

Movie spotlight
Sledgehammer
A young boy murders his mother and her lover with a hammer. Ten years later, a wave of teenage murders plagues the same area.
Insights
Plot Summary
This groundbreaking music video for Peter Gabriel's song 'Sledgehammer' is a visually dazzling and surreal journey through abstract imagery and playful animation. It features Gabriel interacting with a variety of animated characters, dancing objects, and shifting environments, all synchronized with the song's energetic beat. The video is renowned for its innovative use of stop-motion, claymation, and other pioneering visual effects that were cutting-edge for their time.
Critical Reception
The music video for 'Sledgehammer' is universally acclaimed as a landmark achievement in the medium, revolutionizing music video production and artistic expression. It is consistently cited for its creativity, technical innovation, and enduring influence on subsequent music videos and visual arts. Critically, it is celebrated for its sheer inventiveness and the seamless integration of animation and live-action.
What Reviewers Say
Revolutionary visual effects and groundbreaking animation techniques.
Highly creative and influential, setting a new standard for music videos.
A playful and surreal visual experience that perfectly complements the song.
Google audience: Audience reviews consistently praise the video's incredible artistry and imaginative visuals, noting its lasting impact and how it redefined what a music video could be.
Awards & Accolades
Won a record-breaking nine awards at the 1987 MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year, and won three Grammy Awards for its technical and artistic achievements.
Fun Fact
The video famously used 16 animators working for a total of three months to create the stop-motion sequences, with Peter Gabriel himself contributing many of the animated elements.
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