It's Multi-Media Wednesday! Put On Your Fantasy Hat!

Today I've got some goodies for you to watch ... I save video clips and slide shows of things I find either interesting or deliciously fun and entertaining. Usually my posts get so long that I can't ask people to read everything, look at all the photos, AND watch video. So, I've saved this post for some of my favorites!

On MMCA - Mixed Media Collage Artists - there is a different featured artist every month. This month we are featuring Claudia Roulier. I'm just fascinated with her work ... especially that evocative black bird assemblage! Enjoy the slide show - and if you would like to see more, and to read her artist statement, you will find her very spiffy website here and her blog by clicking here.

For those of us "of a certain age," Nina Hagen is an icon from our wild and crazy youth. Nina was an East German singer who was granted permission to leave the country because she - and her music - as well as her parents were very well-known East German critics. She became a pop singer early in her career, but went on to form several punk rock bands, and then came full circle.

This is a clip of Nina's outrageous, irreverant, and completely captivating version of Over the Rainbow, as sung at a Swedish pop concert in 1985. What a performer.



After hearing that, I"m sure you'll be as surprised as I was to find out that in her childhood in East Berlin, Ms. Hagen was considered an operatic child prodigy. And that her study of opera has never stopped! Here is her rendition of the famous Habanera from Carmen. It's difficult to believe that it's the same singer, isn't it! This clip is from a classical music concert in Tokyo.





I know I tend to go on and on about my love of all things French. But, just look at these exquisite antique copies of French translations of English books. Don't you think the bindings and illustrations are just beautiful?!



If you're a fan of Broadway songs, you are probably already familiar with YouTube favorite MissBroadwayDork. This young woman has been entertaining us for years on YouTube with her buttery smooth renditions of Broadway hits and misses. This particular song does sound like many of her other entries. I loved what she wrote about recording it: If the thought of a fat girl singing a sexual song disgusts you, don't watch?
It was another one of those I couldn't sleep so I'll sing a song about orgasming nights. I'll probably regret putting this up in the morning but it's all systems go right now. A re-do of one of the earlier songs I put up on youtube. I didn't realize the audio on my new camera was so poor compared to my old one so sorry about that. Next time I'll use the mic. Enjoy the outtake at the end. Beware the spit.
Anyway I can't wait for the movie.
If you enjoy it and would like to hear her sing some of the most lyrical Broadway songs ever, just do a YouTube search for MissBroadwayDork. Frankly, why Susan Boyle is an international hit and this talented and charming lady is completely unknown (outside of her YouTube fans) is beyond me.



Okay, put on your fantasy cap AND your enchantment glasses!

Made in 1898, G.A. Smith's 'Santa Claus' is a film of considerable technical ambition and accomplishment for its period. It uses pioneering visual effects in its depiction of a visit from St. Nicholas.

A former magic lanternist and hypnotist, Smith was one of the first British film-makers to make extensive use of special effects to create fantastical scenes. It comes as little surprise that Smith corresponded with the French pioneer Georges Méliès at about this time, as the two men shared a common goal in terms of creating an authentic cinema of illusion.



Imagine! 1898!! Fantastic!

As long as we're taking a stroll through the imagination of the past...can you imagine a song today about "Sweet Marijuana" being used in a main stream film?! Although the song is sung by the throaty-voiced Gertrude Michael, my favorite moment comes at 0:23 with the giggle by the blonde cutie. This is the fabulous Toby Wing (a starlet who was a cross between Mae West and Jean Harlow), a featured players in many films with her own star on the Walk of Fame, and all but forgotten today. This is from the movie, "Murder at the Vanities." If this song was in a popular main stream movie today, there would be an outcry of the destruction of Western civilization! I guess they had more of a sense of humor in 1934.


Is there any fantasy as fun and provocative as the Fantasy Woman? Here are two fantasy women who can sing, dance, and look damn fine doing it! Why? Because they're both women.



Of course, if Raquel and Cher weren't your style, you could always just switch the channel ... because on another network we had ...


Well, enough fantasies from the far and recent past. I'm going to leave you with two fantasies to look forward to! I can't wait for either of them!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_5_lzags3I
By the way, this is the new film which includes the song MissBroadwayDork sings above!
(I find it very disconcerting when YouTube cancels imbedding on a video and you have to post a link instead. Disconcerting? Nah. Infuriating! LOL But it's worth the click!)

Now that you've had your fantasy hats on, and hopefully you've been inspired by art, music, video and film, put on your creative hats and go make something beautiful!

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(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥