Product Description

Studio: Uni Dist Corp (music) Release Date: 10/28/2003

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31307 in DVD
• Brand: Uni
• Released on: 2003-10-28
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, Compilation, DVD, Full Screen, Letterboxed, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 400 minutes

Amazon.com
When you experience The Work of Director Spike Jonze, you enter a world where anything can happen and frequently does. From the innovative director of Being John Malkovich and Adaptation., this superior compilation of music videos, documentaries, interviews, and early rarities offers abundant proof that Jonze is the real deal--a filmmaker ablaze with fresh ideas and fresh ways of filming them. While collectors will regret that only 16 of Jonze's 40+ music videos are included here, this glorious sampling represents the cream of Jonze's bumper crop, and for sheer ingenuity, it doesn't get any better than this. From the Beastie Boys' popular TV cop-spoof "Sabotage" to the intensely disciplined backwards-filming technique of the Pharcyde's "Drop," it's clear that Jonze has an affinity for inventive street theater, culminating in the sad/happy vibe of Fatlip's introspective "What's Up Fatlip?" and the pop-jazz effervescence of Bjork's "It's Oh So Quiet." Technical wizardry is also a Jonze trademark, especially in the elaborate "Happy Days" nostalgia of Weezer's "Buddy Holly" and the graceful fly-wire dancing of Christopher Walken to Fatboy Slim's pulsing "Weapon of Choice." No doubt about it: Every one of these videos is an award-worthy testament to Jonze's ability to combine hard work with fun-loving spontaneity.

Accompanied by an informative 52-page booklet, this two-sided DVD (one in a three-disc series that includes the equally dazzling work of Michel Gondry and Chris Cunningham) also explores Jonze's artistic evolution with an entertaining selection of video rarities and three half-hour documentaries, the best being a revealing and 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. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

It doesn't have ALL the videos
Spike Jonze has directed about 40 videos - only 16 appear on this DVD. His Sonic Youth, R.E.M., and Mike Watt videos are notably absent, not to mention Ween and Pavement...

fantastic, but leaves you wanting for (so much) more
It's strange because this compilation is simultaneously my dream dvd and a disappointment. spike jonze is my music video hero, and for years i've been dreaming of getting the chance to watch and re-watch all of his work on dvd especially since the music video channels in my part of the world are pretty lame. i bought the disc the day it came out, and was saddened to find out that not even half of the videos spike made are in the dvd.

which would be ok if it were someone like francis lawrence who makes only the occassional video worth watching, but we're talking spike jonze here! all of his videos are masterpieces! brilliant works like elastica's car song, sean lennon's home, pavement's shady lane, rem's crush with eyeliner and tenacious d's wonderboy (!) are missing, as are spike's earlier works with sonic youth and mike watt. aside from that, videos like the beastie boys' sure shot and the mc 900ft jesus track are just ok and could have easily been replaced by the better works previously mentioned.

alas, this is still spike jonze, and he's still made a lot more music video masterworks compared to most directors, so this dvd is more than worth it to 90's alternative music and music video fans. most of the classics are there, especially bjork's it's oh so quiet, beastie boys' sabotage, wax's california and the two award-winning fatboy slim videos. the extras are just great, and the 52 page booklet is lovely in the sense that it allows you to see what went on in the mind of contemporary cinema's most reclusive genius.

Take a walk on the wild side
Spike Jonze is best known for directing the surreal "Being John Malkovich." But his talents are by no means confined to that -- "The Work of Director Spike Jonze" displays his music videos, documentaries, and other short work. It lacks a lot of good material, but it's overall a solid collection.

Among the memorable music videos are Wax's "California" in which a man runs down the street, with his back and legs covered in flames, Bjork's acrobatic "It's Oh So Quiet," Christopher Walken's antigravity romp in Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice," Weezer's "Buddy Holly" with the Happy Days singing thing, and the Chemical Bros. "Elektrobank" starring hit director Sophia Coppola as a gymnast. And the high point, music-video-wise, is the Beastie Boys' outstandingly funny spoof of 70s cop shows (complete with funny hair).

Alongside this are the documentaries: the former Pharcyde rapper is the focus of "What's Up Fatlip?", which blossoms into more than just a documentary. "Torrance Rises" is the strangely heartwarming tale of a dance company getting ready for MTV, there's a behind-the-scenes look at a Pharcyde music video, and "Amarillo By Morning" related some bully stories. And almost all the musicians provide commentary and interviews -- accompanied by a booklet with a bit more info.

The world of Spike Jonze is one filled with strange and wonderful things. Don't expect anything, because you will only be wrong -- from the sparkling Bjork video, to humor and wit ("Sabotage"'s spoof), to outright surreality (the backwards-filmed "Drop").

Jonze himself has a flair for being funny and charming in his documentaries, such as "Amarillo" or "What's Up..." Even if you don't have an interest in cowboys, dancers, the Pharcyde or Derrick "Fatlip" Stewart, you might be interested in the documentaries. And the "Drop" making-of video is worth checking out if you have any interest in moviemaking.

The main area in which "Work" stumbles is that it excludes some worthy material -- Pavement, Sonic Youth, R.E.M. and Ween among them. However, the material on this is among his best, and it shows his range -- he can do whimsical, humorous, strange and slam-bang brilliance. There's a dreamlike quality to most of the music videos, but his documentaries keep their feet firmly on the ground.

"The Work of Director Spike Jonze" lets fans into the music videos and documentaries helmed by this brilliant young director. Definitely worth checking out as a part of this excellent series.