I have no idea what Count Tarakan's deal is, or why he's so determine to punch every man, woman and animal in his path, but I do know this is the most awesome cover of They Might Be Giants' "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" ever, and I think John and John would agree. Because otherwise Tarakan would punch them in their fucking faces. Thanks to Starman Matt Morrison for the tip.
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What. The. Fuck. Did I just watch? That was very cool, but very very very weird. Even for the internet.
But in a good way. I just bought the mp3. Should I ever need to clear the mundanes out of a room, this will do the job. I may also turn its power on my downstairs neighbor in the not-too-distant future...
I welcome our new wolf-clad Russian Count overlords.
He punches everything, and turns on nuns. Awesome.
Nerdy Pointy Outy: spotted the baseball guy from warriors. apart from bowie and repo man anyother sightings?
this is awesome...ToplessRobot rocks! Hey wait, isnt "Russian" and "Bad Ass" kinda the same thing?
Considering that "Russia" derives from "Rus", i.e. "rowers", the nickname given by the riverbank inhabitants at the time to the Swedish vikings who moved into the area looking for a route to loot Constantinople?
Yes. Yes it is.
I must say.. as with every time I hear this classic.. it's not merely the business of the Turks. Constantinople is the Christian name. It is one of the major cities of all the head Christian cities of the Eastern Chuch. Not quite like how Rome, which spit off, but it's somewhat the head of the church. The few Christians brave enough to stay there are treated rather crappy and somewhat persecuted by the Turkish government. Of course the US has long allowed Turkey to get away with a lot of things and looked the other way and almost covered up of a number of incidents in order to maintain bases there and have a military vantage point on Russia and now the Mid East. Meanwhile people aware of the situation over there, particularly Greeks and other Orthodox Christians, know better. So it is most certainly NOT just the business of the Turks.
Anyway, politics and religion aside, that song is still amazing and this is an amazing cover. I love the costumes in particular.
I am almost sure this is part of the original satire of the song (Turks usurping Constantinople and insisting it's now only the business of the Turks.)
Fun fact related to my trivia elsewhere downthread: the original "Russians" per se (actually Swedish vikings nicknamed that by locals living along the rivers they were rowing and hiking up for raiding purposes) wanted to loot Constantinople, too; but were so impressed by it that they eventually gave up, converted to Eastern Orthodoxy, and did their best subsequently to become the new Eastern Roman Empire of the North (so to speak).
This is also how the Eastern Emperor eventually picked up a squad of Vikings to become the hereditary Imperial "Varangian Guard" for several generations, from the Late Dark Ages onward through the Middle Ages.
Speaking of They Might Be Giants and covers, TMBG did a pretty good cover of an otherwise terrible Chumbawumba song for the Onion's AV Club http://www.avclub.com/articles...
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That's completely awesome. It does make me happy that TMBG (with Jonathan Coulton) will be here in September though...already got my tickets!
This guy is the russian equivalent of "The Most Interesting Man in the World." Would love to be ringside for that fight.
You mean a cover of a cover. TMBG didn't write that song. It predates them by several decades.
Well I didn't think I could ever see a video featuring Russian Bear Punching, awesome song covers, and flying naked ice chicks all in one feature. But I'm glad I was wrong.Also, did I see a Repo Man from the Genetic Opera? JOY!
Strange, I thought *SPOILERS* he died. Is he slumming in Russia trying to avoid caring for Shiloh anymore? Is he a zombie drying desperately to find delicious Russian brains to devour? So many questions, so little answers...
Well, I was gonna go do some acid later, but now I think I'm good. Thanks for saving me that money, Count.
I'm going to guess those were not the brides of Dracula in the ice castle, but were supposed to be folktale characters of some sort. Any ideas? (Serious question. Not to be confused with my Russian Punchmaster vs. Popcicle Pete poll. Which is also a serious question but less so.)
RUSSIAN PUNCHMASTER!!! The new foe from Man Comics. None of us are safe.
(I had to watch again to see if Popcicle Pete was around somewhere.)
Edited to add: okay, vote people -- Russian Punchmaster vs. Popcicle Pete. Winner is...?
Popsicle Pete always wins. He will make Russian Punchmaster go mad and begin to punch himself before R.P. can even fathom what is happening.
Wouldn't that require R.P. to be overwhelmed with fear and insane murderous urges?
Because he seems to be handling insanity just fine already (with or without violent urges), and doesn't seem likely to fear anything anytime soon.
(Now that I think of it, he sort of looks like Pete got to him in prison already... Causing the prison to release him for their own safety.)
yeah i was wondering that as well along with how Jareth the goblin king from Labyrinth got in there as well.
People, I think we may have uncovered the next great nerd fantasy franchise. Go on, tell me you wouldn't see a movie starring this guy. XD
Troll Hunter 2 looks even more awesome than the first one!!!
I SAID TROLL HUNTER 2 LOOKS EVEN MO--
I long for the day that I can just go through life punching people in the face all willy nilly-like.
Oh you can do that today,.I can't guarantee that they won't slug you back but you can start your career of sociopathic belligerence whenever you get good and ready. ;}
Must be. Because Tarakan busts out his Magic Dance in the next shot.
He reminds me of the bebe.
