Films and Veganism: Community

Favorites of 2012

February 01, 2013

Looking back on the first year:

From film reviews to (vegan) product reviews, the discussion of past and present television series as well as music-related posts, and a few vegan recipes, Films and Veganism presents a compiled overview of a few of those favorites.

Films

1. PASSION PLAY - Mixed-genre Romance

2. HIT & RUN - Comedy Adventure

3. WELCOME TO THE RILEYS - Independent Drama

4. SKYFALL - Action

5. MOONRISE KINGDOM - A Comedy Adventure Romance with style

Television

1. Favored comedy series mentioned twice: COMMUNITY

Just Can't Get Enough Community // Law & Order-Community Infusion

Music

Thoughts on LANA DEL REY and her influence on modern culture.

"Del Rey, with her unique music style, and overall vintage style, infused with her jazzy-reminiscent voice, is one that sonically carries through airways loud, almost erotically intoxicating, and evocative."

BRINDO - a sweet song embedded within a sunglasses advertizement that appears as an intimate music video

Veganism

1. THE VEGAN FAJITA - a real, original recipe

2. MASSIVE FLATBREAD SUB-LIKE WRAPS

3. MEATLESS VEGAN-BALL BURGER

4. STRAWBERRY-DATE TURTLES - Raw vegan recipe

5. VEGAN ICE CREAM - miniature chocolate chuck ice cream sandwiches

Food and Film

1. SNACK ATTACK - Probars and Attack of the 50 foot Woman

2. PULP FICTION & THE VEGAN BURGER

film/television photos: Google Images

comedy

A Law & Order-Community Infusion

August 07, 2012

"Basic Lupine Urology" is an absolutely hilarious and creative episode of Community, shot Law & Order style with creator, Dick Wolf. You know a television show is stellar when you can see the effort is filled with clever creativity and the attention of detail is applied to every contributing element, resulting in something superb from beginning to end.

This is one of Community's best episodes! Similar to "Remedial Chaos Theory", it is episode I would share and recommend to those who aren't familiar with Community.

In "Basic Lupine Urology" the group is assigned to a biology project of growing yams but when the group discovers that their "A+" yam has been smashed and destroyed, the story soon turns into a Law & Order yam-homicide mystery that must be solved. Between Troy and Abed taking on the good cop/bad cop routines, Sherley taking on the part of supervisor/coordinator leading to the possible sources, Brita's troubles with the picture-taking, Anne and Jeff as both the other investigative police and lawyers of the trial, while everyone else either helping with assistance or assumed a suspect of the crime. Basically, there were several roles that were precise in their embodiment.

The integration of Community's silly and chaotic elements blended with a super melodramatic parody of Law and Order seriousness is a spot-on portrayal from start to finish, everything was synthesized.
Even the introduction into the show was an amazing and super catchy fusion of the two. The writing, dialogue, wardrobe, mise-en-scene, editing/filming techniques, and strong commitment to the roles described above all stylistically come together to provide the overall feel of the episode which goes beyond just resembling that Law & Order feel, but re-creates it with good precision.

comedy

Just Can't Get Enough Community

April 06, 2012

If there's one television series that I absolutely love and favor most, I have to say it is NBC's comedy Community. It is one of the most versatile television series with the most versatile and contrasting characters and situations currently on television.

Photo: NBC Universal, Dan Harmon, Sony Pictures.

When Community was on hiatus (mid-season), NBC just didn't quite seem the same. Luckily, a variety of other comedies still brightened the screen with their presence. Some may be funnier than others, but none-the-less still entertaining. All in all, I'm glad Community is back and finishing the third season.

Community is a series that stands out so much because of it's unique, bizarre, and comedic attributes. Whenever I start watching this show, I can't stop watching it. It's just that entertainingly amazing. And I'm sure there are many others who would agree. When NBC had it on hiatus, there was an uproar from fans all over the internet. And I'm glad there were so many people who did something about it. So I think a thanks is in order to all the bloggers and writers who really achieved the goal of bring it back to television.

Rewind to Remedial Chaos

One of my favorite and perhaps one of the most memorable episodes of Community is the "Remedial Chaos Theory." It's a really thought-provoking episode in which the characters are playing a game of Yahtzee at Troy and Abed's new apartment. Much like the title, it's filled with non-stop chaos, timelines, all with a reoccurring side of a famous song by The Police, Roxanne. But of course, seeing that this is Community, it was no ordinary game of Yahtzee... Seeing that they don't even play the game.


Community. Season 3, Episode 4. Remedial Chaos Theory. Photo source: EW.com, NBC Universal

Another thing I love about this episode, is how complex it really is. Not only does it bring about thoughts of multiple timelines, and how the course of time and events can change by the slightest thing, but also the relationships between characters. When you think about how different the characters present themselves depending on the presence and/or absence of certain group members- if you've seen the episode, you probably already know the concept I'm trying to convey. Anyway, it's great how the episode really focuses on the simple fact that people are different depending on who is or isn't around.

Photo: Season 3, Episode 8. Community (2011). NBC Universal, Dan Harmon.

Mid-way through the third season, they left viewers guessing what is going on with Troy and Britta, wondering what will happen next. Even I was sort of curious to see what was going to happen with the two.. Perhaps they might bring it up in the next season..:?

Fast-Forwarding

As Community continues, it doesn't disappoint.

Photo: Season 3, Episode 11. Community (2012). NBC Universal, Dan Harmon.

In the season three, mid-season return episode titled, "Urban Matrimony and the Sandwich Arts" revolves around Shirley finding a balance between renewing vows with Andre (which, from a feminist standpoint, appears not to be the best decision for her character as an independent, almost-starting-a-business woman considering the fact that she has been mistreated and abandoned by this so-called 'man' of whom represents many unfortunately true stereotypes of the black man) and a business proposal with Pierce; and of course it's not that simple (no television episode is). But it all comes together nicely in the end of the episode. I also noticed that other writers/television critics have been claiming/considering this particular episode as more "Shirley-centric", which made me think and realize another brilliant part of Community which is ..

The way an episode can focus on one character without leaving the others left out. This method is executed so well throughout the entire series that viewers might not even realize that an episode is heavily centering around a certain character. And even if a viewer does realize this, it doesn't take away or limit the substance of the episode itself.

Community Season 3, Episode 11 (2012)
Photo: NBC Universal, Dan Harmon

From Troy and Abed proving that it's good to be weird (or in other words, oneself), to Britta and Jeff's issues with whole idea of marriage, and Annie just looking forward to the celebration, you can already guess that a lot of things are bound happen in this episode.

I realize that the video below is from a completely different episode of Community (season 3, episode 6), but it's a great clip of Troy and Abed that exemplifies their whimsical, imaginative adventures:

Community. Season 3, Episode 6.
Video: NBC Universal, Harmon

Photo: Season 3, Episode 11. Community (2012). NBC Universal, Dan Harmon.

Though, I have to say, one of my favorite quotes from this episode, a statement, or analogy, for which I agree, "Weddings are like little girls' tea parties. Except the women are the stuffed animals, the men are making them talk, and they're not drinking tea, they're drinking antiquated gender roles" a line spoken forcefully by the strong feminist, activist-driven Britta.

Community. Season 3, Episode 14. "Pillows and Blankets."
Photo: NBC Universal, Dan Harmon. (2012).

I know I left a lot of things out, as well as a few characters, but when it comes to Community, there's just so much to talk about, so much more and highly detailed analysis that I could discuss but it would be take a lot of time, thought, and writing.

But if there's one thing to be sure of about Community, it's that you never really know what will happen next.

Three years later...
Update:

You can watch the final season of Community at Yahoo.com
And order Community seasons at Amazon from Sony Pictures.

Photos/Videos: NBC Universal, Sony Pictures, Harmon. (2011, 2012).

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