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Film Review: Jaws (1975)

Director: Steven Spielberg
Screenplay: Peter Benchley and Carl Gottlieb
Based On: Jaws, the novel by Peter Benchley
Cast: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton
Cinematography: Bill Butler
Edited By: Verna Fields
Running Time: 124 mins.

Logline: “When a killer shark unleashes chaos on a beach community off Cape Cod, it’s up to a local sheriff, a marine biologist, and an old seafarer to hunt the beast down.”

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Not only the credited inception of the summer blockbuster as we know it and what turned Spielberg into a household name, but just one of those perfectly made films if you’re asking me and the best Fourth of July movie there is.

The quote unquote “fireworks,” so to speak—and a big part of what makes Jaws so excitedly paced—will take a slightly attentive eye to identify: just keep a close watch on the amazing, deservedly celebrated editing by Verna Fields in the last listed job she ever completed in the lab.

Add to that the iconic scoring by John Williams, its stupendous shots, and a great cast of characters, which comes to be whittled down to a police chief who wouldn’t be caught dead in the water if he can help it, a college-educated oceanographer who actually appreciates marine life, and the brandy-swigging, Captain Ahab-like Quint, a rugged seafarer out for revenge whose nighttime divulgence in the galley of the boat acts as perhaps the single most indelible, notch-upping scene in the entire film.

Though the same can’t be said for a good chunk of its other viewers, Jaws never made me too, too worrisome about going to the beach, nor has it deterred me from wanting to someday shove off on a high seas journey myself. But I can understand.

Film Review: Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Director: David O. Russell
Screenplay: David O. Russell
Based On: The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, Anupam Kher, John Ortiz, Julia Stiles, Shea Whigham
Cinematography: Masanobu Takayanagi
Edited By: Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers
Running Time: 122 mins.

Logline: “After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.”

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With the NFL season coming to a close last weekend the way it tends to, with the Super Bowl, this movie can always fulfill the task of tiding you over until the next season kicks off (well, so long as you’re not embittered by the Philadelphia Eagles for whatever reason).

As much as it is about football, however, you don’t see a single down or field goal the entire film interestingly, since it’s more about the fellowship among the fans and the superstitiousness and good luck charms that come with that. And as much as Silver Linings Playbook is also about love and dancing, it’s also very much about a restraining order, being out of step, and two leads you’re not even sure see each other in any romantic light, as we watch them relate to one another without having “relations” so to speak. But turns out you don’t need to be a professional on the dancefloor to get something out of cutting a rug, and you don’t need to have all your pieces together to fit perfectly with someone else.

Neat sparing use of top-notch tunes here too—Sinatra, Stevie, The White Stripes, a sensational scene featuring the version of “Girl from the North Country” from Nashville Skyline, but, alas, no Eagles songs, not even “I Love to Watch a Woman Dance.” Perhaps that would be too on the nose, but there is a song by Eagles of Death Metal if that’s any consolation.

Though I haven’t seen his entire filmography, this almost has to be David O. Russell’s best, or at least I’m throwing a bet down that it is. And despite not having seen every single one of their performances, though I have seen a number of them, this is a definite career high point for both Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, and one of De Niro’s 21st century peaks. On top of that, it’s nice getting to see Chris Tucker in a supportive role that reels in his high-pitched energy but still gets enough funny out of him.

A great movie that did me some good right about now. Always read the signs, and try to read between the lines too.

Film Review: Be Here to Love Me (2004)

Director: Margaret Brown
Featuring: Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Joe Ely, Steve Earle, Kris Kristofferson, Fran Lohr, Cindy Van Zandt Lindgram, Kevin Eggers
Cinematography: Lee Daniel
Edited By: Michael Taylor, Karen Skloss and Don Howard
Running Time: 99 mins.

Logline: “Chronicles the fascinating and often turbulent life of musician Townes Van Zandt.”

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Containing some neat archival footage and intimate, warmhearted interviews with family members and friends of his, the well-structured doc Be Here to Love Me offers a glimpse into the life of the late, great, “scarecrow-lookin’” folk-country songwriter Townes Van Zandt, a man I’d personally call one of my favorite lyricists.

As we see here, though, he had quite the way with words not only lyrically but conversationally. He appears jovial, easygoing, and charming, and you can’t help but smile when he’s jokin’ around.

Onstage he could be found in a special kind of zone, noodling his guitar, eyes closed, and putting feeling into every line for a captivated audience. Offstage he was a perfectionist in his craft when all else was at sixes and sevens, and his songs went on to be therapeutic for listeners despite the scrambling of his own psyche from airplane glue, heroin and shock treatments.

Throughout this one, we zip past dirt roads, lounge around trailer parks, and feel the air around the motels Van Zandt frequented while on tour from dive bar to dive bar. At the end, we’re greeted with something simple but strangely touching, as Townes tries on every hat in his collection for the camera.

Film Review: Buffalo ’66 (1998)

Director: Vincent Gallo
Screenplay: Vincent Gallo and Alison Bagnall
Cast: Vincent Gallo, Christina Ricci, Anjelica Huston, Ben Gazzara, Kevin Corrigan, Jan-Michael Vincent, Rosanna Arquette, Mickey Rourke
Cinematography: Lance Acord
Edited By: Curtiss Clayton
Running Time: 110 mins.

Logline: “After being released from prison, Billy is set to visit his parents with his wife, whom he does not actually have. This provokes Billy to act out, as he kidnaps a young tap dancer and forces her to act as his wife for the visit.”

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I was set on watching this again last night whether the Bills won or lost their playoff game against the Chiefs. Not that I’m a huge NFL fan, but much like the story of Western New York’s most cherished team over the years, Buffalo ‘66 has moments of heartbreak pressing down, meditations on what could’ve been, unexpected bliss, and glimpses at redemption all curled up into one.

In separate sporting terms, it’s like getting one perfect strike after another and then rolling a disappointing gutterball, or, conversely, being expected to not knock down a single pin and then clearing them all when pure luck is on your side.

An exceptional indie film that progressively gets better and better, this 1998 gem is warmly textured and nicely shot throughout with colors I’ve seen described as “washed out” and “grimy,” and I think that’s about right.

Here we have a recently released inmate born the day after Christmas to a mother zeroed in on watching the Bills every waking second and a disgruntled father who barely acknowledges his son unless he feels like flying off the handle at him. Their boy, Billy, can be just as much of a total asshole, and though it’s not explicitly said, he was probably christened after the Bills. Goes to show how someone not so spick-and-span can grow to be how they are, but also how there’s still an opening to make a change.

I don’t know if it’s Stockholm syndrome taking over or what with her character, but nonetheless Christina Ricci is great in this as the gal brought around town who thanklessly gives without much take. Not at all how you approach a woman for a first date by the way.

Lots of good cameos too, including some people who come to think of it I’ve only really ever seen nail side character parts like Ben Gazzara and Rosanna Arquette.

Righteous music selections as well, not least the use of one of the most superb songs instrumentally there is, Yes’ “Heart of the Sunrise,” in its climactic confrontation scene.

Film Review: Crimson Tide (1995)

Director: Tony Scott
Screenplay: Michael Schiffer Story By: Michael Schiffer and Richard P. Henrick
Cast: Denzel Washington, Gene Hackman, George Dzundza, Viggo Mortensen, James Gandolfini, Matt Craven, Rocky Carroll, Lillo Brancato
Cinematography: Dariusz Wolski
Edited By: Chris Lebenzon
Running Time: 116 mins.

Logline: “On a U.S. nuclear missile sub, a young First Officer stages a mutiny to prevent his trigger happy Captain from launching his missiles before confirming his orders to do so.”

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1995’s Crimson Tide is a high-level thrill ride, a close-quarters pressure cooker sustained by great acting performances. In fact it has three of my very favorite actors in it: Gene Hackman as the captain, Denzel as the XO, and the late James Gandolfini in a supportive role, though you’ll have to see for yourself which of the two superiors he supports.

The plot concerns the ballistic missile submarine the USS Alabama (they call Alabama the Crimson Tide, as Steely Dan’s song “Deacon Blues” reminds us) as it’s caught on the brink of nuclear war between the United States and Russia; but mostly the film closes in on Washington and Hackman as they press each other’s buttons. The younger man meets the subordinates on their level, while the vessel’s more combat-experienced skipper believes in maintaining an orderly, unquestioning chain of command with all the “sir, yes sir”s he can get.

The dialogue is at times phenomenal, including the part about atomic bombs and Carl von Clausewitz. Quentin Tarantino lent some uncredited help to the screenplay, and knowing that much, you can pick out his touch on certain scenes.

Out of all the heart-pumping movies that’ll make you say “hoorah” or “yee-haw,” this is probably one of the stronger ones.

Film Review: Barbie (2023)

Director: Greta Gerwig
Screenplay: Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach
Cast: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Ariana Greenblatt, Kate McKinnon, Rhea Perlman, Issa Rae, Simu Liu, Will Ferrell
Cinematography: Rodrigo Prieto
Edited By: Nick Houy
Running Time: 114 mins.

Logline: “Barbie and Ken are having the time of their lives in the colorful and seemingly perfect world of Barbie Land. However, when they get a chance to go to the real world, they soon discover the joys and perils of living among humans.”

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Didn’t expect to watch this and didn’t expect to like it, but did, or at least more than I thought I would.

Once things get real existential real fast and Barbie and Ken set off for the Real World, this picked up significantly for me, and it was at that point that I realized I was a tad misguided in my initial skepticism and unwillingness to see a movie called “Barbie.”

It does get out of hand and lose a little bit of what is has going toward the end and it isn’t very subtle with what it’s getting at, but it won me back enough in time.

It’s really a movie that’ll appeal both to those who grew up playing with Barbies and those who more often played with action figures if anything than they did dollhouses, though there are some inside jokes for Barbie buyers that didn’t resonate as much with me as they would with those folks.

Credit for the good-looking, pink-heavy set design and the care put in to make it a sophisticated movie that pierces into the human experience rather than just an easy sell for Mattel to market. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were custom-made to the specifications of Barbie and Ken too, and not only because their great looks put them closer than most to the anatomical near-impossibilities of those toy figurines.

Film Review: Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals (2010)

Director: Ezra Edelman
Written By: Charles Olivier and Aaron Cohen
Featuring: Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Jackie MacMullan, Bryant Gumbel, Cedric Maxwell, Kevin McHale, Steve Springer, Isiah Thomas, Arsenio Hall
Narrated By: Liev Schreiber
Cinematography: Thom Stukas, Samson Chan and Rob Newman
Edited By: Charles Olivier
Running Time: 88 mins.

Logline: “An exploration of the fierce rivalry between NBA superstars Larry Bird and Magic Johnson during their decade of dominance.”

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A very good HBO doc about two of the best to ever step foot on the hardwood, and unlike them, it doesn’t feel it has to do anything too flashy or out of the ordinary to get across what it sets out to do, which is to faithfully tell their stories from humble but at times tough beginnings and the acquisitions of their work ethics to the crossing of their paths, the rivalry that was spurred on, and the eventual friendship that formed.

Though one player had a more outgoing personality and was almost constantly pictured with a smile and one was more reserved and somewhat downcast in demeanor, they were both team-oriented, 6’9”-in-height, do-it-all stars.

Despite their different upbringings, they both came up as standouts at their home state schools and later entered the NBA the very same season, the 1979-80 one to be exact when Larry won Rookie of the Year and Magic won the championship.

Though one wore 32 for the Showtime Lakers and one wore 33 for the rival Celtics, both took up competitive mindsets and tried to outdo the other.

One was sort of an instigator and one was more of a mediator, but both didn’t view the color of their skin to be an end-all, be-all or a reason to fight.

And though the careers of both were curtailed in the early 1990s, for one it was because of his debilitating back problems and for one the reason was of course an HIV diagnosis.

Though I don’t watch the NBA as much these days as I did when I was younger, it was nice watching this tale of adversaries-turned-buds several months back with my pops, who holds up Magic Johnson as his all-time favorite basketball player but respects the A game of Larry Bird all the same and grew up in a rural town much like him. Here’s to ‘em.

Watchable on YouTube here.

Film Review: Fargo (1996)

Director: Joel Coen
Screenplay: Joel & Ethan Coen
Cast: Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, Harve Presnell, Peter Stormare, John Carroll Lynch
Cinematography: Roger Deakins
Edited By: Joel & Ethan Coen (as “Roderick Jaynes”)
Running Time: 98 mins.

Logline: “Minnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard’s inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen’s bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.”

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“Woah, daddy” is right.

What makes Fargo unique from the outset is how it introduces a couple of callous criminals to its Upper Midwest locales while letting the ordinary residents retain all their folksy turns of phrase, niceties and chipper attitudes—emphasis on chipper—even as they all witness and discuss some pretty gnarly shit. For one example, the car salesman Jerry Lundegaard has his entire family threatened mercilessly over the phone, but he still has the courtesy to hang up by saying “Okay, real good then.”

Another thing is that the movie’s main character doesn’t step into the picture until 30 minutes in, when Frances McDormand comes through to issue her performance well warranting of its Best Actress win as pregnant police chief Marge Gunderson. Everyone is great in it though: Buscemi, Macy, Harve Presnell, heck even the guy who plays Mike Yanagita.

One of multiple masterworks from the Coen bros, it has to be appreciated for how methodically it’s written, its astute sense of place and genuine knowledge of how people talk in those parts, and thrown on top of that Roger Deakins’ gray-clouded cinematography clad in pearly white snow.

Still haven’t seen any of the FX show it inspired, though.

The Ones and the Twos: A Playlist For Turntablists

Jason Klaiber

Exceeding 10 hours in length, this 150-song playlist I put together features examples of turntable scratching likely to make you, as they say, put your hands in the air and wave ’em like you just don’t care, tracks that have been sampled rather famously (in both senses of the word) and some other hip-hop, dance and R&B tunes tailor-made for a lively, well-attended household gathering as it gets off the ground and eventually simmers back down. I’m sure a lot of us are hoping the day arrives sooner than later when those types of social functions come to be commonplace again, but perhaps this mix will assist in scratching that itch.

01. “DJ Premier in Deep Concentration” — Gang Starr
02. “Stop” — J Dilla
03. “Throw Ya Hands Up” — Mr. Green feat. DJ Kool Herc
04. “Frontier Psychiatrist” — The Avalanches
05. “All Caps” — Madvillain
06. “Buffalo Stance” — Neneh Cherry
07. “Find Yourself” — The Meters
08. “That’s the Joint” — Funky 4 + 1
09. “Genius of Love” — Tom Tom Club
10. “Oh My God” — A Tribe Called Quest

11. “Hey! DJ” — The World’s Famous Supreme Team
12. “It Takes Two” — Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock
13. “Good Times” — Chic
14. “Hollywood Swinging” — Kool & The Gang
15. “Take Your Time (Do It Right)” — The S.O.S. Band
16. “Oh Honey” — Delegation
17. “Apache” — Incredible Bongo Band
18. “Holiday” — Naughty by Nature feat. Phiness
19. “Resurrection” — Common
20. “He’s the Greatest Dancer” — Sister Sledge

21. “Eric B. Is President” — Eric B. & Rakim
22. “Mysterious Vibes” — The Blackbyrds
23. “Next Level (Nyte Time Mix)” — Showbiz & A.G.
24. “Bound” — Ponderosa Twins Plus One
25. “Thief’s Theme” — Nas
26. “Chief Rocka” — Lords of the Underground
27. “Tru Master” — Pete Rock feat. Inspectah Deck & Kurupt
28. “Children’s Story” — Slick Rick
29. “Slow Jamz” — Kanye West feat. Jamie Foxx & Twista
30. “Wheelz of Steel” — OutKast

31. “Are You That Somebody?” — Aaliyah
32. “Hip Hop” — Mos Def
33. “Distant Land” — Madlib
34. “This D.J.” — Warren G
35. “The Bridge Is Over” — Boogie Down Productions
36. “Forerunner Foray” — Shabazz Palaces
37. “Lady Brown” — Nujabes feat. Cise Starr
38. “Computer Love” — Zapp
39. “I Would Die 4 U” — Prince
40. “Rockit” — Herbie Hancock

41. “Where It’s At” — Beck
42. “Official” — Q-Tip
43. “You Be Illin'” — Run-D.M.C.
44. “They Want EFX” — Das EFX
45. “The Big Picture (Intro)” — Big L
46. “Paper Planes (Diplo Street Remix)” — M.I.A. feat. Bun B & Rich Boy
47. “Something’s Got a Hold On Me” — Etta James
48. “Talk About a Girl” — Charizma & Peanut Butter Wolf
49. “Runnin'” — The Pharcyde
50. “Devil’s Pie” — D’Angelo

51. “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” — Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
52. “Work” — Gang Starr
53. “Paid in Full” — Eric B. & Rakim
54. “Worst Comes to Worst” — Dilated Peoples
55. “One Too Many” — KAYTRANADA feat. Phonte
56. “All For You” — Little Brother feat. Darien Brockington
57. “Numbers on the Boards” — Pusha T
58. “Unbelievable” — The Notorious B.I.G.
59. “Crooklyn” — Crooklyn Dodgers
60. “I Like It” — DeBarge

61. “Cola Bottle Baby” — Edwin Birdsong
62. “Last Night a D.J. Saved My Life” — Indeep
63. “Rainbows & Waterfalls” — Pretty Lights
64. “Feather” — Nujabes feat. Cise Starr & Akin
65. “Bam Bam” — Sister Nancy
66. “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)” — Michael McDonald
67. “Girl” — Jamie xx
68. “Yearning For Your Love” — The Gap Band
69. “Reality Check” — Binary Star
70. “Summer in the City” — Quincy Jones

71. “What It’s Worth” — Black Milk
72. “Rapp Snitch Knishes” — MF DOOM feat. Mr. Fantastik
73. “Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang” — Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Doggy Dogg
74. “Me or the Papes” — Jeru the Damaja
75. “Rubber Band” — The Trammps
76. “Spaghetti Junction” — OutKast
77. “Going Back to Cali” — LL Cool J
78. “Luchini AKA This Is It” — Camp Lo
79. “How Deep Is Your Love” — Bee Gees
80. “The Format” — AZ

81. “Five to One” — The Doors
82. “Walk On By” — Isaac Hayes
83. “One Nation Under a Groove” — Funkadelic
84. “Mass Appeal” — Gang Starr
85. “Face to Face” — Daft Punk
86. “Cobrastyle” — Teddybears feat. Mad Cobra
87. “Stomp!” — The Brothers Johnson
88. “Memory Lane (Sittin’ in da Park)” — Nas
89. “Distant Lover” — Marvin Gaye
90. “Home Is Where the Hatred Is” — Gil Scott-Heron

91. “The Blast” — Reflection Eternal
92. “Stay Fly” — Three 6 Mafia
93. “Do For Love” — 2Pac
94. “Take Yo’ Praise” — Camille Yarbrough
95. “Looking Down the Barrel of a Gun” — Beastie Boys
96. “Doin’ Our Own Dang” — Jungle Brothers feat. Q-Tip, De La Soul & Monie Love
97. “Mystic Brew” — Ronnie Foster
98. “Reunion” — Slum Village feat. J Dilla
99. “It’s All Real” — Pitch Black
100. “Paper Trail$” — Joey Bada$$

101. “For the Love of Money” — The O’Jays
102. “D.A.N.C.E.” — Justice
103. “Open Your Eyes” — Bobby Caldwell
104. “Friends” — Whodini
105. “The Breaks” — Kurtis Blow
106. “Before the Night Is Over” — Joe Simon
107. “Boogie Oogie Oogie” — A Taste of Honey
108. “When I B On Tha Mic” — Rakim
109. “So Wat Cha Sayin'” — EPMD
110. “The Choice Is Yours (Revisited)” — Black Sheep

111. “Best of My Love” — The Emotions
112. “Boom” — Royce Da 5’9″
113. “Hot Stuff” — Donna Summer
114. “Who Got Da Props” — Black Moon
115. “The Boss” — James Brown
116. “Party All the Time” — Eddie Murphy feat. Rick James
117. “As Long As I’ve Got You” — The Charmels
118. “Shadowboxin'” — GZA feat. Method Man
119. “Candy” — Cameo
120. “I’m Your Boogie Man” — KC & The Sunshine Band

121. “Don’t Sweat the Technique” — Eric B. & Rakim
122. “Let’s Groove” — Earth, Wind & Fire
123. “Outta Control (Remix)” — 50 Cent & Mobb Deep
124. “The Next Movement” — The Roots feat. DJ Jazzy Jeff & Jazzyfatnastees
125. “Le Freak” — Chic
126. “Never Gonna Stop” — Linda Clifford
127. “Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide From Love)” — The Delfonics
128. “Intergalactic” — Beastie Boys
129. “(You) Got What I Need” — Freddie Scott
130. “Could I Be Falling in Love” — Syl Johnson

131. “Above the Clouds” — Gang Starr feat. Inspectah Deck
132. “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” — Roy Ayers Ubiquity
133. “I Will Survive” — Gloria Gaynor
134. “I Love You More” — Rene & Angela
135. “Jezahel” — Shirley Bassey
136. “Footsteps in the Dark” — The Isley Brothers
137. “My Forbidden Lover” — Chic
138. “Brother’s Gonna Work It Out” — Willie Hutch
139. “Riding High” — Faze-O
140. “Forget Me Nots” — Patrice Rushen

141. “Summer Madness” — Kool & The Gang
142. “Day By Day” — Eddie Kendricks
143. “Be Alright” — Zapp
144. “A Prince Among Thieves” — Prince Paul
145. “Prison Song” — Carlton Williams
146. “Last Donut of the Night” — J Dilla
147. “Ain’t No Half-Steppin'” — Big Daddy Kane
148. “Paparazzi” — Xzibit
149. “Don’t Let It Go to Your Head” — Brand Nubian
150. “Midnight in a Perfect World” — DJ Shadow

20 Must-Watch Music Videos

Jason Klaiber

Though not yet tried for killing the radio star, the music video has been used over time to put across interesting visual concepts and impart underlying layers that deepen a song’s meaning. Below is a grouping of 20 music videos, out of many, that I’d say are well worth the watch.

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“UNDER PRESSURE” (1981)
Queen & David Bowie
Album: Hot Space
EMI Records • Elektra Records

Encapsulating a whole lot from the 20th century through the usage of stock footage, this one brings to mind some of the fan-made videos you might see that combine disparate clips into something cohesive and, if done a certain way, strangely beautiful.

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“DER KOMMISSAR” (1981)
Falco
Album: Einzelhaft
GIG • A&M Records

I’m not sure how commonplace it is for cops in Austria to wait until you’re done singing a song to arrest you, but that’s something to research another day. For now, just enjoy as Falco glides in front of a green screen without even a smidgen of inhibition.

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“FORGET ME NOTS” (1982)
Patrice Rushen
Album: Straight from the Heart
Elektra Records

This video could be seen as a little corny in places, a relic of the ’80s some might claim, but hey, I still like it. Speaking for the song alone, it’s got a bass line that refuses to quit and, tacked in the middle, the smoothest of saxophone solos.

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“TAKE ON ME” (1985) take on me a-ha
a-ha
Album: Hunting High and Low
Warner Bros. Records

To this very day, the Purple Rose of Cairo-inverting video for “Take On Me” is just as well known as the song’s vocal high notes. Not too far behind in familiarity is the oft-repeated joke that the singer looks a bit sketchy.

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“DON’T YOU (FORGET ABOUT ME)” (1985) don't forget about me
Simple Minds
Album: The Breakfast Club (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Virgin Records • A&M Records

Get used to all the spinning and sooner or later you’ll likely come to accept this as a definitive, unforgettable remnant of the 1980s, but you can see it as you want to see it. Sincerely yours, The Klaibrary.

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“SLEDGEHAMMER” (1986) sledgehammer peter gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Album: So
Charisma Records • Geffen Records

This video used to freak me out when I was but a wee lad, and come to mention it, it’s still a little creepy, but there’s no denying the creativity and skill involved as far as animation and stop motion goes. Postscript: as long as we’re in the realm of Genesis, I might as well acknowledge “Land of Confusion,” which came out the same year, for its very well-made and similarly strange video.

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“GOOD THING” (1989) good thing fine young cannibals
Fine Young Cannibals
Album: The Raw & the Cooked
London Recordings

Those quick camera cuts and the propulsive adjoining music, featuring a killer piano solo by Jools Holland, come together to form one of the most energizing videos you could ask for.

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“JANIE’S GOT A GUN” (1989) janie's got a gun
Aerosmith
Album: Pump
Geffen Records

Years before Se7en, Fight Club or any other feature-length films of his hit the silver screen, David Fincher directed this noir-esque video for “Janie’s Got a Gun,” shining a flashlight on retribution inflicted upon a girl’s preying father.

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“A ROLLER SKATING JAM NAMED ‘SATURDAYS'” (1991) a roller skating jam named saturdays
De La Soul
Album: De La Soul Is Dead
Tommy Boy Records

There are few music videos so contagiously fun, and that’s coming from someone who has only ever roller skated maybe twice tops. Guest spots include fellow Native Tongues member Q-Tip, who supplies the first verse, and Vinia Mojica, who contributes that great hook.

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“INTO THE GREAT WIDE OPEN” (1991)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Album: Into the Great Wide Open
MCA Records

The feel-good storybook ending “Into the Great Wide Open” does not have. Its pages are filled instead with a tale of high-peaking fame and faded glory, not to mention appearances from several big names, Johnny Depp and Faye Dunaway being the biggest.

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“JEREMY” (1992) pearl_jam-jeremy_s
Pearl Jam
Album: Ten
Epic Records

The song is vivid enough on its own, but the uncensored version of the video makes “Jeremy” complete in its jarring resonance. The impetus was provided by a newspaper entry about a high school sophomore who committed suicide in front of his second-period English class, a story that stuck with frontman Eddie Vedder and gelled with the memory of a classmate from his junior high days—a boy responsible for opening fire on the school’s oceanography room.

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“SABOTAGE” (1994) sabotage beastie boys
Beastie Boys
Album: Ill Communication
Grand Royal

Drawing I’m sure from the reels and reels he racked up filming street skateboarding, Spike Jonze applied to the high-octane vid for “Sabotage” the same approach of using action shots in a constant stream, packing the allotted three minutes with as much adrenaline as possible.

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“BUDDY HOLLY” (1994) buddy holly weezer
Weezer
Album: Weezer (“The Blue Album”)
DGC Records

Paired with its classic Happy Days-set music video, “Buddy Holly” is really something, but even without the visual accompaniment, it boasts songwriting that would make the titular rock ‘n’ roll star proud and a catchy beat that would’ve made Mary Tyler Moore toss her beret into the air.

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“CREEP” (1994) creep tlc
TLC
Album: CrazySexyCool
LaFace Records • Arista Records

If you dig “Creep” but don’t exactly vibe 100 percent with its lyrical content, you’re not alone. Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes herself objected to the idea of cheating on one’s significant other as payback for infidelity, opting to not even mouth the words during this here shoot. But still, you’d have to at least agree that the hit single’s music video suits the silkiness of its sound to a tee.

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“THE NEW POLLUTION” (1997) odelay beck
Beck
Album: Odelay
DGC Records

There’s a lot going on in this video, much of it unexplained by any particular context, but it makes me think: how much better off, or worse off, would ’60s-era variety shows have been if weightlifters and guys in country-western attire shared the dancefloor with go-go dancers? This is your chance to make your own conclusion.

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“THE ROCKAFELLER SKANK” (1998)
Fatboy Slim
Album: You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby
Skint Records

I could have gone with the promotional tape for Fatboy Slim’s “Praise You” just as well, but with helpings of breakdancing and levitating turntables, you’ll find that the video for “The Rockafeller Skank” would be entertaining on mute.

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“RESPIRATION” [feat. Common] (1999)
Black Star
Album: Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star
Rawkus Records

The black-and-white video for Black Star’s “Respiration” shows Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Common laying down verses amidst the hustle and bustle of New York City, from the foot traffic and the crowds gathered on the subway platforms to the plumes of smoke rising from the pavement.

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“PAPER BAG” (2000) fiona apple paper bag
Fiona Apple
Album: When the Pawn…
Epic Records

The clip directed by Fiona Apple’s then-boyfriend Paul Thomas Anderson for her song “Paper Bag” fittingly enough calls back to the 1976 movie Bugsy Malone, which I’m told casted young kids as gangsters and nightclub dancers, and while I don’t know exactly what to make of that, I can assure that this music video is kept classy, clever, colorful and above all carefully choreographed.

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“FELL IN LOVE WITH A GIRL” (2002)
The White Stripes
Album: White Blood Cells
XL Recordings

The sub-two-minute “Fell in Love With a Girl” doesn’t need length to get the message across, only a mountain of distortion and, if we’re talking about its music video, a gigantic load of Legos.

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“HURT” (2003) hurt johnny cash
Johnny Cash
Album: American IV: The Man Comes Around
American Recordings • Lost Highway Records

I’m capping things off with this one, made when Johnny Cash was looking back fondly and wistfully on the passage of years with his wife June Carter by his side, both of them mere months away from shuffling off this mortal coil.