The second best-selling T-shirt for poseurs everywhere.
HERC really wanted to like this movie. After all, it is a fascinating true story that has been well documented by the many participants and has perhaps the greatest soundtrack potential a movie has ever had. Yet he kept his expectations in check, planning to catch the film in the cheaper theater after its initial run. HERC did finally see the film and it was a complete and total mess from the writing to the directing, the distracting casting to the skimpy soundtrack. If CBGB isn't the worst film ever featured here on the Friday Hideaway Film Fest, it is defintitely in the Top 3. Someone needs to make a really good CBGB documentary NOW!
Of the hundreds of possible songs that could have been used, that are even remotely relevant to the story, the film used maybe 50 songs. Maybe that's all the producers could acquire within their budget or maybe that's all that they could acquire the rights for. Still, 50 songs would make an truly awesome multiple disc soundtrack album. But that wasn't the case.
Three different soundtrack configurations (image above shows two of them) were released: a punk pink double vinyl set*, a single CD (each of which features 20 songs) and a Deluxe Digital Version available as a download which features an additional thirteen songs. WIll Hermes, in his review of the soundtrack for Rolling Stone, not so secretly called out HERC ("Any half-wit with Spotify") while bestowing the album with a three star rating. HERC found all but three songs from the movie on Spotify.
*The pink translucent vinyl is limted to first pressings only - HERC was unable to find out how many copies were made
*The pink translucent vinyl is limted to first pressings only - HERC was unable to find out how many copies were made
And the best selling shirt for poseurs is?
ReplyDeleteBased on my years of informal research at the mall, its THIS ONE
ReplyDeleteAlways nice to see Blondie on the soundtrack but...you gotta be kidding me with zero Ramones! (Yes, I saw two Joey Ramone tracks there but where is the whole group?)
ReplyDeleteThe workaround the movie used - showing the band performing Joey's later solo stuff was insulting, I thought.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand it is very punk not to be included. (Or inducted.) Just ask the Sex Pistols.
Since three of the original four Ramones are no longer with us, getting rights and permissions from their heirs can be tricky bu$ine$$.
Not $aying it'$ all about the money but more than a million mall minion$ wearing their T-$hirt$ $ay$ otherwi$e.
HERC sincerely thanks all the people who obviously know infinitely more about the CBGB scene then he does that took the time to write in anonymously.
ReplyDeleteThere is a 2009 documentary called Burning Down The House: The Story Of CBGB.
HERC is trying to track down a copy.