"The Wrecking Crew!" film is finally being released

Have to agree with those who found this movie underwhelming and/or disappointing. I am a total sucker for documentaries like this but it didn't do much for me.

 

I know it was a work in progress for the last 17 years, but I thought it looked completely dated. I felt like I was watching a documentary from the 90s.

I loved the topic but I didn't love the storytelling. It lacked focus. Either tell his dad's story or the Wrecking Crew's story. He tried to do both and I don't think it worked.

I came away from the film a bit disappointed. Especially after paying $6.99 for it on demand.

 

For the life of me, I can't understand how anyone who likes music and has ANY interest in this period and genre would not like this movie. But as usual the whiners and the sad sacks that are never satisfied and somehow think they could do better, but in reality have NO idea what it takes to actually do the work they are tearing down and have no clue about, will do their sad dog pile of scorn.

 

Loved it!

 

A rather extreme reaction to a matter of differing opinion, don't you think? I like music and have a great deal of interest in the period and genre. Moreover, I went to film school and have worked in the industry -- on documentaries, even -- for twenty years, and I happen to think that this particular project was quite poorly made: a superficial treatment of a great subject.

No need for name calling because we disagree, my friend. Folks on this Forum are generally above such things, which is one of the reasons I like it here.

 

I think that namretsam was maybe harsh, but, he ask the question. No one has suggested how to do this differently. The tell the story of his dad, or the "Wrecking Crew" story... In interviews to promote the movie, he said, as he was editing, it was suggested that that was the way into the story,,, you disagree. But, in the movie itself, no one knew how many people were in the "Crew" (6 people guessed), 4 engineers could not figure out how the name came about. What would anybody do different?

This is the issue, this movie is about a number of quality musicians, did a lot of great work, and did not get written credit for there work. Now we're going to explain and straighten this out 40 years later, and in 2 hours with music. Using the movie as an outline, what would anyone do differently?

I like the movie, I think the insight was good, some were disappointed, I want to know how, and what they would do differently?

 

Without taking sides, I must say I love the phrase “sad dog pile of scorn.”

 

I've seen worse documentaries. It wasn't Errol Morris, but it wasn't slapdash. Maybe a bit shallow in spots. I don't think I really understand Kaye's point of view that "Wrecking Crew" as a term somehow puts Hal Blaine above the rest of the musicians just because it was the title of his bio. If anything, I thought Blaine came off probably the worst of all the musicians interviewed. He seemed like a bitter man.

 

It does have a certain ring to it. Maybe I will start a thread headed: what songs feel like a sad dog pile of scorn? Better still, I think that I will write a song about my last girlfriend. I could use it as part of the first 8 bars. Maybe not. I don't write Country.

 

It's probably best to take much of what Carol Kaye says with a grain of salt. She's also been claiming for years that she, and not James Jamerson, played on "I Was Made To Love Her," "Bernadette," and many other Motown classics.

 

A cut of the film, circa mid-2000's I believe, is "out there". I grabbed it a couple years ago and enjoyed it very much. I'm definitely going to the IFC Center to see it on the big screen and buying a DVD on release. I'll be interested to see/hear the differences between the two versions.

 

How to do it differently? and since you asked so nicely.

1. First decide what the subject is; The Wrecking Crew? or Tommy Tedesco? While they both seem interchangeable, they're not and making that distinction might have provided the focus this doc lacked.

2. We get it, the final product was pieced together from nearly two decades worth of filming. It doesn't change the fact that the film looks awful and dated. Perhaps, since he made his lofty kickstarter goal with 3 days to spare and took in a healthy amount more than what he was asking, Denny might have been better served to re-invest that extra money back into his doc and re-film some of the interviews with HD Cameras, proper lighting etc or better yet conduct new interviews with surviving members with said technology.

3. Learn to ask good questions. If you're already an existing fan of the Wrecking Crew, which I most certainly am, ask yourself this, did your learn anything new about the subject matter? I didn't. I'd heard, listened to or read all these stories before.

4. Editing: For me, this was the weakest part of the Doc. His linear approach to the subject matter comes across as very "Behind the Music" like. Nothing stands out, nothing grabs you, follow the boring bouncing ball. Also, repeatedly assembling 4-5 people reacting, commenting on the same subject in almost the exact same fashion grew old really quick.

5. Whereas "Standing in the Shadows" (arguably it's closest counterpart) does an excellent job exploring and highlighting the anonymous and altogether slighted legacyof the Funk Brothers, this doc really limps along trying to do the same. It's the Goddamn Wrecking Crew! Their legacy is simply astounding and their body of work from either a hit making perspective or its scope in terms of genres is second to none. This doc really needed a visual effects montage or title card similar to the one used in "Shadows" that highlighted their accomplishments.

6. No controversy, no conflict. Other than the altogether too brief chapter on the cyclical nature of the business and how by the 80's, other than Tedesco, they found themselves musically irrelevant and out of work, there's really no confict. I would have been very interested if Denny would have explored further, largely on account of how smug they come across at times, that idea put forth by Plas Johnson that fame and fortune eluded him (and others as well) not from some credit oversight but rather because he, himself did not want to be associated with an inferior genre, style of music and it was his own elitism that stood in the way of his recognition and financial success.

But what the **** do I know? I've only worked in the Film industry for 22 years, was an original kickstarter backer, championed its cause at just about every video village in Toronto for a year, brought repeated awareness to the project and further financial backing through additional Kickstarter donations, and hell, is instantly recognizable within Toronto's film community for always wearing my 25 year old, homemade, Glen Campbell-Good-time hour burst belt buckle with my tool belt.

 

The 'movie' almost can't fail, with that amount of great music in it, but as a film, as a narrative, as a story, it is not very good. Fanatics like us will enjoy it just because of the subject matter, but I can't see the general public having much interest. I agree with littleugly above, in post #62----this film is in no way as good as "Standing In The Shadows Of Motown"......and the main reason is that the surviving Funk Brothers played a concert that showed them and their chops to the present day audience (actually, to almost all audiences, since nobody really saw the Funk Brothers or the Wrecking Crew live in their prime, all together, with some exceptions.) It's a big, big shame that the surviving Wrecking Crew couldn't play together, something/anything, as a way to sum up their contributions and their present day age/stature as serious musicians.

 

Loved it. Enjoyed it all. Yes it could have been better but I was satisfied.

 

That doesn't matter at all to me. In fact that's what I thought was the weakest part of Standing in the Shadows as the majority of the guys I idolized in that band were dead.
Having said that, I did get to go to the Wrecking Crew premiere and there was a concert after with most of the guys (no Carol Kaye) so I sort of got to experience your wish. The best part was the audience Q&A after the film.

 

A bit tough to do since about 50 percent of those interviewed in the film are now dead. And besides, you don't just go back and "reshoot" interviews. These people aren't actors. You can't expect them to repeat themselves and not have it look stilted and staged. Furthermore, to update some of the footage to newer tech and resolution would just make the old lo-res footage, much of which you have to use because it's all you have with some of the principles , look even worse.

 

For me, it was a nice movie, by a son as a tribute to his late father, and incidentally as to the unsung musicians with whom the father worked, creating some of the greatest music of the 20th Century. Could it have been better from a technical standpoint? Probably. Was it immensely entertaining, even though it was not shot in HD? Absolutely. Best seven bucks I've spent in a while.
Jeez. Tough crowd.

 

THIS.

 

I really enjoyed it, and yeah, it looked a little dated since they were reusing some old non-16x9 footage, but who cares really? It was informative, interesting and pretty entertaining. I kind of agree - how anybody interested in this era could not like it is beyond me, even if it won't win any film awards.

 

I enjoyed mostly hearing the name artists talk about their experiences with these musicians, though found myself looking at my watch about half way through. Too much of the same perhaps. Or perhaps it's that there doesn't seem to be anything very romantic or intriguing about these musicians to me. You get the feeling that some of them compromised their musical ideals for a good paycheck. They saw rock 'n roll as a way to earn a living, they were doing a job and the bottom line was money. Still, it must have been great to have been in such demand.

 

I seem to recall a few even admitted as much that they didn't really like a lot of the musical styles they were playing. I found that refreshing.

 

No one around here is familiar with Carol Kaye's work for Zappa?

 

I don't believe it personally. Sounds like Roy Estrada to me.

 

Amazon has this up for pre-order now. The DVD and the Blu-ray are the same price, $22.99. Release date is June 16.

 

Much obliged .
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