I went to the movies!
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Michael Grant
Jul 9, 2021, 2:55:33 PM7/9/21
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For the first time since feb 2020.
I’ve been getting restless as hell on my in-laws farm on this family vacay…somehow the local multiplex had Summer of Soul showing in Traverse City, MI.
Im a sucker for music docs and especially concert docs, but gotta say this one is truly outstanding from a filmmaking standpoint beyond the (incredible) previously unreleased footage.
Questlove did so goooooood with this one. It’s end-to-end performances but with interviews and little info drops that actually add to (instead of just talk over) what he’s showing us. And the themes/topics/digressions discussed are all sync’d with the song choices, which is fucking brilliant. Like he didn’t just choose the best clips, but the right ones that allowed him to explore the full context of the community, culture, and music.
Also he made the (perfect) choice to treat it as one concert even though it’s compiled from six weekends. And you can feel while watching it that some stories emerged during the edit process, or even just anecdotes, and he followed or gave space to those in the final piece rather than forcing it all into a preconceived flow. It’s generous of spirit and non-formulaic that way.
Anyway, I was blown away by the power of the music when I was in the theater—seeing sky and the family stone, Stevie wonder, mavis staples, Nina Simone and so many more will do that—but a day later and I’m thinking about how Questlove also turned it into a history *and* music lesson so elegantly and electrically.
An awesome addition to the upper echelon of concert docs, and a perfect way to get back to something I missed so much.
I’ve been getting restless as hell on my in-laws farm on this family vacay…somehow the local multiplex had Summer of Soul showing in Traverse City, MI.
Im a sucker for music docs and especially concert docs, but gotta say this one is truly outstanding from a filmmaking standpoint beyond the (incredible) previously unreleased footage.
Questlove did so goooooood with this one. It’s end-to-end performances but with interviews and little info drops that actually add to (instead of just talk over) what he’s showing us. And the themes/topics/digressions discussed are all sync’d with the song choices, which is fucking brilliant. Like he didn’t just choose the best clips, but the right ones that allowed him to explore the full context of the community, culture, and music.
Also he made the (perfect) choice to treat it as one concert even though it’s compiled from six weekends. And you can feel while watching it that some stories emerged during the edit process, or even just anecdotes, and he followed or gave space to those in the final piece rather than forcing it all into a preconceived flow. It’s generous of spirit and non-formulaic that way.
Anyway, I was blown away by the power of the music when I was in the theater—seeing sky and the family stone, Stevie wonder, mavis staples, Nina Simone and so many more will do that—but a day later and I’m thinking about how Questlove also turned it into a history *and* music lesson so elegantly and electrically.
An awesome addition to the upper echelon of concert docs, and a perfect way to get back to something I missed so much.
B.J. De Guzman
Jul 11, 2021, 3:18:46 AM7/11/21
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I'm definitely convinced and will check it out. Appreciate it!
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B.J. De Guzman
michael grant
Jul 12, 2021, 2:19:32 PM7/12/21
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Sounds like it's already available on Hulu too!
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