dvd town 2

loudQUIETloud: A film about the Pixies

It should be called: the somewhat disappointing film about how many ex-Pixies realized (a) they need money and (b) people still want to see them, leading to conclusion (c) let's get back on tour.
(A tour that I totally would have supported, had I not been with my darling husband hiking the Sierra when they trod through NC.)

As far as music documentaries go, this was kind of weak. I think End of the Century was much more interesting. I kind of think even DiG! was more interesting. Perhaps the Pixies' entertainment value was hampered by the emphasis on sobriety. Perhaps it was hampered by the fact that so little of the film featured the music. For whatever reason, it merits a "meh."

Our comments:
(1) Kevin: Kim and Kelley Deal should have their own reality show. They're hilarious.*
(2) Amy: I wish Frank Black would keep his shirt on.**

* They really were.
** Seriously, 75 percent of the non-concert footage of Black Francis a.k.a. Frank Black a.k.a. Charles Thompson showed him stripped to his shorts, usually sprawled out on some hotel bed. Ugh.

Seven-Up! and Seven Plus Seven

These are the first two documentaries in the British "Up" series, and they are both informative and hilarious.

So the premise is that the director selected 14 seven-year-old kids in 1964, and he will follow them to see what the future "bankers and shop stewards" of Britain will be. As we hear often in the documentary, "give me a child until he is seven, and I will give you the man."

The kids are pretty adorable when they are seven - most are unabashedly precocious, while others are painfully shy. There are lots of little prep-school boys - the type who sing "Waltzing Matilda" in Latin - and a few public-school punks as well.

At fourteen, the kids are less adorable. They're actually a bit more painful; a few of the children are so awkward and so shy that they can barely look at the camera. (I think Neil and Suzy should get it on. They might be each other's only chance.) And, a few of the kids are much more punkish this time around, particularly John. As Kevin said, "that kid was the worst." At seven, he disliked the public-school kids because they were "quite dirty;" at fourteen, he was ready to get rid of the democratic right of labor unions to strike. I can only imagine what fascist stands he'll take at 21.

I'll just have to wait until this week's Netflix delivery.