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View Full Version : Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten



Duncan
11-04-2007, 03:27 AM
http://www.flyingsnail.com/images/strummer.jpg

This is one of the better music docs I've seen. I liked the beginning and end a lot more than the middle section. It was interesting to see where he came from and where he went after The Clash. The middle part is pretty standard rock band fare. Rise, fall, etc. I liked the campfire method of discussion rather than just straight up talking heads. Johnny Depp came off as pretty ridiculous. Couldn't they have at least taken him out of Jack Sparrow beardom? One of my problems with these types of documentaries is that the directorial process is so integrated with the editing, and often the director loses his/her voice in the process. Nevertheless, I thought Temple was pretty creative with his editing techniques. I probably wouldn't call it a great film, but fans of The Clash, or punk, or music documentaries should definitely enjoy it.

Duncan
11-04-2007, 03:28 AM
Hmm, I guess this place doesn't resize pictures automatically. I'll try to find a smaller one.

Boner M
11-04-2007, 04:51 AM
I thought some of the guests were a little suspect at first (does Bono have to poison every music doco?), but I liked how the mixture of big celebs and fans, coupled with the lack of titles for each speaker was in tune with the democratic spirit of Strummer and punk rock in general. I'm actually not the biggest Clash fan, but like any good music doco, it made me appreciate their music a lot more. Part of that might of been because of how loud the sound system in the theatre was. "London Calling" has never sounded better.

I was really impressed by this overall, and though I think I overrated it at first simply because of how much it rose above my expectations, it's still good enough to secure a temporary place in my top 10 of this year.

Duncan
11-04-2007, 05:55 AM
Part of that might of been because of how loud the sound system in the theatre was. "London Calling" has never sounded better. I showed up during the previews so I had to sit front row. That, combined with the fact that the IFC Center always jacks its volume up made for quite the sonic experience. I listened to a few Clash songs on my computer when I got home. Just not the same.

And Bono, yeah. Really annoying. Cusack a little less so. They were trying to express how important The Clash were, whereas the lesser known people were just relating anecdotes and personal insights.