Bits & Bobs - 2nd Edition

Bits & Bobs collects some of the cool things around the interwebs that I think are noteworthy and worth your time but don't necessarily fill up a full blog post or news item. On with the show...

Awesome Flux Capacitor MacBook Decal from Etsy

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The people of etsy never fail to impress and come up big once again with this offering from Vinyl Smack: a flux capacitor from Doc Brown's famed DeLorean in Back to the Future. The decal sits over the Apple logo on your MacBook shell and utilizes the light to make the device appear like it's... fluxing. It's what makes time travel possible, and it's what makes you the super-cool geek who is the envy of all your friends the next time you bust out that laptop at a company meeting. Check out Vinyl Smack's shop on etsy for a video and to purchase one of your own. (Note: I'm pretty sure this doesn't mean that your MacBook will run off Mr. Fusion. Yet.)

Starlog Magazine Returns

I'm not sure how long it's been back, but one of the magazines that was responsible for so many of my insights into my favorite films throughout the 80s and 90s has made a resurgence. Starlog Magazine, which shuttered in April of 2009 appears to be back thanks to the magic of the internet. As of this past July it appears that a new Twitter feed as well as a web-based blog and article portal has popped back up feeding news items from around the web. The site also has interviews and reviews, plus an archival of some of the magazine's finest retro articles. As of now, it appears to be more akin to a SlashFilm or Collider rather than the in-depth source that it once was, but maybe it'll get back up to speed and mirror the glory days soon.

Nerdist Swag Shop Opens

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Chris Hardwick continues his domination of all things pop culture and geek as his website expands to now include a merch store with Nerdist logos galore. I've been waiting to pick up a t-shirt and his awesome but extremely nerdy (fittingly) convention jacket and immediately picked up both. But if you're a fan of the amazing Nerdist podcasts, the website, or Hardwick himself it's definitely worth heading to the store to check out the wares that are currently available. There's also a limited-edition "fall exclusive" t-shirt up that incorporates the familiar Nerdist logo into a pumpkin for you autumn junkies.

Classic SPT: From the Studio

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You mean, the studio that brought me The Rocketeer, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and Flubber too?

Another Classic Still Playing with Toys article from all the way back on December 9, 2003 (would you believe? Man, I'm getting old). This was around the time that I was working as a producer's assistant for Trevor Albert, hence the reference to Winn-Dixie being right around the corner from release. Enjoy!

We all know that Disney has its ups and its downs, and there are some that would have you believe that Disney was the devil trying to taint the minds of their children. I normally roll my eyes and say whatever... but they've started doing something now that is really bugging me. 

"From the studio..." 

For example, have you seen the most recent ads for Haunted Mansion? Note the title card that comes up, "From the studio that brought you Pirates of the Caribbean." Never mind the fact that nobody on the creative staff on Pirates was on Haunted Mansion- they're trying to reel you in by saying, hey this was a successful movie- you'll like our new one. I was willing to shrug it off once but they're up to it again. 

The new poster for Miracle (the movie about the US Hockey team winning the gold) hit our beloved movie theaters this week. Notice the tagline? 

"From the studio that brought you The Rookie and Remember the Titans" 

Are they nuts??? 

So I'm thinking when Because of Winn-Dixie comes out they should market it such: 

"From the studio that brought you 'Die Hard,' 'Star Wars,' 'X-Men,' 'Home Alone,' and 'Alien' " 

I mean seriously, if these are the games that Disney wants to play and people are actually going to fall for them, then why not? Nobody on the creative team of Winn-Dixie worked on any of those movies but hey, maybe it can be marketed like they did. The fact that they're marketing a movie with such a tagline is nuts, I mean what's next "From the people who saw Rocky and Karate Kid" or even better "From the guy that pumped George Lucas' gas?"

Sony Releases "Popeye" Animation Test

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Sadly, Robin Williams passed away before being able to provide his spot on Popeye voice for the film.

Well, blow me down. This is how you modernize a classic. I've been a huge fan of Genndy Tartakovsky with his amazing work on Dexter's Laboratory, Powerpuff Girls, Star Wars: The Clone Wars and of course Samurai Jack. And I was really pleasantly surprised by his most recent film Hotel Transylvania, even though I shouldn't have doubted him in the first place considering his track record. 

Just recently I learned that he's been working on a new Popeye film. While most updates and reboots leave you feeling cold and alone, facing the harsh realities that kids are more into the modernization done in the recent Smurfs and Alvin and the Chipmunk incarnations, Tartakovsky's looks absolutely amazing.

To convey that the new incarnation of Popeye won't lose any of the original's heart, humor, and frantic motion, Sony Pictures Animation released a test clip today that is fittingly introduced by Tartakovsky who explains that he's been destined to work on Popeye since he was a young boy.

Just try and watch this video without at least a giggle of childhood nostalgia and genuine entertainment.

Bits & Bobs - 1st Edition

Lots of super cool and interesting things out there in the wild, and often I come across a few that I want to share or I think are particularly awesome but don't really call for a full-on blog or news item. Enter the Bits & Bobs column. Here's a few things that I've seen that I think are noteworthy (and worth your time and attention, even if for a brief moment)...

Saturday Night Live Announces Darrell Hammond as New Announcer

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"Ruff! Just like your mother likes it, Trebek!"

With the sad passing of long-time announcer Don Pardo, who started off every episode of SNL since 1975, there was an iconic voice that welcomed you to New York on a Saturday evening who was lost. Enter fourteen season SNL-alumn Darrell Hammond, whom the show has announced will take Pardo's place beginning with the upcoming premiere. Also of note, this year marks the 40th anniversary of the show.

Ghostbusters' Ernie Hudson Revisits Filming Locations

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Though technically the 30th Anniversary of Ghostbusters was back in June of this year, to coincide with this week's DVD/Blu-ray re-release of the films there has been a frenzy of cool news items all over the internet this week. Beyond the Marquee has been doing a series of great pieces including a tour of Ol' Firehouse 23 here in downtown Los Angeles (which I was able to tour a few times when I first moved out here when it was under the care of a well-meaning but disorganized caretaker). One of my favorite items that I've seen this week though is a video from Entertainment Weekly where Ernie Hudson takes a camera crew around New York City and waxes nostalgic on filming there over thirty years ago.

Major League Soccer Updates Their Logo

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Experiencing a surge in popularity after this year's World Cup, the MLS has redesigned their organization's logo for a more modern and sophisticated audience. Many of the design elements in the MLS were a result of those "extreme" 90's trends and have been in place for just as long but the new logo gives the league an international feel. Now if only the MLB would force the Colorado Rockies to come up with something that isn't so 90's...