Phantasmic Links 5.3.10

No one can ever top what Robert Englund did with the character of Freddy Kreuger in the original A Nightmare on Elm Street. That being said, Jackie Earle Haley did a pretty good job in the remake, managing to put his own mark on the character while remaining faithful to the original. As a fan, I still think it didn't need a remake, but they did add some interesting tweaks to connect the dream killer more to his victims and make him even creepier. There were a few elements in the film that made me squirm, and it wasn't the formulaic quick surprises or the slasher scenes. In fact, aside from the forgettable “teen” actors, even the ones I've seen before on television, the only other weak part of the film was its lack of creative demises. The original series always had interesting deaths, and while this one did work in some nice modern effects, it eventually reduced each confrontation to Freddy slashing his victims with his clawed glove. I miss the more surreal stuff, like being lashed to a bed by tongues or trapped inside a roach motel. In that regard the remake fell short, but managed to be a lot better than I expected when I first heard about it. It was a decent way to stay cool on a hot Sunday afternoon, before coming home to sit in front of a fan and seek out some PHANTASMIC LINKS:

(1) Play the original Super Mario Bros. in its entirety as Mario or any of five other classic Nintendo characters like Megaman, Link or Samus. It's a game geek's dream come true. See you in hell, productivity!
Hat Tip: Rey.

(2) Speaking of great crossovers, have the aliens and the predators finally met their match?

(3) A Japanese man makes efficient use of space, with 24 rooms in ONE. It's an engineering marvel. Maybe I don't need to buy a whole house, only redesign my room...

(4) The Make-A-Wish Foundation turns one boy with liver cancer into a superhero for a day. Moving and inspirational.

(5) Watching intense parkour training, I wonder if my frequent lack of energy comes from having a desk job. I only made it to the gym once last week due to a work emergency, and I think not exercising made me twice as tired. Of course, I'd probably break something doing half the things that guy in the video did....

(6) At ManBabies.com, you can find pictures of babies whose heads have been swapped with their fathers', because no, you haven't seen everything on the internet.

(7) The Geocities-izer can make any web page look like a 13-year-old designed in in 1996. We've come a long way. My blog might have looked something like this.

(8) What did anchorwoman Rosanna Scotto say?! I really should start watching the news...

(9) So, what do you all think of the first photo of Chris Hemsworth as The Mighty Thor? I still think they should have gone with short Italian guy like, say, me. I would have put my own spin on the character. Hey mortals, fuhgeddaboudit!

(10) In a related link, because this design will never stop lending itself to satire, check out the latest Avengers promo posters. They're funny because they're true....

Have a link to a game, movie, article, or anything else you think might be “phantasmic”? E-mail me and it just might appear in an upcoming PHANTASMIC LINKS!