It’s a Monday and that obviously means it is time we kick things into action with another review! I am Kristan and alongside my partner in crime, Gavin, we have formed this lovely blog called Life Serial which is affectionately named after a Buffy episode. Go TiVo it! But today I’m not talking about Buffy, oh no. I’m talking about one of my favorite bands on this planet, U2.
With their singles album U218 Singles (or ‘Greatest Hits’) having came out within the last few months, I picked up a copy of the DVD with all the videos from the cd on it. After watching a lot of them, this is the one that I found most enjoyment in. “The Sweetest Thing”. If you watched the YouTube video above, you’ll probably feel the same. Even if you don’t like U2, you will enjoy this video.
Bono sits down in a horse drawn carriage and immediately breaks the forth wall and stares at the camera. Acting as a mime and letting the song and the things surrounding him tell the story, you are immediately entertained by his charm without even saying a word. There are banners that they pass above them saying “I’m Sorry…” and background singers that will make you laugh just because of their existence. When a car drives up beside Bono in the carriage, you immediately realize it’s the rest of the band playing along. A full marching band eventually follows Bono and in the middle of the video you are just hoping this woman he is singing to forgives the poor guy.
Dancing firefighters and an elephant with I’M SORRY on it’s head fly through the video until the ending where a halo appears above Bono’s head and he mouths I’m Sorry to the camera. The best ending that you could possibly imagine to such a weird but awesome video.
Overall, this is one of the most original music videos I’ve seen and probably one of my favorites that never gets old.
If you haven’t caught on yet, the creators of this little corner of the internet are huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel fans. Coincidentally, the creators of this site met through a love of Buffy. Anyway, I should probably introduce myself before I go any further: I’m Gavin Eddings. I have been doing reviews in various mediums (Public Access, YouTube, my old website) for about the past 4 years. I am a cinephile in the purist form and I cannot get enough of television and film, you know, when I can find time for it. So it brings me great pride and happiness that Kristan, the better half and true creator of this site, asked me to be a contributor to this crazy thing called Life Serial. We are here to bring you the goods (the “goods” being reviews, not anything you can snort or shoot) about the latest DVD releases, TV shows, Music aka “The Kristan Department”, movies, and maybe the occasional sports related thing. With that said, lets kick off this crazy train of fun and celebrate some monkey pants, shall we?
Veronica Mars: The Complete First Season on DVD
More than your typical teenage drama
A show I have recently gotten into is Veronica Mars. This UPN show premiered way back in a year called 2004. Ahh, yes, 2004, awkward teenage years in full swing, self-loathing and insecurities about the inability to grow facial hair plaguing my fragile mind. Good times, good times. Anyway, Veronica Mars is a show about a girl (can you guess her name?) whose father is a private detective. They live in a place called Neptune in California. Veronica Mars has to deal with everyday teenager stuff, along with trying to solve the murder of her best friend. How’s that for stress?
The first season starts off the way most shows do: introduce some characters, give some background about what happened before the series started and go from there. One thing that makes Veronica Mars unique though, is the fact that it is serialized in a way that makes you keep wanting to watch. The mysteries surrounding all of the students at Neptune High will keep you guessing all the way to the end. Which will probably come sooner than you think because you will not be able to stop watching. Sure, at first glance, it may seem like just another teen show with a teenager going through some high school weirdness. You may be put off by the attractive cast (Kristen Bell anyone?) and assume that it is just some more fluff produced in the vein of One Tree Hill or the OC. Last time I checked though, people really don’t get involved with cults or have to investigate whether a a teacher had an affair with a student on those other shows.
Veronica Mars makes the bold move of putting stuff on the screen that isn’t quite so screen friendly. As not to ruin a huge part of the mid-to-late season subplot of the show, I won’t mention one of the huge taboos they implicate. Seriously, you will be wondering how they got a lot of this stuff past the censors. The show manages to push the envelope without becoming trashy and that is a good thing.
The show is very well acted, which is mildly surprising, considering many actors need at least a season to get full into their characters. Not Veronica Mars. The moments these talented people jump onto the screen they own who they are. The writing on the show is also very well done and the dialogue is very witty and fast. Kind of reminds me of another show I really love….hmmm….
Obviously, a comparison to Buffy has to be made somewhat as the back of the box clearly says “It’s a little bit Buffy.” One thing that can be said about the first season of Veronica Mars, as opposed to the first season of BtVS, is the fact that Veronica Mars stays consistent in its story. Sure, there are a few clunker episodes, but the good and great far outweigh the bad. The only real complaint I have with the first season of VM is the ending seemed very rushed during the last couple episodes. It seemed rushed as many of the mysteries that had been ongoing all season long seemed choppy in the execution of the “big reveals.”
All in all, the first season did not disappoint and I am glad I blind bought the first two seasons on Black Friday this year. I cannot wait to start the second season and see what Neptune has in store for me.
Final Score:4/5
With that said, here is just a little taste of what the show is like.
