.David Lynch Releases Video Featuring South Bay’s Chris Pounders

Back at the beginning of the year, Chris Pounders landed an unusual gig. The frontman for the South Bay alt-rock band Pounders also does a bit of acting on the side, and his unusual look got him an appearance in the video for the title track to David Lynch’s album Crazy Clown Time. In fact, Lynch, who directed the video himself, handpicked Pounders for the role. After filming in February, the “Crazy Clown Time” video has finally been released.
After doing the shoot, Pounders promised me the video would be “as messed up as the music is,” and if you’ve heard Lynch’s album, you know that’s pretty messed up. But he didn’t exaggerate.
“It’s so weird,” says Pounders now, after seeing the finished product.
Pounders plays the character of Dee Dee, in what amounts to a creepy, literal depiction of the song’s lyrics. Of all the characters having a “crazy clown time” in the video’s dimly lit backyard, Pounders’ has the craziest. You can see the video on the next page; watch for the moment around 3:15 where he douses his Mohawk in lighter fluid and lights it on fire. It’s just an effect, of course, but it’s a pretty convincing one. Pounders said after filming he was impressed with the fake Chris Pounders head Lynch had made for the moment of combustion.
The funny thing is that Pounders had never even seen one of Lynch’s films before going in front of the camera with him. Even the casting guy who called him to offer him the gig couldn’t believe it, and kept asking him questions like “You’ve never seen Mulholland Drive?”