The ever so lovable Ichiro and Mimi from Indie Superstar have graced us once again with a new episode of their quickly maturing video cast covering indie games, developers and fans. Seriously, I want to pinch the cheeks of these two everytime I see them on-screen. So yeah, I apologize for completely breezing over episode 2, but I wanted to get back on the ball and talk a bit about episode 3. The crew have made a few small changes, giving games a bit more screen-time and a little less banter during the in-game scenes. There’s also YouTube and Google Video hosted videos, which I’m sure is pleasing their growing fanbase and easing up a bit on their web hosting bills. But on with the show, first up, we hear and see a little bit about Dark Horizons Lore, the mech-shooter, which was one of last year’s hot contenders at the IGF. Looking good, even for a Torque-powered title. Next up we have a bit of wackiness, with a little Japanese sing-along which actually got me to thinking. What is the Japanese indie gaming scene like and why do I hear so little about it? If there IS a Japanese indie scene, what are their marketing and distribution systems like, how successful are Japanese indie games titles, and who are the ones making them? I envision a large and profitable market full of broadband-enabled customers, demanding high quality and innovative games they can easily buy, download and play, but, what do I know?

Watch Indie Superstar Episode 3 after the jump..!

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In 1968, David Lynch was just getting his hands dirty with experimental film and art, but was getting reluctant to continue working with film due to the high cost. His mind was changed when a fellow student saw Lynch’s paintings and offered the soon-to-be cult director, $1000 to create a similar film to Lynch’s “After Six Figures Getting Sick”. Lynch purchased a used Bolex camera and began filming, only to discover a few months later that the camera was defective, rendering his film useless. The film student told Lynch to keep the rest of the money and do whatever he’d like with it.

Around this time, Lynch’s wife, Peggy, told him of a dream she had, where her niece was reciting the alphabet in her sleep, woke up, then started bouncing around the room repeating the recital. Lynch ran with it, creating the haunting short, “The Alphabet”. When I say haunted, I mean it, I’ve seen it many times and I always get an icky feeling, maybe it’s just something about scary chanting children or the chilling soundtrack, featuring a newborn Jennifer Lynch crying, I can’t quite place it.

Turn off your lights and watch the video after the jump…

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I recently came upon this video of a monkey (can anyone tell me what type?) playing(?) with two young tiger cubs in what looks to be a jungle setting, so I’m not sure if these are in captivity. The monkey is jumping all over the place, teasing the cubs by pulling their ears and tails, while dodging the cubs’ arms as they try and pounce on the monkey as he jumps from tree to tree. This little dude is in insane, really, I can’t imagine what would happen if the momma tiger came in and saw this little monkey going crazy. This seems to have come off of one of those feel-good home video shows that are on in every country around dinnertime, complete with cheesy ‘kapow!’ sound effects and dopey music.

Hit mute and watch the video after the jump…

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Starting in the early 90s, shortly after the first Gulf War, media networks in the US began experiencing a huge rise in both their ratings, revenues and viewership. Around this time, artist Brian Singer spent a year scanning satellite frequency bands and capturing back channel newsfeeds, the raw transmissions that broadcast news companies beamed back to their studios prior to manipulation and editing. The result of Singer’s experiments is an almost 60-minute documentary full of candid footage featuring presidential candidates, their staff, newscasters, and ordinary viewers, which paints an extremely clear picture of how major media networks came of age during the 90s and how the ‘spin’ that is created and rebroadcast effects society and the American public’s perception of reality, which continues on to this day (Fox News anyone?). Full video after the jump…

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But yet I can’t stop watching it! There’s just something about that man, be it his uncomfortable gyrations or his snarky facial expressions, that just draws me (and millions of German housewives) in and doesn’t let me go. In this video, part of Hoff’s new promotional campaign by Sony BMG Australia (posted to Google Video and YouTube by Sony BMG), you can see the Hoff cashing in on his past shows, from driving K.I.T.T to standing in front of a green-screen displaying the Baywatch beach. The song is actually nothing special (certainly not up to par with “Night rocker” – “I am the night rocker I wanna rock you all night long I am the night rocker I wanna love you in a song!!!!”), actually it’s a cover of The Ted Mulry Gang’s “I want to drive you home”, but the Hoff once again comes through with his usual amount of “gusto” as the record company shills put it. Watch the full video AND it’s making of below.

["I want to drive you home" @ Google Video | "I want to drive you home" making of @ Google Video]