Finally watched the CBGB movie

Was able to rent it for 50¢, so figured what the heck.

I actually ended up enjoying it much more than I expected to. It botches almost everything having to do with the actual music performed there - the Patti Smith sequence is especially laughable - but the non-musical parts are fairly enjoyable. Alan Rickman is always watchable, even though I have no idea how much his performance actually resembles the real Hilly Kristal.

The whole "let's make this feel like a John Holmstrom comic" framing device gets old in a big hurry. Fortunately they tend to lay off it as the movie goes along.

I didn't think it was that bad I thought alan rickman was endearing in his role. get the feeling I moderately liked some aspects because I was nott around during the time to know for sure all the inaccuracies that made the movie unwatchable for people who were from the scene. the cartoons were extremely annoying to me. the treatment of the ramones being reduced to a cartoon was a crime as well

Quote

the treatment of the ramones being reduced to a cartoon was a crime as well

The use of Joey solo tracks that sounded very little like 1976-era Ramones didn't help, and underscores the idea that making a movie about CBGB without getting the rights to use Ramones songs was maybe a foolish proposition from the word go. But the whole charade of people lip-synching to famous studio-recorded versions of songs was a huge mistake to begin with. There are era-appropriate live albums for almost everyone depicted in the movie that would've made more sense to use and would've felt at least a little bit less phony. But I guess if you're going to have a soundtrack album you want to peddle, you want to go with the more familiar versions of songs so hobbyists can get them all in one place.

It's particularly dopey when the pre-Jerry Harrison Talking Heads launch into the Talking Heads 77 version of "Psycho Killer" and the viewer is left to wonder where the heck that second guitar is coming from.

And wasn't one the Heads' most famous early quirks the idea that Tina Weymouth always stared directly at David Byrne during performances? Or was that only on Saturday Night Live?

All I can say about that movie is: There's something there.

I thought they dismantled that movie and moved it to Las Vegas.

"CBGB on Ice" is coming to Seattle this December. Got my tickets!

Criticisms all valid
but would not have had arms wide enough for average viewer
more important to tell a majority of people what went down
than to-choir preaching



Post Edited (07-17-14 04:49)

Quote

would not have had arms wide enough for average viewer
more important to tell a majority of people what went down
than to-choir preaching

Didn't work tho. That movie belly-flopped so bad, it was the equivalent of Dee Dee Ramone's rap album: straight to the cut-out bin.

We finally watched this film the other night. (My drummer friend, of all people, recommended it heartily to us.) Alan Rickman always is enjoyable to watch, and frankly, I could look at Ashley Greene all day. The lazy use of music tracks is an irritant, and some of the historical inaccuracies did rankle me -- Patti Smith performing "Because the Night" at CB's, The Police actually auditioning for their gig there, to name the two most flagrant ones. But then, movies like this aren't made to impress guys like me.

I thought most of the actors who played the musicians got the looks right. The guy who played Joey Ramone was hilarious. The one who played David Byrne had the look right, but needed to lost ten or sixty pounds. The guy who played Lou Reed was laughable -- he looked more like Booji Boy in sunglasses. (Trivia: the actress who played Patti Smith is Sting's daughter.)

Think I'll include a CB's block in the show next Monday.

Be sure to include Tuff Darts. They were everyone's favorites.

Tuff Darts, heh. Dr Demento used to play "Your Love is Like Nuclear Waste."