Frank Sidebottom - C or D ?

yowch that looks dreadful. weird how they've pitched it as a high-octane action comedy with buff hollywood star in the lead role, words like HILARIOUS and ABSURD in a jolly yellow font flashing up on screen to signpost that the 'jokes' are actually jokes. then there's this clip which takes more of a twee sub-spike jonze equally-irritating tack: http://vimeo.com/84321394

either way ronson has gotta be having sleepless nights about how rotten this is looking like turning out

http://susiemadrak.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/wahmbulance-1.jpg

I like that it's a 'different' Frank.

It remains to be seen if it's a good movie though.

What I've read so far, this seems to be allegorical, hugely, to Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, around the time of "Trout Mask Replica"...

I loved it, but it's 100% NOT a high-octane action comedy with buff hollywood star in the lead role, words like HILARIOUS and ABSURD in a jolly yellow font flashing up on screen and they don't actually position it that way at all. Blame the people who cut the trailers there.

That said, it's not about Frank Sidebottom, except in the abstract - it's about outsider musicians in general, and cult fame, and the thin line between a certain type of precious genius and mental illness. It's darker than I expected, but there are lots of gags. I feel like its ideal audience is people who find something haunting and beautiful in The Shaggs, not just something to laugh at. Daniel Johnston's story is definitely conjured as well. The music (I didn't recognize the name and can't remember it) is more-than-credible post-punk that doesn't sound anything like Sidebottom's plinky tunes. It's almost more like MX-80 or Pere Ubu or something.

I haven't read any reviews, so don't know what people have disliked who disliked it, but I could see some people being irritated by the running device of the lead character constantly Twittering (I personally cringe when I hear anyone in the world say "hashtag *something*" out loud).

It should get, and deserves, a cult following.

watching the trailer with the sound off it does look QUITE bad

I haven't read any reviews, so don't know what people have disliked who disliked it, but I could see some people being irritated by the running device of the lead character constantly Twittering

yes this was absolutely awful. As well as the whole SXSW trip.

I enjoyed it on a superficial level but I'm not even a fan and I found the complete divorce from the actual Frank Sidebottom story puzzling and quite off-putting. He was such an authentically strange English eccentric (and 80s/90s artifact) that the modernisation and Americanisation felt a bit cheap and wrong. It seemed like a rather self-conscious attempt to make Sidebottom cool, which he obviously never was

The Jon Ronson "Frank" book, smallest (content) book ever, sets out and explains the why/what of the film, but it's mostly about the (real) Frank, and Jon being in his band and that.

probably the best ending to a film i didn't care for much that i've ever seen. the last 15 minutes were amazing especially the song IMO. it will sorta spoil it if you hear the song outside of the film though.

The Mick Middles book is great, by the way.

It's epub only at the moment, but it's due out on paper later in the year.

http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/mm5qvn/michael-fassbender----i-love-you-all-

That reminded me a little bit of early Pulp.

I'm going to see Frank tomorrow.

apparently the movie basically...isn't about frank sidebottom at all?

No, not at all. It's quite good though. Well, it's hit and miss throughout but really nails the ending.

What a very strange film...

Took me ages to realise the bits when Frank was speaking because of the US accent. Huge tonal shifts all over the shop, especially in the last third. Had trouble understanding many of the characters' motivations. Sometimes it played out like a whimsical UK comedy drama, other times like an avant-garde Spinal Tap, and other times like a surrealist Silver Linings Playbook. I was never sure whether the music Frank's band was making was supposed to be fractured genius or a deluded experiment...

And yet somehow it worked. I was enchanted by this film for the most part and I feel as though it's going to stay with me for a long while.

did you guys really like the ending that much?

Yeah, I liked the ending.

he just showed up without his mask and had a bit of a cry didn't he? maybe i expected more...

It was sentimental as hell: he had his defences broken forever, thought he couldn't do it without, managed to overcome and take steps forward. Naked and vulnerable.

...............

(last sentence a bit spoilery, so removed: available on application)

Actually, I have had a great idea...

Spoiler post location, click and read if you are OK with it

Posted the spoilery bit here. Up to you.

Yeah, sorry everyone. That was my bad.

I think the whole 'who is Frank?' part was the least interesting bit about it for me. Once they went to SXSW, I felt the film sag a bit and I'd have sort of been happy with a sort of no-wave Spinal Tap movie with a very eccentric frontman.

Bearing in mind that I had no knowledge or comprehension of who/what Frank Sidebottom was, I thought that the movie was very good.

Probably makes it easier.

YEah, it's got nothing to do with the OG Frank Sidebottom

People who liked this should also see 'We Are The Best'.

If this is nothing to do with the original Sidebottom, then why use a similar mask and name. I don't understand.

(not seen the film btw)

nobody understands. i don't.

it took me ages to realise it was 'Frank' talking in the film, because he had a US accent.

If you want to know why, seek out Jon Ronson's "Frank" the making of the movie, hardback, small but cheap.

If not, stick with "they used a similar mask and name" and leave it at that.

In other news, I did get the original soundtrack CD for this film, I liked it a lot. I have placed it next to my Frank Sidebottom CD box set , they seem to be coexisting OK, so far

Another movie to come?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1jConflbmo

.

the film 'frank' is great, one of the best films about music i've seen

it entirely sympathises with frank and his band, and turns its gormless narrator/observer into a genuine monster, the aggressively vapid carcass of british indie and social media valorisation inflicted on the delicate integrity of artists. and yeah, the closing movement is absolutely incredible. the song, my god the song! and then the final five seconds are up there in final five seconds of any movie i've seen - it's perfect, a sort of miniature musical manifesto, a purging of evil

I had to seek out the soundtrack album. There is one.

It is also awesome...

I'm really going to have to watch this again. As much as I enjoyed the film, I'm not sure I absorbed the whole thing, especially things like:

turns its gormless narrator/observer into a genuine monster

really? how so?

and I didn't notice anything remarkable about the ending at all?

A good companion to this film though is Moodysson's 'We Are The Best'

Now it's funny/appropriate you mention the Moodyson in context of _Frank_ in that this piece yesterday talks about both through the lens of the tortured artist myth (and a reaction to it in the context of these films):

http://www.wonderingsound.com/feature/music-film-2014-whiplash-we-are-the-best-frank/

xpost because he ends up taking over the situation, separating Frank from the rest of the band, passively, to the point where the SXSQ performance is Jon doing his 'nice' songs while Frank stands by and is the focus of attention. And Jon loving it.

that article, on frank at least, is self-contradictory and point-missing imo

I liked this movie but with reservations. The music was a let-down tbh (not talking about the final scene here). just this guy who was so into creating this select group of people to surround himself with and to play music with and yet his expression of himself was some ridiculous sub-Doors twaddle. thought that was lamely played for laughs rather than providing some illumination as to who/what Frank was.

Well, I thought so as well, but the songs on the soundtrack (effectively the 2nd time of hearing) I liked better.

What's the chance of a Beefheart biopic d'ye reckon? Could be a cross between this and that Charles Manson movie, "Helter Skelter"?

Well, now this film exists, I can't see it happening.

I imagine there would be legal problems too... plus people might not believe it could actually have happened.

britishers: 'Frank' is on film4 tonight at 22:40

Britishers: don't bother it's rubbish

No it isn't.

it looks bobbins

it's quite good, great ending