Creation Stories

I was hoping for so much from this film with a good lineup of actors and a decent screen writer.

Best way to describe the film.....it was alright.

With the vast amount of songs to choose from that era even the soundtrack wasn't great.

Creation Stories is by no means a classic but it really is a fun movie movie that has rewatchable qualities. It's a bit messy and fast paced, hard to form any emotional attachments, but its definitely not a bad film. The music is great, it is visually great, but it seems like an hour long trailer for the movie.

If you empty the bins of the editing suites of every music film for the last twenty years, put it in a blender with Irvine Welsh's last few terrible books, this is what you end up with. It's a terrible shame as theres a legitimate story to be told and some very good actors wasted (and Nick Moran should definitely stick to acting - his Malcolm McLaren impression is superb but truly he couldn't direct traffic). This film is a mess: a horrible cliche soup of strung-together anecdotes and derivative snapshots with no structure or shape. Does for Creation Records what 'Cats' did for cats.

This should have been a great movie but it's just a bit of a mess. A great story with the best bits skipped over pretty quickly. Screamadelica was Creations first big thing but was lucky if it got a minute's mention. The accents were pretty terrible too, I'm sure there's better suited actors to play JAMC, at least use Scottish ones, same with the Gallaghers, very poor choices. Still, at least the music was good. Probably would've made a better six part tv series than cramming McGee's eventful life into a movie.

Two reviews for the price of one.

Creation Stories (2021) & 24 Hour Party People (2002) why have I grouped these reviews together quite simply they both deal with the running of two record companies Creation & Factory and their larger then life managers Alan McGee (Creation) and Tony Wilson (Factory) but then you knew that anyway.

McGee is played by Ewan Bremner (imagine Spud from Trainspotting on speed, you get the idea) and Tony Wilson played by Steve Coogan (well its's Tony Wilson with a dose of Richard Madeley for extra cringe factor) various musicians appear throughout look out for them, a special mention to McGee's dad, played by Richard Jobson who is played with menace and a constant threat which is terrifying, although no ones dad was ever that muscular or as hard as nails.

The format is very similar, fast paced with lots of drugs helping to manage the various talents on the labels. In Creation its, My Bloody Valentine, Primal Scream and yawn Oasis.

Factory Joy Division & Happy Monday amongst many.

Musically you get lots of snippets of music from all of the above named bands, some of which are excellent Joy Division for example are great and makes you wanna reach out for their CDs.

Are the films any good? Both great and enjoyable with a great pace, laced with humour and what ever drug they were taking at the time.

Creation Stories I'd give a ecstasy fuelled 7/10 losing a point for the Scottish dialect which at time I couldn't fathom at all (sadly no subtitles which it clearly needs) 24 Hour Party People 8/10 for having some of the best bands ever.

Watch them both to see how exciting music and watching bands can be.

Peehaps the saddest shot of Creation Stories is Mcgee looking through the window of a stack it high supermarket at the now defunkt record shop, that and all the new Labour junk and Jimmy Saville.