AMV of the Day: Safety Dance (Nichijou)

Posted on July 5, 2012 by Arleigh

In what will be one of several posts about my experience during this year’s Anime Expo 201, I have chosen to begin this series by choosing the latest “AMV of the Day”. While I wasn’t present when this video was shown to attendees (the schedule for the AMV contest panel conflicted with several other panels pantsukidasai56 and I were already committed to attending) I still sought it afterwards.

“Safety Dance” by Shin (listed under the Youtube account of tehninjarox) was well-received by those who attended the AMV Contest panel. While it didn’t win Best Comedy category it was picked as the winner of the Random/Fun category which is like the place where the hard to categorize and label videos end up. It’s a hodgepodge group of videos which tend to range from the weird, funky right up to just plain psychedelic.

The video is another feather in the cap of Shin who is considered one of the top AMV producers. Using the song “Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats (plus some dialogue from Futurama) and the quirky anime series Nichijou, Shin has created a really hilarious and unique AMV which really shows his editing skill in keeping the song in-sync with the anime characters in the video. The anime itself works well with the song with all the scenes of dancing (funny dancing but dancing nonetheless).

I think if I was present during the AMV Contest when this video played at Anime Expo 2012 I probably would’ve voted for this to win. I’m just glad that many others thought the same and made sure it won.

Anime: Nichijou

Song: “Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats feat. dialogue from Futurama

Creator: Shin (tehninjarox)

Past AMVs of the Day

Song of the Day: Smoke Without Fire

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Lisa Marie Bowman

How much do I love the 2009 film An Education?

I love it so much that I once unfollowed someone on twitter when he said that he hated it. And even though I eventually refollowed the guy, it was on the condition that he rewatch An Education and fall in love with the film. Unfortunately, shortly after he promised to do just that, he announced that he felt that Rooney Mara was a better Girl with the Dragon Tattoo than Noomi Rapace and I had to unfollow him and his xenophobic film criticism. So, I’m not sure if he’s rewatched An Education but I doubt it.

As you may have guessed, I love An Education. It’s one of my favorite films of the past few years. The rest of you can have your Rooney Mara and your Avatar. I’m more than happy to watch and rewatch An Education, thank you very much.

Today’s song of the day plays over the end credits of An Education and, with its retro feel and smoky lyrics, it provides a perfect ending to a great film. Performed by Duffy and written by Duffy and Bernard Butler, Smoke Without Fire is the song of the day for June 29th, 2012.

Dance Scenes That I Love: Simon Zealotes/Poor Jerusalem from Jesus Christ Superstar

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today, Arleigh and Pantsukudasai have left town to attend the Anime Expo and I find myself momentarily alone here at the TSL Bunker, curled up on the couch in my beloved Pirates t-shirt and Hello Kitty panties, and cursing my asthma. As I lay here, it occurs to me that it’s been a while since I’ve shared a “scene that I love” here on the site. So, why not rectify that situation now?

Norman Jewison’s 1972 film version of Jesus Christ Superstar is a film that I’ve been meaning to review for a while but for now, I just want to share my favorite scene from that film, the performance of Simon Zealotes/Poor Jerusalem.

There’s several reasons I love that scene but mostly it just comes down to the fact that it captures the explosive energy that comes from watching a live performance. Larry Marshall (who plays Simon Zealotes) has one of the most fascinating faces that I’ve ever seen in film and when he sings, he sings as if the fate of the entire world depends on it. That said, I’ve never been sold on Ted Neely’s performance as Jesus but Carl Anderson burns with charisma in the role of Judas.

Mostly, however, I just love the choreography and watching the dancers. I guess that’s not that surprising considering just how important dance was (and still is, even if I’m now just dancing for fun) in my life but, to be honest, I’m probably one of the most hyper critical people out there when it comes to dance in film, regarding both the the way that it’s often choreographed and usually filmed. But this scene is probably about as close to perfect in both regards as I’ve ever seen. It goes beyond the fact that the dancers obviously have a lot of energy and enthusiasm and that they all look good while dancing. The great thing about the choreography in this scene is that it all feels so spontaneous. There’s less emphasis on technical perfection and more emphasis on capturing emotion and thought through movement. What I love is that the number is choreographed to make it appear as if not all of the dancers in this scene are on the exact same beat. Some of them appear to come in a second or two late, which is something that would have made a lot of my former teachers and choreographers scream and curse because, far too often, people become so obsessed with technical perfection that they forget that passion is just as important as perfect technique. (I’m biased, of course, because I’ve always been more passionate than perfect.) The dancers in this scene have a lot of passion and it’s thrilling to watch.

Song of the Day: How You Like Me Now? (Performed by The Heavy)

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today has not been a good day to be an asthmatic. Along with a high temperature in the triple digits, the air is full of all sorts of evil things that all seem to serve little purpose beyond inspiring me to reach for my inhaler.

On a miserable day like this, it only seems appropriate to make one of my favorite songs of all time the song of the day.

Ever since I first heard it used in a commercial featuring a Sock Monkey taking a road trip to Las Vegas with his friends, the robot and the weird red thing, I have been in love with the song How You Like Me Now? As performed by the British band The Heavy, How You Like Me Now is one of those songs that always makes me smile. The easiest way to get me excited about seeing a film is to include this song in the film’s ad campaign. Perhaps that explains why it’s shown up in trailers for everything from Faster to the Change-Up to the upcoming Ted.

For me, David O. Russell made perfect use of this song in his Oscar-nominated film The Fighter. Who can forget the sight of Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg strutting through the streets of Lowell while this song played on the soundtrack? It was an iconic scene, featuring an iconic song and I loved it.

AMV of the Day: Cherry – Chronicles of PHOTOpanic

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Arleigh

It’s early in the morning and insomnia has hit me quite hard so might as well pick the latest “AMV of the Day”.

The latest pick is a fan-service lover’s wet dream as it highlights the more pervy side of anime. This is all in fun and another reason why anime has continued to rise in popularity. All the anime chosen by the multiple editors in this video are not what you call hentai, but all of them typical teen-focused series that just happens to have an over-abundance of panty shots and over-reliance on boobs.

There’s no other way to describe this video other than it will either sell the entertainment that is anime or swear people off of them for good. In my past experiences I’d bet on the former than the latter.

Anime: Isekai no Seikishi Monogatari, Sora no Otoshimono, Bakemonogatari, Kamen no Maid Guy, Working!!, Hyakko, Futurama, Rosario + Vampire, Needless, Maria+Holic, B Gata H Kei, Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu

Song: “Cherry Pie” by Warrant

Creators: ManoD, Zevs1993, Rebellion, S.A Robert, LukW, J.Fry, Deidara94, Screenshot

Past AMVs of the Day

Song of the Day: Escape from New York – Main Theme (by John Carpenter)

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Arleigh

Just got back from watching what one would call a revisionist historical film (though I would also call it a speculative fiction) called Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Such fiction have always caught my interest. Maybe it’s the use of historical fact as the backdrop for fantastical fiction (horror, sci-fi, fantasy, etc…) that makes them fun to read and/or watch. Most tend to be average to awful, but once in awhile something great happens to come along. My latest “Song of the Day” comes from one of the great speculative fiction there is and also one of my favorite films ever: John Carpenter’s Escape from New York.

The “Main Theme” to this cult-classic is considered one of the most iconic piece of film score for a sci-fi/action film there is. The moment the synthesizer-based notes begin to play into the thumping bass line intro people know exactly what film it belongs to. It’s a testament to the creative genius that is John Carpenter that we have such a great piece of music. He didn’t just write and direct the film. He also composed the film’s score (with help from Alan Howarth) which contains the trademark synthesizer-heavy music Carpenter has made his trademark style for most of the films he’s worked on.

AMV of the Day: Remember My Name

Posted on June 16, 2012 by Arleigh

I’ve been looking for a new AMV that was very recently made (usually means in the last 3-4 months). Finding a good AMV is looking looking for anything creative. One must go through the dreck and dross before finding that diamond in the rough. One of the more recent ones that definitely qualifies as a gem makes it as my latest “AMV of the Day”.

“Remember My Name” is a Sheryl Nome-centric anime music video. Sheryl Nome is one of the main characters in the Macross Frontier series of anime (both tv series and OVA) and who also happens to be one of the most popular female characters in anime of the last couple years. At first I wasn’t too keen on the music used when I heard the first few moments then I realized the song used by the video’s creator (VivifxAMV) wasn’t just titled fame, but was actually a cover of the classic theme song from the film and tv series of the same name. This time around the song was covered by Naturi Naughton (have no idea, but she definitely killed it) and as I watched the video more to its conclusion the more I ended up really loving it.

The song really fits the character of Sheryl Nome very well. Sheryl is what one would call an idol in Japanese pop culture. Meaning she sings, dances, models and does everything else entertainment-wise while being managed by a powerful figure behind-the-scenes. Idols are huge is Japan and the only Western comparison I can make will be someone like Britney Spears and her ilk but ten times bigger in popularity in their home region.

“Remember My Name” is a great AMV of 2012 and my choosing of it for this on-going feature means I’ve also discovered a new AMV artist who I plan to follow closely with each new video made.

Song: “Fame” by Naturi Naughton

Creator: VivifxAMV

Past AMVs of the Day

Song of the Day: Wicked Game (by Chris Isaak)

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Arleigh

With the return of True Blood with a new season on HBO over the weekend meant the return of Jace Barrett’s theme song for the show. “Bad Things” is the theme song that almost everyone knows now whether they like the show or not. It’s a sexually suggestive and charged country song that also doesn’t rely on vulgar lyrics. The fact that it’s a country song is quite a surprise. But that’s not the song I picked for latest “Song of the Day”. Nope, the song I’ve chosen is what I’d call the precursor to the True Blood theme song: Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game”.

This song was originally released in 1989 as part of Isaak’s Heart Shaped World album, but didn’t reach pop hit status until it was chosen to become part of David Lynch’s Wild at Heart film in 1990. Constant request and radio airplay put the song into top ten hit status in early 1991 and it’s become one of those so-called “sexiest songs list” people tend to create. It’s a label that’s well-earned especially with the accompanying Herb Ritt’s directed black-and-white video starring Chris Isaak and supermodel Helena Christensen rolling around topless on the sand and surf of the beach setting.

I’ve always thought of this song as one of those everyone man should have in their playlist at their place. It’s a song that’s definitely earned the title of “song to close the deal”.

Wicked Game

The world was on fire and no one could save me but you.
It’s strange what desire will make foolish people do.
I never dreamed that I’d meet somebody like you.
And I never dreamed that I’d lose somebody like you.

No, I don’t want to fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)
No, I don’t want to fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)
With you (This world is only gonna break your heart)

What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way.
What a wicked thing to do, to let me dream of you.
What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way.
What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you and,

I want to fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)
No, I want to fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)
With you.

The world was on fire and no one could save me but you.
It’s strange what desire will make foolish people do.
I never dreamed that I’d love somebody like you.
And I never dreamed that I’d lose somebody like you,

No, I want to fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)
No, I want to fall in love (This world is only gonna break your heart)
With you (This world is only gonna break your heart)
No, I… (This world is only gonna break your heart)
(This world is only gonna break your heart)

Nobody loves no one.

AMV of the Day: Futuristic Lover (Bakemonogatari)

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Arleigh

It’s been almost a week since my last “AMV of the Day” entry and it’s time for a new one. My latest pick is short but it’s a really good one. To better tie it with pantsukudasai56 and his last post about how everyone should be watching the anime series Bakemonogatari this video is all about that anime.

It’s interesting how songs from singers and bands I usually wouldn’t be listening to would end up being ideal for making anime music videos (AMV). One such singer is Katy Perry whose songs remain quite popular with AMV creators. I’ve already profiled two AMV’s that uses Katy Perry songs with I Heart Tsundere and Fairy Tail Teenage Dream. This time around it’s a less pop sugary Katy Perry song with “E.T.” being used by creator OkamiRvS for the video “Futuristic Lover”.

The video is barely over an minute in a half and only uses part of the song used, but the overall effect of the video doesn’t suffer from it’s short length. In fact, I have a feeling extending the video to the length of the song’s full playtime would’ve made the AMV not as awesome. I like how even in the video’s short runtime OkamiRvS was still able to convey the supernatural theme of Bakemonogatari not to mention the weird harem-like relationship the series’ protagonist, Araragi, have with the different girls he encounters under some weird circumstances.

Definitely one of my favorite videos of 2011 (even though I only discovered it recently).

Anime: Bakemonogatari

Song: “E.T.” by Katy Perry

Creator: OkamiRvS

Past AMVs of the Day

Song of the Day: Faster (by Within Temptation)

Posted on June 2, 2012 by Arleigh

To help usher in the weekend I picked a new “Song of the Day” and this one comes from one metal band I’ve come to really enjoy listening to. The song I picked this time around is “Faster” by the Dutch symphonic/gothic metal band Within Temptation.

First off, this is the second time I’ve picked one of their songs for “Song of the Day.” A previous pick was “A Demon’s Fate” which also came from the same album as today’s pick and also one that was used on one of my favorite AMV in “Devil’s Game.” Just like that previous “Song of the Day” this latest pick of “Faster” was also used in a recent AMV that I had posted a couple months ago called “Fairytale of Lies”. Both songs make great use of the fast guitar tempo reminiscent of thrash meta that also makes use of some elements found in symphony orchestras to give the song that epic sound commonly found in power metal, but with a much more hard rock tempo.

“Faster” just takes off and soars from Sharon del Adel’s mezzo-soprano vocals that’s become the staple sound for most symphonic gothic metal bands. Sharon just belts out the lyrics like they’re coming out of the depths of Hell or coming down from the heights of Heaven. She’s not just a pretty face and with both “Faster” and “A Demon’s Fate” she’s proven to be one of the best female metal vocalists out there.

Faster

I can’t see, ’cause it’s burning deep inside
Like gasoline, a fire running wild
No more fear ’cause I’m getting closer now
So unreal, but I like it anyhow

I go faster and faster and faster and faster and faster and faster and faster

I can’t live in a fairy tale of lies
And I can’t hide from the feeling ’cause it’s right
And I go faster and faster and faster and faster for life
I can’t live in a fairy tale of lies

I can feel that you mesmerize my heart
I feel so free, I’m alive, I’m breaking out
I won’t give in ’cause I’m proud of all my scars
And I can see I’ve been wasting too much time

I go faster and faster and faster and faster and faster and faster and faster

And I can’t life in a fairy tale of lies
And I can’t hide from the feeling ’cause it’s right
And I go faster and faster and faster and faster for life
I can’t live in a fairy tale of lies

And I can’t live in a fairy tale of lies
And I can’t hide from the feeling ’cause it’s right
And I go faster and faster and faster and faster for life
And I can’t live in a fairy tale of lies

A fairy tale of lies