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May 24, 2007

"PLANET UNICORN" HEY!

"Planet Unicorn" is a funny online animated comedy series. It is so ... well, you just have to see it and complete the sentence yourself.

Domo arigato to Kate L. for the tip!

Posted by Supercore at 01:28 AM

May 18, 2007

Video: A Tiger Attacks a Man on an Elephant ...

Wicked! Poor dude on the elephant.

Domo arigato to Jon G. for the linkage.

Posted by Supercore at 08:47 PM

May 14, 2007

Shilpa Shetty Film Premieres in London

From low-brow to high-brow, from Celebrity Big Brother to independent cinema, from launching a curry house chain to launching a perfume, 31-year-old Bollywood movie star Shilpa Shetty has transformed her new global fame swiftly and shrewdly. This weeked witnessed the premiere of new Indian film, "Life in a Metro," in which Shetty plays a neglected homemaker in contemporary India. The movie is a chance for Shetty to showcase her legitimate acting talents to a wider audience. Depending on the film's success and Shetty's performance, Shilpa will either have a long, acclaimed cinematic acting career ahead of her in the West, or she will be best know for running a chain of curry houses.

Photo by Bahl Sonu / SantaBanta.com. Used under Creative Commons license.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 11:37 PM

Putting the "Lo" in Lohan ... More Juicy Celebrity Gossip Linkage ...

Lindsay Lohan in Tongue Fest with Calum Best in Bahamas ...
Critics Dump Hate on New Lindsay Lohan Film "Georgia Rule" ...
Lindsay Lohan to Play Stripper in Next Film Role ...
Paris Hilton Gets No Time From Gov. Arnold Scharzenegger ...
Indian Actress Shilpa Shetty Appeals to India's Supreme Court ...
Jessica Simpson Dishes About Her Sex Life ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 11:20 PM

May 08, 2007

Video: Paris Hilton Sentenced to 45 Days in Jail ...

The serious and sober Reuters filed this television news report on Paris Hilton receiving a jail sentence of 45 days.

Posted by Supercore at 10:40 PM

May 03, 2007

Shilpa Shetty Plans a Chain of Curry Houses

"Controversial" Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty is taking advantage of her sudden global fame to start a restaurant chain. Since she garnered worldwide attention as a result of winning "Big Brother" UK (and the racial-abuse scandal that preceded it) and her public kiss of American film star Richard Gere in India, Shetty is under a bigger media glare than ever. She's tasty fodder for the tabloids, taking a lesson from the Paris Hilton playbook on va-jay-jay exposure. And she's the subject of a criminal inquiry in India for her snog with Gere. So what does a transglobal Indian movie star do? Open a chain of curry houses, naturally. The flagship "Shilpa Shetty Dining Hall" restraurant will open in central London, we presume, later this year. Curry, like Shilpa Shetty herself at the moment, is hot!

Photo by Bahl Sonu / SantaBanta.com. Used under Creative Commons license.

Posted by Supercore at 11:19 PM

April 30, 2007

Juicy Celebrity Gossip Links ...

Courtney Love to Sell Late Nirvana Singer Kurt Cobain's Pajamas ...
Lindsay Lohan Addicted to "Shopping and Sex" ...
Prince Allegedly Humiliates Paris Hilton at Las Vegas Concert ...
Britney Spears Wears See-Through Outfit ...
K-Fed Allegedly Drove Britney Spears to Brink of Suicide ...
Former "Posh Spice" Victoria Beckham and Her Nipples Hit LA with See-Through Top ...
Alec Baldwin Rumored to Write Book Bashing Ex-Wife Kim Basinger ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 11:21 PM

April 27, 2007

Video: New GEICO Caveman at Airport Commercial ...

Unlike the previous GEICO Caveman commercial set at an airport, this one is only a 15-second spot instead of a 30-second. Still, it's a nice little "sequel."

Posted by Supercore at 01:42 AM

April 26, 2007

Video: The Trailer for Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie "Colon" ...

We freaking love this television show. And now there's a movie! Woo-hoo!

Posted by Supercore at 01:55 AM

April 24, 2007

Video: "Rehab" by Amy Winehouse ...

We can't get enough of this song right now. Amy Winehouse definitely has that special sumthin' sumthin'. What a voice!

Posted by Supercore at 01:48 AM

April 23, 2007

Video: A Bjork Performance on Saturday Night Live (SNL) ...

Posted by Supercore at 01:45 AM

April 20, 2007

Sport: An Rare, Incredible Goal by Lionel Messi of Spanish Soccer Team Barcelona FC ...

Posted by Supercore at 01:39 AM

April 19, 2007

Video: The "Unboxing" of a Sony PlayStation 3 Ordered Directly From Amazon Japan ...

Posted by Supercore at 11:37 PM

April 18, 2007

Celebrity Gossip Linkage to Get Ya' Through the Week, Kidzzz ...

Lindsay Lohan Talks About Rehab ... Says She's Not "An Addict" ...
Paris Hilton Violates Her Probation ...
Britney Spears Fires Her Manager, Faces Possible Lawsuit ...
Britney Spears Blames Paris Hilton for Recent Downward Spiral ...
Sanjaya Malakar Gets Voted Off American Idol ... There is a God After All ...
Baby Phat Queen Kimora Lee Simmons to Get Her Own Reality TV Show ...

Posted by Supercore at 11:45 PM

April 11, 2007

DNA Proves Larry Birkhead is Father of Late Anna Nicole Smith's Baby

Eventually, science was going to resolve the media-genic high-drama of figuring out who the freaking hell was the biological father of the recently deceased Anna Nicole Smith's daughter. The DA tests show photographer Larry Birkhead to be the father. That it even had to come to this makes Anna Nicole Smoth's life seem even lamer and more tragic. But with so much money at stake, it was inevitable that lawsuits would be involved and ultimately the courts would lead to testing. The episode suggests that Anna Nicole was havig a hell of a lot of unprotected sex with a lot of fellas at some point in the last couple of years of her pathetic life. It also suggest that Anna icole herself may never have known or was never quite sure of who the real biological father of her daughter was.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 11:15 PM

April 06, 2007

Video: Real-Life Spoof of Grand Theft Auto IV Trailer

This is a bit rough around the edges, but it's a pretty damn good spoof of the new Grand Theft Auto IV trailer. The creator used live-action footage culled and edited from various existing video clips posted to YouTube in order to make the spoof. Full marks, dude!

Posted by Supercore at 11:10 PM

April 05, 2007

Video: Grand Theft Auto IV Trailer

The trailer for the new "Grand Theft Auto IV" to be released by Rockstar Games in October 2007. "GTA IV" will be set in New York City (though it won't be called New York City in the game itself).

Posted by Supercore at 11:54 PM

April 04, 2007

Grand Theft Auto IV Announced, Trailer Released ...

Few things get us as excited as the announcement by games producer Rockstar Games regarding the next installment in the Grand Theft Auto series. "Grand Theft Auto IV" is on its way, kidzzz -- and that promises mo' better GTA to get you through the day. The new title will be rolled out October 16, 2007. When Rockstar make this announcement a couple of days ago, it also released a trailer for "GTA IV."

The game series has evolved dramatically through the "GTA III" phase, which saw the release of the original GTA III (aka, Liberty City), Vice City and finally the epic San Andreas editions. Between Liberty City and San Andreas, the game has grown and improved tremendously.

Meanwhile the evolution of the new crop of higher-performance gaming platforms, from the Microsoft XBox 360 to the new Sony PlayStation 3, have upped the potential for bigger, richer, faster games with even better graphics. It's only fitting that the Rockstar team would revisit Liberty City and develop the game environment to a larger scale and on a more fully visually realized level.

The word is that the Liberty City of "GTA IV" will be a more detailed and realistic carbon copy of New York City (albeit four of its five boroughs plus Jersey) in every way except the actual names. And this time around the main character will be an Eastern European immigrant. Can't fucking wait for this release, dude.

Posted by Supercore at 11:25 PM

April 03, 2007

Sanjaya Malakar and Howard Stern and the Sabotaging of American Idol

The curious success and popularity of American Idol contestant Sanjaya Malakar is the subject of much discussion among fans and non-fans of the Fox talent show. As has been observed, Malakar is far from the top class of singing talent to appear on American Idol. His voice is not stellar, and he botches lyrics to his songs. But the American Idol-viewing and -voting public have rallied behind Malakar and made him their own, pushing him upward and onward week after week to the finalists stage of the competition in spite of his shortcoming as a peformer. Simon Cowell, the notoriously blunt Brit, who is the show's producer and sits on the judges panel, has spoken his mind and acknowledged that he is powerless to stop the Malakar phenomenon. So why has a semi-talent like Malakar as far as he has?

Posted by Supercore at 09:28 PM

April 02, 2007

Celebrity Gossip Linkage to Kick Off the Week ...

Anna Nicole Smith's Partner Howard Stern Gives Up Effort to Stop DNA Paternity Test ...
Creator of Life-Size , Naked Choclate Jesus Looks for New Home for His Confection ...
Usher to Get Married to Long-Time Girlfriend ...
Black Eye Peas Singer Fergie Reveals Lesbian Past ...
Sanjaya Markala and the American Idol Scandal in the Making ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 11:16 PM

March 25, 2007

Mouth-Watering Celebrity Gossip News Linkage ...

Autopsy Results for Annna Nicole Smith to be Released ...
Report of Prince Harry Drunkenly Assaulting Photographer Outside London Club ...
Snoop Dogg and P. Diddy's European Tour Losing Money Due to Costs of Rappers' Massive Entourages ...
Mel Gibson Blasts Expletive at University Professor Regarding Film "Apocalypto" ...
Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan Have Another Bitch-Slappy Face-Off ...
Amy Winehouse Champions Fellow Rehabbber Lindsay Lohan ...
Is Paris Hilton's Boyfriend Stavros Niarchos Cheating on the Hotel Heiress?
Britney Spears Out of Rehab ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 09:01 PM

March 18, 2007

Celebrity Gossip Round-Up ...

Black Eyed Peas Singer Fergie Kicked Off U.K. Plane for Being Too Drunk ...
Anna Nicole Smith's List of Prescribed Drigs Revealed ...
Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie are Freinds Again ... Ahh ...
Britney Spears on Coca-Cola-Guzzling Binge in Rehab ...
Lindsay Lohan Out of Rehab and Back on NYC Party Circuit ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 05:50 AM

March 14, 2007

Appetizing Celebrity Gossip Linkage for the Mid-Week ...

Angelina Jolie Adopts Another Kid, This Time From Orphanage in Vietnam
Paris Hilton Puts her Nipples in Public View Yet Again
Britney Spears in Rehab Romance Fling
Photographer Larry Birkhead Demands DNA Test to Determine Father of Anna Nicole Smith's Daughter ...
Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnell Ward Words Heats Up Again ...
Jessica Simpson and John Mayer Have Romantic Italian Vacation

Posted by Thurston Ali at 11:32 PM

March 13, 2007

Quentin Tarantino Reflects on How He Became a Success in Hollywood

That gabby, energetic and most animated of filmmakers Quentin Tarantino has written an article for the Timnes of London newspaper about his experience in the movie business. The piece is part of the Times's "Iconoclast" series, wherein celebrities guest write a column for the paper. Tarantino talks about what it means to him to be a film director working inside and out of the Hollywood studio system and how to deal with careerist studio heads when fighting to make your movie your way. Tarantino also talks about which movies he was most passionate about and what they mean to him. Interestingly enough, QT calls himself an "amateur." This is a must read for aspiring filmmakers or anyboody who loves the director's work.

Posted by Supercore at 12:28 AM

March 12, 2007

Sweet 'n Savory Celebrity Gossip Linkage ...

The "300" Rakes in $70 Million at Opening Weekend Box office -- That's a helluva lot of souvlaki ...
Did Paris Hilton Get a Boob job?
Hilary Duff Dumps More Hate on Paris Hilton ...
Joes Simpson Says Daughters Jessica and Ashlee Will Never "End up in Rehab" ... Oh, Really?
Madonna to Appear on Nip/Tuck
The Rehab Diary of Britney Spears

Posted by Thurston Ali at 07:44 AM

March 06, 2007

Naomi Campbell Punished for Cell Phone-Throwin' Rage

Notoriously tempermental super model (or should we say "ex-super model"?) Naomi Campbell has been punished for throwing a cell phone at her maid. To pay for her crime, Campbell will be doing a stint of community service, mopping up floors at a New York City Sanitation Department warehouse on the Lower East Side. (Welcome to hood, Naomi!) One piece of advice, Ms. Campbell: Leave your cell phone at home.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 07:05 AM

March 02, 2007

GEICO Caveman Golfing with Phil Sims

It looks like the GEICO caveman may be crossing over from a car-insurance commercial icon to a fully realized character fit for long-form television programming. That's if this clip of the GEICO caveman playing golf with NFL icon Phil Sims is anything to go by. In this nearly four-minute sketch, the caveman goes 18 holes with the former Giants star. If the caveman seemed overly sensitive and ornery in the GEICO ads, he's even more so here. In fact, he comes across in this video as an obnoxious, iritable douche-bag. He's freaking hilarious. The caveman should have his own show on Comedy Central. It could a late-night talk-fest hosted by the caveman that would air right after the Colbert Report. And the whole thing would be sponsored by GEICO, of course. A higher quality QuickTime version of the clip is here.

Posted by Supercore at 11:00 PM

March 01, 2007

GEICO Caveman Saga Continues ....

This recent 30-second ad by GEICO featuring the ever-annoyed Caveman has actually already been running for a while, but we're including here along with some posts of the other latest ads. It's not the best nor our favorite of the Caveman spots so far, but it's still amusing work. Whether it's effective advertising or not, the jury may still be out.

Posted by Supercore at 11:43 PM

February 20, 2007

The Coolest Human Beatbox Shtick Ever

From the Kitchen Diaries viral clips collection on British video Website Fame Game. Absolutely funny. And super awesome!

Merci beaucoup to the one, the only, Jess E. for the tip!

Posted by Supercore at 11:12 PM

February 19, 2007

Speed Racer Intro

Speaking of the Toyota "Speed Racer" homage on this past weekend's New York Time Magazine cover, here's a video of the intro to the American version of the Japanese anime series.

Posted by Supercore at 11:08 PM

February 18, 2007

Delectable Celebrity Gossip Linkage for Your Utlra Awesome President's Day Weekend ...

Actor Hugh Grant Splits with Girlfriend Jemima Khan
Anna Nicole Smith is Embalmed
Qantas Hostess Admits to Sex with Actor Ralph Fiennes in Airplane Toilet
Hip-Hop Raptress Foxy Brown Arrested for Assault in Florida
Paris Hilton Bored at Vienna Opera
Nicky Hilton Sued Over Her Hotel Project Fiasco
Recap of the Recent Developments in the Britney Spears Train Wreck

Posted by Thurston Ali at 12:24 PM

February 17, 2007

Video: Britney Spears with Shaved Head

Oh, yeah, people, this is television "news." Oy vay!

Posted by Thurston Ali at 04:05 PM

Britney Spears Shaves Head ...

The news that Britney Spears has shaved her head was totally unexpected. The media and those people close to Britney have been suggesting that the pop singer is in the middle of a massive mental implosion, the high-voltage nervous breakdown that many have sensed was coming. Who's to blame for hurtling Ms. Spears towards a perceived meltdown? Paris Hilton? K-Fed? The paparazzi? Oh, the gossip rags are going to have a field day. Between Anna Nicole Smith and Britney, the celebrity-obsessed press is already having a great 2007!

Posted by Thurston Ali at 10:40 AM

February 16, 2007

Going to The Archive: Top 5 Video Games for ADD Moments in the Studio ...

1. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (Rockstar Games)
2. The Getaway (Sony Computer Entertainment)
3. Grand Theft Auto III: Vice City (Rockstar Games)
4. FIFA Soccer 2004 (EA Sports)
5. Sim City 4 (Maxis)

Posted by Supercore at 07:16 AM

February 15, 2007

"Do Your Own Adventure!" with Sue Teller

This subtly sponsored viral video from Mountain Dew ("Promotional consideration provided by ..." ) is a riot. "Do Your Own Adventure!" with Sue Teller is a fake cable-access-styled show in which octagenarian Sue Teller teaches viewers how to do various youth-oriented DIY projects like spraying graffiti and mixing records. In this episode Teller shows us how to mash up tunes like a professional hip-hop DJ, complete with two turntables and a drum machine. Holla' at ya' girl!

Domo arigato to Jess E. for the tip!

Posted by Supercore at 11:09 PM

February 14, 2007

Video: Anti-Advertising by Graffiti Research Lab

Posted this on sister site Global Graphica ...

The folks at the ever ingenious and creative Graffiti Research Lab have made a clip of their recent anti-advertising campaign. The guerilla effort exploits video panels that display commercials outside subway entrances around New York City. The point is that the thousands of marketing messages we are exposed to on a daily basis is the true graf problem urban dwellers face.

Posted by Supercore at 11:59 PM

February 12, 2007

"Save Boston" Game Lets Players Smoke Out the Aqua Teen Hunger Force Lite-Brite Mooninites

Somebody has developed a quickie Flash game on the Web making fun of Boston and Bostonians and the whole recent brouhaha over the guerilla ad campaign involving LED light boards to promote the television show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force." The light boards were mistaken for bombs, and the security response to the supposed terror threat cost the city millions of dollars. Anyway, the silly game is called "Save Boston." It's a whack-a-mole type of amusement that will provide minutes of senseless entertainment on your PC when you should be working.

Posted by Supercore at 11:59 PM

Ooh, It's Really Bad: Vanilla Ice Does Rap Promotion for Turbo Tax Online

Oh, boy, this really stinks. Though to be fair to D-lister Vanilla Ice, his flow actually isn't half bad. No, seriously, he can rap. But dropping rhymes on video for an online TurboTax promo based on the concept of user-generated content really begs the question -- How low can a washed-up, late-80's one-hit-wonder fake white rapper go? Appearing on the Surreal Life is bad enough. But this? C'mon.

Posted by Supercore at 11:59 PM

Sweet 'n Sour Celebrity Gossip Linkage ...

Anna Nicole Smith Was Planning a Wedding
John Mayer Replies in Japanese When Asked About Jessica Simpson
Ex-Britney Spears Boyfriend Iassac Cohen Kisses and Tells
Paris Hilton's Gal Pal Kim Kardashian to Sue Over Her Sex Tape
Paris Hilton Demands $500K to Appear on British Talk Show
Lindsay Lohan "Loves" Life in Rehab
Mandy Moore Self-Conscious Doing Partial-Nude Scenes
David Beckham's Bodyguards Denied Visas for USA
Kate Moss and Babyshambles Singer Pete Doherty Have Split Up Again, Maybe

Posted by Thurston Ali at 11:38 PM

Going to the Archive: Our Top 6 Favorite Late Night Movie Reruns on IFC...

1. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels - Bloody hell! The British underworld doesn't mess around when it comes to illegal poker games and a half-million pounds worth of illicit herb. Did we mention the copious gunplay? Well, this flick's got that, too. It's bloody, violent AND funny, like Pulp Fiction, but with bad teeth, cockney rhyming slang and a cameo by Sting.
2. The Limey - So, your a 50-something British ex-con just released from prison and you're angry as hell. What are ya' gonna do? You're getting on a plane to L.A. where you will unleash a shitstorm of violence and psychological terror on the dude that double-crossed you years ago.
3. The Anniversary Party - A suprisingly accurate portrayal of Los Angeles' flaky thirty-something entertainment- media- arts-cognoscenti types as they wrestle with dropping ecstasy, barking dogs and hillside home ownership.
4. La Femme Nikita - A sexy, slightly unstable woman works as an assasin for the French government. Sweet!
5. Barton Fink - Dude, this is what happens to New York writers in L.A. when they don't get enough sex.
6. Hedwig and the Angry Inch - This movie ROCKS! Hell hath no fury like a partially trans-gendered woman scorned.

Posted by Supercore at 11:26 PM

February 10, 2007

Crazy Delicious Celebrity Gossip for Your Crazy Delicious Weekend ...

Anna Nicole Smith Paternity Suite Gets Even More Complicated - 3 Men Claim to Be Father of Her Daughter
Sacha Baron Cohen Will Make Borat Movie Sequel?
Gus Van Sant Sentenced for DUI
American Idol Contestant Akron Watson Kicked Off Show
Paris Hilton Buys Edible Bikini for Valentine's Day
Kim Kardashian Sex Tape Revealed
Nicole Richie "Afraid of Prison"
Lindsay Lohan Buys Marilyn Monroe's Apartment

Posted by Thurston Ali at 10:31 AM

Anna Nicole Smith's Last Days Spent in Drunken Haze

According to witness reports late Friday night, as autopsy results were being released, Anna Nicole Smith was drinking heavily in the days and even hours before her death, so much so that she needed help to walk and was slurring her speech. She made repeated visits to the bar at the hotel where she died and, according to a bartender there, was "tossing back double shots."

Posted by Thurston Ali at 10:23 AM

February 09, 2007

The Shocking, Mysterious Death of Anna Nicole Smith

This is a shocker. We're no fans of Anna Nicole Smith and deplore much of what she represents, but her sudden death in a Florida hotel room is tragic and sad. The latest reports suggest drug use on Smith's part may have been the cause of death. Like or loathe here, Anna Nicole was an icon.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 08:45 AM

February 06, 2007

Guerilla Ad Agency "Miami" of Sweden

In the week after a guerilla marketing agency launched an under-the-radar marketing campaign that turned into a massive bomb scare, we've come across a small guerilla marketing agency in Sweden that is starting to explode onto the ad scene and get on the radar. The company has a most intriguing name. The firm is called Miami, as in the Florida city, except that Miami the agency is in Sweden, as in Scandanavian country known for Absolut vodka, IKEA furniture, and the birthplace of the Volvo. Anyhoo, Miami has a cool -- if kind of dorky -- and unconventionally simple and unintuitive website that shows some of its work.

Posted by Supercore at 10:18 PM

February 05, 2007

Monday Gossip Linkage ... Yum Yum!

Paris Hilton Shuts Down Website Selling Her Personal Info and Junk
Actor Ryan O'Neal Arrested After Allegedly Assaulting Son, Shooting Gun
Newsweek Contemplates the Influence of Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears on Girls
Beyonce Knowles Voted Most-Desirable Fantasy Girlfriend in Ask.com Poll
Chinese Actress Gong Li Rated More Desirable Than Zhang Ziyi in Ask.com Poll
Kevin "K-Fed" Federline Says He's Sorry About Ad to Food Workers

Compiled by Thurston Ali

Posted by Supercore at 08:30 AM

February 02, 2007

Video of the Making of Those "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" LED Ads

Here's an excellent video clip showing how those those "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" LED Ads, which caused the bomb scare in Boston earlier this week, were produced and installed.

Posted by Supercore at 01:05 PM

Geniuses Behind "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" LED Ads Give Surreal Press Conference ...

The avant-garde artists and guerilla marketers who were arrested after installing myseterious LED ads for Cartoon Network's "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," give a surreal, ridiculous press conference upon emerging from jail. It's pure theater when a couple of guys tell -- with the straightest of faces -- a throng of reporters that they will answers only questions pertaining to "haircuts in the 70's."

Posted by Supercore at 12:49 PM

Fresh Super Awesomely Delicious Celebrity Gossip Linkage for Your Friday Reading Pleasure ...

"Girls Gone Wild" Impressario Joe Francis Claims Paris Hilton is Better in the Sack Than Linday Lohan, Tara Reid and Kimberly Stewart!
Lindsay Lohan Text Messages Pal from Rehab to Say She WANTS burgers and sex.
Miss USA Confesses to Cocaine Use ... Uh, yeah, no kidding!
Jessica Simpson Botches Lyrics to Boyfriend John Mayer's Song at Concert
Nicole Richie May Go to Jail
Mandy Moore Afraid of Dating
Rosie O' Donnell Rants Get Reviewed

Posted by Thurston Ali at 08:29 AM

January 22, 2007

Cool New Volkswagen German VW Phaeton Commercial

Who knew hand-shadow puppetry could be so modern? Super liquid-awesomely cool. Whatever you may think of the Volkswagen cars (or how well-made or not the cars actually are), the coomercials of VW have always been a cut above.

Posted by Supercore at 12:42 AM

January 18, 2007

Lindsay, Lindsay, Lindsay!!!

Wow! Like this is a shocker. Everybody could see this coming from a million light years away. Yup, kidzzz, Actress, singer, celebutante Lindsay Lohan has official checked into rehab for alcoholism in West hollywood. Looks like Paris Hilton has lost one of her best frenemies of all time. Now, if only there was a rehab program available for pop singers who like to party pantyless and flash their va-jay-jay all about town (yes, we mean you, Britney Spears!).

Posted by Thurston Ali at 09:44 AM

January 16, 2007

In Japan: Another TV Commercial with Tommy Lee Jones Selling Boss Can Coffee ...

Respek!

Posted by Supercore at 03:45 AM

January 15, 2007

In Japan: Tommy Lee Jones Stars in Japanese Commercial for Boss Canned Coffee

Posted by Supercore at 03:42 AM

January 12, 2007

In Japan: Another Pocky Commercial Starring Yui Aragaki ...

Love the voiceover tag at the end -- "... it's thin, it's light ... Pocky!!!"

Posted by Supercore at 03:39 AM

January 11, 2007

In Japan: Loving Japanese TV Commercials ... Let's Eat Pocky!

Posted by Supercore at 03:33 AM

January 06, 2007

In Japan: Late Nights with "Oden-kun"

"The Adventure of Oden-kun" is a childish anime series targeted toward adults watching late-night Japanese television. Even if you don't understand Japanese, the show is intriguing in its droll, surreal premise. In the cartoon, various ingredients -- tofu, eggs, radishes, and so on -- used in a tradional wintertime stew called oden come to life as anthropomorphic characters inhabiting an "oden world" and embarking on myriad mini adventures, kind of like the way Sponge Bob and his pals do in their fantastic undersea world. Except the ingredients in oden are food afterall and eventually will get eaten by customers. That's when things really get interesting.

Posted by Supercore at 09:09 AM

January 03, 2007

Entertainment Breaking Taboos in Islamic Culture

A woman in Pakistan can't openly talk about sexual taboos on television for fear of being socially ostracized, but a man dressed as a woman talking openly about sexual taboos on Pakistani TV can. And he's very popular. That man is Ali Saleem, who under the pseudonym Begum Nawazish Ali interviews celebrities on his weekly show “Late Night Show With Begum Nawazish Ali." As the Times points out, the Ali's act and its popularity reflect "two Pakistans," one which is urban and the other rural; one that is more "Westernized" and one more fundamentally Islamic.

Posted by Supercore at 09:42 PM

December 23, 2006

The Nintendo Wii - A Deep, Detailed Look of How It Works

There's no denying what we would want as present this holiday season if there was such a thing as a Santa Claus. The Nintendo Wii, with its motion-sensor controller, is the most original and innovative videogame platform to emerge in practically a decade. It also -- and more importantly -- just looks like a helluva lot of fun. And really, really, really want one. (Even in spite of the nototious strap problem.) But how does it work? The Times gives us a detailed breakdown on the technology.

Posted by Supercore at 10:41 AM

December 13, 2006

"The Burg" - Indie Sitcom Extraordinaire

We've been finding lots of laughs from the independently produced Web-based sitcom "The Burg." The show follows the ups and downs of a group of roommates and friends who live in Williamsburg, the Brooklyn neighborhood that has in recent years become the young hipster-creative nerve center of New York City. "The Burg" takes a scathing comedic look at the stereotypical hipster types who inhabit the nabe - indie musicians, aspiring actresses, moronic trust-fund babies, bohemian political activists and out-of-place Wall Street frat-boy yuppie.

Posted by Supercore at 01:24 AM

December 12, 2006

Say Cheese, Nicole Richie!

Nicole, honey, damn you look hot even in a mug shot. Sorry to hear about being busted for driving under the influence by the CHiPs in Glendale, CA. But, hey, that's what happens when you take Vicodin on an empty stomach while (allegedly) high and/or intoxicated and then get behind the wheel. (Oops! Did we just say "empty stomach." We realize you have some weight "issues." Tsk tsk, our bad. You see, Nicole, that you hadn't eaten anything substantial in the previous 24 hours was just an assumption on our part.) But back to the matter at hand. You know what also happens when you drive while (allegedly) high and/or intoxicated? You drive onto the freeway in the wrong direction and get pulled over by an Erik Estrada wannabe. (Just kidding ... nobody wants to be Erik Estrada.) Anyhoo, maybe you need glasses? Still, we love ya' just the same as before, after all, you're the funny, "clever" one on the Simple Life, and you've a much more sophisticated and iconic style than that slut puppet Paris Hilton. So kick it to the curb, Nicole. You'll beat the DUI rap, even if it means 300 hours of community service (translation: 300 hours picking up litter with the hoi poloiin Griffith Park).

Posted by Thurston Ali at 01:59 AM

The GEICO Gecko Has a Blog!

Yes, the GEICO gecko lizard has his very own weblog. The site is tantalizingly titled "Gecko's Fun Stuff - Gecko's Blog." On the site, the iconic reptile (and car-insurance company mascot) writes about all manner of subjects related to saving 15 % on your car insurance, including the low-down on all the music used in the recent GEICO Caveman commercials. So if you've been wondering about things like what the jaunty electronic tune is in the Caveman "Airport" TV ad, here's where you can find out. (By the way, that tune is "Remind Me" by Norwegian group Royksopp.) By now, that an anthropomorphic, computer-animated spokes-lizard with a cockney accent would have a blog should not be surprising -- it really was inevitable, wasn't it? Next thing you know, the toenail on my left pinky toe is going to have its own blog.

Posted by Supercore at 01:57 AM

December 06, 2006

GEICO Caveman Actor Revealed

In case you wanted to know who the GEICO caveman is (and, really, who didn't?), well, brace yourself for this amazing piece of knowledge: the GEICO caveman is actor John Lehr. Wow! Uh, um, uh ... who is John Lehr? Yeah, we were wondering that, too. Lehr's list of acting credits appears short, though he recently landed a gig as a cast member of a new TBC television series called "10 Items or Less." So, now you know who the GEICO caveman is (at least one of them, anyway). Don't you feel better? Don't you feel like a whole new person? No? Nothing? Yeah, same here.

Posted by Supercore at 01:20 AM

December 05, 2006

More Yummy Celebrity Gossip Linkage ...

Rumor of Lindsay Lohan Attending AA Confirmed
No Jail for Babyshambles Frontman / Kate Moss Boy-Toy Pete Doherty, But Singer Fined for Drugs ... Again!!!
George Clooney's Pet Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Pig Dies ... Sniff, Sniff ...
Paris Hilton Bails on Billboard Music Awards Appearance

Tori Spelling to Write Memoir ... Yaaaaawn!

Posted by Thurston Ali at 02:38 AM

Video: Placebo Covers Pixies' "Where is My Mind" On French Television

We love this quintessential early 1990's song "Where is My Mind" by the Pixies, which was covered many years later by British band Placebo, who perform a rockin' verison of it live in the above clip from the French music television show Traffic. Awesome.

Posted by Supercore at 02:33 AM

December 01, 2006

What the Heck is Up with CNN's Lou Dobbs

In the New Yorker magazine this week, media critic Ken Auletta breaks down what's going on with opinionated CNN newsman Lou Dobbs and his recent streak of angry political editorials from the anchor desk. According to Auletta's immensely readable profile piece, Dobbs has gone from being a calm and cool-headed business news personality to a cranky populist, which has won him both critics and admirers.

Posted by Supercore at 02:47 AM

Lipsmack Ya'! Spicy Celebrity Gossip to Round Out the Week ... Oh, It's Been Too Long ...

Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson File for Divorce ...
... And Borat is To Blame for Kid Rock and Pamela's Split
... But Actually Kid Rock Was Fed Up with Pamela's Party-Girl Ways
... and Yet Borat's Cultural Icon Status Even Greater After Kid Rock-Pamela Divorce
Britney Spears on Panties-less Party Spree in L.A. and NYC ...
Paris Hilton and Britney Spears are New Best Party Pals ...
Lindsay Lohan Reportedly in Alcoholic Rehab ...
Jessica Simpson's Chewing Gum on Sale on eBay ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 02:29 AM

November 22, 2006

Video: Michael Richards' Awkward, Incoherent Apology on Letterman

Ok, he said he was sorry. He explained his actions. But what's with the long-winded incoherent , cringe-worthy and weird six-minute rhetorical exposition. Somebody needs therapy, ASAP.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 12:22 AM

If William Shakespeare Were Alive Today He'd Be A Hollywood Screenwriter ...

Imagine if William Shakespeare were alive today. Some observers think that the Bard would be working in Hollywood as a hot screenwriter and/or as a successful Broadway playwright earning a bundle on the royalties from his many plays. He'd also be making a bundle on the real estate market. His career would be on a level of either a Woody Allen or a Stephen King, either a favorite of high-brow and but small audiences in other cases or a mass-culture phenomenon, or maybe a mix of both. Though one "Hollywood insider" suggests that in today's Hollywood, Shakespeare would be "too talented to be successful."

Posted by Supercore at 12:19 AM

November 21, 2006

Video: OMG! Michael Richards of "Seinfeld" Kramer Fame Goes on a Racist Rant During Comedy Gig!

Ouch! Somebody's got some serious issues to work through. This is appalling and really bad. (Warning: Video is NOT SAFE FOR WORK!)

Posted by Thurston Ali at 02:40 AM

OJ Book Launch and Fox News Interview "Killed"

The HarperCollins-published book "If I Did It" by O.J. Simpson and the planned Judith Regan intereview of him on Fox News have been scrapped due to the public and media backlash surrounding the launch and television event. It is generally believed by the American public (and the news media promulgates the view) that Simpson is guilty of the crime of murder, even though a trial jury acquitted him of the charges in the early 1990s. Over a decade after his infamous trial, Simpson's life has been ruined. The former actor and NFL star is an outcast who lives in the constant shadow of his notoriety. Still the public is fascinated, while disgusted and outraged, with Simpson and the case.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 02:13 AM

Ouch! New York Times Reviewer Dumps on the New Sony PlayStation 3 Big Time!

As the Sony PlayStation 3 went on sale in the United States last Friday and patient gamers finally got their hands on the much-anticipated and much-coveted gaming console, a New York Times journalist was busy wrapping up a week spent test-driving the PS3 for his technology review. After thirty hours of putting the new Sony platform through its paces, Times scribe Seth Shiesel penned his review, which appeared in today's edition of the Old Gray Lady. His verdict on the PS3 is pretty hurtful. To quote his article, "... it often feels as if the PlayStation 3 can’t walk and chew bubble gum at the same time." Ouch!

(Domo arigatoo to Jess for the tip.)

Posted by Supercore at 01:53 AM

November 20, 2006

Yummilicious Celebrity Gossip Linkage ...

TomKat Ceremoniously Get Married in Italian Castle ...
The Fashion Breakdown on Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' Wedding ...
Rapper The Game Arrested for Impersonation of Cop ...
Former SNL Cast Member Tina Fey Dishes on Paris Hilton ...
Paris Hilton Allegedly Called Jessica Simpson "Fat"
Lindsay Lohan "Snubs" Actress Keira Knightly at London Bash ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 01:41 AM

November 19, 2006

"Freaky Delicious" Gnarls Barkley Video for "Gone Daddy Gone"

The latest music video from the Dangermouse and Cee Lo collaboration known as Gnarls Barkley is a clever and amusing CG-heavy clip for the track "Gone Daddy Gone." As Air Massive tipster Jess E. put it, the video is "freaky delicious." And indeed it is.

Posted by Supercore at 04:26 AM

November 15, 2006

Tasty Celeb Gossip Linkage for the Mid-Week ...

Supermodel Naomi Campbell Tries to Plea-Bargain Her Way Out of Jail Sentence ...
Porn Producer Offered Alleged Sex Tape of Britney Spears and K-Fed ...
Tom Cruise Reportedly Too Fat to Fit INto His Wedding Suite ...
Nicole Richie Denies Talk of gastric-Bypass Surgery ...
Paris Hilton Goes Out on Date in London ...
The What Made Lindsay Lohan Call Paris Hilton the C-Word ...
The OC's Mischa Barton "Tired" of Being Skinny ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 11:59 PM

Yet Even More Fun with Japanese Mac Ads

Okay, okay, we admit it -- we can't get enough of these ads. It's interesting to compare the U.S. versions of the ads to the Japanese versions. Apple relies on the advertising agency TBWA/Chiat Day, and the concept for these TV ads campaigns were created out of the Los Angeles office (it handles all of the Apple work).

Posted by Supercore at 11:53 PM

More Fun Japanese Apple Mac vs. PC Commercials

This is one is the spot that talks about "cool apps" and how Macs have that easy-to-use iLife suite of software.

Posted by Supercore at 11:51 PM

November 12, 2006

Delectable Celebrity Gossip Linkage to Kick-Off the Week ...

BRITNEY SPEARS FOUND K-FED WITH OTHER WOMAN WEEKEND BEFORE DIVORCE
Charlie Sheen-ex Denise Richards Throws Laptop at 91-Year Old Lady ...
Oh, It's On Again: Lindsay Lohan Spits C-word About Paris Hilton ...
Madonna Disses Her Fellow Celebs ...
Snoop Dogg in Trouble with the Law Again ...
Nicole vs Nicole: Nicole Appleton Disses Nicole Richie for Being Too Skinny ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 03:34 PM

Will Ferrell is Just an Average Guy Who Just Happens to Be a Comedy Genius

The New Times Magazine has a long profile of Will Ferrell, detailing his career arc from his relatively normal youth in suburban Orange County, California through improv theater to Saturday Night Live and movie stardom. The verdict is that Ferrell is an average, normal guy without the cliche hang-ups and angst of your stereotypical funnyman.

Posted by Robsam at 02:27 PM

"60 Minutes" Journalist Ed Bradley, R.I.P.

Very sorry to hear that one of the greats of American television journalism has passed away. Ed bradley died at age 65 this past Thursday in New York City. Bradley was one of the core group of reporters, the so-called "I'm's," of the weekly CBS investigative news show "60 Minutes." Ed Bradley, R.I.P.

Posted by Supercore at 02:05 PM

November 11, 2006

Yet Another Cool Sony PlayStation 3 TV Commercial

This one is the "eggs" television spot for the soon-to-be-realeased (Nov. 17) Sony PlayStation 3, or PS3. Loving this ad campaign.

Posted by Supercore at 02:44 PM

November 10, 2006

Rubik's Cube Stars in Another Cool New Sony PlayStation 3 TV Ad

Here's another one of those cool new television commercials for the soon-to-be-released PlayStation3 game console. Like the baby-doll TV spot, this one is set in a stark-white, empty room. A Rubik's Cube levitates in the presence of a new PS3, which stands monolith-like and seems to be emanating some invisible, supernatural force that solves the Rubik's Cube puzzle. Cool.

Posted by Supercore at 02:34 AM

Sony's Creepy PlayStation 3 Baby-Doll Commercial

We find this new television commercial for the Sony PlayStation 3 a strangely compelling piece of advertising even though it's totally creepy. In the 30-second spot, a baby doll appears mesmerized and demonically possessed in the presence of a new Sony PlayStation 3 machine, while the new game platform starts to levitate. Word has it that Sony embedded some "clues" within the commercial for the hardcore gaming massive to discover when they watch the ad in frame-by-frame slow motion. (Arigato to Jess for the tip.)

Posted by Supercore at 02:21 AM

November 09, 2006

Video: Britney Spears Told K-Fed of Divorce By Text Message? Ouch!

That's right, kids. The latest word from the rumor monster is that Britney Spears broke the news of her divorce plans to Kevin "K-Fed" Federline via text message. Now that's class, kids, real class. But the real kicker is that the moment K-Fed received the news from Brtiney on his handheld might likely have been caught on tape (see above video clip) while he was being recorded for a Canadian TV program and reality show. K-Fed was "visibly shaken" when receiving a text message, then tore off his mic and disappeared for a half hour before resuming taping for the show. When he came back, he was reportedly upset. Aaaaawkwaaard!

Posted by Thurston Ali at 01:12 AM

November 08, 2006

It's the End of Britney Spears and K-Fed As We Know It -- Britney Files For Divorce!

That's right, kids. Britney Spears and her husband of roughly two years, Kevin Federline (or "K-Fed") are getting a divorce. You'd have to be deaf, dumb and blind and holed up in a remote Himalayan mountain village not to have known this was coming. My, oh my, how times have changed -- and so very quickly, too -- since the day Spears and Federline announced their love to the world on their Web site. We remember thinking then about Federline what we still think now -- Eeeeewwww!!! His whole background reeked, but nothing more so than the fact that he left his then pregnant girlfriend (preggers with their second child) to be with Spears. He was a back-up dancer who could claim to have appeared in a Target television commercial in addition to have danced in Spears' performance troupe. As for Spears, well, in spite of whatever talents, real or otherwise, that she may possess, there's no denying that she is a pop star. But maybe we should re-phrase that -- she was a pop star. Since K-Fed entered her life, her singing career has mostly been non-existent, while her public image has imploded. She has become a celebrity joke. As a brand, she went the way of tabloid trash. But now she's making a comeback. After the recent birth of her second child with Federline, she's reportedly slimmed down, fit and ready to re-enter the spotlight with a new album. However much we can't stand her music, her persona or pretty much anything she stands for, we have to wish the girl luck. Britney, you go girl!

Posted by Thurston Ali at 03:42 AM

November 07, 2006

Borat is Number One at the Box Office

Given the hype, the many funny, much talked-about television appearances and all the YouTube publicity is it really a surprise that the Borat movie came in with the biggest box office receipts of the past weekend? Well, actually, yes, it is a surprise. It's a surpise that this kind of film did this well of an opening weekend. That is to say, we expected the movie to have some degree of financial and critical success, but just not on this scale. On Sunday, we popped by our local movie theater in downtown New York City and saw that Borat had sold out at least a half-dozen screenings, while outside the cinema the lines trailed down the block. The film was produced for only $11 million, so the execs at Fox must be laughing all the way to the bank on this one because, like the Jackass movies, profit margins on low-production (non-"high-concept") movies productions like these are huge. Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen) most certainly will not "be execute" (sic) back in his country when Borat's theatrical run ends.

Posted by Robsam at 09:52 AM

November 06, 2006

Choice-Cuts Gossip Linkage to Start Off Your Work Week ...

Lindsay Lohan Allegedly Dating Son of Diana Ross ... Baby, baby, baby, baby don't ...
Paris Hilton Would Rather Eat Than Have Sex ...
Nicole Richie Supposedly Stops Rehab for Shopping Spree ...
George Clooney Has the Hots for Cat Deeley, Allegedly ...
Kanye West is a Sore Loser or Prankster at Euro Video Awards Show ...

Posted by Thurston Ali at 12:24 AM

November 04, 2006

Video: Stephen Wiltshire Draws Perfect Landscapes of Cities From Memory

Amazing. Fascinating. Unbelieveable, but true.

Posted by Robsam at 02:59 AM

November 03, 2006

Yum Yum ... Juicy Gossip Linkage for the End O' the Work Week ...

Scarlett Johansson's Cleavage in Full Effect
Topher Grace and Ivanka Trump Allegedly Involved with Each Other
Hong Kong Concert Promoter Calls Mariah Carey a "Diva Bitch"
Sharon Stone's See-Through Cocktail Dress
TomKat Update: Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes to have "Wacky" Traditional Scientology Wedding

Posted by Thurston Ali at 03:39 AM

Video: Kenny Powers' Quest to Jump Car Over the St. Lawrence River

In the early 1970's Kenny Powers, a Canadian daredevil, attempted one of the most idiotic stunts known to humankind. Powers tried to drive a rocket-powered and winged Lincoln Continental off a massive ramp and over the mile-wide St. Lawrence River and the border between Canada and New York state. The stunt cost an estimated $1 million and resulted in ... well, you've just got to watch the video. Note: watching this we were reminded of the incidental music used in an South Park episode about the founding and beliefs of the Mormon religion ... dumb dumb dumb dumb duuuummb dumb!

Posted by Robsam at 02:34 AM

November 02, 2006

Video: Borat Meets David Letterman

The Borat publicity juggernaut goes full throttle with yet another television appearance by Borat (Sacha Baron Cohen), this time on the Late Show with David Letterman. Good stuff.

Posted by Robsam at 02:13 AM

October 31, 2006

Video: Borat Opening Sketch on "Saturday Night Live"

Live from New York ... Borat does SNL. Freaking hilarious, kidz!

Posted by Thurston Ali at 02:22 AM

October 29, 2006

South Park Gets Hassled Over Steve Irwin Sketch

South Park has a habit of pissing someone off somewhere at least a couple of times a year. The latest criticism of the popular Comedy Central cartoon stems from "offensive" material in the most recent episode in which the late Australian croc hunter, Steve Irwin, is depicted with a stringray sticking out of his chest as he arrives at a party for the unliving thrown by Satan. Irwin then gets turned away from the Halloween party because -- even though he is dead -- he's not "in costume." Some dude from the organization Mediawatch called it "grossly insensitive." C'mooon, people -- South Park is comedy!

Posted by Thurston Ali at 03:51 AM

October 24, 2006

Paris Hilton Backlash Vol. 18: Nick Carter Calls Paris Drunken Prude with A Secret Teddy-Bear Stash

Former Backstreet Boy and idle, irrelevent celeb Nick Carter has spoken of that which happens in the grotto, so to speak. Or rather, he's kissing and telling, spilling the beans and dirty dishing on ex-girlfriend Paris Hilton. According to Carter, the Hilton Hotel heiress and celebutante was a herb-burning drunk whose prudish nature in the sack was only overcome with lots of pot and alcohol. Carter has reportedly said that Paris was so addicted to the wacky tobacky that in order to always have it available when traveling overseas, she would stash some in her teddy bear plush toy. And who said she as a total idiot? She may not have class, but she isn't completey stupid.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 09:04 PM

October 23, 2006

New GEICO "Talking Head" Caveman Commercial

The recent reappearance of the GEICO caveman in a new commercial (the caveman is gliding along an airport concourse on his way to catch a plane when he spots an insulting GEICO billboard) suggested that there were more 30-second TV spots to come as part of a new series of ads. The latest ad (see above) features the GEICO caveman as a guest on a very Fox News-like TV debate program, where the caveman is one of a pair of guest talking heads verbally tussling with each other and a news anchor. Funny stuff, as usual. Love the caveman.

Posted by Supercore at 11:54 PM

October 20, 2006

The Comedy of Demetri Martin Goes on the Road and the Web

Demetri Martin is one of the funniest young stand-up comedians in America today. He is truly an original comic. His style brings to mind the deadpan, clever one-liner observations of Steven Wright. You may have seen Martin's concert special on Comedy Central in the past year or caught him doing a segment on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, where he is an occasional guest reporter and "expert." Though Martin has been playing clubs around the country, he's now on a proper comedy concert tour and has a promotional Web site called Clearification.com that has some of his short sketch comedy videos and audio clips of his routine. Great stuff.

(A big domo arigato to Sam. C for the tip.)

Posted by Supercore at 01:51 AM

October 18, 2006

... And the Project Runway 3 Finale Winner is ...

Jeffrey WINS!!! Woo-hoooooooo!!!

Posted by Supercore at 10:57 PM

The Project Runway Finale

It all comes down to four designers showing at Olympus Fashion Week at Bryant Park, New York City. Within the next 15 minutes we'll know who the Project Runway Season 3 winner is. The question is Who will it be: Jeffrey, Michael, Laura, or Ulli. The designers have just shown and are now being critiqued by Heidi Klum and the judges. Some of our thoughts ... So far, we're disappointed with Michael Knight's collection, though there is no doubt he has enormous talent and potential. Ulli's collection was excellent and far more ambitious in terms of her usual range, but it was mostly predictable. Laura's collection is top class and elegant. Jeffrey's clothes are amazing. In terms of originality and craft, we like Laura and Jeffrey for their quality and innovation. We think Laura, Ulli or Jeffrey can win. Michael won't win it, but he's really popular, so who knows. Ulli would sell big -- her style is accessible. Laura is almost too classic and uptown for her own good. Jeffrey is a total original. Our favortie is Jeffrey and we want him to win. Our money is on him. But we're not convinced that he will win. Fingers crossed, kids. Anyway, in the next ten minutes we will know the winner ...

Posted by Supercore at 10:41 PM

Video: The Dove "Evolution" Commercial Reveals Distortions of Beauty in Advertising

This great 60-second Dove television commercial called "Evolution" is a time-lapse video of a plain model being lit, made-up and styled before a photo shoot, as well as the process of shooting the images and the subsequent and substantial retouching in Photoshop. Eventually we see the image of the model's "distorted beauty" used in a billboard ad. This is awesome to watch over and over again.

Posted by Supercore at 03:34 AM

September 28, 2006

John Hodgeman is the Man - An Interview with the Daily Show Expert and PC Guy

He's best known as the PC guy in the those Apple Computer commercials compring the Mac to a PC. But you've also seen him on the Daily Show , where he's a fake "expert" with a real journalism career. His name is John Hodgeman, and he's funny. Radar magazine has a Q and A with the man who personifies your average Windows machine.

Posted by Robsam at 01:08 AM

Paris Hilton Backlash Vol. 17: Paris Charged with Drunk Driving

It's now official. Heiress Paris Hilton has been charged for driving under the influence of alcohol and is now a defendent it what will be a formal court process starting with her arraignment in Los Angeles. According to reports, Hilton was charged Tuesday with two misdemeanor counts stemming from her DUI arrest earlier this month. The latest news is that her actual arraignment will be in December after a formal postponement was made by the court.

Hilton could be sentenced to up to six months in prison if found guilty, though we think the chances of that happening are the same as the chances of Ashlee Simpson suddenly not sucking. We speculate that Hilton will get a slap on the wrist, do some community service and -- before you can say "It's Hot" -- she'll be tearing up the streets of West Hollywood again, high on Red Bull and vodka and hunting for the nearest In-and-Out Burger.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 12:14 AM

August 31, 2006

CNN Anchor Kyra Phillips and Her Embarassing Microphone Moment During President Bush Speech

You've got to see it to believe it. Production hiccups in mainstream media are always fun.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 02:59 AM

August 29, 2006

"24" Finally Wins an Emmy

After five years, tons of acclaim from critics, high-ratings and devoted fans, the Fox Television series "24" has finally won an Emmy Award, the trophy going to the show in the Best Drama Series category, as well as in the Outstanding Actor category, with the award given to the show's star Kiefer Sutherland . Though the show is on hiatus until 2007, "24" stills stands to reap the benefits benefit from the win (hello, DVD sales! Ka-ching!). The show is one of the most innovative, original and ground-breaking dramatic television programs ever produced. For some, it's also one of the most infuriating -- let's just say that suspension of disbelief is very important when watching "24." For those who don't know, the key to the show is that its narrative arc takes place in real time. In other words, one hour of "24" equals one hour of actual time and events in the story. (Though to be accurate, each episode is really only about 40 minutes of filmed content so ... you get the idea.) The show beat out HBO's "The Sopranos," the long-standing winner in the Best Drama Series field. Yeah, it's about time that Keifer Sutherland kicked Tony Soprano's ass!

Posted by Robsam at 03:20 AM

August 22, 2006

Kevin Dillon's Johnny Drama -- Hero of the New Loser Irritability

The always irritable, or rather "edgy," New York Observer columnist Ron Rosenbaum dissects Johnny Drama, the easily-irritated and dimwitted character played by Kevin Dillon in the HBO original hit series Entourage.

In the show, Johnny Drama is a past-his-peak television actor and the older half-brother of Vincent Chase, a hot young movie star of the moment. Johnny is part part of Vincent's entourage (hence the show's title), riding the coat tails of his brother's fame, hoping some of the success will rub off on his own down-in-the-dumps acting career. Kevin Dillon's character along with the shark-like super-agent Ari Gold (played by Jeremy Piven), really gives Entourage the comedic juice that makes the series fun and memorable.

Dillon's character, though a pathetic, impulsive, easily-provoked and dopey loser, is well-meaning. Most of the time, he manages to land on his feet and find a modicum of success in spite of himself. According to Rosenbaum, this makes Drama a new kind of everyman hero archetype of irritibality for a younger generation, a hero missing from the pop-culture landscape for a long time.

Posted by Supercore at 02:04 AM

July 26, 2006

"Tabloid Wars" is Our New Favorite TV Show

We caught the premier episode of "Tabloid Wars" Monday night on Bravo. The show is a kind of reality series that chronicles life at the New York Daily News, one of three tabloid-format newspapers in Gotham's hyper-competitive media world. The real war, however, is between just two papers: the Daily News and the love-hated, Rupert Murdoch-owned New York Post. It's not clear if there will be any behind-the-scenes peaks at the journalists and editors at the Post, but it's no matter -- the journalists and editors at the Daily News are colorful and interesting enough to keep us riveted. As former journalists who spent time working at daily newspapers in the 1990's, we admitedly have a soft spot for the subject matter. The show offers viewers a rare look at the people who do the street-level reporting -- the critical, core pavement-pounding legwork -- and the editing and writing with passion and dedication and a sense of healthy, driven competiveness. "Tabloid Wars" is our new favorite TV show. What was our favorite before "Tabloid Wars," you ask? Well ... we'd have to say it was a tie between "Aqua Teen Hunger Force," "Entourage" and "The Colbert Report." Goodbye "truthiness," hello "truth."

Posted by Supercore at 11:21 AM

July 23, 2006

Celebrity Big Brother for India

The hit reality TV series Big Brother is going to Bollywood. Endemol India, a television production company in India, will produce a celebrity version of the series for a South Asian audience. Accordinging to a BBC story, the show will have an inter-faith dimension, casting both Muslim and Hindu participants. Sex, however, will be something of a taboo on the show. Given the conservatism of Indian society, the producers will ban any "hanky-panky," says the BBC. The Big Brother reality series was originally developed by a Dutch production company in 1999, but has since grown into a worldwide franchise.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 04:22 AM

July 13, 2006

Project Runway Returns for Season 3

The critically-acclaimed and popular reality show series Project Runway returns for its third season. Episode one aired on Bravo Wednesday evening, introducing us to 15 new aspiring designers. The new face among the guest judges is Kate Spade (who we recently bumped into in person at a Starbucks on the Upper East Side of New York). It seems like there's a lot more diversity among the designers in terms of styles this time. Season three looks like it's going to be super juicy. SPOILER WARNING: The first Project Runway dismissee is ... Stacy. auf Wiedersehen!

Posted by Robsam at 12:02 AM

April 21, 2006

Andy Samberg: The First Viral Video Star

"The comedian is the first of the Internet auteurs to cross into the mainstream." That's an observation in a Time magazine article this week about Saturday Night Live cast member Andy Samberg, a freshman of the long-time sketch comedy show who has shot to Internet stardom for his "digital shorts," most famously the "Lazy Sunday" gangsta rap video he performed in with Chris Parnell. The video was a highlight of the SNL episode in which it originally aired, but it became a massive pop-cultural hit when it got posted on the Net and virally exploded, reaching a much bigger viewing audience than SNL itself. Time devotes a big feature this week on how clever video clips on the Web are giving rise to a new pool of talent and entertainment for the global broadband audience. Andy Samberg is the first true star of the trend. He used to make comedy clips with his friends and post them on the Web, which is part of how he landed the SNL gig.

Posted by Supercore at 03:24 AM

April 16, 2006

A New Season of the Henry Rollins Show on IFC

Frontman for the long-defunct hardcore-punk group Black Flag and the eponymous Rollins Band, Henry Rollins has been an avid film buff and had a small acting sideline to his music career, appearing in such films as "Johnny Mnemonic," "Heat" and "Lost Highway." It seemed then that Rollins was schooled enough in cinema and television to host a movie review and interview show on the Independent Film Channel last year. "At first, the Henry Rollins Show" had enough rough edges to make one doubt whether the program would last. But the show had legs, the right spark, an audience and acclaim. The series has returned to IFC in 2006 for its second season, albeit with a few tweaks, more polish and musical guests. The usual Rollins rants are still an entertaining part of the program. So far his guests have included director Oliver Stone and rapper Chuck D. Episode 3, which aired Saturday, April 15th, has musical guest Franck Black of the Pixies. But show's biggest score so far, in our opinion, is the bagging of an in-studio interview with filmmaker Werner Herzog, who directed the documentary "Grizzly Man." In the one-on-one QA with Rollins, Herzog expands on his thoughts on filmmaking and the blurring line of "reality" in contemporary movies and TV -- even in documentaries. (Herzog also references a recent incident during an interview with the BBC in which he was shot and wounded on tape by a deranged passerby.) The Herzog interview is a coup for Rollins because it adds serious cred to his show and reveals much about the range of his tastes and cinematic knowledge. Tune in to IFC Saturdays at 10:00pm and see for yourself.

Posted by Robsam at 02:23 AM

March 29, 2006

Television's New Love Affair with Criminals

Time magazine does a bit of television trendspotting in this week's issue. In the article "Thick with Thieves," Time writer James Poniewozik looks at the current crop of new dramatic primetime TV series, the plots of which revolve around the criminal set instead of the detective set. FX's "Thief," HBO's "Prison Break," NBC's "Heist" and "The Black Donnellys," Showtime's "Brotherhood" and "Dexter" and AMC's "Hustle," not to mention NBC's recent (though cancelled) "Kingpin," and, of course, the groundbreaking ne plus ultra HBO series "The Sopranos -- all are listed as examples of TV's shift from police and investigative crime dramas like "CSI," "NYPD Blue," and "Law & Order" (and its many spawn) to programs that look into the "why" of the criminal mind. In many cases, the protagonists of this new crop of crime shows are cast as sympathetic figures, or, at least, as likeable in spite of their criminality. Poniewozik cites the success of "The Sopranos" as the driver behind the trend. Even comedy series like Showtime's "Weeds" can be seen as part of the trend. The series has brought the illicit, underground economy of suburban pot-dealing into our living room. "Weeds"'s criminal lead character is a sympathetic soccer mom.

Posted by Supercore at 11:40 PM

March 28, 2006

"The Andy Milonakis Show" Returns to MTV

Andy Milonakis, dubbed "the weirdest guy in school" by the New York Times, is the unlikely star of an eponymous MTV sketch comedy program 'The Andy Milonakis Show." The Times has an article on Milonakis and the popularity of his long-format program as it starts its second season this Friday, March 31, on MTV2. The hilarious and off-beat show is produced on location out of an co-op apartment in the Lower East Side of Manhattan on Grand St. (just blocks, actually, from the former Air Massive HQ). The show casts local L.E.S. residents as straight foils to Milonakis's wacky antics.

Posted by Supercore at 12:48 AM

March 23, 2006

"Lazy Muncie" Video Entry in the Narnia Rap Battle

Okay, so this one has been out for a few weeks now, but we couldn't resisting posting the video and link here for anyone who hasn't seen it yet. A little background ... first there was the "Lazy Sunday" Digital Short on SNL back in December in which Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell rapped about eating cupcakes and going to see a screening of the "Chronicles of Narnia" movie. Then came "Lazy Monday," a rap video by two L.A. dudes dubbed the "West Coast Response" to the SNL video. It was clever, amusing, kind of droll and silly. Then in February, there was the "Lazy Municie" video that riffed on both "Lazy Sunday" and "Lazy Monday." "Muncie " stars two guys from Muncie, Indiana, who rep and rap about their small, beloved midwest city. "Lazy Muncie" is really funny -- Funnier than "Lazy Monday," and maybe even "Lazy Sunday," except with poor production values, sloppy editing and timing. Respek. Click the play button above to watch the video or go here.

Posted by Robsam at 10:41 PM

"South Park" Season 10 Premieres: Chef Returns

In a timely allegory of recent developments at its production studios, "South Park," the hit Comedy Central animated series, kicked off its tenth season (can you believe it? Tenth!?!) with an episode titled "The Return of Chef!" The recent developments we're referring to here are, of course, the news and controversy of the resignation from the show of voice actor Isaac Hayes, who played the character of "Chef." ("Chef"'s actual character name in the show is "Jerome McElroy" -- bet you didn't know that, did you?) Hayes is a member of the Church of Scientology and had finally had enough of the satirical takes on religion that had been played out in many "South Park" episodes over the years. Scientology was the most recent religion to get the humorous take-down when an episode from last season poked fun at its beliefs. The irony of this first episode to air since Hayes' resignation is that it's initially about Chef returning to "South Park" after he quit his job at the school cafeteria and left the small Colorodo town on a long globe-trotting journey with the "Super Adventure Club." When Chef returns he's not quite the same. The episode is not so much funny as it is interesting as a sharply drawn allegory about Hayes departure from the long-running program. And there is some irony in that Hayes was not available to provide his Chef's voice for the season premiere, a problem solved by using chopped-up and mashed-up samples of his dialogue from previous episodes. There's a shocking, yet fitting ending, which, naturally, we won't reveal here. Fans of "South Park" won't want to miss it.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 02:31 AM

March 14, 2006

Q&A with Saturday Night Live's New Cast Members

Saturday Night Live can be hit or miss from season to season -- heck, it can be hit or miss from show to show, even sketch to sketch. But whether a given year of SNL sucks or not, the show, now in its 26th season, remains mainstream America's sketch comedy bell-weather, as well as a launching pad for many great comedic actors and performers. So what about the freshman class of 2005-2006? An A.V. Club interview with newcomers Adam Samberg, Bill Hader, Jason Sudeikis, and Kristen Wiig gets the skinny on the new faces at SNL and their first year on the show. We're not fans of SNL and have been pretty disappointed with this season, but Adam Samberg is the brightest talent to emerge from the show in 2005, and his "digital shorts," pre-produced video sketches, are the best segments this season.

Posted by Robsam at 11:50 PM

Voice of "Chef" Leaves South Park

Isaac Hayes is leaving "South Park." The legendary soul singer and actor has played the voice of "Chef," the school cafeteria cook and ladies man of South Park since 1997. Haye's is reportedly leaving the show due to conflicting feelings over the way the massively popular and controversial TV series has treated sensitive religious issues and beliefs, particularly Scientology, of which Hayes is a devout follower. Hayes explained concern over the program's "bigotry towards religious beliefs" as reason for his departure, which will break his contract with Viacom and Comedy Central. "Chef" is among the show's most popular characters and is one of few black characters to reside in the fictional and animated Colorodo town for which the series is named. "Chef," like many characters on the show, is both a blown-up stereotype and a foil used to expose the idiotic bigotry of others. Hayes not only voiced the character but also sang as the character in some of the most memorable songs recorded for "South Park," notably the tune "Chocolate Salty Balls (P.S. I Love You)." No word yet from the producers if Chef will be voiced by a new actor or if the character will be retired from the series. Hayes' distinct voice of wisdom and delivery will be missed.

Posted by Supercore at 11:05 PM

Bada-Boom, Bada-Bing! New Sopranos Season Starts with a Bang! Tony Got Shot!

The penultimate season of the HBO series The Soprano's opened with a shocking bang Sunday night when Tony Soprano was shot by his uncle in the closing sequence of episode one. If this is any indication of things to come, this could be the most interesting Sopranos season ever in what has been one of the most consistently quality television programs ever produced. Fans of the show have waited nearly two years for this season, which will run for 12 episodes in 2006, with a final season of eight additional episodes promised for next year. Way to go, David Chase.

Posted by Thurston Ali at 02:17 AM

March 10, 2006

Video: "The Simpsons" Intro Montage as a Filmed Live-Action Sequence

What if the animated opening montage to the long-running cartoon series "The Simpsons" was shot as a live-action sequence, that is, with real actors in a real environment? Well, this British film remake of the intro translates the cartoon into a "reality." Brilliant. Watch the video via the embedded video player above or go here.

Posted by Supercore at 03:35 AM

March 09, 2006

Project Runway Season 2 Finale: Chloe Wins!

Okay, call it our dirty little secret, at least until this post: we're a fan of Project Runway, the Bravo channel reality television series hosted by German supermodel Heidi Klum. The show pits aspiring fashion designers against each other in a weekly smackdown, if you will, of clothing design. In each episode, the group is judged and losers are weeded out until a trio of finalists fights it out on the catwalk with a 13-piece collection of "looks." Now in its second season, the series has been a critics' darling and ratings success, with some arguing that it's the best reality TV series ever, that is, since the young genre's emergence a few years ago, when the mega-successful Survivor arrived and changed TV programming history. The show's enormous popularity, naturally, inspired a blog that has been posting in real-time about each episode's developments. Wednesday night saw the finale of the second season of Project Runway, with the winner of the months-long fashion design competition announced following the presentation of each designer's collection at New York City's twice-annual fashion week. And the winner? It was the Texas-based Vietnamese-American boutique owner Chloe. As of this posting, it's been announced that the series has been renewed for a third season. See you on the catwalk in the fall.

Posted by Supercore at 12:51 AM

March 07, 2006

Dr. Who is Back!

The new British sci-fi series "Dr. Who" is coming to the SciFi Channel. But this isn't the famously low-budget (and long-running) "Dr. Who" you saw on the BBC or on PBS in America in the 1970's and 80's. The new "Dr Who," while again produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation, is a slick, big-budget hour-long episodic adventure. The show is now in its second year in the U.K., but will make its debut on U.S. television this year. With "Battlestar Galactica" and now "Dr Who," we could find ourselves spending more time than ever over at the SciFi Channel.

Posted by Robsam at 01:52 AM

March 02, 2006

Trashy British Drama "Footballers Wives"

The unabashedly sleazy and trashy British hit television series "Footballers Wives" is being heavily promoted in the U.S. right now in advance of its season premiere on BBC America. With the tagline "Everyone plays dirty," the show hints at the immorality at play in a drama that is being compared to the American hit show "Desperate Housewives."

But we have to wonder if the title and the show's basic premise and milieu my be a bit of a hard sell for U.S. audiences, even for the American Beeb's savvy, educated, and discriminating viewership. European "Football," or soccer, (and its culture) is still very much an ill-fitting sport in the States. On the other hand, the focus of the series is squarely on the lying, cheating, backstabbing, money-grubbing, wonton materialism, and sexed-up, glammed-up antics of the wives of a handful of soccer stars, not the professional players nor game of British football itself (as is the case in another British TV import, the almost unwatchable series "Dream Team" on the Fox Soccer Channel in the U.S.).

"Footballers Wives," which airs in the U.K. on ITV, is actually in its third season now, so the show has legs (as does its svelte female cast). And if the BBC has put its marketing dollars behind it, well, there must be something about it that's worth watching. The inscrutable British TV broadcaster is suggesting the show is naughtier than "Desperate Housewives," and if it is, "Footballers Wives" may have a shot at building something beyond a niche, cult audience. Early signs are that the show is a bit "ridiculous" but "intoxicating" and actually quite good, and, according to at least one critic, indeed much better than "Desperate Houswives" by a country mile. Check out this recent preview article in the San Francisco Chronicle, which will make you want to tune in fo' shizzle.

Posted by Robsam at 01:21 AM

February 10, 2006

The 48th Annual Grammy Awards ... Yaaaawn

The 48th Grammy Awards have come and gone. U2 swept the awards. Greenday and U2 won, oddly, for songs/albums from 2004, not 2005. Both great artists, admitedly, but seriously, there was so much great and greater music out there in 2005. U2 is a massive, great band, and it's good to see them win any ol' time. But c'mon, the whole Grammy Awards themselves are so not representative of great music as much as they are of popular, well-produced music. We were happy, however, to see that the nominations at least recognized a lot of innovative and relatively new artists, a la Dangermouse, Kanye West and Gorillaz (who, in a sense, performed on the show as their cartoon avatars). The San Francisco Chronicle newspaper has a good overview of the awards broadcast, which from all reports sounds like it was a shambolic, ill-conceived and ill-executed mess for those watching what had already become a yawn-fest. (Or as our British pal Rob would say, "an utter wank-fest." Grammies ... BORRRRRRING!

Essential Linkage
It's age before beauty as U2 leaves younger acts in the dust ... [SFGate.com / SF Chronicle]
48th Grammy Awards Web Site

Posted by icorsa at 01:39 AM

December 30, 2005

SNL "Lazy Sunday" Hip-Hop Video is Da' Bizzomb!

We rarely bother to watch the long-running weekly NBC sketch-comedy show Saturday Night Live anymore. But we were at home on the night of Saturday, December 17, and in our channel surfing we checked in on SNL for old times sake.

What we stumbled upon was one of the more memorable SNL moments we've seen in years -- it was a music video for a hip-hop tune called "Lazy Sunday," in which a couple of MCs rhyme about a series of mundane errands while on their mission to catch a screening of the new movie "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" in New York City. The rappers are not anyone you'd know from the world of hip-hop. The MCs were cast members -- SNL veteran Chris Parnell and newcomer Andy Samberg.

The song is funny because of Parnell and Samberg's cliche hip-hop posturing and gangsta'-rap mugging. But the rhymes themselves are a laugh riot. While the duo talk about going to see "Chronicles of Narnia," they go on to rap about online map websites Yahoo! Maps, MapQuest and Google Maps ("Google Maps is the best / True dat, double true!!!"), buying snack food from a deli, and "macking" on cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery (a real bakery in the the West Village famous for its ultra-rich, creamy cupcakes). Best line from the song: "Whatchya' wanna do, Chris? / Snack-attack, Motherf#$%er!!!"

Since the broadcast, the song has had a second life on the Internet and become the latest Web video sensation with o