Back in April, I blogged about Trains-Formers, an awesome animated mash-up of Transformers and Thomas and Friends. Well, James Farr and crew have returned with Trains-Formers 200T, the latest adventure of Opthomas Prime and his best buddy, Vector. This time around, the stakes are raised and the battles are more epic (and the copyright infringement even greater), but Opthomas and Vector have some friends backing them up.
Japan has been through a lot in the last few months—earthquakes, tsunamis, nuclear meltdowns, and an unfathomable loss of life and property. I’ve recently begun reading through 2:46: Aftershocks: Stories from the Japan Earthquake—a collection of essays, articles, etc. about the disastrous events of March 11 that is currently available as a free Kindle download—and was immediately reminded of the horrible damage that the nation has suffered, and that they still have a long road of recovery ahead.
Which is why this three-minute commercial, made for the high-speed Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train line that opened on March 12, is so special. On the face of it, it’s clever and enjoyable enough: the commercial is essentially a collection of shots of 15,000 people doing one long “wave” along the train’s route on its initial run. But when you take into account the horrible disaster that had just occurred, the commercial becomes something else entirely, a joyous celebration of national pride and solidarity. The commercial was originally pulled off the air in order to sympathize with the victims of the March 11 disaster, but has since become a huge hit online. (More info on the commercial and the response to it can be found here.)
On an entirely geeky sidenote, I think my favorite moment in the commercial occurs around the 1:03 mark (pay attention to the lower left corner of the screen).
I first heard Det Vackra Livet’s “Viljan” back in February, and the track by the Ekström brothers (better known as founding members of The Mary Onettes) is still one of my favorite tracks of 2011. I’ve embedded the video, which was directed by Philip Ekström and Hampus Nordenson, below. I’m not sure what’s going on with the hunter and barbarian drum circle at the end, but if nothing else, it’s another chance to hear a slice of gorgeous ‘80s-influenced pop music.
On May 9th, Upside Down: The Creation Records Story will be released on DVD and Blu-ray in the UK. As you may know, Creation Records was one of the most influential “independent” labels of the ‘80s and ‘90s, responsible for bringing such artists as My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Oasis, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Primal Scream, and The Boo Radleys to the masses.
Last August, our neighborhood was witness to something truly magical: Dr. Quinn: The Musical. A musical based on—you guessed it—the adventures of Michaela Quinn as told in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. The group responsible for the production, Lincoln’s very own Colonel Mustard Amateur Attic Theatre Company, has announced their next production, X Files: The Musical, and they need your help to find the truth.
To that end, they’ve launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $1,500 by May 31. Depending on your pledge, you can receive anything from a sincere gratitude to reserved seating, from a DVD to limited edition posters. More information in the video below:
Folks, this project is the very definition of nerdery, and it deserves our full-fledged support.
