This was a really unique, interesting, disturbing music documentary. It follows the story of two bands, The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols. The lead singers/main creative forces behind these bands, Anton Newcombe and Courtney Taylor, respectively) were close friends whose music careers took vastly different terms. Whereas The Dandy Warhols signed to a big label, made flashy music videos, and became vaguely popular in America and flat-out famous in Europe, The Brian Jonestown Massacre basically self-combusted, mainly due to Newcombe himself.
Through much of the film, it is clear that Newcombe is into some very, very heavy drugs, as are the rest of his band. There is a lot of controversy about the way that Newcombe is portrayed, but the fact is that there is only so much you can do with editing. He is very clearly heavy into heroin, and much of his ramblings give the impression that he is probably pretty heavy into LSD, too (at least from my VERY limited experience of being around people on acid). He is very much a tortured artist, and probably more than a little insane. We see that he often stops shows in the middle of songs to bitch out or occasionally beat up band members or audience members. To say that he is a little self-centered is an understatement: he assures all of the emloyees at the small record label he eventually signs with that he will make them tons of money; when producers and band members threaten to quit the band, he is unfazed, more than confident that he can make his records himself.
So, the movie is, on one level, a study of a "tortured artist" type that is far more true to himself than most musicians could ever hope to be. To this day, every album he and his band ever recorded can be downloaded for free from their website. He is still known to stop shows and kick audience members in the head if they get out of line. The movie does not sugarcoat his personality at all, and the fact that his music is quite good (it sounds somehow like it's from the 60's, today, and the future) does not make up for the fact that he is a huge ass, as many of his ex-bandmates attest to in the film.
The movie works on another level, dealing with the relationship of Courtney Taylor and Newcombe. Once their careers begin to really diverge, they seem to hate each other and sort of want to be the other person, all at the same time. Taylor envies Newcombe's independence, going so far as to stage a photo shoot for his band at the BJM's very run-down house/rehearsal space. At the same time, he has enough common sense to know the realities of the music industry and how to play the game well enough to make a decent career out of it. Newcombe often disregards Taylor as a sellout, and yet he seems to constantly follow him, probably jealous of at least some of his successes, even as he knows that he will never be able to have a career like the Dandy Warhols'. They attack each other visciously in songs (The Dandy Warhols' "Heroin is so Passe", BJM's "Not if You Were the Last Dandy on Earth"). Their relationship is a complex and compelling one.
The final level that the movie works on is simply as a cautionary tale against the dangers of drugs. We see that Newcombe is already slightly off-kilter, but by the time he hits the peak of his heroin addiction, we see how much the drugs really have ruined him. One really disturbing moment, for me, comes when he melts down onstage (not an uncommon occurrence) in L.A. and tells members of the audience to shoot him in front of everyone. It's little, weird things like that that really leave a lasting impression in this regard.
Something tells me that probably ClayTaurus or Lefty Wilbury will have been the only ones who have heard of this, or would want to see it based on this review, but it really is a great documentary, regardless of whether you're a fan of the music or not.
Through much of the film, it is clear that Newcombe is into some very, very heavy drugs, as are the rest of his band. There is a lot of controversy about the way that Newcombe is portrayed, but the fact is that there is only so much you can do with editing. He is very clearly heavy into heroin, and much of his ramblings give the impression that he is probably pretty heavy into LSD, too (at least from my VERY limited experience of being around people on acid). He is very much a tortured artist, and probably more than a little insane. We see that he often stops shows in the middle of songs to bitch out or occasionally beat up band members or audience members. To say that he is a little self-centered is an understatement: he assures all of the emloyees at the small record label he eventually signs with that he will make them tons of money; when producers and band members threaten to quit the band, he is unfazed, more than confident that he can make his records himself.
So, the movie is, on one level, a study of a "tortured artist" type that is far more true to himself than most musicians could ever hope to be. To this day, every album he and his band ever recorded can be downloaded for free from their website. He is still known to stop shows and kick audience members in the head if they get out of line. The movie does not sugarcoat his personality at all, and the fact that his music is quite good (it sounds somehow like it's from the 60's, today, and the future) does not make up for the fact that he is a huge ass, as many of his ex-bandmates attest to in the film.
The movie works on another level, dealing with the relationship of Courtney Taylor and Newcombe. Once their careers begin to really diverge, they seem to hate each other and sort of want to be the other person, all at the same time. Taylor envies Newcombe's independence, going so far as to stage a photo shoot for his band at the BJM's very run-down house/rehearsal space. At the same time, he has enough common sense to know the realities of the music industry and how to play the game well enough to make a decent career out of it. Newcombe often disregards Taylor as a sellout, and yet he seems to constantly follow him, probably jealous of at least some of his successes, even as he knows that he will never be able to have a career like the Dandy Warhols'. They attack each other visciously in songs (The Dandy Warhols' "Heroin is so Passe", BJM's "Not if You Were the Last Dandy on Earth"). Their relationship is a complex and compelling one.
The final level that the movie works on is simply as a cautionary tale against the dangers of drugs. We see that Newcombe is already slightly off-kilter, but by the time he hits the peak of his heroin addiction, we see how much the drugs really have ruined him. One really disturbing moment, for me, comes when he melts down onstage (not an uncommon occurrence) in L.A. and tells members of the audience to shoot him in front of everyone. It's little, weird things like that that really leave a lasting impression in this regard.
Something tells me that probably ClayTaurus or Lefty Wilbury will have been the only ones who have heard of this, or would want to see it based on this review, but it really is a great documentary, regardless of whether you're a fan of the music or not.
