Clash of the Titans (Blu-ray)
The work done by f/x pioneer Ray Harryhausen on the 1981 classic Clash of the Titans reminds us that every exploding space station, acid-bleeding alien, and freeway-smashing robot owes a debt to the stop-motion animators and model builders of yore. Now, thanks to a shiny new Blu-ray transfer, you can relive the menacing scorpions, Medusa's serpentine coiffure, and Bubo the mechanical owl in Aphrodite-worthy 1080p. It'll get you primed for director Louis Leterrier's big-budget remake (starring Avatar's Sam Worthington), which hits theaters March 26.
Photo: MGM/The Kobal Collection
WTF With Marc Maron
A veteran comedian and rabble-rouser, Maron doesn't so much interview his podcast guests — fellow comics, celebrities, friends, family members — as rant with them about the frustrating (and funny) side of technology, politics, and relationships. The twice-weekly jabfest is profane and highly entertaining.
Photo: Seth Olenick
NumberGossip.com
Psst ... did you hear that 14 is the smallest number n such that n and 2n end with the same digit? Or that 27 is the smallest of only two known cubes made up of prime digits? At this site run by a PhD who won the gold medal at the International Math Olympiad, you enter any positive integer below 9,999 to get the inside dirt — exploring numerical phenomena like hungry numbers, Mersenne primes, and 47 more. It's TMZ for mathletes!
Danger Mouse and James Mercer: Broken Bells
Danger Mouse's "I'm the DJ, he's the singer" formula in Gnarls Barkley wasn't broken, but the artist also known as Brian Burton went ahead and tweaked it anyway — to great effect — with his latest project. Here he shares instrumental duties with the Shins' James Mercer, whose understated voice melds perfectly with the music's moody melodies and laid-back vibe. Crazy good stuff.
Plopp Stool
Inflatable metal?! The Plopp stool from Polish artist Oskar Zieta is made of two ultrathin steel plates welded around the edges and pumped up under high pressure, turning what might otherwise be cheap furniture into beautiful, functional sculpture. Pick one up for about $460, from Danish furniture company Hay.hayshop.dk
Liars: Sisterworld
These stylistically (and geographically) unpredictable con artists deliver on their only guarantee: dramatic, powerful music. Liars' fifth LP charts a delicate course between sparse, droning vocal arrangements and the trio's trademark barrages of post-punk polyrhythm.
Photo: Zen Sekizawa
Robolamps
Croatian designer Robert Matysiak wrings a lot of personality out of plastic plumbing parts and electrical conduits. Use his handmade, robot-inspired lamps to read by, or as cheery companions. A custom Robolamp will run you anywhere from $70 to $200, depending on the size and design.
Biology Is Technology
In this new book, bioengineer Robert H. Carlson forecasts the rise of the cell and the subsequent emergence of biological techniques for making fuels, synthetic DNA that builds new organisms, and reverse-engineered viruses for making vaccines. Biologists, Carlson says, are the new engineers, and the future is in remodeling life as we know it.
Ultraviolet
Turn on, tune in, and open up this trippy book, subtitled 69 Classic Blacklight Posters From the Aquarian Age and Beyond. Marvel at how a simple phosphor coating can make a normal lightbulb emit UV rays undetectable to the naked eye, causing the fluorescent inks of these vintage posters to glow. Or just sit back, relax, and be, man.
Stolen Moments
Some people might sneak a peek into a stranger's apartment when they walk by, but photographer Yasmine Chatila stops and stares. She spent months staking out uncovered windows in New York City for her voyeuristic series, Stolen Moments. The black-and-white results contrast intensely personal scenes with Manhattan's very public architecture. tinyurl.com/stolenm
