Gawker: defamer, michel gondry

Green Hornet to Look a Lot Like a White Stripes Video

Seth — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:28:23 EST

The departure of director Stephen Chow from Seth Rogen's The Green Hornet suggested the project might be postponed indefinitely. Thanks to Michel Gondry, however, the Hornet flies (stings? What does the Hornet do, anyway?) again.

Variety reports the director—an unabashedly quirky filmmaker whose lo-fi, kinetic visual flourishes have influenced everything from Coke commercials to Oscar opening numbers—will be taking over. What does that portend for the project? Look for Hornet to sacrifice Chow's jokey, action-heavy Hong Kong cinema aesthetic, replaced instead by Gondry's decidedly more meta flights of fancy. His touch could ultimately prove to make all the difference in bringing some of the script's more static scenes alive, however, such as when the Hornet kicks back with a bowl of Funyuns next to bong-hogging sidekick Kato, the two unmotivated crime-fighters giggling hysterically at a Sweded version of their own misadventures.

Michel Gondry set for 'Green Hornet' [Variety]

For Just $10 Million, Jerry Seinfeld Gave Microsoft This Shoegazing Stumper

Kyle Buchanan — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:00:00 EDT

In its bid to top the deceptively simple "I"m a Mac/I'm a PC" ad campaign of its rival, Microsoft went big, hiring auteur Michel Gondry to direct a commercial featuring Jerry Seinfeld alongside Bill Gates (update: we've been informed that though Gondry shot at least one commercial for this campaign, this particular ad was crafted by director Bryan Buckley). For his involvement, Seinfeld was handsomely compensated to the tune of $10 million — a big number, but small potatoes compared to the whole ad campaign's rumored $300 million budget. For that kind of cash, you might expect the end result to be an orgy of CGI with all participants covered in a thick sheen of liquid gold. However, Microsoft had something considerably quieter and more head-scratching in mind. Take a look at the lackadaisical proceedings and then try to physically restrain yourself from bolting out the door to buy a PC. That is what's being advertised, isn't it? [Microsoft]

Be Kind Rewind: An Homage to Amanda Bynes?

nickm — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 13:05:41 EST

When it comes to imaginative and inventive indie auteurs, you can have your Spike Jonzes and your David O. Russells and your Vincent Gallos. But us? We're sticking with Amanda Bynes! Thanks to the copious research of one delightfully outraged YouTube user, it has come to light that the plot of Michel Gondry's Be Kind Rewind was lifted lock, stock, and barrel from an 8-year-old episode of Nickelodeon's The Amanda Show.

The evidence is truly startling (ish). Be Kind Rewind features Jack Black and Mos' Def creating their own quirky versions of popular films. This clip features Amanda Bynes doing the same exact thing! It's now obvious that Michel Gondry was busy watching Nickelodeon in 2000, which goes a long way towards explaining why Human Nature sucked so much. But so long as Gondry is busy mining the Nickelodeon back catalog, might we suggest that he put his considerable talents to use on a re-imagined You Can't Do That On Television next?

Be Kind Rewind: URGENT [YouTube]

[Ed. Postscript - Since we don't get many opportunities to mention Amanda Bynes here on Defamer, I thought I would take the opportunity to drop in a photo of Bynes from last night's Penelope premiere. Bynes!] [Photo Credit: Getty Images]

Michel Gondry's Feet Not As Talented As You May Have Previously Believed

Mark — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 20:16:59 EST

It seems only fair that if we devote an end-of-day linkdump item to a clip of director Michel Gondry supposedly solving a Rubik's Cube with his feet in under two minutes, that we give more than equal time to a video that endeavors to painstakingly debunk his fraudulent puzzle-whupping heroics, even if it was fairly obvious how the feat was accomplished in the first place. We especially enjoyed the Zapruder-quality analysis of the "limping" man in the doorway, whose tragic inability to walk backwards in a more natural fashion unraveled the entire illusion.

How Michel Gondry Faked His Rubik's Cube Stunt [YouTube]
Michel Gondry Solves a Rubiks Cube with his Feet [YouTube]

Short Ends: Gondry Vs. The Rubik's Cube

Mark — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 20:50:54 EST

· This is the best video about a director interacting with a puzzle we've seen since a behind-the-scenes clip on The Island DVD showing Michael Bay standing over a toppled Jenga tower at a wrap party and screaming, "Why didn't you fucking tell me the fucking thing would fall over if I pulled that block out, you little piss-ant!" at a nearby PA. [via BoingBoing]
· Defamer PSA: If you're thinking about drinking and driving tonight (and we know you are, because this is LA), you might want to avoid this section of Sunset Blvd. in Beverly Hills. At least the cops are giving you some advance warning.
· RAIN: CAN IT HAPPEN TO US?
· Hurty Elbow has compiled a gallery of Borats who don't really look like Borat.
· You're really not going to want order creamy salad dressing ever again after reading this, so just skip it.
· Doesn't this story make you nostalgic for the summer, when it seemed every day brought a story of wild animals loose on aircraft?