mw1561
Joined Apr 2007
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Reviews18
mw1561's rating
I just saw this for the first time on PBS the other day, and I too must agree with other reviewers when I say that James Brown was ASTONISHING!!! I only wish that every person out there who thinks Michael Jackson is (or was) the greatest performer has an opportunity to see James Brown in action.
Most of the music was "live" with no audio enhancers and no lip syncing. The way music should be; you either got the talent to pull it off or else you don't.
One of the most amazing aspects of the film was that 99% of the 2600 people in the audience were white, suburban teenage girls, and I suspect that it was their first exposure to black artists like James Brown, Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, and Smokey Robinson. They were probably there for the Rolling Stones, but the Stones had the misfortune of following James Brown, and Mick Jagger's stage performance looked incredibly lame when pitted against the "Hardest working man in Show business"
Most of the music was "live" with no audio enhancers and no lip syncing. The way music should be; you either got the talent to pull it off or else you don't.
One of the most amazing aspects of the film was that 99% of the 2600 people in the audience were white, suburban teenage girls, and I suspect that it was their first exposure to black artists like James Brown, Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, and Smokey Robinson. They were probably there for the Rolling Stones, but the Stones had the misfortune of following James Brown, and Mick Jagger's stage performance looked incredibly lame when pitted against the "Hardest working man in Show business"
This is a movie that attempts to do nothing except exploit the Hendrix legend to make some money. It is a Walt Disney version of his life that tries to say as little as possible and offend as few as possible.
Jimi Hendrix was a very complex man who was a brilliant musician. I had the pleasure of seeing him perform in 1967. He was the only person I ever saw who could play lead guitar while singing simultaneously. Having said that, this movie I think is geared for people who were too young to remember him during his life. If you are old enough to remember Jimi Hendrix then this movie will have little appeal. A lot of ground is covered, but so very little time is spent on events that they become blurred and almost irrelevant. During the recording of "Electric Ladyland", one of the greatest rock albums ever by the way, the bassist becomes frustrated as accuses Jimi of treating him and the drummer as if they were groupies. Perhaps there was truth in that, but there was nothing in the film leading up to that scene that would have given evidence that this was so. This is but one example of the rush to cover too much ground.
All in all, this film is a cheap exploitation of Hendrix that might be useful as a history lesson for people under 40. But is is a fake history, so buyer beware.
Jimi Hendrix was a very complex man who was a brilliant musician. I had the pleasure of seeing him perform in 1967. He was the only person I ever saw who could play lead guitar while singing simultaneously. Having said that, this movie I think is geared for people who were too young to remember him during his life. If you are old enough to remember Jimi Hendrix then this movie will have little appeal. A lot of ground is covered, but so very little time is spent on events that they become blurred and almost irrelevant. During the recording of "Electric Ladyland", one of the greatest rock albums ever by the way, the bassist becomes frustrated as accuses Jimi of treating him and the drummer as if they were groupies. Perhaps there was truth in that, but there was nothing in the film leading up to that scene that would have given evidence that this was so. This is but one example of the rush to cover too much ground.
All in all, this film is a cheap exploitation of Hendrix that might be useful as a history lesson for people under 40. But is is a fake history, so buyer beware.