The Work of Director Spike Jonze

Starring: The Beastie Boys, The Pharcyde Dvd Release: 8th December, 2003 Number Of Discs: 2 Format: PAL, Region 2 Encoding

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DVD Extras: The Work of Director Spike Jonze is a double-sided DVD accompanied by an informative 52-page booklet. The second side explores Jonze's artistic evolution with an entertaining selection of video rarities & three half-hour documentaries, the best being a revealing & very funny interview with rapper Fatlip after his dismissal from the Pharcyde. Commentaries for the music videos are consistently worthwhile, supporting Jonze's own belief that his best videos were made for artists whose work he genuinely enjoyed. Lucky for us, his pleasure is infectious.

When you experience The Work of Director Spike Jonze, you enter a world where anything can happen & frequently does. From the innovative director of Being John Malkovich & Adaptation., this superior compilation of music videos, documentaries, interviews & early rarities offers abundant proof that Jonze is the real deal, a filmmaker ablaze with fresh ideas & fresh ways of filming them.

While collectors will regret that only 16 of Jonzes 40 plus music videos are included here, this glorious sampling represents the cream of Jonzes bumper crop; for sheer ingenuity it doesnt get any better than this. From the Beastie Boys popular TV cop-spoof Sabotage to the intensely disciplined backwards-filming technique of the Pharcydes Drop, its clear that Jonze has an affinity for inventive street theatre, culminating in the sad/happy vibe of Fatlips introspective Whats Up Fatlip? & the pop-jazz effervescence of Bjorks Its Oh So Quiet. Technical wizardry is also a Jonze trademark, especially in the elaborate Happy Days nostalgia of Weezers Buddy Holly & the graceful fly-wire dancing of Christopher Walken to Fatboy Slims pulsing Weapon of Choice. No doubt about it: every one of these videos is an award-worthy testament to Jonzes ability to combine hard work with fun-loving spontaneity.

The Beastie Boys are an American hip hop music group originating from New York City. Its main members are Mike D, MCA & Adrock, but several other musicians have played with the group for a long time. The band originally started out playing hardcore punk, but switched to hip-hop in 1984. Their first album in that style, Licensed To Ill, reached number one in the US album charts, the first rap record to do so. The record gave the Beastie Boys a name as a party band, which was reinforced by their ridiculous behaviour & controversial live shows. After turning more serious in their second album, they started playing the instruments themselves & established their own record company Grand Royal in the early 1990s. All of their three albums released since 1994 were best-sellers, all reaching #1 in the American albums charts. The Beastie Boys were the first successful white rap band & are the only band from the early days of hip-hop that still enjoy major successes. Posters Of Beastie Boys

Editors Choice: Beastie Boys, The Criterion Collection, View DVDology

The Pharcyde is one of the most celebrated underground West Coast alternative hip hop acts. The group was formed in South Central Los Angeles where the groups members grew up. The members of the group are Slimkid, Fatlip, Imani Wilcox & Booty Brown. They signed to the influential Delicious Vinyl label in 1991 & soon released Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde, which was critically praised though sales were lukewarm. The Pharcyde soon began touring with A Tribe Called Quest & De La Soul, two of alternative hip hops biggest stars & appeared at Lollapalooza in 1994. Their second album was Labcabincalifornia, which received more mixed reviews than Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde. After a five year hiatus the group returned with Plain Rap in 2000. Then in 2004 after creating their own label The Pharcyde released their highly anticipated album Humbult Beginnings.

Editors Choice: The Pharcyde, View DVDology

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