Yo-Yo Champion Jensen Kimmitt

I am lucky if I get a yo-yo to return back to me but there are others who have mastered the art of the stringed toy.  Check out champion yo-yo slinger Jensen Kimmitt loops circles around the competition at the 2010 World YoYo Contest with his signature “Northstar” yo-yo from YoYoFactory.

Men’s Journal 2010 Style & Design September Issue Available Now

In the annual Style & Design September issue of Men’s Journal: The world’s most innovative and lust-inducing new cars, including Porsche’s speedy hybrid; Michael Hastings’ story of how low-tech, lightweight Kiowa helicopters and the gutsy pilots who fly them are changing the face of the Afghan War; nature’s perfect killing machine, the Siberian tiger; and many more perfect things. Available at news stands now.

McSweeney’s Quarterly Issue # 36

Inside this 275-cubic-inch full-color head-crate, there are all the things you’d hope for: a 100-page annotated fragment of Michael Chabon’s lost novel, incredible new stories from John Brandon and Colm Tóibín, Jack Pendarvis’s “Jungle Geronimo in Gay Paree”—eight astounding booklets in all, along with some other things on top, enough for hundreds and hundreds of pages of perusal, every bit of it contained in a more-or-less-life-size friendly-looking head. It will fit on your shelf, it is compatible with most hats, and the stuff inside is wonderful—order your copy today and receive it in December!

Toy Story 3 Is The Highest Grossing Animated Film Of All Time!

It’s official! Disney Pixar’s acclaimed Toy Story 3, directed by Lee Unkrich, has become the highest grossing animated film of all time with the $920 million it has grossed globally since opening in mid-June. This weekend, the computer-animated family comedy should become only the second Disney movie to cross the $400 million mark domestically, as it shoots to become the ninth highest grossing movie in North America by summer’s end. It’s currently Disney’s fourth biggest global hit.

In a statement released on Friday, Rich Ross, Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, said:

“In 1995, the talented team at Pixar introduced a cowboy, a space ranger and their friends who have gone on to become some of the most beloved characters in the world. The success of Toy Story is due to the tremendously creative and innovative team at Pixar, led by John Lasseter and Ed Catmull, and our incredible marketing and distribution teams around the world. In Toy Story 3, director Lee Unkrich, producer Darla Anderson and the incredible team at Pixar have given audiences a film that continued the rich storytelling and character building that have become synonymous with every Pixar release.”

Walt Disney Home Entertainment has announced that Toy Story 3 will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 2, 2010, when it will probably set a few more records.

10 Surprising Brand Owners

It’s no shocker that a company like Clorox would own brands such as Pine-Sol and Glad. But what about nature-loving Burt’s Bees? There are other unexpected alliances throughout the corporate world that might surprise you. From chocolate makers who own health food brands to low-end beauty labels in league with couture cosmetics, these unusual mergers are responsible for keeping some of the most popular products on store shelves. Check them out HERE.

Drew: The Man Behind The Poster

Drew: The Man Behind The Poster is a feature-length documentary film highlighting the career of poster artist Drew Struzan, whose most popular works include the “Indiana Jones,” “Back to the Future” and “Star Wars” movie posters.

Telling the tale through exclusive interviews with George Lucas, Harrison Ford, Michael J. Fox, Frank Darabont, Guillermo del Toro, Steven Spielberg and many other filmmakers, artists and critics, the journey spans Drew’s early career in commercial and album cover art through his recent retirement as one of the most recognizable and influential movie poster artists of all time.

The trailer was unveiled at Comic-Con but the documentary does not have a distributor or release date yet.

Star Wars Announced for Blu-Ray

Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox officially announced today that all six live-action Star Wars films will arrive on the Blu-Ray format in Fall 2011 as a commemorative box set.

The news, part of this week’s Celebration V festivities, promises “the highest possible picture and audio presentation, along with extensive special features – including documentaries, vintage behind-the-scenes moments, interviews, retrospectives and never-before-seen footage from the Lucasfilm archives.”

“Blu-ray is the absolute best way to experience Star Wars at home – in pristine high definition,” said George Lucas of the release, “The films have never looked or sounded better.”

At this time it is unclear what versions of each film will appear in the set. Past Star Wars home video releases have focused on the updated special editions, though fan demand led to a later, unrestored release of the original theatrical version on the DVD format.

Restoration Hardware’s Eyeglass Molds On Stands

Merging industrial design and retro style, this quartet of 1950s eyeglass molds ($150) is an eye-catching spectacle. From science-lab specs to starlet shades, they recreate every detail of the manufacturer’s archived molds, from the aged brass hardware to the ridges where the plastic was poured. Frameless (of course), they sit on a reclaimed wood base and are mounted on black metal display stands (Dimensions: 7-1/2″–12-1/2″H).

These unique conversation pieces are only available through Restoration Hardware’s catalog and web site.

Words By Will Hoffman and Daniel Mercadante

Words have the power to shape the way we think and feel. In this stunning video, filmmakers Will Hoffman and Daniel Mercadante turn visual wordplay into a moving exploration of language set to an original score by Keith Kenniff.

X-wing Mailbox

Craig Smith, whose clever projects have been featured in MAKE Magazine has shared his creative Star Wars themed X-wing mailbox.

He talks about the project here:

“I made this so long ago, it is actually in need of weathering repairs and repainting. I never expected it to survive vandalism or theft for half a decade. But at five feet long and a five foot wingspan, theft would be quite difficult. Everybody from letter carriers to pizza delivery go out of their way to say how much they like it. There is a street about 10 miles away where older guys have a mailbox rivalry with custom car, firetruck and airplane mailboxes, I should mail them a photo.”

Eli’s Cheesecake

Everyone in my family was eager to finish their dinner tonight, as our dessert was an Eli’s Cheesecake assortment that came straight from the Windy City, Chicago. Our sampler included a variety of sumptuous cheesecake flavors including: Chocolate Chip, Heath Bar, Strawberry Topped, and the Original Plain. We happily sampled each of the flavors, and could not decide which one was the very best, as they were all so delicious.

Eli’s cheesecake can be purchased in a variety of retail locations, online, or by phone at: 1-800-ELI-CAKE (1-800-354-2253). In addition, if you are in the greater Chicago area, you can visit the Eli’s Cheesecake World headquarters, dessert café, and baking facility located at: 6701 W. Forest Preserve Drive – Chicago, IL 60634

The Chicago headquarters is also host to a number of different tour options if you are interested in getting an in depth look into Eli’s history, philosophy, and learning more about how their delicious cheesecakes are made.

You can follow Eli’s Cheesecake on Facebook or Twitter.  In addition, you can join their Mailing List if you are interested in learning about their local happenings and weekly discounts. (Written by Meredith Fire-Hess)

10 By Marion Bataille

Marion Bataille, the creator of the best-selling ABC3D, is one of the world’s greatest pop-up designers.

In I0, she plays with the shape of numbers, exploring the pleasure of seeing one number mutate into another as we count from one to ten and back again.

The formal perfection and playful intelligence of this book will enchant readers of all ages.

10 relates to the way we count numbers on our fingers and to the apparent symmetry of our bodies. If you count from one to ten on your fingers in one direction and then the other, each finger will have two numbers associated with it. For instance if you count to finger number three from left to right, that finger will be finger number eight when counting from right to left. In Marion Bataille’s book, the number three effortlessly shifts to the number eight as you turn the page.

The new hardback pop-up book comes in a slipcase with die-cut front and back and contains 11 spreads. Look for it in stores in September. (Thanks for the tip Meredith)

With Great Power: The Stan Lee Story

At 87 years old, Stan Lee’s name appears on more than one billion comics in 75 countries in 25 languages. Arguably the most recognized name in comics, Stan Lee has co-created over 500 legendary pop culture characters including Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Iron Man, Thor and The Hulk. Stan continues to create new material and entertain fans of all ages with fantastic stories and characters in all areas of entertainment.

With Great Power: the Stan Lee Story, explores the vivid life and imagination of Stan Lee, from the early days of his Depression-era upbringing through the Marvel Age of Comics and beyond! The film uncovers original transcripts, illustrations, photographs and stories of Lee’s fascinating journey from his early years at Timely Comics and World War Two, the comic book industry’s censorship battle of the 1950’s led by Dr. Fredric Wertham, the dawn of Marvel Comics and the legendary characters Stan co-created, to his current company POW! Entertainment.

With Great Power: the Stan Lee Story is told through the words of Stan himself as well as numerous interviews with comic book creators, actors, film producers, family and friends. It paints a portrait of a man whose creativity knows no bounds and whose characters have grown from humble beginnings in the pages of Marvel Comics in the early 1960’s to powerhouse properties in all media, including film television, video games and beyond.

The documentary is scheduled to be released later this year.

Elliott Smith Compilation Due On November 2nd

Kill Rock Stars just announced an Elliott Smith compilation entitled Introduction to… Elliott Smith which will feature 14 of the late singer-songwriter’s most beloved songs from across his entire career.

The CD and LP will be released on November 2nd and the track list is as follows:

01 Ballad of Big Nothing
02 Waltz #2
03 Pictures of Me
04 The Biggest Lie
05 Alameda
06 Between the Bars
07 Needle in the Hay
08 Last Call
09 Angeles
10 Twilight
11 Pretty (Ugly Before)
12 Angel in the Snow
13 Miss Misery (early version)
14 Happiness (single version)

Freakonomics Trailer

Here is the first official trailer for the Magnolia-distributed cinematic adaptation of Steven Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner best-selling pop-econ book Freakonomics.

The film, which was directed by acclaimed documentarians Seth Gordon, Morgan Spurlock, Alex Gibney, Eugene Jarecki, Rachel Grady, and Heidi Ewing, is set to hit iTunes on September 3rd and theaters on October 1st.

Where Will They Split The Next Two Harry Potter Movies?

It’s been a well-kept secret ever since it was announced in 2009 that the last chapter of J.K. Rowling’s fantasy franchise Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows would be split into two chapters. Now, Entertainment Weekly has revealed the exact split point for the two movies in their annual Fall Movie Preview issue.

According to the issue’s write-up on the grand finale:

“Part I will end at about Chapter 24 of the book, with Voldemort gaining possession of the Elder Wand, one of the three Deathly Hallows that allow the bearer to conquer death.”

This is quite a bit later than many Harry Potter fans were expecting, so one can speculate that the 2nd Chapter, released July 15th, 2011, will mostly involve the Battle of Hogwarts and the resolution of the entire series.

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe once again graces the cover of Entertainment Weekly’s Fall Preview guide. The latest issue also has new promotional images from “Deathly Hallows”.

The Complete Elvis Presley Masters

The Complete Elvis Presley Masters ($750) is the definitive collection of the King of Rock and Roll’s recordings.

All 711 master recordings as released during Elvis’ lifetime, mastered from the original analog master tapes where available. Each recording has been carefully restored to achieve the best sound reproduction ever without compromising the audio quality of the original master. The first run of this gorgeous box set is limited to 1,000 numbered units. The collection includes a custom designed display case, hardcover book, 30 remastered CD’s and a certificate of authenticity.

The collection also contains 103 additional rare recordings and a 240-page hardbound book featuring an annotated discography, original album artwork, rare and classic photos, a complete song index and an essay by Peter Guralnick.

Housed in a beautiful, limited edition display case, The Complete Elvis Presley Masters is an indispensable piece of music history and the one collection no true music connoisseur should be without.

Todd Phillips To Produce A John Belushi Biopic

The Hollywood Reporter says that Steven Conrad (The Pursuit of Happyness) will write and Todd Phillips (The Hangover, upcoming Due Date) will produce a biopic about comedian John Belushi, who died of a drug overdose in 1982 at age 33.

Warner Bros. recently acquired the rights from Belushi’s estate. Belushi’s widow, Judith, who published “Belushi” in 2005 with Tanner Colby, will be an executive producer on the project, as Judith Belushi Pisano (she’s since remarried).

“Belushi” is described as follows:

On the day he turned thirty, John Belushi starred in America’s number-one movie (Animal House), starred in the number-one late-night show (Saturday Night Live) and had recorded the number-one album (Briefcase Full of Blues). All from a guy who was never supposed to make it out from behind the cash register of his family’s Chicago diner.

How did this Albanian immigrant’s son capture a nation’s imagination and come to embody all the glory and tragedy of the American dream? It was one high-price, high-speed, short-lived wild ride.

Belushi is a whirlwind of a book, filled with never-before-seen photos and provocative, intensely personal testimonials by just about every major comedic figure of the last half century. Here is the remarkable and raucous story of a larger-than-life figure who danced out at the precipice of American fame.

Belushi’s other feature credits include The Blues Brothers, Continental Divide and Neighbors.

The First Official Trailer For Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics

Warner Bros. Pictures presents an enthralling examination of the creative forces behind the World’s Greatest Super Heroes in Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics, an all-new documentary that takes viewers behind the scenes of the iconic company with unprecedented access to the Warner Bros. and DC Comics archives. Narrated by Ryan Reynolds, the film will be distributed by Warner Home Video on November 9th, 2010 on DVD for $24.98 (SRP). Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics will also be available On Demand and for download. Behind the amazing tales of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and a host of other well-known characters is the equally impressive story of the challenges, creativity and triumphs of the company that brought those characters to life. Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics is both a celebration of the best writers and artists in comics and a thoughtful exploration of 75 years of DC Comics history. The documentary is written and directed by Mac Carter. The DVD combines excerpts from comics, films and television series with the insight of some of history’s most influential comic book creators and editors, among them Neal Adams, Karen Berger, Mike Carlin, Dan DiDio, Neil Gaiman, Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, Paul Levitz, Dwayne McDuffie, Grant Morrison, Dennis O’Neil, Paul Pope, Louise Simonson, Mark Waid, Len Wein, and Marv Wolfman.

Fox Has Announced The DVD Release Of An “Infamous Unaired Episode” of Family Guy

Fox Home Entertainment has announced Family Guy: Partial Terms of Endearment for September 28th. Retail will be around $14.98. Extras will include a Seth and Alex Almost Live Comedy Show, a Family Guy: Live and Uncensored Table Read, an Animatic for Partial Terms of Endearment, 9 Original Songs Composed for Family Guy, and a digital copy.

Apple Releases iOS 4.0.2 Update

Apple has released iOS 4.0.2 for the iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, second-, and third-generation iPod touch, as well as iOS 3.2.2 for the iPad. According to Apple’s release notes, both releases patch a “security vulnerability associated with viewing malicious PDF files.” The updates are available now through the Update function in iTunes.

See Yo Gabba Gabba LIVE at The Grove in Los Angeles On Friday, August 13th

See Yo Gabba Gabba LIVE at The Grove Friday at 5pm! See DJ Lance and all your favorite characters from Yo Gabba Gabba, followed by a meet and greet at 6pm in Barnes & Noble! Free and open to the public.

To buy tickets to Yo Gabba Gabba LIVE in LA! in November, click here.

Denny’s Introduces The Fried Cheese Melt

Not to be outdone by the artery clogging Carl’s Jr. Foot Long Cheeseburger, the KFC Doublicious or Friendly’s Grilled Cheese BurgerMelt, Denny’s is updating its Value Menu with five new items, including a Bacon chipotle skillet and a nacho salad, the chain said Friday.

John Dillon, vice president of marketing for the Spartanburg, S.C.-based chain of more than 1,500 family-dining restaurants, said the new items would replace existing items on the menu, though he would not say which ones

One of the new items is the fried cheese melt. The gooey sandwich is made with four fried mozzarella sticks and melted American cheese grilled between two slices of sourdough bread. It is served with French fries and a side of marinara sauce for $4.

American Idol News: Jennifer Lopez Is Out

Jennifer Lopez is reportedly out of the running to be part of American Idol‘s season 10 judges’ panel, a well-placed source tells People. With Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres both having exited Fox’s ratings juggernaut, the network has been looking for suitable celebrity replacements. J. Lo had been widely rumored to be in the final stages of inking a deal, but it reportedly fell apart due to her demands. A Fox spokesperson declined to comment on the story.

Joe Hill’s Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom # 1 On Sale August 11th, 2010

Here is the cover to Locke & Key: Keys to the Kingdom # 1, which features a standalone story called “Sparrow.” With the exception of the last two issues, all of the stories in Keys to the Kingdom are standalones. The issue will be on sale on August 11th, 2010.

According to the writer, Joe Hill, the audience doesn’t need to already be familiar with the series to jump in and enjoy. Every issue will also introduce a set of new keys (again, except for the last two). And when Keys to the Kingdom wraps up, Locke & Key will be moving into the final stage of the larger story.

The plan is for just two more books after this one, and then the door will close on Locke & Key.