# Christopher Walken in "Weapon of Choice" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 8, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-walken-in-weapon-of-choice/436836 "2008-02-08T19:28:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-walken-in-weapon-of-choice/436836/1 "2008-02-08T19:28:12Z")
I absolutely love this Fatboy Slim video. Is Christopher Walken actually doing all of the dancing? Is he truly a “hoofer at heart?” If so, he’s pretty damned fabulous! ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-walken-in-weapon-of-choice/436836/2 "2008-02-08T19:31:06Z")
Haven’t seen the video, but suspect CW is doing his own dancing – that’s where he started out in the biz. You can also see him dance in the movie _Pennies from Heaven_. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-walken-in-weapon-of-choice/436836/3 "2008-02-08T19:37:56Z")
he might not do quite all of it, there are a couple points in that vid that would be pretty hard for a guy his age but he certainly did most of it. love that video. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WW8flwpH-Q) ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-walken-in-weapon-of-choice/436836/4 "2008-02-08T19:48:05Z")
The vid has it’s own [Wiki entry:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weapon_of_Choice_(music_video)) > [@](#): > > The song is perhaps best known for its accompanying music video which is noted for the appearance of Christopher Walken. It is directed by Spike Jonze. The video has been credited by the music press and mass media for bringing a whole new generation of fans to Walken’s talents. > In the video, Walken dances and flies around in an empty hotel lobby to the music. Before he was an actor, Walken was trained as a dancer in musical theatre. The “Weapon of Choice” video won six MTV awards in 2001; as one of the video’s MTV “Moonmen” was for Best Choreography, Walken became a Video Music Award winner. The clip was also cited as the best video of all time in April 2002, in a list of the top 100 videos of all time that was compiled from a music industry survey by music TV channel VH1. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-walken-in-weapon-of-choice/436836/5 "2008-02-08T20:05:52Z")
There’s definitely a body double a couple of times: 1:45 when he does a pseudo-cartwheel and then drops out of frame (the real Walken pops back up immediately); 1:53 when jumps onto the table (next shot has the real Walken on top of the table); 2:10 when he jumps off the table dropping fully out of frame (the real Walken pops back up again immediately); 3:00 when he dives head first off the balcony (though the rest of the wirework is him). In each case (maybe 10 seconds total), it’s not the dancing but the sheer athleticism of the move that requires the double (he was 58 at the time). One of my faves. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-walken-in-weapon-of-choice/436836/6 "2008-02-09T01:34:42Z")
Nothing to add except that a few weeks ago I stumbled across _Weapon of Choice_ on YouTube, and spent the next couple of hours rummaging through videos of Fatboy Slim pieces and videos directed by Spike Jonze. Some of the best stuff ever, you bet. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-walken-in-weapon-of-choice/436836/7 "2008-02-09T01:39:27Z")
[QUOTE=El\_Kabong] Nothing to add except that a few weeks ago I stumbled across _Weapon of Choice_ on YouTube, and spent the next couple of hours rummaging through videos of Fatboy Slim pieces and videos directed by Spike Jonze. Some of the best stuff ever, you bet. [/QUOTE] Spike Jonze actually has a DVD compilation of all his videos. He’s one of my two favorite video directors ever, the other being Michael Gondry (who also has a DVD, and is also well worth seeking out on Youtube). ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-walken-in-weapon-of-choice/436836/8 "2008-02-09T02:31:48Z")
Jonze also acquits himself quite well as an actor in _Three Kings_. Walken, in one of his Saturday Night Live appearances (IIRC in the monologue), mentioned his desire to be a dancer, and broke into a quite good dance routine. I love this video, so I’m glad to hear it’s received the acclaim it deserves. ---
**Author:** ![St\_Ides](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@St\_Ides](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/St_Ides)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-walken-in-weapon-of-choice/436836/9 "2008-02-09T20:54:29Z")
I remember when the video came out and I heard an interview with Jonze. Jonze had a different idea for the video, but one day, he was at some sort of a celebrity or fundraising dinner (I don’t recall the detail, just that it was a dinner) and Jonze and Walken ended up sitting beside each other. They got to talking and Walken mentioned how he used to be a dancer, and that’s what he used to do, but had become too well known as an actor, and nobody cared if he could dance. He said he wanted to do it one more time, while he was still young and limber enough to do it. Spike said he’d see what he could do, and now everybody knows that in addition to being an overall cool guy, Walken can bust-a-move. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-walken-in-weapon-of-choice/436836/10 "2008-02-09T21:25:37Z")
Boy I love that video. ---
**Author:** ![rucciface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@rucciface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rucciface)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-walken-in-weapon-of-choice/436836/11 "2008-02-09T21:44:23Z")
Love that song, but it’s the video that puts it over the top for me. From [imdb.com](http://imdb.com): [Christopher Walken] Always tries to work a jig (dance) into his movies. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-walken-in-weapon-of-choice/436836/12 "2008-02-09T22:43:52Z")
Great stuff. I love that it both begins, and ends, in that abandoned hotel lobby with Walken looking weary beyond words. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-walken-in-weapon-of-choice/436836/13 "2008-02-09T22:51:36Z")
[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir] Great stuff. I love that it both begins, and ends, in that abandoned hotel lobby with Walken looking weary beyond words. [/QUOTE] Agreed, you can see him practically deflate as he sinks back into the chair. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2008, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-walken-in-weapon-of-choice/436836/14 "2008-02-09T23:15:37Z")
Really great video. I’m gonna look for it for my iPod. ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-walken-in-weapon-of-choice/436836/15 "2008-02-10T01:06:29Z")
[QUOTE=Boyo Jim] Really great video. I’m gonna look for it for my iPod. [/QUOTE] It’s available for purchase from the Itunes Store. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-walken-in-weapon-of-choice/436836/16 "2008-02-10T01:58:20Z")
[QUOTE=riker1384] It’s available for purchase from the Itunes Store. [/QUOTE] I already bought it.