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September 20

Looper plot ?

I'm trying to figure out why Mafia members would send people back into the past to have them killed, versus killing them immediately. The only reason I can come up with is that it's a legal loophole, since nobody is killed at the future date, so they can't be charged with murder. (This would also give "looper" a double-meaning.) So, is this the plot ? StuRat (talk) 05:49, 20 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I haven't seen the film, but from the trailers, it sounds starkly similar to 12 Monkeys, with the Mob bit thrown in for extra fun. Donnie Darko also has similar themes of time travel and killing one's self, but from a different perspective. --Jayron32 06:03, 20 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Looper (film).

There's also the added benefit of actually averting the person doing the thing that causes you to want to kill them. I.e., Vinny never skims that fifty-large off the top of the last deal with the Santini family, mostly because Vinny was dead before it happened. Evanh2008 ^{(talk|contribs)} 06:04, 20 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Never mind. Looking at the article, I now see that JGL is sent forward, not back. I have no clue what the motive is, then. Evanh2008 ^{(talk|contribs)} 06:05, 20 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Bruce Willis also met his younger self in Disney's The Kid, but instead of trying to kill him, he just wants him to be less of a prick. --Jayron32 06:10, 20 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

And then there's Triangle (2009 film), where the main character kills her past self. It was, IIRC, basically "Groundhog Day" meets "Saw". --Jayron32 06:15, 20 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

This kind of thing is why backwards time travel is logically impossible and makes for good entertainment. As one of math teachers used to say, "When you start with incorrec assumptions, you're liable to get interesting results." ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 12:31, 20 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

widescreen

When viewing The Reluctant Astronaut in widescreen, near the left and near the right are visible vertical lines. Movies like How the West was Won have these but it was shot in the three-camera process (Cinerama). The Reluctant Astronaut is in 1.85 aspect ratio (added: according to IMDB). Why does it have these vertical lines? Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 14:49, 20 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Bubba, what media are you playing back from, DVD or Blu-Ray, and what type of television are you watching on, SD (4:3 ratio) or HD (16:9). --Thomprod (talk) 19:57, 20 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

It was on AMC (I think) last night and I recorded it on my DVR. I played it back in HD 16:9 ratio. It was full screen at that ratio. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 20:00, 20 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

The vertical lines in The Reluctant Astronaut are not in the same locations as How the West Was Won, which has them in about equal thirds. These vertical lines in this movie, when viewed at 16:9, are closer to the left and right edges. I estimate that if you cut the picture along the vertical lines, it would give about a 4:3 ratio. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 20:42, 20 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I was going to try to photograph it off the screen, but it is also in Goundhog Day being shown on AMC right now, so it is some sort of artifact not relating to the other movie. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 03:36, 21 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Resolved

Ruy Lopez Morphy defense

This section uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

In the Roy Lopez Morphy defense, isn't it better for black in the 4th move to move b5, and attack the bishop? That would put white between a rock and a hard place, right? Legolover26 (talk) 16:39, 20 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

That is done sometimes (1.e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 b5 5. Bb3, Ruy Lopez#Morphy Defence 3...a6: alternatives to Closed Defence) but the bishop is OK on b3 and the pawn moves weaken black's queenside. There are other lines where it (...b5) is done later. Bubba73 ^{You talkin' to me?} 16:59, 20 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Blues in Chicago

So a group of us from Canada are all going to Chicago to celebrate our 50th birthdays this year next month. We will be staying in the "Loop" - but what I would like to know is some suggested locations to catch some really great music. I have no idea of where to go, if we need tickets - whatever. Anyone from Chicago or into some good blues music and knows "what to do" - we would welcome some suggestions. We plan on arriving on a Thursday and leaving Sunday but are novices on the music scene in that city. Thanks24.222.199.212 (talk) 22:47, 20 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Assuming the House of Blues is still there, that might be worth a look. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 23:04, 20 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Check the daily listings on Last FM to see exactly who is playing and when. Check this page often, because new shows are being added all the time. --Viennese Waltz 23:21, 20 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

It's been about 12 years since I lived in Chicago, but it's a great entertainment city. Of course, things change, but there used to be some great food in Greektown. I used to eat at a place called "The Parthenon" and if it is still there and still the same kinda place, it can be a really fun place to eat as a group. They do the "flaming cheese" appetizer, family style service, really good Greek food. One place I know is still there is "Wildfire" near the Magnificent Mile, a really good steak place. I don't get back often, but my wife goes to Chicago twice a year for work, and she still eats there and says it is still great. If you're looking for daytime activities, the Art Institute of Chicago is a really fantastic art museum. If you're into science museums, the Museum Campus (Shedd Aquarium, Field Museum, Adler Planetarium) has lots of great stuff. If you can catch a cubs game at Wrigley field, there's usually lots of stuff to do in Wrigleyville and environs. Down in the loop, there's usually a big name act playing at the Chicago Theater, if you like Improv comedy, The Second City troupe still runs shows. Just some ideas. --Jayron32 23:39, 20 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Yeah he was asking specifically about music, not restaurants, museums, sports or comedy. --Viennese Waltz 07:49, 21 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Right, because being friendly and helpful is generally a bad idea. --Jayron32 16:35, 21 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Kingston Mines is pretty much THE go-to place in Chicago for Blues. Buddy Guy's Legends is also well worth checking out. eldamorie (talk) 14:54, 21 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

I spent a nice evening at Blue Chicago on my only visit to Chicago. It is about 6 blocks north of The Loop on N Clark Street. But there seems to be plenty of other places to go as well. Astronaut (talk) 17:36, 21 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

Just down the street from Blue Chicago is the current incarnation of Lonie Walker's Undergound Wonder Bar which is also a good time. eldamorie (talk) 18:00, 21 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

As a current resident of the city, I agree with the ideas offered above -- the only name that came to mind not appearing above is the Old Town School of Folk Music ( http://www.oldtownschool.org/ ). I know you explicitly mentioned blues, and Old Town's musical offerings on any given evening wouldn't frequently match that category, but if you're looking for a diverse array of music from around the globe and/or the United States, the music on offer any given weekend at Old Town isn't a bad place to start. Enjoy the Windy City! Jwrosenzweig (talk) 05:27, 26 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]