POO: Wu-Tang

This is the first music documentary I have enjoyed in a very long time (and I watch a lot of them because I am a masochist). Only weak parts for me were the perhaps inevitable celeb talking head bits (though it can be argued that Jarmusch deserves to be there given his history with RZA; Seth fucking Rogen, not so much). But thoroughly enjoyed this, thought it was really well done. Doc also confirms something I have long suspected: Ghost is the heart of the Wu.

Agreed, Rogen certainly had no place in this. They shouldn't have done the celeb talking heads bit, it contributed nothing.

I didn't think the Wu-Tang Clan could sustain a four hour documentary a la Tom Petty or whomever, but two episodes in and it's pretty interesting so far.

Rogen stuck out a little, but not knowing where the series is going he still probably works as a usual proxy for the group's white audience. I doubt it's addressed, at least not explicitly, but it's kind of striking contrasting all the old clips and tales from the streets being performed or told to almost exclusively black audiences and more recent clips of the group playing to all white audiences. Rogen may not have much cultural analysis to offer, but he does have experience as a fan or audience member, or at least one particular type of both, that has helped the group last this long.

And on that front the Wu-Tang Clan is a small miracle. (More or less) nine powerful personalities, many with successful solo careers, sticking together for 25 years? I can hardly imagine.

A lot of what you're wondering (the black/white audience thing) will be thoroughly addressed, explicitly, later on. :)

Good to know. I'm glad!

And--MILD SPOILER--the third act is predictably where things also begin to get a little dark

I finished Chamber Music recently, which is very good, so I need to see this. Cappadonna hit the countryside!

As far as apt malaphors go, Cappadonna describing ODB at the start of part three as "smarter than a speeding bullet" is the best.

Some of the ODB footage is tough to watch. The scene of him talking to Divine on the phone choking back tears saying "It's me, man, it's Rusty" is seriously heartbreaking

I just finished part 3. I forgot how bad ODB looked when he got out of jail. I also can't believe (and didn't remember) that he was put away for 3 years for wearing body armor.

Man, his Don Jr. looking weasel of a manager. Highlight might have been RZA coming in to the studio, and that dude, Jared, being all "who are you?" And RZA just shoots him a look and coldly says "you know who I am."

OK, gotta admit, part four was kind of a chore. It felt like the same story over and over, and the shit about Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, Cilvaringz and Martin Shkreli, I could give a shit. But the episode was probably worth it for I think Cappadonna dropping some wisdom at the end: ain't none of us smarter than anyone else here, and if you are smarter, then you should be helping *me*.