Wednesday, May 18, 2011

The TV Listings (8)

A roundup of my video postings from the first quarter of this year:



The Comedy/Movie Channel

Movie trailer spoof - to accompany my Film Taglines Quiz, I post this funny clip of top Hollywood voiceover artist Hal Douglas sending up all the clichés of American film trailer narration.

An incredible journey - e-friend and occasional commenter Cedra Wood posts a video about her work on Kickstarter to raise some cash to help with a forthcoming painting trip to Australia this summer; so I give her a boost on here too.

Father Jack's finest moment - another St Patrick's Day treat: a favourite bit from the UK Channel 4's cult '90s sitcom (a surreal piss-take of the Irish priesthood), Father Ted. [Unfortunately, embedding clips of this show seems to be very comprehensively blocked, so you might as well go straight here.]

Year of the Rabbit Rebellion - a gruesomely funny political cartoon (produced, I've since been told, by a group of young animators from Taiwan), which references a number of the most notorious examples from the last few years of the Chinese Communist Party's ineptitude, corruption, and abuse of power.... and suggesting that this could be the year when the docile rabbits (the ordinary people) start to fight back against the bullying tigers (the ruling cadres). Oh, I wish, I wish.  

Australian Citizenship Test - a little cartoon history lesson to celebrate Australia Day.

Homeless voiceover star - an uplifting story (well, initially, at least) from the States about a homeless man whose 'golden voice' gave him a shot at stardom as a radio announcer.



The Music Channel

Manic Monday - I don't need much of an excuse to post the video of The Bangles' 1980s hit (penned by Prince). Didn't we all have a crush on Susannah Hoffs 25 years ago?

Sally MacLennane - for St Patrick's Day this year I post this great rabble-rousing singalong from The Pogues (I was particularly pleased to find a clip of them performing the song on The Old Grey Whistle Test, a BBC2 music show that was one of the foundations of my childhood, my life...).

Star Wars Medley (John Williams is The Man!) - a great piece of fun from Salt Lake city acapella group Moosebutter, with split-screen lip-syncing from YouTube super-nerd Corey Vidal.

Hold On - the original video and a great live performance of one of my favourite Tom Waits love songs.

Bohemian Rhapsody - the original Queen video, a live performance at Wembley Stadium, a LEGO video, the opening scene of Wayne's World, an acoustic version of the song by classical guitarist Edgar Cruz, and.... the rather wonderful American rock-grass outfit Hayseed Dixie doing their take on it.

Caramel - a delicious love song from Suzanne Vega.

Harmonica solo - French harmonica virtuoso Laurent Maur was visiting Beijing at the end of last year, and I was privileged to hear him play a couple of times. Here's a great clip of him playing with a full orchestra.



The Sports Channel

Wot - no sport this time? Apparently not. Sorry.


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