Allan Duffin - Writer/Producer

Dancing at the movies: just pure fun

Reposting this great video via Ken Levine's blog:

Definitely Right On Track

Some songs just stick in your head. Breakfast Club's 1987 hit "Right On Track" is a bouncy pop number about a guy that's trying to impress a girl by showing off his dance skills. Problem is, every time he busts a move, she's looking in the other direction or moving away from him. I've always loved this tune, from Dan Gilroy's smooth voice to the insistent beat to lines like, "How far away can you go -- and still be dancing with me?" Did the guy ever get the girl to notice him? Maybe.

Fun fact: Lead singer Dan Gilroy is now a screenwriter and is married to actress Rene Russo.

"Lost" ends, but Michael Giacchino's music goes on

Whether you found "Lost" fascinating or frustrating (or both),  you have to give kudos to one of the series' key components: its music. Composer Michael Giacchino's evocative score gave the show a heartbeat that was sometimes tearjerking and sometimes terrifying. The Los Angeles Times just ran a story about Giacchino, who talked about his childhood love of film music:

"I made my dad buy me the soundtrack album, because in those days, the only way to relive the experience of the film was to get the soundtrack. I'd sneak tape recorders into movie theaters, record the sounds of the movies and then listen to them at night on a little speaker I'd rigged up in bed by my pillow. I was always into the story that a film told, and sometimes the soundtrack album would take everything out of order. So I made my own tapes, so I could always be sure to hear the story in the right sequence."

I love to read about childhood dreams that blossom into adult professions. This is why I'm a writer today.

You can check out Giacchino's music at his website, which has tons of sample tracks. Meanwhile, if you haven't seen this funny video about the unanswered questions of "Lost," here you go:

(This video came from College Humor.)

The Baseballs

I wonder what Brian Setzer thinks of this? A German trio called The Baseballs takes current pop hits and rearranges them as rockabilly tunes. It's a lot of fun. Even songs I don't like in their original form become really enjoyable when The Baseballs take a crack at them.

Click here for their YouTube page -- try their version of Katy Perry's "Hot 'n' Cold." Meantime here's the video for their version of Rihanna's "Umbrella." I dare you not to bop along!

Get BarackRoll'd!

I bet Rick Astley never thought it would come to this. Barack Obama sings along to "Never Gonna Give You Up."

KISS sings Rick Astley

I'm late to the party on this one, but if you haven't been Rickrolled yet, it's a magical experience of the highest caliber. Hop on the wrong website and you're suddenly transported to a world where the cheesy 1980s single "Never Gonna Give You Up" takes control of your web browser. I confess that I've always liked this song. Thank you, Rick Astley.

What's really interesting is the use of Rickrolling as a way to bring people together. Check out this article for a rundown on how people are using the song to, among other things, enrich their experiences at sporting events. Have you sung "Never Gonna Give You Up" with 12,000 fans at a baseball game?

Through some clever editing, someone posted this clip of Kiss apparently singing the tune:

Media bling, personalized pencils and allergy stickers

Have a birthday coming up?  If you need an imitation jewel-encrusted, skull-and- crossbones engraved, portable media player, then MediaREADY, Inc., of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., has just the thing. Get set for the "Bling Player," which the company touts as an "iced out" fashion statement: "You can easily listen to music, watch videos or record sound bytes, and still look hip." The, uh, item has a capacity of 2GB, USB 2.0 connectivity, and a LoJack installed as standard equipment.

Meanwhile, New Jersey-based Stuck On You USA, LLC, offers easy labeling of school supplies for kids who can't remember their names. Seriously though, Stuck On You's products are personalized for easy recovery, according to CEO Amy Lipton: "It's easy for children to either lose their school supplies or get them mixed up with others because most stores sell identical items." The company also offers bag tags, clothing and gift labels. Of particular interest is the "Allergy Pack," which features kid-friendly wristbands, luggage tags and stickers warning of a child's allergies ("James Harris is allergic to eggs"). Nicely designed, useful and possibly life-saving.