The Collectress Picks 5: Bollywood Dance Songs

I love Bollywood, and what’s not to love? Films full of bright colors, pathetic fallacies, overacting, and impromptu musical numbers? Yeah, I’m on board with that. Now, in the interest of converting new followers to Bollywood fandom, here are my 5 favorite dance numbers from Bollywood films.

“Bole Chudiyaan” from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham

This is one of the most famous Bollywood films, and for good reason. Its casting equivalent in Hollywood would be if Sean Connery, Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Neil Patrick Harris, and Sandra Bullock made a family dramedy together.

“Dard-E-Disco” from Om Shanti Om

There’s something else I love Bollywood. Watch this music video and guess what it is. Hint: SRK.

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Geektivities: Summer at the Hollywood Bowl

During a sweltering Los Angeles summer, rather than face the triple digit weather, I prefer to stay in […]

5 Things Every (Fanfic) Writer Needs In Their Life

Time for a geek-fession: I’ve been writing a lot of fanfiction lately.

As I participate in two separate “Big Bang” fanfiction extravaganzas (yes, I know, I’m crazy for that, right?), I’m noticing that there are a few things that have become my saving graces as I frantically type up 15K word drafts. So whether you’re new to the fanfic biz or you’re a tried-and-true transformative work veteran, here are a few things that you need to successfully write that 100K word Coffeeshop AU.

Take a Notebook With You Everywhere

Okay, okay, I know you’ve heard this one before, but it’s true. Let me tell you why:

A few years ago I was taking a scriptwriting course, and one of our assignments was to transcribe a five-minute conversation. As I sat inside a Starbucks waiting for my interviewee to arrive, I rifled aimlessly through my notebook, reviewing notes on script formatting and whatnot (I was absolutely not doodling).

There was a couple sitting behind me, and try as I might, I couldn’t help but overhear their conversation. They were breaking up, and the conversation was getting heated. About five minutes later, I was really f**king glad I had a pen and paper, because sometimes life is so much stranger than fiction. Here’s an excerpt of that conversation:

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Villains of Note: Maleficent

This week for our Villains of Note series, we stop to appreciate the dastardly dragon lady of the 1959 animated film, Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent. In the original fairy tale, whether you believe it to be Charles Perrault’s, “La Belle au bois dormant” (which the Disney version is based on), the Grimm brothers’ “Briar Rose”, or the myriad of other folklore myths the tale resembles, Maleficent exists to terrify readers and warn of ill-gotten revenge. This forgotten fairy is brought to life in Disney’s classic and given new vitality in the 2014 upcoming production of Maleficent.

Les Sobriquets:

The Mistress of All Evil, The Dark/13th/Aged Fairy

Les Caractéristiques:

Horns, purple and black cape, never forgets or forgives–especially when beautiful young girls are involved.

Sa Histoire:

In the Disney version, Maleficent is shunned by the King and Queen, parents of princess Aurora, at the occasion of the princess’ christening. Being the petty and vengeful fairy that she is, Maleficent curses the baby, proclaiming the child will prick her finger on a spinning wheel on her 16th birthday and die. Maleficent spends the next 16 years searching for the princess, who is sent to live with the good fairies in the forest, away from any magic or sorcery that might allow the child to fall under the dark fairy’s spell. Maleficent doesn’t give up easily, and even after she’s gotten the girl to fall into a deep sleep and all hope seems lost, the Mistress of Evil isn’t satisfied. She takes the princess’ betrothed, a handsome Prince Phillip, and locks him in her dungeon, which was her first mistake, because the good guy always escapes. He does, and she proceeds to use some seriously dark magic to turn into a fire breathing dragon, destroy the fields and the castle, until finally put out of her misery by the Prince’s sword right in her dragon belly.

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The Collectiva Diva’s Top 10 Albums of 2013

I am a bit of a music snob.

Meaning, I regularly turn my nose up at popular music, preferring instead to listen to the tunes that inspire rather than the blather played on the radio or on the charts. The thing is, in 2013, those lines were blurred, and not in a rape-y, Robin Thicke sort of way.

I not only gorged on my usual obscure, artsy music, but I happened to fall in love with some of the hottest albums released on 2013. Here are the 10 albums I listened to obsessively in 2013 and will continue to bump in 2014. If you haven’t heard of the band or the album, click the links, check out the videos and give ’em a listen.

I hope you will find something on this eclectic list that catches your fancy.

xoxo

The Collectiva Diva

The Music

1) Born to Die the Paradise Edition by Lana Del Rey

Released in November 2012, The Paradise Edition of Born to Die is a double album with 8 extra songs in addition to the original Born to Die discography. Lana’s voice is ethereal and her lyrics are hardcore. She is a perfect mixture of a Lolita seductress and a ride or die chick. The singer reminds me of that bad ass party girl I know from the streets of Hollywood; as comfortable piss drunk at a house party in burbs of West Covina as she is lounging by the roof top pool at The Standard. Interested in watching a 27 minute short film set to the tune of Paradise? Check out Tropico, starring Lana Del Rey as Eve, a stripper and other archetypal roles she’s bloody good at playing.

“Yayo”

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The Collectress’ Holiday Playlist

Let’s face it: Christmas music is overdone. By the time December 25 actually comes around, most of us are willing to commit felonies to avoid hearing “Silver Bells” one more time. However, I have to admit that I love Christmas carols, and I have a few favorites that aren’t overplayed on the radio. So snuggle up by the fireplace, grab a mug of hot cocoa, and turn on some tunes.