Sparks are one of my favorite bands and I was so excited for this movie – saw it in the theater right when it was released. The problem was that it was just plain B-O-R-I-N-G! That was quite a feat considering\u00c2\u00a0how interesting\u00c2\u00a0of a band they are. What was the point of this project? They surely won’t pick up any new fans with this; none will even make it through! And for big fans like me – we already know the albums. Going through\u00c2\u00a0them (all 25) one by one was torture. I wanted to know more about Russ and Ron, and had the same unanswered questions that you did.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Huge missed opportunity\u00c2\u00a0in my opinion.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rich Madow<\/p>\n
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Really great points; even as a Sparks fan, I agree with all of them. I was disappointed with the Velvets doc for different reasons, though both had a similar \u00e2\u20ac\u0153designer chips bag\u00e2\u20ac\u009d quality.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Probably dating myself here, but the last two truly great rock docs I recall seeing are New York Doll and Mayor of Sunset Strip. The latter plays (more?) creepily in the wake of the Fowley business, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s still quality film nonetheless. As is Doll, which has all the bathos and will to triumph that great artist stories are built on, plus Mormons!<\/p>\n
It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not a rock documentary, but to me, Zwigoff\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Crumb is the gold standard for capturing warts-and-all creative genius.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Good stuff,
\nCasey Rae<\/p>\n
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I gotta think the $ in the off US years was Europe & Japan. I thought it was better than the VU doc (too art monster) but the last 45 min dragged heavily.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Steve Tipp<\/p>\n
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now do \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Annette\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
Marius de vries<\/p>\n
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I’ve been a Sparks fan for eons… While in college I took a class in French literature…(no I’m not that smart) and required reading was the French comedy writer of the 1600’s… Moliere… I connected the dots and realized that Sparks were rock and roll’s answer to a French comedy.. Moliere!!!\u00c2\u00a0 I loved the movie.. and yes it was a bit laborious at the end.. going over every album in chronological order coincides with their oddness. I thought the movie showed a great relationship of family… and that after 50 years brothers can still get along and love life..\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Jeff Laufer<\/p>\n
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I’m a fan of Sparks so I loved it besides the director Wright being brilliant telling their story in a unique exciting way for the youth of today.\u00c2\u00a0 At the theatre there were more kids working behind the counter asking my friends and I about the band than in the seats.\u00c2\u00a0 Cult band that even I admit am not crazy about half the records they made.\u00c2\u00a0 Similar to the Zappa documentary I really dug the early period.\u00c2\u00a0 Everyone should cut it off earlier like the Zeppelin one coming out.\u00c2\u00a0 I know there is an agenda with the Sparks legacy living on but at this point is it still really to an average movie goer or 70’s\/80’s fan of the band ?\u00c2\u00a0 That is the 10,000 dollar question.\u00c2\u00a0 I think we already know the answer.<\/p>\n
Peter Gianakopoulos
\nThe Old School Records<\/p>\n
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The Sparks Brothers Movie is just way too long. \u00c2\u00a0 With a 90 minute film you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d have got a taster and wondered how Sparks passed you by.\u00c2\u00a0 At 140 minutes you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve heard it all and are not surprised they never made it big.\u00c2\u00a0 Edgar Wright is still a genius though.\u00c2\u00a0 Last Night in Soho is a belter.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Andrew Harting<\/p>\n
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I just watched the trailer. Are you sure it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not a joke? With all those people pretending they were a big deal? (It certainly sounds like it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a joke.) \u00c2\u00a0I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll have to watch!<\/p>\n
Jeffrey Ainis<\/p>\n
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Tell me this Bob – why should everyone else be denied the chance to see a movie on a huge theater screen, just because YOU don’t want to?\u00c2\u00a0 Millions of people still like to go to the movies.\u00c2\u00a0 The fact you’re not one of them is probably the fault of the substandard theaters in your area (and Covid), not the movie theatre industry as a whole.\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8A film gets a buzz out of a theatrical release that it will never get from a straight to video release.\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8Mike Blakesley\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8(A theater owner)<\/p>\n
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We did a sneak peek screening last June, where Chad Smith and GE Smith introduced the film. This was when nobody was going to theaters, but they came out for this.\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a one-of-a-kind film. Especially if you fancied yourself a stay at home music historian.\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8D<\/p>\n
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I liked it but WAAAAAY too long.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Karen Bliss<\/p>\n
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Sparks are the future of rock. A niche act with a small but totally loyal fanbase.\u00c2\u00a0 No piles of gold, just being able to have a modest but very lovely life playing music for decades.\u00c2\u00a0 What more can you ask for?<\/p>\n
Sara Joseph<\/p>\n
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Love your review. I actually enjoyed the movie and agree with one interviewee’s view of their ability to age elegantly in the pop music business. Still, I had some carps of my own.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Though he owns up to the silliness of his literal visual, making them meta doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t make them any less silly.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
The film does address the money issue by saying that when they were flush they saved their money rather than putting it up their nose or buying flashy cars and big houses, but I too would have liked more personal background.<\/p>\n
While I was left with admiration for their ambition, independence, and stick to it attitude, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t find their music any more interesting than I did at the time.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Be well<\/p>\n
Michael Ross<\/p>\n
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\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6I loved every minute of it!<\/p>\n
Tommy Allen<\/p>\n
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Boy do I think you have this wrong. At first I thought this another attempt at another Spinal Tapesque movie.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
But I was an avid listener at the time and I had never heard of them. The documentary was about fascinating quirkiness. It doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really answer any questions maybe because the point is to leave you wondering about everything.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now that I have seen the documentary would I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d be interested if they were on your podcast? Oh yeah, they left you with hours of questions.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Marc Menchel<\/p>\n
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The Sparks Brother movie is the prequel to Annette by Leos Carax. When watched one after the other it makes both movies better.<\/p>\n
Mathieu-Gilles-Lanciault<\/p>\n
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You ask the same questions I do. How do they exist when they don’t have jobs? And nothing about their personal lives. I watched out of curiosity because I first became aware of them via the Rollercoaster film. And Paul McCartney imitation of Ron in the Coming Up video.\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8They’re a total cult band.\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8Peace\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8Tim Clary\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8P.S. And you’re right about it being on Netflix. I had no idea either.<\/p>\n
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Loathe them more than Helen Reddy …. stay bright, Andrew Loog Oldham<\/p>\n
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You have asked the ultimate question,\u00c2\u00a0everyone wonders. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153How do\/did you survive\u00e2\u20ac\u009d? That would be a documentary.\u00c2\u00a0 Bands\/artists work hard to have that moment, that success continuing success (Cash\u00c2\u00a0Flow) for most it never happens. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the elephant room. It goes against the rock star image the fans want. A day job is too normal not cool.\u00c2\u00a0 Fans don’t want\u00c2\u00a0to see “Rock Stars current\u00c2\u00a0or past” bagging Groceries or selling you life insurance.\u00c2\u00a0 Better staring in a documentary.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
You never said the run time of the film. By your review,\u00c2\u00a0it sounds like Gone with The Wind\/ Another Peter Jackson Trilogy or at feels like it. I will go see it and drink coffee before I attend just in case.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dave May<\/p>\n
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Hey Bob – I really enjoyed the Sparks movie! Yeah, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a bit completist and longer than it needs to be, but I had never really got Sparks\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 music, and after seeing this, I picked up a couple of their albums, including a triple vinyl best of, that really covers all the bases. \u00c2\u00a0I thought the fact that it covered every album was part of the neurotically humorous charm – I mean, The Bee Gees doc skipped their Sgt. Pepper disaster, instead blaming racism against disco for their career receding in the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dc80s, when I would argue overexposure combined with a couple questionable career decisions were to blame.<\/p>\n
Jim McGuinn<\/p>\n
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thanks for the review but i respectfully disagree, in a big way. \u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8in spite of being a former professional musician (who quit due to financial non success), a big music fan and having worked for a BMG affiliate early in my career, I had never heard of Sparks.\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8i watched at the recomendation of a data scientist music loving colleague.\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8This is the best music doc i have ever seen. i was absolutely riveted for the entire movie.\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8I too wondered how the band survived financially, but honestly it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s non of my business- the fact\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8is they somehow afforded to make such amazing art for 20+ albums, and the art is what i wanted to learn about. not if a rich uncle left them money to live or if they invested in apple and that funded their band.\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8i don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t actually like a lot of their songs, but i respect the hell out of their ability to never stop making music that they wanted to make. ANd, the movie shows they beautifully.\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8thank you for reading.\u00c2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Peter Oriol<\/p>\n
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I never heard of them.<\/p>\n
Mike Donahue<\/p>\n
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Gary Stewart was my first boss when I got out of college. I worked at Rhino from 1982-1984. Gary did try to recruit me into the Sparks fandom, but it was not my thing. I watched this documentary and had a flood of emotions watching my earliest mentor wax poetic on a band I never really understood. I went to nearly every “Losers Christmas Party” Gary threw. The last one I clearly remember the Mael brothers standing 3 feet away from me talking to mutual friends. I have never been a fan of the band, but any friends of Gary’s…<\/p>\n
Marc Platt\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8Radio Candy\u00e2\u20ac\u00a8Los Angeles, California<\/p>\n
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\u00c2\u00a0One glaring question remains unanswered by this film……
\n\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0Why do people keep giving these guys RECORD DEALS!?
\n\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0 Their early work, as technically proficient as it is, is\u00c2\u00a0 just too campy..It’s like they heard “Sweet Transvestite”, and said, ” Yeah! Let’s base a career around THAT!”..
\n\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0 The guy is singing out of his range, and it sounds strained and unpleasant..The piano playing is fluent, but unfocused..
\n\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0 Their 80s records are not bad..The synth work is tasteful, and the vocals are palatable..They should’ve cracked the code and been MTV stars..The hooks just weren’t there..
\n\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0 But their biggest claim to fame was always, and always WILL be the keyboard player’s onstage schtick..
\n\u00c2\u00a0 \u00c2\u00a0I was kinda’ hoping to discover some cool older tunes to dive into..NOT!<\/p>\n
James Spencer<\/p>\n
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Despite being big in Britain I’d never taken any notice of them Bob – I viewed This Town Ain’t Big Enough… as a gimmick single, but after reading your review I decided to spin
\na few later live vids on youtube and was pleasantly surprised – this performance with the excellent Catherine Ringer is great, but others without her are too +\u00c2\u00a0 the audiences\u00c2\u00a0
\nare really pumped.<\/p>\n
Singing in the Shower
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