in Ottawa was early in 2003 when we were chasing up issues relating to Meg's Spanish citizenship. Selma was here and we had a great time together, so I expect no less this time as well! I am looking forward to the festivities.

Walshman Gets Head in Cambridge

The Rob Roy crew I rowed with this past week managed to win the Cambridge Town Bumps. Thus, retaining for the Rob Roy Rowing Club the coveted title of "Head of the River" that the club has held for several years running now. After a very sharp warm-up, we stormed out of the start rowing as well as we had at anytime all week, and remained well above 40 strokes per minute for the first series of turns, before settling into a fairly stompy rhythm for the body of the race stroking about a 35. We raised the tempo for the final few meters "just for kicks" and saw the competition fade into obscurity. It was a lovely tranquil evening on the Cam, in nice weather and that made for a very enjoyable event to say the least. Especially the start, which features a cork-screwing, crazy set of narrow turns (thankfully allowing the Walshman to take a few light ones before the big push on the Reach!) that are usually lined by spectators hoping to catch sight of a dramatic "bump" or two. It was a real blast to see all the folks out on the river Cam to celebrate the last day of the Bumps in boating parties, BBQs, etc. A really great "social rowing" event.

The crew to be added to the 116 year old trophy for the race is as follows:

Tom Johnstone
Guy Blanchard
Greg "Ball Pin" Scherkoske
Simon "Sledge" Goodbrand
Ed "The House of" Pain
Shawn "Luggage" Walsh
Alex Hamilton
James Silk

Incidentally, the following shell on Friday night included two members of the current Cambridge Blue Boat. As in, the one that defeated Oxford, in this year's Oxford Cambridge Boat Race in March. A tidy victory it was then, indeed! A big thanks to Greg for getting my fat ass out of my chair at work enough times to actually enjoy the event! Here's some photos!

The Cambridge Town Bumps Regatta

Well, this week has featured a once per afternoon journey to up to Cambridge at rush hour in order to join in with the Rob Roy Rowing Club bid to retain the Championships of the Cambridge Town Bumps Regatta - aptedly titled "Head of the River." This is undoubtably the oddest rowing event in which I have ever taken part. The format goes something like this. There are five flights of 16 rowing crews. Crews are seated (1-80) based on the previous year's final results. Each crew races once a day each day of the week - the fifth flight first to the first flight last. The race itself is structured along traditional lines whereby all 16 crews of a flight are lined up in single file (a la "head racing") equidistant over the first few hundred meters of the 2700 meter course on the River Cam. They all have a length and one half separating them, aside from the lead shell which is only given a length (due to the fact that they are rowing in clean water for the whole event). A canon announces the start (actually three canon blasts - at the 4 minutes to go, and one minute to go, and start) and the crews race to attempt to overcome the crew in front of them. They can do this in one of two ways. They can attempt to gain one full length into the preceeding boat, judged by a marshall on the bank (and often disputed!) who then instructs the crews that such an overlap has occured, or better, physically touch on shell's nose to the other's tail (thus, effectively saving a half length of space). Once either of these events has been achieved the crews traditionally pull to one side to allow the following crews to pass. The "over-bump" is also a rare occurane when a particularly fast crew elects to row past the preceeding crew and bump the next inline! The crew that "has been bumped" begins the following day one position further down in the rankings, and everyone does it all over again! If the first ranked crew retains their position on the last day, they win. It is a unique event not only for the way it is carried out, but also for the reasons that it includes only Cambridge based crews (each crew is allowed one guest), and also for the fact that the spectrum of rowers includes everyone from full time training athletes, to former internationals turned sometimes rowers, to total hacks who train only a few weeks for only this event. There is a fiesta on friday that is said to rival all rowing parties held anywhere at any time. We'll see!

Our Weekend in Paris

In my experience, I would hazard to say, that if I only had one weekend to spend in Europe, it would have to be spent in Paris. Despite my lack of French speaking ability (an embarrassing admission being a Canadian citizen: je comprends un peu le Francais, mais je le parle tres mal!), the liberal deposits left on nearly every sidewalk by the city's fashionable four legged friends, the expense of everything (I mean everything!), the congestion, the ridiculously misinformed and arrogant smokers, etc. Paris and its true inhabitants, seem to be able to manage a kind of elegance that is always immensely attractive. There is an attitude in most places you go that says "well, it may cost you more, but it is certainly worth it, isn't it?!" Often times I find myself agreeing. That being said, it is still possible to enjoy Paris as I first did with Bradshaw - on a cheap baguette and cheese budget with the night spent in a grotty pension! Thankfully, those days are behind me now though. The Parisians flaunt the city's wealth of culture on their sleeve, as though it is their own possession, and they are immensely social animals, always out, always taking a drink, or meeting someone to chat and people watch. They are unwilling to have Paris be anything but "for Parisians" even though it is often inundated with tourists as it was this weekend. You can never truly experience Paris without complete submission to doing as the Parisians do - virtually nothing for breakfast, several stops for "un petit cafe" throughout the day, a leisurely lunch usually taking just a salad, and a long, long time for dinner. Now that I have visited Paris several times, it has lost a bit of its original stunning capacity, and also having worked with several people who have made their existence in Paris and have thus related to me its pit-falls, I have gained a more balanced view, but I don't think it will ever lose its essential charms.

Friday night featured our late arrival to Paris via Eurostar (which is amazing and so easy to take from London Waterloo), and our hurried check-in to the Hotel Cluny Sorbonne. We dashed out to find a bar/brasserie that Greg Scherkoske had recommended to us not far from our hotel called L'Academie de la Biere. We had a lovely twilight walk to find it near Port Royal metro station. The bar was really cool, with a big terrace, lots of folks out in big groups chatting and drinking. Meg and I dined on a couple of French classics "salad de chevre chaud" and "moules et frites" while trying a few different Belgian beers served in their appropriately specific glasses. The "blond" that Megcita polished off was exceptional! We finished the night by walking back to the Seine to take in a view of Notre Dame on a warm night, had a late night cafe and tea on a little plaza near the hotel.

Saturday we rose late having had a great sleep, and walked through Jardin du Luxembourg to the Musee D'Orsay. We missed out on this one last time around due to large crowds, evil line-ups, and not enough time! Well, this time the complete opposite. We showed up late morning and walked right into one of the loveliest buildings ever to house a work of art. Filling in the gap between the contemporary art scene and the vast Louvre collection of old masters the Musee D'Orsay is a very popular spot and is very accessible to a broad cross section of people. The building itself is incredible. I could go on in volumes about the excellent way the building allows people to move through it creating amazing little opportunities for artistic discovery around the many corners. Such a vasy space, such overwhelming light, and such intimate experiences with the art works. "How do we fill those amazing old archways of the original train station while keeping the sense of air and light?" must have been the original artistic question. Well, now we know! We had lunch in the Boulevard St. Germain area, near to Eglise Saint Sulpice, and had a good long walk around as we "window shopped" and what an amazing neighborhood for it! So many shops and galleries, it is mind boggling at times! For dinner, we decided to change the scenery a bit and headed to a recommended brasserie in Le Marais called "Les Philosophes." Dinner was excellent for a mid level Paris brasserie - my pave de boeuf was exceptional (I must learn how to make a simple beef gravy like they make in Paris!) and we had a very good tomato tarte tatin as a starter. We chatted the entire time "en Espanole" and found that whenever we did that, miraculously, the wait-staff treated us so much better! I wonder why...

Sunday we again slept in before heading out on a bit of a jaunt to see the Eiffel Tower and the stunning dome of the Ecole Militare. Paris is such a lovely city to see by foot that even though it may take a bit more time, I simply can't resist walking to get around. The Eiffel Tower is especially impressive up close where you can really get a sense of the craftsmanship and design of the building. All that iron is magnificent! The great arching legs that support it are a truly unique signature structure of the city. Following our walk we met up with Jean-Paul's friend Marie in Le Marais (the same Marie who had been staying with us in the flat in London) and we had a classic cheap lunch and chat in Le Marais. Salad and cafe, a French institution! Following that, a whole lot walking around in Le Marais! What an incredible location to spend the afternoon brousing and taking in the sites of the city. We crossed the Place de Vosges which is always a favourite place to see for me. A little last minute rusing around for something to eat and we were off again to London!

It's Baby Liam Everybody!

Great news from Mike and Christine! It seems that the little dude was so brimming with enthusiasm and just couldn't wait to see what's up with all this life stuff that everyone seems to be taking part in these days! What's the deal? Why is everyone doing it? How can I get involved? What are the entrepreneurial avenues open to me? So the crazy little guy decided to make an early appearance and crash the party! Here's the news from the old horse's mouth: "Well the little tiger couldn't be bothered with waiting til the due date or for Mom and Dad to finish up the renovations - Liam arrived on very short notice two hours after Christine's water broke, which happened unexpectedly in bed at 3:50AM. Christine skipped through all that labour and contraction stuff except on a speedy ride to BC Women's Hospital and she delivered a beautiful baby boy within 20 minutes of arrival. 5lbs 13 oz Horray!"

In Paris for the Weekend

Megcita and I have our second wedding anniversary coming up on the 20th so I thought I would surprise Her with a little romantic getaway to Paris! Originally, I was thinking it would be nice to head somewhere in Italy, since we have not been there, but having spent a lot time flying to and from Madrid this year, and only having the two days of the weekend to spare because of our upcoming holidays in August, and Paris being so easy to get to from here, I thought "what better place in Europe to go when you only have two days!" So we're off! We are staying at the same Hotel Cluny Sorbonne we stayed at when we began our bicycle tour summer 2001, and hopefully this time we will have the opportunity for Meg to see the Musee D'Orsay and the Eiffel Tower which she missed during our last time in Paris. Also, thanks to the helping hands of some of the French nationals at The Moving Picture Company, we have some great restaurant suggestions! So it looks to be a fabulous time in one of the jewels on the world.

More on Fahrenheit 9/11

Last night, my first reaction to seeing Michael Moore's polemical filmic assault on the morons currently "running the world from the Oval Office" was that I couldn't believe this film has been made and is showing all across America! What a tribute to expression and free speech! What am amazing example of how there is a voice of dissent in America, that the image presented by the Bush administration is in fact a malevolent distorted picture of the America I would like to see as my neighbour. That is it not America itself that is the problem plaguing the world these days, but the corruption, greed, and determined evil opportunism of those in power.

My second reaction was that if even half of all this is to be taken at face value, all of this behaviour by the Bush administration is so obvious, so blatant, why can't we do something about it? Why can't we just make simple choices in life to prohibit these kinds of people from taking such control over so many people lives. Then, a horrible sinking feeling set in... the realisation that in fact, for the average Joe, not a lot can be done about it. There are people all over the globe who are willing to bring an incredible amount of harm on unwitting civilians regardless of their place of origin.

The one thing I noticed was how little criticism there is in the film directed at Tony Blair and the Brits who so eagerly "went along with the American agenda." Perhaps there are some good reasons for this, as Bill Clinton pointed out during interview here. He really had little option. Also, I am sure that he felt the majority of the people he is trying to reach would be saying to themselves "who is this Tony Blair guy again" and that would be a distraction after all.

Megcita esta en Londres

Just a quick note to say that Meggi has arrived safe and sound in London! She came in from Madrid after midnight last night and I met her in Victoria Station. She seems great and looking forward to three weeks together before heading back to Vancouver (via Madrid) in early August. We have settled into our little room at the flat and are getting used to "sharing" again! (har, har) We had lunch together for the first time in weeks and it was great! We are hoping to plan a few little trips around southern England over the next few weekends. Not sure where just yet, but Bath and Brighton day trips have come up.

Le Tour de France 2004 Begins!

Ooooh... something I have been excited about all year is to be in Europe to see all the great coverage of the Tour de France. Cycling everywhere for three weeks! If Lance Armstrong is to win this year, he will go into the record books all alone. no one has ever won six tours, let alone in a row! I can barely contain my youthful enthusiasm as a prepare to watch some of the toughest athletes try to do the impossible: win the tour. Meg and I may try to scoot over there to see Stage 7 and 8 next weekend near St. Brieuc in Bretagne. Here's a link to some good internet coverage: link

Close But No Cigar

Over the past few weeks, I have been attempting to qualify a four without coxswain for the Henley Royal Regatta, which begins next week on Wednesday! Yesterday was the official qualifying race on the Henley course, and although the row itself was a very enjoyable experience, we failed to qualify. The Visitor's Four Event (a senior, elite, or open event depending on your place of origin) has 16 crews allotted. 10 of which are seated by committee based on previous results and current standings. 6 of which are up for grabs on qualifying day. There were 20 crews entered in the qualifying race. We beat all but six. And thus, we were the fastest "non-qualifiers." Yet another blight on my long, but non-illustrious rowing career. No matter, as we would have likely been soundly trounced on opening day of the regatta by a top seated international crew anyway.

Realistically, it was a very good performance all things considered. We literally never practiced together. We only raced at Marlow last weekend, and thus, certified ourselves exactly as a true "scratch crew." Not to mention the fact that all six crews that beat us really should have as they were "competitive" and largely comprised of "full time" oarsmen - not a bunch of jokers with full time jobs like us sods. Add to that Greg having just raced an hour previous in the qualifying race for the Diamonds Sculls (Men's Open Single - finishing in the same spot!) and you get the picture.

First of the non-qualifiers Greg was twice! This lead him to humorously reflect that he was "the William Macy of British Rowing." As Greg eventually put it: "It is a testament to our pedigry that we were able to finish at the top of this heap of wankers."

Henley was gorgeous. I am definitely going to head up to take in the Regatta next weekend. The weather was beautiful, the atmosphere rich, and the countryside and town enchanting. A true slice of English pomp and mystery. It is worth it just for the ambiance itself. I truly regret never having raced there in my prime.

Bebo, Chucho, and El Cigala in Concert at the Barbican Centre

Meg and I have been "crazy-whacko-nuts" excited to see this concert for some time now, and we were not disappointed in the slightest! Bebo and Chucho Valdes (father and son) began the concert with some introductory piano duets that really set the tone for the concert. Warm and frolicking in the Cuban rhythms, they seemed completely immersed and passionate about the music, but somehow completely at ease and having so much fun together! Bebo was incredible. 84 years old, an elder statesman of the Cuban music scene, and strangely enough a resident of Sweden since 1960 when he "escaped Cuba." He strode on stage wearing a sharp suit and carrying with him an old leather case from which he produced his sheet music. He remained "all business" for the remainder of the evening hardly paused to accept applause before diving into the next number. Chucho followed his Dad's lead, and let him hold the spot light all night, but was so much more than a support man pounding out some outstanding rhythms. The torch has definately not been dropped between these two! Diego "El Cigala" was in incredible command of his vocal power all evening. Clearly enjoying himslef immensely, his voice was rich and varied and easily filled the auditorium with incredible warmth and vitality. Many times people rose in applause mid-song to cheer him on. It is always an incredible thing to see someone relate the pathos of Flamenco so eloquently, with such an entertaining presence, and that in a nutshell is what "Lagrimas Negras" is all about. Rising above heart wrenching emotional pain through song.

What made the day extra special, however, was that we spent the whole afternoon and evening with Spanish friends in London who also knew of "Lagrimas Negras." Ellie Faustino, who I work with at MPC, and her boyfriend Jordi Bares (both from Barcelona) invited Meg and I, along with some friends of theirs for "la comida espanola" prior to the concert. Since the weather was quite poor, raining most of the day in fact, it was really lovely to just sit inside at someone's flat and chat over a long lunch. I can't remember the last time that happened! Two paellas, una grande empanada (made by Pablo Tufaro my friend from Argentina, and Noe his girlfriend from Madrid), ensalada con tomate y bonito, tostadas de aceite de oliva y al ajillo, mucho vino tinto y mas!!! It was really a fantastic meal ingreat company. At the end of the meal Jordi produced a bottle of Spanish "moonshine" made by hand by his family. A kind of Grappa in fact. It was incredible, and gave us the perfect fuel for the fire to carry us on to the concert! After the concert we enjoyed a pint at a pub a short walk from the Barbican where we recounted the evening and talked on and on... in Spanish! I really couldn't keep up, but Meg was a star! Muchisimas gracias a todos! It was really lovely day.

The Marlow Regatta 2004

Amazingly enough to all those involved, I survived the heat and repechage in a coxless four within three hours of each other on Saturday at the Marlow Regatta. Given my less than committed to non-existent training regimen these days, it should be considered an astounding achievement that I was not air lifted by helicopter from the finish line having suffered a massive coronary. Greg Scherkoske and I were teamed up with a couple of fine lads from Worcester Rowing Club who were also doubling up in a pair (resulting in a minimum of four races!). We finished third in our heat, thus getting a birth into the repechage, and once there got totally doored. So we finished 9th overall, of perhaps 16 crews, and faced off against the top coxless fours in the country. To relate an idea of the level of the competition, a University of London Boat Club four featuring retired multi-medal winning oarsman Tim "Rock Star" Foster failed to make the final straight away, and then came second in the repechage, and finished fifth in the final! We rowed a 6:35 in the heat, and a 6:29 in the repechage. The winning time in the final, rowed by Oxford Brookes University, was 6:05. They were smokin' and posted a 6:00 in the heat.

The morning began eventfully enough by running the gauntlet out to Windsor and Eton Central station on the tube and train, only to find I had to catch a cab to the course! Twelve quid later, I must have caught the oldest, slowest, but most gentlemanly cabby out there. He hilariously drove me on a "quick route through the back country" that he assured me offered the fastest time to the race course. The route also afforded him the chance to recount to a captive audience some portion of his 44 year history in Eton! Including the night it was bombed "by Gerry." Eton is really pretty, little shops, the river running through, and a lovely market area, though I didn't really have a lot of time to look around. I am definately going to head back out there at some stage to see the castle. I really only glanced at it while running around finding the cab.

Megalicious in London for the Weekend

Well, at long last, Meg and I will be together in London for a weekend! She finally had the opportunity to get away from Madrid for a few days, and seeing as I remain a "studio slave" for the next few weeks finishing up Lighting Technical Director work on Alien Versus Predator, she has booked a flight to come up to The Big Smoke. However, I think she may be the victim of some "weather revenge" for the last trip to Madrid (with Andrea in May) when it poured non-stop for four days, because the lovely early summer weather we have been enjoying in London of late is supposed to cool off over the weekend, with potential for some real English summer action. No matter, I can't wait to take the weekend off from work!!!

Meggi arrives in the wee hours friday morning. We will be going out to Marlow (near Windsor) on Saturday because I am racing in the regatta there. I think it is going to be ugly. With the prospect of three 2Km races (heat, repechage, and final) in one day, I am a little intimidated. Greg Scherkoske has man-handled and rubber-armed me into trying to get a birth at Royal Henley with a couple of other English dudes in a straight four. Wouldn't that be a capper to my experiences in England? To race at Royal Henley as the most out of shape oarsman in the regatta! The Walshman strikes again! I am afraid not!

We also have tickets to see Bebo y Cigala (of "Lagrimas Negras" fame) at the Barbican Centre on sunday night. We are meeting with some of my "new Spanish friends" in London prior to the concert for dinner, which should make the evening really memorable.

At some point we are hoping to meet up with Regina's mom and dad for a beverage as well. But that's Meg's department, so I don't know what is happening there!

I am really looking forward to this weekend as the "beginning of the end" of our "forced separation" this year past year which really began way back in San Francisco when The Matrix ran over and I had to delay going to Europe. We have really gotten a lot out of the experiences we have had both as individuals, and as a couple, but we are tired of it now, and besides, being apart sucks big time! As Meggi says "we're such good room mates!" We'll see what the summer brings, but for the moment I think we are just thinking about spending a heap more time together in the coming year. I have commited to working on Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven at The Moving Picture Company and that takes us through the end of October. Which will give Meg further opportunity to study Spanish splitting her time more between here and Madrid than before, and focusing on the DELE examination superior level. Who knows after that! At this point, I really don't care about anything except being together.

Another Prisoner of Azkaban Review

Here's a review that's quite good I thought. It is interesting to note that in the final analysis the visual effects are praised for their lack of distraction. It is always the greatest compliment to the visual effects artists and technicians when things are just taken for real, and not questioned.

Link

The Idea of Neighbour

My previous post got me to thinking (I often get me to thinking, har har) and Neil had some good comments about "the Good Ole U.S. of A." (as my Dad would say). Neil's points were mainly that there is an extreme range of opinion in the U.S. that probably does not exist anywhere else in the world in that fashion. It is indeed a very polemical place. The land of contrasts, beyond the obvious ones, like the gap between rich and poor. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger, an admitted "fan" of the Hummer, is the Governor of the State with the most aggressive environmental laws. And also, that in one of the most puritanically conservative places in the world, you also have the extremely liberalising influences of the leading cities like Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. Comparing these places to say, Atlanta, Georgia, is to compare worlds.

I think that the thing I notice most these days as a difference between Canadians and Americans is the idea of neighbour. Growing up in Canada you can not escape the extreme sense of "living beside the giant." You may not intellectualize it at an early age, but it is there nonetheless. It shows up in weird places. Sorry to again bring up Micahel Moore, but it is a good example. My aunt Robin, an American (Democrat, she insists!), told me that when she saw Moore speak in Davis, CA, recently, he invited "the dumbest Canadian, and the smartest American" in the audience on stage. He then proceeded to ask the voluteers a series of questions about each others countries. It started out funny as the Canadian seems to know more about his neighour than vice versa, but ended in shock and dismay as it turned out that the Canadian answered all of the question s about America successfully, and the American answered none of the questions about Canada successfully. Robin wrote me to say that she thought that she would have faired better given family knowledge and all, but the point had been made. Why did the Canadian know so much and the American so little about each other? The answer is simple. One understood that they had a neighbour, the other did not.

The "common peoples" perception of the American attitude in the world, let alone towards Canada and Mexico, is one that does not make reference to neighbours, but rather "friends and enemies." The idea that a place like Canada may have "equal standing" as a neighbour, like that of the French and Spanish, is not on the radar. We are great friends, but we are not equals. Canadians have this in common with many Europeans, especially the British, and it perhaps imbues us with our more tolerant, kinder sensibility internationally. We are friends with the bully, we just hope it stays that way! In Europe, you can not escape your neighbours, and thus you tend to learn to understand them, and tolerate them. That being said, I have witness some very odd attitudes towards immigration during my time in Spain. But that's for another post...

Another Footnote to Add to the List

There is this idea floating around out there that I have heard a number of times recently, I suppose, because of my current surroundings. A very international gaggle of folks at The Moving Picture Company brings these things out at times. People tell me there is a kind of "short list" of factors that make Canadians not Americans in the minds of people other than Canadians and Americans. It is funny when you hear this sort of thing in that there is one very obvious fact that people tend to completely ignore. Canada and The Untied States are not the same country! There's a border for god's sake! The same conversation makes absolutely no sense when comparing the French and the Spanish, because it is implicit that these people are different in many ways because their individual histories. They are also very similar in a lot of respects, but I digress. Specifically with respect to Canadians, people seem to need to "make a case" for the independant assessment of Canadians.

The list goes something like, for example, the fact that Canada has universal health care, which is a very socialist idea (Clinton was raked over the coals for some of his near commi-pinko-Canadian ideas about health care for all). Canada is "more European" in general, because of having two languages officially recognized in the constitution (similar to Spain, which has four!). Also, Canada's reputation, however questionable, since the Second World War (and The Korean War, I guess) as a "peace keeping" nation as opposed to a new imperial nation. We didn't go to Iraq after all, and history has already judged us well on that account. Also, the more nebulous ones like the comparative lack of violence in society, more environmentalism with pioneers like David Suzuki leading the charge and Greenpeace originating in Vancouver. Also, the contrasting ideas of Multiculturalism (retaining identity while living in a new land where everyone is essentially a foreigner aside from indiginous peoples) versus The Melting Pot (whatever you were before, forget about it, you're an American now). And then recently, more liberal attitudes towards religion, sex, marijuanna, and gay marriage in Canada.

I submit that the following footnote should be added to that admittedly ramshackle list: Canadians are the helping hand that allows Americans an opportunity to express that essential, yet recently forgotten, American ideal of civil liberty. Plainly that DISSENT IS NOT UNAMERICAN FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!

The following is from Michael Moore's website, on the news that Lions Gate Films has picked up distribution of Fahrenheit 9/11 (sadly, the note about the Stanley Cup didn't happen, but there were 11 Canadians playing in Tampa Bay so no matter):

Jon Feltheimer, the man who runs Lions Gate, was the executive in charge of the company that produced my television series, "TV Nation." And the people at IFC (which owned Bravo) were the same people responsible for funding and broadcasting my other series, "The Awful Truth." So we are in very good hands. And, as an added bonus, Lions Gate is a Canadian company. Once again, the Canadians to the rescue! It was also a Canadian company, Salter Street Films, that produced "Bowling for Columbine." I know, it's kinda sad we have to keep depending on our good neighbors to the north. But maybe this is the year we give 'em their Stanley Cup back.

It's All Gonna Melt!

A little blurb from the National Post today:
Computer networks that support Canada's critical services -- from hospitals to banks to power lines -- will undoubtedly crash in the next five years, warns a government-commissioned report that says even immediate action cannot stop the inevitable.

Shoddy software has left the Internet and other parts of our telecommunications systems vulnerable to a massive meltdown, the report concludes. No corrective action can avert "a major failure," but the authors say both the government and the private sector must act quickly if they are to prevent subsequent collapses.

"The stakes are high," reads the report. "This is a challenge that we ignore at our peril as a nation and a society."

The report bases its conclusions on hundreds of written resources and interviews with two dozen high-tech experts, including executives at major computer companies.

"Politicians, almost slavishly, have to do whatever the public is interested in and the public is not interested in emergencies that don't exist yet," said Donald B. Johnston, the report's lead author. "We will not see [a major crash] as a problem until it's a problem. And it will only be a problem as long as it's a problem. And when it stops being a problem, we will stop thinking about it again."

Click here for the full article