We scored a ticket to a preview screening of Rubber this week. For those who’ve not heard of it, it’s the debut feature film for Quentin Dupieux, better known as Mr. Oizo (and responsible for “Flat Beat,” which anyone of a certain age will remember as “that song with the puppet in the video”). Rubber is very silly and very postmodern –- it’s a horror film about a killer tire (yes, you read that right) and a bunch of people watching said killer tire do its killing. The film doesn’t so much break the fourth wall as comprehensively demolish it and encourage its characters to wander back and forth through the wreckage. As one of the characters says in the intro, the film is an “homage to the great cinematic ideal of ‘no reason,’” and as such it’s the latest in a long line of truly, entertainingly ridiculous horror films. Here’s a selection of some of the funniest (whether intentionally so or otherwise).
Here at Flavorpill, we’re eagerly anticipating the release of Jay-Z’s memoir, Decoded, which comes out November 16th and promises to be, at the least, a lively read. But though Hova’s autobiography may be the most anticipated rapper-penned book of the year, it’s hardly the first one worth reading. From the RZA’s musings on philosophy and kung fu to Chuck D’s explanation of the racial politics of rap, there’s a surprising range of literary offerings from hip-hop stars. To tide you over for the next few weeks, we offer this curated bookshelf full of scintillating, intellectually stimulating, and just plain great books by rappers.
Sesame Street has a long history of celebrity guests, some kid-friendly and some… less so. Take, for example, this week’s cameo by Katy Perry, whose cleavage was front and center during her sketch with Elmo. Though the version of “Hot ‘n’ Cold” she sang was less risque than the original, it still seemed odd to put one of MTV’s video vixens into a children’s show. Which got us thinking about the most inappropriate, questionable, and flat-out bizarre guests who have been on Sesame Street over the years. Check out our list, after the jump.
Bobby Boris Pickett’s “Monster Mash” has been a Halloween staple since its release in October, 1962. Have you ever heard the Misfits’ cover? Or the Beach Boys’ version? Even the Smashing Pumpkins gave it a spin. While these are all classics, sometimes you don’t want to rock out on Halloween; you want to listen to some hip-hop. That’s why we’ve come up with a list of ten Halloween rap songs that might surpass Pickett’s legendary tune. Add to our roundup in the comments.
“I remember doing the narration for another Tyson documentary and I was allowed to ad lib, and I made the comment, ‘You train a pitbull, and you get mad when it eats the furniture.’ And that’s why boxing is so rough — you take a brutal sport, and you train someone to fight like a barbarian and then ask them to be a gentleman; it’s a paradox. We want to see these guys kill each other, and then we turn around and want some other type of behavior. I think Mike really did the best he could with all the leeches and the other people around him expecting him to never lose.”
- Ice T writes about his “hero” Mike Tyson (a 42-year-old unemployed father of six) for the Daily Beast. James Toback’s doc TYSON is now playing in New York and LA.
Some rappers can dive right into the acting world; Ice T is lovely as a detective, Ludacris (errm, Christopher Bridges) was good in Crash, and once upon a time, before he was the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Will Smith rapped. The opposite isn’t usually true. If you can’t flow, don’t flow, please. With that in mind, after the jump and in no particular order, a look at five of the worst celebrity rap attempts. Read More »
