BLRG!

This is so wrong but I know it would taste so right.

2010-12-05T16:49:00.000-06:00

Artist Kim Rugg

2010-11-14T09:41:00.002-06:00

"Everything is instant now, we're just used to getting everything immediately."

A little Disney magic chopped and screwed

2010-11-09T20:22:00.002-06:00

Musician Pogo, takes the hack-saw to Disney's Snow White and the Seven Drarfs and creates something special.

Fries everywhere!

2010-10-29T19:29:00.003-05:00

I know that this is a video of a post-world series brawl at a San Francisco McDonald's, but really, every McDonald's I have ever been in feels EXACTLY like this.

Fantastic Video - Rhymefest, "One Hand Push Up"

2010-09-05T17:24:00.002-05:00

Your New Fav - BBU

2010-08-25T09:48:00.001-05:00

Bin Laden Blowin' Up! Chi town represent.

Nice video, you guys.

Epic Dance Battle

2010-07-28T09:56:00.003-05:00

An early contender for best video of 2010.

Everything you need to know about Hip Hop!

2010-07-18T14:38:00.002-05:00

THIS IS HIP-HOP! from Airwave Ranger on Vimeo.

Empty School

2010-03-28T22:38:00.002-05:00

Just stumbled across this, love the music. It's also gorgeously shot. Well done, kid.

Olympic Pictograms

2010-03-01T23:10:00.001-06:00

A great video editorial from NY Times by designer Stephen Heller:

Your new fav: Dan Black

2010-02-17T23:20:00.002-06:00

I fell in love with this song when I heard the Kid Cudi remix from the HBO series 'How to Make it in America'. The original from Dan Black's album ((un)) really didn't need the Cudi treatment. I can't stop listening.

After binging on this song all afternoon I found out that there was a cover of Biggie Smalls 'Hypnotize' that Dan did which features the same Umbrella-sampled beat that Rhianna made so famous two summers ago. Check that out below.

I later found out that this song was featured as a free download on iTunes as a Single of the Month. Is my taste becoming mainstream or am in just in Apple's demographic?

Your new fav: Award Show Edition

2010-02-17T23:15:00.003-06:00

This performance really just keeps one upping itself. Dizee Rascal and Florence from Florence and the Machine in a live mashup. Way to go guys, good work.

There is a lot of confetti featured at the end.

Check this out: A Brief History of Pretty Much Everything

2010-02-15T12:14:00.001-06:00

Oh snap! This is unbelievable.

The Year of Tomorrow: A Ronald Chevalier Fanfiction for Gentlemen Broncos

2010-01-16T13:09:00.002-06:00

Major shout OUT to Matt Pierce straight outta London for this one. I want more.

Your New Fav: Marina and the Diamonds

2010-01-07T10:40:00.006-06:00

I admit, I love you Marina Diamonds.

Iowa Hawkeyes Rap

2009-12-14T21:36:00.002-06:00

My sister sent me this classy video. As a huge Hawks fan I had to watch this three times to make sure I got all of the references. This has to be the first time Tim Dwight has gotten a shout out in a rap song. Just enjoy.

Jimmy Fallon as Neil Young singing the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air" Theme Song

2009-11-24T20:48:00.001-06:00

Adventure Time

2009-09-04T18:59:00.003-05:00

Adventure Time is an award winning animated short and the brainchild of Pendelton Ward. This short will definitely delight young children but there is so much packed into this 8 minutes that my friends and I find absolutely hilarious that I think it really has more to offer to adults, or "grown-up children".

I recently learned that more episodes of AT are in production and are set to air on Cartoon Network in early 2010. Algebraic!

Dr. Steve Brule, my man

2009-07-22T10:40:00.001-05:00

I recently watched Cartoon Network staple Tim and Eric Awesome Show Good Job! for the first time. Loved it. Thank Jesus that T+EASGJ! came into my world because it has introduced me to Dr. Steve Brule, arguably, the funniest thing that John C. Reilly has ever done, and that’s saying a lot.

Give “Dr. Steve Brule” a quick googling and you’re find a wealth of videos. For a quick introduction, see below:

Cowboy boot!

This held my attention.

2009-07-08T18:06:00.003-05:00

This is a PSA created by the Italian government to remind people that when you purchase cocaine that you are funding the mafia. It is awesome for so many reasons:

-The animation is incredible and totally engaging.

-I don't speak Italian but I can understand the entire thing and also how weird it is.

-Having a squid people serving in your country's parliament is an awesome problem to have.

Mafia spa _ Postal_m@rket from Kalimera on Vimeo.

5th Grade Choir

2009-07-06T13:14:00.002-05:00

The highlight of my 5th grade choir experience was when Michael Burke threw up on everyone during our Christmas concert rehearsal. I wish this ponytailed man was there to teach me about Surviror during my formative years. Alas.

I have lapsed, and Your New Fav!

2009-07-03T00:57:00.005-05:00

OMFG I have again lapsed. Sorry to all three of my aunts who still check my blog daily. I promise to make a valiant effort to get to posting but it's summer time, the BSE by all accounts, so why spend even an extra 20 minutes inside. Especially when you could be on a patio somewhere sipping your drink of choice, or listening to this new and rad music:

Eat at Kaze

2009-04-29T13:12:00.004-05:00

Erica’s 30^th birthday was a few weeks back. We celebrated like rock stars for a good two and a half days and capped off the ‘ol birthday weekend with a Sunday evening dinner at our favorite restaurant: Kaze Sushi. If you’ve never been to Kaze, it’s important to note, that it is not quite like other sushi restaurants. Their chefs innovate, hard. Since it was Erica’s special day, we told them that we’d be at their mercy and asked them to bring us whatever they thought was best as a meal progression. Eight courses and probably fifteen types of fish later, we were through, pleasantly full of exotic gourmet goodness. My favorite dish was probably flash fried Japanese river crabs. Erica was afraid to eat them unless I bit the legs off because they looked like bugs, but I thought they were quite tasty.

Why am I gushing about Kaze? As it turns out they were just named one of the top ten sushi restaurants in the country by Bon Appétit magazine. Or as Erica and I like to call it: Boner Petit.

Here’s the article. And here is Kaze’s website. Go eat there!

Where have I been?

2009-04-28T17:50:00.004-05:00

I haven't posted to the BLRG lately, although, half of my gmail inbox is filled with messages that I have sent to myself with interesting links, etc worth blrgging about. I'm gonna chalk it up to busy-ness. So, to the three people who actually read this thing every once on a while, I have not forgotten you. I will be back with more tasty blrgging soon.

In the meantime:
listen to "Knotty Pine" by The Dirty Projectors ft. David Byrne because it is an incredible song.
eat at Sun Wah BBQ on Argyle in Chicago because their duck special is a feast and a half.
watch 30 Rock because it is the best 30 minute television program out there.

Fin

An anteater drinks wine...

2009-03-30T13:43:00.002-05:00

Your new fav! - Vampire Weekend's "White Sky"

2009-03-21T12:29:00.003-05:00

I jumped on the VW bandwagon very early and there was a certain amount of burn-out that was setting in every time Erica requested I play their debut album 30 times in a row on car trips. Thankfully, their new album supposedly is set to be released this fall.

"White Sky" has been floating around on YouTube in the form of shaky concert footage for a few months but now, courtesy of Jimmy Fallon, we have a HQ version featuring a full string section. Me gusta mucho.

8-bit hip-hop

2009-03-16T20:19:00.004-05:00

Two of my favorite things, 8 bit-video gaming and hip hop have been mashed into a concoction of tender, toe-tappy goodness. Next time I play Mega Man, I'm hitting the mute button and jamming to this!

Thanks for the tip, Jason!

Dear Jerry Angelo,

2009-03-02T20:35:00.004-06:00

If you aren't on the phone with whoever the "F" Jay Cutler's agent happens to be then you, my friend, are driving my beloved Bears into the ground.

We need Cutler. Now. He's the best of Orton and Grossman wrapped in one, plus, diabetes!

If it's true that Cutler is disgruntled with the fact that the Broncos were sniffing around Matt Cassel then he legitimately could be on a new team next year and there's no reason why it shouldn't be the Bears.

I don't talk sports that often on the BLRG! but come on people! Let's get this on the Blogsphere! (Also, I don't use the word Blogsphere on the BLRG that often either.)

(sighs)

I've had dreams like this for years.

2009-02-28T10:33:00.000-06:00

wingsuit base jumping from Ali on Vimeo.

Your new fav! - Passion Pit

2009-02-28T00:03:00.003-06:00

I'm pretty obsessed with Passion Pit at the moment.

Their debut EP, Chunk of Change is a tasty aperitif to what will hopefully be an equally great full length album.

Try to listen without toe tapping, impossible!

I love coffee...

2009-02-23T19:48:00.002-06:00

...but I am trying to quit. Just the perfect time for the internet to step in and present a short, progressively psychotic musical number - in French!

le Café - Oldelaf (english subtitles)
by Boebis

Erica's Battle

2009-02-16T19:01:00.006-06:00

As many of you know, about a month ago my amazing wife Erica was diagnosed with breast cancer. It's been an rough but eye-opening couple of weeks. However scary this has all been we're both very confident that we'll beat this thing. Please check out her progress as she blogs it all out The Battle Blog.

1, 2, 3... Mos Def + Talib Kweli

2009-01-31T11:46:00.001-06:00

This takes me back.

I am without shame, I will self promote...

2009-01-19T18:46:00.001-06:00

I lost my digital camera on New Year's Eve. As a tribute I give to you a link to my favorite photos that I took with my Sony DSC-T7. Will someone please buy me a new one?

Teen Witch

2009-01-17T14:44:00.001-06:00

The brilliant 30 Rock gave 80's classic "Teen Witch" a huge shout last Thursday. I think that the original requires a re-visit... this clip personifies the 80's.

Check out Kenneth's version here.

"Octapodi"

2008-09-20T19:38:00.001-05:00

Check out this gorgeous French short. Octopus are so charming.

Oy!

2008-09-17T18:53:00.000-05:00

However you feel about Jesus... and my Pastafarian views clearly leave me out of this one-- this video is awesome in so many ways!

Bored? Try these links!

2007-09-24T13:04:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that I had never seen this before. The best part is when she screams, "I can't breathe!" If I fall flat on my face today I will prove the existence of karma.

Here some more fun stuff. Maybe someday I will write something again instead of just posting links:

Coke-a-cola tastes goooooood!
A short film featuring Bill Murray. He is my hero.
Oh, Asians, you're so crazy with your superior education system.
Andy Samberg on the Michael Showalter Showalter. Funny!

Coming soon: An open letter to Lovie Smith, or why Rex Grossman is dead to me.

Vacation Over

2007-09-07T15:09:00.000-05:00

I'm getting adjusted back to reality now that the wedding is fondly in my rearview. For those that care, everything was great... and now I have a wife!

Consider these few glorious cultural tidbits my little wedding gift, to you:

There is some amazing animation to be found on YouTube. The beginning of this year I was forcing everyone I know to watch Adventure Time (which has amazing replay value, btw). My newest find from the YouTube animation annals is Sigg Jones, a computer animated short made by three students at the Supinfocom School in France. They describe the film as a "3D urban tale with men and magic," I describe it as kick-ass.

Next up, this short animated sketch never made it to the airwaves at SNL... I wonder why?

Have I mentioned my love for Flight of the Conchords? This is from one of their most recent episodes, mutha ucka!

Finally, this is the art of Ron Mueck. It is both creepy and beautiful. I want one.

My Lash Hurrah

2007-08-10T14:19:00.000-05:00

Hey! I am getting married in one week! HOLY SHIT!

Oh, and last weekend was my bachelor party and my groomsmen threw me the best party ever; a weekend long escapade in NYC. Since what happens in New York doesn't stay in New York (only applies to Vegas) why don't you take a look at my fun pictures from the weekend.

Highlights included:

Almost seeing A-Rod hit his 500th homerun
Pork buns from Fatty Crab
Badass footbaggers in Washington Square Park
Hookah at Lennox Cafe in Greenwhich Villiage
Roasted corn on the cob from Mojito
Awesome friends!

We'll see how next week goes but due to wedding craziness the BLRG may be out of commission for a few days. Weddings! YEA!

Linky-Poo

2007-07-31T10:54:00.000-05:00

The latest internet phenom likes turtles.
If abortion is criminalized, how much jail time should a woman serve?
Oh snap! No you didn't, Ron Paul.
The Wilt Chamberlain of Guinea Pigs.
For some reason I find this way more appropriate (sexy?) than American beauty pageants.

I Blrg Green

2007-07-30T14:15:00.000-05:00

This is a story about being cheap and saving the earth.

I share an apartment on the North Side of Chicago with my lovely bride-to-be. As our wedding draws nearer and nearer I have become increasingly concerned with providing for what is soon to be our little family unit (which right now consists of Erica, myself... and maybe sometime soon a dog!). After all, I am the man of the house, it's my job to hold things down, know how much money we have in the bank, and ward off any intruders with a butcher knife which I sharpen nightly. ANYWAY, the point of this story for all your good Blrg readers out there is... my ComEd Electric bill.

Saving electricity is easy. AND, it has saved us a lot of money. For the past two months I have been super OCD about every electrical outlet in the house. Here's what I've been doing:

1) Unplugging - I have approximately 47 different electronic items that utilize a charger. Phone, iPod, PDA, laptop, for example. The old Seth would have left these chargers plugged into the wall, even when the devices were fully charged. But not anymore. I am now psycho about unplugging the chargers when not in use and also not charging electronics longer than they need to be charged. Just ask Erica- I yell. It's really easy and it saves a lot of electricity.

2) Turning Shit Off - In addition to all my portable electronic devices I also have a lot of electronics and appliances that stay put, idling away at the endless supply of magical electricity as the days roll by. My toaster, PC and PlayStation to name a few. Unless all the appliances are coming to life and having a dance party while I am at work there is no need for them to be plugged in either. Even though the toaster may not be "on" or the computer is in "sleep mode" doesn't mean that they aren't slowly sipping away all that beautiful electricity that the Flying Spaghetti Monster created with his noodly appendage. Turn 'em off and unplug the cord, yo!

3) CFLs - Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs. You're probably seen them at your local Home Depot or Menards (best. store. name. ever), they're those weird squiggly lightbulbs sitting next to the oh-so-familiar yet oh-so-less-efficient "normal" lightbulbs. I'll admit, I don't have these in every lamp in the house but once an old lightbulb burns out I make sure I replace it with a CFL. These miracle bulbs use less electricity and last up to TEN-TIMES longer than regular bulbs. The average CFL bulb will save $30 in energy costs over the course of it's life.

These are a few of the easier ways to save energy and there are about a million more. Moral of the story: Our electric bill used to run $50 to $75 a month. I'm proud to say that my ComEd bill last month was $8.46, this month it was an even $8. I think that's pretty special. Maybe now we can afford a puppy.

The G.O.A.T.

2007-07-27T20:00:00.000-05:00

The Greatest of All Time:

Maybe Shakespeares iz uh Alien

2007-07-26T14:09:00.000-05:00

They even have pictures.

Fireballin' into the night

2007-07-25T15:18:00.000-05:00

As I continue to develop my blrggin' skills I've come to realize that the only overriding theme I have going is "shit that I like". I've had a few free evenings recently and I've been able to devote a lot of time to some shit that I really really like: muthafreakin' video games!

I wouldn't call myself an addict but I am much more than a casual gamer. Of late, I've been re-discovering some classic games from my childhood that I used to play on my Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis. I'm amazed at the amount of nostalgia I feel when I load up a game that I haven't played in 15 years and hear a familiar musical theme or computerized explosion in glorious 8-bit sound. I have specific memories attached to each game. When I play RAMPAGE I recall my friend Kevin's wood paneled basement and the smell of his shag carpet. IKARI WARRIORS reminds me of the time I spent the night at my friend Brendan's house and our friend Isaac threw up birthday cake all over everyone as we sat and played the game. When I load up SUPER MARIO BROS. 3 I think of my pal Greg and his parents gigantic big screen tv and how Mario was, like, at least 5 inches tall his television compared to about one-and-a-half on mine; a childhood version of "how big's your cock" I suppose.

The last few nights my time has been occupied by one of the greatest video games of all time: STREET FIGHTER II. The SF2 series had many different releases over the years and my favorite to this day (and the version I've been playing recently) is SUPER STREET FIGHTER 2: THE NEW CHALLENGERS, which adds 4 playable characters, bringing the total number to 16 overall. Deep, deep gameplay.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Street Fighter series or video games in general, the premise of SSF2: TNC is simple. 1) Choose a fighter and 2) beat up all the other fighters. It sounds basic but the game has a ton of replay value. Each character has, in addition to three different strengths of kicks and punches, a small arsenal of special moves that can be performed by imputing different series of joystick moves. These special moves vary in terms of type and overall effectiveness. Some characters can magically shoot projectiles out of their hands and others can surge electricity through their entire body. Like I said, there are a lot of possibilities.

In case you were wondering, (and because I hear that lists make for good blog reading) here are my favorite characters to beat your ass with, in order of preference.

1) Ryu - HADOKEN, punk! Get used to hearing that sound as I choose to dismantle you with this character. He's perhaps a little plain Jane but what he lacks in style I make up for with blue fireball substance.

2) Dhalsim - To be perfectly honest, Dhalsim does not belong in this game... he only weighs, like, 87 pounds and you can see the bones protruding from his skinny little face. However, Dhalsim is a yoga master, just like my fiance, so he's used to taking daily punishment. And with me at the controls you'll be pulling his stretchy appendages out of your ass.

3) Guile - It's too bad that Guile was played by Jean Claude VanDamme in the SF2 movie. I still love me some Sonic Boom, though.

4) Cammy - She makes the list cuz no one wants to get beat down by a little girl... and cuz she's fine... for a cartoon video game character.

5) E. Honda - Fatty E. Honda can really put a hurt on. Plus, he can turn his body into a torpedo and launch himself across the screen with east, not bad for a sumo wrestler.

For those of you who play Street Fighter, or think you may have some game, by all means let me know. I feel the need to organize an old skool SF2 tournament in my apartment and only admit players wearing Zubaz pants. Anyone want a game?

My Noodly Master

2007-07-18T13:44:00.000-05:00

Friends:

After years of soul searching to find a religion that best suited my spiritual needs in this complex society that we live in, I am happy to proclaim my devotion to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I am a Pastafarian.

Many are unaware of Pastafarianism or it's noodly diety the Flying Spaghetti Monster. The religion was kept secret for hundreds of years, only after this letter was published has it become more visible to the mainstream.

Pastafarians believe that Pirates are divine beings; as evidenced by a steady increase of natural disasters, global warming and earthquakes that directly correlates with a decrease in the number of pirates worldwide. See graph.

Pastafarians follow The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Included in His gospel are the eight "I'd Really Rather You Didn'ts" which were given on stone tablets to Captain Mosey, a pirate, as he was brooding over his lack of a pirate ship atop Mount Salsa. Please read them with solemnity and an open mind. They are:

I'd really rather you didn't act like a sanctimonious holier-than-thou ass when describing my noodly goodness. If some people don't believe in me, that's okay. Really, I'm not that vain. Besides, this isn't about them so don't change the subject.
I'd really rather you didn't use my existence as a means to oppress, subjugate, punish, eviscerate, and/or, you know, be mean to others. I don't require sacrifices, and purity is for drinking water, not people.
I'd really rather you didn't judge people for the way they look, or how they dress, or the way they talk, or, well, just play nice, Okay? Oh, and get this into your thick heads: woman = person. man = person. Samey = Samey. One is not better than the other, unless we're talking about fashion and I'm sorry, but I gave that to women and some guys who know the difference between teal and fuchsia.
I'd really rather you didn't indulge in conduct that offends yourself, or your willing, consenting partner of legal age AND mental maturity. As for anyone who might object, I think the expression is go fuck yourself, unless they find that offensive in which case they can turn off the TV for once and go for a walk for a change.
I'd really rather you didn't challenge the bigoted, misogynistic, hateful ideas of others on an empty stomach. Eat, then go after the bastards.
I'd really rather you didn't build multi million-dollar churches/temples/mosques/shrines to my noodly goodness when the money could be better spent (take your pick):
1. Ending poverty
2. Curing diseases
3. Living in peace, loving with passion, and lowering the cost of cable
  I might be a complex-carbohydrate omniscient being, but I enjoy the simple things in life. I ought to know. I AM the creator.
I'd really rather you didn't go around telling people I talk to you. You're not that interesting. Get over yourself. And I told you to love your fellow man, can't you take a hint?
I'd really rather you didn't do unto others as you would have them do unto you if you are into, um, stuff that uses a lot of leather/lubricant/Las Vegas. If the other person is into it, however (pursuant to #4), then have at it, take pictures, and for the love of Mike, wear a CONDOM! Honestly, it's a piece of rubber. If I didn't want it to feel good when you did it I would have added spikes, or something.

For more information on The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster you can purchase the Gospel or visit venganza.org. Peace.

People Who Don't Don't

2007-07-13T10:34:00.000-05:00

On Monday I am directing a reading of, People Who Don't Don't by Joe Meno, the first of three plays in Collision's Summer Reading Series. First, let me start by saying that I usually don't get all that excited about play readings. I'd much rather see a full production that sit and watch under rehearsed actors read at music stands. However! This reading is different for several reasons:

1) The play is awesome! If you're not familiar with Joe Meno's body of work he's written five novels, several plays (produced by Chicago heavyweights The House Theatre and Redmoon), was a contributing writer to Punk Planet (R.I.P.) and has written an issue of Marvel Comics' X-Men Unlimited.

2) Swim Cafe has tasty food and drink. Just check out their menu.

3) Let your voice be heard. There will be a talkback after the reading.

We've also assembled a pretty rockin' cast for this one. Check it out!

My Newest Obsession

2007-07-11T13:48:00.000-05:00

Folk-comedy duo: Flight of the Conchords

Thought that was good? Check these ones out, too:
Business Time
The Humans Are Dead
If You're Into It

Humor, anyone?

2007-06-29T09:44:00.000-05:00

This is a very, very funny email exchange between Judd Apatow ("Knocked Up, "Freaks and Geeks") and Mark Brazill ("That 70's Show") in which Apatow completely smacks down Brazill for accusing him of stealing an idea of his in the early 90's. Exchanges punctuated with kind words such as "Get cancer" and "...die in a fiery accident and taste your own blood" really warm my heart.

[Link via Harpers]

Halfway where?

2007-06-27T10:32:00.000-05:00

Interesting blog post over at TimeOut Chicago regarding Susan Lori Parks 356 Days/365 Plays project reaching its halfway point. I've been pretty vocal among my friends about my hatred of 365 and I agree with Novid's opinion that the plays are fairly crappy and don't deserve the type of attention that the 365 hype machine has given them. Additionally, I think that many producing companies and artists now see the 365 project as an afterthought, a thorn in their side, throwing together seven shows haphazardly with rag-tag groups of available actors.

Of the 365 Plays/365 Days productions that I have attended I was most impressed by the efforts of The Mill and their performance installation at the Peter Jones Gallery. It featured all seven plays looping simultaneously throughout the gallery for about 45 minutes. It ended up feeling like a sort of whacked out theatre carnival. Still, I was unimpressed by the writing of the plays.

I spoke with several several people whose companies were a part of the first 29 weeks of the project and they were having a hell of a time trying to REMOUNT a thrown together piece from their 365 week for the "Mid-way Celebration". My company, Collision, was approached to apply for the project, we did, and we were invited to participate. Ultimately, we turned down their offer after deciding that our efforts would be better spent on the productions we had already planned for our season. Signing on blindly, without any knowledge of the length, tone or complexities of the plays didn't make us any more apt to participate either. However, after we were offered us a spot in the project there was never any mention that we would need to remount a play later in the year. No one knew what they were getting into. So was this bad organization or an underhanded way to get companies to sign on without revealing all the details of the project?

What think the masses of this project? If you have participated in or been an audience member for any of the 365 plays let me know your thoughts on what you saw by commenting... and read the post at TOC.

Transformers: The Movie (1986) - Top 5 Sequences

2007-06-25T15:56:00.001-05:00

In about ten days the new Transformers movie will be released and I will be one of the many fans waiting in line over 4th of July weekend to see my favorite cartoon ever brought to life on the silver screen. In lieu of my excitement I am would like to honor my favorite animated film of all time, the 1986 classic, Transformers: The Movie

If you've never seen the film I highly recommend that you check it out before you see Michael Bay's upcoming live action version. Not because it will get you up to speed on any transformers lore before seeing Bay's film (check out Generation 1 of the animated series for that) but because no matter how bad ass the action scenes in the upcoming film are, they will have a hard time living up to some of the incredible to the animated fight sequences in the original Transformers movie.

Here are my top 5 favorite action sequences from the film, in no particular order.

5) Hot Rod vs. Galvatron - "Arise Rodimus Prime!"

The battle that everyone knows is coming doesn't disappoint. It looks as though all is lost for Hot Rod, he's lost his comrades, Galvatron has him by the throat and the sound of crunching metal is audible. Then, suddenly, Hot Rod's hands grasp the stolen Autobot Matrix of Leadership dangling from Galvatron's neck and his body begins to grow. He hears the voice of Optimus Prime call his name, "Arise Rodimus Prime!" He escapes, absorbs a shot from Galvatron's arm cannon and tosses him through the metals walls of Unicron's side and into deep space. [video]

4) Daniel uses his Exo-suit - "Transform..."

After landing on the planet Junkion, Daniel is given his fathers old Exo-suit: a robot like shell worn by humans to provide protection, mobility and the ability to transform. Not long after they land the Autobots fall prey to an attack by the newly rehabbed Decepticons. As the autobots transform and race away Daniel awkwardly tried to transform himself into his vehicle mode. With the Decepticons nearing, Daniel's suit finally morphs into vehicle mode and he races away with the rest of the Autobots.

This sequence was really special for any kid watching that had ever made the "transforming noise" with his mouth while playing in the backyard. Seeing someone put on a robot suit and gain the ability to transform into a car is something that every Transformers fan has dreamed of and was a defining moment in the film.

3) Hot Rob and Kup escape from the Sharkticons - "They've got more Sharkticons than we have photon charges!"

Having crash landed on Quintesson, odd-couple Kup and Hot Rod find themselves begging for their lives before an erratic multi-headed judicial robot on a plank above a tank full of hungry Sharkticons. For those of you unfamiliar with the film, a Sharkticon is exactly what it sounds like, a giant fucking robot shark. The twosome are found guilty and are dropped into the tank. They make a daring escape by driving at full speed alongside the walls of the tank, creating a whirlpool that shoots the Sharkticons out of the tank. I could personally relate to this because as a child my family had an above ground pool and I spent many a summer afternoon running along the perimiter of the pool to create a similar whirlpool effect, sans Sharkticons.

Another reason that this sequence works so well is the relationship between the embittered, battle-tested Kup and a youthful and naive Hot Rod. It's one of my favorite aspect of the film. The chemistry between the twosome throughout their journey on Quintesson is fantastic. Kudos to voice artists Judd Nelson and Lionel Stander.

2) Kup thwarts disaster - "Not bad for an old timer!"

One of the first sequences in the film has Hot Rod and Daniel peacefully fishing on a lake on the outskirts of Autobot City. They notice the shuttle from Cybertron approaching and decide to get a better look at the landing from Lookout Mountain. When they arrive they notice that a hole has been blasted into the side of the shuttle and Decepticons are on board! Hot Rod begins to fire at them and the Decepticons attack, knocking them from their perch on the mountainside. As they slide down the edge of the cliff, Decepticon Blitzwing transforms into tank mode and targets the vulnerable duo as they descend. Seeing this, Kup transforms and speeds towards the tank, as he nears he returns to humanoid mode, swings himself across Blitzwing's cannon and bends it upwards to avert the shot. It narrowly misses Hot Rod and Daniel and scorches into a fellow Decepticon who is flying nearby.

This sequence of events isn't life changing when looking at the scope of film but it is one of my favorites for a few reasons. A) Kup is a badass. You can't really appreciate the feat he accomplishes until you see this scene but the way this old geezer of a transformer hustles in order to save his friends is both graceful and heroic. B) This is the first interaction of many between Kup and Hot Rod in the film and it definitely does a great job of informing their relationship and creating a rich history between them. And C) Only in the world of giant robot transformers could anyone bend the cannon of a tank with their bare hands. Respect! [video]

1) Megatron vs. Optimus Prime - "One shall stand, one shall fall."

Following the Decepticons's surprise attack, the Autobots quickly go into defense mode and anxiously await the arrival of their leader, Optimus Prime. When Prime finally does arrive he cuts through the Decepticon forces with ease, making his way to Megatron. Seriously, if Optimus Prime were a human being he would be known as the greatest man that ever lived. The dude can do no wrong and he can kick ass. At one point he jumps up 40 feet and begins firing on Decepticons while he is upside-down, in mid-flip, whilst flying through the air. He moves make The Matrix look like Home Alone 2. I don't want to spoil the outcome of the battle for anyone who hasn't seen the movie, but rest assured that it is an epic metal-on-metal fisticuffs with a shocker of an ending. [video]

As if the battle itself weren't enough, as Prime arrives one of the greatest inspirational anthems of our time plays: "The Touch" by Stan Bush. If this song doesn't stir your emotions then nothing will. "The Touch" was also featured in the film Boogie Nights as the song Mark Wahlberg is singing in the studio as part of his attempt to become a rock singer.

Let me know what you think of my listing. There are several sequences that I could have included had I opted to select more than five; the opening scene of the movie in which Unicron devours an entire planet narrowly missed the cut. For those of you familiar with the film, let me hear it if you feel I made any egregious errors or omissions.

Ick!(y)

2007-06-22T09:06:00.000-05:00

"Icky Thump", the new album from the White Stripes was released this Tuesday and so far I'm thoroughly enjoying their effort. Critics have been saying that it's their best album since "White Blood Cells" and I tend to agree; it rules, go buy! So, since I've been on a stripes kick all week I did some YouTube-ing and dug up this amazing performance from Late Night with Conan O'Brien of Dolly Parton's 1973 hit "Jolene". Enjoy it:

D.P. 2007

2007-06-19T15:18:00.000-05:00

A play that I wrote called D.P. 2007 (the DP stands for "dinner party", sinner) is bring presented as part of the Sansculottes Theatre Company 'No Pants, Just Shorts' festival. I already wrote all about it over at the CTC blog so check it out!

I disagree with anyone who disagrees with this:

2007-06-14T15:35:00.000-05:00

Wil Wheaton offers an astute political observation.

Am I doing this wrong?

2007-01-30T15:58:00.000-06:00

When I walk, I walk fast. Sometimes I have to remind myself while walking that I should slow down. I think my fast walking stems from my fourth grade teacher who put out a bowl of candy at the front of the class that you were only allowed access to each time you finished an assignment. I really like candy so I would rush through the assignments to ensure I could eat the piece that I wanted. Twizzlers were my favorite back then but sometimes I'd settle for a watermelon BlowPop.

Now, most of my fast walking is done on my way to and from work on the way to the "El" train... especially from work. If I was in decent shape I would sprint to the train, the sooner I can get back to my apartment the better, since I'm not fit to sprint a half mile and the temperature has been in the 20's the last two weeks, I settle on a fast walk.

There are two things that i am highly skilled at:

1) Catching falling things
2) Weaving in between people who walk slower than me.

I'll write more about number 1 later, for now I'd like to focus on my weaving ability.

Most people walk slower than me, I end up passing a lot of them by and I really enjoy leaving them in my wake/dust. When walking home from work I am often faced with the challenge of weaving throughout heavy pedestrian traffic and I have to say I am always amazed at the skill with which I move and dart between slower moving bodies. In those moments, I react as if the world is in slow motion and every other human body is covered in poisonous Vaseline, brush against another person and kiss your flesh goodbye.

Recently I've begun to experiment with slow walking (sw). Not noticeably slow, but slow enough to delay my arrival to and from certain places. My laboratory for slow walking: my workplace. If my job was a high pressure-get-things-done-on-time kind of environment I probably wouldn't experiment ion this way, but since I sit at a desk and answer phones, why not change things up a little bit.

I decided to experiment with sw after I noticed a fellow employee had an incredibly slow walk. He can't be much older than 30 but he walks so slow. It's amazing. He can spend 3 minutes walking 30 feet. He doesn't shuffle his feet, he's not injured, he just walks damn slow. I think he hates his job.

So far, I'm not the best slow walker in the world. I still fall back into my habitual fast walk at times, but I feel like if I spend a little less time with my ass in a chair during the day and more time walking that I must be doing something right. Right?