Cool Shit 6/28

Dammit I know this movie will be awful, but I'm intrigued!



Interview with Chuck Klosterman.

Silk Road is so early 2013. Get your illegal stuff now with Atlantis.

Apparently this is real and not Hollywood special effects...



Capturing the Friedmans is a great movie; now it seems there could be a sequel to it, with what has recently been going on with the case.

Cool Shit 6/27

With the recent Texas filibuster in the news, the question of how one urinates during one is more relevant than ever.

Nick Wallenda isn't the only daredevil who used the Grand Canyon as a prop. Also, RIP to That's Incredible, a show I grew up on, which is mentioned in the article.

Enjoy 50 pictures, each representing one of our fifty states.

Another fantastic new drama coming to television this summer, The Bridge sounds politically charged and worth watching.

I don't know...this trailer for Willow Creek really makes it look like a Blair Witch Project ripoff - even down to the "turn off the camera!" vibe when things get rough. But it also looks pretty scary and it is directed by Bobcat Goldthwait.

Cool Shit 6/26

Yeah, so quicksand is dangerous.

Great interview with Huey Lewis about the musical career of Huey Lewis and the News. It is a shame Huey doesn't get more love from people...the guy can write a pop song sprinkled with 60s soul. Also surprised more rappers don't sample from his catalog.

A crazy story of traversing a mountain pass with an awesome web interface enhancing it!

Might want to think about gathering your thoughts and saying goodbye to Miami. It had a nice run and also gave us Cocaine Cowboys!

New movie from Ridley Scott, written by Cormac McCarthy, starring Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz and Michael Fassbender...



Not only do I love the title of this expose on wine and its differences, I enjoy the fact that there's a high possibility the price of the wine affects how a taster grades it.

Cool Shit 6/25

Live under a rock and finally crawl out to hear about this Marc Maron podcast? Here's a list of the essential interviews you should start off with.

Though it completely altered her career and set an expectation that was simply too high to meet (though Whip-smart and Whitechocolatespaceegg are underrated) Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville came out at absolutely the perfect time to establish that yes, women are equals when it comes to "fuck you" rock. Read about how it all came together.

The Encyclopedia Brown movie better have a way for me to figure out the mystery. You know, like Clue!

This gives a pretty good breakdown of regional BBQ across America.

Ferran Adria may be the most famous chef in the world, and though his restaurant elBulli is no more, he still has plans for something in the future.

I think this interview with Rick Moranis exists because he wrote an album of Jewish music, which may be comedic? I'm not 100%. But it then proceeds to delve deeper into what Rick Moranis is about now, which is interesting.

Cool Shit 6/24

Terry Gilliam has a new movie out, and it's about everything you'd expect from Terry Gilliam...



A deeper look into that childhood (and adulthood) hobby, wiffleball.

The next time you're speaking to a scientist, and he/she says they have the answers for everything, whip out this article and throw it in their face.

Enjoy Daft Punk's single Get Lucky? Well take a look at these 7 cover versions of it.

Looks like there's a new book coming out delving into the history of National Lampoon.

Great article about how they go about making the food on the series Hannibal. Since it's so special to the plots and character, it really is crazy the depths they go to for authenticity.

Are you a celebrity? Might want to think about putting our your own brand of tequila. That's what all the other hipster celebrities are doing at least.

Cool Shit 6/20

Sure, it seems like there's been a bunch of Superman movies made, but there have been many more almost made. If you're a Superman fan you will both enjoy and cringe at what almost happened, and if you're not you'll still shake your head in bewilderment at the ideas that drive Hollywood.

It saddens me that the United States can't get its act together enough to hold its own National Pyrotechnic Festival. Thankfully, our neighbor Mexico doesn't hold the same opinion. Check out these photos to see just how much fun we're missing. Here's but a taste...

I'm not one of those people that preach you should stop eating fast food and other gross stuff because you're doing damage to your body, but I do think you should at least know what you're putting into your body. And in the US, sometimes that can he harder than it seems. Take a look at these awesome ingredients that have been banned elsewhere, but are in food in the United States.

The roller coaster ride of the production of World War Z is about to come to an end; unfortunately it seems like it won't be the fun loop de loop we want it to be, if we are to believe this review.

I think I'd like to do what Rick Rubin does. Is there a website, or someone I have to talk to, for that?

And finally, RIP James Gandolfini, a great actor who died yesterday apparently of a heart attack. A lot of people (rightfully so) point to his work in The Sopranos as a career defining performance, but I will always remember him for this one part in True Romance, this look he has after hitting Patricia Arquette, that summed up his character and actions all at once. It's a look of disgust, rage and atonement (looking up, as if to ask God for forgiveness for his actions) and says all you need to know. I wish more actors had this kind of talent.

Cool Shit 6/19

Flying somewhere but hate the hassle of the airport and the cramped seating of the plane? Take an empty leg flight on a private jet.

Confessions of a beer geek. And I'm talking a true, desperate beer geek.

John Hodgman is prepared for the apocalypse. Or at least prepared for offering funny descriptions for a few of GQ's recommended products.

Trailer for Anchorman 2:



While this story from Questlove about rollerskating with Prince sounds completely incredible, it also is exactly like I'd describe it if someone asked me to guess what it was like to rollerskate with Prince.

Cool Shit 6/18

Obviously, when a US soccer crowd channels Wu-Tang for one of their cheers, we're going to link to it here.



A breakdown of the scenes in Heat where Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino share screen (and acting) time. An interesting take, though I don't agree with the author's assertion that the diner scene is underwhelming. There is nothing they could have done that would have met expectations, so a simple conservation about "working" and never giving up has some great real world undertones.

Some people enjoy hot peppers. Like, really enjoy them.

Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have a new movie coming out, The Wolf of Wall Street. At first it looked kind of like Wall Street, but then the trailer gets a little weird. So now I'm intrigued.



A group of maps that show us where it is most dangerous to live based on natural disasters.

Cool Shit 6/17

Unless you're an astronomer, or an alien, you haven't seen these images for Mercury.

I enjoy Patton Oswalt not just because I think he's a funny comedian, but also because he speaks smartly and has a very grounded real-world view. He doesn't force his opinion on everyone, and can look at a subject from different angles. Take this thoughtful (if long) essay on a variety of things including hecklers, joke stealers and rape jokes.

I'm offended that the title of this article makes a poor joke at Michael Winslow's offense. Yeah, I get it not many people would recognize his name (I don't count myself in that number), but why take the pot shot. Regardless, I aim to get a recording of the performance.

HBO has a new show coming out soon called True Detectives. Based on a true story, it looks like the season will follow one case of a murdered girl and the 17 year investigation.

Do you think HBO watched The Killing and were like, "cool concept, let's do it but be successful with it!"



Ok, so it looks a bit salacious, and as far as documentaries go, that's probably a bad thing, but darn it if I'm not still intrigued by the mystery of JD Salinger.



If you told me in 1989 that Mike D. would have a house like this, I'd say you were wrong. In fact, I bet if you told Mike D. he would have a house like that he would say the same thing.

Cool Shit 6/14

Getting ready for the new Superman movie, here's a look back at some actors that studios thought about  for the role.

It's Bonnaroo weekend - and while you may not have had the wherewithal to head to Tennessee to sit out in the sun and mud, there's still a way to experience the music from the comfort of your own home.

Cool documentary coming out soon called Mirage Men about how the United States government created the myth of UFOs to cover up what they were doing...



Great, more dust storms don't just mean the potential dustbowl recurrence from the 30s, it could mean someone takes a swipe at a Grapes of Wrath sequel.

Pictures of abandoned buildings throughout America.

If you like Daft Punk's recent song Get Lucky, you'll enjoy this listen to the song as to how it may have sounded were it released in different decades.

Cool Shit 6/13

Finally! A trailer for the movie Snowpiercer! From what I understand this movie is about class struggle - on a future train that travels around an inhabitable Earth. Yeah, I'm not sure why either. Which is of course why I want to see it.



Forget about how many spiders you eat in a year while you sleep (probably in the hundreds) you're already consuming a bunch of bugs in your food.

Slow the Seinfeld theme song down 1200 percent and it sounds less like a catchy opening credits song and more like a single off a Scott Walker album...



So Steven Spielberg is predicting the collapse of the film industry. Well that's reassuring!

Food scams you've probably been an unwilling victim of.

It seems you don't need to get a license to drive in Mexico, but it wouldn't hurt to get some driving instructions.

Forget the NSA spying on us the real conspiracy is supermarket "sell by" dates!

Cool Shit 6/12

Here's a look at the top 101 food trucks in America.

Sure the NSA is spying on us all and knows exactly what you were downloading last night (sicko). But you can't blame Hollywood for not trying to warn us for the last 20 years.

So Insane Clown Posse is putting together a television show, which I guess is just a reworking of an existing web series they already do. Here's an example, should you be desperate. And I mean really desperate.



The concept of daredevils is an intriguing one. On one hand, I understand challenging yourself and seeking riskier and riskier feats as a way to make yourself feel alive. On the other hand, I don't understand the publicity behind some of these things. So a guy is going to attempt to walk across a tightrope over the Grand Canyon. That's great for him on a personal level; I wish him success in his endeavor. However, I have no desire to watch it as a man walking foot over foot for 20 minutes or so isn't what I would classify as exciting. No, I assume the one of the major reasons people will tune in to watch it will be to see if he fails and plunges to his death. Please convince me I'm wrong.

Here's a just-released teaser for Clear History, Larry David's latest project for HBO.



This is not a special effects reel from Independence Day II - this is a a formation of a supercell thunderstorm captured on film (or digital video I guess; is there a noun form of "digital film" I should know about? "Video" sounds too VHS-y to me.)

Regardless of my linguistic musings, it's worth the watch...

Cool Shit 6/11

You might not think you want to watch a 6 minute video about a small pickle company, but you'd be wrong.

The McClures from Dark Rye on Vimeo.

That Jose Canseco, he's quite a character. Some might say he's trolling all of us.

Have an internet connection and some free time? Here's a list of 50 great movies you can watch right now. Legally!

Room 237 is a documentary about the bizarre interpretations some people have about Stanley Kubrick's movie, The Shining. Spook Central is possibly(?) a spoof of the movie Room 237 looking at Ghostbusters? Seriously, if it's real, it's crazy. If it's a spoof, it's a really well done, subtle spoof, and I love it even more for spoofing such a small movie. Check out the trailer for yourself:



I still hold HBO near and dear in my heart when it comes to its original programming. But I've also been there pretty much from the beginning, back when Wimbledon was shown on it from 5-8 during the tournament, Not Necessarily the News was skewering our culture (why doesn't that get more love?) and Dream On was clogging its airwaves. So when there's talk about a new alien show possibly getting picked up by HBO, I get excited.

I may be the only person somewhat excited for the movie Snowpiercer but I don't mind. And I'm not sure these character posters really will do much to garner more fans but so what. Check out Tilda Swinton!

Cool Shit 6/10

What do you get when you mix the mysteries of Lost with the social dynamics of a Survivor? A really crappy conceptual summer series on NBC called Siberia. I especially enjoyed the shots of the garter snake slithering to nowhere...



Sure, some asylums throughout the country operated simply and efficiently and have no stories of woe. Of course, there's a flip side to that coin...

The war between Iran and the United States hasn't happened on the battlefield, but it pretty much has started in cyberspace.

What Nadal did at the French Open this past two weeks may be his greatest accomplishment; after winning the finals McEnroe (John McEnroe, perhaps the greatest Davis Cup player the US has ever born, as well as one of the all-time greats) asked him how much tennis he played during his seven month, injury-laden lay off. And Nadal basically said none. So that means, coming back from injury, playing in a few tune up matches a few weeks beforehand, Nadal won a grand slam simply because he could, and not because he trained particularly hard. Now that's talent.

When the first "Greatest Event in Television History" came out (a shot for shot remake of the opening credits to Simon and Simon) was teased, I had high hopes. I like both Adam Scott and Jon Hamm (an underrated comedic actor in his own right) and also love Simon and Simon and more importantly, opening credit sequences to 80s television shows. And then I saw it and was underwhelmed. The jokes felt a bit cliched and typical - not something I was expecting from the talent behind the concept. So when a new one was announced, my expectations were low. Once again, the original source material had me excited, but that was about it. Well, here it is, and...well you can decide for yourself:



Honestly? It's too much like the first one! Why not make Poehler be obsessively in love with Scott here? Change the dynamic up? Give us something new to chew on? Use more Horatio Sanz? Get weird? It's Adult Swim - get weird and cater to your fans instead of making it so broad.

Sure the NSA is reading your emails, but I'm not so sure that that's as frightening as your local supermarkets creating a dossier on your habits.

Cool Shit 6/7

This is a crazy video that gives us a perspective of just what the infinite of space means, using the Hubble telescope and 3-D.



Netflix is chugging along, producing original content at a faster and faster clip. Here's Orange is the New Black, from the creator of Weeds:



A good list of what you should be doing with your life this summer. You know, if you want to take advantage of it being summer.

This woman plans to live on nothing but sunlight for the foreseeable future. Apparently this is a thing. A thing at least in the sense that people actually believe it's possible, not that it actually is possible.

Cool Shit 6/6

Airplane graveyards are fascinating to me, so this list of them is especially cool. Not sure if you can get in and up close to them though.

Here's a look at the lineup for the new season of Top Chef Masters. Not that it matters much, but aside from Voltaggio, I'm not familiar with any of them. And it's not even the good Voltaggio!

The idea of an ultramarathon is cool, but I don't think the execution would live up to that emotion were I attempt to partake. Especially these ultramarathons.

Whether you've never heard of the Kids in the Hall, or loved them, this article will be a good read for you.

The A.V. Club lets Deen Ween expound on the 4 Non Blond's song "What's Up." He, uh...has some strong opinions about it.

While Gravel Pit is certainly not a great example of what you would get with a Wu Tang Clan album, and it's probably their attempt to go a little more mainstream and potentially sell out, it's still awesome. And the video makes it awesome as well. Which is why this breakdown of said song and video os awesome.

Cool Shit 6/5

Not one, but 2 new albums from Beck? I'll take it. Also, here's a song he just released that will be on neither of the 2 new albums. Because it's Beck.



Not only is this a time lapse video, it's a time lapse video of a fireworks competition in Vietnam. Also - fireworks competition?



There's a new documentary coming out on the life of Morton Downey Jr., a controversial television talk show host from the late 80s who some say paved the way for modern talking heads such as Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly. If you don't know much about him, you can read this.

These aren't photographs!

The gross secrets of companies on how they make our groceries. I love the fact that the byproduct of Greek yogurt is toxic sludge.

Cool Shit 6/4

Stephen King has a new book, Joyland coming out. And you can read some of it here.

Science is more and more becoming a pattern of complete inconsistencies; something that scientists have a hard time wrapping their heads around. And it makes it especially difficult in their quest to find the "theory of everything," This is a neat little article about how that all ties together. Or maybe it doesn't.

As of right now, modern technology only allows us to follow the path of a tornado after its caused the destruction. This is a cool interactive tale of a journalist doing just that in the wake of the Oklahoma tornados.

Not sure how many of you out there are familiar with The Coup, and that's a shame. A political rap group with a message and a funky beat is all too rare these days. Anyway, here's Patton Oswalt helping them out with one of their songs (Quick aside: Patton Oswalt is doing life right, right now.)



And seriously - familiarize yourself with The Coup. Here, I'll helpyou.

Tip: Do not get on a bus if you're ever in Guatemala. It's stories like these that I wish everyone here in the United States would read to see how easy we really have it. Maybe the political bickering would be put in a full, global context for everyone. I know, wishful thinking.

Ugh. When Shane Victorino is the voice of reason in the story of a haunted hotel, everyone else quoted should reevaluate their lives.

Cool Shit 6/3

With the way we watch television these days (gorging ourselves often of an entire series in one sitting) our thirst for more is becoming increasingly overwhelming. So much so that we're breaking down country borders in our quest to see new and original programming (at least some of us). Here are 24 series from other countries to enjoy.

A sequel for the British Office? Well, not exactly, but David Brent is back!



As the Everest climbing season closes for 2013, here's a look back in pictures of the past 60 years of climbing on the mountain.

If you like hot dogs, you will enjoy this cool video of varieties of them attached to their corresponding locations of origin. Though no Philly one makes it kinda lame...



At the corner of Religion and Politics, and how they blend together - and who gets it done. Too bad.