6 Netflix Movies to Watch RIGHT NOW
A blog for music junkies
Rock-umentaires Part One
Written by Mad 4 It
Click HERE to watch the trailers for some of the best documentaries out there! Get ready to binge-watch them all!
I decided to do a movie review on “rockumentaries”. If you know me, you know that I live for these films. I am such a nerd for documentaries about musicians. They are truly my guilty pleasure, and my goal is to watch them all. So far, here is a list of the ones I have gotten around to watching, and my thoughts on them. To preface, I want to remind you all that this is 100% my opinion, and do not let this article sway you from watching any of them! They are all worth watching. My intention is to share thoughts, not to dishearten anyone from watching or enjoying any of the films in question!
The Dirt (Motley Crue):
I’ll start with The Dirt, since it is the most recently released, and a heavily talked about topic at the moment. The Dirt is the Motley Crue documentary based on their full band autobiography of the same title. The book (which I will review later on), was fantastic and if you love reading, definitely crack open the book and give it a read. But, more on that later. Anyways, the book was great, and the movie was intended to bring that book to life. And in some ways, it was spot on. I think they nailed the performance scenes, and showcased the hyper produced shows that Motley was known for. I also thought that the more serious scenes were done pretty well, like Vince’s car crash, Mick’s diagnosis for his disease, and Vince’s daughter’s cancer diagnosis. Those definitely hit heartstrings, as intended. Even the overall destructive tendencies of the band were displayed well, proving the disfunction of the band itself, and showing off each member’s personality. However, where I was a little disappointed was with the overall style of the film. I was expecting a very raw, inside look at the world famous rock band, but felt it was kind of a cheesy representation of the events. My style is more on the real side, almost like an interview video, but this was a movie, which is fine, just not really my style. I thought it would have been an interesting angle for the real band members to narrate it, really tell the full story of how Motley Crue came to be, and the smaller details of the band from a behind-the-scenes insider look. I feel like that’s what the fans were kind of expecting when this movie idea was first proposed, but, I do understand that movies and books are different and the movie had to cut out a lot of material. I do like that Nikki Sixx had such a big role in this film, and I’m glad he is getting involved in so many projects. I just didn’t love this movie like I thought I would, which is okay, it’s just a little disappointing to me. I also think my opinion is very harsh due to my love of the book. It is way too difficult to compare a book to a movie, which I tried really hard not to do. Overall, though, it is definitely worth the watch, especially if you know anything about Motley Crue or just like music in general. I know a lot of people really loved this movie, so it truly is just about personal style and taste! I think the personalities are pretty accurate, and from the standpoint of seeing them as a band and understanding who they are on a slightly deeper level, I think it did that. Check out the trailer below!
Back and Forth (Foo Fighters):
Next on the list is my all time favorite rock film, the Foo Fighter’s project, Back and Forth. This one is also on Netflix, so go check it out! This movie is way more my style as it plays out as an interview with all involved members of the band, and starts from before the Foo Fighters even became a band. It starts with Dave Grohl and the legacy of Nirvana. Dave finally talks about Kurt, and how Kurt influenced him and how the death affected him both as a person and as a musician, and he talks about his experience as the drummer of Nirvana. He then goes on to explain his formation of Foo Fighters, giving the reasoning, and becoming of the project. The movie gives the audience a very intimate and unfiltered telling of both bands and their history. Each member is in the film narrating their part of the story and how they came to be a piece of Foo. It also gives an inside look into their recording process and the making of their record, Wasting Light. It’s definitely a stripped down, straightforward, but incredibly interesting narrative of the band. And, it has a really gritty, grunge-y style to it. Everyone should watch this film.
Amy (Amy Winehouse):
I was never an Amy Winehouse fan, per se. But, I have a deep appreciation for her talent, and her legacy. After watching this memoir, that appreciation has amplified times ten. This film is also in an interview style. They use a lot of media from the past, where Amy is actual in it, so it’s not just people talking about her. She’s actual very much a part of the film herself, and a huge part of the narration of the film, which I thought was a great direction to go in, instead of doing a typical memoir and just talking about her. They really showed the audience what she was going through and told her story through her own voice. It is depressingly beautiful, but heart wrenching. It makes you empathetic, and sympathetic for all of the things that Amy was going through. And, it makes you stop and think about really intense issues like drug addiction, abusive relationships, and so much more. The drugs. The constricting and controlling relationships. The battle with self-esteem, and self worth. It’s deep, it’s daunting, but it’s incredible. A must watch, for any music fan.
Cobain: Montage of Heck (Kurt Cobain):
This was the first musician documentary that I ever saw. I thought it was fantastic, and instantly was captivated by the deep, emotional story that it told. It is intriguing to get a peek into the brain of Kurt Cobain, and into his past. It’s an extremely punk, incredibly fucked-up telling of Kurt’s life. It even features his family members, and goes into depth about his childhood, and how that led to him being the person that he was. People fail to see Kurt in that way at all, as a child I mean, or even as a normal person. People see him as the guy from Nirvana, and his story and his death are very romanticized. He is placed so high up on this pedestal for an act that was done out of such pain, and for music that expressed his dissatisfaction with life. Seeing him from this point of view kills the romanticism of his death and makes you realize that he was a deeply troubled and misunderstood human being, who didn’t even want to be famous. He didn’t want to be known as a rockstar, and to himself that wasn’t at all what he was. It’s extremely interesting to see the story from this angle, and in my opinion, watch Montage of Heck and then watch Foo Fighter’s Back and Forth, and you’ll like them even better.
Hired Gun:
Hired Gun is not about one artist in particular. It is actually about the background musicians, like drummers and guitarists, who are hired to play on albums and in bands with big name artists. It features people who worked with artists like Bon Jovi, Metallica, 5 Finger Death Punch, Billy Joel, Alice Cooper and many many more. The film is very informative and shows some incredibly surprising elements that are hidden from consumers. I had no idea that these musicians were hired strictly to perform on records and to be in the background and given virtually no recognition for their work. The most unexpected part was the mistreatment of some of these musicians and their lack of compensation during these processes. It is honestly, truly shocking. The film is really well done, interesting, and sheds a light on the hidden aspects of the music industry. Definitely worth watching for anyone who loves music.
Five Foot Two (Lady Gaga):
I was not a Lady Gaga fan before seeing this project, but after seeing this, and seeing her perform in ‘A Star Is Born,’ I definitely think she is an extremely talented woman, and a very amazing person. Her personal documentary focuses on her newest album, and on breaking away from the image that we all know her as. She shows her journey of learning to embrace who she is as a person and as an artist, and also goes into depth about her medical issues and the pain she goes through every single day, which is truly heartbreaking to see. She is incredibly strong for pushing through a condition that is immensely restricting on her mind and body, for finishing a record, and starring in a movie all at the same time. She debuts a different side of herself, her true self, and tells the story of her struggles with physical and emotional pain in a very beautiful and heartwarming way. I definitely recommend this movie, even if you’re not a fan of her music. I was actually disappointed that they didn’t make it longer and continue with her story!
These are only a few of the numerous musician documentaries that exist, and like I said, my goal is to watch them all! But, for now, I hope you check out a few of them too! If you do, let me know! Shoot me a message on Instagram and tell me what you think!
xx
Maddisen V.