Street Artist Makes Abandoned Psych Hospital Creepier
Just when you thought abandoned asylums couldn't get any creepier, one street artist took it upon himself to make them even creepier. I probably would never step foot inside any of these hospitals, let alone go ahead and paint the walls, but that's what Brazilian street artist Herbert Baglione did for his "1,000 Shadows" project. He visited many abandoned psych wards throughout Europe and painted ghostly figures that would be lurking in the shadows. The images are creepy, and the setting is definitely creepier, but I guess you can expect that from an artist that"likes to paint with his own blood." Check out the photos below, and for more of his work, visit the Huffington Post here.
[Photos by Imgur] [Via Huffington Post]
Huntington Beach Disturbances 1986 & 2013
On July 28th, public disturbances broke out on the streets of Huntington Beach following the U.S. Opening of Surfing. According to Kyle Calder, "The melee started when someone was hit with a ketchup bottle from a second-story restaurant." This ended up triggering a fight that escalated to a small scale riot taking place. It went from a few unruly people fighting to people knocking over portapotties, and it eventually lead to people throwing a stop sign through a store window. People were asked to leave by the police, but many tried to stand their ground, leading to officers releasing tear gas and rubber rounds that eventually stopped the crowd.
This wasn't the first time that an incident like this happened following a surfing event in Huntington Beach - a similar event happened in 1986 where hundreds of people got in a confrontation with police throwing rocks and bottles, and people even lit cars on fire following the Ocean Pacific Pro Surfing Championships. What set off this riot were "two or more men behind the bleachers immediately south of the Huntington Beach Pier who were trying to take off the bathing suits of two young women." This was a similar event, but two totally different incidents and time periods. What was supposed to be a great day of surfing was overshadowed by these two disturbances. Check out the photos below from both incidents and for more, visit the LA Times from 2013 & 1986.
Photos by Allen J. Schaben and Nick Waplington
Help make a Ghostbusters LEGO set a reality
Lego Cuusoo is a submission site for Lego hobbyists to put their creations up in hopes of their sets becoming official Lego projects. The premise is simple: Once a project has over 10,000 supporters, Lego reviews the submission to determine whether or not they should make a series out of them. If the project is cleared, the creator gets 1% of royalties, which may seem like a paltry number, but anybody who's made money from their art can tell you that any amount of money made from your own creations is one of the most gratifying things in the world.
Last month, a Lego Cuusoo project for a Back to the Future set was officially announced by Lego to become their next set. The next movie-themed Lego set could be Ghostbusters... with your help! To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Ghostbusters' release, Brent Waller has submitted his Ghostbusters-themed project for review. The set, which you can see in both video and picture form below, features Lego versions of Peter Venkman (Bill Murray), Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), and Winston Zeddemore (Ernie Hudson), as well as Slimer. However, the highlight of the set is a Lego Ecto-1.
I'd support this project solely for the joy having a Lego Bill Murray would bring me.
http://youtu.be/fW8Y2xErL6Y
[via Lego Cuusoo]
[Video] Marvel Studios' San Diego Comic Con 2013 Panel
San Diego Comic Con 2013 was this past weekend, and as one of the largest comic book conventions of the year, plenty of superhero/genre film information was revealed. Above is an off-screen video of Marvel Studios' full 40-minute panel (minus actual film footage) detailing the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including some huge, huge news. Of course, 40 minutes is a very long time, so I'll break down all of the important points for all of you below.
[youtube id="Gh5hCBlD-tc"]
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Based off of the new footage reactions, it seems that the Captain America sequel will be structured as a spy thriller that will stick close to the "Winter Soldier" story arc from the Captain America comic that involves him being reunited with his old partner and best friend, Bucky Barnes (Sebsatian Stan). When I say "old," I mean back from the 50s; Barnes was brought back from the dead and brainwashed as an assassin whom Captain America will have to face. It also appears that Scarlett Johansson's character, Black Widow, will also have an expanded role in the film, as well as the introduction of Falcon (Anthony Mackie), a fellow SHIELD agent with the ability to fly. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is scheduled for an April 2014 release.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Guardians of the Galaxy just began shooting last week, but the cast was able to fly out to San Diego for the panel to share some information on their characters. Despite the short shoot thus far, some footage was shared with the crowd. Also revealed were the exact characters everybody was playing (Benicio del Toro as The Collector!) and the official concept art of the Guardians in-character. However, what wasn't revealed is who'll be providing the voices for Groot and Rocket Raccoon. In due time, as there's still a year left before Guardians of the Galaxy hits theaters August 2014.
Avengers: Age of Ultron
However, the biggest reveal was Joss Whedon's announcement that the Avengers sequel will officially be titled Avengers: Age of Ultron. Despite its nomenclature, the film's plot won't be related to the recent Marvel Comics story arc involving Ultron taking over the world, multiple timelines, and major characters dying. Instead, Whedon and company will take the resources necessary to craft a plot that fits the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A part of this involves removing Hank Pym/Ant Man as Ultron's creator (Whedon has outright stated that Pym won't be in the film, despite a stand-alone Ant Man film in development with Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead) directing); instead, it's being speculated that Iron Man might be Ultron's creator, which definitely fits. For those unaware, Ultron was created as an artificial intelligence that would be able to adapt to any virus or security concerns... including humanity. Avengers: Age of Ultron is scheduled for a Summer 2015 release.
[via i09]
Jim Carrey kicks Kick-Ass 2 in the ass
Despite the anticipation built for Kick-Ass 2 from both fans of the original film and the comic book series it's adapted from, a large piece of the promotional puzzle for the project involved banking on the prestige that comes with Jim Carrey's (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) name. After all, while appearing in a variety of both dramas and comedies over the past decade, Kick-Ass 2 represents his return to the superhero action genre since 1995's Batman Forever. However, it appears that Kick-Ass 2 will have to endure the promotional rounds without the actor.
Early yesterday, Carrey tweeted the following:
I did Kickass a month b4 Sandy Hook and now in all good conscience I cannot support that level of violence. My apologies to e
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) June 23, 2013
I meant to say my apologies to others involve with the film. I am not ashamed of it but recent events have caused a change in my heart.
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) June 23, 2013
It comes as a shocker, especially as the film is set to increase its promotional visibility. Carrey's heart is in the right place, but his refusal to support and promote the film could negatively affect the film's box office intake. Kick-Ass writer/co-creator Mark Millar also shared a public response to Carrey's statements. Hopefully Carrey will reconsider, or at least offer some support for the film instead of outright blackballing the project he and many others have spent a lot of time and money creating.
[via Jim Carrey's Twitter]
New concept art from the abandoned Akira live-action adaptation
Akira is arguably the most influential anime film ever. When it was released in the States in the late 80s, it opened the door for domestic anime releases. Without Akira, anime wouldn't be as popular in the States (or even really exist in such a widespread capacity), as it showed American audiences an alternative to the Disney animation style. Akira's influence has spread throughout all reaches of pop culture, from clothing to even hip hop (as illustrated in Kanye West's "Stronger" video).
However, since Akira's release, Hollywood has struggled to make a live-action adaptation of the film. A plethora of big names were mentioned for Akira at different points, including Keanu Reeves, Robert Pattinson, Justin Timberlake, Garrett Hedlund, Michael Fassbender, Kristen Stewart, Keira Knightley, and Mila Kunis. Given the gravity of the anime and the difficulty to do it justice (let alone the technology and budget to properly do it), the project has been scrapped numerous times.
Luckily, concept art has been released to give a glimpse into the stylistic approach that could have been used. A lot of proposed liberties were taken with the script, including changing the setting from Neo-Tokyo to Neo-Manhattan, which would have been occupied and run by Japan. Based off of these concept shots, the live-action Akira film would have kept the spirit of the anime alive. Will we ever get to see it? Probably not, but at least the artists were on the right track.
[via Crunchyroll]
Lomography Konstruktor DIY Kit
If you want to get away from your phone and all the Instagram filters, I suggest you check out Lomography's new toy camera. The Konstruktor is the first plastic 35mm SLR camera that you assemble yourself. The features include a multiple exposure function, bulb setting for multiple exposures, and a top down viewfinder. Building the Konstruktor yourself helps you better understand what analogue photography is all about. Once you're finished, all you need to do is pick up some film so you can start taking photos that will have some of the same effects like those Instagram filters. Get yourself some film, go out in the world, and just point and shoot.
Photos via Lomography
Leica X Vario Camera
Lovers of cameras should be excited to know that Leica has finally dropped their new camera. Previously called the Leica "Mini M," the compact camera was officially unveiled today as the "Leica X Vario" by the German brand. Not only does it look great cosmetically, it also comes with some great features that should satisfy photographers worldwide. It comes with a Vario lens with an equivalent zone range covering 28 to 70mm along with a 16mp APS-C sensor, as well as full HD recording with 1920 x 1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. The price range is roughly over $2,000. It might seem steep, but you have to be willing to pay for a high quality camera. It also comes with a copy of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, which should help justify the price tag. From more info regarding camera specifics, check out Leica's official website here.
