Category Archives: video

In Honor of Friday the 13th

Behold: All of Jason Voorhees’ kills from Friday the 13th Part 2 all the way through the 2009 remake. Enjoy!

 
(Hey, I’m a horror movie buff. What did you expect today?)

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“Owsiiiiiiiiiide!”

On the days I get to work from home, I make a point to send Rich a cute video or picture of Coraline to help his workday go a little faster. These days Coraline is all about going outside, which she pronounces “owsiiiiide,” so I figured our quick afternoon sojourn on the side patio was a good opportunity to film a short video for her poppa. (filmed 4/11/12)

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My Happy for the Day: Bathtime Fun

I saw this on the Ellen show the other day, and it makes me laugh every time I watch it. This is a good indicator of the kind of thing we can’t wait to experience when Coraline’s a bit older: bathtime and giggles. Of course, with a dog like Troubadour, she very well may end up sharing the tub if she taunts him with toys. I dare you to watch this and not laugh. I’m pretty sure that’s impossible.

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MLK

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My Happy for the Day: Coraline Hits the Gym

This is one of my favorite things these days: watching Coraline play on her gym. She “talks” to the flashing, smiling sun at the top of it, the one that blinks in time with the music. She’s just now started grabbing the toys that hang from it and staring at her reflection in the mirror. Filmed on 1/5, 11, when she was 104 days old.

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My Happy for the Day:

Watching Addams Family Values every Thanksgiving has become something of a tradition for me, mostly because of the sublime ridiculousness of Gary’s politically incorrect play about the first Thanksgiving. The song featuring Pugsley dressed as a turkey singing “eat me!” is of course a huge part of that. Enjoy, and happy Thanksgiving!

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Faves: Musical Movie Scenes

Song Lyric of the Day:

It’s tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that’s right on time / It’s Tricky

Wow, it’s been longer than I realized since I put together one of these lists. So here I am. If you read this blog even occasionally, you know how much I love my music. To that end, I thought I’d share some of my favorite movie scenes set to music. These are the scenes I inevitably think of whenever I hear the songs associated with them. I will say there are some glaring omissions (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off‘s “Twist and Shout,” to name one) thanks to some strict copyright enforcement. Party poopers. Anyhoo, here are some of my faves. That I legally found online. OK, legally that I know of.

“Puttin’ on the Ritz” – performed by Gene Wilder and Peter Boyle, Young Frankenstein

If there’s any scene in this classic comedy — which I’ve pretty much memorized I’ve watched it so much — that epitomizes its warped sense of humor, this is it. And to think Mel Brooks didn’t think Gene Wilder’s idea would work. Good thing he caved, though, since the movie is richer for it.
“Build Me Up Buttercup” – The Foundations, There’s Something About Mary
I love the silliness of the cast lip-synching to “Build Me Up Buttercup” as the end credits roll. Not only is it memorable in that it’s a catchy song, but for me it really embodies the heart of what is, despite the zaniness and gross-out jokes, a really funny movie with a genuine sweetness to it. Added bonus: Even the smallest bit players get their moment to shine.
“It’s Tricky” – Run-DMC, Road Trip
Take one seriously skinny, tall, gawky white kid and have him attempt a step dance with an African-American fraternity (set at UT Knoxville, no less), and what do you get? DJ Qualls’ hilarious quasi-Irish dancing in Road Trip.
“Canzonetta sull’aria” – Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, The Shawshank Redemption
One of the most beautiful, simple, and heartbreaking scenes I’ve ever seen in any movie, ever. Red’s narration that even though he didn’t know what those Italian women were singing, he “… like(d) to think they were singing about something so beautiful, it can’t be expressed in words, and makes your heart ache because of it.” Which sums up the scene perfectly.
“Don’t Stop Me Now” – Queen, Shaun of the Dead
One of my all-time favorite bands plus my favorite romzomcom equals awesomeness. A pool-cue beating keeping time with the music makes for a fun moment right before the perfect storm of zombie shotgun killings to come.
“Paradise City” – Guns N’ Roses, Can’t Hardly Wait
Of all the associations I have with movie scenes set to music, this is the one that makes me laugh the hardest. I blame it on Charlie Korsmo’s awesome leap back onstage after passing out when two girls flash him. Of course, he may also be the reason Loveburger never did get around to performing.
What are some of your favorite musical movie scenes?

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Remembering Ryan Means

Song Lyric of the Day:

Oh good people’ve been here over ten thousand years / Everyone bright as shining sun / We’ve got no less days to sing God’s praise / From the time that we begun

Cat Power & Dirty Delta Blues / “Amazing Grace

On July 13, 2009, I wrote a post about the passing of 35-year-old Staff Sgt. Ryan Means. The story behind what led me to write about — and be so affected by — Ryan’s passing began with another blog post, one I wrote to commemorate the fifth anniversary of 9/11. For it was in that post that I eulogized another young man, Adam Shelby White, who happened to be Ryan’s best friend. It seems only fitting that two of the posts that were so emotionally hard for me to write still resonate years later. Since my posts about Adam and Ryan, I’ve received comments from and exchanged e-mails with Adam’s father, Ryan’s niece, some of Adam’s friends, and, most recently, Ryan’s Aunt Ann and one of his brothers, Tommy. Thanks to the combined graciousness of Tommy and Ann, they’re allowing me to share the beautiful tribute video Tommy made for his brother to memorialize Ryan on Memorial Day 2010. The video begins with Ryan’s burial at Arlington National Cemetery on August 3, 2009. It ends with photos of Ryan with family, friends, and his Army unit, many showcasing his sense of humor (I’m particularly fond of the one with his daughter on the massage table). One of the most poignant photos is the next-to-last one, a black-and-white photo of a young Ryan holding a young Adam on his shoulders.

I knew before clicking on play that the video would be hard for me to watch. And I did cry for Ryan and his family all over again. But I like to think that maybe, in even the tiniest way, his family knows that I (and other strangers throughout the world) share their grief and they’re not alone in remembering this brave young man, husband, father, son, and brother, and that it helps them a little. I know it helps me.

Ryan Means Tribute Film from Tommy Means on Vimeo.

My eternal gratitude to the Means family for sharing their story with me, and for letting me share it with others.

Please stop by the site for Ryan’s daughters, The Sophie and Elizabeth Education Fund.

Visit the Ryan Patman Means Tribute Page on Facebook.
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My Happy for the Day: The Orangutan and the Hound

A friend sent this to me late yesterday. It’s a video from a National Geographic show about the amazing friendship between — you guessed it — an orangutan and a hound dog. Being the animal lover that I am, I just love stories like these. If only we humans could be so accepting of others, right?

Watch more National Geographic Channel videos on AOL Video

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Christmas Faves: A Charlie Brown Christmas

One of my favorite Christmas specials as a child was a A Charlie Brown Christmas. And although I haven’t sat down to watch it in its entirety in a few years, I thought I’d include it among my Christmas Faves since it still holds a special place in my heart. I also thought I’d share it since I know how much my sister loves it, and it’s nice to share some Christmas cheer with a loved one.

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