Looks like we’re not the only ones inspired by the stellar opening credits for Enter The Void, which have gained their own notoriety and acclaim apart from the already notorious and acclaimed film itself. Named by important folks like Quentin Tarantino and Edgar Wright (and by much less important people like me) as perhaps the greatest credit sequence ever, it was inevitable that some mainstream something-or-another would catch on and pay tribute to/rip-off/homage the sequence. Kanye West, known for his cutting-edge/gimmicky/attention-grabbing approach to music and celebrity has done just that, partnering with Hype Williams to produce an unapologetic music video version of the credits, complete with epilepsy-inducing strobe effects, orgiastic use of typefaces, and a general disregard for rational editing. It’s for his new single All of the Lights and you can see it right here-
Hype Williams is the man behind some of the most brilliant videos of all time, and probably directed every hip-hop/rap video that you can recall off the top of your head. He’s responsible for Busta Rhymes’ videos in the 90s, which are still among my favorite ever. So while not always as sharp and refined as the source material, the use of the style is pretty spot-on, and Williams has integrated it into the more standard rap-video footage pretty well. The problem, which seems to be a pattern in high-profile music videos of late, is that this great idea and beautifully shot concept is matched with an ill-fitting song. Lady Gaga’s Alejandro video is another example of this, where the overall strength of a concept is valued much more than its relationship to the song. Unfortunately, this kind of kills the whole thing, as the synergy between the music and the imagery is the most important thing about a video. Part of what makes the Void credits work is the aggressive LFO track that backs it and propels the flashing credits into full-on nightmare mode.
That said, I can guess at the amount of work that went into Kanye’s video. For the CHUD Video Podcast – Episode 1 we did our own little Enter The Void tribute right at the start, and just that few seconds of replication took more time than I’d care to admit.
(via Badass Digest & Board Chewer Joseph P. Brenner)
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