Kanye West prepared for a comeback with BET Awards performance

Music, News, Television, ,

 Ever since his grave mistake of interrupting Taylor Swift at the 2009 MTV Music Awards and apologizing to her and his fans on The Jay Leno Show, Kanye hid from the public spotlight.  After locking himself up in the studio to work on his upcoming album (check out the phenomenal first single here), ‘Ye is ready to perform on a stage in front of a large audience for the first time in a long time.  It’s been confirmed that he will perform at the BET Awards on June 27.  Kanye West is finally ready to show his face to the world again.  Question is–is the world ready for Mr. West?

[Via EW-MusicMix]

Les Grossman film is a-go

Movies, News, Video, , , ,

Those of us who watched this year’s MTV Movie Awards were treated to a surprise appearence by none other than Les Grossman, the raunchy foul-mouthed producer from 2008’s Tropic Thunder.  Played to perfection by Tom Cruise, Grossman started the awards show off with one of his infamous rants and later interuppted a comedy sketch when he came on stage with Jennifer Lopez for a dance number.  Anyway, it appears as if the stint was done to reintroduce the audience to the character of Les Grossman and build hype for an entire movie based on him.  Cruise will star and produce in the upcoming Grossman flick.  He’s partnered with Tropic Thunder co-star and director Ben Stiller and producer Stuart Cornfeld of Red Hours Films to make this movie happen.  Michael Bacall (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) has been selected to write the screenplay.  Take a look at these choice quotes from the unorthodox press release that comes from Paramount:

Tom Cruise, along with Ben Stiller and Stuart Cornfeld of Red Hour Films will produce and have secured the life rights to Grossman.

Grossman, best known as a mega producer, has most recently mentored talents such as Rob Pattinson and Taylor Lautner.

Said Ben Stiller: “Les Grossman’s life story is an inspiring tale of the classic human struggle to achieve greatness against all odds. He has assured me he plans to quote, ‘F**king  kill the sh*t out of this movie and make Citizen f**king Kane look like a piece of crap home movie by the time we are done.’ I am honored to be working with him.”

When asked what the screenplay was about Grossman responded: “To quote my great friend Kirk Lazarus, ‘I don’t read the script, the script reads me.””

Adam Goodman, Paramount Film Group President said, “Everything I learned in this business, I’ve learned from Les. I started out as his assistant, and from the first day he threw his desk at me when I got his lunch order wrong, I have loved him like a father.

Yeah, this is really happening.  Look after the break for the full PR.

[Via Deadline] Continue reading Les Grossman film is a-go →

FlashForward fans plan local “blackouts” in attempt to revive the series

News, Television, , , ,

FlashForward fans never say die!  In a last resort effort to save the show from the dark and gloomy death by cancellation it received back in mid-May, FlashForward fans around the world are rallying together to show their support for the short-lived sci-fi drama.  The fight to encourage ABC to bring back the show began when fans mailed over 20,000 friendship bracelets to ABC head Steve McPherson.  (The bracelet was a significant item on the show; it was given to protagonist Mark Benford by his daughter Charlie…but if you’re reading this you know that already.)  Also since April, fans have been signing online petitions and mailing handwritten letters to ABC studios to “save FlashFoward” from its (no longer pending, really) demise.  All of these efforts to force ABC to open their hearts to fans and bring the show back culminate in what is about to happen later today: a staged “global blackout” in front of ABC studios.

On June 10, 2010 (that’s today people!) FlashForward super fans around the world will congregate in front of their local ABC affiliates and lay (as unconscious as possible) on the ground for two minutes and seventeen seconds at a designated time.  A majority of the meetups will last about two hours; for the rest of the time fans will carry signs, wear FlashForward t-shirts, and raise awareness about the cause to bystanders.  The following US cities will take part in the blackout today: Los Angeles, New York, Detroit, Seattle, and Chicago.  North Carolina also has groups at the ready.  And this will truly be a “global” blackout; fans from Toronto, Canada, London, England, Hanover, Germany, Endinburgh, Scottland, Italy, Brazil and many others are also anticipating blackout day.  More details are available at www.preventtheblackout.com, a neat fan-made site that collates contact and RSVP information for the day’s events.

If you’re a fan of the show and happen to live near a participating location, go out and support FlashForward!  Though all signs point to this show being a goner (the show has been cancelled and both Joseph Fiennes (Benford) and Christine Woods (Janis Hawk) have been cast to new series), there’s no reason not to give the show a glimmer of hope for potential survival by joining this exciting grassroots movement.  And when you make it there and wake up from the blackout don’t forget to ask your fellow supports, “What did you see?”

[Via SaveFlashForward]

“Light Warfare” paints a futuristic action genre through the process of light painting

Design, photography, Video, , , , ,

Ho-ly crap.  This is awesome.  One Freddie Wong has created a masterpiece with “Light Warfare”, a short film of sorts that revels in the photography technique known as light painting.  Wong explains:

The idea behind light painting is that if you open the shutter, you can draw lines by moving the flashlight around in front of the lens. So hold the shutter open, get in front, and try drawing something in the air. If you have a camera flash, you can have someone stand in place, and flash them. Then have them hold still and draw around them. Experiment!

Basically light painting can take place when you play around with slow shutter speeds captured in a dark environment as you move a camera around a light source.  You might be thinking to yourself, “Haven’t I seen something like this before?”  The answer is yes; light painting is also known as “light graffiti” and you can refer back to this post to jumpstart your memory.  What makes this video so spectacular is that Wong takes things to a whole ‘nother level by grouping a bunch of stills together and making a video out of them in a process known as stop motion.  If any of this intrigues you, head over to Wong’s blog where you’ll find a tutorial for light painting; also peek after the break for a behind-the-scenes look at how “Light Warfare” was made.

Continue reading “Light Warfare” paints a futuristic action genre through the process of light painting →

Now this is how you make a beer commericial

Design, Video, , , ,

Canadian ad firm Dentsu, in collaboration with directors Mark Zibert and Gary Thomas, have created the utlimate beer commercial for Japanese beer company Sapporo.  Titled “Legendary Biru”, the commercial/short film was shot on location for over a month in Guangzhou, China.  It takes us on a journey through Japanese culture and the brewing process.  Our Budweiser frogs and horses can’t touch this vertical time-warp through Japanese mythos.

Meet Daisy Lowe, UK Esquire Magazine covergirl

Hot Stuff, photography, Print Media, Video, , , , , , ,

Director Greg Williams is at it again, this time shooting for UK’s version of Esquire Magazine.  (Previously we’ve seen Greg’s work with Megan Fox and Kate Beckinsale for US’ Esquire Mag.)  Per usual, he uses a super hi-def RED camera, this time with a MX Sensor, to shoot video of covergirl Daisy Lowe that will eventually be converted into stills to use for her spread in the July issue of the zine.  Lowe is a 21-year-old English fashion model.  Watch her prance around in the video above, and check out a handful of the resulting stills in the gallery below.  [This goes without saying but the video and images are NSFW.]

[Stills via egotastic]

Durex condom app rubs two iPhones together to make a baby

Design, Technology, Video, , , , ,

Sure, it’s a fake app but the advertisement is very real and it’s downright hysterical!  This ad for the “Anti Knock-Up Application” was entered into the Cannes Future Lions 2010 competition that challenged designers to “advertise a product from a global brand in a way that couldn’t be conceived five years ago.”  This ad does a pretty damn good job at showing how such an app could scare young men into using condoms.  Ah, what a hoot!

[Via AdFreak; Gizmodo]

Rapping weatherman is a lyrical genius

Hilarity, Video, , ,

Southeast Texas weatherman Nick Kosir at KBTV-TV’s “Good Day” program puts his own, um, spin on the weather by rapping the day’s forecast for the locals.  Hey–if this is what it takes for viewers to tune into the morning news then I say go for it.  Says Kosir: “There are some ‘underground’ recordings on my MySpace page.  I used to be a radio DJ and I made parody songs under the name Krooked K, so there are songs still floating around out there that are good and embarrassing.”  Also, be sure to check out his YouTube page to watch more forecast raps.

[Via Asylum]

“Make it sir”

News, , , , ,

Back in December a committee within the British Cabinet Office decided to honor actor Patrick Stewart by bestowing him with the highest accolade of adding “Sir” to his name.  Last Wednesday the Queen made it so.  Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Captain Jean-Luc Picard was officially knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace.

[Via TheGlobeAndMail]