Duranalysis: Arcadia’s Goodbye is Forever

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Comments

Anonymous said…
The full-on Nick Rhodes unleashed!

Why wouldn't you give a Duranalysis for this video? So much is going on, and to read you break it down, and be forever baffled by the ways of the expensive kitten never stops being funny!

I do remember that "vain" quote of Nick's, and it's one of the best celeb quotes ever in my book. (And uh, I think I had that Spin issue in print back in the day, and it sat along with my pile of teen mags with Duran in it.)
Morgan Richter said…
Nick is especially kittenish in this video, what with the wide-eyed way he keeps glancing around at everything. There's something so delightfully odd about him. This video's director, Marcelo Anciano, has an interesting quote about Nick in Steve Malins's unauthorized biography of the band ("Duran Duran Notorious"), in regard to Nick giving up drugs relatively early on in their fame (circa 1982 or so, after his heart problems in Montserrat): "In the early years Nick was the creative artist who wouldn't talk to anyone, who would come up with genius ideas out of the blue once every few days and you'd go, 'Fucking hell, where did that come from? Oh, Nick, hi!' It was only when he sobered up that he became a proper person, at least whenever I was around. Before that it was like, 'Nick, hello, anyone there?' That's what he encouraged. He wanted to create this sense that he was this artistic alien who had fallen among men." Or, more succinctly, here's a quote from photographer Denis O'Regan: "The thing with Nick, it was difficult to tell whether he was on drugs or not."

Point being, I think it's probably better for society as a whole that, after some early experimentation, Nick never got much into drugs. He's plenty strange enough as it is, and bless him for it.
DKoren said…
Yay! I'm so glad you did opt to do this one! It was really fun, as always, reading your comments. You know, I may be a Roger girl, but there is nothing in the world like a Nick grin. When he cracks one of those uninhibited grins, the world turns into a better place. A Nick grin just makes me grin in return. It makes me happy no matter what mood I'm in. Maybe because they are rare, but I think it's simply because he grins so well! He has the best smile.

And you are so right, Nick owns this video, and Simon just can't compete.

And what is it with Simon tied to things that spin anyway??
Morgan Richter said…
When he cracks one of those uninhibited grins, the world turns into a better place.

Oh, yes. Nick has a gorgeous smile, and he doles it out so infrequently (he does smirk quite a bit, which is not at all the same thing) that it's almost always worth noting whenever it appears.

Nick owns this video, and Simon just can't compete.

It's true, and I'm still not entirely sure why that is. They get equal amounts of screen time, and Simon is in his usual fine form... but Nick grabs my attention in this one, start to finish. I just enjoy watching him.

And what is it with Simon tied to things that spin anyway??

Heh. It seems to be his trademark...
Cheryl K said…
Spot-on analysis! Always loved this song, but the video just makes it more lovable. I don't like the part where the hands smudge poor Nick's makeup--he looks positively tragic. And what I like about the end (besides Simon's heel click) is that the tree makes me think of the "Notorious" video. It's like an accidental foreshadowing.
Cheryl K said…
P.S. - "Jo Polniaczek hair" -HA HA! Too right!
Morgan Richter said…
I don't like the part where the hands smudge poor Nick's makeup--he looks positively tragic

Heh. But I love his disgruntled, wounded expression with his wrecked makeup. Want to really mess with Nick? Destroy his makeup, that'll do it.

"Jo Polniaczek hair"

The Facts of Life girls all started to get huge, glorious Duran Duran hair in those later seasons. Nick's Arcadia hairstyle always makes me think of Nancy McKeon.
Quiana said…
Thank you so MUCH for this!!!!! I LOVE Duran Duran so much I want to name one of my kids Duran! A little much I know lol. Nickypoo is perfect isn't he?! Is it bad that this video is the base for my Simon/Nick shipping?
Morgan Richter said…
Quiana -- I'm not sure it's possible to watch this video (or any of the Arcadia videos, really) and not ship Simon/Nick. Nick looks flat-out gorgeous with his Arcadia hair and makeup. I think it might be my favorite of his many looks, though it's awfully tough to decide.