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Jameson have the craic with connected bottles of whiskey

Marty
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0
Jameson have the craic with connected bottles of whiskey

Connected bottles of whiskey. You know, there’s a list of thing you don’t think you’ll ever have to say. Connected bottles of whiskey is such a mad combination of words, that doesn’t even make that list. Sure enough, Jameson have only gone and done the unthinkable.

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in style

Every year, Jameson commisions an artist to design a limited edition label for their whiskey to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. This year, they turned to Steve McCarthy to do the honors. McCarthy’s beautiful ommage to Dublin more than just suits the classic whiskey’s look. Still, as beautiful as it is, it’s not why we’re here.

Connected bottles of whiskey

Jameson release connected bottles of whiskeyOkay, so straight away you’re probably thinking it’s a bottle that speeds up Spotify playlists as the night goes on. That’s not it, but I’m making a mental note of how great an idea that is. Jameson’s limited edition connected bottle has an NFC tag underneath the Jameson logo. NFC (near field communications) tags interact with smartphones, namely Android phones as iPhone doesn’t support NFC. Still, opting for NFC is a very logical move. Alternatives, such as QR codes, needs third party apps which very few people have.

Benefits of the smart bottle

On the surface, Jameson’s efforts may look quite simple. And to be honest, they are. But, if you walk to to most people in the street and ask if their phone has NFC they’ll have no idea what you’re on about. Jameson’s smart bottle is a fun way of introducing people to a longstanding, but little known, piece of tech in NFC. This year could be a big year for NFC with AIB and KBC bringing Android Pay to market.

Still, simple as it may be, the NFC tag on these limited edition connected whiskey bottles could bag you a nice prize. Whiskey drinkers could instantly win a pair of tickets to the Jameson Distillery or be entered into a draw for the Ultimate Jameson Experience in Dublin on St. Patrick’s Day.

Hopefully there are more companies who try out things like this in the future. Introducing alcohol is the one sure-fire way to get people using more features on their smartphones. We will also be just as happy to sample other products utilising new tech like this!

InvizBox Go Review: Irish startup bringing online privacy to the masses

Marty
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0
InvizBox Go Review: Irish startup bringing online privacy to the masses

If there is one thing you start to take seriously in 2017 make it your online privacy. Irish startup InvizBox are making protecting your online privacy easier than ever with InvizBox Go.

Why is online privacy so important?

First of all, we’re not trying to put the fear of God into you. The internet simply demands a healthy respect. You can now find cheap accomodation with Airbnb and skip the queues in banks. The convenience of online has paved the way for faster and better ways of doing things. But perhaps things have become a little too convenient. You consume a crazy amount of data when you’re out and about. Irish smartphone users consume an average of 3.4 GB per month. And that’s not even including WiFi.

Shopping centres, cafés, airports and bars are just some of the most popular places you’ll now find public WiFi. These places now people expect WiF these days and that it’s likely to factor in your opinion of the place. Now, did they even have a WiFi password? Probably not, because logging in is too much of an inconvenience isn’t it?

Public WiFi is dangerous

Public WiFi is dangerous because would-be-hackers can position themselves between you and the internet. Sifting through data, they can gather your personal information and use it against you. Thankfully, it’s now super easy to combat this.

VPNs are the safe way to use public WiFi

People are connecting to public WiFi for one big reason – convenience. To combat the dangers, we’re going to need a pretty convenient security solution. We’ve already gone over how VPNs can keep you safe but now we can tell you the best way of going about getting one. First, we looked at Anonabox. Anonabox works perfectly fine, but their system would be really hard for non-techies to grasp. Considering how the world and its mother uses public WiFi, a more user-friendly option was badly needed. We waited patiently and came across InvizBox Go.

InvizBox Go

InvizBox Go protects online privacyIrish company InvizBox Go came about through Kickstarter. After a successful campaign, the team have just shipped first orders to customers. We were lucky enough to get our hands on the InvizBox Go, so what’s it like?

Security

There’s actually plenty on offer here from the InvizBox Go, but let’s start with the real reason it exists – security. The box offers two ways to protect your privacy online. First is through a VPN. Do you remember in secondary school where teachers told you you’d never have a calculator with you all the time? And how silly that is considering your smartphone does everything? Internet security leaders Kaspersky said a similar thing about VPNs. While believing VPNs are one of the most secure ways to browse the web, they also conceed you’re not likely to have a VPN handy for general browsing. Sure enough, just as the smartphone did for calculators, InvizBox Go bridges the gap making use of VPNs much easier.

InvizBox Go bridges the gap making use of VPNs much easier

Secondly, the InvizBox Go lets you easily connect to the Tor network, an open source anonymous network. Tor is fantastic for protecting your online privacy, but that’s a full day of research and fun in itself. Lets continue looking at the box.

Geoblocking workarounds

When using VPNs you usually have the option of virtually moving your location. Sure enough, this is great for security but also for entertainment. Let me set the scene. It’s All Ireland weekend but you’re on holidays. Strangely, there’s no Irish bar so you turn to your smartphone. RTÉ are blocking the RTÉ Player app on your phone because you’re outside Ireland. Thanks to your easy to access VPN, you could just pop into the local coffee shop with your tablet and InvizBox Go. Connecting to an Irish VPN you will be able to access RTÉ Player and watch Kilkenny romp to victory.

Of course, the big win here could be Netflix. Due to licensing and other legal non-sense, Netflix is different in many countries and regions. A quick look at US Netflix will really whet your appetite for some fresh content. The InvizBox Go could potentially help you access loads of videos on US Netflix. It’s not currently possible, but we expect to see that come in down the line.

WiFi extender

If you’re staying in an old house, you’ll feel my pain here. You are going to bed and realise that the WiFi signal can’t get through the nuclear bunker like walls you have. If you live there, you’ll likely find a more permanent solution. If you’re visiting, pop your InvizBox Go between your room and the WiFi to extend coverage in your house.

Powerbank

Everyone has a powerbank these days right? We’re complaining less about battery life anyway so I presume that’s it. With convenience in mind, the InvizBox Go has been designed to charge your device while it secures you too. The team claim it’ll easily charge your phone at least once.

Verdict

Having tried out similar products and similar VPN services, InvizBox Go is the easiest and most user-friendly approach to protecting your online privacy. The team told us that they paid particular attention to the user interface when they were building the box. It really shows from setup through to daily use.

InvizBox Go is just an easy to use way of protecting your online privacy. If you find yourself travelling between public WiFi connections in hotels or airports, you should really pick yourself something like the InvizBox Go. Get it over on their site with pricing starting at €99. That includes two months access to a VPN too.

iPhone 10: 10 things to keep an eye out for with the next iPhone

Jon
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0
iPhone 10: 10 things to keep an eye out for with the next iPhone

In 2017 something strange will happen as Apple iPhone will be turning 10 years old. The iPhone 7s or iPhone 10 brings rumours suggesting this year’s version is heading towards a radical redesign.

After scanning the internet for a fair chunk of time, here are 10 things we reckon could happen with this special anniversary iPhone.

Not an iPhone 7s but something totally different

From 4 to 4s, 5 to 5s and so on so forth. Each iPhone has been equipped with a corresponding “s” model launch. But not this time. Nope, this year we skip the 7s and jump straight to the 8, or the iPhone 10. Could we even get the iPhone X (roman numeral for 10) just shake things up a bit? With Apple shares falling drastically in the last year or so and this obviously special occasion we wouldn’t be surprising if Apple did something a little different.

Potentially an all display surface?

John Gruber is a well-known Apple blogger and his podcast, Daring Fireball, is normally a well-informed source on everything iPhone. Well anyway, he claims from his “sources” that the iPhone10 (that’s what we are calling it now) won’t have any bevel, border, buttons or anything of that sort. Simply one large display. Wonder how that get’s around having a front facing camera.

iPhone 10 goes back to glass

Another chap who seems to be in the know is Apple analyst Ming Chi Kou. This lad more often than not predicts the latest Apple aesthetics and this time around he reckons an Aluminium framework with a glass rear and the prior mentioned screen would hark back to the iPhone4-4s style of design.  Which means a decent case will be a must. Remember how those yokes smashed.

Three models instead of two

There are a few alternating rumours floating about there being a third high-end instalment this time around as the iPhone and iPhone Plus could end up with a little or bigger brother.

One model being touted is claiming a 5.8” display (so an iPad mini?) with the other more along the lines of the 5S/ SE with a 4.5- 5” screen, both of which would be framed with stainless steel rather than aluminium in order to make the handset more durable which we are sure is something all iPhone 10 users would love to see.

Goodluck and thanks to the home key

So if the rumour about the all display interface is anything to go by, it would be safe to assume the home key is going to vanish leaving the iPhone 10 as a completely buttonless phone. While there are plenty of phones with soft key interfaces one source claims that the home button including the fingerprint scanner will actually be embedded into the front glass panel, So it will still be there but we won’t be able to see it. Bit strange and if this comes to pass invest in some high-end cases because while a cracked LCD is a pain right now, any crack to the display on this will render the phone useless until repair. So don’t say you weren’t told.

The headphone jack will remain a thing of the past

Look, to put it bluntly, the removal of the headphone jack annoyed a few folks in the iPhone 7 because unlike USB-C, the lightning charger is not exactly universal but it would be safe to say now that it is gone it will stay gone. Sorry but that’s just the way it is

Wireless charging could be a thing

Samsung have been floating this idea around for a few years and to be honest this form of charging is not exactly “wireless” the charging pad which the phone  must lay upon still must be plugged, but sure at least it means we can charge the battery and have lighting headphones plugged in at the same time. A nice little addition, not exactly ground breaking but interesting to see how Apple pull this off.

No dual lens for non-Plus models

This one we aren’t totally sold on and we would think it unfair if Apple were to leave the dual lens camera to just the plus series. However initial reports say this will be the case, but if we were to bet right now the iPhone 6s Plus had optical image stabilisation which did in fact trickle down to the iPhone 7 regular model this year. A glimmer of hope if nothing else.

Super sexy screen

Again taking a leaf out of the Samsung book ( seems to be a trend eh ) this year’s newest iPhone will have an AMOLED display, something which as we have seen in the past is far more engaging than the old LCD displays. Crisper colouring and lighter on the battery this be a huge step in the right direction from Apple.

Dropping iOS in favour of Android

Ok, only joking about this one but we ran out at nine. We will be keeping an eye out between now and the expected September launch in order to really find out what to expect from the 10 year anniversary of the revolutionary iPhone.

Update:

Leaked firmware update suggest there will indeed be an iPhone X alongside iPhone 8 and 8 Plus models.

The launch event will take place on 12 September in Apple’s Cupertino HQ.

LG G6: The next generation of LG is ready to rumble

Jon
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LG G6: The next generation of LG is ready to rumble

It’s that time of year again! The rumour mill has well and truly gone into overdrive in the smartphone world. So far we’ve had news around the latest HTC, Sony and Samsung. Google’s Pixel is still massively popular but is also fairly new. Now it’s the turn of LG. Many expect LG to launch their latest smartphone at the upcoming Mobile World Congress. So, with a launch date of late March or early April, what can we expect from the LG G6.

LG at Mobile World Congress (MWC)

LG typically announce their handsets at the beginning of each year. The LG G5 launched at MWC in 2016. Previous LG launches took place just before the Barcelona-based telecoms event. This year LG have done something perfectly evil by scheduling an event for February 26th. The eagle-eyed among you will note that’s the Sunday before this year’s MWC. Better still, it’s the same day Samsung have pencilled in for a big announcement.

The LG G5 arrived on shelves in April, as did its predecessor. Mark down early April in your diary as we expect a similar timeframe for the LG G6. Asian markets may see an earlier mid-March release. Will we see it in Europe before April? We just might you know. As for price, you can expect to fork out €500 for the privilege of having the latest LG smartphone.

Design of the LG G6

LG have ditched the innovative but expensive modular frame of the G5. Replacing it is either a glass or a reflective metal rear. we would assume the metal if we were betting men. Both would go a long way towards making the G6 feel more premium than previous flagship attempts. There are also rumours that we could see a waterproof build too. Exciting rumours indeed.

Onboard tech

The G5 had a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. Whether this will remain on the G6 remains to be seen. Some claim LG may take aim at Samsung’s iris scanner that we missed out on thanks to the exploding Note7.

When it comes to the display this is where things start to get interesting. Rumours of a curved OLED display seem to have flat-lined. This is despite the fact LG already produce OLED displays for the Apple Watch and their own TVs. LG themselves have confirmed the G6 will boast a 5.7 inch 2880 x 1440 Quad HD LCD display. The company has said it will be the first screen to sport an ultra wide 18:9 aspect ratio. This means the LG G6 will be delivering a pixel density of 564ppi. All you really need to know is that will be a super sharp “immersive viewing experience”. The screen is also said to be ideal for multi-tasking and dual-screen functions. It will use LG’s in-Touch technology for more a responsive experience.

The G6 camera

When it comes to the camera the G5 had an epic dual rear camera. Following the same train of thought is the G6. As always, you’ll get standard camera sensor upgrade. You also get a wide-angle sensor like its predecessor. The front facing camera could be an all job.

Will Note7 tech feature on the LG G6It’s expected to house the camera and iris scanner – all in one. This will authenticate the user and unlock the phone. Other possible specs include:

  • Likely to be Qualcomm SD830 chip with at least 4GB of RAM
  • Wireless charging possible
  • 32GB of internal memory. MicroSD supported
  • Either 2800mAh or 3000mAh battery.
  • Headphone jack

LG’s new flagship brings a more premium design, iris scanner and an all new display. Of course, everything, except the display is just rumour. But if you’re into rumours keep an eye on this article. We’ll update this as more reports and rumours appear.

Roaming charges to leave the EU soon

Gary
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Roaming charges to leave the EU soon

Today marks a win for the average mobile phone user. A deal is now in place to cap the wholesale charges operators can charge each other. Roaming charges within the EU could be gone as soon as June this year.

OK, what does that actually mean?

Look at it this way. A Meteor Ireland customer goes on holidays to Spain, and roams on Movistar. Movistar would then charge Meteor Ireland for providing coverage to their customer. These charges were then passed on in the form of roaming charges. Plus a little extra on top. Today’s ruling means that there is a limit to what operators can charge each other for their customers using services while abroad. This is key, as it was a major stumbling block to abolishing roaming charges for good.

How will this affect my bill?

With a doubt, it’ll be in a positive way. Bill shock after travelling in Europe will soon become a thing of the past. Network operators won’t have to pay large sums for their customers to roam. This means charges won’t be passed down to anyone who is roaming. Everyone wins.

What will roaming charges for consumers be?

Unfortunately, nobody knows for sure what the consumer roaming charges will be. Today’s ruling deals with the wholesale charges between operators. This is just a stepping stone to roaming charges leaving us forever. Using a gigabyte of data is now capped at €7.70 from June. This will drop to €2.50 within 5 years. Calls will also drop to 3.2c per minute. While text messages will go to just 1c.

When will this happen?

phone on a beach enjoying removal of roaming chargesToday’s deal is a key element in getting rid of roaming charges for good. It is worth noting that the deal is still provisional. However, it is expected to pass through the European Parliament in the next few weeks. This could mean that roaming charges are gone by the time summer holidays are here. You’ll be able to share all the beach snaps on Facebook without worrying about your bank balance. Just try not to share any mankini pictures… Jon.

It might not appear so, but the agreement made today is a huge win for consumers. Roaming charges are the bane of the life of any would-be traveller. Roam like your at home is that bit closer to becoming a reality.

Find Ireland’s cheapest petrol with Pumps.ie

Marty
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Find Ireland’s cheapest petrol with Pumps.ie

The price of filling up your tank is soaring right now. With the current political strain in the world, it’s unlikely to get better any time soon. Still, every forecourt is different so Irish people can still make a tidy saving on their fuel purchases. If you’re looking to find Ireland’s cheapest petrol, the team at Pumps.ie are making easier than ever.

Using the crowd to find Ireland’s cheapest petrol

Pumps.ie runs on the “chatter down the back of mass” principal. News will always travel fastest between peers. Pumps.ie is a completely crowd-sourced database of forecourt fuel prices from around the country. The website describes the updaters as “legends” and displays top “legends” in a table on their homepage.

 

pumps.ie for Ireland's cheapest petrolMore importantly Pumps.ie gives you a nice overview of the nation’s fuel pricing making it easier to find Ireland’s cheapest petrol. Of course, we mean fuel so it also covers diesel. While the overall design of the site is perhaps a little old school (non-mobile friendly, we’re looking at you), the way in which the site displays the information is nice and straight forward. You can filter filling station by county and area within which a colour key will indicate what kind of value you will be getting with you fill up. It’s always interesting to see where your station ranks against the nation’s best value fuelling points.

The Pumps.ie app

As the key to Pumps.ie being successful is the “legends” updating pricing, the team created mobile apps on the big three platforms. This ensures that you can check for Ireland’s cheapest petrol prices on your smartphone. It also ensures that updating pricing is convenient enough for Pumps.ie to remain relevant. Better still, once you open the app, it automatically searches for the nearest forecourts to you based on your location. Pick out the platform that suits your needs below and get saving now.

Download the Pumps.ie app on iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

Irish Sky customers to lose the Discovery Channel and 12 others

Marty
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Irish Sky customers to lose the Discovery Channel and 12 others

I’m a little bit outraged by this. Probably about as outraged as I am by the History Channel having being allowed to associate themselves with history. Discovery Communications and Sky are at loggerheads. Think LUAS strike, but this is actually important. Ultimately, Irish Sky customers are set to lose twelve channels from 1st February. To make things worse, there pretty decent channels too.

What channels will Irish customers lose?

How big a deal this is, really does depend on your viewing habits. For me, this is a bit of a disaster. I love the channels that these guys run. Come on, they brought us Mythbusters which only recently spawned White Rabbit Project on Netflix.

From 1 February, Discovery are unlikely to be available in Sky TV packages

But let’s be somewhat serious here. These aren’t some of the filler channels between the news 500s and the grown-up stuff in the 900s. Discovery Communication has a great suite of channels on Sky:

Discovery HD
Discovery History
Discovery Home & Health
Discovery Science
Discovery Shed
Discovery Turbo
Investigation Discovery		 Animal Planet
DMAX
Eurosport 1
Eurosport 2
Quest
TLC

As you can see, that’s a fairly solid selection of channels right there. It’s worth noting that Virgin Media will remain unaffected throughout this.

What programmes will Irish Sky customers miss out on?

The famous Williams sisters are set to take each other on in the final of the Australian Open this week. Eurosport has been bringing us coverage of this tournament. If you’re lucky, the final might be one of the last major tournaments you catch on Eurosport if you’re a Sky customer. Worse still, Eurosport is set to have the rights to the lion’s share of Olympic coverage in the coming years.

Idris Elba’s latest documentary is called Fighter. This follows the Luther actor through his attempts to become a competitive fighter. The first episode was great but should this Discovery Communications and Sky battle not be resolved, you’ll be doing well to get passed the third episode. Fighter is just one of the latest hits on Discovery. You’ll also be missing out on re-runs of the best ways to kill time, namely Mythbusters and How it’s Made. Take this video that means you’ll never eat a hotdog again.

Not How it’s Made! Why is this happening?

Basically, Sky have paid Discovery Communications less every year for the last while. During the same period, Sky has been charging customers more every year. Discovery Communications are peeved by this.

What are the chances of this being averted?

It certainly does have a feel about it that this can’t happen. Surely? The Discovery Channel was the first thing I went to when Sky got installed in my house. Discovery is going heavy on the “it’s not our fault” approach. Over in Sky HQ, some poor person has had to explain something on the website. The result is some pretty flakey explanations as to what’s going on. Sky’s site states that from 1 February, Discovery is unlikely to be available in Sky TV packages.

Sky are well aware of the situation’s severity too. They have sections dedicated to informing annoyed customers that there’s plenty else to watch. This is far from cutting it for customers who are, quite rightly, seeking a reduction in their bill for the loss of channels.

It’ll be interesting to see if this all means that Irish Sky customers can jump ship on their contracts. As is often the case, there is a fair chance this is grounds to exit your contract with Sky – no questions asked. But as I said above, I’ve a feeling this won’t go the distance. Sure that would be like Virgin Media losing BT Sports or something.

Make your own Donald Trump quotes

Marty
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0
Make your own Donald Trump quotes

Have you ever found that Donald Trump talks a little bit too much sense? Maybe you’ve even thought to yourself “wouldn’t it be great if I could create my own Donald Trump quotes”. You know, just to have him say something racist or war-inducing.

Okay, with the classic opposite world introduction complete, let’s get back on track. Twitter has recently become a stomping ground for Trump’s rants.

With the press being shoved aside, all we can do is undermine and mock the Trumpster.

You can create your own mad Donald Trump quotes

Well, would you make mad quotes? Maybe you’d just make Donald say some things that Obama said. Bring back memories of a happier time right? It’s easy to do both thanks to Zoobe, a character voice-messaging app available for both iOS and Android. Zoobe was founded by German filmmaker, Lenard F. Krawinkel.

You record your voice with the app and then select which character you would like to repeat your creation. The app was created to bring more emotion to your WhatsApp messages. Generally speaking, the characters are funny and from hot-topics. You’ll find loads of freebies to play with like Angela Merkel. Trump was free until the guys at Zoobe realised people are craving some sense to be uttered by the President. Trump now costs 99c to access – thanks a lot Obama. All in all, there’s a nice mix of free charachters and premium stuff to keep Zoobe fresh. You can even get Slimer from Ghostbusters.unspecified

If you want to make your own Donald Trump quotes, just download Zoobe, select Trump from the list and record your voice. The video will then render itself and download to your device, where you can share. That means Facebook, Twitter all those great places. Those social media platforms really are brilliant and I’m great at them all. See, I’ve been practising.

We’ve test drove Zoobe with Donald Trump quoting the now infamous Enda Kenny Castlebar speech. Who said it best?

You can download Zoobe now for iOS and Android.

Unlikely movies that received award nominations

Marty
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Unlikely movies that received award nominations

Movie piracy skyrocketing which can mean only one thing – award season is upon us. Between the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards, honours are divvied out amongst the best movies and industry individuals from the past year. While there are plenty of winners and losers, there have been some real surprise nominations over the past few years that you would not have expected to find. Here are our top five unlikely movies that received award nominations.

Junior

1 Academy Award nomination & 3 Golden Globe nominations

It simply wouldn’t be right to have a list of acting surprises without Arnie in it. We need you to just go ahead and say the following sentence out loud. Junior, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito was nominated for an Oscar. If you need to go grab a cup of tea or something, we’ll wait right here for you.

Okay, this is a nugget of trivia and a gem to stump your friends but we’ll level with you. Junior was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song in 1995, with “Look What Love Has Done”

The on-screen talent wasn’t completely missed however, with Arnie and Emma Thompson being nominated for Best Performance by an Actor and Actress respectively at the 1995 Golden Globes. I don’t think anyone can truly deny Arnie deserved to go all the way, but it just wasn’t to be.

my body my choice gif

Bad Grandpa

2 Academy Award nominations

surprised old man gifFair enough, we’re probably being a bit sneaky and liberal here in the definition of “nomination”, but fair is fair. Inspired by his time with the Jackass crew, Johnny Knoxville took to the streets as an old man thanks to some extremely convincing make-up work. The make-up work was so impressive in fact, the team that did all the work earned themselves an Oscar nomination. Initiate shocked face.

Under Siege

1 Academy Award nomination

Another “say it out loud moment”. Surely, you are thinking what we’re thinking at this stage. This could earn you a few bob down the pub as a chorus of “ara g’way you’re talking shite” follows you saying one of the Steve Seagal epics was nominated for an Oscar, not once, but twice.

Yup, while the arm breaking to nomination ratio is still in comfortably in favour of the emergency room, Under Siege earned two 1993 Oscar nominations for Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing. No wins though. I wouldn’t like to be the one who breaks it to Seagal.

Batman Forever

3 Academy Award nominations & 1 Golden Globe nomination

You surely see where this one is going right? Perhaps one of the greatest songs to grace a movie soundtrack of all time…

Kiss From a Rose by Seal, what a gem of a song. If you thought that this was the driving force behind the movies big four award nominations, you’d be wrong. While this may be the greatest miscarriage of justice in the history of mankind, Kiss From a Rose was overlooked, with Batman for Ever instead joining the unlikely movies that received award nominations list for Best Cinematography, Best Sound and Best Sound Effects from the Academy.

The Golden Globes didn’t overlook the soundtrack of the movie, but they did favour the Dublin lads, U2, who provided their talents for Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me -receiving a nomination for Best Original Song.

Crocodile Dundee

1 Academy Award nomination, 1 Golden Globe win & 1 Golden Globe nomination

We shit you not. Paul Hogan, the inspiration behind both the definition of knives and the classic parlour game – knifey spoony; ‘strewth.

What makes Crocodile Dundee’s Oscar nomination most impressive is that it’s actually one of the more serious ones; Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. Better still, the legend that is Paul Hogan earned himself a Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy of Musical, fending off Matthew Broderick’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

What was less impressive was the attempt at an Aussie accent by the lady presenting the award. A well deserved Aussie boot up the arse is needed for this.

That completes our selection of unlikely movies that received award nominations. Let us know if you think there were even bigger surprises.

 

 

 

On Netflix Ireland: Is The OA a smash hit or a bit shit?

Jon
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On Netflix Ireland: Is The OA a smash hit or a bit shit?

Another Netflix binge complete and this time up on the chopping block was the new Netflix Original series The OA.

Where did The OA come from?

What’s interesting about this particular series was that prior to its announcement, no one knew it even existed. It did arrive with some added pressure to deliver following the success that was Stranger Things.  A bit of mystery can go a long way when it comes to developing a full-scale internet obsession with a series. The OA has a solid enough premise. In theory, it follows the same formula for success that Stranger Things created.

What’s The OA about?

The really short version goes something like blind girl goes missing, comes back with her sight and a new personality. I enjoyed the randomness and storytelling style of the show. But I also know it’s not going to be everybody’s cup of tea. By the end of it all, well everything was kind of ruined. We don’t want to give away spoilers but the poor ending has to be up there with The Sopranos and How I Met Your Mother. [Editors note: Sopranos Jon, really?] But don’t let that put you off. Give the trailer a shot. You’ll probably find that The OA sets out to intrigue and it nails it.

It’s hard to separate The OA and Stranger Things, so the bar is set pretty high. The OA even comes from well-established filmmakers Brit Marling and Zal Batmangli. Check out the utterly brain-melting Sound of My Voice and The East.

So we have an interesting story line, great director and the drive that comes with a Netflix Original Series.

What could possibly go wrong?

And here is the kicker. Everything The OA has going for it is perfect for a psychological thriller movie. Apply that formula to an eight-episode series and it becomes slow and drawn out at times. To summarise briefly, the show introduces us to Praire Johnson aka The OA. Praire, missing for seven years, can offer no account for her whereabouts or how her sight has mysteriously returned. Her parents, just happy to have her home, comply with her wishes not to speak to investigators or stay in the hospital.

After earning the help and respect of the local bad boy Steve, Praire or The OA enlists him to find four “strong” people who would be willing to “let me in”. It’s like some form of ragtag Breakfast Club for her to tell her story too.

And from then on The OA becomes a very different show, almost entirely for the worse.

Light spoiler alert. From the second episode and beyond the series is very much focused on the life of The OA speaking to her new disciples. The storytelling is very well done. It’s interesting to see how the characters develop in their own personal lives as a result of their interactions with Praire. While the love subplot between her and her fellow captive Homer is an interesting side show, as is Jason Isaacs playing the villain Hap.

Is it worth your while?

Unfortunately, as much as the main body of the show is more than watchable, the final few minutes of The OA is actually poorly thought out. We’re talking of Lost proportions here. After such a long story detailing her plan to her followers, going as far as to teach them “the way” to open a portal into some kind of multiverse of sorts or something like that. To be honest, I don’t want to give away to much but just think Bowling for Columbine with dancing. As ridiculous as that sounds, it’s not a million miles off.

 

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