Hot-Blooded Girls And The Man From U.N.C.L.E.’s Illya Kuryakin

David McCallum as Illya Kuryakin

David McCallum as Illya Kuryakin

The return of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. franchise has been a mixed blessing in the Risky Fuel household.

Particularly because one half of Team Fuel (Sarah) has a deep, borderline “problem” level crush on the original television show’s thoughtful, mysterious Russian spy character Illya Kuryakin, who was played by David McCallum.

In the film reboot Kuryakin is entirely different, a musclebound lurch played by Armie Hammer.

Sarah’s having a hard time accepting the new version of Illya, which may be putting her at odds with a whole new generation of U.N.C.L.E. fans.

She wrote about this quandary in her first piece for The A.V. Club.

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Filed under Films, Shameless Promotion, Television

I Saw $400 Worth Of Concerts Thanks To Ontario Taxpayers

The TORONTO sign as part of Panamania.

The TORONTO sign as part of Panamania.

As a person who a) appreciates high-level athleticism, but b) also understand that many international sporting organizations are amoral-to-outright evil, I knew that when the Pan Am Games came to Toronto this summer that regular citizens like myself would to a certain degree be fucked.

After all, I’m not part of some overtures-covered, politically-connected contractor circle jerk, so none of that grift was going to come my way.

Instead, knowing that as an Ontario taxpayer I was paying for this shit, I was going to have to earn back its value the hard way… by extracting personal entertainment from the whole thing.

Which is exactly what I did to the tune of about $400, mostly in the form of checking out the free Panamania concert schedule.

I explained all about how I came up with this number in a math-y article for AUX.

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Filed under Concerts, Jock Stuff, Music, Shameless Promotion

Maryna Moroz Is Fighting For Our Love

Maryna “The Iron Woman” Moroz

Maryna “The Iron Woman” Moroz

Fast-rising Ukrainian fighter Maryna Moroz didn’t win her match at UFC Fight Night Saskatoon last week, but the future’s still bright for the young Eastern European martial artist.

Sarah spoke to her about her career for Fightland.

To read the story go here.

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Filed under Jock Stuff, Shameless Promotion

6 Best Musician Appearances On Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Sonny and Cher on The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Sonny and Cher on The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

The original Man From U.N.C.L.E. television show from the 1960s frequently featured cameos from pop stars of various sorts.

When Sarah emerged from her U.N.C.L.E.-obsessed cocoon over the last couple weeks one of the things she emerged with was a list of all the musicians who made appearances on the camp spy show.

She turned that into a list of the best musician appearances on Man From U.N.C.L.E. in an article for Paste Magazine.

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Filed under Music, Shameless Promotion, Television

Peaches Does Rocky With Kim Gordon

Kim Gordon with Peaches

Kim Gordon with Peaches

Electro smut superstar Peaches has a new fighting-inspired video for the song “Close Up” that also features ex-Sonic Youth member Kim Gordon and the fabulous fighters of Lucha VaVoom.

It is amazing.

Sarah wrote about the video for Fightland.

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Filed under Jock Stuff, Music, Shameless Promotion