Trilogy Week #53 - End of Days

So this week we interrupt our scheduled Christmas movie trilogies to bring you  this important announcement. 

As we all know, the Mayan calendar ends this Friday December 21st 2012. So in preparation for Armageddon let's watch some Earth ending movies and see what the rapture will be like when the time comes. Spoiler Alert* there will be riots.

Trilogy Week #52 - Killer Christmas

What's the worst that could happen on one the happiest times of the year. Certainly there wouldn't be anything bad like murder happening, everyone will be at home with their families opening Christmas presents. Well think again, this is one of the most violent times of the year. Depression, suicide, anxiety, dept, spousal abuse, all rise around the holidays. No one is safe!!! There are serial killers dressed as Santa ready to kill anyone who is naughtey! (*thunder crack)

Trilogy Week #51 - A Crappy Christmas

Everyone has their favorite Christmas movies, and their least favorite Christmas movies. And since I'm not going to torture myself with ABC Family type movies, like "Christmas with the Kranks" or some other forgettable Christmas shlock, I decided to torture my self with some crappy cult classics. Since this is the first week of December, lets get'em out of the way!

Trilogy Week #50 - Movies About Food

Last year I posted Thanksgiving Day movies, and thought I would do it again this year, but I was surprised to find out that there are very little movies about Thanksgiving. If you know of any, give me some ideas. So instead, since we will all be eating like pigs for the holiday, why not watch some movies about food. So here are three movies that will make you hungry for some Thanksgiving day foods.

Trilogy Week #49 - Terry Gilliam's Imagination Trilogy

Terry Gilliam first got his start as the only American cast member of Monty Python. Doing mostly the little animation sequences in between segments. Then When Monty Python started getting into making movies, he co-directed The Holy Grail, with his fellow Terry, Terry Jones. That's were the directing bug caught hold, and Terry Gilliam has been making some of the most imaginative movies ever since. This week we are going to see Terry Gilliam's Imagination Trilogy. This is were we get to see inside the mind of a brilliant film maker.

Song of the Week #13

When An American Werewolf in London came out in theaters in 1981, Michael Jackson was so impressed with the effects in the film that he said get me in touch with the makers of this movie. So John Landis, Rick Baker, and most of the original crew from the movie, came to make the Thriller video for Michael Jackson. When this video was released, no one had ever seen a merging of film-making and music like this before. It has since been called the most successful music video of all time. The first music video to have entered into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. The most watch video of all time, see by more that 4 billion people across the world. And at the time was the most expensive music video ever made, at $1,000,000.

Trilogy Week #48 - Best Makeup Effects

It's the last week of October so now I've saved the best for last. To watch three movies with the best makeup effects. What can make or break a good horror movie is the effects, they are the touchstone of the genre. Going back to the birth of cinema. But recently makeup effects have started to take a back seat to CG effects. Which is sad, when you see a CG effects used that could have made a convincing makeup effect instead, it's very disappointing. To me it almost feels like cheating. Don't get me wrong CG effects are cool, and they have their place. But when they are used instead of props or prosthetic, it shows they laziness of the film makers. So let's this week celebrate the fantastic work of Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, and Chris Walas.

Trilogy Week #47 - The Evil Dead Trilogy

This is going to be a quick one, this is the first actual true trilogy that I have posted. Usually it's three movies that have nothing to do with each other, but all have a similarity to them that makes the trilogy interesting. This time how ever I had to move some stuff around and wasn't able to get the post I was going to make. That's not to take away from the Evil Dead, because it's totally awesome. It's just a last minute, but good replacement.

Halloween Cartoon For Oct. 24th

Here's a classic Looney Tunes short with everyone's favorite orange monster.

Halloween Cartoon for Oct. 23rd

A little short about a dead soldier trying to comes with terms with his recent death. "Fifty Percent Grey" By Ruairi Robinson

Halloween Cartoon for Oct. 22nd

Here's a stop-motion short by Christopher Gordon titled "Ward 13". This short was featured on volume 2 of the Animation Show. By far the most horrible hospital experience ever. Very creepy, with a great action sequence that rivals a lot of action movies.

Halloween Cartoon for Oct. 21st

Here's another short done by the same team that made Mysterious Mose. In this one they try to make it look like a very old film reel. I would've fell for it if I hadn't recognized their names in the credits. Very awesome.

Halloween Cartoon for Oct. 20th

Scary badass demon rising from the depths of hell from inside a volcano mountain, summoning his minions to play. Pure awesome sauce. 

Halloween Cartoon For Oct. 19th

This is a great cartoon that gets over looked. Mainly because the Dracula character only appears in this one cartoon. But this is a Chuck Jones cartoon, so you know it's gonna be awesome. Abracapocus!

Halloween Cartoon for Oct. 18th

Death By Lemonade is a cute little short directed by Kyu-bum Lee, of a stubborn little girl trying not to get ripped off by the grim reaper. With hilarious consequences.

Song of the Week #12

Here's a Halloween-ish song of the week for ya. It's not really the song, more the music video that is Halloweeny. It's about the band making a home made french zombie movie. From Phantom Planets third album (self titled) for the song "Big Brat", directed by Spike Jones.

Halloween Cartoon for Oct. 17th

Here's a whiny depressing emo special from 1979. "Called The Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile." Because some inconsiderate jerk carved a frown in his face, instead of a smile. Boo Hoo!

Trilogy Week #46 - Slasher Flicks (re-makes)

Re-makes have been entering cinema more and more frequently these days. They're made to bring classic stories to a new audience. But is that a good idea, or should new audiences just watch the originals. Some work, some don't. The ones that I think work are the ones that take out dated subject matter, or concepts that aren't just pulled off very well (The Fly, The Thing, etc.). But a movie with a good story should not be re-made, because the re-make just shows how well the original was made (Planet of the Apes, Clash of the Titans, etc.) But how do these re-makes hold up to there original classic counterparts? Well read on, and find out. And on a side note, I can't quit put my finger on it, but there's something very similar about these posters...

Halloween Cartoon For Oct. 16th

Here is the original short of Frankenweenie that Tim Burton made while still working at Disney. Of course it's a classic homage to the movie Frankenstein. Starring Barret Oliver, from the Neverending Story and D.A.R.Y.L. They showed this all the time on the Disney Channel. Which is a little weird because Burton was fired from Disney after making this short. They said that he wasted company time, and that it was too scary for kids. Oh but after he branched out on his own, and started making other successful films like Beetlejuice and Batman, Disney couldn't wait to show off Burton's Disney work.

Halloween Cartoon For Oct. 15th

Here's a golden oldie for ya. This is the first Silly Symphony short from 1929. Directed By Walt Disney, and animated by Ub Iwerks. in 1994, 1,000 animators decided what the 50 greatest cartoons of all time were. This was made #18. The animation, and choreography are still very impressive.

Halloween Cartoon For Oct. 14th

When I was a kid I would watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It's one of my favorite specials of all time. So when I found out there was also a Halloween special call "Halloween is Grinch Night" I had to see it. And what I got was one of the weirdest psychedelic trips I've ever seen out of the pink elephant scene from Dumbo. But that's Dr. Seuss for you.

Halloween Cartoon For Oct. 13th

Here's another live action one called Suckablood, by BloodyCuts in the UK. This one is very creepy, and I think could give some kiddies nightmares. But I thought this a was very clever and original modern fairtale.

Halloween Cartoon For Oct. 12th

Now this one is't a cartoon, it's a live action special that I grew up watching. It's a 1979 telefilm that aired regularly on the Disney Channel until the late 90's called "The Halloween That Almost Wasn't". It stars Judd Hirsch as Dracula (from Taxi, and Independence Day), Mariette Hartley as The Witch, and Henry Gibson as Igor (from The 'Burbs, and  Innerspace). It's a very stupid and cheesy special, but I can't help at laugh at how dumb it is, mostly for the nostalgia factor.
 

Halloween Cartoon for Oct. 11th

This is an awesome cartoon. But for me I think Bugs is out shined by Hansel and Gretel. It shows Chuck Jones' brilliant comedic timing, and the voice work is flawless from Mel Blanc and June Foray. No matter how many times that I watch this short it always makes me giggle uncontrollably.

Halloween Cartoon for Oct. 10th

Here is a music video for the band Primus doing a cover of "the devil went down to Georgia. Directed by Mike Johnson who has worked on The Nightmare Before Christmas, and The Corpse Bride. The animation is very well done, with some great action in the figures, and I didn't even notice until multiple viewings that the characters mouths don't move. I was just fixated on the animation.

Song of the Week #11

One of my favorite bands of all time, off the Ramones eleventh studio album Brain Drain. Written for the Stephen King adaptation of Pet Sematary. Which became one the Ramones most popular hits. The song out shines the movie in every way possible. Just listen to the song, and ignore the movie.

Trilogy Week #45 - Slasher Flicks (the originals)

A big part of the horror genre that started the ball rolling was Halloween's Michael Myers, that took off with a murderous fever in the 80's. So this week we are focusing on the three biggest names in slasher horror. Just a hint, if you are a horny teen, you will be killed by a masked serial killer.

Halloween Cartoon for Oct. 9th

One of my favorite halloween shorts from Disney. This cartoon is a lot of fun. Old school Disney had a way with magic and whimsy that was signature to them in a way that will stick with me forever. Plus I like to see Donald get the crap beat out of him.

Halloween Cartoon for Oct. 8th

A weird bloody violent stop-motion short, from Japanese animator Takena Nagao. What I really like by this bare bones homemade animation, is how well it's animated, and edited. As well as limiting clay is, he gives the characters great expressions. This might be a little too gory for the littler kiddies, but enjoy just the same.

Halloween Cartoon for Oct. 7th

This is a stop-motion short written and directed by Tim Burton, while he was still an animator at Disney. He had it narrated by one of his idols Vincent Price, you later went on to appear as the inventor in Edward Scissorhands. And just like his other short Frankenweenie, (which will also make an appearance on this countdown) there is talks that Vincent will also be made into a full length feature.

Halloween Cartoon for Oct. 6th

A creepy cute stop-motion french Canadian short called The Country Heads. Enjoy!

Halloween Cartoon for Oct. 5th

This is a cool one from the French company Gobelins. It mixes creepy and cute really well, and thinks it is very well made, and the animation is very smooth, with great comedic timing. I love shorts that can give you a good story with no dialogue. See the awesomeness for yourself.

Halloween Cartoon for Oct. 4th

This is a cool one where the animators took the audio from an old black and white cartoon, and did their own animation on top of it. What makes this really cool, is that they mix animation mediums. With puppets, stop-motion, and 2D animation. Very fun to watch.

Halloween Cartoon for Oct. 3rd

This is an oldie but a goodie all the way from 1978. My mom used to always record VHS tapes off of TV, when ever there was holiday specials. And this was a weird one that I grew up watching since I was very little, I used to call it the Halloween cartoon with the naked crossed eyed people. This has a giant nostalgic factor for me, and I will continue to enjoy this short for years to come.

Halloween Cartoon for Oct. 2nd

This is a weird one I found on a animation collection DVD years ago, and couldn't remember where I saw it, so I was excited to find it on youtube, for me and all of you to enjoy.

Halloween Cartoon for Oct. 1st.

For the month of October I'm going to feature a Halloween cartoon everyday. I know i'm 4 days behind, but well, now you can start with 4 cartoons instead of one, so here we go. For the first one we are going to watch one of my favorites, these ghosts from this classic Disney cartoon always pissed me off, and thought that they were to mean to Mickey, Donald, and especially Goofy. But now I find it very cute, and I'm happy to watch it every year.

Song of the Week #10

I'm changing music video of the week to song of the week. Because I think that doing just a music video of the week is limiting to a lot of great songs, that I would like to feature on my blog. So now it's song of the week.

Today's song of the week is from the Groovie Ghoulies, with the song Bye Bye Brain, off the album Travels with my Amp. A very simple and punchy song about being brainless in love. I think this song works perfectly with this weeks reviews of zombie movies. It only takes a couple of listens and you can start singing along to it, as you carve pumpkins for the Halloween season. Enjoy!

Trilogy Week #44 - Zombies!

It's now October, so now it's horror month. This week we're talking zombies. With three different types of zombies. The classic slow moving, lumbering zombie, the talking brain eating zombie, and the modern running zombie. Each with their own strengths and weaknesses. But which one is your favorite. Well if you are undecided, maybe these will help your decision.

Music Video of the Week #9

After a 12 year break up Ben Folds Five released a new music video for the song "Do It Anyway", from their new album Sound of the Life of the Mind. produced by Chris Hardwick from the Nerdist. The song is ok in my opinion, but why I posted it is because, it's got Fraggles in it! 

Trilogy Week #43 - Living With Aliens

So now that we know that their are aliens among us, how do we live with them. You can imagine that it might be something out of Star Trek, but in reality, it will probably be like these three movies. It will not be pretty for the new arriving aliens.

Music Video of the Week #8

THIS IS MY 100TH POST!!!!!!!!! Hurray!

Today's video is "New Noise", from the Refused album "The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts" This video blew my mind, when I first saw it in 1998 on M2. (that is what MTV 2 used to be called, to all the little kiddies out there.) Not for the video itself, but the song. I hadn't heard anything like it. I was a fan of punk, and I loved bands like Minor Threat, The Suicide Machines, & other bands that I considered hardcore punk at the time. But then comes this band from Sweden that showed me a new way that punk could be performed. Thus the name of the album "the shape of punk to come" which is inspired by the Ornette Coleman album "the shape of jazz to come", which also blew my mind. Their are very few bands that have shocked my subconscious awake, and have shown me a new way to see the world, or have given me a new form of inspiration. So that's why I am featuring this amazing piece of art.

Trilogy Week # 42 - Aliens Live Among Us

Have you ever had a creepy next door neighbor?, or knew a really strange weird kid in school, or just flat out saw some crazy dude, and thought "that guy has to be from another planet." Well they just might be. And these three movies blow the lid off the whole conspiracy! *whispering "the truth is out there."

Music Video of the Week # 7

Polite Dance Song, from the Bird and the Bee. An American indie pop musical duo from Los Angeles, California, consisting of musicians Inara George ("the bird") and Greg Kurstin ("the bee"). Kurstin. This song is off their second album "Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future." Directed by Eric Wareheim (Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!) makes this a hilarious video, even using cast members from the show dancing in this weird but awesome video.

Trilogy Week # 41 - The Three "G's"

On September 3rd through the 23rd, Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles held the 3G art show. Where different artists made pieces inspired by The Goonies, Gremlins, and Ghostbusters. Three of my favorite films growing up, when I first heard about this show, I though "what are great paring of these three great 80's movies." So this week we are celebrating The Three GGG's.

Music Video of the Week #6

Radiohead's "Just" off the album "the bends" is one of my all time favorite music videos. The video was made by Jamie Thraves, who was hand-picked by the band, because they were big fans of his experimental short films. 

When you see the video, you see why I like it so much, by the little twist at the end, and you like me want to know what the man is saying, well Radiohead to this day have not released to the public what he's is saying, if it's anything at all.

Trilogy Week #40 - Silly Sci Fi

Everyone has a favorite Sci Fi movie, Star Wars, Blade Runner, etc. Being one of the most popular genres in film, it's also the most criticized by fans, for being scientifically inaccurate, historically inaccurate, or most of the time, just being plane stupid (Battlefield Earth). Just watch a Sci Fi movie from the 50's, the lunacy is very apparent. From the story line, acting, special effects, etc. So one would think, that now as our science progresses as a people, we would make better, science fiction movies. Well, not really. Even though science and technology has advanced, the stupidity of humans is still as consistent.

Music Video of the Week #5

This weeks video is from Jakob Dylan's first solo album titled "Seeing Things" for the song "Evil is Alive and Well". Exploring the subject of traditional and external terms of the devil inside all of us.

Trilogy Week #39 - Jim Henson Studios

Now this is the end of animation month, and I know puppetry isn't exactly animation, but I feel it still has some of the characteristics of animation, from set design, character design, voice acting, and making an inanimate object come to life. And no one does that better than the Jim Henson Studios.  So here are three very different films that came out of the genius of one the most influential production studios in film history.

Music Video of the Week #4

This video is for The Shins song "The Rifle's Spiral" off their latest album, Port of Morrow. The video was conceptualized by Emmy-winning director Jamie Caliri and tells the story of a battle between good and evil magicians."The Rifle's Spiral" features a lone musician, three sketchy men and a transformative, and adorable, bunny. Each of the characters assume distinct personalities and mannerisms despite their seemingly restrictive wooden, clay and paper bodies as they battle it out in the name of magic. Caliri was able to interpret "The Rifle's Spiral" how he pleased. Taking inspiration from the work of illustrator Edward Gorey, and from Martin Scorsese’s film Hugo. This creative liberty occasionally is a bit too literal, but overall allowed for a story of trickery, deception and whimsy to prevail."The Rifle's Spiral" works like an epic as a song alone; the borderline grand pop drums carry it, with James Mercer's vocals almost telling the folklore of the magicians themselves. Caliri has a created work for a range of clients, including the credits for "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" and Marcy Playground's "Sex and Candy."

Trilogy Week #38 - Japanese Animation

Japanese animation or anime, is a genre all its own, a whole different animal. Completely different in tone and scale from American animation. The character designs are generally the same, but the wide variety of story and moods that style can portray is where anime is superior. They can pull of drama, action, and violence the a way that western animation can't. So if you are new to anime, let this be your initiation.

ZEA

This is a cool video that I'm sure you've never seen before. I thought it was interesting enough to be featured on my blog, so enjoy what you think it might be.

Music Video of the Week #3

A music video for the song "Slow Show" by the National. Directed by Tobias Gundorff Boesen. A lot of Out of the Forest was shot on location in forests around Viborg, Denmark, and the presence of prim and proper bunnies in this natural setting lends the film a magical flavor. As the bunnies enjoy a picnic under the moon light, a wolf comes to change the mood. A very compelling and beautiful animation.

Trilogy Week #37 - Stop Motion Animation

I have been fascinated with stop-motion animation as far back as I can remember. I always knew there was something special in the way it was made, that regular animation wasn't. And it is still a field of art that I still get excited about when I new feature or short is made. So I hope if you haven't seen these three movies before, you'll go out and get them, and enjoy them as much as I did.

Music Video of the Week #2

The animated music video this week is for the song "Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise" By The Avett Brothers. The indie rock band from Concord North Carolina. The Song is off their major label debut album "I and Love and You" which was produced by Rick Rubin who if you don't know is a legend in the music industry. Producing some of the greatest albums of all time, including Johnny Cash's "American Recordings", The Beastie Boys "Lisenced To Ill", and The Mars Volta's " De-Loused in the Comatorium". So safe to say, you're in good hands with this Avett Brothers album. This video was animated by animator Jason Mitcham, whos style of painted animation goes so well with the music from the Avett Brothers. It's like a chocolate and peanut butter combination.

Trilogy Week #36 - CG Animation

When feature length CG animation came on the scene in 1995 with Toy Story, and thought, this new style of animation can do know wrong. My thinking was I imagine every one of these movies has got to be very expensive to make, (which they are) so there's no way the studios are going to make these films with mediocre stories or characters. Oh how wrong I was. I went to see every CG movie I could get my hands on, and quickly realized that the majority of these new creations were pure crap. Shrek, Ice Age, Meet the Robinsons, Robots, all horribly bad. I soon found out the reason for this digital shit was due to studios thinking, Pixar has made CG films gross millions of dollars, we need to get on that. So studios started pushing pre-maturely made scripts into the pipelines thinking if these bad stories go through the CG filter it will make the movies better. Well that was not the case, and that wave of garbage is still going strong. So you have to play prospector to find the little nuggets of gold in this hollywood river of awful CG movies.

Music Video of the Week #1

I'm starting something new agian. I'll be featuring one of my favorite music videos each week. Since I've announced that August is animation month, each video will be an animated one.


To start of this new feature, I'm starting with one of my favorite songs of all time. Radiohead's "Paranoid Android". Written by singer Thom Yorke, the songs is significantly influenced by The Beatles, "Happiness is a Warm Gun", and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". And named after the robot Marvin the Paranoid Android from "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy". 


The video was created by Magnus Carlsson, swedish creator of the animated show "Robin" which the band was fans of. They deliberately didn't send Carlsson any lyrics for the songs, because they wanted his interpretation of what he thought the song was about, and didn't want the video to be too literal. The result is a funny but twisted tale of two friends walking through their town, and encountering a variety of weirdos that live in their community.


The Song went to number 3 on the UK singles charts, and on Rolling Stones' "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". And the video was on heavy rotation on MTV, sometimes playing 12 times a day, but was censored due to some brief nudity.

Trilogy Week #35 - 2D Animation

The Month of August I'm calling animation month, where I celebrate everything animation, this week it's 2D animation. So I decided to pick my three favorite non-Disney animated movies, and my brother Jonny is back with some reviews.

Trilogy Week #34 - Leonardo DiCaprio: Based On A True Story

Three movies were Leonardo DiCaprio is playing a role based on a real person. Can he get lost in his roles, and you forget it's Leo, or are you just watching Leo act with make up on.

Top Five Michel Gondry Music Videos

Michel Gondry is a genuis in the art of video. And here are my Top Five favorite Michel Gondry music videos.

Trilogy Week #33 - A Tribute to Michel Gondry

My 30th birthday is on Friday, and this week I'm reviewing three movies by Michel Gondry on of my favorite directors of all time. I was first amazed by his awesome music videos, and was excited to see his turn into movies. And I was not disappointed by his films. His imaginative way he creates such fantastic and original special effects. And I love he uses everyday objects, and old school film techniques to make such memorable moments.

Trilogy Week #32 - Make Your Own Superhero

Everyone know what a superhero is. Superman, Spiderman, Captain America. Fantasies of a lot of comic book readers wishing they could have superpowers. But there are heroes without powers, like Batman, Ironman, The Punisher. So how can you be the next Batman? Here are three movies about three people who tried their hands at fighting evil in their home towns.

Back From Vacation

So I went to California with my family to see Yosemite National Park. We stayed in Angel's Camp and saw other sites around that area. The place had vineyards everywhere, No wonder they call it wine country. But what really caught my eye was the landscape, I loved it, the rolling hills of northern California reminded me of the artist Eyvind Earle. If you don't know who that is, he is the brilliant artist who made the stunning background art for Disney's Sleeping Beauty. But the reason that Disney wanted him for their background artist were these awesome landscape paintings I'm about to show you. Whenever I drove through the country side a was reminded by the work of Eyvind Earle.

Trilogy Week #31 - American Movies

Hi everybody, It's been about a month since I've been on here. First I went on vacation, then I stared a new job, so I'm playing catch up. 


Anyways, this is fourth of July weekend so lets watch some movies with America in the title.

Trilogy Week #30 - War Is Hell

Happy Memorial Day everybody! Today's the day we remember the ones who have lost their lives defending our country. So here's three movies about war, from three different wars.

Trilogy Week #29 - Kid Adventures

Summer's just around the corner, and school is almost over, and this is around the time I would start to get antsy thinking about all the cool things I wanted to do that summer as a kid. Every kid fantasizes about going on an adventure. Even if it is something very small, like going into a abandoned house or, jumping over someones fence. Nothing big, but exciting for young adolescence. I would've given my left nut to go on an adventure like the ones in these movies, as dangerous as some of them are. 


Also, you might be thinking "hey, wait a minute! Why didn't you add the Goonies? don't worry, that will be coming out in a later post.

Trilogy Week #28 - Women in Sports

I know today is Mother's Day, and these three movies have nothing to do with Mother's Day, but I couldn't find some Mother's Day movies that I wanted to use, so instead I'm featuring women in sports movies. My correlation between the two is strength. If you are a good mother, I believe you are a good mother because you are a strong women. And women in sports are strong women. So let's celebrate strong women in sports, which a lot of them were moms too, so yeah. Another thing is that I didn't notice until I posted this was that all three of these films were directed by actors. Well blah blah blah, Happy Mother's Day.

Trilogy Week #27 - Life After Death

How will you die? Because you will. Everyone will die! So because of that, everyone has thought about the afterlife, if there is one. A question that has been asked since the beginning of our existence. Whether it's a world of nothingness, or a world in the clouds, there are many stories about the world beyond our comprehension. These three film makers have some great original ideas about the next life, if maybe a little ridiculous, they are very entertaining about the life we life, and the way we perceive the environment around us.

Top Five Beastie Boys songs

The Mighty MCA is gone.

One-third of the Beastie Boys, Adam Yauch (47), aka MCA, died earlier today. Yauch was diagnosed with cancer in 2009 and had been undergoing treatments on and off for three years -- he was notably missing when the Beasties were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last month.The Jewish b-boys survived the fall of MTV and thrived through gangsta rap and grunge. They began as joke rappers -- fun but nobody took them seriously. They became icons, giants of the genre who never stopped making great jams.


On their first proper album in seven years, last year's “Hot Sauce Committee Part Two,” the unlikely elder statesmen showed their age (they reference Crocs not Adidas and appropriate lyrics from “Subterranean Homesick Blues”). But they didn't grow up. Like every Beastie's landmark, the album sounds like a coke-and-Pop-Rocks-fueled house party hosted by Afrika Bambaataa, Lenny Bruce, Optimus Prime and the Ramones.Yauch's treatments repeatably put off the release of "Hot Sauce" and the band hadn't played live since the summer of 2009. Clearly, he was struggling, but it's still a shock the health food junkie, Buddhist and optimist couldn't beat the illness.If you have a copy of "Paul's Boutique," I suggest spinning it now. If you don't, go out and get the landmark album -- it's a face-melting mess of beats, flow and samples (105 songs were sampled on the album, 24 on the last track alone). By Jed Gottlieb


I first discovered the Beastie Boys when I was in high school. And their sound has stuck with me ever since. What I really admired about the Beastie Boys is they were all three equal parts of the band. There was no front man, they "were" the front men.  Mike D, Ad Rock, and MCA, the three of them were equal collaborators, and one did not over-shine the other. I don't think their will ever be a Hip Hop group that will ever as significant as the Beastie Boys were in the history of american pop culture, and music.  


So here as tribute to MCA and his mourning comrades, are my top 5 favorite Beastie Boys songs.

Trilogy Week #26 Martin, Bob, and Joe

You can't go wrong when you mix Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci in a movie together. The end result is cinema gold. You've got Scorsese's great camera work and story telling, De Niro's cool swaggering demeanor, and Pesci's constant swearing, your guaranted for a exciting time. Also If you're familiar with these movies, another actor that's in all three of these films is Frank Vincent, I didn't add him to this list because you don't know who that is. And..... all three of these films are based on actual events. If you haven't seen these movies already, go out and watch them soon before Joe Pesci stabs you in the neck with a ball point pen.

Top 10 Favorite Chuck Jones Cartoons

Chuck Jones is a legend in the history of animation. As a kid I loved to watch cartoons, especially the Looney Tunes. And I always had my favorite ones, but it wasn't until years later that I found out the majority of favorites were all directed by the same guy. How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Roadrunner and Coyote, Rikki Tikki Tavi, What's Opera Doc? etc., all done by Chuck Jones. His work has great humor, brilliant expressions, and spot-on timing, and I love his constant breaking of the fourth wall. His work has been a great inspiration for me, and here are ten examples of why he's known as the master of the extremes and the in-betweens.

Trilogy Week #25 Desolate Earth

Well, Earth Day is almost over, but we should continue to remember how are impact on the environment can effect the earth. So here's three movie that show what our involvment could do to the earth. Do something! Or I will eat you!

Trilogy Week #24 - Ridiculous Pro Sport Movies

We all have memories of our favorite sport moments. Be it football, baseball, basketball, soccer, etc. And we've seen the movies that follow these favorite sports. But what about the unknown pro sports. Well these three film makers decided to shed some light on some obscure sports, in these three movies. Maybe the popularity of these films would raise some awareness, and bring some new fans to these sports. Well they didn't, so now all we have left are the faded memories of these stupid pro sports left to laugh at.

Trilogy Week #23 - Rabbit Movies

Happy Easter everybody. I hope you all got a lot of egg shaped candies. To all the parents out there you're probably sick of watching "HOP" all day long so here are three movies that don't have anything to do with Easter but, they do have rabbits in them. So tell the kiddies that they are going to watch these movies, or you will take their colored eggs away.

Top Five Favorite Easter Cartoons

Sadly to say you don't ever see the classic Easter specials on TV anymore. So for you little kiddies you haven't seen these great Easter cartoons. Here are my top five Easter cartoons from my childhood. Plus as a bonus, my favorite Easter candy & commerical.

Trilogy Week #22 - Famous Twist Endings

Happy April Fool's Day! Today we are celebrating three famous twist endings in movie history. If you haven't seen these movies, I suggest you see them ASAP. And if the secrets have already been spoiled for you, then watch them anyway. They are like watching a different movie the second time around. Plus if you can find it, I left a little secret of my own in this post. Enjoy

Trilogy Week #21 - Revenge Movies

A concept as old as civilization itself. Told in many different ways, from many different cultures. The believe that the wrong doings done unto you shall be given to the ones that we think deserve it. Revenge is even in the bible, "an eye for an eye". But is it justified? A tricky question to a complex answer. But you do love to live out these dark fantasies of ours, in stories. So here are three movies about three different versions of that sweet comeuppance of revenge.

Trilogy Week #20 - Creepy Kid Movies

Everyone has their creepy childhood memories. Whether it's a creepy neighbor, seeing a horror movie on TV, or watching one of these movies that is geared towards kids. I have vivid memories of watching these movies as a kid, as segments of these films creeped the hell out of me. But that doesn't make them bad, in fact that makes them great. Because of that these cherished memories are tattooed in my brain forever, and these movies are now a part of who I am. Without these movies, I wouldn't have taste for movies, art, and music that I do today. So thanks for the nightmares.

KONY 2012

Watch the video and spread the word to as many people as you can.
You can also donate at the link below.

KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

The Weird World of PES

Have you seen the "fresh guacamole" video that has been floating around the internet? The imaginative way different objects represent other objects. Like a grenade is a avocado, hardware tools can be deep sea creatures, or pin cushions can be tomatoes. Well that is from the mind of PES (Adam Pesapane). A stop-motion  animator who has come up with some genius was to show ordinary objects in a creative captivating way. Like the picture below, what do you see first? the logs on fire, or candy corn and pretzel sticks? I first discovered PES's work during a touring of "The Animation Show" at the Tower Theatre in Salt Lake City. And was blown away. Being an artist myself, it made me a little angry to see these brilliant little shorts, and thinking to myself "shit!, why didn't I think of that!" Ever since then I've been awaiting with anticipation for the next short that he comes out with. 

Now these shorts aren't all his pieces. These are just my favorite ones. Go to his website if you want to his whole collection of work. http://www.eatpes.com/

Trilogy Week #19 - Green Movies

Just in time for St. Patty's Day, enjoy some "green" movies. Now these movies don't have leprechauns, or pots of gold, or anything to do with St. Patrick's Day, nor are they "green" movies about the environment. No, these are movies with only one thing in common. The titles of these movies have the word green in them. That's it... oh and all three of these films do have murder in them... so there's that... So while you're preparing yourself for some green beer binge drinking, or cuddling up on the couch with a shamrock shake trying to get rid of your hangover on Sunday. Here are three movies you might enjoy.

Trilogy Week #18 - Tribute to Blacksploitation

Even if you haven't seen any blacksploitation films, you're probably still familiar with Shaft, Dolemite, Superfly, The Mack, Foxy Brown, etc. Their identities are prevalent in the icons of pop culture. The stories of empowerment, and overcoming the struggles of black America. You might look at blacksploitation as so bad it's funny, but that's because a lot of these movies had no funding, and mainstream Hollywood didn't have faith in any of these films. They were made by the people, for the people, to get their stories told. Now these films do not hold up very well today, because of their heavy 70's influences, and low-budget film making. But that doesn't make them any less important in the history of American cinema. So here are three films made by three film makers showing their affection for the art of blacksploitation cinema.

Trilogy Week #17 - Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman is another one of my favorite black actors. No one can deny the power of his voice. He conveys power, wisdom, and warmth in his words. As also a great character actor, he can disappear in his roles, and you believe that he is that character. These three movies show how he can change from different roles, with great subtly in his acting that he can portray such a wide range of completely different roles. He is like that grandfather we all wish we had.

Animation Corner - Top 10 Disney Shorts

Everyone has their favorite treasured cartoon moments. Being a kid waking up, or coming home from school to watch your favorite shows. But I've seen the new shows on TV and the majority of them are awful. Not the say a lot of the shows from the 80's and 90's were all flawless. But today with the easy access to animation programs for any computer, any idiot with a laptop can make a Phineas and Ferb, or any of the plethora of shitty quickly made c.g. series. Today they're made on a assembly line, churning them out as fast as they can, not for the love of animation, but like migrant workers just trying to clock in and clock out. Now their is always exceptions, like Adventure Time, or Sym-Bionic Titan. But most of the cartoons today have no guts, and no heart.  So this is for the nostalgic memories of our childhood, and for the new children who are starting their own memories. And just like food, showing you and your children there is more to life than cheap, hard to digest fast food-type cartoons. But to enjoy the painstaking art of making a high quality, well crafted, gourmet short film, that comes from the soul, for the appreciative to enjoy.


This my first Animation corner, is to feature my favorite non-main character Disney shorts. No Mickey, Donald, or Goofy. But still just as important to be shown in the lexicon of American pop culture.

Trilogy Week #16 - Denzel Washington

Continuing Black History Month. Denzel Washington is one of my favorite black actors. You really feel that he sinks into his rolls, and that he becomes the character that he's betraying. And that's what a good actor should do. With great subtly, and very powerful explosive moments. I'm always put a little more faith in a movie if Denzel is in it. now these three movies isn't the end of Denzel Washington movies in this month. So you'll see him again before the month is over. 

Trilogy Week #15 - African Struggle

It's Black History month. So this whole month is dedicated to movies about black actors. This week is about African struggle. There isn't just the struggle of slavery, there has been many, and there continues to be struggles for black people all over the world. So let's not just remember the days of slavery, but the whole history of black persecution all over the world.

Top Five Amazing Rube Goldberg Machines

I love Rube Goldberg machines. The creative innovation that goes into making a complex machine do a mundane task, like opening blinds, unraveling a roll of toilet paper is so fascinating to watch. So here are my top five favorite Rube Goldberg machines.

Trilogy Week #14 - Bill Murray

One of my favorite comedic actors ever! I'm always excited to see a movie that has Bill Murray in it because I know I won't be disappointed by his character work.... except for....Garfield..... Anyways this week I celebrate the comedic talents of the amazing Bill Murray.

Trilogy Week #13 - Coen Comedies

The Coen Brothers are one of the best writer/director teams ever, in the history of film. They can seamlessly write for comedy and drama, without the films seeming out of place with the rest of their movie catalogue. These three films show the more humorous side of the spectrum from the Coen brothers. 

Featured Art

New feature, I'll be posting artwork from me and my brothers, and other artists I find awesome on the internet.

These are a couple pieces I did, playing with geometric shapes. http://a-ripe-heartattack.deviantart.com/

"Laser Eyes"

"Crystals and Lasers 2"

Oh yeah, and this is a self portrait of me in a Pendleton Ward style. 

This is a piece my brother Jonny made, playing with photoshop CS5.  http://insane-ideas.deviantart.com/

"Don't Taste the Rainbow"

This is a glimpse into my brother Joshua's insanity. http://jab-me.deviantart.com/

"Feel Like Poop"

"Yeah Owl"

"Scared Muffin"