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Trope, Music Video Tropes, Surreal Music Video
There are a few basic routes you can take when making a music video. You can show the band performing the song, or tell a story (which may or may not relate to the song itself)... or you can take the artistic path and just throw a bunch of weird stuff on the screen in time to the music.
These videos either have no story at all or random Mind Screwy stories. Many Animated Music Videos fall into this category. Usually the imagery will be intercut with or somehow involve the band performing, but sometimes they go all-out and dispense with the band shots as well.
Examples of Surreal Music Video include:
The undisputed king of music video surrealism is Michel Gondry. Some examples:
Foo Fighters, "Everlong". Takes place partially in dreams, but not All Just a Dream as such. It involves giant phones, band members discarding false skins to reveal their true identities, nunchucks made literally from two pieces of firewood hastily chained together, and Dave Grohl (dressed as Sid Vicious) gaining a massive right hand with which to administer bitch slaps of death.
Chemical Brothers, "Let Forever Be." Life is tough, especially when you keep splitting into parallel selves who perform Busby Berkeley Numbers.
Also by them, "Star Guitar", is very surreal, but that doesn't stop it from being the coolest thing ever.
Not that surreal when you notice that everything is going in the beat of the music.
The undisputed king of horrifying music video surrealism is Chris Cunningham.
His most famous video is probably the one for Come To Daddy by Aphex Twin. The video features a number of children terrorising an old lady walking her dog. Each child has the face of Richard D. James.
He also directed another Aphex Twin clip, "Windowlicker". It features a bunch of scantily clad women all dancing rather provactively. The squick comes in, however, when you see that - again - they all have Aphex Twin's face!
Another video is "All Is Full of Love" by Bjork. The video is pretty simple, and features two robots kissing. The robots both have Bjork's face. It's as hot as it sounds.
He also directed the video for "Frozen" by Madonna, which features her dancing in a desert and turning into ravens. It's probably his least-scary video.
Perhaps his best video is the one for Come On My Selector by Squarepusher. Every sound in the song is synchronised to the video. The video itself is about a Japanese girl who escapes and asylum by swapping her dog's brain into one of of the guards trying to chase her. It really must be seen to be believed.
Chris Cunningham is also the mad genius behind Rubber Johnny, a video featuring the song "Gwarek2" by Aphex Twin (very disturbing in its own right), and a horrifically deformed child - played by Cunningham himself - convulsing and contorting impossibly in a wheelchair...So yeah.
He also directed the video for The Horrors' song, "Sheena is a Parasite". It involves a great deal of strobe lights (which caused the video to be banned from MTV) and as the band plays, Samantha Morton's guts spew out all over the screen.
And the undisputed queen of disturbing music video surrealism is undoubtedly Floria Sigismondi. Some videos worth mentioning are:
Marilyn Manson, "The Beautiful People". It's very creepy and surreal.
Incubus, "Megalomaniac". It alternates between collage-like images of the band playing in a WW 2 setting, Hitler with airplane wings and ballerina shoes, a George Bush lookalike that is eventually revealed to have an eagle head and a protesting crowd. Oh, and people with fish-heads. And a family pouring oil on a fake baby.
The White Stripes, "Blue Orchid". Features a model with incredibly long heels, a horse, a creepy Jack White, and Meg White eating dishes (literally).
As if the fact that the singer is in his 90's isn't surreal enough, The Zimmers "Firestarter" video might just constitute the most disturbing video ever.
Jamiroquai has an unrepentant penchant for the odd; not to mention most memorable videos of the nineties with both "Virtual Insanity" and "Feels Just Like it Should", which is not only surreal, but strangely intriguing, with both for its "The Mask" character and that Jay Kay plays all of the characters. (even the chick)
The Residents provide the Ur Example, having produced their own, completely bizarre promotional clips since as early as 1974.
Marilyn Manson's 'Sweet Dreams'. It can't really be described...just watch it.
Most of Bjork's numerous videos exhibit fascinating surrealism. The aforementioned Gondry is responsible for seven of them.
New Order, "True Faith", which featured a cast of dancers dressed like Oompa Loompas, needles, snails, and a dude with one leg and a TV monitor attached over his face (setting up the footage of the band playing).
You forgot about the effeminate male in a punching bag signing the lyrics.
Maybe it was made on drugs, which is what the lyrics are about.
While most people consider New Order to be a bunch of arty musicians who hide behind surreal images and don't do interviews/let their faces be shown in their videos, in truth the band isn't shy about appearing in their videos, just shy about giving interviews. They appear in the open in many of their music videos, notably "Perfect Kiss", which is a normal Performance Video.
Talk Talk, "It's My Life." Mostly footage of animals. The band's singer is seen hanging out around the zoo in some shots, but doesn't lip-sync. The record label didn't get it and forced the band to make an alternate version, with an intentionally cheesy performance overlayed over the animal footage. In spite of this, it is largely considered a breakthrouh video as it was one if not the first video to not be an out and out performance video.
Matchbox20, "Real World." There's a camel in a bowling alley, and an ice-cream truck selling raw meat, and...uh...other stuff.
Stone Temple Pilots, "Interstate Love Song." A clown escapes from a silent film, after being dumped by his girlfriend and flees across the scenery while his nose grows longer, due to his lying nature.
The New Pornographers' "Myriad Harbor" follows a man with a giant head of hair that grows without control, eventually growing other heads that all start singing in unison.
Barenaked Ladies, "One Week." Straightforward performance video in front of a royal court, until the band gets kicked out and it turns into a car chase ending with an Evel Knievel-style motorcyclist.
Pearl Jam's "Do The Evolution" was an Animated Music Video (directed by none other than Todd Macfarlane) that devolved quickly into apocalyptic imagery and people with skull faces.
Not so much "devolved quickly," as it was "instantly evolved".
Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" is like a whistlestop tour of early 20th Century Art, in the style of Terry Gilliam.
¡Forward, Russia!'s "Nineteen" is a slow motion film of kids throwing waterbombs full of purple paint at each other.
Most videos for songs from the We Are Scientists album Crap Attack are like this - there's three videos of the band standing perfectly still in public places, one that is a news report resubtitled, one that's a bunch of random people dancing out of time to the music, etc.
ALL of We Are Scientists' videos for that matter. Especially those for the singles from their Brian Thrust Mastery album. Their bassist turns into a werewolf and wants a photo taken in Impatience, he dates a dog in After Hours and they wrangle Pomeranians in Chick Lit.
Practically every Beck video besides "Where It's At". Especially "Loser" and "E-Pro."
And "Jackass".
"Where It's At" had a pretty surreal video, while it wasn't incomprenshible, it's that it's hard to understand what's going on, as the video various switches to random scenes and situtations.
To some extent, Muse's "Knights of Cydonia". While technically it tells a story, it's a very bizarre one that seems to be entirely designed to appeal to the Rule of Cool.
Their video for "Muscle Museum" is made of people in an American suburb crying.
"Supermassive Black Hole"
Not even the band itself knows what the hell "Supermassive Black Hole"'s video is about, according to the making-of documentary. But it sure looked cool, so they went along with it.
"Uprising" features the band playing in the back of a moving truck while a scale model city blows up around them, and giant demonic teddy bears rise up from the ground.
MGMT's "Time To Pretend".
Hell, ANYTHING by MGMT. The video for "Kids" shows all kinds of hideous monsters terrorizing an infant (among other things), eventually turning into an even more surreal animated sequence. The one that makes the most sense, the video for "Electric Feel" is still quite trippy and vaguely incomprehensible (like, what the hell is the stuff that's pouring out of the Moon? And what on Earth is that one-toothed...creature?).
The "Electric Feel" video is fairly comprehensible up until the puppets and space motorcycles show up.
"Flash Delirium" starts out fairly surreal, and then descends deep into the pits of Lovecraftian what the fuck-iness, never to emerge.
Tears for Fears had quite a few of these, with "Sowing the Seeds of Love" and "Head over Heels" perhaps the most notable.
Ace of Base's "Beautiful Life". Justified in that the entire thing is a dream sequence.
Michael Jackson's "Black or White" starts as a fairly typical salute to The Power of Rock with Macaulay Culkin blasting dad George Wendt out of the house, but then he lands on an African plain, where Michael is dancing with tribesmen. From there it's a multiculturalism celebration, which is the point of the song, but then it breaks away for several minutes to Michael between dancing alone on a city street set (they were On a Soundstage All Along) smashing car windows and grabbing his crotch a lot. (Plus, he's morphing from a panther and back again.) Finally we learn the whole thing is a clip being watched by Bart Simpson. The controversy over the crotch-grabbing got the clip discussed by Siskel and Ebert, and they admitted that element didn't bother them so much as the fact that they had no idea what was going on.
The video for Wax's "California" is a single-shot slow motion take of a man on fire running down a busy street in California. Spike Jonze, the director of the video, later parlayed his fame directing music videos into making a very surreal movie.
Every Talking Heads video. Take for instance "Once In A Lifetime". The entire video is David Byrne doing a very unusual dance (inspired by marionettes and African rituals, and to a lesser extent epilepsy sufferers), with the rest of the band missing.
The Future Sound of London's "We Have Explosive". I do not want to explain it.
The video for Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box".
The video for "Watery Hands" by Superchunk parodies this trope: The concept is that the band think they're making a basic performance video in an empty room, but the directors (played by David Cross and Janeane Garafalo) surreptitiously fill it with gratuitous non sequitur green screen effects, such as super-imposing the band onto a pie or pasting the singer's head onto the body of a dog.
David Crowder Band's video Forever And Ever Etc is an Animated Music Video that tells a story about a battle between the band and a group of angry squirrels, all done in an Animesque style. It's weird enough as it is, but even weirder when you remember the group is a Christian band and the song is a fairly generic praise and worship song. (Think "modern church music".)
The Smashing Pumpkins' Georges Méliès-influenced clip for "Tonight, Tonight" features a couple in early 1900's dress using a blimp to journey into space. After they use umbrellas to parachute down to the Moon, they are captured by aliens. It just gets weirder from there.
Tool does this as a general rule. The best example is arguably "Parabola".
To elaborate, in the video for "Prison Sex" a black figure molests a smaller, paraplegic, white figure in a room made of cupboards, but in the end the white figure turns out to be in cupboard that is closed by the black figure. Their video "Aenema" features an obese business man sees a crack in an empty gray room that sprays water so he brings a bundle which he opens to reveal an alien-figure. The alien figure proceeds to develop a hose like organ that fills the room it is in full of water. Then the business man ends up taking the alien-figure and puts him in a box full of water and kicks it around. "Vicarious" is also pretty strange.
"Love etc." by the Pet Shop Boys definitely fits the throwing weird stuff at the screen.
"Can You Forgive Her? falls into the Mind Screw and Lyrics Video Mismatch categories.
Ditto, you know, everything else they ever did.
Soundgarden, "Black Hole Sun".
Animal Collective, "Water Curses". I don't know, you figure it out.
Most of the band's other videos (as well as their entire discography in general) are just as surreal, notably the clips for "Peacebone", "Summertime Clothes" and "Brother Sport".
Interpol, "The Heinrich Maneuver". The video begins in the middle of the story line, on a closeup of the main subject's face. From here, the main character goes forward in the story, while the background characters go backwards in motion (you see looks of freight frozen on their faces at the beginning, which is explained later in the video as it is revealed the main character had stepped in the path of a bus and has most likely been killed). Oh, and it's all in super slow motion of what we're led to believe is about 20 seconds of action slowed down to the length of the song.
Radiohead seem to especially love this trope, as seen with their videos for "Karma Police", "Knives Out", "There There" and "Just", among many others.
Without a doubt, their strangest video has to be Push Pulk/ Spinning Plates. It is impossible to describe in words alone.
Santigold, "L.E.S. Artistes". It's an homage to The Holy Mountain, which is pretty much all you need to know about in terms of surreality.
Florence and the Machine , the original video for "Dog Days Are Over". Florence wakes up in a forest wearing a tuxedo and then get's chased by creepy clowns who then dress her as a clown.
Massive Attack has put out a couple: "Karmacoma" is a string of weird, inexplicable scenes in a hotel, some of which are homages to The Shining. "Teardrop" would be a straightforward Performance Video if the song weren't being "performed" by a lip-syncing CGI fetus.
Miley Cyrus song "Start All Over" music video is just one long shot with random junk all over the place
Crazy Loop has two crazy videos. One is for the song "Mm-ma-ma," the story of a pizza guy delivering a pizza to a fashion shoot. After being insulted, he dresses up in some spare clothes lying around and completely impresses the crowd. The other video, "Shut Up" makes a little bit of sense at the start, but then dwells into the singer changing from a doll to a doll-like person... as well as making several dolls come to life with duct tape covering their mouths. To add to the madness, this is all happening in a kid's slumber party that was originally no fun.
The video for The Birthday Massacre's Blue. We start out with Chibi (the lead singer) alone in a nursery wearing bunny ears, and tearing the arms off dolls to use as crude crayons in order to draw a path through a drawn maze under the rug she's on. Then we switch to a claymation world of dolls wondering around in a maze. Cut to a couple close ups of the other band members looking ominous (and floating), and then Chibi reaches through a hole in the floor full of black... stuff... into the claymation world, grabs a rope connected to one of the dolls and starts trying to pull it through the hole (which is much too small), until its head comes off. We then switch back to the real world, and see that Chibi's severed head is lying on the floor, several feet from her body. We're as confused as you are.
And then there's the video for Looking Glass, which starts out by showing the band dancing around with their instruments, then shifts to a classroom where a bunch of masked schoolgirls with numbers on their foreheads are being lectured by a masked teacher. One girl, Six, leaves the room, and goes to her locker, where she draws a heart around a picture of the teacher. Then she goes into an empty classroom, removes her mask and proceeds to put her hand through the checkerboard projection. She then wakes up in the same room with the band, Chibi gives her an apple, and they escorts her back to class, where all the girls have turned into life-sized dolls and the teacher is sticking nails into the back of doll Thirteen's head, causing her to cry blood. The final shot shows the apple melting on the teacher's desk.
Just about all of Dragon Force's videos are this to some degree. Example.
Tori Amos' "Caught a Lite Sneeze" manages to be more surreal than any of Bjork's music videos combined! It has to be seen to believed.
Also, "A Sorta Fairytale", which is a rather twisted love story. Tori Amos is a leg that falls in love with an arm (Adrien Brody), and they eventually transform into full human beings.
The black and white version of "Cornflake Girl" wasn't released in the US because it was too surreal.
Same deal for "Glory of the 80s" which is up there with "No Scrubs" by TLC for having absolutely nothing to do with the song.
Grizzly Bear's Knife and Two Weeks.
Lemon Demon's song, Word Dissasociation features this to go along with its Word Salad Lyrics, with the words written on scraps of paper which are lying around in completely random places, such as a watermelon, a chandelier, and...well, just watch the video.
Possibly the ultimate example of this trope is Neil Cicierega's masterpiece BRODYQUEST. Adrien Brody takes a walk across the world... and space... and through the sun... and to the centre of the universe? Which he then proceeds to assimilate or... something.
The music video for Megadeth's Train of Consequences as seen here Over all it looks like the director got done watching Jacob's Ladder before he did the video.
Too Much Joy's "Making Fun Of Bums", which among other things features ridiculous jumpsuits, a member plugging his guitar into another member's mouth and electrocuting him, another member standing in front of a propped up mattress with a sign reading "I am dreaming", someone dressed as a painter walking into frame for no reason, and lengthy bookends of the band just standing around in rain gear at a fishing pier. The band disliked how it came out, but couldn't make a second video, so they just added snarky subtitles about how little sense it all made ("Maybe you should just close your eyes and listen to the song").
"Push It" by Garbage. Assassins dressed as nuns and a guy with a lightbulb for a head are just two examples.
The same director, Andrea Giacobbe, did a genuinely unsettling video for Death in Vegas' "Dirt".
The clip for "Ambling Alp" by Yeasayer is basically one bizarre thing after the other. There's one part of the video that's far less surreal than the rest of it if you know what the song's about. The song is about the wartime boxer Joe Louis and his most famous rivals Primo "The Ambling Alp" Carnera and Max Schmelling, but you'd never get that from the mostly vague lyrics or the seemingly out-of-place footage of the mirror-face boxers.
Short Stack, Ladies and Gentlemen. Involves a hospital, the band, some sexy nurses, some fucked-up x-ray scenes, and secret doorways.
Panic! at the Disco's Nine in the Afternoon has the guys waking in color-coded bedrooms and that's around the time things stop to make any sort of sense.
Word of God says that it's All Just a Dream; every time one of them wakes up, he has a dream about performing the song, then it goes to the next, then the next, then the next. Which just means that they have some pretty fucked up dreams.
Neon Horse Cuckoo Consists of large man who may or may not actually be the lead singer in heavy make up singing, A guy in a paper crown hat reading newspapers, comic books, and having nightmares, bad special effects monsters, blindfolded kids playing pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey with knives, said kids dancing with make up guy, and make up guy dressed as Santa dropping a lizard down a chimney, which becomes a dragon.
The Replacements, "Bastards of Young". A mostly still shot of a stereo system playing the song at the wrong speed. At one point a guy walks in and smokes a cigarette on the couch. Later, he kicks the speaker in and leaves. The end.
Just about anything from the The Eighties. Animotion's "Obssession" is a good example.
So is Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer".
Blancmange's "Lose Your Love". The singers randomly tearing apart furniture... and what the hell is going on with his legs at the 1:45 mark?
Lady Gaga. Anything and everything by Lady Gaga. To be more precise, starting from Paparazzi.
This Stop Motion video for Finn Riggins' Wake (Keep This Town Alive).
Several videos directed by Mark Romanek qualify, but especially his work with Trent Reznor.
The Avalanches' "Frontier Psychiatrist". Appropriate, given that it's a surreal song.
Of Montreal LOVES this trope. Gronlandic Edit is an outstanding example. What in the hell is going on? I have no idea. No one has any idea. Most of their videos are like this.
You can wrestle An Eluardian Instance into some kind of sense, but...that's really the only one.
They Might Be Giants gives us Birdhouse In Your Soul. The song itself is surreal enough (supposedly, it's about a nightlight), so it's quite an accomplishment that the video managed to be even weirder. For extra fun, the fan-made literal video version sums it up pretty well.
"No New Kinda Story" by Starflyer 59. If you aren't familiar with The Seventh Seal, it will make no sense whatsoever. If you are familiar with The Seventh Seal... you'll still be wondering what's up with those horse-head guys[1] and the random shots of a hammer smashing things.
California Gurls by Katy Perry definitely qualifies. A peppy ode to California seems pretty straightforward until Snoop Dogg stars playing some twisted version of Candyland. A gummi bear flipping off the artist seals the deal.
Better yet, E.T..
OK Go has a lot of these. Their catalog is about half surreal videos, half amazing choreography (like their treadmills video for "Here it Goes Again"). Surreal ones include Do What You Want, in which everything is wallpaper, End Love's bizarre stop motion, and the appropriately-titled WTF?, which makes use of delayed image. Also, every one of their videos is shot in one take. Every single one.
Nogu Svelo's Haru Mamburu. Combined with gibberishy, yet oddly catchy lyrics.
"The Inside of You" by The Maine has a monocrome boy recives a kaleidoscope from his (hinted at being dead)grampa, and when he looks at his boring party guests through it he sees surreal full color versions of them in costumes, and sees a whole party of circus performers in his backyard.
The video for Sean Lennon's cover of "Would I Be The One", which is part of an already surreal video collection called Friendly Fire, features animated versions of Sean and his friends traveling to a distant planet on a carnival ride and being captured by aliens. However, the high levels of Mind Screw were inevitable given that it's an homage to Fantastic Planet.
The video for Disturbed's "Asylum" borders on this. Schizophrenic and undercrank-heavy camera editing give the insane delusions within a deranged and erratic quality similar to psychosis. The brutality of the asylum's doctors and staff add a sadistic touch.
Appropriately enough given their bizarre music and lyrics, The Flaming Lips have some surreal videos, such as this one for the Yeah Yeah Yeah song, featuring a dictator setting starving sumo wrestlers on a man covered with burgers, amongst other oddities...
Fall Out Boy's videos are almost all surreal. A few examples include
"Sugar, We're Goin Down," about a girl who befriends a boy with antlers (according to some this is a metaphor for the boy's homosexuality);
"Thnks fr th Mmrs," in whioch the band is replaced by monkeys at a video shoot; and most notably
"America's Suitehearts," which depicts the band members in a cartoon universe and according to Pete Wentz was based on Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Nu Shooz' "I Can't Wait". As the artists themselves put it: "this video still has people wondering why a dog is in sunglasses."
RATATAT with their song, Shempi. It's a nose-dive into the Uncanny Valley after having suffered serious head-trauma.
IAMX and Imogen Heap collaborated and created a song called 'My Secret Friend'. The video has Chris dressed as a girl, Imogen dressed as a guy, and some really fucked up scenery. It's the little details that make it so crazy.
Basement Jaxx's "Where's Your Head At" is a fun song that's great to dance to. It also has a profoundly disturbing music video with monkeys with the band's face in some kind of insane medical testing facility.
The Used has "The Bird And The Worm", which apparently has the singer having to deal with a clone of himself with black hair, and his couch trying to eat him. The ending is Grade A Uncanny Valley, with the singer looking through his room's peephole to see his clone spiderwalking backwards. The creepy chuckle at the end makes it worse.
If the David Bowie video you're watching is post-1979 and not a Concept Video, there's a good chance it's this. Examples include "Fashion", "Loving the Alien", "Miracle Goodnight", "Hallo Spaceboy", and "Little Wonder".
The video for Low's song "Breaker" was filmed in someone's kitchen, from a single angle, in real-time. The two supporting band members clap to the rhythm of the song while the lead singer, who is wearing a military jacket, eats an entire birthday cake within the duration of the song. Your guess is as good as mine.
The real Ur Example is "Strawberry Fields Forever" by The Beatles. Climbing a tree, pouring paint on a piano...
Adele - Rolling in the Deep. Adele sitting in an unfinished room, water glasses vibrating to the music, dishes being smashed against a projector screen, a ninja sword-dancing in chalk dust, and pyrotechnic sprinklers lighting a paper cityscape on fire.
This is indeed part of iamamiwhoami's schtick as an artistic unit.
Fireflies by Owl City.
Ever feel like Japanese media was becoming too normal for you? Kyary's "PONPONPON" is here to fix that.
The strange colors and designs that appear in Windows Media Player.
A lot of The White Stripes' videos, particularly in their indie period.
Full, vocalist of Guniw Tools directed one for every single song in their discography.
The music video for Suzanne Vega's "Tired of Sleeping" is rather absurd, with no discernible meaning.
Chad Vangaalen composed, recorded, and created the animated video for "Molten Light" -- a quiet little ballad of murder, mutilation, cannibalism, and monstrous supernatural justice -- whose folk-style acoustic melody is a chilling contrast to the high octane nightmare fuel of the lyrics and visuals.
"(Sub)urban Train" by DJ Tiesto. Tiesto walks through town, the townspeople are glowing with a strange electrical aura, then they all start levitating. At the end, he walks into an art studio where a woman is painting the same scene.
Metallica's video for "Until It Sleeps" is full of imagery taken from the surreal paintings of 16th century Dutch painter Hieronymus Bosch.
Hold It Against Me by Britney Spears is called this
Any Genki Rockets video.
Faith No More has some pretty weird videos, especially "Epic".
Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Can't Stop".
Carnival of Rust
Aerosmith has "Pink" and "Falling In Love (Is Hard On The Knees)". "Livin' On The Edge" is mostly a Concept Video but it also has some surreal imagery as part of the footage of the band performing.
Jessie J has "Price Tag" and "Nobody's Perfect".
Autechre's "Gantz Graf"(actually inspired by a drug trip) and "Second Bad Vilbel", as well as most Fan Vids set to their songs.
The Melvins' "Bar X The Rocking M" involves imagery associated with the Day Of The Dead mixed in with actors dressed as nuns, angels, devils, skeletons, and pigs. "The Talking Horse" meanwhile, has a Mind Screw of a plot that seems to spoof conspiracy theories about the Illuminati and reptiloids, then throws in lip-syncing scenery for good measure. Even when they do relatively straightforward Performance Videos there always seems to be a few cuts to surrealist imagery.
Many Primus videos.
Dir En Grey's "Obscure" is pure NSFW nightmare fuel surrealism (Spoiler text is there FOR YOUR SAFETY, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED:) foetuses growing on and being plucked from trees, foetus-shaped dildos being used to rape women till they bleed from the mouth, body horror involving tentacle-beings walking through walls and sawing through women strapped to tables, and the singer vomiting with every word he utters. How everything relates to everything else, God only knows.
Kerli - Zero Gravity; be warned, potential Nightmare Fuel (and you thought Lady Gaga was freaky).
Dead Letter Circus' video for "Big" falls squarely into this. If another troper can explain what's going on, by all means, because this one sure can't.
Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)." There's Pete Burns alternating between a kimono and an eye patch and then sprouting four extra golden arms, a disco ball popping up, and guys in purple tunics twirling banners in the air. And that's the whole video.
Ayla - Ayla Part 2.
Erasure - Always. Andy Bell descends on a Wuxia-themed snowscape, defrosts a frozen princess, changes the season to spring with a magic snowglobe, does Wire Fu gymnastics, leviation and flower arranging, etc.
A-ha's "Take On Me" involves a woman being pulled into a comic book world by the animated Morten Harkett, then he breaks into the real world at the end. The video for A1's cover is even better, moving the setting to Tron-style Cyberspace.
Two Against One by Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi. In it, a hunter witnesses the psychedelic murders of his family members by the ghost of a deer he killed.
↑ they're a Shout-Out to Echo and the Bunnymen's video "Bring on the Dancing Horses"
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.fandom.com/wiki/Surreal_Music_Video?oldid=182494"
Music Video Tropes


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Pheasants Forever, Inc.
There funds are enabling Pheasants Forever to acquire in fee title approximately 86 acres of habitat along the borders of existing Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) or Waterfowl Production Areas (WPA) in LeSueur, Lincoln, or Rice counties and convey the lands to a public agency for long term stewardship and protection. These strategic acquisitions will leverage and expand the existing habitat, water quality, and recreation benefits already provided by existing protected lands.
Linking Habitat Restoration to Bioenergy and Local Economies
Living Shallow Lakes & Wetlands Initiative Phase IV
Phase 4 of our ongoing Living Lakes program will enhance 4,000 acres of shallow lakes and wetlands for waterfowl in the Prairie, Transition, and Metro Sections in partnership with Minnesota DNR, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and other agencies.
Northern Tallgrass Prairie National Wildlife Refuge Land Acquisition , Phase V
The Nature Conservancy with USFWS
This appropriation allowed the permanent protection of 887 acres in western Minnesota. These properties included 664 acres of remnant native prairie, 76 acres of associated wetlands complexes, and 8,500' of streamfront. For this phase we originally planned to protect 740 acres with a minimum of 375 native prairie. Both targets were exceeded - 120% of total acres and 177% of native prairie acres.
Online Field Trip of Minnesota River
MN State University - Mankato
Shallow Lakes and Wetland Enhancement - Phase 10
This proposal will accomplish 25,000 acres of shallow lake and wetland enhancement and restoration work throughout Minnesota, with a focus on the prairie region. The proposal is comprised of three components: (1) twenty-seven projects to engineer and/or construct wetland infrastructure or to enhance wetlands and shallow lakes; (2) funding for the existing Roving Habitat Crew in Region 4 to continue wetland and shallow lake enhancement work, and; (3) funding to base a new Shallow Lakes program specialist in Windom to accelerate shallow lakes work in the prairie region of SW Minnesota
Thirteen Counties Propagating Native Plants and Restoring Diverse Habitats
Martin County SWCD
Youth-led Sustainability Initiatives in 40 Greater Minnesota Communities
Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center
Adoption of renewable energy technologies and energy conservation practices can contribute in a variety of ways to the environmental and economic health of rural Minnesota communities through costs savings and emissions reductions. Engaging and coaching students as the leaders in the process of implementing such practices provides the added benefit of increasing knowledge, teaching about potential career paths, and developing leadership experience.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Suspected killer of reputed mob boss was influenced by conspiracy websites: Lawyer
WABC-TV(NEW YORK) — The 24-year-old suspect in the killing of reputed Gambino family mob boss Francesco "Franky Boy" Cali was arraigned on Monday on a murder charge in a New York City courtroom as his attorney cryptically said right-wing conspiracy websites and online hate speech influenced the slaying.
Anthony Comello appeared in Staten Island Criminal Court just hours after he was charged with murder, assault and criminal possession of a loaded firearm in the fatal shooting of the 53-year-old Cali outside his home on Staten Island.
Defense attorney Robert Gottlieb requested that Comello be placed in protective custody, telling a judge that Comello and his family are in danger.
Comello was arrested at his family's home in Brick Township, New Jersey, last week and was extradited to Staten Island early Monday to face justice.
Following a brief court hearing, Gottlieb suggested the killing stemmed from Comello's recent obsession with right-wing internet conspiracy websites, particularly QAnon, and hate spewed by citizens and politicians "including right at the White House."
"This is a tragedy for everybody, for the two families. But this case, perhaps more than any other, reflects what everyone has been saying recently, and that is that words matter, hate words matter," Gottlieb told reporters outside the courthouse.
Gottlieb declined to say what specifically motivated Comello to allegedly gun down Cali, asking people to wait until the evidence comes out.
When Comello appeared in a New Jersey courtroom following his arrest last week, he flashed at reporters the palms of his hands on which were written the words "MAGA Forever," "United We Stand MAGA" and "Patriots In Charge." MAGA is an acronym for President Donald Trump's slogan "Make America Great Again."
"All of that is going to become quite clearer once all the evidence is known and the truth comes out," Gottlieb said. "We are certainly taking this very seriously. But at the end of the day, the truth and the reasons for whatever happened here will become so clear and it will be shown to be directly related to the impact of the hate that people are bombarded with every day on the internet and elsewhere."
Gottlieb went on to express fear for Comello's life while he is in jail.
"I know the department of corrections is very concerned about it. That's why we asked for protective custody," Gottlieb said. "But also his family, certainly, there are concerns and we appreciate the concerns, considerations that law enforcement has shown in ensuring their safety as well."
Cali was shot multiple times on March 15 outside his home in the posh Staten Island neighborhood of Todt Hill. Police said he was apparently lured out of his house when a pickup truck allegedly driven by Comello crashed into his Cadillac SUV parked outside the home.
New York Police Department homicide investigators have obtained security video of the shooting that reportedly shows Cali talking and shaking hands with a man believed to be Comello, NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said at a news conference last week.
When Cali turned his back on the killer to put the license plate that fell off his SUV in the rear of the vehicle, the man he was talking to pulled out a 9mm handgun and fired 12 shots, hitting Cali at least six times, sources with knowledge of the investigation told ABC News. Cali was taken to Staten Island University North hospital where he died.
Police investigators have yet to comment on a motive for the killing. When asked if the homicide was related to organized crime, Shea said investigators are not ruling anything out.
Gottlieb said Comello's family claimed they noticed a sharp change in him in recent months.
"His family and friends, the people who know him the best, recognized and picked up significant changes in him over the past few months. Something clearly went wrong," Gottlieb said. "People who know him, love him, who spent time with him, know something dramatically happened to him that certainly seems to be affected by the hate that is being spewed throughout the internet."
Comello was ordered to return to court on April 3. Gottlieb said Comello may testify before a grand jury hearing the murder case.
"He'll be pleading unequivocally not guilty," Gottlieb said.


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Home / Products / Ohmwork (CD)
Ohmwork (CD)
Re-issue of the third solo album by Black Sabbath founding member and bass player; Geezer Butler. Originally released in 2005 under the band name GZR. With Ohmwork, gone were the industrial metal influences of the previous decade, but Butler still steadfastly refused to hark back to the past and kept everything contemporary, drawing on influences, as a keen follower of music, on everything that was happening in rock at the time. From the pedal to the metal of Aural Sects to the epic, neo-psychedelia of I Believe, Ohmwork was a fitting finale to Geezer's solo album trilogy. Available for the first time ever on vinyl with both CD and LP using the newly updated cover artwork.
Release date: 30th October, 2020
Misfit
Pardon My Depression
Prisoner 103
Aural Sects
Pseudocide
Pull the String
Dogs of Whore
Don't You Know


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Kabul hotel attack: 5 dead, 100 rescued in 11-hour long siege
Home >> World
DDN Correspondent Posted on 21 Jan, 2018 at 01:26:AM IST
Gunmen killed at least five people and wounded eight others in an attack on Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel, an official said today, as the eleven hours-long siege continues.
Reports say that five are dead and 100 hostages have been released.
According to TOLO news, two gunmen have been shot down and the security forces are lokking for other attackers in the landmark hotel. Afghan officials have confirmed that there are no hostages in the hotel. Among the 100 rescued, 16 were foreigners. There are no reports yet of casualties among foreigners, the Afghan news channel said on Twitter.
The siege began on Saturday when at least four gunmen stormed the landmark Intercontinental Hotel in a night-time raid and started shooting at guests and staff, officials said.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. The latest attack in the Afghan capital comes as the security agencies issued warnings in recent days to avoid hotels and other locations frequented by foreigners.
Security at the Intercontinental, which is not part of the global InterContinental chain, is relatively lax compared with other high-end hotels in Kabul.
A conference on Afghanistan-China relations was held in one of its function rooms earlier yesterday, attended by the Chinese embassy's political counsellor Zhang Zhixin.
Security alerts sent in recent days to foreigners living in Kabul warned that "extremist groups may be planning an attack against hotels in Kabul" as well as public gatherings and other locations "where foreigners are known to congregate".
The Intercontinental was last targeted in June 2011 when a suicide attack claimed by the Taliban killed 21 people, including 10 civilians.
Gunmen dressed as doctors attack Military Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Thirteen Daesh Militants killed in Nangarhar airstrikes
Kabul city attack targeted charity: Afghanistan Govt.
Three cops among 20 killed in Kabul explosions
Indian woman working with NGO abducted In Kabul, family shocked


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Woolworths boasts 700 trans employees
Woolworths have become leaders in selling deception.
The grocery giant recently boasted it has 700 transgender employees with 150 already accessing "transition leave".
The company makes employees go through "Gender Inclusion Workshops" to support team members on their "gender affirmation journey," leaving employees who disagree with the propaganda likely feeling marginalised and unable to speak up for fear of losing their job.
Woolworths participates in the promotion of the radical political ideology by encouraging employees to observe IDAHOBIT, Trans Day of Visibility and Wear It Purple Day. Staff are encouraged to wear special t-shirts or badges as evidence of their cooperation with the agenda.
Internal systems have been upgraded to include "non-binary" gender identity options that conflate "man or male", "woman or female" and gives both "non-binary" and "another term" as options.
They are just one of many corporations signed up to ACON programs that have a social credit rating system for "wokeness."
ACON is the Aids Council of NSW that has national programs, funded by the taxpayer, to promote LGBT ideology. Companies literally score points for shoving "diversity and inclusion" markers down the throats of their staff. It is all about training staff about how to think, act and speak about LGBT issues.
Other companies involved in keeping score of the progression toward full adoption of the ideology include:
Bunnings
Endeavour Group
Luxottica Retail Australia Pty Ltd
Officeworks
Reece Group
Retail Prodigy Group
Woolworths Group
Binary spokeswoman Kirralie Smith said it is an unfolding disaster for countless people.
"Woolworths and other companies signed up to ACON don't care about the science or the facts," she said. "They are pursuing social credit style points from a radical political agency.
"Employees are pressured into acceptance and wooed by incentives such as paid leave.
"No one can change their sex. It is a deception, a lie to suggest they can.
"These are unsafe workplaces where employees cannot speak the truth for fear of falling foul of dangerous policies that are based on a lie."


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Alec Baldwin blasts Trump supporters, blames them for 'near moral collapse of this country'
Alec Baldwin blew up at those who support President Trump on Monday, Jan. 13, for what he described as the "colossal destruction of everything that matters" in America. Baldwin, who is best known these days for ...
President Trump and First Lady Melania greeted with thunderous applause at football championship game
President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived in New Orleans with an hour to spare before the big College National Championship football game between No 1. Louisiana State University, (LSU) and No. 3 Clemson ...
US lawmaker says the US will resist any attempt from China to take over Taiwan
The newly re-elected president of Taiwan has delivered a blow to Communist China, said one senior U.S. lawmaker. However, China's determination to take control of Taiwan should not be underestimated, despite her landslide victory. Rep. Ted ...
Democrat leaders turn their backs on Iranian protesters
House Democrats who were quick to slam President Donald Trump's decision to order an airstrike that killed Iran's most notorious commander, Qassem Soleimani, turned their backs on democratic protesters taking to the streets in Iran ...
Impeachment of Trump: Democrats may send only one article of impeachment to the Senate
Members of the Democratic Party and "anti-Trump" intellectuals have proposed a new opposition strategy in the impeachment of President Donald Trump: they propose that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi retain the first article of impeachment (abuse ...
Controversy in California: Private individuals are forced to sell their rented homes to house homeless people
In the face of the current homelessness crisis that is escalating in the state of California, Sonoma County officials hope to implement a controversial plan to spend millions of dollars to buy three homes for ...
Pelosi: Holding impeachment articles produces a positive result
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she has no regrets with her decision to withhold the two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, saying it helped achieve "positive results." Appearing on ABC's "This Week" on ...
President Donald Trump said on Sunday, Jan. 11, that he "couldn't care less" even if Iran chooses to negotiate with his administration under maximum pressure campaign, warning Tehran not to develop nuclear weapons and kill ...
Iran agrees 'de-escalation' best solution to help with rising tension in crises
After President Trump warned the Iranian government not to harm the Iranian protesters, the Islamic government appears to have had a change of direction in its attitude toward the United States. Ten days after tension had ...
Native Australian animals at risk of extinction received tons of vegetables to help them survive one of the nation's worst wildfires. The New South Wales government confirmed nearly 2.5 tons of carrots and sweet potatoes have ...
Iranian protesters shouted 'death to liars' after their government admitted it had shot down Ukrainian passenger jet
Thousands of angry Iranian protesters took to the streets of Tehran on Saturday, Jan. 11, demanding the head of the Islamic government Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei resign over the plane crash that killed 176 people ...
GOP Sen. Mike Lee co-sponsors Sanders's bill to block military funds for Iran
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) agreed to co-sponsor Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I-Vt.) bill that would prevent funding from the Pentagon to be used for military force in Iran without congressional approval, according to CNN. "As United States ...
Many voters agree with President Trump: Iraq war was worst decision in US history
A plurality of U.S. voters shared President Donald Trump's view that the invasion of Iraq was the biggest blunder in American history, a new survey shows. Rasmussen Reports said its latest survey found that 39% of ...
Bernie Sanders's rally sharpens the drama of homeless people relocating to residential areas in Los Angeles.
Residents of Los Angeles, California, have been hurt by local officials after dozens of homeless people were moved into the city's neighborhoods to make way for a rally by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). According to an ...
Counteracting influence of Chinese communist regime: US financial group investing in Indonesia
A new American financial group will invest billions of dollars in Indonesia, thus counteracting the growing economic influence of the Chinese regime in the region. The International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) will initially invest $5 billion ...
Alabama: A new law could prevent transgender athletes from competing in female categories in schools
A lawmaker in the state of Alabama recently proposed a bill that seeks to have students under the age of 12 participate in athletic competitions that correspond to their birth sex. Chris Pringle (R-Mobile), sponsored the ...
Crushing sanctions slapped on Iran by Trump administration after recent attacks on US military
Crushing sanctions are to be applied to Iran by the Trump administration after the recent attacks by Iran on U.S. forces in Iraq, depriving the Islamist terrorist regime of billions of dollars. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin ...
RNC fundraising recorded seven times over DNC's
The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee's fundraising have set another record with $10 million added in just 48 hours after the House vote on impeachment, reported Fox News. With this number, the party ...
Technique, tenacity, and talent: Niccolò Paganini, history's most accomplished violinist


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Home > Financial Aid > College Scholarships > Scholarship Directory > Artistic Ability > Art - Film Making > Wesleyan University Hamilton Prize for Creativity
Wesleyan University Hamilton Prize for Creativity
See Description For Amount
Awards Available: See Description
The Wesleyan University Hamilton Prize for Creativity recognizes creative written work by an incoming student that is judged to best reflect the originality, artistry and dynamism embodied in Broadway's Hamilton. In addition to a completed application for admission to Wesleyan, Hamilton Prize applicants must submit a single submission of original work of creative written expression. Acceptable submissions include short fiction, poetry, slam poetry and song lyrics, as well as excerpts from longer works of fiction, creative nonfiction, screenplays or theatrical plays, and any other form of creative written expression. The grand prize winner will receive a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to attend Wesleyan. Honorable mentions will be awarded in each of the other categories, along with $5,000 stipends to support the students' future creative endeavors. For more information or to apply, please visit the scholarship provider's website.
Scholarship Committee
admission@wesleyan.edu


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Verizon Doesn't Understand How the Internet Works
Late articles created by top Internet administrators illustrate America's broadband administrations, yet specialists say they mutilate reality and don't offer a full picture about issues with the business sector.
Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam contended a week ago in The New York Times that the U.S. has "picked up a worldwide initiative position" in conveying rapid Internet. A month ago, Comcast CEO David Cohen wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer that America has turned into "a world pioneer" in broadband get to and speed.
Be that as it may, the publications neglect to recount the full anecdote about the condition of rapid Internet in America, industry investigators and shopper advocates said. They said that while broadband administration in the U.S. has enhanced, shoppers are as yet paying more for slower speeds than their partners in a few nations.
Sascha Meinrath, VP of the New America Foundation, said the publications had all the earmarks of being "a piece of a very much arranged deception battle" to camouflage issues in the U.S. broadband business sector.
"The reason for these Op-Eds is to settle on key leaders trust there's an open verbal confrontation, when, truth be told, with regards to broadband administration procurement, the confirmation is overpowering that the U.S. is average (as can be seen via DISH Internet)," Meinrath wrote in an email.
Inhabitants of New York City and Washington, D.C., pay the same cost for web as occupants of Hong Kong, yet get speeds that are 20 times slower, a report a year ago by the New America Foundation found. Customers in Paris can purchase "triple play" administration with TV, phone, and Internet for what might as well be called about $35 — about portion of the slightest costly alternative in the United States, as indicated by the report.
By a few measures, U.S. broadband administration has made strides. About portion of Americans now get to broadband with rates of more than 100 megabits for every second, contrasted with only 10 percent in 2010, as indicated by the Commerce Department.
The U.S. presently positions eighth among created nations in Internet speed, after once being positioned outside the main 20, Richard Bennet, a senior individual at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, wrote in another Times opinion piece.
However, Dave Burstein, editorial manager of the business blog DSLPrime, said the administrators are citing so as to mutilate the genuine picture insights that look at the U.S. to the normal of every European countrie. Burstein said a more precise correlation ought to take a gander at the U.S. in connection to individual nations like France and England.
"Yes, the U.S. has preferable interchanges over the majority of the previous Communist states, however the value correlations with Western Europe are colossal and sensational," Burstein said.
"These folks are picking and picking numbers to make it appear as though we're not all that appalling and overlooking the enormous thing — that we're twice as costly and we ought to be improving," Burstein included.
While McAdam touts the way that Verizon offers rapid broadband Internet to 14.7 million shoppers as a case of how organizations are putting resources into framework, "he is just telling part of the story," as indicated by Matt Wood, approach executive at Free Press, an open vested party. In 2010, Verizon quit working out its fast fiber system, known as FiOS, covering just around 14 percent of U.S. families and forgetting a huge number of clients in Baltimore, Buffalo and Boston, Wood said.
Keeping in mind Cohen takes note of that shopper costs have remained "generally steady," both Verizon and AT&T said not long ago that they will raise rates for DSL administration.
On the off chance that the broadband business sector were really focused, "costs ought to be descending," Wood said.
The two sections seem, by all accounts, to be gone for invalidating contentions in a late book by Susan Crawford, a teacher at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York. In the book, Captive Audience, Crawford upholds the hypothesis that Internet administration would be less expensive and speedier if U.S. controllers made approaches to advance more noteworthy business sector rivalry. McAdam composes that Crawford's feedback is "lost."
The publications likewise come as Congress is considering the assignment of Tom Wheeler to be the new leader of the Federal Communications Commission, which is tasked with controlling telephone and Internet suppliers.
Both officials said most by far of American family units now have numerous options for rapid Internet administration, refering to this as confirmation that U.S. policymakers ought not force new regulations.
FCC Demands More User Protection From ISPs
5G Wireless Internet Service Will Take Over Homes
Net Neutrality Is More Than Just an Idea
Internet Providers Want to Know Everything About Everything
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Molecule JS | Tech and Internet Service Jargon That Sometimes Makes Sense


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By Cuisine, Chef Spotlight, Food & Drink, Multi, Singapore
In Conversation with Executive Chef Shannon Binnie, The Botanic, Singapore
The Botanic, Singapore is well-known for its spectacular plant-based dining. Nestled in a corner of Raffles City, Singapore, The Botanic finds inspiration in nature and takes a sustainable approach to cooking. The fusion restaurant of eclectic Asian flavours and Mediterranean inspirations, is practically a treat for vegetarians and vegans, with an array of plant-based plates on offer. At the helm is Group Executive Chef Shannon Binnie and we were quite excited when we found out that Chef Binnie is vegan. No wonder the plant-based dishes at The Botanic are not an afterthought and taste fantastic. The restaurant was formerly known as Salt tapas & bar, for which Binnie was also the Executive Chef.
Chef Binnie who hails from Australia, has worked alongside Australian chef-restaurateur Luke Mangan since 1999, running the kitchens on his Salt brand of restaurants in Australia, Tokyo and Singapore. He also spent the last decade traversing through different parts of Asia, including Indonesia and Singapore, and over time he gained not only knowledge but an immense respect for Asian flavours which he now incorporates into his cooking.
When Luke Mangan exited from the business in Singapore, Shannon took over as the Executive Chef and was given the opportunity to steer the brand towards a direction of his own. Being a vegan himself, it had always been his dream to run a restaurant that celebrates plant-based dining, and that is how The Botanic was born.
Here, we talk to Chef Shannon Binnie to know more about his culinary passion, his journey and his favourite foods. And if you're a fan of the Kale Salad, Seeds & Grains at The Botanic, Chef Shannon has contributed the recipe here.
Related: Spectacular Plant-Based Dining at The Botanic
Related: Vegan Recipe: Kale Salad, Seeds & Grains
Chef Shannon Binnie in the Kitchen at The Botanic (Image credit: The Botanic's IG)
How did you begin cooking? Did you always want to be a chef?
I began cooking immediately after high school, when I started off working part time in a small kitchen. It was intriguing to watch the way the chefs worked and the level of speed and precision at which they moved around the kitchen. This sparked my interest in becoming a chef myself.
Is there a chef you admire or consider to be your mentor?
A chef that I admire and would consider to be my mentor would have to be Luke Mangan, with whom I worked alongside for close to two decades. I've watched him build and grow restaurants into iconic household names, and admire his inventive approach to Australian cuisine. I've learned plenty from him, both in terms of running a restaurant business, and in exploring my creativity with food.
What has been your proudest moment as a chef?
My proudest moment as a chef was when I landed my first Executive Chef role in Salt Tokyo. Another proud moment for me is when I first cooked for my wife and children at The Botanic.
When did you make the switch to a vegan lifestyle and why?
I chose to become a vegan about two years ago. I've always been fond of plant-based dishes since I was young, but the main decision behind choosing to become a vegan was because I grew more conscious about my health and diet. Since I already had such a fondness for plant-based dishes, making the commitment to switch was rather easy for me.
Are you a foodie? What would be the weirdest dish you've ever eaten?
I'm more of a person that is continuously on the hunt for nutritious food at a good vegan/superfood establishment, rather than search for top restaurants to dine at. The weirdest dish I've eaten would probably be the cod sperm sashimi (shirako) which I had when I was in Japan.
What inspired the concept and menu behind The Botanic?
At The Botanic, a lot of the menu's focus is on plant-based vegan and vegetarian dishes, while the other half is on sustainably harvested or organic, free-range meats. It was very important for me to establish a menu in such a way that the plant-based dishes receive equal footing on the menu instead of an afterthought. The menu is largely inspired by nature, and is driven by our guests' desire for a more socially conscious and sustainable approach to dining. I draw inspiration from my Australian culinary culture as well as travels and learnings throughout Asia in the last decade that I have been here and being familiar/well versed with a deep understanding of Asian flavours. Using the Chendol Pavlova as an example, the dessert is a merging of the Australian classic pavlova, in a beautiful marriage together with the Southeast Asian dessert classic. The Chendol Pavlova takes inspiration from my wife and mother-in-law who are both Indonesian so naturally I have a strong inclination towards Indonesian flavours and dishes.
What dish are you most proud of creating at The Botanic?
Rather than a particular dish that I'm the proudest of, I'm proud of the fact that more than half of the menu at The Botanic comprises plant-based dishes. Even our meat-loving guests have returned continuously for those plant-based dishes.
Let's talk food!
What is your favourite ingredient for cooking in your kitchen?
My favourite ingredient at the moment would be heirloom tomatoes from France.
Most versatile ingredient?
The eggplant, as it can be prepared in different ways and used for a variety of dishes.
Favourite plant-based dish?
My favourite dish would be a 100% vegan version of The Botanic Bowl, which can be found on our set lunch menu.
Favourite restaurant anywhere in the world?
It would have to be Three Blue Ducks at The Farm in Byron Bay, Australia. They offer a great variety of food made with sustainable produce, and it is a great place to relax with my family.
Favourite restaurant in Singapore? (other than your own)
I have two favourite restaurants in Singapore that tend to be kids-friendly. The first is Sunny Choice, which has a selection of locally sourced vegan food in a humble setting, and the second is Din Tai Fung, which has a great selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes that my kids enjoy.
You can check out our review here of the vegetarian and vegan dishes at The Botanic – Spectacular Plant-Based Dining at The Botanic and if you start drooling over the description of Kale Salad, Chef Shannon has contributed the recipe for Kale Salad, Seeds and Greens, so you can now try it in your own kitchen.
26th April 2019 26th May 2019 by Pooja Bakhshi
About Pooja Bakhshi
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of EatRoamLive, Pooja's enthusiasm for food and travelling is palpable from the variety and intensity with which she writes. A traveller at heart and a big-time foodie who happens to be a vegetarian, EatRoamLive was incepted with her desire to create a resource aimed at making travel fun, and not restrictive, for families and for vegetarians. Not just (solely) vegetarian restaurants, she marks out places that serve sumptuous food with enough meat-free options. A hands-on mum to 3 young kids, the former architect and interior designer has her hands full juggling her love for writing, travelling and home.
27th June 2019 4th July 2019 by EatRoamLive
4th June 2019 4th June 2019 by Anna Wojtkowska
Weekend Brunch in Singapore: 5 Restaurants to Hit for Fantastic, Wholesome, Vegan & Vegetarian Brunch
Vegan Fashion: Holster Shoes for Women and Children are Chic, Stylish, PETA-approved Vegan-Friendly and Cruelty-Free
Vegan Recipe: Kale Salad, Seeds & Grains (Courtesy Chef Shannon Binnie, The Botanic)


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Patent application title: METHOD AND DEVICE FOR CALIBRATING A PROJECTION DEVICE
Inventors: Troels Frimor (Munich, DE) Fritz Vollmer (Munich, DE) Fritz Vollmer (Munich, DE)
IPC8 Class: AG01B1100FI
Class name: Optics: measuring and testing position or displacement
The present invention relates to a method for calibrating a projection device, in particular a hand-held projection device, in a navigational environment for medical purposes, comprising the steps of: providing a detection device (1) configured to detect light emitted by the projection device (2); determining the spatial position of the detection device (1); projecting a known projection (3), comprising an area (4) configured to stimulate the detection device (1), towards the detection device (1) by means of the projection device (2); determining the position of the projection device (2), particularly in relation to the detection device (1) when the area (4) stimulates the detection device (1). The present invention also relates to a calibration device (11) for automatically calibrating a projection device (2), said calibration device (11) comprising a reference array (7) and a detection device (1) which is coupled to the reference array (7), in particular in a predetermined position, wherein the detection device (1) is configured to detect light, and to a self-calibrating projection device system comprising the calibration device (11) and a projection device (2) which is configured to generate a known projection (3) comprising an area (4) which is configured to stimulate a detection device (1) of the calibration device (11).
1. A method for calibrating a projection device, in particular a hand-held projection device, in a navigational environment for medical purposes comprising the steps of: providing a detection device configured to detect light emitted by the projection device; determining the position of the detection device by means of a medical tracking system; projecting a known projection, comprising an area configured to stimulate the detection device, towards the detection device by means of the projection device; determining the position of the projection device by means of a medical tracking system, particularly in relation to the detection device, when the area stimulates the detection device, wherein the step of determining the position of the projection device is performed at least three times, and wherein the position of the projection device and/or the position of the area within the projection is changed between the at least three determination steps.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the area is a light spot.
3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the projection (a) also comprises geometric figures, in particular a geometric pattern, which is/are configured to serve as a positioning aid and in particular has a different wavelength and/or intensity than the area.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position of the detection device and/or the projection device is determined by means of a tracking system which detects the position of tracking references which are coupled to the detection device and/or the projection device.
5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position of the projection device is determined automatically by the detection device transmitting a signal when the area of the projection stimulates the detection device.
6. The method according to claim 1, wherein a detection device comprising a photodiode is provided.
7. The method according to claim 1, wherein transmitting means are provided which are configured to transmit a signal from the detection device to a tracking system which indicates that the detection device has been stimulated.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a projection screen is provided in the vicinity of the detection device, in particular around the detection device.
9. (canceled)
10. (canceled)
11. The method according to claim 1, wherein after each or after predetermined steps of determining the position of the projection device a reference projection is projected and compared to a predefined pattern on a projection screen so as to allow determining the progression of the projection device calibration.
12. A calibration device for automatically calibrating a projection device, said calibration device comprising a reference array configured to be tracked by a tracking system and a detection device which is coupled to the reference array, in particular in a predetermined position, wherein the detection device is configured to detect light.
13. The calibration device according to claim 12, further comprising means situated between the detection device and the environment for restricting the light which reaches the detection device to one or more predefined wavelengths, said means in particular comprising at least one optical filter.
14. The calibration device according to claim 12, further comprising a means situated between the detection device and the environment for restricting the direction of the light which reaches the detection device to predefined directions, said means in particular comprising at least one optical lens and/or at least one collimator.
15. The calibration device according to claim 12 further comprising means for transmitting a signal which indicates that the detection device has been stimulated, said means in particular comprising a cable connection or wireless connection to a tracking and/or navigation system, specifically an LED which emits infrared light or a fluorescent material on the detection device.
16. A self-calibrating projection device system comprising a calibration device according to claim 12 and a projection device which is configured to generate a known projection comprising an area which is configured to stimulate a detection device of the calibration device, which allows a method wherein the step of determining the position of the projection device is performed.
17. The calibration device according to claim 12, further comprising means for transmitting a signal which indicates that the detection device has been stimulated, said means in particular comprising a cable connection or wireless connection to a tracking and/or navigation system, specifically an LED which emits infrared light or a fluorescent material on the detection device.
18. A self-calibrating projection device system comprising: a calibration device for automatically calibrating a projection device, said calibration device comprising a reference array configured to be tracked by a tracking system and a detection device which is coupled to the reference array in a predetermined position, wherein the detection device is configured to detect light; and the projection device is configured to generate a known projection comprising an area which is configured to stimulate the detection device, which allows a method according to claim 1 to be performed wherein the step of determining the position of the projection device is performed.
[0001] The present invention relates to a method for calibrating a projection device, in particular a hand-held projection device, in a navigational environment for medical procedures, and to a calibration device for automatically calibrating a projection device. The present invention also relates to a self-calibrating projection device system comprising such a calibration device and a projection device.
[0002] In order to use a projection device in a navigational environment for medical procedures, the projection device must be calibrated, i.e. the image properties of the projected view must be calibrated with respect to the projection device itself and a tracker fixed to the projector. If the projection device is a laser projection device such a calibration enables every projection line starting from the projector and passing along the optical pathway to be known in the reference frame of the medical navigation system.
[0003] Standard calibration methods are for example based on detecting a known pattern such as a checked pattern using a calibrated camera which is in a fixed position with respect to the projector.
[0004] One typical method using the projector alone, without an integrated camera, involves detecting 2D-3D point pairs. When the spatial position of a projection device is known and a 2D point at a known position in the video image of the projection device reflects onto a known or tracked surface, the spatial coordinates of the point are also known. Acquiring enough 2D-3D point pairs allows the image properties to be calibrated by solving a linear equation. The more point pairs are acquired, the more accurate the calibration is.
[0005] Another method for detecting point pairs is to project a rectangle having known edges in the image onto a tracked plane which has defined rectangles drawn on it.
[0006] Other patterns can also be used. Manually adjusting the projection to the drawn rectangle allows several points to be acquired simultaneously. Repeating this process with different rectangles from different positions ultimately allows the image properties to be calibrated.
[0007] Another method for calibrating image properties is to detect single projections comprising predefined points from different directions. Single points are displayed in the projection, and the user aligns this point with a point having known co-ordinates and so acquires 2D-3D point pairs by pressing a button or the like. However, acquiring 2D-3D point pairs by pressing a button or the like is difficult if positioning is performed "free hand", because correct acquisition depends on triggering at the correct alignment. Any natural tremble of the hand when pressing the acquisition button may therefore lead to inaccurate results. Moreover, when aligning by hand, holding a position while triggering the acquisition by pressing a button or foot switch is cumbersome and time-consuming. Triggering the acquisition by pressing a button on the projector itself could impair the result even more, because the force involved in pressing the button could alter the direction of the projector during the procedure itself.
[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide a calibration method and corresponding calibration device for a projection device, in particular for a hand-held projection device, which do not exhibit the above-mentioned drawbacks.
[0009] The drawbacks of the prior art are overcome by the subject-matter claimed in independent claims 1, 12 and 16, wherein dependent claims define preferred embodiments of the present invention.
[0010] The method in accordance with the invention for calibrating a projection device comprises the steps of:
[0011] providing a detection device configured to detect light emitted by the projection device;
[0012] determining the position of the detection device;
[0013] projecting a known projection, comprising an area configured to stimulate the detection device, towards the detection device by means of the projection device;
[0014] determining the position of the projection device, particularly in relation to the detection device, when the area stimulates the detection device.
[0015] The term "position" as used in this document encompasses the meanings of "location" and/or "orientation" in at least two dimensions. By this definition, a 2D position of an object for example comprises at least one of the location and orientation of said object in a two-dimensional plane. Similarly, the spatial (3D) position of an object comprises at least one of the spatial location and the spatial orientation of said object.
[0016] In other words, the user aims to align an area of a projection generated by the projection device with a detection device, wherein the position of the detection device and the position of the area within the projection are known. If the area hits the detection device, the detection device is stimulated and a triggering signal can be sent. If the position of the projection device is determined for several different spatial positions of the projection device, preferably for at least three or more different spatial positions, the projection device can be calibrated, i.e. image properties of the projection device can be calibrated with respect to the projector itself.
[0017] Since no button or foot switch has to be pressed by the user in order to acquire the 2D-3D point pairs, user interaction is reduced and the accuracy of the calibration is increased.
[0018] In accordance with one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the area in the projected image is a light spot. The smaller the dimensions of the area, the more accurate the calibration. However, since the light intensity also decreases as the dimensions of the area decrease, an area which is too small might impair the reliability of the calibration method. A compromise therefore has to be found between accuracy and reliability.
[0019] Since it is difficult for a user to recognise a small area in the projection, the projection can also comprise geometric figures, in particular a geometric pattern, which is/are configured to serve as a positioning aid and in particular has a different wavelength and/or intensity than the area in the projection.
[0020] If such a positioning aid is provided, it is not necessary for the area to be visible to the human eye, since the user can align the area with the detection device with the aid of the visible geometric figure(s) and the area itself only has to be detected by the detection device. It is therefore even possible to provide an area which is for example characterised by infrared light. Geometric figures or geometric patterns in the form of a grid or target are preferred as a positioning aid.
[0021] In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the position of the detection device and/or the projection device is determined by means of a tracking system which detects the position of tracking references which are coupled to the detection device and/or the projection device. Since the use of tracking systems together with navigation systems is quite common in modern medical procedures, an existing tracking system can be used to determine the position of the detection device and the projection device using common tracking markers which are attached to the detection device and the projection device.
[0022] In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the position of the projection device is determined automatically by means of the detection device sending a signal when the area of the projection stimulates the detection device. In other words, the invention allows the 2D-3D point pairs to be acquired fully automatically, without any user intervention and in particular without the user having to physically press a button or foot switch.
[0023] In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a photodiode is provided as a detection device, although any device suitable for detecting light emitted by the projection device can be used in accordance with the present invention.
[0024] Transmitting means can also be provided which are configured to transmit a signal from the detection device to a tracking system which indicates that the detection device has been stimulated. Such transmitting means can for example be a cable connection or wireless connection between the detection device and a tracking and/or navigation system.
[0025] A projection screen can also be provided in the vicinity of the detection device, in particular around the detection device. Such a screen helps the user to align the area in the projection with a detection device, since the area and any geometric figures serving as a positioning aid can be seen on the projection screen, thereby indicating to the user the position of the area which is to be aligned with the detection device.
[0026] In accordance with another preferred embodiment which serves to increase the overall accuracy of the projector calibration, any number of point pairs can be acquired at different distances and/or orientations of the projection device relative to the detection device. The step of determining the position of the projection device is thus performed several times, preferably at least three times, wherein the position of the projection device is changed between at least two determination steps, preferably between at least three determination steps. The position of the area within the projection can also be changed between at least two determination steps. It is possible that, after each, some or predetermined steps of determining the position of the detection device, a reference projection is projected by means of the projection device, which can be compared with a predetermined pattern on a projection screen which allows to determine a defective calibration as well as the progression of the projection device calibration, so that the calibration could be stopped after no significant deviations between the projection and the predetermined pattern can be recognized by a person or a camera device. However, if the calibration of the projection device is not satisfying yet, the position of the detection device could be determined for one ore more further 2D-3D point pairs in order to further improve the calibration of the projection device.
[0027] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a calibration device for automatically calibrating a projection device, said calibration device comprising a reference array and a detection device which is coupled to the reference array, in particular in a predetermined position, wherein the detection device is configured to detect light.
[0028] In other words, the detection device is fixed to the reference array at a known position, such that the spatial position of the detection device can be determined by determining the position and geometric arrangement of the reference array by means of a tracking system.
[0029] The calibration device can also comprise means situated between the detection device and the environment for restricting the light which reaches the detection device to one or more predefined wavelengths. Such means in particular comprise at least one optical filter. Providing such a filter increases the resistance of the calibration device to interference caused by environmental light.
[0030] As an alternative to or in addition to the means for restricting the light which reaches the detection device, means for restricting the direction of the light which reaches the detection device can be provided between the detection device and the environment. Preferably, at least one optical lens and/or at least one collimator is/are provided in front of the detection device. Providing such directional restricting means also helps to increase the resistance of the calibration device to interference caused by environmental light.
[0031] In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the calibration device can comprise means for transmitting a signal which indicates that the detection device has been stimulated. Such means can in particular be a cable connection or wireless connection to a tracking and/or navigation system, specifically an LED which emits infrared light or a fluorescent material on the detection device. Instead of a cable connection or a wireless connection, such as for example a radio link, between the detection device and a tracking and/or navigation system, an LED--in particular, an infrared LED--can be provided which emits light when the detection device, in particular a photodiode device, is stimulated by the area of the projection, wherein this light can be detected by cameras of a tracking and/or navigation system.
[0032] Another way of generating a signal which indicates that the detection device has been stimulated is to provide a detection device which comprises a fluorescent material. If the area of the projection hits the fluorescent material, the latter emits light--in particular, infrared light--which can also be detected by cameras of a tracking and/or navigation system but differs from the visible light emitted by the projection device.
[0033] Providing a light-emitting device such as an LED or fluorescent material means that said LED or fluorescent material can be directly tracked by means of cameras of a tracking and/or navigation system, without the need for common tracking markers. In other words, such a light-emitting device--in particular an infrared light-emitting device--acts as a reference array, which is required in order to determine at least the position of the detection device.
[0034] Another aspect of the present invention relates to a self-calibrating projection device system comprising a calibration device as described in this document and a projection device which is configured to generate a known projection comprising an area which is configured to stimulate a detection device of the calibration device.
[0035] In the following, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with the aid of appended FIG. 1. The present invention can comprise any of the features described in this document, individually or in any expedient combination.
[0036] FIG. 1 shows a self-calibrating projection device system comprising a calibration device 11 and a projection device 2 to be calibrated.
[0037] The calibration device 11 comprises a reference array with four tracking markers 7 which can be tracked by one or more cameras of a tracking system 6. A detection device 1 comprising a photodiode (not shown) is provided centrally with respect to the tracking markers 7 and is rigidly fixed to the reference array. The spatial position of the detection device 1 can thus be determined by means of the tracking system 6. The calibration device 11 also comprises a projection screen 10 which is arranged around the detection device 1 so as to help a user to align an area of a projection with the detection device 1.
[0038] The calibration device 11 also comprises an LED 9 which is connected to the detection device 1 and emits infrared light when the photodiode of the detection device 1 is stimulated. The infrared light emitted by the LED 9 is detected by cameras of the tracking system 6, such that a trigger signal is sent for calibrating the projection device 2.
[0039] The self-calibrating projection device system also comprises a freely movable hand-held projection device 2 which comprises three tracking markers 8 and projects a projection 3. At a predetermined position within the projection 3, there is a point-shaped area 4 which exhibits an increased light intensity as compared to the rest of the projection 3. A guiding aid 5, in the form of crosshairs in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, is also provided which can be seen by the user who is holding the projection device 2, especially when it is projected onto the projection screen 10. The guiding aid 5 can exhibit a lower light intensity than the point-shaped area 4 and/or a different colour to the point-shaped area 4.
[0040] In order to calibrate the projection device 2, the user aims to align the point-shaped area 4 with the detection device 1 with the aid of the guiding aid 5 and the projection screen 10 which has geometric figures drawn on it which correspond to the guiding aid 5.
[0041] When the area 4 hits the detection device 1, the photodiode is stimulated by the increased light intensity of the point-shaped area 4 and sends a signal to the light-emitting diode 9 which in turn emits infrared light. This infrared light can be detected by the tracking system 6 and interpreted as a trigger signal for acquiring a 2D-3D point pair needed for calibrating the projection device 2. The user then moves the projection device 2 to another position and again aims to align the area 4 with the detection device 1.
[0042] Once at least three 2D-3D point pairs have been acquired, the projection device 2 is spatially calibrated and can be used in a navigational environment for medical procedures.
[0043] It is to be noted that the more 2D-3D point pairs are acquired for calibration, the higher the accuracy of the calibration. The position of the point-shaped area 4 together with the guiding aid 5 within the projection 3 can also be changed between at least two 2D-3D point pairs acquired in order to ensure an accurate calibration of image properties across the whole projection area.
Patent applications by Fritz Vollmer, Munich DE
Patent applications in class POSITION OR DISPLACEMENT
Patent applications in all subclasses POSITION OR DISPLACEMENT
2014-11-20 Apparatus and method for mobile device camera testing
2014-12-18 Media absorbency determination
2014-12-04 Article edge inspection
2014-12-25 Hybrid imaging and scatterometry targets
2009-08-13 Apparatus and method for recognizing objects
2016-05-26 Spatial motion sensing device and spatial motion sensing method
2016-05-26 Calibration truck and calibration method thereof
2016-05-19 Multi-shaft vacuum manipulator shafting accuracy testing device
2016-05-19 Method and device for determining a reference point of an orientation marking on a substrate of a photolithographic mask in an automated manner
2016-05-19 Optical displacement sensor element
2015-12-10 Method and apparatus for calculating the contact position of an ultrasound probe on a head
2015-06-04 Optical sampling of surface points for medical navigation
2013-04-25 Medical image registration using a rigid inner body surface
2013-04-18 Generating images for at least two displays in image-guided surgery
2010-09-16 Medical image registration by means of optical coherence tomography
Top Inventors for class "Optics: measuring and testing"
1 Robert E. Bridges
2 Yuta Urano
3 Glen A. Sanders
4 Zhiyong Li
5 Akira Hamamatsu


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TOP 10 FILMS TO WATCH THIS HALLOWEEN
Posted on October 18, 2019 at 10:29 am by The Insurance Emporium
It's time to wrap up warm, dim the lights and scare yourself silly in the season of spooks, ghosts and ghouls! Whether you're looking for chuckles or a truly terrifying tale, at The Insurance Emporium, we love getting into the spooky spirit with a good old-fashioned Halloween adventure. That's why we've put together our guide to the top ten films to watch this Halloween!
On Halloween, there aren't many things more unsettling than a haunted doll. Before Annabelle made her mark in The Conjuring and before Slappy haunted our childhoods in Goosebumps, there was Chucky. Although his movies are now seen as a bit of a joke, the original Child's Play remains a cult classic!
You know what might be worse than evil dolls? Clowns. Join the Losers Club, a group of outcasts who band together to defeat an ancient evil, in the form of Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Tim Curry and Bill Skarsgård both play Pennywise fantastically, and you'll have a great time with either the 1990 original or the 2017 remake.
How could we leave this one off our list? Not only is the film named after the horrific holiday, it's also the movie that kickstarted the golden age of slasher flicks! Halloween gave us one of the most iconic horror movie villains of all time in Michael Myers, inspiring other great slasher icons of the '80s, like Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees.
Some might argue it's a Christmas film, and they'd be right! But this musical adventure from Tim Burton is firmly rooted in Halloween Town. You'll meet a delightfully creepy cast of colourful characters as Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, does his best to bring the Christmas cheer home.
A family comedy with a dark twist, if you're not snapping your fingers along with the theme tune, there's something wrong! Both the 1991 film and its sequel, Addams Family Values are great fun. The whole cast play off each other fantastically, but Anjelica Huston really steals the show as Morticia Addams.
A cult, cross-dressing classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show takes you on a wild, rock 'n' roll ride through the mansion of Dr Frank-N-Furter. You'll still find screenings of the film or performances of the stage show around every Halloween. If you fancy doing the Time Warp (again), it's most fun with a bunch of Rocky Horror fans!
Okay, we know this isn't a film, but we're breaking our own rules for this one, because The Haunting of Hill House might just be the spookiest series on Netflix! Loosely based around Shirley Jackson's novel of the same name, it follows a family fractured by time who are drawn back to the haunted house they grew up in. Weaving a tale through past and present, this series doesn't rely on cheap jump scares to terrify its audience.
Take a trip to Spooky Island with Scooby-Doo and the gang! Two years after splitting up, Mystery Inc. are reunited to unravel the monsters and the mystery of the island resort. Matthew Lillard captures the character of Shaggy so perfectly, you'd have thought he jumped straight out of the screen from the original cartoon.
Perhaps the greatest horror film ever made, Halloween wouldn't be complete without watching The Shining. Fun fact; the most famous line in the film was improvised! Jack Nicholson's unforgettable "Heeere's Johnny!" was inspired by The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and brought us one of the most memorable iconic moments in modern cinema.
If you grew up in the '90s, chances are you use Halloween as an excuse to put Hocus Pocus on repeat. Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker steal the show as the Sanderson sisters wreaking havoc on the children of Salem. Settle in, rename your cat Binx, and enjoy this Halloween cult classic by Disney.
Whether you're in the mood for something spooky, silly, or somewhere in between, we hope this list has put you in the mood for Halloween! At The Insurance Emporium, we provide specialist insurance for life's many adventures, covering golf to guitars, caravans to cats, and more! If you're not too spooked, head on down to The Insurance Emporium to find out more!
© 1978 image copyright Robin Adams, General Manager, UA Cinema, Merced California, 1978, under this Creative Commons Licence.
© 2012 image copyright China Crisis, under this Creative Commons Licence.
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