The Bubble


Ooh, another BBC show starring David Mitchell. That's certainly something worth keeping an eye on, right? The show in question is The Bubble and it features the aforementioned comedian as the host of the show. It started its run on February 19th and is a four part show that will run until the 12th of March.

The show itself is an interesting concept. You grab hold of three celebrities and keep them in an isolated spot for four days. Well, it's not so much isolated as cut off from any new sources. Thus, these guys will be blissfully unaware of what was happening in the world when they were holed up in that location. Hence, you know, the title 'The Bubble'. Boy, I'd hate to be these guys if there was a zombie take-over of the country and they were uninformed of evacuation notices.

So, four days later, if there is no zombie takeover, everyone comes to studio and faces a round of questioning from David Mitchell. Here, he would throw in fake stories along with real ones and try and see if they can guess which is authentic. Funnily enough, this is harder than you'd expect.

The overall concept is pretty interesting. After all, it is another chance for comedians to analyze the news. Or at least the way it was reported. It was quite funny to see the participants analyze each story, trying to decide whether it was fake or real. In this way, they pointed out some weird little aspects of each story. And when it happens for one of the actual news stories? Classic!

I must say David Mitchell is brilliant as the host. His comments to the contestants' arguments are witty, as can be expected. These bits don't appear to be scripted and thus, adds to the appeal of the show where it comes across as a rather fun discussion. My favorite bit was when Reginald Hunter, Victoria Coren and Frank Skinner (from the first episode) were debating about the BBC's refusal to providing fake news stories for The Bubble. Mitchell had to bring the discussion back to topic, pointing out how, yes, their mug-shot photos in the paper looked great in what was a production nightmare for his show.

The show has started out promising to be a bit cerebral which is a good sign. Admittedly, it is just starting out and thus, needs to be built up some more. It seems like there is potential to add more categories into the show and perhaps give it a bit more variety. It is good the way it is but the show comes across as a rather short one for now. I guess we'll see how it goes.

There is something I am rather wary of. After airing the second show, a lot of viewers apparently wanted to see more of behind-the-scenes action of The Bubble. Well, that's what I read on Ed Byrne's Twitter feed (in case you are wondering, he was one of the contestants on that week's show). What happened was that, for that particular show, clips of what went on in the Bubble was broadcast during the show. Thus, everyone got to see Ed Byrne and Germaine Greer fight over Scrabble and other such moments. Within the context of what they were saying on the show (about them wanting to be right etc.), these moments made sense. And seemed appropriate. However, I'll be disappointed if they eventually went for the reality show angle for this show. After all, isn't that sort of what some folks ended up liking?

Russell Howard's Good News


If you are familiar with Mock the Week, then you're already familiar with Russell Howard, a comedian who is a regular on that show. Well, if you love his brand of humor, be sure to check out Russell Howard's Good News.

RHGN is news satire show that started out in October 2009. Like other shows of the genre, this one examines various news that have been making headlines and, more often than not, makes you laugh about its (sometimes unintentionally) weird little aspects. Incidentally, the show is coming back for a second season later this year.

The show itself is divided into several sections which include Sports, Politics and Law and Order. Other sections are usually feel-good stories from the news as well as cutesy ones about little kids.

If you know Russell Howard's stand-up style, you can see how this fits in with his comedic style. Firstly, like his peers, he also makes a lot of social commentary. When it comes down to taking a stand about an issue or expressing his view on a certain matter, Howard won't mince words. Sure, it won't be the quirky angry ranting that is Marcus Brigstocke's style nor it is the somewhat sarcastic observations of Ed Byrne. Rather, Howard mixes it in a bit where he will tone down some aspects with light-hearted humor before making his point … rather bluntly too, I might add.

Secondly, there is the feel-good aspect. Howard is known to add humorous stories about his own life (be it about his family or friends). Yea they are extremely funny ones and he delivers the jokes well. However, whenever he does throw in those jokes, you realize that the comedian is basically telling tales that cheers up the viewers. This is a nice touch as a lot of comedy can focus bit much on what is wrong with our lives, making folks just a tad weary. Well, it's not for everyone and those who are a bit squeamish about darker humor will love Howard's heartwarming tales.

By the way, the 'in the news' feature towards the end of the show also falls into this category. Every week, the show brings in people who have been making headlines for achieving something fantastic. The way this segment worked is that the behind-the-scenes folk would first pick folks who had been in the news. Then they bring them onto the show and Howard would ask questions, trying to find out why they had been in the news. The overall aim is to highlight happy news, news where people have been commended for something extraordinary. It's cute, it's touching and, a lot of the times, you will go awww!

In addition to this, Howard also goes for a few dirty jokes. A lot of them revolve around the 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus' sort of topics. Well, sometimes it is just about a typical guy's thoughts and actions. Thus, when he is commenting on the funny news titles, he can draw analogies from his own experiences.


Pizzicato Five and the Shibuya-kei Sound

Everything about Japan is a condensed version of what happens in other cultures. Tokyo is a city of cities, equal parts Manhattan, Las Vegas, Paris and Hong Kong. The country villages are like a bullion of provincial charm. And as for Japanese pop culture, it too operates on a much more intense, insular level than its counterparts in the West. Take the music scene in Japan in the 1990's, for instance. It was a sort of artistic renaissance in every sense of the word. Not only was there a boom in the number of unique artists in the recording studios of Tokyo, Hiroshima and Sapporo, there was also a refreshingly international flavor to the clear influences of the artists. For the first time in the history of pop music, Japanese artists made a splash beyond their own borders.

Of all the musical acts to come out of Japan in the 90's, none was as widely loved as The Pizzicato Five. This Hokkaido-based group had a very rocky start in the mid 1980's, recording no fewer than four major flops in the space of six years. P5's lineup changed around so many times that it made The Cure look stable. It wasn't until an up-and-coming solo singer named Maki Nomiya stepped in as the lead singer that the Pizzicato Five (then reduced to just three performers, Nomiya, Keitaro Takanami and Yasuharu Konishi) that the band saw any commercial momentum.

This Year's Girl, the 1991 album featuring P5's first hit, "Twiggy Twiggy", introduced the band to the world after a half decade of growing pains. It would take another three years for the Pizzicato Five to get much notice in the United States, but by then they were already a significant part of the Japanese music scene. They're considered one of the pioneering bands in the Shibuya-kei style, a slick fusion of international jazz and sample-heavy electronic music that is at once retro and forward-thinking.

The most prominent influence to the star-making sound on This Year's Girl is the French Ye-Ye scene of the 1960's. For a period of time, everything that songwriter Serge Gainsbourg touched turned to pop music gold, and I suppose that's indirectly true for the Pizzicato Five. By combining 60's hipster sounds, savvy American hip hop and a stylish but straight-faced Japanese sensibility, the band cemented Japan's place in the pantheon of serious music.

A string of hits and a TV theme song later, Pizzicato Five hooked up with producer Cornelius for Bossa Nova 2001 and the circle of the Japanese music scene was complete. Cornelius is among some of the most talented producers to come out of Japan in the past twenty years. He deepened the band's sound with his trademark lush layering and wistful sense of beauty. With Cornelius, P5 sounds like the halfway point between Beck and Air.

The period between 1995 and the band's breakup in 2001 saw the ever-dwindling lineup jetting around the world and recording non-stop. They hit big in Europe just after Keitaro Takanami, the last founding member, left and they signed with Matador Records for most of their US releases. Stateside completists have to do a fair amount of importing to get P5's full discography these days, but the Internet has made that considerably easier than it was in the band's heyday.

If The Pizzicato Five and the Shibuya-kei movement can teach us anything, it's that the synthesis of disparate cultural ideas can occasionally create some amazing art. Few pop groups of the 90's were as truly international in spirit as P5 and it served them, and us listeners, rather well.

Funny Indian Fantasy Flicks

 



It's been a while since I made a list of must-watch Indian flicks. So I put together a list of weird and wonderful fantasy movies. I figured that it would be interesting to discover what type of stories about myth and magic would pop up from this part of the world. Well, a lot of what I found (ones based on mythology) was fascinating. But then there were the others, the stranger ones that defied any form of explanation. Check out these two gems.

Ajooba



Alright, so it is a tad unfair to pick on this one. It is a fairly old movie of the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. It probably dates back to the time when the guy could not afford to be as picky about his roles. And admittedly, the story was not bad. After all, who doesn't like a story about the good guy beating up an incredibly powerful evil vizier? One that has been making everyone's life utterly miserable? And if the main protagonist happens to be a masked vigilante of sorts, all the better. It's like a mature version of Robin, saving the world with elaborate archery tactics and whatnot.

Yea, it wasn't quite that. Sure, the story had a feel good element to it. You were happy the citizens under that vizier guy was freed. You rooted for the hero when he made the moral choice and walked over to the good guy side. But then, did they have to have all those weird bits? Like him being saved by a dolphin? And that absurd godzilla rip-off, the time when guy in a suit stomps all around the city, destroying everything in sight? And finally, the stuffed tiger scene. You actually get to watch a grown man grunt and growl as he battles single handedly with what is obviously a stuffed tiger. It was too cringe-worthy for me to make any Calvin and Hobbs jokes.

Superman



Yea, that's right. It's the Indian take on Superman. This one was so out there that I had to include it in the fantasy movie section. First off, I must appease anyone who will get upset with me for picking on this genre. Hindi flicks have a number of really good sci-fi / fantasy movies. I'm not saying that the moviemakers from that side are not capable of anything brilliant. Pfft, look at that old classic Hatam Tai (What?! I liked it) and Mr India. I'm just saying that when you have the capability to make something good, why resort to the following tactics?

As the title suggests, it is about the red-and-blue costumed Superman we all know. It is the in fact the same character that is played by Christopher Reeves in the super cheesy and yet lovable 80s movies. Well, I take it someone somewhere thought they should milk a cash cow for all it is worth so they made an Indian remake of it. And, from the looks of it, they might have borrowed some of the action scenes (specifically Superman scenes) from the original Hollywood movies. Can it get any worse?

Oh funny I should say that because … did I mention Jor-El? Good old Superman's Dad? Unlike his comic-book counterpart (where he was a serious-looking scientist), the Hindi version looked warrior-like and thus, donned a weird Viking type of vest. One with an insignia, some embroidery and perhaps a bit of fine tailoring might have helped but unfortunately it looked like it was something that was put together at the last minute. And that its primary purpose, up until its use in 'visions to my son moments', was lurking in the laundry bag as a 'use only for house painting' type of vest.

 

More Ads from Around the World


Source:Link

Controversial topics are the best ways to get someone's attention. At least that's what marketing and advertising companies seem to think. They aren't wrong about this though. Unless you come up with some really creative visuals (look, I'm on a horse!), chances are folks will forget about your product. Let's not even mention those unfortunate ads that we all fast forward; doesn't matter how well-done it is, we want to know if John Shepard from SG Atlantis does snuff the life out of the evil wraith! Well, I came across a few quirky foreign ads that will …. linger in your mind. A lot of them are a bit 'in your face', others are slightly out there. You've been warned.





This particular ad is from Israel. It is actually about one of their TV shows. According to the description on the uploader's page, the ad shows Iranian president President Ahmadinejad declaring that he will blast Israel away on Monday. So one guy from the press conference gets up and points out that a rather important episode of Danny Hollywood would be aired on Monday. So the little ruckus that follows this little exchange is actually folks protesting the bombing date. Yea, definitely makes you cringe a bit and say 'Oh noes' as you watch more of the ad. Funny but still … 'Yikes' as well.





Whoa! I know this got a lot of folks' attention but er, a bit tasteless, isn't it? Hehe, considering the subject of the matter, that last statement will now sound rather bad. The product in question is a type of lip gloss that is beer flavored. It was developed by Heineken and it's supposed to help women be more attractive to men. Am I the only one doing a facepalm here?



This one is from 2007 and is about a Nandos ad. Nandos are well-known for getting authorities all hot and bothered (not in the way that you think) and this is one of those times when they tested the bigwigs' comfort zone (yep, in that way). This particular ad shows a poledancer who loves Nandos and thus goes on about its yummy flavors. Er, ye might not want to watch this at work.



First of all, I warn you, this ad (or compilation of clips) are very explicit. It is a 'Drive Responsibly' ad made for Securite Routiere, a French company. Wow, some of those scenes are graphic. It is a hard-hitting ad and er, one that will really stick in your mind. I don't know if the uploader put together a bunch of their ads in one clip or if this is how the company originally created the ad but …. the ad has Metallica's Nothing Else Matters playing in the background. Again, whoa! The song works well for that incredibly sad ad. Yes, I also realize I didn't have to sit through the 4 minutes of accident scenarios …. As powerful as this ad is, it doesn't really work on the target audience, does it?

Big Man Japan


Big Man Japan or Dainihonjin had made headlines last year where everyone raved a bit about its quirky trailers. It was supposed to be a comical take on the whole superhero lifestyle. Well, I was finally able to watch this movie and I must say it was well worth the wait.

This movie is a bizarre little presentation of the daily life of a Japanese superhero. The man is a bit of a has-been. His family life has fallen apart. The local folks don't really like him. In fact, everyone is rather annoyed at the amount of damages done to the area after every monster fight. And let's not get started on monetary issues …

Basically, it is the portrayal of the less glamorous side of such a figure. Sure Bruce Wayne has his mansion and Clark Kent has … a well paying job but is that really how it works? That seems to be question asked by the writer and director of this flick, Hitoshi Matsumoto. He has approached this concept of super human character from a new angle and presented us with a truly bizarre story.

Thus, none of the monsters attacking the city are the kind of creepy villains you would expect. None of them have a grand plan or agenda. At the very most, they just want to make a noise and disrupt the peace, not unlike an unruly vandal. And of course these guys are almost always gigantic creatures which is not too bad since the hero can morph into a gargantuan figure as well. Problem is, you can't really have a clean fight, can you? Buildings break down, traffic lights are smashed up and people's homes are trampled on. Sure you want the villain to go away but you'd hate to be the one who's house got squashed in a fight. Oh ye, there's really no easy way to keep the public happy and that's what this movie shows.

In keeping with the weird take on the subject, the director has also opted to use a reality-TV style of narration in this movie. Thus, a cameraman follows the superhero around, asking him about his daily life. Funny thing is, we assume a lot about him (probably has a stable family, has a secret job somewhere else, etc) until the occasional Q&A sessions prove us to be wrong. So you learn being a superhero is not alike being a movie star; you have lots of money and fame when you are famous but folks get bored of you real quick. The best bit (and most telling aspect of modern tastes) was when he had to carry around ads whilst fighting off enemies. Ratings matter even for superheroes. How jaded is that?

The bit I didn't like or at least couldn't wrap my mind around was the end. The guy ends up joining this bizarre league and the rest of it feels a bit like a weird acid trip. The colors are all strange and a bit out there and suddenly, some of their antics don't really make sense. It could just be me but I also figured that the writer might have thrown in a hasty ending.

Astropia


I've had to wait for a while before I could watch this one. But it was well worth it. The movie in question is Icelandic comedy called Astropia (I refuse to call it Dorks and Damsels, which sounds way too silly). With its references to comic books, sci-fi classics and RPG gaming sessions, this book is a geek's dream come true.

The story revolves around a somewhat ditzy model called Hildur. Maybe calling her ditzy is a bit harsh but ... she has made some bad decisions regarding her life. For one thing she is dating this sleazy car salesman who is in trouble with authorities for money issues. Well, once he ends up in jail, she has to bunk in with friends and figure out what to do with her life. Now, she needs a job. As luck would have it, her friend's young son is into comic books and the shop they drop by, Astropia, is looking for a shop assistant. For the RPG section! You know nothing's going to be the same after this. Hildur becomes absorbed into the RPG gaming aspects as she tries to learn more about the genre. She starts becoming more assertive, she knows herself better. It can only go uphill from here. Until her weird boyfriend makes a jail break …. with 10 other people! 

What's not to like about this movie? It references a number of geek culture bit and these bits will have its niche audience chuckling. That's what makes the movie so likable. The movie makers are not making a half-hearted, brush-the-surface type of nod to geek culture (new Trek movie, anyone). Rather, the guys behind it know their stuff and they bring up bits that folks in the niche will know and love. Think about the bit about Leroy Jenkins. And I am sure someone called himself Rincewind during one of the RPG sessions. Who else would ever refer to that in a modern English language movie?

I also loved the character development in the movie. Everyone had their own little quirks which made them stand out and be recognizable as real people. Hildur may not have been a hardcore geek at the beginning but she had her own ideas about how girls should be viewed. She had quite an imagination and this came up whenever she read her romance novels. The guys in the video section of the store could be so focused on proper cinematic effects that he has no inkling how to handle certain social situations.

The way they told bits of the story also made the movie interesting. Thus, whenever they played their D&D gane, the background changes from their dingy room to the scenario described by the dungeon master. Hildur's personality changes as she becomes more involved in the game and this in itself is fun to see; she starts out as indecisive, in a 'Alright, let's do what you think is right' sort of manner. Later on, she starts handling entire hordes of enemies on her own, leaving the other rather impressed with her spirit and enthusiasm. My personal favorite was towards the end when they had a big confrontation with the jailbirds. It turned into the RPG format, with Hildur's friends garbed in their usual gaming attire. The background transformed into a dark cave (LoTR style) and the big boss fight happened right in the middle of that cave. While we were quite taken in with that bit, a part of us was wondering how these were actually fending off the bad guys. Definitely a must watch!

Funny Chinese Animated News


A friend pointed out this Chinese animated news story about the whole Conan/Leno kerfuffle. Can I just say that this was one of the best summaries of the event I have seen so far, not to mention really entertaining? Looks like they add animated updates about a number of news events, most of which, I must admit, are local news presented in Chinese.

Conan and Leno Fight


First up, there is the Conan/Leno summary. Like I said earlier, these guys presented an animated version of the whole mess. I thought they did a good job in this regard. And you have to love how they poked fun at the network mindset, the sort of thinking that lead to this mess in the first place. By the way, what's with the superhero costumes or rather, what's with the getup Leno ended up with? Is this a hint that someone should retire? Watch out for the bit where Letterman comes running up with the chair, bit of Ricki Lake moment there.

The Tiger Woods Affair


Of course this would make it to everyone's news radar. It was the news of the week/month for a while, wasn't it? This story had so many melodramatic elements to it that you just had to read out the details. There was no need for dramatic enactment as such, or so I thought. Check out the way these guys have presented the Tiger Woods fiasco.

The animated bits start around 0:35. Watch for that hilarious clubbing scene; it's one of those moments when folks creating it put a bit of thought into how it would have looked, with eyes meeting across dance floor and all that. The funniest bit by far was 0:53. It's about Woods continuing his affair despite having kids. Nice touch there, showing him holding a kid whilst calling her. Sort of drives the message home, doesn't it?

Another Update about Woods


Alright, so they have already talked about Woods but this is an update worth checking out. It's about Woods allegedly paying off his lovers so they don't blab to the press. Or something along those lines. I was just amused at the way certain aspects were presented. For instance, wait for 0:30. Whatever it was that Woods told her in that moment, that strange cuddle pose makes you giggle, doesn't it? I love the fact that they put in a bit of effort and got different facial expression for various moment. Check out 1:29 where they portray the family dispute about mom's mansion.

Tragic Local Story


Warning, bit of graphic violence is shown in this one. Their animations were fascinating to watch (this is worse than LOLcats) and so I got around to watching their local news stories. This one freaked me out quite a bit. This one was not in English and it didn't have any subtitles either. That certainly didn't take away from the story; in fact, you can guess what happened just by watching the video. Er, how horrid is the series of events depicted in this one? I should warn you, the acts of violence shown in this was disconcerting to watch. Did the guy bash up his mom using a pot plant? I am glad he is going to jail for this crime. At least she seemed alright in the end.

 

Huggable Henchmen


You know what's interesting about anime and manga that detail diabolical plans for world domination and what not? Lovable henchmen, that's what. Show me a story that has an evil genius hellbent on taking over the world and, more often than not, he will have a charismatic minion who distracts most of us from the rest of the story. Or worse, have us rooting for him throughout the tale. Of course, creating likable henchman is not an easy task; many have epic fails when overtaking such a venture. Well, let's check out those that make it to this list.

 

Cifer Ulquiorra


Remember him from Bleach? He is Aizen's trusted henchman who does his bidding. Alright, so it's his heartless demeanor that really wins folks over. And let's not forget his fancy footwork in battle. Unlike Aizen's other minions who would bicker and sometimes disobey him for their own needs, Ulquiorra would remain loyal to the end. Incidentally, I have not seen the last few episodes so it would be funny if Ulquiorra decided to stab his boss in the back. Not entirely unexpected; with his smarts, Ulquiorra should be a boss with minions, not a pleb!

Grell Sutcliff


Talk about a minion with personality! Grell was a blink-and-you-miss sort of character at first. She was Madam Red's butler in Kuroshitsuji who was clumsy and exceptionally useless. Until you find out that Grell is certifiably creepy and is the type to peer through a window and watch you sleeping. Well, watch Sebastian sleep, take a bath and maybe have his children one day. The best bit? When Grell brandishes that chainsaw and starts wreaking havoc all over the place.

Ryuk


Come on, who wouldn't want a fantastic looking minion like this? Alright, so no one really wants a creature with such creepy powers. But let's say henchmen simply looked like Ryuk (L's shinigami friend from Death Note). Surely mafia bosses would have it easy if all their subordinates looked this menacing and had his jagged smile? What is most lovable about Ryuk is his distinct personality. He is more calculating than you expect. Plus, he is also curious about humans and the way they behavior which makes his interesting, in a freaky 'mad scientist who is an observer' way.

Legato Bluesummers


If you want something done right, give it to Ryuk. If you want something done in style, preferably whilst causing a lot of pain, give it to Grell. However, if you simply want revenge and thus, really wanted a cold-hearted minion who conjured up his own methods of achieving a goal, then Legato's your man. In case you are wondering, Legato is a character from Trigun. He is in fact the cruel left-hand man (that's a bit of inside joke given that he has someone else's arm) of the main bad guy, Knives. Legato's main purpose is to drive the main protagonist over the edge and force him to break his promises to others. How evil and underhanded is that?

Isaak Fernand von Kämpfer


This was a tough one. Does he really count as a henchman? Well, given that he does answer to Cain, he wasn't exactly his own boss, was he? Isaak, the ingenious inventor from Trinity Blood, is the brains behind a lot of schemes. Admittedly, fans mostly love his various battle tactics (shield, bolt blasts, summoning capabilities, the list goes on!). But it is his conniving mind that makes him really stand out. If you think about it, he must be super sneaky, especially with a horrid boss like Cain.

 

The Suggestive Saddle Machine?


Can I just say this now … I hope never to see anyone try this in a public place. So far I have been lucky, unlike this poor bloke. Yea, if I were him in that situation, I would be traumatized too.

The topic in question is a saddle-like exercise gear. You know, you get this machine which has a saddle that moves (shakes? Gyrates? Grinds?) under you. As if that was not bad enough, turns out, you can set it to different speeds. Ooooh, this is just as bad as that jerky-hand-motion dumbell!

Well, I found the Japanese ad for this weird product. Actually, it might be the Japanese version of it as opposed to it being the one made by the same company. It doesn't really matter as they are both really really bad. I mean, doesn't everyone 'exercising' on this look like it should be a scene from Coyote Ugly (well, whatever was originally on the audition tape anyway)?

And if you think that short-wearing guy and skinny demo woman were bad, wait until you get past 1:16. Sure, the lady in the magenta sweater looks perfectly innocent and then she pulls her bedroom face on everyone. Was she trying to look surprised? Or did something else just happen there? And tell me, why is the guy in the bit after Ecstatic Magenta Woman watching a video about horses? I am so glad folks will be trying this out in the privacy of their own homes. I hope the curtains are drawn for this one.

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