Are you drinking the Kool-Aid yet on Cults? You might want to think twice — not because the hype is undeserved; in fact, the album is fantastic — but because there's not really a good history with Kool-Aid and cults, especially if you know what happened in Jonestown. Director Isaiah Seret inserts the band into historical footage from that infamous commune in Guyana where nearly 1,000 people committed mass suicide by consuming cyanide laced fruit punch.
In simple terms you could say the video is essentially the "Buddy Holly" trick, but using Jonestown footage instead of Happy Days. But it's pretty important to note that the video isn't played for laughs or presented as a gimmick. In fact, if anything, the video puts a very human face on the victims of the tragedy, making sure you're aware that the vast majority of the victims were innocent people — a point made painfully clear by ending on a shot of smiling, waving commune members that's haunting, if not downright devastating. --> watch "Go Outside" (Boing Boing premiere, with director's comment)
Cults "Go Outside" (Columbia)Isiah Seret, director | Jett Steiger, producer | Prettybird, production co | Doomsday, rep | Matthew Lloyd, DP | Luke Lynch, editor | Bill Gilman, vfx supervisor | Benjamin Kutsko, vfx artist | Megan Fenton, production designer | Diana Contreras, Mindy LeBrock, stylists | Erin Nichols, hair/make-up | Candice Ouaknine, exec. producer
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