Gawker: defamer, japan

Robert Downey Jr Smashes It Up!

Douglas Reinhardt — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:05:00 EDT

The 'stache-tastic Robert Downey Jr — along with Japan's very own Iron Man, Hal —went off on a few barrels before the premiere of Iron Man. According to Downey Jr, the barrels were asking for it and got what they deserved. Downey said, "Those barrels were mouthing off. Saying some nasty things about my performance in The Shaggy Dog and now they're going to pay." After having such a blast demolishing the barrels, Downey and Hal agreed to team up on a live action version of Donkey Kong, possibly to be helmed by Wong Kar-Wai.

[Photo Credit: Getty Images]

*A Call To The Bullpen is a work of fiction. Although the pictures we use are most certainly real, Defamer does not purport that any of the incidents or quotations you see in this piece actually happened. Lighten up, people ... it's a joke.

Is This Bizarre Show Fox's Ace in the Fall 'Hole'?

Kyle Buchanan — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT

There was a time when the aesthetic of the Japanese game show was thought to be too bizarre to translate to America, but the times, they are a-changin'. Hot on the heels of the summer hit Wipeout comes Hole in the Wall, a Fox remake of the Japanese show in which contestants contort their bodies to pass through a strangely-shaped hole in an advancing wall, lest they be knocked backwards into a pool. Sound simple? It is — gleefully so, as you'll see from the clip (after the jump). We could have used some more J-pop songs or cute, lightning-spouting rat/dogs watching from the sidelines, but otherwise, we think we've found the crown jewel of the fall lineup. It's bold for Hole in the Wall to premiere on the anniversary of September 11, but if this show can't heal America's wounds, what can?

Hole In The Wall [Fox]