WATCH IT: Old 97s "Dance With Me"

Alt country stalwarts Old 97s and Battlestar Galactica seem to have nothing in common — ok, the show's Cylon sexpot Tricia Helfer is apparently friends with Old 97 frontman Rhett Miller — but here they are in the same music video and it goes together just fine. Director Keven McAlester lays out a tale in which a sci-fi dork out for a nighttime ramble happens upon a posh party where Ms. Helfer is working it on the red carper. Armed, of course, with a copy of a Battlestar Galactica fanzine, our zero heads up to the velvet rope in hopes of an autograph only to be summarily rejected by the doorman. With that fantasy foiled, he goes for an even bigger flight of fancy. He imagines crashing the club to go all Kill Bill n' shit on the various scumbags inside before sidling up to his dream date for a little romance. As if it needs to be said: Not a fracking chance. --> watch "Dance With Me" plus a Making-Of/Stunt featurette at YouTube

Old 97's  "Dance With Me" (New West)
Keven McAlester, director | Paul Bock, producer | Ghost Robot, production co | Andrew Shulkind, DP | Christine Khalafian, editor | Heidi Gregory, rep

NEW RELEASE: Ben Lee "American TV"

Yes, "American Television" is an easy subject to parody, but shall we take a look at the kind of fare that passes as entertainment in Ben Lee's native Australia? Does our programming truly not stack up to the cheeky soap Neighbours or high concept medical drama The Flying Doctors? How about the nearly indescribably Aunty Jack? So, you go ahead, Ben Lee, and make fun of such beloved institutions as Alf and Doogie Howser, M.D. and Sweatin' To The Oldies and even the old Crazy Eddie ads (Free Eddie Antar!). Go ahead and drag the lovely and talented TV icon Tiffani Amber Thiessen into your hateful clip of lies and then license the song to Vh1 to promote their new slate of shows. We're a proud nation. Or, at the very least we're shameless. We can take it. --> watch "American Television"

Ben Lee "American Television" (New West)
Todd Strauss-Schulson, director | Ken Franchi, producer | MT Vernon, production co | Vahe P, DP | Dave Michalson, editor

BOOKED: Ben Lee - Todd Strauss Schulson, director

Prepare to be invited to a pot luck dinner with Ben Lee and a cavalcade of  '80s TV celebs in this music video tie-in with the new season of Vh1 programming. The song is currently being featured in a series of Vh1 spots.

artist: Ben Lee
song: "American Television"
label: New West
director(s): Todd Strauss Schulson
production co: Mt. Vernon

SHOT: Ben Lee - Dennis Fitzgerald, director

artist: Ben Lee
song: "Love Me Like The World Is Ending"
label: New West
director(s): Dennis Fitzgerald
production co: Your Mom
rep: RW Media

WATCH AND WIN: Samuel L Jackson/Black Snake Moan

Wanna win Samuel L Jackson's big 7"? And by 7", we're obviously making the oldest pun in the book: It's a 7" single. This double A-side single features Jackson performing two songs as Lazarus, his bluesman character from director Craig Brewer's new film Black Snake Moan — the eagerly awaited and sure to be controversial follow-up to Hustle & Flow. Why the controversy? Well, the main plot arc concerns Mr. Jackson helping a troubled white woman — played by Christina Ricci — by keeping her chained in his house. That's right. It's possibly the best date movie of all time. Only hitch is it opens on March 2, so you can't take your special someone to go see it as part of your romantic Valentines Day plans.

To win a copy of this limited edition 7" vinyl: Just send an email to: sams7inch@videostatic.com. It boasts Lee's version of the classic blues tune "Stackolee" and a cover of the Blind Lemon Jefferson song from which the movie gets its name. [note: Contest only open to those over age 18, residing in the continental United States. Contest ends FRIDAY, February 17]

And, be sure to check out this video for "Stackolee," featuring a lengthy performance and lots of clips taken from the flick. --> watch "Stackolee" in Quicktime or at YouTube

Samuel L. Jackson "Stack-O-Lee" (New West)
Craig Brewer, director

IN DEPTH: IV Thieves "You Can't Love What You Don't Understand"

Imagine it's your first video. You're shooting in the area around the notorious Salton Sea in Southern California. It's July. It's so hot that the cameras have to be placed in a cooler every two minutes just to keep them working.

That's the situation described by photographer/director Brantley Gutierrez in this commentary for the IV Thieves — a group with a story as interesting as the video. If embedded player does not appear, visit YouTube

IV Thieves
"You Can't Love What You Don't Understand" (New West)
Brantley Gutierrez, director/DP

BOOKED: Drive By Truckers - Eleanor, director

artist: Drive By Truckers
song: "Never Gonna Change"
label: New West
director: Eleanor
production co: Aisle Five

SHOT: Ben Lee - Evan Bernard, director

artist: Ben Lee
song: "Catch My Disease"
label: New West
director(s): Evan Bernard
production co: Chelsea Pictures

NEW RELEASES: Nic Armstrong & The Thieves "Broken Mouth Blues"

Nic Armstrong & The Thieves "Broken Mouth Blues" New West
Duncan Jones, director
Frank Films, production company
Eric Lehner , DP
Barrett Heathcote , editor
Description: Split-screens reveal a rollicking performance by this UK group.

DVD New Release - Stan Ridgway

In Stores Today:

Stan Ridgway's Holiday in Dirt

New West Records releases this unique compilation from former Wall Of Voodoo frontman Stan Ridgway. Fourteen filmmakers were each given $500 or less and charged with the task of shooting short films for the unreleased and rare Ridgway recordings featured on this collection. Contributing directors include Rick Fuller, Phil Harder, Steve Hanft, Carlos Grasso and Chuck Statler. Highlights include Fuller's look at the starlets who make up the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in the video for "Beloved Movie Star" and Statler's creepy ventriloquist act in "Behind Closed Doors."

Also included are a couple alternative videos and two clips that supported Ridgway's 2003 solo album, Black Diamond.

Check out samples at the DVD's site.