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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 27, 2024 11:42:50 GMT
Sorry to have a dissenting opinion, but I'm not as...positive...as most fans seem to be.
First and maybe most minor, I don't subscribe to Disney+, so I'll have to contact the cable company and, I guess, download some kind of app (and pay for it) if I want to see the documentary when it comes out. I don't have a Smart TV; can I even see it on my TV - or will I have to sit in front of a computer monitor? I didn't expect the documentary to be on national TV (though it deserved to be and would've been nice), but I was holding out hope for a PBS American Masters-type showing. I was also hoping to view it on a non-pay cable TV station. There's enough of 'em out there.
While I didn't expect it, I was still hoping for a multi-episode documentary. I though Iconic had the funds. I thought a band like The Beach Boys deserved it. And, I thought the time/timing was right. Yes, the 60th Anniversary came and went, but the band - and Brian Wilson - are still getting a lot of attention. SMiLE, Pet Sounds, and Brian's influence/reputation are constantly in the news. While they might not have been rousing commercial successes, there have been some major archival releases over the last decade. Of course, we or Iconic had no idea what was to come with the unfortunate passing of Melinda Wilson and Brian's dementia diagnosis, but that news continues to appear on the internet and with that comes curious, prospective fans.
So, we'll have a two-hour documentary. We've been there before, trying to squeeze three, four, five, now six decades into two hours. I can probably make a serious guess as to what will be skimmed over...again...and what won't receive enough attention. One of the drawbacks of a shorter documentary is that you only get parts of songs instead of full performances. That can be frustrating. Again, I think some of The Beach Boys' songs deserve to be shown in full. Also, I'm not a big fan of talking heads praising the band every minute or so. That does very little for me. Maybe some would be appropriate but not an overflow. Janaelle Monae? I would like to see more of an historical approach (just the facts, please) than a celebrity parade. And, speaking of interviews, and specifically the core group and surviving members, did they wait too long to get anything substantial, significant, or new from the guys. Will they continue to be on auto-pilot? I'm especially skeptical about Brian's interviews, input, or lack of. He was already going back a bit on the Long Promised Road documentary, and those interviews were, what, four or five years ago?
I see there's going to be a soundtrack album. I have no idea what that will turn out to be, but I'm getting a vibe that it will be comprised of songs that we already have. What else could it be that wasn't already released from 1962-1973? Post-1973 unreleased stuff?
Other than that, I'm looking forward to it!
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 27, 2024 11:52:57 GMT
I share a lot of those thoughts, actually. I'm excited because it's something that's coming; but sure, I'm disappointed in what it seems it's not going to be.
One thing I'm really curious about is how differently they shape the stories than they did a few decades ago, in Endless Harmony. It seems that was on the front end of recognizing and promoting Dennis Wilson's talent as a musician: will there be similar moments of new perspectives that shape fanhood over the coming years?
As for the talking heads, I don't know. You can never please everyone (anyone?). They're always going to try to balance oldies with more modern acts. So I wasn't surprised at all to see Lindsey Buckingham (again) and Don Was (again). Janelle Monae might seem odd to some, but remember that she brought in Brian as a guest vocalist on her 2018 album Dirty Computer. And regardless of what the band's original fans might expect or want, it is no surprise that they're trying to diversify the voices, so a queer, black woman makes sense as an addition. Ryan Tedder is another one, maybe not a favorite or an authority to older generations, but he has been a massively successful producer. There are always contemporary voices like those added to such docs to show the subject's influence over time.
I'm excited because it's coming: it's a new doc to watch. But I'm not exactly breathlessly cheerleading it, either.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Mar 27, 2024 12:52:44 GMT
I share a lot of those thoughts, actually. I'm excited because it's something that's coming; but sure, I'm disappointed in what it seems it's not going to be. One thing I'm really curious about is how differently they shape the stories than they did a few decades ago, in Endless Harmony. It seems that was on the front end of recognizing and promoting Dennis Wilson's talent as a musician: will there be similar moments of new perspectives that shape fanhood over the coming years? I never had much of a problem with the shaping of the stories or the factual presentation of said stories, but simply the minutes - or lack of - dedicated to them. There's just too much to include in two hours. It's common sense. Too much is gonna get short-changed.
Some of the Beach Boys' history has now become part of rock & roll history. The "stories" are legendary. They go beyond Beach Boys' fandom. Never mind the glory years of 1962-1966. It's what happened after that which needs more commentary, exploring, and perspective. We know all the chapters - SMiLE, Brian's reclusive period (the mid-1970s), Brian Is Back, Dr. Landy Part 1 and 2, Dennis Wilson's rise and self-destruction, the 1980s, Carl Wilson's death, Brian's solo career's effect on the group, the 2012 reunion, and on and on. You can't do justice to those topics in two hours. Why couldn't they go with a two-part (four hour) format? Hey, Ken Burns, you out there?
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Post by kds on Mar 27, 2024 14:58:19 GMT
Let's hope there's enough response to it that it gets a physical release. I got the Beatles Get Back DVD set from my library several months after it aired on Disney. I wasn't even sure it was on DVD; none of the usual stores - Wal Mart, Target, etc - had it. As it turns out, getting it from the library was enough. It was kind of frustrating, no complete songs till the very end, the rooftop performance. It was interesting to watch once, but if I want the songs, I put on my old Let it Be VHS. Endless Harmony did a better job of telling the story of the Beach Boys than An American Band, but I find I watch the latter more because the emphasis there is on the music. That depends on whether you want a documentary or a video anthology.
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Post by kds on Mar 27, 2024 15:02:07 GMT
I'm hoping with the lack of details we have so far that maybe they'll expand upon a two hour doc. Endless Harmony was around two hours, and I thought that felt short.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 27, 2024 15:09:14 GMT
I'm hoping with the lack of details we have so far that maybe they'll expand upon a two hour doc. Endless Harmony was around two hours, and I thought that felt short. It's worth noting that when I threw out it being two hours, that was purely me speculating (as I actually noted in the post) based on no mention of a multipart series. But it very well could be longer, or even multiple parts all dropped simultaneously on that release date. We just don't know. My best guess is still that it's a one-part, approximately two-hour running time based on what's been said. But there's no reason getting too upset over speculation. It could be two hours long, it could be four hours long. (Hell, knowing this band, it might end up 42 minutes long, as if it were for a one-hour, commercial television release... )
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Post by kds on Mar 27, 2024 15:13:58 GMT
I'm hoping with the lack of details we have so far that maybe they'll expand upon a two hour doc. Endless Harmony was around two hours, and I thought that felt short. It's worth noting that when I threw out it being two hours, that was purely me speculating (as I actually noted in the post) based on no mention of a multipart series. But it very well could be longer, or even multiple parts all dropped simultaneously on that release date. We just don't know. My best guess is still that it's a one-part, approximately two-hour running time based on what's been said. But there's no reason getting too upset over speculation. It could be two hours long, it could be four hours long. (Hell, knowing this band, it might end up 42 minutes long, as if it were for a one-hour, commercial television release... ) Exactly, that's why I'm hoping that we'll find out it's longer than a standard two hour or so documentary. I know you joke about 42 mins, but there's the ghost of Doin It Again out there.
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Post by Kapitan on Mar 27, 2024 15:29:58 GMT
I know you joke about 42 mins, but there's the ghost of Doin It Again out there. I wish I were only joking! I'm half-joking, sure. But just half.
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Post by kds on Mar 27, 2024 15:58:20 GMT
I think one reason for optimism is the involvement of Thom Zimny, who has apparently been responsible for some pretty acclaimed docs in recent years.
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Post by carllove on Mar 27, 2024 20:35:46 GMT
Thankfully I signed up for Hulu and Disney + for $2.99 a month on Black Friday. Works for me!
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Post by lonelysummer on Mar 27, 2024 20:41:12 GMT
Let's hope there's enough response to it that it gets a physical release. I got the Beatles Get Back DVD set from my library several months after it aired on Disney. I wasn't even sure it was on DVD; none of the usual stores - Wal Mart, Target, etc - had it. As it turns out, getting it from the library was enough. It was kind of frustrating, no complete songs till the very end, the rooftop performance. It was interesting to watch once, but if I want the songs, I put on my old Let it Be VHS. Endless Harmony did a better job of telling the story of the Beach Boys than An American Band, but I find I watch the latter more because the emphasis there is on the music. That depends on whether you want a documentary or a video anthology. I'd like enough of the music featured to help explain to non-fans why, after 60 years, people are still fans of this band. I suspect what we will get though, is snippets of various performances (mostly from 1963-66), talking heads telling us how much this music influenced them, some conversation about Brian's demons, praise for the great Dennis Wilson, songwriter; and Mike boasting Kokomo. I hope I'm wrong.
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Post by jk on Mar 27, 2024 21:02:45 GMT
Let's hope there's enough response to it that it gets a physical release. I got the Beatles Get Back DVD set from my library several months after it aired on Disney. I wasn't even sure it was on DVD; none of the usual stores - Wal Mart, Target, etc - had it. As it turns out, getting it from the library was enough. It was kind of frustrating, no complete songs till the very end, the rooftop performance. It was interesting to watch once, but if I want the songs, I put on my old Let it Be VHS. Endless Harmony did a better job of telling the story of the Beach Boys than An American Band, but I find I watch the latter more because the emphasis there is on the music. Nothing frustrating about that for me. I agree with Cap'n, it was the footage of conversation, rehearsals and discussions that made Get Back such an extraordinary and revealing watch. It was about how the rooftop performance was arrived at, the sheer hard work and dedication of Paul in keeping the process on the rails, up to and including the crucial involvement of Billy Preston when things looked particularly bleak. I'd go so far as to say it wouldn't have mattered much if they hadn't included the rooftop performance. That in itself wasn't what the documentary was about...
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Post by kds on Mar 27, 2024 21:10:09 GMT
That depends on whether you want a documentary or a video anthology. I'd like enough of the music featured to help explain to non-fans why, after 60 years, people are still fans of this band. I suspect what we will get though, is snippets of various performances (mostly from 1963-66), talking heads telling us how much this music influenced them, some conversation about Brian's demons, praise for the great Dennis Wilson, songwriter; and Mike boasting Kokomo. I hope I'm wrong. I mean, are non fans really tuning in to watch a two hour documentary on The Beach Boys? I think snippets of performances is plenty in a doc about a band. I'm watching the doc because I've heard the music, now I want the story.
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Post by kds on Mar 27, 2024 21:10:53 GMT
Thankfully I signed up for Hulu and Disney + for $2.99 a month on Black Friday. Works for me! I got Hulu and Peacock deals that day.
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Post by carllove on Mar 28, 2024 12:35:43 GMT
Thankfully I signed up for Hulu and Disney + for $2.99 a month on Black Friday. Works for me! I got Hulu and Peacock deals that day. I already had Peacock - I like to watch SNL the next day and they get some great movies. Maybe I should drop them in the fall and see if I can get a deal in December?
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