Saturday, May 05, 2012

Penny Thoughts ‘12—Fight For Your Right Revisited (2011) ***

NR, 30 min.
Director/Writer: Adam Yauch
Starring: Elijah Wood, Danny McBride, Seth Rogen, Stanley Tucci, Susan Sarandon, Rashida Jones, Will Arnett, Adam Scott, Mike Mills, Rainn Wilson, Arabella Field, Ted Danson, Roman Coppola, Shannyn Sossamon, Steve Buscemi, Amy Poehler, Mary Steenburgen, Alicia Silverstone, Laura Dern, Arthur Scipio Africano, Alfredo Ortiz, Milo Ventimiglia, Jody Hill, Silvia Suvadova, Jason Schwartzman, Losel Yauch, Chloë Sevigny, Kirsten Dunst, Maya Rudolph, Clint Caluory, David Cross, Orlando Bloom, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Jack Black, Adam Horovitz, Mike Diamond, Adam Yauch, Martin Starr

It’s always sad when someone passes too young. Adam Yauch’s death isn’t special because he was a celebrity; but as a celebrity, his death gives us a chance to look back at what he did to contribute to our lives. Yauch was a third of the musical/rap group The Beastie Boys. His BB persona was MCA, and over a thirty year career in the music business the Beastie Boys contributed some of the rap anthems of our age. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame just last month. Yauch succumbed to cancer May 4, 2012 at the age of 47 after battling the disease since 2009.


It was their hit single “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (to Party)” from the Licensed to Ill album that broke the band into mainstream consciousness. The music video for the song was a phenomenon upon its release in 1986. It featured Yauch and his band mates Mike “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz crashing a party being held by a couple of kids who were warned by their parents not to throw a party.

Last year, Yauch wrote and directed the thirty-minute short film “Fight For Your Right Revisited” to commemorate the video’s 25th anniversary. The movie imagines what happened after the events depicted in the iconic music video. Employing an entire cast of A-list film and television stars, the new movie recalls all the spirit and attitude of the original video. It’s funny. It features great jams by the band. And, it’s great homage to what appealed to audiences about the Beastie Boys so many years ago. At the end of the movie there’s a message that says “See you again in 25 years.” Sadly, it won’t be the same without MCA.

Take a look at the original video and the short film below.





No comments: