I picked a theme after seeing the first video here - the theme is hope.
Daniel Lloyd, also known as Taihg, was a busker (street performer) in Canterbury, England. He was found drowned in Reed Pond in Canterbury January 23, 2012, under suspicious circumstances. He was well liked and admired by the community. The video that follows is an original inspirational song of his called "Guiding Stars" that speaks of what anyone can do when they try hard enough. The song is available on iTunes with proceeds benefiting his daughter.
"If you want to be an angel, you already are..." - 'Guiding Stars,' Taihg
Mumford & Sons' "After the Storm" shows the hope a person holds after life-altering turbulent times. It's melancholy but it's moving and forward-thinking.
Matisyahu is a Jewish singer/rapper who sings about peace, both for the world and in Israel. "One Day" has a great sound and a great message.
I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest.
Don't normally do this but a theme arose this week. Welcome to the world of funny sheep!
What makes actual sheep funny? They are not smart...
I imagine these sheep thinking, "Where are all these cars coming from... and why do they look exactly the same?!"
And credit to YouTube user LankyDrummer for thinking of this Python quote:
"Follow. But. Follow only if ye be men of valour, for the entrance to this cave is guarded by a creature so foul, so cruel that no man yet has fought with it and lived. Bones of full fifty men lie strewn about its lair. So, brave knights, if you do doubt your courage or your strength, come no further, for death awaits you all with nasty, big, pointy teeth!"
And what makes animated sheep funny? They are smarter than humans... A favorite character from Aardman Studios.
Here's Thursday's feature where I present some of my (and other people's) funniest or most relevant tweets from the past week. Let the fun begin!
(Admittedly, I didn't tweet too much original material this week so this may be a little heavy with other people's tweets.)
No need for an explanation on this one.
If you've ever seen a David Blaine special, you know what he means.
It's funny because it's true.
My improv friend Amy is darn funny and worth the follow.
This stupidity arose this week. I know they do good work so I'm extremely disappointed that the organization folded in this regard to religious zealots.
Again, it's funny because it's true... but in this case, the truth isn't so funny.
If you haven't been to Morgan's Markerpiece Theater, go now. I'll wait. *taps fingers a while* Was I right? Hilarious stuff!
Here's a great TEDx talk about Improvising and how it relates to everyone, not just performers. Good life lessons! (shout out to fellow Level 2 Automatic Improve student Surriya Colleen for posting this on Facebook)
A couple of short, entertaining dog videos. One puppy looks smart; the other, not so much.
This is one of the most moving stories I've ever heard. Unfortunately, comedian Mike DeStefano passed way too early. But he left us a great legacy of honest, raw comedy and incredible life narratives. Give yourself a few minutes to listen to this.
Here they are... my favorite pure horror movies. I left out movies (like "Jaws") which I consider to be more drama, even though they are terrifying.
10. Saw (2004)
So completely original at the time. A great twist. Horrific deaths. Tension throughout.
9. The Wicker Man (1973)
Unlike the 2006 remake, the creep vibe grows and grows throughout this film. Led by Edward Woodward as the police sergeant searching for a missing girl, the film culminates in pure helpless terror.
8. Let The Right One In (2008)
The right balance of horror and story, this Swedish movie of a bullied boy and his strange neighbor has everything - bloody deaths, strong characters and tight plot.
7. The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
When I was a kid, this classic scared the living crap out of me. Obviously, it wasn't the effects or acting. It was theme - the loss of identity (which will pop-up later in this list.) Love the final scene.
6. 28 Days Later... (2002)
This film is dark and horrifying but still manages to make a turn toward its end that makes us see who the real monsters are.
5. The Shining (1980)
This Stanley Kubrick film relies on a strange visuals, great acting and eerie mood to tell the story of a man who slowly goes insane while the caretaker of a remote resort. The pacing of the film is methodical, drawing you in to a dream-like state.
4. Alien (1979)
This horror tale in outer space burst onto the scene (no pun intended) in 1979. It's use of the dark and isolation showed what a true filmmaker could do with the genre.
3. Halloween (1978)
The movie which launched a genre, Halloween set the standard for what horror was for 20 years or more. Great pacing and an expressionless killer with no obvious agenda makes this movie hold up.
2. The Devil's Rejects (2005)
As sick as this movie is, it's actually a road movie wrapped in the horror genre. A sequel to the lesser "House of 1000 Corpses," this film starts with the most depraved main characters you've ever seen and makes you like them by the end. This is one of my favorite scenes, if nothing else for the humor.
1. The Thing (1982)
Do we really know the people around us? Loss of identity of ourselves and our comrades. That's what drives this John Carpenter classic. Great special effects, another isolated location and a solid story make this my favorite horror movie of all time.
Love Tim Minchin. One of my favorites from him! (I love the turn.)
This song is "Remains" by Maurissa Tancharoen and Jed Whedon, part of the writing force behind TV series such as "Firefly" and "Dollhouse." I love the concept of the video by director Anton King, loosely based off the idea for "Dollhouse." It's just a moving song.
Speaking of the Whedons, I ran across some clips from Joss Whedon's "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog" while searching for an example of "shared memories" for my improv class. Always reminds me how much I love this short film. The story is told by a villain scientists who has fallen for a woman at a laundry mat. Things are complicated by his nemesis, Captain Hammer, who sweeps his love off her feet. It's worth your 45 minutes if you've never seen it.
I mean, it's Neil Patrick Harris, Felicia Day and Nathan Fillion - how can you go wrong?!
The 60s also saw the start of the equality movement, with different varieties of animals demanding the same opportunities that dogs and chimps received. Led by cats, mainly political and social activist Whitey Hoffman, the movement demanded equal chances at vehicular employment and equal wages. Seen above, Whitey defiantly drives through Houston, Texas, in protest of their laws denying felines the right to drive. Unfortunately, only a year after this photo was taken, Whitey was found dead in a hotel room, overdosed from a catnip ball heavily laced with PCP. Though Hoffman had indulged in recreational drugs before, supporters said Whitey had been clean for about six months and thus they suspected foul play.
The 70s saw a rise in films featuring animals driving automobiles, partially due to the act becoming so mainstream. Genres, such as cat-ploitation films, starred little known feline actors in smaller, cult movie, cheaply produced then distributed to specific theaters where marketing would bring in the best bang for the buck. Here (click picture to see movie), actor Phineas T. Phillips portrays Tabby Jackson, a "bad-ass cat" who fights the drug trade by running over dealers on his neighborhood street corners. Phillips would go on to play more respected roles, such as "Jones" in Ridley Scott's Alien and "Milo" in The Adventures of Milo and Otis, neither of which had scenes with him driving.
The world of animal driving expanded in the 80s to include other capable species including pandas, flamingos and octopuses. Although this started purely for novelty circus acts, these forms of "domestic transportation" - as it was later termed - became more common with the rise of 80s comedies with talking animals. Above, Splash drives to the set of his hilarious hit TV show, "The Otter Guy."
The rise in animal driving was not without its dark side though. Animals, now more mobile with automobiles, could use vehicles in nefarious acts of crime. Robberies, drug smuggling and even hit-and-runs became common among the animal set. Here, two deer have stolen a car to go joy-riding. They were easily apprehended however as police shined their spotlights on the deer, they froze, allowing the car to roll to a stop.
After regulation of the 90s, fewer and fewer creatures are seen driving on America's roads and highways today. Animals driving cars are now seen more as a novelty, especially on the World Wide Web. Most pictures of animals driving are now used as memes to fill Twitter feeds and silly blog pages. This has given rise to a new lucrative job market for creatures - animals who act like they are driving for pictures so people can comment on or label them for comedic effect.
I hope you have enjoyed this brief examination of the world of Animals Driving Cars.
For more information, please check with this site. Enjoy your explorations!
