Christopher Walken Music Video Named 'Best of all Time' in poll of Industry Experts

Sky News ^ | April 27, 2002 | Sky News Staff

[codebreaker]

Fatboy's Slim 'Weapon of Choice' featuring a unique dance by Holywood (character actor)-star Christopher Walken, has been named the greatest video ever made.

It topped a poll of music industry experts beating classics like Michael Jackson's Thriller which came in at number six.

Fatboy Slim aka British DJ Norman Cook also makes the Top 20 with 'Praise You.'

Both that video and 'Weapon of Choice' were directed by Spike Jonze.

The Americans also took the runner up spot for the Beastie Boys 'Sabotage,' in which the band dresses up as '70's Amercian Cops.

[codebreaker]

No Ace of Base?

[3catsanadog]

I have to admit it - I get a kick out of watching this video.

[rintense]

Michael Jackson will be pissed. For years, Thriller was the standard. Now it looks like a bad B-movie.

That said, the Fatboy Slim video with Walken is damn good. But it's Walken that makes the video good.

[AmishDude]

Is there a way to see it without enduring MTV or VH1?

[Irene Adler]

Okay, now, I'm really curious. Would it be possible to describe the video for those of us who don't see them? I mean, I can't even imagine Christopher Walken doing a music video.

[codebreaker]

Which one, I think both the Christopher Walken and the Beasties clips are good..

[3catsanadog]

I was able to view it a few months ago when there was one of those music awards shows on the VH1 site. Since it had been nominated for something, VH1 had a link you could play it on something like Real Player.

[codebreaker]

It's kind of like a modern day 'singing in the rain' except Christoper Walken with special effects and dancing on the ceiling..

[garbanzo]

It's cute, but 'best of all time'? Have people gotten together and collectively decided not to hurt Spike Jonze's feelings?

[codebreaker]

[mhking]

Go to http://www.launch.com/ and do a search on "Weapon of Choice." You will be able to watch the video on the web there.

[3catsanadog]

Walken was sitting in a chair in a hotel lobby - no one else there but him. He had a business suit on and then he got up and started tap dancing to the music all over the lobby, up the escalators, over to the elevators, jumped off a balcony.

The video was just him dancing. No sex, no scantily clad women, no urban rap singers. Very simple but you couldn't take your eyes off of it.

[3catsanadog]

Walken video. I don't think I've seen the Beasties video.

[codebreaker]

[codebreaker]

The Beasties clip is a faily good parody of old '70s TV Cop shows..good hook too

[AmishDude]

LOL! Got to be better than the weird Paul Simon/Chevy Chase video from years back.

[Neologic]

You could probably download the video using a file sharing service like Kazaa or Morpheus. In fact, I think I will do that right after I finish this post :)

Walken started out doing musicals, apparently he also used to play good guys too, although I really cant imagine him as anything but a menacing villain. I heard him mention in an interview once that he always tries to do a little dance in every movie he is in, no matter what the part.

Anyway, the video is Walken sitting in a hotel lounge in a suit. He gets up and starts dancing and dances all over the place while the song plays. That's it. Its simple and silly, but it is a lot of fun too, especially if you like Walken and Fatboy Slim.

I am glad that this video as well as Sabotage were the top videos instead of most of the trash that gets played on MTV like a boy band or Puff Daddy and his 'posse' of gangsters and sluts.

[Mr.Clark]

Good choices. The Walken one is hilarious, Sabotage is my favorite video of all time, and a great song to boot.

[breakem]

Someone here can correct me I'm sure, but I think Walken used to be a Broadway chorus boy for ahile. When he was interviewed on Inside the Actors Studio he did a few tap steps.

I am amazed to see the folks on TV who are in drams and sit-coms who can sing and dance.. I believe they get a well rounded training if they go to the right schools and many of them have taken secondary roles on Broadway to get started.

[VOA]

That said, the Fatboy Slim video with Walken is damn good.
But it's Walken that makes the video good.

For what it's worth...
Probably my favorite quirky love story of all time is
"Who Am I This Time?"

Based on a story by Kurt Vonnegut, Walken was a totally introverted store clerk
who yearly bloomed as the lead in community theater.
Then he would go back into his shell as soon as the play performances were over.

The story is about the play season in which the cycle is broken.

As much as it pains me, this was a PBS American Playhouse production, with
Susan Sarandon as the love interest.
But I still love the show anyway. Too bad I've never seen it replayed (ran maybe 15 or more
years ago)...and I don't know if it's available on tape.