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.

• 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

film/television photos: Google Images

 Recently I've become what might be, dare I say, addicted with fascination to Lana Del Rey's music.  For a while it seemed as if audiences were either abrasively critical of her work or in complete contrast, obsessed by it. And I admit, I have become the latter.



Lana Del Rey (formerly, Elizabeth W. Grant/Lizzy Grant) is both a somewhat controversial figure and almost infamous singer known for the provocative nature embedded within her songs and visually illustrated throughout her music videos. "You Can Be the Boss" was the first song of hers I heard and was one of which I instantaneously fell in love.

 But the I more listened to her music and the unique delivery wrapped up by an almost dangerous vulnerability and shaded morose feeling behind it, the more I grew accustom to it- and thus, could not stop listening.



In an interview, Del Rey explained her use of incorporating clips displaying certain themes that were meaningful to her in some way, in her own music videos in such as "Carmen", "Brite Lites", and the favored, "Video Games."



She is an artist that immerses much of herself, beyond what is comfortable, into her work. If you were to see any of her live performances to songs like "Carmen" or "Body Electric", you could easily observe that these songs are something very personal and close to her- not only as an artist, but as a writer as well. In Del Rey's music, various elements of youth-driven life, a spontaneously wild and fragmented living through intense or impulsive emotions, is suggested. For instance the popular quote from Ride, "Live fast. Die young. Be wild. Have fun." For some it may seem elusive as to what concrete situations and issues she alludes to; while for others, it's quite obvious. Listeners and Del Rey, herself, have made the claim that the female characters she sings about are actually herself, pieces reflecting her past.

Still from Video Games

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.


~



I get chills every time I hear Body Electric. Apparently there is a series of amazing unreleased songs all over the place. If you come across any, I highly recommend Cola, Gods & Monsters, and American. Last video for the post title= Put Me in a Movie.






Photos: Google Images

Photo: erandiadame at tumblr

I recently came across a "preview" story from the modern and innovative site by the name of Nowness- also the place where you can read all about the video itself. But this little video is one of which I have come to favor. With quite an artful cinematography and its leading beautiful song, Brindo, created by artist Devendra Banhart, depicts a very intimate portrait that when I first saw, before the ending and without reading anything about, wondered "what's up with the sunglasses?"




Despite the fact that it is an advertisement for Oliver Peoples Eyewear, it's still a pretty nice video with an aesthetic that embraces a relaxed feel.

Usually, I wouldn't mix music into this already broad-topic of a blog unless it was done subtly. But the revisted 'Fight for Your Right' is more than just a music video. It is a short film that consists mostly of Beastie montage scenes showing the cast's egregious and silly antics.

When I saw Elijah Wood as a guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, he brought up an interesting topic regarding the shoot of a Beastie Boys video. The short clip of the music video showed Wood, Seth Rogen, and Danny McBride posing as the young Beastie Boy members through fish-eye lens.
It wasn't until I finally saw the short film in its entirety that I noticed the hilarious cornucopia of numerous famous faces in the film/television industry including Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Ted Danson, Orlando Bloom and many other recognizable figures. Interestingly enough, this is film creation where all of the extras are actually very famous figures making their own significant cameos. Never have I seen so many cameos in such a short time.


The film and editing techniques extraordinarily intensify the situational occurances while the blasting 'Beastie' music which altogether gives the film that classic Beastie Boys' feel.



Youtube, Beastie Boys, Capital Records (2011)


I think that taught an important lesson: Don't forget to "make some noise" as you "fight for your right to party."