The Movie Oracle

The gods are coming back?

Dionysos, god of wine: Yes, we are! Long ago the gods grew weary of man's problems and "outsourced" our duties to upstart religions. But retirement got boring and now we're turning once again to the mortal realm, and finding it a very different world. Where to begin getting in touch with this new culture? With movies, of course!

Athena, goddess of wisdom: And other things. I look out for social issues, Dio for aesthetics. Apollo goes for the intellectual, Ares for action, Hera for family values, and so on. Each god gives their unique view on today's cinema and society.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Hacking Democracy (2006)

Ares, god of war: Why is everybody having a hissy fit about the Iran election fraud? Isn't it to be expected from terrorist Muslims? Who needs a flick about voting?--I vote with my spear. Thumbs down.


Athena, goddess of wisdom: Yikes! And with that introduction, my war-happy friend, allow me to comment. First of all, to be fair, Iranian fraud is only suspected at this point. Second, not all Muslims are terrorists. And finally, are you forgetting what happened not so long ago in the elections of the supposed champion of democracy, the United States of America? Questions are still unanswered. One strand of that tangled web is unraveled in this documentary. Thumbs up

Hephaestus, craftsman of the gods: I admit I'm handier with a hammer than a keyboard, but machines are my deal. Can the voting machines used in U.S. presidential elections be hacked? Or is fraud just a third world problem? This team's work concerns me. Thumbs up.



Two thumbs up, one thumb down

HACKING DEMOCRACY
In this documentary, Bev and her team of activists investigate the super-secret software used by American electronic voting machines to discover whether it can be hacked. The results are telling.
Director: Simon Ardizzone, Russell Michaels
Cast:
Bev Harris, Kathleen Wynne, Andy Stephenson, Harri Hursti, Herbert Hugh Thompson, Ion Sancho
Rotten Tomatoes rating: N/A

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Get it from Hacking Democracy

Friday, May 1, 2009

A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash

Athena, protectress of the city: Virtually everything in modern society depends, directly or indirectly, on one thing: oil. What happens when the oil runs out? That's the question in this eye-opening documentary. Thumbs up.


Hermes, god of commerce: Nothing the free market can't fix! Necessity is the mother of invention, and the forces that drive commerce will spur people to find new sources of energy to sustain their current way of life. This Peak Oil scare is a bunch of fuss over nothing. Thumbs down.

Orion, the great hunter: I'm not so sure. I once had that same attitude. I thought I could hunt and hunt and never make a dent in the abundance of mother nature. But when my overly-successful lifestyle led to the near-extinction of wildlife, Gaia got righteously pissed and sent a scorpion after me. Now look at me: a constellation in the night sky, barely visible what with the lights of the big city and all. Modern civilization could end up the same way, as a mere relic and reminder to future civilizations of what not to do. Thumbs up.

Two thumbs up, one thumb down
A CRUDE AWAKENING: THE OIL CRASH
Peak Oil experts introduce the problem, the reality of the current situation, and speculate on the future. For a note of hope, see The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil.


Get it from A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Chad Vader

Dionysos, god of wine: Well, we here at The Movie Oracle have cut back on reviewing movies proper, but we're not giving up on movies altogether. Certainly not on b-movies. No way! So here is a real treat for you. Darth Vader's younger, less-talented brother is the day shift manager at Empire food market. I laughed so hard wine came out my nose. Thumbs up.

Zeus, Lord of Olympos: The mighty Zeus feels for this Lord Chad. His insolent subjects talk back to him, his attempts to impress the check-out girl fall flat... There was a day when all it took was a lightning bolt to whip mortals into submission. Alas! Poor Zeus. Er, I mean... poor Chad. Thumbs up.

Demeter, goddess of agriculture: Aww, Zeusie. Sounds like somebody needs a hug. You can fertilize my furrows with your tears anytime. As for the videos, wow... is that what the produce section looks like these days? I hadn't really paid attention since people stopped dedicating the first fruits of the harvest to me. It used to be that you could only get ripe fruits like that in season, when I wasn't pissed at my daughter Persephone for shacking up with Hades. Now you can get them all year long? Gosh, I guess I'm not needed much anymore. Now I need a hug. Thumbs up.


Three thumbs up

CHAD VADER
Chad Vader is a low-budget series of shorts published on Youtube by Blame Society. At present there are two seasons, several training videos, and Vader after the dentist. Visit BlameSociety.net and their Youtube channel for more fun.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Dear Gods! #2

Dionysos, god of comedy: And now, let us present the second installment in our exclusive comic strip of mythic proportions!