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An interesting, if borderline sci-fi story from The New York Times details how the American Army is testing soldiers for their ability to detect danger and risk with their minds. While on patrol in Iraqi and Afghan villages, some seem better able to anticipate road-side bombs and the like than others, making them a valuable [...]

What’s a good sci-fi or fantasy series without a fascinating, deeply rich urban locale to serve as its backdrop? Batman’s got Gotham, Superman has Metropolis, and any comparable franchise that plans to stick around would do good to create comparable settings from which subplots and supporting characters can emerge to provide new narratives and continuing [...]

An interesting article in the Technology section of Sunday’s New York Times had us on the edge of our seats as we read about how the U.S. army combat trains its digital soldiers. This, of course, reminded us of so many films that struggle with the problematic narrative dilemma of how to make a story [...]

We’re really digging the new visual flair that digital technology is opening up to the advertising world. Now that blockbuster visual effects don’t have blockbuster price tags, one-minute and 30-second spots can afford to swing for the bleachers. This week’s edition of Thursday’s 3 Cool Videos is entirely devoted to imaginative mini-world-making, as showcased in [...]

The premise behind the henchman character is fascinating: rather than create a complete cast of bad guys, films, TV shows, comic books and the like use one instantly recognizable costume to create entire armies. This lets protags branch out, and instead of direct duels they can perform acrobatic feats, taking out entire platoons with one [...]

We’d never really thought of albinos as a group targeted for oppression and violence – the albino we pay closest attention to, rapper Brother Ali, seems pretty empowered – but a New York Times article yesterday highlighted an emerging practice in Tanzania of killing albinos for their body parts. A recent cycle of myths and [...]

Film trilogies, and the various fluctuations of the franchise as it expands, are hotly debated topics that virtually everybody has their piece to speak about. Thankfully, Dan Meth has put all the squabbling to rest with this helpful infographic rating each installment of 21 Movie Trilogies.

(via FFFFOUND!)

If the 2008 U.S. Presidential election proved anything (aside from the unassailable fact the we live in a post-race, soon to be post-oil society), it showed that we’re still a culture who enjoy a fun good v. bad, black v. white duel. Unreality picked up on that love of the good fight with this terrific [...]

The bloggers at Den of Geek compiled an epic list of the Top 50 Trips in Movies, ranging from eerily poignant hallucinations (Requiem for a Dream) to coked-up dance-offs (Starksy & Hutch). Here are their top ten picks:
10. American Beauty Suburban dad Kevin Spacey picks up a pot habit from the teen dealer next door, [...]

In a strange moment of list community synergy, our friends at NextRound.net and io9.com both published lists today lampooning the strained efforts of a leading blockbuster buff. The former offers five touchstone moments in Keanu Reeves and the Lost Art of Bad Acting, while the latter chronicles Arnold Schwarzenegger’s 10 Greatest Acting Challenges.
Despite similar themes, [...]