Altered Television: Clyde Smith's Video Picks

Altered Television Completes Mission

The Altered Television concept, videos chosen because I wanted to watch them over and over again, has run dry.  In fact, it's been violated with the Orson Welles catastrophe, a video that I never want to watch again.

Clay Richards seems to know what he's doing at The Postmodern Anarchist.  I'm going to keep an eye on his activities and perhaps emerge with something new in response.

Whatever else happens, my basic mission to find a no stress way to explore video by playing with what I liked was a success.  Yay!

Orson Welles: Drunken Commercial Outtakes

Lyrical Swords, Vol. 2: Westside Rebellion

Online commercial for Adisa's Banjoko's book Lyrical Swords, Vol. 2: Westside Rebellion.

Intro to Samurai Champloo

Little Loca and her Little Dog

YouTube superstar Brookers got signed to some kind of deal with Carson Daly off her YouTube videos.  Though I'm not a fan of Brookers, I have been checking out some of these YouTube stars and I've been particularly drawn to Little Loca.

Loca has inspired imitators, detractors and claims that she's an actress faking her backstory.  Whatever.  I just dig this video, though it's a bit long.  I'd rather not post anything over 3 minutes but Loca's got things to say!

Jump Boots for Everyone!

Whoa!

Two Chinese Boys Want It That Way

Since the RIAA may be cracking down on people who make videos of themselves lipsyncing and dancing to recorded music (one of the cool oddities of YouTube), I thought I should bring you my favorite lipsyncers doing the Backstreet Boys' I Want It That Way.

These two have inspired imitators, impersonators and even a fake weblog according to comments at YouTube.  I may never know who they are but I'm impressed by their abilities that are only fully evident if you watch all the way through.  Plus, there are outtakes at the end!

Backwoods Rube Goldberg Device

After backdating a post with the Honda Accord/Rube Goldberg commercial, I found this cool version of a backwoods Goldberg device from a Make magazine video podcast.  My one complaint is that they should have cut down the trees that block their camera angles (just kidding)!

Why I Dig Vee Dub

I was surprised when I posted one of the Volkswagen Vee Dub commercials at ProHipHop and didn't get any flak.  Their relationship to hip hop is quite superficial and I like them for other reasons entirely.

This particular commercial is the closest to perfect of the lot (I'm a little disappointed with how the automobile destruction revealing the VW is handled in this one).  The timing and editing are really incredible and the female character works well, though I have absolutely no interest in seeing her again, nor in seeing the loser character, though he works just fine as a foil.

It's the actor who plays Vee Dub who amazes me.  The rhythms of his weird phrasing and facial expressions are so perfectly timed and perfectly strange that I can watch this commercial over and over again without getting sick of it.  To me, it's a short film featuring Vee Dub and the other characters and cars are all there to give him the opportunity to make his bizarre magic.

Look Out! She's Got A Knife!

If you spend any time on YouTube, you've probably encountered this chick with a knife.

Now that's hot!