Review by Kirkus Book Review
Lavish, elegiac document of the filmmaker's relationship with the Beastie Boys. For three decades, Jonze, known for numerous music videos and acclaimed films like Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, was a core contributor to the aesthetic of the Beastie Boys, who lost founding member Adam "Ad-Rock" Yauch in 2012. As Mike "Mike D" Diamond explains in a wistful introduction, Jonze's then-adolescent goofiness concealed intense technical curiosity and ambition: "Spike just made things happen because he said, 'That's what we're doing.' And then he didn't blink….Spike was there, not only capturing it, but being a full member and facilitator of our creative chaos. And, at the same time, he was also always interested in asking, 'What are you feeling?' " The book contains little text aside from the author's handwritten notations, alternately documentarian and enigmatic ("Mike, Call Carl Sagan Back"), and an afterword in which Jonze connects his own growth to their influence. "I was inspired by all of them in many different ways," he writes. "As artists, definitely, but maybe even more so as friends, as the kind of people who treat each other and everyone in their life with respect and honesty." Even without exposition, an intimate cultural narrative develops. Earlier photos picture the band scuffling in New York following the commercial failure of Paul's Boutique, their sophomore album that is now considered transformative. In Los Angeles, they found their footing, epitomized by Jonze's mock-1970s "Sabotage" video and their collaborative magazine, Grand Royal. Photos from this time exude intimacy and friendship (and ridiculous fashion sense) alongside backstage antics and sweaty stage-action shots. Intense collective creativity resonates throughout. Later in their career, they enjoyed dressing up as elderly men or shaggy pseudo-intellectuals, foreshadowing a bittersweet retirement that stands in contrast to their enduring love of pranks, art, and one another. An appealing record of a bohemian synthesis of rock, hip-hop, and celebrity. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
