Super Bowl Recap: Ads, Halftime, and....oh yeah, the game

When my beloved Carolina Panthers lost to the Seahawks back in 2005, I did something I had never done before. I skipped watching the Super Bowl. Turns out, it wasn't such a bad idea. The game was pretty uneventful, the ads were uninspiring, and the Rolling Stones are...well, old.

This year, things were a bit different. I was rooting for the Bears, and even though they delivered a particularly thrilling first quarter, the Colts ultimately pulled ahead and remained the scoring leader for the rest of the game.

Also, who else thought Prince rocked at halftime? I don't particularly care for these stupid "medleys" of past hits, but I thought he did a damn good job. Maybe I was just hypnotized by the neon lights, fireworks, and breakneck guitar solos. It's been known to happen.

So, on to the ads. This year, there were some pretty clever ads nestled amongst the "been there, done that"s and the standard talking animals, stuntwork, and inspirational messages. Coke decided that instead of us wasting our budget on new commercials, let's just re-air the ads we've been playing in movie theaters across the country for the past six months. Toyota aired a pair of visually impressive, but ultimately dull, ads showing the strength of their new pickup truck. Finally, comedians Jim Gaffigan and Michael Ian Black returned for a new slew of Sierra Mist ads, none of which topped the cleverness and humor of past spots like "Wand" and "Lost and Found", which also feature Kathy Griffin and Tracy Morgan, respectively.

So, who's left? Bud Light may deliver a crappy-tasting beer, but their commercials always go down smooth. This year, they produced two of their best ads to date, the slasher-inspired "Axe" and the utterly hilarious "Fist Bump". Additional spots featured a wedding auctioneer, a particularly brutal game of rock, paper, scissors, and Carlos Mencia.

Despite my outright hatred for Kevin Federline and all that he stands for, his controversial Nationwide ad had me in stitches. Just something about that bald guy who plays his boss hollering "Federline! Fries!" Other effective uses of celebrities came in the form of Robert Goulet's stealth-like reflexes for Emerald Nuts, and a surprise voice-over cameo by Ricardo Montalbahn for Taco Bell.

But, my two favorite ads in this year's Super Bowl were the especially heartfelt assembly line robot ad by GM, and the brilliantly campy Godzilla/Ultraman tribute ad by Garmin GPS Systems. Both ads had a great sense of visual style and humor, and unlike most Super Bowl ads, the concepts for the spots actually supported the message regarding their products, namely GM's concern over quality, and Garmin's desire to eliminate the need for maps.

Of course, thanks to YouTube, it is now possible to rewatch every single Super Bowl ad that aired, and in some cases, much more. The Snickers ad featuring two men almost first-basing invites you to choose one of four alternate endings. The aforementioned Garmin ad also includes interviews with the cast and musicians. Doritos even went as far as to hold a contest in which people submitted their own homemade ads.

Will next year's Super Bowl be made up entirely of amateur commercials made by YouTubers? Or will Bud Light simply buy up all the ad space and air never-ending "Wazzup?" spots? Only time will tell.

Perhaps you'd like to take it up with Mr. Laser?

It's so nice to know that, in this day and age, something as innocent-looking as a Mooninite from Aqua Teen Hunger Force flicking off unsuspecting passersby can cause people to collectively freak out so chaotically. Of course, now that the city of Boston has been considerably embarrassed by endorsing and encouraging mass hysteria, they're looking desperately for a scapegoat, which they have found in the form of their two "fugitives from justice," Peter Berdovsky, 27, and Sean Stevens, 28.

Seriously? Are we so jumpy that a couple of strategically-placed "lite brites" can incite a citywide panic? If that's the case, then we don't stand a chance in our so-called "war on terror."

Coincidentally, this is going to give Aqua Teen Hunger Force tons of free publicity, all thanks to Assistant Attorney General John Grossman. Congratulations, sir. You've managed to single-handedly make yourself look like the elderly grandparent in the room, constantly berating at the youth of America for listening to that "dang-blasted rock 'n roll."

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters Trailer!

I'm gonna go ahead and predict that Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters will either be the best film of 2007, or make all film projectors that try to run it start bleeding. Or both.

Trailer time:


Flaming chicken!!

New Listening Station

So, I officially got tired of embedding Amazon.com links in my music sidebar, so I decided to mix things up a little bit. Now, when you click on any one of the albums in the new "Listening Station," you'll either get a link to a free MP3 from the album, a music video, or a link to where you can stream the entire album! So far, the Of Montreal link is the only one that provides a full stream, but if there are any other links I should know about, send me an e-mail and I'll add it to the list.

The Life and Times of Independent Cinema

A fascinating new article from the New York Times has appeared, discussing the place of independent cinema in America these days, with specific attention on the new distribution methods many of the independent studios (real ones, not big name studios with the word "Independent" thrown in at the end of the title) are trying out. One such method is IFC airing new films simultaneously with their theatrical release, including some of my favorites from last year, including Steven Soderbergh's Bubble and Kirby Dick's documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated.

Also worth mentioning is the amount of space the Times uses talking about Old Joy, one of my favorite films of 2006. It's looking like it will garner no Oscar buzz, but then again, it doesn't need to. I prefer it much more as an overlooked gem that will hopefully find its place in cinema history as time goes on. And if it doesn't, well, at least I enjoyed it.

An interesting sidenote: On page 2 of the article, the reporter refers to the Matthew Barney/Björk experimental film Drawing Restraint 9 as a documentary. Not only is this an error, it couldn't be a more incorrect description of the film. Did Jayson Blair get rehired by the Arts department?

On Oscars and Globes

This is getting ridiculous. Every year, it seems, there's another musical biopic (only in the case of Dreamgirls, it's based on ficticious characters), and now, we have Babel, which while I have been told is a good movie, it looks like Crash, just in many different places instead of just L.A. Why can't these awards people pick genuinely original and daring motion pictures for once? It seems like those two films, along with other releases like Bobby are the "safe" films, movies that seem to have been made in order to be nominated for awards.

I think this needs to be the year that the Oscars pull some crazy sh*t. Like when Marissa Tomei won an Oscar for My Cousin Vinny. Or when Annie Hall took Best Picture. We need another crazy year like those. I would freak out if Little Miss Sunshine took home a slew of statues, or if Children of Men would at least sweep the technical awards (it deserves Best Cinematography and Best Art Direction, for starters).

Well, we'll have to see if any of these things will come true when they announce the nominees next Monday. To all the filmmakers out there, I wish each and every one of you the best of luck.

My Oscar Nomination Predictions

Best Picture
Babel
Children of Men
Dreamgirls
Little Miss Sunshine
The Departed

Best Actor
Clive Owen, Children of Men
Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed
Peter O’Toole, Venus
Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat

Best Actress
Helen Mirren, The Queen
Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal
Meryl Streep, The Devil Wears Prada
Penelope Cruz, Volver
Toni Collette, Little Miss Sunshine

Best Supporting Actor
Brad Pitt, Babel
Eddie Murphy, Dreamgirls
Kevin Kline, A Prairie Home Companion
Mark Wahlberg, The Departed
Steve Carell, Little Miss Sunshine

Best Supporting Actress
Abigail Breslin, Little Miss Sunshine
Adriana Barraza, Babel
Cate Blanchett, Notes on a Scandal
Claire-Hope Ashitey, Children of Men
Jennifer Hudson, Dreamgirls

Best Director
Alfonso Cuaron, Children of Men
Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima
Jonathan Dayton & Valarie Faris, Little Miss Sunshine
Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Robert Altman, A Prairie Home Companion

Best Original Screenplay
A Prairie Home Companion
Babel
Little Miss Sunshine
The Fountain
The Queen

Best Adapted Screenplay
A Scanner Darkly
Children of Men
Notes on a Scandal
The Departed
The Prestige

Best Documentary
An Inconvenient Truth
Deliver Us from Evil
Jesus Camp
My Country, My Country
The Trials of Darryl Hunt

Best Animated Feature
Cars
Happy Feet
Monster House

Best Foreign Language Film
Apocalypto
Letters from Iwo Jima
Pan’s Labryinth
The Science of Sleep
Volver

More explaining, as well as my rants and ravings on the banality of the Golden Globes, later...

UPDATE: I was recently informed by Mark from OscarCentral.com that, unlike the Golden Globes, Apocalypto and Letters from Iwo Jima are ineligible for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar because they are American-produced. It's nice to see the Academy still has some common sense in this regard.

AIR "Pocket Symphony" E-Card

I received a pretty cool e-card plugging the new AIR album Pocket Symphony, which is being released this March. The lead single, "Once Upon a Time," will be available on iTunes tomorrow. You can stream a sample of the track at pocket-symphony.com.

The tracklisting is as follows:
1. Space maker
2. Once upon a time
3. One Hell of a party
4. Napalm love
5. Mayfair song
6. Left bank
7. Photograph
8. Mer du Japon
9. Lost message
10. Somewhere between waking and sleeping
11. Redhead girl
12. Night sight

Look Closely...

Observant readers might notice that a crucial modification has been made to my Top Movies of 2006 list. Readers might also notice that no explanation has been given for the change. I believe that, after viewing the new entry to my list, no explanation is necessary.

That is all.

New Apples in Stereo - "Energy"

The Apples in Stereo are one of those bands that I've caught glimpses of all throughout my music listening career. In 1999, I heard the distinctly Lennon-esque "Strawberryfire" when they were featured by MusicMatch Jukebox (remember them?) as an Artist to Watch. Then, a couple years later, the Apples returned, appearing in a music video for their Powerpuff Girls track "Signal in the Sky (Let's Go)". And, just recently, lead Apple Robert Schneider appeared on The Colbert Report, singing his new song "Stephen, Stephen" before the Decemberists vs. Colbert Guitar Solo Contest.

I'm finally getting to the point of this post, and that is to say there's a new Apples in Stereo album, entitled New Magnetic Wonder, that's coming out on February 6, and the first single off it, "Energy," is pretty freakin' awesome. The band has never tried to hide its Beatles influence, and this song is most certainly no exception. That doesn't mean it doesn't stand well enough on its own. Have a listen:

The Apples in Stereo - "Energy" (MP3)

Thanks Stereogum, for posting the track.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin/Harry and the Potters @ Greensboro Public Library, 1/4/07

The new year got off to a cool start when I found out that my favorite new artist of '05 was gonna be giving a free concert at the main branch of the Greensboro Public Library, opening for hyper-literate rock group Harry and the Potters. A lot of fun was had by all. I got a copy of SSLYBY's re-issued debut Broom on vinyl, plus I got the band to sign it! And even though I hadn't heard much from Harry and the Potters (who, by the way, are a duo that perform rock songs based on events that take place in the Harry Potter books), they gave an excellent show as well. I must, however, agree with what my brother said during the sets. Whoever walked into the library expecting a nice, quiet evening certainly received something else!















See more concert photos, as well as photos of my signed vinyl.

New Modern World

Duck and cover, people! It's another political post!

I have always been a fan of Tom Tomorrow's straightforward editorial cartoons under the title, This Modern World. The latest comic is no exception. Unfortunately, I have to sometimes deal with people like the ones he describes in the comic at UNCW. Here's hoping 2007 will inspire people, including right-wing college students, to engage in objective and intellectual commentary about the state of the nation and the world abroad, not so they can prove their superiority in debate, but so both sides can come to a well-thought out agreement.

Best of '06 Radio Show on WUAG 103.1 FM!

I'll be doing my radio thing this afternoon from 1 to 4 PM on WUAG 103.1 FM Greensboro. You can tune in online at wuag.net by clicking on the "Live Stream" button in the menu bar. It'll be called the "Best of 2006 Double Dose" as I play two tracks from each of my favorite albums of '06. Expect some Gnarls, Flaming Lips, Art Brut, Guster, Band of Horses, and who knows what else? Plus, if you call (336) 334-5450 and make a request, I might be so kind as to play it on the air!

Also, if you have no plans for New Year's Eve (like me), you can tune in to Turner Classic Movies' Marx Brothers Movie Marathon, which begins at 8:15 PM with Duck Soup and continues all night with selections like Horse Feathers, Monkey Business, A Night at the Opera, and A Day at the Races.

I'd like to wish a very happy New Year's to everyone out there in blogland! See you in '07!

Hall of Awesome 2006: Top 5 Music Videos

Music video pioneers Cunningham and Gondry were in fine form this year (Gondry even made the Movies of the Year list), but it was newcomers Kris Moyes, Jon Watts, and the always awesome OK Go that came out on top this year in the music video department. Also worthy of note are Daft Punk, who take home the Most Disturbing Video award for their seriously f*cked-up video for "The Prime Time of Your Life" (needless to say, not safe for work or children). Don't forget all those wonderful musicians with Hollywood connections, as Gnarls Barkley and The Raconteurs prove it helps to know crazies like Dennis Hopper and Pee-Wee Herman.

1. The SoftLightes, “Heart Made of Sound” (dir. Kris Moyes)
By the way, a better quality version of this video can be found at the director's homepage.

2. OK Go, “Here it Goes Again” (dir. Trish Sie and OK Go)

3. The Spinto Band, “Oh Mandy” (dir. Jon Watts)
Same goes for this guy, too.

4. The Horrors, “Sheena is a Parasite” (dir. Chris Cunningham)

5. Beck, “Cellphone’s Dead” (dir. Michel Gondry)


Most Disturbing Video:
Daft Punk, “The Prime Time of Your Life” (dir. Tony Gardner)

Best Use of Celebrities (tie):
Gnarls Barkley, “Smiley Faces” (dir. Robert Hales/feat. Dennis Hopper and Sam Rockwell)
The Raconteurs, “Steady, As She Goes” (dir. The Malloys/feat. Paul Reubens)

Hall of Awesome 2006: Top 10 Albums of the Year

10


GRIZZLY BEAR
Yellow House







9


MARITIME
We, the Vehicles







8


BAND OF HORSES
Everything All the Time







7


THE RACONTEURS
Broken Boy Soldiers







6


BELLE & SEBASTIAN
The Life Pursuit







5


GUSTER
Ganging Up on the Sun







4


CAMERA OBSCURA
Let's Get Out of This Country







3


THE DECEMBERISTS
The Crane Wife







2


GNARLS BARKLEY
St. Elsewhere







1


THE FLAMING LIPS
At War with the Mystics






For some reason, most critics were quick to dismiss The Flaming Lips' 2006 release, angry that they had seemingly abandoned the style they had set in stone on 1999's epic masterpiece The Soft Bulletin and its 2003 follow-up, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. If only these people had listened to the album a few more times, they would have heard the Lips' most psychedelic and surprisingly consistent album since Bulletin was released seven years ago (has it really been that long?) Of course, no Best Of list would be complete without mentioning Gnarls Barkley, who exploded onto the scene with that one song no one can seem to get out of his or her head (you know the one). The Decemberists had another excellent year, topping the success of 2005's Picaresque with their Atlantic Records debut, in addition to a well-publicized battle with Comedy Central news pundit Stephen Colbert. Camera Obscura was shamefully omitted from Stereogum's list, a glaring omission considering that they not only out-Belle-and-Sebastian'd Belle & Sebastian, they gave this shy person the strength to get up and do what needed to be done.

It was totally an impulse buy when I stumbled across the new album from Guster at a Borders bookstore, but it was a lucky find, as Ganging Up on the Sun contains some of the catchiest melodies ever set to disc, and Belle & Sebastian did an excellent job of breaking new ground on The Life Pursuit, an album that not only contained '60s throwback R&B and Japanese hyper-pop references, it (dare I say it?) rocked my f*ckin' socks off! Speaking of rock, why are so many bloggers turning a cold shoulder to The Raconteurs? Not only was it a great side project for all those involved, it spawned some infectious hit singles, and a couple awesome non-singles (fav track: "Yellow Sun"). I was already a fan of Band of Horses back when they were opening for Iron & Wine and only had a few demo tracks to their name. Now, their Sub Pop debut is out and everyone's finally caught up. And, finally, we have Maritime and Grizzly Bear, two bands that released solid debut albums, but now they're in the big leagues. Time to pull out all the stops and go for the gold with their sophomore releases...and Indeed They Did.

Here are all my Honorable Mentions of the year, too:






Congrats to those that made the list. You are now eligible for a roundtrip for two to Butte, Montana.

Also, even though I totally picked Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin as my fav new artist of '05, and although Broom "officially" came out that same year, it's still on my list. Deal with it.

P.S. This is prob'ly gonna be my last post before Christmas, so a very Merry Christmas to you and yours. Nustle up by the fire, pour yourself a cup of hot chocolate, and put some music on. I highly recommend Sufjan Stevens' Songs for Christmas EP box set, containing not only some of the best renditions of old holiday classics, but also some of the best original Christmas music ever written. I'm serious, folks. It's nog-tastic!

A new look for Blogger

You may notice some small changes on my blog. This is because I recently made the switch over to Blogger Beta, which takes advantage of various Web 2.0 devices like tags, labels, built-in drop down menus, and the like. So, from now on, all posts on this blog will include tags (usually no more than two or three per post). So, if you'd like to see what other posts I've written on the subject of Gnarls Barkley, click on the "Gnarls Barkley" tag at the bottom of one of those posts. Of course, all pre-Blogger Beta posts don't have tags and I probably won't be working to update them any time soon (I don't have that much free time!) Also, I've tried using the new drop-down Archive menu in the sidebar, and it works...up to a point. It seems that if you try to find back-posts before July of this year, you'll get a little "Loading..." notice, and then nothing. I assume they're working on it. Which brings me to another announcement. Since this new version of Blogger is in beta, it's important that my readers keep me informed if they start noticing any bugs on this website. If you see something that looks out of place, or if a feature suddenly doesn't work anymore, send me an e-mail to devin@dimattiafilms.com.

Thanks, gang!

Hall of Awesome 2006: Movies of the Year

Whoo. I think I went a little overboard on the Best Of lists last year, so this time, I'm gonna keep things simple. Best Movies...then Best Music. Let's begin, shall we?

Devin's Top 10 Films of 2006:

1. Children of Men
   
2. A Prairie Home Companion
   When Robert Altman passed on, he left behind a legacy of ridiculously innovative and astounding motion pictures, of which his most recent addition, A Prairie Home Companion, is no exception. Based on, written by, and starring NPR personality Garrison Keillor and his seminal, old-timey radio show, the film manages to capture the heartbreaking nostalgia of the early years of radio while conjuring up the inevitable wheels of progress that haunt the film’s stellar cast. Virginia Madsen gives an especially chilling role, not as a person, but more as an idea. The idea that all men and women will one day leave this earth, and that our life here is all too short. But if it never ended, what would be the point of it?
   
3. Little Miss Sunshine
   In your face, Napoleon Dynamite! Music video masters Dayton/Faris tackle the quirky absurdist comedy genre with hilarious results. Each one of these characters is fleshed out with some of the best story arcs ever put to film, and the script by Michael Arndt is so well-constructed that not a dull moment passes before your eyes. Please, somebody give Abigail Breslin an Oscar!
   
4. The Departed
   Departed editor Thelma Schoonmaker is either insane or a genius. Jump cuts fly past the screen like Jean-Luc Godard on speed. Scenes feel like they were cut with a meat cleaver and stuck together with duct tape. It fits the theme of the film perfectly, which is you can’t trust anyone, so you might as well just kill everyone. One of the joys of watching mob movies (and make no mistake, this is a mob movie) is that you can’t help feeling like both the organized crime ring and the staff of undercover cops are simply wasting both groups’ precious time, constantly reaching impasse after impasse, forever coming up even. It seems like, according to Scorsese, once you’ve reached the top, the only way to go is down.
   
5. Old Joy
   Basic plot structure for Old Joy: Man meets up with old college friend, both go to the mountains for a couple days, contemplate the state of their existence, and then go their separate ways. Old Joy joins the ranks of Lost in Translation and Mr. Hulot’s Holiday as one of the great “movies about nothin’,” but as always, there’s plenty more than meets the eye. Director Kelly Reichardt uses her sparse camerawork and minimalist plot to transform the film into an existential mood piece, a film where every facial expression and every sigh the actors emote has a purpose; where every action, no matter how insignificant, has a deeper meaning.
   
6. Borat
   When he’s not making fun of Kazakhstan’s backwards culture and surroundings, Sacha Baron Cohen’s undeniably adored Kazakhstani journalist is taking a hot skewer to American ideals, as well as our blatant ignorance of the world around us. What this movie lacks in authenticity, it more than makes up in laughs. An extended sequence in the middle of the film, featuring a nude Cohen and Ken Davitian wrestling in a hotel room, is as equally shocking and hilarious as most of the sex scenes featured in Shortbus (see below).
   
7. The Prestige
   Über-awesome director Christopher Nolan reunites with his Memento-penning brother Jonathan for this, his fifth feature film. Once again featuring an excellent ensemble cast, including Labryinth star David Bowie, both Nolans capture the spirit and mysticism of 18th century magic, mixed with a good ol’ fashioned Hitchcockian suspense story.
   
8. The Trials of Darryl Hunt
   The best film I saw at Cucalorus this year was also the film that made me the angriest. This documentary about one of the worst-handled homicide cases in North Carolina’s history just goes to show how damaging racism can be. It also profiles a man’s faith in God and how much courage he has to have in order to sustain that faith. The Trials of Darryl Hunt is the best documentary of 2006. Read my full review.
   
9. Thank You for Smoking
   Throughout the history of cinema, audiences’ love of heroes has only been exceeded by their love for villains, a fact that director Jason Reitman exploited by casting the undoubtedly charming Aaron Eckhart as the slimy, quick-witted tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor. When we’re not laughing at his antics, as well as those of the M.O.D. Squad (Maria Bello and David Koechner), we find ourselves rooting for the very man we’re supposed to hate. Damn you, Eckhart!
   
10. The Fountain
    Darren Aronofsky has always walked a fine line between brilliance and frustration. His previous film, Requiem for a Dream, was a stupendous, postmodern, anti-drug movie, but while viewing it, you can’t help but think that maybe he was a little too hard on his star actress Ellen Burstyn. Unfortunately, her acting chops go largely unnoticed in this, his latest film, instead focusing on Hugh Jackman and his slowly wilting flower, Rachel Weisz. Though Aronofsky ultimately bites off more than he can chew thematically, the film is a refreshing burst of energy and optimism in an otherwise drab and unoriginal cinematic world. It’s 2001 for 2006.
    
11. The Science of Sleep
    What kind of year would it be without another brilliant movie from Michel Gondry? 2006 was a good year for him, with the release of this, as well as his docu-musical Dave Chappelle’s Block Party. And while The Science of Sleep oftentimes feels like a low budget Eternal Sunshine, the eccentricities certainly stand out more, and Gondry’s madcap directing style gives ample opportunity for some great performances by his equally eccentric cast.

Honorable Mention: Bubble (Steven Soderbergh’s Mini-DV masterpiece, complete with a stellar performance by a former Kentucky Fried Chicken manager), A Scanner Darkly (Richard Linklater's brilliant anti-drug "drug movie" ought to be considered for a Best Animated Feature Oscar, but it won't), Shortbus (John Cameron Mitchell’s sexual endeavors know no limits, but the joyous cacophony of this film simply cannot be denied).

Merry Christmas, Zach Braff!

I wish I knew more about Scrubs so that I would've laughed more at their send-up of A Charlie Brown Christmas. Still, any day I get to see Zach Braff provide the voice of Charlie Brown is a good day. Enjoy!

(Thanks, Drawn!)

Top 50 Music Videos of 2006

Now, with the whole YouTube craze upon us, it's time once again to revisit the always-awesome DoCopenhagen blog and their Top 50 Music Videos of the Year list. Last year, downloadable links were provided for all the videos, but now you can watch each and every one of them directly from the site. Cool deal!

Here are some of my picks from the list:

#1: OK Go, "Here it Goes Again"
No big surprise there.

#3: Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy"
While not their best video (that goes to the "Smiley Faces" video with Dennis Hopper and Dean Stockwell), the Rorshach test effect is trippy. Plus, it's "Crazy" so...yeah.

#30: The Horrors, "Sheena is a Parasite"
Chris Cunningham took the top spot last year with his creepy-as-f*ck "Rubber Johnny" video, and while this one can't compare, it is pretty awesome given its brief running time, and it's fun to see all the crazy stuff he does to 2-time Oscar-nominated actress Samantha Morton.

#34: Gnarls Barkley, "Gone Daddy Gone"
Certainly the band's creepiest video. If you ever wondered what Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse would look like in bug form, now's your chance.

That just scratches the surface of the wealth of awesome videos you'll find on his site. Go and see for yourself.

It's a Beautiful Day in the YouTube Neighborhood

Fresh from Yewknee is this quirky and unintentionally hilarious McDonald's commercial from the 1980s:



These are the kind of things YouTube was made for. I mean, it's got all the elements:

1. It's classic retro.
2. It prominently features a celebrity (Jason Alexander) while he was still in pre-celebrity status.
3. It's long. Over a minute, so there's plenty of ridiculousness to go around.
4. The product these whacked-out people (Alexander included) are selling is totally absurd. It seems so psuedo-futuristic to put the lettuce and tomato in its own, separate container!

Plus, now that the whole Michael Richards thing is behind us, it's nice to see another Seinfeld alumni back in the limelight. I'm sure Alexander doesn't care that this commercial's out. He did hawk Kentucky Fried Chicken shortly after Seinfeld!