Michael Myers Halloween Scare Prank

Few things are more fun than scaring someone. It's literally one of my favorite things to do.

Almost as fun is watching someone else get scared on video. This clip I am about to share is 12 minutes of glorious scare pranking. I only wish I had somehow been involved.

Hopefully it doesn't get taken down before you get a chance to see it. Some guy dressed up in a Michael Myers outfit and hid around a movie theater scaring all the patrons.

It's worth every second of the 12.38 minutes, but if you only have 15 seconds to spare, skip to the 12:00 mark. If you have a minute and a half to spare, add the 3:12-4:30 portion on top of that. It's an epic confrontation.

Warning: there is NSFW language in this clip.



I don't know who made this video, but if I ever find out, I'll be sure to share it with you. The guy playing Michael Myers does a great job of doing scary stabbing motions with his arm. I think my favorite thing is when someone will get scared of him standing there, thinking he's fake, then get even more scared when he stabs at them.

And if you enjoy watching people get scared as much as I do, here's an added bonus:
Scaring Little Kids

Best Illusions on the Internet

I've decided to compile an ongoing list of the best illusions on the internet. Be sure to let me know if you come across any awesome illusions, so I can add them to the list.

I divided them into two easy to find sections: Optical Illusions and Auditory Illusions. Seems like those are the only two possible illusions, but the internet is a crazy place, so you never know.

OPTICAL ILLUSIONS

1) Black and White Castle Illusion

We'll start things off with a fun little video displaying the optical illusion known as "Chromatic Adaptation." The image of a black and white castle will be magically filled with natural colors, right before your eyes. Amazing!




2) The Hollow Face Illusion

The Hollow Face Illusion, or Hollow Mask Illusion, is where the inside of a mask looks like a normal face. Or to put it into scientific mumbo-jumbo, "the perception of a concave mask of a face appears as a normal convex face." Apparently we're so used to seeing normal faces that we just can't make sense of it any other way.

This first example is my favorite video of the Hollow Face Illusion. This guy does a good job of explaining the effect while it's happening. Plus he has a British accent, so you feel smarter after listening to him:

Hollow Face Optical Illusion - Charlie Chaplin

Another cool example of this illusion is the Gardner Dragon. As a bit of history, this paper dragon was created by Jerry Andrus as a part of Gathering for Gardner.

Gathering for Gardner Dragon


As an interesting side note, if you are schizophrenic, you won't be fooled by the hollow face illusion. See this article for details: Hollow mask illusion fails to fool schizophrenia patients

If you want to see plenty more examples of the hollow face illusion, just click here.

3) The Checker Shadow Illusion



The Checker Shadow Illusion is a popular illusion created by Professor Edward Adelson at MIT. Believe it or not, the squares labeled "A" and "B" are actually the same shade of gray. Below are a couple of cool videos that demonstrate the effect.

Checker Shadow Illusion Revealed Using Photoshoop


Checker Shadow Illusion Revealed Using Life-Sized Model




AUDITORY ILLUSIONS

1) Shepard's Ascending Tone

We'll start of the sound illusions with a fun little video that shows an example of Shepard's Ascending Tone. Listen to the video as the tones appear to "creep up" the scale. Wild and crazy stuff!



2) Falling Bells Illusion

For this illusion, you need to be wearing headphones. I guess you don't have to wear headphones, but it's better if you do. The bells will sound like they're falling all around you. And that the tones are getting lower and lower, but really they aren't. It's a mindblow for sure.



3) The McGurk Effect

Anything I could possibly explain about the McGurk Effect can be summed up in the following video. It's quite the informational treasure trove.



I'm also throwing in the following video of the effect, because it shows the "ga ga ga" sound. First, listen to this video with your eyes closed. I think most people hear the "ba ba ba" sound. Then play it again and watch it. You should hear "ga ga ga."



4) The Virtual Barber Shop

This next illusion is one of my absolute favorites. You definitely need to put on headphones for this effect. It is a demonstration of stereo sound, and you'll be able to hear sounds in space as if they are actually moving around you. The best way to explain it is to say, it is awesome!



5) Phantom Words

This next auditory illusion is actually kinda creepy. Apparently all that is playing is meaningless noise. However as you listen to that noise, your brain will start to pick out words and phrases to make sense of everything. The weird thing is that these words will start changing. I hear different words all the time. It's a weird feeling.




Bonus "Brain Game" Footage:

Thanks to Brian for pointing these out. Nat Geo has a program called Brain Games, and they pretty much cover everything in this post. So, if you still haven't gotten your fill of illusions, I'll add episodes as I find them. Enjoy!

Brain Games - Watch This







Brain Games - Pay Attention







Brain Games - Remember This

Three Videos Involving Animals

One of these years I'll do a real post again. In the meantime, here are three videos I've seen over the past few months that I enjoyed.

A Deer Steals Man's Wife


Inception Cat



Hero Dog

The Top Ten Recut Movie Trailers

Now here's a top ten list I've been meaning to do for a long while. I've put together what I believe are the top ten recut movie trailers. There are many to choose from and it was difficult to sift through them all, but in the end, I'm happy with this list. Most recuts out there would fall within the bottom three of this list. So, if you only have time to look at a few of these, make sure you spend your time in the top five. Anyways, hope you enjoy!


10) Sleepless in Seattle: Horror Recut

This recut is one of many that takes the obvious route of turning a comedy into a horror movie. The reason it actually cracks the list, is because the editing is fairly well done and it isn't just a jumbled mess of clips set to scary music (like many similar recuts).



9) Office Space: Thriller Recut

Number nine on the list takes the same idea a bit further, with more of an arc to the trailer. This one is better because everyone is so familiar with the scenes in Office Space (no seriously, everyone). That makes it better when you see them out of context. I really hate that I had to spell that out for you.



8) Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: Drug Baron Recut

This trailer gets bonus points for being creative in its choice of genre. Instead of taking the obvious route of turning a family movie into a horror flick, this recut makes Wonka out to be a drug lord. The results are fantastical.



7) Jaws: Love Story Recut

This recut is titled, "Must Love Jaws." It is one of the best horror turned love story recuts (second only to #2 on this list). Great choice of music in this recut. At first I didn't like the ridiculous ending to this trailer, but the second time I watched it, I found it hilarious.




6) The Dark Knight - Toy Story 2: Trailer Mashup Recut

This next trailer is actually one of my favorites, even though it's toward the middle of the list. Some genius took the audio from The Dark Knight trailer and set it to scenes from Toy Story 2 (and at least one scene from the first Toy Story, but still). The mashup comes together perfectly. In case you need it, here is the original Batman trailer:



And then the mashup:




The next three trailers are pretty much a tie. Whoever came up with this concept first deserves the most credit, but I have no way of figuring that out. The hilarious idea is to take a random movie and set it to the theme from Brokeback Mountain. I know, you're already laughing. It is that funny. There are enough of these trailers out there to make a separate top ten list, but these three are best. Ladies and gentlemen: The Brokebacks.

5) The Brokeback Redemption



4) Planes Trains and Automobiles: Brokeback Recut



3) Brokeback to the Future



The last two recut trailers on this list are in a league of their own. They were both among the first recuts ever made, which gives them bonus points. They are also the epitome of turning horror into comedy and vice versa. These are the two that every other recut is trying to equal. But they can't.

2) Shining




1) Scary Mary



Well, that about does it. If you enjoyed those, feel free to look for more. There are tons out there. For more recut trailers click the link below. Add your favorites to the comment section. Or leave a comment just for fun. It'll encourage me to actually blog again.

More Recut Trailers

Steve Porter's "Press Hop"

Steve Porter put out a new mix and it's just as awesome as the last two. In this one he mixes up some press conference interviews. Mostly Iverson and some Mora, and a few randoms thrown in. Anyways, it's awesome and anything including Mora's "Playoffs?" quote is worth watching.




If you like coach tirades (including the 3 featured in this video), take the time to check out a top ten list:

Real Clear Sports Top Ten Tirades

And here's a link to Porter's "Jam Wow" and "Rap Chop:"

Link

The Best and Worst of Local Television Commercials

With the dawn of television, the commercial became the most effective advertising tool known to man (based on a recent study at Harvard). Absurd amounts of money and resources began to flow into advertising. Ad wars exploded between fast food chains, beer companies, car manufacturers, soda pop makers, and whatever category Nike and Reebok fit into. We were a nation of consumers glued to our couches and there was only one way to get us to buy.

During this commercial boom era, something slowly and magnificently began to emerge from the shadows. An art form sprang forth, understood only by those with the tightest of budgets. It was the local television commercial.

Barely equipped with their shoe-string budgets, local businesses decided to join the battle for America's attention. Armed with nothing but a lively personality, local business achieved some of the greatest feats in advertising history. Today, we will look at just a small sample of the greatness that is the local television commercial. Hopefully at the end of these Magnificent Seven, you will grow to appreciate this tidbit of Americana.

Don's Guns: Indianapolis, IN
"And remember folks- I don't wanna make any money, I just love to sell guns."

Since I live in Indianapolis, I thought it would be fitting to begin with this city's greatest local commercial advertiser. The man, the legend: Don Davis. Anyone who grew up in Indy knows who Don is. There's an image implanted in my brain of Don Davis shooting me with his finger and laughing that creepy laugh of his. Here's an image ripped from the front page of his web site:



That there pretty much says it all.

Unfortunately, the internet fails when it comes to providing quality Don's Guns commercials. However, I did find two. This first one is pretty standard for Don's commercials. Here, he's offering up gun rentals:



This next video takes us back a few decades. This one is more in line with the average local commercial. Trying to be funny and gimmicky at the same time. I love the brilliant "old man" joke in this commercial. It's an old man joke, because all old men have a grab bag full of these kinds of jokes and they're only funny if an old man says it. Props to a younger Don for trying to pull this one off:



Did you notice the marquee scroll across the top of the commercial? "Don's Guns...voted WORST LOCAL TV COMMERCIAL...Indianapolis Magazine- 1984 and 1985..." Got to love a guy who proudly displays that within his commercial. (I tried to confirm that statement, with no luck.)

For what it's worth, I did consider Watson's in the running here ("That's Watson's!"). I also thought of Bob Rohrman ("Bob Roooooooarman") and Blossom Chevrolet ("Lordy, they're good people). I just think Don's got them beat pretty solidly.

Having dealt with my own local TV commercial giant, it's time to take a gander at what the rest of this country has to offer.

These next couple videos represent what I think is the bread and butter for local television commercials. It's the typical commercial that tries to use humor to sell a product. After viewing, you and your friends sit in silence for a minute before looking at each other and cracking up.

Pizza-N-Go: Lawrenceville, PA
This first one takes a simple formula: Show your staple product in the background. Then add something ridiculous in the foreground that people will laugh at. It's nonsensical and out of place for the product. Humor sells, but you'd better be sure that what you're doing is humorous before placing all your eggs in that basket.

So here we have a white guy dancing and not-quite rapping and somehow this is supposed to make you want to eat a pizza. It's great as far as local commercials go, but can't be doing much for product recognition:



Georgia Car Credit: Moultrie, GA
The folks at Georgia Car Credit took things a little further. They were able to tie in their "humor" with the product. In this commercial you have a white person acting like a pimp who gives credit to the masses. He is aptly dubbed the "Credit MacDaddy." It's one of many attempts by white America to adopt the "hip-hop" culture, in a playful way. It's "funny" because white people can't rap or dance. It gets approved by upper management, because older white people think it's really funny when white people act and speak in ways that they think are "ghetto."

There's something terribly wrong watching the whitest of white folk act this way. Even when they're blatantly trying to be funny. That almost makes it worse. Anyways, it makes for a great local commercial that I'm sure everyone in Georgia just loves. They even throw in some slapstick humor with the ol' pie-in-the-face gag:



This next video epitomizes everything that a local commercial should be. They use what I call the Four Basic Building Blocks for Local Television Commercial Success:
1) In-house actors
2) Catchy music
3) Memorable Quote
4) Humor

If you throw those four factors into any local commercial, you will have guaranteed success. However, this next video also includes the elusive "Fifth Factor" that takes a good local commercial and turns it into something special. See if you can find what it is.

The Red House: High Point, NC
Rather than take the all too obvious gimmick of white people acting black, the folks at the Red House take the higher road. We've come a long way in this country and it's time to realize that we're all a part of the same culture. The Red House asks the question, "Can't we all just get along?" and answers with an emphatic, "WE CAN!"



Let's run through our Four Basics as applied to this commercial.

1) In-house Actors. Check! With Bighead and Ten Gauge stealing the show, this commercial is chock-full of in-house talent. The best part is they can't act worth a lick and are often seen reading their lines. All two of them.

2) Catchy Music. Check! Come on, admit it. You're already singing "At the Reeeed House..." over and over in your head. Nice harmony by white guys in ties. They even pay homage to the Wurlitzer with the digitized background theme.

3) Memorable Quote. Check plus! "Where black people and white people by furniture." Ooops! "...and Hispanic people too." Oh, that's just beautiful.

4) Humor. Check! Nothing's funnier than seeing people spell out the obvious. "I'm black. And I love the Red House." "I'm white..." That's just funny. And having a large black man jump into sofa saying, "Look at this sofa, it's perfect for a black person," is just gold.

So, did you catch what the Fifth Factor is? I hope so. It's crucial to a great commercial and it's what separates this one from the two prior. The Fifth Factor is created when the audience can't tell if you're being funny on purpose or not. I really want to think that the folks at the Red House knew how funny this commercial was going to be when they made it. But I can't help wonder if they were taking this seriously. That's what makes it so perfect.

I'm not sure if you can intentionally create this Fifth Factor. As soon as you start thinking that people are laughing with you and not at you, then you've lost. But then when people do laugh at you, they are really just laughing with you in the end, but you can't know that when you start. It's a very difficult concept to wrap your head around.

Let's see if we can figure it out with another commercial.

TDM Auto Sales: High Point, NC
This next commercial is popular enough that you may have already seen it. Yes that's right. It's the Cuban Gynecologist turned American Auto Salesman:



See how well the Fifth Factor works here? They don't even have a catchy tune (although there is music). Now this is obviously meant to be funny. The key here though is that this guy doesn't really understand why what he's doing is funny. It makes for a great local commercial.

I'm sure the guys who made it had a ton of fun doing it. Oh, how about that? Here's a behind the scenes video from the guys who made that commercial. Watching Rudy in this video is probably even funnier than the commercial.



Side note: If you're paying attention, you will have noticed that two of the greatest local commercials in this country come from High Point, North Carolina. That's impressive and almost makes it worth moving there.

Okay, so we've seen what it takes to build a good local TV commercial and taken a peek at some of the best in the business. Now it's time to see a few epic failures. These videos are similar in their failures, but they get there in totally different ways. The first video fails in concept.

Golden Gate Funeral Home
"Where service begins, and never ends."

Now, some people may argue with me and I can see where they may have a point. When your business is funeral homes, it's probably tough to come up with a good way to sell your product. The fine folks at Golden Gate decided to use the Four Basic Building Blocks... and failed. This is because in order to use humor, you have to be conscious of your product. You have to be careful when dealing with death and I'm not sure they pulled it off. I don't know, I guess it was funny enough for me to post here, but this just seems wrong. Hilariously wrong.



Well, we've come to the end of our exploration of local TV commercials. Appropriately, I've saved the worst (making it the best?) for last. This next video fails on almost every level possible. It's so atrocious, I can't even give it a proper introduction.

Fred and Sharon's Movie Productions: ????
That's right, I'm not sure where this commercial first aired. Possibly over the internet. To be fair, I think they're from BC, Canada. Leave it to the Canadians to take awesome American things and ruin them. They've taken local commercial quality and thrown it out into the netherworld. If you're trying to sell a product, this commercial should be a good learning tool. Just do everything exactly the opposite. It really is bad. It's fitting that it should end our list:



Links:

Don's Guns
Fred and Sharon's Movie Productions
TDM Auto Sales
Golden Gate Funeral Home
Red House
Pick up your Red House T-Shirt here: Link

Steve Porter's "Jam Wow" and "Rap Chop"

So I just came across DJ Steve Porter's Sham Wow and Slap Chop remixes. Needless to say, I was impressed and entertained, so I thought I'd share.

The first video is the "Jam Wow;" a remix of the Sham Wow commercials. This one is great if for no other reason than it features Carlton and some classic Kid n Play. Although, I was really disappointed that something was missing from the video. I'll leave it up to you to figure it out.

"Jam Wow"


The next one is "Rap Chop;" a remix of the Slap Chop commercials. This one is seriously amazing. I'm not even joking. I would love to be able to make this stuff. This song will get stuck in your head and I almost guarantee you'll watch it more than once.

"Rap Chop"


Thank you Steve Porter.

Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat

I know I haven't done a real post in a while, and today will be more of the same. Just came across this Keyboard Cat, and it's cracking me up. It meshes some of our favorite fail videos with a keyboard cat. Awesome. The tune has been in my head since I first saw these over the weekend. It's weird at first, but you'll get the idea. So funny. I'm listing all the ones I laughed at. Hopefully there will be more in the next few weeks. Enjoy!


























And here's the original video just for kicks:

Sleepwalking Dog

Haaahahahahaha! Ha.

Speedo Guy

Yeah, this is about four years old, but for some reason I had missed it. Maybe you did too.

First, just watch this video and see if you notice anything out of the ordinary.



Wow. Dude missed back to back free throws in a big game. That is a bit odd. Perhaps you noticed why? If you missed it, go back and look again.

What you are witnessing is the emergence of Speedo Guy. You may not have heard of him, but you won't forget him. He took the Duke/UNC rivalry to a whole new level.

This next video is a little story they did on Speedo Guy. It's awesome. He sounds like someone who would instantly be my friend. Kind of reminds me of a few other friends I have. Happy Friday!

The Sock Conspiracy

I'm walking down the street and a tall, lanky man strides into my view. As he approaches, I notice an oddly familiar pep in his step. The toothy grin on his face is infectious and I think to myself, "That is one happy man." He turns and winks at me. Suddenly, I understand. "You're wearing new socks," I say, as a matter of fact. "Mmm, hmmm..." he sings back at me, and he whistles on his merry way.

Ahhhh... There are few things more pleasurable than slipping on a warm pair of brand new socks. Something about the smooth way they hug your feet is darn near unbeatable. It's a proven fact that if you wear new socks, you will have a good day. Actually, I do believe Barack Obama was wearing new socks last Tuesday.

Here is a picture of Obama on Monday, where he was wearing old socks, but the mere thought of the new socks he would wear the next day brought a slight smile to his face.



And then here he is on Tuesday, with his brand new socks on.



But, alas. Like all of the most wonderful things in this world, that new sock feeling is a fleeting one. After that first day, your new socks begin to lose their luster. Suddenly, they don't hug as tight or look so bright. Your feet feel neglected and your heart is as empty as an old-worn-out sock.



You know what is incredible? We have gotten to the point where we can control things with our mind. It's true. We can wire our brains to computers and use technology to move things around.

But what good is technology if we can't make socks that stay glorious for more than one day? Honestly, why hasn't this happened? It seems simple compared with hooking computers to our brains. We should have easily figured it out by now.

I'll tell you why it doesn't exist. Here's a little clue:



That's right, it's a damn Sock Conspiracy!! Nobody ever thinks about it, because it's just a sock. But it could be so much more. The sock making companies know this. They also know that if they developed this technology, nobody would buy new socks anymore. That's why Willy Wonka isn't real. The fat cats who make candy would never really want an "everlasting" gobstopper.

If that doesn't get your blood boiling, think about this. Have you ever wondered why socks are shaped the way they are? You probably thought it was because your foot kind of looks like that. Well, you're wrong. Sock companies make socks a certain way, so that you'll be inclined to put it on your foot at the exact same place every time. Why is this? Obviously, everybody knows that the heel of the sock gets the most abuse and wears out the quickest. So the sock companies developed ways to make sure the sock threads supporting your heel will have to bear the brunt of the abuse every...single...time.

The shape of the sock isn't the only way they do this. They put patterns on the sock where the top of your foot is supposed to be, but leave the bottom blank. Dress socks are the best at this tactic.



If you don't believe me, try this. The next time you go to put on some socks, try purposely "putting them on wrong." I'll bet your feet won't know the difference. I swear, I'm wearing mine wrong right now, and my feet feel fine. My socks last about four times longer than they normally would.

So now you're thinking, "why would I want to keep wearing my old socks when the best thing about a sock is getting a new one?" Well, now you're just one step away from truly opening your mind.

Since sock companies don't want to develop the technology to make "everlasting new" socks, and have even gone so far as to force us to wear down the socks we have, the only way we can fight back is to wear our old socks as long as we possibly can. That will force competing sock companies to come up with the longest lasting, most comfortable sock known to man. Don't fall into their trap. Try using all of your sock, instead of just what the sock companies want you to use. It's the only way we'll get what we truly deserve in a sock.

Open your mind. Fight the Conspiracy.

Happy Halloween 2008: Politics Edition

*EDIT: Added new video 11/3/08.

It's Halloween and if you're looking for the scariest thing on the internet, you can mosey on over to this page: The Scariest Thing On The Internet.

As for me, few things scare me more than politics. It's scary how much of the world is run through politics. Not just government stuff, but within our work environments, social settings, and pretty much everything we do from day to day.

Heck, I don't even really know what "politics" means, which scares me even more. And I absolutely hate trying to "talk politics" with someone. Mostly because I have no clue what I'm talking about and don't know enough to even try to pretend.

Anyways, in honor of election day coming up and it being Halloween, I've found some scary "politics" videos for you to enjoy. These are random videos that I've come across recently and if you are ever around the internet, you've probably seen them. If you find any that should be added, feel free to leave a link in the comments, or shoot me an email and I'll add it to the list. Have a ghoulishly good time:

The Job
The first scary video is one of those mind-bending glimpses into the irony of our present financial "crisis." Brought about by politics, no doubt.




Terry Tate: Reading Is Fundamental
If you're not one of the 1,293,080 people who have already seen this video, you need to get out more. Or less. However that works out.




Sarah Palin Interview with Katie Couric
Okay, I know you've all seen this one. I don't care who you're voting for, this is pretty darn scary. I'm sure there are a million excuses and this could happen to anybody, but good grief, I mean... seriously. It reminds me of another video where somebody folded under the pressure. See if you can guess which one before watching it.



Got your guess ready? If so, click here: Scary Mystery Video


Synchronized Presidential Debating
This next video just proves there's nothing new under the sun. This video takes all three presidential debates and meshes them into one synchronized synopsis of the issues. We've heard it all before, and out of the same horse's mouth no less.



The Sidewalk to Nowhere, McCain Supporters in Bethlehem, PA
This is definitely scary. Blind ignorance and hatred is about as frightening as it gets. These folks put on a fine display of both while at a McCain rally. As ignorant as they are for acting like this, it would be just as stupid to say all McCain voters are like these morons. And don't worry, the next video of Obama supporters proves you can be equally idiotic, regardless of who you vote for. And it's nice in this video how all of the Obama supporters' comments are conveniently deleted.



Clueless Obama Voters In Harlem
The last video is from Howard Stern's show, where they sent someone to go out into Harlem and talk to the voters about why they are voting for Obama. I don't need to say how manipulative this is, but it's still pretty scary.



Barack Obama Not a US Citizen?
This is a pretty interesting video that I'm surprised hasn't gotten more attention (at least in mainstream media). A lawyer is suing Obama, claiming that he's not a US citizen and not eligible to run for the presidency. It seems like if this is legit, it's pretty freaking scary that nobody is concerned about this. Right? Watch the video and you tell me. It's also interesting that YouTube censored the title of this video (read the info on the YouTube page if interested).



In closing, I find it pretty scary how little I have cared to educate myself on the issues leading up to this election (or any election at any level throughout my life). We're lucky to live here and I definitely take this right for granted. It's dang scary when I think about it. So anyways, hope you all take the time to find out why you're gonna vote for whoever (whomever?) you vote for.

Alright, that's all I've got for now. Hope everyone has a safe and scary Halloween!

Video: "Take On Me" Literal Version

Wow. Once again I find myself saying, "Why didn't I think of that?" In this hilarious video, someone was creative enough to rewrite the lyrics to a popular song so that they match the action going on in the music video. It's genius. They chose A-Ha's "Take On Me." A Ha, a ha.



The pipe wrench stuff is brilliant. I can only hope there are many more of these.

Best Job in the World: Voice Actor

I've found another job to add to my growing list of things I'd love to get paid to do: voices for cartoons. It's got to be one of the best jobs possible. Go into a sound booth, make some funny voices, get paid. Sweet.

The best part would be when you're in a group of strangers and they all start doing their impression of your cartoon voice, then you're all like, "Dammit Bobby, you're doing that voice all wrong." Then they would all bow down to your superior impressionistic skills. Except it wouldn't be an impression, cause it's you.

The next best thing to being a voice actor is watching a voice actor do a familiar character. Which brings us to today's fun. I've compiled a small group of videos where you can get in on the joys of being a voice actor. There may be a downside to this job, but I just refuse to see it.

The first clip, as you've no doubt guessed, is from when the cast of the Simpsons appeared on Inside the Actor's Studio hosted by the unconquerable James Lipton. If you've somehow missed this, it's awesome. Take a gander:


Simpsons: Inside the Actors Studio


In the next video, we actually literally go inside the actor's studio with the cast of The Family Guy. It's weird when they say their lines out of context and without the other characters responding. And when they repeat the same line over and over, hoping to get one right. Pretty interesting.

Family Guy Voices


This next video may be my favorite of the bunch. It's an incredibly interesting clip from one of the greatest voice actors of all time: Mel Blanc. He goes through each of his famous characters and tells how he came up with their voices. Man, I miss those old Looney Tunes.

Mel Blanc: Creating Warner Bros. Cartoon Voices


Next up is a series of videos that go behind the scenes of voices in Disney animation. It's also ridiculously interesting and if you only have time for one (they're all short), watch the first one.

Behind the Scenes: Disney Character Voices. Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Part 4


Boy, this is fun. The only way this could be better is if it were somehow possible to get an iconic figure from my childhood to tell me more about voices in animation. Someone like... oh, I don't know... Doogie Howser, M.D.!!! (cool voice stuff is about 2:00 in)

Best of Disney: Voices of Characters


Well, if that didn't convince you that voice acting is one of the best jobs possible, then you're probably a voice actor. Actually, the whole animation process is pretty darn cool. Hope you enjoyed this little break from whatever boring, dead-end job you have. If you're still bored, you can watch the entire episode of "Inside the Actor's Studio" with the Simpsons. Enjoy!

Simpsons Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Part 4


Part 5

Ninja Cat Creeps Without Walking

Haaaha, hahaha, aha, aaahh, ha...ha.

Boom Goes the Dynamite

Here's a classic for you. Good ol' Indiana home-grown talent.

Ball State news reporter Brian Collins gives us the sports beat. Pay close attention to the Pacers highlights. That's where Brian really gets into a groove and unleashes the now infamous phrase, "Boom Goes the Dynamite."



I think his boyish looks are just perfect.

After you've enjoyed this a few times, try listening to it while reading the transcript. It's somehow even funnier. Good stuff.

Boom Goes the Dynamite- with transcript

Then I also found this video, which shows the publicity Collins received and also reveals where he came up with his ingenious catchphrase. I won't spoil it for you, but it's pretty much the best possible story.

How Great Commenting Can Enhance Your Viewing Pleasure

Today I have two seemingly unrelated videos to share with you. One is from a high school football game in 1994; the other from a local newscast. How could they possibly be related?

When I first watched these videos, I immediately knew they were great. Then when I started thinking about why, I realized that it wasn't because of the video footage itself. It was because of the people commenting on the video. If you mute either one of these, you will immediately loose 65% of your viewing pleasure.

The first video is from the 1994 Plano East- John Tyler football game. It's an amazing comeback and I'm sure most of you have probably seen it before. When you watch it this time through, pay attention to the commentators. They remind me a bit of ol' Slick Leonard. See if you can pick out these gems: "Attababy!" "Dadgummit." "Good-gosh Almighty!" and of course, "I done wet ma britches!" Be sure to watch this video to the end, it's awesome.



Then in this next video we see a local news crew doing a segment about a fashion show in Paris. During the show, one of the models stumbles and falls. I admit, that can be funny. But what makes this hilarious is listening to these two guys laugh at her fall.

I promise you cannot watch this entire video, with the sound on, and not laugh by the end of it. I would even argue that you could probably close your eyes and just listen to them laugh, and it would make you laugh. They just have that perfect laugh, which is indescribably contagious. I've watched it five times in a row now and laughed every time. Just see for yourself.



Ah man, that's good stuff.

Fun With Lord of the Rings

At the risk of blaspheming one of the greatest movie trilogies of all time, I'm going to post a few videos.

We'll start with a short clip featuring the Horn of Gondor. This is a subtle video, which takes a certain sophisticated humor to really appreciate. Sorry if you don't get it. That just means you're too lowbrow to understand.

Horn of Gondor


Next up is an upbeat-techno song, which really displays the creative talent of this generation of youth. It's a great mix of music and video, creating a new media which any generation can appreciate.

They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard


This next one is also very creative, offering up an alternative ending to The Lord of the Rings. It's funny that I never thought of this. It's also retarded in many ways, but I still like the video.

How Lord of the Rings Should Have Ended


This last one is probably my favorite of all. It's a voiceover of one of the more awkward scenes in Lord of the Rings. Gimli's entrance is spectacular.

LOTR Voiceover

Monkey Does a Headstand on a Tight-Rope Walking Goat, While the Goat Stands on a Cup

Yeah, you heard me:

Scaring Little Kids

One of the most entertaining things you can possibly do in life is to scare someone. I'm not sure exactly why this is true, but it is. I also think being scared is almost as fun.

Obviously, I'm not talking about this scenario:

"Dude, I heard your brother died. That sucks."
"What?"
"Ha-ha. Scared you."

That's called being an annoying idiot.

I'm talking about hiding in the back seat of your wife's car early in the morning before she goes to work, then jumping up and grabbing her. I don't recommend doing this, but it's a good example of the kind of scaring that we're talking about here.

Since kids are a bit more vulnerable than adults, and typically give the best reaction while being scared, I've compiled a collection of some of the best videos of kids being scared. Hope you enjoy.

Kid Sings Britney Spears
No scared kid video list would be complete without this one. It's not my favorite, but it is funny. What makes this funny is that the kid really gets into singing Britney Spears and then the way he just passes out or whatever. It's a good warm-up video:



Dad Scares Kids With Where's Waldo
I like this one because the dad set it up. It just makes me smile to see that man laughing his head off, while the child he just scared runs to him for comfort. My kids are seriously screwed.



**Quick Side Note**
Can scaring kids cause permanent damage? What kind of psychological evidence do they have on this stuff? I'm reminded of a personal story that was hilarious, but could have been traumatizing. Can't believe I forgot about this till now: Baby Anni.

These next two videos go hand-in-hand, because they epitomize the two classic responses to being scared.

How to Respond to Being Scared
I love this first video. It shows an older brother setting up his younger brother for a scare. If you have a brother, you'll love this too, cause it captures what having a brother is all about. This little brother handles being scared perfectly. He screams, then his scream smoothly transitions into hysterical laughter. Watch the whole thing to fully enjoy the brotherly love. And this kid has a perfect scream.



How Not to Respond to Being Scared
If only every person being scared could handle it so well. Alas, this next kid shows us the opposite end of the spectrum. I'm annoyed at this little guy and I don't even know him. Watch this one all the way through to witness the shame.



Texas Chainsaw Massacre Scare
This next video is a classic. It's been around for a while, but is still the best scare video out there. Everything is explained in the video, so just enjoy it.



Scare Montage
To round out my list, I'm just going to leave you with the "Scared Silly" montage. It's just a quick snippet of kids, adults, and even animals getting scared. Really, I just want you to see the last clip on this video. I LOL'd.



Bonus Scare Videos
As a bonus for reading this far, here are a couple funny scare-related videos. I saw this first one on America's Funniest Videos, then found it on Youtube. This kid's dad has to dress up and change his voice in order to get the kid to go to bed. Pretty funny. Dad scares his son to sleep:



Then of course, I had to add the hilarious "Never Scare a Black Man" videos. Again, these are self-explanatory.






If you would like to be scared yourself, take a moment to enjoy one of this blog's more popular posts: The Scariest Things on the Internet