#43:
Welcome to issue #43 of THIS NEWSLETTER CANNOT SAVE YOU.
Scottovision, pt. 1
"Giggle Fudge U.S.A." (2016) - Paul Reubens hosts this deranged parody of American's Funniest Home Videos, providing a masterclass in how to chew scenery with gleeful menace and tight control. His performance is a deadpan sideswipe at the "host" role in shows like these, as he introduces the increasingly surreal show segments with a smooth and diabolic enthusiasm. The clips themselves were originally submitted to AFHV and rejected, then rescued from oblivion by Everything Is Terrible (not surprising) for use in this installment in the Adult Swim "Infomercials" series.
"Happy Idiot" (2014) - Paul Reubens stars as Racer Steven, a man bent on driving an incredible car terribly fast, and Karen Gillan plays his mysterious muse (IMDB helpfully reveals her name is "Jennifer"), in this stylish video for a great track by indie rockers TV On The Radio.
"This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" (2001) - Paul Reubens and Justin Timberlake make a surprisingly good duo in the David LaChapelle-directed music video for this Elton John track. Timberlake impresses here with his casually convincing version of Elton John himself, and Reubens steals the show several times as Elton's guardian angel (and long time manager) John Reid steering him through backstage chaos.
"30 Rock: Black Tie" (excerpt) (2007) - Paul Reubens was already a comedy legend by the time he guest starred on S1E12 of 30 Rock as Gerhardt Messerschmit Rammstein Von Hap, an afflicted Austrian prince who falls in love with Jenna at first sight. But the outpouring of affection in response to the recirculation of this clip proves even some of his fans underestimated his demented creativity.
"Pee-wee Goes to Sturgis" (2010) - Paul Reubens returns to his iconic character, Pee-wee Herman, daring to ride his nearly-as-iconic bicycle in the 70th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. Co-starring Lorenzo Lamas.
Scottovision, pt. 2
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the logosphere:
"The Song Of A Lost Boy" (2020) - It's a story as old as music itself: a young choir boy loses his delicate falsetto as his body matures, so he seeks consolation from a caravan of rowdy folk musicians on the run across a desolate wasteland, as though some Immortan Joe figure had outlawed drum circles. The story is a simple fable about finding your own voice amidst a seeming cacophony of improvsed rhythms and wild caterwauling, but the puppets are weirdly mesmerizing and effective in conveying the boy's fear that he'll never have a role to play in any choir again. Directed by Daniel Quirke.
"Cheesecake" (2023) - Behold, a new confection from our AI overlords, as steered by the artists at production company Super.Tchip: the music video for a track by experimental jazz/trip-hop group ECHT!, in which we're given a glorious vision of a steampunk universe where the entire industrial revolution was in service to the manufacturing of cheesecakes, unspoiled by concern for the dehumanization of a workforce that can move hundreds of cheesecakes down an assembly line but can never partake of its own tantalizing output.
"Lux Aeterna" (2023) - CORIN, a Filipina-Australian electronic producer, envisioned and developed a strangely beautiful sci-fi environment for her new music video. In an interview with 180 Fact, she described "a futuristic world where machines are powered by the sun. I was reading about ancient cultures that worshiped the sun and was interested to merge these ancient ideas with something futuristic. I was also researching the hydraulis – an early type of organ powered by water. Thinking about ancient musical instruments as spirits, sacred objects, extensions of our bodily existence, vessels or portals into another. How could we create an instrument that’s ancient and future at the same time – that was the core idea.”
"hx-01" (2016) - Visionary animator hexeosis released this film years ago behind a paywall on Vimeo, but a couple weeks ago he finally got around to publishing it for free viewing on YouTube. Official description: "From intricate forms and patterns to mandalas and cosmic landscapes, this 36-minute animated masterpiece weaves together a seamless rhythm of visuals and soundscapes created by hexeosis." The soundscapes weren't exactly my thing but if you substitute with the sonic atmosphere of your choosing, the animation is outstanding. If you don't have 36 minutes to spare, you can get a shorter dose via the music video for "Pressure" by Kunzite.
"Hip Neck Spine" (2023) - Watching Daphne Guinness music videos is sometimes like watching an avant-garde fashion magazine that walked into a dance audition and got the job because "moxie!" I'll always be her fan after she and director David LaChappelle won a Berlin music video award for the surreal wonder of "Hallucinations Deviant Disco," but I'm not ashamed to admit I'm recommending this new video (directed by Nick Knight) solely for the part where she wears a discoball jumpsuit and they shoot lasers at her.
Exit Music
It was tempting to send you out this issue with a rousing blast of "Tequila," but instead I'll simply admit that I wasn't paying attention to hip-hop in 1986, and consequently had no idea that "Pee-Wee's Dance" by Joeski Love was even a thing. The popular music video's been lovingly restored to crisp HD, featuring a guest starring appearance from Mark Holton (Francis in Pee-wee's Big Adventure) as a teacher attempting to keep control while Pee-wee's Dance spreads like wildfire.
A YouTube playlist with this issue’s recs can be found here.
Until next time, I remain your friendly correspondent, thinking of you,
Scotto
Scotto Moore is the author of WILD MASSIVE, BATTLE OF THE LINGUIST MAGES, and YOUR FAVORITE BAND CANNOT SAVE YOU.
