Smashing Pumpkins was one of the more exciting bands of the 1990’s alternative rock scene. The grunge revolution of the early ’90s saw a deluge of bands like Nirvana and Live, but Smashing Pumpkins stood out thanks to frontman Billy Corgan’s growling vocals and shaved head. At times he looked like a haunted vampire snarling through the shadows. And that look translated perfectly to the music video format, where they crafted many unique and groundbreaking clips.
In 1995 Smashing Pumpkins released their third album, the double LP “Mellon Collie & the Infinite Sadness.” The ambitious release became a breakthrough album for the band, with hits like “1979,” “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” and “Tonight, Tonight,” getting airplay on both alternative and pop radio and charting in the top 40. They also became a darling on MTV, especially on the “120 Minutes” alt music set, with visually striking and cutting-edge videos.
The music video for the third release from “Mellon Collie” was “Tonight, Tonight,” which became a groundbreaking clip and is considered one of the best in the format. Co-directed by Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris, the video is a homage to the great silent film “A Trip to the Moon.” The Jules Verne-inspired 1902 short film was directed by George Méliès and is considered one of the first science fiction movies. The video perfectly recreates the magical look of the silent, complete with theatre backdrops and primitive special effects, as a married couple journey to the moon and battle strange and silly-looking space aliens. It’s a sweet, fun video that perfectly captures the tone of the lullaby-like ballad.
Check it out below, and let me know what you think in the comments!
Love both the video and the song. The concept for the video is brilliant, and I actually did see “A Trip To The Moon” as part of a film criticism course back in the day.
This is still one of my fave videos, so I couldn’t wait to write about it. The nod to the George Melies classic silent was perfect.