We Were Once A Fairytale
Encyclopedia
We Were Once a Fairytale is a 2009 short film directed by Spike Jonze
. It stars hip hop musician Kanye West
. This is the second collaboration between Jonze and West, since they co-directed the music video for West's single "Flashing Lights" in 2008.
" starts playing in the club and he begins to wander around the club reminding everyone that it is his song, even though everyone already knows that. He also tries to flirt with many of the women there, who are at first starstruck, but then quickly repulsed by his drunken behavior and lewd advances. West embarrasses himself further when he tries to hit on a woman who is there with her boyfriend. He later runs into Fonzworth Bentley
, who he has a brief conversation with until another drunk man comes up to West and mistakes him for Lil Wayne
. After Bentley corrects the man, the man continues interrupting the conversation while attempting to talk to West until Bentley grabs the man and a fight breaks out. West simply walks away.
On the dance floor West tries to dance but ends up leaning on a stranger, barely conscious. He then wanders into an empty side room where he begins to feel depressed, but a beautiful woman in a leopard print dress appears. She comforts him and tells him "It's OK" while he cries on her shoulder. They begin to have sex on a sofa but he passes out on top of her. When West wakes up a short time later, he finds himself with his pants down, laying on a sofa covered with leopard print pillows — he was hallucinating.
Startled and nauseous, he rushes to the bathroom and vomits what appear to be rose petals. West finds a bowie knife
in the bathroom and cuts into his stomach, spilling a torrent of petals from his stomach. He pushes the knife in deeper and, with his hands, digs out of himself a small rodent-like creature, named in the credits as "Henry". When Kanye realizes it is connected to him by an umbilical cord, he cuts the cord with the knife. He then places the creature on a sink counter in front of him and hands it a miniature version of the bowie knife. The creature grabs the tiny knife and eyes it apprehensively before shaking its head at West, who slowly nods his head in response. West watches as the creature commits seppuku
, falls over, and slowly dies while gasping for air. The film cuts to black with West still looking at its corpse laying on the counter.
" from his fourth studio album 808s & Heartbreak
. They later agreed that the new video should be expanded into an experimental film. Jonze said the film was meant to illustrate the themes of loss and isolation on 808s & Heartbreak.
The short film was shot near the end of January 2009 within two days in the Foxtail nightclub in West Hollywood, California. Fonzworth Bentley
, Mike Carroll
, and members of the GIRL skateboard team make cameos as West's friends and other guests at the nightclub. The soundtrack to the short prominently features West's "See You in My Nightmares", "When I Said Goodbye" by Mayer Hawthorne
, and Beethoven's
Moonlight Sonata, which plays over the final moments of the film.
on June 24, 2009, was intended for public release through the iTunes Store
on September 8, 2009, but did not premiere online until October 18, 2009 through West's blog. On October 18, We Were Once a Fairytale was leaked to the Internet and posted on West's official website, kanyeuniversecity.com. Jonze said the film was accidentally leaked from the post-production studio of a friend, and that West did not realize that it was not meant to be circulated yet. "I think he was like: 'Oh, it's out. I'll link to it,'" Jonze said. On October 19, the video was removed from the West's blog, with only a message left from West saying "SORRY I HAD TO TAKE IT DOWN : (". The video, however, can still be found on various video sharing websites and is now available through iTunes.
Spike Jonze
Spike Jonze is an American director, producer and actor, whose work includes music videos, commercials, film and television...
. It stars hip hop musician Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
. This is the second collaboration between Jonze and West, since they co-directed the music video for West's single "Flashing Lights" in 2008.
Synopsis
In the film, Kanye West plays himself drunk at a nightclub embarrassing himself and his friends while being belligerent. West becomes excited when "See You in My NightmaresSee You in My Nightmares
"See You in My Nightmares" is a song from Kanye West's fourth studio album 808s & Heartbreak. Produced by West and his former mentor No I.D., the song features a duet between West and rap artist Lil Wayne. It was to be sent to mainstream radios on March 10, 2009, while to Rhythm/Crossover radio on...
" starts playing in the club and he begins to wander around the club reminding everyone that it is his song, even though everyone already knows that. He also tries to flirt with many of the women there, who are at first starstruck, but then quickly repulsed by his drunken behavior and lewd advances. West embarrasses himself further when he tries to hit on a woman who is there with her boyfriend. He later runs into Fonzworth Bentley
Fonzworth Bentley
Derrick Watkins, in Atlanta, Georgia and popularly known as Fonzworth Bentley or Farnsworth Bentley, is a musician and author. He is perhaps best known for being Sean Combs' former personal valet and assistant, as first seen in Making the Band 2, and is currently the host of MTV's From G's to Gents...
, who he has a brief conversation with until another drunk man comes up to West and mistakes him for Lil Wayne
Lil Wayne
Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. , better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. At the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo, The B.G.'z, with B.G.. In 1997, Lil Wayne joined the group Hot Boys, which also included...
. After Bentley corrects the man, the man continues interrupting the conversation while attempting to talk to West until Bentley grabs the man and a fight breaks out. West simply walks away.
On the dance floor West tries to dance but ends up leaning on a stranger, barely conscious. He then wanders into an empty side room where he begins to feel depressed, but a beautiful woman in a leopard print dress appears. She comforts him and tells him "It's OK" while he cries on her shoulder. They begin to have sex on a sofa but he passes out on top of her. When West wakes up a short time later, he finds himself with his pants down, laying on a sofa covered with leopard print pillows — he was hallucinating.
Startled and nauseous, he rushes to the bathroom and vomits what appear to be rose petals. West finds a bowie knife
Bowie knife
A Bowie knife is a pattern of fixed-blade fighting knife first popularized by Colonel James "Jim" Bowie in the early 19th Century. Since the first incarnation was created by James Black, the Bowie knife has come to incorporate several recognizable and characteristic design features, although its...
in the bathroom and cuts into his stomach, spilling a torrent of petals from his stomach. He pushes the knife in deeper and, with his hands, digs out of himself a small rodent-like creature, named in the credits as "Henry". When Kanye realizes it is connected to him by an umbilical cord, he cuts the cord with the knife. He then places the creature on a sink counter in front of him and hands it a miniature version of the bowie knife. The creature grabs the tiny knife and eyes it apprehensively before shaking its head at West, who slowly nods his head in response. West watches as the creature commits seppuku
Seppuku
is a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai bushido honor code, seppuku was either used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies , or as a form of capital punishment...
, falls over, and slowly dies while gasping for air. The film cuts to black with West still looking at its corpse laying on the counter.
Production
The plot is based on an idea developed by Jonze, who then approached West whom Jonze thought would be great for the role. Jonze and West spoke about working together on a music video for West's song "See You in My NightmaresSee You in My Nightmares
"See You in My Nightmares" is a song from Kanye West's fourth studio album 808s & Heartbreak. Produced by West and his former mentor No I.D., the song features a duet between West and rap artist Lil Wayne. It was to be sent to mainstream radios on March 10, 2009, while to Rhythm/Crossover radio on...
" from his fourth studio album 808s & Heartbreak
808s & Heartbreak
808s & Heartbreak is the fourth studio album by American hip hop artist Kanye West, released November 24, 2008 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place at Glenwood Studios in Burbank, California and Avex Recording Studio in Honolulu, Hawaii during...
. They later agreed that the new video should be expanded into an experimental film. Jonze said the film was meant to illustrate the themes of loss and isolation on 808s & Heartbreak.
The short film was shot near the end of January 2009 within two days in the Foxtail nightclub in West Hollywood, California. Fonzworth Bentley
Fonzworth Bentley
Derrick Watkins, in Atlanta, Georgia and popularly known as Fonzworth Bentley or Farnsworth Bentley, is a musician and author. He is perhaps best known for being Sean Combs' former personal valet and assistant, as first seen in Making the Band 2, and is currently the host of MTV's From G's to Gents...
, Mike Carroll
Mike Carroll
Mike Carroll is a professional skateboarder from San Francisco who skated for H-Street and then joined the super team Plan B Skateboards...
, and members of the GIRL skateboard team make cameos as West's friends and other guests at the nightclub. The soundtrack to the short prominently features West's "See You in My Nightmares", "When I Said Goodbye" by Mayer Hawthorne
Mayer Hawthorne
Mayer Hawthorne is an American singer, producer, songwriter, arranger, audio engineer, DJ, rapper and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles, California, USA. The stage name "Mayer Hawthorne" is a combination of Cohen's real middle name and the name of the street he grew up on in Michigan...
, and Beethoven's
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
Moonlight Sonata, which plays over the final moments of the film.
Release
The film premiered at the Los Angeles Film FestivalLos Angeles Film Festival
The Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times is an event held annually in June in downtown Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Film Festival began as the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 1995. The first LAIFF took place over the course of five days in a single...
on June 24, 2009, was intended for public release through the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on September 8, 2009, but did not premiere online until October 18, 2009 through West's blog. On October 18, We Were Once a Fairytale was leaked to the Internet and posted on West's official website, kanyeuniversecity.com. Jonze said the film was accidentally leaked from the post-production studio of a friend, and that West did not realize that it was not meant to be circulated yet. "I think he was like: 'Oh, it's out. I'll link to it,'" Jonze said. On October 19, the video was removed from the West's blog, with only a message left from West saying "SORRY I HAD TO TAKE IT DOWN : (". The video, however, can still be found on various video sharing websites and is now available through iTunes.