Video Game Music Sorbet: X-Men - The Arcade Game

Every Saturday here at the Fair Use Law institute for higher learning/mutant sanctuary we like to sit back with our exploding Popecrawler communion wafers and a sifter of the Legacy Virus cure and listen to some of our favorite video game music of yesteryear. One of the bigger games of our childhood, one that would forever change arena rock at we know it, was X-Men: The Arcade Game, giving the video game population its first taste of playable Dazzler AND Colossus' most excellent Russian yell. Form a secondary mutation of excellent hearing and please enjoy its awesome beats:

RIP Andrew Koenig, The Ultimate Joker

The comedy podcast community was hit hard this week when news of Never Not Funny's video director and resident AK47, Andrew Koenig, was missing in Vancouver. Sadly, after an exhaustive search that included an incredible outpouring on Twitter and Facebook, the search ended with the discovery of Andrew's apparent suicide. Please, if you or anyone you know is suffering from depression, please reach out for help.

In tribute to Andrew, I give you his great turn as the Joker in this Batman short film, proving that sometimes the best cinematic version of a character isn't in major motion pictures:

Get Real, Ja... Er Thailand: Sars Wars

Initially put into my Netflix rental queue on a larf, I was surprised to find the Thai comedy/action movie Sars Wars: Bangkok Zombie Crisis to be one of the most insane 90 minutes I've ever spent as a movie watcher. Mixing over the top action, some weird anime/hentai cutscenes, CGI megasnakes, and more, it just might be the cure for anyone who suffered through watching the Matrix sequels. One of the best aspects of the DVD itself is the bonus features, which include this excellent music video of the movie's main theme, a trippy techno/dance number with some Thai chants throw in VAST-style:

Episode 239 - "Now I Get It: The “M” Stood for Mitosis!”

Welcome comedy enthusiasts and lovers of laugh to episode 39 of the second Fair Use Law case file. As we prepare for case file 3, coming in just two weeks, we take some preparation time off to discover just how the Indian Guides prepared us for casino gambling, how to turn Britney Murphy’s death into a horrible scam, and how things take a turn for the worse at a comedy club. All this and Dan unlocks an achievement for knowing the line-up of TLC, why not to expect VIP treatment at Laser Floyd, and how men react to women at post offices are yours for the listening!

This week we gush over the very hilarious night out we spent seeing some very funny comedy, the headliner of which was the subliminally hilarious Wendy Liebman. Want a quick shot of her style of humor? Here's her telling the famous Aristocrats joke, only in reverse:



Her feature act this night was one David Waite, a very funny comedian with a very unique style and charisma. His secret weapon in his arsenal? His awesome party in his pants:



What goes through the mind of a comedian when he's riffing on improv'd material onstage? With the help of the great Patton Oswalt and these YouTube Annotations, we get quite a bit of insight at the machinations of the modern day jester:



Another hot topic this week was the very un-VIP VIP treatment one can expect when they receive free passes to a Laser Floyd show. While I won't bore you with the thousands of Wizard of Oz/Pink Floyd videos on the web, I will present to you the follow South African rap video by the band Die Antwoord which, I promise, will never let you view the cover art to Darkside of the Moon the same way again:



And finally, here in the United States, we lucked out in the car insurance pitchman lottery. We get our choice of geckos, cavemen, annoying clerk girls in aprons, and CGI Southern Generals. In Russia, however, they have a different approach to responding to an insured's initial report of an claim:

Shawn Michaels Keeps Running Up That Hill

Usually video packages for WWE matches features the music of bands like Nickelback, Staind, or Shinedown. So when they busted out Placebo's excellent cover of Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill for a video highlighting the recent Shawn Michaels/Undertaker feud last night, people took notice. Here it is for as long a time as YouTube allows it.

Warning: This video can be taken down at any time by Youtube. Enjoy it while you can!

Good Music You Should Know About - Flesh Field

Combining electronic industrial rhythms with an ultra cinematic score approach to composing, Flesh Field has always had a flair for the double plus good epic. In this video for their song Voice of Dissent, that epicness is improved twenty-fold through the use of CGI robots and anime girls.

Video Game Music Sorbet: Conker's Bad Fur Day

Here at the Fair Use Law Jigsaw Emporium/Random OCD Hoarders Support Group, we're gearing up for Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing featuring everyone's favorite bird and bear: Banjo-Kazooie. While getting jiggy with the wholesome combo is nice and all, how great would it have been if Sega brought Conker out of the mothballs to fight against Knuckles and Tails with Matrix bullet-time and poo balls:

Miles Edgeworth: Perfect Procrastination

You might ask yourself why updates have been few and far between the past week or so. Obviously, we're gearing up for the big launch of Case File 3 in two weeks, but we've also been hit with the one-two whammy of Bioshock 2 and Ace Attorney: Miles Edgeworth - Perfect Prosecutor (not to mention a sidetrack into the hell that was Dante's Inferno and some dessert pies with the Misadventures of PB Winterbottom). What's so great about being a Perfect Prosecutor, you might ask? Well, let's let the video do the testifying:

Episode 238 - "Reality TV Famewhores: The Deadliest Catch”

Welcome Race Fans to episode 38 of the second case file presented by Fair Use Law Brain Trust Consortium & Friends. With only 3 more episodes left before the beginning of “season” 3, 2/3rds of the Triceratops Tribunal discuss the inherent sexism against fatties and women in NASCAR, the worst possible choices in public domain birthday singing, the 27 years of plagiarism bestowed upon Australian by Men At Work’s Land Down Under, and the erection-shattering horrors that await anyone who dares play EA’s Dante’s Inferno. All this and we call the next 2-3 weeks of Tila Tequila’s career down to the 140 characters and Dan shows off his shameful, Smash Mouth-related party trick.

There are few things that can make the reality Tila Tequila has created around herself funnier in hindsight. One of them is her pretending to have a musical career. The other is the censored version of her first single, "I Love U," which, for a song with that title, is pretty schizophrenically violent:



Morgan Webb of X-Play and possibly Dragon Ball Evolutions fame recently discussed the Dante's Inferno's 2nd layer of hell: Lust. Watch as the editors desperately try to cut around everything that will melt your eyes that we discussed this episode:



When she's not crashing her race car and retiring many other more talented drivers for the day in the process, Danica Patrick is the spokes-supposed-hottie for GoDaddy.com. Recently they had their first 2010 Super Bowl commercial banned. I can't for the life of me guess why:



Also this week we discussed the recently released movie Lo, which hit Netflix Instant Viewing. Always one to strive to give the lil' man a bit more publicity, here is the movie's trailer for your amusement:



We also discussed the movie Ink which, for an indie film with a small budget, really made the most of it with great cinematography and visuals. Little did I know until now that the director of said movie got his feet wet by making one of the coolest short films I've ever seen on YouTube. Please to be enjoying "Spin:"



And lastly, End Game Studios was hit hard this week by a craving for all things pie. Luckily our old friend PB Winterbottom was on the case and decided to steal all the pies in the world just for our entertainment. Being about 2/5th of the way through this game so far, I give is the Fair Use Law Seal of Approval:

Video Game Music Sorbet: System Shock 2

Every Saturday in the Fair Use Law collective thinktank/underwater utopia society, we like to chill out with some creme-filled pastries and a fine Marlot while listening to the best music of video games past. With everyone and their little sister playing Bioshock 2 this week, what better way to celebrate than with the music of the movie it spiritually sequels, System Shock 2:

Episode 237 - "I Was Leroy Before Leroy Was Leroy"

Welcome to episode 37 of the second case file of the Fair Use Law podcast. This week the triceratops tribunal go on the offensive against the greatest evil known to man today: IMDB message boards. In happier times, they also discuss the fun feud brewing between Saw 3D and Paranormal Activity, overcoming misconceptions about Death Note, how not to influence people and review Evangelion, and Weblos Badgewhoring fun.

To truly show our geek love for the Asian arts, this week we gushed about the live action Death Note
movies. Want a preview of it's awesomeness? Here's the original movie trailer for the first movie in the trilogy:



Also discussed this week was all the drama ensuing behind the scenes of both Saw 3D and Paranormal Activity 2. While footage from the set of these movies are obviously impossible to come by, I was able to find the following preview of just what Saw in 3D (animation) might look like:



Since we weren't here to start no trouble, we were just here to do the Evangelion shuffle this episode, that gives me the automatic and inalienable right to post an Evangelion music video! To make it more interesting, I've found the following one featuring Mindless Self Indulgence's Royally Fucked to prove you can find an Eva AMV to just about any song:



The upcoming Xbox 360/Playstation 3 video game Naughty Bear continues to do everything it can to endear itself to the internet. This week, they launched their next offensive towards a kingpin of internet meme terror:



And finally, since we're huge fans of all things 8-bit and I have some Wii points laying around, here is the trailer for the just released Blaster Master Overdrive, a remake of the original game featuring 3D rendered graphics and some new abilities. I haven't tried it yet, but this just might be a case of buying a WiiWare game based on soundtrack alone:

Good Music You Should Know About - Black Strobe

Black Strobe are a question mark wrapped in an enigma dipped in a secret sauce. Originally forming in France and helping jump start the electroclash movement of minimal techno mixed with repetitive lyrics, they soon branched out and drastically changed their sound. At this point, they label their own music "frozen balearic gay biker house," but I'd just say they sound like ZZ Top thrown in a blender with KMFDM. Here's their excellent cover of Bo Diddley's "I'm A Man" which could be heard on the RockNRolla soundtrack:

Heroes Season Finale: The Musical

With Heroes Season 3 coming to an end tonight in a climatic superpower smackdown and with Season 4's future still unclear, what better way to celebrate the telekinetic skull cutting and puppet mastery than with a pair of visual musical tributes. First, I give you a decently edited video made 10 times better by featuring the best song of 2009, Depeche Mode's Wrong:



And now for something completely different. Using the classical violently melodramatic theme to the video game Mercenaries 2, Oh No You Didn't:



As always you can check out Fair Use Law's live twitter Heroescast tonight at 9 PM eastern at the usual place.

We're All Bad Enough Dudes For This Rap

Rapping/singing over video game music... it's the latest trend in internet trends. Sadly, many have tried, only few have succeeded in a way that won't make their parents cry in shame about their lack of their son's future. One of those success stories? Action Adventure World:

Video Game Music Sorbet: Vectorman 2

Every Saturday at the Fair Use-atorium, we like to get girl drink drunk, offend each others sensibilities with party games, and enjoy round after round of Burger King Pocketbike Racer. Of course, the soundtrack to said game of our lifetime is a little lacking, so we mute the Xbox and play some of the best music from our video game youth. In honor of Reverend Randy's birthday, I give to you Vectorman 2:

Good Music You Should Know About - Vex Red

After the break up of long standing emotionally charged industrial band Stabbing Westward, there was a vacuum to be filled in the "overly depressing songs with electronics in the background" department. Many bands tried to fill this slot, and many bands have failed. One band that was closer than most to succeeding, however, was Vex Red. Coming out of nowhere with a CD of high grade tearjerking industrial/acoustic music and a slot performing on the Warped Tour, they just might have made it. Sadly, to this day they have only released one CD, the lead single of which being "Can't Smile."

Fans Do Final Fight Right

Major movie companies overlooking one of your favorite sidescrolling co-op beat-em-up games of the early 90s? Why not attempt to make a movie version of it on your own? That's just what these fine folks are attempting to do with Final Fight with surprisingly well acted results in this teaser trailer:

Episode 236 - "Saving America With The Whatchamacallit!"

Fair Use Law is back and 100% Pants On The Ground-free this week as “Reverend” Randall Lewis and “Danger” Dan Robinson set their sights on the Apple iPad, unintentionally being a douche bag to your best friend with popular girls in high school, saving failed live music performances with unmitigated violence against acoustic stringed instruments, how sausage throwing doesn’t always mean love, and the pratfalls of working at an amusement park with food poisoning.

I don't know if you heard about it, but I hear the new Apple iPad is pretty incredibly, beautiful, and amazing. Here's proof from their keynote address:



Now a little something for both the men and ladies. As we all know, Japanese RPGs are "Serious Business" as it were. And no Japanese RPG as serious when it comes to business-time as the recently released End of Eternity for the 360 in Japan:



In our never-ending quest to show you the best in awesome-ocity that hits the internet, here is the trailer for Hard Revenge Millie, which arrived on US DVD just last week. Yes, the music you hear in the trailer is former "Get Real, Japan" artist the Gazette, finally marking the mix of J-Rock and splattertastic gore:



Next Tuesday marks the debut of Bioshock 2 on the Xbox 360 gaming system. Want to grind away some multiplayer achievements by shooting us in the face? Drop me an Xbox Live friend request at Friggin Taser for Bioshock 2 party fun! In the meantime, here's the look at the Limited Edition of the game as well as a special announcement at the end!



And lastly, this week we discuss our prior history working for Lake Compounce, the oldest running amusement park in New England. To punctuate the pain, I managed to find the cheesiest promotional video ever made for the park itself:

Pop Songs Done Better?: Disturbia by the Sequence

While sadly this remake doesn't come with it's own music video, it does come with a serious of beautifully disturbing anime drawings, so everything works out in the end. Without further delay, here's the Sequence's cover of Rihanna's Disturbia, 100x better than the original: