Writing
The History of Music Videos is a collection of essays that will become its own book.
Stray Dogs is a pilot that has been percolating for a few months now.
And Last VCR is a blog focused on reviews and essays on film and other media.
“In the Dust of this Planet”
emblazened on Jay-z’s jacket in “run”
Nihilism in Music Videos
Odd Future - Rella
…every shot in this video seems determined to undermine the logic of the previous shot. The only constant thread through the whole experience is the three headbangers. One of whom openly weeps at the end of the song. But why? Everything is carefully tuned to be completely unrelated. Even in proximity, as characters teleport from one location to another. For all we know, the headbangers could be listening to a different song! The point is that there is no visual/logical foundation to build a narrative, and that is intentional.
STRAY DOGS WAS ORIGINALLY TITLED “ROKO’S BASILISK”
The plot and themes are a combination of two scripts that never felt quite whole.
Stray Dogs Pilot
EXT. PARK - DAY
YOKIMBO runs full speed. An army of weirdos chasing her: Nazis, EMTs, Roman sentries, and yuppie parents. She looks to her left, seeing MANNEX. Mannex, a scrawny young man, is also running. He is being chased by a swarm of, what appear to be, homeless men, but are actually very intelligent ivy-league professors. Mannex notices her, looking more concerned than confused.
Yokimbo motions to Mannex, drawing a heart in the air. He is smitten, but confused. Again she motions to him, more violently this time. He catches on.
Pulp Fiction = Snatch
The McGuffin
Another instance of Ritchie's response is the rigged boxing matches that are undermined by the boxers. Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction, Brad Pitt in Snatch. And you've probably figured out the theme here. Pulp Fiction boxing = completely off screen, we only hear details in a taxicab as Bruce reminisces with some French cabbie over cigarettes. While Snatch makes huge set pieces from the boxing matches, where we feel the tension in all characters involved.
And it goes on from there, from shootouts, to heists, chases, oh and the valuables everyone's chasing.