Entertainment
State Farm Grantin’ Wishes with Weezer Contest
Who doesn’t love Weezer? Nobody, that’s who. Weezer appeals to everyone, from the old folks who remember buying that first blue CD to the young’uns who discovered the band’s mp3’s on iTunes. Weezer crosses eras and taste camps. And they also put on a damn good live show.
Well Weezer’s got a new set of concert tour dates on tap, and if you want to enter to win a one-of-a-kind experience with the band, check out the pretty sweet contest on the State Farm Facebook page. The Grantin’ Wishes with Weezer Contest asks the question, “If you could have one wish granted by State Farm & Weezer, what would it be?” Now that’s a pretty open question that can go in lots of different directions. So fans are encouraged to record and upload a video or write-in their wish on the State Farm Facebook page. Facebook visitors can also view a video of Rivers Cuomo and Patrick WIlson introducing the contest on the State Farm page. You can also enter the conest at the State Farm/Weezer booths available at Weezer’s NYC concert venues.
When all is said and done, four winners will get to attend the band’s final concert of the Weezer Memories Tour Driven by State Farm in Chicago and have their wish granted. The winners will be flown out on January 7-8. If you have a unique idea or creative wish in mind, write it down, film it and head to Facebook to get that wish entered. The contest runs till December 24, so get on it.
Dec 10th
TRON: Evolution Video Game Now In Stores
I’m pretty stoked about the upcoming December 17 release of TRON: Legacy, the sequel to the hugely popular computer-graphics-packed sci-fi classic from 1982. The new 3D film has received plenty of buzz, with viral sites, teaser screenings and theme park tie-ins drumming up the anticipation for the release. If you want to immerse yourself in the TRON experience before the film comes out in eight days, there’s good news. TRON: Evolution, a video game that features Grid favorites like light cycles, light tanks, recognizers and light disc combat, is now out in stores.
TRON: Evolution is a third-person action game that incorporates racing and RPG elements. More than just a video game tie-in, TRON: Evolution was designed to bridge the gap between the two feature films. In the game, you control Anon, a security program who must defend the TRON digital world from a computer virus named Abraxas. As you play the game, you’ll experience part of the backstory that leads in to the Tron: Legacy film. Propaganda Games developed the game in conjunction with the filmmakers.
If you want to learn more about the backstory of Oliva Wilde’s character Quorra, jam out to some digital tracks from Daft Punk or battle online in a multiplayer mode with up to 10 players in various light tank, light cycle and on-foot combat exercises, this is a game that you need to pick up.
We’ll be receiving a copy of the game to review, so we’ll get back to you on the actual gameplay after we’ve had a chance to test it out. Till then, enjoy this clip to get sense of what TRON: Evolution is all about:
Dec 8th
Top 5 Leslie Nielsen Films
Master spoof specialist Leslie Nielsen passed away on Sunday at the age of 84. Nielsen’s acting career spanned six decades. In 239 film and TV roles since 1950, he was embraced as a lead man, a serious actor and a dead-pan comedian who perfected the art of being oblivious to the shenanigans that surrounded his characters. To honor this legend, we came up with a list of the top 5 Leslie Nielsen films. It’s certainly not an exhaustive list (it leaves out all of his TV work), but it’s how we remember the guy. Feel free to share your favorite Nielsen moments in the comments.
Spy Hard
Spy Hard was the last great comedy that Nielsen made. The spoofs in his later career got a little bit out of hand, but Spy Hard was vintage Nielsen. His character’s name is Dick Steele (Agent WD-40) and he runs around with Nicolette Sheridan while battling an evil Andy Griffith. There’s just too many laughable moments in this 1996 flick to not have it on the list.
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear
I watched this movie so many times growing up. The third Naked Gun movie was subpar, but 2½ was right up there with the original film and TV series. The second film brought in the most cash, too. The first Naked Gun grossed $78 million, the second film grossed $86 million and the third film brought in $51 million. Priscilla Presley was still hot in this one too.
Forbidden Planet
Oh yes, that is a young Leslie Nielsen in this sci-fi classic from 1956. If you haven’t seen this film, you should really check it out. It’s got Robby the Robot, a sweet electronic music soundtrack, amazing (for the time) special effects and a 30-year-old Leslie Nielsen as Commander John J. Adams. Forbidden Planet made a huge impact on Gene Roddenberry, who said that the film served as inspiration for his creation of the Star Trek universe.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
The original film, based on the TV series, is still the best. You had O.J. Simpson as Nodberg, Ricardo Montalban as Vincent Ludwig, Reggie Jackson trying to kill the queen and that awesome baseball scene. Nielsen will forever be remembered as Lt. Frank Drebin, and that’s not such a bad thing. That character can get laughs in any era.
Airplane!
This is by far Nielsen’s best role. It was Nielsen’s first attempt at comedy, and he created his ’super-serious in the face of all kinds of ridiculousness’ style that would serve as his calling card for 30 years.
Rest in peace, Leslie. You will be missed.
Nov 29th
Jo Newman Interview
A graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Jo Newman is a gorgeous, up-and-coming actress who’s about to make her big screen debut in the upcoming film Love and Other Drugs, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway. Newman has made numerous TV appearances including spots on Gossip Girl, The Sopranos and Law and Order: SUV. I had the chance to speak with Jo about her acting background, TV experiences and her excitement over the November 24th release of her first feature film.
CS: So where are you from originally?
JN: I was born in a little hippie town in western Massachusetts and then I was in New York for 8 years and I moved out here in January.
CS: So in your hippie town did you grow up a Patriots fan?
JN: I somehow along the way became an Eagles fan (laughs)
CS: An Eagles fan from Massachusettes? Wait a minute.
JN: Eagles fan.
CS: So you said you just came out in January, how does the West Coast compare to the East Coast?
JN: Well, obviously the weather is fantastic
CS: Right, no complaints here.
JN: It seems like this is absolutely where the concentration of the industry is. You know it was a much more eclectic mix of people in New York. I’m really happy to be here. I feel really motivated. I feel good and encouraged and it feels good. And I just love riding around in a convertible in January.
CS: (laughs) Yeah, that’s awesome. So did you get into modeling before you started doing acting?
JN: No, I moved to New York when I was 17 and I went to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy which is an acting conservatory. I decided I wanted a much deeper and more thorough education and I got into Tisch at NYU. So I studied Meisner for two years, Shakespeare, Viewpoints with Mary Overly and then I did some television school for the last two years I was there and really got into it. Then my first job after NYU, I think I graduated and a month later I got a spot on The Sopranos. Things were rocking and rolling in New York. I figured after I cast this move, I did some very cool modeling campaigns and then I got a great spot on Law & Order and I figured “okay, time to try L.A.”
CS: So was it totally awesome being on The Sopranos?
JN: Oh my god, it was so much fun. I was a month out of college, I’m on set and I had a scene where they killed my boyfriend. So I’m wearing this J.Lo type dress – it’s down to my bellybutton – I’m 21 years old and I’m being splattered with blood on everything.
CS: (laughs)
JN: I could not have had a better time, it was awesome.
CS: So how many takes did you have to get splattered?
JN: A lot. I mean, a lot a lot. I mean those guys were perfectionists. It felt like being on a movie set. I think that was one of the reasons that it took so long to get the seasons out there, because it just took them a long time to shoot it. I probably got blood splattered on me like 25 times.
CS: Oh wow.
JN: And there’s a guy under the table with a little blood apparatus.
CS: (laughs)
JN: Yea, I had to keep my legs crossed during that scene.
CS: Oh geez.
JN: (laughs)
CS: So what was your role on Law & Order?
JN: On Law & Order I got – it was on SVU.
CS: Okay.
JN: I played a girl who works in a copying – like a Kinko’s – shop and she was the last person to see the victim alive. She was a super ditz, and I had hot pink underwear sticking out of my jeans.
CS: (laughs)
JN: And I got interrogated by Chris Meloni. It was a blast!
CS: Oh nice. So is that guy really intense or what?
JN: He turns it on for the camera and in between takes he’s showing me pictures of his kids on his iPhone. He’s a good actor you know he just … I don’t know if it’s because we all know him as a detective but he’s just shifts into the role so seamlessly. It’s a good acting study for a young person.
Nov 18th
10 Reasons Why Leonard Nimoy Is More Interesting Than You Thought
Leonard Nimoy is an interesting dude. The world knows him as Spock, but the guy’s about so much more than pointy ears, living long and prospering. Over the years, Nimoy has wrestled with his status as a pop culture icon. He wrote an autobiography in 1977 called I Am Not Spock and followed that up with another autobiography in 1995 titled I Am Spock. Whenever you see Nimoy, it’s hard not to associate the man with the character he made famous. That said, there’s a ton of randomly fascinating things about the guy that you probably didn’t know. Here are 10 reasons (in no particular order, except for No.1) why Leonard Nimoy is more interesting than you thought:
10. Pet Shop Boy
In 1970, after Star Trek was cancelled, Nimoy opened up an exotic pet shop. Imagine shopping for some tropical fish and running into Spock behind the counter. You’d probably freak out a lil’ bit.
9. Twilight Zone
Nimoy appeared opposite Dean Stockwell (of future Quantum Leap fame) in “A Quality of Mercy,” the 80th episode of the Twilight Zone. The episode originally aired in 1961 (five years before Star Trek). This episode from the third season of the TV series was later adapted into the first portion of Twilight Zone: The Movie, the feature film that was released in 1983.
8. A Poet and a Scholar
Nimoy speaks fluent Hebrew and Yiddish. He has a Master’s Degree in Education and he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Antioch University for his efforts in Holocaust Remembrance. He published his first book of poetry, “You and I” in the 1977, and has published several more volumes of poetry over the years. He also dabbled in some playwriting and hosted the awesomely educational program In Search Of… from 1976 to 1982. The dude’s smart.
7. Nimoy the Musician
Nimoy knows music too. The guy recorded five albums for Dot Records. Here’s a look at his discography:
- Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock’s Music From Outer Space
- Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy
- The Way I Feel
- The Touch of Leonard Nimoy
- The New World of Leonard Nimoy
The video up top is for the “Ballad of Bilbo Baggins.” Nimoy also covered “Proud Mary” (seriously), did a super slow-head rendition of Bobby Hebb’s “Sunny,” and put out some seriously spacey-loungey tripout tracks like “Music to Watch Space Girls By.” (Click that link, you won’t be sorry).
6. Music Video Director
I don’t know how this pairing got started, but Nimoy hooked up with The Bangles and directed (and appeared) in the music video for the song “Going Down to Liverpool.” Check it out.
5. Voice of Galvatron in The Transformers: The Movie
The original Transformers movie was the best. Sure, Michael Bay and Megan Fox can put on a good show, but the original cartoon movie had a kickass 1986-flavored soundtrack from Stan Bush. The Touch wasn’t the only highlight though. The film also featured some heavy-hitting voice acting from Robert Stack, Orson Welles and Leonard Nimoy, who put his voice behind Galvatron, leader of the Decepticons.
4. Married to Director Michael Bay’s Cousin
Speaking of Michael Bay, Nimoy’s been married to Bay’s cousin, Susan Bay, since 1988.
3. Accomplished Photographer
Leonard Nimoy studied photography under Robert Heineken at UCLA in the 70s. His work was recently on display at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, and according to R. Michelson Galleries, Nimoy’s work can be seen at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, The Judah L. Magnes Museum, The LA County Museum of Art, the Jewish Museum of NY, The New Orleans Museum of Fine Art and The Hammer Museum. Dude also received an “artist in residence” appointment from the American Academy in Rome. Check out his galleries to see for yourself.
2. Donated $1 Million to Help Renovate the Griffith Park Observatory
Nimoy, along with his wife Susan, donated $1 million dollars to the renovation effort of the Griffith Park Observatory in Los Angeles. Nimoy now has a theater at the observatory named after him, the Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater. He narrates a documentary that can be seen at the theater called The Once and Future Griffith Observatory.
1. Directed the 1987 hit film Three Men and a Baby
Nimoy has directed five feature films including two Star Trek films – Star Trek III: The Search of Spock in 1984 and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home in 1986. He also directed the highest grossing film of 1987, Three Men and a Baby. If you haven’t seen this timeless Selleck-Gutenberg-Danson classic lately, you’re missing out. Back in ’87, it was totally acceptable for a woman to leave her baby on the doorstep of an apartment shared by three straight dudes who love short shorts. Things were different then. You’d have to watch this time capsule buddy flick to really understand the era.
So there you go. Nimoy’s an accomplished actor, scholar, poet, photographer, musician, director and exotic pet shop owner. He’s philanthropic, down with Transformers and he’s responsible for Three Men and a Baby. That’s a pretty sick set of accomplishments. Add on the whole Spock thing, and you got yourself a legend.
Nov 15th
Weekend Linkin’
The 25 hottest modern pin-up girls (BroBible)
The 50 greatest college football players that never won a Heisman Trophy (Bleacher Report)
Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show 2010 (Mankind Unplugged)
Top 5 most uncomfortable questions asked on a date and how to answer them (Leftos Blog)
The 20 hottest photos of Mila Kunis (HEAVY)
12 mind-blowing landscapes made entirely of food (The Bachelor Guy)
Olivia Wilde gets all wet for Vanity Fair (Guyism)
Top 10 Leonardo DiCaprio movies (Perez Solomon)
25 hilarious cheerleader fail videos (HolyTaco)
Nov 12th
Denzel Washington’s Wife Gets Crushed After Her Son Scores TD in the UFL
Denzel Washington’s son, John David Washington, is trying to make it back to the NFL. He was originally picked up by the Rams as an undrafted free agent. Now he plays running back for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League.
On a recent touchdown run, John David’s mom was running down the sideline cheering her son on. That’s when she got flattened by a UFL linebacker. Here’s video of Denzel talking about his wife getting rushed on Letterman:
Nov 10th
Top 11 NES Games of All Time
The Nintendo Entertainment System first launched in Japan in 1983. By 1985, the NES made its way to North America, Australia and Europe. There were 798 video game titles produced for the greatest selling video game console in history, but only 11 classic NES games could make this all time list.
11. Super Mario Bros
What can you say about the bros that hasn’t already been said? These iconic Italian-Americans introduced an entire generation to a mushroom-filled world of turtle-shelled wonderment. The first Super Mario Bros. game was a revolution in home entertainment. If you ever owned or knew someone who owned an NES, you put some serious hours into that game. The sequel was a bit silly, a little too easy and featured way too many vegetables for my taste. But you still got to love the slot machine extra life action. That was incredible. Super Mario 3 is widely considered one of the top NES games of all time, and with good reason. Flying ships, frog suits, warp whistles and raccoon tails? It doesn’t get much better than that. We lumped all the Mario action into one entry, but each game could hold its own on this list.
10. Ninja Gaiden
What a sick intro this game had. It was challenging as hell too. It’s not easy being Ryu Hayabusa and being tasked with the job of taking the Dragon sword of the Hayabusa family to the American archaeologist Walter Smith. This game had eye-catching cinematic flair and a strong sense for the dramatic. Plus, you got to flip-jump all around town while taking people out with your mad ninja skills. Classic.
9. Blades of Steel
If you’re an American, and you like hockey, chances are Blades of Steel had something to do with it. This game had it all: the shiny metallic intro, the face-offs, the explosive crowd noise and squelching broom sounds of the skates. And who can forget the fights? This game would be nothing without the brawls. You were just one play on the ice away from throwing off your gloves and mixing it up with your brightly colored opponent.
8. NARC
The year was 1989. Drugs were everywhere and kids were being told to Just Say No. Empty slogans could only do so much, though. There had to be a more effective way to hammer the message home. Enter NARC. This ultra-violent video game gave kids the chance to wear motorcycle helmets, ride around in a Porsche and shoot the shit out of homeless people and drugpin-types. Sure, busts and evidence seizures were encouraged, but mowing down junkies with a machine gun worked just as well. When you beat the game, you got paid in gold and received instructions to contact your local DEA recruiter. More importantly, you learned that the best way to solve the nation’s drug problem was to hit the streets and machine gun anything that moved.
7. The Legend of Zelda
Some NES-lovers might think this game should be ranked higher, but it is what it is. Don’t get me wrong, it was cool trying to collect a bunch of random stuff like swords, shields, rubies, candles, keys, rings and whatever the hell the triforce thing was. But I don’t know, it got a little old after awhile. This game just doesn’t have the same staying power as other classics on the list. But if you sound anything like the guy in this video, you probably can’t get enough of those Leevers, Tektikes and Octorocs:
6. Top Gun
Remaking Top Gun the movie is a terrible, terrible idea, but playing Top Gun on NES is always a good call. Sure, you never had enough missiles and landing on the aircraft carrier was never really that fun, but you know what? War’s not supposed to be fun, pilot. Check your altitude and speed when you come at me with that shit. And keep your eye on that radar while you’re at it. Goose is dead and you need to refuel that bird and complete your mission, son. So put on your aviators, grab that Kenny Loggins cassette and go take down some MiGs. Beach volleyball with the boys can wait.
5. Tecmo Bowl
Long before Madden, there was the elegant simplicity of Tecmo Bowl. Two teams, four plays and one sick high-five sequence after you scored a touchdown. The game had Joe Montana, Walter Payton, Bo Jackson, Jerry Rice, Ronnie Lott and Lawrence Taylor. It had the music, the crowds, all that on-screen flashing and a guy who seemed to say “face down” before every play. Madden’s great and all, but if you haven’t played Tecmo in awhile, you’re missing out on a fun time.
4. Super Dodgeball
Damn right, top 5. This game doesn’t get enough credit for being absolutely awesome. I mean it had all these Cold War undertones, hilarious cultural stereotypes, secret moves and some intense gameplay. You could battle your buddies in head-to-head action, take the US squad through a series of international World Cup matches to get to the evil Soviet team or opt for a simple game of free-for-all bean ball for some good ole fashion ball-to-the-face fun at the park. Quick tip: when you’re setting your lineup, just remember that Randy is one of the more underrated stars of the US team. Roll with Sam, Mike and Randy and you can crush anyone.
3. Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out
This game still holds up today. You got Little Mac taking on a bunch of freaks from around the world leading up to an impossible death match against a 21-year old boxer from Catskill, NY named Mike Tyson. Seriously, that Tyson guy was tough to beat. Glass Joe, Von Kaiser, Piston Honda, Don Flamenco, King Hippo, Great Tiger, Bald Bull, Soda Popinski, Mr. Sandman and Super Macho Man were all chumps compared to the unbeatable Iron Mike. But when you did take Mike down, man did it feel good.
2. Double Dragon
This game taught me that it’s okay to throw barrels at people, provided they disrespect your woman on the streets. Oh, and it’s cool to punch girls as long as they’re packing a whip. It doesn’t matter how old you were in 1988, when you heard that sweet, sweet Double Dragon music, you knew shit was about to go down. That 8-bit “Ba-nana-nana-na, Da nana-nana-na” tune still makes me want to grab a silver bat and beat the snot out of that invisible guy who hangs out by the fence. You know who I’m talking ‘bout.
1. Contra
Contra taught me everything I needed to know about modern warfare. I learned about machine guns, lasers, circular fireball weapons and of course, the spread gun, which is arguably the most sophisticated piece of military technology that came out of the Iran-Contra affair. It really doesn’t matter if you’re wiping out Sandinistas or aliens, though. With up-up, down-down, left-right, left-right, B, A on your side, you always got 30 lives to get the job done, son.
11 Honorable Mentions:
- Teenage Mutant Nina Turtles
- Paperboy
- Excitebike
- Shadowgate
- River City Ransom
- Metal Gear
- Bionic Commando
- Castlevania 2
- Metroid
- Mega Man 2
- Marble Madness
Nov 8th
Drunk Talk Is Back
Last July, we told you about a fun play at the Dragonfly in Hollywood called Drunk Talk. The play takes place in a bar called McSwiggins, and the theater is set up so that the audience feels like they’re sitting in an actual bar watching everything unfold. The viewers become a part of the action. Actors interact with audience tables. Everyone in the place raises their glasses for a toast whenever the name of the bar is mentioned. There’s even a group shot that gets passed out to everyone in attendance. It’s a clever concept, a good story and plenty of laughs all around.
Starting November 7, Drunk Talk is back. Tickets are cheap – $15 at Brown Paper Tickets. If you want to have some weekend fun, don’t go see a lame movie. Make your way to Hollywood and enjoy the McSwiggins experience.
Nov 5th
