‘Neon’ movie posters of cult films by Quentin Tarantino, Dario Argento, Stanley Kubrick and more

June 20, 2017 Markozen.com Art

The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980) neon movie poster

Using the art of “one point perspective” (an approach to art that began as early as the 15th century in Europe that utilizes a “vanishing point” on the horizon point of the image) two Italian twin brothers (working under the moniker Van Orton Design) took on the task of digitally reimagining movie posters based on cult films from directors like Dario Argento and Wes Anderson, in vivid electric neon color schemes.

Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977)

Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)

Although the twins used modern methods to obtain their striking results, there is a distinct old-school feel to their posters that homage some of cinema’s greatest achievements of the past 50 years. The brothers, who appear to prefer to remain nameless and obscure their faces with masks, have also managed to have the films be seen through fresh eyes due to their unique presentation and interpretation of different, unforgettable scenes in the films themselves. Such as the moment Marcellus Wallace unfortunately strolled in front of the beat up Honda that Butch Coolidge was driving in Pulp Fiction (pictured above) before everything goes to shit for both of them.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson, 2014)

2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)

Big Trouble in Little China (John Carpenter, 1986)

Army of Darkness ( Sam Raimi, 1992)

Deep Red (Dario Argento, 1975)

The Shining (Stanley Kubrick, 1980)

Dangerous Minds

Bureaucrats from around the world

June 20, 2017 Markozen.com World

Bureaucratics by Dutch photographer Jan Banning is a comparative photographic study of the culture, rituals and symbols of state civil administrations and its servants in eight countries on five continents. Jan traveled to Bolivia, China, France, India, Liberia, Russia, Yemen and the United States to snap photographs of civil servants – from fiscal authorities to police, from governors to local clerks – seated behind his or her desk. The result is a fascinating look at the lives of bureaucrats.

India, Bihar

Sushma Prasad (b. 1962) is an assistant clerk at the Cabinet Secretary of the State of Bihar (population 83 million) in The Old Secretariat in the state capital, Patna. She was hired “on compassionate grounds” because of the death of her husband, who until 1997 worked in the same department. Monthly salary: 5,000 rupees ($ 110, euro 100).

Surinder Kumar Mandal (b. 1946) is circle inspector of taxes in Thakurganj block, collecting taxes in a specific part of Kishanganj district, State of Bihar. Monthly salary: 9,500 rupees ($ 208, 189 euro). Surinder Kumar Mandal (b. 1946) is “circle inspector” van belastingen in Thakurganj Block, Kishanganj district, State of Bihar. Maandsalaris: 9,500 rupees (euro 189, US$ 208).

China, Shandong

Qu Shao Feng (b. 1964) is chief general of Jining Public Security Bureau Division of Aliens and Exit-Entry Administration in Jining City, Shandong province. Monthly salary: 3,100 renminbi (US$ 384, 286 euro).

Wang Ning (b. 1983) works in the Economic Affairs office in Gu Lou community, Yanzhou city, Shandong province. She provides economic assistance to enterprises in her region and is the liaison officer between the government and local enterprises. Wang Ning is not married. She lives at home with her parents. Monthly salary: 2,100 renminbi (US$ 260, euro 228).

France, Auvergne

Roger Vacher (b. 1957) is a narcotics agent with the national police force in Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dome department, Auvergne region. Monthly salary: euro 2,200 (US$ 2,893).

Maurice Winterstein (b. 1949) works in Clermont-Ferrand for the Commission for the Advancement of Equal Opportunity and Citizenship at the combined administrative offices of the Auvergne region and the Puy-de-Dome department. He also is in charge of the portfolio of religious affairs, Islam in particular. Monthly salary: euro 1,550 (US$ 2,038). The young lady next to him is Linda Khettabi (b. 1989), an intern pursuing training as a secretary.

Liberia

Major Adolph Dalaney works in the Reconstruction Room of the Traffic Police at the Liberia National Police Headquarters in the capital Monrovia. Traffic accident victims at time are willing to pay a little extra if Dalaney’s department quickly draws up a favorable report to present to a judge. Monthly salary: barely 1,000 Liberian dollars ($18, €17).

Henry Gray (1940), acting commissioner for Gbaepo district, Kanweaken, River Gee County. During the Civil War, the office was completely looted and destroyed: only one wall remained. Gray has 11 personnel, of whom only 4 are paid. The rest are volunteers. He has no budget and over two years salary owing. Yesterday, he went to the capital Fishtown to collect last two months salary, two times 975 Liberian dollars (2x US$ 17, 2x euro 16). All he got was 600 dollars (US$ 11, euro 10). Gray is father to 34 children (sic), 13 of them depending, and has 18 grandchildren.

Russia, Siberia

Marina Nikolayevna Berezina (b. 1962), a former singer and choir director, is now the secretary to the head of the financial department of Tomsk province”s Facility Services. She does not want to reveal her monthly salary.

Nikolajevich Ilyich Volkov (b. 1954) is administrator of the village of Alexandrovskoye (some 1,000 inhabitants), Tomsk province. Monthly salary: 9,000 rubles (US$ 321, euro 243).

U.S.A., Texas

Rudy Flores (b. 1963) is one of the 118 Texas Rangers, state law enforcement officers who cover 254 counties between them. He is based in Palestine, Anderson County, Texas, and is responsible for three counties. Monthly salary: $5,000 (€3,720).

Dede McEachern (b. 1969) is director of licensing, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations, in the state capital, Austin. Monthly salary: US$ 5,833 (euro 4,240).

Yemen

Ali Abdulmalik Shuga (b. 1964) is responsible for the archives of the Ministry of Trade and CommerceÍs governorate s office in the city of Taizz, Taizz Governorate. Monthly salary: 30,500 rial (US$ 171, euro 117).

Nadja Ali Gayt is an adviser at the Ministry of Agriculture’s education center for rural women in the district of Manakhah, Sana’a Governorate. Monthly salary: 28,500 rial ($160, €110).

Bolivia, Potosi

Constantino Ayaviri Castro (b. 1950), previously a construction worker, is a police officer, third class, for the municipality of Tinguipaya, Tomas Frias province. The police station does not have a phone, car or typewriter. Monthly salary: 800 bolivianos ($100, €189).

Marcial Castro Revollo (b. 1942) is shopkeeper and, at the desk in the back, civil servant for the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the village of Millares (350 inhabitants), municipality of Betanzos, Cornelio Saavedra province, Department Potosi. Also, at the desk in the front, he is responsible for the polling station of the Corte Departemental Electoral de Potosi (elections office). Monthly salary: 500 bolivianos (euro 55, US$ 62).

Unexploded Bombs Find Everyday Use in Laos’ Villages

June 19, 2017 Markozen.com Geography, War

The Vietnam War ended 40 years ago, but left a deadly legacy, especially in Laos. The US military dropped more than 2 million tons of bombs on the country during the war between 1964 and 1973, making Laos the most heavily bombed country in the world on a per capita basis. There were more than 580,000 bombing missions on Laos, equivalent to one bombing mission every eight minutes, 24 hours a day, for nine years. Not all of those bombs did what they were supposed to do. An estimated 30 percent of ordnance failed to explode, remaining live in the ground years after the war. They continue to detonate at unexpected places and at unexpected times, such as when children are playing.

Boats made out of fuel tanks that were ejected from U.S. bombers.

A major cause of casualties, however, is villagers attempting to open the big bombs to sell the metal and the explosives inside to scrap dealers. A high quality bomb casing weighing up to 2,000 pounds can fetch more than $100. Empty bomb casings that once contained deadly explosives are visible all across the country in new forms — from hollowed out canoes and containers, to props holding houses above flood.

When photographer Mark Watson took a bicycle trip across the country, he was surprised to see these lethal devices being reused in extraordinary ways. “Scrap from such widespread bombing has been utilized in people’s homes and villages,” Watson said, “for everything from house foundations to planter boxes to buckets, cups and cowbells.”

Gathering bomb scraps is a deadly occupation, but the people were forced into the trade by poverty.

“Lots of agricultural land is denied to people because of the presence of UXO (unexploded ordnance), and this is the main problem. It prolongs poverty because people can’t do what they need to do. If they know that UXO is present, they will not plow deeply enough to get a good quality crop,” said David Hayter, of Mines Advisory Group (MAG), an NGO working to detect and remove mines and bombs.

But progress is slow and their budget limited. Meanwhile, people continue to get killed and injured by accidental detonation of live ordnance. As of 2012, at least 29,000 people have died from such accidents.

Children pose near unexploded bombs recovered from around the village.

A house in village uses a bomb casing as a garden decoration.

Bomb casing used as a planter.

Casings used as support stilts for a house.

Metal recovered from bomb casing shaped into cow bells.

A bomb casing turned into a boat.

Cratered rice field.

Phonsavanh, Laos.

Cool Horror Movie Titles

June 19, 2017 Markozen.com Movies

Here are some Horror movies with totally crazy titles.

Santa’s Slay (2005)

The Gingerdead Man (2005)

Chopping Mall (1986)

Bikini Bloodbath Car Wash (2008)

Evil Bong (2006)

Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (1988)

Monsturd (2003)

Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2006)

Killer Condom (1996)

Prairie Urban Images

June 19, 2017 Markozen.com Cities

Shots of Winnipeg

set

set1

bow

bow1

bow2

bow4

set7

set8

plants

“The Shining” Hotel Is Hoping To Build Its Own Horror Museum

June 19, 2017June 19, 2017 Markozen.com Movies

Stephen King was famously inspired by the Stanley Hotel of Estes Park, Colorado, and now, the hotel is looking to add on to their heritage as a horror destination: by adding on a museum dedicated to horror. The hotel was the inspiration for the Outlook Hotel in the novel, “The Shining.”

According to the LA Times, the hotel has issued plans to build a horror museum onto the premise, which would bring in traveling exhibits, and add on an auditorium and sound stage. The founding board for the museum includes some celebrities, such as Elijah Woods (Lord of the Rings) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead / Star Trek).

Before this happens, the state of Colorado must first grant the hotel $11.5 million from its tourism funds to help with the construction of the facility, which is expected to cost upwards of $24 million. The museum will operate as a nonprofit public-private partnership.

King stayed in room 217 in 1974, which helped to inspire him to write his famous novel The Shining, and serves as inspiration for the Overlook Hotel. The novel and subsequent movie adaptation have helped transform the hotel in to a tourist destination for horror fans. The hotel offers tours and hosts horror writers for workshops.

Ghost hunters trying to scare themselves in the Stanley Hotel.

According to King in later interviews, the Stanley served as his model for the Overlook Hotel, the ominous setting of The Shining, his third major work after Salem’s Lot (1975) and Carrie (1974). The hotel in King’s book is an evil entity haunted by its many victims. The main characters – Jack and Wendy Torrence and their young son Danny – are employed as winter caretakers. As the winter wears on, the hotel begins to exert its influence upon Jack, urging him to murder his family. Danny’s clairvoyant abilities – referred to in the novel as “the shine” – lend the book its title.

In 1980, the novel became the basis for an iconic film adaptation directed by Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick’s vision for the movie differed from King’s significantly in many ways, including the portrayal of the Overlook Hotel. The exteriors of Kubrick’s Overlook were supplied by the Timberline Lodge on the slopes of Mt. Hood in Oregon. Inspiration for the interior sets (erected at Elstree Studios in England) came from the 1927 Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park.

Timberline Lodge located at Mt. Hood, Oregon. Exterior shots in the movie “The Shining.”

Wild location for a hotel.

The famous maze in the movie was a studio construct.

There are no mazes at either the Stanley Hotel or Timberline Lodge. The maze was inside a studio in the U.K.

The set design for the interior scenes of the Overlook Hotel was modeled in large parts on the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite, California. Seen here is the Ahwahnee’s Great Lounge, which was recreated on the Elstree Studios set as the Colorado Lounge. Where ‘All work and no play make Jack a Dull Boy.’

The Stanley Hotel that inspired Stephen King to write “The Shining” is said to have many ghosts being labelled a 5 Star haunt.

The place is spooky looking:

How zoo animals in Washington, D.C. reacted to the earthquake on August 23, 2011

June 18, 2017June 18, 2017 Markozen.com Animals

These are descriptions of how animals at The National Zoo in Washington reacted to the earthquake. Some reacted before it began shaking.

From Popular Science

“Keepers were feeding the beavers and hooded mergansers (a species of duck) when the earthquake hit. The ducks immediately jumped into the pool. The beavers stopped eating, stood on their hind legs and looked around, then got into the water, too. They all stayed in the water. Within an hour, some of the beavers returned to land to continue eating.”

“According to keepers, the giant pandas did not appear to respond to the earthquake.”

Hell, when there’s bamboo to be eaten, why get worked up about the ground shaking beneath you?

“The howler monkeys sounded an alarm call just after the earthquake.”

“Iris (an orangutan) began “belch vocalizing”—an unhappy/upset noise normally reserved for extreme irritation—before the quake and continued this vocalization following the quake.”

“About five to ten seconds before the quake, many of the apes, including Kyle (an orangutan) and Kojo (a Western lowland gorilla), abandoned their food and climbed to the top of the tree-like structure in the exhibit.”

“About three seconds before the quake, Mandara (a gorilla) let out a shriek and collected her baby, Kibibi, and moved to the top of the tree structure as well.”

This is my favorite picture; I can imagine that the gorilla is really trying to puzzle out what just happened.

“Damai (a female Sumatran tiger) jumped at the start of the earthquake in a startled fashion. Her behavior returned to normal after the quake.”

“The lion pride was outside. They all stood still and faced the building, which rattled during the quake. All settled down within minutes.”

“The Zoo has a flock of 64 flamingos. Just before the quake, the birds rushed about and grouped themselves together. They remained huddled during the quake.”

“All the snakes began writhing during the quake (copperheads, cotton mouth, false water cobra, etc.). Normally, they remain inactive during the day.”

This is actually really scary, especially because the named snakes are super poisonous.

Ten Cities Dangerously Situated in Earthquake Zones

June 18, 2017 Markozen.com Nature

I’m glad I live in Manitoba. I dislike blizzards and -30 wind chill. But at least I don’t have to live with the threat of my apartment building shaking and collapsing from under me.

Photo from Chile:

These are the top ten cities in the world that face the most serious threat from earthquakes.

San Francisco

More than any other U.S. city, San Francisco is known for major earthquakes, most famously the 1906 quake that caused a fire that destroyed much of the city. Later research into the earthquake led to the discovery of the San Andreas Fault. Frisco remains at high risk for a big one: Between now and 2032, there’s a 62 percent chance of a quake stronger than 6.6 on the Richter scale.

Istanbul

Situated on the North Anatolian fault line—one of the most active in the world—Istanbul has been on earthquake watch for years and is what The Guardian once called “a disaster waiting to happen.” With 15 million residents and 1.6 million buildings, Istanbul is a difficult city to prepare for this kind of disaster, but recently officials have tightened regulations on buildings, and the World Bank has donated millions to aid in preparatory measures. Studies by the U.S. Geological Survey found as much as a 70 percent chance of a major earthquake in the city within the next three decades.

Tokyo

The Great Kanto Quake that rocked Tokyo in 1923 still ranks as one of the world’s worst disasters of the 20th century. Fires spread across the city and took two days to extinguish because the quake had ruptured water lines. Scientists think there’s a 70 percent chance that in the coming decades another big earthquake will wreak havoc the capital of Japan—the most quake-prone country in the world.

Los Angeles

Los Angeles also contains nearly 100 faults, and is one of the major cities along the San Andreas Fault Zone, which moves two inches per year. The most recent significant earthquake in L.A.’s history occurred in 1994, was 6.7 in magnitude, and was “the costliest U.S. earthquake since 1906.” The city is expected to experience at least one earthquake a year of magnitude 5.0 or greater, scientists say.

Tehran

Scientists estimate that a major earthquake could kill as many as a million people in Tehran, making it one of the most vulnerable cities to an earthquake in the world. Home to 8.5 million inhabitants and an unstable government, the metropolis lies on at least a hundred different fault lines, such a dangerous location that some have argued that Iran should pack up and move its entire capital city to a safer spot.

Manilla

A recent study found that Manila is at greater risk for an earthquake than was previously thought, and last year, a U.N. official made his concern apparent. “You’re gonna have 16,000 buildings destroyed. You’re gonna have…150,000 who are injured,” the head of the U.N.’s Emergency Services Branch told the BBC, predicting an imminent quake of between 7.0 and 8.0 magnitude in this city of 18 million. A colleague echoed his concern.“The big earthquake is certainly coming. The question is when? No one can tell. It can happen today, tomorrow, or next year. But certainly there will be an earthquake.

Mexico City

Haiti’s recent earthquake drew many comparisons to the one that struck Mexico City in 1985. The massive metropolitan area is home to over 21 million people, and the city itself was built on a dried-up lake bed, making the ground underneath like “a huge bowl of gelatin,” according to one researcher. Ominously, on the Earthquake Disaster Risk Index, Mexico City sits just higher than Santiago, Chile.

Quito

Geohazards International conducted an exhaustive study of what would happen to Ecuador’s capital city in the days and weeks following a major earthquake. It predicted severe structural damage due to the “vulnerable adobe” buildings, landslides that bury people and render roads impassable, a breakdown of the city’s water supply, sewage flooding the streets, and thousands of homeless people dying of exposure in the first night after the quake. “Human casualties would be substantial,” the hypothetical scenario states.

Anchorage

The Alaska Seismic Hazards Safety Commission says the 49th state is one of the most earthquake-prone areas in the world, and its largest city gets hit by a moderate tremor most years. The last one to do major damage was on Good Friday in 1964, and, at 9.2 on the Richter scale, it remains the strongest to afflict North America to date. Since then, Alaska’s population has more than doubled, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates that “with the present infrastructure and policies, Alaska will have the second highest… earthquake-loss ratio in the country.”

Kathmandu

This Nepalese city is especially vulnerable thanks to its haphazardly constructed homes built with reinforced concrete and filled in with masonry. Experts have warned for years about Kathmandu’s lack of earthquake preparation, the danger intensified by its dense population. The last major quake happened in 1934, when nearly 17,000 city residents died in a minute