Directors Direct Videos 1: ‘Across the Universe’
April 18th, 2008 at 04:03pm Will Pfeifer
Just because it’s Friday and I’ve always liked it, here’s Fiona Apple’s cover of the Beatles’ “Across the Universe,” which was released along with the 1998 movie PLEASANTVILLE (which is where the whole “smashing the malt shop” motif comes from):
I havent’ seen PLEASANTVILLE in a while, but I remember liking it quite a bit when I saw it in the theater. The story is intelligent and heartfelt, the special effects and cinematography are striking, and the cast — William H. Macy, Tobey Maguire, Joan Allen, Reese Witherspoon, the late great J.T. Walsh and even Don Knotts — is top notch. Check it out if you’ve never seen it.
Paul Thomas Anderson (BOOGIE NIGHTS, MAGNOLIA, THERE WILL BE BLOOD) directed the video, and it shows his pitch-perfect sense of pacing and drama. He didn’t direct the movie (Gary Ross did), but he was dating Apple at the time, which is probably why he got the gig. If you have the MAGNOLIA DVD, Apple shows up on the “Magnolia Diary” making of feature. There’s a fascinating — and weird — scene where she actually pretends to be the movie, and Anderson mockingly berates her for not being as loveable as BOOGIE NIGHTS.
Cameo alert: Keep an eye out for actor (and frequent P.T. Anderson collaborator) John C. Reilly as one of the malt-shop wreckers.
Entry Filed under: videos
6 Comments Add your own
1. Sweet Mo Mentum | April 22nd, 2008 at 5:55 pm
This blog is starting to put me to sleep! And these pretzels are making me thirsty!
2. George Washington | April 23rd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Right. Let’s get some more talk about Road House, Seagal and the Terminator. Will, do you think the next Terminator will suffer w/o the governator?
3. John N | April 26th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
Cool video. Never saw it before so I thank you for showing it.
When I read the title to the blog entry, I was worried you were praising the beautifulyl filmed, but still idiotic movie that Julie Taymor directed. I’m a fan of her other movies, but the Beatle song-filled one was painful to sit through, heaped with shallow characters, cliches, and contrivances galore.
4. Will Pfeifer | April 28th, 2008 at 7:58 am
I haven’t seen that Taymor movie yet, and probably don’t plan to. I really liked her take on TITUS and thought FRIDA was good (not great), but the clips I saw from ACROSS THE UNIVERSE made me want to avoid it. Frankly, I’m about sick of the Beatles by now. Sorry, all you Beatlemaniacs out there. I agree it’s great music, but I was born in the summer of SGT. PEPPER and don’t care to hear it any more.
5. hokumboy | April 28th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Thanks for the reminder Will.
Just the other day I was thinking of pulling TITUS off the shelf and re-watching it.
6. George Washington | April 28th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Will, I know it’s not exactly off topic, but I am curious to hear your take on the Terminator-less Terminator movie.
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