video | Amusing the Zillion

Archive for the ‘video’ Category

Video of the Day: Beyoncé’s “XO” Love Letter from Coney Island

Posted in Music, Music Video, video, tagged Beyoncé, Coney Island, Terry Richardson, twitter, XO on December 16, 2013| 1 Comment »

We’re pretty sure “XO,” Beyoncé’s love letter from Coney Island, is going to cause a spike in Coney tourism next season. The full-length version of the new music video shot here in August is now up on her Vevo amid rumors it will be released as a single. According to Billboard, the new self-titled album has become the fastest-selling album ever worldwide in the iTunes Store.

In the Terry Richardson-directed vid, Queen Bey and her crew have a blast riding the landmark Cyclone and Wonder Wheel and the old-school Eldorado “Bump Your Ass off” Bumper Cars. They dance on the Eldorado’s Skee-Ball lanes too! There are gorgeous aerial shots of the parks and beach, and the lights of the Parachute Jump. Amid scenes of Beyoncé being swarmed by fans, you’ll catch a glimpse of Boardwalk legend Tony Disco, 79, as well as a little boy boogying on the Bowery. A week after the shoot, the crew went back to capture the famous “25¢ to Fall in LOVE” dancing doll “Miss Coney Island” (seen at 2:20).

Beyoncé and XO video director Terry Richardson riding Spook-A-Rama, Coney Island. August 29, 2013. Photo via beyonce-legion.com

When Beyoncé’s album surprise-debuted on Friday with a 30-second preview of the video, some tweeters said Coney looked huge and extravagant and nothing like it does in real life. One called it “the Beyoncé effect.” For those of us who have sand in our shoes, Coney Island is larger than life and extremely fun. This special place is also forever photogenic and a magnet for videographers. Beyoncé’s “XO” is arguably the first music video that shows both the new and the old Coney Island. Some of our fave vids of the past portray a gritty and deserted Coney Island during the off-season like The Heavy’s dark and seedy “Sixteen,” shot in late 2008 or 2009.

Here’s what some twitterers had to say about “XO” and “the Beyoncé effect” in Coney Island. What do you think?

The best thing about the Beyonce video XO is Coney Island. Love that place!

— Melanie Usher (@mjgal) December 16, 2013

https://twitter.com/LRNROSE/status/412399038147743745

https://twitter.com/cthagod/status/411885686640615425

https://twitter.com/S_Evangelina/status/411966459028324353

XO video really makes Coney Island look huge and extravagant. When it's really the dirtiest place and it's only like two blocks.

— JR (@BKjaYNOW) December 16, 2013

Dead at everybody dragging Coney Island and saying it looks nothing like the 'Xo' video

— American Gangsta (@1BeyStan) December 16, 2013

https://twitter.com/bridgesquid/status/412391821604442113

Video of the Day: Mickey Mouse in The Karnival Kid

Posted in Events, film, video, tagged animated short, birthday, cartoon, Disney Channel, Mickey Mouse, Steamboat Willie, The Karnival Kid, Walt Disney on November 18, 2013| 2 Comments »

1928-29 Mickey Mouse movie poster. Photo via TheHistoryBlog.com

Happy 85th birthday, Mickey Mouse! On November 18, 1928, the world’s most famous mouse made his debut in Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willie at New York City’s Colony Theatre. Tonight, Film Forum is celebrating the occasion with a special “Disney Mouse Party” at 7pm. The program of rare 35mm prints from the Disney archive includes early b&w comedy classics (1928-1933) such as Puppy Love, Blue Rhythm, The Gorilla Mystery, and Building a Building, plus a bonus sing-a-long; Technicolor breakthroughs from 1936-1941 like Thru the Mirror, Mickey’s Trailer, Mickey’s Rival, and Nifty Nineties; plus what’s being billed (in all caps) as “AN ASTOUNDING SNEAK PREVIEW.” Could it be Potatoland, which is set to premiere today?

The Disney Channel will debut the new seven-minute cartoon titled Potatoland as part of a day of programming honoring Mickey Mouse’s birthday. The comedic film takes Mickey, Donald and Goofy on a road trip to Idaho to fulfill Goofy’s dream of visiting Potatoland theme park.

Being a carny kid, our favorite Mickey Mouse cartoon is The Karnival Kid from 1929 in which Mickey is a hot dog vendor at a carnival and Minnie is a shimmy dancer. It’s famous for being the first film in which Mickey talks but his voice is actually that of Walt Disney. Mickey yells “Hot Dogs! Hot Dogs!” Watch what happens when Minnie bites into a very animated frank…

Up for Auction: Vintage Cast-Iron & Tin Toy Ferris Wheels

Posted in Auction, video, tagged Chein, Ferris wheel, Penny Toy, tin toy, vintage toy on November 4, 2013| 4 Comments »

Hubley Ferris Wheel, Bertoia auctions, November 8, 2013

Last week, the cars were removed for the winter from Deno’s Wonder Wheel as Coney Island’s amusement parks closed for the season. Meanwhile, vintage toy Ferris wheels, which are perenially popular with collectors, are up for bid at several auction houses. These old-fashioned toys would look enchanting set up under the Christmas tree. This clockwork-driven Hubley Ferris Wheel is made of cast-iron and tin. The 17-inch tall toy has six original gondolas and a dozen riders. It will be on the auction block at Bertoia’s Christmas Wishes Auction in Vineland, NJ, on November 8, and via online bidding. The pre-sale estimate is $1,000-$1,200.

Penny Toy Ferris Wheel, Bertoia Auctions, November 9, 2013

This circa 1920 miniature Penny Toy Ferris Wheel was manufactured in Germany by Meier. The tin toy features four gondolas and is just two-and-a-half inches tall. Its pre-sale estimate is $250-$350. Along with the Chein Ferris Wheel shown below, it will be sold on November 9th at the second session of the Christmas Wishes Auction.

Chein Ferris Wheel, Bertoia Auctions, November 9

The Chein Ferris Wheel sports Mickey Mouse’s face on the hub of the wheel. Another version features a clown’s face. The 16-1/2 inch tall lithographed tin wheel is clockwork activated and has a pre-sale estimate of $200-$300. There’s also a Chein toy roller coaster, rocket ship and carousel in the sale. The Ferris Wheel whirls really fast!