7/28/2019 Music-video director Marty Callner interview

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BEHIND THE S(ENES

MTV bans Gallner clipas being too twistedBy Frant Lovece

Marty Callneris one of the

most sought-after directors inmusic video. Lately, he's alsobecome one of the mostchased-after.

First, Callner's slapstickcliD for Twisted Sister's"\{le're Not Gonna Take It"was misinterpreted by the U.S.

"The video's no gorier than'Thriller,"' defends Callner,

"andit's funnv besides."

The contro"versy surround-ing this and other recentCallner projects is, given hisbackground, ironic. As a staffdirector for HBO (1975-1983),Callner churned out crafts-man-like comedv and music

specials starring such "adult-Senate and an anti-rock pres- contemporary" acts as Lizasure group last summer. Now. Minnelli. Diana Ross and Ber-MTV has banned Callner's lat- nadette PeteN. He turned toest clip, a teenage-zombiecomedv shot for Twisted Sis-ter's B6ach Boys pastiche, 'lBe

Chroolto Your Scruel." Lack-

ing the clout of Michael Jack-son - whose similar, thoughhorrific. "Thriller" Dlaved al-most cdnstantly on' MIV -Callner is understandablyuoset.

' "I think it's the most ridicu-

lous, inane decisiol I've everheard," says the 45-year-olddirector in his Midwesterndrawl. "I was not notified byMTv officiauy, though theydid tell me unofficially. Frank-ly, I can't believe the people Iknow there would do this. It'sgot to be coming from some-one above."

The clip shows a high schoolteacher (played by "PoliceAcademv 3" alum Bob Goldth-wait) who dreams of beingTwisted Sister frontman Dee

Snider. Abracadabra! Theteacher becomes the rocker.Another teacher, played byspecial-effects wiz Tom Sa-vini, turns into guest star AliceCooper. Studdnts becomedrive-in movie zombies. EvenLainie Kazan, in her vid-clipdebut, joins the fun.

rock with "Stevie Nicks inConcert," a 1982 special docu-menting the former FleetwoodMac vocalist's

"BellaDonna"

tour. "Just like that," recallsCallner, "I decided I wanted tobe in rock'n'roll."

Though best known lor .his

Twisted Sister clips, he'sworked witl all sorts of acts

-

most recently Heart, for

whom he directed the cunent"Nothin' at All."To his chagrin and surprise,

Callner became infamous dur"ing the so-called "porn rock"Senate hearing last summer.His "We'reNot Conna Take It"video

-which was inspired by

the Coyote/Road Runner car-toons - was criticized as"graphically violent."

"I grew up respecting thepeople in Congress and theSenate," says Callner. "Tohear them take ,n obvious

slapstick thing and treat it asif it were real, graphic vio-lence is absolutely sickening,especially when things like'Rambo' and 'Commando' areglorified."

Unfortunatelv. it seemsMTV shares th6'senate's lackof a funny bone.

Release the week ot June 22.June 28, 1986