The Beastie Boys recorded 2 videos lately: The Right Right Now Now video was for the American market, whereas this video, AOLTNYC, is the single being released in the rest of the world.

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Quicktime: anopenlettertonyc_v300.mov

         

What the fuck. Is this the beastie boys' PSA album?

I've seen two vids from their latest and it's all bad.

         

Beastie Boys go to film school; their first semester project.

(can you believe these are the same guys who directed "Intergalactic" or "Body Movin"?)

still - it does seem like they have fun.

         

I like it and I honestly don't see what's wrong with it.. It's a tribute to their home town and it's an awesome song. I can feel their love for NYC and I'm not even from America. I love the stop-motion effect where they pose and the camera moves back. There's a couple of references to their past in there too.

lusk.. forgive my ignorance but whats PSA? all I could think of was 'Public Service Announcement' and that didn't seem to make sense..

         

ADAMR: You're not from America, let alone NY - you have no idea how retarded this video is. I apologize if that sounds nationalistic, but I have tremendous trouble with you being unable to see the amaterity in both video and song. There is no 'home town' love. Instead, we explore the cliche 5 boroughs of ny vignette(s) to no avail.

Yes, a PSA is a public service announcement. This song feels like a PSA when I hear "brooklyn bronx queens and staten... black white asain latino - you make it happen!" Pure suck man. This feels like a promo tape the state board would give out to middleschool kids to help ease post 9/11 anxiety. A toothpaste commercial is better than this video.

CAPTAINMARC: You're absolutely right. This is freshman year NYU shit.

         

I don't think being from America or not has ANYTHING to do with whether or not you like it, so don't give me that crap. There IS home town love and if you gave it more than a passing glance you might see that.

Did you consider that maybe a basic video might be the point? sure it's not ground-breaking or anything, but the video fits the song both musically and lyrically.

and just out of curiousity - I'm keen to find out what you consider a good video.

and by the way 'amaterity' is not a word

         

yeah lusk chill on the jingoism; most of us here reside in blue states -

I think it's amateurish and not very creative BUT it really looks like they're having fun: like these almost 40-year-old guys spending their weekends running around the city w/ 16mm cameras. I'd rather watch a Beastie Boys video than 99% of the rap videos anyday. (still; they've done such great work, I mean a fucking CRITERION DVD; that it's a shame when they kind of make an ambition-free video without any concept).

I don't think this compares to the ultimate PSA/tourist commisioned video; WIll Smith's "Philadelphia" -

         

^ yeah I agree with most of what you said. I think they probably could do better - but it's still very much their style and a bit of fun. I don't know... I happen to like that choppy / old style it has.

         

a better amatuerish video would have been them going to their favorite stores, deli's shoe stores, showing more people rather than them grabbing the camera al a Jonze era...

i feel its an ambition free video as well, which sucks because they were always on the cusp of cool.

now that they do everything themselves, i don't think they are pushing themselves hard enough.

we'll see whats next, the B Boys always innovate. (well, not right now, but i'm willing to forgive the present.)

         

if you were familiar with the beastie boys you would know that most of their videos are very lo-fi. they supported spike jonze from the beginning and though sabaotage is amazing, it is very film school as well. lo budget, cheesy for a reason, style. i do agree that they seem to be settled into a visual syle when their music is changing and the videos style gets old after awhile. i would love to see them do a video where you can actually see them mouth the words, more concept. i think they could do a greay one under spike again, or with gondry. high art