Archive for October, 2008
A Story ATiE: All Told in Emoticons
By Whitney, written on Oct. 30, 2008
The use of emoticons and internet-age abbreviations (LOL, TTYL) have become so widely-used that they’ve developed their own culture and language. Rives of Bravo’s “Ironic Iconic America” decides to tell a “3-minute story of mixed emoticons,” drawing the entire script from a wall of what looks like a jumble of words and keyboard symbols.
Watch here
Top five “Treehouse of Horror” episodes…The Mark Schultz edition
By Mark Schultz, written on Oct. 28, 2008
Last year around Halloween, Michael Passman compiled his ultimate “Treehouse of Horror” episode. You can read that article here.http://www.michigandaily.com/content/michael-passman-simpsons-halloween-hall-fame
It was creative enough to have a “make-your-own-episode,” but, in the spirit of the season, I think the series deserves its own top five list. Therefore, submitted for your approval, here are my five favorite episodes of the series. There may be some overlap with Passman’s column and I should tell you, in the interest of full disclosure, that I haven’t seen the most recent two episodes. But I think the time I’ve invested in watching the majority of these episodes qualifies me as one of U of M’s foremost authorities on Halloween “Simpsons” episodes. Which is certainly nothing to be proud of.
5. “Treehouse of Horror XII” (originally aired 2001) I have to put in the token post-2000 episode to prove I’m not some sort of “Simpsons” elitist who looks down my nose at anyone who has thoroughly enjoyed the last four seasons. But this episode is actually very amusing. It’s bizarre and gross even by “Treehouse” standards, and contains a spoof of sci-fi classics “Demon Seed” and “2001″ featuring Pierce Brosnan as a charming talking house who lures Homer to his death by frying bacon. What can I say, the computer knows the man’s soft spots.
Hit the jump for the rest of the list.
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T.G.I. Friday the 13th … Again
By blake goble, written on Oct. 27, 2008
Jason lives. Again.
With “Friday the 13th” receiving “Batman Begins” treatment next February, and Halloween vibes making him relevant again, it’s only appropriate that we get a little excited for Jason Voorhees. This past week, New Line and Paramount released the teaser trailer, and quite frankly… it doesn’t look awful.
Even if you’re not a Jason fan, you’ve got to appreciate his infamy and tenacity. He’s the hockey mask dude for pete’s sakes!
Still not sure? The check this out.
He Can Out-Etch A Sketch You
By Whitney, written on Oct. 23, 2008
Not many people would consider the Etch A Sketch an artistic medium — mainly our associations with the tiny red knobby board are preschool, our inability to draw anything more than horizontal and vertical lines and yarn blobs, and ultimately, frustration.
But for Rick Nuanez, the Etch A Sketch seems to be his medium of choice. Armed with no previous drawing experience at all (except for “finger painting as a kid” he says in a Seattle Post-Intelligencer interview) he’s managed to create some startlingly detailed images including but not limited to classics like the Mona Lisa and Etch A Sketh drawings of current VP-candidates Sarah Palin and Joe Biden.
Click the link for his blog, which is updated regularly, and contains videos of him Etch-a-Sketchin’ it:
http://etchasketchist.blogspot.com/
Green Day prepping follow-up to American Idiot
By watty, written on Oct. 14, 2008
Over four years in the waiting since the critical and commercial smash American Idiot, Green Day has returned to the studio to cut a new album, Billboard.com reports.
No word yet on a title or tracklist, but Butch Vig, best known for producing Nirvana’s Nevermind, is on board as producer. And that’s about it. Looking for more? Check out this unrevealing video. Doesn’t quite seem poised to match Dookie.
“M” alum to be featured on VH1’s “The Pickup Artist”
By Mark Schultz, written on Oct. 13, 2008
Last Fall, I wrote a little piece about VH1’s new ‘reality’ show “The Pickup Artist.”
The show became relatively popular, especially with slightly nerdy college students such as myself, whose slight lack of social graces all of a sudden looked positively minuscule compared to a guy named Spoon who seemed incapable of making small talk with anyone lacking a Y-chromosome. However, I think the mass appeal of the show lies in the uncanny amount of sociological and psychological thought head “artist” Mystery puts into meeting girls, something I think most guys do on pure instinct. And when Mystery breaks down the whole game, he unwittingly reveals how pathetic and phony the rules of attraction really are.
But that’s neither here nor there. If nothing else, watch the show, which airs Sunday at 10 p.m. on VH1, to see “U” Alum Kevin Feng, the self-proclaimed strikeout king. Perhaps Kevin has a higher failure rate than most of us, but, at a school where a full 43% of students say they haven’t had sex, he’s not exactly atypical in terms of sexual naivete. So perhaps we can all learn a little something from a man bold enough to display his lack of prurience in the national spotlight. I know I can.
Roger Ebert: Political Pundit
By blake goble, written on Oct. 12, 2008
Roger Ebert is easily the most popular and accessible film critic out there. He may be a TV show host, a Pulitzer Prize winner and a pop cultural icon, but first and foremost he’s an opinionated writer. So it’s no surprise he’s writing some the most entertaining election commentary out there.
On Roger Ebert’s website, political punditry takes original and often hilarious new turns as Ebert chimes in with insightful notes. Barring years of popcorn gouging and pontification, Ebert’s quite the fireball, and his opinion essays and blog entries prove it.
With Ebert, Presidential candidates’ favorite movies can be litmus tests for measuring character.
A critique of the first McCain/Obama debate lets Ebert put up his dukes against McCain’s poor manners.
And best of all, Sarah Palin is compared to characters in “Fargo” as Ebert elaborates on the type of person that she might really be.
And there’s more. Palin is accused of treason. Ebert slams Lehman Brothers. And conservatism is mocked via his personal criticisms. Check it out, because Roger Ebert’s just that good.
Canterbury Tales
By watty, written on Oct. 10, 2008
For the third installment in his Archives Performance Series, Neil Young will be releasing Sugar Mountain: Live at Canterbury House 1968 on November 25. And, yes, the titular Canterbury House is Ann Arbor’s own quaint church-turned-concert hall on Huron Street.
Shortly after leaving Buffalo Springfield, Neil stopped by the Canterbury House for a pair of solo acoustic shows on November 9 and 10, 1968. Although the tracklist for Sugar Mountain has yet to be revealed, it should consist of some combination of the songs played on those two nights. Other than “Sugar Mountain,” which was an early Young b-side and appeared on his 1977 greatest hits collection Decade, no Canterbury recording has ever seen release — even in bootleg form.
Though Young’s career-spanning Archives box-sets have been repeatedly postponed, he’s made good on Performance Series releases, putting out a celebrated New York City set in 2006 and an equally acclaimed Toronto disc last year.
If the music on Sugar Mountain disappoints, at least the cover features some of the greatest sideburns man has ever seen.
Hell to Freeze Over Next Month at Best Buy … Supposedly
By watty, written on Oct. 9, 2008
Fourteen years of excruciating anticipation will finally come to an end exclusively at your local Best Buy on the 23rd of November. That’s when, according to Billboard.com, Guns N’ Roses will finally liberate the perpetually-delayed Chinese Democracy. Considering that Axl Rose has been perfecting it since 1994, the album (GNR’s first since 1993 covers record The Spaghetti Incident?) is sure to be hip, culturally relevant and technologically cutting-edge.
But what’s more awesome than a new album from Guns N’ Roses? Free Dr. Pepper, of course. That’s right, Dr. Pepper sweetened the circus in March by promising a free can of their succulent soft drink to every American should Chinese Democracy see release before the end of 2008. The staff at the Dr.’s office must be shaking in their boots now.
And just how much of a badass is Axl Rose (OK, besides the du-rag)? Well, in case you didn’t notice, November 23rd is a Sunday. And nobody releases albums on Sunday! Now we can only wonder if the lines outside Best Buy for Chinese Democracy will be as long as the ones for PS3. And if the album will actually be released.
World Record Weezer
By watty, written on Oct. 7, 2008
Never too proud to resort to gimmicks (like self-titling three of their albums or inviting fans on stage at concerts), Weezer is gunning for a new high in novelty. The new video for “Troublemaker” (from this summer’s Weezer) chronicles the band and some of their fans attempting to break completely trivial world records. Guiness World Records has certified the following records as having been set at the “Troublemaker” video shoot: largest game of dodgeball; longest “Guitar Hero World Tour” marathon; largest air guitar ensemble; most people on a skateboard and largest custard pie fight.