Not all of the videos in this post have to do with a school for gifted youngsters, but if you can find the special snowflake that does, then maybe there’s a place for you at that school, you know?
Here are this week’s top videos.
1. Mija and Vindata – “Better”
Have you ever, you know, just casually wondered what Mija‘s life is like? Or Vindata‘s? Or anyone under the OWSLA umbrella?
Well if you’ve reached that level of deep thinking, say no more because Mija’s new video with Vindata for their joint song “Better” pretty much answers that question.
Directed by Ryan Farber, the video follows both artists in various organic/ unscripted moments with each other and friends during Ultra Miami and a string of shows in L.A. It’s a cute little peek into OWSLA’s artist community, which was both the catalyst for their friendship and inspiration for the song.
As the press release that woke me up this morning says, “Both the video and song, with its uplifting message of “keeps on getting better,” focus on the importance of simplifying art and relationships into good vibes, good people and good times.”
2. What “Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” Would Look Like With Zombies
“Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising” is great and all, total Oscar-worthy stuff, but wouldn’t it be so much better if instead of hot, barely legal chicks causing all the ruckus, the turf war in the plot was sparked by bloodthirsty zombies?
It would. Thanks for asking.
That’s the central idea at place in Seth Rogen and Zac Efron’s zombie apocalypse makeover of “Neighbors 2,” and if you ask me, it’s a lot more pulse-pounding than watching the Sigma Nu girls be just plain rude to the family next door with the baby.
3. Danny L Harle – “Ashes of Love”
PC Music‘s member Danny L Harle has teamed up with Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek to produce “Ashes of Love,” a delightfully saccharine track that now has an equally saccaharine video.
I’m not sure what’s going on in this video; there’s like an avatar of Caroline drowning in a street flood while a giant real video of her face presides over the scene … but I like it.
4. The New New “Ghostbusters” Trailer
Remember how a few months ago, the trailer for the Paul Feig-directed “Ghostbusters” reboot generated a lot of heated debate about the project and everyone vehemently hated it? When the dust cleared, it actually ended up being the most disliked film trailer in YouTube history, a statistic which has since been shown to be the result of a bunch of trolls banding together for internet evil. And yes, it was because the core cast is all women.
But since the first trailer ticked off some sort of hypersensitive chord within people (which I get; there’s no Bill Murray in this version so I’m equally enraged), Sony has had to play it very careful with the marketing. There’s been a few more seconds of footage shown in an international trailer and several featurettes since, but nothing substantial … until now.
Containing almost all new footage, this bad boy puts less emphasis on the gags and more on the action and plot. There’s also a lot more visual effects and a darker tone than the goofier, more lighthearted first version. But perhaps most importantly there’s a lot more Chris Hemsworth in this new guy right here, and if that doesn’t warm the glacial hearts of every bitchy internet troll known to man … nothing will.
5. Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters
For anyone who feels like an outsider, like they don’t belong, and like they’d enjoy some excellent new friends.
6. Methyl Ethel – “Twilight Driving”
No matter how we grow and evolve, we will always, always love shitty VHS videos. Maybe it reminds us of our childhood, or maybe it’s their endearing irony in the face of 4K footage and Blue Ray DVDs, there’s no way to know for sure why they continue to tug at the heartstrings with such a firm grip.
Perfect example: Methyl Ethel‘s “Twilight Driving” video. Half Bauhaus-esque The Hunger intro, half shitty cable TV service from 1995 that you endured while you recovered from getting your wisdom teeth out, it’s a simple reminder of how sometimes 12 pixels can look better than 12,000. Plus the song’s so glorious that I don’t even have time to appreciate how hard it must have been to edit this old-ass TV within a new-ass living room.
