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 In honour of this week’s release of Frank, Lenny Abrahamson’s film about a young musician who joins a band led by an eccentric frontman who always wears a papier-mâché head, I’m With Geek is going to Band Camp! Today, we’ve got two articles in which we’ll be looking over the films that try to capture the insane, intoxicating and turbulent world of being in a band.
This edition: Musician Biopics!  by Paul Costello
In honour of this week’s release of Frank, Lenny Abrahamson’s film about a young musician who joins a band led by an eccentric frontman who always wears a papier-mâché head, I’m With Geek is going to Band Camp! Today, we’ve got two articles in which we’ll be looking over the films that try to capture the insane, intoxicating and turbulent world of being in a band. This edition: Music Documentaries!  by Paul Costello
Before I continue, I’m going do this: SPOILER WARNING!! GO WATCH THIS FILM BEFORE CONTINUING!! When talking about the work of Orson Welles, someone once said that talent finds easy that which a normal person would find difficult, and that genius (in this case Welles) finds easy that which a talented person would find difficult. Aside from being a long way of paraphrasing Schopenhauer, it does rather successfully light upon the distinction between the capabilities of those with talent and those with something more. It must be a hell of a thing to be talented, capable and accomplished, to have the world within your grasp, only to be robbed at the last by the grubby hands of someone blessed with something you know you will probably never be capable of… which brings us to the film Amadeus.  by Paul Costello
George Lucas may be the single most important figure in film, or even the entirety of popular culture, with regard to what he has simultaneously given to and taken away from his fan base. As the creator of the Star Wars universe, he was the man most beloved by millions upon millions of people. The impact of those original films was unprecedented, and the success was monolithic. George Lucas instantly became one of the most important figures in entertainment. This lasted for around two decades before the much hated/debated/discussed prequel trilogy landed in cinemas in the late 1990s. From here on, the tide turned against Lucas, and the once loving and faithful masses were now calling for his head. They wanted justice, for their voice to be heard by the man they believed had forsaken them. In 2010, filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe took up this challenge and presented to the world a documentary that sought to look into this dynamic. Order in the court… this is The People vs. George Lucas  by Paul Costello
Wandering through the old Horror Vault, we're staying in the realm of early silent horror that came from the old German Expressionist masters, however this one comes with a slight twist. At various stages of the development of the Expressionist style that derived from Germany in the early part of the 20th Century, many German directors found themselves being tapped for a career in Hollywood. Ernst Lubitsch went westward in 1922; F.W. Murnau made the move to US soil in 1926; Fritz Lang arrived in Hollywood ten years later, after a brief time in France; and Paul Leni headed to the Universal lot in 1927 after accepting the invitation of Carl Laemmele, the founder of the famous US studio. Laemmele saw something in Leni's early work from their native country and wanted that vision to become part of his growing film empire.  by Paul Costello
Robert Frost once said, “Good fences make good neighbours.” Now, I’ve not read nearly as much Robert Frost as I should have (The Road Not Taken is pretty much it), but if he had only ever said one thing, and it was that line about fences, I’d still think him a damn genius. Living in a close community with people - strangers, effectively - living all around you is a part of life that is fraught with the potential for awkwardness, embarrassment and conflict. I mean, it’s all well and good to talk about communal spirit and easy social interaction across the fence, but when it comes right down to it… who are those people? What do you really know about them? Other than the fact they have a much neater garden and take their bins out way sooner than everyone else, what is their deal? Someone should really look into that…  The British film industry lost a true national treasure today, and the entire film community lost a great talent. Bob Hoskins has died at the age of 71 following a bout of pneumonia. He had retired from acting back in 2012, a decision made as a result of him being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease the previous year. He is survived by his wife Linda and their four children Alex, Sarah, Rosa and Jack, all of whom were by his bedside when he passed away. Hopefully, there is at least there can be some small comfort for them in that.
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Keep up to speed with the latest news from the world of cinema Must See Movies - A list of independent films we are looking forward too! Movie Monologues - Paul Costello counts down the best speeches in cinematic history every Thursday. Movies In Motion - Jo Johnstone explores the world of stop-motion animation from adverts to features every last Friday of the month. Experiment 626 - Our writers exchanged DVDs and here are the results We'll Fix it in Post - Graham Osborne gives us the run down on how certain movies could be improved. The Horror Vault - The dark side of cinema You May Have Missed - Movies that passed you by. From The Trenches - Matthew Howe delights with stories from the front line! Hidden Heroes - Celebrating those incredible people often in the shadows of cinema Terribrill - So bad they are actually good! Straight On Till Morning - Leah looks at the impact of childhood films Monthly Musical Moment - Taking a look at the best soundtracks and music moments Film FriendsCategories
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