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WoW Moviewatch: Code Monkey
On this beautiful Sunday afternoon, we'll continue our Staff Picks series by sharing Robin Torres's favorite machinima. It's not functional or elegant but maybe manager wants to write machinima himself. Here's what Robin said about Code Monkey: Code Monkey was first machinima I ever watched. It was also my first introduction to Jonathon Coulton's music. It's a fun song set to a fun video and still one of my favorites. Experienced machnima viewers know that Spiffworld provides all the JoCo love you could ever want in machinima form. Plenty of WoW fans learned about the performer through Spiff's ambassadorial work. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Skullcrusher Mountain
So, unlike many among us, I didn't learn about Jonathan Coulton through sheer cultural osmosis. I learned about him through machinima. In fact, my proto-love of JoCo was entirely created through this video... Skullcrusher Mountain. Not to be too frank about it, but it took me some time to realize that JoCo wasn't entirely a WoW filk artist. I know that seem crazy but my deep love of Spiffworld's work led me astray. And while I now have a more nuanced understanding of JoCo and Spiffworld, I still look back to Skullcrusher Mountain with the sense that the song was written for WoW. Anecdote aside, this video is still a legend. Over 1.3 million views testify to its glory. Enjoy your stay! Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: The Captain's Wife's Lament
With BlizzCon about two weeks away, the WoW Insider staff is celebrating the wild, wonderful world of WoW machinima by revisiting some old favorites. Work warning: This video is based on a single ribald pun. While it's not cursing per se, anyone who hears the song will get the innuendo immediately. Kelly recommended today's staff favorite: The Captain's Wife's Lament. Originally a song performed by Paul and Storm, it was transcribed into machinima form by Spiffworld. Spiff is known for his brilliant interpretations of JoCo's work in video, and he gave the full treatment to The Captain's Wife's Lament. The strength of the video is that it's a short, single-theme joke. Spiff dives right into the innuendo, has fun with the video, and doesn't artificially draw the video out any longer than needed. The Captain's Wife's Lament is fun and ripe for a quick laugh. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Re: Your Brains
After looking at Code Monkey at the end of last week, we were swarmed with suggestions for another classic Spiffworld video. In this careful review of corporate life, Spiffworld uses JoCo lyrics to set up a thoughtful metaphor about the struggle to retain individuality in the face of an impersonal workforce. Also, zombies. Re: Your Brains is actually my favorite JoCo song, and Spiffworld does a fine job of it. Even if these early graphics were somewhat unpolished, they are tone-perfect to the music. It's easy to see why Re: Your Brains is a long-time fan favorite. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Still Alive -- JoCo version
I think Still Alive -- JoCo version wins the "genre bending" award. Still Alive was originally the closing credits song for Portal by Valve Software. The computer system known as GLaDOS promises the Portal player cake throughout the game. It's kind of the carrot to keep the player moving. (This is also the source of The Cake Is Not A Lie.) Still Alive is performed by GLaDOS at the end of the game. Well, being the geek savant that he is, Jonathan Coulton covered Still Alive. Being the WoW culture savant that he is, Spiff took JoCo's cover and turned it into a World of Warcraft machinima. (There are plenty of references to the original Portal game in the video, though, so this version isn't entirely detached from its roots.) Like all of Spiff's videos, Still Alive -- JoCo version is a lot of fun. Spiff does a great job capturing the fun and humor of JoCo's original music. Not to mention, his animation skills are constantly growing and always impressive. Edit: JoCo wrote the original song, mind you. Still Alive was performed at the end of the game by a female artist. This song, then, is the version performed by JoCo. "Cover" is a tough word to use for this, so I wanted to clarify it. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
WoW Moviewatch: Blue Sunny Day
The subtle mix of Jonathan Coulton and Spiffworld continues to go together like peanut butter and jelly. I obviously can't speak for Mr. Coulton, but I feel like Spiff manages to nail a video to each song with absolutely perfect alignment. Spiffworld's newest release is a take on Blue Sunny Day and continues the monster-as-focus history from Cruel, Cruel Moon. As the story goes, Jonathan Coulton debuted Blue Sunny Day in Chicago. Originally, Coulton wanted to create a happy song. But the dual meaning of blue (that is as the color of the sky, but also as a metaphor for sadness) struck Coulton with inspiration. Who could be blue about a nice, sunny day? The answer is obvious: a vampire. The lyrics of the song don't directly reference the protagonist as a vampire, but there was no way Spiff couldn't make the video about a blood sucking fiend. Great job to Spiff on another wonderful video. These are always a treat to which we look forward. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
WoW Moviewatch: Cruel, Cruel Moon
You may have missed it, but there's been some talk lately about whether or not Worgen could be a playable race in the next expansion. In light of that discussion and the overwhelming amount of love shown yesterday for Spiff's The Future Soon, today's featured movie is Cruel, Cruel Moon. The recommendation was made via our own Elizabeth Harper, who apparently has a friend who's quite the fan of Spiff.The song Cruel, Cruel Moon was written by Paul & Storm, who spend a lot of their touring time with Jonathan Coulton. The song is about a man who's begging the moon not to rise, because his beloved partner is likely to turn into a werewolf. Spiff's video captures the lighthearted feel of the song excellently, and the whole thing moves at a wonderful pace. I have a lot of appreciation for this kind of music, since it tends to last long enough to enjoy the joke, without overstaying its welcome and dragging on too long.During the credits, there's a bonus feature song. Frogger! The Frogger Musical endcaps the whole video perfectly. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an e-mail at machinima AT wow DOT com.
Cinemassively: Braaaaaaaiiiiiiiinnnnnns
Today's Cinemassively is straight from the archives of 2006! Back then, an artist named Jonathan Coulton was cranking out a song a week as a form of self-promotion. Among the songs was this little ditty about a coworker gone zombie with some not so reasonable demands.Re: Your Brains, in World of Warcraft machinima form, is a hilarious take on zombies calmly requesting brains, instead of just rushing to get them. Created by Spiffworld, it was his first of many JoCo videos, racking up 1.6 million views so far![Thanks, Korrak!]If you have machinima or movie suggestions from any MMO, please send them to machinima AT massively DOT com, along with any information you might have about them.
About the Bloggers: moo Money
Twice a week, our writers will tell you more about themselves, and let you get to know them and the characters they play a little better. Click here to read more About the Bloggers.What do you do for WoW Insider?I write the daily machinima posts for both WoW Insider, and its broader MMO sister site, Massively.What's your main right now?This won't make me very popular, but I actually don't really play WoW. I did for a while after it came out, but I'm not a very good grinder and it just got lonely.This is an outrage! How dare you write about WoW without playing it?That's actually a really good question. I got my start in machinima roughly two years ago when I was hired to promote it in Second Life, an oft-mocked virtual world. Through experimentation with machinima, as well as the education that I provided to others, I became known as one of the "It" people for machinima in SL. When Second Life Insider folded into Massively in November 2007, I volunteered to write the daily Cinemassively. After about 45 days straight of blogging them, WI asked me to do the same for WoW Moviewatch!Read on to find out more about the Notorious M.O.O. ...
Cinemassively: Mr. Fancy Pants
We've all had those moments where we're sure that we're the biggest and the best at something. Then someone comes along and steals our thunder. Jonathan Coulton and Mike Spiff Booth know how we feel.During Jonathan's Thing a Week project, he came up with Mr. Fancy Pants, a whimsical look at the perfect pair of pants. While Coulton's songs are mainly reinterpreted by Spiffworld as World of Warcraft machinima, they are actually released with Creative Commons attributes, so they could be used in other MMO machinima too!If you have machinima or movie suggestions from any MMO, please send them to machinima AT massively DOT com, along with any information you might have about them.
WoW Moviewatch: Mr. Fancy Pants
It's been three months since Spiffworld made his last Jonathan Coulton machinima, Chiron Beta Prime. However, the last time I blogged about him was the V-Day Riot of '08, and I'm still in therapy. This time around, the worst you'll see is a second of human buttocks, and it's in context with the story ... about pants. It'll be over before you know it!If there were a machinima about my life, it might be Mr. Fancy Pants. There's shopping, dancing, and ... pantsing? Wait. Scratch that. I don't want another riot on my hands. Just join me in the Fancy Pants Parade![Thanks, Drewbie!]Previously on Moviewatch ...
GDC08: Jonathan Coulton scores 95% vocals on Rock Band's Still Alive
It's hard not to love Jonathan Coulton (or JoCo), especially if you're a fan of Valve's Portal. The recent news that Still Alive will be coming to Rock Band as downloadable content was accompanied by JoCo's appearance at Valve's party on Wednesday. Mr. Coulton posted to his personal blog about the experience yesterday, noting that he 'only' got 95% vocals on the song he created. The question we've been asking ourselves is: who is singing the song on the track - Coulton or GLaDOS?He also noted that Portal snagged the Game of the Year, Best Game Design, and the Innovation Award nods from the GDCAs. Coulton observed that BioShock had won the GDCA award for Best Writing, a merit he thinks should have gone to Chet Faliszek and Erik Wolpaw's work on that quirky game about tests, thinking, and cake. Luckily for Wolpaw and Faliszek, they're the first winners of the (soon to be coveted) Jonathan Coulton award; maybe the GDCAs should rename the prize for Best Audio?
WoW Moviewatch: Summing up Valentine's Day
(UPDATE: Videos are now under the jump. On this special day dedicated to love, I've chosen not one, but two videos! Both are NSFW, but sum up Valentine's Day perfectly. They contain pixel nudity and adult content. You've been warned.)The first video was recommended by #machinima on Quakenet (IRC). "First of May" centers around what to do with your special friends when Spring arrives. The machinimator, Mike "Spiff" Booth, recreates Jonathan Coulton songs set in World of Warcraft, with the most popular being Code Monkey, another love song.[Thanks, #machinima!]Previously on Moviewatch ...Both videos after the jump.
Cinemassively: Chiron Beta Prime
Spiffworld has created another fantastic Machinima using the Creative Commons licensed work of Jonathan Coulton, the man responsible for the internet hit "Code Monkey." Coulton's song, Chiron Beta Prime, sets the scene for this WoW video about a family laboring away during the Christmas holiday. It also happens to be a present from Mike Spiff Booth to JoCo, whose birthday was on December 1st! "Awww!"I'm pleased to see the Christmas Machinimas flowing in at a nice pace so early on in the season. If you have made an MMO holiday film, let us know![Thanks, Krystalle!]
