That's Good Spam: February 2011

Thursday, February 24, 2011

If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It

Predator: The Musical

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlicWUDf5MM

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Checking in with Goofy

A well done advertisement for the Disney Cruise Lines done like the classic Goofy “how to” animated shorts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No-jADWHZQA

Monday, February 21, 2011

Disney Epic Mickey, video game for the Nintendo Wii console. Rated: E (everyone), Cartoon Violence. 2010 Disney Interactive Studios, Junction Point. $49.99

The core of this game has you as Mickey Mouse who must journey through a dark, twisted land that is an amalgamation of Disney theme parks and Mickey’s animated shorts on a quest to restore that land to it’s non-dark, non-twisted state. In Mickey’s arsenal are paint which crates/restores things and thinner which erases things. The proper land is much like a mirror of familiar places, the home of forgotten stories and characters with Oswald the lucky rabbit, one of Walt’s original, pre-Mickey creations, as it’s hometown hero in place of the Mickey of our world. As such, Mickey’s Toontown, for example, is called Oztown.

For a Disney fan, the art direction and design is a hoot, as you pick out elements inspired by the parks or some of the dozen or so best of Mickey’s filmed appearances. Through the game, Mickey has the opportunity to save a number of Gremlins who can in turn do things to help Mickey’s progress. The Gremlins as characters from a few World War II era Disney shorts, have little prior association with Mickey, but for the purposes of the game are magical beings that can be endlessly reproduced and re-named.

Game play consists of a lot of standard video game running and jumping in the 3-D world as Mickey solves puzzles, takes on missions and collects E-tickets, the currency of the land, and other items. Midway through, however, all of this action gets a little repetitive, and the missions that Mickey takes on upon the request of other characters pile up and aren’t easy to keep track of. 2D game play is introduced as Mickey jumps into movie screen as portals between different provinces, but a few of these become tedious when Mickey has to traverse them forth and back repeatedly.

The story structure does have the appearance of being somewhat flexible and affected by the choices that Mickey makes, the most basic being two: 1) the use of either paint of thinner producing different results; and 2) of whom Mickey chooses to help or not which plays out as gaining friends or foes. It may be interesting, although doubtfully very rewarding, to play the game a second time making “bad” choices.

As a Mickey game, players should not expect to encounter non-shorts characters to pop up - and with the inclusion of the wizard Yensid from the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” a rare few do. But fans may be disappointed to only see animatronic versions of Donald, Goofy and other characters.

Even with all the lesser aspects mentioned, which in the end are minor annoyances, in all, it’s very playable and just challenging enough that after dying and returning to a save point a number of times, you learn to try different strategies and are usually rewarded by going on to the next mission.

Rating: (7/10) D D D D D D D - - -

Monday, February 14, 2011

Children Scolding Adults with Paintbrushes

Japan’s campaign against smoking hasn’t been about how bad it is for your health, but rather for how smoking, as inadvertent as it may be, with its lingering smoke, ashes and occasional smoldering butts contributes to bad manners.

Fortunately, unintended humor arises when translated into English.

You can find a lot of examples if you web search “Japan smoking manners,” but here is a large gallery to get you started:

http://current.com/15m5a4c

Scrap-AT

This is an Imperial Walker sculpture made from

recycled computer parts and other scrap metal materials.

This Bender won’t swipe your wallet or drink all your beer,

but he will look real cool wherever you put him.

Mini-ED is made from recycled computer parts and other metals.

Sage Werbock, has several metal work sculptures available at etsy.com

http://www.etsy.com/listing/61796333/imperial-walker-at-at-from-recycled

“Hi! My name is Sage and I am the Great Nippulini. I am a retired sideshow performer, currently a working professional body piercer since 1993 (Phila. lic. #8586). Since 2003 I have been self taught in the field of metalworking. In the past years I have exceled with hand forging steel and iron, become proficient in stick, MIG, TIG and forge welding and metal sculpture.” - from his etsy biography

http://www.etsy.com/people/TGNsmith?ref=ls_profile

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Don’t You Want Me from “Take Me Home Tonight”

Cast Members Topher Grace, Anna Farris, Teresa Palmer and Dan Fogler act out scenes from ’80s movies in this video from Atomic Tom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gOyrAVZHi4&feature=channel

Why the Office Is the Worst Place to Work

(CNN) -- Companies spend billions on rent, offices, and office equipment so their employees will have a great place to work.

However, when you ask people where they go when they really need to get something done, you'll rarely hear them say it's the office.

If you ask, you'll usually get one of three kinds of responses: A place, a moving object, or a time.

They'll say their house, their back porch, an extra bedroom they've converted into a home office, a library, the coffee shop down the street, the basement. Or they'll say their car, or a train, or a plane -- basically, during their commute. Or they'll say really early in the morning, really late at night, or on the weekend. In other words, when no one else is around to bother them.

Read the whole article and view the video of the seminar by Jason Fried at CNN.com
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/12/05/fried.office.work/index.html?hpt=C2
by Jason Fried, special to CNN
Dec. 5, 2010

Friday, February 11, 2011

The Illusionist

The Illusionist [PG]

Sylvain Chomet: Director, Character Design, Screenwriter, Composer (Music Score)
From Screenplay by Jacques Tati

2010 Sony Pictures Classics

Grade: A+
Upgraded from A

+1: Acting by hand drawn animated characters.
Par: Pacing.
+1: Art direction (Bjarne Hansen)
+1: Drunken Scots
+1: Temperamental rabbits in hats.

Note: Bonus scene follows credits.