http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Wed, 18 May 2005 23:37:50 EDT http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/05/18/233750.php Kyle SIn a typical rockumentary, a filmmaker tours with a band during a particular period of time, trying to capture their lifestyle on the road, while (perhaps) simultaneously giving some idea of the band's history through interviews and archival footage. Whatever personal relationship the director tries to convey on film is limited by the relationship he forms with the band during a short time.The Fearless Freaks is not a typical rockumentary. Bradley Beesley, the director, has been a friend of The Flaming Lips for nearly 15 years, collaborating with them on nearly all their music videos, as well as his own film projects. Over the years, he has attended multiple concert tours, studio recordings, family jam sessions, and Christmas celebrations, all with camera in hand. In The Fearless Freaks Beesley combines his own footage with home videos, interviews, and photographs to make an incredibly intimate documentary that spans the entire career of The Flaming Lips.The film's title is taken from the name of a gang of weekend football players Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne and his brothers formed as teenagers. They were an odd combination of jocks and druggies who got together to play wildly violent football games. According to Beesley, this unfettered and reckless playfulness in childhood was a foreshadowing of the experimental approach the Lips would take throughout their musical career. He traces their roots as a no-talent noise rock band, always grounding it in the members' experiences growing up.While Wayne's own experimentation found a successful outlet in music, his other family members have not been so fortunate. Several of them have long been addicted to drugs, and one feels a sad disconnect as Wayne says he believes his older brother is probably still doing either crack or meth--he's not really sure which. Still, there is an enduring sense of family between the Coyne brothers and their mother.It is remarkable to see how little Wayne is changed by his success. In addition to seeing him interact with his family, we witness him fixing his mother's gutter, mowing his lawn, cleaning his jacket after a concert, and personally unloading equipment to set up for a show. In Wayne we find someone who invests an amazing amount of personal attention to every aspect of his musical career, from recording the music, to painting the album cover art, to directing every music video, to constructing sets in his backyard for his own movie (which he also is writing, directing, and starring in). It is hard not to feel a connection with a man who invests so much of himself in every work he creates.Probably the most intimate moment of the film, though, is a private moment between guitarist/drummer/keyboardist/everything-else Steven Drozd and the film's director, Bradley Beesley (who is behind the camera). Steven begins the clip by saying he is doing this on camera only because he trusts Beesley, as a friend, not to betray his confidence (I'm assuming he later gave him permission to include this bit in the film). Drozd then begins the task of preparing a needle to inject himself with heroin. The entire time he's doing it, though, he's talking in great detail about the first time he did the drug, the first time he realized he was addicted, and how it feels to go through withdrawal. The entire time, the camera is fixed on Drozd's preparation of the drug, sparing only the moment he actually injects it into his vein. The scene lingers, though, to watch the rapid effects of the drug. The scene is shockingly honest in its depiction of a man who is controlled by an addiction, yet genuinely enjoys the rush of his current fix.While the strength of The Fearless Freaks is its intimate depiction of the people who make up The Flaming Lips, this also contributes to the film's greatest weakness. At times, the film gets so caught up in its subjects as sons, brothers, and spouses, it is easy to forget they are also brilliant musicians. The concert footage is surprisingly rare. Even the little footage there is focuses mostly on the spectacle of the group's stage shows, which belies the depth and complexity of The Flaming Lips' music. This fits in fine with the film's theme, though. Despite their increasing popularity and critical acclaim, Wayne Coyne and Co. have never quite grown out of the reckless experimentation of their youth. Video29728@blogcritics.org Wed, 18 May 2005 23:37:50 EDT