SPIKE JONZE
The 2010 Grammy's Album of the Year underdog winner, The Suburbs, has inspired a short film written by Arcade Fire brothers Will and Win Butler and cult auteur film maker Spike Jonze. The director, known for his work in the music world, marks this piece with his often painful sentimentality while highlighting universal themes of alienation and growing up in a wartime setting.
The reflective film, running 30 minutes in length, focuses on a group of teens simply being teens. A non-specific war between townships is seen through the eyes of these adolescent characters, who, even in their personal lives, straddle the line of controlling their fate. They hang out in parks and discuss the proper time to make a move on a girl with small reminders of the war they are living amongst casually popping in and out. But when the war is thrust directly in front of them a friend begins to crumble leading to personal battles and destruction. Jump cuts in plot and a heavy use of montage make the piece feel like a trailer at times. However, these devices allow breathing room in a film so dense with emotional weight and social poignancy, which simultaneously keeps run time down and audience engagement high.
Have you ever wanted to wear a used pair of ballet slippers worn by Natalie Portman? I know I have! Well here's your chance, Crafts For A Cause is a charity where musicians and entertainers are making crafts to be auctioned off to benefit Haiti.
The amount of people taking part in this is pretty remarkable, Ed Droste from Grizzly Bear is auctioning his guitar that he learned to play on and was the primary guitar used for Horn of Plenty and Yellow House.
When it comes to Spike Jonze, how else can you describe the man but other than original? His resume touches on all aspects of creativity with directing music videos, (Beastie Boys - Sabotage and Bjork) unbelievable feature films like Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, and creating the MTV show Jackass (and staring in it at times).
Recently Jonze completed a short film with Kanye West titled We Were Once a Fairytale. This was Jonze's second time working with Kanye after he co-directed the video Flashing Lights.
Academy award nominated director Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich) is teaming up with the self proclaimed master of all things entertainment, Kanye West. Jonze has already constructed a 10-15 minute short featuring Mr. West’s ‘See You In My Nightmares’ (from his 2008 album 808s and Heartbreak). The plot to the film currently remains under wraps and while shot in January, has not been assigned a release date.
This marks the second time the pair has worked together. Both had collaborated on the video for West’s 2007 single ‘Flashing Lights’.
Sorry to disappoint those who were hoping Mr. West would be flexing his bravado in a full screen incarnation, but hey, with him, you never know. I for one would love to see he and his mullet star in a remake of Teen Wolf.
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