Members Anderton Posted August 1, 2014 Members Share Posted August 1, 2014 Saw the preview a while back, and it looks like it will be pretty cool. Early reports are that the actor who plays James Brown is outstanding. Part of me wants to go ASAP, but the way movies are these days, I might wait until I get the go-ahead from people who are actual musicians... How many here plan to check it out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted August 1, 2014 Members Share Posted August 1, 2014 Probably not. Though a kind of interesting guy. Maybe a little mixed up. Those law and order, conservative types -- he was a NIXON backer and thought Reagan -- REAGAN -- was the smartest president ever! -- but who nonetheless use drugs and try to run down cops -- are usually quite a handful.* I'm not much into bio-pics. I think one of the few I've seen was the Doors thing, which I didn't hate, but didn't love. (Still, I thought it was overall reasonably good. I had complex feelings about Morrison, as an early fan who lost patience, so the movie's tone wasn't a problem for me, as it apparently was for a number of others who have become vocal about the movie in the years since it came out.) I also saw Amadeus and a few of the Ken Russell composer 'bios.' You know the music biz bio I'd really like to see made? The Jimmy Donley Story. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...ryId=126422467 http://www.rockabillyhall.com/JimmyDonley.html http://crazycajunmusic.com/bio-jimmy-donley [warning: auto-play background music] * PS... may not sound like it above, but I'm a pretty big JB fan, when his career is considered, overall. A fine R&B singer when he was young, and one of the prime movers of modern funk... When I was in the hospital, in traction, for most of two months in 1980, someone brought in a tape of JB at Budokan. Smokin' band, smokin' performances. Get on up, indeed. They really lifted my spirits. So, mixed up guy, for sure, but I'll always be grateful for some fine R&B and some amazingly sharp funk! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 1, 2014 Share Posted August 1, 2014 I'm definitely a fan of the music, but I probably won't see it in the theater. I very rarely see anything in the theater, and wait for it to hit cable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted August 2, 2014 Moderators Share Posted August 2, 2014 I'll be going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Geoff Grace Posted August 2, 2014 Members Share Posted August 2, 2014 Man, talk about your feel good movies! [video=youtube;sIxSWE4uCJg] If it's half as good as Ray was, I'm there. Best, Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted August 2, 2014 Members Share Posted August 2, 2014 "Walk The LIne" was alright. "Buena Vista Social Club" was fascinating, but that's not a bio-pic, it's a music documentary. I dunno, the phrase "bio pic" usually sets off my red lights, but who knows, this could be good. There's a Hendrix one that's either out or going to be out, I think, but that one just....I don't know, it didn't quite appeal to me, and I'm not sure why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AlamoJoe Posted August 13, 2014 Members Share Posted August 13, 2014 I'll wait for it to hit Redbox probably...But anybody who doesn't think "Poppa's got a brand new bag" ain't the absolute baddest..Ain't got the slightest bit of funk in their body and should be banished!! It's the one baby! Hit it on the one! Good Gawd! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted August 15, 2014 Author Members Share Posted August 15, 2014 Well, I saw it. A few comments... Chadwick Boseman really is amazing. He sets a standard the rest of the movie couldn't possibly match...genius casting. Like Purple Rain, there's electrifying concert footage but someone felt it was necessary to put a movie in between them. It follows the actual biography really closely. It's very much intended to be accurate. As such, overall it's ultimately a combination of "wow, he sure made it under impossible circumstances" coupled with "this is pretty depressing." The attempts to be "arty" with intercuts from different periods of his life come across as the antithesis of funk. For those born after the 60s, it gives a pretty good idea of the racial climate of the times without being judgemental. It's worth it just to see Boseman and the re-created concert footage. But if you wait for the DVD, you can fast forward to the good bits, and see the rest later if you're feeling too happy and need to be depressed a little bit. But it is a powerful and well-done movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted August 16, 2014 Members Share Posted August 16, 2014 Well, cool. It did get my red flags up a little bit, but I also have kept hearing that Boseman was super super great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted August 17, 2014 Author Members Share Posted August 17, 2014 Well' date=' cool. It did get my red flags up a little bit, but I also have kept hearing that Boseman was super super great.[/quote'] His portrayal is really quite astonishing. Probably the best job I've seen of getting across the aura of an actual person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Geoff Grace Posted August 17, 2014 Members Share Posted August 17, 2014 I just watched Chadwick Boseman in 42 on HBO. What a moving film and performance! Looking forward to seeing his portrayal of James Brown... Best, Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted August 17, 2014 Members Share Posted August 17, 2014 I really want to see 42, and heard he was really good in that also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted August 17, 2014 Members Share Posted August 17, 2014 Also, I was in awe of Jackie Robinson growing up. Still am. I would really love to see that movie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dalejanus Posted August 18, 2014 Members Share Posted August 18, 2014 Chadwick Boseman BECAME James Brown. Excellent performance by Boseman. It's a great movie. I think you have to be at least baby boomer age to really appreciate the some of the movie's aspects. The movie jumps around somewhat, but it all works. The movie tries to show what a difficult person he was, how quickly and completely he could change. Like near the end of the movie, he fires his very long time friend all because the guys wonders aloud what it would be like if he could sell out a theater like the one they just performed in.It's a bio pic, if you want authentic James Brown performances, watch youtube. If you want Brown's story, this is pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Cool review - thanks for posting that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Geoff Grace Posted February 10, 2015 Members Share Posted February 10, 2015 I finally saw the film on cable tonight. My already high opinion of Chadwick Boseman's acting only increased after watching him embody James Brown. I was bothered a little at first by the film's tendency to frequently jump back and forth to different points in time, but I could see why it helped the story by drawing together themes of JB's life. And since Craig braced us (above) for the painful aspects, I was able to handle the depressing sections pretty well. In short: excellent acting, good film, great music. Chadwick Boseman deserves an Oscar. It's too bad that this was the Academy's "whitest year" since 1998. Best, Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members monstermaker Posted February 11, 2015 Members Share Posted February 11, 2015 I'll see it on cable. I worked with a guy who played with him in a pickup band briefly. John was in the army and offered a chance to make some extra money because he played in the band on base. He told me he quit after 2 weeks because Brown worked him so hard. I had to laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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