R.E.M. - Bang And Blame

What this video is

Released October 31, 1994, 'Bang and Blame' arrived as the second single from R.E.M.'s ninth studio album Monster — a deliberate, career-redefining pivot from the acoustic introspection of Out of Time and Automatic for the People toward distorted electric guitars and a grungier sonic palette. The video's split-screen triptych format reflects the period's MTV-driven experimentation in promo form, resisting the…

Why it matters

A landmark in 1990s alternative rock video production, 'Bang and Blame' demonstrates how non-narrative, formally experimental promo films could achieve mainstream chart success. The split-screen triptych approach — drawn from still-photography compositional logic — prefigures later multi-frame…

The director

Randy Skinner is a Tony Award-nominated director, choreographer, and performer born in Columbus, Ohio. He is primarily known for his Broadway work, including the 2001 revival of 42nd Street, Irving Berlin's White Christmas, and Dames at Sea. His music video…