Love Jonze

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Between directing groundbreaking films (Being John Malkovich; Adaptation), backing well-known skate vids (Video Days; Yeah Right), and co-creating MTV’s Jackass, Spike Jonze has produced a few era-defining music videos in his time. Born Adam Spiegal, Jonze has been making videos since he was 23 and has helmed about 49 projects since 1992 (including 12 videos in 1994 alone). His best work blends wit, spectacle, and thematic ingenuity into one sublime package, often transcending genre convention in the process. And Jonze’s list of collaborators is ample evidence of this appeal: Sonic Youth, The Breeders, The Beastie Boys, Weezer, R.E.M., Bjork, Daft Punk, Pavement, Notorious B.I.G., Tenacious D, Kanye West and more.

Here's a few of my favorite Spike Jonze projects:

Buddy Holly – Weezer – 1994



Paying homage to Happy Days and the rockability of the 1950s, the video for “Buddy Holly” took Rivers Cuomo’s power pop classic to its wonderfully obvious extreme. Jonze blended old clips from the popular ‘70s show with new footage of the band, including an introduction from cast member Al Molinaro -- the owner of “Arnold’s Drive-In Diner.” Highlights include an excellent dance solo by the Fonz and Pat Wilson’s hair.


Sabotoge – Beastie Boys – 1994



Like “Buddy Holly,” “Sabotage” also functions as a rehash of ‘70s television, this time spoofing hammy detective shows such as Hawaii Five-O and Starsky and Hutch. The brilliance of “Sabotage” is its ability to maintain kinesis without any actual storyline – a testament to the frenetic editing (presumably by Jonze). And the Beastie Boy’s fake mustaches don’t hurt either. (Fun fact: Jonze’s one-time beau, Sophia Coppola, conducted the fake interview at the beginning of the video).


California – Wax – 1995



“California” serves as a stark contrast to “Sabotage” given that it’s done in one long take and occurs in slow motion (kind of like “The Sweater Song,” which basically gets honorable mention). It’s hard to take your eyes off of the blazing runner during the video's two minute duration, even to notice Axl Rose's cameo appearance. The apathetic girl shown at the end is a wry, charming touch for this banned-from-MTV video.


Elektrobank – Chemical Brothers – 1997



It may just be Olympic fever, but there’s something about “Electrobank” that makes gymnastics seem fascinating. Perhaps it’s the impressive flips, storyline, or throwback coach that make the video so immediate. Or maybe the cinematography does the trick for me (see: 2:39-2:43). Okay, I lied -- it’s the ribbon wand. Who knew such a frivolous thing could look so epic?


Notorious B.I.G. ft. 112 – Sky’s the Limit – 1997



Of the Spike Jonze video’s that feature children (including “Ricky’s Theme” by the Beastie Boys and “Y Control” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs), “Sky’s the Limit” does the best job of parodying its respective genre. “Parody” may be a strong word given that Bad Boy Entertainment contracted Jonze to make the video after Notorious B.I.G.’s death in early ’97, but the music video still draws attention to the somewhat childish nature of hip-hop materialism and showmanship. Then again, the piece also invokes Biggie Small’s loss of innocence (he raps: “I mean loyalty, niggaz bought me milks at lunch/The milks was chocolate, the cookies, buttercrunch/In here, eyes crossed from blue and white dust/Pass the blunt”) and recalls a time when he had less money and, yes, less problems.


Praise You – Fatboy Slim – 1998



In truth, I’m not a huge fan of this video. What I love is the backstory: The head of the Torrance Community Dance Group (the group in the video) is none other than Spike Jonze himself working under the pseudonym Richard Koufey. According to Wikipedia, the idea sprung from a joke video that Jonze sent to Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook) after Jonze was unable to work on a project for “The Rockafeller Skank.” Sure enough, the joke spawned a full-blown project, eventually landing Jonze with three MTV Video Music Awards (Breakthrough Video, Best Direction, Best Choreography) and a live performance at the award show proper. Spurred by unexpected success, the episode became the subject of Jonze’s 1999 mockumentary Torrance Rises. (Fun fact: Though the bystanders in the video are unawares of what’s going on, Fatboy Slim can be seen laughing in the background).


Weapon of Choice – Fatboy Slim – 2000

Watch.

Let me know when you convince Christopher Walken to tap dance for your video. Then we’ll talk.


Y Control – Yeah Yeah Yeahs – 2004



Easily the darkest of the bunch (though not of Jonze’s entire filmography), “Y Control” traverses a children’s dystopia not unlike the Lord of the Flies island or a twisted version of Neverland (Karen O as Wendy anyone?). If “Sky’s the Limit” embraces a puerile innocence, then “Y Control” seeks to wreck it. How? Dead dogs, amputations, and Sesame Street allusions. Yikes.