For years I’ve been haunted by the image of Philip Seymour Hoffman clad in a black leather jacket, strumming a guitar while walking on top of a semi-truck from the dvd extras on “Punch-Drunk Love.” This banal tableau then takes an oddly perilous turn when PSH jumps back first on to a pile of mattresses atop a car, and then falls about seven feet straight to the ground, destroying his guitar in the process.

My initial reaction was, “What the hell did I just see?” I still can’t figure out how it was done, as everything appears to be in one shot. If it really was Philip Seymour Hoffman taking the fall then my hat is off to him. But what purpose did it serve? For the life of me I couldn’t figure it out. Until now.

It turns out that the video is a note for note remake of a very real commercial where a mattress salesman strides atop a semi while strumming a guitar, jumps on to a pile of mattresses and falls to the ground, destroying his guitar in the process. Aside from the names, the dialogue is exactly the same.

Keep in mind that “Punch-Drunk Love” was filmed back in ‘02, long before the internet video revolution of youtube and the like. Paul Thomas Anderson, will you never cease to amaze?

I just recently discovered a website that allows you to take any mp3 and make it into a ringtone. I’m just getting warmed up, but so far I’ve made two that I think are worth listening to and/or using.

The first is the appropriately titled “Phone Call” by Jon Brion, off of the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind soundtrack. Click here to listen and/or download.

And the second is a song that was stuck in my head for weeks after watching the following video:

Recently my friend Dan told me he wanted to edit a trailer of “The Bucket List” and change around the story a bit. I wasn’t optimistic it could be done, but he didn’t take “wasn’t optimistic it could be done” for an answer. So we got together and made this:

If Jackie Stallone isn’t in your life yet, I recommend reading Eliot’s guide (which includes many more photos), then watching this video, which was my first introduction to the human equivalent of a car wreck that is Jackie Stallone. In the video, Jackie Stallone details her patented “rumpology,” which is the reading of ass auras. She deigns not to explain her powers, but when you’re the person that brought Frank Stallone into the world, a certain amount of leeway must be given.

Recently, Chelsea Peretti, one third of the comedienne coven variety shac, started a series on superdeluxe exploring her failed relationships called “All My Exes,” that, after two episodes, is now one of my favorites. I highly recommend watching these (nsfw language).

Have you ever wondered what happens when you find a stranger in the alps? Apparently the answer is that a crazed, obese, Vietnam vet will come to your house, shout in your face, and then, after procuring a crow bar, he will beat the shit out of your neighbor’s new car.

Last night I watched an “exhausted” Paula Abdul throw a hissy fit after her two incredibly incompetent assistants were unable to produce a pair of sweat pants and white shoes for her on the mind-blowing premiere of “Hey Paula.” I would enumerate all the amazing behavior, but Slut Machine has already done so, complete with a montage of all of Paula’s best wasted moments. Check it out.

And then there’s this video.

I’ve gotta give these guys their proppers for taking a misogynistic, lustful ode to women with ample backsides, and turning it into a worshipful, chaste ode to women with ample, hardback bibles.

This is a parody of this video, which is equally amazing. I saw both of these ladies last night as they treated Los Angeles to a version of their New York show, Obsessed. They interviewed Tommy Wiseau, a vaguely European-ish man, who has a lazy eye, amazing hair, and who wrote, directed, and starred in a film called The Room. Below are a couple of scenes from the film.

I love the adr in this scene so much.

And lastly another episode of The Michael Showalter Showalter.

It has begun.

It’s that time again.

First up we have one of my favorite segments from the recently concluded This American Life TV show, in which beloved cartoonist Chris Ware illustrates an interesting story about a group of school children whose world is turned upside down after one of them makes a fake camera.

The ad council cut together a series of spots meant to highlight the dangers of…blogging, and this is the result. I like to think that a rotund high school football coach, Dan Clowes-looking movie usher, and a tattooed busboy would really read the missives of a seemingly shy high schooler, but I just don’t buy the ad council’s ad. Via my favorite Dane Cook and Zach Braff hater.

This parody of To Catch a Predator (one of my favorite shows) is from one of my favorite shows (Human Giant). They get everything right: the odd confidence and suggestive banter of the predator (played brilliantly by “Wet Hot American Summer’s” H. Jon Benjamin), the young K.D. Lang-looking, backwards hat-wearing, gender-neutral jail bait, and the smug, accusatory tone of the host (complete with transcripts of the explicit talk). Plus, any video with the line “hardabs05″ is in my good book.

As long as he keeps making ‘em, I’ll keep posting ‘em. Paul Rudd. ‘Nuff said.

In a scant 58 seconds, “Law and Order’s” Richard “The Belz” Belzer is able to lampoon nearly every aspect of the TV show “House” that makes it so preposterous: the herky-jerky cane enabled gait, the incessant pill popping, the enigmatic advice, and the fact that Dr. House is such a staunch (s-t-a-u-n-c-h) character. Plus, his reading of the line “nice!” is absolutely perfect.

This video is from comedy collective Human Giant, which is comprised of members Rob “inconsiderate cell phone guy” Huebel, Aziz “way too funny for his age” Ansari, and Paul “the other gap-toothed guy on Best Week Ever” Scheer. Look for this show to blow up considerably once it airs on MTV next month.

This video comes courtesy of my friend Eliot, and features the dynamic duo of Henry Winkler and The Fonz, as well as an incredibly scary kid’s singer who wishes to correct all children’s misuse of the word “vagina.” My favorite part is the hilariously specific Fonzie threat of “running over your knees with my bike.”

And this video is via mi amigo Morton, who is a garbageman. Years ago when the voiceover guy was recording a track for this union video, he decided to record an alternate, profanity-laden, little-old-lady-from-Florida-hatin’, full-on New Yauk style voiceover. Some of the language may not be appropriate for work.