Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Underthinking Film remakes

So today well desperately trying to find ideas of what to write about, seriously I think I know why a lot of batsmen go out in the 90's, you start to close in on your 100 (Currently sitting on 96 posts) and things start to change, every run is just much harder to get, I was cruising in the 50's knocking out posts left right and center, now I just can't get the bat on the ball. So to avoid being the blog worlds Stephen Fleming I will press on so I avoid becoming a heat pump spokesperson.
(Translation for those no cricket people, I am struggling with ideas)

Although if Fujitsu do want to pay me my email is on the side ====>
I was reading a story to day about how they are about to remake Footloose.
Just some background Hollywood in the 80's was run by a powerful Canadian by the name of Kenny Loggins,

The power broker

and if you wanted to make a movie without one of the big three Seagal, Stallone, or Schwarzenegger in it, you better be using one of Kenny's songs. The list of movies includes Caddyshack, Top Gun, Footloose and CaddyShack II. I am pretty sure they were the only movies without the big 3 in them.
And it was a close run thing with caddy shack.
But I digress the reason this story intrigues me, is why are the studios remaking all the old movies we have? Sure, sometimes you look at old movies and are like, with the advances in technology this movie could have looked visually cooler. Although I am not sure how this would have helped Footloose.

You know what we should make the preachy dad a ROBOT!
But for the most part the flaws in movies are what makes them work. Like why didn't Kevin Bacon leave and go to Las Vegas or somewhere where he could dance.

Wasn't he like 26, what the hell is he doing in the high school?
Because if he did that there would be no film would there. But this isn't the only case of remakes, there are endless number of these films, and they seem to be getting more and more common. I know lots of old movies are just books turned into movies, but at least its the same story told in a different medium.
And when I am talking about remake I am not talking about oh well Star Wars is actually a retelling of some Japanese fairy tale, only difference is the names, and its in space.

True Story, if you directly adapt from left: Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker.
At least George Lucas attempted to discern it, and besides the source material is in Japanese so my remaking it in English at least it opens up a new audience. Just like how Americans remake British shows, and cinema because they can't understand them.

"Why doesn't this have subtitles?"
At least the office wrote new scripts for the trans-Atlantic relocation. Death at a Funeral just took the same script and redid it. Although lets not just blame the Americans, the Indians did it as well, although they did change the title to Daddy Cool.

Seriously they were 4 years apart!
Which is also a probably cinemas are starting to reduce the period of time between remakes. The original Hulk film was in 1970's , a similar one was released in 2003, then another in 2008. I am sure next time I go to the cinema I will have to choose between two hulk movies.

"Would you like to go to the 6.30 "The Hulk" or the 8.15?
6.30 is directed by Michael Bay, and 8.15 by M Knight Shyamalan"
Seriously and I am not always convinced the remakes are improvements either, they remade "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory" which focussed the story on Charlie, with "Charlie and the Chocolate factory" which obviously was more focussed on Willy Wonka. Critics raved about how the new one was so much darker, I wasn't convinced.

This guy is seeming normal but shouldn't be allowed near schools, he is creepy.
This guy is clearly insane, and would be locked up before there was a problem.
So it would seem to me all hope is lost and no one can come up with any new original ideas, to entertain me.

A ray of hope??

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Underthinking Adidas All Black prices.

So today the mainstream media has picked up on a story most of us knew about yesterday. Evidently you can purchase one of the new All Black jerseys from a website based in Birmingham, Alabama for roughly half the price that it costs to buy in NZ.
Whut in tarnation is Rugby?
That's what I thought you would say stereotypical redneck hick. You may not know what the sport is, but you do know how to sell Jerseys for a cheap price.
If I wish to purchase the new All Black Jersey in NZ, that would cost me $189.00 NZD.


Quite frankly I think that is a reasonable rate for body-painting.
I am sure this Young man's body painting cost at least twice that.


If you go to the aforementioned website, you can purchase the very same  for $79.99 USD, then it costs you roughly $15 USD for shipping. Now if I consult my forex trader
Underthinking it's resident Forex trader Jillian - Yes she is a hottie
 She tells me at the current exchange rate those prices convert to $92.90 and $17.42 respectively, now if I reach for my calculator.

Little bit retro, little bit modern.
 I discover those two costs together only come to $110.32 NZD. Wait what??! That is around %60 of the cost in NZ. (My abacus isn't so flash for division). That doesn't seem right, I mean I presume the shirts are all manufactured in China?
Are they using bigger boats to transport the shirts to USA, then NZ, cutting down shipping costs?
Fred, I am not sure this is the most efficient way to get shirts to NZ.
Irregardless it seems a little strange it is cheaper to ship something to NZ via the east coast of the USA, than directly.
"Wait. What about GST?"

Good point generic guy in a suit. I should add GST to my American Jersey to make this a fair comparison. This raises my American shirts price to $126.86, this is still $60 cheaper than the NZ counterpart.
Oh what about about buying power? America is capable of buying more units therefore will receive bulk discount. This makes sense for Apple products or other electronics, but All Black Jerseys?

I think the demand for All Black Jerseys in America could be fulfilled in these two boxes.
 Although now the cat is out of the bag about the price of Jerseys in America, I imagine the demand will go through the roof. Our friend in Alabama will probably be able to buy a new pick up truck, or whatever it is people from Alabama spend their money on.

A lot of Country Western Albums I would imagine.
I think the real blame though isn't the retailers, it is on Adidas themselves, as they set the wholesale price differently in each region (according to Adidas guy on radio this morning). They claim in this article it is to protect against currency fluctuations. I know the foreign markets are volatile, but for these prices to match the dollar would have to drop to 67 US cents. A drop of 20 cents, we live in NZ, not Zimbabwe or between World Wars Germany, Adidas. Why are you charging us so much??

Personally I think they are still trying to pay off Run DMC endorsement.

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