Given how often I sound edit and mix the sort of corporate/ industrial material parodied by this video, I thought I knew exactly how to approach this project for Dan Schneidkraut-- a mock promo for "Proxcorp’s groundbreaking despair management solution, Dulzipan." Nope! Turns out Dan wanted something of an unorthodox sensibility-- VO buried somewhat, no real audio accents-- because the piece clearly just plain wasn’t weird enough as it was. This video is one facet of, shall we say, a larger project that threatens to reveal itself eventually. For now, poke around the web site, and be disturbed! Also features the talents of Amanda Day, Ryan Schadalee, and others.
Some stuff I’ve been enjoying recently in the TV/ streaming realm.
THE AMERICANS
(Drama/ Thriller; Originally on FX; now available on Amazon Prime)
One of the best TV shows I’ve ever seen, depicting a pair of 1980s Soviet agents posing as a “normal” American couple in the suburbs of DC. In particular the acting is quite nuanced, suggesting strong direction as well.
I’m also a big fan of the dizzyingly complex opening credits, which are broken down well here.
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THE CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA
(Horror/ Comedy; Netflix)
This show is apparently based on an old Archie comic or something. Anyway, I love what’s it’s been rebooted as: it’s kind of like an American take on Hammer horror with a fair amount of comedy sprinkled in. There’s an awful lot going on here, so it’s difficult to explain briefly. But if a campy brew of witches, demons, clairvoyance, shapeshifting, and undead stuff sounds appealing to you, then check it out. The lighting and overall production design are particularly sumptuous. And there’s a strategically placed “Night of the Lepus” poster at one point too.
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WILD WILD COUNTRY
(Documentary; Netflix)
This has been out for a while now, but if you haven’t seen it yet then do yourself a favor. Again, a sprawling narrative that’s hard to describe, and (despite its truth) even harder to believe. Netflix’s succinct decription is effective: “When a controversial cult leader builds a utopian city in the Oregon desert, conflict with the locals escalates into a national scandal.” The series apparently won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary Series. I particularly love the haunting score by Brocker Way.
