Duran duran fedora series#

Literary enthusiasts will cite another influence, namely American novelist William S. At the end of the video, Barbarella buffs will be quick to spot none other than Dr Durand Durand (O'Shea), himself laughing as if he is taking over the world. From the opening post-apocalyptic setting of school desks, with youngsters breathing fire, this evokes Tina Turner's colony of children from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.

Duran duran fedora series#

Due to the immense popularity of George Miller's Mad Max series starring Mel Gibson, it's hard to deny the film's influence on this music video. With a budget of $1 million, the music video's set design filled one entire end of the 007 Stage at Pinewood Studios. The Rio music video set the blueprint for things to come, thus moulding the band's image as it merged fast-paced camera shots, around a yacht speeding over the Caribbean Sea, showing off the latest haute couture as the band members wore Antony Price suits.

1982's Hungry Like the Wolf, in particular, evokes the atmosphere of Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) with lead singer Simon Le Bon donning the quintessential Indiana Jones fedora while pursuing a jungle-like woman from the Sri Lankan city marketplaces, through battling wild beasts and escaping booby traps in the jungle, culminating into an almighty chase.ĭuring the same period, director Russell Mulcahy and the band also filmed the Save A Prayer music video against a backdrop of Sri Lankan temples, beaches and jungles. The influences of Barbarella are inherent all throughout Duran Duran's career as the band has continually used film and sound clips from Barbarella interspersed throughout their videos, most notably in Wild Boys (1984), Burning The Ground (1989) and the re-mixes for Violence Of Summer (1990) and Electric Barbarella (1997).įrom then on the band's collaboration with Russell Mulcahy was strengthened as they worked together on a string of videos that defined the 1980s from 1981's Planet Earth to My Own Way and Lonely In Your Nightmare. In fact, back in 1984, the band collaborated with Highlander director Russell Mulcahy on Arena, a concept concert video that spoofs the origins of the band name with Milo O'Shea reprising his role as Dr Durand Durand in a sequence of events that sees the evil doctor wanting to play havoc on the band that stole his name. Not to mention that some of the band's early gigs were staged at a nightclub called Barbarella's, in Birmingham. The part is played by Irish actor Milo O'Shea in the title role (who also played Friar Laurence in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet). Not many know this but the band's name is derived from villain Dr Durand Durand in the cult science-fiction film Barbarella starring Jane Fonda.

Indeed these Brummie lads have certainly come a long way from playing in their hometown of Birmingham, to touring the world in sold- out concerts.Ī film student would argue that the band has an inbred disposition to motion pictures that falls either in the category of the cult or adventure genre.