555 – ABZÛ (2016 video game)

Abzû is an adventure video game developed by Giant Squid Studios and published by 505 Games for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows.

“Immerse yourself in a vibrant ocean world full of mystery and bursting with color and life. Perform fluid acrobatics as the Diver using graceful swimming controls. Discover hundreds of unique species based on real creatures and form a powerful connection with the abundant sea life. Interact with schools of thousands of fish that procedurally respond to you, each other, and predators. Linger in epic seascapes and explore aquatic ecosystems modeled with unprecedented detail. Descend into the heart of the ocean where ancient secrets lie forgotten. But beware, dangers lurk in the depths. “ABZÛ” is from the oldest mythologies; AB, meaning water, and ZÛ, meaning to know. ABZÛ is the ocean of wisdom.”

The game’s title stems from Sumerian mythology, particularly the myth of the ocean goddess Tiamat and the fresh water god Abzu uniting to form all life: a reason this was chosen was that myths surrounding land-based life and their supposed origins in a cosmic ocean were a recurring theme in multiple world mythologies. The Middle Eastern influences extended to the game’s architecture, and incorporated Nava’s wish for structures to have meaning beyond being simple scenery or tools for player progression. (read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abz%C3%BB#Design)

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS (minimum) :  OS: Windows 7, 64-bit // Processor: 3.0GHz CPU Dual Core // Memory: 4 GB RAM // Graphics: Geforce GTX 750 / Radeon R7 260X // DirectX: Version 11 // Storage: 6 GB available space // Sound Card: DirectX compatible sound card

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steam

0516 – Annihilation (2018)

 spacetime coordinates: 2010’s U.S. government’s Area X facility (The Shimmer, a mysterious jungle that appeared on a United States coastline after a meteor strike.)

Annihilation is a 2018 science fiction horror film written and directed by Alex Garland (imdb), based on the novel of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer. The film stars Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny, and Oscar Isaac, and follows a group of military scientists who enter “The Shimmer,” a mysterious quarantined zone that is full of mutating landscapes and creatures.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2798920/   /   posterart

0434 – The Legend of Tarzan (2016)

spacetime coordinates:  1889 Belgian Congo // London

The Legend of Tarzan is a 2016 American adventure film based on the fictional character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Directed by David Yates, with a screenplay by Adam Cozad and Craig Brewer, the film stars Alexander Skarsgård as the title character, with Samuel L. Jackson, Margot Robbie, Djimon Hounsou, Jim Broadbent and Christoph Waltz in supporting roles.

Making Africa seem authentic was especially important to the filmmakers, since the film was shot in England, except for six weeks in Gabon, filming background by helicopter without the cast. A working waterfall and a 100-foot-long collapsible pier were assembled at Warner Bros.’ Leavesden studios. Seven versions of the African jungle were constructed to show different scenery throughout the filming. Plants from Holland were mixed with trees sculpted by the art department. Kedleston Hall stood in for the Greystoke Manor, and a cedar tree on the grounds of Highclere Castle served as the setting for an early pivotal scene between Tarzan and Jane. (wiki)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0918940/

0432 – Reckless Kelly (1993)

spacetime coordinates: 1990’s Australia // Hollywood  Los Angeles, California

Reckless

Kelly is a 1993 Australian screwball comedy film produced, written, directed and starring Yahoo Serious. It co-stars Melora Hardin, Alexei Sayle and Hugo Weaving. The story is a satirical take on a modern-day Ned Kelly, a famous Australian outlaw.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107930/

_____________”We lived in this wild pub. It was so old that no one was sure if it was actually built or just somehow grew out of the ground. Over the years, it has become home to every kind of wildlife you can imagine.”

0360 – Nova Seed (2016)

NOVA SEED is a 2016  sci-fi fantasy adventure 2D animation.   a solo effort by  Nick DiLiberto, the film is the product of four years’ work and is comprised of 60,000 hand-drawn frames.  It is DiLiberto’s directorial debut feature.

Nova SEED is an action-packed, post-apocalyptic, Sci-fi adventure that follows a lion-man (a Neo-Animal Combatant or NAC) who must save the NOVA Seed, a mystic force of nature in the form of a girl, from Dr. Mindskull, an evil half-man bent on remaking the world in his image.

Nova SEED is written by Nick DiLiberto (who worked in the animation department for Asura’s Wrath, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, Mass Effect) and Joe DiLiberto, and executive produced by Ricardo Curtis , Adele DiLiberto, John DiLiberto, Nick DiLiberto and Wes Lui . Music by Canadian musician, Stephen Verrall.

DiLiberto said, “I grew up with 2D animated shows like He-Man and Thunder Cats and I wanted to be a part of that, but as an adult I was disappointed that everything I saw and worked on was so slick and manufactured. I wanted to make something that made me feel like I did when I was a kid, and I was tired of waiting for Disney or DreamWorks to make it for me. So, I made it myself.” (read more)

About Gorgon Pictures: Gorgon Pictures Inc. is an Independent animation studio located in Fukuoka, Japan, established by Canadian filmmaker Nick DiLiberto, which is dedicated to creating fully 2D hand drawn animated films. With its first feature film NOVA SEED (2016), an award-winning Sci-fi adventure, Gorgon Pictures has become an inspiration to artists and filmmakers around the world and continues to push the envelope in its approach and techniques to the medium.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5569618/

0340 – Split Second (1992)

spacetime coordinates:  year 2008 flooded dystopian future London

Split Second is a 1992 American-British science fiction horror film  directed by Tony Maylam and Ian Sharp. Rutger Hauer stars as a burnt-out police detective obsessively hunting down the mysterious serial killer that killed his partner several years prior.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105459/

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“The ancillary promise is that, through green consumerism, we can reconcile perpetual growth with planetary survival. But a series of research papers reveal there is no significant difference between the ecological footprints of people who care and people who don’t. One recent article, published in the journal Environment and Behaviour, says those who identify themselves as conscious consumers use more energy and carbon than those who do not.”  Too right it’s Black Friday: our relentless consumption is trashing the planet   –    George Monbiot