Bloody goths, a superhero parking warden, an underdog story, and some live action,
Goodnight Nurse “Death Goes to Disco”
“Death Goes to Disco” puts the punk-pop band in a gothic graveyard landscape, but is more like the Disneyland Haunted Mansion than a horror film. As Joel Little told NZ On Screen, “At the time we were obsessed with graveyards and bats and assorted dark imagery.” Bloody goths. They rock out in the graveyard, while dealing with grabbing zombie hands and the allure of an undead cutie. It’s a really decent video, confined to a small but perfectly designed set. It features impressive model work of the band’s coffins. As Joel Little also explained, “We got to take our coffins home at the end of the day too. Mine’s up by the TV.” Please let him still have it and for it to be on display next to his Grammy.
Director: Jonathan Gerard
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision
Kitsch “Poison Ribbons, Poison Skies”
This video stars Bruce Hopkins as a parking warden, who is so sick of all the abuse hurled at him that he becomes a superhero, topping up expiring meters. Funnily enough, he can be seen running around the exact part of High Street where he previously played a crime boss in Che Fu’s “Random” video. The video’s ending is quite similar to the one later used in the film Birdman.
Director: Amabir Singh
Nga Taonga Sound & Vision
Minuit “Lock The Door”
This video is based around a live performance at the San Fran in Wellington, back when it was the San Francisco Bath House. Maybe it’s just a result of watching the low-res video on YouTube, but there’s a strange feeling of disconnect from the bright clear audio track and the grainy video.
Mo’Reece “Jim Jam”
“Jim Jam” tells the story of an underdog boxer named Jim Jam who has a Rocky-like journey. Mo’Reece plays the match commentator, guest rapper Chou Lee stars as Jim Jam, and Auckland Museum’s front steps have a cameo as the Aotearoa version of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It’s possible that this video ended up not having NZ On Air funding.
Director: Damon Fepulea’i
Motocade “Psycho”
Motocade continue with their Strokes-ish sound. The video puts the band on stage at a concert, but it’s not a cheesy live video. The bad are lit in surprisingly sinister dark pink light, which emphasises the unease of the song lyrics. Also, Eden Mulholland’s hair is on point, doing the mid-’00s fringe to perfection.
Director: Jonathan Gerard