VIDEO: Watch Toronto get blown up during an alien invasion (you certainly won’t be watching it for The Darcys’ music)
No, Michael Bay did not direct and shoot the most recent music video effort by The Darcys, which sees Toronto collapsing during an alien invasion. It sure seems like it though, because the movie-like video, no doubt inspired by Close Encounters of the Third Kind or something like it, relies solely on special effects to carry it. A recurring shot of a teetering CN Tower broken at the neck seems odd, considering the rest of the city skyline remains intact—since when are aliens so selective? We can just imagine what director Mike Portoghese was thinking: “Hey, you know what would be wicked cool? Blowing our entire budget making it look like the CN Tower is falling. And fire, there should be lots of fire.” The story feels rushed—surely they could have chosen a song lengthy enough to suit a music video about a city in the throes of being blown up, instead of editing the song down to fit into a very tight three-minute package treating a three-minute song as an epic. We also think the music gets completely lost, because the band has made a huge effort to validate itself by showing that video has not killed the radio star (with Die Hard–like fire and Titanic-like final goodbyes). Shame on us: first Resident Evil suckered us in with its blown-up city hall, and now this.
I think that’s a tad harsh.
Since when is continuity a major factor in 3 minute videos?
And I don’t see any aliens.
Just a decent vid from a cool band.
I kind of like the video! Maybe I have it all wrong, but I don’t see this as an Alien attack. It seems like people are getting on the ship.
“surely they could have modelled a music video about a city in the throes of being blown up after one of Lady Gaga’s absurdly long feature-length dramas, instead of editing the song down to fit into a very tight three-minute package”
a) I’m not sure an independent band would have the budget, nor the resources, to model a music video after a full-length drama from a major label pop-star.
b) They did not edit the song down. It would take 2 minutes of your time to download their album (for free at thedarcys.ca), and to compare the album track vs the video’s track, after which you’d discover that they are indeed, the same track.
The title makes it sound like the band is bad, but the story makes it sound like the song is good, and should have been more the focus of the video.
How many minutes was it before the first correction?
Sheesh.
any press is good press so be happy boys
I agree with Derek. A tad harsh indeed.
K. Best is Best
That is really nit picky review of a 3 minute video by an indie band.
You sound like a film major trying to validate your degree.
Sid’s right. I know Kevin Naulls, he’s one of those pretentious, hipstery, pseudo-intellectuals. The kind of guy who hates Radiohead only b/c they’re too popular. How can he call this video “Michael Bay” when it’s made by an INDIE BAND? I heard they pulled it off for next to nothing too!
And Kevin obviously didn’t even watch it all the way through, or is just a complete idiot. There aren’t even any aliens in it, it’s some sort of rescue-ship. Way to go big guy!
I know Mike, the director, personally. Share a rehearsal space with him. The dude shot the video on his own Canon, consumer grade camera and did the fx himself. He’s literally the hardest working director I know and basically a genius in his field.
Bash him if you want, that’s your perogative, but don’t think this was a big budget video when it was one guy working his ass off, man. That’s just pure hating.
thanks for posting this now i can watch the video…
SL Aluminium