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Weekly Film Log: January 12-18
Posted on 19 January, 2014 by Lyzette
No work and no school makes Lyzette an over-caffeinated movie-crazed gal.
Working Girl (1988) – dir. Mike Nichols
Watched on 12 January
Working Girl is a pleasant sort of film, though undoubtedly one of the weirdest Best Picture nominees out there. I wasn't expecting it to be too much, and with that being said, it fulfilled my expectations completely. Melanie Griffith plays her role here with dignity and grace, though I suppose she could have been a bit less flat at bits, specifically at the parts that required her to exert more emotion than normal. I was surprised to see Sigourney Weaver nail her wildly comedic role, as I'm only familiar with her in more serious, straight-faced roles. She was exactly what her role called for, and then some; I just loved her biting humor.
Harrison Ford was probably the hottest thing in 1988, so of course he's in this film. And he was alright, playing handsome, successful, often conveniently-shirtless businessman pretty well. Apart from everything else, this is just what one would expect from a romantic comedy from the 80s. It is, however, worth watching, as it has its own kind of charm, and a pleasant, satisfying script to match. I'm a bit biased with these kinds of flicks, but it definitely seems to possess a flair of rewatchability all its own. Formulaic, yet fun.
Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013) – dir. David Lowery
There's so much to admire about Ain't Them Bodies Saints, especially as David Lowery doesn't have much other feature-length directions under his belt. The cinematography is gorgeous, and the acting is all done marvelously. Particular praise from me goes toward Casey Affleck and Keith Carradine. It's slow, dreamy pace at times gets jarred by the intense realistic violence at its core that bubbles up in quite shocking ways. In such respects, it succeeds greatly.
However, the film is unfortunately held back by a sadly conventional plot that rarely makes the story of the key couple very interesting. It very much wants to be a Malick film, especially taking notes from Badlands in mood and substance. But apart from a few aforementioned moments of trauma and violence, the emotional center of this film isn't exactly demonstrated in the most meaningful ways. It's beautiful on an aesthetic level, but without that certain special element of humanity, Ain't Them Bodies Saints feels rather superficial and, ultimately, empty and cold.
Museum Hours (2013) – dir. Jem Cohen
In terms of its plot, nothing much happens in Museum Hours. Essentially, two people meet at a museum and commence in a friendship, with discussion about their lives, reflections, and meditations on art. Beyond this, however, it is a film that is brimming with more life and vivacity than may be apparent at its surface. It brings up questions and reflections on the relationship between art and life, particularly the art of the big-name dead guys whose works fill prestigious galleries all around the world. It reminds us that these works of art did not just appear out of thin air; rather, the working hands behind them were attached to real, living, breathing human beings with genuine inspirations. And their inspirations were life itself.
Thus, it progresses to show just how meaningful to modern society these artworks – and, moreover, art as a whole – really is. As day-to-day living and personal perspective was reembodied in unique ways then, so it continues now. I loved the slow pace this film gave off, presenting muted images of notable pieces of art in ways that help to illuminate the fine beauty of their existence. Its minimalist cinematography and acting really worked to its benefit as well. There were moments where it seemed the message of the film was annoyingly spoon-fed to its audience, rather than allowing itself the means of expression in much more subtler ways. But I digress. Museum Hours may not affect every viewer in nearly the same ways, but it is its own unique thread of narrative that remains fascinating – to me, at least – from beginning to end.
La mala educación (Bad Education) (2004) – dir. Pedro Almodóvar
Who knew that Almodóvar could do sexy crime drama so well? Bad Education tells a tale of a murder mystery that is highlighted by transsexuality, love, and abuse – topics that aren't quite so foreign to Almodóvar's style of writing. What makes this film so unique from this repertoire is just how complex the story is. While works likeAll About My Mother and Talk to Her introduced well-written, flesh-out characters and personalities, Bad Education demonstrates this through its story, which frankly can be a bit hard to follow once its twists are introduced. After some time, however, I was obliged to just ease along with the film; eventually, it all fell into place, and I was able to appreciate it for the well-executed piece of art it is.
It goes without saying that Gael García Bernal gives an outstanding performance with his multi-faceted role, but the other major performers – particularly Fele Martínez, Daniel Giménez Cacho, and Francisco Boira – all go above and beyond their parts. I guess what turned me off a bit were some of the awkward tonal shifts that went on through the film. At bits, I wasn't sure if it wanted to be a sensual art flick or a crime narrative. Although this is hardly the fault of the film itself, as it was paced nicely and offered a fair amount of satisfying surprises along the way. Its meta-commentary compliments such aforementioned mood changes in ways that make it seem almost completely natural. Talk to Her still remains my very favorite Almodóvar film, and while I was slightly disappointed that this film didn't "click" with me the way the former did, it certainly is well-devised, sensitively-treated, and a fine member of his dense filmography.
Jagten (The Hunt) (2013) – dir. Thomas Vinterberg
Format: iTunes rental
Knowing next to nothing about The Hunt before going in, I had been told beforehand that it would infuriate me. And infuriate me it did. I'm not familiar with Festen, but I was struck by the level of intensity that the film takes with its narrative, while also handling its subject matter very sensitively. The cinematography of this film is great, showing things in ways to make them seem as realistic as possible. And I probably wouldn't be the first to praise the talents of Mads Mikkelsen, who drives the film along with his frustrating, unfair plight. I'd also like to point out that the young Annika Wedderkopp also does a tremendous job. Although most scenes require her to be little else than a catalyst for all events that follow, she has moments of quiet intensity that cause everything else around her to tense up in ambiguous enigma.
Overall, the film painfully and accurately teases out the downsides of a society that values a "guilty until proven innocent" system of discipline. We see our protagonist make the gradual downfall from charismatic everyman to hated perpetrator, all via a progression of false accusations that are beyond his control. It's a frustrating experience – but rewardingly so. Although the ending isn't quite as strong as I would have preferred – especially given the consistent potency of the rest of the film – it certainly shows some fine craft at work, from both the hands of the filmmaker and the talents of the performers.
The Act of Killing (Director's Cut) (2013) – dir. Joshua Oppenheimer, Christine Cynn, & Anonymous
There are very few instances (if any?) that I could safely describe a documentary film as "surreal". The Act of Killing, however, is one that is most deserving of such a definition. It left me shocked, bewildered, infuriated, and speechless. It's a starling reminder of the truly dreadful, inhumane parts of the world that still still prescribes its injustice as the norm. The ridiculousness and bizarreness of it all – along with the fact that such a film could even exist in the first place – hits us like a slap to the face. As I'm writing this, the painful sting is still apparent.
The premise seems almost made up. Here we have the closest, most vivid account of a real-life group of mass murderers than we're probably ever going to get. While the film refuses to glorify this all, the fact that the country praises such mass extermination of communists so freely and openly makes it hard to escape. The country seems trapped inside a bubble, an alternate reality where such injustices not only go unpunished, but are encouraged and instilled into everyday life.
Anwar Congo is the head of this narrative, seeming to possess a messiah-like public and self-image that is highlighted by his charisma, his charm, that infectious twinkle in his eye. Yet it is with this nonchalant demeanor that he openly tells of the brutal executions he had accomplished in his heyday. This, I think, is where the most disturbing contrasts of the film come into play. It's absurd to the Western imagination just how someone could directly and actively contribute to the slaughtering of hundreds of his own people, yet also sees himself as Sidney Poitier. Our views of such brutality are connoted by images of mean-looking, powerful white men, extermination camps, mass graves… yet, here's a man who looks like he could be anyone's sweet grandfather. It's a thin line that the film intentionally blurs, making the reality of the whole work all the more discomforting.
The amazing thing about this film is how the subject matter is implemented in such ways that it is never sensationalized. The crucial detail that THIS IS REALITY is subtle in the context of the film, yet forever burning in the back of our skulls. The substance is surreal, hallucinogenic, and further illuminated by the cinematography, which is often rather breathtaking and beautiful. The final third, however, is where all the weight sets in, and while I won't speak any details, I will say that it is one of the most powerful, shocking endings I've seen in any documentary. It's hard to say that this is my favorite film of 2013 (I'm still partial to the cuddly bittersweetness of Her), but it's certainly the most profound viewing experience I've had from the year. It's one of the most important films to come out in quite a while, and it earns my highest of recommendations.
Blood Simple (1984) – dir. Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Blood Simple has got to be one of the most solid debut efforts of any filmmaker that went on to consistent greatness. Presented in a dense package of delicious slow-burn neo-noir, it fully takes advantage of the "show, don't tell" method of storytelling. It's sleek and stylish, though not without a generous share of its crime narrative strung together by a serious of misunderstandings and significant cynicism. There are no pretenses, no wild twists, no over-the-top action sequences; just good old-fashioned, hard-boiled, pulpy, immersive thrills. And it all works out so very, very perfectly.
What I find most impressive, I think, is just how trim and tight a lot of the technical aspects are. Some of the editing choices felt a bit unusual to me, but I think the way it's all held together by its very splendid sound design, which pulses as the plot moves forward and makes such cuts meaningful. Even the dialogue has its fair share of classic Coen wit, the most notable of which can be found in its tremendous closing line. It's a bleak, grim kind of film, which great performances and an unmistakably polished aesthetic that, coupled with its prominent pessimism and formidable narrative, makes for a genuinely terrific, traditional neo-noir. Glad to see more good things have come from this stunning debut.
The Thief and the Cobbler: The Recobbled Cut (1993) – dir. Richard Williams
Format: YouTube
Alternate cut complied by Garrett Gilchrist
Pardon my French, but this is bullshit. As a lover of animation, the fact that someone's artistic vision – one that they toiled over for a good part of their adult life – was seized away from them for selfish monetary reasons, leaving behind only a husk of what their original ambitions would have developed into – this makes my blood boil. Fortunately, within the past decade, Garrett Gilchrist has put together an unofficial reconstruction of what Williams' original premise would have ripened into – thus, the Recobbled Cut. This "final" product isn't a masterpiece by any means, but it does give us a rough idea of what could have been had the unfortunate circumstances surrounding this ambitious idea not come into play.
For one thing (and probably the most obvious thing), the animation here is absolutely fantastic. The backgrounds alone often resemble some ungodly combination of Persian decor and M.C. Escher works of art. And it doesn't stop there. A lot of the fast-moving action and chase sequences simply boggle the mind with their complexity. My ignorance couldn't even begin to fathom how one even imagines some of these sequences, let alone put it on paper in such an effective manner. The plot even resolves itself through what is essentially a lengthy, drawn-out Rube Goldberg sequence – what more could you want??
However, it is the plot itself where I had the most problems. Unfortunately, due to the unfinished status of the material, much of the narrative felt very clumsy, with a storyline that sometimes felt that it wasn't really going anywhere. Moreover, I thought the relationship between the Cobbler and Princess Yum-Yum was seriously underdeveloped. However, I hold these complaints at an utmost minority, since I'm sure that much of it isn't at the fault of the film itself. But once again, since we could never really know how things could have been, the best we could do is work with the material that's accessible at the moment. It was a very frustrating watch for this reason.
But regardless of this disconnect, the voice acting was still very well-done, with special regards to Vincent Price, who was just a delight. The character of the Cobbler is very reminiscent of Chaplin's Tramp character, and the personalities of him and the Thief were given a delightful quirkiness, replete with an almost unexpected sense of humor. As a whole and in spite of its unforeseen incompleteness, it's a wonderful work of art. A kind soul has made all parts of the Recobbled Cut available on YouTube, so I urge everyone to watch this gem of a film. Artistically, it's truly one-of-a-kind.
The Croods (2013) – dir. Kirk De Micco & Chris Sanders
I only really watched The Croods to up the level of animation on my 2013 viewings and frankly, I can't say I didn't get what I was expecting. Every now and then, Dreamworks Animation surprises me with something that is relatively pleasant and non-disposable. Unfortunately, this rarely happens, and while The Croods has some inkling of a spiritual/existential background to it – the likes of which can really only be found in the more "mature" works of Pixar – it still suffers immensely from its debunked humor in attempts to appeal to the younger demographic of viewers. Essentially, the punchlines of the vast majority of its jokes can be summed up by the mere fact that our characters are cavepeople; of COURSE they can't fathom the idea of fire or shoes or pets or photography – they're CAVEPEOPLE! Funny!
The story is also vastly formulaic, with forced third-act development of characters we never found interesting in the first place. The writing is vapid to the point where the characters come off as mind-bogglingly ignorant, rather than realistically naive. Once again, this is all for the sake of its humor, which gets old really, really quickly. Nonetheless, this isn't a terrible film; just completely forgettable in terms of its story and writing. Its possible saving graces come in the form of its beautiful animation – which makes me really wish I had seen this in a theater – and the voice acting by Nicolas Cage who… well, of course he can make a stubborn caveman somewhat intriguing. He's Nicolas Cage!
Secrets & Lies (1996) – dir. Mike Leigh
As I watch more and more of the films of Mike Leigh, one fact becomes increasingly certain: he has a real knack and talent for directing actors. Secrets & Lies is, so far, probably the most evident of this, as his characters here are emitted by way of a group of absolutely splendid, realistic performances. Seriously, it's as if "one-dimensional" is a term that means absolutely nothing to Leigh. Every one of these individuals are wonderfully complex, wrapped up in a whirlwind of hidden secrets that, as their lives progress, have had a profound effect on the foundation of their familial bonds. And as the film moves forward and ties and rediscovered, these pressures seep through, resulting into the explosion of emotion in the final third's climax. It's all paced so wonderfully, and every facet of it – from the acting and direction to the writing, brimming with emotion – is just so perfect.
One of the more spectacular things about this film is that while the issues and complexities that come up are undoubtably serious and human, there is not a moment where the film attempts to be manipulative about its material. It's through the various revelations and teasing-out of its characteristics that we come to confide in the rawness of its substance, as subtle as it is at times. There's a particular moment where one of the characters broke down in tears and, while not completely revealing what's on her mind, you just know. The way these people's stories just feels absolutely personal is something that I think few directors could accomplish so effectively. Fortunately, Leigh handles it with the utmost sensitivity, resulting in a league of truly fine cinema.
The Wild Bunch (1969) – dir. Sam Peckinpah
I'm not a very huge fan of westerns, but in regards to them, I usually prefer the gritty stylishness of spaghetti westerns over the more subtle flair of John Ford. Nothing against the latter; it's just what I seem to go for. With that being said, The WIld Bunch was my first Peckinpah western and I found myself enjoying it quite a bit. For some reason, I'm partial to stories of aging individuals in a particular fields, trying to cope with the changing world around them. The Wild Bunch is exactly this, and while it's certainly not perfect, there is still quite a lot to admire.
One thing I noticed right away was how noticeably more violent than other westerns of this era I have seen. Sure there were shoot-outs and killings in older westerns, but it was in this one where the violent moments felt more raw and – despite the stylishness of it all – kind of realistic. I've heard that this film is a huge influence to a lot of the less-polished films of the genre that are to come, and it's certainly apparent. Also noticeable was quite a number of interesting technical and stylistic choices. A lot of the more quicker, fast-paced action scenes were accompanied by very quick editing, similar to Soviet montage, where some shots only last a couple of frames. Overall, however, it's quite a solid western, and while I don't seem to love it as much as most seem to, I truly admire its craft and appreciate its influence.
Pixote: a Lei do Mais Fraco (a.k.a. Pixote) (1981) – dir. Hector Babenco
Pixote first came to my attention when, earlier this year, Harmony Korine named it as his "favorite film of all time". After I finally got my hands on a copy and watched it, I could certainly see how it could be. It paints a disturbingly vivid portrait of the devastating amount of corruption going on in Brazil at the time, much of which reverberates to the present day. It follows a group of young boys and a trans-girl during their stay in an oppressive, dangerous juvenile reformatory. Yet even after their escape around the middle of the film, the outside world gives them little option to better their lives. They are doomed to a world of corruption and depravity due to forces far beyond their control.
This is certainly not an easy film, and I'd say it truly succeeds as a fierce criticism of the tangled society of Brazilian culture. The level of violence and grittiness portrayed on screen is shocking and certainly not for the squeamish. Nonetheless, the amazing how well these actors – all under the age of 18 – were able to handle their heavy material, especially considering that almost none of them had previous experience. Even more harrowing is how, in result of their criminal lifestyles, many of them died at very young ages; further demonstrating just how closely life imitates art. Though the film is rather harrowing in its own respects, both in its valiant realism and its unrelenting cynicism. Although it's gotten its fair share of positive reception, it seems to be relatively forgotten, which is a shame. Pixote further reminds me that I desperately need to check out more from Brazil's unique brand of rebellious cinema.
Ordinary People (1980) – dir. Robert Redford
The level of emotion that was just so ever-present in Ordinary People absolutely blew me out of the water. It's a poignant look at how a tragedy could so deeply affect the very foundation of what ties every member of the family together. It's a rather ordinary movie with an ordinary plot, but what makes this stand out especially are the powerhouse performances given by every individual involved. Mary Tyler Moore's performance as the painfully distraught mother was what initially impressed me, as this fully presented the level of range she could truly possess. Donald Sutherland does quite a fine job here as well, in a role that brims with desperation, pain, and hopelessness over keeping everything around him secure and insurmountable.
But as the film progressed at its slow pace and the character of Conrad was steadily teased out, I found myself becoming more and more amazed at Timothy Hutton. He truly demonstrated his skills as a young talent, playing a character who held the weight of his inner and outer issues upon his shoulders. His anguish is what drove the film along, and it is what made the film consistently intriguing and engrossing. It's a narrative that peels backs its many emotional layers to reveal an inescapable situational core. It is a dismantling of the nuclear family, breathing life into the superficial images we see in less proficient family films. Although to me it felt a bit too stagey for my liking at points, it wouldn't be fair at all to call this a "flawed" film. It's one of the most emotionally-charged Best Picture winners I've seen, and certainly quite a draining – yet rewarding – experience.
Pariah (2011) – dir. Dee Rees
Here's a coming-of-age tale that I think needs to be seen more in mainstream cinema: one that follows a young, gay female of color. Truly, I think this is a brave tale to tell, especially considering the stigma that is placed on black women exploring their sexuality (usually represented as dirty, immoral, and generally lacking the same mobility that white women and especially white men have in movies). Nonetheless, the story of our protagonist here is presented with an utmost sensitivity and sympathy for her daily issues that hit her at multiple angles. The narrative very genuinely deals with her sexuality in rather realistic ways. Although she is out to her friends, she expresses very real doubts about her presentation from time to time. It really subverts the hypersexualization of black women that I see all-too often in cinema; here, she is low-maintenance and bit shy – in other words, she is human.
Of course, one of the biggest issues surrounding Alike is her already-rocky family, whose foundation slowly deteriorates as her sexuality becomes an ever-increasing complication. Once again, it's remarkable how sensitively this was all treated, never dehumanizing the subject. Since her family is religious, the aggressive push-and-pull of these elements are apparent, yet never shoved in our face so obviously. The conflicts simply continue to build and build, resulting in a tragic conclusion that, sadly, isn't all too uncommon with queer individuals. It's definitely a heartbreaking watch, but it never sucks the life out of the characters or turns into an artifice of melodrama. It simply feels all too real
Adepero Oduye completely blew me away with her performance here. Her plights felt completely genuine, and her mere presence engrossed me with every scene of the film. Her sheer magnetism is apparent and I hope she does more great things in the near future. The film as a whole, however, is unique in the sense that it feels absolutely personal and honest. Every interaction is believable and the emotional arcs moved at a natural pace. It's clear that director Dee Rees poured her heart and soul into this work, and the results are beautiful. More than anything, I'd like to see more characters like Alike and more films like Pariah. I think contemporary cinema could really learn a lot from something like this.
How to Survive a Plague (2012) – dir. David France
Format: Netflix Instant
The courage of the individuals who, as outlined in How to Surivive a Plague, keep up an ongoing two-and-a-half-decade-long fight for accessible AIDS treatment, is insurmountable. This documentary combines talking heads interviews with archival footage to tell the history of ACT UP's struggles, and the results are marvelous. The rallies and demonstrations shown are headed by hundreds of individuals who probably possess more courage than I could ever hope to attain. The fact that a good deal of them are infected with the HIV virus makes their pain incredibly hard to imagine – yet we're with them the whole way.
The message this documentary emits is powerful and unrelenting, exposing the wrongs and disappointments that have been presented by a number of systems responsible for helping these stricken individuals. The many speakers we hear and interesting and offer a truly compelling look at the crisis and issues surrounding it. My one quibble is that we only really hear from the gay white male perspective of the issue, not so much the wider demographic that the virus undoubtably affects. After all, black men and women are probably suffering from AIDS at much higher percentages. The opportunity for a wider perspective on the issue was lost; however, it still remains a rather compelling, very well-edited documentary that should be mandatory viewing for anyone intrigued or affected by the issue of the AIDS epidemic.
This entry was posted in Reviews and tagged 1960's, 1980's, 1990's, 2000's, 2010's, Ain't Them Bodies Saints, animation, Bad Education, Blood Simple, Brazilian, British, Chris Sanders, Christine Cynn, Danish, David France, David Lowery, Dee Rees, documentary, Ethan Coen, Hector Babenco, How to Survive a Plague, Jem Cohen, Joel Coen, Joshua Oppenheimer, Kirk de Micco, Mike Leigh, Mike Nichols, Museum Hours, Ordinary People, Pariah, Pedro Almodovar, Pixote, Richard Williams, Robert Redford, Sam Peckinpah, Secrets and Lies, Spanish, The Act of Killing, The Croods, The Hunt, The Thief and the Cobbler, The Wild Bunch, Thomas Vinterberg, western, Working Girl. Bookmark the permalink.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


FIXYOURTHINKING.COM / Need a brain? Borrow mine!: Will I Be Able To Print From The iPhone? Yes ... Maybe!
Will I Be Able To Print From The iPhone? Yes ... Maybe!
Will I Be Able To Print From The iPhone?
Since taking a job with AT&T (specifically focusing on iPhone support) the most repeated question I have received other than, "Can I get on a reserve list?" is; "Can I print from the iPhone?"
I have to be honest and say ... I don't know.
I say there is a good possibility that the iPhone will be able to print via Bluetooth. If Apple advertises this as "this isn't the watered down version of the internet" - I say the internet is printable. If they advertise "a phone like no other" - I say the average smartphone is VERY difficult to learn how to print from - if you can print from it at all.
This is one thing I loved about the Newton. If you bought an Apple Stylewriter inkjet printer - boom - you were printing with little to no effort.
If I understand Bluetooth correctly - it is a standard in and of itself - for any type of protocol that it is assigned. Meaning - if a "certain something" has the ability to be paired and/or discovered via bluetooth - then it should work.
I know that with both the Kodak and HP bluetooth printers that I have - I did not have to load any drivers and I do not think the drivers were in my basic OS install for these printers.
I would love to hear reader thoughts on this.
[ANSWER] NO ... at least not yet.
[UPDATE] One can now print from the iPhone via HP e series wireless printers. These are the ONLY printers officially supported at this time and can be found at most office and electronics stores online and at retail for $75 and up to $399.99.
ALL HACKS that enable this feature on "other printers" require a very complicated setup and require a nearby computer to be turned on and used as a server.
[UPDATE] The latest iPhone OS 5 allows printing.
"If I understand Bluetooth correctly - it is a standard in and of itself - for any type of protocol that it is assigned. Meaning - if a "certain something" has the ability to be paired and/or discovered via bluetooth - then it should work."
Not exactly, I bought one of the first bluetooth portable printers years back. It was an HP. My Mac could see it but couldn't print to it. When I contacted HP they said that Apple hadn't finished their development of the bluetooth libraries to print from. AKA, Apple hadn't supported it yet. It's like all of those people who own bluetooth cell phones, but can't use iSync with them via bluetooth even though the Mac can see them.
Since it's Apple's first phone, expect a lot of things to be not working yet and there will probably be a big software update right before the Xmas buying season.
I do see your point - I hadn't considered the iSync phone compatibility ... but again ... from my understanding the Sony Ericcson phones that don't work are just a matter of SE's ways of handling the bluetooth "stack" protocol. I know this is true for Nokia phones as they handle BT data in a very very odd approach.
I think printing is a different matter though. Bluetooth 1.1 and 2.0 based printers do not have to have pairing codes (as phones and headsets do).
You are right that the first HP bluetooth printers were not implemented well.
Nope. This will NOT HAPPEN anytime soon. Why? Just navigate to /Library/Printers. OS X has more than 1.5 GB of printer drivers installed by default. To print on iPhone, this would require placing all 1.5 GB of these drivers on the iPhone flash drive. This is more than 35% of the 4GB iPhone hard drive just to be able to print, a single feature that has never been demo'ed.
Alternatively, AAPL could allow the iPhone to pair with a nearby Mac/PC that holds the printer drivers and has printer sharing turned on and then printing directly from iPhone would be nearly seamless.
But direct print from iPhone with no computer middleman will not happen for a good while yet.
Actually it would only need about 20MB of CUPS drivers. And for the record, there are NO drivers in my system folder for the HP 450 BT printer - I even opened the deskjet driver in BBedit.
Besides, there's absolutely NO need to support ANY printer without Wifi or bluetooth. I know for a fact that all HP printers that use bluetooth to print use the same protocol.
I see a limited number of printers that could be supported with very little impact on the storage.
I'm a Treo 700p user who upgraded from a Newton. Primarily because I was able to Print using PalmPrint from Stevens Creek Software.
I print to a Canon i70 and an HP 350 via IrDa. Works just fine although the Newton applications were better and printed WYSIWYG better than the Treo.
As a former Bluetooth product developer, I hope I can provide some more accurate insight.
Bluetooth is an open standard controlled by a non-profit consortium of member companies - including Apple, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, etc. - most companies which make Bluetooth-enabled products are some kind of member. Why is this important? Because Bluetooth was developed so that products from different companies can interoperate. That's the theory. In the beginning, the standards were relatively basic and open to interpretation. So at first, each company's engineers wrote their software according to how they interpreted the standards. It's much better now since the standards have gone through much refinement and clarification, and most companies get to test their products compatibility with other products.
But the Bluetooth specifications are actually a collection of various functions - called "profiles" - which define how two different devices are suppose to work together - for example - printing, file transfer, handsfee, headset, etc. Not all devices which have Bluetooth support all profiles. A Bluetooth headset, for example, wouldn't support file transfer or printing. So it is up to each manufacturer to support the profiles they think are necessary.
What does this mean for iPhone printing? Apple has to support the Bluetooth printing profile. That's it. The profile defines how files are formated for printing - so no print drivers are necessary. The printer receives the file to be printed and does what it needs to to print it. This also means that certain non-standard or advance options are not available via Bluetooth, but the iPhone doesn't need to worry about what kind of printer it is.
I would like to see the PictBridge feature added to the iPhone so people could print photos placed or taken on the iPhone to a PictBridge enabled printer.
Did you see my article about the Ricoh printer that one can email and it will print what ever text or photos one emails it?
Contrary to what I have read on this blog printing from the iPhone would not require 1.5gig of printer drivers and you certainly do not need to program BlueTooth printing capability. Using the iPhone's wifi capability gives you potential access to any printer available on your wifi network segment. As far as printer drivers Safari already uses Postcript and it would be relatively easy to add support for PCL printing. To be honest I cannot fathom why Apple did not include at least the basic capability to print PCL via wifi from the get go! It's about as stupid a decision as not including "Cut & Paste" capability and cursor key control to the virtual keyboard.
You would essentially email the printer on your wireless network - what ever you emailed it - it would print the body of the email.
I created an e-mail rule that executes a applescript script that prints anything that arrives via e-mail that has the word print in the subject.
Oh, I forgot... It prints on my iMac which has a printer attached.. and the mail program running..
i just tried it and I notice I now leave the message in the print folder..
that's pretty cool ... can you please share the entire process to set this up ( explaining your os version ) and be as detailed as possible?
Fir the life of me ... I can't understand why HP won't integrate this feature into their wifi printers where if sent something via the network with a print command in the subject it would just print. Right now I can see my HP 470 on my iphone.
There is a new Polaroid printer called PoGo - it is about the size of the iphone and has a rechargeable Lithium battery. It is wifi and prints little 2x3" pictures. It works with a bunch of cell phones as well as digital cameras. Right now there is NO iphone support. If this gets worked out it is the perfect little portable photo printer for this phone.
Yes, I saw the polaroid bluetooth photo printer-pretty slick, was going to buy but it doesn't support iPhone.
I e-mailed polaroid and a mktg vp wrote back right away and said they'd love to but ball is in apple's court. I hope apple provides printing support soon that would be a nice feature to add.
b) whether the printer itself has any kind of built-in wireless capability.
i have a relatively new HP Color LaserJet 2605dn connected to my network via a Netgear wireless print server; a printer driver for iPhone that relied on my printer being Bluetooth- or wifi-capable in and of itself would provide functionality only for a subset of iPhone/network/printer users that doesn't include me (nor a lot of others with similar setups). what we need is connection-type-independent drivers for the iPhone, just like those for the Mac.
Actually a single driver using PCL or HP IP printing on the iPhone would work or if HP built a way such as I have detailed into their printers it would also work.
IE - email the printer with a subject "print"
It would print whatever is in the body of the email.
An HP "email solution" would be easiest.
That is interesting but not really a printing app and technically won't work without a computer - so it's not really what I'm talking about.
The ricoh printer I mentioned above is STILL the only printer I know of on the market that will work with the iPhone.
Just happened to see this post.. is there a solution for direct printing from iPhone as yet? Would printing over WiFi a viable solution? There are 100 million iPhones out there.How many would be interested in direct printing thro WiFi?
Yes ... I use the hp iprint app every week.
There is another app too ... buy I haven't had the need for it.


Bought my first 2005 z4 2.5 last August roof worked fine. Car covered all winter so not out in the rain. First attempt to open it this week and it unlatches motor runs briefly then stops.When I bought the car it had a new roof motor fitted 18 months prior so only a couple of years old.
I'm sure this has been posted before but if someone could point me to a thread on the subject would be greatly appreciated.
Its worth checking that the parcel shelf is down - accessed via the boot manually, although you would usually get a red warning light and no movement.
Id second the parcel shelf. I had this myself and that was the culprit.
If it was the parcel shelf it wouldn't even attempt to unlatch.
Just because the car is garaged doesn't mean the motor stays dry. If the drains are blocked, even washing the car will be enough to fill the well in which the motor sits. I'd guess that at some pint, the well has filled and the ingress of water onto a motor that's been static all winter will have seized it.
If it's extracted and serviced soon it will probably be saved. There are a few people on this forum (inc myself) who can do this for you, for a fraction of BMW's charges, so it just depends where you are geographically as to who is nearest to help you?
The me for the replies.
Not parcel when already had to replace micro switch.
I am located in Bath so any recommendations for someone nearby that you could repair would be good.
Will do. I'll send you a PM.
Hi man, my roof motor has gone and I am looking to get it relocated to the boot before summer! I am based in North Yorkshire. Who is "Durham Dave" and do you know any contact details??
Here's his number 07864 860960. He's in Tow Law, County Durham.
I'm going on Thursday to get mine relocated.
Went to see Dave today and got my motor relocated. Top guy and great job - took him about 40 minutes.
He was very impressed with my motor - looks like my new car has had a pampered life as no sign of any water ingress whatsoever. Glad I got it moved as gives me peace of mind for the future.


In 1997, I first wrote about Keep Calm and Carry On as a side-note in my undergraduate dissertation. In 2004, it was once again mentioned briefly (when looking at the series it was created in) in my PhD on 'The planning, design and reception of British Home Front propaganda posters' at the University of Winchester, and in 2005, it wasn't even considered relevant for the content that I prepared for 'The Art of War' for The National Archives.
In March 2009, via a press request from the Daily Express, I discovered that Keep Calm and Carry On had 'become a thing', and started sharing the information I had from within my PhD, and collecting variations of it as it appeared in the press. In 2012, Charlie Brooker complained that we should give up making up variations of the slogan, but the design and the slogan continues to appear everywhere, in fact we could say that it has become 'iconic', although few know the full true story behind the poster.
I am delighted to announce that this is being rectified, as on on 26th October 2017, my 80-page book Keep Calm and Carry On: The Truth Behind the Poster, published by the Imperial War Museum, will be available to buy – it's a perfect stocking filler – drawing on years of historical research but designed to be very readable (as is my other book Raising Children in a Digital Age) – and it reveals a number of interesting facts that readers may be unaware of!
1 What is the book about?
2 Why is it being published now?
3 Why do you think the phrase has become so popular?
4 How popular was the poster during wartime?
5 What might I find out that is new about the poster?
6 What versions have you seen?
The book tells the story of the now infamous Keep Calm and Carry On poster, produced by the British government in the Second World War. The poster was part of a series of three (with another produced shortly after) designed to keep morale up on the outbreak of war, when it was expected that the country would be subjected to immediate and sustained bombardment. As noted, in my earlier work, Keep Calm and Carry On was merely a footnote to the other two posters in the series 'Your Courage', and 'Freedom is in Peril' – known as the 'red posters', despite the fact that they also came in green and blue! Those two posters, that were displayed almost as soon as the war started attracted negative coverage from the press who were a) threatened by possible censorship b) felt that the government was out of touch with contemporary thinking as to the kind of messages that were appropriate.
Rediscovery and Legacy of 'Keep Calm and Carry On', which looks at the 21st century story of Keep Calm and Carry On, after its discovery by Barter Books in 2001.
Overall, the book seeks to set the story of that well known poster against the wider archival research I did for my PhD in an accessible and interesting way.
For years, when I have said to people what my PhD research is about, I've got the response 'ah, Your Country Needs You' (well yes, but that's First World War), whereas over the past few years, it has very much changed to 'ah, Keep Calm and Carry On', although very few people seem to know that it wasn't actually used during the war, or that it in preparation many months before war was declared. I've never wanted to be an ivory tower academic, so I have always wanted my research to have a wider reach, and be accessible to others. As a trained historian, I think an understanding of the past helps us understand where we are in the present, as people, and as a nation. I continue to draw on aspects of this in my contemporary work as Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing and Manchester Metropolitan University: good communication and understanding of your audience are key to good marketing on any platform!
Keep Calm and Carry On items continue to appear in every tourist shop, and my Google alert for the phrase still pings every time that there is a crisis – it's incredibly resonant with the British public, but also more widely around the world – Americans in particular brought it during the financial crisis, and a large number have been sold to German nationals! The Imperial War Museum has a commitment to tell people's stories from wartime, and in the year of their 100th anniversary, they were keen to commission this short book about one of the key items within their archives that the public is interested in, and wants to know more about.
Why do you think the phrase has become so popular?
Barter Books discovered the poster in the bottom of an archive box in 2001; they sold copies from their shop; in 2005 it was picked up by The Guardian newspaper after which 9,000 were sold in a month. They sold it to doctors' surgeries, hospitals, schools, army bases, embassies, government departments, and even to Downing Street, and felt it struck a chord anywhere that works at a hectic pace. In 2009 it went global, and I started collecting variations.
Celebrities wearing the slogan on T-shirts brought it to public attention, including Rupert Grint at a Harry Potter film premiere, Chris Evans on The One Show, and James May on Top Gear, and it was known that Prime Minister Gordon Brown had it up in his office.
The fact that we live in a digital age where things can be cheaply and easily mixed, remixed and shared, has allowed for global variations – and PR is one of those jobs that everyone thinks they can do – or that they can come up with a clever variation. Once something has gone viral online, it tends to keep reappearing, as attention tends to bring more attention). It's seen as 'very British', but also 'transcends Britishness!
The economic crisis of 2008/9 truly pushed the phrase into the public eye in a way that it seems it will never leave!
According to British fashion historian James Laver, in his 'Laver's Law' published in 1937, something becomes 'charmingly fashionable' around 70 years after its initial production. The year 2009 was exactly 70 years after the 'Keep Calm' poster's production.
In the UK there has been a constant 'looking back' to WW2 'a time that we all pulled together over a cup of tea' in a nostalgic fashion. Nostalgia hits when times seem unsettled, we look back to a time when things felt safer and we look to those times as to how we deal with the current crisis. It doesn't matter if it was 'the true reality' (you can ask my colleague Sarah Penny for more about nostalgia and marketing). People talk about how Keep Calm and Carry On as a phrase has resonance for them in times of crisis, e.g. for me right now, that's breast cancer (and yes, it's Breast Cancer Awareness month in October).
How popular was the poster during wartime?
The Keep Calm and Carry On poster wasn't used during the wartime. Notes in files at The National Archives show that at the end of Sept there was a call to 'reserve our main poster for the crash of the first air bombardment'. On 20 November 1939, it was distributed regionally to e.g. post offices to be held in storage for distribution in case of need. The paperwork trail then goes cold: the most likely story that can be pieced together is that due to paper shortages the posters would have been pulped, but because of the wide distribution there will the odd poster or roll of posters found (like there was on the Antiques Roadshow). I've seen a couple of images of small version stuck up on the wall, but it is entirely possible that these were put up without official sanction – after looking at these posters since 1997, and investigating these posters throughout, there's no evidence they were ever officially sanctioned for display. By the time that the Blitz arrived in 1940, the notion of 'The People's War' was popular, and it was clear that people wanted to be told what to do, rather than needed to be told to keep their chins up, and this kind of message was probably considered inappropriate for use, especially after all the other 'red posters' were given such a negative reception by the press.
What might I find out that is new about the poster?
If you hadn't already picked up by now, the poster was part of a series, but never used during the war itself. Unlike contemporary messages, preparing, printing, distributing all took time, so the progress of the war, and the public mindset, needed to be anticipated in advance. The design was still at the printers when war broke out: colour designs were seen as more effective, although more £, but the paper took days to prove.
That preparations for wartime propaganda started in 1935, for this set of posters in particular in April 1939. The government didn't mention any preparations publicly til June 1939, as it was an admission that war was inevitable.
The artist for this poster is most likely to be Ernest Wallcousins who created all the roughs in June 1939, although the slogan itself was designed by a group of civil servants, and signed off by the Home Seceretary, Sir Samuel Hoare.
The poster was intended to 'bear a distinctive uniform device' and be 'difficult or impossible for the enemy to print reproductions', with a 'special and handsome typeface': very ironic for a design that has been copied and reshaped so much.
The most expensive original Keep Calm and Carry On poster that was sold at the time of writing was £18,240, with only the 'Your Country needs you' poster ever sold for more. Approximately 30 are known to be in existence, although there could be more rolled up in the back of a cupboard, as over 3.6 million posters of the series were printed, of which 65% were Keep Calm and Carry On.
We could say that there is a 4th design 'Don't Help the Enemy! Careless Talk May Give Away Vital Secrets'. It follows the same design, and followed swiftly from The War Office as war was declared.
… and of course, they'll be more!
What versions have you seen?
Bex Lewis has a background as a cultural communications historian and digital practitioner, with a PhD in Second World War posters, in which she wrote the history of Keep Calm and Carry On. She is Senior Lecturer in Digital Marketing at Manchester Metropolitan University and a Visiting Research Fellow at St John's College, Durham University. She is a frequent speaker, writer and facilitator, and is author of the popular Raising Children in a Digital Age (2014).
It's available from Imperial War Museum I Amazon – only £6.99, although if you're local, I may be stocking up on a few at a discount – and can even sign them if you'd like!
This post was first a blog post in October 2017.


text:
141 Isata Kanneh-Mason plays Clara Schumann, Dark Money, Tree authorship row2019-07-08 19:09:00
142 Olly Alexander, Midsommar, Britain's First Female Artists, Leon Kossoff obituary2019-07-05 18:58:00
143 Manchester International Festival2019-07-04 19:02:00
144 Chanya Button on Vita & Virginia, Michael Frayn's Noises Off, Mental health in gaming, Ode to Joy2019-07-03 18:55:00
145 Howard Jacobson; Othello Remixed; Museum of the Year shortlister - St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff2019-07-02 18:55:00
146 Cornelia Funke, V&A Dundee, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck2019-07-01 18:55:00
147 Todd Douglas Miller, 50 years of queer books, Cultural and political memes2019-06-28 19:03:00
148 Kate Atkinson, YA fiction controversy, Queer writing in the noughties2019-06-27 18:56:00
149 In Fabric, Queer books of the '90s, HMS Caroline, A forgotten female script2019-06-26 19:09:00
150 British-Vietnamese playwright Tuyen Do, Cindy Sherman exhibition, Michael Jackson 10 years on, Queer Books - the 80s2019-06-25 19:05:00
151 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2019, 50 years of queer books, Museum of the Year nominee Pitt Rivers2019-06-24 19:00:00
152 Richard Curtis's Film Yesterday, a summer solstice poem, Bradford Literature Festival protests2019-06-21 19:05:00
153 Lee Krasner, Ben Platt, Chasing Rainbows2019-06-20 19:11:00
154 Mark Ronson, Arts sponsorship, Toy Story 4 director Josh Cooley2019-06-19 18:57:00
155 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal winners, Nottingham Contemporary, Sculpture since Hepworth and Moore2019-06-18 20:00:00
156 Joseph O'Connor, Paula Rego retrospective, The role of the film critic2019-06-17 18:58:00
157 Tracy K Smith; New albums from Madonna, Springsteen and Avicii; Tory leadership and the arts2019-06-14 18:45:00
158 Rob Lowe, Russian Protest Art, Keith Haring2019-06-13 19:11:00
159 Bill Nighy, unreliable narrators in video games, how to watch ballet2019-06-12 18:59:00
160 Ai Weiwei, Yacht Rock2019-06-11 18:57:00
Ai Weiwei, Yacht Rock
Artist and activist Ai Weiwei has designed a flag to be flown across the UK from 24th June to mark the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He has also just screened his latest documentary The Rest, which focuses on the plight of individual refugees in 23 countries. John Wilson visits the artist in his Berlin studio to discuss art, activism and his current relationship with China. Yacht Rock might be a term you've never heard of but you'll definitely know the bands – Toto, Joni Mitchell, The Doobie Brothers and The Pointer Sisters. Katie Puckrik explains what characterises the genre and what it says about America in the 70s and 80s ahead of her two-part documentary broadcast on BBC Four. Presenter: John Wilson Producer: Hannah Robins…read more


Financial firms who are members of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) must notify ASIC of their AFCA membership by Friday 30 November 2018.
Licensees who fail to do so will be in breach of their licence conditions and will face fees for late notification.
It is essential that licensees provide updated details to ASIC. Financial firms have been given an extension of time to notify ASIC and we will not be extending the final notification date beyond 30 November 2018.
AFCA members who were former FOS members should enter a commencement date of 1 May 2018. The commencement date should be the same date as the effective date.


Singapore – Raffles Singapore organised a Games Design and Animation workshop, conducted by Creative Practitioner, Federico FIORE, for students from Queenstown Secondary for their Learning Journey!
Students learnt about the gaming trends in the market and latest technology in the industry and gained more insight into the possible career paths for these courses. They also had hands-on experience in using Maya, an industry-leading 3D animation software, to create their own three-dimensional (3D) cinematic animations.


When it snows in our part of the UK, we do have an enormous challenge to keep the service running. This is because when the conductor rail – or 'third rail' – is covered with snow, ice forms and acts as an insulating layer, preventing trains from drawing power.
Despite all of our best efforts, the fact is that heavy snow makes conditions treacherous for all transport networks. Snow drifts (large piles of snow formed by the wind) are a potential hazard, so we have to be very careful when running trains in the snow. If the snow is heavy, we advise people to avoid travelling as we are likely to be running a severely limited timetable or no service at all.
This winter, be sure to check before you travel. Up-to-date information about our services is available here, National Rail Enquiries, our On Track app and Twitter @Se_Railway.


NEWPORT BEACH — The Corona del Mar High football team's helmet decals this season feature a big letter C with the word Kings scrolled horizontally across. And with the Sea Kings' 31-3 Pacific Coast League victory over visiting University Friday at Newport Harbor High the notion of royalty has proved prophetic.
With the win, combined with results from the other two league games Thursday and Friday, CdM (7-1-1, 3-0-1 in league) has clinched at least a share of its first league championship since 1999. A victory over host Beckman in the regular-season finale Friday at Tustin High would give the Sea Kings, ranked No. 3 in the CIF Southern Section Southern Division, the program's first outright crown since 1988.
"That gives you a cushion," Hitchens said of a Beckman win over Irvine Thursday and Friday's Northwood triumph over Woodbridge, leaving Northwood alone in second with a 2-1-1 league record heading into the final week of the regular season. "But we really don't want to share anything. If we can close it out, that's kind of what we've been working toward here."
The Sea Kings wasted little time working toward Friday's victory, scoring on its first offensive play after forcing the Trojans (1-8, 0-4) to go three-and-out after taking the opening kickoff.
A 24-yard punt set the hosts up at the University 48-yard line and senior quarterback Mitch Gardner darted into the end zone on the ensuing snap to give the Sea Kings all they would need with 10:29 left in the first quarter.
University, which had managed only three touchdowns in its previous four games, answered with a 20-play procession that ended with a 26-yard field goal by Kiran Leucke.
But after Kyle Sherburne blocked a punt to set CdM up at the Uni 28 early in the second quarter, Gardner capped the short march with a nine-yard touchdown pass to junior Josh Giger that made it 14-3 with 8:54 left in the second quarter.
Strong CdM defense and a struggling kicking game for the Trojans continually gave the Sea Kings a short field.
After a 20-yard punt, CdM needed seven plays to drive 36 yards to up the lead to 18 with 4:40 left before halftime.
Cole Cottrell returned another punt five yards to the University 41 late in the third quarter, which led to a 41-yard field goal by Andrew Boehm with 1:33 left in the third period.
Two plays into the ensuing possession, senior inside linebacker Preston Risser returned an interception 19 yards to the Trojans' six-yard line to set up the final score of the night, a one-yard plunge by junior John Swigert.
CdM which held on downs to halt Uni's final first-half possession, held the Trojans without a first down on their first six possession after intermission. Uni's only first down of the second half came on the last series, when CdM had substituted on defense.
Uni collected six of its 10 first downs on its marathon first-quarter possession, which was 19 seconds shy of an even 10 minutes.
CdM's offense posted 11 first downs and, Hitchens said, failed to fully engage.
"We did all right the first half, I just don't think we ever found a rhythm offensively, whether it was the penalties or a lack of execution," Hitchens said. "Fortunately, the defense played very, very well to give the offense some opportunities on the short field."
Senior end Alex Herrera was in on two sacks and linebackers David Detrick and Aaron White were also foils for a Uni offense that had 168 yards on 55 plays, with 61 yards coming on a long completion moments before halftime.
But CdM, which scored more than its average and is now producing 29.7 points per contest, was anything but prolific on offense.
Gardner led the rushing attack with 54 yards on seven carries.
He completed nine of 17 for 83 yards, with no pass play gaining more than 13 yards and only three completions picking up double-digit yards.
"We certainly would like to just go ahead and be greedy," Hitchens said of the potential to gain the outright league crown by beating Beckman.
A CdM loss, combined with a Northwood win over Uni on Friday, would create a co-championship.
Since Corona del Mar and Northwood tied, 29-29, a coin flip would decide the league's No. 1 representative in the CIF playoffs.
CdM – Gardner 48 run (Boehm kick), 10:29.
Uni – Luecke 26 FG, 0:48.
CdM – Giger 9 pass from Gardner (Boehm kick), 8:54.
CdM – Reinhardt 2 run (Boehm kick), 4:40.
CdM – Boehm 41 FG, 1:33.
CdM – Swigert 1 run (Boehm kick), 0:42.
CdM – Gardner, 7-54, 1 TD; Fisher, 15-50.
Uni – Christy, 10-19-1, 98.
CdM – Gardner, 9-17-1, 83, 1 TD.
Uni – Stanek, 4-22; Caldeira, 2-72..
CdM – Gray, 6-48; Giger, 2-22, 1 TD.