Korn - Twisted Transistor (2005)
*** (of four)
I guess Korn has a sense of humor - I should have known from the Pirate Ghosts "Scooby Doo"-parody episode of "South Park" a half-decade or so back. But their pop-goth/rap-death metal image has always been one they seem to take too seriously and I seem to laugh at. Now here's "Twisted Transistor," a video that replaces Jonathon, Fieldy and the boys with a dummy band featuring Snoop Dogg, Lil' Jon, David Banner and Xzhibit.
Veteran pop and hip-hop video director Dave Meyers manages to squeeze in a half-dozen predictable but reliable scenarios to let the hip-hop stars ham it up in true pop-goth/rap-metal style. There's the Reservoir Dogs establishing shot of the band walking down an auditorium hall in slow motion on their way to the stage, there's concert performance footage (the drummer actually looks convincing), there's a record store autograph session (groupie breasts get signed in black Sharpie, to be sure), there's the tour bus scenes with the rappers clashing personality-wise with the grizzled white roadies, and there's the requisite sequence with a pair of bumbling hayseed cops pulling over and searching the bus.
The video's three best scenes:
1) The three rappers' group reactions upon learning the fourth has gone behind their backs to model for a Sexy Beast Cologne billboard
2) The boardroom record execs - played by the real Korn band members) - calling for more bling and booty in the band's video. (SNOOP: This song ain't about booties, yo! It's about transistors!)
3) The crazy hotel party sequence, in which the rest of the band trashes a suite while Snoop destroys the housekeeping lady's toiletries cart in a self-conscious fit of rage.
Otherwise, though, Snoop is the weakest link of the four performers, which is odd considering how much mileage he's gotten out of toying with his public image. The other guys seem more comfortable with their duties here, and "Twisted Transistor" is solidly entertaining as a four-minute piece. But reportedly the four rappers, Korn and Dave Meyers want to expand the video into a feature-length comedy a la This is Spinal Tap and Fear of a Black Hat. The world's probably ready for another hip-hop mockumentary - what's it been, about twelve years? - but watch out, guys. Not even Chris Rock could save CB4 from sinking like the Titanic.
I guess Korn has a sense of humor - I should have known from the Pirate Ghosts "Scooby Doo"-parody episode of "South Park" a half-decade or so back. But their pop-goth/rap-death metal image has always been one they seem to take too seriously and I seem to laugh at. Now here's "Twisted Transistor," a video that replaces Jonathon, Fieldy and the boys with a dummy band featuring Snoop Dogg, Lil' Jon, David Banner and Xzhibit.
Veteran pop and hip-hop video director Dave Meyers manages to squeeze in a half-dozen predictable but reliable scenarios to let the hip-hop stars ham it up in true pop-goth/rap-metal style. There's the Reservoir Dogs establishing shot of the band walking down an auditorium hall in slow motion on their way to the stage, there's concert performance footage (the drummer actually looks convincing), there's a record store autograph session (groupie breasts get signed in black Sharpie, to be sure), there's the tour bus scenes with the rappers clashing personality-wise with the grizzled white roadies, and there's the requisite sequence with a pair of bumbling hayseed cops pulling over and searching the bus.
The video's three best scenes:
1) The three rappers' group reactions upon learning the fourth has gone behind their backs to model for a Sexy Beast Cologne billboard
2) The boardroom record execs - played by the real Korn band members) - calling for more bling and booty in the band's video. (SNOOP: This song ain't about booties, yo! It's about transistors!)
3) The crazy hotel party sequence, in which the rest of the band trashes a suite while Snoop destroys the housekeeping lady's toiletries cart in a self-conscious fit of rage.
Otherwise, though, Snoop is the weakest link of the four performers, which is odd considering how much mileage he's gotten out of toying with his public image. The other guys seem more comfortable with their duties here, and "Twisted Transistor" is solidly entertaining as a four-minute piece. But reportedly the four rappers, Korn and Dave Meyers want to expand the video into a feature-length comedy a la This is Spinal Tap and Fear of a Black Hat. The world's probably ready for another hip-hop mockumentary - what's it been, about twelve years? - but watch out, guys. Not even Chris Rock could save CB4 from sinking like the Titanic.
posted by daytime at 4:57 AM
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