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June 26, 2007

New Interpol Video - "The Heinrich Maneuver"

So, no secret that Our Love To Admire's first single is Paul's "piss off" to some lost, L.A.-gone ex-lover. And the vid recreates Paul's hellish take on the city of angels with a vain actress-type, an actor-looking-waiter, an agent-looking cellphone guy, birds in flight (symbolism?) , and, uh, some sort of Cruella de Ville. The slow-mo caricature act gets old quick -- but you're gonna want to watch 'til the clip's smashing conclusion.

Morale of the story: Don't piss off Paul.

Posted at 1:15 PM in
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42 Comments

they should have hired the Daft Hands girl. This video is stupid. The Killers and Interpol don't have very good videos. It's like old New Order/depeche mode videos. Somebody hire Michel Gondry quick.

Posted by: JAS at 06/26/07 1:23 PM  | Reply
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Since when is getting "hit by a bus" the most popular way to end a storyline...it's getting old. Did it start with Mean Girls and get perpetuated by bad commercials?

Boo to crappy, unoriginal concepts...

Posted by: christoball at 06/26/07 1:24 PM  | Reply
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Well, i didnt picture the vieo that way, at all. I mean its good (better than Evil) but is it wrong to luagh at the ending (because you dont see it coming i mean). The waiter looks like Carlos

Posted by: Jonathan at 06/26/07 1:24 PM  | Reply
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The only think that video has going for it is nipples.

Posted by: mike at 06/26/07 2:13 PM  | Reply
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The getting hit by a bus thing was used in Lost this past season as well. The ridiculous 'bus hitting girl' sound at the end is there in case you couldn't put the two and two together about what happens after the screen goes black. Rubbish.

Posted by: Analog Bass at 06/26/07 2:14 PM  | Reply
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Can't watch it, but based on the descriptions I don't think I'm missing much.. very disappointed in their new album (a couple of great tracks aside), I think they're struggling for inspiration lately.

Posted by: Richie at 06/26/07 2:20 PM  | Reply
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video sucks ass. straight.

Posted by: Derek at 06/26/07 2:26 PM  | Reply
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Sweet. Only US kids can watch this. Damn MTV OverBlah. Anyway, based on comments, I'm not missing much. I'll try it on 30 minutes on YouTube.

It's funny 'cause Interpol fans loved "THM" when it first leaked. But now everybody seems to hate the whole album. I think they should've leaked "All Fired Up" first.

Posted by: Dexter at 06/26/07 2:36 PM  | Reply
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i haven't been diagnosed with add, but i had to close the video after the first few seconds

Posted by: eli at 06/26/07 3:25 PM  | Reply
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its barely better than the puppet one.

Posted by: elton at 06/26/07 3:27 PM  | Reply
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I agree with another poster in that, I am a big fan of Both the Killers and Interpol but man, they make some horrible music videos. Incubus has this same issue, the videos hurt the songs.

Posted by: Brian at 06/26/07 3:32 PM  | Reply
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Yeah the slow mo thing was weird. Though I did sort of like how they set up when the model was walking forwards everybody else was going backwards and vice versa. But overall, that was a lameass video and i'll never watch it again.

Posted by: The Zimzi at 06/26/07 3:35 PM  | Reply
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the song mammoth on the new interpol cd is really awesome. we should dance like two fucking twins

Posted by: guitarhero at 06/26/07 3:43 PM  | Reply
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And really, is New York hipster culture any less annoying than LA industry culture?

Posted by: Jeff at 06/26/07 4:12 PM  | Reply
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Yawn. Whoever can't access the MTV vid is missing absolutely nothing.

Posted by: Rochelle Nikita at 06/26/07 4:12 PM  | Reply
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It's not bad. It could be much, much worse, people. Still love the song, though.

Posted by: The Other Matthew at 06/26/07 4:13 PM  | Reply
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My short attention span didn't like that.

Posted by: aj at 06/26/07 4:18 PM  | Reply
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Saw that coming a mile away. Serious art school 101 video.

Song sounded great!

Posted by: Ethan at 06/26/07 4:33 PM  | Reply
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Eh - second half of the video is a lot better than the first. I really like the editing.

Anyways - The 'Girl Hit by a bus' scenario was first used in Final Destination

Then used by:
Mean Girls
Lost (season 3)
Interpol

Posted by: Tommy at 06/26/07 4:38 PM  | Reply
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And indie rock's historic trend of having absolutely craptacular music videos continues.

To be fair, Our Love to Admire is slowly but surely growing on me. Obviously catered to those who thought Antics sucked (fyi, it didn't) and wanted more TOTBL love.

Posted by: Allen at 06/26/07 5:16 PM  | Reply
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i can throw away all my sleeping pills - i can just watch this video to go to sleep!

Posted by: annie onymous at 06/26/07 5:30 PM  | Reply
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The first one I remember was "BOY gets hits by bus"...from 'Felicity' series...Feb 1999

http://utopianvision.co.uk/bollywood/videos/?v=dz08JTrtXd4

Posted by: djc at 06/26/07 5:32 PM  | Reply
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How come I'm reading all these comments about Our Love to Admire everywhere? I mean, I understand how Stereogum or Ultragrrl have heard it, but all these randos everywhere that I keep reading? Will one of you put the thing on the internet already? Geez.

Posted by: sebrown000 at 06/26/07 5:52 PM  | Reply
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LOL, nevermind. I found it.

Posted by: sebrown000 at 06/26/07 5:55 PM  | Reply
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AHHH IT WONT LET ME WATCH THE VID CUS I LIVE IN CANADA!!!!

this isn't fair :(

Posted by: Kate at 06/26/07 9:06 PM  | Reply
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the bus endinig was also used in nip/tuck for the babysitter

Posted by: Julie at 06/26/07 9:40 PM  | Reply
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and also for band of horses' funeral vid

Posted by: Bitch at 06/27/07 12:01 AM  | Reply
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This one's not too stellar...but you all have it wrong with Evil, that's a good video and you know it!

Posted by: Theodore Roosevelt at 06/27/07 12:05 AM  | Reply
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I expected more from the director of "Shadow of the Vampire." At least UNKLE's new video had a decent payoff at the end. This one was all build-up.

I think Interpol should get Charlie White to do another video with Norman (the puppet from "Evil").

Posted by: Devin at 06/27/07 12:42 AM  | Reply
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ugh awful. if this video is a message to a west coast girl, i like how the bus is clearly a new york city one. also the pigeons might be an allusion to nyc.

Posted by: diana at 06/27/07 12:49 AM  | Reply
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Um, OK. Well, I still love Interpol, even if they do make awful music videos.

Posted by: Ju Bean at 06/27/07 1:21 PM  | Reply
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Not ALL of their videos are terrible. Obstacle 1 and PDA were both great. And Slow Hands was pretty decent (a couple of Paul close ups can make any video good). Oh, and OLTA is amazing.

Posted by: Z at 06/27/07 3:08 PM  | Reply
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yeah, that bus thing is bullshit. The video was like the best Interpol music - understated, modest, mesmerizing. But the bus hitting the girl at the end just cheapens it.

Posted by: historyman at 06/27/07 5:22 PM  | Reply
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i dont really get the video. How come she's in forward motion (along with the birds, and the running waiter at the start) whereas everyone else is in rewind (including the waiter running backwards)? am i being an idiot?

Posted by: Shen at 06/27/07 5:50 PM  | Reply
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^No you're not. Maybe it's supposed to be "artistic".

Anyway, not *such* a bad video. Kinda cool concept but I have to agree with the general consensus that the ending is so trite.

Posted by: Shawn at 06/27/07 6:11 PM  | Reply
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I lo ve and admire interpol ,, is my favorite band, but really this video sucks!!!

Posted by: KiKin at 06/28/07 3:59 AM  | Reply
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Most of Interpol's videos are so artistic and wonderful, this one seems to just be a misstep.
I don't like it at all, however I can see how the ending (cliched as it was) fits into their visual themes as of late--a predator vs prey type of thing.
I don't like the way it fits with the song.

Posted by: alexis at 06/28/07 10:57 PM  | Reply
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R.I.P. Interpol 2007

Posted by: Bard at 06/30/07 12:28 AM  | Reply
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Eh, I agree that it wasn't great but GUYS.
C'MON. It could be worse!
I thought it was okay. Definitely not worth watching more than once, but whatever.

I love the new album. They're my second favorite band, and I agree that this album is catered to those of us that really love/miss the sound of TOTBL.
Sometimes I fucking hate how indie kids are soooo quick to hate an album. It's ridiculous.

Posted by: Isabella at 06/30/07 11:03 PM  | Reply
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Wait, that was a music video?

Posted by: Amy D. at 07/01/07 11:38 PM  | Reply
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"R.I.P. Interpol 2007"

i concur. obviously completely out of ideas.

saw this video on subterannean and couldn't even watch the whole thing in real time. had to fastforward it because i hate the song and video is even worse.

Posted by: michael at 07/05/07 6:49 PM  | Reply
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I think it's exactly as brilliant as it was intended to be. Although the premise is simple, cliché even - the execution is perfect. I think it was ALL intended - right down to the wave of shock and dismay from all of the 'fans' who took the time to post online negativity about the video.

The opening scene drew me in - it's actually the only part that's absolutely NOT cliché. Have you ever experienced the thrill of an attractive person ogling or titillating you through some inventive means, while People Who Wouldn't Approve are nearby? If so, then you understand that volumes of thought begin to flow and a brain chemistry shift occurs, slowing the moment down. The slow pace in this video actually feels similar at first, but as soon as the other characters come into view, everything changes from infatuation to good ole' fashioned I-hate-LA. It's almost like bookends of Paul's late relationship, presented in a simplified visual form. Very difficult transition to represent, I'd say - and it suits the purpose perfectly. Also, note the foreboding element of the rushing waiter - silently running toward an event that hasn't even happened yet.

To address the cliché factor of it (because I think it would be nearly impossible for Paul Banks to be pretentious, although we are all human), I think employing a boring, pretentious simile that takes little or no effort to conceive would be a weightier insult to the person intended. In a twisted way, it's a sort of complement when someone's torn up enough to write beautiful songs about a seperation, but a cheap shot stings.

How much would it sting? It depends on who you are. I read somewhere recently that Paul's ex-girlfriend was a high-ranking member of VICE magazine's staff. The logical extension (in light of what we're addressing here) is that she has refined tastes, regardless of her choice to move to LA. So I think the intended perception of the idea is that it is cliché.

I love the thought that this guy uses popular media as a mouthpiece to tell his ex girlfriend to Eat IT, and does it with style. Many of us appreciate a MANEUVER of art even more so when it's roundly rejected. It's a form of affirmation. The kind that lifted Paul from the gravity of his loss and gave him the strength to get the last word. The kind that inspired this song to be written.

About the title, Heimlich Maneuver - she's like something that he thought he wanted, that he accepted into his body the trusting way that food is accepted - but it almost killed him. Imagine a diner in a fine establishment stands up when he realizes that he's choking on a piece of aged steak that didn't go down correctly. The offending party is ejected forcefully from his mouth, flying to the other side of the room (NY to LA) with the help of a friend. The diner, who a moment ago thought he was surely going to die is instantly relieved of all the sympoms. Hence, "Today my heart swings."

Posted by: Allen Mueller profile link at 06/05/09 3:13 PM  | Reply
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