marzipan, 1. February 2006, 00:51
CAT POWER - "Living Proof" directed by Harmony Korine


QT here

A video for a highly anticipated album and a long awaited return for a director many belived to be dead... or least out of the business for good. In typical HK form, it's a super bizzar peice.
         
The Matador QT File's here (direct download link, 10.9 MB)

Screenshots:
         
ooh symbolism.

Started out interesting but man crucifix imagery is hard to pull off.

I guess I'm glad to see he got behind a camera again. When are we going to see Fight Harm?
         
Thanks for the DL and screenshots glutamat.
         
I loved this. Didn't read too much into the symbolism. And I have never liked anything of Korine's before, really.
         
It's not that I don't get this; I don't even want to bother getting it. Not so hot.
         
hot!
         
damn,
weird
but liked pretty much the previous
No More Workhorse Blues for Bonnie Prince Billy
www.dragcity.com
anyways, Fight Harm supposedly is going to be released on the dvd compilation anytime farther than soon
in the meantime he's back on running the new film Mister Lonely, and producing Aluminum Fowl
         
Was this a play on the album title, The Greatest?

I really like it. Interesting new Chan portrayal- Light-hearted, playful, even humorous. Come on guys! 2Pac and Left Eye!!

..Actually I think this is going to be one I love for a while.
         
Wait a second! Are they sippin' on syrup in the beginning there? Oh my god I love this video. (Even though Harmony is a little unobvious, oblique)
         
dudes, it's racy.

also, marzipan, you could edit your post to include the qt link and/or the screenshots.
         
really great. I can't remember, that I've seen anything like this before - as a musicvideo.
         
Okay, this is definitely my fave of the year so far. I'm gonna get the album now..
         
Anyone interested in seeing THE ALUMINUM FOWL, they can on sundance's website:

festival.sundance.org

Korine was exec producer.
         
My godz that's a bad video. Unwatchable.
         
Hey Glutamat, the post is edited. Thanks for your assistance on this one.
         
I could see this getting monotonous if you're not into it, but I think it may be one of the best videos I've seen in a while, in terms of my personal excitement in reaction to it. She IS sipping syrup..and wearing a fucking red vinyl bodysuit...on a crucifix. Beat that rest of Subterranean with your "friend who did the album artwork so he's gonna make the video"/"the budget is $3,000, but don't worry we're gonna do it all in After Effects."

Harmony Korine is undoubtedly whatever you say he is (oh snaps...unintentional Arctic Monkeys shout-out), but he is consistently provocative, and the tableau created in this video is formidably off-kilter and steady handed.

Though I love stop-motion and nattily executed graphics work as much the next dork, this video makes ten times the mental impact, whether or not its deeper symbolism is decipherable, or ummm you know, actually there.

Also, strictly allegorically speaking...mmmmm Chan Marshall. Now more than ever. Great album too.

Watching this yet again, Harmony needs to do a rap video, like now. Can we get newly Oscar nomination certified Three-6 Mafia on the phone?
         
The world of hip hop videos is far too conservative. Gondry got turned down for years on urban videos until Kanye gave him a shot. Only Spike seems to have been able to move into that successfully.

I wish it weren't the case.
         
ok, enuff, im a big fan of his work, but this video is so...
uhmm...simplistic, going nowhere for the sake of it, but not specifically great for that. it's like seeing black people (again, for a h. korine work) in silly situations which at this point i'm beginning to suspect some racist thing on, then the song by the way is like some mild bland type 80's track (what happened to albums like moon pix, what would the community... etc) from if you wouldn't check who's singing, you could think of like Eddie Brickel, Sarah Mclahlan, or some Paula Cole, damn.
Anyways, the Aluminum Fowl short looks pretty amusing instead.
tho with black people again
         
sighs
fuck, hell
extremely tanx to the person who posted the link to the short
i'd just seen it
the thing is fucking bizarre, but not gratuitously, it's more like focused on the point of that little line blurred between created characters and real characters, which is like the insanity, boredom of people like what it is portrayed in this short film, at times it looks most like a Harmony film, than from another filmaker (haven't seen the work from this director) but in the end pretty interesting and funny (well, not too much) to show this side of the world.
edit: so, its not just about black people.
         
I'm glad Chan's not making another Moon Pix or Community. Lord knows I'd rather Chan (or anyone) be happy than make good music/video. Though I think Chan still is doing good music.

Meanwhile, I think Edie, Sarah, Paula all have made good music apiece: Edie 'Picture Perfect Morning' I love. Sarah's 'Fumbling Toward Ecstasy', Paula's certainly wasn't bad, though overplayed.
         
Kind of pretty and funny, but I'm guessing that this doesn't really mean anything? Anyone willing to provide an semi-plausible interpretation?
         
ho-hum. (yeah "racy", haha.)

i'll buy anything with chan. even if it's as slack as this.
         
love chan, not impressed by this video. meh.
         
langdon: for what it's worth, here's a shortened interpretation:
It helps to know Chan's back-story. In the past she's had some mental health issues (don't we all), which she's discussed in her music. The new album sees her a bit victorious, even happy. (I'm so happy for her.)

While I can't exactly decipher Living Proof's lyrics, the chorus specifically implies victory: "You're supposed to have the answer / You're supposed to have living proof / Well I am your answer I am living". So, in this interpretation, she is living proof that you can overcome your problems.

This leads easily to the video, where she is portrayed as being her own Jesus, in a way, but it's told with such light-hearted humor (as hiconcept noted), and some oblique Harmony add-ins (the weird nuns I don't get).

The intro of course shows the love for all things hip-hop, which it helps to share to enjoy this vid.

Overall it's easy to try to over-interpret each individual shot, but that's not the point at all. Just sit back and laugh (syrup, rims, jumpsuit, cross, sparkler, hurdling nuns, victory mount..).

As with all videos though, if you don't like the song, it's gonna hurt your chances of liking the video.
         
thanks to kevathens -- that interpretation makes a lot of sense, and both the video and song more enjoyable. no mean feat, as I'd written off most of the songs on the new album. I'm happy for Chan too, but really do wish that her sorting out her issues hadn't led to some of the sappier tracks on the greatest. none of the imagination or originality we could expect after you are free. the only victorious song on the album that works for me is the title track. the others are fine, but nothing exciting.
         
I hope my interpretation was close to what Harmony & Chan were thinking..

I can't stop listening to "Willie".. going trad ain't bad..
         
chan interview in harp magazine

whenever you think you know what she is about, she is something else.
         
nope, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with trad. the band's sound on the album is awesome. I've just found the lyrics lacking by comparison to the originality of the earlier records. I'll also give you Willie, been enjoying that more and more.

the interview was great, and certainly complicates the picture, which can only be to the good. I don't think you can argue that the Chan of this album is 'happier' than most of the earlier material, though. (with the obvious exception of hate)
         
Yeah she lost a bit of her amazing poetry. I hope she reclaims that with her next work - sometimes as you get happier you have to temporarily give things up, well me at least.

I like Beck's trajectory: one fun album, one 'serious' album, though that's finally over, I think..

The interview made me feel less supportive of her, oddly, though I'm not a fan of the biographical article (honestly) - just give me Q&A..
         
continuing