The Mountain Goats - Cry for Judas

Official music video for "Cry for Judas" by The Mountain Goats, taken from the album Transcendental Youth, out now on Merge Records.

Production Company: Elkcreek Cinema

CAST (In Order of Appearance):
Eva: Rebecca Cas Sutton
Father: Peter Hughes
Mother: Sarah Elle
Toby: Julia Rose Duray
Eric: Jake DeNicola
Ex: Jon Wurster
Ben: Dan Rochmis
Victim: John Darnielle
Neighbors: Martha Van Burek, Sue Dapkins, Tjalling Heyning, Lannie Harrison, Lynn Fischer, Ken & Linda Jaffe, Alina Miglietta, Nita Rae, Marje Duray, Otelia Blue, Bob Rosen.
Rat: Toby the rat

CREW:
Writer/Director: Carlo Mirabella-Davis
Producer: Grant DeSimone
Executive Producers: Lindsey Kronmiller, Adam Jackson, Alyson West
Director of Photography: Peter O'Leary
Editor: Nick August-Perna
Production Designer / Costume Designer: Sara K White
AC: Brian Leisring
Art Department: Melissa Loyola
Production Coordinator: Bella Mirabella
Script Supervisor / Make-up: Sara Colangelo
Production Dept. / Truck Driver: Doug McCafferty
Gaffer: Grant DeSimone
Grips: Dan Rochmis, Jake DeNicola
Catering: Lennard J. Davis, Bella Mirabella
Location Provided by: Martha Van Burek

POST (Co3):
Executive Post Producer: Marie Deleon
Post Producers: Katherine Andrews, Bernice Veloz, Tara Dowd
Colorist: Jamie Obradovich

Special Thanks to: Alyson West, Martha Van Burek, Tjalling Heyning, Nita Rae, Marje Duray, Grant DeSimone, Bob Borow, Allison Twardziak, Leah Meyerhoff, Chris Dapkins, Bella Mirabella, Lennard J. Davis, Marie Deleon, Jamie Obradovich, Co3, Kent Gardner, Richard Kathmann, Nick August-Perna, Sara Colangelo, Krystal Moody, The DeNicola family, Linda & Ken Jaffe, Valerie & Jake Jaffe, Neil & Susan Rochmis, Ken Mercadante, John Miglietta, Sara K White.

[jacklarus]

I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times: the rat in this video is one of the most compelling actors I've ever seen on film.

[giveupghosty]

A decade later, Peter Hughes has struck again in the mountain goats cinematic universe.
ALSO in a garage...

[GildedVoice]

I get shivers when John looks at the camera and says "I'm still here"

[Nightlight_]

For some reason I really love the shot of the girl blinking behind the tiger mask. It's perfect.

[robiu]

mountain goats my favourite band, that gets overshadowed by footage of goats in the mountains when i youtube search their music

[GabrielCsaba]

Somehow that rat being impossibly cute feels completely appropriate to this song and to John's output in general.

[Adam-iewy]

Some things you do just to see
How bad they'll make you feel
Sometimes you try to freeze time
'Til those thoughts are a blur of spinning wheels
But I am just a broken machine
And I do things that I don't really mean

Long black night, morning frost
I'm still here, but all is lost

Speed up to the precipice
And then slam on the brakes
Some people crash two or three times
And then learn from their mistakes
But we are the ones who don't slow down at all
And there's nobody there to catch us when we fall

Long black night, morning frost
I'm still here, but all is lost

Feel the storm every night, hope it passes by
Hallucinate a shady grove where Judas went to die

Unfurl the black velvet altar cloth
Draw a white chalk baphomet
Mistreat your altar boys long enough
And this is what you get
Sad and angry, can't learn how to behave
Still won't know how in the darkness of the grave

Long black night, morning frost
I'm still here, but all is lost

[andrewdunn]

This song is a great representation of the veterinary profession for vets and nurses. Long hours and shit pay (long black nights, morning frost). The high turn over rate (mistreat your altar boys long enough and this is what you get). That feeling you get when a friend leaves for better things outside the industry (i'm still here but all is lost).

Really speaks to me.

[StudioScarecrow]

even though the lyrics are so dark, it's such a wonderful, joyful song that exudes empathy. Going to Georgia, Psalm 40:2, this song... Mountain Goats are so good at that

[momosissoko]

The best band in the world strikes again! Why would anyone do anything that isn't listening to the Mountain Goats?

[littleroachyboy]

Just discovering Mountain goats these last few weeks and just wow

[Gossamaggs]

I feel like this song goes really well with "Up The Wolves"

[GrizzlyMays]

Peter Hughes looks like the epitome of the 50's dad stereotype. Besides the whole killing John thing, of course.

[colin]

1. Very good music video, very good rat; 2. Very good song; 3. A blast to sing along with and try to do the backing vocals/whatever harmony you feel like

[ColinPaints]

Ok, I'm working on a theory. The story centers around a messed-up family at a party of some kind, probably for the 4th of July. We have several major characters:

-Two redheaded sisters, one older with a boyfriend and one younger who is in a band.
-The dark-haired catholic mother, who had the two girls in a relationship with Jon Wurster. He is now dead or otherwise absent.
-John Darnielle, who is now in a relationship with the mother. This is only implied loosely because they are on rocky ground at the party in the video. He is a terrible stepfather and seems threatening to the youngest daughter at the party.
-Peter Hughes, who is JD's brother and in love with the mother as well. He has an uncle-niece relationship with the daughters.

The mother has made some questionable choices, such as forcing herself to keep her child, marrying JD, and then becoming involved with PH behind his back. Her daughters echo this trend of poor decision-making; the eldest is in an abusive relationship and gets knocked up, and the younger is so isolated that she has begun to practice satanism. PH and the mother's relationship spirals so far out of control that in a drunken rage, PH kills JD. At the end of the video, every character has made a decision that will have major consequences, and their secrets will inevitably be revealed to each other.

This story reflects the theme of the lyrics, which center around making brash and often disastrous decisions and being forced to live the consequences of your actions. There are a few holes, (JD's character is extremely ephemeral, and his relationship to the others is largely inferred from his few seconds of screentime) but I feel like it makes some sense in my mind.

[jasonheidel]

"Long black night, morning frost, Im still here- but all is lost"

[matthewshapiro]

This band is peak Gen X. I feel every song in my soul.

[crisptomato]

I can't be the only one that gets a Moral Orel vibe from this, can I?

[guitargirl]

From my laymen knowledge of the bible Judas Iscariot (Isocariot Rising is written on the drums) was one of the 12 apostles, he was the person who betrayed Jesus, however according to the bible that death could be interpreted as leading to humanities salvation. In the end I think that Judas hanged himself. I think that the song's about making (big) mistakes (some people crash 2 or 3 times before they learn from their mistakes) (which could also be an allusion to Judas falling) and having to 'deal' with them. the line "I'm still here but all is lost" may also be about how after every thing that happens (the girl gets pregnant, ect) we still have to go on. The mice in the maze is also a metaphor for having to figure the right 'direction' to take.

[allieeverest]

Beautiful music video even though I have absolutely no idea what the connecting narrative is. Obviously we have a woman who is in love with both Wurster and PPH who is also Catholic and pregnant when she doesn't want to be/it's a secret. A young boy (girl?) who is into Satanism. And JD who's just hangin' out being ephemeral. I actually laughed at the JD death scene. It's so out of the blue. I have such a strong feeling JD and PPH requested this scene b.c. it is just so ridiculous with the fake gore and murder weapon. Love how the band members are woven into this in bizarre ways. Just love JD in music videos period.