NEW RELEASE: The Killers "Bones"

Many music video directors make the transition to the big screen — David Fincher, Brett Ratner and Spike Jonze, just to name a few — but it's not too often that a big name movie director does a music video. And, even when they do, there's no guarantee it will be on par with their best work — for example, Martin Scorsese's video Michael Jackson's "Bad" is certainly memorable and incorporates the some of the filmmaker's hallmarks, but nobody's gonna mistake it for Taxi Driver. Director Tim Burton's clip for The Killers is a similar deal. It's good. Really good, in fact. But, anybody wishing for something that can resonate like Edward Scissorhands or Big Fish is going to have to settle for something less ambitious, yet perfectly appropriate to the video medium.

    The easiest comparison here is Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas due to the skeleton motif, but the video is more an exercise in camp, like Mars Attacks. The action takes place in a drive-in where both The Killers perform, and daters enjoy a B-movie which is a weird mix of the walking skeletons effect from Jason & The Argonauts, the creepy horror progenitor Creature Of The Black Lagoon, and the sex on the beach classic From Here To Eternity. As in any good movie within movie, the action in real life soon mimics what's on screen, so we're treated to footage of The Killers and the drive-in patrons stripped down to their  literal bones.-- watch "Bones" at MTV.com (now Mac & PC compatible) or in Real or Windows Media via islandrecords.com

The Killers "Bones" (Island Def Jam)
Tim Burton, director | JP Fox, producer | Refused TV, production co | Max Goldman, DP | Final Cut UK, editor | Moving Picture Co. UK, effects

NEW RELEASE: Zero 7 f/ Jose Gonzalez "Futures"

Director Robert Seidel delivers a constantly morphing series of crushed objects in a clip for Zero 7 featuring Jose Gonzalez that's best described as a combination of a fractal screensaver and those trippy oil blob designs that used to play on movie theater screens between showings. More a work of visual art than a traditional music video, but a nicely hypnotic match to the song.  -- watch "Futures"

Zero 7 feat. Jose Gonzalez
"Futures" (Atlantic)
Robert Seidel, director/editor/DP | 2 Minds, production co

BOOKED: Evanescence - Paul Fedor, director

artist: Evanescence
song: "Lithium"
label: Wind-Up
director(s): Paul Fedor
production co: F.M. Rocks

BOOKED: Stacie Orrico - Honey, directors

artist: Stacie Orrico
song: "I'm Not Missing You"
label: Virgin
director(s): Honey
production co: Partizan

NEW RELEASE: Christina Aguilera "Hurt"

Christina Aguilera stars as an old-time circus performer on ther verge of a nervous breakdown in the video for "Hurt." An unexpected telegram sets off a flood of memories about the supportive, well-meaning father she abondoned once she attained her big top fame. -- watch "Hurt"

Christina Aguilera "Hurt" (RCA)
Floria Sigismondi & Christina Aguilera, directors | Joanna Shaw, producer | Revolver Film Co, production co | Stompbox Media, rep | Jonathan Sela, DP | Martin Ahlgren, additional cinematography  | Jarrett Fijal, editor

NEW RELEASE: Tall Hands "Three Full Virginias"

It's a veritable facial hair folly in this video for Tall Hands. Beards, mustaches and other tufts of hair grow and shrink away, all in time to the music. The effect was done the old-fashioned way: The band members let their facial hair grow out of control in anticipation of the video shoot; Then the production team strategically trimmed and shaved away the hair while shooting the results in stop motion. There's also a couple little twists thrown in — such as the prehistoric land tucked away in an afro, plus a fair amount of stop-motion dance routines. Thankfully, the hair gags remain above the neck, thus sparing us the sight of undulating pubic hair. -- watch "Three Full Virginias" in Quicktime or YouTube

Tall Hands "Three Full Virginias" (Pulse)
Nick & Ben, director | Nick Carbonaro, producer
Seaworthy Films, production co
Adam Orellana, DP | Ben Leavitt, editor

BOOKED: P.O.D. - Ryan Smith, director

Video scheduled to shoot for this new P.O.D. track off  the band's upcoming compilation disc Greatest Hits - The Atlantic Years, to be released by Rhino Records.

artist: P.O.D.
song: "Going In Blind"
label: Rhino
director(s): Ryan Smith
production co: Merge @ Crossroads
rep: Labuda Management
commissioner: Jill Kaplan/Skyway Productions

SHOT: Blak Jak - Dr. Teeth, director

artist: Blak Jak   
song: "Bobbin My Head"
label: Universal Republic
director(s): Dr. Teeth
production co: The Filming Company
rep: Labuda Management

NEW RELEASE: Mew "Special"

A wealthy couple tries to dance away the ennui at a huge country manor in the shadowy b&w video for this new wave cut from Danish band Mew. Despite their manic efforts — and a Crouching Tiger segment in which the woman imagines floating away — the pair devolve into a fight and wind up trying to leap into the nearest body of water. Whether it's for a rebirth or a suicide attempt depends on your mood, I guess. -- watch "Special" in Real or YouTube

Mew "Special" (Columbia)
Martin De Thurah , director | Carmen Montanez-Callan, producer
Academy Films, production co
Kasper Tuxen, DP | Peter Brandt, editor

NEW RELEASE: Pete Yorn "For Us"

A young bird takes a shine to Pete Yorn in this cutesy animated/live action video. The bird pines away from a tree branch, watching Yorn and his band practice through a basement window. She endures inclement weather, disregards her homework and runs the risk of alienating her family. Unfortunately, it's all for naught. The little birdie realizes in the end that their human/avian love affair is probably an impossible dream. -- watch "For Us"

Pete Yorn "For Us" (Columbia)
Robert Hales, director | No Brain, Animators
Oualid Mouaness, producer | Tricycle/HSI, production co
Giles Dunning, DP | Ken Mowe, editor