‘ER’ Finale Comes And Goes: Let’s Take A Look Back At Their Film Careers.

The docs have performed their last astonishing surgery, threaded their remaining sutures, made out passionately in the supply closet for the final time: NBC’s “ER” is officially no more. Over 15 seasons, cast members have come, gone, and (sometimes) come again. A few went on to successful film careers, while others had originally retreated to network TV because their big screen livelihoods gave out like so many overworked hearts on the operating table. With the series finale still fresh in our memories, let’s take a look at the five cast members with the most memorable film careers (and a few who narrowly missed the list).

George Clooney

Many have made the jump from TV to movies, but few have done it more successfully. What’s his secret? Well, he was on his way to A-list status even before leaving the show after five seasons as Dr. Doug Ross (“Batman & Robin” may have sucked, but he was still the Caped Crusader). Clooney’s first post-“ER” role was in the best movie ever made about the Gulf War (“Three Kings”) and he went to play goofballs (“O Brother, Where Art Thou?”), professional thieves (the “Ocean’s Eleven” series) and international spies (“Syriana”). In other words, he picked great roles and took chances. And wrote his own material. And directed a critical hit. And is really, really good-looking. Sure, there have been a few missteps over the years (“Spy Kids”?!), but he also won an Oscar and a Golden Globe. And, uh, he’s freaking George Clooney!

Maria Bello

She was only on “ER” for one full season, but that’s all she needed. Bello nabbed meaty roles in “The Cooler” and “A History of Violence,” and received Globe nominations for both. Also, “Coyote Ugly” kinda rocked and she was hilarious as a shameless PR flack for the alcohol industry in “Thank You For Smoking.” I’ll just forgive her for that third “Mummy” flick last year because, hey, we all need to get paid, right?

Angela Bassett

She’s the only current cast member with anything approaching a film career. And quite a career it has been, especially her impressive list of biographical roles, from Betty Shabazz (“Malcom X”) to Tina Turner (“What’s Love Got to Do with It”) to Biggie Smalls’ mom (“Notorious”).

Noah Wyle

You can’t fault the guy for wanting to get away from County General Hospital after 11 seasons, even if he didn’t have much of a big screen movie career ahead of him (which is probably why he kept coming back). However, Wyle’s established a nice little niche for himself as a nerdy Indiana Jones in the successful “Librarian” trilogy on TNT. Plus, he gets bonus points for appearing in “Donnie Darko.”

Eriq La Salle

La Salle deserves inclusion on this list simply for his splendid turn as entitled jerk and Soul Glo enthusiast Darryl in 1988’s “Coming to America.” I also loved everything about freaky-as-hell “Jacob’s Ladder,” in which La Salle played a haunted Vietnam vet alongside Tim Robbins. But that all took place before he become a Chicago M.D. Since leaving his scrubs behind, La Salle’s been in the straight-to-DVD stinker “Inside Out” and his directorial debut “Crazy as Hell.” Last month he took a page from Wyle’s book and ventured into the glamorous world of made-for-TV movie with “Relative Stranger” on the Hallmark Channel. Eriq, things are looking up, if a little sappy.

Pre-“ER” Honorable Mention

Anthony Edwards: He played one of the most memorable, loveable losers of the 1980s as Gilbert in “Revenge of the Nerds.” Then came his career-defining role as Goose, Tom Cruise’s wingman on the ground and in the air in “Top Gun.” I just re-watched his fighter jet death scene and, yeah, I still get chills.

Biggest Post-“ER” Underachiever

Julianna Margulies: What happened to you, Julianna? You had so much potential! One minute you’re snogging with Clooney, and the next minute…? You have brains, you have beauty, and yet you never got that big breaking role. Blame your agent or blame Hollywood, which only seems to have room for a handful of post-35-year-old actresses at a time. Playing a sailor in “Ghost Ship” or flight attendant in “Snakes on Plane” might be enough to get you a mention on this list, but it doesn’t say much about your film career.

Who in “ER” history do you think has the most memorable movie career? Who deserves to have one but doesn’t?
Source: MTV Movies Blog

Cubo de Rubik para Deficientes Visuais!

O estilista Zhiliang Chen, de Hong Kong, criou um interessante conceito de Cubo de Rubik para deficientes visuais.

Cada um dos seis lados do Rubik Cube Touch and Play é feito de um material diferente: metal, madeira, plástico, borracha e pedra. Os diferentes materiais com suas diferentes texturas permitem que uma pessoa com deficiência visual consiga manipular o cubo pelo tacto.

O“The Material Rubik Cube” ganhou o prestigiado prémio If Design Material Award 2006.

Inventor do Cubo Mágico apresenta o 360.

Depois das faces do cubo, trata-se agora de conseguir encaixar bolinhas nos buracos de uma esfera. Parece simples, não parece?

Não dava entrevistas há mais de uma década, raramente era visto em público mas é de novo notícia. Erno Rubik, o inventor húngaro do icónico Cubo de Rubik, acaba de dar ao mundo um novo quebra-cabeças. Chama-se 360, foi apresentado a semana passada na Alemanha e chega ao mercado em Agosto.

Apesar da forma esférica, a contrastar com as arestas do famoso cubo colorido, o 360 é, na sua essência, muito semelhante ao antecessor: propõe um desafio de fácil entendimento, com uma única solução, mas de complexa execução.

Aqui não se trata de organizar as seis faces de um cubo mas de colocar seis bolas coloridas na respectiva calha. Simples? Nem por isso. As bolas estão dentro de três esferas de plástico transparentes (duas por cada) e, para solucionar o quebra-cabeças, é preciso fazê-las passar por uma esfera intermédia (que tem apenas dois buracos) e encaixá-las na calha correspondente da esfera externa. Isto sem tirar do lugar as bolas já colocadas. É tudo uma questão de peso e equilíbrio. E, sobretudo, de muito treino e paciência.

Se no cubo o segredo estava na Matemática e na lógica, aqui são a Física e a perícia que ganham protagonismo. "Sinto que o 360 é um dos mais inovadores e emocionantes puzzles que desenvolvemos desde o Cubo", afirmou Rubik num comunicado à imprensa.

Exportado pela primeira vez da Hungria em 1980, o Cubo de Rubik tornou-se um ícone e um sucesso de vendas instantâneo, tendo vendido até ao momento mais de 350 milhões de exemplares em todo o mundo.
Campeão do Cubo Mágico, Dan Harris, tenta a sua sorte no novo Rubik 360.