I am in constant amazement at what people put up on YouTube. In some cases, I am infinitely, eternally grateful to them; in many other cases, I just scratch my head and move along. Here's an example of a person who has spent weeks and possibly months putting stuff up, but may someday get nabbed by the "three strikes" copyright rule that constitutes the sum and substance of YouTube's enforcement policy (it makes no sense, it's not fair, it doesn't actually combat copyright violation in any way, shape, or form — but then again, they don't allow any sort of nudity but permit extreme violence and wild-ass cursing, so who the hell knows what they're up to). This poster is putting up entire feature films, feature films that have actually been released on DVD in the U.S., but is doing it rather oddly: a scene or two at a time. Instead of posting the maximum 10 minutes at a time, or just springing for a director account, where you can post long stretches of video, this person is posting things...ever...so...slowly. His/her specialty is Marianne Faithfull (thus the nick) and Debbie Harry (one of the most glamorously bored performers ever to grace the music world, but I still do love her in her prime). He also puts up entire episodes of Reba, has put up the entirety of Hairspray (the John Waters original), and several Catherine Deneueve movies, including The Hunger and Belle De Jour. All the films look curiously squeezed, and every one of them is represented by several dozen posts (Performance took him/her 4 dozens posts). This is a very dedicated person, but perhaps the times at which this posting-a-few-minutes-at-a-time is positively ANNOYING is when underground films, that are not on DVD, are sliced and diced. Jonas Mekas' portrait of Andy Warhol, Warhol's own Symphony of Sound with the Velvets and Nico, and Kenneth Anger's indelible and pretty much perfect Scorpio Rising are all present — for the moment — on YT, but in little shards that completely the break the films to shit. Thus, I salute this person's dedicated approach, but gotta ask the question: why?
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=mariannefaithfull
UPDATE: Of course, the blade fell, and this poster was thrown off of YT. A shame because it would be great if we could still share some of the material he/she shared (I wonder if the Warhol people were as adamant as the majors — it's happened before....). Putting up entire mainstream-release features? It's only a matter of time....
Thursday, July 19, 2007
A '60s Childhood in NYC: Soupy, Sandy, and Chuck
I was born just a few years too late to have experienced these gents when they were doing their insanely mod, anarchic thing on local NYC TV stations, but they definitely elevated the kiddie show into the status of cult viewing for college age and older. They used vaudeville and burlesque bits, had a tech-crew in-studio that seemed to adore them, and they never, ever talked down to their viewers, whether they were 6 or 60. They acknowledged the hoariness of some of their gags, but in some cases they stole from the best (from Laurel and Hardy to Kovacs), and that's why you can watch their "children's shows" today and still be amused and amazed at what they did with no budget.
Here's an interview the late, much missed cranky Ch. 5 reviewer Stewart Klein did with Sandy, Soupy, and the "commercial ranger" on Captain VIdeo (with some awesome clips!):
Click here if the above doesn't work.
Here's just one sample of the SOUP, how we love him in the Funhouse (one rendition of the "Mouse," babies!). Why won't this one be appearing on DVD anytime soon? The Bela Lugosi mask sported by an onlooker (betcha Bela Jr. would want a clearance on that!):
Click here if the above doesn't work.
here's a sample of Sandy
Click here if the above doesn't work.
and one of the Chuckster, a man among men, and a gagster supreme:
Click here if the above doesn't work.
And here's the contributions of the gent who posted all these lovely material (full shows of all three of the above):
http://www.youtube.com/user/sandysoup
And, finally, let's hear it for the '70s, the decade where I grew into some kind of youth. A clip from Bob McAllister's Wonderama. This stuff was really intended for kids, as you'll see:
Click here if the above doesn't work.
Here's an interview the late, much missed cranky Ch. 5 reviewer Stewart Klein did with Sandy, Soupy, and the "commercial ranger" on Captain VIdeo (with some awesome clips!):
Click here if the above doesn't work.
Here's just one sample of the SOUP, how we love him in the Funhouse (one rendition of the "Mouse," babies!). Why won't this one be appearing on DVD anytime soon? The Bela Lugosi mask sported by an onlooker (betcha Bela Jr. would want a clearance on that!):
Click here if the above doesn't work.
here's a sample of Sandy
Click here if the above doesn't work.
and one of the Chuckster, a man among men, and a gagster supreme:
Click here if the above doesn't work.
And here's the contributions of the gent who posted all these lovely material (full shows of all three of the above):
http://www.youtube.com/user/sandysoup
And, finally, let's hear it for the '70s, the decade where I grew into some kind of youth. A clip from Bob McAllister's Wonderama. This stuff was really intended for kids, as you'll see:
Click here if the above doesn't work.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)