5 Insanely Cool Movies To Look Out For in 2012.

Posted on January 22, 2012 by

Now that I’ve finally had a chance to properly recover from post holiday reality, I thought I’d run over some of my top picks for films I’m really excited about this year. Here are a couple of my potential favourites that promise to be interesting.

5. Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie.

Let’s face it. It may not be the most intelligent movie you’ll ever see, but it’s probably a safe bet to say you won’t see something similar to it ever again (unless they make a sequel). Tim & Eric have had their own show for awhile now and judging from the trailer, the film will reflect the same uncomfortably weird and sometimes surreal humour from the show. Also look out for a great bunch of cameos including Zach Galifianakis, Will Ferrell and Jeff Goldblum.

4. Moonrise Kingdom.

Directed by Wes Anderson and featuring an awesome cast including Edward Norton, Bruce Willis and Bill Murray. The premise of the film set in the 1960s in a New England town is about two young lovers that runaway together with Sheriff Bruce Willis in charge of finding them. Gold!



3. Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory.

This HBO produced documentary is a sequel to the films Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations. If you haven’t seen the previous films, see them today. They are both 2 of my favourite docs of all time and tell the tale of the West Memphis 3; the true story of 3 boys falsely accused of murder and subsequently jailed for years without a shred of physical evidence. The third movie promises to reveal new footage and evidence of this highly compelling case. If you can’t view the trailer below, click here to see it.


2. John Dies at the End.

This intriguing new movie is based on a webserial comedy horror novel written by David Wong, a writer for Cracked. It’s about someone experimenting with a drug called Soy Sauce and having subsequent repercussions that make him question what is real and what isn’t. The book was wildly popular and there’s a huge internet fanbase for it. The trailer promises something wildly dark and riveting stuff with Paul Giamatti producing and starring.


1. Prometheus.

Director Ridley Scott revisits his Alien roots in this classic sci-fi series. I caught the trailer last week and it absolutely blew me away. I subsequently re-watched all 4 Alien movies in preparation for this movie. It promises to reveal some background on the original series and stars Charlize Theron and Guy Pearse. I can’t wait for it!



BONUS. Wrong.

Remember a movie called Rubber last year about a tire that kills people? Yeah, that one. Well this is Director Quentin Depieux‘s followup film that looks, well… really strange and wonderful involving a lost puppy premise.

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Portlandia & The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret: IFC Delivers the Comedy Goods.

Posted on January 20, 2012 by

Portandia is a new comedy series that takes place in Portand, Oregon and stars SNL‘s Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein. It’s old school sketch comedy with the occasional musical number that pokes fun at hipsters, cyclists and various pockets of generation Y segments. Check out a clip below of a painfully over the top eco-conscious couple ordering chicken in a restaurant.

IFC is also running a new show called The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, starring the multi-talented David Cross. (Yes, Tobias Fünke from Arrested Development!) And while Portandia is clever and amusing, Todd Margaret is laugh out loud hysterical. After falling into a new job promotion by his boss played by Will Arnett, Todd (a hopelessly pathological liar) moves to England to sell questionably safe energy drinks. Watch a clip below of him pretending to be deaf. Hilarious! It’s great to see that some networks are still putting out some edgy, intelligent comedy out there.

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Fight The Power: Internet Sites Go on Strike in Protest of SOPA & PIPA.

Posted on January 18, 2012 by

Tons of sites are voluntarily shutting down today in protest of a crazy bill that the US is trying to pass. The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) are pieces of legislation that threaten to put a stop to a free and vibrant Internet. To find out more go here.

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No Pants Subway Ride 2012.

Posted on January 13, 2012 by

Last Sunday was the annual No Pants Subway Ride. Spawned by the good people down at Improv Everywhere, it’s since blossomed into a global phenomenon, touching down in 59 cities in 27 countries around the world. Check out the official video featuring the event in New York – as always the fun part is seeing other passengers reactions expressions ranging from disdain to laughter. Awesome!

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1990s Film Alphabet: Stephen Wildish Pays Tribute to Another Decade.

Posted on January 5, 2012 by

Just last week we were treated to UK illustrator Stephen Wildish‘s tribute to 80s films. Lucky for us, he’s just put out a new poster for 90s movie sweetness. Scroll below for the answers.


Austin Powers, The Bodyguard, Cool Runnings, Dumb And Dumber, Edward Scissorhands, Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas, Ghost, Home Alone, Interview with the Vampire, Junior, Kingpin, Look Who’s Talking, Men In Black, Nutty Professor, Outbreak, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, Rocketeer, Speed, Trainspotting, Usual Suspects, Very Bad Things, Wayne’s World, X-Files, You’ve Got Mail, Zorro.


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1980s Film Alphabet: Art & Design from Stephen Wildish.

Posted on December 29, 2011 by

It’s that time of year when everyone goes over the year in review of significant events. But how about going over an entire decade instead? And just focus on movies? And what if it was the eighties, and we only use minimal illustrations to hint at the movie? Awesometown! Population Us! Stephen Wildish is an Artist, Designer and Illustrator based in the UK. Check out his site here and his tumblr here, some really cool illustrations. Scroll down for the complete list of movies.

Airplane, Back To The Future, Coming To America, Dirty Dancing, E.T., Flight of the Navigator, Ghostbusters, Honey I Shrank The Kids, Indiana Jones, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Karate Kid, Labyrinth, Mannequin , Nightmare on Elm Street, Octopussy, Princess Bride, Q, Rambo, Short Circuit, Teen Wolf, Untouchables, Vice Versa, Weird Science, Xanadu, Youngblood, Zelig.

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BANGARANG 4 Re:Generation: Skrillex Drops New Album for Xmas.

Posted on December 25, 2011 by

Skrillex just released a new album yesterday called Bangarang. The Dubstep Electro messiah left a message on facebook telling people to pirate the album if they can’t cough up the coin for it – (doin’ it right!). The album is more than decent, I’ve heard many of the tracks and they’re bangin’ tunes (listen/buy here). But here’s the real kicker – some of the music was done in collaboration with members of The Doors. Yes, you read that right. Like, Come on baby light my fire, The Doors. It’s all to do with this amazing new film coming out called Re:Generation which follows the collaboration of electronic musicians with more traditional styles of music. Artists include DJ Premier, Mark Ronson, Skrillex, Pretty Lights and The Crystal Method with genres including classical by the the Berklee Symphony Orchestra to the bayou jams of New Orleans jazz. Check out some of the tracks off Bangarang below, along with the trailer for Re:Generation. KAAAAAAPOOOOOOWWWWWW. That was the sound of my head exploding. Or was that yours? Merry Christmas bitches.



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Shit Girls Say: Comedic Absurdity At It’s Finest.

Posted on December 21, 2011 by

Just like Shit My Dad says, it all started as a simple twitter based premise, with Toronto based Graydon Sheppard and the help of his partner Kyle Humphrey. Graydon stars in the subsequent web episodes as the cross dressing epitome of vapid one liners that is so simple but dead on in it’s portrayal of first world teenage self absorption, it really reminded me of vintage Kids In the Hall goodness. Like. OMG. I totally LOL’d. The first episode features a cameo by Juliette Lewis.

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Triptychs of Strangers: The Street Photography of Adde Adesokan.

Posted on December 17, 2011 by

Adde Adesokan AKA theblackstar is a photographer and Creative Director based out of Hamburg, Germany. His project called Triptychs of Strangers is a series of pictures shot on the street of random people shot in a series of triptychs – that is, his photos are divided into 3 sections. The details of the photos provide a startling glimpse into someone’s life. It’s amazing what one can learn and imagine from the outward image we project into the world. Visit his official site here and his flickr stream here.

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15 of the very best Q Interviews.

Posted on November 26, 2011 by

I was lucky enough to be around Q from the very beginning. If you haven’t heard of it, Q is the arts based radio show heard each weekday on CBC radio one skillfully hosted by Jian Ghomeshi and recently profiled in an article by the LA Times. At the time of it’s inception I was working as a delivery driver all over downtown. The show and CBC itself kept me sane while negotiating city streets, narrowly avoiding bike couriers, parking cops and cabbies, but most importantly other radio stations with their cheesy on air banter and top 40 bubblegum pop. In no particular order, here are some of the interviews which stood out for me over the last couple of years.

15. Brian Wilson
Simply a fascinating interview with iconic and normally reclusive musical legend Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys. It’s just a brutally honest and often touching interview.

14. Bjork
Icelandic musical sensation Bjork talks about the concept for her new album Biophilia, and how the electronic musicians in the 80s and 90s were the rebels forging new ground. It’s worth a listen even just to hear her delicate voice roll her “R”s.

Click here to listen to the interview.

13. Moby
The multi-talented Moby discusses his initial career as an underground punk and electronica artist and the introduction of success and commercialization.

12. Werner Herzog
The incomparable German art house film director discusses his film Bad Lieutenant; Port of Call New Orleans.

11. Douglas Coupland
The always thoughtful Canadian icon Douglas Coupland discusses his hit cultural zeitgeist book Generation X and the followup sequel Generation A.

10. Coldplay
Reflective, humble and occasionally dry witted Coldplay members Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland give a great interview while promoting their amazing new album Mylo Xyloto.

Click here to listen to the interview.

9. Stephen Dorff
Hollywood actor Stephen Dorff talks about his earlier eclectic career and his latest film Somewhere, directed by Sofia Coppola and what led him to that particular role.


8. Massive Attack
Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshall sit down and talk about their new album Heligoland, their original album blue lines, how they defied the narrow confines of electronic music, the origins of the Bristol sound and the link between punk and hip hop culture.

7. M.I.A
Talks about her new album Maya, her controversial new video and her theory on the ownership of the internet, commercialism and censorship.


6. Terry Gilliam
Legendary Director of Brazil chats about his new film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, the untimely death of his star Heath Ledger, the importance of imagination, and his hatred of Hollywood executives.

5. Michael Moore
Veteran documentary filmmaker Moore hypes up his latest film Capitalism: A Love Story.

4. GZA
Wu-Tang Clan founder discusses the early days of his rapping career and the importance of hip hop as a form of self-expression to his latest album Pro Tools.

3. Billy Bob Thorton
The infamous interview that ended up with the cancellation of the tour he was attempting to promote.

2. Tricky
I have yet to read, see or hear an interview from Trip Hop legend Tricky that doesn’t inspire, provoke and fascinate. This one doesn’t disappoint either.


1. John Waters
Right up there with Tricky in my books, one of my favourite interviewees John Waters, cult film director never fails to shock with delight while promoting his latest book; Role Models.

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It/ll Be Better Tomorrow: Portrait of an Underground Artist.

Posted on November 19, 2011 by

“Being an artist doesn’t take much, just everything you got. Which means, of course, that as the process is giving you life, it is also bringing you closer to death. But it’s no big deal. They are one and the same and cannot be avoided or denied. So when I totally embrace this process, this life/death, and abandon myself to it, I transcend all this gibberish and hang out with the gods. It seems to me that that is worth the price of admission.”
- Hubert Selby Jr.

If you’re a fan of underground culture, or maybe just someone with an open mind, you need to read a book called Last Exit to Brooklyn; it’s a must read cult classic profiling the seamier side of Brooklyn in the early sixties. I first came across it while reading the inside jacket of my dvd copy of Requiem for a Dream (one of the most intense movies I’ve ever seen – the equivalent of being shocked with a defibrillator after ingesting a handful of amphetamines). The director Darren Aronofsky cited the work in the introduction of the film as one of the most memorable books he’s read; and I’d have to agree here. Requiem was originally a book written by the same author of Last Exit to Brooklyn; Hubert Selby Jr. There’s an interesting documentary called It/ll Be Better Tomorrow that profiles this fascinating and troubled soul. The truth is the sometimes harrowing story of Selby himself is perhaps just as compelling as the stories he shared with the world. Directed by Michael W. Dean and Kenneth Shiffrin, and narrated by Robert Downey Jr. Watch the entire documentary below.



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Rubble Kings: New Doc Profiles History of NYC Street Gangs.

Posted on November 7, 2011 by

I just had some time to check out the classic cult hit from 1979 The Warriors this weekend. Skillfully directed by Walter Hill and features a really dope soundtrack. The story follows a fictional gang from Coney Island trapped in the city and pursued by thousands of cops and other vicious street gangs.

So it was kind of a coincidence I came across a documentary that reveals this era of street culture in NYC roughly around the same period. It’s called Rubble Kings, directed by Shan Nicholson and it recently had it’s premiere at the NYC Latino film festival. What’s really interesting from the trailer is the connection between the birth of hip hop and street gangs, and more importantly the positivity that music provides; a switch from the battles using bullets and blades to using breaking on the dancefloor to establish dominance. Check out the trailers for both epic gang films below.



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Hot New Video: Common’s Blue Sky.

Posted on October 29, 2011 by

Common‘s title track off his new album The Dreamer/The Believer due out in December is called Blue Sky. The video just got released today. Directed by Parris and shot in Los Angeles primarily at the Barclay Hotel. It’s one of those rare videos whose simple, dreamy visuals match the the inspirational tone of the track. Check out the full video below.



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American Juggalo: Documentary Dives Into A Bunch of Clowns.

Posted on October 26, 2011 by

American Juggalo directed by Sean Dunne uncovers the Juggalo phenomena and along the crazy journey reveals a startling connection that bonds these misfits together. Regardless of what your previous thoughts on Juggalos are – the results of the doc sometimes reveal much more about how Juggalos are treated by others than the the Juggalos themselves. Watch the entire short documentary below.

American Juggalo

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Aberrican Me: The Incredible Story of Ross Capicchioni.

Posted on October 15, 2011 by

“I look at what I got.
I look at what I have – I don’t look at what I don’t have.”
-Ross Capicchioni

Aberrican Me is a short documentary series put out by The Berrics. This particular story of Ross Capicchioni is one of those very few, unique short films you’ll find on the internet that will take your breath away. It’s the story about a regular 17 year old skateboarding kid who ended up on the wrong side of town in the East side of Detroit. What follows next is both graphic and disturbing, but it’s the courage and hope of the subject that triumphs here. And perhaps most importantly; the realization that life does indeed go on.

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Title Scream & Chiptunes: 8 bit Sound & Vision Get Revisited.

Posted on October 12, 2011 by

Remember all those awesome games you grew up with back in the day? I’m talking Atari, Commodore 64, Nintendo, Coleco, Sega Genesis days. I’m talking Tab Colas, Jawbreakers, PEZ, Fruit Rollups and Big League Chew. But enough about the food – I’m not sure how I let food distract me so easily. Probably because I spent half my childhood stuffing my face with Dorito’s Nacho Cheese chips while playing Gauntlet and Buck Rogers on my C-64 in the basement.
Check out Title Scream and re-discover totally awesome graphic screen art from the 80s.

And speaking of 8 bit graphics, there’s also a Chiptune resurgence; music inspired by 80s gaming is getting hugely popular. What’s interesting is that it’s not limited to those growing up with the sound. As with all genres of music, younger people discover it and remix it to fit their own style and self-expression. Music and art is truly timeless and borderless. Visit Chiptune today – it’s got a deliciously retro style interface coupled with tons of free chiptune goodness. And below are a few exceptional examples of Chiptune tracks.

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Shot By Kern: Punk Rock Erotica Photography Gets Framed.

Posted on October 6, 2011 by

Richard Kern began his career in New York City as an underground artist self-publishing a zine called Heroin Addict, then re-named The Valium Addict. But he really got known as a punk rock video artist in the 80s most notably directing Sonic Youth‘s Death Valley 69 and weird and interesting films like Straw Dogs & You Killed Me First! Since then he’s probably better known for hardcore style erotica pictures that grace the pages of Purple, GQ, Playboy and Vice. There’s a great series called Shot By Kern* that rides along side his international shoots treading the fine line between porn and erotica. But regardless of the box you put him in, Kern’s work is unmistakably stark, natural, beautiful and sometimes shocking. Click here* to check it out. *Link contains nudity.


Images courtesy Richard Kern. Collage above courtesy Rebel Rebel Anti-Style

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Skrillex: Electro Dubtastic Skill Set Is Pure Kevlar.

Posted on October 1, 2011 by

Dubstep’s hottest new sensation Skrillex AKA Sonny Moore sat down recently with the Guardian‘s Joe Muggs to talk about his rapid meteoric rise to fame. Seems like almost yesterday he was some Emo kid sneaking out to punk shows in Mexican areas of LA before shortly playing at sold out festivals. Of course with imminent fame comes the unfortunate reality of jealous internet posters. But looks like the pot shots from haters seem to bounce right off him like a bulletproof vest and rightly so – who’s got time for negativity when you’re blowing up large? He certainly appears to be enjoying his new found success judging by the second video below taken from an 8 month world tour.

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So Me: Certified 100% Pure Dope.

Posted on September 22, 2011 by

So Me AKA Bertrand Lagros de Langeron is a graphic designer based in Paris. He’s done a wide variety of album covers and magazine work. He also acts as Art Director at Ed Banger Records, directs award winning music videos on the side, and is head designer for the clothing company Cool Cats. Some of the freshest dopest sh*t I’ve seen in a while. Check out some of his stellar work below.

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Tokyo Rising: Pharrell Williams Gets in the Doc Game.

Posted on September 2, 2011 by

American recording artist and producer Pharrell Williams teamed up with Palladium Boots to work on an interesting project. Tokyo Rising is a doc series where Pharrell re-visits the dazzling neon glow of Tokyo after the double tragedy of a Tsunami and nuclear meltdown.

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