The Daily Teaser — 4-9-2014: I Am A Camera

Actually … 

I’m mildly nervous.

No, really.

I’m actually due at an open day, today — an assessment day, sort of — at a local supermarket.

It’s the sort of thing a lot of companies do, to work out who, in a given group of candidates, they’d like to interview.

Frankly … ?   I’m nervous about it, which is par for the course: I personally don’t know if I’ll get anywhere near the interview process.

Keep your fingers crossed for me, please … !

~≈Œ≈~

The Brentwood Gazette’s Weekly Teaser — 4-9-2013: I Am A Camera

Hmmm … 

I think we can safely say that today, bar a visit from my landlady, has been relatively quiet.

Well … 

Relatively.

I think, in-between writing letters to the Gazette, posting this and watching some old episodes of Dr Who — Tom Baker in Revenge of the Cybermen, so you know — I’ll be … 

Well … twiddling my thumbs is the best way of putting it.

Still: at least I’ve one thing to do.

~≈Ì≈~

You’ve probably worked out that that’s this week’s Brentwood Gazette Teaser: today’s has a Kodak them, in case you didn’t notice.

Here’s the questions: covered by the usual Creative Commons License* …

Q1) 4th September, 1888, saw George Eastman patent his camera.   That camera used what sort of film: Roll or Cartridge … ?

Q2) He also registered the name Kodak.   But what was the name of the company he founded, that used the name, Kodak … ?

Q3) In which year did the company introduce their famous Box Brownie camera: 1899, 1900 or 1901 … ?

Q4) More to the point, it was advertised with the phrase ‘You Push The Button, We’ll Do’ … what …?

Q5) George Eastman’s old house — in Rochester, New York — is now a what: restaurant, museum or pub … ?

Q6) The company’s had a rough time of it in recent years.  In 2004, it announced it would stop making what, in the US, Canada and Western Europe … ?

Q7) Many of its troubles have been blamed on the rise of what: camera phones, computers or digital photography … ?

Q8) Which Beatles wife — and photographer — was rumoured, for many years, to be a relative of George Eastman … ?

Q9) What’s the name of the play — and film — that provided inspiration for ‘Cabaret’ … ?

Q10) Finally — and very geekily — who had a 1973 US hit with ‘Kodachrome’ … ?

Here’s last week’s questions and answers …

Questions.

Q1) 28th August, 1963, saw Dr Martin Luther King make one of his most famous speeches: in which he said he had a … what … ?

Q2) Dr King gave the speech on the steps of which memorial?

Q3) In which US city is that Memorial?

Q4) Dr King famously opened the speech with a reference to which US president … ?

Q5) In the speech, Dr King said that “Every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain be made” … what … ?

Q6) Martin Luther King was — obviously — a doctor.   Of what … ?

Q7) Which Indian leader was an inspiration for Dr King … ?

Q8) The American Civil Rights Movement, in which Dr King was prominent, got kickstarted when who famously refused to sit at the back of a bus … ?

Q9) The day before his assassination, Dr King delivered his equally famed ‘I Have Been To The Mountaintop’ sermon, the last speech of any kind he made.   In which US city did he make deliver it?

Q10) Finally … Dr King closed the ‘I Have A’ speech with the line ‘Thank God Almighty, we are’ … what … ?

Answers.

A1) Dream.

A2) The Lincoln Memorial.

A3) Washington DC.

A4) Abraham Lincoln.

A5) Low.

A6) Theology: Systematic Theology, from Boston University, to be precise.

A7) Mohandas Karamchand Gandi.

A8) Mrs Rosa Parks.

A9) Memphis, Tennessee.

A10) ‘Free At Last’.

Enjoy those.

*        Regulars will know already: but for newcomers … all it means is that you’re free to copy, use, alter and build on each of my quizzes: including the Teasers, Gazette Teasers and the Friday Question Sets.   All I ask in return is that you give me an original authors credit on your event’s flyers or posters, or on the night: and, if you republish them, give me an original authors credit AND republish under the same license.   A link back to the site would be appreciated.

[Rec] and [Rec2]: Blood, Guts, and Camera Lenses …

You know, I’ve got to admit, I’ve had a wonderfully pleasant weekend, I really have …

Bless, after recent times … ?

A much needed one, at that.

Ever met an old friend of mine, called Gwen … ?

Well, her and her partner, Stefen, are both old friends, and semi-regulars at the movie nights.

Which is sort of why Gwen phoned me, on Thursday last.

Her and Stef had none I’ve had a bit of a rough time, recently, and gave me a quick call to invite me over to theirs, this weekend, as they were planning to catch a couple of films with friends, and wondered if I’d like to join them.

Didn’t I just … !

After all, a day or two out of town, plus a film would do me the world of good.

And didn’t it just … ?

After all, I got to met Stef and Gwen one year, Harvey — who’s going to turn Gwen and Stef into grandparents by the time he’s 18, if I’m any judge — and their friends, Peppa and Aharon, as well.

And we managed to stay up for not one, but two films.

The 2007 Spanish horror film, [Rec] and its 2009 sequel, [Rec2]*.

Fantastic stuff, I know that …

The original, [Rec]º, sees Maneula Valasco as Angelo, a young TV reporter on an assignment for Barcelona TV show, While You’re Asleep, filming at a local fire-station.

The seemingly uneventful evening turns nasty when the crew that Angela’s covering are called to help an old lady, seemingly trapped in her apartment, in a block of flats in the centre of the city.

An old lady who, almost immediately bites one of the policemen also at the scene.

A scene that rapidly goes downhill, when the building is sealed off by the Spanish equivalent of a SWAT team.

And by health officials in Hazmat suits.

Seemingly …

There’s isn’t just a maddened pensioner to deal with.

Seemingly, the Vatican has found out the exact biological cause for all of the stories one hears about possesion …

»»•««

[Rec2] follows on directly from [Rec], as it follows a SWAT team — seemingly, the Spanish term is Grupo Especial de Operaciones — along with Father Owen, a Barcelona Health official, who — in his day job — is a Roman Catholic priest, tasked by HQ to find the blood of the young woman identified by them to have started the outbreak in the apartment building.

Complicated by the fact the the SWAT team members are both sceptical …

And slowly infected, one by one, by the already infected residents of the building.

And by the fact that he and the team have to try and protect both a group of teenagers who’ve sneaked into the building with camera-phones, and Angela, the only apparent survivor of the fire-crew and documentary-makers who went in first.

There’s a twist in the tale.

But I think I’ll leave that to you to find out …

»»•««

Because, to be frank … ?

Both [Rec] and [Rec2] are very watchable films … !

Now, I know sub-titled horror films are not going to be to everyone’s taste.

But I’m pretty convinced that both films are very watchable movies, providing enough shock moments to make sure people jump out of their seats at least once.

And plenty of pace and drama to keep people glued to their seats for the duration of two — two — films.

That was confirmed by both Stef and Gwen, who both seen the remake, Quarantine, and later, by Movie Night resident maven, Kevin D: all of whom agreed that the original was definitely the superior.

All told … ?

I’ll leave you with thoughts …

[Rec]

Paul: ★★★★

Stef: ★★★★

Gwen: ★★★★

Aharon: ★★★★

Kevin D: ★★★☆

Peppa: ★★★★

Average: 3.8★

[Rec2]

Paul: ★★★★

Stef: ★★★★

Gwen: ★★★★

Aharon: ★★★★

Peppa: ★★★☆

Average: 3.8★

Quarantine

Kevin D: ★★☆☆

Gwen: ★★★☆

Stef: ★★★☆

Average: ★★⅔☆☆

* Which isn’t the most imaginative name, I know, but does get the idea, across …

º Remade for the US market as Quarantine.