Taking Sides: "Velvet Goldmine" versus "Almost Famous"

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I found the plot to be less than blatantly obvious, I.E. I couldn't tell it was there.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Thursday, 21 April 2005 13:13 (twenty-one years ago)

This is Spinal Tap.

― latebloomer: But when the monkey die, people gonna cry. (latebloomer), Thursday, 21 April 2005 13:23 (twenty-one years ago)

velvet goldmine in theory = the best film ever
velvet goldmine in practice = the worst film ever

I don't know if I'd call the theory of Velvet Goldmine the best film ever, but it's certainly an era rife with the potential for great storytelling. I heartily agree that its execution places it firmly in the running for worst film ever.

Still, Velvet Goldmine doesn't give me the fucking shivers of abject loathing that Almost Famous (which I'd place alongside The Big Chill and The Committments in the pre-packaged nostaliga department). Ugh.

Moreover, with the celestial exception of the afore-mentioned This Is Spinal Tap (admittedly a parody and thus excluded from the running), I cannot think of a film about fictional bands that doesn't fail miserably.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 21 April 2005 13:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, is it me, or was Velvet Goldmine longer than fuckin' Ghandi?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 21 April 2005 13:34 (twenty-one years ago)

blount is so otm in his first two posts. the only thing that almost famous gets across (and i really don't think it was on purpose) is how boring the whole business of touring is.

― lauren (laurenp), Thursday, 21 April 2005 13:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Alex, I have this with every Haynes film. :-(

― nathalie doing a soft foot shuffle (stevie nixed), Thursday, 21 April 2005 13:47 (twenty-one years ago)

It was you, Alex.

Ewan Mac is the only recent trou-dropping actor who had something worth showing.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 21 April 2005 13:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Huey Lewis just experienced shrinkage w/ your cavalier dismissal of his unit, Morb!

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 21 April 2005 13:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I pick VG, although I don't think the Bowie-esque character is charismatic enough. Morbius and others OTM about opening sequence. I love the bit where Christian Bale buys a new record and brings it home to play it.

Among the many annoying things in AF- "I am a golden god!"

― Ken L (Ken L), Thursday, 21 April 2005 13:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Yes, that whole slipping the LP on the turntable scene may be the most erotic one in the film. I also liked Bale's "MOM! DAD! That's MEE!" yelp.

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 21 April 2005 14:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh God, I had momentarily forgotten the whole buying-the-record-and-playing-it sequence.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Thursday, 21 April 2005 14:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I did like the replication of that album cover as the soundtrack tray inlay art.

I am still annoyed a full version of the fake 80s corp rock song by Shudder to Think, "People Rocking People," has not surfaced. (You can hear it playing at a couple of points in the 1984 sequences, as in the start of the bar scene.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 21 April 2005 14:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Velvet Goldmine = FAN FICTION MADE FLESH!!! or, well, at least celluloid.

I love the short scene in VG where the girls are playing with their Brian and Kurt dolls.

Toni Collette's accent work, weaving between affected English to New Yawkish is yet another piece of evidence in my case for the absolute dominance of Australians when it comes to English language accents.

― M. White (Miguelito), Thursday, 21 April 2005 14:23 (twenty-one years ago)

I love the short scene in VG where the girls are playing with their Brian and Kurt dolls.

It's nice as both Haynes' tribute to himself and as an element in the film in general -- it works regardless of whether you know Superstar or not.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 21 April 2005 14:25 (twenty-one years ago)

I found the plot to be less than blatantly obvious, I.E. I couldn't tell it was there.

OTM -- I couldn't really tell you what VG was "about." Then again, I can't even remotely recall what The Big Sleep is about, either, and I've seen it about 15 times. It totally doesn't matter.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Thursday, 21 April 2005 14:47 (twenty-one years ago)

i thought that _A Mighty Wind_ was a pretty good movie about fake bands...

― kingfish, Thursday, 21 April 2005 15:15 (twenty-one years ago)

i thought that _A Mighty Wind_ was a pretty good movie about fake bands...

...but, like it's sibling This is Spinal Tap...it's a parody.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 21 April 2005 17:08 (twenty-one years ago)

and awful

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Thursday, 21 April 2005 23:17 (twenty-one years ago)

what, do you prefer your movies about fake bands to star Liv Tyler?

― kingfish, Thursday, 21 April 2005 23:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Velvet Goldmine is one of the great movies of all time, never mind great movies about Rock and/or Roll. Assuming nobody can film Great Jones Street. Narrative died durink Help, or 1850, depending which arc you're stitched to.

― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 00:33 (twenty-one years ago)

what, do you prefer your movies about fake bands to star Liv Tyler?

Uh, hell yeah.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 22 April 2005 00:35 (twenty-one years ago)

OTM -- I couldn't really tell you what VG was "about." Then again, I can't even remotely recall what The Big Sleep is about, either, and I've seen it about 15 times. It totally doesn't matter

OTM. The plot isn't what the movie is about. The movie is about glitter, debauchery and flash.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Friday, 22 April 2005 00:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, one of these movies is about the Black Fucking Crowes.

― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Black Fucking Crowes >>>>> David Bowie

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:05 (twenty-one years ago)

Assuming you've had a lobotomy and a permanent intravenous acid drip, yeah.

― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I've had piles that were more classic than the Black Crowes.

― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:08 (twenty-one years ago)

better than Bowie is damning with the faintest of praise.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:10 (twenty-one years ago)

U think the Robinson bros R good.

― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Don't drag Robinsons into this.

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Can I drag them through the mud?

Then again there's Kozelek.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:21 (twenty-one years ago)

(I am one!)

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:22 (twenty-one years ago)

It's not like I dislike the Crowes, but milo clearly has a crackpipe glued to his lips.

― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Black Fucking Crowes >>>>> David Bowie

We have now officially punctured the flimsy battlements of rational thought and are now skipping willy-nilly through the wilderness of insanity.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Alex jumps up and down and does a Riverdance on the fucking money.

― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I see Allyzay has a problem with slashfic. Or boys kissing boys. ;)

(Nothing wrong with that. It's just... well... English Kate should be able to explain more the whole connection between slashfic and that peculiar sort of fanhood that, well, uh, never mind.)

Also, no one ever talks about Toni Collette's fantastic Liza-in-Cabaret-as-Angie-Bowie tour de force.

DUDE! I keep on forgetting to give Toni Collette as not-Angie the props it deserves! She's one of the major reasons why I like that film as much as I do. She's, like, totally on fire. Burning the celluloid down.

I also liked Bale's "MOM! DAD! That's MEE!" yelp.

Awwwww, one of the scenes that makes you like Arthur more and more as the movie progresses.

Heh. Why am I not surprised that you would easily be able to name that song, Ned? Anyway, I had no idea that was the (a.) artist behind the song and (b.) the name of the song itself. Wow. That was a good approximation of soulless '80s AOR, wasn't it? Very convincing.

― The Spirit of Sam Endicott (Dee the Lurker), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:30 (twenty-one years ago)

(I am one!)

But you are good and not evil, so the other Robinsons referred to must be the evil ones.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:31 (twenty-one years ago)

Also:

David Bowie >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the Black Crowes

(i.e. I agree with Ferlin Huxley et. al.)

― The Spirit of Sam Endicott (Dee the Lurker), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:31 (twenty-one years ago)

David Bowie is awful. He and Morrissey are tied as the biggest/most-respected musicians where I just can't comprehend the love.

One and a half listenable songs ('Queen Bitch' and the duet w/ Mick Jagger) - but he was cool in Labyrinth.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Crackpipe.

― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:45 (twenty-one years ago)

keep suckin' on that glass cock

― kingfish maximum overdrunk (Kingfish), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:45 (twenty-one years ago)

they are both terrible. VG is better although AF has better tottie (crudup, kozelek and that guy from the kevin smith films).

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, I know I'm pretty much alone on the David Bowie Suxxx bandwagon.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:51 (twenty-one years ago)

nah, he kinda creeps me out too.

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:56 (twenty-one years ago)

You're Good Thread (Has Gone And Went Bad)

― Ken L (Ken L), Friday, 22 April 2005 02:15 (twenty-one years ago)

David Bowie is awful. He and Morrissey are tied as the biggest/most-respected musicians where I just can't comprehend the love.

Yet you're completely fine with the Black Crowes? FETCH HITHER A STRAIGHT-JACKET!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 22 April 2005 02:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Alex, why are you calling Milo "Hither"?

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 22 April 2005 03:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Whathisface that plays Lester Bangs is great, the guys in the band are all funny, Zooey Deschanel - what's not to like?

KATE DUDSON. For starters.

― Vic in Alderaan (Vic), Friday, 22 April 2005 04:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Whathisface that plays Lester Bangs is great,

Philip Seymour Hoffman, and if you ask me, he overplayed his hand in that role.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 22 April 2005 04:19 (twenty-one years ago)

He did, but his speech about not being cool is my favorite thing in the movie.

― happy fun ball (kenan), Friday, 22 April 2005 04:52 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, VG has the physics phunny of "Maxwell Demon" which still makes me giggle every time.

― Lapdog Shoesnog (kate), Friday, 22 April 2005 09:54 (twenty-one years ago)

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