(YouTube Link)

Is someone you know hooked on the video game Elder Scrolls V:Skyrim? Are they exhibiting symptoms usually reserved for tweekers and crackheads? Are you about to call Dr. Drew and sign them up for a new rehab reality TV show?

You should watch this video first, and familiarize yourself with the dangers of Skyrim addiction, and how quickly it can spread to those around you. Intervention cancelled, I just hit level 60!

–via Rampaged Reality

(YouTube Link)

I’m pretty sure the only way a fan film can have this many celebrity cameos packed into one short film is if the fan in question is John Landis’ son Max, with co-collaborator Bryan Basham on hand to keep all that Hollywood cred from going straight to his head.

Watch as Max and Bryan, and a handful of really famous friends, make The Death And Return Of Superman, “a somewhat-mostly-accurate educational parody film” about the time Superman got “killed” by Doomsday, then came back a little while later.

It’s like Drunken History, only about comic books instead of, you guessed it, history, and I really hope this picks up where DH has fallen short over the years and they run with this concept, because it’s gold I tell ya GOLD!

Oh, and in case you missed it in the title, this hilarious vid is for grown folks and is extremely NSFW, so if adult language ruins your day don’t watch, just ask someone who’s seen the vid to give you a recap!

–via The Mary Sue

(YouTube Link)

When the grizzled war veterans from the video game franchise Contra take over fellow video game star Paperboy‘s route, due to an unforeseen decapitation, there’s going to be a lot more than broken windows and ruined birdbaths on Easy Street.

This time around the guys from Contra don’t even need an unlimited lives cheat code to tear up the competition!

–via Topless Robot

If you remember the Cadbury ad campaign of 2007, then consider this a parody. If you don’t, well then it’s Chewbacca playing a Phil Collins song on drums, which is awesome enough, right? -Thanks, Nick!

(YouTube Link)

A furry Alfred, Bane purring away as he stalks his prey, man there is something adorably hilarious about replacing the cast of the Dark Knight Rises with kittehs! And we all know that kittehs have taken the interwebs by storm, so why should Hollywood be any different?

–via ComicsAlliance

While you’re enjoying the holidays with family and friends, remember the many people who have to work straight through because it’s necessary. ZDoggMD and Dr. Harry made a video about what Christmas is like for medical folks, to the tune of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Link -Thanks, Doc!

(YouTube Link)

This Angry Birds parody trailer looks like it was made by Guy Ritchie, and really has nothing to do with the video game aside from the whole “pigs snatch their eggs, so the birds get revenge” dynamic. But it’s sexy, funny, and really slick looking for a comedy short.

–via Ology

(YouTube Link)

Using the motion graphics style and song from the Parks and Recreation tv show seems to have given some of the characters from Twin Peaks a slightly different feel: the Man From Another Place seems less sinister, Sheriff Truman looks more intense, and Donna is way more weepy. Boy, Twin Peaks sure looks like a nice little town!

–via BuzzFeed

These fun illustrations show what video game characters would really look like when loaded down with all of their in-game loot. Next time you grab some extra potions just for the heck of it, think about what you’re doing to the poor character you’re playing!

Link

This is one movie parody trailer that is not for children. -via Buzzfeed

(YouTube Link)

I have been waiting for years to get my hands on a new Elder Scrolls game, and my excitement can barely be contained. Enter an equally excited, and fashionably medieval, bard to sing the praises of the newest incarnation-Elder Scrolls: Skyrim.

The “Song of Skyrim” is beautifully animated by Harry Partridge, and is so catchy that you’ll be humming the tune all day as you wait to get a copy of Skyrim in your hands.

–via Ology

Kittens can make anything better, from artwork to home videos, and if the record companies had any marketing savvy they would have used kittens on as many album covers as possible! Aym Visuals decided to show the world how kittens can be used to replace all sorts of people and objects to make the music world a cuter place.

Link –via DesignTAXI

This is what advertising would look like if we lived in the fantasy worlds we enjoy vicariously through video games. Products would be marketed towards adventurers and heroes, and the magical would be mundane as ad agencies try to increase sales.

My faves are the ads for hair care products featuring Final Fantasy characters and anime girls with rainbow colored hair. I guess they weren’t born with pink hair?!

Link

(YouTube Link)

Here is an animated short that is sure to delight, or fill you with fright! Watch as Marvel Comics’ M.O.D.O.K., dressed as Elvira, Mistress of the Dark tells “Strange Halloween Tales Of Suspense To Astonish!”

–via ComicsAlliance

There’s something about these Care Bears that’s not quite right. Maybe it’s the massive fangs, or sharp claws, or the fact that the symbol on the bear’s stomach seems to be running. Something tells me these bears don’t want to hug and sing songs!

Link

If our favorite toon people were allowed to age, which of course they’re NOT, we might not like how they turn out. Head to the link and witness a gallery of adult versions of cartoon children that is cute, funny and somewhat disturbing.

This gallery made me think the following:

How did Spongebob grow up to be so creepy? Did Mike from Monsters Inc. take steroids? Are Lilo and Stitch more than just friends?

Will we be able to look at these characters in the same way ever again?

Link

(Video Link via Hulu)

This commercial parody from Saturday Night Live in the early 1990s paved the way for future kittie videos to take the interwebs by storm, and it’s an ad for a  fake product I’d actually like to see sold in stores, especially around Halloween. It doesn’t get much better than armor clad cats battling it out with mini rocket launchers, oh wait, they glow in the dark?!

(YouTube Link)

When Pendleton Ward, creator of the Cartoon Network hit series Adventure Time, and animator Natasha Allegri want to tell a joke they use an adorable animated short to deliver the punchline, a short that happily spoofs Pokemon with tongue-in-cheek reverence.

Watch as Ash shows Pikachu the rules concerning passing gas in public, and be amazed when your normally stoic expression softens into a toothy grin!

-via ComicsAlliance

According to this hilarious Lady Gaga paper doll the pop star has been moonlighting as Voltron, Defender of the Universe! The meat dress, the spaghetti wig, it’s no wonder she’s such a fashion icon-she wears all the food that models aren’t allowed to eat.

Link –via ComicsAlliance

Being a medical doctor is prestigious, but it’s not easy. Dr. Diego, Dr. Harry, and ZDoggMD sing about their work in this parody of “Tonight Tonight” by Hot Chelle Rae. Read the stories that inspired the song at ZDoggMD. Link

Mark Twain was a ramblin’ man, and was so intent on living life to the fullest that he was brought back from the dead and lived another hundred years, according to Michael Kupperman, who selflessly agreed to illustrate Twain’s autobiography so that folks who can ‘t read all the words can stare at the pretty pictures. Click the link and find out a bit more of what Twain got up to after his first death!

Link

The latest Muppet ad for their new movie is a parody of the trailer for the movie The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. You can see the original at YouTube, but be aware that it is not a “family” film. -via Buzzfeed

Have you ever wondered why certain superheroes don’t get as much attention, or as many fans, as the big name spandex superstars? Well, these audition videos from College Humor should help clear that up for you, and proves that even D-list superfolks have star power!

Link

(YouTube Link)

If you remember the crazy Crossfire game commercials from the 1990′s, then this commercial parody will bring back memories, and hopefully elicit a chuckle. If you were too young, or old, to have seen the original commercial don’t worry, I’ve included the link below. And even if you don’t think the Crossfire in real life element is funny, check out to the sweet glam metal band Steel Panther as they rock the parking lot! Dodging giant steel balls is so f%@ng metal!

-old commercial Link

]]> http://www.neatorama.com/2011/08/29/crossfire-commercial-is-dangerous-in-real-life/feed/ 1 http://www.neatorama.com/2011/08/25/the-war-of-1812-the-movie/ http://www.neatorama.com/2011/08/25/the-war-of-1812-the-movie/#comments Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:39:48 +0000 Miss Cellania http://www.neatorama.com/?p=51959
(College Humor link)

Have you ever noticed that middle school American history classes tend to rush through the War of 1812 in order to get through the Civil War before the school year ends? College Humor imagines what it would have been like if the participants understood the conflict just as well as we do.-via Buzzfeed

• Physically and temperamentally sound babies, regardless of species
• Proven show-quality specimens
• Fully-licensed and registered documentation of champion bloodlines
• All-inclusive obedience training and care lessons provided on-site

It looks almost serious, until you see the photo gallery and read the customer testimonials. Link -via the Presurfer

(YouTube Link)

If life decisions came with multiple choices, displayed via HUD and featuring options running the gamut of morality, we would probably still make terrible decisions. But hey, at least we’d know what our options were, and how effective our speech skill has become. While you’re at YouTube, check out Broken Pixel’s other silly comedy videos, and see what your favorite games would look like if they became all too real.

-via Destructoid

You may have heard of Pronunciation Book, a YouTube channel in which English words and names are pronounced for the purpose of helping non-English speakers. Videos have been added steadily for over a year. Pronunciation Manual, on the other hand, is a channel with ridiculously incorrect pronunciations that look just like the videos from Pronunciation Book. Woe to the English student who gets the two sources mixed up! Link -via Laughing Squid

If you’ve ever wondered where all those cat videos came from, now you know. Here’s a look behind the scenes at the magic of Kittywood Studios. -via Metafilter

Remember Mel Gibson’s movie The Man Without A Face? This is what that tale of a isolated and introverted man would be about if it were made today, courtesy of Dan De Lorenzo & Ben Stumpf. -via The Daily What

A while back we posted a video of actual Miss USA contestants being asked “Should Evolution Be Taught in Schools?” Now someone has posed an even greater question to some would be “Miss USA contestants.” Should math be taught in schools? Their answers may shock you. Watch second video at bottom of link post.

Link

In light of the recent fortunes of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, {wiki} here’s a 1995 parody of the movie It’s a Wonderful Life that inserts Murdoch as the principle character. The sketch is from the BBC TV series A Bit of Fry & Laurie, starring Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, but still contains language consider NSFW in the US. -via Dangerous Minds

Proper zombie care
Keep your zombie well-refrigerated
Reattach any limbs that have fallen off immediately
Brush your zombie’s remaining teeth regularly
Companies that test on zombies
KFC
Sephora
Men’s Wearhouse
Recipes for zombies
Brain stew
Soy-flesh
Ladyfingers (for zombies with a sweet tooth)

The site was launched in support of the production Zombie! the Musical. Link -via @johncfarrier

This parody of the song “Born This Way” was inspired by the movie X-Men: First Class. -via The Daily What Geek

Male and female fruit flies. Drawing by Nan Swift, Improbable Research staff, in homage to T.H. Morgan.

This poem is reprinted from the science humor magazine Annals of Improbable Research.

Another in an endless series of poems evolved from E.A. Poe’s original

by Jennifer Sosnowski
University of Virginia, Charlottesville

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
O’er the latest volume of some scientific lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping at my lab’ratory door.
“’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my office door;
Only this, and nothing more.”

Ah, distinctly I remember, it was in the bleak December,
Each lab’ratory member left some data on my door.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow, sorrow for my low grant score
For the lab that sought to study Docking Protein v-SNARE-4;
Penniless forevermore.

I felt I would remember later strange sounds from each incubator
Oh, they filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
“’Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my office door,
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my office door.
This it is, and nothing more.”

Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating, then, no longer,
“Sir,” said I, “or madam, your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is, I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my lab’ratory door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you.” Here I opened wide the door—.
Darkness there, and nothing more

Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wond’ring, fearing
Doubting, dreaming dreams that no P.I. had dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only words there spoken were the whispered words, “Low score?”
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the words, “Low score!”
Merely this, and nothing more.

Back into my office turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping, something louder than before,
“Surely,” I said, “surely, that is someone with word of the status
Of the Golgi apparatus that my grant would fain explore.
Let my heart be still a moment, and this mystery explore.
‘Tis the heating, nothing more.”

Fruit fly eyes. Drawing by Nan Swift, Improbable Research staff, in homage to T.H. Morgan.

I scarce had time all this to mutter, when, with quite a flirt and flutter,
In did zoom a tiny fruit fly, one of Barry’s stocks galore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
With a presence calm and staid, he perched above my office door.
Perched upon a bust of Darwin, just above my office door.
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this little insect brought some cheerful sparkle to my thought
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
“Though thine eyes be red as cherries, surely now thy genome varies.
I’ll bet thou art not wild-type, small one; could you be what I’ve prayed for?
Tell me of thy genotype, named by Barry heretofore.”
Quoth the fruit fly, “Nevermore.”

I wondered and I marveled, merely just to hear it speak so clearly,
As my hopes were raised that I could write my grant once more.
I let myself begin believing—by its genotype perceiving,
Could I finally start achieving fame that I was destined for?
I searched PubMed and rustled through the papers stuffed into my drawer
For a fly named “Nevermore.”

But the fruit fly, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further, then, he uttered; not a wingtip did he flutter;
As I dug through all my clutter, piles of papers on the floor.
I despaired and said “It’s hopeless – like my dreams I dreamed before.”
Then the fly said, “Nevermore.”

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
“Doubtless,” said I, “what it says is only what it’s heard before,
Caught from some unhappy master, whom unmerciful disaster
Followed fast and followed faster, ‘til his budget was no more—
‘Til the ruins of his research dashed his hopes upon the floor.
His iv’ry tower was no more.”

But the fruit fly still beguiling all my fancy into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of fly and bust and door;
Then, upon the canvas sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this fly knew of my score,
What this tiny insect who begot so much genetic lore
Meant in croaking, “Nevermore.”

Thus I sat engaged in guessing, finding this a bit distressing,
Whilst I watched those cherry eyes stare down into my deep heart’s core;
So I sat there, sat there pining with florescent light bulbs shining
How low were my hopes declining! This was grant revision four…
I’d be my resignation signing since my grant they did abhor.
Twill ne’er be funded, nevermore!

Three varieties of fruit flies. Drawing by Nan Swift, Improbable Research staff, in homage to T.H. Morgan.

Then, methought, the air grew colder, and I saw an old file folder
Pull itself out of a stack, and fall upon the dirty floor.
“Wretch,” I cried out, “Who hath sent thee?  Gene transfection tests have lent thee
Powers that thy kith and kin have not possessed before!
Come and join my lab and let’s your genotype explore!”
Quoth the fruit fly, “Nevermore!”

“Prophet!” said I, “Thing of evil!—prophet still, if fly or weevil!
Whether you were sent or fled a keen insectivore,
Desolate, yet all undaunted, my grant sits here quite unwanted
In this lab by horror haunted? Tell me truly, I implore!
Is there funding for my lab? Tell me, tell me! I implore!”
Quoth the fruit fly, “Nevermore.”

“Prophet!” said I, “thing of evil—prophet still, if fly or weevil!
By that heaven that’s above us—by that God we both adore—
Tell me—Oh, my heart is chilled!—Now tell me: Will my grant be killed,
My fondest dream go unfulfilled, undone by just a lowly score?
Will I not a full lab build, undone by just a lowly score?
Quoth the fruit fly, “Nevermore.”

“Be that word our sign of parting, fly or fiend!” I shrieked, still smarting—
“Get thee back into thy vial where thou ere hast lived before!
Leave no sign here as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken!—quit the bust above my door!
Take thy spear from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!”
Quoth the fruit fly, “Nevermore.”

And the fruit fly, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the somber bust of Darwin just above my office door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming;
And the lamplight o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted—nevermore!

_____________________

This article is republished with permission from the May-June 2007 issue of the Annals of Improbable Research. You can download or purchase back issues of the magazine, or subscribe to receive future issues. Or get a subscription for someone as a gift!

Visit their website for more research that makes people LAUGH and then THINK.

The folks at The Devastator just released this parody video of The Science Channel series “Sci-Fi Science.” The bit features Dr. Michio Kaku attempting to recreate Robo Cop using “real science” although the science fiction fans have different ideas.  Watch full video at the link.

Link

The White House prepared a movie trailer for president Barack Obama’s routine last night at the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. It’s a sequel to The King’s Speech.

But no. Lady Gaga didn’t like it one bit (after she made him record the song, no less):

We send the lyrics to Lady Gaga and wait on figurative pins and needles for her to give us the go-ahead. After a few days, we get our answer: “She actually needs to hear it. Otherwise the answer is no.”

Hmm. Well, this was mystifying to me. At this point she has the lyrics… and hopefully she is familiar with her own song… and the parody is basically her music… with my lyrics. It really shouldn’t be that hard to decide – based on having the lyrics right in front of you – whether or not you’d be “okay” with a parody. But, alas, we’d been given an ultimatum. If she didn’t hear it, she wouldn’t approve it.

Okay then. I decided – based on my belief that people are basically good – to go through the trouble and considerable expense of actually recording the song. Now, I never do that – never. But because I was really excited about this parody, I decided I would faithfully jump through as many hoops as Gaga deemed necessary. [...]

A couple days later we got the final word: Lady Gaga says “no.”

*silent scream*

Even though he could claim "fair use," Weird Al decided to leave the single off his album and released it to everyone for free on YouTube: Link | "Perform This Way" on YouTube

Update 4/20/11: Issue resolved! Turns out that Lady Gaga’s manager was responsible for the whole kerfuffle: Link – Thanks TW George!

Billy Crystal and Helen Mirren team up for a sequel to the megahit romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally. Contains some NSFW language. -via The Daily What

This trailer is a parody from Rooster Teeth, but you know it will really happen some day. Sooner or later, there will be a full-length movie based on an iPhone app. -Thanks, Brother Bill!

Amy from Very Culinary made a trailer for her site that mirrors the Inception trailer exactly, except that it’s about cooking. She also posted a shot-by-shot comparison in case you want to see how closely the two trailers match. Link -via The Daily What

Anyone with a Facebook Account can create advertisements on Facebook. You could legitimately advertise your business or perhaps a waterproof blow dryer. I decided to use the feature to create ads for things that could really use more exposure like potatoes, VHS tapes, and Reddit. If your budget is under $30,000 you can post an ad for anything you want, as long as you meet the strict guidelines. Sorry everyone, “Images of unrealistic body changes, such as extreme weight loss or muscle gain, are not allowed.”

Then again, you have to admite they get your attention. I mean, I really want a cheesburger now! See all 30 fake ads at Urlesque. Link

The line-up for the annual Coachella festival was leaked a few days ago, and dozens of parody posters featuring everything from deceased artists to the most horrific music combinations have been designed. Urlesque collected the funniest posters into one post, and added this one featuring internet memes. Link

How different the classic Christmas tale of Rudolph would be if modern cosmetic surgery had been available to the reindeer of the North Pole! -via Gorilla Mask

Performed by Angie Woods, Tanya Baker, Cheryl Wood, Lucas Chrisman of Church on the Move in Tulsa, Oklahoma. -via the Presurfer

The film Iron Sky has been in development for years. It’s a Finnish-German-Australian sci-fi parody involving Nazis -a premise that cannot fail!

Towards the end of World War II the Nazi scientists made a significant breakthrough in anti-gravity. From a secret base built in the Antarctic, the first Nazi spaceships were launched in late ‘45 to found the military base Schwarze Sonne (Black Sun) on the dark side of the Moon. This base was to build a powerful invasion fleet and return to take over the Earth once the time was right.

Now it’s 2018, and it’s the time for the first American Moon landing since the 70’s. Meanwhile the Nazi invasion, that has been over 70 years in the making, is on its way, and the world is goose-stepping towards its doom.

Filming is going on now in Germany and the process is documented for you to follow.

Link to website | Blog | Flickr stream -Thanks, Janos!

A trailer for the movie Blue’s Clues, if it were directed by Christopher Nolan. It makes sense, as the first generation that grew up watching Steve and Blue solve puzzles in three clues are now watching crime dramas. -via The High Definite

Popped Culture has a gallery of the neatest parodies of Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night you’ll see today. My favorite is this one above, titled Gotham Starry Night by deviantART user 1funnyguy. Check out the entire gallery here: Link

Yeah, this is another one of those Caligornia Girls parodies… but this one is really, really cool. Apart from starring the four sexy geekettes from Team Unicorn, the video also features a rapping Seth Green, Battlestar Galactica’s Katee Sackhoff, and legendary comic book writer Stan Lee.

Link

How do you make Star Wars prequels better… or at least more tolerable? Shorten them to six minutes altogether and put it behind a parody of “Bohemian Rhapsody”. -via The Daily What