"Please Don't Go" Live Performance by 2NE1 (K-Pop)

IMO there are just a hand full of K-Pop groups that have consistently delivered both dope tunes and performances. One of these group is 2NE1...all of the tracks in their first self titled mini album rocks and they always put on a good show!!!

R2-D2 Discovered in New Star Trek Film

Okay, there's been a lot of talk of R2-D2 making an appearance in J.J. Abrams' new Star Trek movie for a while now and finally people over at Gizmodo confirmed it. Since Abrams is a Star Wars fanboy at heart, it makes sense that he would hide our favorite Astromech droid in the Star Trek movie as an Easter Egg. I wonder if this is going to piss off some hardcore Trekkers. Click on the image to see R2-D2 in detail.

Art Asylum Boston presents "Art Strikes Back"

More than 30 underground artists participated in an art show at Art Asylum Boston with works arranging from original paintings to hand painted vinyl figures all inspired by Star Wars. Check out their BLOG site to see all the art.

"A Boy" By G-Dragon of Big Bang (K-Pop)

Totally addicted to this song from G-Dragon's solo album, Heartbreaker!

Seeing Double! Two Princess Leias in a Bikini!!!

These two behind-the-scenes photos taken during a break from filming of Return of the Jedi, shows Carrie Fisher and her stunt double sunbathing on Jabba's Sail Barge set. The photos were leaked on to the internet recently, stirring some excitement for the Star Wars geek dudes :)

Epik High's Tablo Wield a Lightsaber in "Wannabe" Music Videos! (K-Pop)

First "Wannabe" MV
Sequel "Wannabe" MV

I've mentioned repeatedly that Epik High is my all time favorite K-Pop group and I'll say it again, Epik High rocks! They keep putting out dope tracks and this time TWO awesome music videos which are parodies of blockbuster Korean monster flick, "The Host". Being a Star Wars geek, I totally flipped when I saw lead member Tablo wield a lighsaber in the videos. You gotta check them out!

Cool Stuff on My Desk: Hellboy 7" Action Figure by Mezco Toys

On my list of favorite modern age comic artists is Mike Mignola, the creator, artist and writer of Hellboy published by Dark Horse Comics. This comic book series continues to attract fans today not only for Mignola’s distinctively styled art, but also for the well-written folklore and mystical storylines that captivates the readers. Popularity for the red demon hero went mainstream after the two successful Hellboy films hit theaters. There is rumor that a third film is in the early stages of conceptualization. Although now artist Duncan Fegredo is doing the art for the interiors, Mignola still writes and renders the covers for Hellboy comic books.

Mezco Toys, which I never heard of until I bought the figure, produced a series of 7” Hellboy characters in 2005. I actually picked up this Hellboy figure in Tower Records when it was still around. For an action figure, it has very detailed sculpt that is accurate to Mignola’s character. Oh, it’s heavy too…real solid. Although it’s not in any of the pictures, the figure also came with a horseshoe that you can hang on his belt.

At the World's Largest Fish Market in Tsukiji, Tokyo

My hotel alarm clock buzzed loudly right at 4:00 am and man, it was tough getting out of bed. Went to sleep pretty late after having a delicious Shabu Shabu dinner with artist Tsuneo Sanda and his wife, so it was even harder to get up this early in the morning. I needed to get my butt out of bed quickly or else I would miss the Tsukiji Maguro (Tuna) auctions, which started at 5:00 am. Without washing up, I put on my clothes and got my camera gear ready in just under fifteen minutes. I rushed down to the hotel lobby and hailed for a taxi, since the trains don't run this early. From Shinagawa, it took about twenty minutes and ¥3,000 yen ($35.00...Ouch) to get to the entrance of the fish market. This place was huge...got lost right away. As I ran through the market where the vendors were setting up, all of my senses came alive with the incredible display of fish everywhere and people hurriedly moving about on their highly maneuverable motorized carts, carrying fish of course.

After getting some confusing directions from security guards and fish stand owners, I made it to the Maguro auction just when it opened their doors to the public. I was breathless by the time I got there, but excited from the energy of this place. The sight of huge frozen solid Tunas lined up neatly in rows was eerily amazing. It was preview time and many buyers wearing rubber boots, carrying a pick and flashlight were inside the chilly warehouse to inspect the tunas. They went from tuna to another tuna, poking, picking, touching and even tasting the meat from the tail end of each fish to check for quality. After thoroughly examining the tunas, buyers carefully scribbled down the assessments of their favorite fish on notebooks.

The cowbells rang and the auctions began. A man stood up on top of a wooden stool and began shouting without a microphone. What I heard next sounded like a tribal chant, a melodic tune actually pleasing to the ear, created by auctioneers and buyers hollering to place their bids. As one auction ended, another began. This continued until all of the tunas were sold.

Once I left the auction, I took my time touring the fish market, trying to enjoy and take in the sights, sound and smell of the amazing surroundings. I got to see where many of the sold tunas went. They were brought to vendors located throughout the market that saw them up in various pieces. After having my fill of the market activities, I started looking for a place to eat. My stomach was growling and after seeing all the fish, I was ready for some fresh maguro. Being in Tsukiji, finding a good place to eat fresh fish wasn’t difficult. Not far from the market, I stumbled onto a small restaurant with a long line of locals waiting at the door to eat. This was the place for me. I ordered Chirashi-don (Raw fish over rice) with Toro (Fatty tuna), Uni (Sea Urchin) and Ikura (Salmon roe)…so good! This was an awesome way to end my visit to the Tsukiji fish market.

Check out tons of photos I took at the Tsukiji market on my Light Conversationalist site!

Hayao Miyazaki's Wondrous Ghibli Museum

Did you know there is a museum dedicated to Hayao Miyazaki's animated films in Tokyo? Mitaka, a western suburb of Tokyo is home to Ghibli Museum. This fantastic place opened its doors back in 2001 and has become a popular tourist destination for both the Japanese and foreign visitors. Although the museum is geared toward children, I guarantee the grown-ups will enjoy the playful displays just as much as the kids. Once you step inside, you will loose yourself in Miyazaki's world and forget you're an adult. One of the treats you'll receive for the visit is viewing one of five exclusive short animation features that runs for about 20 minutes inside their Saturn Theater. "Water Spider Monmon" short was playing during my visit.

I wish I could've taken more photos, but the museum has a strict rule about taking pictures inside the building. You can take photos outside the museum and also on the roof where the giant robot from "Castle in the Sky" watches over the garden. Straw Hat Cafe is on the second level and they serve some incredibly delicious deserts. If you want to take some souvenirs back with you, goto the third floor where the gift shop is located. Trust me...you're going to walk away with a Totoro stuffed doll like I did :)

My new friend Totoro!

Here's directions. First, get to the Shinjuku station. From there, you'll need to take the Chuo line (Rapid Service) to Mitaka. Once you get to the Mitaka station, go out the South exit, turn left and walk down to the ground level. You can either take a bus at the stop located right at the ground level or walk along the Tamagawa Josui (Waterworks) to the museum. Walk all the way down until you see a major street, make a right and walk about 300 meters on the park side, then you'll see a small gate to the museum. It's about a twenty minute walk.

Check out the Ghibli Museum website for more info.

Toys Galore in Nakano, Tokyo!

Now Akihabara is famous for electronic goods and of course Toys, but not many people know about Nakano. If you're looking for the illusive vintage toys, Nakano is the right place. There are four levels jam packed with individual toy stores inside a shopping center called Nakano Broadway. The largest toy shop in the building is Mandarake...actually it's misleading to label this place just as a toy shop. Mandarake not only has toys, but they got books, manga, models, anime and even original anime artworks.

To get to Nakano, you need to first get to the Shinjuku station. From there, take the JR Chuo line to Nakano. There are two types of services on the Chuo line; the local and rapid services. Local has three stops and rapid has one to get to Nakano. Once you get to the Nakano station, go out the North exit. Walk straight out and then into a building with glass ceilings. There are tons of shops and restaurants in this building, but you're not there yet. Keep walking until you see the Nakano Broadway. Once you enter Broadway, you'll see escalators to the top levels. Start with level 3 first since this is where all the major toys shops are located. When you're done, start hitting the rest of the levels.

The Search for Godzilla in Tokyo!

Greetings from Tokyo! Flew in last night to one my favorite cities in the world and I'm already having a blast. One of the things I didn't get to do during the previous visits to Tokyo was making a trek to see Godzilla, known as "Gojira" in Japan. I'm not talking about the movies or a vinyl figure in a toy shop somewhere in Akihabara. What I'm referring to is a four foot tall (Not including the base) recreation of the world famous monster made of bronze...a work of art by Tomoki Kobayashi, who I believe is an anime director. In commemoration of Godzilla's demise in the 1995 film "Godzilla vs Destroyer", the statue was erected in Yurakucho that same year.

I prepared myself with loads of information about Godzilla's location prior to my trip. Well...I still got lost and it took some asking for directions with my preschool level Japanese language skills to get me to the right spot. If you're a fan of the giant lizard, this is a must see when you visit Tokyo.

Now here's my directions:

Get off on JR Yurakucho station and go out the Tokyo International Forum exit. Make an immediate left and walk along the side of the overhead tracks where small mom & pop shops and restaurants are lined up underneath. You're on the right path if you see "Bic Camera" building on the other side of the street. You're going to walk about three blocks and will come to a very large street (Harumi-Dori) where in the corner you'll see "Hibiya" underground train station entrance. Turn right on to this street, but on the opposite side of the train station entrance. Walk one block and take a left on to Yurakucho street. Walk little over a block and the statue is located to your left in a small plaza between the parking entrance to Hibiya Chanter building and Navire Hibiya building (First Kitchen fast food chain on the first floor). Good luck!

"Nobody" Jason Nevins Remix by Wonder Girls (American Version)

Korean pop sensation Wonder Girls have been touring with the Jonas Brothers this year and picking up steam for their North American debut album. Wonder Girls' Korean hit single "Nobody" with new English lyrics has been fueling their popularity in the States. Keep your eye and ear out for this group...they might just become a household name around here.

Fancam video from Jonas Brothers Vancouver Concert

Cool Stuff on My Desk: Kotobukiya 1/7 Scale Clone Trooper (Episode II)

While I was dusting off my desk, which I don't do enough of; a tiny bulb in my head clicked on and I thought, "Hey, why not take pictures of all the cool stuff I have displayed on my desk and show them off!" I’ve already posted some pictures of my favorite toys and statues on my blog in the past, so why not have a series called, “Cool Stuff on My Desk!” I know this sounds like one of my, “Dude, where’s my car” moments, but I promise that I’ll make this series of posts interesting by featuring hopefully some neat photos.

Now, let’s talk about my first featured cool piece. Although I’m more of a Star Wars classic trilogy kinda guy, I was pleased with all the awesome hardware and baddies of the Star Wars prequels. One of prequel characters I totally dig is the Clone Troopers. When Kotobukiya 1/7 scale Clone Trooper first surfaced after Attack of the Clones had hit theaters, I was totally blown away by the cool sculpt. I actually couldn’t wait for it to show up months and months later in the States, so I made an order straight from Japan. It cost me some pennies, but I was extremely happy with it when I put it all together and displayed on my desk. Well, this sucker is still on my desk with plenty of dust on it, but still looking pretty cool.

Fantastic Art of Kazuki Takamatsu

At first glance, an observer will assume right away that the above images were rendered using a computer and are CGI models or depth mattes. Well, these artworks are in fact gouache paintings by Japanese artist Tazuki Takamatsu. I'm thinking the artist gets a kick out of fooling everyone. Takamatsu's sexy monotone anime inspired figures juxtaposed alongside high tech gear, weapons and surreal backgrounds are just hauntingly beautiful. These paintings would look awesome on my wall!

Check out more of Tazuki Takamatsu's artwork HERE!

"Fallen Angel" by Zin Tae-hwa (K-Pop)

James Cameron's AVATAR Hi-Res Images

Click on the pictures to see larger Hi-Res Images.








Source: Spoiler TV

The Erika Chong Shuch Performance Project & Campo Santo - The Future Project: Sunday Will Come

"Sunday will Come" Promotional Video produced by Chida Chaemchaeng

From the Intersection for the Arts website:

A series of mini-plays, songs, dances and "moments", this is a surreal and at times existential mosaic based on perceptions of the future. The Future Project is a natural collaboration between the ESP Project and Campo Santo as they seek to break artistic ground by combining experimental dance and collaborating with some of the most captivating writers in the Bay Area including Daniel Alarcon, Philip Kan Gotanda and Octavio Solis. This project also marks a first as Erika Chong Shuch and Sean San Jose share the stage for the first time, along with the original music of Denizen Kane, a precocious musician, lyricist and style innovator.

To purchase tickets, please visit the Intersection for the Arts site.

Park Hyo-shin's "After Love" 13 Minute Music Video starring Park Si-Yeon & Park Yong-ha

Part 1 of 2
Part 2 of 2



This 13 minute long music video or rather more like a short film got a lot of attention in Korea due to the $2.5 million U.S. dollar production budget. Starring two big name actors and a singer all with the last name Park (No relations), the video is entertaining even with a typical K-drama storyline. I think I enjoyed the video more because of Park Si-yeon who is incredibly hot! Park Si-yeon and another actor in this video Park Yong-ha were both in an excellent K-drama called, "The Slingshot." It's been a while since I've seen a good K-drama and The Slingshot was really GOOD. I'll write little something about this drama later, but right now check out these videos.

The Art of Star Wars: The Clone Wars

I know I'm little late with this post about a book featuring some amazing pre-production artworks from a cool little television show called The Clone Wars ^__^ When The Clone Wars feature film was released in the theaters, there were a lot of unhappy fans out there complaining endlessly about this animated addition to the Star Wars Universe. I remember hearing, "The animation looks too wooden, new character Ahsoka is too immature...yada yada yada." Well, I can tell you now that many of the same dissatisfied fans tuned in every Friday night to catch the latest episodes and are eagerly awaiting for season two to start broadcasting this October. From the beginning, I saw a great potential of the series. This was the perfect chance to expand on the characters and story line of the crucial time in Star Wars history. The many battles and struggles of the Clone Wars were not fully explored in the films and the people at Lucasfilm Animation are now able to tell this story.

Perhaps I’m bias since I know the talented guys at the design department, but this book is one of my favorite “Art of” books. The design crew works incredibly hard to come up with some amazing stuff for the series and what you see in the book is just a small fraction of what these folks created in their darkened offices at the Big Rock Ranch. The book features designs from the The Clone Wars movie to the end of season one. Hmm…I wonder if there will be art books for each season. That would be cool.

If you haven’t picked up your copy of this book yet, get on it! You should be able to find it in any book store or you can buy it online HERE!

If you want the limited edition hardcover that were only available at San Diego Comic-Con, go HERE!

From Star Wars.Com article:

Chronicle Books will showcase the incredible art and creativity generated for the smash hit television series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars in a new 288-page hardcover. Featuring more than 400 pieces of concept art and exclusive interviews -- including a sneak peek at Season II -- The Art of Star Wars: The Clone Wars presents the story's development through the eyes of the animators, sketch artists, writers, designers, producers, and directors.

The impressive hardcover book will be available in two formats -- a standard edition and a bonus-laden Limited Edition. The latter features a slipcase with new original cover art by Russell Chong of Lucasfilm Animation. His arrangement of characters is an homage to the original conceptual work by Ralph McQuarrie for the original Star Wars movies. The limited edition also includes three gatefolds with exclusive behind-the-scenes content, and a special vellum envelope with eight full-sized portfolio artworks by the series artists.

The Art of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is written by Frank Parisi and Gary Scheppke, with an introduction by Dave Filoni and foreword by George Lucas. The book is slated for general release this fall, but fans will have a chance to get a copy this summer at Comic-Con International in San Diego, California.

Star Wars: The Complete Vader Book

I got my copy from the publisher few weeks ago and I find little surprises every time I flip through the pages. This book is loaded with history and interesting tidbits covering anything from film production to merchandising about my favorite Sith lord. On top of that there are lots of cool images of comic art, merchandising, production photos and more! If you're a Star Wars fanboy like me, this book is a must. Check out the interview of the authors Ryder Windham and Pete Vilmur at Star Wars.Com.

You can pre-order the book with autographed book plate label HERE!

From Star Wars.Com Article:

Coming this October from Del Rey, fans will get a chance to peer into the soul of the Star Wars saga's darkest Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader!

This 192-page tome devoted to all-things-Vader will explore the history, costume, merchandise and cultural impact of cinema's most iconic villain, and that's just for starters. Look for expansive coverage of Vader's evolution from slave boy to Sith Lord, his forays into the Expanded Universe, his vehicles, weapons, and much, much more! The book will feature hundreds of photos as well as special gatefold spreads and several removable interactive inserts throughout!

Look for more details on Star Wars: The Complete Vader to come in the weeks ahead here at starwars.com, and check out the stunning cover image!

"Pretty Boy" (Live Performance @ Inkigayo) by 2NE1 (K-Pop)

Visual Effects: 100 Years of Inspirations

bengraphics over at Youtube described this video as "A "5th-grader-friendly" collection of clips and making-of footage from notable visual effects films of the past century. Originally intended for educational use as an introduction to a classroom lecture." I thought it was put together very nicely although I felt films such as Lord of the Rings trilogy and Matrix with their groundbreaking special effects were left out. Still, it's a great video showing some wonderful examples of how special effects in movies has advanced through the years.

James Cameron's AVATAR Movie Trailer

I unfortunately wasn't able to catch the free IMAX preview of Avatar on Friday, but watching the first trailer already got me sold on this fantastical sci-fi adventure. Yes, the CGI effects is not groundbreaking as Cameron first claimed, but it is most definitely solid in quality. Since I haven't seen the entire film yet, I'm going to keep my mind open and try not to come to any conclusion. From seeing the trailer, I can tell Avatar will be a visual feast with great story. I can't wait to see it this December!

To see a larger HD trailer, go HERE!

"Heartbreaker" by G-Dragon of Big Bang (K-Pop)

G-Dragon, the Leader of K-Pop sensation Big Bang has recently released his first solo album and his debut single "Heartbreaker" MV is getting a lot of attention not just for the upbeat jam, but for G-Dragon's new platinum hairdo. Check it out!

Are You Ready for The Clone Wars Season Two? I Am!!!

Ralph McQuarrie Concept Boba Fett Mini-Bust Statue

Gentle Giant released the McQuarrie concept Boba Fett mini-busts as a San Diego Comic-Con 2009 exclusive. The edition size is 2800 and it comes with extra interchangeable early concept helmet which is totally awesome! Oops, I forgot to take a close-up picture of the rocket pack...will post one tomorrow.

Japan's "Heart" Puppy!