Jonas Åkerlund reunites with veteran wild boys Duran Duran to make a fantastic video inspired by the late 19th/early 20th century obsession with the supernatural and communicating with the dead. Having worked with the band on their Girl Panic video back in 2010, the Grammy-winning director is back with a fresh vision for Black Moonlight, following the group through a performative séance, in the style of an early silent movie.A haunting play on the history of clairvoyance and mysticism, the visual is inspired by the artwork of the band's new album Danse Macabre, which itself features images adapted from a collection of vintage séance photos, personally sourced by keyboardist Nick Rhodes at auction.The video is packed full of Åkerlund trademarks - a playful balance of surrealism and commercial appeal, a killer concept and captivating imagery - and perfectly embodies the enigmatic track. Furthermore, the monochromatic aesthetic adds a nostalgic appeal to the promo, playing into horror iconography and spooky vintage cinema, beautifully captured by DoP Ole Birkeland. And it turns out that Nick Rhodes was born to play a silent movie mad professor...
Rob Ulitski - 10 months ago