Ok, so maybe not, but after watching Iron Man, you’ll want to run down the street yelling that too.
Thanks to TechCrunch’s invitation, I was able to get a sneak peak at Iron Man Wednesday, and I can whole heartedly agree with the 96% that this film is currently rocking on Rotten Tomatoes.
It’s the summer blockbuster that you’ve been waiting for, and probably beyond what you’re expecting from it.
Sure, it’s got a great theme song, and the commercials look great, but that’s just the Hollywood Hype Machine running on overdrive, right?
Wrong.
Iron Man is a solid film with a plausible (futuristic) story line, fantastic acting, and top notch tech ogling.
First: Robert Downey Jr. is a bad ass. His role as a billionaire weapons manufacturer that likes fast talk, hard liquor, expensive women and cheap thrills is perfect, and he says each line with a bravado that will surely be emulated by everyone for the next few weeks.
Second: The action doesn’t stop. Sure, it’s a CGI film with plenty of additional special effects; but keep in mind, this is a comic book based movie after all. As is expected with a summer blockbuster, the explosions are over the top, the battles drag out, and the eye candy is ever present, but it’s always done in a way that lends itself to the story line, and never seems out of place.
Third: This is a tech head’s dream flick. From 3D holographic displays and futuristic UI to a sassy computer and robotic assistants, it’s a look into the future at what everyone hopes the world will become.
If you have a chance, then go see this movie, because you won’t be disappointed.
As 2006 draws to a close, and 2007 draws near, DYH is going to make the first in a series of annual predictions for the upcoming year. What’s going to be hot, and what’s not? Here’s what I think:
Television is going online. More and more shows are going to be available on demand, streamed directly and instantly into your computer. There’s a reason Google paid more than enough for YouTube, and I think it’s because they plan on using the service to distribute full-length television shows. Instead of ads being a part of the show, users will be able to watch their show uninterrupted, and advertisers will make money through AdSense or a similar service. With the growing popularity of DVR services and place shifting technology (ala Slingbox), it’s pretty obvious that people want to watch their programming when they want, where they want, and without commercials, so it’s up to companies to figure out how to advertise differently. Put it online, add a little viral marketing, make it free, easy and customizable, and you’ve got yourself a winner.
Do it all phones will be the must have gadget. With the Moto Q, Palm, HTC and many more developing phones that are as much computer as they are communicator, the phone that does much more than just talk and photograph is going to rapidly gain in popularity.
Apple is going mainstream. With Intel finally on board, and Apple able to run Windows programs, it’s time for a change. Plus, Vista is looking more and more like a disappointment. Thus, it’s going to be the year of the fruit.
Web 2.0 is going to be ubiquitous. As everything goes social, interactive, user based and community oriented, even Time has acknowledged that people run the Internet now. The Internet is going to become a place where people share their ideas and their opinions, and information is going to be spread to more people in more places than ever before.
So there you have it. Some may be right, most will probably be wrong, but I’ve given it a shot. What do you think? Totally off base or spot on? In a year, it’ll be time to look back and look forward again, but until then, I can’t wait to see what the world brings.
There’s something strikingly eerie about a person’s words, body language and tone not all matching when they speak. Your brain has a hard time comprehending what’s going on, and you almost hear what you want to hear and see what you want to see despite what’s actually occurring. The effect can be pretty entertaining as well, as seen in the rise of its use in advertising. This first video, called Truth In Advertising, shows what would happen if everyone spoke with the same body language and tone they would normally use, but actually spoke what was on their minds.
This Cingular commercial shows a mother and daughter with words that don’t match their body language so that they are agreeing with each other in a very argumentative tone.
This Citibank commercial shows two ladies talking with each other but with entirely different voices and subject matter dubbed over.
Each video manipulates the way we speak in a different manner, and each seems to confuse us in a different way, though each still manages to entertain. Sound good ‘cause they free. Shoot.
