Are You Still Looking?

Seriously. Isn't it obvious you'll never find your keys? I'm really pretty good at hiding stuff.

So enough beating around the bush. This blog and I are through. Please don't cry! After all, most good things have to come to an end. And I say 'most' because some good things just change into better things. This blog is one of them.

And that's change we can believe in.

That's right, your keys will remain safely hidden... on Facebook. A lot has changed over on the old FB. What was once bland and droll has a new freshness and charisma. In the name of consolidation and cutting-edge technology adoption, I will be utilizing my Facebook wall as a blog.

So all of your favorite movie posters, featured artists, and more will live on. It may look different, but underneath it's just the status quo. I'm going to try to make the wall as accessible as possible, but I haven't quite figured out a way to accommodate non-FBers.

Hopefully the day will come when Facebookans and Blogocrats can live together in peace and understanding. But until a new Idea rises from the chaos, we'll have to make the best of the imperfect system that we've been given.


I'm Michael Sean Hansen and I approve this message.

Hit the Links: Wordle

Hey all. I found this cool site that creates a word cloud based any site. Here's mine:



The 'Ga' kind of baffled me until I realized I have Spoon to thank for that. Ha ha. And I like how it says 'Just Think' in the center.

Fellow bloggers, give it a try!

Road Trip Playlist

I just got back from a great 4th of July weekend back home. What more do you need besides the 3 F's? (family, friends, and fireworks)

Soon I will be asleep, but sometimes you just gotta blog. Here's my road trip playlist. This is what I listened to while driving, to liven up the 20 most boring hours of the weekend --

Angels and Airwaves - We Don't Need To Whisper





Nelly - Country Grammar.





U2 - The Joshua Tree. I had high hopes for this album and I have to admit I was let down. The bulk of the record withers compared to the first three songs.



Green Day - American Idiot.





The Beatles - Abbey Road





Rent - Original Broadway Cast Recording. I think my sing-along phase kicked in about here.




Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light





The All-American Rejects - Move Along





OK Go - OK Go





The Killers - Sawdust. I say Sawdust is actually better than Sam's Town. Anyone agree?




Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend. My trip back to Provo began here. There's nothing like a little M79 in the morning.




Phantom Planet - Phantom Planet Is Missing





Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga





The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band





Guns N' Roses - Greatest Hits





Against Me! - Reinventing Axl Rose. This seemed appropriate after a little G-N'-R.




Billy Joel - The Essential Billy Joel





Once - Original Soundtrack. Ah, memories of Sundance just came flooding back. I think I'm going to volunteer again next year.




Dispatch - MSH mix. I was on a full detour down memory lane at this point. Dispatch = Seattle.




Modest Mouse - MSH mix.





Albums I wish I had with me: Queen - Greatest Hits I, II, & III (I think I've lost these... nooo!!); Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely (I can't wait to get my hands on this one); Radiohead - Pablo Honey (forgot to bring it... big mistake).

Goodnight!

The Fall

Due to some recent developments involving people moving away and/or dating other people, I can see a lot of nights at home in my future. So I think it's time to take the blog off the backburner and put it... well, not on a front burner, but maybe one of those cozy middle ones.

Which brings us to The Fall. As I've occasionally mentioned it to people, I've noticed that most haven't even heard of it. Time to fix that! The story revolves around a crippled stunt man telling an epic fable to a little Romanian girl. The resulting imagery is some of the most stunning art I've ever seen on screen.

A small taste.
And I'm not exaggerating! You'll see stuff you've never imagined, and it's all done without computer graphics. That said, DO NOT watch the trailer! Let yourself be surprised. I hope people get the chance to see the movie, because it doesn't disappoint.

... And One

So the blog is officially on the backburner. Sorry. But here are a few somethings for y'all:


First up is this video of a live-action WALL-E. This thing is alive! Look out for him at your local Disneyland.


Next up is my job. It's a good one! I thought I'd post a link so everyone can see my new playground.

Weekend Update

Hey all, sorry about the lack of posts lately. Here's an update, though. I just landed a job at BYU Broadcasting as a New Media Developer. I don't know exactly what that entails -- is the media new or am I a new developer? But I can say that it has to do with the internet and programming.


On another front, I just saw Iron Man, the first of my summer movie picks. I'm happy to report that it doesn't disappoint. I think this is gonna be a solid summer. And if you haven't heard, stay to the end of the credits.

Micro Posts

• I'm done with finals!


• I saw Islands last night and they were rad!


• The job search is going well.


• I'm off to California!

That was a lot of exclamation points. Life's good.

Another Hiding Place

If anybody's been wondering where I've been the last few days, this should answer your questions.

Introducing... ihavehiddenyourkeys.com !!!


Hopefully it helps me get a job. Enjoy!

And I Quote...

"We stand by as children starve by the millions because we lack the will to eliminate hunger. Yet we have found the will to develop missiles capable of flying over the polar cap and landing within a few hundred feet of their target. This is not innovation. It is the profound distortion of humanity's purpose on earth."

- Former Senator Mark Hatfield

I heard that in one of my classes yesterday.

The Future of DIsney/Pixar

Well this news is a day old, but for anyone who hasn't heard, Disney and Pixar just announced their upcoming films in a press release. Here's it is distilled down to the interesting stuff...

Pixar:

Up
Release date: 29 May 2009
Synopsis: "Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life."

My hunch is that this will be like Ratatouille - well-made, but a little on the slow side.

Toy Story 3
Release date: 18 June 2010
Synopsis: "The creators of the beloved Toy Story films re-open the toy box and bring moviegoers back to the delightful world of Woody, Buzz and our favorite gang of toy characters in Toy Story 3."

Not much of a synopsis, but you can't really go wrong with a Toy Story story.

Newt
Release date: Summer 2011
Synopsis: "What happens when the last remaining male and female blue-footed newts on the planet are forced together by science to save the species, and they can't stand each other? Newt and Brooke embark on a perilous, unpredictable adventure and discover that finding a mate never goes as planned, even when you only have one choice. Love, it turns out, is not a science."

From any other studio I'd expect a lot of awkward jokes to come from a premise like that, but Pixar can handle it.

The Bear and the Bow
Release date: Christmas 2011
Synopsis: "A rugged and mythic Scotland is the setting for Pixar's action-adventure The Bear and the Bow. The impetuous, tangle-haired Merida, though a daughter of royalty, would prefer to make her mark as a great archer. A clash of wills with her mother compels Merida to make a reckless choice, which unleashes unintended peril on her father's kingdom and her mother's life. Merida struggles with the unpredictable forces of nature, magic and a dark, ancient curse to set things right."

They're being a little coy with the plot details, but this sounds pretty epic.

Cars 2
Release date: Summer 2012
Synopsis: "All the world's a racetrack as racing superstar Lightning McQueen zooms back into action, with his best friend Mater in tow, to take on the globe's fastest and finest in this thrilling high-octane new installment of the Cars saga."

Wow, I didn't know Cars was a saga! Actually, Cars has been my least favorite Pixar film so far, but that doesn't mean much... That's like trying to pick your least favorite Beatles song.


Disney:

Bolt
Relese date: 26 November 2008
Synopsis: "For super-dog Bolt (voiced by John Travolta), every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue -- at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the canine star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet -- a cross-country journey through the real world."

Hmm... talking dogs, a cross-country journey? Sounds a bit like Homeward Bound, eh? At least Disney is copying its own movies...

The Princess and the Frog
Release date: Christmas 2009
Synopsis: "A musical set in the greatest city of them all, New Orleans, The Princess and the Frog marks Disney's return to the timeless art form of traditional animation. The film teams Ron Clements and John Musker, creators of "The Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin," with Oscar®-winning composer Randy Newman to tell the most beautiful love story ever told ... with frogs, voodoo, and a singing alligator."

This is actually my favourite of this pack. I'm not the biggest Randy Newman fan, but I can't wait for another classic fairy tale in hand-drawn animation.

Rapunzel
Release date: Christmas 2010
Synopsis: "In this new telling of the classic fairy tale, Rapunzel, audiences will be transported to a stunning CG fantasy world complete with the iconic tower, an evil witch, a gallant hero and, of course, the mysterious girl with the long golden tresses."

I think it's too early to tell on this one, because there are so many directions they could take it. But just the word "mysterious" gives me hope.

King of the Elves
Release date: Christmas 2012
Synopsis: "Legendary storyteller Phillip K. Dick's short story (his only experiment in the fantasy genre) becomes the basis for this fantastic and imaginative tale about an average man living in the Mississippi Delta, whose reluctant actions to help a desperate band of elves leads them to name him their new king."

We're going way into the future here, but I'll just say that this sounds amazing. I really think Disney is slowly getting it's mojo back.


For more details, you can check out the full press release here.

Shotgun Stories (Trailer)

Here's another movie that probably won't get much face time. But it looks amazing.

Dionysos

Just thought I'd pass along this little bit of animated goodness.

Photos: Vampire Weekend @ In the Venue

The preps invade! Here are some photos... I apologize again for my photography. It looks like the lens is dirty... or something.




That's Chris Thompson, alive and well. And the dude can drum!



It was a cool but very short show. As in they seriously only played for about 45 minutes. We got to hear a couple of new songs though, which were also wonderful - I can't wait for their next CD!!

Dawn of the Posters

Time for another round of posters... Some of these are just so amazing. Also, from now on I'm gonna try to track down the designers for these, because I think they deserve more credit for their work.


















First up is the visual acid trip category. This poster for My Blueberry Nights (by Indika Entertainment Advertising) is on the sparkly, highly-saturated bandwagon. Blueberry Nights is full of A-listers, including Norah Jones, but I have to say the movie looks pretty boring. At least the poster has something going for it.

I don't quite know how to describe The Fall, but boring it is not. This is the latest dreamscape by the director of The Cell. The poster (by The Arterie) reminds me of something Salvador Dali would have done - like it or not, it stays with you.


















Up next is the best of the West. These both have a sort of gritty and over-exposed feel to them. Don't let the posters fool you, though - neither film is a Western in the strictest sense. Sukiyaki Western Django is an artsy Japanese take on the genre (think The Ring meets 3:10 to Yuma meets Pulp Fiction). There's nothing revolutionary going on with the poster, but it's very well put-together.

Surveillance, meanwhile, is a rough looking thriller directed by David Lynch's daughter, Jennifer. The rotoscoped look isn't too common with posters like this, and I think the type work adds to the freshness of it.


















These last two are so simple but they still manage to instantly grab you. The X-Files 2 poster (by BLT) made it on here just for creativity (even though it completely defies the laws of physics).

This poster for Funny Games is my favorite of the bunch. It was designed by Crew Creative, which also seems to have the coolest portfolio of the bunch. The concept is so simple, but it has emotion. The positioning of the type is genius! Well done all around.

Photos: The New Nervous @ Velour

Featured Artist: Jasper de Beijer

de Beijer had an exhibit in Denver that I got to see last week. He has a grunge-influenced style of sculpture that's pretty cool.

Mike's Future Pic Picks

This is a dark time for fanboys. There's no more Lord of the Rings. No more Star Wars (unless you count this summer's animated Clone Wars). And hopefully there won't be any more Spider-Man (sorry, but I just can't take another disappointment).

So what do we have to look forward to?

Hey, stop crying! (Seriously, you're embarrassing yourself.) Now don't worry, there's hope... and mine rest on the talents of Zack Snyder and James Cameron.

First up is Snyder's adaptation of the superhero tale Watchmen. The story in question comes from the highly regarded graphic novel by Alan Moore, and revolves around a band of unwanted superheroes fighting to prevent an imminent apocalypse. Think The Incredibles with higher stakes. I really dug it.


Zack (we're on a first name basis) just released some photos of the main characters, and my excitement was kicked up to dangerous levels. Some of the costumes in the novel admittedly looked a little goofy (see below), so I was happy to see he's taking the project in a cool direction.

If looking ridiculous was a super power...

Watchmen comes out on March 6, 2009. 336 days to midnight....

Next up is the James Cameron project, Avatar. This has already become the most hyped movie since The Phantom Menace. Cameron returns to his sci-fi roots with an epic tale about... some sort of galactic clash of cultures.

Most of what we know about Avatar right now comes from speculation and some fake art (really... don't believe them, it's fake). The excitement is mainly building around the technology behind the film, which involves a new type of motion capture.

Cameron's comments in a recent interview put me in nerd heaven:"I don't know if this will be a good film, great film, awful film, but I can say with absolute certainty that you will see stuff you've never imagined."Who knew a single sentence could make me so happy? Notice he doesn't say "stuff you've never seen." It's stuff we've never imagined. Avatar is slated for a December 18, 2009 release.

So there are your shining stars on the cinematic horizon. There really is hope.

A Shafer Story

Here's Alex and Megan's wedding seen through my eyes.

It all went down at the LDS temple in Denver.


This is Alex's youngest brother (left) and some other kid. It appears their favorite number is 2.


Yay!


Here are all the Shafers as presently constituted.


I think maybe they like each other.


The reception had some nice decorations. It was almost like being outside... except for the ceiling of course.


Cake.


Sorry for the awful photography. The best man speech was a nice moment though.


Car destruction in progress.


This one about sums up the weekend. Good times.