Excellent casting choice imo.
http://cdn.indiewire.com/dims4/INDIEWIRE/5c63b2d/2147483647/thumbnail/680x478/quality/75/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fd1oi7t5trwfj5d.cloudfront.net%2F21%2F3e%2F4f412bf240c18e56375535ff7c2f%2Flove-and-mercy.jpg
http://consequenceofsound.net/2014/07/heres-our-first-look-at-paul-dano-as-brian-wilson-in-biopic/
― Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 18:14 (ten years ago)
stop it
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 18:16 (ten years ago)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_and_Mercy_%28film%29
― Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 18:17 (ten years ago)
just stop making biopics in general
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 18:20 (ten years ago)
I'm skeptical of nearly every one that comes out unless I have reason to not be. For instance, the Hendrix and James Brown pics coming out this year look like complete garbage. This one is intriguing, though.
― Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 18:22 (ten years ago)
Horrible feet.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 18:27 (ten years ago)
There's no way it'll be as good as the Brian Wilson scene in Walk Hard
― Dokken played here for a Ribfest and people were total assholes (Sparkle Motion), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 18:45 (ten years ago)
I doubt it will even be as good as the John Stamos tv movie
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 18:47 (ten years ago)
that pic looks good. they should just make the whole movie one 90-minute shot of him sitting there, the sound of the waves and seagulls in the background, brian looking confused. sun goes down, credits roll.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 18:47 (ten years ago)
"I'm A Cork In The Ocean: The Brian Wilson Picture" COMING SOON
― Dokken played here for a Ribfest and people were total assholes (Sparkle Motion), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 18:52 (ten years ago)
As long as the Barenaked Ladies song is used in every cut
― chikungunya manatee (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 18:54 (ten years ago)
good feet are a myth, like good karaoke
where is Cusack as Old Brian?
― son of a lewd monk (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 19:05 (ten years ago)
lol would watch tyler's version
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 19:12 (ten years ago)
"kokomo" would play as the credits roll fyi
― tylerw, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 19:14 (ten years ago)
ok that's a bridge too far
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 19:14 (ten years ago)
would've been ok with "Brian is Back" or even "Wrinkles" though
credits roll over the "Weirdos + Mike Love" pics
― Dokken played here for a Ribfest and people were total assholes (Sparkle Motion), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 19:18 (ten years ago)
Who's Brian Wilson?
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 19:24 (ten years ago)
he's a bearded pitcher for the dodgers
― chikungunya manatee (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 19:31 (ten years ago)
hoping for a 4 minute scene enacting the events that inspired "a gardener was gardening/he watered the lawn/and i went to sleep"
dano looks great IMO
― before you die you see the rink (Jon Lewis), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 19:32 (ten years ago)
some group was playing a musical song
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 19:34 (ten years ago)
a 30 minute scene of dano playing with wind chimes
― chikungunya manatee (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 19:38 (ten years ago)
"I try not to look at them...but it's hard..."
― before you die you see the rink (Jon Lewis), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 19:40 (ten years ago)
OTMFM. As opposed to "based on a true story" movies (which are arguably of some merit if it's a compelling story), biopics are usually just boilerplate "and then this thing you already know about happened, and then this other thing you already know about happened" chapter books with an optional "and then he/she/they died" epilogue. They may be able to salvage a decent performance from the wreckage, but it's almost always wreckage.
― Ham Slices (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 19:44 (ten years ago)
Although I'd pay good money to watch a Brian Wilson biopic starring Brian Wilson playing himself at every age.
there was a super-entertaining TV movie about the beach boys maybe 15-20 years ago
― marcos, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 19:45 (ten years ago)
xp the birth scene alone
― chikungunya manatee (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 19:46 (ten years ago)
I remember! The guy playing Dennis was a hunk
xpost
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 19:47 (ten years ago)
guess i missed that the dennis biopic is kaputt. http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/why-dennis-wilsons-biopic-collapsed-20131212
― tylerw, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 19:58 (ten years ago)
Yeah thats what I was referring to upthread. Stamos produced it.
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 19:59 (ten years ago)
Xp
it was cool
― chikungunya manatee (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 20:00 (ten years ago)
stamos is cool
let's have another
I remember that made for tv movie - the exposition in the dialogue was hilarious.
Brian: "Hey Dennis, I just heard this new album called Rubber Soul and now I'm going being working on Pet Sounds"
Dennis: "Sounds good. I'm going start cruising the desert for cult leaders".
Brian: "OK, see ya"
― Darin, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 20:01 (ten years ago)
really wish this movie was just paul giamatti and john cusack re-creating landy's therapy sessions
― da croupier, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 20:01 (ten years ago)
googled "eugene landy" to reaffirm whether he looked like giamatti at all and google's top photo for eugene landy IS giamatti
― da croupier, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 20:02 (ten years ago)
Christoph Waltz would make a good Landy
― Darin, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 20:05 (ten years ago)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-K-n5op9nI
yeah i don't get giamatti for this at all
― da croupier, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 20:06 (ten years ago)
subtle changes between actual lyric and your memory of it basically turns this into a pretty good neil young lyric.
― fact checking cuz, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 20:07 (ten years ago)
I'd pay good money to watch a Brian Wilson biopic starring Brian Wilson playing himself at every age.
coming soon from richard linklater, with ethan hawke as dr. eugene landy.
― fact checking cuz, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 20:10 (ten years ago)
though based on the clip croup posted, i now want leonard nimoy to play eugene landy.
― fact checking cuz, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 20:11 (ten years ago)
Can they start combining biopics with literary adaptations because a Brian Wilson movie would be p cool if it was also Benjamin Button.
― cwkiii, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 20:13 (ten years ago)
i now want leonard nimoy to play eugene landy.
Basically his character in Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
― Ham Slices (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 20:23 (ten years ago)
the thumbnail image for that landy-wilson YT vid is perfect; like, I don't even need to watch that clip or read a BW biography to get their whole relationship.
― before you die you see the rink (Jon Lewis), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 20:35 (ten years ago)
are there any weird/experimental biopics? I did not like the Dylan one or Last Days but at least they both tried to do something unusual instead of putting "historical accuracy" first. I feel like the 'uncanny valley' of seeing a dude act like James Brown just lends itself to fucking around with form/nonlinear narratives or w/e rather than trying to be as accurate as possible. There are probably other more subtle ways to subvert this boring straight-ahead approach than doesn't require getting all freaky and un-mainstream. But the singular quest to make a definitive accurate film depiction of a major public figure seems like the most boring and least useful way to use film to explore a character. Idk, tldr hollywood sux
― brimstead, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 20:59 (ten years ago)
you didn't like I'm Not There? There's always Superstar lol
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 21:05 (ten years ago)
tbh i went into it with super negative preconceptions, i'd be willing to see it again.
― brimstead, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 21:06 (ten years ago)
what's Superstar, is that a karen carpenter biopic or are you talking about that molly shannon movie?
― brimstead, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 21:07 (ten years ago)
OH shit! N/m just found it. My gosh it looks freaky
― brimstead, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 21:08 (ten years ago)
didn't see all of I'm Not There but tbh the parts i did see seemed kind of cringeworthy. everybody raved about cate blanchett but i found her whole section to be hokey as fuck
― marcos, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 21:08 (ten years ago)
Re: superstar - they should use dolls for a kiss biopic too. Or mecha!
― brimstead, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 21:09 (ten years ago)
I'm Not There was awful
― da croupier, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 21:09 (ten years ago)
my complaints about I'm Not There are that it's basically a retread of the (generally more fun) Velvet Goldmine but other than that I think it's a very fitting approach to our Bob.
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 21:17 (ten years ago)
yea it was a cool concept, makes lots of sense to get completely different actors for the different bob phases
― marcos, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 21:18 (ten years ago)
Greenaway should do a Webern biopic
― before you die you see the rink (Jon Lewis), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 21:33 (ten years ago)
my friend said the Johnny Cash one was actually really good but have not checked it out yet
also, Ken Russell to thread
The Cash one was pretty standard biopic but Phoenix was solid.
― Immediate Follower (NA), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 21:41 (ten years ago)
haha yeah Lisztomania is great
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 21:45 (ten years ago)
I'm one of the few people who liked the pretty square Ray in part because the actresses were strong.
― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 21:46 (ten years ago)
If, in my wildest dreams, a royal trux biopic gets made.. It NEEDS to involve swamp creatures and talking coyotes and shooting ranges and baseball
― brimstead, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 21:49 (ten years ago)
A hawkwind biopic where the band is constantly heard but not seen.. All just festival travellers and bikers lost in the spacerock
― brimstead, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 21:50 (ten years ago)
Psych Revival Parking Lot
― Dokken played here for a Ribfest and people were total assholes (Sparkle Motion), Wednesday, 23 July 2014 21:52 (ten years ago)
yessssss!
― brimstead, Wednesday, 23 July 2014 21:54 (ten years ago)
Dewey Cox: [speaking of his complex song] It's still not finished yet. I'm hearing... more Aboriginal percussionists. And I want an army of digeridoos. Fifty thousand digeridoos!
― Naive Teen Idol, Thursday, 24 July 2014 00:28 (ten years ago)
<puts microphone to goat's stomach>
― Dokken played here for a Ribfest and people were total assholes (Sparkle Motion), Thursday, 24 July 2014 01:52 (ten years ago)
I like Dano a lot but every time I see him I keep thinking of the scene where Daniel Day-Lewis murders him in There Will Be Blood and then get the giggles
― Neanderthal, Thursday, 24 July 2014 02:06 (ten years ago)
He looks more like Lionel Messi than Brian Wilson in that publicity pic. Missed opportunity to cast Bill Pullman as Landy-era Brian and, in his acting debut, Bill Clinton as 'prop him up behind a keyboard and send him out on tour' era Brian.
― Tommy McTommy (Tom D.), Thursday, 24 July 2014 09:27 (ten years ago)
He looks more like Lionel Messi than Brian Wilson in that publicity pic.
ahah. otm !"Football's Up".
― AlXTC from Paris, Thursday, 24 July 2014 10:41 (ten years ago)
Has anyone seen this?
― tayto fan (Michael B), Sunday, 1 March 2015 16:00 (ten years ago)
did it actually come out?
the ian curtis film, "control," was the worst example of this. each horribly-staged and unconvincing scene had no reason for being except for people in the audience to say things like "i know this! this is when they debuted at a club!" "this is the scene when they're signed to factory!" the way they staged his death was particularly grotesque in its lack of any purpose except to fetishistically recreate the mise-en-scene of his suicide.
― I dunno. (amateurist), Sunday, 1 March 2015 20:04 (ten years ago)
one of the few movies that seemed genuinely offensive to me, as in stomach-turning
did that jimi hendrix biopic even get theatrical distribution btw? it just turned up at the video store this week. i'm assuming by its general non-reception that it's horrible.
― I dunno. (amateurist), Sunday, 1 March 2015 20:05 (ten years ago)
I don't know anyone that's ever seen it, but a Hendrix biopic without any Hendrix music seems pretty pointless.
― ƋППṍӮɨ∏ğڵșěᶉᶇдM℮ (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Sunday, 1 March 2015 21:22 (ten years ago)
it doesn't have hendrix music? i assume the estate wouldn't license any of it? whoops!
― I dunno. (amateurist), Sunday, 1 March 2015 23:34 (ten years ago)
i imagine the brian wilson biopic directed by gus van sant and just being like five 15-minute-long shots of him sitting at his piano in the middle of a pile of sand in his living room, composing fragments of "til i die."
― I dunno. (amateurist), Sunday, 1 March 2015 23:35 (ten years ago)
title: "busy doin' nothin'"
― ƋППṍӮɨ∏ğڵșěᶉᶇдM℮ (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Sunday, March 1, 2015 9:22 PM (2 hours ago)
hendrix movie also had a controversial scene where he hits his gf, kathy etchingham (who denied such a thing ever happening).
― tayto fan (Michael B), Sunday, 1 March 2015 23:42 (ten years ago)
idg the casting of John Cusack as beaten-down adult Brian AT ALL.
― Johnny Fever, Sunday, 1 March 2015 23:45 (ten years ago)
yeah ridiculous
― tayto fan (Michael B), Sunday, 1 March 2015 23:47 (ten years ago)
I believe this was exactly the case. I kept waiting for it to turn into The Johnny Handricks Story, ala the Jackie Jormp-Jomp biopic:
http://videos.criticalcommons.org/transcoded/http/ccserver.usc.edu/8080/cc/Members/ironman28/clips/30rockJanisMontageH264.mov/jpeg/30rockjanismontageh264-mov.jpg
― ƋППṍӮɨ∏ğڵșěᶉᶇдM℮ (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 2 March 2015 02:59 (ten years ago)
There was a Brian Jones movie a while back that did the same thing--they had to stick to songs the Stones did covers of.
― Don A Henley And Get Over It (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 2 March 2015 03:57 (ten years ago)
Trivia: director is son of Minnesota Twins owner Carl Pohlad.
― bit of a singles monster (Eazy), Monday, 2 March 2015 06:22 (ten years ago)
i hate biopics on the whole, but i've been saying for years that BW's would make one of the more remarkable ones
― Unheimlich Manouevre (dog latin), Monday, 2 March 2015 11:35 (ten years ago)
I do know someone who saw that Andrex 3000 pic. he said it was awful
― Οὖτις, Monday, 2 March 2015 16:52 (ten years ago)
The Brian Wilson one could be great if based on Nick Kent's piece on him. It's one of the single best pieces of rock writing I've ever read, and it tells the story so well.
― Poliopolice, Monday, 2 March 2015 16:57 (ten years ago)
most biopics are pretty bad though some are entertaining. i'm a little intrigued by don cheadle's miles ahead thing since it is focusing on mostly on 70s electric miles and that 5-year recluse period, which doesn't strike me as the obvious traditional-biopic period to focus on w/r/t miles
― marcos, Monday, 2 March 2015 17:03 (ten years ago)
another one where there's unlikely to be any actual musi
― Οὖτις, Monday, 2 March 2015 17:07 (ten years ago)
c
If it's 2 hrs of a decrepit miles in a musty brownstone with blackout curtains, reluctantly entertaining visits from Lester Bowie and Cicely Tyson I'm for it.
― totally unachievable goals and no incentive to compromise (Sparkle Motion), Monday, 2 March 2015 18:09 (ten years ago)
otm
― ƋППṍӮɨ∏ğڵșěᶉᶇдM℮ (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 2 March 2015 18:49 (ten years ago)
if you want the above in book form - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Miles-Go-The-Lost-Years-ebook/dp/B004L62GBU
― MaresNest, Monday, 2 March 2015 23:05 (ten years ago)
LaSalle is a clown but this sounds promising
― Οὖτις, Thursday, 4 June 2015 23:27 (ten years ago)
i'm pretty certain this will be awful, i'd put a little money down on it in fact.
― he quipped with heat (amateurist), Friday, 5 June 2015 01:51 (ten years ago)
cusack seems like he wandered into the wrong movie
― difficult-difficult lemon-difficult (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 5 June 2015 02:14 (ten years ago)
Most of the reviews have been good, but I guess I have to accept Brian Wilson as genius.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 5 June 2015 02:16 (ten years ago)
what a leap for you
― the increasing costive borborygmi (Dr Morbius), Friday, 5 June 2015 05:40 (ten years ago)
― Tommy McTommy (Tom D.), Thursday, 24 July 2014 10:27 (10 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I'd go with Jeff Daniels for post-Landy Brian.
https://divergentsuk.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/jeffdaniels.jpg
― Pheeel, Friday, 5 June 2015 17:07 (ten years ago)
good call!
― he quipped with heat (amateurist), Friday, 5 June 2015 17:48 (ten years ago)
well AO Scott likes it
― Οὖτις, Friday, 5 June 2015 18:57 (ten years ago)
Another bio-pic? Do people even give a shit anymore? The Brian Wilson brand has become quite the bore.
― everything, Friday, 5 June 2015 19:11 (ten years ago)
Cusack on the role and doing shit movies to pay for the good ones
http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/john-cusack-love-and-mercy-career/
also:
Back in 1988, William Hurt was going to play Wilson opposite Richard Dreyfuss as Landy
― the increasing costive borborygmi (Dr Morbius), Friday, 5 June 2015 19:16 (ten years ago)
Do we finally find out how Brian Wilson became Spider-Man?
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 5 June 2015 19:29 (ten years ago)
bitten by radioactive Phil Spector
― Οὖτις, Friday, 5 June 2015 20:00 (ten years ago)
So I saw this tonight because there was nothing better to do. It's not a great movie, a little ghoulish at times, but far better than it has a right to be. There were parts that I enjoyed, mainly the studio stuff.
― maybe/whatever/so what/boring (admrl), Wednesday, 10 June 2015 02:51 (ten years ago)
Definitely not awful, let's say.
― maybe/whatever/so what/boring (admrl), Wednesday, 10 June 2015 02:54 (ten years ago)
Basically the same--I liked it a little better. My favourite parts were also the creation of Pet Sounds. Cusack is good...as John Cusack. It never felt like I was watching Brian Wilson. Dano, on the other hand, yes. Giamatti was scary at times.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 10 June 2015 05:11 (ten years ago)
sounds like a renter
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 10 June 2015 15:43 (ten years ago)
yeah i'm tempted to rent this and get up and make a sandwich if/when i'm bored by the cusack stuff
― he quipped with heat (amateurist), Wednesday, 10 June 2015 16:42 (ten years ago)
After portraying Nixon and Wilson, I'd like to see Cusack continue to portray an increasingly ill-fitting string of people from real life. Maybe late-period Orson Welles could be next?
― Tarkus Aurelius (Old Lunch), Wednesday, 10 June 2015 17:02 (ten years ago)
surely that role belongs to DiCaprio
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 10 June 2015 17:05 (ten years ago)
(Orson Welles is the original Sweaty Bigface, after all)
"john cusack IS fanny brice"
― he quipped with heat (amateurist), Wednesday, 10 June 2015 17:12 (ten years ago)
The thing I thought the film did really well was the way Brian is presented during those Pet Sounds sessions. They don't turn him into the caricatured tortured genius, ordering everyone around and making unreasonable demands (you get a little of that later); while Pet Sounds is being done, he's like a wide-eyed kid, cheering on everyone and clearly in love with all the new freedom he's afforded and all the incredible musicians he gets to work with. When his brothers return from Japan, and Mike Love starts questioning what Brian's been doing--but again, not in a way that reduces Love to a caricature; he just sees the band differently--that's when the rot starts to settle in.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 10 June 2015 19:35 (ten years ago)
it would be so easy to make mike love into a villain so if this film is fair to him i think that's to its credit
― he quipped with heat (amateurist), Wednesday, 10 June 2015 20:26 (ten years ago)
although i'm sure mike love is busy soliciting screenplays for good vibrations: the mike love story
martinique: mounds of rotting steak - the mike love story
― difficult-difficult lemon-difficult (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 10 June 2015 20:33 (ten years ago)
Where My Weirdos At?: The Mike Love Story
― Love, Wilco (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 10 June 2015 20:36 (ten years ago)
man I would so watch a Mike Love biopic
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 10 June 2015 20:39 (ten years ago)
Who is playing Mike Love? Any photos (w/ or w/out weirdoes)?
― Willibald Pirckheimers Briefwechsel (Tom D.), Wednesday, 10 June 2015 20:42 (ten years ago)
Hold on this guy is playing Mike Love??!?! I assume the casting director on this movie was, uh, Mike Love?
https://pmcdeadline2.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/abel__111109022207.jpg
― Willibald Pirckheimers Briefwechsel (Tom D.), Wednesday, 10 June 2015 20:47 (ten years ago)
if they shave a bald spot into him I can kinda see it
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 10 June 2015 20:49 (ten years ago)
Dude's closer to Dennis as-is.
― Love, Wilco (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 10 June 2015 20:50 (ten years ago)
Hope this era is adequately covered:
https://thebuddharats.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/pimp1.jpg
― Willibald Pirckheimers Briefwechsel (Tom D.), Wednesday, 10 June 2015 20:56 (ten years ago)
i'd pay good money to see a movie in which paul giamatti plays eugene landy, murry wilson AND mike love.
(but as it is, i liked the actual movie a lot more than most of y'all did. cusack was a little awkward, yeah, but it was basically a really nice little slice-of-life-times-two film that lingered lovingly over the creative process in a way that most biopics don't tend to do.)
― fact checking cuz, Wednesday, 10 June 2015 20:58 (ten years ago)
come to think of it, giamatti should probably play brian too.
― fact checking cuz, Wednesday, 10 June 2015 20:59 (ten years ago)
― he quipped with heat (amateurist),
usually I mop.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 10 June 2015 21:16 (ten years ago)
it was really weird watching this film a few months after I saw "The Wrecking Crew" as parts of the film literally recreated the stories that the Wrecking Crew themselves told about the Pet Sounds session almost exactly
― Hammer Smashed Bagels, Saturday, 13 June 2015 20:16 (nine years ago)
Cusack recycled his Lloyd Dobler-isms and wasn't persuasive. Dano was fine.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 13 June 2015 20:17 (nine years ago)
Thought this was about as bad a movie as I've ever seen. Total fan-service and nothing even remotely interesting going on movie-wise. There wasn't nearly enough artistic license taken for my tastes. I prefer biopics that do their own thing and don't just faithfully illustrate the key points of the story without any flair whatsoever. And so much of it was cribbed or mimicked straight from various documentaries that it was kinda gross. The best part was the end credits -- the real Brian appears and sings the title song!
The drama was lukewarm at its most intense. Melinda was the main character. Brian was portrayed as a kind of drooling idiot (WTF!?) The music, which should've been the main character, was strangely relegated to the sidelines. I can't remember if we got even one song played all the way through but I kinda doubt it. The dialogue was abominable. The script and acting were about as good as your average TV sitcom. The narrative was clunky as hell. Also confusing, but that actually is fitting because Brian's is a confusing story in general! I feel kinda bad for anyone who is not already familiar with that story, though.
Just a plain old bad movie. It is ultimately the story of a sick rich guy with really super-obscure rich guy problems. Which in the final analysis is just not all that interesting, really. All you're left with is the fan-service. The fans seem overjoyed so I guess the director made the right choice!! I am just plain not the intended audience!
The best thing it does is to make use of the various isolated vocal and instrumental tracks in the context of the simulated performances. The 60s decor was also groovy, I guess. Paul Dano shouldn't have sung and played piano, that really sunk the whole thing for me. Brian's voice is the key to the entire BB story IMO and way too important to just toss off like that! Dano's performance was okay, it was in tune and in time, but it's just this impossible task... Brian has such a unique sound, his voice in his prime is one of the greatest instruments I know of. He is a truly great artist, not just as a writer/arranger/performer but also as a performer. I just wasn't convinced by the movie.
Listening to 2 hours of random Beach Boys music is a million times better than this thing. And a perfect antidote after sitting through it!!!
― liam fennell, Monday, 15 June 2015 14:48 (nine years ago)
Brian was portrayed as a kind of drooling idiot (WTF!?)
Not sure if the WTF is necessary, considering the parlous mental states Brian has endured over the years.
― The Manner of Crawly (Tom D.), Monday, 15 June 2015 14:58 (nine years ago)
". It is ultimately the story of a sick rich guy with really super-obscure rich guy problems. Which in the final analysis is just not all that interesting, really."
that is actually brian wilson's story though, so if you weren't aware of that going in, I guess that would be dull for you; but I can't believe you didn't know this to begin with.
― akm, Monday, 15 June 2015 19:56 (nine years ago)
Not perfect by any means, but if this is as bad a movie as you've ever seen, I'm guessing you only see films off Sight & Sound's Top 100 list.
― clemenza, Monday, 15 June 2015 20:59 (nine years ago)
The dialogue was abominable.
Worse than most biopics. Lots of gee whizzers -- basically anything with the dude playing Mike Love.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 15 June 2015 21:00 (nine years ago)
I was listening to their early albums up to "All summer long" this morning (a great way to start a sunny day, btw !) and realized it's only 2 years between "I get around" and "Good Vibrations"/the "Smile" sessions.A pretty amazing leap (even more impressive than the Beatles' evolution from, say, "Beatles for sale" to "Revolver", arguably).
― AlXTC from Paris, Tuesday, 16 June 2015 11:55 (nine years ago)
Yeah, I don't watch a lot of stuff, mostly old movies. I haven't seen a TV show in literally 15 years or something! I don't know, something about this just rubbed me all wrong. Everyone else seems to love it, if you're on the fence just go see it and don't let me persuade you otherwise. I might be too personally invested in the subject.
Tom D, you're right, my WTF is wayyyyy unnecessary. Obviously the dude has serious problems and he is very childlike and stuff. But I felt like they went overboard. A person who can make music that is both simple and complex whilst be perfectly conceived and produced just can't be THAT dumb. But then again he did sell the publishing to his entire oeuvre when prompted by Murray and all that. They glossed over that in the movie -- why? The fact that he signed that paper would've adds a lot of weight and murky complexity to the story.
― liam fennell, Tuesday, 16 June 2015 15:08 (nine years ago)
This movie confirmed my bias of 'Hang on To Your Ego' over 'I Know There's an Answer'.SO HAHA fuck YOU, people whom voted the wrong way round in the BB Poll!
nahhh just playin
not!
more valuable insights later
― The Once-ler, Monday, 22 June 2015 12:43 (nine years ago)
I really didn't know too much about the beach boys going into this movie despite having heard a big chunk of their output up through adult/child several times. It was a solid movie and Paul Dano was wonderful. John Cusack was good but his dark hair was real off-putting.
I think a lot of the critics in this thread are understandably put-off that the on screen personalities didn't match their real life counterparts. I wouldn't know. Maybe that's why my review is going to be less critical.
The movie didn't portray Brian as a drooling idiot like someone said upthread. It did make him seem childlike and also awkward when it came to the John Cusack parts. Maybe they should of toned down the awkwardness a bit, but then again at that particular point in time it doesn't seem so far-fetched for him to act like that.
The movie makd me really dislike Mike Love. Melinda was under developed but the movie wasn't about her. Obviously I wish there was more to the dialogue but it wasn't abominable. It was cut short.
Overall I liked this move a lot. Such a good point in time to focus on and good music to have playing. The movie mostly left me wondering what Brian Wilson was like from Wild Honey to Adult/Child. Awkward Brian reminded me of me at times (when I've been awkwardly stiff) so that was a nice ego boost.
― The Once-ler, Monday, 22 June 2015 15:49 (nine years ago)
Cusack looked nothing like Wilson. Excellent call upthread on Bill Pullman, would've been great, but the movie should've just been Dano in the 60's. Also...VDP got sidelined and written out of the "Good Vibrations" sessions, which is unforgivable IMO.
― flappy bird, Monday, 22 June 2015 18:31 (nine years ago)
Really enjoyed this movie today though it's hard for me to have any critical distance where Pet Sounds is involved. I walked around earlier listening to it in preparation, stifling sobs as usual. I guess that should make me more protective of it, but it doesn't, I just wanna see the music and the narrative reflected everywhere I look. Could've been Dane Cook and Andrew Dice Clay playing Brian Wilson, I wouldn't have cared.
Van Dyke Parks was hot.
― geoffreyess, Tuesday, 23 June 2015 03:25 (nine years ago)
It's released today in France. I'll surely go watch it although the Cusack part seems dodgy...But I'm in a full BB mood so it will certainly be good.
by the way, loved some of the previous posts, especially :
bitten by radioactive Phil Spector― Οὖτις, vendredi 5 juin 2015 22:00 (3 weeks ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Οὖτις, vendredi 5 juin 2015 22:00 (3 weeks ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Beachman origins !
― AlXTC from Paris, Wednesday, 1 July 2015 13:20 (nine years ago)
this movie was soooo good!!!!
― Cory Sklar, Wednesday, 1 July 2015 16:56 (nine years ago)
i thought it was pretty decent. Cusack looked, sounded & acted nothing like BW, which would have been admissible in an "I'm Not There/ more preoccupied with the essence" kinda way if they weren't at such obvious pains to make Dano's scenes so visually & historically authentic; there was definitely an awkward opposition at play with all that. Giamatti had some pretty creepy scenes, but idk i never really did lose sight of the fact that I was watching... Paul Giamatti. he was still pretty effective i guess, but Steve Carell, for instance, did a much more focused (& chilling) transformative turn as an all-round sadistic monster in Foxcatcher.
favourite aspect of the film, like a lot of folks, was the portrayal of each song undertaking its own idiosyncratic & meticulous evolution: starting off as a flash of genius in Brian's head, being developed studiously, and then finally being realised with expert patience & discipline in the studio. that part seemed very organic in the sense that the songs weren't just Eureka! moments in themselves, but were in need of being nurtured to life; there was a kind of tension & pressure underlying the process of capturing an idea before it escaped and as a result you genuinely got the feeling that these songs could only have come about in a particular time and place. i mean, the sense that the musicians were engaged in something almost surreally groundbreaking was palpable, and that is definitely to the film's credit. Brian's genius was also convincingly portrayed.
i'd tell people to check it out.
― charlie h, Sunday, 5 July 2015 09:42 (nine years ago)
I watched this documentary yesterday : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SriaRRcA6wso sad the moment when the whole thing collapsed and he broke down during the creation of Smile.It's also interesting because it's kinda common now to consider that Smile was mainly completed when he shelved it. but in the documentary he says he needed like another year to finish it !
it's also quite embarrassing all the live and interview segments from the 90s because although he seems to feel better than in the 70s, he's clearly off (reminds me when I went to the Smile tour and most of the times he was busy doin nothing on stage... like a sick old person brought on stage without a clue of what he's doing here...).Like the moment when VDP tries to communicate with him about the creation of some of the tracks.
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 6 July 2015 10:27 (nine years ago)
and by the way : this is AMAZING : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gWb6SfgBZc
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 6 July 2015 10:28 (nine years ago)
and so is this (it's great to hear the arrangements and instruments that are otherwise covered by the voices) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_a-C6CsvNo
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 6 July 2015 10:30 (nine years ago)
The music, which should've been the main character, was strangely relegated to the sidelines. I can't remember if we got even one song played all the way through but I kinda doubt it.
This is always the problem with music biopics though. Not seen Love & Mercy yet, but I felt exactly the same about Walk The Line. Didn't feel as though I'd gotten to know anything about the music of Johnny Cash and that really, a better film would have been made if they'd just made up a fiction loosely-based around Cash's life.
― cod latin (dog latin), Monday, 6 July 2015 11:14 (nine years ago)
so I have finally seen this. I enjoyed it although, somehow, I eventually prefer the 80s part to the 60s one.the 60s part is good and all but, like someone said upthread, it has the issue that most biopics have : a succession of famous/historical moments and scenes that feels a bit shallow (like why did they re-shoot the video for "sloop john B" ??).Whereas the 80s part was more of a real movie.that said, maybe it's because I know the 60s stories very well whereas I had next to no idea about what happened to him in the 80s.also, I had initial doubts about Cusack playing BW but was eventually impressed by his performance because he succeeded in talking and behaving exactly like the "old" BW I've seen in various footage and interviews.another problem with the 60s part is also that I didn't like Dano's face at all and so I couldn't sympathize with his BW !
― AlXTC from Paris, Monday, 20 July 2015 15:38 (nine years ago)
Dano has the most hateable face in modern movies
― Number None, Monday, 20 July 2015 15:45 (nine years ago)
Redeeming qualities: the sound design (holy shit), cusack only barely modifying his usual schtick yet still making it work (somehow), genuine plot/characterization in the 80s sequences
Failures: pretty much everything else.
Genuinely prefer the 90s stamos tv movie tbh, at least it was totally ott and funny. Seemed like a bunch of the dano scenes in this were more "serious" higher budget remakes of scenes from the stamos movie. And not in a good way. Giamatti was super hammy 1 dimensional villain but eh he served his purpose. Banks was good.
― Οὖτις, Saturday, 19 September 2015 14:33 (nine years ago)
Dialogue in the 60s scenes was also just so clumsy, all unnatural exposition and/or direct quotes from interviews/clips. So stiff and dumb.
― Οὖτις, Saturday, 19 September 2015 14:41 (nine years ago)
I liked this more than i expected to, Dano v good and Cusack's more fraught, disturbed moments impressed. Elizabeth Banks underrated. Didn't expect M Love to be given equal villain status with Landy.
It did have the feel of an "authorized" film, as I think it's mostly about a guy with a bad dad and doctor rather than a Beach Boys movie. A couple of the music cues were cringey, like the last one.
Haven't checked above for any snark about Wes Anderson's cinematographer's work here.
― skateboards are the new combover (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 31 December 2015 05:48 (nine years ago)
Banks was my supp. actress vote.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 31 December 2015 05:50 (nine years ago)
most tolerable Dano perf ever
Cusack recycled his Lloyd Dobler-isms
hmmm no, aside from being the same actor. More fragile, and not just from being 48 instead of 22ish.
― skateboards are the new combover (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 31 December 2015 05:51 (nine years ago)
I know ppl are upset he didn't look anything like BW, but neither did Will Smith look like Ali (in a significantly worse film)
― skateboards are the new combover (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 31 December 2015 05:52 (nine years ago)
this is ok. suffered the same problem lots of biopics do "hey I'm writing this song do you have lyrics? maybe something about the VIBRATIONS?" and then they write the song. I got used to Cusak; he didn't mimic Wilson but I thought he brought an interesting perspective on Wilson, even if he did seem a little TOO together at times. biggest drawback to me was that the ending was very abrupt; would have liked to see slightly more about how they got Landry out.
― akm, Friday, 1 January 2016 07:16 (nine years ago)
deleted scenes inevitably include reenactment of infamous Murry 'let's fight for success' tape.
also Spector dissing Brian on the sidewalk
― skateboards are the new combover (Dr Morbius), Friday, 1 January 2016 19:56 (nine years ago)
Tell it to Johnny Rivers.
― Green Dolphin Street Hassle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 1 January 2016 20:00 (nine years ago)
I loved this. Dano is such an effortless actor. Paul Giamatti was great as Landy too. Wasn't mad on Cusack, but you can't win em all. Great to have a biopic that actually concentrated on the music for more than 30 seconds, and also one that told the whole story but from only two specific moments in time (mid 60s and early 80s). Best music biopic I've ever seen (which isn't saying much, but still).
― TARANTINO! (dog latin), Monday, 20 June 2016 09:19 (eight years ago)
The LSD parts were really tastefully executed and managed to avoid any HE FUCKED HIS LIFE UP WITH CRAAAXY DRUGZ stuff.
― TARANTINO! (dog latin), Monday, 20 June 2016 09:21 (eight years ago)
I'm listening to the Brian Wilson solo album now for the first time in about 13 years cos of this film.
― TARANTINO! (dog latin), Monday, 20 June 2016 09:27 (eight years ago)
the sound design in this is phenomenal - the scene where brian's in the studio with his dad in the control room and the music in brian's head slowly turns discordant was heartbreaking
― an alternate version of his real world dog (bizarro gazzara), Monday, 20 June 2016 09:45 (eight years ago)
i loved this! Dano was excellent. the look on his face when he emerges from under the piano after getting it to sound just so at one point was a thing of beauty.
anyone see the Miles biopic? it seems to have died on its arse over here, barely in the cinemas.
― piscesx, Monday, 20 June 2016 09:52 (eight years ago)
the Miles 'biopic' is about 90% fictional
― TARANTINO! (dog latin), Monday, 20 June 2016 09:56 (eight years ago)
aren't they all! it was weird seeing Don Cheadle saying as much in all the interviews though.
― piscesx, Monday, 20 June 2016 10:07 (eight years ago)
yeah it's unabashedly made-up though. i liked Cheadle in it, and it was interesting that they made a story up around Davis's fallow period, but it's an action movie with Miles Davis as the main character, ultimately. Don't expect a serious bio.
― TARANTINO! (dog latin), Monday, 20 June 2016 10:17 (eight years ago)
watched this on amazon prime last night
as a film it's decent
i did feel it was more for fans so it was difficult to completely remove my fanboy urge to love it
sound design like people have mentioned is amazing
cusack is a strange choice; he kind of made it work but still retains a bit of his cusackisms
dano was pretty great
rly brought back memories of making music with friends
― F♯ A♯ (∞), Tuesday, 28 June 2016 20:13 (eight years ago)
This was waaaaay better than I expected it was gonna be. Recommended!
― j.o.h.n. in evanston (john. a resident of chicago.), Wednesday, 15 April 2020 03:57 (five years ago)
I just watched it finally last night and was blown away. Gorgeousmay rewatch again today
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 19 April 2020 16:05 (five years ago)
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it but if memory serves, I could’ve done with more Dano and less Cusack. The former I believed as Wilson, the latter I did not.
― Naive Teen Idol, Monday, 20 April 2020 20:04 (five years ago)
i found Cusack very believable but I get why ppl don’t really go for itit’s a harder role to sell because there’s no definitive hairstyle or wardrobe like Dano has with younger Brian; Cusack has less trappings to hang his performance on There’s no physical transformation, it’s all in the movements & mannerisms which are also quite small & minimalI thought he handled the character really well & was very convincing .
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 20 April 2020 20:10 (five years ago)
I watched it last night. Best parts were obviously the scenes in the recording studio
― Evans on Hammond (evol j), Monday, 20 April 2020 20:56 (five years ago)
Also: some director needs to create a worthy starring vehicle for Elizabeth Banks, she’s great in this and a criminally underutilized actress overall
― Evans on Hammond (evol j), Monday, 20 April 2020 21:11 (five years ago)
elizabeth banks was in every movie that came out roughly from 2005-2015
this movie was pretty bad. the dano parts were OK, the cusack parts were awful
― na (NA), Monday, 20 April 2020 21:12 (five years ago)
I haven't seen the movie yet, but I actually worked with someone who lived in L.A. for a long time, and during a long conversation that had nothing to do with Brian Wilson, she mentioned a psychotherapist friend of hers named Eugene Landy. I immediately stopped her and was like, "Wait, wait...Eugene Landy? As in the guy who treated Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys?" Same guy, and it was obvious they were good friends, but I gently reminded her that his treatment of him was "controversial." She agreed, but she did defend him, mentioning how he literally got him out of bed, etc. Then a month goes by, and by sheer coincidence, we both run into Paul Giamatti, whom she recognized but she had no idea he played Landy in the film. (That would've been a hell of an icebreaker, but I didn't want to get into that again and kept quiet about it.)
― birdistheword, Tuesday, 21 April 2020 03:31 (five years ago)
obv a long time ago, since he died in 2006
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 21 April 2020 04:03 (five years ago)
Nah, this was summer 2016. (Easy to remember because the election happened when I was finishing up on that job.) She wasn't talking about him in the present tense.
― birdistheword, Tuesday, 21 April 2020 15:45 (five years ago)
ahhh right, gotcha :)
― terminators of endearment (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 21 April 2020 17:58 (five years ago)
Giamatti plays such an excellent bastard.
anyone ever read this??
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Vu7%2Bh6KsL._SX317_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg
― piscesx, Tuesday, 1 September 2020 11:46 (four years ago)
This was on the other night, it is absolutely fucking atrocious, wtf with all those good reviews upthread?
― Wouldn't disgrace a Michael Jackson (Tom D.), Tuesday, 27 July 2021 18:47 (three years ago)
I loved the part where Paul Dano transformed into Balthazar Getty and killed that guy in the truck
― making splashes at Dan Flashes (Neanderthal), Tuesday, 27 July 2021 20:05 (three years ago)
Whist talking about The Beach Boys I mentioned The Cowsills documentary Family Band and somebody thought I was talking about this.
― I, the Jukebox Jury (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 22 September 2021 16:10 (three years ago)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWtbhd4bFMw
― I, the Jukebox Jury (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 22 September 2021 16:14 (three years ago)
Found a half hour video about why this is the best movie ever. Seems more time efficient to just watch the actual movie.
― I, the Jukebox Jury (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 22 September 2021 16:22 (three years ago)
No idea where to put this but Brian’s wife Melinda passed away. Only 77.
― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 31 January 2024 00:24 (one year ago)
Although she was critical for pulling Brian away from Dr. Landy, she was also responsible for the massive breakdown with Brian and Carl (they didn't resolve their differnces until Carl was dying from cancer).
She also also created major tension between Brian and Andy Paley, Don Was, Sean O'Hagan, basically anyone who wanted to work with Brian on new material in the 90s.
All that said, Melinda was a major factor in getting Darrian/The Wondermints to work with Van Dyke and Brian to finish and agree on a proper sequence for "Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE."
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 31 January 2024 00:44 (one year ago)
Hope he's getting the support he needs now to deal with his grief. I always got the impression that Brian was still pretty fragile - IIRC he still has very harrowing incidents when he's under a lot of stress.
― birdistheword, Wednesday, 31 January 2024 01:25 (one year ago)
yeah...
The death was announced on Brian Wilson’s Instagram page, where the 81-year-old singer-songwriter wrote, “My heart is broken. Melinda, my beloved wife of 28 years, passed away this morning. Our five children and I are just in tears. We are lost. Melinda was more than my wife. She was my savior. She gave me the emotional security I needed to have a career. She encouraged me to make the music that was closest to my heart. She was my anchor. She was everything for us. Please say a prayer for her.” He closed the statement with his trademark sign-off: “Love and Mercy, Brian.”
― dow, Wednesday, 31 January 2024 03:56 (one year ago)
v sad
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 31 January 2024 04:02 (one year ago)
Although she was critical for pulling Brian away from Dr. Landy, she was also responsible for the massive breakdown with Brian and Carl (they didn't resolve their differnces until Carl was dying from cancer). She also also created major tension between Brian and Andy Paley, Don Was, Sean O'Hagan, basically anyone who wanted to work with Brian on new material in the 90s. All that said, Melinda was a major factor in getting Darrian/The Wondermints to work with Van Dyke and Brian to finish and agree on a proper sequence for "Brian Wilson Presents SMiLE."
― Naive Teen Idol, Wednesday, 31 January 2024 04:15 (one year ago)