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Rockumentaries
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Until The Light Takes Us

by hardrockchick [about 1 year, 0 months ago.]

It’s no secret that I’ve been on a black and death metal kick lately: Enslaved… Behemoth… Mayhem…I mean, I’ve always liked it, but I’ve been REALLY into it lately. So, I was excited to see this pop up on The Roxie’s calendar. Tonight, I took myself on a hot date to see it, and emerged with mixed feelings.

The documentary folds interviews with Fenriz from Darkthrone and Varg Vikernes of Burzum together to give a selective history of Norwegian Black Metal. From the genre’s aesthetic, to the production- as Varg puts it, “I wanted the shittiest recording equipment available”, to the church burnings and rising popularity of the genre, these two tell their stories in broken English, often which much humor and minimal editing.

Generally speaking, the film could have used a more heavy handed editor. It isn’t clear if the film assumes that it’s audience goes into this with a certain level of knowledge, or the the filmmakers themselves didn’t bring the expertise to the table when making the film. As a viewer, I felt like there were gaps where I missed something or wanted more way too often. There’s a severe pacing issue, and the lack of actual performances or an integrated soundtrack within the film stunts it’s success.

That said, there is something to be said for the organic quality of the film- shot in 35mm with sound issues in the interviews and unrestored archival footage. Like the low-quality production aesthetic mentioned above, the film followed this sentiment and carried an ominous, albeit sometimes annoying, tone as a result.

The film also became comedic too often for the subject matter. The people behind me definitely thought it was a comedy. The inclusion of Frost from Satyricon towards the end of the film could have been an attempt to poke fun of the newer Black Metal bands, or it could have been to show progression of the genre…I can’t decide.

There were some good quotes/scenes in there- like when the person who found Mayhem’s Dead after he committed suicide, and decided to take a picture of him before calling the authorities: “he found Dead…well, dead”. Or when Fenriz is doing phoners for his album, and he talks about how the lyrics from the first two records were what he thought black metal fans would want to hear, likening the fans to ‘petting a dog’…and now the last two records have been lyrics that should make you want to commit suicide. And his final quote to end the film, about Black Metal becoming popular, “everyone likes to play dress up”.

‘Before the Light Takes Us’ is worth a watch if you are into the genre- just don’t go in with high expectations.

Genre(s): Rockumentaries

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Joy Division: Under Review and Control

by hardrockchick [about 2 years, 9 months ago.]

Guns ‘n Roses didn’t write Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door. Nine Inch Nails didn’t write Dead Souls. But I heard the covers before the originals, and it was NIN’s cover of Dead Soul’s featured on The Crow soundtrack that made me aware of Joy Division. Back when I still read liner notes, of course.

Joy Division created some amazing works in their 4 short years. Their influence can still be felt today- She Wants Revenge, Interpol, LCD Soundsystem, to other eighties and nineties bands such as NIN, The Cure, Bauhaus, and Depeche Mode.

Joy Division – Under Review

Under Review is a short documentary that covers the band from it’s start as Warsaw to the post-Curtis New Order. It features rare video footage of the band and interviews with several writers who were familiar with the whole scene at the time. Consider it the Cliff’s Notes to Joy Division. No former members are interviewed, making it very much an outsider’s perspective. And, due to it’s length, there are any full performances. However, it is a worthwhile watch if you have 70 minutes to spare.

Control

So, I’ve been waiting for this film for about 6 months. It’s a beautiful film shot in black and white and involved all of the people that should be involved in a work of this nature: it’s based on the book by Curtis’ wife, Deborah; it was produced by both Deborah and Tony Wilson, directed by Anton Corbijn- a Joy Division fan and director of fantastic music videos such as Depeche Mode’s Personal Jesus and Nirvana’s Heart Shaped Box; and Sam Riley, whose superb acting did Curtis justice (though he didn’t replicate the butterfly spasm dance perfectly).

There are frame by frame remakes of the famous ‘So It Goes’ performance, glimpses (and I mean glimpses) into the inspiration for ‘She’s Lost Control’, ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, and ‘Isolation’, and insight into the situation that lead to Curtis’ suicide. One’s expectations for the film must be framed by the fact that is based on the book that his wife wrote- who he had cheated on and treated rather poorly. Thus, this gives the film less us a life story lens (there are no childhood or family life incidences that could have been influences), making it feel much more like a love story. Granted, this is a huge factor in Curtis’ demise, but it definitely makes me wonder how laden the film is with a biased perspective.

24 Hour Party People

Genre(s): Rockin' Videos,Rockumentaries

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Air Guitar Nation

by hardrockchick [about 2 years, 11 months ago.]

“Make Air, Not War”.

I had been trying to make it to the San Francisco regional Air Guitar Championship for the past two years, but had failed. I will fail no longer. This even must be planned around.

Air Guitar Nation is the type of documentary that, at times, seems like it might be a mockumentary. It takes itself really seriously.

The documentary follows the first US Air Guitar Championship, pitting two rivals against eachother- C-Diddy and Bjorn Turoque. It continues with the World Air Guitar Championship in Finland. And in between, there’s a whole lotta air guitar.

So, we’ve all done it, right? Air guitar is fun. Well, these guys take it to a whole new level. It’s a ‘serious’ sport, with olympic style scoring, some star judges (Tom Morello!), and some intricate, well thought out performances.

So, do you have what it takes? Check this site for your region’s competition. Or if you think you’re really good, check out the World Championship site.

On a related note- I hope the Guitar Hero Championship that I’m going to in a couple of weeks is this entertaining.

Genre(s): Rockumentaries

330Comments (2)Air+Guitar+Nation2007-09-26+06%3A42%3A24hardrockchick

Depeche Mode: 101

by hardrockchick [about 3 years, 1 month ago.]

Depeche Mode is just one of those bands that has never really waned in success- they’ve never had a shit album, a bad tour, or an embarrassing bad press moment. And what a documentary- to be a fan in the late ’80s and win a contest to travel around on a bus and go to a bunch of DM shows! The fashion is something else, too. These were the kids that were too cool for Madonna but kinda copied her style anyways. There’s great performance footage and interviews. It’s one of those rare docs that helps you somewhat comprehend how difficult it is to be a band on tour. Watch it.

Genre(s): Rockumentaries

240Comments (2)Depeche+Mode%3A+1012007-07-26+00%3A25%3A02hardrockchick

Gimme Shelter

by hardrockchick [about 3 years, 1 month ago.]

If you’ve never heard about the Altamont incident before, this this isn’t the documentary to explain it to you. But if you have, this will definitely illustrate it for you a bit. With no narration, Gimme Shelter is a collection of interviews and footage from the famous show. If this doc had been made in present day, it might have been titles ‘Hippies Gone Wild’. In a move that the doc fails to explain, and I’ve never quite heard any good reason why this happened, the Hell’s Angels as security just seems like a really poor idea. No matter what. However, I’m torn by the stigma that this concert created- do free concerts always mean that there’s extra riff raff that wouldn’t be there otherwise? I don’t know–I’ve been to some high dollar shows where there’s been a pretty scuzzy audience.

Genre(s): Rockumentaries

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The Fearless Freaks

by hardrockchick [about 3 years, 1 month ago.]

The Fearless Freaks is a great name for The Flaming Lips documentary. If you already thought this band was weird, this will definitely make you know that they are even weirder. Still living in a modest house in the Oklahoma City neighborhood he grew up in , Wayne Coyne is beyond the quirky singer behind the band. A proud and dedicated employee of Long John Silver’s for 12 years or something, and the director of a passion project film about Santa in space, just hit the tip of the iceberg of interesting moments that feed into The Flaming Lips legacy.

The Flaming Lips’ success hinges on a combination of great music, passionate fans, and boundary pushing performance art. While the documentary is a bit disorganized and chaotic, it fits the story it is telling.

Here’s the commercial for the film:

Genre(s): Rockumentaries

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Rockumentaries: Hype!

by hardrockchick [about 3 years, 1 month ago.]

We’re in the midst of ’90s nostalgia, with bands reuniting all over the place, and Kurt Cobain being mentioned right and left. There’s not a better time to be reminded of the Seattle Sound effect than now.

Hype! documents the emergence of the hip place that Seattle is now considered to be. Beginning by explaining how sleepy Seattle was, and and how the constant rain inspired much of the music. Not only is it depressing when it rains, but it forces people to stay inside, and music was one of the chosen activities to refrain from boredom. Another root cause of Seattle Sound was the frustrations that music fans had that none of their favorite bands toured there, so they had to create their own live music scene.

This is the main cause of the grassroots feel of what became Grunge. Interviewees spoke of the lack of live music venues, and how bands would have to find some place to rent out, and they would take tickets and then go backstage and play.

Sub Pop Records is also discussed a lot, as the name goes hand in hand with Grunge. It was a critical component to making the scene famous, as they commissioned the British journalist to come and write this article that, in essence, started the craze. This one article lifted Seattle to new heights, claiming it as the next big thing, and causing people to flock there not unlike The Haight in the ’60′s.

Then it goes into how any band from Seattle could get a record contract, and how labels were throwing big money at anyone, and that this changed everything. ‘Seattle Sound’ became a section at the record store, and flannels were seen on runways, etc., etc.

And, of course, no Seattle documentary is complete without a piece on Nirvana.

Hype! does a good job of explaining the Seattle music scene phenomenon from an inside out perspective. Both nostalgic and informative, I came out with a whole list of new Grunge-era bands to check out.

Genre(s): Rockumentaries

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All We Are Saying

by hardrockchick [about 3 years, 2 months ago.]

All We Are Saying is a documentary by Rosanna Arquette. She interviews many musicians- very famous ones- about the changing music industry, motivation, family, and the creative process.

Though a lot of negative things have been said about it, I found it an interesting watch. I know that the music industry is messed up, but listening to these older artists who’ve had so much success gripe about it while they lounge around their multi million dollar homes is a bit pathetic at times. However, I can understand where their hostility is coming from. These seasoned artists used to make their money on albums, and now everyone is having to turn to touring to make money. And that has to be much more difficult on a 50+ year old artist who’d rather spend time in the studio.

It’s a very impressive list of interviewees: Tom Petty, Steven Tyler, The DeLeo Brothers, Thom York, Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon, Patti Smith, The Wilson Sisters, David Crosby, and many more….it’s quite a mix. I guess being an actress gets you some serious access to musicians.

While the documentary is not particularly provocative or focused, it’s put together in a very raw way. The best way I can think of to describe it is a marathon episode of Oprah on musician’s rants.

All We Are Saying is playing on Showtime throughout the month.

Genre(s): Rockumentaries

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rockumentaries: Ramones—-Raw

by hardrockchick [about 3 years, 3 months ago.]

The Ramones are a band that I should know more about. I was mildly familiar with their cultural cache, their influence, their movement…but I never understood the magnitude of it until I saw Ramones—–Raw. The Ramoniacs, the fashion, the singing stance- it’s all there. The Ramones are part geek rock, part reluctant rock stars, part rebel, and part punk kings. Their sound- that unmistakable bouncy beat, deck eating the tape sound, and megaphone vocals captivated a generation. It’s weird, huh? It doesn’t sound appealing, but The Ramones represent a snapshot of a subculture. The punks- dressed in the Ramone’s uniform- ripped shirts, torn jeans, keds or chuck taylors, and a rocker jacket. And the hair- you can never forget the hair.

Genre(s): Rockumentaries

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Awesome! I Fu(#in’ Shot That!

by hardrockchick [about 3 years, 3 months ago.]

Awesome! I Fu(#in’ Shot That! is one of things that had me going, “ugh, that was my idea!” I always thought it would be interesting to see a show from multiple people’s vantage points, though my idea was still pics. However, it proved not to be the most engaging thing ever. It was taken from their 2004 tour, at Madison Square Garden, and combined fans footage from way up high to front row and back stage. I saw this same show at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX. The whole time I was watching this I felt myself wishing for some steady straight on shots. The end result of this concept piece: not satisfying enough as a documentary (no background story, interviews, making of, etc.) and not satisfying as a concert DVD. Oh well. Maybe one day I’ll try my still pics concept.

Genre(s): Rockumentaries

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