24 hour party people & Morrissey.

[Strawberry]

I have to say that while waiting for Morrissey's next classic
to arrive down at my local HMV - patiently - I am sat down wondering what's going on in the world, watching things unfold and drift on, slowly.

I have just watched the UK DVD of 24 hour party people the factory records story. I watched it with anticipation but sadly that film just frustrated me further, and I am not alone in thinking that a totally earth shattering opportunity was missed. The chance for doing something great with that film was just thrown away and what a waste it is.

One of the interesting bits was on the DVD, in the deleted scenes, was it 22?, where young Morrissey (aged 17?) is questioned by Tony Wilson - what's your name ? - "Steven Morrissey" says the young lad.. the rest is history. History that is just so much better in real life than presented in that film.

Plenty of bands were covered, but covered badly. As someone once said in 1979: "She's Lost Control; here, finally, Gary Glitter meets the Velvet Underground. Bothrely on rock-hard echoed drumming and bass recorded well up to take the melody - the guitar provides textural icing and thrust over the top."

Let's hope one day that if Morrissey's story is produced on DVD they give it to someone who knows what's going on and presents the truth and not just something to please the masses. And nothing like that 'thing' Channel 4 TV gave us - what another missed opportunity with the Morrissey documentary. Some of the interviews were OK but surely someone, somewhere, in mind body and soul can do better than that... even our Alma.

The whole bloody world needs shaking up in my eyes - we are surrounded by useless idiots everywhere. Even Microsoft can't get things right - this PC has crashed twice while typing this note and Mr Tseng has a Morrissey website that is full of some interesting bits and bobs plus all those stupid fools.

Strawberry

 

[poison ivy]

They could have spared us the Rave-o-lution

and Shaun Ryder as the second coming of Christ. A bore really? This editorial mishap would make the God scene more palpible. We have your word...and musings of mr.wilson.

> I have to say that while waiting for Morrissey's next classic
> to arrive down at my local HMV - patiently - I am sat down wondering
> what's going on in the world, watching things unfold and drift on, slowly.

> I have just watched the UK DVD of 24 hour party people the factory records
> story. I watched it with anticipation but sadly that film just frustrated
> me further, and I am not alone in thinking that a totally earth shattering
> opportunity was missed. The chance for doing something great with that
> film was just thrown away and what a waste it is.

> One of the interesting bits was on the DVD, in the deleted scenes, was it
> 22?, where young Morrissey (aged 17?) is questioned by Tony Wilson -
> what's your name ? - "Steven Morrissey" says the young lad.. the
> rest is history. History that is just so much better in real life than
> presented in that film.

> Plenty of bands were covered, but covered badly. As someone once said in
> 1979: "She's Lost Control; here, finally, Gary Glitter meets the
> Velvet Underground. Bothrely on rock-hard echoed drumming and bass
> recorded well up to take the melody - the guitar provides textural icing
> and thrust over the top."

> Let's hope one day that if Morrissey's story is produced on DVD they give
> it to someone who knows what's going on and presents the truth and not
> just something to please the masses. And nothing like that 'thing' Channel
> 4 TV gave us - what another missed opportunity with the Morrissey
> documentary. Some of the interviews were OK but surely someone, somewhere,
> in mind body and soul can do better than that... even our Alma.

> The whole bloody world needs shaking up in my eyes - we are surrounded by
> useless idiots everywhere. Even Microsoft can't get things right - this PC
> has crashed twice while typing this note and Mr Tseng has a Morrissey
> website that is full of some interesting bits and bobs plus all those
> stupid fools.

> Strawberry

 

[Lemon Beer]

I like you, you are wonderful, now change

Great post.

Please change your user name to "Strawberry Shortcake."

It is a nice name.

 

[Worm]

I can appreciate your frustration, but you answered your own question when you said that the film is the Factory story. That's exactly what it is-- the Factory story as embodied in the person of Tony Wilson. Any inclusion of The Smiths would have been irrelevant, as they were never part of Factory. The city of Manchester is an important "character" in the movie, but only as it related to Factory and, in particular, the Hacienda.

Look at it another way. The Smiths' greatness demands a film of its own. Having a few cameos or a quick nod to The Smiths would only have emphasized what was missing. Imagine "The Godfather Part II" having a quick five-minutes of "Apocalypse Now" thrown in. The movie successfully tells the story of Factory, Joy Division and the Happy Mondays, but even two hours aren't enough to do their stories justice. For instance, many of my friends who saw the movie didn't get the bit about "Blue Monday"'s disastrously expensive record sleeve, whereas the full story is one of the most fascinating and representative anecdotes about Factory's business dealings.

Speaking as a Joy Division/New Order fan, "Twenty-Four Hour Party People" was completely fulfilling. As a film fan, I appreciated how the editing and post-modern tricks did exactly what you wanted-- they shook things up. From my perspective, the bores you rightly seem to hate so much had nothing to do with this movie, which I consider a small masterpiece.

 

[Strawberry]

..I get along without you very well..

It is interesting to read posts about the film whether they agree with my view or not. It was not really the problem that The Smiths was not covered in the film that caused my concerns. No, I did not really expect The Smiths to be mentioned in that film at all - it was a Factory thing and I didn't expect mention of any of the better 'competition.' and especially from down the road.

What I did expect, and feel let down with, was a little more of the original factory and more of that music and just more. So, for me, the factory that was not really covered was infact what the real factory was all about.... the original indies like ACR, Stockholm Monsters, The Names, Kevin Hewick, Mini Pops, New Order (without Kevin Hewick - if only ! ), Durutti Column, James - and all those bands that made factory what it was, and what is was for, and about, for a number of years. Not the bloody Mondays, all they ever did was E's ..and just look where that got them all in the end, the local A&E at the nearest hospitals.

Rusholme's Ruffians. Pity, but in the end it all ends in tears.

Strawberry.

> I can appreciate your frustration, but you answered your own question when
> you said that the film is the Factory story. That's exactly what it is--
> the Factory story as embodied in the person of Tony Wilson. Any inclusion
> of The Smiths would have been irrelevant, as they were never part of
> Factory. The city of Manchester is an important "character" in
> the movie, but only as it related to Factory and, in particular, the
> Hacienda.

> Look at it another way. The Smiths' greatness demands a film of its own.
> Having a few cameos or a quick nod to The Smiths would only have
> emphasized what was missing. Imagine "The Godfather Part II"
> having a quick five-minutes of "Apocalypse Now" thrown in. The
> movie successfully tells the story of Factory, Joy Division and the Happy
> Mondays, but even two hours aren't enough to do their stories justice. For
> instance, many of my friends who saw the movie didn't get the bit about
> "Blue Monday"'s disastrously expensive record sleeve, whereas
> the full story is one of the most fascinating and representative anecdotes
> about Factory's business dealings.

> Speaking as a Joy Division/New Order fan, "Twenty-Four Hour Party
> People" was completely fulfilling. As a film fan, I appreciated how
> the editing and post-modern tricks did exactly what you wanted-- they
> shook things up. From my perspective, the bores you rightly seem to hate
> so much had nothing to do with this movie, which I consider a small
> masterpiece.

 

[Count Chocula]

i love you, you're perfect, now change!

Please call yourself "Strawberry Shortcake."

 

[Ruffian]

> I have just watched the UK DVD of 24 hour party people the factory records
> story. I watched it with anticipation but sadly that film just frustrated
> me further, and I am not alone in thinking that a totally earth shattering
> opportunity was missed. The chance for doing something great with that
> film was just thrown away and what a waste it is.

What a massive co-incidence you talk of this film.. I've just seen it for the first time, and I really enjoyed it I must say,even if a little bit of a 'made for TV' feel drama about it. I liked the story, however brief it was, and yeah it had shortcomings, like unsatisfactorily explaining how the Hacienda drained a lot of the profits made by the (great) bands of that time. What I did like about it though is how one man with a vision, with a passion, can make things happen. Admittedly Wilson was in the right place at the right time.. but we have chances in life, buit how many of us have the chance to create a movement?? a moment in time, a mini musical revolution??

Maybe I'm soft on the North west at the moemnt living up here, but I'm getting to know all those places around the Hacienda, and if you look hard enough you can still see what it was like under the industrial archges and in the sahdow of some of the great mills of Manchester, as the area is redeveloped.

As a film it was enjoyable. As a documentary, it was too vague ( I think there was an in-depth Doc on Factory a while back.. Certainly New Order were on it giving their perspective of the administrative shambles Factory was)!

Anyway.. Pop art films are always hard to get right.. only rarely do things fall into place 'Quadrophenia', 'Sid and nancy' for example. But for all of those, there's a a bad Doors docufilm, or an 'absolute beginners' (great book though) to tip the balance to the poor!

Ruffian