Director: Ondi Timoner
Year Released: 2004
Rating: 3.0
Problematic but still riveting portrait of two musical artists: Courtney Taylor of the Dandy Warhols and Anton Newcombe of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, and how Taylor 'sold out' and Newcombe stayed close to his private vision of what being musician is all about (he even offers his albums for download via his web site free of charge - might I recommend "And This Is Our Music" as well as "Take It From the Man?"). Not having Newcombe give his side of the story is a major weakness - he's the key subject, and only Taylor is the narrator - but having the BJM frontman participate in the project even more than he already did would have been a major compromise (in fact, taking part in the film from the beginning was a major - albeit necessary - consolidation, as the 'documentary' acts as an advertisement of sorts for him and the band). It's biased, fascinating and vital for any budding musicians on trying to make a career for themselves (this quote by Dr. Hunter S. Thompson could have been used at any point in the film: "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."). Reiterating that Newcombe is a genius is not hyperbole - that man is gifted.
