Tom Waits Is The Joker
In order to prepare for the role of the Joker, Heath Ledger locked himself up in a hotel room for six weeks so that he could find the character's voice. Now we know what he was watching in there. This 1979 TV interview features musician Tom Waits talking to Don Lane, an Australian TV host. And the resemblance is uncanny. See for yourself.
Meet The Superhumans
The Olympics are the pinnacle of human achievement in almost every sporting field that there is. But this stunning ad for the Paralympics directed by Tom Tagholm for Channel 4 is probably the best sporting action you'll see for a while. Shot over 16 days, the camera rigs used and shots taken alone make for excellent viewing. But what adds that layer of context is the way in which the ad doesn't pussyfoot around the disabilities that these athletes live with and compete in spite of. Inspiring stuff.
All The Movies & Their Trailers
Well, not ALL the movies really. But most of the interesting ones coming up in 2012 and some from early 2013 as well, along with the main cast and the trailers, all compiled into one giant list thanks to a kind Reddit user. A very handy list indeed.
The History of Coca Cola In Ads
1889 was the year that the first computer was patented and the first cricket test match was played. It was also the year that Coca Cola Company (then called the Pemberton Medicine Company) was incorporated. The same year, they also came out with their first Coke ad; and they haven't looked back since. This post by Beautiful Life compiles almost every Coke print ad over the years, which almost reads like a history of American culture. This also includes the famous 1931 ad which created the urban myth of Coke having created Santa Claus.
The Disappearing Book
You know how every time you go to Landmark (or as we call it these days, Flipkart) you tend to buy a huge stack of books, mostly from the biography/non-fiction section while telling yourself that this is exactly the kind of stuff you need to be reading to become a better person and you will start the moment you get home? And then the next season of Game of Thrones starts and you tell yourself, "well, at least it's based on a book!" Eterna Cadencia, an Argentinian publishing house believes that they have the solution to this global malaise: a book that becomes invisible after 2 months of being opened. To be fair, it's not the book itself that vanishes but the text inside the book. The book's called 'El Libro Que No Puede Esperar,’ which translates to ‘The Book That Can’t Wait' (which sounds like it belongs in the Harry Potter universe) and is a collection of stories from Latin American authors. So there's the motivation you needed. Although why I would buy something like this in the first place is, frankly, beyond me.
Oculus Rift
Step aside Wii. And Move. And pretty much everybody else. The next generation of immersive video gaming is here. Technically, it's been here since it was first showcased at E3 in June. But now it's on Kickstarter, which is always a precursor to good things. Especially when they manage to raise $1.2 million against a goal of $250,000 with 25 more days to go. With a name that sounds like a spaceship designed to boldly go where no man has gone before, this baby boasts a 110-degree diagonal Field of Vision (which means that it's like looking at a 75-inch widescreen display from 10 feet), a resolution of 1280x800 and is 3D compatible. Unfortunately, we still need games to be developed for this device, so we'll be waiting a while for the rest of the world to catch up. But it's always smart to jump early on to some bandwagons. And this one promises to be quite the ride.
10 Brilliant Designs tor Everyday Usage
The perfect follow-up to the technological innovation that can't be used: 10 technological innovations that don't exist. At least not all of them. But they look great and they're all stunning in their simplicity and yet quirky in their conceptualisation. I think the Water-Saving Toilet Setup is something we can probably expect a BMC 'fact-finding' trip for anytime soon.
Minimalist Superhero/Villains
If you're a superhero fan, you're going to love this. This collection of minimalist superhero (and villain) posters by graphic designer Andres Romero is just right for the wall of the study/secret lair/Batcave. And check out the link in the article for the complete collection of all 129 posters. That should keep you occupied for a while.
