This is a well done prank, from Brazilian TV. And, while you must feel for the victims, clearly anguished and emotionally shaken… each time the scenario plays out, punctuated by the ghost girl’s scream, I felt a growing appreciation for this dark black comedy extreme. The last man, with his hands over his face, is just sobbing uncontrollably. If you think of it as an amazingly effective theme park ride for the unsuspecting, you might be able to excuse your personal delight while viewing this. But, imagine something even worse… not telling the victims it was all a ruse. They would leave that elevator living the rest of their lives in total fear of what they might see next.

It’s just been calculated as the “most viewed” video on YouTube, but I kind of missed the whole PSY/”Gangnam Style” video phenomenon. My curiosity was satisfied by the few, brief TV glimpses I’d accidentally seen. But, I got a kick out of this new extreme live version. Don’t think of the song as some cheap amateur gold pan, think of it as the pop smart anthem it really is, especially when accompanied by thousands of singing Asian girls… which is, by the way, how God intended pop to be sung. This isn’t the “most viewed” version, this one’s a full-blown spectacle, which made me appreciate the guy’s energy and professionalism – though it’s hard to tell if he’s an auteur or just some package. A few listens, however, will uncover the artistry in the tune’s execution, especially in those great climaxes. He may wind up just being this generation’s Chubby Checker, but he’s doing the grunt work so – as far as I’m concerned – he deserves any pay he actually sees from all this.

Sorry if there’s a political ad. Phoenix looks incredible. Hoffman always is.

This guy’s “stunts” (hanging in a box or in a block of ice) are some of the most UN-entertaining spectacles I’ve ever not watched. But, when he comes up with new and unique ideas his work becomes worthy. Even the idea of promoting a future “secret” project is sly marketing. That it promotes science to children… is about fucking time.

Ever heard Lon Chaney, Jr.’s opening credits performance in the 1964 oddly weird cheapie, Spider Baby? The song is actually kind of catchy, in a real dumb way, but the wolf howls and overall ridiculousness expose how low rent the production is. Lon actually “sings” better than he’s ever acted, though he wasn’t bad in this one. You might be able to watch the whole movie in segments at YouTube. It’s a must-see for Sid Haig fans.

Conan premieres Monday night. I’m not a fanatic, or anything, I just think he deserves props for this (largely) one-take promo clip. The shortened TV version features a brief (but realistic looking) scene of Conan from inside the falling car. For some reason it’s omitted here.