And Musical Sounds: SnubbyJ on PVC percussion

I digs me some Blue Man Group style music, with its fabulously innovative and eccentric PVC pipe instrumentation.
Kent Jenkins wields such a device of his own making with a skill to nearly rival the eponymous Blue Men... a gift which he kindly shares with us on his Snubby J youtube channel. Thank you.
And play on...

Cinematic Chutzpah: RedLetterMedia movie reviews

As an example of proper critical film criticism, movie reviews produced by Red Letter Media should be required viewing for all college level media studies classes, as well as Artemis Eternal Wingmen. Adopting the deceptively “white trash” persona of Mr. Harry S. Plinkett, independent filmmaker Mike Stoklasa intricately critiques the Star Wars Prequels and Star Trek: The Next Generation films (including the new Abrams Trek).
With fanboy passion, subversive humor and acerbic insight, the misogynistic Plinkett brings critical analysis to technical, logical and narrative mistakes in the making of these movies. His intelligent observations belie the mumbling, moronic, “dumb-ass” drawl of his voice, enabling him to present video essays of academic caliber without them sounding like it— intended so that the audience would be less intimidated or irked by his lecturing, “know it all” approach.
The content of his words reveals that this character is clearly smarter than implied by the way he speaks those words.
Rather than merely composing an itemized list of what went wrong, RedLetterMedia helpfully explains what should have been done instead.
also available on youtube

Space: 2099- Future Past Enhanced

Innovatively modifying a 1970s science fiction show called Space: 1999, the Space: 2099 project seeks to enhance the series, making it look more compatible with current technology— both in front of the camera and behind. And yet, design and TV production aesthetics unique to sci-fi of the 1970s are still terrifically apparent in the series.

The website features compressions of each episode into an extended-brief video montage summary , similar to a “last time on (insert title of previous episode here)” segment.
{edit: unfortunately, the episodes have been indefinitely removed; link inactive}
This aspect and ability of condensing a whole episode into a shortened clip that succinctly and coherently summarizes the story is what most impresses me as a manner of storytelling.
By editing and re-arranging footage to adjust pacing, plotting, special FX and correct inconsistency, the series as a whole undergoes a restructuring of chronology to create a new, more streamlined continuity intended to improve its narrative flow.
Organizer Eric Bernard describes this effort as the equivalent of reprinting a book, giving it a new cover and correcting typos and grammatical errors, but leaving the original content and spirit essentially unchanged.
An astonishing amount of time, dedication & devotion are involved a project of this kind, and the end results are-- at least for the viewer, and almost certainly the editor-- worth the effort. This remarkable SPACE: 2099 project is a work in progress, that deserves (and I very much hope recieves) completion and audience.

Emma Caulfield: Acts of Kindness

I’m not sure if this is art, but I like it.
In her desire to do something positive for humanity, actress Emma Caulfield tries to help Tubie-- a mentally retarded woman who wants to be an actress-- break into Hollywood. Emma opened a youtube channel documenting this amazing charity effort. Most impressive is Emma’s sincerity: Without condescension, pity or a sense of superiority, she treats Tubie as a real person, and not merely a pet project. I love and admire Emma for being so open minded, compassionate and brave. Her heartfelt advocacy is heartwarming and inspiring, and sets a great example of how we should treat people who are a little bit “off”.

Sean Stubblefield presents new speculative fiction anthology

Posted without comment:

Memory becomes history becomes memory …
3 short stories and 2 commentaries for $11

"We stand in witness, but refuse to see, afraid to hear the truth, of you and me."
-from the lyrics of the Batman: City of Scars theme song, by Madelynn Rae

Cosplay by Kamui

*image credit= Svetlana Quindt*

As an admirer of cosplay, I marvel in awe at the elegant design and exquisite craftsmanship implemented by Kamui (aka- Svetlana Quindt). A well made, authentic looking costume is one of the highlights at a sci-fi convention. I am especially impressed when someone has not only the skill, but the necessary resources to apply that skill with intricate aesthetic detail.
The lavishly fantastical style of Kamui amazingly blends realism with an animated sensibility.

Get more info here: http://kamuicosplay.blogspot.com

Poetically Versed: Taylor Mali

How words are delivered is as important to their meaning as the words themselves; augmenting their power and profundity. Slam poetry is an art craft few can genuinely master. It’s not just a matter of emphatic pronunciation and verbal punctuation. Nuanced cadence of enunciation is the definitive attribute, imbuing rhythm and tone.
Taylor Mali is a teacher who is exceptionally gifted in performing slam poetry.
One of his best poetic displays (and one of my favorites) is a dramatic reading called What Teachers Make .

Mr. Mali kindly presents a plethora of other videos on youtube for our edification.