Blatant Self-Promotion

We've recently launched something on IMDb that I think is really cool. Well, I would think it's really cool, wouldn't I, seeing as I created it. It's a "keyword concordance" for movies; basically, a way of exploring relationships between movies and what they depict.

For example, if you were interested in movies that involved (say) both "flatulence" and "flashback-sequence", you could find it here. From there, you could click on "Kung Fu", and instantly you'd get a list of all movies that involve reminiscing about farting while kicking someone's ass. (Hey, whatever floats your boat!)

Curiously enough, the two movies that match that description are I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and Kung Pow: Enter the Fist, both of which were so horrible that I actually turned them off. This is puzzling, as I like both martial arts films and movies with fart jokes. Perhaps there are just some topics that don't belong together, although I'm disappointed to discover that it's these two.

It's a good way to test your movie knowledge. Without looking, can you think of movies that involve wrestling and a Princess? How about Elvis and a chainsaw? Or a mullet haircut and high heels? What was the movie that had that huge brawl in Chinatown?

Have a poke around and let me know if you find any interesting combinations!

In other news, Monday is the official Talk Like a Pirate Day, so remember to participate.

I spent some time writing some software to translate English into "Arrrrrrr!" (the official pirate language). It ended up working quite well... even when run against something that you wouldn't think had anything to do with pirates, say:

Photographer John Rutter was sentenced to 3 years and 8 months in prison Thursday for trying to extort $4 million from actress Cameron Diaz who posed nude for him in 1992 when she was 19 years old. Rutter reportedly approached Diaz with the photos a week before the 2003 premiere of Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, telling her that he had publishers who were interested in buying the photos. Rutter's attorney, Mark Werksman, told today's (Friday) Los Angeles Times that the trial represented a legal battle between "a rich and famous celebrity" and a "hard-working photographer."

...you get a translation in which you can almost see a salty pirate swaggering along, quaffing rum from a bottle, ranting at his crew while a psychotic one-eyed parrot munches weevil-infested seabiscuits on his shoulder:

Artist John Rutter were sentenced t' 3 years and 8 months in Davey Jones' locker Thursday fer trying t' extort 4 million Spanish doubloons from Lady-in-waiting Cameron Diaz who posed nude fer that scurvy dog in 1992 when she were 19 years auld -- I warrant it t'be true! Rutter reportedly engaged Diaz with th' portraits a week before th' 2003 premiere o' Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, telling that comely wench that he had brigands who were interested in buying th' portraits, aarrr! Pieces of eight! Rutter's first mate, Mark Werksman, told today's (Friday) St Dominique Times that th' trial represented a lawyerly battle betwixt "a rich and famous buccaneer" and a "hard-working Artist." Tie that scurvy dog to the yard-arm!