Scene That I Love: The Opening of Mulholland Drive (Happy Birthday, Angelo Badalamenti)


Happy birthday, Angelo Badalamenti!

This great composer is probably best known for his dream-like and haunting work for the films of David Lynch.  Among the many songs and musical pieces that he’s done for Lynch, he composed the jitterbug music that opened David Lynch’s 2001 film, Mulholland Drive.  The scene below features the perfect mix of Lynch’s visual vision and Badalamenti’s musical ear.  What I especially like about this scene is that the music starts out as a very cheerful and vaguely generic but then it grows steadily more ominous as the scene plays out.

Here it is.  The haunting opening of one of the best films of the current century:

Music Video of the Day: Somehow You Do, performed by William Shatner (2021, dir by John Ottman)


Today, the Shattered Lens wishes a happy 91st birthday to William Shatner!  Not only is William Shatner an actor, a director, a writer, a famed wit, and a legendary Canadian but he’s also a singer!

Here is William Shatner performing Somehow You Do.  This song was written by Diane Warren and the video was directed by John Ottman.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Compliance by Muse (2022, dir by Jeremi Durand)


Yay!  It’s a new music video from Muse!

Enjoy!

Compliance
We just need your compliance
You will feel no pain anymore
And no more defiance
We just need your compliance
Just give us your compliance
We won’t let you feel lost anymore
No more self-reliance

Fall into line, you will do as you’re told
No choice fatigue, your blood is running cold
We lose control, the world will fall apart
Love of your life, we’ll mend your broken heart

Life lived in fear, you need protection
You’re all alone, too much rejection
We have what you need, just reach out and touch
We can save you

We just need your compliance
We just need your compliance
You will feel no pain anymore
No more defiance
Just give us your compliance

Cover your tracks, we know what’s best for you
You’ve bitten off, much more than you can chew
You’re running scared, you’ll run into our arms
Come join our clique, we’ll keep you safe from harm
Our toy soldier, you’ll do the dirty work
Stay loyal to us, we’ll take away the hurt
We have what you need, just reach out and touch
We can save you

Just give us your compliance
We just need your compliance
You will feel no pain anymore
No more defiance
Just give us your compliance

Com com com. Com compliance
Com com com. Com compliance
We can save you

Compliance
We just need your compliance
You will feel no pain anymore
And no more defiance
We just need your compliance
We just need your compliance
We won’t let you feel lost anymore
No more self-reliance

Compliance
We just need your compliance
You will feel no pain anymore
No more defiance
We just need your compliance
Oh fear is controlling you
It’s time to give it up
And give in to us
We can save you
Give us your Compliance

Music Video of the Day: Jump Around by House of Pain (1992, directed by David “Shadi” Perez)


Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Ever since it was first released and this video first aired on MTV, Jump Around has been one of the unofficial anthems of St. Patrick’s Day.  The video was so popular that many people continue to associate both the song and House of Pain with Boston’s Irish community, despite the fact that the band was from Los Angeles and only two members were of Irish descent.

All together now: “I came to get down, I came to get down, jump around!”

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: My Love by Florence + The Machine (2022, dir by Autumn de Wilde)


For today’s music video of the day, we have another atmospheric and rather ominous new video from Florence + The Machine.

Enjoy!

I always able to write my way out
The song always made sense to me
Now I find that when I look down
Every page is empty
There is nothing to describe
Except the moon still bright against the worrying sky
I pray the trees will get their leaves soon
So tell me where to put my love
Do I wait for time to do what it does
I don’t know where to put my love
And when it came,
it was stranger than I had ever imagined
No cracking open of heaven
But quiet and still
All my friends are getting ill
So tell me where to put my love
Do I wait for time to do what it does
I don’t know where to put my love
So tell me where to put my love
Do I wait for time to do what it does
I don’t know where to put my love
My arms emptied, the skies emptied
The billboards emptied
My arms emptied, the skies emptied
The buildings emptied
So tell me where to put my love
Do I wait for time to do what it does
I don’t know where to put my love
My arms emptied, the skies emptied
The billboards emptied
My arms emptied the skies emptied
The buildings emptied

Music Video of the Day: King of a Tragedy by Isak Danielson (2022, dir by Kalle Möller)


This is an enjoyably atmospheric music video.  It makes me want to read a paperback epic about intrigue in a royal court.

Enjoy!

I wanna burn in the fire below
I wanna dance with the devil you know
take me to heaven and don’t let me go
I am the king of a tragedy

Waking up to hear the siren
you’re the poison in my blood
I could do without the violence
god knows I’m not that tough

I keep loosing all my virtues ’
i’m a magnet to your pain
Waking up to hear the siren

I wanna burn in the fire below
I wanna dance with the devil you know
take me to heaven and don’t let me go
I am the king of a tragedy
king of a tragedy

I wanna surrender and sacrifice
the fear that I feel when I look in your eyes
Please take me to heaven before I die
I am the king of a tragedy
king of a tragedy

Every word you say is fragile
It’s like a walk on broken glass
I’m like a deer, so scared of your headlights
you got your right foot hard on the gas
can we stay right here forever
you make it hard to run away
Every word you say is fragile

I wanna burn in the fire below
I wanna dance with the devil you know
Take me to heaven and don’t let me go
I am the king of a tragedy
king of a tragedy

I wanna surrender and sacrifice
the fear that I feel when I look in your eyes
Please take me to heaven before I die
I am the king of a tragedy
king of a tragedy

ooohh I wanna see what it feels like
to run into your headlights
oooh you know me I’m craving the spotlight

I wanna burn in the fire below
I wanna dance with the devil you know
Take me to heaven and don’t let me go
I am the king of a tragedy
king of a tragedy

I wanna burn in the fire below
I wanna dance with the devil you know
Take me to heaven and don’t let me go
I am the king of a tragedy
king of a tragedy

I wanna surrender and sacrifice
the fear that I feel when I look in your eyes
Please take me to heaven before I die
I am the king of a tragedy
king of a tragedy

Music Video of the Day: Lost Track by HAIM (2022, dir by Paul Thomas Anderson)


At some point, in the future, it will be realized that Paul Thomas Anderson’s Haim videos constitute some of the best short films of the decade.  It’s the perfect collaboration between a group of artists.  This is their latest and video and you better enjoy!

[Verse 1]
Tryin’ to get on top
But it’s never easy
Mastered my own luck
But it wasn’t easy
I’m tryin’ to feel alright
Around all these people
I try, but I’m just numb
This time

[Chorus]
Deepest cut that I can’t feel
Found a grip on the steering wheel
I know a piece’s stuck
You can sit down if you don’t mind me standin’ up (Mind me standin’ up)
I know I was too good to pass (Too good to pass)
So me and you caused a chain reaction (Chain reaction)
I’ll take the smallest crumb
But I’ll never get back what I lost track of

[Verse 2]
Laugh when I’m still cryin’
Yeah, you know the deal
Burn but it’s still fine (Huh)
Yeah, you know the deal
Can’t redeem my love
That’s such a steal
But you can’t say I’m not tryin’
This time

[Chorus]
Deepest cut that I can’t feel
Found a grip on the steering wheel
I know a piece’s stuck
You can sit down if you don’t mind me standin’ up (Mind me standin’ up)
I know I was too good to pass (Too good to pass)
So me and you caused a chain reaction (Chain reaction)
I’ll take the smallest crumb
But I’ll never get back what I lost track of
Oh, I’ll never get back what I lost track of
I’ll never get back what I lost track of
I’ll never get back what I lost track of

[Outro]
I’ll never get back what I lost track
I’ll never get back what I lost track
I’ll never get back what I lost track
I’ll never get back but I’ve lost track

Music Video of the Day: Addams Groove by MC Hammer (1991, directed by Rupert Wainwright)


As far as videos about Christina Ricci chopping off MC Hammer’s head are concerned, this is probably the best.

Addams Groove was the theme song for 1991’s The Addams Family.  The video opens with MC Hammer losing his head but it turns out that not even decapitation can silence Hammer.  Hammer eventually ends up fighting with Raul Julia over Anjelica Huston, proving that anything was possible in the 90s.  It’s easy to laugh at a video like this today but, back in 1991, videos like this were a big deal and it was a rare for any film to be released with an accompanying music video.  This song was MC Hammer’s last top ten hit in the United States.  It also received a Razzie nomination for Worst Song of the Year.

Though the film was the directorial debut of Barry Sonnenfeld, this video was directed by Rupert Wainwright, who was responsible for directing most of MC Hammer’s videos.  He also did the video for N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton.  Wainwright would eventually go on to direct Stigmata and the remake of The Fog.

Enjoy!