Soderbergh’s virus thriller ‘Contagion’ sweeps Venice

From Hong Kong to Chicago and across to London, the world descends into chaos when a lethal virus sweeps the planet in Steven Soderbergh’s thriller “Contagion”, screening at the Venice Film Festival.

“Contact with another person will likely seal your demise. You can’t be courageous, or you’ll die,” said actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays one of the first victims of the killer bug, which leaves riots and hysteria in its wake.

Released in the midst of a real-life banking crisis, with riots across parts of Europe and growing fears of biological terrorism, the film depicts a breakdown in trust across all parts of society that evokes contemporary anxieties.

The Academy Award-winning director said he had been drawn to the idea of showing people “struggling with a real-world problem, especially one with a ticking clock, where the stakes couldn’t be higher.”

Paltrow’s on-screen husband, Matt Damon, watches helplessly as his wife returns from a trip to Hong Kong with flu-like symptoms which quickly worsen — leaving him to protect his 15-year-old daughter alone, as fear grips the world.

“Day Two” is when it all beings, with close-up shots in an airport of hands touching mouths, glasses and doorknobs, waiters sneezing and victims travelling home to fall ill in London, Hong Kong and Minneapolis.

The story’s multiple threads criss cross as the World Health Organisation and US Centres for Disease Control scramble into action, while activist blogger Jude Law sniffs out the story and accuses the authorities of a cover up.

“Steven’s movies don’t leave any fat on the bone. The pace mirrors the progression of the infection itself and how things spiral quickly out of control,spyder ski,” Damon said.

DSi LL-XL – The Newest DSi From Nintendo
The hot news on a few days ago has now been proven true. Nintendo has provided confirmation that a new version of the handheld DSi will soon be marketed as soon as possible this year in Japan, with Western regions catch up for next year.
This latest DSi will be called DSi LL for Japan region,spyder ski, and called DSi XL for the Western region. As already reported, this latest DSi will feature two wide screen measuring 4.2 inches, which is larger than the screen when the current DSi is 3.25 inches wide or DS Lite screen is only 3 inches.
This DSi LL screen size almost as big a screen Sony PSP-3000, which counted 4.3 inches wide. Duration battery can run 4 to 5 hours at maximum light, and 13 to 17 hours at minimum light. This handheld will also add the usual stylus and one more pen-shaped stylus for more comfortable use.
This handheld will be sold in the area of Japan on November 21, coming at a price of JPY 20,000 ($ 220.50) in a choice of three colors: red wine, dark brown and natural white. As for the gamers in the West region will be able to get the Nintendo DSI XL in the first quarter of 2010.
The latest DSi is the fourth version of the Nintendo DS Systems in a few years since the DS first came out (2004-2005), DS Lite (2006), and DSi (2008-2009). As an acquisition at the end of last month, Nintendo has also noted that 113.48 million DS units have been sold, with 11.7 million units in the last six months.
DSi LL/XL TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
4.2″ screen, TFT color liquid crystal (260,000 colors)
Width 161.0mm
Length 91.4mm
Thickness 21.2mm
Stylus length: 96.0mm
Large stylus length: 129.3mm
Weight: 314g
Battery life: 4-5 hours maximum brightness, 13-17 hours minimum brightness
Charging time: 3 hours
DS card slot
SD memory card slot
AC adapter
Stereo headphone/Microphone connected terminal