A blog developing a corpus of short films, originally in conjunction with Professor Jeffrey Middents' course Literature 346/646, "Short Films," at American University during Summer 2006, Fall 2008 and Fall 2011.
Friday, October 07, 2011
Fight For Your Right (Revisited)
FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT (Revisited)
Directed by Adam Yauch, USA, 2011, 30 minutes.
Source: Youtube
"Fight for Your Right (Revisited)" is all at once a comedy, a tribute to the Beastie Boys, a music video and a commercial for "Hot Sauce Committee Part Two," the rapping trio's latest album. The film picks up right where the iconic video "Fight for Your Right" leaves off, with Elijah Wood, Seth Rogen and Danny McBride starring as the Beastie Boys. Released the day after a normal-length music video for their single "Make Some Noise," this short follows the group as they steal beer, do drugs, cause havoc in the streets of NYC and eventually face off against the "future Beastie Boys" (Will Ferrel, John C. Reilly and Jack Black) only to be arrested by the real-life Beastie Boys. All of this happens while we are being introduce to the Beastie Boys newest beats.
What is most impressive about this short is the star power. Almost as entertaining as watching Frodo chugging beer and being a belligerent youth is watching the famous cast unfold. There are an almost overwhelming number of cameos in the film, it is impossible to guess what actor/comedian/musician/Steve Buscemi will appear next. Some of my favorite roles include Chloe Sevigny as a 80's hair-band chick, Orlando Bloom as a street car-window washer and Ted Danson as a flustered restaurant host. This video will require multiple viewings to catch and appreciate all the appearances, but in my mind it is fully worth your time if only just to inspire day-dreams about the hilarious chaos that must have taken reign on set.
Thinking about the number of things this film accomplishes could give a person whiplash. The Beastie Boys are memorializing their own legacy while advertising their newest product, and got every big name in Hollywood to sign on. This short embodies the variety of intentions a single film on the internet can have, but you would never notice because it is just that funny.
This film is a whole lot of crazy and full of star power. I think there are almost too many stars in this film--at beginning, it feels as if the only way they could get some stars is by giving that star face time. All the actors give are facial expressions. Still, I agree with you Kate that this video accomplishes advertizing the Beastie Boys as well as giving them a legacy. The fact that they give themselves future selves shows that they plan to be making music for a long time.
ReplyDeleteGreat video. Shows the cultural impact of the Beastie Boys. It's funny, busy and surprises you at every turn.
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