The beauty of Angel Connell's music video is that he takes one of the strangest songs you will ever hear from one of the greatest bands of all-time, and succeeds in making it his.
An attractive Betty Taylor enters Fantasy Dating Service and sits in front of four television screens to pick through potential suitors. The screens pop on one at a time, and feature writer/director Angel Connell playing all four roles- a wigged crazy guy, an oily lothario, a perfectly handsome man, and a circus clown...or is it the same man exhibiting different personalities? As The Beatles' "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)" plays, and is lip-synched by Connell's characters, the woman must choose.
While this does not have the technical strengths of Connell's "She's So Cold" or "Stocking Stuffers," predating both, Connell succeeds in making a short, fun film. I do not know where he found "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)," it was released as a B-side, then appeared on a few collections and anthologies here and there, but Connell takes the goofball novelty aspects of the song and builds on them. While the VHS quality and some off synching would normally be huge detriments, Connell's editing shines through, and he does have onscreen charisma. I still have the Rolling Stones' "She's So Cold" running through my head ("You Know My Name" isn't as insidious), and Connell and his Parousian Pictures score another successful short. He proves that short film making is a viable art form, and I wish some full length films were this memorable.
Stats:
(1993) 6 min. (8/10)
-Written and Directed by Angel Connell
-Cast: Angel Connell, Betty Taylor
(Not Rated)
