Video Conventions: Blowing Up Cars?

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Settle an argument. My wife says the Beyonce video for "Crazy in Love" is a total cliche`, to which I responded, "b-b-but they blow up a car!", to which she responded "exactly." So, I ask you ILM: what other videos blow up cars? Is it a standard video convention?

BrianB, Sunday, 21 September 2003 00:45 (twenty-two years ago)

what was the rap video that reenacted scenes from Casino?

cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 21 September 2003 01:05 (twenty-two years ago)

It was Nas, right?

BrianB, Sunday, 21 September 2003 01:06 (twenty-two years ago)

they did that in one of the naked gun movies too

s1utsky (slutsky), Sunday, 21 September 2003 01:12 (twenty-two years ago)

(the hilarious "shattering poodle" joke)

s1utsky (slutsky), Sunday, 21 September 2003 01:13 (twenty-two years ago)

the video for blue oyster cult's "burnin for you" has a car burnin (for you presumably) but I can't remember if it blows up

cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 21 September 2003 01:14 (twenty-two years ago)

The car explosion in "Crazy in Love" is the best part of that video. It's a great explosion because Jay-Z looks so nonplussed by the whole thing, like, "Yeah, I blew up a car. What's for dinner, bitch?" as he shrugs and wanders off. It's just like a I'm-so-rich-I-blow-up-my-car-for-fun moment. That's why it's not a cliche cos other people would be a bit more peturbed by that.

Other car-blow-up-video: The Cardigan's "My Favorite Game" was banned off MTV during the day because Nina's car blows up with her in it at the end!

Ally (mlescaut), Sunday, 21 September 2003 01:26 (twenty-two years ago)

is that why they banned it? I never saw the whole video (or never paid attention to the end rather) - I always thought "so she's speeding - big deal"

cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 21 September 2003 01:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah--at the end of the video she slams her car into...something, I forget now, and the thing blows up. It seems almost quaint now that they banned it, I mean honestly there ARE a lot of videos with crashes and blowups now, and it wasn't like a completely oddity back then--why was it banned? I'm assuming because she was clearly meant to be still in the car at the end of the video, whereas in something like "Crazy in Love" or typical cliche-proto videos, it's pretty clear there's no one in the car.

Still, lame, wtf.

Ally (mlescaut), Sunday, 21 September 2003 01:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Did the car explode in that Radiohead video that took place in a car? my wife says yes.

BrianB, Sunday, 21 September 2003 01:51 (twenty-two years ago)

similar to "burnin for you" - we see it on fire but I don't think we ever see it actually blow up (judging from gta: vice city though, it most assuredly will though)

cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 21 September 2003 01:54 (twenty-two years ago)

anyway, the burden of proof's on her! tell her to represent!

cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 21 September 2003 01:54 (twenty-two years ago)

There was a Plasmatics video where they drove a bus through a wall of TV's, can't remember if it exploded either.

x-post: She says that just because she can't name them doesn't mean it's not a cliche'.

BrianB, Sunday, 21 September 2003 02:02 (twenty-two years ago)

If I remember correctly there's a Supergrass (meta) video where they're trying to construct the most cliche video of all time and it climaxes in a car exploding.. I think they did something similar in the last Audioslave video only they were serious (I didn't actually pay attention, both of these suggestions are here for someone to confirm or deny)

Someone should put all the video car explosions in one clip and we could make our own videos by playing different music over it. I would play: Life Without Buildings "The Leanover" & Mya "Whatever Bitch"

Sonny A. (Keiko), Sunday, 21 September 2003 02:42 (twenty-two years ago)

doing a meta video of video cliches is sooooo cliched (cf. the roots, phil collins)

cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 21 September 2003 02:46 (twenty-two years ago)

where's Alex? surely he remembers the Plasmatics and their penchant for blowing up/destroying cars onstage and on video. it all goes back to wendy o'williams!

Little Big Macher (llamasfur), Sunday, 21 September 2003 02:58 (twenty-two years ago)

There was a Plasmatics video where they drove a bus through a wall of TV's, can't remember if it exploded either.

fwiw (nothing!), that was the first thing I ever saw on the mtv.

scott pl. (scott pl.), Sunday, 21 September 2003 03:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I seem to recall in the video for Fear Factory's cover of Gary Numan's 'Cars', a car blew up.

Sasha Gabba Hey! (sgh), Sunday, 21 September 2003 10:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Can't forget Michael Jackson's explosive crotch-grab.

Thomas Park (parkov), Sunday, 21 September 2003 16:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, back when exploding TVs was considered a deeply meaningful image, they used to blow other stuff up too - or hit stuff with sledgehammers, chainsaws, etc.. so people used to break stuff for a reason. Now they're just bored. I guess that's progress.

Kim (Kim), Monday, 22 September 2003 00:44 (twenty-two years ago)

my personal favorite cliche is the exploding mirror. Are there any mirrors where someone plays guitar into a mirror and it DOESN'T explode or get smashed?

Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 22 September 2003 00:47 (twenty-two years ago)

any VIDEOS. dumb typo.

Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 22 September 2003 00:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't think the car explodes, but that scene in Don't Cry where Slash drives a screaming bitch off a cliff but evidently jumps out in time to play a bitch-ass lead. Don't fuck with Slash, ladies. He's immortal.

Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 22 September 2003 00:49 (twenty-two years ago)

oh and that Puddle Of Mudd video for the smack my ass song would have been even better if the woman's car exploded as he walked away after throwing her keys out into the forest.

Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 22 September 2003 00:50 (twenty-two years ago)

The Alien Ant Farm video that makes fun of the explosive Michael Jackson crotch-grab.

My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Monday, 22 September 2003 03:40 (twenty-two years ago)

There was a Plasmatics video where they drove a bus through a wall of TV's, can't remember if it exploded either.

Name was something like "Prisoners Of The Damned," I think.

Christine 'Green Leafy Dragon' Indigo (cindigo), Monday, 22 September 2003 03:43 (twenty-two years ago)

"Sabotage" has stock footage of a car Xploding.

Captain Sleep (Captain Sleep), Monday, 22 September 2003 05:38 (twenty-two years ago)

"Ends" by Everlast him setting fire to a car, I can't remember if it explodes.

Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 22 September 2003 09:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry. Was away from the weekend:

There was a Plasmatics video where they drove a bus through a wall of TV's, can't remember if it exploded either.

That would be "The Damned" (that's the song title, not the band), as in Children of the Damned/Find another land..... Wendy drives a schoolbus through a wall of television sets. That said, there are plenty of other examples of the almighty Plasmatics blowing the fuck out of automobiles, but they were doin' it while everyone else was wearing flaired bell-bottoms and and snortin' coke off of personalized Andy Gibb mirrors while listening to Evelyn "Champagne" King (the Beyonce of her day), so speak with hushed reverence of FACE A BLEAK AND UNLIVEABLE FUTURE OF SUFFERING THE ETERNAL TORMENTS OF THE DA...oh nevermind.

Audioslave feature a blown up car at the end of "Show Me How to Live," but it's actually footage from the entirely cool film, "Vanishing Point," so I'll let that slide.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 22 September 2003 10:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry, only on first cuppa coffee of th'day.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 22 September 2003 10:55 (twenty-two years ago)


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