Skate Jonze

Most people don't realize that the man behind Being John Malkovich and Adaptation is also one of the guys responsible for Steve-O stapling his scrotum to his leg. But director Spike Jonze has always been very good at being mercurial, starting with the odd name he gave himself. He got his start making skateboard videos, and his friendship with a few of the many lunatics in that scene resulted in the creation of MTV's Jackass. He has also made dozens of music videos throughout his career, from 1992's "100%" by Sonic Youth to 2008's "Flashing Lights" by Kanye West. Now, on the heels of his new feature film Where the Wild Things Are (set to release in 2009, with a screenplay co-written by Dave Eggers) he returns to the street skating, along with Cory Weincheque and Ty Evans, with the years-in-the-making video Fully Flared. Reviews have been revelatory, as has the buzz over the return of the street legend Guy Mariano. But nothing can prepare you for the intro, which combines skateboarding with explosions, lots of explosions, as if director Michael Bay happened upon the set. It's pretty much exactly what happens inside a skater's head.
Wed., March 26, 7:30 p.m., 2008