Chimpomatic

Wilco - What's Your 20?

Wilco have clocked up an impressive 20 years since their first gig in 1994, as The Black Shampoo. For their 20th anniversary, they are relased a retrospective best-of, plus a 4 disc set of rarities. Out in the UK on Dec 1st.

Epic timeline below.

WILCO

• May 1, 1994 - Uncle Tupelo performs its last show as a band at Mississippi Nights in St. Louis, MO.

• May 1994 - After Uncle Tupelo's split, Jeff Tweedy, Max Johnston, Ken Coomer and John Stirratt carry on as Wilco. Factoid #1: Before arriving at Wilco as the band's name, they considered calling themselves "National Dust."

• August 1994 - The sessions for what would become Wilco's debut album, A.M. begin with Brian Paulson as producer for Reprise Records. (Paulson handled similar duties for Uncle Tupelo's final album, Anodyne.) The Bottle Rockets' Brian Henneman, formerly a guitar tech for Uncle Tupelo, plays lead guitar on the album (and clinking bottles on "Casino Queen"). Jay Bennett joins the band after recording finishes.

• September 13, 1994 - The first released Wilco recording, a collaboration with Syd Straw on the Ernest Tubb song "The T.B. is Whipping Me," debuts on the benefit album Red, Hot + Country.

• November 17, 1994 - Performing as "Black Shampoo," Wilco make its live debut at Cicero's in St. Louis, MO.

• March 28, 1995 - Wilco releases A.M., touring extensively behind it.

• October 29, 1996 - The double-disc Being There is released. Bob Egan joins the band
during recording, while Max Johnston leaves afterwards.

• November 1997 - The band spends a week at Willie Nelson's Texas studio Pedenales
working on demos for songs that would eventually appear on Summerteeth.

• December 1997 - The band take occupancy of The Loft, the Chicago space that they
record and practice in to this day.

• January 1998 - Mermaid Avenue recording sessions begin in Dublin with
singer/songwriter Billy Bragg after a trial run in Chicago the month before. The album
brings to life previously unrecorded lyrics by Woody Guthrie.

• June 23, 1998 - Mermaid Avenue is released and eventually nominated for a GRAMMY
in the category of Best Contemporary Folk album. Bob Egan leaves the band and Leroy
Bach joins.

• March 9, 1999 - Summerteeth is released, taking another jump ahead of expectations.
More songs are recorded for eventual inclusion on Mermaid Avenue, Vol. 2.

• January 9, 2000 – The band’s last show at Lounge Ax, the late, great Chicago music
venue co-owned by Tweedy's wife Sue Miller Tweedy and Julia Adams.

• May 30, 2000 - Mermaid Avenue, Vol. 2 debuts, featuring new Guthrie songs from Wilco
as well as others by the band and Bragg that didn't make the first record.

• January 2001 - Coomer leaves the band not long before cameras begin rolling on Sam Jones' documentary about Yankee Hotel Foxtrot's recording. Glenn Kotche, who had begun working with Tweedy on side projects and live shows, joins.

• June/July 2001 - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is turned in to Reprise Records and initially met with dismay and silence. Management begins a delicate back and forth with the label to extricate the band from its recording contract. The band eventually leaves Reprise with the album, no strings attached, to shop around elsewhere.

• July 4, 2001 – Wilco headlines WXPN’s Fourth of July concert in Chicago's Grant Park; unbeknownst to anyone at the time, this will be Jay Bennett’s last show with the band.

• August 16, 2001 - Jay Bennett leaves Wilco.

• September 10, 2001 - Scott McCaughey visits Chicago and enlists Wilco to back him up
on the latest album by his project The Minus 5. The album, titled Down With Wilco, is
released on Yep Roc Records on February 25, 2003.

• September 18, 2001 - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot begins streaming for free on Wilcoworld.net,
a practice the band also employs on future recordings. Tour plans are made featuring Tweedy, Stirratt, Kotche and Bach, re-configuring the band’s live performance in the wake of Bennett's departure.

• April 23, 2002 - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot arrives in stores via Nonesuch Records. The album goes on to be certified Gold (sales in excess of 500,000) by the RIAA and remains to this day the band’s best-selling album.

• July 26, 2002 – Sam Jones' documentary on the recording of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, entitled I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, opens in select theaters. Also that year, Mikael Jorgensen begins working with the band, first in the capacity of sound mixer, later adding keyboardist to his duties.

• November 2003 - Work begins in New York City on A Ghost Is Born with producer Jim O'Rourke.

• January 28, 2004 - Leroy Bach's departure is announced.

• March 4, 2004 - Pat Sansone and Nels Cline join the band.

• April 2004 – Tweedy enters rehab to treat an addition to painkillers; A Ghost is Born
release is delayed.

• May 19, 2004 - The first live performance with the new lineup (which is now Tweedy,
Stirratt, Kotche, Jorgensen, Cline & Sansone) debuts at Otto's in Dekalb, IL. The lineup
remains current.

• June 15, 2004 - Greg Kot's bio on the band, Learning How To Die, hits bookstores.

• June 21, 2004 - A Ghost is Born is released. Factoid #2: Alternate title considered: Wilco
Happens.

• November 2, 2004 - The band releases The Wilco Book, capturing Wilco in pictorial, literary and musical form.

• December 31, 2004 – Wilco headlines Madison Square Garden, sharing a bill with Sleater-Kinney and The Flaming Lips. They close the show, in their pajamas, with a post- midnight covers-set including “Don’t Fear The Reaper.”

• February 13, 2005 – A Ghost is Born wins Best Alternative Music Album at the 47th Annual GRAMMY Awards.

• November 15, 2005 - Kicking Television: Live in Chicago, the band's first live album, is released, featuring tracks recorded over the course of four shows at Chicago’s Vic Theater.

• May 15, 2007 - The first studio album to feature Cline and Sansone, Sky Blue Sky, is released. It debuts at #4 on the Billboard charts and is nominated for a Best Rock Album GRAMMY.

• September 12, 2007 - Wilco performs first ticketed show at the Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago’s Millennium Park. The show is a benefit and raises more than $100,000 for the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless.

• February 15 – 20, 2008 - The band plays every song from every one of their albums over a five-night residency at the Riviera in Chicago.

• March 1, 2008 – Wilco performs “Walken’” and “Hate It Here” on Saturday Night Live. Ellen Page hosts.

• April 28, 2009 - Wilco: Live - Ashes of American Flags, a concert film from directors Christoph Green and Brendan Canty following the band from Tulsa, OK to Washington D.C. on their 2008 tour, is released on DVD.

• May 2009 - Former Wilco member Jay Bennett passes away at his home in Illinois. A statement from the band remembers Bennett as a "truly unique and gifted human being."

• June 30, 2009 - The band gets meta with the release of Wilco (The Album) and its lead single "Wilco (The Song)." Like Sky Blue Sky, Wilco (The Album) debuts at #4 on the Billboard charts. Wilco receives a GRAMMY nomination for Best Americana Album.

• July 2009 – Jeff Tweedy appears on the cover of SPIN magazine.

• January 29, 2010 – Wilco performs Buffalo Springfield’s “Broken Arrow” at MusiCares
2010 Person of the Year concert honoring Neil Young. SPIN calls the performance
“brilliant,” and one that “revealed a band in complete control of its capabilities.”

• August 13 – 15, 2010 - Wilco kicks off the inaugural Solid Sound Festival at the
Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. The festival features band members' side
projects, as well as other artist-friends like Mavis Staples.

• January 2011 - The band announces the creation of its own label, dBpm Records after
their contract with Nonesuch ends. The label's first release is the Wilco single "I Might"

with a B-side cover of Nick Lowe's "I Love My Label," first released at Solid Sound
Festival. Factoid #3: dBpm had been kicked around as a possible album title for years.
• September 27, 2011 - The Whole Love, the band's debut album for its label dBpm
Records, hits the Billboard charts at #5 and receives a Grammy nomination for Best Rock
Album.

• November 23, 2011 – Rolling Stone names Nels Cline one of the 100 Greatest Guitarists
of all time.

• April 21, 2012 - Timed for Record Store Day and to commemorate Woody Guthrie's
100th birthday, Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions, a vinyl box set (which includes the first two volumes, a third collecting unreleased songs, as well as a DVD of the documentary, Man In the Sand) is released. Mermaid Avenue, Vol. 3 is also released digitally.

• July 8, 2012 - Wilco plays largest headlining show (to date), performing to 15k+ fans at Chicagoland's Kane County Cougars 5/3 Bank Ballpark. The show coincides with the breaking of a Midwest heat wave that saw Chicagoans sweltering through multiple days of record-breaking temperatures exceeding 100-degrees.

• June 21, 2013 – Wilco plays an all-request covers set during the opening night of the 2013 Solid Sound Festival. Songs performed include Television’s “Marquee Moon,” Abba’s “Waterloo” and Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky.” Tommy Stintson joins for a cover of The Replacements “Color Me Impressed.”

• June 26, 2013 – Wilco joins Bob Dylan’s AmericanaramA tour. The band welcomes several guests to the stage throughout the tour including Government Mule’s Warren Haynes, Mott the Hoople’s Ian Hunter and The Band’s Garth Hudson.

• November 17, 2014 – Exactly twenty years to the day since Wilco’s first performance (as Black Shampoo) Nonesuch Records releases two Wilco collections: The first, Alpha Mike Foxtrot, a 4-CD, 4-LP/Digital box set amassing rare studio and live recordings from the band's archives, and the second, What's Your 20?, is a 2-CD/Digital compilation of essential tracks culled from the band's previously released studio recordings.

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28th Nov 2014 - Add Comment - Tweet

The 100 Best 100 Best Lists Of All Time

1. The 100 Greatest Singers
2. The 100 Greatest Music Videos
3. The 100 Greatest Novels Of All Time
4. 100 Best TV Shows Of All Time
5. The 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time
6. The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time
7. The 100 Greatest Movie Characters
8. The All-Time 100 Greatest Toys
9. 100 Greatest Shut-Ups In Films
10. The 100 Best TV Shows For Men
11. 100 Greatest First Lines In Books
12. 100 Greatest Director Cameos
13. Top 100 Movies of All Time
14. 100 Greatest Guitar Solos
15. Top 100 Comic Book Villains
16. 100 Greatest Horror Films of All Time
17. 100 Best Apps For iPhone and Android
18. 100 Greatest Songs Of The 00s
19. 100 Best Sci-Fi Movies Of All Time
20. 100 Best Graphic Novels And Comics
21. 100 Greatest TV Theme Songs
22. Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books 2000-2009
23. Top 100 Science Fiction & Fantasy Movies
24. 100 Greatest Album Covers
25. Top 100 Literary Novels of All Time
26. 100 Greatest Punk Rock Songs
27. Top 100 Special Interest Movies
28. The 100 Greatest Movie Spaceships Of All Time
29. 100 Greatest Shoegaze Albums
30. Top 100 Comic Book Heroes
31. 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time
32. Top 100 Hotels & Restaurants In The World
33. 100 Best Graphic Novels Ever
34. The Best 100 Closing Lines From Books
35. The 100 Best Running Sneakers Of All Time
36. The 100 Greatest Drummers Of Alternative Music
37. 100 Greatest Television Episodes
38. The 100 Best Sneakers
39. 100 Greatest Movie Posters Of Film Noir
40. Top 100 Games Of All Time
41. The 100 Greatest Mash-Ups Of All Time
42. Top 100 Television Movies
43. The 100 Greatest Detroit Songs Ever
44. The First 100 Shoes To Cross The NYC Marathon Finish Line
45. 100 Greatest Wrestlers of The 90s
46. 101 Best Written TV Series
47. Top 100 Art House & International Movies
48. Top 100 Trailers
49. The 100 Best Games Of All Time
50, The Top 100 Global Brands
51. Top 100 Works In World Literature
52. 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time
53. Top 100 Books
54. All-Time 100 Best TV Shows
55. America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses
56. 100 Greatest Drum Beats of All Time
57. The 100 Best Horror Films
58. Top 100 Most Popular Modern Pinball Machines
59. 100 Best Villains In Video Games
60. 100 Greatest Graphic Novels
61. Top 100 Animation Movies
62. Top 100 Soundtracks of All Time
63. The 100 Most Iconic T-Shirts Of All Time
64. World's Best Top 100 Bars
65. All-Time Best 100 Albums
66. 100 Best Movie Soundtracks
67. 101 Best Stomp Boxes
68. Top 100 DJs
69. 100 TV Shows That Defined The Decade
70. The 100 Greatest American Novels 1893-1993
71. Top 100 ESA/Hubble Images 
72. The 100 Favourite Novels of Librarians
73. 100 Greatest Cartoons
74. Talib Kweli's Top 100 Hip Hop Songs
75. 100 Greatest Songs Of All Time
76. The Greatest 100 Movies Ever
77. Top 100 TV Drama Series
78. All-Time 100 Gadgets
79. Top 100 Albums Of The 1990s
80. Top 100 Indie Love Songs Of All Time
81. The 100 Best T-Shirts Of The 2000s
82. 100 Best Novels of The 20th Century
83. 100 Best Movie Quotes
84. 100 Best Singles Of All Time
85. 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time
86. 100 Best British Films
87. The 100 Best Eminem Songs Of All Time
88. The 100 Most Begun "Read But Unfinished" Books
89. The 100 Most Important Art Works of the Twentieth Century
90. 100 Major Works of Modern Creative Nonfiction
91. 100 Pop Culture Things That Make You Millenial
92. The 100 Greatest Entrance Themes in Wrestling History
93. The 100 Greatest Movie Soundtracks
94. Top 100 Richest People in The World
95. Top 100 Prime Numbers
96. Top 100 Most Valuable Records Of All Time
97. 100 Most Controversial Films Of All Time
98. 100 Best Opening Lines From Films
99. 100 Best Burgers In The World (OK we had to cheat a bit for this one - here's 50 Most Amazing Burger Joints in the World, and here's another 51 Great Burger Joints)
100. The Hundred Best Lists Of All Time

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#Film
#Food/Beverages
#Music
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#TV

12th Nov 2013 - Add Comment - Tweet

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Promo Promo: The National - Demons

The National are back with a new album Trouble Will Find Me out 20 May

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10th May 2013 - Add Comment - Tweet

Trailer Park - 100 Yen: The Japanese Arcade Experience

Doc looking at the evolution of arcades in Japan

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9th Apr 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet

60s Japanese Graphic Design

Lovely selection of graphic design from 60s Japan over at the iso50 website.

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#Japan

4th Feb 2012 - Add Comment - Tweet

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Star Status: Peter Weir

How does Peter Weir rate in the Chimpomatic Star Status Movie Maths Generator?

It's 10 points for a Hit, 5 for a Maybe and 1 for a Miss... No TV movies or shorts, just cinema releases to date.

After re-watching Dead Poet's Society recently, for the first time since its release, I was struggling to think of a non-spectacular film by Australian director Peter Weir.

A quick disclaimer: I haven't personally seen early efforts Three To Go or The Last Wave but IMDB rates them 8.2 and 7.1 - so I've erred on the side of caution (due to their enthusiastic rating) and rated them Hit / Maybe here.

The Way Back (2010) MAYBE
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) HIT
The Truman Show (1998) HIT
Fearless (1993) HIT
Green Card (1990) HIT
Dead Poets Society (1989) HIT
The Mosquito Coast (1986) HIT
Witness (1985) HIT
The Year of Living Dangerously (1982) HIT
Gallipoli (1981) HIT
The Last Wave (1977) MAYBE
Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) HIT
The Cars That Ate Paris (1974) MAYBE
Three to Go (1971) (segment "Michael") HIT

HIT 11
MISS 0 
MAYBE 3 

Another disclaimer: No generosity applied to these ratings, with the possible exception of The Year of Living Dangerously, which is perhaps merely 'good'.

So that's 125 points out of a possible 140.

Peter Weir: you have scored an unbelievable 89.3%

If you dare make a purchase (and, er I think you should), you can do so here, allowing Chimpomatic to profit from his success. Check back soon for more Star Status movie maths. Same Chimp Channel, same Chimp Time...

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#Film
#Heroes
#StarStatus

23rd Sep 2011 - Add Comment - Tweet

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Promo Promo: Matthew Herbert - One Pig

behind the scenes of the new Herbert concept (concpet?) album One Pig

22nd Sep - One Pig Live @ Liquidroom, Tokyo, Japan
23rd Sept - Matthew Herbert DJ @ Metro, Kyoto Japan
21 Oct - Matthew Herbert DJ @ Denis Simachev Shop and Bar, Moscow

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#Japan
#Music
#PromoPromo

21st Sep 2011 - Add Comment - Tweet

There's An App For That: Yurekuru

BC and I are in the field over in Tokyo this week ....and have been rocked by the frequent aftershocks from last months big quake (a magnitude 7.1 and a 7.4 being the biggest). A frequent sound prior to the tremor is the ding ding of the Yurekuru App, which gives locals a quick heads-up. You can even set a minimum intensity over which you want warning, as most people here don't get out of bed for less than a 7.

Japan doesn't use the same magnitude system as the West, preferring the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale which records quakes in actual relative intensity - rating the quake bigger the closer you are to the epicentre. The ratings are also accompanied by a written description, ranging from "Hanging objects such as lamps swing slightly" through "Hanging objects swing violently. Most unstable ornaments fall. Occasionally, dishes in a cupboard and books on a bookshelf fall and furniture moves" to "Most furniture moves to a large extent and some jumps up".

Update: The USGS has data streams accessible by the "Quakes" app - in English.

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#Japan
#Travel

12th Apr 2011 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

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RIP Mick Karn

one of Mick Karn's great Japan basslines here from Swing, 1980. RIP

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7th Jan 2011 - Add Comment - Tweet

1080p is the VHS of the future

How's that 47", 1080p, Full HD-ready TV working out for you? Nice try, but it's already out-of-date. What you really want is a Super Hi-Vision plasma screen, capable of a resolution of 7680x4320 - 16 x better than 1080p.

OK there is a projector, but while the TV sets don't exist yet (you can use 4 x 4K sets together) the camera does - and the BBC and Japan's NHK just did a test broadcast of a studio session from The Charlatans. Not quite sure how that content decision came about.

The quality is so clear that a special lens had to be built to cope, and much like 3DTV, the format has dictated a shooting style of its own - with a single camera wide-shot being so big and clear that the viewer would be distracted by too much editing and can just cast their eyes around the screen instead.

Watch more at the BBC

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#Tech
#TV

16th Nov 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet

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Promo Promo: The Postal Service

Loving the love-in-the-microchip-factory vibe of this video for Such Great Heights by The Postal Service from back in 2003. Bands of this size just don't get MTV-Ready videos like this any more. 

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#Film
#Music
#PromoPromo

13th Aug 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet

Muji Village!

coming to Japan: the chance to take micro-living one step further at Muji Village

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15th Jun 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet

World Tour of Japan 2010

It's long overdue, but I've slung up a load of photos from me and BC's recent Japan tour - mostly inane photos of Japanese stickmen, but also a few other bits and some snow videos. Enjoy.

#CSF
#Japan
#Photography
#Travel

12th Apr 2010 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Gentemstick Boards

cool hunting have got a write up about Gentemstick Boards, "snow-surfing" from Japan

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#Snowboarding

19th Mar 2010 - Add Comment - Tweet

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Nikon Projector in Action

Check out the Helicopter Boyz making great use of that Nikon camera-with-built-in-mini-projector we talked about a while back.

And while I'm writing this Japan-centric episode of stupido, check out this awesome Marimba display from the Marimba Ponies.

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23rd Oct 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet

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Star Status: Jeff Bridges

How does the much-loved Jeff Bridges actually rate in the Chimpomatic Star Status Movie Maths Generator?

It's 10 points for a Hit, 5 for a Maybe and 1 for a Miss... No TV movies, just cinema releases to date.

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008) .... MAYBE
Iron Man (2008) .... HIT!
Surf's Up (2007) (voice) .... MAYBE
Stick It (2006) .... MISS
Tideland (2005) .... MAYBE
The Moguls (2005) .... MAYBE
The Door in the Floor (2004) .... MAYBE
Seabiscuit (2003) .... HIT
Masked and Anonymous (2003) .... MAYBE
K-PAX (2001) .... HIT
Scenes of the Crime (2001) .... MAYBE
The Contender (2000) .... HIT
Simpatico (1999) .... MISS
The Muse (1999) .... MISS
Arlington Road (1999) .... HIT
The Big Lebowski (1998) .... HIT!!!
Hidden in America (1996) (TV) .... MAYBE
The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996) .... MAYBE
White Squall (1996) .... MAYBE
Wild Bill (1995) .... MAYBE
Blown Away (1994) .... MISS
Fearless (1993) .... HIT!
The Vanishing (1993) .... HIT
American Heart (1992) .... HIT
The Fisher King (1991) .... HIT
Texasville (1990) ....MAYBE
The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) .... HIT
Cold Feet (1989) (uncredited) .... MISS
See You in the Morning (1989) ....MISS
Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988) .... HIT
Nadine (1987) .... MISS
The Morning After (1986) ....MISS
8 Million Ways to Die (1986) ....MISS
Jagged Edge (1985) .... HIT!
Starman (1984) .... HIT!
Against All Odds (1984) .... HIT!
Kiss Me Goodbye (1982) .... MISS
The Last Unicorn (1982) (voice) .... MAYBE
TRON (1982) .... HIT
Cutter's Way (1981) ....MISS
Heaven's Gate (1980) .... MAYBE
The American Success Company (1980) .... MISS
Winter Kills (1979) .... MISS
Somebody Killed Her Husband (1978) .... MISS
King Kong (1976) .... MISS
Stay Hungry (1976) .... MISS
Hearts of the West (1975) .... MAYBE
Rancho Deluxe (1975) .... MAYBE
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974) .... HIT!
The Iceman Cometh (1973) .... HIT
The Last American Hero (1973) .... MAYBE
Lolly-Madonna XXX (1973) .... MISS
Bad Company (1972) .... HIT
Fat City (1972) ....HIT
The Last Picture Show (1971) .... HIT!

23 hits, 16 maybes and 15 misses.

So that's 307 points out of a possible 540.

Jeff Bridges: you have scored 56.9%.

There's no doubting he makes some odd choices, and his huge work-rate brings him down with a lot of 'maybes' but even in a bad film he remains pretty much 90% watchable. If he worked at a Harrison Ford rate, he'd probably have a near-perfect record, with a serious hit every couple of years.

If you need any further convincing that The Dude is a very cool dude, check out his own great website.

If you dare make a purchase, you can do so here, allowing Chimpomatic to profit from his loss success. Check back soon for more Star Status movie maths. Same Chimp Channel, same Chimp Time...

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18th Sep 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet

People Person

Being the kind of easy going people person that I am, I often find myself trailing behind someone on the street, thinking "Look at this douchebag ... thinks he's all blah blah blah". More and more of late, that douchbag has been shockingly similar to me.

Here's some defining characteristics of my type, defined by CJ as "post skate":

- Just graduated from a rucksack, probably to a groovy laptop bag? Check. It's hanging to the right too.
- Vans, or even better some exotic variation that you won't have heard of.
- Can't let go of the denim, so spending extra on an expensive variation. Possibly from Japan. "They're like art, almost".
- In the graphics/film/website business.
- Beard.
- iPhone. Or getting one soon.
- Jeff Bridges may well be a style role model. Or Paul Newman. Or Steve McQueen.

You'd hate me if you didn't know me. In fact, I'd hate me if I didn't know me.

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#PeoplePerson

4th Sep 2009 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Japan's Smart Phones

why isn't anyone else into Japan's smart phones?

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24th Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet

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Star Status: Andy Garcia

A recent screening of The Untouchables brought Andy Garcia into the sights of Star Status, and it's a mixed picture. He's actually been in a lot of TV stuff and a lot of stuff that I for one haven't seen - so quite a few of these scores will be coming from the over-generous IBDB voting system. No TV, so his appearance in the pilot of Murder She Wrote won't count I'm afraid.

So, how does Cuban-born Andy Garcia rate in the Chimpomatic Star Status Movie Maths Generator?

It's 10 points for a Hit, 5 for a Maybe and 1 for a Miss... 

The Pink Panther 2 (2009) .... Vicenzo - MISS
City Island (2009) .... Vince Rizzo - HIT
La linea (2008) .... Javier Salazar - MISS
Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008) (voice) .... Delgado - MISS
Ocean's Thirteen (2007) .... Terry Benedict - HIT
The Air I Breathe (2007) .... Fingers - HIT
Smokin' Aces (2006) .... Stanley Locke - MAYBE
The Lost City (2005) .... Fico Fellove - MAYBE
Ocean's Twelve (2004) .... Terry Benedict - HIT
Modigliani (2004) .... Amedeo Modigliani - MAYBE
The Lazarus Child (2004) .... Jack Heywood - MISS
Twisted (2004/I) .... Mike Delmarco - MISS
Confidence (2003) .... Gunther Butan - MAYBE
Just Like Mona (2003) - MISS
Ocean's Eleven (2001) .... Terry Benedict - HIT
The Man from Elysian Fields (2001) .... Byron - MAYBE
The Unsaid (2001) .... Michael Hunter - MAYBE
Lakeboat (2000) .... Guigliani - MISS
Just the Ticket (1999/I) .... Gary Starke - MISS
Desperate Measures (1998) .... Frank Conner - MISS
Hoodlum (1997) .... Lucky Luciano - MISS
The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca (1996) .... Lorca - MAYBE
Night Falls on Manhattan (1996) .... Sean Casey - MAYBE
Steal Big Steal Little (1995) .... Ruben Partida Martinez/Robert Martin/Narrator - MISS
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995) .... Jimmy 'The Saint' Tosnia - HIT
When a Man Loves a Woman (1994) .... Michael Green - MAYBE
Jennifer Eight (1992) .... Sgt. John Berlin - HIT
Hero (1992/I) .... John Bubber - HIT
Dead Again (1991) .... Gray Baker - HIT
The Godfather: Part III (1990) .... Vincent Mancini - HIT
A Show of Force (1990) .... Luis Angel Mora - MISS
Internal Affairs (1990) .... Raymond Avilla - HIT
Black Rain (1989/I) .... Charlie - HIT
American Roulette (1988) .... Carlos Quintas - MISS
Stand and Deliver (1988) .... Dr. Ramirez (Educational Testing Service) - MAYBE
The Untouchables (1987) .... Agent George Stone / Giuseppe Petri - HIT
8 Million Ways to Die (1986) .... Angel Moldonado - MAYBE

HIT 11
MAYBE 11
MISS 13

So that's 178 out of a possible 370

Andy Garcia, you have scored a (perhaps surprising) 48.1%

If you dare make a purchase, you can do so here, allowing Chimpomatic to profit from his loss. Check back soon for more Star Status movie maths. Same Chimp Channel, same Chimp Time...

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17th Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet

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Real Megabots

Gizmodo has some data on the mega-robots that have been surfacing in Japan recently here and here.

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#Tech

14th Jul 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet

Faster Than A Speeding Bullet

If you thought Japan's current fleet of Bullet Trains were fast, check out their latest development. The latest Shinkansen innovation will use magnetic levitation to travel at around 310 kmph - which would get you from LA to San Francisco in 60 minutes.

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22nd Apr 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet

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Star Status: Michael Caine

The whole star status formula was concocted one evening in the pub following a discussion about the patchy career of messrs Connory and Caine. Connery has a career so patchy he only scored a 28.8% hit rate, while Michael Caine's career is so schizophrenic that he couldn't collect his Oscar for Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters, as he was busy filming Jaws IV: The Revenge. A low in the entire pantheon of cinema, not just one man's career.

So, how does Michael Caine (A.K.A. Sir Maurice Joseph Micklewhite Jr.) rate in the Chimpomatic Star Status Movie Maths Generator?

It's 10 points for a Hit, 5 for a Maybe and 1 for a Miss... No TV movies, just cinema releases to date.

In the spirit of full disclosure I should also tell you that I've been a little presumptuous and started the count with Zulu (1964), as prior to that it's a barrage of uncredited roles and TV bit parts. As he's a man with 139 credits on his IMDB page, there's plenty I haven't seen, for which I've taken some advice from the often over-generous IMDB ratings.

Is There Anybody There? (2008) - MAYBE
The Dark Knight (2008) .... Alfred Pennyworth - HIT
Sleuth (2007) .... Andrew - MISS
Flawless (2007) .... Mr. Hobbs - MAYBE
The Prestige (2006) .... Cutter - MAYBE
Children of Men (2006) .... Jasper - HIT
The Weather Man (2005) .... Robert Spritzel - MAYBE
Bewitched (2005) .... Nigel Bigelow - MISS
Batman Begins (2005) .... Alfred  - HIT
Around the Bend (2004) .... Henry Lair - HIT
The Statement (2003) .... Pierre Brossard - MAYBE
Secondhand Lions (2003) .... Garth - HIT
The Actors (2003) .... Anthony O'Malley - MAYBE
Quicksand (2003) .... Jake Mellows - MISS
The Quiet American (2002) .... Thomas Fowler - HIT
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) .... Nigel Powers - MAYBE
Last Orders (2001) .... Jack - HIT
Miss Congeniality (2000) .... Victor Melling - MAAAAYBE
Get Carter (2000) .... Cliff Brumby - MISS
Shiner (2000) .... Billy 'Shiner' Simpson - MAYBE
Quills (2000) .... Dr. Royer-Collard - HIT
The Debtors (1999) - MISS
The Cider House Rules (1999) .... Dr. Wilbur Larch - HIT
Curtain Call (1999) .... Max Gale - MISS
Little Voice (1998) .... Ray Say - HIT
Shadow Run (1998) .... Haskell - MISS
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1997/II) (TV) .... Captain Nemo - MISS
Mandela and de Klerk (1997) (TV) .... F.W. de Klerk - MAYBE
Midnight in Saint Petersburg (1996) .... Harry Palmer - MISS
Blood and Wine (1996) .... Victor 'Vic' Spansky - MAYBE
Bullet to Beijing (1995) .... Harry Palmer - MISS
World War II: When Lions Roared (1994) (TV) .... Joseph V. Stalin - MAYBE
On Deadly Ground (1994) .... Michael Jennings - MISS
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) .... Ebenezer Scrooge - HIT
Blue Ice (1992) .... Harry Anders - MISS
Noises Off... (1992) .... Lloyd Fellowes - MAYBE
Bullseye! (1990) .... Sidney Lipton/Doctor Hicklar - MISS
Mr. Destiny (1990) .... Mike/Mr. Destiny - MISS
A Shock to the System (1990) .... Graham Marshall - MISS
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (1988) .... Lawrence Jamieson - MAYBE
Without a Clue (1988) .... Sherlock Holmes - MAYBE
Surrender (1987) .... Sean Stein - MISS
Jaws: The Revenge (1987) .... Hoagie Newcombe - MIIIIISSSSSSS!
The Whistle Blower (1987) .... Frank Jones - MISS
The Fourth Protocol (1987) .... John Preston - MAYBE
Half Moon Street (1986) .... Lord Sam Bulbeck - MISS
Mona Lisa (1986) .... Mortwell - HIT
Sweet Liberty (1986) .... Elliott James - MISS
Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) .... Elliot - HIT
The Holcroft Covenant (1985) .... Noel Holcroft - MISS
Water (1985/I) .... Governor Baxter Thwaites  - MISS
Blame It on Rio (1984) .... Matthew Hollins - MISS
The Honorary Consul (1983) .... Charley Fortnum, Consul - MISS
Educating Rita (1983) .... Dr. Frank Bryant - HIT
The Jigsaw Man (1983) .... Philip Kimberly/Sergei Kuzminsky - MISS
Deathtrap (1982) .... Sidney Bruhl - MISS
Escape To Victory (1981) .... Capt. John Colby - HIT
The Hand (1981) .... Jonathan Lansdale - MISS
The Island (1980) .... Blair Maynard - MISS
Dressed to Kill (1980) .... Doctor Robert Elliott - MAYBE
Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979) .... Captain Mike Turner - MISS
Ashanti (1979) .... Dr. David Linderby - MISS
California Suite (1978) .... Sidney Cochran - MAYBE
The Swarm (1978) .... Dr. Bradford Crane - MISS
Silver Bears (1978) .... Doc Fletcher - MISS
A Bridge Too Far (1977) .... Lt. Col. John O.E. Vandeleur - HIT
The Eagle Has Landed (1976) .... Colonel Steiner - HIT
Harry and Walter Go to New York (1976) .... Adam Worth - MISS
The Man Who Would Be King (1975) .... Peachy Carnehan - HIT
The Romantic Englishwoman (1975) .... Lewis Fielding - MISS
The Wilby Conspiracy (1975) .... Jim Keogh - MISS
Peeper (1975) .... Leslie C. Tucker - MISS
The Black Windmill (1974) .... Maj. John Tarrant - MISS
Sleuth (1972) .... Milo Tindle - HIT
Pulp (1972) .... Mickey King - MAYBE
Zee and Co. (1972) .... Robert Blakeley - MISS 
Kidnapped (1971) .... Alan Breck - MAYBE
Get Carter (1971) .... Jack Carter - HIT
The Last Valley (1970) .... The Captain - HIT
Too Late the Hero (1970) .... Pvt. Tosh Hearne - MAYBE
Battle of Britain (1969) .... Squadron Leader Canfield - HIT
The Italian Job (1969) .... Charlie Croker - HIT
The Magus (1968) .... Nicholas Urfe - MISS
Deadfall (1968) .... Henry Stuart Clarke - MISS
Play Dirty (1968) .... Capt. Douglas - MISS
Billion Dollar Brain (1967) .... Harry Palmer - MISS
Woman Times Seven (1967) .... Handsome Stranger (segment "Snow") - MISS
Hurry Sundown (1967) .... Henry Warren - MISS
Funeral in Berlin (1966) .... Harry Palmer - HIT
Gambit (1966) .... Harry Tristan Dean - HIT
The Wrong Box (1966) .... Michael Finsbury - MAYBE
Alfie (1966) .... Alfie Elkins - HIT
The Ipcress File (1965) .... Harry Palmer - HIT
Zulu (1964) .... Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead - HIT

HIT 28
MISS 22
MAYBE 44

So that's a generous 434 points out of a possible whopping 940.

Michael Caine: you have scored 46.1%

If you dare make a purchase, you can do so here, allowing Chimpomatic to profit from his loss. Check back soon for more Star Status movie maths. Same Chimp Channel, same Chimp Time...

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26th Feb 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet

Star Status: Drew Barrymore

How does Drew Barrymore rate in the Chimpomatic Star Status Movie Maths Generator?

It's 10 points for a Hit, 5 for a Maybe and 1 for a Miss... No TV movies, just cinema releases to date.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008) (voice) .... Chloe MAYBE
Lucky You (2007) .... Billie Offer MISS
Music and Lyrics (2007) .... Sophie Fisher MAYBE
Curious George (2006) (voice) .... Maggie MAYBE
Fever Pitch (2005) .... Lindsey Meeks MAYBE
50 First Dates (2004) .... Lucy Whitmore HIT
Duplex (2003) .... Nancy Kendricks MISS
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003) .... Dylan Sanders HIT
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) .... Penny HIT
Riding in Cars with Boys (2001) .... Beverly Donofrio HIT
Freddy Got Fingered (2001) .... Davidson's Receptionist MISS
Donnie Darko (2001) .... Karen Pomeroy HIT
Charlie's Angels (2000) .... Dylan Sanders HIT
Titan A.E. (2000) (voice) .... Akima MISS
Skipped Parts (2000) .... Fantasy Girl MISS
Never Been Kissed (1999) .... Josie Geller HIT
Home Fries (1998) .... Sally Jackson MISS
Ever After (1998) .... Danielle De Barbarac HIT
The Wedding Singer (1998) .... Julia HIT
Best Men (1997) .... Hope MISS
Wishful Thinking (1997) .... Lena MISS
Scream (1996/I) .... Casey Becker HIT
Everyone Says I Love You (1996) .... Skylar Dandridge HIT
Batman Forever (1995) .... Sugar MISS
Mad Love (1995) .... Casey Roberts MAYBE
Boys on the Side (1995) .... Holly Pulchik-Lincoln HIT
Bad Girls (1994/I) .... Lilly Laronette HIT
Inside the Goldmine (1994) .... Daisy MISS
Wayne's World 2 (1993) .... Bjergen Kjergen HIT
Doppelganger (1993) .... Holly Gooding MISS
No Place to Hide (1993) .... Tinsel Hanley MISS
Guncrazy (1992) .... Anita Minteer MAYBE
Poison Ivy (1992) .... Ivy MAYBE
Waxwork II: Lost in Time (1992) .... Vampire Victim #1 MISS
Motorama (1991) .... Fantasy Girl MISS
Far from Home (1989) .... Joleen Cox MISS
See You in the Morning (1989) .... Cathy Goodwin MAYBE
Cat's Eye (1985) .... Our Girl, Amanda (all segments) MAYBE
Irreconcilable Differences (1984) .... Casey Brodsky MISS
Firestarter (1984) .... Charlene 'Charlie' McGee MAYBE
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) .... Gertie HIT
Altered States (1980) .... Margaret Jessup HIT

HIT 17
MISS 16
MAYBE 9

So that's 258 points out of a possible 420

Drew Barrymore: you have scored (a perhaps surprising) 61.66%

If you dare make a purchase, you can do so here, allowing Chimpomatic to profit from her loss. Check back soon for more Star Status movie maths. Same Chimp Channel, same Chimp Time...

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12th Feb 2009 - Add Comment - Tweet

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Star Status: Quentin Tarantino

So, should we be getting excited about Inglorious Basterds or not? Let's see what the Chimpomatic Star Status Movie Maths Generator has to say about Quentin Tarantino's career so far...

Remember, it's 10 points for a Hit, 5 for a Maybe and 1 for a Miss... No TV movies, just cinema releases to date. NOTE: We're using the special QQQ factor on this one (Quentin Quality Qualifier), which allows the Generator to separate out his acting performance from the overall quality of the film.

Actor:

Sukiyaki Western Django (2007) .... Ringo MISS
Planet Terror (2007) .... Rapist #1/Zombie eating road kill MISS 
Death Proof (2007) .... Warren MISS
Little Nicky (2000) .... Deacon MISS
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) .... Richard Gecko MISS
Dance Me to the End of Love (1995) .... Groom MISS
Four Rooms (1995) .... Chester (segment "The Man from Hollywood") MISS
Desperado (1995) .... Pick-Up Guy MISS
Destiny Turns on the Radio (1995) .... Johnny Destiny MISS
Somebody to Love (1994) .... Bartender MISS
Sleep with Me (1994) .... Sid MISS
Pulp Fiction (1994) .... Jimmie Dimmick MISS
Reservoir Dogs (1992) .... Mr. Brown MISS
Eddie Presley (1992) .... Asylum Attendant MISS  

Writer/Director:

Death Proof (2007) (written by) MISS
Grindhouse (2007) (written by) (segment "Death Proof") MISS
Sin City (2005) (special guest director) HIT
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) HIT
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) HIT
Jackie Brown (1997) HIT
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) HIT
Four Rooms (1995) (written by) (segment "The Man From Hollywood") MISS
Natural Born Killers (1994) (story) HIT
Pulp Fiction (1994) (stories) (written by) HIT
True Romance (1993) (written by) MAYBE
Reservoir Dogs (1992) Director HIT

HIT  8
MISS 17
MAYBE 1

So that's 102 points out of a possible 260

Quentin Tarantino: you have scored 39.2%

Doesn't look like he's "acting" in Inglourious Basterds though, so it might be OK. If you dare make a purchase, you can do so here, allowing Chimpomatic to profit from his loss. Check back soon for more Star Status movie maths. Same Chimp Channel, same Chimp Time...

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5th Feb 2009 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Star Status: Nicole Kidman

I love to dance! Is her best film an ad? It's time to find out with this week's instalment of the Chimpomatic Star Status Movie Maths Generator!

Remember: it's 10 points for a Hit, 5 for a Maybe and 1 for a Miss... No TV movies, just cinema releases to date.

Australia (2008) .... Lady Sarah Ashley - MISS 
The Golden Compass (2007) .... Mrs. Coulter MAYBE
Margot at the Wedding (2007) .... Margot MAYBE
The Invasion (2007) .... Carol Bennell MISS
Happy Feet (2006) (voice) .... Norma Jean MAYBE
Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006) .... Diane Arbus HIT
Bewitched (2005) .... Isabel Bigelow / Samantha MISS
The Interpreter (2005) .... Silvia Broome MISS
Birth (2004) .... Anna MAYBE
The Stepford Wives (2004) .... Joanna Eberhart MISS
Cold Mountain (2003) .... Ada Monroe MAYBE
The Human Stain (2003) .... Faunia Farley MISS
Dogville (2003) .... Grace Margaret Mulligan HIT
The Hours (2002) .... Virginia Woolf HIT
Birthday Girl (2001) .... Sophia, alias Nadia MAYBE
The Others (2001) .... Grace Stewart HIT
Moulin Rouge! (2001) .... Satine HIT
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) .... Alice Harford MAYBE
Practical Magic (1998) .... Gillian Owens MISS
The Peacemaker (1997) .... Dr. Julia Kelly HIT
The Leading Man (1996) .... Academy Awards Presenter MAYBE
The Portrait of a Lady (1996) .... Isabel Archer MISS
Batman Forever (1995) .... Dr. Chase Meridian MISS
To Die For (1995) .... Suzanne Stone Maretto HIT
My Life (1993/I) .... Gail Jones MAYBE
Malice (1993) .... Tracy Kennsinger MISS
Far and Away (1992) .... Shannon Christie MAYBE
Billy Bathgate (1991) .... Drew Preston MAYBE
Flirting (1991) .... Nicola HIT
Days of Thunder (1990) .... Dr. Claire Lewicki MAYBE
Dead Calm (1989) .... Rae Ingram HIT
Emerald City (1988) .... Helen MAYBE
Watch the Shadows Dance aka Nightmaster (1987) .... Amy Gabriel MISS
The Bit Part (1987) .... Mary McAllister MAYBE
Windrider (1986) .... Jade MISS
Wills & Burke (1985) .... Julia Matthews MISS
Bush Christmas (1983) .... Helen MISS
BMX Bandits (1983) .... Judy HIT

HIT 10 
MISS 14
MAYBE 14

So out of a possible 380 that’s 184

Nicole Kidman: you have scored 48.42%

If you dare make a purchase, you can do so here, allowing Chimpomatic to profit from her loss. Check back next Thursday for more Star Status movie maths. Same Chimp Channel, same Chimp Time...

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29th Jan 2009 - 3 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Star Status: Hugh Jackman

He's lined up to play Wolverine again this summer, and is currently starring with Nicole Kidman in Australia - but how does Hugh Jackman rate in the Chimpomatic Star Status Movie Career Hitrate Generator? 

It's 10 points for a Hit,  5 for a Maybe and 1 for a Miss... No TV movies, just cinema releases. 

Australia (2008) .... Drover MISS
Deception (2008) .... Wyatt Bose MISS
Happy Feet (2006) (voice) .... Memphis MAYBE
Flushed Away (2006) (voice) .... Roddy MISS
The Prestige (2006) .... Robert Angier MAYBE
The Fountain (2006) .... Tomas / Tommy / Tom Creo MAYBE
Scoop (2006) .... Peter Lyman MISS
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) .... Logan / Wolverine MISS
Van Helsing (2004) .... Van Helsing MISS
Standing Room Only (2004/I) .... Roger MISS
X2 (2003) .... Logan / Wolverine ...HIT
Kate & Leopold (2001) .... Leopold MAYBE
Swordfish (2001) .... Stanley Jobson MISS
Someone Like You... (2001) .... Eddie Alden MISS
X-Men (2000) .... Logan / Wolverine HIT
Erskineville Kings (1999) .... Wace HIT
Paperback Hero (1999) .... Jack Willis MISS

HIT 3 
MISS 10
MAYBE 4

So that's 60 points out of a possible 170

Hugh Jackman: you have scored 35%

If you dare make a purchase, you can do so here, allowing Chimpomatic to profit from his loss. Check back next Thursday for more Star Status movie maths. Same Chimp Channel, same Chimp Time...

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Stock up on Hugh Jackman's good 35% here!

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22nd Jan 2009 - 2 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Star Status: Mickey Rourke

He's riding a wave of Oscar-ready comeback predictions for The Wrestler, but how does Mickey Rourke score in the return of the Chimpomatic Star Status Movie Maths Generator?

It's been a while since we had a go at this, so in case you've forgotten, here are the rules again: it's 10 points for a Hit, 5 for a Maybe and 1 for a Miss... No TV movies, just cinema releases to date. We add it all up, cross-reference the results with some complicated science bits, and hey presto! A comprehensive hit-rate analysis showing how much of their catalogue is actually worth watching. 

The Wrestler (2008) .... Randy 'The Ram' Robinson HIT
Stormbreaker (2006) .... Darrius Sayle MAYBE
Domino (2005) .... Ed Mosbey MISS
Sin City (2005) .... Marv HIT
Man on Fire (2004) .... Jordan MISS
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003) .... Billy MISS
Masked and Anonymous (2003) .... Edmund MAYBE
Spun (2002) .... The Cook HIT
Picture Claire (2001) .... Eddie MISS
They Crawl (2001) .... Tiny Frakes MISS
The Pledge (2001) .... Jim Olstad HIT
Get Carter (2000) .... Cyrus Paice MISS
Animal Factory (2000) .... Jan the Actress HIT
Shades (1999) .... Paul S. Sullivan MISS
Out in Fifty (1999) .... Jack Bracken MISS
Shergar (1999) .... Gavin O'Rourke MISS
Cousin Joey (1999) MISS
Thursday (1998) .... Kasarov MISS
Point Blank (1998) .... Rudy Ray MISS
Buffalo '66 (1998) .... The Bookie HIT
The Rainmaker (1997) .... Bruiser Stone HIT 
Love in Paris (1997) .... John Gray ... aka 9 1/2 Weeks II MISS 
Double Team (1997) .... Stavros MISS
Bullet (1996) .... Butch 'Bullet' Stein MISS
Exit in Red (1996) .... Ed Altman MISS
Fall Time (1995) .... Florence MISS
F.T.W. (1994) .... Frank T. Wells MISS
White Sands (1992) .... Gorman Lennox MISS
Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991) .... Harley Davidson MAYBE
Desperate Hours (1990) .... Michael Bosworth MAYBE
Wild Orchid (1989) .... James Wheeler MISS
Johnny Handsome (1989) .... John Sedley a.ka. Johnny Handsome / Johnny Mitchell MISS
Francesco (1989) .... Francesco MISS
Homeboy (1988) .... Johnny Walker MISS
A Prayer for the Dying (1987) .... Martin Fallon HIT
Barfly (1987) .... Henry Chinaski HIT
Angel Heart (1987) .... Harry Angel HIT
Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986) .... John HIT
Year of the Dragon (1985) .... Capt. Stanley White HIT
The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984) .... Charlie HIT
Eureka (1984) .... Aurelio D'Amato HIT
Rumble Fish (1983) .... The Motorcycle Boy HIT
Diner (1982) .... Robert 'Boogie' Sheftell HIT
Body Heat (1981) .... Teddy Lewis HIT
Heaven's Gate (1980) .... Nick Ray MAYBE
Fade to Black (1980) .... Richie MAYBE
1941 (1979) .... Pvt. Reese MAYBE

HIT 17
MISS 23
MAYBE 7

So that's 212 points out of a possible 470

Mickey Rourke: you have scored 45.1%

If you dare make a purchase, you can do so here, allowing Chimpomatic to profit from his loss. Check back next Thursday for more Star Status movie maths. Same Chimp Channel, same Chimp Time...

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Consume some of Mickey Rourke's best 45.1% here!
Hey Mickey

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15th Jan 2009 - 3 comments - Add Comment - Tweet

Are We There Yeti?

Japanese yeti evidence?

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22nd Oct 2008 - Add Comment - Tweet

Space Elevator

If they can just crack the carbon nanotube problem, Japan hopes to let us take the express elevator to space.

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14th Oct 2008 - Add Comment - Tweet

Google Streetview

Just when the Google Maps / Earth combo couldn't really get any better, they go and introduce Streetview. While the previous mapping technology pulled in a lot of existing data and re-formatted it for Joe-public, streetview involves Google driving cars with 360 degree cameras on the roof down every street in a city. The images are mapped onto the correct co-ordinates, giving a keyhole view into the actual street.

While some of the US cities have been available on the system for a while, things are really starting to take off as it becomes a more widespread technology. Despite some sensitivity backlash, Japan is now online, as well as France and Australia - and after jumping over some privacy hurdles, London is coming online soon.

Here's Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, the Hollywood sign, George McFly's house (actually in Pasadena), Shibuya crossing in Tokyo and my old flat in Melbourne. There's already dozens of strange sightings, as well as lists of best-ofs...

God know how Russia will embrace it.

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6th Oct 2008 - Add Comment - Tweet

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Skate or die: Mike Vallely

More from the skateboard nostalgia files: Mike Vallely is pretty legendary in street skating, pioneering the first double ended street boards. Essential for the huge ollies he pulls.

Here's a later, Boss-infused clip from 1995's Powell video Scenic Drive. Pulled from Vallely's own comprehensive YouTube page, which has pretty much everything you might be looking for.

BONUS FACT: Vallely was the singer with Black Flag for a small reunion run in 2003.

MUSICAL LEGACY: The clip below from Speed Freaks kick-started by Dinosaur Jr addiction.

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29th Aug 2008 - 1 comments - Add Comment - Tweet