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Me and my brother went to see 'A Dangerous Method' tonight but it was sold out. There was going to be a discussion on Freud and Jung afterwards, which would have been interesting, however this meant I lost out to all the acedemic types who were loitering in the lobby. It's very irritating, I've never seen a film sell out at the Tyneside that isn't 'Sex In The City 2' (a film that should never have been shown there in the first place (though I guess they made money off it)) or 'Harry Potter'. Actually I think I remember 'My Neighbour Totoro' being sold out, but this was before 'Spirited Away' became a crossover success, when most Studio Ghibli films weren't available on VHS in the west, so to see one at a cimea was a rare treat.
Anyhoo, I just came home and watched Depeche Mode '101' on BBC iPlayer instead.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01bywst/
There are a few things that stand out in this film, things I can't imagine many other bands as big as DM would allow. It's quite candid (at one point we see Dave Gahn pottering about in his knickers) and there's not a lot of posturing by the band. They all come across as genuinely nice guys, and are just being themselves. Mind you, this is at a point just before the sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll lifestyle kicks in around the time of 'Violator' and beyond. However it also can't be said that they are fresh faced innocents, new to the world of pop music and relentless touring. By this point Depech Mode had already been going for nearly ten years, more than enough time for a band to become cynical and corrupted.
Also a large chunk of the film's focus is given to a bunch of fans who won a competition to hop on a tour bus and follow the band round the country to some of their concerts. This suggests to me a level of modesty abscent from other stadium filling acts of the day. Though you can see why other bands/film makers might shy away from the idea. This group of youths have the potential to be either boring or cringeworthy. Arguably they're neither. Most of them seem likable enough, and they're kind of interesting to watch in retrospect, as my brother pointed out they're like the protagonists of some lost John Hughes movie. Here they serve to draw us in, as (potentially) fellow fans of the band and when they get excited during the Rose Bowl finale (and when we see how pumped they are afterward) it reminds us of how exciting a big live music experience can be, and immediately you wish you were there. This longing to be there is helped by the fact that the music sounds fucking brilliant.
Perhaps the most startling thing about the film is how blunt everyone is about how much money they're making. This is something most bands would deffinately opt out of showing. There are scenes of people emptying boxes full of cash from merchandise sales and being in total disbelief as they count it. But rather than being disgusted by such a display, it doesn't feel like they're bragging about it, it's presented as a fact. The film makers are just documenting the reality and the band don't mind being honest about it.
Anyway I enjoyed this film and it's reminded me of how good DM's music is.
Anyhoo, I just came home and watched Depeche Mode '101' on BBC iPlayer instead.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b01bywst/
There are a few things that stand out in this film, things I can't imagine many other bands as big as DM would allow. It's quite candid (at one point we see Dave Gahn pottering about in his knickers) and there's not a lot of posturing by the band. They all come across as genuinely nice guys, and are just being themselves. Mind you, this is at a point just before the sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll lifestyle kicks in around the time of 'Violator' and beyond. However it also can't be said that they are fresh faced innocents, new to the world of pop music and relentless touring. By this point Depech Mode had already been going for nearly ten years, more than enough time for a band to become cynical and corrupted.
Also a large chunk of the film's focus is given to a bunch of fans who won a competition to hop on a tour bus and follow the band round the country to some of their concerts. This suggests to me a level of modesty abscent from other stadium filling acts of the day. Though you can see why other bands/film makers might shy away from the idea. This group of youths have the potential to be either boring or cringeworthy. Arguably they're neither. Most of them seem likable enough, and they're kind of interesting to watch in retrospect, as my brother pointed out they're like the protagonists of some lost John Hughes movie. Here they serve to draw us in, as (potentially) fellow fans of the band and when they get excited during the Rose Bowl finale (and when we see how pumped they are afterward) it reminds us of how exciting a big live music experience can be, and immediately you wish you were there. This longing to be there is helped by the fact that the music sounds fucking brilliant.
Perhaps the most startling thing about the film is how blunt everyone is about how much money they're making. This is something most bands would deffinately opt out of showing. There are scenes of people emptying boxes full of cash from merchandise sales and being in total disbelief as they count it. But rather than being disgusted by such a display, it doesn't feel like they're bragging about it, it's presented as a fact. The film makers are just documenting the reality and the band don't mind being honest about it.
Anyway I enjoyed this film and it's reminded me of how good DM's music is.
