Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Cool Shit 9/30

All Led Zeppelin songs, ranked by Spin. It's as egregious as you might imagine.

I'm kind of surprised that time spent in a Russian insane asylum wasn't a good thing. 

Strange food/movie tie-ins. Long gone are the days of the Star Wars glasses I guess.

For fans of documentaries about making movies, this one is right up your wheel house, chronicling the 70s movie Demon Lover. And apparently the behind the scenes stuff was more insane than anything filmed for the movie.



It's amazing to think that right now, in our current age, pirates are more of a threat than back when we thought pirates would be some sort of significant threat.

It's a clever theory connecting all the Pixar movies together, and seems like it could have been thought of at the very beginning, but I doubt it. Wish it was though.



10 paradoxes that will have you scratching your head. Though some of them are sort of similar to one another.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Cool Shit 9/29

Space planes. Top secret space planes. Top secret CIA space planes.

I'm not sure a spin-off from the Walking Dead can work, and wonder if it can actually hurt the popularity of the original. First, it seems that it is not going to be based on any source material, which I feel could lead to some conflict with Robert Kirkman, who originally created the comic book. And the premise which suggests it's a prequel of some sort, means it will be moving backwards some, over ground that while not fully fleshed out by the series, has been gone over. It just doesn't seem like it's being set up to do well. But I've been wrong before.

Increase the pleasure of your Amazon shopping experience with these helpful tips.

Cheesy, but a neat little breakdown of how a space battle would really happen, based on actual science.



Halloween is rapidly approaching, which means we're going to start seeing an influx of horror movies in the theaters. This one seems to be getting decent buzz...



A list of answers to questions you may have pondered at one time or another.


Follow these safety tips and you'll survive any and all plane crashes you find yourself in!

Friday, September 26, 2014

Cool Shit 9/26

Are you the type of person who lays in bed at night trying to figure out which Scorsese movie is best? If so, this is for you.

David Cronenberg has a new movie out, and it's a...comedy?

I'm not sure how much clamoring there was for a Dumb and Dumber sequel with Jim Carrey and Jeff Bridges, but it obviously was enough...



There's obviously an insane level of expectation for the second season of True Detective: a level that the show can't possibly reach. But I'm sure it will still be good. Here's what we know about it so far.

The first few trailers for Jupiter Ascending were batshit insane - and not in a good way. This latest one doesn't do much to change anything, other than offer a little bit of exposition to sorta kinda explain the batshit insanity.



Oregon Trail game from the 80s, reimagined as a live action game for today.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Cool Shit 9/25

It's nice to know our sex clubs have a decent set of rules.

Back when James Franco did that whole NYU student thing, he made a documentary about how an episode of Saturday Night Live makes it to air. And now we're going to have a chance to see it.

Where all those crazy chemtrail conspiracies came from. Unless you think that's what they want us to think. In which case I can't help you.

Another cool time lapse, this one of Death Valley -



Prometheus was a terrible move. Fun and gorgeous to look at, unfortunately no one looked too hard at the script. Gaping holes and a poor plot structure only helped this movie to weaken the Alien franchise further. And now here comes news that Ridley Scott has said there will be no xenomorphs in the sequel. And his reasoning is...well you read it and tell me why. But we'll get more engineers! Because that's what drove everyone to the theaters. Not the origin stories of one of the most famous monsters in cinematic history. That there is even going to be a sequel is stupid.

Stuff we think we know about the Earth that we really don't know about the Earth.

Sometimes movies need a little bit of time before people truly recognize them for their brilliance.

NBC is going to reboot Real Genius, as a sitcom. While I think it probably could work in the right hands, I don't trust NBC to have those hands. So just go watch Real Genius. 

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Cool Shit 9/24

A look at some of the more offbeat offerings in the cineplex this fall.

While it's not another Police Academy sequel, it is an opportunity to see some of the stars from that franchise working together again.

While obviously not dinnertime conversation fodder, it's still important, and we all urinate, so why not get the facts?

With global warming inevitable since we're so stupid as a society, thoughts now turn toward where we should be looking to live to escape the droughts and hurricanes. Seems like it's time to start gobbbling up Alaskan property!

Always remember...Nature always wins.

It's Banned Book week - read these 14 books online that have been at one time or another, banned for content. 

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Cool Shit 9/23

Cool time lapse of the city of Angels:




Thom Yorke took a picture of his turntable and people got excited.

I guess with the new television season upon us, people harken back to their favorite shows, which is why we're getting an article about Lost here? Not sure. But if you want to revisit it, this article does a great job.

Awesomely creepy. I can't think of a more appropriate phrase to describe these famous photos replaced with the likeness of John Malkovich.

Does the name Hitler burden a person for life?

Silk Road is of course dead. But that doesn't mean you can't buy drugs on the internet anymore.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Cool Shit 9/22

Prison sex is an interesting and varied subject. It's not just about showers and soap, nor is it simply a rape fair.

Secret societies. Though how secret they are being listed on the internet is up for you to decide.

Seeing the earth from the sky can be really cool and give us a new perspective on things.

Stream the new Aphex Twin album, Syro, if you're into that type of thing.

Ned Beatty as John Doe in Seven? Just one of the things David Fincher revealed here.

Just know when you're going to a movie that suggests it's based on a "true story," you're most likely not getting the true story.

The Liam Neeson kill map. I can't imagine we won't see more of these crop up for famous action movie stars.

Friday, September 19, 2014

Cool Shit 9/19

Strange, historic video games that you're not likely to play anytime soon.

I get that it's fun to dive into the science of movies like Star Wars and others, but I also think we sometimes take things a little too seriously. Take for example, the guy who wrote about the Death Star blowing up Alderaan, and suggesting the way it happened was impossible. You know what else is impossible? The entire movie! You know, because it's science fiction.

Oh sure, people SAY pyrosomes are gentle and pose no danger, but I'm sure that's what they want us to believe, until they're ready...

Ten horror movies from this century that you might not have heard of, but should check out if you're into horror movies.

While I'm sure Bono is a smart enough guy, I'm still skeptical of his "plan to save the music industry."

Fugazi will be releasing some of their earliest demos in the next month or so.

Revisiting the XFL, a league that looks positively puritanical these days, in light of the recent events from the NFL.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Cool Shit 9/18

The 2014 Fall Television season is almost upon us; here's a look at every new show.

Want to figure out whether or not you could outrun a tsunami if it happened to strike where you live? Check this out.

Another list on the Internet, this one attempting to define the worst movies ever made.

Force Majeure. A movie that just rocketed up my must-see chart after watching this insane trailer:



I hate the notion of guilty pleasures when listening to music, as though someone should feel ashamed to tell someone else they enjoyed a particular song. No one has really figured out why we like certain songs and don't like others; I enjoy what I like and don't care what people think of that. That's why this article is inherently flawed from the get go. Still I like the idea of being able to collect that data, and wish Spotify would open it up to the public.

Interview with Cary Elwes who wrote a book about his experience with making The Princess Bride.


Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Cool Shit 9/17

Enjoy a video of the 100 most iconic movie shots of all time. Easy to recognize most of them.

Nights here in the Northeast and Midatlantic regions are starting to get chilly which can only mean one thing...Autumn is coming. And these photos will definitely get you into the mood for it.

These are not the 5 worst ways to die. They are bad, but I guarantee I could come up with worse.

Some instructions for making competent paper airplanes, should you ever run into a paper airplane gang on the street and have to perform for them, lest you be killed by a thousand paper cuts (definitely a worse way to die than the five I linked to above).

I've linked to the space ship poster before, but apparently that one was incomplete, and now the artist has updated it. And it's almost incomprehensible due to the information it is attempting to display. But it still looks cool.

The news of WKRP being released on DVD WITH the original music is awesome. Now, obviously since I am a fan, I already have the episodes on DVD with the original music, but now we can all bask in the glory of this show.

Technologies that we should probably not fool around with. While some of them still sound like science fiction, we our developing at such at rapid pace in the technology field, it's not completely impossible to avoid some of these things. As such, we really should start thinking limitations now.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Cool Shit 9/16

Seems like the Toronto Film Festival is over, and nothing walked away as an early Oscar favorite. But there were some winners and losers.

More on the Ebola outbreak, including how it really got out of control, and how it's staying out of control.

Some pretty cool business secrets.



Ranking Oliver Stone's movies. Or more accurately, a guy ranks Oliver Stone's movies. A guy I don't agree with at all.

Yesterday there was a link about Wall Street getting into the problems of Olive Garden. Today, based on that report, someone offers a firsthand account of the problems with Olive Garden. I again ask why people are still trying to make this place work so much. If it's the bottomless breadsticks and salad that is so innovating and keep people coming back, maybe that's all it should offer?

An internet glossary for us old people so we can attempt to stay relevant in this youthful world.


Monday, September 15, 2014

Cool Shit 9/15

Take a trip down Bill-Murray-SNL-skit memory lane.

Michael Winslow doing Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love." Including the guitar and FX work:



More on the Ebola outbreak. I guess it has to hit a city significantly before the rest of the world reacts accordingly.

Ten people from history you've probably never heard of, and why that might be surprising.

So Wall Street takes Olive Garden to task on its awfulness. There's a lot to process here, mostly why people still go to Olive Garden.

Straws are no longer for just stirring your gin and tonics anymore. Find out what else they can do!

Chapter a million in the "This Earth is a Crazy Place" book.


Friday, September 12, 2014

Cool Shit 9/12

Want to eat a black burger? As in a black bun with black cheese? Well, first you have to like Burger King. Second you have to travel to Japan. Third, you have to do it before November.

Season 2 of Hannibal was batshit insane. I know that the creator said he wasn't staying faithful to the books, but still...while I assume Wil Graham will survive, I'm not so sure about Jack Crawford (specifically since Lawrence Fishburne seems to be on another series this Fall) which, I think he's too important a character to eliminate. But I still think the show is the best of the network offerings, and wish more people would watch. And this news of Gillian Anderson becoming a full time cast member is nice...

The prices of Johnnie Walker Blue vary tremendously from bar to bar. Is this something that would bother you? Or do you like to splash cash around as if it were no big deal?

I am a huge Cecily Strong fan, including her work as anchor for Weekend Update on SNL. Not that I mind Michael Che, but not sure why they couldn't get rid of Colin Jost, who just doesn't have the persona to nail down the anchor chair.

I'm a huge fan of Tropicalia, so while I haven't seen this documentary, I will definitely be watching it.



Thursday, September 11, 2014

Cool Shit 9/11

Taking a practical, architectural look at some villain lairs.

So The Beatles had a Saturday morning cartoon show back in the 60s. And you can watch it here if you are so inclined.

I find the history of the apple intriguing. Not only are we basically forced to eat the Red Delicious variety, our choice in the supermarket is ridiculously thin. Allegedly there are hundreds of apple varieties. Why can't we get our hands on more?

RIP Richard Kiel, aka Jaws from James Bond.



James Murphy, he of LCD Soundsystem, took data gleaned from the U.S. Open (tennis) and created music.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Cool Shit 9/10

See what the industrial age has given us, from above.

7 things you don't know about Seinfeld. And seriously, these aren't lame facts that you've heard before.



28. That's how many pages are still classified from the 9/11 Report. And those 28 pages may hold some hints about the present day situations we face.

Not sure you've been following the whole Ray Rice/NFL suspension situation. But here, Roger Gooddell, commissioner of the league suggests no one saw the video of the act until it was leaked by TMZ. TMZ! Basically, he just legitimized what TMZ does on a daily basis, as he continues to suggest he asked for, but was denied the tape. Fantastic. (I also don't believe a word he says).

Body farms!

I love me a good water park, and it seems it takes a little bit of crazy to build one.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Cool Shit 9/9

Start thinking like Carl Sagan did.

Ah, the God particle. At first it didn't exist. Now it apparently does. And it could wipe out the world, but it probably won't happen for awhile. Or it already is on its way to wiping out the world and we won't know until it happens. What fun!

Hack your brain! At home! With a 9 volt battery and some wires!

Scientists are STILL scratching their heads over these mysteries.

Victoria's Secret catalogs used to really suggest a lot was going on with women behind closed doors.

Monday, September 8, 2014

Cool Shit 9/8

A look at the people who believe Bigfoot is real - from scientists to the average person.

Cool show on Starz with the premise of giving 2 directors one script and seeing how different they will make the same movie.

In the Transformers world, the war between the Autobots and the Decepticons raged heavily. Though sometimes, the Decepticons didn't always have the greatest of plans.

Some cool things you can/could see from space. It's also amazing/depressing that the border between India and Pakistan is so clear.

Apparently casting Bill Murray in a movie is a little trickier than simply picking up the phone. Though that's involved. Also, if I had Bill Murray money and talent, I feel I would be doing the same thing.

More information on the mysterious, intercepting cell phone towers. There are, at this point 17 known towers, which means there's really so many more. Also, we still don't really know who is making them, though as you may imagine, there are a lot of theories.

An interesting look back at the fall of Blockbuster, and what we should all learn from the mistakes made. Also, I had no idea Netflix went to them back in 2000 with what basically amounted to a partnership. Oh well.

An awesome report on rap music on ABC's 20/20...from 1981:




Friday, September 5, 2014

Cool Shit 9/5

If you happen to have unlimited funds, enjoy the sun, and want to take a tour of some crazy beaches around the world, this list will help you achieve your goal.

It's tough enough to wrap your head around the concept of a galaxy being made up of things, but then, to move the scale to the concept of super clusters of galaxies dwarfs the first concept completely. And then you realize how stupid we really are in the grand scheme of everything.

A profile of Willie Nelson. A survivor in this fucked up world.

Ebola was big in the headlines a little while ago, but it seems to have died down a bit, which will presumably be our undoing. Turning our back on this thing will likely lead to demise. Take a look at what the predictions are for the spread of this thing.

Aphex Twin fan? New album is coming out. Here's a listen to the first track.

Bunny Island, where bunnies will swarm you. I feel like this is the lede to the first 5 minutes of a very cute horror movie.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Cool Shit 9/4

Cool story about boat pilots navigating some of the toughest waters in the Pacific Northwest, in order to insure you have a choice of colors for your next Honda.

A cinematic history of James Bond. Also, Roger Moore is the best James Bond.

Well this is fun...apparently someone is putting up "interceptor" phone towers - towers that can help people listen in to cell phone calls. And yet, it seems no one knows who is doing it. 

Loopholes with casino licenses are fun. Take this story for example: You had the opportunity to gamble inside a trailer once every 2 years for eight hours.

If you're not watching The League, you're missing out on one of the better sitcoms of the past few years. I catch it on Netflix, which means I'm always a season behind, but I don't mind. Here's a compilation of Rafi, possibly the greatest television character ever created:




Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Cool Shit 9/3

Basically, it's amazing there hasn't been an accidental nuclear strike in this world, and we're pretty much living on borrowed time. Enjoy the rest of your day!

Long exposure shots pointed up at the sky are my jam.

Traversing Bolivia: short film about, well, the title is accurate. I'm amazed they went over the bridge.



If you're sitting there in a cubicle reading this, here's hoping you get gold fever, quit your job and find one of these lost treasures.

How bad it would be if the volcano underneath Yellowstone were to erupt. The volcano they keep saying isn't going to erupt anytime soon. Repeatedly. A lot.

A good look at every mission currently going on out in outer space.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Cool Shit 9/2

Some creepy places you can find on this big blue marble.

The best way to hold a hamburger: according to science!

Read an excised chapter from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory that was deemed "too wild" to be included in the original book.

New photos of Area 51 show new stuff; people get excited to glean new, vague information about stuff they don't know about; government snickers because Area 51 is just a dummy base to keep our attention away from real secret bases.

Whether you're planning on having one, or looking to get some deals at one, here are the seven items at a garage sale that won't turn much of a profit.

The original Ballantine is back, brought to you by Pabst. And this is a Ballantine you're probably not familiar with.

Hyperlapse is the new App from Instagram, that basically allows anyone to make a time lapse video. Here are 25 awesome examples