# Music videos based on movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 23, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-based-on-movies/190407 "2003-07-23T16:52:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Interrobang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/interrobang/32/17463_2.png) [@Interrobang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Interrobang)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-based-on-movies/190407/1 "2003-07-23T16:52:41Z")
This weekend, MTV2 showed the video for the New Pornographers’ song “The Laws Have Changed.” Turns out that the plot and dialogue for the video come from Luis Buñuel’s 1965 movie **Simon of the Desert**. Basic plot: Satan visits St. Simon Stylites in the guise of an attractive young woman, spiriting him away to a modern dance club. It’s _vade retro_ – and _vade ultra_! So my question to my fellow Dopers: what other videos have been based on movies? Plot, design elements, theme, whatever. (Substitute “inspired by” or “ripped off from” for “based on” if you want.) ---
**Author:** ![Skip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@Skip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skip)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-based-on-movies/190407/2 "2003-07-23T17:10:58Z")
Jennifer Lopez’s latest video (I forget the name) was basically her remaking Flashdance. Alien Ant Farm’s aptly titled _‘Movies’_ had the band dressed up as the oom-pa-loompa’s from Willie Wonka. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-based-on-movies/190407/3 "2003-07-23T17:14:48Z")
I don’t watch many music videos, but the first one that obviously comes to mind is Madonna’s **Express Yourself** which explicitly references Fritz Lang’s _Metropolis_, both in the visual design & the story. The final quote from the video is directly from the film as well. IIRC, David Fincher (_Se7en, Fight Club_) directed this video. ---
**Author:** ![Morgainelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Morgainelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgainelf)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-based-on-movies/190407/4 "2003-07-23T17:46:05Z")
I remember a Janet Jackson video that was based on the opening sequence of _Guys and Dolls_. I don’t recall which song it was, though. ---
**Author:** ![Morgainelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Morgainelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgainelf)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-based-on-movies/190407/5 "2003-07-23T17:51:17Z")
It was Escapade. :smack: ---
**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:** [July 23, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-based-on-movies/190407/6 "2003-07-23T18:28:38Z")
I wish I had MTV2! I’m a recent fan of the New Pornographers and Neko Case. I love “The Laws Have Changed,” and I’d love to see that video. There was a video for Puff Daddy and Mase a few years back (“Been Around the World”?) that referenced the airport scene from John Woo’s Face/Off in the beginning. I can’t think of any specific examples right now, but I know a few rap videos have paid homage to gangster movies like Scarface and the Godfathers. I remember Paula Abdul’s old “Rush Rush” video was a take-off on Rebel Without A Cause, featuring Keanu Reeves in the James Dean role and Paula as Natalie Wood. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-based-on-movies/190407/7 "2003-07-23T18:29:19Z")
**Tonight, Tonight** by Smashing Pumpkins > [@](#): > > Directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris: > > Easily their best and most popular video, Tonight, Tonight ranks among the best videos ever made. Made to look like an old movie (flickering lights, etc.), it is an homage to George Méli è s’ 1902 film **A Trip to the Moon** , one of the first films ever to use optical trickery. Winning seven MTV awards as well as numerous other accolades, Tonight, Tonight is continually amongst the top in countdowns concerning the best videos ever made. A true masterpiece. Earns 5 out of 5 pumpkins. [link](http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/showreview.php3?ID=2752) **Morgainelf** , are you sure you aren’t thinking of **Allright** , with the Cab Caloway cameo? Pash ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-based-on-movies/190407/8 "2003-07-23T18:39:15Z")
What sprang to mind for me was Cyndi Lauper’s “Good Enough” video, which I think is on the DVD for **The Goonies**. The video even takes place on many of the movie’s sets, although it contains many more wrestlers than the actual movie. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-based-on-movies/190407/9 "2003-07-23T20:14:13Z")
I was thinking of “Weird Al” Yankovic’s video for **UHF,** which is a combination movie-clip video and a general-purpose parody of (then-)contemporary pop rockers. Dunno if it counts, tho. ---
**Author:** ![Q\_Dizzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecae2f/32.png) [@Q\_Dizzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q_Dizzle)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-based-on-movies/190407/10 "2003-07-23T20:46:13Z")
The video for “California Love” by Tupac and Dr. Dre seems to draw from the Mad Max movies. ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-based-on-movies/190407/11 "2003-07-23T22:27:34Z")
Metallica’s “One” seems to be based on the movie _Johnny Got His Gun_, which in turn is based I guess on the novel by Dalton Trumbo. I say “I guess” because I haven’t read the book. I saw the movie in school, though, and thought it was pretty disturbing. Man, there’s got to be a zillion videos based on movies, but I’m drawing a blank right now. ---
**Author:** ![Mephisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@Mephisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mephisto)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-based-on-movies/190407/12 "2003-07-23T22:28:46Z")
Metallica’s “One” seems to be based on the movie _Johnny Got His Gun_, which in turn is based I guess on the novel by Dalton Trumbo. I say “I guess” because I haven’t read the book. I saw the movie in school, though, and thought it was pretty disturbing. Man, there’s got to be a zillion other videos based on movies, but I’m drawing a blank right now. ---
**Author:** ![Morgainelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Morgainelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgainelf)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2003, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-videos-based-on-movies/190407/13 "2003-07-24T13:23:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pashnish Ewing \* > \*\ ***Tonight, Tonight** by Smashing Pumpkins[link](http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/showreview.php3?ID=2752) > > **Morgainelf** , are you sure you aren’t thinking of **Allright** , with the Cab Caloway cameo? > > Pash \*\* You know, now I’m not sure. It’s the video that appears to be all one shot. It’s a very colorful street scene, and everyone is wearing “zoot suit” type costumes. Anyone?