Mukluks: GIHYB.
THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY
If I had to stare at this for the rest of my life with my eyes held open by scotch tape, I'd be happy. In even those short number of years, The Beatles lives and career played out in such a way that it's hard to believe it really happened; there's NOTHING that did not happen. Incredibly exhaustive, ten hours, and there's not a minute that isn't great.
DIG!
Testament to the fact that if your subjects are compelling, blazingly pretentious douchebags, I will watch your film, even if I will never ever hear a single second of either of these bands' music. Spell-binding.
SOME KIND OF MONSTER
This movie is a gift wrapped up with a pretty red bow for people like me who think that Metallica is one of the shittiest bands in the world. How they would let this thing be released is beyond me, but it sure made me happy. Would be like if a movie was released in 2007 showing Dubya struggling to do his multiplication tables. As I said HERE:
Another case of my liking the movie more than the band - the king of this category being, of course, Metallica's "Some Kind of Monster." Should be required viewing for 1) people who don't like metal and love to laugh at these fucking idiots ("Lars, what rhymes with 'I'm a gazillionaire middle-aged dumbfuck trying to write scary, cliched metal lyrics like I'm still 14 years old'?") and 2) young kids who look like they're starting to get into Metallica. Make them watch this, then be like "...so...you SURE you wanna like this band?....good, didn't think so. Hand me my pants."
THE BEATLES IN AMERICA
Great, candid snapshot of (to me) the single greatest moment in pop culture of the last century. Totally raw, including awesome footage of Macca stumbling back from the Peppermint Lounge shitfaced. The perfect snapshot of a group of young adults literally hours away from changing the world. And, as MOJO says, "Amazingly, they are funnier and more charismatic than Dick Lester [Hard Day's Night director] ever made them appear."
JOE STRUMMER: THE FUTURE IS UNWRITTEN
Strummer talking + live concert footage + incredible scenes of his humanity, such as having to tell a radio interviewer who he is, only to have the guy play a Mick Jones song = heartbreakingly thrilling. Agree with MOJO and GIHYB, could've lived without the sittin-round-the-campfire scenes.
NOTES ON SOME OTHERS:
End of the Century is exhaustive and comprehensive, which might mean the exact same thing, but there wasn't anything that I or any uber-Ramones fan didn't already know. I'll prolly never be able to sit through Don't Look Back. The Wilco one is great to watch for the same reason the Metallica one is, I love laughing at what little passive-aggressive jerkoffs some of the band members are (ie, Tweedy. I TOTALLY come away digging Bennett more.) The Motown one is great (duh!) but momentum is repeatedly crushed by current artists performing covers. Camon. Nobody cares. Heavy Metal Parking Lot is an all-time great title, and though I haven't seen it I'm assuming the "the true highlights remain the fans, in all their eager, penniless, idiotic enthusiasm for the scene" line (often espoused on Xmastime) from the Decline of Western Civilization applies here as well, .
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