Wednesday, May 19, 2004
Almost Famous
Alright, I am sick and tired of discussing politics. The realisation that wingnuts are the same everywhere (India and the U.S. anyway) took a little while to dawn on me. So, I decided to fuck it and watch for the seventh time Almost Famous, one of the best, if not the best rock n' roll movie ever made. It is also one of the best coming of age movies ever made. For those who came in late, the movie is auto-biographical in the sense that it is based in part on the time Cameron Crowe (the director) spent on the road with the great Led Zeppelin when he was just 15 and doing a cover story for Rolling Stone.
Crowe's story is very entertaining -- think Huckleberry Finn on a tour bus -- but his direction is even better. But the music, the music is what makes the movie. Directed by Nancy Wilson (of Heart fame and Cameron Crowe's wife), the soundtrack is like a who's who of rock n' roll and even includes tracks by Led Zeppelin, who are well known for their stinginess in contributing to film sundtracks. Stillwater's (the fictional band in the movie) music is courtesy of Peter Frampton and the Wilson sisters.
Combine The Who, Bowie, Cat Stevens, Lou Reed, Zeppelin, Allman etc with Crowe's story and direction, great acting by Patrick Fugit, the effervescent screen presence of Kate Hudson (whose Penny Lane is probably Crowe's adaptation of the legendary Zeppelin groupie, Lori Maddox) and you're ready to forget wingnuts. I did. Almost.
Crowe's story is very entertaining -- think Huckleberry Finn on a tour bus -- but his direction is even better. But the music, the music is what makes the movie. Directed by Nancy Wilson (of Heart fame and Cameron Crowe's wife), the soundtrack is like a who's who of rock n' roll and even includes tracks by Led Zeppelin, who are well known for their stinginess in contributing to film sundtracks. Stillwater's (the fictional band in the movie) music is courtesy of Peter Frampton and the Wilson sisters.
Combine The Who, Bowie, Cat Stevens, Lou Reed, Zeppelin, Allman etc with Crowe's story and direction, great acting by Patrick Fugit, the effervescent screen presence of Kate Hudson (whose Penny Lane is probably Crowe's adaptation of the legendary Zeppelin groupie, Lori Maddox) and you're ready to forget wingnuts. I did. Almost.
