Top ten freely downloadable videos

Jump to menu

4 September 2003

Excluding Flash because I say so.

Assorted Man Utd highlights

Loathe them or hate them, they’ve had some fantastic players down the years. The pick of the bunch here isn’t Beckham’s free kick against Greece, or his goal from the half-way line, or van Nistelrooy’s similar effort, or even a Cantona special. No, it’s the save by Schmeichel labelled ‘Peter Schmeichel Pulls Of [sic] This Wonderful Save’ .

It’s incorrectly labelled, actually, as it was the one voted save of the decade, not the one below. But both of those pale in comparison to the one they both remind me of, against a Turkish (I think) side in the Champions League several years ago. Somehow he managed to get down to a cloe-range header and push it over the bar. From about a foot off the ground. Unbelievable.

Ronaldinho: mesmeric

What I was looking for: a video of Mick McCarthy as Robbie Keane scored a last-minute equaliser against Germany at the last World Cup. His mouth opened further than is possible for anything human, and inside there was naught but blackness.

What I got: a frankly bewildering trick from a young Ronaldinho.

Pi music video

For my money the second-best music video for a film ever (I realise this isn’t a particularly broad genre). Coincidentally, the other is also in black and white: it’s Neil Young’s accompaniment to Dead Man .

The Dancer Upstairs trailer

I mentioned this film before, but it was the trailer that got me to see it. That’s Yul Anderson’s cover of All Along The Watchtower, by the way.

Rustboy test reel

You might think it’s strange that I prefer this to the official trailer (unlinkable thanks to Flash). But not if you’ve seen them, because the test reel has a lot more in the way of Rustboy — and even Rustgirl! — and a lot less in the way of nicely-lit drops of water.

Audiopad

Still incredible.

Taking Le Tiss out of Wimbledon

Matthew Le Tissier scored more great goals in his career than most players score full stop. He’s the only midfielder to break 100 Prmeiership goals. And the one against Wimbledon, for me, sums him up. A free-kick’s rolled back to him. Normally you’d expect a player to give it a belt, but they’d be almost certain to hit it first time to take advantage of the momentum. Not Le Tiss; he flicks it up, then lazily vollies it over the wall and into the top corner.

Lord of the Rings spoof

All I’m saying is, don’t check out the credits until you’ve watched it.

Wonderful Days trailer

Still incredible.

Come to Daddy video

Aw, heck, it could have been any one of many. Not only are Warp Records a pioneering British electronica label, home to such greats as Squarepusher, Aphex Twin, and Autechre, but they also have the best record-label site out there, bar none. Of course, having videos directed by the likes of Chris Cunningham helps.