The Rock-afire Explosion were an animatronic band comprised of anthropomorphic animals that played in Showbiz Pizza Place restaurants in the USA through the 1980s. After closing down many of these setups found their way to enthusiasts. Here’s one such setup, performing MGMT’s Electric Feel.

Perhaps even more obscurely, a documentary is currently being produced about car-salesman Chris Thrash, a guy who recently purchased the rights to Rock-afire Explosion with an aim to resurrect them and the Showbiz Pizza Place. (via Penny Arcade)

Ex-Test Icicle Lightspeed Champion performed their track Galaxy of Lost Souls in full Star Wars garb at this week’s NME Awards show. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a video of it online anywhere but did instead stumble across this gem. Lightspeed Chamption performing the Imperial March and Star Wars theme. Lovely.

Update: There’s now a video of them performing at the NME Awards on YouTube. Enjoy.

“Artoo and the shiny guy.”

“Obeekenobee sometimes moves things around. Sometimes he disappears.”

I think becoming a parent has made me go soft… but isn’t this adorable? (via Geek Parenting)

“There aren’t enough Youtube video re-posts around here,” you say? Here’s another one.

Mike Long, a self-proclaimed “social rocktivist”, plans to perform once dance a day around the world and post each video up on YouTube for the next two years. I can’t think of a better idea. (via It’s Nice That)

Normal service will resume shortly.

With Bill Murray.

“It’s such a sadness when you think you’ve seen a film in on your fucking telephone.” (via Boing Boing)

Vid22.com digitallly processed the whisper between Bill Murray and Scarlet Johannsen at the end of the movie Lost in Translation in April. It’s only just being picked up by every blog and their dogs seven months later. I discovered it in the Guardian today. Spoilers lie within.

And, just in case you missed the earlier one, here he is again. And again with Dance Vader.

As anyone that knows me can tell you, Blade Runner is one of my favourite movies — so any article with something to say about it is going to catch my attention. I had to share this one, however, over at Popular Mechanics, about the pre-digital special effects used in the film and how well they stand up to today’s CGI-fueled sci-fi.

I’m also still very eagerly awaiting the long-overdue “Final Cut” and “Special Edition” DVDs due out later this year. I’ll believe it when I see them.

IGN has an interesting bit (well, a ton) of speculation over the forthcoming fourth Indiana Jones movie now that it’s been rumoured that it will be set in the year 1957.

As for facts, the official Indiana Jones web site states that new film will be set some time in the 1950’s, and will star Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, John Hurt, Ray Winstone, Jim Broadbent… and, of course, Harrison Ford. Directed by Steven Spielberg, it’ll hit cinemas on May 22, 2008.

I love these Japanese “Vending Machine Red!” commercials for Coca-cola featuring a mecha vending machine who wanders around town, scares off kids, looks for loose change and draws the attention of police. (via Cartoon Brew)

Update: A rough translation of the narration from Tokyomango:

Vending Machine RED—a robot that takes the form of a juice vending machine—appeared one day in the middle of town. He’s not a superhero trying to save the world, he just walks around town aimlessly. Go, Vending Machine RED!

It seems that I’ve found the original inspiration for this fantastic German comedy-horror short “Forklift Driver Klaus” (video above — Caution: Contains simulated gore) at Boing Boing.

“Shake Hands with Danger” is a 1970s short film about safe Caterpillar tractor operation.