Friday, November 13, 2009
Dock Ellis & the LSD No-No
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Tricks N' Treats
When pressed about their all-time favorite Halloween jam, a lot of people would probably go with Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Especially now that he's dead. Or maybe Iron Maiden's "Number of the Beast." But my money's on Kid Koala's "Tricks N' Treats" from his turntablist masterpiece Scratchcratchratchatch. It's a beautiful melange of hip-hop and Charlie Brown's world weary holiday ennui.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp
Secret agent chimpanzees equipped with banana phones led by a commander named "Darwin" who are pitted against "CHUMP" (Criminal Headquarters For Underworld Master Plan), a clandestine organization of super-villains led by a monocled ape master criminal with a terrible German accent? An all-chimp rock band called "The Evolution Revolution"? Creepy fake moustaches worn by chimpanzee actors? How in God's name had I never heard of this? I feel like every moment up until now has been a complete waste of time.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
The Electric Kool-Aid Madison Avenue Test
One of the most impressive examples of this was a Levi's campaign featuring the inimitable Ken Nordine.
"Come on, old trademark. Time for your walk."
Sing Sang Sung
"Sing Sang Sung" by Air. Obviously quite influenced by "Yellow Submarine," Sesame Street's "Pinball Number Count" and consciousness expansion. Fucking hippies.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Katzenklavier
"The Cat Piano" - directed by Eddie White and Ari Gibson, narrated by Nick Cave. The whole mysterious kingdom of anthropomorphic cats thing kind of reminds me of Hiroyuki Morita's "The Cat Returns," but with a more sinister and noirish touch. It's obviously best appreciated in full-screen mode and not in the wee little embedded viewer.
But wait! Did you know that the concept of the katzenklavier is not entirely fictional? It was devised, but never brought into practice, by Athanasius Kircher, a German Jesuit scholar, in 1650. It was also described by Johann Christian Reil, an 18th century physician (also German) who first coined the term "psychiatrist,"as a possible treatment for attention disorders. (See articles: here and here) Good job, early science!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Johnny Utah Triptych

This is my series of frames for Point Break, the greatest movie ever made about bank robbing surfers disguised as former U.S. presidents.
"Why don't you get to the point.....the point break." The Cinemash tributes to Sid and Nancy (featuring Zoeey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a tie-in promo for 500 Days of Summer) and Dirty Dancing (with Channing Tatum and Charlyne Yi) are also really excellent.
Selling Point Break as a turgid tale of homosexual awakening isn't that much of a stretch. At it's core, the movie is really about the fulminating tension and attraction between Johnny Utah and Bodi. So, well done to whoever made that.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Album Cover Battle Royale
So destructive! Ozzie Osbourne mauled himself! The stylized Dead Kennedys logo bludgeoned the stylized Van Halen logo! The Nirvana Nevermind baby was devoured alive by the Asia sea serpant! Man, album covers are really violent and bent on destroying one another.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Major Lazer - Hold The Line
Friday, July 31, 2009
The Life You Save May Be Mine
Here's a good reason not to do a public service announcement on safe driving: cosmic irony. This PSA spot never aired because, shortly after it was filmed, James Dean was killed by a reckless motorist. That's cold, universe.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Louis Wain's Impractical Cats

It's a difficult thing to delineate. For instance, these two pieces, created when Wain was considered "sane":


Are only slightly less crazy than the two following:
Alright. I admit that this last one is batshit psychedelic. It looks like a Tibetan mandala or something.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Two Weeks
Well, that was unsettling. Not as unsettling as, say, that Aphex Twin video where Richard D. James's face is superimposed on all of those booty shaking bikini models, but pretty disturbing nonetheless. CGI facial distortion effects, smiling white guys in bow ties, church: all things that make me uncomfortable. Thanks for freaking me out, weirdos. Still. Good song.