Atomictumor

I’ve always been attracted to the unusual and bizarre. ‘Splains why I married AT. But I digress. No one does unusual and bizarre quite like the Asians. I’m bored today, and think you should be, too, so I’m going to share with you some of my favorites.

Happiness of the Katakuris - Director Takashi Miike normally does some pretty disgusting horror/action type films, so this comedy/musical/horror is a bit of change for him. A family tries desperately to make a living with a bed & breakfast, only to have a string of guests die in unusual circumstances. Complete with a Meatloaf-esque rock song. Bitchin.

Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl - This one is perhaps a little less on the bizarre side. It’s more of a gangster/action type film. The acting is great, the plot is followable (which can be rare with Asian films) and the really, really weird hitman is a riot. Not a bad choice for the uninitiated.

Kwaidan - Weirdness isn’t a new trend for Asian films. This 1964 film is considered by many to be a masterpiece. Four seperate stories make up this movie, each one a little weirder than the last. They all have dream-like qualities to them, often with little dialogue and lots of beautiful scenery and color.

Samurai Fiction - Who doesn’t like samurai movies? This 1998 flick is a great homage to the samurai films of the 50’s and 60’s, but with a smattering of the Three Stooges.

Volcano High - A Korean film about a high school transfer student who begins a new school in the midst of a battle between various sports teams. I’d know more, but the lead guy is a hottie. Rowr. If you don’t like reading subtitles, Snoop Dog and various guests have dubbed this film. I have that version as well, but I haven’t ventured there quite yet.

That’s only a small sample of the Asian films we own. Recommendations are always welcome. Looking at you, Joe Powell.

Perhaps the most innovative advertisment I’ve ever seen:

(CNN) — Large quantities of drugs were found inside merchandise from at least two Home Depot stores in Massachusetts, and authorities are investigating, police said Wednesday.

I’m heading there right after work to try to beat the rush…

As part of the creation of Oak Ridge, after the plants were built and what not, an architecture firm Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill out of Chicago were contracted to provide layouts for the town, and house designs (the famous cemestos buildings). 

The firm has gone on to do quite a few other big name jobs, like the Sears Tower, San Francisco Intl Airport, AOL Time Warner Center, and the second 7 WTC building (which was also the setting of the 1988 Harrison Ford/Melanie Griffith masterpiece Working Girl).