Hollywood Central: Kanye West's 'Runaway' Is 'Artistically Large,' Pete Wentz Says

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Kanye West's 'Runaway' Is 'Artistically Large,' Pete Wentz Says

Wentz reviews Kanye's 'ambitious' movie for MTV News.
By James Montgomery

Pete Wentz at the "Runaway" premiere
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

On Monday night in Los Angeles, Kanye West premiered his "Runaway" film for an audience that included celebs, music-industry heavies and, of course, his fans. Pete Wentz just so happens to be all three of those things ... so, naturally, he was there at the Harmony Gold Theatre for the screening. And, as he's done for MTV News with previous cinematic offerings, the bass player was kind enough to write up his thoughts on 'Ye's arty, ambitious film.

Here's what Wentz had to say about "Runaway," which also was screened Tuesday night in Chicago and will premiere Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on MTV, MTV2 and BET, and stream live on MTV.com, BET.com and VH1.com, followed by a live Q&A session with West on MTV and MTV.com.

"So, I had the chance to sit in the audience as Kanye West had a showing in Los Angeles of the extended video/movie for 'Runaway,' [and] I don't want to spoil the experience for those who haven't seen it yet, but in my opinion it is the single most ambitious 'music video' of the decade, if you could even put it in the category of a 'music video.'

"It reminds me of when I was younger and no matter what Michael Jackson had done last, the next thing [he did] not only topped it, but completely raised the bar beyond what anyone else was capable of. Now I'm not going to compare the content of M.J. to Kanye as they are two completely different artists ... I mean in the sheer scope and size of the project.

"There is a dinner table scene that jumps from [something] from a Noah Baumbach film — where the camera stays on the scene just long enough to make the viewer feel a little bit uncomfortable — to something out of what could be a Jim Henson creation ... within the same scene too. The caliber and scale of this project is Kanye West at his best — largely artist and artistically large. If you get the chance, check it out, if only for the experience of something so different."

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