arts // no. 8

 

Before they were Avengers

» Music video appearances by ‘Avengers’ actors

Cheryl Minns
Arts Editor
Marts@theotherpress.ca

 

T° celebrate the recent release of Avengers: Age
of Ultron on Blu-ray and DVD, we're taking

a look at what the actors did before they became
Avengers. From the Wild West to the city, movie
tie-ins to short films, members of the Avengers cast
have appeared in a variety of music videos often
portraying very different characters from their
superhero counterparts.

 

“I Want Love” by Elton John (2001)

Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man) slowly walks through
an empty mansion lip-syncing to Elton John’s “I
Want Love” in this one-shot video. The emotional
song and video related to the issues RDJ was

struggling with at the time, remnants of which have !

appeared in his performance of Tony Stark. While

RDJ is clean-shaven in the video instead of sporting

his famous Stark facial hair, the video still plays out

like out an inner monologue of Stark’s need for love, :

even though it often means the people around him
get hurt.
youtube.com/watch?v=ufbexgPyeJQ

 

“Trouble” by Pink (2003)

In this Western-themed video, Jeremy Renner :
(Hawkeye) plays a nasty town sheriff who allows the : |
local horses to be mistreated. When Pink comes to |
town, she gets the townspeople to fight back against :
the sheriff and teaches him a harsh lesson on animal :

cruelty. Unlike other Avengers’ actors who have
appeared in music videos because of their name
recognition, Renner’s appearance was just another
role since he wasn't that well-known at the time.
youtube.com/watch?v=mFu3YzRnyDU

(2006)
This music video opens with Samuel L. Jackson

 

: quite live up to its humorous censored version—‘I

: have had it with these monkey-fighting snakes on

: this Monday-Friday plane’—it does nicely connect

: the video to the film. Jackson appears in person

: about two minutes and 15 seconds into the video for
: a brief cameo. He watches the singers pass by in the
: airport, as, unbeknownst to him, they’re carrying

: suitcases full of snakes.

: youtube.com/watch?v=AiwMyKQ6jUg

 

: “What Goes Around... Comes Back Around” by

: Justin Timberlake (2007)

: A bright blonde Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow)

: plays Justin Timberlake’s unfaithful girlfriend in

: this nine-minute short film. The video tells the

: story of a young couple from the first meeting to the
: tragic ending, interspersing dramatized segments

: with Timberlake performance scenes. While the

: video doesn’t include any action sequences for

: Johansson, it does feature her in a death race against
: Timberlake that is somewhat exciting.

: youtube.com/watch?v=TOrmUquxtwA

 

: “UBerlin” by R.E.M. (2011)
: Aaron Johnson (Quicksilver) dances to his own beat
: as he strolls downa city street in this music video
: directed by Sam Taylor-Wood, his then-fiancée and
: current wife. As he swings around street posts and
“Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)” by Cobra Starship : performs a chaotic series of dance moves, viewers

: have to wonder if the routine was choreographed
: or just Johnson doing his thing. While the opening
(Nick Fury) delivering his famous line from the film : seems like a great set-up for a one-shot video, the
Snakes on a Plane as the song’s performers exit their : scene quickly cuts to another take of the scene and

car and head into the airport. While the line doesn’t youtube.com/watch?v=ZITh-Xlikgl

continues to splice together takes instead.

  

 

theotherpress.ca

Art by Michael Zulli via Amazon

Comic Corner: Neil
Gaiman's spooky
modern fable

» ‘The Last Temptation’ review

  
 

* Brittney MacDonald
' Life & Style Editor
ABd S lieandstylo@theothermress.ca

his October, I’m starting

things off with a bang,
choosing the spooky, musically
centred The Last Temptation
by Neil Gaiman. Combining
shock rock and brilliant
artwork into this morality
tale proves to be the perfect
evolution of a modern day
fable.

Steven is a boy who is
afraid of everything, but most
of all, he’s scared of becoming
a “grown-up.” Dared to attend a

of the Real, Steven meets
the Showman, a charismatic
performer who offers Steven
a trade: eternal youth and fun
as a member of the Theatre
in exchange for Steven's
potential—everything he ever
was or could amount to be.
Though not the finest of
Neil Gaiman’s works to date,
The Last Temptation is still a
standout in the horror genre.
It was originally developed

: with and inspired by Alice
: Cooper, hence the shared
: likeness between the real-
: life shock rocker and the

00000

: being frightening or filled with
: gore, though there are some

: pretty grotesque moments.

: Instead, the scary elements

: are focused around a feeling

: of entrapment: should he

: refuse, how will Steven escape?
: Therefore it’s more of a

: psychological scare, as well as

: being visceral on occasion.

Showman. This graphic novel
isn't horror in the sense of it

Artistically, this novel

: sees Gaiman reuniting with
: his Sandman partner, Michael
: Zulli. The art is highly detailed
: with heavy inks and strong
show at the mysterious Theatre :

use of black. There are two

: versions of this collected

: edition, one in black and

E white, and the other in full

: colour. I would advise sticking
: to the black and white, because
: it accentuates Zulli’s brilliant
use of toning.

As far as ’'m concerned,

: this is a perfect pick up for

: anyone looking for a short

: horror read. But don’t use it as
: an introduction to the genre.