The Oprah Winfrey Show is seeking $1 million for 30-second commercials during the program’s May 25 finale, according to Horizon Media Inc. The $1 million mark is reportedly more than last year’s ABC “Lost” finale, which commanded $900,000, and Fox’s $650,000 price tag for its “24″ finale. The $1 million asking price is rare for a series finale, but it’s not the highest in history according to Horizon Media. A 30-second commercial set advertisers back about $2 million for the 2004 Friends finale, while Seinfeld’s finale in 1998 earned $1.42 million per commercial. Oprah Winfrey is departing her afternoon talk show, which is distributed by CBS, to focus on a cable channel she started with Discovery Communications Inc. but still bringing in all the paper she can.
We all know that every company tries to put out an “iPhone Killer” or what have you, and during all this fighting for taking that top slot, no one has really (in my opinion) produced a phone that goes above and beyond the capabilities of whats out right now… until I saw the Line Phone out of China. During my first time seeing this video for the Line Phone, I thought it was pretty cool… until the end. Be warned, things may be a bit dull for a little over half of the short flick, especially if your already up on the best phones modern technology has to offer, but around 2 minutes and 45 seconds, it starts to bend the bounds of logic. By the end of the video both my assistant and I were just screaming with excitement at how the concept for this phone is, and the potential it would have to take over the market if it sold half as many units as the iPhone.
I came a cross an interesting series of pictures the other day by an illustrator that goes by the name Jainai. Apparently she likes to put her personal touch on each of the envelopes she mails to clients. The envelopes are never the same and the subject matter is always randomly made up on the spot. Every detailed sketch is an interesting piece with both simplicity and depth. Jainai also has many more excellent works which can be seen at her deviantART.
I’ve had a solid appreciation for Asher Roth’s music since long before ‘I Love College’, and after his first album, Asleep In The Bread Isle, he seemed to have slowed down a little. I was relieved when news of his second studio album “The Spaghetti Tree” started bubbling up, and even more excited to hear Asher flex some lyrical muscles on the freestyle ‘Gazpacho’. Click the pic to take a listen.
I’m around graphic designers, clothing companies execs, and T-shirt printers more days out a week than I spend with family, I’ve seen tons of designs, prints, and ideas for retail clothing. But when I came across ‘Glennz’ designs, I was floored. The creativity, the wit, and the humor ‘Glennz’ puts into every design makes the stuff he designs an instant classic. Taking tons of references from popular media, everyday experiences, and relate-able subjects has given ‘Glennz’ a ridiculous library of designs, too many for me to put into one post, so I’ve spit it up into a 3 part series. Check the method of the first of the series right here.
The Geneva International Motor Show opened to the public from 03 to 13 March, presenting more than 260 exhibitors and more than 175 world and European premieres. Check out some of the amazing vehicular exhibitions that debuted at the show. And if you like a specific car, just copy and paste the name and Google it for more independent info.
Anyone in their mid 20′s born earlier than 1989 probably just had a massive flashback when they read the title of this post. For those of you who have NO idea about Pierre Escargot, I’ll do my best to fill you in. All that was a Nickelodeon kids show that started in 1994, and featured sketch comedy, and musical performances. But the show did more than just fit a 30 minute time slot. It gave myself, and so many other people in my generation so intense characters, and some moment’s we’d never forget. After a few seasons, the original cast got replaced, (in my personal opinion) the show got worse, and life moved on. But one of the character’s I’ll never forget from the show was Kenan Thompson’s “Pierre Escargot” and his one minute doses of ‘Everyday French’.
So in preparation for work, I had a few drinks, and out of nowhere, my best friend showed me this video that blew my mind. The ever so famous Old Spice commercials with the black guy, and the fancy transitions has been flipped to speak to men instead. A hot women with a super sexy British accent and no shirt proceeds to talk about all the things men would want their woman to do (funny how she never mentions blowjobs though.) and actually manages to be as funny as the original commercials. Check the method below.
As an avid movie fan, I for sure appreciate the classics. The Planet Of The Apes was all in all an amazing, game changing movie. The recent remake with Mark Wahlberg was pretty good visually, and re-introduced a new age to the concept. But the newest addition to the franchise is a bit iffy to me. Visually its amazing, (WETA hooked it up) but James Franco is the main star, which put me off a bit, and the story changed up a little, but all in all I’m anxious to see what they do with this new direction. Click the pic to check it out.
Natsumi Hayashi is a sweet-looking Japanese girl who, one day, decided to take self-portraits… of herself levitating. She can be spotted in and around Tokyo, equipped with her SLR and her self-timer. When she feels the moment strike, she presses the shutter button down and then, quite literally, “jumps” into place. What I love most about her shots is that they don’t feel forced. Natsumi has a way of making us feel as though she naturally levitates throughout life.
When Natsumi was asked by interviewer Alice how others react to her jumping around Tokyo, she told a funny story. “One day, when I was jumping at a famous sightseeing spot in western Tokyo, workers at a souvenir shop were frightened by how I was jumping. They were whispering things like ‘Is the girl mentally ill’ and ‘Do we need to call the police?’ So I stopped jumping and apologized to them by saying, ‘I am taking jumping photos for my wedding party’s slide show.’ Their faces turned bright red, and they said things like ‘Oh dear!’ and ‘Congratulations!’ and even ‘Keep jumping!’ Then, I took one of the best levitation shots of the entire series.”
Since her discovery when she was 15 in her small South African town, Candice Swanepoel has turned heads. As a young girl she harbored aspirations of conquering the catwalk, and after appearing in ad campaigns for Nike, Diesel and Guess and catwalk duties for Dolce & Gabbana, Betsey Johnson, Tommy Hilfiger, and Diane Von Furstenberg, she’s done just that. In 2008, Swanepoel took her career to the next level, appearing in the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, and being named one of Victoria’s Secrets Angels. Since then, Candice Swanepoel has been one of the hottest properties in fashion… Giggidy.
Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 4:30 p.m. at the Tenderloin Children’s Recreation Center, 570 Ellis Street, San Francisco, pro skateboarder Karl Waston gives back to Tenderloin San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department. The RPD in joint efforts with professional skateboarder Karl Watson to talk with young people in Tenderloin and encourage them to be active and pursue their dreams. Watson will showcase his skills for the youth and donate skateboards to RPD’s Skateboarding program, “Shred N’ Butter” for all youth to enjoy. Check the video of some of Watson’s skills below.
Becoming a growing force in the music industry is something that’s extremely difficult, and something that every new artist struggles with. People need every tool they can get their hands on to get a grip on their dreams, and as a talent manager, I’m always trying to help my clients get ahead. My boy Mike G. put me onto The All Access Music Conference (AAMC), and I was wowed. The conference brings together many of today’s most prominent and influential music industry executives to not only discover new talent, but to also help educate Up-and-Coming Artists, Producers & Songwriters. The AAMC is currently the only music conference created by actual INDUSTRY VETERANS with Major Label A&R experience. Conference participants include Unsigned Recording Artists, Record Producers, Songwriters, Independent Record Labels, Talent Managers and Entertainment Lawyers.
Submissions:
If you would like submit a track please use their Soundcloud page to do it. Click the pic above to learn more.
Normally an overflowing bathtub is a nightmare, but The Overflow bathtub series is quite the opposite. The entire series is designed in such a way that overflowing water is directed back into the tub which gives the bath the appearance of a natural waterhole. The concept resulted from the wish to combine the aesthetics of nature with the cultic character of bathing, and to give space to the element water in order to allow for all its possibilities.
As a huge Eminem fan, I also am very big on D12, (and not just the songs with Em). So when I heard they were about to drop new material, I was obviously enthused. The track “Fame” features a pretty good chorus from Em, and strong verses from the rest of the group. And the lyrics are presented over a guitar driven beat with live drums and a bit of high pitched synth. Click the pic to hear “Fame”.
Project Bee is a talking, interactive GPS enabled navigation assistant intended for the visually impaired but there’s no reason why sighted people couldn’t benefit from it either. Lack of independent mobility and access to new emerging technologies has kept the visually impaired market behind but with Project Bee, designer Tao Lin hopes things will change – all via a very stylish bracelet.
The system relies on voice commands, audio and haptic feedback. The video explains it better but be prepared for the long winded intro but what instantly jumps out at me is this device doesn’t look like a “helper.” It looks like something anybody with a tech minded fetish would love and that’s a win-win assuming the whole thing works.
Some designers, no matter what their focus may be, you’ve got your simplistic designers, your methodical, your emotional, and your detail oriented designers, and those different mindsets always tend to translate into their work. But it’s a bit difficult for me to think about what spark of genius goes through the mind of Tarik Mikou. Mikou’s designs just wow me, even as I’m writing this I keep stopping to look at the pictures again. The compositions vary from simple to complex, the colors range from bland to vibrant, and the only thing that stays constant is how impressive they all are. Check the method.
Recently one of my friends brought to my attention the work of Kate Bauman, and the beautiful piece featured above and below. Entitled “‘Til Death Do Us Part”, it takes the coveted symbol of the wedding ring and turns it into a symbol of violence. No one is saying that commitment is wrong; that would be ridiculous. But all too often I’ve seen people do stupid things for the worst reasons and those vows end up biting them in the ass eventually. Perhaps Kate meant “‘Til Death Do Us Part” as a symbol of warning of two things: take your time, and choose wisely.
I know I’ve posted up a few times that my personal assistant and I are going to swing my the ‘I Am Still Music’ show when Lil Wayne comes to Oakland, CA., but I just want to explain to readers that this is the reason for the last month so much Lil Wayne content has gone up. (I had someone ask me about it in a bar the other night, so I figured I’d just clear it up right here.) But I’ve been trying to get a little heads up of exactly what his performance would look like before the actual show, and I got a glimpse of some of his set in ATL. Check the method below to see some live footage of Weezy F. Baby tearing down Atlanta.
The last time I went back home, I had the pleasure of experiencing Fallingwater located in southwestern Pennsylvania about 60 miles south of Pittsburgh. This house was designed by world-famous American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Amazingly, it was built between 1936 and 1939 over a waterfall. Mr. Wright designed Fallingwater in just 3 short hours. Every year, thousands of visitors come from around the world to view this architectural masterpiece. It was stunning to see how Mr. Wright seamlessly blended a man made structure with the natural landscape.
With certain blog posts, I unintentionally cause some sort of an uproar. (And then I get inbox full of emails from angry people, then I make my staff go through it, then they complain, and its just not pretty) BUT, that being said, this post is meant to cause some discussions. My person top 10 movie villains, is a list made out of personal opinion, and a list that I hope people will give me suggestions on. I haven’t seen every movie, and if you think there’s a bad-ass that I’ve left off the list, please let me know. But before I get to it, I want to explain why I left one person off the list. ‘The Dark Knight‘s joker is one of the best most compelling villains I’ve ever seen. But there is too much speculation about Heath Ledgers death being the reason people loved his performance, or about how he went crazy while playing the role, yadda yadda. So although I took Joker off the list, I still had to put up one of my favorite scenes from The Dark Knight by one of the most iconic antagonists in modern American cinema. Click the pic to see the scene.
Click the pic to watch.
And now that we have THAT out of the way, let me go into a bit more detail about my hard thought list. There is always a very worthy antagonist for every good movie, but my selections weren’t based on the money the movie made, or how well it received by the general public. When I say best villains, I mean just that. I’ve picked the most devious, reckless, demented, mischievous rapscallions ever captured on film, and portrayed by great actors, but keep in mind this list is not in any specific order. This is just my personal top 10, not how they rank. I also did my best not to over-saturate the list with over played persona’s like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Essentially I tried to stay away from a whole list of “possessed crazed white people”, there’s an abundance of that in good movies (Ryan Reynolds in ‘Amityvillie Horror’, Katie from ‘Paranormal Activity’, and so on). The second category I stayed away from were the action movie bad guys, who are a normally a dime a dozen, and all either want money or have a personal vendetta with the good guy, which is why I tried my hardest to deviate from that as well. I’ll explain my reasons for picking each person on the list, but basically I wanted to stick to truly unique, one of a kind, malicious bad-assery (more like John Doe in ‘Seven’ which would have came 11th on the list) so I’m pretty sure I picked 10 winners. Check the method.
Patrick Bateman – (American Psycho)
What I consider a master of deception, Bateman is insane, and can keep it all in his pants when it matters most, but I think is the most unsettling thing about him is when his “crazy” slips out, like in the classic ‘business card’ scene from American Psycho. Interesting, intriguing, while still unsettling and disturbing, this simple scene doesn’t depict any of his murders, but it shows just how the mind of a person that deranged just might work.
Adrian Veidt – (Watchmen)
I consider Adrian an unparalleled monster, for the simple fact that in his movie, he did something no other villains tend to do… Succeed. He carried out his master-plan, killed a billion people, and had one of the sickest evil lines in ANY movie. “I’m not a comic book villain. Do you seriously think I would explain my master stroke to you if there were even the slightest possibility you could affect the outcome? I triggered it 35 minutes ago.“ Not to mention in his universe, he’s the smartest man alive. Check it out.
Hannibal Lecter – (Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal, Red Dragon, Hannibal Rising.)
When the original ‘Silence of the Lambs’ came out, I was far too young to appreciate it. All I remember thinking was that Buffalo Bill not having a d*ck was downright disturbing in every sense of the word. But years and years later, when the sequel ‘Hannibal’ came out, my sister sat me down and made me watch the original, and it warped my mind as to how brilliant and insidious the character of Hannibal Lecter really was. Check out a scene or two from one of my favorite evil genius’s. (B.T.W. if you haven’t seen any of the movies, he eats people.)
Blue – (Sucker Punch)
‘Sucker Punch’ is a relatively new movie, its an original, and most people are unfamiliar with its basic cast of characters. But all that being said, Blue, the movies main villain is ridiculously malicious, and carries out one of the most shocking acts in any movie I’ve seen in years. Seeing as how when this post was written, ‘Sucker Punch’ was still clocking dollars at the box office, I won’t put any spoilers into this post. But I do have to reiterate that Blue is a gentleman, a low down scheeming liar, a man of great emotional depth, a disturbed m*ther f*cker, and still one of the biggest pimps I’ve ever seen on screen. The scene below (has no spoilers) but is immediately before Blue shows his “true colors” and rockets himself into villain history. If you’ve seen the movie, you know what happens next.
Simon Phoenix – (Demolition Man)
I feel like if people were satisfied with my choices so far, they may not be after this. I know I tried to stray away from action movie villians, but if you’re a fan of the 1993 movie ‘Demolition Man’, you know exactly why Simon Phoenix breaks the action villain mold. He’s planning, methodical, and absolutely insane. Not only does he get pure joy from destruction, he carries out most of his acts in a world where people are innocent and crime doesn’t exist. He prays on the innocent not for any motive or reason, but simply because he just LOVES doing it. Which makes him a great villain. Check out exactly what I mean below.
Castor Troy – (Face Off)
Now when it comes to vile, demented, horrid, despicable, and utterly hilarious characters, no one can tell me that Castor Troy doesn’t deserve to be on this list. A great sense of humor is always something that makes an antagonist greater than the ‘evil-brooding-angry-man-sitting-in-a-chair-petting-a-cat’ stereotype that villains can have. But the mental disturbance level of Castor Troy throughout the entire movie “Face Off” is what I think gives Mr. Troy the chops to make it onto this list. Check out one of the opening scenes of ‘Face Off’ and you’ll see what I mean.
Alonzo Harris – (Training Day)
Yes… the photo above is of Denzel Washington playing Alonzo Harris in the 2001 hit ‘Training Day’… (AND yes he’s pointing a shotgun at a small boy) So now that we have an idea of how gutter the villain Alonzo Harris was, I have to say that what puts him on this list (for me) is the fact that when you watch this movie, you feel the character’s plight. You don’t care that he’s an evil, vindictive, deceitful, murderer, you just want him to succeed. And I’ll admit this whole-heartedly, when I’m alone, I can’t watch the end of ‘Training Day’. It just pushes a bad button to see Officer Harris go down the way he does. After all, he’s responsible for one of the most classic lines in current urban culture…. “King Kong ain’t got S*HT on ME!” (tell me you’ve never heard anyone say that in real life.)
Clyde Shelton – (Law Abiding Citizen)
Clyde Shelton is another relatively new bad guy, but never the less, he deserves to be on this list. I don’t know the percentage of people who have seen “Law Abiding Citizen” but if you haven’t, Shelton is one of the most brilliant bad-asses I’ve seen in a long time. He manages to keep the audience guessing as to his next move, while keeping the audience guessing as to how he’s doing it all, while keeping the audience saying “I don’t understand why your doing what your doing, but go on sir.” Perfect example is the courtroom scene below. Half the time your wondering what the hell is wrong with this man, but you can’t take your eyes of the screen. Dope.
Agent Smith – (The Matrix)
This list is all about the qualities that make antagonists extra evil, and counting those qualities. Agent Smith is unique because for the first time we have to disregard a few things. Lets just forget that the man has an army of HIMSELF. Lets forget the fact that he technically cannot die. Lets just forget the fact that he can kill you with one touch. Lets just focus on the little part where he doesn’t have one main enemy, Smith just hates the ENTIRE HUMAN SPECIES as a whole. Just for having that much hatred in your blood, you deserve a good spot on the list. Check out Smith’s explanation for his angry disposition below.
Alex – (A Clockwork Orange)
Click the pic to watch this final villain in action.
Due to restrictions put on me by the people who pay me, there is a certain bracket of content I can’t post directly onto this site. Alex from ‘A Clockwork Orange’ falls directly into that bracket like 27 times. And that’s one of the things that makes him one of the greatest Villains in movie history. Deranged beyond all comprehension, crazed, angry, disturbed, and any other synonym you can come up with, are all things to describe this character. If the “disturbing” level of ’2 Girl’s 1 Cup’ made you want to drop kick a baby stroller, then after watching the “Singing In The Rain” scene from ‘A Clockwork Orange’ you may just look like this when it’s over. The best part is, unlike ’2 Girls 1 Cup’, people actually ENJOY watching this movie, which is why Alex is one of the top ranking bad guys on my list. Enjoy.
The Vote.
So as I said in the beginning of this post, I’m very open to speculation, conversation, and mediation on this topic, and I’m really curious to hear other people’s opinions. If I’ve missed anyone I’d like to take them into consideration. So I’ve set up a vote in which you can vote on the list as to who your favorite is, or you can write your own answers in. Lets see what happens.
The second single from Duckworth of Tokyo 24′s first EP entitled, Landen Chill furthers the lyrical journey started in the first single (Swell Arrival). It is a smooth, well constructed track that shows off more of Duckworth’s vocal talents. Recorded, engineered, and mixed by yours truely. Click the pic to listen to “Landen Chill”.
Following her fashion and beauty ads for Italian luxury house Armani, Megan Fox is now starring in a newly released ad for the brand’s Armani Code perfume. Both the men’s and women’s versions of the scent are a few years old, but a new men’s flanker called Armani Code Sport (composed of lemon, mandarin, mint, gray amber, ginger, and vetiver) is scheduled to be released in June. Oozing a Pulp Fiction-inspired vibe, Fox plays her part as mysterious femme fatale alongside male model Chris Folz in the commercial that was shot in Los Angeles.
