Those reviews aren't written for this audience it's written for the broad audience to describe what they might see if they go to the theater, not the die hard fan who wants every detail. However they did mention about how it sounded great because Visconti mixed it for the theater.
And whereas fans here then think: bwoahhhh, brickwalled sound from 12 directions ... the broad audience say: cool I can hear so many details, even under my seat.
Website notes '40 remastered tracks.' I wonder when the soundtrack will get announced, and if there will be ANYTHING of note.
Paxo’s research didn’t even extend to pronouncing db’s name properly. Decades after it had even been a question. Db is quite magnanimous in the circs iirc. I don’t think it took a genius to see what the net would do btw, but the difference is that, as ever, he’d thought about it and how he felt about it creatively. And though it will take some plenty time, his approach to it - enthusiasm followed by a carefully distanced managed usage - will prove to be right. Because he saw that a permanent flat level connectivity would destroy much of what makes humans great. Anyway, looking forward to MD, hoping to see some dates soon.
Rolling Stone interview with Morgen. It's a lot about him and his process and struggle for a script but also gives us a pretty good idea about the concept of the movie and which parts of Bowie's career are touched upon. Apparently songs from all of DB's albums will feature in some form. Looking forward to the soul tour footage. 'When You Eliminate the Wikipedia, You Arrive at the Personal': Inside the Making of 'Moonage Daydream'
Q. What's your favorite Bowie album, Brett ? A. I haven't really appreciated anything since 1983 ! What a dumb thing to say Looking forward to the movie
I'm very excited about the film and the prospect of unseen footage. But there's just one thing that stood out for me and sounds a little disappointing: "Morgen’s aim was to make something that functioned as more than just a sonic scrapbook or a for-the-fans love letter. “After what I went through while I was making this,” Morgen says, “I needed to make something personal with this. But I also wanted to give people who weren’t fans of Bowie a sense of who he was, and have this function as a canvas where others could see the Bowie they know in here as well." Why cater to the casual listener? if anything, a 2-hour 20 minute documentary ought to be that, a hardcore fan wet dream.
In the way he describes it there's nothing wrong with that Strongly disagree on that. Given the many documentaries I've seen about musicians, bands, artists, photographers I didn't know or only their name and how I became a fan because of those. But I'm pretty sure Brett won't use any Buddha tracks or go into the making of that album, but I think he mentioned Brecht somewhere.
I disagree. We already have documentaries like Five Years or the A&E bio special that appeal to casual listeners and are very general. How often does the Estate grant full access to the vaults and have no input on what can or can't see the light of day? I'd say not that regularly. This was the chance have the 1974 tour footage (prior to the Soul Tour) on the big screen and it gets put back in the vualt? Disappointing i'd say.
That's a different matter altogether. This type of artist documentary isn't about the full fan experience of one particular performance. In that regard it'll always be a disappointment. And yes if at least the Earl's Court show isn't released in full for fans after this once in a lifetime dive into the archives that would be a major fan disappointment. It'd gladly skip MD for having a chance to buy the Earl's Court '78 show, or indeed a '74 concert. Message to those in charge: in our lifetime please, the stuff doesn't belong in an archive collecting dust.
I still think the ‘76 Thin White Duke-era was his coolest look. There are many close second places though, ‘78 being one of them.
It costs money to bankroll a five-year long film production even if it's largely just one bloke in an editing room. I'm sure they want a film that can play in many many cinemas worldwide AND full-length concert footage restored for future use as a positive side-effect
As they say, “You’re only as good as your latest work!”. Documentaries come and go. This one will probably be buzzed for some time, then forgotten. “Five Years” is already 9 years old. Despite it’s brilliance, it’s not even commercially available. It was a BBC product. Not a single one official Bowie documentary on Bowie exists. At least not one covering his whole carrer. So Directors like Morgan is, as usual faced with a 2-sided monster: Should he use all the rare footage available and ditch the common footage? If so, he will please the hardcore fans but will be left with Joe Public screaming “Where is the Life On Mars? video??? A rip-off!!!” Joe Public couldn’t possibly be bothered with Tony Visconti talking about the recording process of “African Night Flight” either, though the hardcore fans would be yearning for it. On the other hand, if Morgan would only rely on famous video footage and interviews, hardcore fans would go “BOOORING!!!” That’s why directors like Morgan usually choose to paint with the big brush. If you want to create something for the ages and memorable, you better try to feed all camps. The Beatles Anthology documentary did it with succes, feeding all camps, but they had 10 hours and even for television, Apple figured very few people would sit for so long, so they edited it down. Today and with today’s flashy culture, even fewer will sit through 10 hours. Documentaries is a one-nite stand. Therefore, 2-and-a-half hours is a fair compromise. Paint with the big brush and try reaching all camps is no easy task.
Many people just think it’s an easy task making a documentary, film or record. Well, try to be creative with lawyers, estate, editors breathing you in the neck. That’s why, I often feel so many fans is an ungrateful bunch of naysayers. They will complain and expect product delivered at a low price. Then they will flock it to death, focusing on every negative aspect there is. Pathetic.
You may be right but we haven't seen it yet. I'm just glad they didn't go with a biopic like that recent travesty called Bohemian Rhapsody.
One can start by being grateful. No one forces you to do anything in this life. There is choices and consequences.
