Crossfire Hurricane

Crossfire Hurricane (2012)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

When I heard that director Brett Morgan was going to try and capture fifty-years of The Rolling Stones into a 111-minute running time I thought it would be impossible and I was pretty much right. CROSSFIRE HURRICANE is an impossible attempt at a documentary but I think it's about as good as we could hope for. The documentary features interviews with all the surviving members of the Stones but we never see them. Instead we hear their thoughts while seeing various pieces of footage from throughout their career. This could be TV appearances, movies, concert films, bootleg material and other formats. Again, trying to put fifty-years into such a short running time is impossible and there seems to be a lot missing here. I mean, the 60s and 70s are the main focus here and we really don't get anything from the more recent times. I'm sure some might argue that the bands greatest period was this era and it's a great point but at the same time they do have something that has kept them together all these years. With that said, it's hard to be too disappointed with what's not here because what we do get is great. Being able to see all of this footage and have it together in one place is clearly the best thing here. It also doesn't hurt that it appears all the band members are being honest and open with their feelings. This includes the music they've made, issues like drugs, Brian's death and of course the Altamont concert. Fans of the band will certainly want to check this out.

gregwetherall (above) has done an excellent and spot-on job so I'll keep this brief -

as a 15-year rock musician (so I actually get "the wobble bit" - though I'm not quite sure I buy all of it) who grew up with the Rolling Stones, while this isn't anywhere near perfect (likely impossible)

"Crossfire Hurricane" is still very entertaining and a must for any Stones fan. Some of the remixed live tracks are astoundingly preserved and sound great, though imo some of the interview comments need to be tweaked up a bit (though my hearing is shot, so maybe that's me)

Some quick cuts from "Cocksucker Blues" interspersed just at the right moments of some of the live tracks; Keith as usual brutally honest in his comments about drugs, Brian, songwriting, etc - and there's some stuff in Crossfire Hurricane I've never seen before. (no spoilers here) - even Charlie speaks up now & then. The best and worst of Brian is brutally portrayed as well.

All in all, a job well done and definitely worth seeing. I've DVR'd it, seen it twice so far, and likely will watch it again. Play it loud through your sound system.

Although, this film has some tremendous footage never or rarely seen it also has the feel of a crib notes version of the band. Its hard to encapsulate 50 years into less than two hours and this film is watchable, but mostly for Stones fans. The members of the band do voice overs (everyone would like a film where they all sit together and comment on things), and Brian Jones, Altamont and other things are covered, but this is by no means comprehensive. That is probably the point, if you're even a casual fan you know whats been going on with the band for 50 years. Stones fans will likely and rightly give this an 8 to 10 rating, others that never cared about the band may not wish to sit through it. Recommended for the great footage, but don't expect to get much more insight into the band than what you already know.

Half a century of the Rolling Stones gets the full treatment in Brett Morgan's "Crossfire Hurricane". The documentary actually focuses more on the group's first decade, as they developed a reputation as the anti-Beatles, went through some drug busts, and even fled England to avoid the taxes. There are number of scenes in which interviewers (obviously from the older generation) are asking the band members ridiculous questions, and one gets the feeling that Mick, Keith, Charlie and the rest don't like having to answer.

But of course the best part is the music. We get to hear most of the famous songs, often getting footage of the recordings. It just goes to show that the '60s will never die. In other words, this documentary is pure satisfaction!

The ultimate Rolling Stones documentary. Captures very vividly their live performances through the years, as well as what making an album was like, plus their private lives. However, don't expect the usual micro- detail stuff, eg no "Mick Jagger was born on..." or the names of their albums and when they were released. In fact, there is very little references to dates.

No, the main idea is to get a feel for the chain of events that was the career of the Rolling Stones, and what it was like being the members of the great band.

For these reasons, it probably helps being a fan with a decent knowledge of the Stones' albums and songs. Not essential though - one can always fill in the gaps by reading Wikipedia.

The live stuff is great, and some of it is quite rare. The behind-the- scenes stuff contains some particularly rare footage.

A must-see for any fan of rock 'n roll.