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December 22, 2024

Christmas Story Movie Mistakes

Some things you might have missed

Here are some goofs in "A Christmas Story" that fans might have missed:

  • Changing School Windows: When the students are reciting their poem, the windows behind them change from being open in one shot to closed in another.
  • Disappearing/Changing Decorations: Throughout the movie, decorations in Ralphie's house, like the lamps or pictures on the walls, appear, disappear, or change positions between scenes. For instance, the position of the Chinese dragon in the living room changes.
  • Theater Scene: In the scene where Ralphie and his friends watch "The Wizard of Oz," the position of the people and the shadows in the theater change from shot to shot, and at one point, a crew member can be seen moving around in the background.
  • Aunt Clara's Mitten: When Ralphie's mom opens the package from Aunt Clara, the mittens are not fully visible. In the next shot, they're suddenly laid out completely.
  • Ralphie's Glasses: When Ralphie gets soap in his eye, his glasses are sometimes on, sometimes off, and sometimes half-on, inconsistently between shots.
  • The Bumpus Hounds: In the scene where the Bumpus dogs overrun the house, the number of dogs varies from shot to shot, sometimes appearing more numerous than others.
  • Flick's Flagpole Scene: When Flick gets his tongue stuck to the flagpole, the reflection in the window of the school shows crew members and filming equipment.
  • Turkey Retrieval: After the turkey is knocked over by the Bumpus dogs, in one shot, Mrs. Parker is seen with her apron on, but in the next shot, it's off.
  • Ralphie's Hat: The pattern on Ralphie's hat changes throughout the movie. Sometimes it has stripes, and other times it does not.
  • License Plate: The license plates on the cars change throughout the film. For example, the Parkers' car has different plates in various scenes.
  • Ralphie's Coat: The style of Ralphie's coat differs in some scenes; the collar changes from being folded down to standing up without any apparent reason.

These goofs, while not detracting from the movie's charm, show how even in a classic film, small continuity errors can slip through.

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October 13, 2024

Time Travel Cinema: A Journey Beyond Marty McFly

Explore the Timelines: Must-Watch Films and Series for 'Back to the Future' Enthusiasts

BACK-TO-the-past
Thanks to TextStudio.

For us die-hard "Back to the Future" fans, the thrill of time travel never gets old. If you've rewatched Marty McFly's adventures more times than you can count and are yearning for more journeys through time, here's a curated list of some of my favorite movies and TV series that capture that same exhilarating essence of time travel:

Movies:

  1. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure - While more on the comedic side, this film's joyous approach to time travel through a phone booth captures a similar fun spirit as "Back to the Future." It's an adventure of historical proportions with a lot of heart.

  2. Time After Time (1979) - What if H.G. Wells actually built a time machine? This film explores that fantasy, mixing historical figures with fiction in a chase through time that's both thrilling and thought-provoking.

  3. The Terminator Series - Though it leans heavily into sci-fi and action, its time travel mechanics and the consequences of altering the past resonate with fans of time paradoxes.

  4. Looper - A darker take on time travel where hitmen, called Loopers, eliminate targets sent back from the future. It's gritty, complex, and offers a fresh perspective on the implications of time travel.

  5. About Time - Not your typical time travel movie, this one focuses on life's smaller moments with a heartwarming narrative about a man who can travel within his own life timeline. It's less about changing history and more about appreciating life, but the time travel element is central.

TV Series:

  1. Timeless (NBC 2016) - This series is a gem for any time travel enthusiast. Following a team chasing a villain through different pivotal moments in history, "Timeless" combines adventure with historical education, much like how "Back to the Future" sparked interest in the '50s and '80s culture. Each episode is a new time period, with the characters trying to prevent changes to the timeline.

  2. Doctor Who - An obvious choice, but essential. The Doctor's adventures in the TARDIS span all of time and space. The show's ability to reinvent itself while maintaining the core theme of time travel makes it a must-watch.

  3. 12 Monkeys - This series, inspired by the film of the same name, delves deep into the complexities of time travel, with a focus on preventing a plague that destroys humanity. Its intricate plot and character development over seasons will satisfy those who love the detailed storytelling of time travel narratives.

  4. Quantum Leap - Dr. Sam Beckett steps into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanishes? only to leap into different people's lives throughout time. It's episodic time travel with a mission, blending science fiction with social commentary.

  5. Dark (Netflix) - Although darker and more complex, this German series deals with the implications of time travel across multiple generations in a small town. It's a mind-bender, perfect for those who love unraveling temporal puzzles.

  6. Travelers - Here, time travelers from the future take over the consciousness of people in the present to avert disasters. It's less about the adventure and more about the ethics and impact of changing time, offering a fresh angle on the genre.

Each of these recommendations carries the spirit of adventure, the complexity of time's fabric, and the charm of unexpected friendships and romances akin to what we've adored in "Back to the Future." Whether you're in for a light-hearted trip or a deep dive into the consequences of time manipulation, these picks ensure your time travel cravings are well catered to. So grab your flux capacitors, set your time circuits, and prepare for some excellent adventures in time!

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August 18, 2019

Camera Collection

Video formats of various camera I own

I thought I spend a few minutes today looking at the video capabilities of the cameras that I have access to:

Cameras
Various Old Cameras on a shelf in Natick, Massachusetts.

Camera Collection

Model Video Size File Type Frames per Second
iPhone XS Max 3840 x 2160 HEVC 24fps
Olympus XZ-2 iHS 1080 x 1920 H.264 29.99 fps
Flip Video 720 x 1280 H.264 30 fps
iPhone 5s 1080 x 1920 H.264 29.99 fps
Sony DSC-HX200V 1080 x 1920 H.264 29.97 fps
FinePix e900 640 x 480 M.JPEG 30 fps

The iPhone XS Max has six options, with different frame rates:

4k 3840 x 2160
1080p 1920 x 1080
720p 1280 x 720 px

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October 16, 2015

Amazon Prime Videos

If you have Amazon Prime Membership, you?ll be happy to know that you can get the entire Back to the Future movie series as part of your membership. This is good know if you have a Kindle Fire HD. You can download the movies to the device and watch the movies any place - yes even on the airplane!

BacktoFuture

This is a great time to get the movie because on October 21, 2015 is when the Delorean will be arriving at Hill Valley, California.

If your not a Back to the Future fan, you can find all sorts of movies, including many from the 1980?s. Here?s some of the movies that you can download and watch via Amazon Prime.

  • Anchorman 2
  • Brady Bunch Movie
  • Desperately Seeking Susan
  • Erased
  • Godzilla
  • Gremlins
  • In the Line of Fire
  • Men in Black 2
  • Pee-Wee?s Big Adventure
  • Popeye
  • Serendipity
  • Space Jam
  • Stuart Little 2
  • The Patriot
  • The Switch

Amazon Prime members should take full advantage of all the perks that come with Prime Memberships!

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August 7, 2013

Mary Poppins

Next year marks the 50th anniversary for the Disney mega hit movie Mary Poppins. The movie came out with great fan fair on December 23, 1964. Disney went all out to make sure that the premier had lots of coverage at Mann's Chinese Theater. You can see most of the 'live' local coverage on the movie premier on the 45th Anniversary DVD.

To celebrate the occasion Disney is releasing the first ever Blu-ray version of Mary Poppins on December 10, 2013 and at the same time Disney will release 'Saving Mr. Banks.' The movie is the complete story of how the Mary Poppins movie came to be.

There's no telling what new content will be on the Blu-ray version. Over on Amazon, there's plenty of comments on the 45th Anniversary DVD version didn't contain any new content from the 40th anniversary version. What new content can they find that they haven't released yet?

On YouTube there are plenty of Mary Poppins Remix:

While your on YouTube, be sure to check out the original movie trailer for the new Saving Mr. Banks movie and how close Tom Hanks looks like Walt Disney.

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January 7, 2013

Airplane Quotes

From the movie Airplane:

  • Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit amphetamines
  • Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.
  • Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking.
  • Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking.

Some more, for fun:

  • Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit coffee.
  • Looks like I picked the wrong week to take afternoon naps
  • Looks like I picked the wrong week to not get sick
  • Looks like I picked the wrong week to get to work on time
  • Looks like I picked the wrong week to take the train
  • Looks like I picked the wrong week to update my computer
  • Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit eating fast food

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July 30, 2011

Haunted Mansion Quote

Great quote from the director of the new Haunted Mansion movie:

"To me, if I could live anywhere, I would live in The Haunted Mansion, like all year long. It is for me the most beautiful piece of real-estate in the world and what I want to try and do is to try and make that feeling of a world that is incredibly attractive, even if it's scary." - Guillermo del Toro

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August 13, 2010

Back to the Future

The

Did you enjoy the movie Back to the Future in the theaters back in the 80s? You'll be able to see it again!!!

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the first Back to the Future movie, it will be re-release in theaters on October 1, 2010! Very exciting! At the same time a new Blu-Ray version will be launch with a digital remastered version of Back to the Future.

Here are some of my all time favorite Back to the Future Movie quotes:

  • Remember, where you're going, there are no roads.
  • This is it! This is the answer. It says here... that a bolt of lightning is going to strike the clock tower at precisely 10:04pm, next Saturday night! If... If we could somehow... *harness* this lightning... *channel* it... into the flux capacitor... it just might work. Next Saturday night, we're sending you back to the future!
  • Okay, okay... we know that it won't run under it's own power and we know we can't pull it, but if we could somehow push it up to 88 miles per hour.
  • See, that's how you handle them, son. Never give 'em an inch, and maintain discipline at all times. Remember that word - "discipline."
  • No, wait! Doc. Doc. The-the-the bruise - the bruise on your head. I know how that happened! You told me the whole story. You were standing on your toilet, and you were hanging a clock, and you fell, and you hit your head on the sink. And that's when you came up with the idea for the Flux Capacitor...

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November 25, 2009

New Moon

Yesterday we went to see New Moon at the Showcase Cinema de Lux in Foxboro, Massachusetts. I would highly recomend going to seeing a movie at this theater, it was a lot of fun and the food was great!

The movie was great and it was great that there wasn't a lot of people at the theater so there wasn't much distractions, people talking or kids running all over the place.

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October 27, 2009

Back to the Future

In the movie Back to the Future, Marty McFly is handed a flyer to "Save the Clock Tower." The flyer contains a newspaper clipping. This is the story that is in that newspaper clipping. The headline reads, "Clock Tower Struck by Lighting," and the sub-headline is "Clock Stopped at 10:04" 

The facts regarding the situation remain the same, state the authorities. Details concerning the antics have been given a preliminary investigation but it is felt that only by a more detailed study will the true facts become known.
 
Thus at this conference all our governments found themselves in unanimous agreement regarding the undertaking. Arrangements for dealing with questions and disputes between the republics were further improved.
 
Of no less importance was the common recognition show of the facts that any menace from without to the peace of our continents concerns all of us and therefore properly is a subject for consultation and cooperation. This was reflected in the instruments adopted by the conference.
 
A suggestion that public hearings on applications be limited to one every six months was taken under advisement by the commission.

Many persons feel at this stage that some legal action is forthcoming but it now becomes common knowledge that there is pressure from the inside which will materially change the aspect of the case.

Future plans will, of necessity, have great bearing on the situation as it now stands. Decisions will have to be made of the actual planning of the project will take considerable time but it is felt that these steps are very important.

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