LEFT TO RIGHT: DEAN NORRIS AND BETSY BRANDT
TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY. IT IS THE MOMENT WHEN BREAKING BAD REACHES ITS BIG FINALE. IT IS A MIX OF CATHARSIS AND SADNESS AS WE SAY GOODBYE TO OUR FAVORITE METH DEALER. OVER THE PAST SIX YEARS, THE SHOW HAS BROUGHT US SOME OF THE GREATEST DRAMA ON TV. IT ALSO ENTERED THE ZEITGEIST WITH SEVERAL FAN VIDEOS RANGING FROM ORIGINAL ORCHESTRATIONS, ALTERNATE SCENES, AND GENRE MASH-UPS. TO KILL SOME TIME, WHY NOT ENJOY 20 OF THE BEST VIDEOS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY PEOPLE WHO TOOK THEIR FANDOM OF THE SHOW TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
A NOTE BEFORE OBSERVING THE FOLLOWING VIDEOS: I DID MY BEST TO FIND A VARIETY OF VIDEOS THAT I FEEL REPRESENT THE SHOW IN DIFFERENT WAYS. HOWEVER, I DO HAVE ISSUES WITH VIDEOS THAT ARE INACCURATE WITH DETAILS, NOTABLY OVER ISSUES WITH CHANGING THE METH TO ROCK CANDY. WHILE MANY VIDEOS WERE DISQUALIFIED FOR SIMILAR REASONS, SOME MADE THE LIST, AS THEY EXCEED THE QUALITY OF THOSE MINIMAL REFERENCES.
1. MENTOS COMMERCIAL - THE MOST INEXPLICABLE VIDEO ON THIS LIST FOR THE SHEER AMOUNT OF TIMES THAT I HAVE WATCHED IT. HAVING GROWN UP IN THE 90'S, THE MENTOS COMMERCIALS ARE A STAPLE TO MY COMMERCIAL-CONSUMING DIET, AND HERE IT IS PERFECTLY REPLACING THE ORIGINAL, MORE BOOMBASTIC TUNE. IT IS AMAZING HOW LITTLE WAS CHANGED AND THE SMILE ON WALTER'S FACE AT THE END MAKES ME LAUGH EVERY TIME. THERE IS INVOLVING THE DEATH OF COMBO, BUT IT ISN'T AS FUN.
2. THE ECSTASY OF GOLD TRIBUTE VIDEOS - IF YOU WANT TO WATCH A GREAT RECAP VIDEO OF BREAKING BAD, THERE ARE NONE MORE IMPRESSIVE THAN THIS SERIES SET TO A REMIX OF ENNIO MORRICONE'S "ECSTASY OF GOLD" FROM THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY. COMPOSER DAVE PORTER HAS CALLED THE SHOW A NEO-WESTERN, SO IT ALMOST SEEMS FITTING TO HAVE THIS TRACK PLAYING AS THE HISTORY OF THE SHOW PLAYS OUT IN DARK, MYSTIFYING DETAIL. HE MAKES ONE FOR EVERY SEASON AND THIS IS THE ONE UP THROUGH SEASON 5A. TO SAY THE LEAST, I AM EAGERLY ANTICIPATING THE FINAL ONE, WHICH IS ALMOST AS ENTERTAINING AS WATCHING ONE OF THE EPISODES.
3. BREAKING BAD AS A ROMANTIC COMEDY - WHAT MAKES THIS VIDEO MORE AMAZING IS THAT THIS WAS WEEKS BEFORE JESSE STATED IN AN EPISODE "MR. WHITE IS TOTALLY GAY FOR ME." WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A MASTERPIECE OF RE-EDITING THIS SHOW SO THAT IT TURNS INTO THE ULTIMATE RELATIONSHIP INVOLVING ALL OF THE AWKWARD SEXUAL TENSION AND SOMEHOW TURNING "SAY MY NAME" INTO A MOMENT BEFORE AN ORGASM. IT IS ALSO PACKED WITH AMAZINGLY ON KEY SONGS SUCH AS MARVIN GAYE, FUN, AND AMY WINEHOUSE. IT CAPTURES THE TONE PERFECTLY AND REMINDS ME OF HAPPIER TIMES BEFORE THE SHOW WENT SUPER DARK.
4. BREAKING BAD REMIX - IT MAY ONLY BE FROM THE FIRST TWO SEASONS, BUT THIS VIDEO GETS ME INNOCUOUS EVERY TIME. SOMEHOW TURNING TUCO INTO A THESPIAN RHYMER IS MIND BLOWINGLY AWESOME. I DON'T HAVE A LOT TO SAY OTHER THAN THIS VIDEO RIVALS THE MENTOS ONE FOR MOST INCOMPREHENSIBLE OBSESSION.
5. CATCH THAT FLY! - I SUPPOSE THERE IS A THEORY THAT SETTING ANYTHING TO "YAKKETY SAX" WOULD RESULT IN HILARITY. BREAKING BAD PROVES THIS FACT TO BE TRUE BY TURNING THEIR MOST SIMPLISTIC EPISODE, "FLY," INTO A HEIGHTENED, SLAPSTICK CHASE FULL OF GREAT MOMENTS. IF THERE IS ONE FLAW, IT IS THE BREVITY OF THE VIDEO. STILL, SEEING WALTER FALL ON THE DRUM BARRELS IN THIS VIDEO IS PRETTY AWESOME.
6. BREAKING BAD SADNESS - WHILE THERE IS A BIAS THAT I ALSO LIKE LANA DEL REY'S ORIGINAL "SUMMERTIME SADNESS," THIS SONG SNEAKED INTO THE LIST FOR MANY REASONS. THE MOST NOTABLE IS THAT AS A DIE HARD FAN OF THE SHOW, THIS SONG IS PACKED FULL OF REFERENCES AND MOMENTS OF OBSESSION THAT ARE DOWN RIGHT RELATABLE. THERE'S EVEN A JAB AT LOW WINTER SUN AND THE WALKING DEAD, WHICH MAY BE TOO FOURTH-WALL BREAKING, BUT ALMOST EVERYTHING SURROUNDING IT MAKES IT SOUND LIKE THE MOST RATIONAL DESCENT INTO MADNESS THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE GOING TO FALL INTO ONCE MONDAY ROLLS AROUND AND THERE'S NOTHING LEFT.
7. LIKE MIKE - A FITTING TRIBUTE AND A FITTING SONG TO ONE OF THE SHOW'S ALL TIME GREATEST CHARACTERS. JUST WATCHING THE VIDEO REMINDS ME OF HOW MUCH I MISS HIM. SOMETIMES I DO WISH THAT I COULD BE "LIKE MIKE."
8. BREAKING BAD 16-BIT RPG - THIS RE-IMAGINING OF THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE END OF SEASON FOUR AS A VIDEO GAME IS ONE OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS AND FUN EFFORTS THAT HAS BEEN CREATED. IT EXPLAINS THE STORY ALMOST PERFECTLY WITHOUT BREAKING THE STYLE AND WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER ATTEMPTS, INCLUDING ONE INVOLVING LEGOS, NONE COMPARE TO THIS PIECE THAT ENDS WITH A QUESTION OF MORALITY, AND A BONUS ROUND INVOLVING WALT JR. AND BREAKFAST.
9. BARRELFLEX - THIS PAST WEEK, THE CAST OF BREAKING BAD HAD AN ENTIRE EPISODE OF CONAN TO CELEBRATE THE SHOW'S SUCCESS AS WELL AS JUST HAVE A GREAT TIME. ONE OF THE BEST PARTS INCLUDED THIS COMMERCIAL FOR A FAMOUS SCENE IN "OZYMANDIAS" IN WHICH A BARREL OF MONEY TURNS INTO AN EXERCISE DEVICE. THE VIDEO IS RATHER INSPIRED AND WITH CONAN O'BRIEN'S ABSURD SENSE OF HUMOR, THE GIMMICK IS SO CONVINCING THAT YOU ALMOST WISH THAT YOU HAD ONE IN YOUR OWN HOME.
10. I'VE GOT 38 POUNDS OF METH - I THINK I LOVE THIS VIDEO NOT ONLY FOR HOW THE SONG CHOICE TONALLY CHANGES IT INTO SOMETHING FAR MORE HILARIOUS, BUT ALSO JUST AS A TESTAMENT TO DAVE PORTER AS A COMPOSER. THIS VIDEO IS BEST SEEN BACK-TO-BACK WITH THE SCENE WITH THE ORIGINAL MUSIC (OR JUST LISTEN TO THE TRACK "" HERE). MOST OF ALL, I FEEL LIKE THE SONG CHANGE ALSO CAPTURES THE ACTUAL JOY THAT THIS DEAL MEANT TO WALTER. IT REALLY IS HIS GOLDEN TICKET.
11. BREAKING BART - AS A HARDCORE SIMPSONS FAN, THIS MASH-UP DELIVERS ON EVERY LEVEL. TRUE, THERE WAS A VIDEO THAT THE ACTUAL SHOW CREATED INVOLVING THE USE OF THE SONG "CRYSTAL BLUE PERSUASION," BUT THIS ONE ALMOST SEEMS MORE IMPRESSIVE. THE CASTING ALONE IS AMAZING. NED FLANDERS AS WALTER WHITE? LIONEL HUTZ AS SAUL GOODMAN? EVEN THE INFAMOUS "PEEKABOO" SCENE MAKES A CAMEO HERE. IT IS INSANE THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO MANIPULATE IT SO PERFECTLY.
12. IT'S HEISENBERG - COSSBYSWEATER PERFORMS SONGS ON YOUTUBE THAT ARE BASICALLY ABOUT POP CULTURE REFERENCES. IT IS ALSO VERY GOOD AND WELL WORTH INVESTING IN THEIR SELF-TITLED ALBUM. MUCH LIKE THE BREAKING BAD SADNESS VIDEO, THIS IS VERY MUCH A SONG FROM A FAN WHO DETAILS THE JOURNEY OF WALTER WHITE INTO HEISENBERG. WITH SUBTLE CUES SPREAD THROUGHOUT, IT IS A CATCHY LITTLE NUMBER AND WITH SOLID HARMONIES, IT RANKS AS ONE OF THE BEST BREAKING BAD-INSPIRED SONGS THAT THE INTERNET HAS PRODUCED.
13. THE TRANSFORMATION OF WALTER WHITE - NOT NECESSARILY A RECAP VIDEO, BUT ONE THAT CHRONICLES THE PROTAGONIST'S DESCENT INTO EVIL. SET TO SOME WONDERFUL MUSIC BY JOHN MURPHY, IT CAPTURES THE TONE AND ATMOSPHERE ALMOST PERFECTLY AND CREATES SOMETHING ANGELIC. CAPTURING KEY MOMENTS, THIS VIDEO WORKS ALMOST AS MUCH AS A TRIBUTE VIDEO AS IT DOES A TONE POEM FOR THE SHOW.
14. BILL NYE IN BREAKING BAD - ANOTHER 90'S STAPLE, BUT THIS TIME THE CONNECTION ALMOST WORKS PERFECTLY. THE FORMER BILL NYE THE SCIENCE GUY HOST IS BRILLIANTLY PLACED INTO THE ROLE OF WALTER WHITE AND EXPLAINS THE SHOW'S ENTIRE PLOT THROUGH ELABORATE EXPLANATIONS AND METHODS FAMILIAR TO THOSE OF HIS PBS PROGRAMMING. THE REVIEWS AT THE END ONLY SOLIDIFY THIS AS ONE OF THE MORE BIZARRE AND ENTERTAINING PARODIES TO EXIST. IT ALSO HELPS THAT THE SHOW PAYS ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS WHILE ONLY REALLY CHANGING THE LEAD CHARACTER.
15. JOKING BAD - LATE NIGHT HOST JIMMY FALLON IS ONE OF THE MORE PROMISING LATE NIGHT TALK SHOW HOSTS OUT THERE. THAT MAKES SENSE AS TO WHY WAS PICKED TO BE THE HEIR TO THE TONIGHT SHOW. WITH THIS VIDEO, HE PARODIES BREAKING BAD NOT BY SATIRIZING CANCER, BUT HIS SHORT TIME BEFORE BECOMING A HOST AN HOUR EARLIER ON NBC. FULL OF DETAIL, AND BOB ODENKIRK, IT MANAGES TO SUCCEED AS SATIRE AND FEELS LIKE A SOLID PARODY WITHOUT ACTUALLY JUST BORROWING ELEMENTS LAZILY FROM THE SERIES.
16. BREAKING BAD RECAP (FROM 100 YEARS AGO) - LOVE OLD TIME RADIO? IT SEEMS LIKE NOWADAYS, CRACKED HAS ENTERED ALL SORTS OF MEDIUMS, INCLUDING AN EXCELLENT PODCAST CALLED THE CRACKED PODCAST. HERE, THEY TURN THE BREAKING BAD STORY INTO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. BY PLACING IT 100 YEARS AGO AND USING KITSCHY VOICES, THE BIT MANAGES TO HAVE A NOVELTY TO IT THAT MOST OTHER BITS ARE MISSING. IT MAY JUST BE A READING OF PLOT POINTS, BUT WITH VOICES LIKE THAT, WHO CARES?
17. HONEST TRAILERS - IT MAY BE SOMEWHAT SARCASTIC, BUT IT DOES SUM UP A LOT OF THE SHOW'S BETTER ELEMENTS. THE HUMOR LIES IN THE VIDEO'S ABILITY TO TALK ABOUT HOW ADDICTIVE THE SHOW IS, WHAT SOME OF THE CHARACTERS DO, AND MAIN ELEMENTS OF THE SHOW, WHICH ARE ACTUALLY: BREAKFAST, POV SHOTS, AND THE COLOR PURPLE TO NAME A FEW. IT MAY NOT BE AS GREAT AS THE OTHER RECAP VIDEOS I REFERENCED, BUT IT IS FAR FUNNIER THAN BOTH OF THEM COMBINED.
18. WEIRD AL'S "ALBUQUERQUE": THE BREAKING BAD MUSIC VIDEO - IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WEIRD AL IS A TIME TRAVELER WHO WROTE A SONG ABOUT A SHOW THAT DIDN'T EXIST YET? OR IS IT THAT VINCE GILLIGAN STOLE THE PLOT FROM THIS SONG? IT IS AN EPIC LENGTH OF A TUNE, BUT SET TO VARYING BREAKING BAD SCENES, IT IS HARD TO FIGURE OUT IF ANY OF THEM ARE OUTSIDE OF THE GRAY ZONE. ALSO, KUDOS ON JUST PUTTING IN EFFORT TO SLAP THIS TOGETHER.
19. WE ARE NEVER GONNA COOK TOGETHER - THIS IS ACTUALLY A VERY GOOD SONG AND I LIKE THE WAY THAT IT PARODIES TAYLOR SWIFT'S ORIGINAL SONG "WE ARE NEVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER." I LIKE THE COSTUMES AND THE DANCING CHICKEN. HOWEVER, WHEN IT CAME TO ATTENTION TO DETAIL, I HAVE TROUBLE WRITING OFF THE FACT THAT HANK IS SEEN DANCING IN A METH LAB ENVIRONMENT. THE INACCURACY IS A LITTLE JARRING FOR AN OTHERWISE ENTERTAINING LITTLE VIDEO.
20. JESSE'S GIRL - I MOSTLY PUT THIS ONE ON THE LIST BECAUSE I HAD TO REPRESENT JANE SOMEHOW. ALSO, I ADMIRE THE ATTEMPT TO MAKE THE VIDEO LOOK LIKE WALTER AND JANE WERE HAVING A RELATIONSHIP OF SOME KIND. IT MAY SEEM CREEPY, BUT SET TO A RICK SPRINGFIELD HIT, IT MAKES SENSE. NOT QUITE AS CONVINCING AS THE ROMANTIC COMEDY VIDEO, BUT IT DOES REMIND ME WHY JANE IS ONE OF THE GREATS, EVEN IF IT WAS MANIPULATIVE IN FASHION.
IT WILL BE SAD TO LEAVE THE SHOW BEHIND. BUT WE HAD SOME GREAT TIMES. TELL ME IF I MISSED ANY GREAT VIDEOS. AS A BONUS, HERE IS WALTER WHITE TO SING US OFF. AFTER ALL, HE DID IT HIS WAY:
Full Post
No comments:
Post a Comment