Totally Literal Eclipse Of The Heart

This is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.
For more of this guy's work, check out his YouTube Channel.

Thanks to Daria for the heads up...and so much more.

Rubberduckzilla

Anyone who knows me knows that I have an affinity for rubber ducks.
Ben knows me.
Thanks, Ben.

next to normal

The best thing I did in my three week New York experience was go see next to normal at the Booth Theatre on Broadway. It's an excellent new musical and if you're in the Big Apple, you owe it to yourself not to miss this one. It'll probably be tough to get tickets now that it's been nominated for 11 Tonys (should have been 12, condolences to the terrific Aaron Tveit, though I'm sure this is only the beginning for someone as talented as he is). Michael Greif's production of Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey's original musical is truly phenomenal.

I've heard great things about Billy Elliot as well but I have to climb on my soapbox for next to normal. The Tony Awards are an American theatre award. Billy Elliot already had a successful run in London and won 4 Olivier Awards (the British equivalent to the Tony for those that don't speak thespian). I honestly believe that imports should not be eligible for or at least should be unable to win Tonys or Oliviers. I hate to sound like a nationalist here, but the Tonys should be reserved for new American plays and musicals. It goes both ways; I wouldn't have wanted August: Osage County to win the Olivier for best new play. That honor belongs to a production native to the UK (and this year, Black Watch by Gregory Burke from the Royal Theatre of Scotland won). Unfortunately, Jersey Boys won the Olivier for Best New Musical (guess the Brits aren't cooking up any songs right now) and my guess is that Billy Elliot will rob next to normal of the Best New Musical award (among many others) it so rightfully deserves. It is bold and brilliant and quintessentially American and human. It deserves any and all accolades it receives.
One thing is for sure: If Alice Ripley (pictured above, with Tveit and J. Robert Spencer) doesn't win the Tony for her beyond-brave portrayal of Diana, someone up there is perpetrating a fraud.

In The Wild

One of my favorite images as of late...

Some photographers managed to capture this striking image of the majestic anteater defending its natural habitat, and the message its posturing evokes is at once crystal clear.























Classic.

Thanks to the Angry White Guy in Chicago (and his dad) for this one.

The System

Apologies for the lengthy hiatus, but I've had a good reason. I'm opening a show in NYC.

If you live in any of the five boroughs and want to see some brand new theatre, come check us out at La MaMa E.T.C. at 2nd Ave and 4th St in the East Village starting tonight through May 10th, Thursdays through Sundays. The show is at 8 PM on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights and at 2:30 PM on Sundays.

Check out La MaMa online for more info. Break 'em.

Billy Corgan Apparently Needs Money

Wow, Billy. Tough times getting to you too?

Here's an excerpt from a not-so-recent (2004) Newsweek interview with the Pumpkins' prickish front man:

The notion of "selling out," licensing songs, how has that changed? Fifteen years ago, that seems like it would have been unacceptable. Career death. Is all this completely different now?

I'm not romantic about the notion of "selling out." People who are not in your position deciding what is and isn't selling out I always thought was a crock of s---. The song I wrote, "Today," which ended up being a pretty big song--that song literally saved my life. I was completely suicidal, and I wrote that song in a cold bedroom on a day where it was like, "I'm either going to kill myself today, or I'm going to live because I'm sick of thinking about this." When I played it, it was an intense, extreme feeling. Last year, I was offered heavy, heavy money to license that song. I actually turned down two huge, huge, seven-figure-plus deals last year for two songs.

For "Today" and for which other song?

"Tonight, Tonight." That's a fundamentally difficult position to be in. At this point, it's just free money. Song's already been played. It's been exploited. The record company's literally begging me: go ahead and take these commercials. At this point in my life, I don't feel comfortable. Those songs are the reason I'm alive. If your music is not sacred to the point where it's a really, really, really heavy decision about whether or not you would allow somebody else to exploit it, then what's not for sale? For a long time there was this dream that you could hit this utopian point The Beatles hit. "All you need is love." You'd write that song that would change the world. That seems to have gotten lost. Now songs are just vehicles for personality. The song is not the sacred thing anymore.

That's why your new stuff doesn't really rock. Ass.

Time to revisit Siamese Dream...which, by the way, was released in 1993. Wow.

Watch Out for the Watchmen

This is a great little video from one many imaginative contributors to Newgrounds. If only Watchmen had been made into a Saturday morning cartoon... Thanks to Kent for the heads up on this.

As for the film (which opened today), go see it. All two hours and forty five minutes of it. I liked it. It does justice to the book, an already mammoth undertaking, keeping most everything intact. Only a few side plots are axed or shortened and the ending is altered a little. I actually think the film's ending is better than the graphic novel's. It at least makes the book more accessible to people who haven't read it. The film is paced very well and rarely drags. That being said, it definitely feels like two hours and forty five minutes. The action sequences are truly exhilerating and the CGI and special effects are all well done. The film does a good job in developing the characters in the same way that the book does. More so, much of the dialogue from the book is used word for word in the film. Good for the writers. No reason to change Alan Moore's already excellent characters and story.

It is well acted for the most part, standouts being Patrick Wilson as Dan Dreiberg/Nite Owl and Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach (There is no Walter Kovacs). Malin Ackerman as Sally Jupiter/Silk Spectre began to grate on me after awhile. Matthew Goode gives a nice, effective performance as Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias but is a little too much of a pussy for me. Not that I would've done a better job. I would've come off as a pussy, too. Yay, me. Billy Crudup is appropriately detached as Dr. Manhattan, however, I always thought Manhattan would have a much deeper voice. Jeffrey Dean Morgan looks and acts every bit the part of Edward Blake/The Comedian. That's just good casting (not to take away from Morgan's work).

In the end, the film of Watchmen, one of Time Magazine's 100 Greatest Novels of All Time, is as good as it can possibly be. Those who are disappointed by it are expecting too much. The film may not get Alan Moore's stamp of approval, but it certainly gets mine.