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pop culture you can buy

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Copper kettles, woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with string...

• Recently Written

  • Vivi Davvero by Giorgia
  • Learn to Fly by the Foo Fighters
  • Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall
  • Robot Chicken: Star Wars
  • Totally ubiquitous, and totally ignored, movie sounds
  • Buffy cast reunion panel
  • Pop-up books: a superficial, 2D look
  • Buffy sings! Once more, with feeling…
  • The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
  • Pixar’s short films - what everyone really cares about

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  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008

Vivi Davvero by Giorgia

Pick-me-up song #2: It’s peppy, it’s cheery, and it’s in “exotic” Italian. And Vivi Davvero by Giorgia always makes me think of sweeping, gorgeous views of Venice from above… (Yes, yes, I’ve seen Chasing Liberty. More than once.)

But in all seriousness, it’s such an “energy” song, and, well, it makes me smile and want to dance along.

Any dancing?

Learn to Fly by the Foo Fighters

I know these types of sites generally tend to avoid “personal issues,” but isn’t this supposed to be the era of change in America? So what the hey, I’ll say it - I’ve had a long week. After a long year in 2008. And the prospect of an even longer week ahead and an interminable 2009. Have I depressed you yet?

Well, I figure we can all use a pick-me-up. And for some reason, I’ve turned to Learn To Fly by the Foo Fighters for years to make me feel better. Not sure why. The energetic music? Dave Grohl’s shiny hair? Who knows. So here it is, I hope it helps you too (and that’s all the product summary I’m giving, it’s been that kind of week). Plus, the music video itself is silly (in a Stewie Griffin voice).

There’ll be another “don’t worry, be happy” song up tomorrow. Because we must cling to the seemingly insignificant, comfortable, familiar things in these times of uncertainty, as necessary and healthy salves for our souls. (Yep, I’m totally faux-deep that way.)

Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall

I’m not afraid to say it. I’m a girl and I like girly things. Yes, I like my superheroes, solid action movies (No, you get off my plane!), and, okay, watching crazy car chases on one of those über-dramatic truTV video shows, but I also need my Austen time and twinkly earrings. I read chick lit as guilty pleasure (ah, Sophie Kinsella, you’re my savior in between The Enchantress of Florence and A Game of Thrones), and I have a (very) secret soft spot for almost all of the Disney princesses. Not so much Snow White. Never liked her.

In any case, all of this is why I just eat up stuff like Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall. In this graphic novel, creator/writer Bill Willingham combines many of my multiple personality interests: comics, old school fairy tales, and action. Most importantly, he imbues many of the stories with the haunting, timeless feel of mythology and legend (rather than just mere folk tale), giving classic fairy tales more of a powerful punch - and certainly getting my attention (I’ve been obsessed with ancient mythology since the fourth grade.)

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Robot Chicken: Star Wars

Speaking of Robot Chicken (and yes, that is a shameless plug for my recent post), their Star Wars specials are well worth seeing. True, it seems as if everybody and their agent has done some sort of homage to the sci-fi titan (Jennifer Aniston does Princess Leia on Friends! Family Guy goes all Blue Harvest in their “very special” Star Wars, um, special, etc. etc.), but Robot Chicken’s material is solid stuff.

I’ll be honest, I think that the TV show Robot Chicken, an Adult Swim stop-motion animation show (think Creature Comforts but with action figures and, hem, phrasing appropriate for its late-night time slot), can be hit or miss. Even though co-creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich certainly seem like they’re having a lot of fun creating each 15 minute episode, with the help of their various writers, crew members, and celebrity guest voices.

Fortunately, though, there are plenty of hits in each of the show’s Star Wars specials (there have been two specials so far, each with a running time of about 20 minutes).

Featuring Admiral Ackbar cereal, an “Empire on Ice” show (aka, Disney on Ice but with twirling stormtroopers), Cloud City real estate agents, what Han Solo really said over the intercom during the Princess Leia rescue, touching moments between Darth Vader and Luke, such as when Vader reveals deeper truths to a skeptical Luke (”And The Force? Well, that’s just microscopic bacteria in your bloodstream called midi-chlorians…”), Darth Vader murdering an unwelcome Jar Jar Binks, and Luke and the Emperor having a “Yo Mamma” fight. That’s right.

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Totally ubiquitous, and totally ignored, movie sounds

Below are two of the most common (and commonly underacknowledged by the general moviegoing public) movie sounds out there. They’re kind of like that NBC jingle. Almost comfortingly familiar, yet you don’t take the time to think of how it came to be that way, or why it would even be comforting at all. You just automatically gloss over and accept the sound.

Hmm, sorry, didn’t mean to take that in kind of a disturbing direction. But anyway, here they are:

The Wilhelm Scream - producing satisfyingly bloodcurdling shrieks since 1951

Deep Note (aka, that THX sound; no relation to Watergate… or the “adult film,” sorry) - blowing your mind, in a trademarked way, in many theaters near you

Of course, this all comes back to… as it always does… (cue John Williams)

That’s right. I brought it all back to “pop culture you can buy.” That’s just how I roll.

Buffy cast reunion panel

As part of what is already becoming a long series of posts on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, here’s one more about a random bonus DVD!

I don’t know if you’re all aware, but (some of) the cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer had a reunion last year at an event called the Paley Festival. Believe it or not, I actually have a friend who attended this star-studded event (I lost her to Hollywood a long time ago…). Of course, this was the one panel she didn’t attend. No accounting for taste. But her countless photos of everything non-Buffy at the festival just made me want to see the full session even more. I tried YouTube, but only short, highly grainy clips seemed to be available, and I couldn’t find it on iTunes. Naturally, I didn’t even think to look for a DVD version. (Yes, duh, I know.)

Well, the holidays to the rescue. I got it as a gift! Without even asking for it! I have the best friends… Anyway, I watched it today and, since it’s purchasable pop culture, I just had to write about it. (Just as an aside: if you haven’t watched all of Buffy, and plan to, you probably don’t want to buy this, as it does, not surprisingly, contain many, many spoilers.)

So, details…

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• string theories

  What line of work you in, Bob?
  
  - Ryan the Temp to "Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration" at The Office's Christmas party
  
  

• featured brown paper packaging

  What is it with accessories and DVD sets these days? Are knick knack companies going through some rough times? Or are studios just really desperate to sell DVDs? (Probably the latter.) First there was A Christmas Story (Ultimate Collector's Edition), with its cookie cutters, recipe book, apron, commemorative Christmas tin... (Whoa, I know.)
  
  And now there's The Notebook (Limited Edition Gift Set), which comes with a scrapbook album (with stickers!), notecards, envelopes, and "themed" bookmarks. But... wait for it... no new DVD extras or features! So totally worth it. Check out Entertainment Weekly for the lackluster DVD set review (a grade of D - harsh). Or, even better, Amazon's video montage of the contents, set to the soothing, Jane Austen movie-esque sounds of The Notebook's theme music. Hey, they know their audience.