For many the quirky, enigmatic Spike Jonze entered popular culture as the director of off-beat and critically acclaimed movies “Being John Malkovich” and “Adaptation.” Before taking off as one of Hollywood’s most sought after collaborators, Jonze made a name for himself directing eccentric music videos for artists such as Weezer, Beastie Boys and Bjork.
“The Work of Director Spike Jonze,” the first in a series of a DVDs compiling the music videos, interviews, short documentaries and other rarities surrounding the compositions of a specific director. Chris Cunningham and Michael Gondry also receive the same treatment from Palm Pictures of the Directors Label edition DVDs.
What sets Jonze’s work apart from the other equally accomplished directors is his ability to take a seemingly unbelievable concept and make it work.
The Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” video exemplifies Jonze’s creative knack, getting the seminal hip-hopsters to dress up like Starsky and Hutch and film what would be an intro to a mock 1979 television crime drama.
Jonze’s collaborations with Fatboy Slim, “Praise You” and “Weapon of Choice,” offer other incredible examples of how Jonze can just take an idea and run with it. “Praise You” takes the Terrance Community Dance Troupe through a rigorous step routine in front of an unsuspecting line at a California movie theater, while “Weapon of Choice,” has Christopher Walken stepping into his dancing shoes for his interpretation of the first single of off 2000’s Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars.
Jonze’s efforts also shine through on his video for Weezer’s “Buddy Holly,” where the band performs in Arnold’s Restaurant from “Happy Days” while visual effects bring clips of the Fonz and a young Ron Howard into the foreground of the performance. Being visually innovative you can’t help but get lost in the silent narrative of “Happy Days” cast while Rivers Cuomo and company croon away.
While the hits are still as enjoyable as ever, Jonze’s lesser-known videos offer just as much entertainment.
The Pharcyde’s “Drop” tapes the hip hop group in reverse, lip-syncing backwards to the word of their song as Jonze incorporates all sorts of interesting visuals to make his techniques even more visually interesting. Painted pictures, glass breaking, falling water and bouncing balls become much more interesting when run in reverse, and Jonze again proves that an original idea can be just as interesting as a million dollar spectacle.
In fact, Jonze hits on just that subject with his take on The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Sky’s The Limit” where the timeless clichés that come along with rap videos are employed on a cast of elementary school aged children.
The highlight of the DVD’s videos has to be Fatlip’s “What’s Up Fatlip,” where the departed member of The Pharcyde spins a tale of his shortcomings while Jonze’s films the rapper as he takes to the streets in over a dozen different costumes and identities. Jonze edits the different footage into a near coherent narrative of the MC’s everyday plight on an “unstable label,” without the everyday celebrity he enjoyed as a member of his former group.
Audio commentaries come along with just about every video from the artists and actors involved. As a special treat, the Beasties add an extended commentary of not just their videos, but many of the others. The Boys deviate from discussions of the videos and their “favorite” director and spin yarns about mushroom trips, basketball games and coming to near fisticuffs with Ohio rock band Guided by Voices.
Full of extras, the DVD also includes many of Jonze’s short films and documentaries, including an interesting piece about an Oasis video that never materialized after the band showed disinterest in the director’s plan. Also included are several short skate films displaying the camera roots of Jonze.
For fans of the bands or fans of the filmmaker “The Work of Director Spike Jonze” is an engaging, fun and interesting retrospective of the creative roots of one of America’s finest young filmmakers.
