WoW Moviewatch: Shop Vac
by Krystalle Voecks 
Jan 2nd 2009 at 12:00PM
I can't help it. I'm an absolute fangirl when it comes to Jonathan Coulton and Mike "Spiff" Booth. That's why when Michael Gray let the team know he was having Internet problems, I simply had to jump in and share the most recent Spiffworld WoW machinima, Shop Vac.
Spiff notes at the end of the video, this song is all about suburban angst, and how people want to live there until they realize the 'burbs are kind of boring. As he says, "This phenomenon is exemplified in the shop vac, a tool found in many suburban garages for sucking up leaves, dirt, nails, or whatever. When you first use a shop vac, it seems like the most awesome thing ever. But then you realize it's just a vaccum cleaner."
Another fun aspect of the video is the return of one character from previous videos. See if you can spot who it is causing trouble once again. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for what must be the saddest achievement ever. Now, with all that said, check out Shop Vac for some lunchtime movie fun that doesn't suck. (Pun intended.)
Spiff notes at the end of the video, this song is all about suburban angst, and how people want to live there until they realize the 'burbs are kind of boring. As he says, "This phenomenon is exemplified in the shop vac, a tool found in many suburban garages for sucking up leaves, dirt, nails, or whatever. When you first use a shop vac, it seems like the most awesome thing ever. But then you realize it's just a vaccum cleaner."
Another fun aspect of the video is the return of one character from previous videos. See if you can spot who it is causing trouble once again. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for what must be the saddest achievement ever. Now, with all that said, check out Shop Vac for some lunchtime movie fun that doesn't suck. (Pun intended.)
Filed under: Machinima, WoW Moviewatch
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
lownwolf Jan 2nd 2009 12:11PM
i told you not to interrupt me while i'm vacuuming my room!
Jeff Jan 2nd 2009 12:22PM
Yay! My favorite JC song, done up right by Spiff. What a great way to start 2009.
eblume Jan 2nd 2009 12:52PM
Hah, that really was fantastic. Most song-machinima are awful but this was really well done!
nevwyn Jan 2nd 2009 12:56PM
I have that achievement!
Soliduck Jan 2nd 2009 1:08PM
Great video as usual, though I personally think the song is more universal and much darker than his take on it.
Society instills expectations of what a person should do with their life. These people have done everything that society says will make them happy, but they aren't. They feel trapped by those expectations and their responsibilities to their children/spouse so they try to pretend that they are happy. The shop vac is just an excuse to avoid confronting their mutual dissatisfaction with their lives.
ZUR13L Jan 2nd 2009 1:45PM
Animation was well-done but the rest of it sucked. Was that rock or elevator muzak? I couldn't tell. It was like a cross between They Might Be Giants and the Creditreport.com dudes except not as clever as the former nor as catchy as the latter.
Life (including suburban) is what one makes of it because, at the End, if your life was boring, guess who's to blame?
...Like city-dwellers don't have ennui woes...
...Or Appleby's daquiris to drown them in...
8P
Lemons Jan 3rd 2009 6:09AM
Great vid...never heard of Jonathan Coulton (sry, I must be some sort of music noob), but after listening to his song I gotta say I like it!
But if you think suburbia is boring try living in a small town, hell I don't even have a shop vac : (
Moppentoff Jan 3rd 2009 10:05AM
For all who those who don't know who Jonathan Coulton is, he wrote Still Alive. His blog is filled with music like this, a dozen albums worth!
Stephen Moore Jan 3rd 2009 6:04PM
This was a triumph.
I'm making a note here, huge success.
It's hard to overstate my satisfaction.
Skippy Jan 3rd 2009 6:56PM
Soliduck, you're still single, ain'tcha? I always thought it was a fun little ditty about monotony in the suburbs, not kill yourself inducing drudgery. That was dark, man.