Star Wars Musical Instruments From England

Okay, so the Eigenharp Alpha isn't actually from Star Wars, but you can definitely see the similarities between it and an instrument or two from Figrin D'an and the Modal Nodes. I stumbled across the video below of three dudes playing these things on YouTube and think I've found a brand new musical obsession. According to the EigenLabs website, the version on the left here is called the Eigenharp Alpha and has, well, I'll just copy their own description:

"Available in a variety of finishes, it has 120 highly sensitive keys, 12 percussion keys, 2 strip controllers, a breath pipe and numerous pedal inputs. This gives almost endless possibilities for flexible keyboard layouts, fast instrument switching and expressive musical control. The comprehensive software system provides a wealth of musical performance features, including playback of its own native instruments, many common software plugins, soundfonts or midi instruments."

Pretty cool, no? I've been fascinated by electronic music ever since I heard the crazy mixes of Fatboy Slim back in the day. Since then I've been wanting to pick up a drum machine and some kind of turntables (I've recently been looking for MP3 versions, but more for funsies than as a serious buyer). This thing looks like it would be the perfect instrument for someone trying to get their feet wet. I also like how, since it's so brand new, there probably aren't as many rules you're supposed to follow when it comes to playing it.

The only problem so far is that it runs over $6,000. Compared to a really nice guitar, that's not too bad, but I bet a lot of people might shy away from that because it's a brand new instrument.

In the good news department, there is a smaller version called the Eigenharp Pico which boasts "18 playing keys and 4 mode keys, a strip controller and breath pipe, the smaller Pico has the majority of the playing features of the Eigenharp Alpha." This one translates to a little under $600 by my calculations (and by mine, I mean Google's).

Of course, considering the fact that I'm mostly unemployed and trying my hand at this freelance writer thing, I won't be purchasing an Eigenharp for myself, but if you faithful readers wanted to band together and order me one for Christmans (or if Eigenharp wants a review) I'd be more than happy to accept this generous gift. Oh and perform at your parties. I'm sure I'll pick it up pretty quickly.

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10 Awesome Rube Goldberg Devices

After checking out that Hema website earlier today it got me thinking about how much I used to love Rube Goldberg contraptions. I can't remember exactly where my history with them started, but I feel like Nickelodeon or one of the other channels with kids programming used to animated some of his designs. I also remember checking a book of said designs out from the library. It's been a while since I've even thought about them, but once I did I started scoping YouTube out for videos and came across these 10 awesome ones. Oh and for the record, I tried finding the one from Back To The Future, but it wasn't on YouTube or DailyMotion, so don't give me any trouble for missing it you damn kids! Anyway, hit the jump for the list of videos.

THE SESAME STREET ANIMATED ALPHABET
Sure it's a cartoon and you only need to watch the first half of it, but it's a fun watch and just might be the first place I experienced Goldberg's highly complicated ways of solving simple problems.

THE GUITAR STRUMMER
This one doesn't quite work, but I like the idea of using one of these contraptions for both turning an amp on and strumming a guitar.

FUN WITH BILLIARDS AND DOMINOES
Those trick shot competitions are pretty entertaining, but this guy uses a series of dominoes and pool balls to sink three tables' worth of balls. Just the idea of setting something like this up hurts my head.

POURING A BEER AS NEVER BEEN MORE COMPLICATED
This guy walks you through the whole process ahead of time before doing the actual run at around the 2:10 mark. You've got to admire the dedication it takes to building something like this throughout your house.

THE ONE FROM WAITING
As I've mentioned before, I'm a big fan of the movie Waiting and saw this at the end of the credits (or is it a DVD special feature?). Anyway, it's a quick one, but fun plus it is another highly complicated way to pour a beer.

SEVERAL JAPANESE GOLDBERGS
I haven no idea what the writing in these means, but they sure are cool. I especially like that one where the parts move from one place to another to help solve the circuit. Very cool.

FIRE IS COOL
This one makes the list solely because it involved fire and lots of it. I can't say I understand the point of it (I think it gets cut off at the end), but, like, it has a TON of fire.

DIGITAL NINTENDO RUN THROUGH
I skipped over most of the digital versions I saw out there, but this one features more nods to original NES games than a Mario bobblehead.

A VERY MYTHBUSTERS CHRISTMAS
The Mythbusters put this one together for the fans using a few myths they proved like the Mentos and Diet Coke one plus a ton of other stuff they had lying around the lab. Great stuff.

"BEST RUBE GOLDBERG EVER"
I'm not sure if I agree with the name bestowed this one, but it is amazing how huge it is. It doesn't really serve a purpose other than opening a curtain and hyping the guys that made it, but it still puts a lot of the other ones I found to shame. Well done fellas.

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New Marvel What The?! Rags On Twilight, Makes Me Laugh

My buddies who work on the Marvel Super Heroes What The--?! banged out another hit today over on Marvel.com with this Twilight parody using the Marvel Legends Monsters box set from a few years back. Well done sirs! If you don't laugh at Dracula's line "These kids today with their emo vampires and too-tight trousers" you're out of your mind.

I can't say I have a personal problem with Twilight because it hasn't affected me in any kind of personal way. I can only say that the chaste vampire craze is a bit weird, that's not how Sita, the star of Christopher Pike's book series The Last Vampire rolled.


Just saying.

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Taylor Swift Did A Pretty Great Job Hosting SNL

I didn't necessarily get the cold open because I don't follow politics, actually that sketch is how I found out who won the damned race for New Jersey of which I was inundated with stupid political ads. Anyway, from there it was pretty good including Swift's songologue and just the right amount of Kayne jokes. The highlight had to be this Twilight parody called Firelight starring Frankensteins.



We were also treated to two of my favorite recurring characters form this cast, Kristen Wiig's Penelope and Keenan Thompson's prisoner from Scared Straight.





Overall, I had a lot of fun with the episode, Weekend Update had me laughing pretty hard at this Sarah McLachlan bit that makes fun of those ridiculously sad dog commercials she does. If you've seen them, you know what I mean.



One thing I was a bit surprised by was how much Andy Samberg was in this episode. It seemed like he had taken a bit of a back seat lately, but he was in nearly every skit it seemed like, which is always good.

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The Expendables Trailer Is Awesome

I was pretty bummed out last week when I heard that the trailer for The Expendables had been leaked and taken down in the matter of a night. I'm not sure if this is still a leaked version or if it's official (let's hope official), but it looks like this movie will be everything I hoped it would be.

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So...THIS Happened

Naughty By Nature performed at the Big Apple Con. Lots of people were on stage. Hi-larious.

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Freddy Krueger & Hulk Together 4 Ever

Hey, wanna watch something really freaking weird? This video comes to the logical conclusion that Freddy Krueger and the Hulk are absolutely perfect for each other and sees them meeting, dating and hanging from clothesline. And hey, that's not the weirdest aspect of the whole thing. Just as Hulk and Freddy sit down to watch Freddy vs. Jason, Robocop bursts in with an intent to blast them, which ends when a bowl of popcorn lands on his head. And the only logical conclusion? Action figure dance party! It's like a much tamer version of Topless Robot's Fan Fiction Friday. Just watch the thing.

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Hey Kid, Your Mom Hated You

One of the things that worries me about this world of online tell-alls is that people divulge too much information. I believe that some things should remain private and worry about kids growing up now who have their entire lives on Facebook, Twitter and Blogspot archives. Well, apparently this isn't just a problem for young people. Has anyone else seen this HSBC Soap Box commercial? The second person who gets up (starting at 5 seconds and going to 10) says "I didn't want to be a mom. It took me three months to love him. I can't imagine my life without him." That's some cold shit right? Why would ever say that? I mean out loud. Ever. Not just to a commercial camera crew. Which she did. Your kid WILL see that. Especially if he somehow becomes such a UnitedMonkee fan that he's driven to read all my archives. Sometimes those things we think inside our heads should stay in there.

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Are The New Snuggie Commercials Worse Than The Old One?

The short answer is yes. Not only can you now get your Snuggie in leopard and zebra print, but now your dog can get one too. That's right, your fur-covered dog can now get his or her own blanket with sleeves. You know, four of them. I've seen this commercial a few times and, while trying to find it on YouTube, stumbled across ever more.

Here's the one I keep seeing, notice the booty bump, roof raising and old man without a Snuggie at the football game. All he has is a stupid jacket, HA!:

Here's the one that asks what we've all been asking "When will you make designer Snuggies?" The answer is now.

This one specifically targets people who want their pets to look like assholes too:

And here's another fantastic voice over parody:

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Superheroes And Sluts Dance To Thriller

Just saw this on TV and thought it was pretty funny. You've got everyone from girl Robin to Captain America and Harry Potter to Jack Sparrow. I'm sure MJ was thinking of this as his legacy.

EDIT: So, apparently the video I copied from the Party City website just plays automatically. I've seen what can happen to a website that automatically plays pointless videos in the top right-hand corner, so just follow this link if you're still interested.

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Ice Pirates Is Crazy

I know I've been only half paying attention to a lot of movies lately. It's because I like to have something on in the background while I'm looking for jobs online or trying to scrounge of freelance. Also, I may or may not be addicted to my new laptop. Either way, it takes a lot for a movie to really hold my attention and while Ice Pirates (1984) may not have done it for the entire movie, there were some ridiculously funny parts that I've been able to find clips of on YouTube so you can share in the enjoyment. As you can probably tell from the poster, the movie is a Star Wars/sci-fi spoof that's a little more serious than Space Truckers and Star Slammer. They live in a universe where water is at a premium, hence the name "ice pirates." It also stars Robert Urich, Anjelica Huston, Bruce Vilanch, John Carradine and Ron Perlman.

First off, I present to you "space herpes."

This one may not be safe for work, but you can't go wrong with a robot 70s style pimp.

Admittedly, this is the end of the movie and a huge spoiler, but you're treated to time being sped up, which results in everyone getting super old and moving in sped up cuts thanks to a time bomb. It's pretty ridiculous in a good way.

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Lego Bionic Commando Video

Remember back in the old days when you would have a favorite game that you didn't own? You'd rent it every weekend your parents would allow or go over to your friend's house and play as much as you could. For me, one of those games was Bionic Commando. I just loved the grapple and gun shooting aspect of the game. Man that was fun back in the day. I haven't checked out the 3D-ified version or the brand new game, but I would definitely play the above Lego version. You know, if it was real. Maybe I should get some Legos and work on a project like this. (via Kotaku)

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New Nightmare On Elm Street Trailer

I just realized that I never really talked about the Friday the 13th remake on here. Well, it was the last horror movie I saw in the theaters (the first in over a year I think) and I dug it, which was great, because I didn't really like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake and hated the Halloween one. I'm long past being outraged over these kinds of remakes, I mean, you can always go back and watch your favorites again and we've all seen what happens when these franchises go on for too long and, if nothing else, maybe they'll keep our favorite horror icons in the consciousness enough to get kids to check out those old movies.

Anyway, with all that being said, today /Film linked to the new Nightmare On Elm Street trailer.

A Nightmare on Elm Street in HD


I'm no NOES expert--I haven't watched one of the flicks since my burgeoning days as a horror fan as it was one of the few series' that they had all the tapes of--but it seems like they used a fair amount of material from the first flick. I'm looking forward to a mix of both old and new, but hopefully not so much new that I already know all the beats. What I don't want is too much back story on Freddy, which is what the trailer starts off with. That's where the Halloween remake went wrong, so hopefully that's not where we're going this time around, but we shall see. Plus, getting Jackie Earle Haley to play Freddy was a stroke of genius, so that's at least some early points in the positive column. This trailer adds a few more, in my opinion.

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Casting Internets

After going to Wal-Mart to buy printer ink, which they didn't have, I figured I'd send you some excellent links that I found around the net so far today. By the way, why the hell is the Wal-Mart parking lot ALWAYS full? It was 11:30AM on a Friday and I could barely find a parking space.

My buddy Kiel tackles the Jack Kirby's-family-suing-Marvel case. I'm not quite sure I understand it, or how exactly I fall on this case (it's called "work for hire" for a reason and I don't want to see these characters ripped from there homes, but they should also be compensated fairly). Read and form your own opinions.

Check out Jim's Enemy of Peanuts to see a video interview he did with the Panels On Pages guys. Kinda makes me wish I would have made a slightly bigger splash on the Wizard message boards. Which is a roundabout way to say I will do an interview with anyone about anything. Holla atcha boy. Or whatever.

/Film got an exclusive look at Disney's poster for its first animated musical in years The Princess And The Frog. Good for them! I'm not a huge fan of the animated musicals, but Em is and I'm sure we'll be seeing this bad boy in the theatres. Plus, that's a rad poster.


Ben posted this picture of him, Rickey, Dave and I literally laughing in the face of danger. Em and I have a version of this picture where I don't look like a complete weirdo hanging in our hallway. Check out The Cool Kids Table for more pics.


And finally, Rob over at Topless Robot posted this video of the dude from the zombie game Dead Rising facing off against guys from Gatchaman and Power Rangers in the upcoming Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom game. Not sure what all those words mean, but you can THROW ZOMBIES AS A FIGHTING MOVE. So, it's gonna be pretty amazing.



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Boys Just Want To Have Fun

I can't decide if releasing video dating clips from the 80s or early 90s (or any time for that matter) is a huge violation of privacy or a hilarious look into people's lives with some clever editing. Right now, I'm leaning towards that latter, especially after seeing this video on Boner Party.

Dating Montage
Uploaded by smithy00101. - Arts and animation videos.

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This Whole WRT Thing Is Really Taking Off

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Casting Internets

I gathered most of these links last Friday, but got a bit lazy and haven't posted them till today. They're still worth a look, I think.

This one's from today and it's about Tarantino's movie universes. Apparently there's some linkage between Inglorious Basterds and the Tarantino-written True Romance. Very cool. And as I've said before (when I've incorrectly guessed the release date of the movie at least twice) I can't wait for this movie. (via /Film)

Please, please do yourself a favor and check out the best and worst nerdy pick-up lines the female readers of Topless Robot have heard
. They're amazingly hilarious and sometimes even sweet.


A week or two back, BC at Horror Movie A Day reviewed Sea Beast, which I watched and had nearly identical thoughts on. Instead of posting a similar review, I figured I'd just link to his.

Ben Morse has posted all of his ridiculously awesome Nova sketchbook here, here and here. Everyone's talking about how cool the Jim Lee one, which is totally true, but I think Ethan Van Sciver's (below) is my favorite.



According to DC's The Source blog, John Carpenter wrote the intro to Steve Niles and Kelley Jones' Gotham After Midnight trade. I talked about this crazy awesome horror comics here, but lost track of the rest of the issues and can't wait to read it in trade.

I never knew what it was called, but I've always loved the "cut/slide" moment in a movie (usually horror). It's the part where after someone gets sliced in some manner, their diced body part slowly slides down the line of the cut. Thanks to /Film for explaining and drawing my attention to this highly violent video.



Wired posted this awesome picture of an early concept model of the Apollo lander. I love this kind of stuff. I wonder if these dudes were heavily into sci-fi.



Here's another one from Wired.com's science pages, a group of Canadian mathematicians developed an equation for dealing with a zombie outbreak. As someone who has figured out the best place to hole up given several locations in my daily life (the Palisades Mall is number 1 if you can get it fortified, it even has an ice rink!), I can definitely appreciate these guys trying and succeeding to get credit for such geekery.

Finally, check out the "10 Horrible Paintings from Atari 2600 Game Box Art" list over at Topless Robot, as always, it's a hoot.
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Casting Internets (I like this title better, don't you?)

First off, everyone give thanks, Ben Morse is okay after his surgery. He also had the foresight to ask his fiance to take pictures, check 'em out. Get well soon playah.

How can you not be excited for Batman Arkham Asylum?



I don't think I'll ever get enough of artists drawing/painting/sculpting interpretations of pop culture figures. If I could draw or paint, this is pretty much all I would do. Check out Rivet's "We'll be Right Back..." show. Below are my three favorites, but they're all rad. Huge bonus points because they're located in Columbus, Ohio which is about 45 minutes from where I went to college (via The Autumn Society.)







Speaking of cool pop culture artists, check out Dennis J. Reinmüller's cover of Wolverine #104 over on Covered (my absolute favorite art blog).



Sam's completely right, Raquel Welch is super hot. She makes some good points about other stuff too, but man...that's a great pic.

And finally, my buddy Jesse Thompson over at Maxim.com
found this 1-900 horror commercial:


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Internet Casting

I haven't done one of these big link posts before, but I finally got caught up on all my Google Reader posts from the past week and heard some pretty rad news and saw some cool videos today and just wanted to share them with you, so enjoy!

I've been holding off on buying the Kill Bill DVDs for YEARS now. I freaking love those movies and they're the only Tarantino movies I love and haven't bought yet, because I've been hearing rumors of the Whole Bloody Affair version. Well, according to /Film, it's finally happening. Quentin just wanted to finish some additional animated sequences that he wrote to the O-Ren anime stuff. Can't say I really care about that, but I'm just looking forward to having this bad boy on my shelf finally, so I don't have to wait until TNT plays the two movies back-to-back. Also, Inglourious Basterds opens this weekend and I'm super psyched, regardless of my thoughts on Death Proof.

As you know, I love Kevin Smith and have been jonesing for a Smodcast (his podcast with Scott Mosier, usually) and finally got a new one this week. Listening to it told me three very interesting things. 1. Mosier and Jim Mahfood pitched a cartoon that got picked up for a pilot (or something). 2. Smith's latest film A Couple of Dicks (which will probably get renamed) will be finished filming soon. 3. Mosier's writing an action movie! Crazy. They also talk about the latest Harry Potter movie. I'd much rather hear them talk about it than actually watch it.

There's this group of artists in Philly called The Autumnal Society who are doing a show that opens soon (maybe today) focusing entirely on art based on video games. Check it out!

Last night I watched a portion of Discovery Channel's Raging Planet - Lightning in HD and it was freaking amazing. Em watched the one about tornados and also dug it, but I was busy updating my Sequential Swap page.

I haven't talked about Tony Jaa's Ong Bak or The Protector on UM, but I freaking love those movies, but Rob over at Topless Robot may just be right when he says that the girl in this movie called Raging Phoenix may top Jaa. It looks sick. Those Thai folks really know how to kick ass.



To break up the TR kudos, it's nice to see this fanboy get taken to the carpet for being a jerk to Rob Liefeld at a con by regular people along with pros like Cameron Stuart, Cully Hamner and Pia Guerra among others. Thanks to my buddy Seanfor the heads up.

And finally, this one's from last week. Again from Topless Robot, this is a video of Star Wars characters from the Disney Star Wars Weekend dancing (originally from College Humor). Rob didn't like it so much, but I laughed my ass off. There really is nothing like a Stormtrooper getting down.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Having just been to Disney World myself, this seems completely normal.

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MyTubes: Movies in One Minute & One Take

Hey Gang, the vacation was a lot of fun and I just found this post I originally wrote back in March but never posted for some reason. Hopefully I'll get back to posting new stuff tomorrow or the next day.

Here's another couple of videos I saw courtesy of /Film. According to their post, these videos were submitted to Empire Magazine's "Films in 1 Minute" contest by the University of York Filmmaking Society. Both the Forrest Gump and Kill Bill videos seem to be shot on a soccer field and run through the whole of the movie in one take and in one minute. Good stuff:

Forrest Gump:


Kill Bill (both flicks):

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