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The Late Movies: The "Unsolved Mysteries" Theme Song

Rob Lammle wrote a terrific piece in January called Unsolved Mysteries: More Than Just a Creepy Theme Song. But I wondered: can that theme song get any creepier? Guess what -- it can. Listen if you dare. (On one of the videos below, YouTube user TiffanyMarie105 wrote: "The song alone (let alone the actual show) has probably given millions of people nightmares. I could probably listen to it on repeat for hours and not get bored of it." Yes. She'd listen to it on repeat until the nightmares began.)... READ ON

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Idiot Control Now: MST3K Movie Musical Moments

Best Brains Inc., the eponymous minds behind Mystery Science Theater 3000, had a fabulous creative team that came up with many hilarious song parodies and musical tributes over the course of the series' 10 year run. But that's not our topic today. Instead, we're going behind the scenes to find out about some fan-favorite musical interludes that were inexplicably included in the deliciously bad films featured on MST3K – the whos, the whys, and the where-are-they-nows. The Band That Played "California... READ ON

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4 Crimes That Inspired Law & Order Episodes

Truth is stranger than fiction, and one place that becomes very clear is in Law & Order episodes that were ripped from the headlines. Sure, the episodes themselves are entertaining, but the original inspiration for the episode is often so bizarre that it makes the show seem mild in comparison. These are a few of the many true stories used in Law & Order episodes. You’ll see why the show occasionally needs to tone down certain details to actually make the case seem believable. (For those of you worried... READ ON

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The Late Movies: Lin-Manuel Miranda Raps on The Electric Company

Lin-Manuel Miranda came to my attention when he rapped about Alexander Hamilton. Miranda is the Tony award-winning star, writer, and composer of In the Heights -- and he has what we call in the business "mad skills." For tonight's nerdy kid-friendly goodness, here's Miranda dropping educational pronunciation-related rhymes on PBS's The Electric Company. If you have young kids, get them to the computer now. (He's accompanied by Shock, a regular The Electric Company, who's a surprisingly good beatboxer.)... READ ON

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Kid Casting

Kid Casting is a Tumblr devoted to one simple, awesome pursuit: collecting movie screen captures showing the same movie/TV character portrayed as both a kid and an adult. It's run by Dave Shumka, noted comedian, podcaster, and all-around swell guy. Two examples I enjoyed: 30... READ ON

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A Fake 80's Commercial for a Now-Real Fake 80's Toy

"Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear gives you lots o' hugs, and lots o' love, and lots o' fun, no matter where you are." -Narrator, faux 1983 commercial for Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear, who was the main antagonist in Toy Story 3. Okay, hang on. So my guess is that Pixar made up this bear character so they'd have a new toy for Toy Story 3, and presumably so they'd own the rights to it -- in order to make more from the real-world merchandise from selling Lotso dolls (no need to pay royalties for, e.g., the Slinky Dog or Mr.... READ ON

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Every Jeopardy! Clue and Response, Ever*

Let's say you wanted to know what went down on last night's episode of Jeopardy! Well, you'd be in luck -- browse on over to the Show #6128 page on J! Archive, and there you have it -- every clue, every response, all the scores, the whole thing -- you can basically play Jeopardy! for yourself by reading the clues, then mousing over the dollar amount to see the response -- remember to phrase your response in the form of a question. At first I thought the J! Archive included every game, ever, but several... READ ON

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Exclusive: Mike Rowe Talks "Human Planet"

NOTE: My interview with Mike Rowe appears below a bunch of discussion of the documentary Human Planet. Jump to the "Interview" heading if that's what you're here for. Human Planet premieres Sunday, April 10 in the US on Discovery. Two episodes air each night, running from 8-10pm EST on April 10, 17, and 24. Check your cable listings for more details, and set your DVRs -- again, this is a huge justification for why you bought a big shiny HDTV. This time around, Mike Rowe will narrate the... READ ON

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Tonight on NOVA: "Japan's Killer Quake"

Tonight on NOVA, an in-depth scientific examination of Japan's recent earthquake, the subsequent tsunami, and the continuing nuclear incident. Entitled (perhaps indelicately) Japan's Killer Quake, the program shows plenty of footage that was new to me -- including a particularly surreal clip apparently shot on a mobile phone, showing a crack in the concrete opening and closing, over and over. It's like a movie special effect -- except it's real, and thus really horrifying. The program airs tonight... READ ON

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Learn Math With Donald Duck

Donald in Mathmagic Land was produced by Disney in 1959 to educate kids about math. After its theatrical release (and nomination for an Academy Award), the film was distributed to schools, and apparently children of the 60's learned some math from this trippy cartoon. I'd never heard of it until a friend posted a link on Facebook. My favorite exchange: [Pythagoreans are playing music with lutes and such.] Narrator: "Shh, it's a jam session." Donald Duck: "Give us something with a beat!"... READ ON