The Popcorn Trick

Cool Shit 7/9

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 13:07:00 +0000

The Spoils Before Dying is the followup to The Spoils of Babylon, a spoof miniseries on IFC. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm not going to be able to easily explain it to you, so go to the link.

Seven Days in Hell, Andy Samberg's new comedy mocumentary about the longest game played at Wimbledon. The sport of tennis is ripe to mock, I just they could have done it slightly better by simply following Samberg's character throughout a tournament, instead of framing it within one match.

Get to know what a bottle episode is on a television series, and how to do one right:

New trailer for the Spielberg/Coen Brothers mashup Bridge of Spies. Seems like there is A LOT going on in this movie. Also, the title stinks.

Quantum physics is pretty impossible to slog through, unless your a quantum physics scientist. And even then it's not the simplest thing. But here are six basic principles to at least get you started on the trail toward a basic understanding of it all.

Ever wonder about the nutritional value of prison food?

Cool Shit 7/8

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Wed, 08 Jul 2015 14:18:00 +0000

So Hannibal was cancelled, and while there were some early reports of it possibly getting picked up somewhere else, that somewhere else will not include Amazon nor Netflix. So what are the other options?

So this wingsuit flight is completely insane:

Extreme body modification is getting more and more technical as we plunge into the future.

Time lapse of a super cell thunderstorm in South Dakota...

News of a Han Solo standalone "origin" film is bittersweet for me; obviously I love the character, but not sure I want to know his back story.

Back when ESPN was stretching for programming, swamp buggy racing was on. So I've seen this, multiple times, and appreciate the level of entertainment that comes with it.

Cool Shit 7/7

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 12:50:00 +0000

This is most likely how the machine uprising starts, born out of the hubris of humans challenging each other with slave robots in a fighting pit. The science-fiction novel writes itself.

Enjoy a 6,000 FPS video of a 143 MPH serve:

I was always a Paul guy. I felt like he got shortchanged (as much as that's possible within the Beatles) because few gave him credit for being the force that held the Beatles together as long as they were together. In fact, most of what he says in this interview, I agree with. I just wish he didn't actually come out and say it, since it seems as though he's bothered enough by it that he has to let people know about dirty laundry and petty squabbled that happened over 50 years ago.

Travel a lot but don't have access to wi-fi in airports? Try these simple tricks.

I haven't tried Apple Music yet, but everything I've read so far has made it seem somewhat confusing. Therefore, these tips should help users out.

Didn't Barbarella already answer this?

My dad once told me, as we were sitting and watching Wimbledon coverage on HBO back in the day, after I suggested I would like to go to Wimbledon some day, that "you'd have a better chance getting in as a player than as a spectator." While I doubt that's really true, the allure and prestige of the tournament sometimes makes it feel that way. This article does little to change that perception.

Cool Shit 7/6

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 13:35:00 +0000

"Every" time traveling movie, ranked.

This past weekend was the Nathan's hot dog eating contest. You may have heard there was an upset. But that's not really important. What is important is the brilliance behind the introductions to the challengers.

The definition of classic rock, and why it might mean it's dwindling.

A deep dive into Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs and what it meant for his career.

I guess this theory would explain Batman within the comic book universe.

As the Grateful Dead wind it down, let's take a look back at their innovative "Wall of Sound."

What your body goes through in a routine day...

Cool Shit 7/2

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Thu, 02 Jul 2015 14:01:00 +0000

Disney owning the Star Wars universe gives us the potential to have films about all sorts of stuff based in that reality. Here are a few ideas of what would be cool. What are yours?

Sometimes the idea of living off the grid in a commune sounds intriguing to me, but then I realize I would be living with a bunch of people that were REALLY into living on a commune. Anyway, here are some pictures of a commune.

There's a new Terminator movie coming out. And it basically resets everything that happened in the other Terminator movies. Or something. Take a look at all the killer robots from the series...

Beats 1, the "radio" station that comes with Apple Music went live the other day.

A game from the dark web that no one seems to know much about: Sad Satan.

Home of the planet's unofficial "worst weather" tag? A mountain in New Hampshire.

Cool Shit 7/1

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 14:38:00 +0000

It's July - enjoy some of the new and interesting shows that will be coming out this month.

A sushi chef reviews store-bought sushi, with mildly surprising results...

The X-Files is coming back next year so there's some excitement around the show right now. Here are the 10 episodes Chris Carter says are essential.

A look at some of the first impressions of the new Apple Music service.

Chasing the totality of a solar eclipse.

Cool Shit 6/30

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 13:58:00 +0000

Celebrity athletic sporting events are my kryptonite. I get mad when it's not taken seriously, or when they award bases for comedic sake. Here's hoping Dirk runs a tight ship with his celebrity baseball game.

Federer is probably the greatest tennis player ever. I have a soft spot for Laver because he won two grandslams seven years apart (among other achievements) but in the modern era what Federer has been able to do is amazing. His longetivity alone puts him above most. And now, as his career is (seemingly) winding down, it's interesting to take a look back and see what he's accomplished.

A little late but RIP Chris Squire, the longtime bassist for Yes.

Diving for sea urchins. A lucrative business if you live near a place that has sea urchins aplenty...

Going into this, I wondered why it would have been cut. After watching it, I get it:

It's never good when the term "World War III" is bandied about as a potential.

A review for the new Terminator movie that seems, uh...well I don't even know.

Cool Shit 6/29

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 13:36:00 +0000

Water-tasting competition. I fell like I could be a judge comparing waters.

Would you be interested in a documentary about Taxi Driver?

A deep dive into Blazing Saddles, and why it resonates.

Pizza and the New York subway. They go hand in hand.

An asteroid of significant size would be cataclysmic to our species. And yet our plan in case we ever found one (or for finding one) is inept. We're playing a dangerous space lottery that, while the odds might be stacked in our favor, are not insignificant. Oh well.

Want to get yourself immersed into the cyberpunk genre? Here's a great place to start.

Cool Shit 6/18

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 12:45:00 +0000

A cool island off the Isle of Wight where you can play Laser Tag. Among other things. No Man's Land.

Finally! The US is going to have to answer to Russia about how they faked the moon landing.

David Simon is working on a 70s porn series.

Apparently the internet isn't invincible, and someone could take it down if they set their mind to it. And probably had a lot of money...

Another mixed review of the new season of True Detective.

Driving Route 50, the Loneliest Road in America.

Deutschland 83, a new series on Sundance about the Cold War, entirely in German. Sounds right up my alley.

Cool Shit 6/16

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 13:19:00 +0000

So Game of Thrones is over for this year. What can you watch now? Try these alternatives.

Beck has a new single out and it's certainly more funky than his previous album:

Full trailer for the Ferrell/Wiig Lifetime movie: A Deadly Adoption. Wow.

Speaking with the guys who made HBO's The Jinx: The Robert Durst story.

Oh you people who are dismayed about the recent Game of Thrones ending, despair not! There are clues out there to suggest all is not what it seems. (And honestly, if the end stays the end (trying to remain spoiler free here) then it's just shoddy storytelling with the whole series, creating plot points just to deceive the viewer and not to advance or remain true to the story. And that would be a shame.)

Cool Shit 6/15

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Mon, 15 Jun 2015 14:32:00 +0000

You wish you were as cool as Michael Winslow doing Led Zeppelin's Whole Lotta' Love:

There are a lot of things going on in this article about a rogue star traveling through our solar system, one being that it happened 70,000 years ago. It's amazing how the universe makes past events so significant to our present circumstances.

Speaking of a lot of things going on, there really is a lot we don't know about the world we live in.

Enhance your music listening experience with these programs.

Reviews for True Detective Season 2 are coming and the results are...mixed.

For serious Gin & Tonic drinkers.

Tent City. Not sure why there needed to be an eviction of people not bothering people and simply trying to get on with life the only way they knew possible at that moment.

Cool Shit 6/12

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Fri, 12 Jun 2015 13:54:00 +0000

A list of some of the longest movies ever made.

Who better to tell you how to rob a bank than a bank robber.

We're not that far away from a crackdown on the additives used for junk food. Mark my words.

Apparently this is real: Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig have made a Lifetime movie...

Catching up with the creator of True Detective.

In honor of Jurassic World opening tonight, let's take a look back at the works of Michael Crichton.

Haven't seen this documentary yet, but the concept of scientific spin doctors - people who can make things sound better or worse from you using evidence, is intriguing.

Cool Shit 6/11

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Thu, 11 Jun 2015 14:48:00 +0000

New James Bond trailer/teaser whatever they call it for Spectre...

Crystal Pepsi is rumored to be making a comeback and I don't understand the world anymore.

The scientific reason Sriracha sauce tastes so good, in cute, animated video form:

If you're old enough to remember Columbia House, you'll enjoy this interview with some of the people who worked there.

White dots on the dwarf planet Ceres...we keep getting closer to them but still have no idea what they are.

While I love Jurassic Park (the original that kicked of the dinosaur craze), I can admit its faults...it's schmaltzy in parts (the kids act too adorable/cartoonish too often), and it carries the Spielberg sheen throughout. But there is no way I believe Cameron would have made it better. So I can only imagine this article was written to create a fictitious uproar on the internet.

Vegetables. They're good for you so you should eat them. Here are some ways to possibly make them enjoyable.

Cool Shit 6/10

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Wed, 10 Jun 2015 14:54:00 +0000

Best "museum" in the United States?

I'm not saying our bizarre fascination with stuffing different things into the crust of a pizza will be our society's downfall, but I have think it at least puts us down that specific path.

Get to know YOUR Seal Team 6.

I guess we will have to continue to make Jurassic Park movies in a desperate attempt to stave on science's crazy drive to recreate dinosaurs.

Whether you have Amazon Prime or are thinking about getting it, this will give you an idea of what you'll enjoy, or what you're missing.

Sounds like this army doctor knows how to party!

Cool Shit 6/9

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 12:32:00 +0000

So you know: what it's like to be struck by lightning.

The idea of creating a pizza box that can also be as a movie projector is cool, though I'm not sure the practicality/reality will translate into that many more people ordering Pizza Hut. Honestly, I didn't even know Pizza Hut delivered.

If you're looking to kill some time, you could do worse than perusing the top 50 articles at McSweeney's.

Where have all the hitchhikers gone?

New Spielberg movie, Bridge of Spies. Looks decent...

An early review of Apple Music - the new streaming service they announced yesterday.

I've never had a frappucino nor know what goes into one. But apparently Starbucks is introducing 6 new flavors of them to be voted on for a winner to be offered at their stores. Here's what they taste like.

New trailer for The Martian. I read the book and it will be a much better movie (the book read like a screenplay).

Cool Shit 6/8

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Mon, 08 Jun 2015 13:50:00 +0000

Oh boy. Trailer for Everest, which is based on the book Into Thin Air. Even with the "Hollywoodzation" it looks harrowing...

Bizarre promotional items from popular movies.

If you're into murder mysteries, this list of movies is for you.

Tracking your fitness with that Fitbit you got for Memorial Day? How many steps should you really be getting?

A person tries some self-experimentations with mixed results.

New trailer for season 2 of True Detective. I think the biggest shift we, as an audience are going to have to deal with is the that the first season seemed so claustrophobic, following the story of two detectives. Already in season 2 the expanse seems wider, and therefore different. Not bad, just different. Of course that won't stop the collective maw of the internet to compare and proclaim season 2 to be inferior (see example of Season 2 of the Wire when it first came out. Had Twitter been around we wouldn't have gotten a season 3):

Cool Shit 6/5

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 13:24:00 +0000

The third season of Hannibal started last night. I really hope you're watching it. It's the best show on network television right now. Operatic, thematic and all together such a different vibe than the rest of television. Yesterday, I lamented about not wasting my time on creative types that take a risk (suggesting I wouldn't be able to watch Sense8), but I ask you all to take some time to visit with Hannibal. It's definitely worth the time. (How it's made it to season 3 is also simply astounding since shows like this usually get cancelled after 4 episodes.

Teaser for Sharknado III. I guess if we keep watching them, they'll keep making them?

This is some cool Jaws 40th Anniversary art.

Take this audio test to see if you can tell which track has the highest audio quality.

Long ago, Werner Herzog made the decision to walk from Munich to Paris to see a dying French cinema legend. Because of course he did. This is the article finally republished.

Gear you probably need to stay alive should you find yourself out in the wild.

Looking for a summer jam that isn't teenie or going to be on your local pop music station? Here you go!

And if you're not going to click on that link, just immediately jam out to this one from it. It's simply the best one:

A great "art exhibit" if you will - take the lovely/gross 80s Garbage Pail kids, and put the "Where are they now" lens on them. Icky and brilliant.

This seems kind of cool. A blood test that will reveal the viruses you've been exposed to throughout your life.

Cool Shit 6/4

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Thu, 04 Jun 2015 12:59:00 +0000

Everyone and their mother has a podcast these days - so why not at least get the right equipment and make yours stand out form a quality standpoint?

For deep-analysis-on-film fans, this video takes a look at Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, and tries to ferret out the meaning and symbolism within it.

So the reason that Susan was killed off was because... she was a pain to work with? I can imagine this being the case with the cast of Seinfeld, but I'm not sure we, the audience needed to hear about it.

A real life Tony Stark... well minus all the Avengers stuff. Maybe. I don't really know.

The first real review for Sense8, and it's as bad as you probably thought. Which stinks, because the article also delves into the idea that television is ripe for reinventing, and in a way Sense8 pushes the boundaries. I'd love to have loved it and supported an original idea, but there's too much good television out there that it's hard to waste time on something like this.

Another creative visionary (Neal Stephenson) that probably needs an editor, or at least someone to focus him a little more. Here's a look (much more positive) at his book Seveneves.

Educate yourself on port wine.

Information we can all use: how to choose the fastest checkout line in the store.

Cool Shit 6/3

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 14:59:00 +0000

Seems like this video of top 10 laser gun battles has some loose criteria, and then they barely stay within that criteria. Oh well. Maybe I'm just mad that they didn't call out the battle from Ice Pirates.

So Indiana Jones probably isn't the prototypical archaeologist, but there are some similarities with these guys.

There will be more Arrested Development. While the last season was pretty inconsistent, this is still good news.

Is anyone really excited about the Wachowski's Netflix series Sense8? If you are, here's a deep dive into it.

A look at submarine terms, for the next time you watch Das Boot (the director's cut of course).

Cool Shit 6/2

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 12:31:00 +0000

Not sure how many out there are real Faith No More fans, but if you are, this treasure trove of rarities from their career is going to be right up your alley.

With a recent, 95% failure rate of detecting weapons or bombs, I'm really not sure why the TSA even exists anymore.

The movie San Andreas, about a monster earthquake on the west coast of the United States came out last weekend. And if you can believe it, some of the science in it isn't so accurate.

The best guest sit-ins with the Grateful Dead, in honor of their shows coming up this summer.

Will Apple's new streaming music service be announced next week?

So this is happening, in December... A Very Murray Christmas:

What is it? I have no idea, but Sophia Coppola is also involved.

Roger Moore speaking about James Bond.

Cool Shit 6/1

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 12:55:00 +0000

So when you die, weird things happen to your body.

Just in case - how to break out of zip ties:

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/what-happens-when-you-die?adbpr=25087685&adbid=604735322316931072&adbpl=tw&cid=social_20150530_46677146

Oh hamburger. You are so delicious. But how did you get that way?

With these last few days of Spring still upon us, enjoy a reading of Walt Whitman's poetry read by James Earl Jones:

It's the 40th anniversary of Jaws, and the movie still resonates throughout our culture.

Want to stay anonymous online? Take a look at these helpful tips.

Cool Shit 5/29

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Fri, 29 May 2015 13:16:00 +0000

What keeps Bill Gates up at night. It's obvious he's put a lot of time into this. So maybe start washing your hands more everyone?

40th Anniversary of Jaws means it's getting a limited re-release. No idea why it's limited. This thing should go out wide!

Lego X-Files!

Fantasy beer league. It's a little confusing to me (though the article plainly states how simple it is), because I don't understand the idea of the draft. Why not just bring beers you think will win the matchup each month? That way there's at least an element of surprise for everyone.

This situation stinks. I realize that Allen Ginsburg's work can be provocative, but I don't think that means it should be simply eliminated from classrooms...high school classrooms. Firing a teacher for teaching something like this is extreme, and the censorship it indirectly supports should frighten us. Heaven forbid the concept of sexualized love (i guess because it was homosexual) is mentioned in an academic setting.

Looking at the state of television and what it takes to survive in a landscape that is never stable.

How we got the Honeycrisp apple.

Cool Shit 5/28

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Thu, 28 May 2015 13:35:00 +0000

You'd think some of these Marvel superheroes would have killed a bunch more people, but have to realize, at the end of the day, it's comic books we're talking about.

Another preview of the summer television season, although this one is extremely comprehensive.

And then here's an article predicting which five new fall shows are going to be hits. If I were a betting man, I'd bet against all five.

How did the empire construct a second Death Star so much quicker than the first? This gives some sound economic theory as to why, but I think another possibility is that they were being built concurrently - or more specifically the plan wasn't to rule the galaxy with one Death Star, but with many, and so the construction started with multiple projects.

Wow, watching this trailer for a David Foster Wallace movie, I'm not sure if I should be excited or offended by it. I can appreciate people wanting to bring this to the screen, but I'm not sure you can capture the complexities of the man in a simple two hour film.

Apparently breaking down a ship is extremely dangerous and expensive. So you take them to Bangladesh!

Aside from the melodramatic headline that David Duchovny "cried" when he read the latest X-Files script, there's some more information here about the show.

More Serial news - apparently they are currently producing two narratives, so there won't be as long a wait between season two and season 3.

Chuck Palahniuk on writing the Fight Club 2 comic book. I still think it's really not a good idea.

Cool Shit 5/27

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Wed, 27 May 2015 14:03:00 +0000

I get that remakes are big business because it guarantees name recognition but seriously, this new version of Point Break obviously has no idea what made the original work. And that's a shame, because I do think a remake is possible, and I do think it could work with the extreme sports that they have shoehorned in here in order to attract a younger audience. As an aside, the guy playing Bodhi? That's just not going to work.

Drone footage from Antarctica:

On one hand, a live action Jonny Quest movie could be cool. On the other hand it's being helmed by Robert Rodriguez, which means it probably won't be. To cheer you up, read about my love for the show here.

What it takes to be a truck driver.

Read a firsthand account of the last Letterman show from one of the writers.

It used to be that summer was a wasteland for television, but that's not the case these days. The season is warming up with new shows.

Cool Shit 5/26

noreply@blogger.com (Goose) — Tue, 26 May 2015 12:21:00 +0000

A trailer for the new season of Hannibal is out; please be aware that it contains spoilers based on last season's finale. Also be aware that the article, in describing the fact that the trailer has spoilers, seemingly spoils the show itself. It's kind of amazing actually.

A deeper look into Disney theme parks.

The 40th season of SNL is over. Here's a list of the best sketches from the year.

Planning a trip to a nude beach soon? Remember, there's an etiquette. Don't be the nude noob.

I feel like this interview with Art Garfunkel solidifies the idea that he is a tad bitter about his partner's success. I also enjoyed his Paul McCartney barb, and his suggestion that he would do a Simon & Garfunkel reunion tour. Something tells me Mr. Simon isn't going to be lunging for the phone to call him.

Creepy stories from mysterious islands.

While not exactly timely, these facts about Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade are at least interesting.

Thunderstorms seen from space: