After the Screaming Stops

This movie is what This Is Spinal Tap was trying to achieve but so much more. The Goss brothers unintentionally put together one of the funniest films of the last 10 years. Matt Goss' insane similes, metaphors and anecdotes are akin to Michael Scott of The Office and really must be heard to be believed. It spoke volumes about how brief and fleeting fame can forever skew a person's perspective of reality and a sense of their own importance. Ultimately Bros were huge for an incredibly small amount of time but seem to perceive themselves to have been at the level of the Beatles and their earnest belief in that makes them both comic and tragic. The battle of egos over the smallest detail in what turns out to be a not exactly sold out show at the shed that is London's O2 is akin to Christopher Guest's 1984 classic. Compelling in its madness and definitely worth a watch.

I am not a Bros fan I am a movie and music fan, I see so many 10 ratings of this documentary by Brosettes its obvious that this has been overrated, but not by much... Bros were a 80s band who had a female support much like Take That had in the 90s while Bros were an 80s band. There were three members, two brothers and another member who is missing from this documentary. The band had some success and like most of the teen bands of the time, split up and the brothers went their separate ways. One continued as a musician while the other made a name for himself as a B grade Hollywood actor. This documentary focuses on the two brothers preparation of a come back concert over 20 years after they split up. Since then its obvious that they have serious problems getting along and they have spent time apart mainly due to the brotherly hate which arises whenever they are in the same room. While this is a documentary about a band reforming its really about the relationship between the two brothers who seem to slip back into sibling rivalry and pick at each other like children, despite them now being well into their 40s. They seem at times completely unable to stop themselves slipping back into a cycle of conflict which seems to arrive out of nowhere and threatens to derail the comeback concert. Stuck in the middle of this conflict are support band members and management who have no idea where to look of how to manage the situation. At times the viewer is left feeling very uncomfortable with whats on screen due the sheer rawness of the emotions on display. This is a very warts and all documentary, little is left to the imagination and this is no vanity project. Its not all arguments however, there is humour and some of it is even on purpose. Some of the musings of the Goss brothers are simply laugh out funny and its difficult to tell their level of self awareness. It has elements of Spinal Tap except this is for real. The documentary also covers the losses the brothers have experienced and these scenes are very emotional. In all this documentary covers every emotional range and is very engaging, you neither need to know who Bros were or be a fan of their music to enjoy this. I can recommend this to most people, although their fans apparently have been re-watching this over and again. You will certainly want to watch this at least once as its one of the best documentaries of 2018.

Bros "After The Screaming Stops"

Wow just finished this. I always thought the music was rubbish and the looks silly. But you couldn't help laughing and at times feeling for the boys.

They are ridiculous and perfect in their imperfection but their humanity made it difficult at times to laugh no matter how much what they said warranted it.

Poignant mention for Terry Wogan's quote "what you gonna do when the screaming stops" which generates the title.

Some of my favourite quotes (from many).

"Rome wasn't built in a day, but we don't have time that Rome did"...

"The letters H.O.M.E. are so important because they personify the word home." Matt Goss

"I made a conscious decision because of Stevie Wonder not to be superstitious." Matt Goss

A music documentary about a band you have little emotional investment in is a big ask, especially when it's tracking their comeback. But this documentary is something different; for a start, love or hate their music, Bros were (for a short time) a genuine cultural force for those of us who were becoming aware of music in the 1980s. And, as this documentary makes clear, they make for unexpectedly entertaining subjects; it's not quite clear if this is deliberate or inadvertent (I tend to the latter). But this is a film full of endlessly quotable, genuinely laugh out loud moments; if's downright funnier than most comedies. For the most part Matt and Luke are the only voices we hear; and despite the humour, there are also some moments that are clearly moving; especially when they talk about the deaths of their sister and, later, their mother. The big London comeback gig - which the film builds up to - serves as a moment of genuine cathartic release for band and viewer alike; and though I still have no affection for their music, there's a sense of deeper appreciation for the people behind the music - even as I laugh at them.

I watched this doc on BBC iPlayer over Christmas - you really don't need to have previous knowledge of Bros to enjoy this. If you appreciate Spinal Tap, David Brent, Alan Partridge etc you'll love this. And it's real.

Best. Christmas. Ever.