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Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) - A movie about They Might Be Giants
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JazzDigger Home > A - Jazz Artists > Jim Adams > Item 30
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Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) - A movie about They Might Be Giants
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by John Flansburgh, John Linnell, Conan O'Brien, Glenn Morrow, and Sarah Vowell
Price:$21.99
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Listener Reviews & Comments
This review can be broken into two: the film, and the DVD. Positive and negative reviews of "Gigantic" stressed A.J. Schnack's uncritical look at the band, which worried me at first: the violins from "Kiss Me, Son of God" started playing in my head. Fortunately, that isn't a valid criticism of this film. Schnack loves his Giants, but it's not like rock documentaries, for all their preening and scowling ("The Filth and the Fury" immediately comes to mind), really get down to smashing icons. John Flansburgh and John Linnell, to their credit, don't take a Johnny Rotten plunge into ego and self-congratulation: whatever you think of their music, the Johns seem perfectly affable and modest about their particular niche in pop culture. Despite that, "Gigantic" as a film is flawed. TMBG's story of non-conformists not conforming is worth telling, but Schnack's narrative is extremely choppy. He starts in their childhood, shoots out to New York, spends an inordinate amount of time on "Don't Let's Start," skips "Lincoln" and barrels into Elektra, all in the space of a few breathless minutes. You feel like you've just landed on your head when the segment on "Flood" begins, and you wish you could hear more about the East Village Club scene of the 80s, or the recording of the first albums. The interviews aren't especially well-edited, either, and Ira Glass and Sarah Vowell (no slam on their other work) go on too long about the uniqueness of TMBG, which has already been established by the time they appear. The film is saved in part by Schnack's sense of humor: he does a killer parody of Ken Burns at one point in the film. The Johns themselves -- funny, creative and immensely likeable -- are the great grace of "Gigantic." As Robert Krulwich says, they're secure in their "somethingness," and you gradually grow to admire their hard work and stubborn refusal to bow to label or audience. What's left at the end is an imperfect but unusual music film, one with little conflict but an inspiring point about being yourself, keeping your head and following your muse, an accomplishment few other professional bands can claim. Once you plunge into the remainder of the disc, though, the failings of "Gigantic" are quickly forgotten. The DVD is terrific, and not simply because of the quantity of extras: there's plenty of stuff diehards will enjoy, from concert chatter to an appearance on Nick Rocks in the late 80s, as well as an amusing and generally insightful commentary from Flansburgh, Linnell, Schnack and Vowell. Other extras, though, make the band's case for greatness in ways "Gigantic" alone could not: five of Adam Bernstein's groundbreaking videos for the band are showcased, with introductions from Bernstein and the Johns themselves. There's also rare and exhilarating footage of the two-man band performing "Mr. Me" and "Hide Away Folk Family" in Milwaukee in the late 80s. And, in a rare and laudable bit of generosity from musician to musician, you get Cub's original "New York City," a great song in its own right that got better in the Johns' rearrangement. A number of DVDs will add extras willy-nilly with little thought toward advancing the viewer's understanding of the film. "Gigantic" not only illuminates the film, but strengthens its argument: the features ultimately enhance the movie's point on the Johns' greatness. It's rare to see a DVD flesh out a film so well, and it's a shame we don't see it more.
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Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) - A movie about They Might Be Giants
by John Flansburgh, John Linnell, Conan O'Brien, Glenn Morrow, and Sarah Vowell
Price:$21.99
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|
|
