Category Archives: Entertainment

TV, Movies, etc

July 24, 2014 · 2:16 pm

Platform Shoes at Disneyland

A few years ago I went to Disneyland with some friends. We were waiting in line for Splash Mountain. That line takes a while so we started to mingle with the other people around us, including the family with three young kids behind us. They were your standard Disneyland tourist family. There was mom and dad with two boys and a girl. The girl was the oldest and was probably nine years old, the middle boy was about seven, and the youngest boy was four years old. The youngest kid was tiny, but he was able to stand in line because he met the ride’s height requirement by a fraction of an inch thanks in part to his pair of platform shoes. He looked like he was wearing stilts. Those platform shoes gave him an extra two and a half inches. I had to compliment the parents on their ingenuity. They told me that the shoes were hand-me-downs and that their other kids had worn them previously. They told me that platform shoes were the only way to do Disneyland with kids. I told them I would pass on their words of wisdom. Today I finally have. You’re welcome.

Critically Rated at 14/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

LADIES-LACE-UP-FLAT-DOUBLE-PLATFORM-WOMENS-GOTH-CREEPERS-PUNK-WEDGE-SHOES-FREE-SHIPPING

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertainment

Tagged as , , , , ,

July 24, 2014 · 2:14 pm

Bloody Knuckles

Bloody knuckles is a game where two players take turns punching each other on the knuckles until somebody gives up or someone makes you stop playing. It’s most often played by bored high school kids and drunk assholes at the bar. If you ever wake up with your hand hurting after a night of drinking, you were probably one of those drunk assholes playing it at the bar. It’s a game of machismo, a casual contest of strength that you play with your friends like arm wrestling or slap boxing. You’re not trying to hurt the other person necessarily, you’re simply trying to win and getting hurt is sometimes an unfortunate byproduct. Pain is a good thing though. That’s why people play games like bloody knuckles. It’s always entertaining watching people get hurt.

Critically Rated at 13/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

polls_untitled_5244_778499_poll_xlarge

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertainment

Tagged as , , , , ,

July 23, 2014 · 2:11 pm

Colorized Old-Timey Photos

Nothing brings the past alive quite like colorized old-timey photos. You can gaze upon the daguerreotype of a forgotten Civil War soldier whose name has been lost to history, but you have evidence that he existed, proof of a moment that was captured on film well over a hundred years ago. Black and white photos from the past are beautiful in their own way, but colorizing them makes them more real and more relevant to the now. We see the world in color, not in shades of gray. The black and white pictures that you saw in you high school history textbook were interesting but had no meaning to you. The fire from the Hindenburg isn’t imposing until you add a little color and see the glow from the flames. You can stare into the face of Marilyn Monroe and see exactly what the producers, directors, and screenwriters saw in her that turned her into the poster girl for Hollywood actresses. You see a few familiar landmarks but an unfamiliar skyline from your city’s early years. That has impact, that has meaning. I’m sorry if you’re colorblind, but color is the key to reality or so it seems.

Critically Rated at 14/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

http://www.inspire52.com/colored-old-photos/

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertainment

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

July 23, 2014 · 2:09 pm

“Tequila” by The Champs

“Tequila” is one of the best instrumentals of all time. Well, it’s not really an instrumental because they say “Tequila” three times. It’s one of the easiest songs to karaoke to. It was first recorded by The Champs and has gone on to appear in many memorable movies and TV shows. You hear it in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Sandlot, Happy Days, and to a lesser extent Two and a Half Men. I remember I went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with my family when I was sixteen and we went to a restaurant for dinner. There was a mariachi band walking around taking requests. I requested “Tequila” and they played it on the spot. If choosing a song is a competition, I won that shit because all the other customers got in on it. We turned the restaurant into a party for a couple of minutes. The song is infectious. You only need to hear it once to know it for life.

Critically Rated at 15/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertainment

Tagged as , , , ,

July 22, 2014 · 2:06 pm

The Carlton Dance

The Carlton Dance is a fixture on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It happens when Carlton Banks (played by Alfonso Robeiro) starts wildly flailing to Tom Jones’ “It’s Not Unusual.” His spastic motions ensure a laugh every time. The beauty of the Carlton Dance is that anybody can do it. It looks bad but it’s supposed to look bad so it’s ok to do it. And it’s contagious. Seriously. The next time you hear “It’s Not Unusual” (which happens fairly often if you pay attention), be sure to bust out in the Carlton Dance and start an impromptu dance party. You won’t be disappointed.

Critically Rated at 14/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertainment

Tagged as , , , , ,

July 18, 2014 · 11:41 pm

Sunglasses at Night

There’s a timeless song by Corey Hart that contains the lyrics “I wear my sunglasses at night, So I can, So I can.” Nobody knows what he’s referring to and nobody wants to. They just want to sing along and also rock some shades. Wearing sunglasses at night makes you feel like a badass because you aren’t supposed to wear them at night. Half of the pictures I took of my group in Alaska were of us wearing our sunglasses at night because it never got dark and you actually needed to wear them. I wear my sunglasses at night because they are practical doesn’t have quite the same ring to it, but it’s still a valid statement in the 907. That’s the area code for Alaska. The whole state has one area code. The biggest state in the United States has only one area code. How quaint.

Critically Rated at 12/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

url

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertainment

Tagged as , , , , ,

July 17, 2014 · 2:03 pm

The Guy Carly Simon Was Singing About

So back in the ‘70s there was this singer-songwriter named Carly Simon who had a hit song called “You’re So Vain.” You’ve probably heard it. It’s in hundreds of movie and television shows, it’s always playing on an oldies station somewhere, and it’s an anthem for heartbroken women everywhere. It’s a cool song. It’s catchy and it has the memorable lyrics “You’re so vain, you probably think this song is about you.” There is a lot of speculation as to who the song is about. Carly Simon won’t publically reveal who it is. She’s offered some clues and she’s also hinted that it’s based on three different men, not just one. Warren Beatty is most likely the main inspiration for the song. He’s even said so himself in interviews. But regardless who the song is about, the guy is right about the song being about him. He was vain enough to inspire the song that she wrote about him being vain. And even though he probably thinks the song is about him, he’s definitely right. He deserves to be vain.

Critically Rated at 11/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

banner5

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertainment

Tagged as , , , ,

June 22, 2014 · 7:43 pm

Watching the End of a Movie That You Haven’t Seen Before

Watching the end of a movie that you haven’t seen before isn’t that big of a deal if the movie is worth watching. That’s how you know if it’s a good movie or not. It’s all about the ending, the climax. It’s why you prematurely ejaculate. The finale makes or breaks the movie. People like spoilers and skipping ahead to the end is a gratifying way to save time. The why you leek ahead in your book or search for unwrapped presents before Christmas. If it’s a good ending you might watch the while movie. If it sucks you might not watch it at all. And that saves you even more time.
Critically Rated at 11/17
Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

20140622-184217-67337743.jpg

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertainment

Tagged as , , ,

June 19, 2014 · 10:20 am

Drawing Dicks on Magazine Covers

I was lounging in the break room the other day at work. I had five minutes before I had to clock in and I had to kill some time. There was a copy of some celebrity gossip magazine on the table. There was also a sharpie on the table. It was only natural that I spent the remainder of my break using the Sharpie to draw dicks on the cover of the celebrity gossip magazine. Anyone can draw a dick on a magazine cover and get a laugh out of it, but you have to be somewhat clever. You have to look at the celebrity’s expression and determine where to place the dick for maximum effectiveness. The illustrated penis doesn’t always have to be touching the celebrity’s face. Sometimes the celebrity is looking at a dick and sometimes they are trying to avoid looking at a dick. But you also don’t want to spend too much time drawing the dicks. You want it to be crude and badly drawn. You’re not making art, you’re vandalizing. It’s important to remember that.

Critically Rated at 12/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

main

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertainment

Tagged as , , ,

June 17, 2014 · 10:02 am

Titan A.E.

Titan A.E. is an animated sci-fi film set in a future where an alien attack has destroyed Earth and a band of human survivors trying to locate a spaceship called Titan, humanity’s last chance for recovery. The film combines computer graphics and hand-drawn animation and the end result is visually stunning. It was directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman (they also directed The Secret of NIMH and Anastasia), and Joss Whedon contributed to the screenplay (so you know that it’s going to be good). It has a pretty impressive voice cast as well, featuring Matt Damon, Bill Pullman, John Leguizamo, Ron Pearlman, Drew Barrymore, Nathan Lane, Janeane Garofalo, Jim Breur, and Tone Loc.

The film begins in the year 3028 when an alien race known as the Drej attack and destroy Earth. Luckily Professor Sam Tucker has been preparing for this, and he’s built a spaceship known as Titan to ensure humanity’s survival. He’s forced to abandon his young son, Cale, on an evacuation ship, and the two go their separate ways. The film then jumps ahead fifteen years, and Cale is working in a salvage yard in space somewhere. Humans are scattered across the galaxy and are considered a lesser species because they have no home of their own anymore.

Cale eventually encounters Captain Joseph Korso, another human and former friend of Cale’s father. Korso reveals that the ring that Cale wears is a genetically encoded map that will lead them to the Titan. Together they could save mankind. Cale joins Korso’s crew, which consists of Akima, his sexy female human pilot and a couple of aliens of various species named Gune, Stith, and Preed. Then it becomes a race to find the Titan before the Drej can catch them and kill them. Of course there are lots of action scenes, a few twists and shocking revelations, and character developments that you saw coming a mile away. But it’s all enjoyable.

This movie bombed when it came out, and I’m not sure why. It was a mix of bad marketing and confusing publicity. It was advertised as a kid’s film, but it’s more of an action-filled sci-fi that happens to be animated. And the animation is gorgeous. It looks and feels unlike any other space fantasy flick that I’ve seen. And the action sequences are nothing short of thrilling. This movie is underappreciated and unrespected but it’s become a cult classic to some, myself included.

Critically Rated at 13/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

titanaelogo1

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertainment

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

June 14, 2014 · 8:34 am

Blog

Blog is short for web log, and it’s basically an online journal or discussion written by an individual or a group. A blog can be a noun or a verb. This site is a blog. This post is a blog. You’re reading a blog written by a blogger about blogs and blogging right now. I personally don’t like the term. I prefer to think of myself as a writer, not a blogger. I want my posts to be considered articles, not blogs. I feel that blog demeans what I have to say. It cheapens it. It’s less likely to be taken seriously. You can quote articles to win arguments, but you can’t refer to blogs to win a bet. I don’t like the term, but I have to accept it because that’s what I do and that’s what it is. I’ll admit that I’m a blogger because I blog on my blog if you admit that I’m a writer because I have to write the blog that I blog on my blog.

Critically Rated at 14/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

blog

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertainment

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

June 14, 2014 · 8:33 am

Approaching a Celebrity

You’re walking down a crowded city sidewalk when a familiar face passes you by. It takes you a moment to realize that it’s not somebody that you know personally, it’s a celebrity. It’s somebody famous. And this is your only chance to say something to that celebrity so you have to say something. But what do you say? Approaching a celebrity is a real life scenario that they never prepare you for in school. There is no set etiquette other than don’t grope them and don’t stalk them. Most of the time when you see a celebrity you don’t do make an attempt to meet them, you just mention that you saw so-and-so at such-and-such to your friends later. But sometimes you come across a celebrity that was in your favorite TV show, movie, or who plays for your favorite team and you have to say something to them because they truly inspire you and this might be your only chance to say something to them. Start by saying their name so that they know that you know who they are and that you’re not confusing them with somebody else (Samuel L. Jackson is not Laurence Fishburne, Bill Pullman is not Bill Paxton). Then say that you’re a big fan of whatever they did for whatever reason. Then ask them what you wanted to ask them. Extend your hand if you want a handshake. Take out your camera if you want a picture. Take out a pen if you want an autograph. Get to the point. And don’t take it personally if they dismiss you. The more famous the celebrity, the more people approach them and the less likely they will humor you. Don’t get butthurt if they ignore you or snub you. Just don’t be a creeper.

Critically Rated at 11/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

Lucinda-Dunn-signs-autographs-Photo-Lisa-Tomasetti-600-x-600

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertainment

Tagged as , , ,

June 10, 2014 · 10:01 am

“Hangover” by PSY featuring Snoop Dogg

PSY is the South Korean K-pop powerhouse that brought you “Gangnam Style” and “Gentleman”. He’s got a new YouTube music video out now called “Hangover” and it’s pretty terrible. It’s really terrible in fact. This song is a hangover. It makes you sick. It makes you nauseous. It makes you regret everything that you did that’s lead up to this point. It has an awful beat, lazy auto-tuning, and a bored Snoop Dogg mumbling his way through horrible lyrics. Snoop Dogg (or is still Snoop Lion?) spends a lot of time talking about smoking weed for a song that’s supposed to about a hangover. And how do South Koreans feel about weed anyway? Do they even smoke it over there? The video is mostly PSY and Snoop running around drinking and causing trouble wherever they go. They seem to be attempting to pull off the chemistry between Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in Rush Hour, but it’s way too forced. It’s a bad song, it’s a bad video, and it’s time to say goodbye to PSY. His fifteen minutes of fame are up and he’s no longer relevant. I don’t want to hear from him again unless he’s doing a duet with William Hung and covering “Chocolate Rain.” Avoid watching this video if you can.

Critically Rated at 6/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertainment

Tagged as , , , , , , , ,

June 7, 2014 · 9:00 am

Hot Lava Game

The Hot Lava Game is a children’s game where you pretend that the ground is made of hot lava. Obviously you can’t step on the ground or you will be burned. You can play it indoors on a rainy day, or outside on a playground when the weather is permitting. The rules are simple. You have to stay off the ground by any means necessary. For example: Start by getting off the ground and stand on the couch. Then jump to a chair. Then leap from the chair to the table. Then go from the table to the kitchen counter. Continue on. Just don’t touch the floor. That’s how you play Hot Lava. It’s a slower, tamer, and less glamorous version of parkour, and you’re far more likely to piss off Mom, but it’s a classic game and there are a million variations to it. All are acceptable as long as you don’t touch the floor. I can’t stress that enough.

Critically Rated at 13/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

Lava 1

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertainment

Tagged as , , , , ,

June 6, 2014 · 12:20 pm

A Fan Making a Great Play

Yet another thing that I love about baseball is the fan interaction. You need to pay attention when you’re at the ballpark. You have to dodge the occasional broken bat. You get foul balls and home runs flying into the seats and stands. And you can make it on SportsCenter if you make a nice catch. A fan making a great play is always entertaining to watch. There are so many memorable fan catches. There’s the guy who drops his daughter to catch a foul ball. There’s the guy that snags a ball in his beer cup and celebrates by chugging it. There’s the happy dad who gets a foul, gives it to his kid, and watches in disbelief as the kid throws the souvenir back to the field. There’s the plucky old guy who gets a home run ball for the first time and offers it to a youngster nearby instead of keeping it. You’re not likely to catch a game ball, but it’s always a possibility. Be prepared and be ready to release your inner athlete at a moment’s notice.

Critically Rated at 15/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

Colorado Rockies v Arizona Diamondbacks

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertainment

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

June 3, 2014 · 9:57 am

Tupac vs. Biggie

There are certain things that you should never discuss in a bar. You should never talk about religion. You should never talk about politics. And you should never talk about Tupac vs. Biggie. The ongoing debate about the best rapper of all time always comes down to Tupac vs. Biggie. They both used their talents to become hugely successful and influential, and their initial friendship soured and they became enemies as the East Coast and West Coast went to war. Both men were gunned down in their prime, victims of a war they perpetrated in an effort to gain more sales. It’s tough to say who left a deeper impression on rap. Tupac was a writer and Biggie would flow. Tupac was more versatile and prolific, recording more songs and albums, and acting in films. Biggie did more with less. He only had two solo albums, and one of those was released after he died. And he’s still constantly brought up when we talk about the best rapper of all time. The fact that he’s even compared to Tupac with such a short body of work just proves his greatness. He was a better storyteller with a smoother flow. We will never reach an agreement as to who was better. The debate will go on forever. It’s still a shame that we lost them both before they even turned twenty-five. Their legacies live on, forever intertwined. But seriously, don’t talk about Tupac or Biggie while drunk because fists will fly and friendships will end.

Critically Rated at 13/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

music-tupac-biggie-colour-green-size-15024-25933_medium

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertainment

Tagged as , , , , , ,

June 2, 2014 · 12:26 pm

Dave Chappelle: Killin’ Them Softly

Dave Chappelle: Killin’ Them Softly is an hour-long HBO comedy special starring Dave Chappelle and features some of his best material. This is the special that put him on the map. True, you saw him in Half Baked and Robin Hood: Men in Tights, but this was the first time you saw his true genius and realized that he was a masterful storyteller. He talks about everything, including drugs, sex, rolling down windows on old limousines, and Sesame Street.

I remember watching it for the first time in high school and I went nuts for it. I illegally downloaded the video and the MP3 and I listened to it constantly. My friends and I could quote the whole thing from beginning to end. Hell, we still quote it. And I’ve made a lot of new friends that quote it too. It’s a part of our culture, a part of our past. It’s my generation’s Eddie Murphy Delirious or Raw. It had real significance and it lead to his further success with Chappelle’s Show. And even though Chappelle’s show only lasted two real seasons, it still solidified Dave Chappelle’s place amongst the comedic greats. Chappelle is a genius. You only need to watch five minutes of Killin’ Them Softly to find out why.

Critically Rated at 16/17

Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young

Leave a comment

Filed under Entertainment

Tagged as , , , , , , ,