Quarantine does things to people. For most of us, it means sitting around, endlessly scrolling through social media and trying your best to avoid (digital) conversations with people that would rather fight than discuss something. All while maybe showering and likely still sitting in your pajamas. (That is, unless you’re someone that has to actually leave the house to go to work, which is a whole different, potentially dangerous situation.) For “Moonlight” and “If Beale Street Could Talk” filmmaker Barry Jenkins, this newfound free time has provided him a chance to explore his more musical side.
Though the filmmaker tweeted that “NOBODY asked for this,” Jenkins still went ahead and released his “chopped & screwed” version of Wilco’s album, “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot,” which he collaborated with The Chopstars on. And before you think to yourself, “What the hell is Barry Jenkins doing trying to remix albums?” keep in mind that his version of Wilco’s record is definitely not his first time doing this. Back in 2017, the filmmaker gave the remix treatment to the Grizzly Bear albums, “Veckatimest” and “Painted Ruins.” So, don’t go thinking Jenkins is venturing into the unknown.
Of course, quarantine has created the opportunity for filmmakers like Jenkins to explore various projects they might not normally. We’ve seen Steven Soderbergh tackle some long-gestating editing projects. There are new short films from Spike Lee, David F. Sandberg, and more. Hell, some people like Ben Wheatley just go out and film entire new features during lockdown.
READ MORE: Barry Jenkins To Direct ‘Lion King’ Sequel For Disney
And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that Jenkins has a number of film and TV projects in the works that have likely been keeping him busy. First, there’s “Underground Railroad,” which is a new Amazon series that he wrote and directed. Obviously, we can’t forget the news that Jenkins also signed on to helm “The Lion King 2” for Disney.
But if you want to see what Jenkins is doing, musically, you can check out his work below: