Really Surprised!

Crappy film

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

The film takes a three-pronged approach. First, there are interviews done in contemporary time, with the three principals of Rush, and well-known musicians who admire them, or were influenced by them. Second, there are interviews with family, handlers, and music industry associates. Third, there are many archival clips of live performances of Rush.Their growth from getting their first radio play in Cleveland to being well-known was quite engaging; the first hour slipped by quickly, going from nowhere to the album Moving Pictures. Then the issue of dealing with fame started to come in. Fan interaction rose strongly. Alex and Geddy were fine with that, but Neil was more of a private person and avoids interactions.The band's character and their fans' characteristics are compared in lots of detail. Neil was the principal lyricist, and his special talent seems to be reflecting his deep literacy in terms that just about anyone can understand. Further, their music tends to be complex, yet still accessible.In the eighties, the group switched producer and instruments toward synthesizers, electronic drumsets, and keyboards. They trended toward shorter songs with less complexity, less bass, and more keyboard. Some of their fans drifted away, many others did not.As one of their industry admirers put it, there were different periods of Rush, and that is one of the things that makes them interesting. Toward the end of the eighties, they switched producers again, and went back into being a 'power trio' again, but in the current context.Around 1997, Neil's daughter died in an accident, and his wife passed from illness not too long after. He embarked on a long trip on motorcycle (55k miles). The band shutdown while Neil healed.When Neil returned, there was a period of getting his chops back. They recorded a new album; they went on the road again. The band was rejuvenated, and traveled to places where they had ever been before, to large audiences. In the 21st century, some of their fans from the seventies celebrate them: the makers of South Park and Steven Colbert, for instance.Up to the time the documentary was made, the band was going strong. As Geddy said at one point, Rush is the world's most popular cult band.-----Scores-----Cinematography: 9/10 Nicely done. The archival footage clips look like the eras they came from, but the current interviews looks sharp and well-produced.Sound: 10/10 Seldom disappoints. I wish there had been more concert footage, but the exposition was too good to be omitted.Acting: z/10 Not really applicable here.Screenplay: 10/10 Well-organised, well-presented, and rich in the level of information that it presents.

I'm going to my first Rush concert next month with a self-confessed Rush nerd so I have been busy educating myself about the band. My friend gave me this highly entertaining and informative documentary about them.It is a quite conventional documentary. The band members tell the story of how they met and how the band was formed. Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson were High School friends in Toronto with similar backgrounds with European immigrant parents. Even now it is clear that they are very close and they jokingly still refer to Neil Peart as the "new guy".Rare footage is included of the band at a Toronto high School gig with original drummer John Rutsey.The replacement of Rutsey with Peart is discussed, followed by unexpected success in the mid seventies. They talk about their various albums, admitting some were better than others. The notoriously reserved Peart also discusses the death of his daughter and wife in a very short period of time and how he recovered enough to be able to rejoin the band. Various musicians such as Jimmy Corgan and Jack Black explain why they like Rush.There are also interviews with fans, explaining how the band appeals to them. The DVD special features include live songs from various concerts throughout their career and Lee and Lifeson revisting some of their old haunts in suburban Toronto.Although Rush never seems to have had great credibility in the mainstream rock & roll media they have a huge number of fans. This movie tries to explain that and I think it succeeds. It also gives us an insight into the life stories of three serious but down to earth musicians. The band members are refreshingly honest and apparently lacking in ego so it is easy to like them.

I only "discovered" RUSH 3 short months ago. Before seeing this documentary, I was aware of the few RUSH songs I'd heard on radio - but I would never have name checked them as a great rock band.In the short time since then (a period during which I have picked up almost all their CDs), RUSH has displaced the Beatles as my favourite band of all time. I assure you that's no small feat - I remain one of the most avid Beatles fans you will ever encounter. This said, if you love the Beatles, you won't necessarily love RUSH - and unlike the almost universally appealing Beatles, RUSH's music seems to be a love it or hate it affair.RUSH has many different styles and eras to their vast repertoire of songs, and their level of musicianship is without parallel. It's rarely "conventional" rock, but that's what makes it so interesting.To date, Rush has 24 gold records, 14 of which are platinum (3 multi-platinum). That places them third behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for the most consecutive gold or platinum albums by any rock band. Amazingly, they've achieved that distinction with comparatively little radio support. This documentary provides insights into how word-of-mouth made that happen one fan at a time.A key strength of this documentary is highlighting the significance of Neil Peart's lyrics as well as it does. I appreciate the written word, and never have I come across musicians whose artistry fuses music and lyrics so well.This film (and RUSH's music generally) is highly recommended to anyone who appreciates intelligent lyrics, highly crafted musical artistry and exceptionally good music.

Saw the premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival last night. A theater full of Rush fans guarantees that if the film faltered it would get immediate feedback. Not the case here at all. What us rabid Rush fans have been waiting for all these years has finally happened: a serious piece of film that accurately details the background of the band and their rise from obscurity to, as Geddy says "not mainstream, but OUR stream", with the ups and downs along the way. Everything is covered, from their struggle for a recording contract until their first stateside 'fans' Donna Halper from WMMS in Cleveland and Cliff Burnstein of Mercury Records helped them out, the early years w/ John Rutsey (someone who up until now was just a name - seeing and hearing him made me appreciate his early contributions to the group), the triumphant release of 2112 that gave them their independence, all the way to Neil's tragic loss of his daughter and wife years ago that almost spelled the end of the band.Peppered w/ interviews from other musicians who you would not typically think of as Rush fans (Trent Reznor, Billy Corgan, etc.) as well as those who absolutely fit the bill (Jack Black, Les Claypool, etc.) you see that their influence is not just musical but spiritual - not one of these people, except for maybe Mr. Claypool, play like Rush, but they all relate how their admiration for the band fueled their own push to be better musicians and hold onto their integrity.As you would expect, my only complaint is that it's not long enough. But that's what DVD extras are for. :) All in all a hearty thumbs-up! Be sure to catch the TV premiere in late June over at VH1/VH1Classic!And one last thought - this has solidified the growing position among us hardcore fans that it's irrelevant if they ever get into the R&R Hall of Fame. That's a popularity contest that the band has never cared for and nor do I.