:
They Might Be Giants,
They Might Be Giants,
Frank Black,
more...
:
A. J. Schnack,
A. J. Schnack
see all cast/crew...
: Not Rated
: Plexifilm
: Documentary, Music, Music Videos/Performance, Documentary, Music
: 102 min.
: English
see additional details...
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John Flansburgh and John Linnell are a pair of musicians who met when they were fellow junior-high misfits in the town of Lincoln, MA. Sharing a fondness for off-center pop music and absurdist humor, the pair decided to form a band, and later moved to Brooklyn, NY, in search of their big break. Adopting a rather unusual two-man lineup (guitar and accordion accompanied by a drum machine), the duo began performing as They Might Be Giants, and their shows were part concert, part performance art, and part edgy comedy. Slowly but surely, They Might Be Giants became one of the biggest bands on the alternative rock scene, and while they never threatened to break into the upper reaches of the Billboard charts, they've managed to develop a loyal cult following, and after nearly 20 years together, are still recording and performing their one-of-a-kind songs on their own terms. Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) is a documentary which looks at the long and sometimes strange history of They Might Be Giants, featuring extensive interviews with Flansburgh and Linnell; thoughts from fellow musicians Frank Black and Syd Straw; endorsements from noted authors Dave Eggers, Gina Arnold, and Michael Azerrad; and readings of the group's lyrics from actors (and fans) Harry Shearer, Janeane Garofalo, Michael McKean, and Annette O'Toole. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
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| Water spirals the wrong way out the sink...
by hanimal
July 1, 2005 - 5:11 PM PDT
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4 out of 5 members found this review helpful
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| Maybe it was set and setting - I was the only TMBG fan watching it, my mind was wandering, I was obsessed with the tickling sedation sensation - but I found this to be extremely dry. And not funny clever wicked dry, just boring dry. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE these guys, but watching the documentary only inspired me to want to pull out the video collections or go conga with them in concert. So much magic left uncaptured, despite the fun tidbits and behind-the-scenes looks... The content was floating in there somewhere, but the production was lacking. |
| Put your hand inside the puppet head!
by Cinenaut
May 18, 2004 - 8:57 AM PDT
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5 out of 5 members found this review helpful
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After wallowing in the extra features of this DVD for a couple of days, the actual documentary itself almost seemed anticlimatic. Needless to say, this is a must see DVD for fans of this inventive musical duo. For non-fans it could be a great overview of a band that writes songs about everything from a faithful night light to James K. Polk. Their low budget video for Don't Let's Start was one of the first independent videos shown on MTV, helping usher in the indie rock era of the 90s.
They Might Be Giants jamming with Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show band and Michael McKean's strangely poignant readings of TMBG lyrics were just a couple of the highlights for me. Extras also include videos, concert footage, in-store appearance performances and even footage from an old Nick Rocks episode. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 7.22)
41 Votes
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