Why? Why would the group La Roux think that remaking their video for “In for the Kill” will help propel the single to the top of the American pop charts? Faithful readers know that I have a fascination with videos remade for release in the US after having been huge hits elsewhere. Not that the video is bad…in fact, it’s funky fresh. But a) is it better than the original, and b) will it even help its chances for success? Let’s go to the videos!
Video #1 – Clearly made on a shoestring budget, but works in a Berlin “Metro” tribute kind of way. Elly as both murderous motorist and arc-angel. Gotta love it.
Video #2 – Miles ahead of the original, both in budget and in impact, although I have no clue what a wacky hotel has to do with the song. Now if they had gotten John Cleese in there to give it a Fawlty Towers vibe, then I’m right on board.
So will this video get La Roux more exposure in the US? Well, the video is a shoo-in for VH1. They pretty much eat this stuff up. I doubt it helps the chart prospects of the single, but I also was a bit leery of “Bulletproof” breaking through, and it did so in spades. It would be great if they didn’t go down in the record books as another one-hit wonder, so any trick helps.
Stumble It!
Pop Music Notes 
The new video is flashier, but I like the look of the original. The blue and red lighting scheme reminds me of ’80s science fiction movies (Star Trek III and Aliens, for example, were shot with lots of scenes bathed in blue and red).