Okay, maybe it’s just a hologram projected over a fountain, but damn, isn’t it pretty? This is a Japanese promotion for The Water Horse, a new Disney movie about some Loch Ness Monster type of critter. Yes, it’s a giant, animated holographic projection of a water monster. I dunno, I saw the commercials and just couldn’t get over how crappy the CGI looked. However, this is way neater. The holographic technology was apparently developed by Disney years ago for their theme parks; I’ve never heard of it before, but it’s sure spiffy. The way it moves! Be sure to follow the link below for video footage!

Cool Stuff: Holographic Water Monster Invades Japan [/Film]

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Now here’s a bizarre little rarity. Back in the 1930s, Paramount pictures made a ton of little shorts under the blanket title of Hollywood On Parade, using a wide variety of actors, some famous stars, some not so much. The Three Stooges got their start in these films with Ted Healy, and some earlier Marx Brothers shorts were also part of the line. This is probably one of the weirdest ones I’ve seen though. Mae Questel, the voice of Olive Oyl for many years, was also the original Betty Boop. This short features her in a rare live performance as the lovely Miss Boop, singing a song to a pair of manly mannequins. Things are going swimmingly when suddenly Bela Lugosi shows up as the Count! With the chilling words, “Betty, you have booped your last boop,” some 1930s vampire-style necking occurs and, well, you get the picture.

Betty Boop Meets The Count [Ectoplasmosis]

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This is Marco. Isn’t he adorable? His little swirly ball, big buggy eyes, and glistening exposed fangs just scream huggable, dontcha think? I love his little hands. Marco was made by the amazingly talented Jessica Joslin, a Chicago-based artist, and apparently a junkhound extraordinaire, judging by the amount of neat stuff she’s found to make her menagerie with. There’s an interview with her over at Coilhouse, which I’m not even going to bother excerpting, because you’re all going to go right over there and read it. Or at least stare at the pretty pictures.

Jessica Joslin’s Delightful Wunderkammer Creatures [Coilhouse]

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I know the pirate thing is about done to death right now, happily making way for sweet, sweet steampunk to rise in its place in the hipster underground, but these johnny-come-lately speakers still manage to get my heart all a-flutter with coolness.

I mean, really, you can see how badass they are, yes? I especially love the eerie inner blue glow. Frankly, I’m a sucker for things that glow blue, but what can you do? I’d feel the need to mod them up a bit, make them look more like religio-magical artifacts than just plain ol’ skulls, but they’re still pretty damn cool. Even better, there’s a matching webcam!

I’m really loving the webcam. It looks more like a piece of background scenery for someone’s tropical fishtank, but there’s something Sailor Jerry about it that I love, a slightly camp feel to it. Plus, that skeleton on the far right looks hella pissed off with the snaketail around his neck. Unfortunately, these pretty little items are out of my price range for aesthetically pleasing yet horribly impractical PC accessories, but feel free to pick yourself up a pair. Feel even more free to get two, and send one set to me. ;)

Skull Speakers and Skull Webcam [GeekStuff4U.com, via technabob]

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