We are introduced to Elaine, as she plots her escape from reality. While dodging fragmented memories and mental hospital staff Elaine breaks free of the bonds of her past only to start a darker deeper journey of self discovery.
This video serves as a continuation from "The Only One" and depicts our hero's first steps into the real world, free from her previous hospital confines. She embarks on a journey to escape from the city, her past and build a new future. Unfortunately she is burdened by angst and loneliness and needs to "shake it out" in order to successfully move on. As she hitchhikes to destination unknown, and the cars pass her by, she is reminded of happier times of family vacations and road trips. Along the way, drive-in theaters throughout the countryside come to life. Eventually she encounters one that reveals films of her in another life and ultimately a french film called "I've got friends". The next video will explore this new film within a film, within a film.
In "I've Got Friends" we follow our heroine, Elaine, further down the cinematic rabbit hole as she plots another escape from her film with in a film. She lives out her memories again to a different end this time, finding love, settling an old score, and bending karma in her favor. Inspired in part by French silent films, Saturday morning cartoons, and the thought "What if Georges Méliès directed a live action Scooby-Doo episode?".
Part revenge part conspiracy Grind-house episode our hero, Elaine evens the score with the man in black, in Manchester Orchestra's "Pride". Shot in super 8 and RED 4k the balance of low-tech and high end meet in scratchy noisy filmy bliss.
The lyrics of "In My Teeth" inspire a nostalgic trip through holidays past. The ceremony, gifts and decorative splendor define the annual celebration, but it is family and friends at the heart of it all that make it meaningful. No gift or toy will replace the love, support and fond memories family provides.
Our hero leaves the drive-in still a little confused but with a little piece of home following her not far behind, she continues her journey.
Exhausted? Dead? Dreaming? Many questions arise as we find our hero collapsed in the woods. She is transported to an ethereal plane where all is beautiful. Yet the angelic beauty of her surroundings can not outweigh her pain that has followed her. Ultimately she is driven her to make the ultimate sacrifice that could lead to her demise or take her deeper into this new found consciousness.
This cinematic flashback examines life from the perspective of a young child. Through a series of iconic clips, we witness the carefree times of growth and the special bond between father and son. These are the times that define a "normal" American childhood idealized by many.
Meanwhile......the band comes to town.
Our hero's attempt to end it all has only led to her being thrust deeper into this alternate dimension. She lands in a baron wasteland devoid of life or hope. This new purgatory transforms her into a specter, doomed to wander alone indefinitely. Ultimately she finds hidden jewels, that reveal the lives and memories of those before her. Empowered by this discovery, she is awakened to her own powers. She summons swirling storms of energy that rip at the fabric of the surroundings and take us back to the carnival where our journey began. The fortune teller reveals that her entire journey was in the cards laid before her. Yet in a cruel twist of fate, our hero succumbs to a darker power and becomes the fortune teller.
The final chapter, a cinematic reprise. Past, present and future blend together in a dark, rainy woods. Apparitions of past lives materialize in the deep thicket. Our hero takes one final walk through her mind's eye.