How Blink-182 parodied Bruce Springsteen
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How M. Night Shyamalan almost directed a Blink-182 video
Spike Jonze proved that if you can direct a music video, you can also turn your hand to making movies. Ultimately, directing is directing, and Blink-182 almost succeeded in persuading M. Night Shyamalan to be at the helm for one of their video shoots, but sadly their plans fell through.
Acclaimed film directors have been unable to resist the opportunity to work with musicians, and even Steven Spielberg has been unable to resist the lure. Marcus Mumford recently managed to secure the legendary Oscar-winning director to shoot the visuals for his debut single, ‘Cannibal’, which Spielberg shot on an iPhone.
Meanwhile, Paul Thomas Anderson has built up a long-running relationship with HAIM, who he has directed videos for on ten occasions. Additionally, he’s also worked with artists, including Radiohead and Fiona Apple.
On the other hand, M. Night Shymalan waited until 2021 to direct his first music video, which was for the track ‘The Sky Cries’ by Saleka, who is the filmmaker’s daughter. However, he nearly made his directorial music video debut much earlier, thanks to a chance encounter with Blink-182, who tried to work their magic on the Indian.
The incident came to light thanks to Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus and his former bandmate Tom DeLonge reminiscing about their time together on the former’s Apple Music radio show. The duo wistfully looked back upon when they unexpectedly bumped into the director in Japan and almost began a working relationship.
Hoppus remembered: “We were on tour in Japan, and we were having lunch in the hotel in Japan, and we look over and M. Night Shyamalan is at a table next to us, and you’re like, ‘I’m going to go ask him to direct a Blink-182 video.’ And I was like, ‘What the hell?'”
He continued: “The dude’s having lunch on a promo tour of his movie in Japan, and you just walk up, and you’re like, ‘Hey, my name’s Tom DeLonge. I play in a band called Blink-182. We’re a big fan of yours. Would you ever direct a Blink video?’
“And within half an hour, we’re all sitting together, and he’s coming up with ideas for a Blink video. And I mean, he did come up with a whole treatment and everything. It was going to cost, whatever it was, $20 million, but I mean, just on your gumption or I don’t know, no fucks to give, just walk up to somebody and say, ‘Hey, I want you to direct a Blink video.'”
Unfortunately, Blink’s budget wasn’t adequate to fulfil Shamalyan’s vision which meant they were forced to look elsewhere. The director is somebody who doesn’t do things in half measures, and unless Blink-182 were prepared to go bankrupt to make his dream a possibility, then it wasn’t an avenue he was prepared to pursue.
