Muscle Museum (video)
| Muse video | |
|---|---|
| Name | Muscle Museum |
| Album/single | Muscle Museum promo VHS (1), Uno DE CD (5) |
| Length | 3:59 |
| Initial air date | 1999 |
| Filming Location | Los Angeles, CA, USA |
| Director | Joseph Kahn |
| Watch | UK Director's Cut US Mix |
| Video Nav | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uno | < | Muscle Museum | > | Sunburn |
The initial idea of the video had people carrying out their daily tasks, then breaking down. The video didn't turn out as expected, the environment was not intended to be as "pristine" as the recording location - Los Angeles - was. In the initial ideas, the people within the video were not meant to cry all the way through as they do in the final version.[1]
The video was recorded while Muse were signed to Maverick Records in the USA. At the time, they were supporting Red Hot Chili Peppers in Los Angeles. The video was apparently "extremely" expensive to make, which Matthew Bellamy attributed to Maverick overhyping Muse. He also attributed their later falling out with Maverick to this overhyping.[1]
During the recording of the video, director Joseph Kahn was almost run over by a truck by the camera van, whilst watching already recorded sections of the video. The actor who portrayed the crying fireman, Daniel Bilodeux, pulled Kahn out of the way just in time. Kahn's back was grazed in the process.[2]
The Original Idea
According to Matt and Chris, the original idea was too dark, "There were some really perverted ones that were quite dark," explained Muse frontman Matthew Bellamy, "[one] involving an eight-year-old boy walking around with a syringe with milk [in it], squirting it in people's faces. I thought that was pretty dark, so that got a big no. Yeah, there were some weird, strange ones involving hospitals as well," Bellamy continued. "I think [directors] just read the title 'Muscle Museum' and think it's supposed to be a twisted, dark Marilyn Manson thing. But some of the ones I like have been quite weird. The one I wanted to do starts with us drinking out of petrol pumps. It was a really strange video." [3]
"And there was a couple of dodgy torture ones," added bassist Chris Wolstenholme.[4]
Alternate videos
A Director's Cut of the video was also released, which consists of additional shots. These shots are mostly alternative shots or other people, such as a naked girl on the bed and a girl sitting on a toilet.
There is another video released in the USA, featuring live moments of the band, to go with the release of the Muscle Museum US-Mix single.
Other notes
On the official Muse website, the band does not have the original video in their "media" section. Instead, there is a video of them playing the song live at Glastonbury.
References
Back to Muscle Museum