Wednesday Video Spotlight: Russian “Avengers” trailer features Tony Stark-Loki faceoff
Hey, that’s not fair.
The Russian trailer for “The Avengers” recently debuted online, and how come they get a clip (however brief) of the Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) face-to-face encounter? That wasn’t in the English-language preview we got a few months ago.
But you can see it here, and if you happen to speak Russian, so much the better!
Directed by Joss Whedon, “The Avengers” stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Tom Hiddleston as Loki.
It opens in theaters May 4 and is considered one of the most anticipated films of this New Year.
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: Kickstarter.com campaign raises $22,000+ for HD restoration of “Manos: The Hands of Fate”
The story I’m about to tell you is true. I promise. No matter how unbelievable it seems, this is happening:
A cinephile by the name of Benjamin Solovey is working on a high-definition restoration of the cult horror anti-classic “Manos: The Hands of Fate” for a future Blu-ray release.
Solovey has come by the original Ektachrome camera master of “Manos,” a low-budget horror film produced in 1966 by a small cast and crew in El Paso, Texas, and he wants to give film fans a chance to view a clearer, cleaner version of the movie than the blurry public domain VHS transfer ported to DVD now available.
Rumored to have been made on a bet, “Manos” is about a vacationing family who encounters a demon-worshiping cult led by the fearsome Master (Tom Neyman) and his freaky servant Torgo (John Reynolds). The movie had slipped into obscurity until “Mystery Science Theater 3000″ mocked it mercilessly in a 1993 episode that has become one of the most popular in the late, great TV series’ history. (It was actually re-released on DVD last year.)
Solovey started a Kickstarter.com campaign to help fund the HD restoration, with a goal of $10,000. The campaign has raised more than $22,000 and is continuing through Feb. 4. More than 300 people have backed the project.
Along with restoring the film’s visuals to their original, um, clarity – I couldn’t type greatness; my hands would not do it – Solovey plans on digitizing and restoring the soundtrack by an audio professional on a high-end mixing station. Yes, the haunting Torgo theme music will be new, improved and with us forever.
So, if the project goes as planned – and it seems to be going great guns right now – you will be able to buy on Blu-ray a copy of “Manos,” which MST3K’s Joel Hodgson described as “Every frame of this movie looks like someone’s last known photo.”
Wow.
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: Wilco and Billy Bragg play Woody Guthrie’s “California Stars”
In honor of today’s big news that the George Kaiser Family Foundation has purchased the complete Woody Guthrie Archives with plans to create a downtown Tulsa space to display the collection, check out this video of Wilco and Billy Bragg performing “California Stars.”
The bouncy song is included on the 1998 album “Mermaid Avenue,” which featured previously unheard lyrics written by Okemah native Guthrie that were put to music written and performed by the American alt-rock band and British troubadour.
Nora Guthrie, the late, great singer-songwriter’s daughter, has overseen the Woody Guthrie Archives and even housed them in her New York home up until now. She organized the “Mermaid Avenue” project and many others like it intended to set Woody Guthrie’s lyrics to music.
In 2012, music lovers around the world will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the late songwriting legend’s birth.
Born July 14, 1912, in Okemah, Guthrie was a prolific singer-songwriter with a gift for connecting to listeners through his “Dust Bowl Ballads,” children’s tunes and protest songs. Before he died Oct. 3, 1967, of Huntington’s disease, he had penned thousands of songs, letters and stories and created hundreds of paintings, drawings and cartoons, and many of those are included in the Woody Guthrie Archives bound for Tulsa.
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: Trent Reznor and Karen O’s “Immigrant Song,” featured in “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”
Trent Reznor and Karen O - "The Immigrant song"... by taimurl
Check out the video for Oscar-winner Trent Reznor and Karen O’s cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song,” featured on “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” soundtrack.
The three-disc soundtrack box set will be released next Tuesday, but director David Fincher’s hotly anticipated film adaptation of the late Stieg Larsson global best-seller opened in theaters this Tuesday.
Fueled by Rooney Mara’s fearless performance as cyberpunk Lisbeth Salander, Fincher’s version of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” lived up to the considerable hype. Right now, it is on my list of the top 10 films of 2011, and I don’t see that changing.
This may just be the best Zeppelin cover of all time, and it is prominently featured in what may just be the coolest opening credits sequence that doesn’t belong to a Bond movie.
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: Twinprov’s “Casino Lady”
Speaking of locally produced advertisements employing humorous rhymes, my pals Buck and Clint Vrazel of comedy duo Twinprov have developed “Casino Lady,” an epic rap battle for the love of a slot-machine love machine who frequents Thunderbird Casino’s Senior Citizen Discount Wednesday.
I’m a casino fan, but I’m a fan of this.
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: Love’s employees rap eloquent about the Bubba Stik
Need a last-minute Christmas gift idea? Two employees of Oklahoma City-based Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores have created a rap tribute to one of the convenience store chain’s more intriguing items: a walking stick with a metal head known as the Bubba Stik.
The music video includes a cameo from Love’s founder and CEO Tom Love.
My husband works for Love’s corporate office and tells me this video was shown at the company Christmas party. I applaud the company’s sense of humor and musicality.
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: Kyle Roberts pits Wolverine vs. Deadpool in stop-motion short
Up-and-coming film director and producer Kyle Roberts, owner of the Oklahoma City-based film company Reckless Abandonment Pictures and a videographer for NewsOK, has been up to more stop-motion animation cleverness during this holiday season, during which he debuted episode 3 of his “Marvelous Shorts” series.
Kyle shoots the “Marvelous Shorts” series with his nephews whenever he heads home over a holiday weekend, and this time, they pitted Wolverine against Deadpool and threw in a “Back to the Future” homage just for fun.
Check out the two previous installments in “Marvelous Shorts”:
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: All-American Rejects preview upcoming album
All-American Rejects, who hail from Stillwater, have released a series of promotional videos previewing their fourth studio album. Due out in spring, the new album will be the follow-up to AAR’s 2008 effort “When the World Comes Down.” You’ll notice that the band doesn’t reveal the album title in these videos.
Earlier this month, the band released “Someday’s Gone,” their first song and music video in three years. To download the song for free, click here.
Watch for flying f-bombs and other four-letter words in these videos:
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: RIP Harry Morgan
Actor Harry Morgan, best known for his roles on the TV series “M-A-S-H” and “Dragnet,” his roles in 50 films and his stint on Broadway, died today after suffering from pneumonia. He was 96.
Born in Detroit in 1915, Morgan was studying pre-law at the University of Chicago when public speaking classes sparked his interest in the stage, according to the Associated Press.
Before long, he was working with a little theater group in Washington, D.C., followed by a two-year stint on Broadway in the original production of “Golden Boy,” with Karl Malden and Lee J. Cobb. In 1942, he made his way to Hollywood.
Morgan appeared in mostly supporting roles on the big screen, playing opposite such stars as Henry Fonda, John Wayne, Elvis Presley and Dan Aykroyd. My favorite film in which he co-starred is “Support Your Local Sheriff,” the uproarious 1969 Western comedy starring Norman native James Garner.
One of his earliest films was “The Ox Bow Incident” in 1943 with Fonda. His other film credits include “High Noon,” ”What Price Glory,” ‘”‘The Apple Dumpling Gang” and “The Shootist.”
Morgan began his television career in 1954 when the medium was in its infancy, according to the AP. He was in 10 different series, but he is best known for playing the fatherly Col. Sherman Potter, who had a knack for colorful idioms and balancing military rules with wartime compassion. He won an Emmy and co-starred in one of the most successful and acclaimed TV series of all time.
Morgan is survived by three sons, Charles, Paul and Christopher; eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans.
-BAM
Wednesday Video Spotlight: “A Blackwatch Christmas” available for free, showcases Oklahoma musicians
Making of A Blackwatch Christmas 2011 Holiday Album (Presented by Fowler VW of Norman) from Nathan Poppe on Vimeo.
Fowler Volkswagen and Blackwatch Studios have teamed up to offer a holiday gift to indie music lovers — a free album filled with original holiday music from local musicians and a free holiday concert to follow.
Released this week, “A Blackwatch Christmas” features Oklahoma acts including Colourmusic, Ben Kilgore, Sherree Chamberlain, Ryan Lindsey, Samantha Crain and more.
Jarod Evans, owner and operator of Blackwatch, said the album includes nine original songs and one cover.
“There are moments in the album that feel instantly nostalgic, moments that make you want to party, and moments that hint at this being a comedy record,” Evans said in a news release. “When people get to walk away from the record store or the Christmas concert with a professionally pressed LP, it speaks highly of the music community here.”
The album is available for free download online at www.fowlervwchristmas.com. In addition, 1,000 free vinyl copies will be available at Fowler Volkswagen of Norman and several local businesses throughout the Oklahoma City metro area. Fowler VW will announce additional locations where vinyl copies are available through Twitter @FowlerVW and Facebook at www.Facebook.com/FowlerVW.
Fowler VW’s free annual holiday concert, featuring bands that contributed songs to A Blackwatch Christmas, will be at 8 p.m. Saturday in downtown Norman at FIVE, 412 E Main Street.
Fowler VW created the annual holiday album and concert concept and covered costs for manufacturing the album and hosting the concert, while Blackwatch Studios organized the album’s production. This is Fowler VW’s second free holiday album and concert, following 2010’s “Checking It Twice.”
“Part of our shop’s mission is to contribute to a community where local artists and musicians thrive,” said Fowler VW General Manager Jonathan Fowler in the release. “Through the annual album and concert, we’re hoping to spread some holiday cheer and also spread the word that Oklahoma has some exceptionally talented bands.”
Fowler, who is past chairman of the Norman Music Festival and on the board of the Academy of Contemporary Music at the University of Central Oklahoma, said the future of Oklahoma’s music industry is bright.
“We’ve got incredible musicians and an incredible support system of businesses and nonprofits that are all working together to build a nationally recognized music industry in Oklahoma. ‘A Blackwatch Christmas’ is a great example of the arts and business coming together to take another step toward accomplishing that goal,” he said in the release.
In this Video Spotlight, check out this making-of video filmed by former The Oklahoman interns and BAM’s Blog contributors Nathan Poppe and Matt Carney.
And check out the album’s track listing after the break.
